Despite only having spent the past 4 days in NYC, I've started to develop an affinity for the place. Before this trip, I would probably have felt it apt to produce the same static comparison of NYC to London. Of course, it would always have entailed a pro-London/anti NYC bias; 'there isn't that much ethnic diversity', 'it's not as relaxed', 'the excessively high buildings makes the place impersonal'...etc etc etc. But this time round, I'm more able to appreciate strong things NY has got going for it.
I love how friendly the people are. How you don't feel stupid whilst asking people for directions or merely commenting on the heatwave. Compared to Knightsbridge, 5th Avenue is not filled exclusively with tourists and those upper-middle class plus somethings who grasp their Louis Vuitton bags, exaggerate their shoulder movements as they walk and questionably have an unpalatable obsession with creamy shades of secondary colours.
To invoke a cliche, the city has a real vibe about it. There was a real anticipation imprinted onto my face as me and the others walked from block to block looking for restaurants and bars. It was like a beautiful but simplified maze; no nasty shocks, no minotaur and certainly no need to have a piece of string tying me back to the place I started.
And this fresh attitude towards New York was buttressed with several days of drinking...I can assert without doubt that one can bond best with something/someone through drink. For my own legal protection, I will now enter a clause 'Please drink responsibly however'. There, I can't be sued now. But srsly, I have to say I haven't drank 3 days in a row since Freshers week. Ohh the nostalgia.
So last night, me, Meagan and Freddie stayed in a gorgeous apartment on the Upper East Side in Manhattan. The living room had high ceilings with no decorative detail defining it except for a varnished fan attached to it. An Indonesian table supported by these stone wolves and wall-mounted African face masks delight all whose attention they capture. But I lost my attention once I took a gin and tonic to my lips at 8pm. The witty Adam Dalva had just arrived at that point and Sofia (owner of this gorgeous flat) offered drinks within a Manhattan minute of his arrival. More people arrived and more drinking ensued, I had hopes at the start of the evening that the nasty 1.75 litre bottle of Bacardi, from the previous night, might actually be finished (this turned out to be a forlorn hope and to the best of my knowledge now, I believe it still lies unfinished on an oak phone table).
I have to say the night really started to turn once we began playing a drinking card game.
2 is for you
3 is for me
4 is for floor
5 is for guys
6 is for chicks
7 is for heaven
8 is for mates
9 is for rhyme
10 is for category
Jack is for make a rule
Queen is for question
King is for pouring into the 'glass of shit' (as i slurred last night)
To my horror, I selected the last King to everyone's cheer and delight. I took a sip and Adam was such a gentleman in offering to help me finish it. I could barely stomach the first sip and as Adam handed it back to me for a second sip, I felt a small tempest manifest itself in my stomach and mish mash the delicious chips I had eaten before playing the game and the concoction of gin and vodka. I discreetly proceeded to throw up in my mouth, but my oesophagus demanded to remove more from my stomach and 5 seconds after that fateful 2nd sip, I found myself carrying a full load of material in my mouth. I ran like 3 muffins to the toilet as everyone went 'HOOHHHHH' and I deposited my load with great accuracy, into the pits of the toilet bowl. Stayed posted for the video on Facebook, I'm pretty sure Meagan will be putting it up at some point for purposes of reinforcing my dignity.
We resumed the game and Freddie continued to attack a bottle of rum for which he paid the price for in the afternoon (we only slept at 4.30am);dragging his sluggish body through the Whitney Museum and bemoaning his inability to focus.
God Bless New York. Post-prohibition laws never stood a chance with us determined drinkers.
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