Central Park Activities

Thank goodness for Central Park. Without this carefully designed and manicured outlet for physical and emotional energy, I think New Yorkers would truly go insane.  Given the enormity of the park in relation to the size of Manhattan island, the park seems quite small to serve the CURRENT number of City inhabitants versus the population of New York when the Park was completed in 1863.

How does one deal with this disparity?  Structure, rules, and control.  For example, god forbid you run clockwise around the reservoir instead of counter-clockwise.  New Yorkers will tell you how they feel and they will let you know right away.

Bumper Cars

Physical space is obviously at a premium if you live in the City, especially if you have a car.  I've heard the waitlists to get a permanent parking spot in a garage is years long and crazy pricey, so if you can park on the sidewalk, and hopefully near your apartment, then you're golden and good to go.  However, with a very little amount of curb space available at any one time, people park VERY close to one another.  Add to the mix everyone all trying to parallel park amongst backed up traffic and you get scenarios such as this:

I know that part of a car is called its bumper, but come on, that kind of close contact has got to leave a mark.  What to do?  Necessity being the mother of invention, I've observed two kinds of solutions.  All appear to simply exist as a barrier, but the devices were prevalent enough to indicate their worth.  Enter the Bumper Badger and Bully, respectively:

Whoever invented these bumper bumpers is a freakin' genius.  For more info:
Bumper Bully
Bumper Badger

On The Street

What a vibrant place - people everywhere - so much to see.

Nature In Reverse

Nature overflows with Pandora-like abundance in Maui.   On the other hand, you sacrifice much of the culture, sophistication, and hyper developed, first-world civilization that is present in Manhattan.  Access to the natural world in NYC is precious and often meticulously cared after.  Check out this small garden plot outside this apartment.

Maui Tacos Baby!!

To my utter shock today, while walking around the Fashion District, I ran into a Maui Tacos restauant.  After talking to a Chinese woman who identified herself as the owner, I realized there are other Maui Tacos in the US besides those in Hawaii - supposedly 31 franchises! The menu looked really familiar.  I told her the Hookipa burrito was my favorite.  After learning I'm living on Maui currently, the owner immediately asked if I surf - no I dive. Then she asked if I was a vegetarian as the Hookipa lacks meat. No again. :)

 Honestly, NYC was the LAST place I ever thought I'd run into one of these restaurants...  Hey, to the Maui Tacos restaurants actually on Maui - this franchise serves alcohol!

For more info on the Maui Tacos' franchise deal: Honolulu Star Bulletin.

Aloft Over The Pacific

Getting there is half the fun right?  Taken on the overnight flight from Maui to LA, Canada Dry was shot at ISO 3200 - the limit of my D40 - in really dark conditions.

This Delta widebody  had video screens in every seatback, which was great because we could just watch movies or TV shows for FREE!  Interesting because the the TV's were touchscreen and one of the entertainment features was a scrabble-like word game where you tap out words searching for various letters. Well, the young woman behind me got really into the game and after 15 minutes of woodpecker-like drumming, I actually turned around and told her to "tap lighter!"

Needless to say, she was embarrassed, but hey - I need to sleep here!

Big Apple Bound

I'm going to NYC for a week.

I'm taking the red-eye tonight from Kahului to LA to Newark.  I used to study, live, and work in Manhattan, so it will be nice to go back to visit family as well as to do some work.  Anyways, having been away from city life for many years now, simply packing for the trip was very eye-opening.

First of all, I'm completely amazed by how many pairs of shoes I need to bring to live and survive in a metropolis like New York.   I have to bring FOUR pairs of shoes!  From left to right:  running shoes for well, running and working out, dress shoes for work and evenings, casual hip day shoes for the day, and semi-athletic/casual day shoes to mix it up.  Because you know the people I will meet and reacquaint myself with actually care and pay attention to what I put on my feet, how often I wear said stuff, and if I wear the same stuff more than two days in a row.

This is what I wear in Maui 90% of the time for all occasions.

On sale for $10.99/pair.


OK, I just covered what goes on my feet.  How about the other stuff?  The stuff that pretty much covers my entire body except for my head and hands, and all the necessary accessories in between.  I really had to do some digging to get this stuff out of the closet.

Note the assorted ties - varying in color, fabric, and texture - as well as the shiny cuff links in God Bless America colors, and the even shinier wristwatch that's thin enough to slide under a shirt cuff (sorry Suunto D4).  Why do the socks have gold toes?  Because that's the brand.  So my feet go in the socks first and then into the shoes.  Got it.  Also, I need a lint brush.  I foresee lots of ironing (no starch please), preening, and hours of grooming.

What I wear in Maui 90% of the time and takes literally 9 seconds to put on eyes closed with the accessory.

Suits?  You mean I have to wear another layer of clothing on top of the first layer I already put on with the silk noose around my neck?  Yes, jackets are required, sir.  Note two suits for various occasions.  The top suit is European and Continental, with subtle pinstripes, three buttons, sculpted midsection, and side vents.  The bottom suit is what George Bush wears - conservative Brooks Brothers, two button, roomy, and center vented, as if I was a riding a horse.  They both need pressing badly by the way.

Believe it or not, I do wear a suit in Maui.  In fact I wear one daily for work.  Two piece, made-to-measure in 5mm Sheico neoprene, and nylon lined on both sides, from Elios, of Italy.

So, I will morph from Maui Observer to Big Apple Observer for a week.  I will bring my camera...let's see what happens.  Stay tuned!