RIP, Canon Powershot A40...

There are two things I wish I'd done with my digital camera. Firstly I wish I'd named it - him - because he has been a trusty companion over the last three years. Maybe I'd have called him Colin. Colin the Canon. Secondly, I wish I hadn't left him in my rucksack cosied up with a banana. I wasn't going far, and the banana was definitely not ripe, so I hoped it'd be OK. I was wrong. The lens is entirely ruined. Colin now sees what I see every morning before I put my glasses on.

I'm going to have to save a little before I can afford something spangly and new, and moreover I didn't want to lose him entirely.

Sniffle.

Update: I've also broken my wooden window blinds quite spectacularly this morning. I am teh clumsy. I'd take a picture, but alas...

I love New York

The best thing about breaking the routine for a holiday is its ability to kick-start the creative juices. Note to self: take more time off; everything seems shiny and new again. At least for now...

New York was, as expected, a bewildering feast for my naive senses. I snapped (hello flickr), caught up (hey Bart & Chris!) and ate as much as I could (hello belly). The most difficult thing of all to comprehend initially was that this city which I've seen so much of on the big and small screen is real and actually functions; all those impossibly tall buildings have people bustling around in them. I guess these feelings are the inverse of the stereotypical "How quaint!" often heard from American tourists over here.

It being our first time in the big apple, we mostly stuck to the core (groan) tourist sights, though relished visits to the wonderful Grounded coffee house in Greenwich Village, Cup in Astoria and John's Pizza in the West Village (the latter two came well recommended from our wonderous host Bart). The views from atop the Rockefeller Centre, on Brooklyn Bridge and the Staten Island ferry were truly breathtaking - and all the more rewarding because there was so much to recognise. Photos, none of which do justice to the wonderment beheld, will be on flickr very soon.

Less loved was the Subway, which often felt to me like a dirtier, wildly confusing and less friendly version of the Budapest Metro (where they play a little tune when the doors open). It's not very friendly to newcomers, but we just about sussed it out (though we did occasionally half-expect to end up plunging into Hudson Bay...)

I'd go back in a second. The people, the sights, the sounds, the smells (hmm, perhaps not the smells), the buzz and the weather - which jumped from being below freezing to 22°C in just 5 days - make it a really bizarre and fascinating place. Hopefully it won't be ridiculously long before I get the chance to pay another visit. Thanks to all who gave us tips on what to see and do - our sore feet are testament to the fact that we packed in pretty much all we could, and apologies for the big fan-boy-stylee post. It just had to be done.

Leaving on a jet plane...

Things will be even quieter than usual for the next week or so, as we go on our little jolly across the pond. We'll be attempting to relive some of the moments lovingly described in one of most cynical posts ever to grace the pages of minor9th - How To: Sex In The City.

(Aah there's nothing like recycling!)