In the harbor

Monday 30 June 2008

I sadly said goodbye to Ryan last night, and joined my family for the month of July. After meeting my parents at my aunt and uncle's house, we all drove up to Massachussetts today to pick up Uncle Bill's new boat. This isn't it, but it was a pretty one all lit up in the harbor. We leave tomorrow to drive the boat down the coast and back to New Jersey - I'm just hoping I don't get seasick!

Drag Evita

Sunday 29 June 2008

Today was the annual New York Gay Pride Parade, a huge and gorgeous parade ending a week of Pride events and fundraisers. There were all kinds of groups marching - both specifically gay groups, as well as church groups, the police, firefighters, politicians, you name it. Everyone who wanted to show their support for tolerance and harmony among all peoples, regardless of sexual orientation.

This was a part of the Argentine group (which was called Mateando, meaning "drinking mate," very Argentine) - a drag Evita. I thought it was pretty funny - and she looks darn good, too!

Pride Parade

Saturday 28 June 2008

Okay, the Pride Parade isn't until tomorrow, but Ryan and I did nothing today but sit around on our computers catching up on stuff, very boring, so I decided to show you one extra photo from it. Here is the crowd across from us, very excited to be watching such a neat parade! More on what they were looking at tomorrow . . .

Dylan's Candy Bar

Friday 27 June 2008

Ryan and I visited the coolest candy store today. It was more expensive than other places, but absolutely chock full of every kind of candy you can imagine. Walls lined with bulk candy, as well as packaged candy from today and stuff I remember from my childhood.

This part was pretty neat, too. A whole bunch of celebrities had visited, and been asked to fill a box with their favorite candy. I think Richard Gere was probably the most sensible - all he had in his was dark chocolate.

Subway preaching

Thursday 26 June 2008

Bible quotes set up along a subway station wall.

Half my life

Wednesday 25 June 2008

It rained a bit today. On our way to the grocery store, I noticed this snail enjoying the clean, wet world.

Jenny's Foyer

Tuesday 24 June 2008

Jenny and PJ live in an historical brownstone in Harlem - this is their entrance hallway. That same leafy face is carved a few other places in the building and is on the doorknobs, so I figure he must be a guardian of some sort.

" . . . somewhere they make food I LIKE"

Monday 23 June 2008

Okay, this one is a wee bit of an inside joke. This is the soul food place featured in the first episode of the show "30 Rock," which both Ryan and I love. (Well, Ryan a bit more than me, but that's probably because he has a crush on Tina Fey.) We were walking to the subway station when I suddenly noticed this, and we both regretted not having the time to stop in for "10 beers!"

Tie-Dye Party

Sunday 22 June 2008

We had a tie-dye party today, and spent the day creating the wonderful works of art you see us wearing here, playing a home-made version of catchphrase, and generally having oursevles a good ol' fashioned good time.

Hallah!

Saturday 21 June 2008

For midsummer night, we went to our friend Lisa's brother's house for a less-than-traditional Shabbat dinner (we ate Thai food.) It was delicious, soaking up the spicy curry in the slightly sweet hallah bread. Here we are tearing off our first pieces.

Soul Food

Friday 20 June 2008

Jenny and PJ took us to Amy Ruth's today, a Harlem soul food restaurant. It was delicious, and I think we all left the table about 15 pounds heavier. Ryan had smothered chicken and waffles (a marvelous savory/sweet combination that is way better than you're probably thinking) and I had fried chicken with collard greens and macaroni and cheese. They serve cornbread before the meal, and I can honestly say I have never in my whole life eaten better or more buttery rich cornbread. I'm getting hungry right now just thinking about it.

Another street

Thursday 19 June 2008

Deli Lunch!

Wednesday 18 June 2008

We couldn't spend all this time in New York without having at least one pastrami sandwich at a kosher deli!

Why Bother?

Tuesday 17 June 2008

There was a depressing little poem posted on the ceiling of this subway station, each line a few yards away from the last. Luckily, most people probably don't notice it.

Making pasta

Monday 16 June 2008

Ryan and I accidentally missed the bus back to New York this morning, so we returned to Aunt Sue's house for the day (we took the evening bus back.) I spent the afternoon making pasta and preparing dinner - here's a little self portrait.

Pez!!!

Sunday 15 June 2008

We visited a Pez museum while in Easton.

Picking strawberries

Saturday 14 June 2008

We went out to a local farm today with my aunt and cousin to pick strawberries. They were so fresh and delicious, and we made them immediately into some of the best strawberry jam I've ever eaten. Mmmm, nothing beats fresh local produce.

Markers

Friday 13 June 2008

Ryan and I went down to Easton, Pennsylvania today, to visit my aunt and uncle. We arrived early in the day, and decided to spend the afternoon at the Crayola Crayon factory! We saw how crayons are made, got to put a label on one, and did all kinds of art projects! This is my favorite kind of museum - very hands on. We went upstairs afterwards to visit the Canal Museum, where we got to pilot our own little boat through a long, winding canal with all kinds of locks and things. I love going to these places and just getting to have fun and be childish again!

Jenny Wiiing

Thursday 12 June 2008

Jenny playing Wii bowling. This is another American cultural experience we've been researching here, and are finding it a rather pleasant one!

Harlem

Wednesday 11 June 2008

Okay, another New York street to compare with the previous two. This is where Jenny and PJ, two close friends from Taiwan, live -- in Harlem. Another very different kind of Big Apple neighborhood, it's very friendly and busy. There are always people taking walks, kids playing, all kinds of activity on the streets up here. I love walking through the blocks a little bit east of here and listening to all the Spanish around me.

Aunt Edna's street

Tuesday 10 June 2008

I should clarify something - yes, Ryan and I are in New York City, but we're staying with my great aunt out in Queens, in this neighborhood. I wanted to contrast it with yesterday's picture - this is why I love this city.

My aunt has lived here for 85 years (all her life), and has seen quite few changes in the city. She says that when she was younger, there were many fewer houses here, and everyone had little farms in the backyard. She's really seen a lot, and has some neat stories.

The Big Apple!

Monday 9 June 2008

Ryan and I have officially arrived in New York City!

Sister shot

Sunday 8 June 2008

Here's my mom doing a shot with all of her sisters (and one of her brothers.) Who knew the Curry girls were so wild?

A fireman's wedding

Saturday 7 June 2008

Another wedding today, what fun! Here's my cousin Robbie with his four-month-old son Josiah, who is about the cutest and best-behaved baby I ever saw, waiting for his bride to walk down the aisle. (Robbie's bride, not Josiah's.) And their anniversary date will be 6-7-8, how cool is that?

Sophon at Zelda's

Friday 6 June 2008

This is Ryan's friend Sophon, with whom we were staying here in Toronto, hard at work. She bartends and waitresses at Zelda's, one of the most popular lgbt bars in town. It's all decked out here in preparation for pride week. We stopped by late Thursday/early Friday for a glass of delicious cold raspberry wheat beer.

Shhhh

Thursday 5 June 2008

We met an old friend of Ryan's today, who has a three-month-old baby boy. Of course, I held him just before he ate, so he was hungry and cranky and fussy. Ryan got to hold him right after he ate, however, so he was asleep. No fair.

Carilon

Wednesday 4 June 2008

We sat in a churchyard today, eating lunch between our wanderings around downtown Toronto, and heard the most beautiful songs being played on the church bells. When we finished our sandwiches, we went into the church, a gorgeous, big, old ornate Methodist chapel. We asked about the bells, and were told that "oh, yes, someone was playing them, Gerald, I believe he's still there, why don't you two go on up and say hello."

So, we went up and met Gerald and he showed us how the carilon works (those pedals there are attatched to the bells with cables, so you play the bells almost like a big piano) and let us have a try, then took us up in the tower to see the bells themselves. It was such a neat and unusual thing to see, and a very fun little piece of Toronto to discover.

Steamwhistle

Tuesday 3 June 2008

While here in Toronto, we decided to visit the Steamwhistle Brewery. We couldn't get a tour, unfortunately, but they gave us some free samples (enough to make us quite tipsy by the time we left!) and we wandered around looking at the art on the walls and the explanations of all their green technology. Very cool place, from the looks of it. And good beer, too!

Backyards

Monday 2 June 2008

We went out to Kitchner, a smaller town nearby Toronto, to visit some friends for a night of cards and drinking and shouty game.

This was taken from their deck, of all their neighbor's backyards, all separated by wooden fences. Quite the picture of suburban North America, isn't it?

Toronto at night

Sunday 1 June 2008

More experiments with slow-speed shutter work. A view of Toronto from a friend's roof.