Well, here we are back together again in Philadelphia. I arrived from New York today on the train, with Omar and Chak Hee and apart from the taxi driver from Penn Station having NO IDEA where he was going and somehow blaming us for that, it was fine. We got here early afternoon and of course the rooms weren’t ready and the restaurant was closed, so it was room service in Chak Hee’s room! Later in the afternoon we got all our bags and boxes that we’ve been sending, so I now have a room piled up with stuff and no idea how it’s all going to get into my cases!
The reception on Thursday night was fun, though I couldn’t stay very long. Avenue Q was totally brilliant, absolutely outrageous and immense fun! I can only recommend it to anyone (as long as you don’t mind full-on puppet sex scenes!!)
After a lovely couple of days, and in fact pretty OK weather throughout the whole trip, my luck had to run out and it did so spectacularly on Friday. It poured. and poured. and poured. If any New Yorkers ever criticise the weather in Brussels or London, I swear I will remove their livers with a spoon. I had great meetings (you know where to look for information on those), but turned up to the second one soaked to the skin, looking like a drowned rat and ready to burst into tears.
In the evening I went out with Omar and Chak Hee for a very nice meal on the Upper East Side, but VERY VERY VERY VERY expensive. I’m not even going to tell you how much because you’ll be shocked. Still, it was quite fun to live the high-life, even if it was for a night. Afterwards we went to a bar and danced quite a lot, which was really fun. We reckon that people thought we were some weird multi-racial threesome, with Omar as the son of the Sultan of Brunei!
Yesterday I went off to do some of those little New York chores (Crate and Barrel, picking up Dermalogica products) and walked so much I felt totally knackered, so slobbed out (and had a wee siesta) during the afternoon. I headed out for dinner, my initial idea being the Oyster Bar at the Grand Central Station. But after waiting 10 minutes to even get a menu and 10 more without any prospect of getting my order taken, I stalked out in high dudgeon and headed over to K-town for more Korean. Cos I was on my own I couldn’t get Bulgogi and what a stroke of luck that was, because I had one of the lovely pancake-cum-omelette things they do which was FABULOUS. Something to ask for next time Moray goes to Seoul! Anyway, I walked back to the hotel afterwards, a necessity to help me digest! And then before you know it, off to sleep, up this morning, packed again and heading off, for the second-to-last time. And next time will be to go HOME!!!!
As you may know if you read the other blog, I am going to have to give all my electronics back tomorrow, so this is the end of the blog from the US. Thanks for all the comments and interest, I hope you enjoyed these little electronic postcards. It helped me here to know that people back home were following what I was doing, so I’m very grateful. And very very very very much looking forward to seeing you all again very soon!