Trip Report: NYC with Murry

Psst...you might need to view this one in Internet Explorer or the pictures won't align right.

Two weekends ago, I had the distinct pleasure of visiting NYC with Murielle. It was short, but it was a blast. It was Murry's first time, so we did some classic tourist stuff (Staten Island Ferry, Broadway show, the Met), and some classic Murry-Julie stuff (trying on dresses at Macy's since it was so darn wet outside).

See it all:

NYC with Murry 2008

You can even see us describe it all (in French) since I put a dorky video up on YouTube for Murry's boyfriend. Ignore how terrible I was at getting both Murry and I in the frame -- the nifty little camera I was using is super-easy to use, but hard to angle properly.

Assorted thoughts:

- Some experiences, while fun, are a one-time thing.
Did I enjoy strolling through Central Park in the pouring rain? Yes. Would I do it again? No. Well, probably not. On the upside, Central Park was nearly deserted, so we got to walk through it relatively unbothered by other tourists. On the downside, hard as we tried to squish our entire bodies under one shared umbrella, our pant legs got completely soaked, which made our subsequent visit to the Met a bit soggier than desired.

-The sights are unbeatable.
The skyscrapers in Times Square disappearing into a dense fog. The set design of Phantom of the Opera, a boat skimming over waters lit by hundreds of candles. The "Moonrise" by Harpignies at the Met. Some things, you only see in New York -- that's why you have to go back again and again.

- We like a wide range of food.
From the unaffected homestylings of the Peanut Butter & Co. Sandwich Shop to the messy, unusual Meskerem to the friendly, authentic El Parador Cafe, we consumed mass quantities. One thing's for sure: Murielle loves American service. She practically wanted to make out with our friendly server at the Olive Garden (don't worry, Herve, she did restrain herself).

- The Museum of the Moving Image is totally boss.
It's in Queens, in this kind of sketchy neighborhood, so you probably wouldn't stumble on it; you'd have to make a point to go there, which we did. But we did pass by the Kaufman Astoria Studios on the way there (too bad we didn't see Will Arnett). There were so many great interactive exhibits -- voiceovers, creating a stop-motion photography video (a la Wallace and Gromit), a ping-pong video game without controllers. I was totally entranced by an exhibit that showed how a baseball game is edited live from numerous different camera views. It was fascinating!

And, since I do it every time, a little comparison of how apparently we never change.

We still have hair issues.











Things still go wrong with our clothes.











We are still visions of loveliness in green and pink.













I still don't photograph well.











Then there's this series of gems...

Ah, persian grandma Murry.


And after all the fun we have, it's still a bummer to have to say goodbye, and I try to brave it by making funny faces.