Tuesday 4th June

I am actually writing this on Weds 5th because I was too tired to do it last night, I didn't create a post for Monday because we had an introductory lectures day but I will mention it briefly in this post. We are getting up pretty early tomorrow to go to the UN so we have the evening free tonight, I've decided to have a chilled evening which is why I am writing this in my PJs with a blue-green face mask on looking like one of the painted Seal warriors (for those who have seen the Eagle movie)!

On Monday we were introduced to the course by the three lecturers who created it; Darren from Roehampton specialises in Globalism and sociology, Davis from Maryville specialises in global politics and Peter from Manhattanville specialises in global religions. I found all three aspects of the course very interesting, it surprised me how much I got into the politics and sociology side (especially considering I had always thought of sociology as a bit of a mickey mouse subject! Which I take back now I have learnt a bit more about it).

Yesterday (Tuesday) was another full on day in the city. We took the public bus from campus to the local town of White Plains and got to Grand Central from there so that we would know how to do it on our own in the future. We were going get the GC- Times square shuttle and then walk the remaining 6 blocks to the pier but a nice guy on the train informed us that the m42 bus on 42nd would take us all the way there- people are generally quite friendly like that here :)

The circle line cruise was amazing, it probably comes a close second to the Top of the Rock for the best view of New York. The Statue of Liberty is beautiful, regal and a bit smaller in real life than I expected. I was awed by the bridges, we have some impressive and more decorative bridges in London, but the Hudson bridges are something else. My amateur photography skills somehow became known on the boat, I must have taken 17 pictures for strangers in front of the statue or skyline and at one point I had a queue 4 deep...I was about to start a tips jar! The first picture on here is of the Manhattan Bridge located between the Brooklyn and Williamsburg, Roey is clearly loving the cruise!

After the cruise we did quite a bit of wandering in the city, we ended up around 7th Ave which is the fashion district and visited the Fashion Institute of Technology- not my cup of tea but it still had a quaint museum. My favourite part of the afternoon was going along the Highline; this is an old elevated train track which has been converted into a walkway/garden above the city, mostly over the hippy/forward thinking parts around Chelsea (quite obvious from the many rainbow flags flying on nearby buildings)- apparently the highline is where all the cool people hang out now...obviously why I felt at home ;) You can walk along the highline a lot quicker than you could walk the streets and it has been so successful that they are working on converting a lot more of the old tracks into a highline network. What I loved about it was that you are still in the centre of the city, surrounded by New Yorkers but there is a calm and peaceful atmosphere about it, helped by the city noise being reduced a surprising amount.

There's not much to say about the return trip- the subway in rush hour was quite the experience though! We did stop off in Times Square but it was a brief visit and I know we intend to take a longer one later in the trip :)

Roey loving life :)

Jell-O is my nectar

Manhattan from the Circle Line