Day 219 - Teak on the Hudson

My flatmates and I went for a meal tonight to welcome in our new housemate, Calum. As we are fairly new to the area, we were struggling for ideas that were local. After using the power of google, we came across 'Teak on the Hudson'. It was a fifteen minute walk from our apartment building, along the Hudson River into Hoboken.

Basically it's a sushi restaurant. Albeit the bonus for Monday nights, is that pretty much everything is half price! A Mountbatten stipend's dream.

James and I opted to share the 'Love Boat'. The awkwardly named dish, was a 36 sushi piece platter, that was presented on a wooden vessel. There certainly was no love lost as James and I devoured every last piece, in an alarmingly quick time. I think the thought of the other, eating more than you spurred us on a bit.

Day 218 - Flower Power

Macy's shop windows were in full bloom today. Instead of the standard manikin or over priced handbag, they had windows full of flowers. Certainly brightened up a gloomy morning on 34th street.

Day 217 - Toys 'r' Us

I was buying a few gimmicky items today and thought I would venture into Toys 'r' Us world in Times Square. I can't believe I haven't been in there before. They had a Tyrannosaurus Rex, Lego Hulk and te WWE World Champion Belt as presented by The Rock earlier this year. It was just a childhoods paradise. Oh and don't forget the indoor ferris wheel! Fantastic!

Day 216 - Green Grass

Last week, I posted a picture of the ice rink being stripped down in Bryant Park. This week there was fresh green (ish) grass laid. This makes me extremely happy because it means the summer's coming! When I arrived last year in New York, Bryant Park was crammed with sun soakers, picnic eaters and book readers. I. Can't. Wait!

Day 215 - Sleeping Beauties

Cute.

Day 214 - Don't judge a book by its cover

When a 6ft-alot man, with arms like quads, walks on the train, you make a conscious effort to not look at him in the eye. However, when this fellow walked on board in a skin tight, fluorescent yellow hoodie, black boots with two inch long metal studs poking out and a purple hello kitty phone cover, it was hard not to have a gaup. All my preconceptions of how bodybuilders dress outside of the gym, were definitely left on the platform today.

Day 213 - Japan Week

Walking through, the now well trampled Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central, I dropped in on Japan Week. They displayed sneak peaks into Japanese Culture, had free sushi and a token sumo wrestler walking around. Or just a really, really fat man, I'm not too sure.

Day 212 - Broken sole

New York has a victim. Thank fully it's not my soul. That is still apart of me. My sole on the other hand has moved on.

While traipsing through a foot of NY snow, I felt my shoe coming loose. I muddled through to the Mountbatten office, where I stamped my feet to rid of the snow. Mistake number 2. Mistake number 1, was not checking the forecast this morning before I left for work. I got in the elevator, only to food my sole lying next to my shoe!

Day 211 - St Patricks Day

No you haven't drank too much Guinness, they have turned the Empire State Building green for St Patricks Day!

Day 210 - Mood Killer

Finding a bar that was playing the Wales vs. England game, instead of showing reruns of Riverdance, deemed a mean feat. Determined as ever, I came across Stout on 36th between 6th and 7th. They had a whole area downstairs, reserved for the game. They were even serving relatively cheap Guinness at $6 a pint. I have heard that some places knock their prices up to over $10 a pint on St. Patrick's weekend.

In reflection watching reruns of Riverdance would have been much less stressful than seeing Wales thump England. A day to forget.

Day 209 - Welcome March 13'

To welcome the new intake to NY in true student style, the private suite at Galway's on 36th between 5th and Mad was booked out. And what a weekend to be going out. As I was starting to realise very quickly, St Patrick's Day weekend in New York is a must see experience. The city turns green, with the smell of Guinness filling the air for seventy hours.

Day 208 - You have to start somewhere!

Continuing my inclination to visit local establishments, I noticed one of the venues had an amateur comedy night on. Michael McIntyre, Lee Evans it was not. Awkward silence and tumbleweeds it was.

To give each of the acts credit, it must take a lot to go up on stage, with the sole aim of making people laugh.  I am no expert, but Googling "Funny Jokes" on your iPhone halfway through your set, maybe should be done before you come on stage!

Day 207 - Boca

Having lived in Newport for just under six weeks now, I haven't really explored my local surroundings.  Bucking the trend, I strolled round to the local bar, Boca.

After being hustled, three times in a row at pool, I am not sure I will be going back soon.Worst three dollars I have spent in New York so far!

Day 206 - Surprise Bargain

My beloved Michelsberg suit required a clean. It had attended a few events now and was in need of a freshen up.

To give a bit of background to my treasured threads, my Dad had this suit made for my graduation and getting onto the Mountbatten internship. So in short, it means a lot to me and I am taking extra care in getting it serviced.

I was rather uneasy at handing 'The Blue' over to a stranger to manhandle. So I trial ran a few places, with a shirt to see how it came back and funnily enough, the best place so happened to be in my apartment building. They have this fantastic service where you drop, your clothes of with the doorman and within a day they are delivered back to your apartment. What topped it off, was that because this was my first suit to be sent to them, they gave me a 20% discount. The grand total came to $6.80! Very happy, fresh looking boy!

FYI - 'The Blue' is my nickname for the suit. Yes, I am aware that nicknaming your suit is ridiculous.

Day 205 - CFE@MI

Since arriving, I have been a member of the Centre for Entrepreneurship at The Mountbatten Institute. The aim of the CFE is to provide the skills, opportunities and inspiration for those with ideas and an entrepreneurial mindset, to grow and develop. As the March 12' intake are now departing, they must handover the reigns to an intern within the August 12' intake. I am more than happy to announce that I was voted Chair of the CFE@MI. With only six months remaining in New York, I have a lot to do, to ensure that the club provides value not only for its members but also for myself.

With the aim of advertising the CFE to the new intake, I presented at the March 13' orientation. It was a fairly surreal experience to think that I was in their position little over six months ago. Having absolutely no clue, what this year was going to entail. The best and slightly craziest thing is though, I thought my first six months were busy! Now with my commitment to the CFE, my dissertation just round the corner, a full time job and whatever else I manage to squeeze in, the phrase 'busy' may have just notched up a few levels. 

Can. Not. Wait!

Day 204 - New Jersey Devils

Talk about right place, right time. 

On the way back to the apartments, from watching England play Italy in the six nations, I was greeted by the doorman to my building. In his hand were two tickets to watch the New Jersey Devils Ice Hockey team. He asked whether any interns would be keen to see the hockey tonight. They undoubtedly would but if I was going to speak on behalf of the intern body, I felt I must ask the all important question, "sure, but how much?". Which he gleefully replied "Free!"

With absolutely no hesitation at all, I politely asked if I could have them. He handed them over and there I found myself with two, free of charge, tickets to see a NHL team. Fantastic result. The game turned out to be a cracker as well. Not only did NJ win but it went to extra time and a shoot out! 

Day 203 - SPRING!

Although the first day of Spring is not until March 20th, it didn't stop me having the new spring feeling whilst sat in Bryant Park.

Earlier this morning, I had my Accounting and Finance exam. Not one to estimate how I did or chat about the past three hours of hand cramp, I sort out to seek a tranquil area of relaxation. Bryant Park was the closest by and had enough empty seats in the sun to suit my needs. The only slight downfall, was that they were dismantling the ice rink, with incredibly loud drills, chainsaws, cranes and sheer brute strength by the looks of it. Apart from the noise, it was a suitable distraction to balance sheets, cash flow statements and ratios.

This also so happens to be the first time that I have sat in a park and just chilled in 2013! I expect many a more visits over the next few months.

Day 202 - Chop't

The emergence of 'fast casual' restaurants in New York (and undoubtedly elsewhere) is rather refreshing for those calorie conscious consumers. For those who are reading my opening line thinking, "what on earth is fast casual?". Fear not. I am more than willing to copy and paste a segment of Wikipedia's description of the term for you;

"fast casual restaurant is a type of restaurant that does not offer full table service, but promises a higher quality of food and atmosphere than a fast food restaurant." Wikipedia (2013).

The health kick that I started because of my climb to the Top of the Rock, has been continued. Don't get me wrong I still have the odd momentary, chicken wing and burger relapse, it's just that the rest of my meals are fairly clean. This is helped by such establishments as Chop't. Essentially they are a salad bar but with an insane amount of choices. They are also able to prepare your meal quicker than you can blink which helps.

The blur of the picture below, is for once not because of a lack of photography skills but because of the speed that the assembler was chopping my salad.

Day 201 - White Stuff

Snow in March is not always a welcome experience. However, as the Americans are so good at handling it, there is barely any hindrance on your day at all. Instead you just get great views on the way to work. I am certainly not complaining.

Day 200 - Mort's

My strange affixation with American supermarkets continues into New Jersey.

Morton Williams is bar far the cleanest and best laid out supermarket I have been too so far. Due to the local residents being from a multitude of countries, it has a diverse range of products, which include a fantastic UK section. Perfect for when I am craving Yorkshire tea, digestive biscuits and baked beans.

All at the same time obviously.

Day 199 - Goodbye March 12'

One of the requirements of being a board member of the IMC (Intern Management Committee), is that you 'have' to help out at the March 12' leavers ceremony. Although hesitant at first, it turned out to be an extremely though provoking night. This was all because of the stark revelation, that I still have so much to do while I am out here.

Listening to all the stories from the interns about what they achieved and what they wish they had achieved in the year, has made me slightly anxious about not completing everything that I set out to do. However, as my A Level sociology teacher said to me after my first exam, "Alex, you have undoubted ability to cram".

Not to turn down a challenge, I am determined that I leave this year knowing that I have done as much as I possibly could have. GO!

Day 198 - Big Shift Required

It did cross my mind that playing out every night last week was going to catch up on me. I think I made up for it a little bit though by pulling the big shift at work.

MBA + Full Time Job + Desire to New York in its entirety = The best way to spend a year!

Day 197 - Climbed the Rock

Climb the Rock day has arrived!

We had a 6am wake up, so we could get across to the Rockefeller Centre with enough time to prepare before our 8.15am start. I had a weird sense of excitement and nervousness as I woke up and got ready. This was quickly disparaged though, as we found ourselves running for the train!

When we got there, the organisers had the atmosphere booming. Music was blaring, people were cheering, high fives were being handed out liberally. It did a brilliant job at getting you in the right frame of mind to run 1,215 steps.

The organisers had the start down to perfection. You set off individually at 20 second intervals, so not to crowd the first few flights. It was slightly discomforting though, as you didn't really know if you had started or not. 

As I was making my way up the stairs, I was seeing people of all shapes and sizes, willing to high five you, pat you on the back and humorously ask you for a lift. I even passed a few people in costumes. Huge respect for them, because that stairway was hot! There were volunteers on each flight, more than willing to cheer you on, tell you how far you have been and how far you have to go. The support really was terrific. I even saw a guy that was freestyle rapping to the runners as they went up.

When you reached the top, the roar and round of applause was huge, with people saying thank you  and well done all in one. To make it even better you had the New York City skyline staring straight back at you. I am more than happy to say that I got to the top in 12mins 31seconds and was the fastest person of my team. You can see all the results in the link below. I came 75th out of 1,059 people, in which for a man with the infamous 'LeeLegs' I am pretty chuffed with that.

http://results.bazumedia.com/event/results/event/event-2995

Thank you to everyone who sponsored me and offered their best wishes. I am sorry that I was bugging you all, yet again, for sponsorship money. Your support has been incredible!

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/alexlee

To the top I go!

For the Big Man!

I think James left everything on the stairs.

Happy to say the least!

Getting those calories back on board.

Day 196 - Absolutely Not!

As I played catch up after a fairly mad week, I went for a gentle jog around the harbour. I had to stop for this sign though "Absolutely No Bird Feeding". Although I wasn't feeding any birds at the time, I did kind of feel like it was still telling me off. Strictest signage ever!