Day 21 - Boston Road Trip

Boston was on the agenda for this weekend. I caught the wifi enabled bus (made the trip easy) to New England for a taste of something slightly more peaceful than the constant hustle and bustle of NYC. I think the best way to detail the trip is through the power of bad
photography...

Although the bus had wifi, it did not have control if its air con! M&S silks solved the issue.

The Old State House & site of the Boston Massacre.

Quincy Market - full of lobster and sweets! 

Boston Common.

Really hard to eat toffee apple with extra sprinkles.

Tis the season... Oh wait!

Big thanks to Nick for letting his apartment. As you can see, he thought of everything!

Day 20 - Another Office. Another View.

I am in no way going to get bored of these views from the offices that I visit!
They just give me so much inspiration. I mean, all you have to do is think about everything that is going on in the distance and the amazing opportunity that it provides.

Better stop taking photos out the window and do some work then...

Day 19 - Magnolia Bakery

If any of you are familiar with Sex and the City, you will get how good the cupcakes are from Magnolia Bakery. I had my first encounter with the baked goods today and what a meeting we had! It was the prettiest, most delicious cupcake I have ever had... so far!

I googled which episode they appeared in so you can check them out for yourselves; Season 3, Episode 5, "No ifs. Ands. Or Butts."

I had the Red Velvet flavour if you're wondering ;)

Day 18 - NFL Kickoff

Before I came out here, one of my targets was to see at least one live game of every sport. Although it's not live I still feel I better embrace the first game of the 'football' season!

Just so happens one of the local teams, the NY Giants, are kicking the season off because they won the GreatContainer trophy (get it?)

Day 17 - Two Orientations & Chicken Pot Pie

I had two orientations today that differed vastly. In the first, I walked out more confused than I went in! This was entirely due to the section on the US health care system and medical insurance. I have never had more appreciation for the NHS!

The second was much more exciting! It was a break down of my MBA studies and what I can expect in the sixteen months that I am here. I was introduced to the apartment that I will be calling home for four months in Thailand as well. Please prepare yourself for a bit of shameless gloating... it comes with a roof top pool! 

Afterwards, we were treated to drinks in a very plush wine bar near Grand Central. The conversation changed to extra curricular events and whether I was going to partake in any (non-alcoholic versions let me just add). I had a slight hesitation that I might just be giving myself a little too much to do if I take them on. However, this thought was blown to absolute smithereens by a quote that will now stick with me throughout the entirety of my time here;

"When you don't think you have time in New York to do everything. You make the time to do everything."

As with most things, if you really want it. You will find a way to get it. For example, I really wanted Chicken Pot Pie. In Times Square. In a restaurant named after my brother (Jack's). So I found Chicken Pot Pie. In Times Square. At a restaurant named after my brother. And it was so good!

Day 16 - West Village

Mooched on over to the West Village today to watch the 'game and grab a couple buds'! I can officially say that in the two weeks that I have been here, this is the prettiest place I have been to. When I get round to building my dream property portfolio, a house round here is going to be a must ;-)

Not only is the Friends apartment just round the corner but there is a Fish and Chip shop! They were horrendously overpriced but totally worth it for that taste of home! Not too sure about the name though - "A Salt and Battery". Far too intimidating for my liking!

Friends Apartment

Authentic!

A Salt & Battery

Day 15 - The Best Sunday Jobs

After completion of the Sunday big food shop, I went on a bike ride round Central Park. I decided this was the best way to see the majority of the park in a fairly short amount of time. The road that follows the circumference of the park is a real 'melting pot' (see what I did there) of extradoinary characters. I mean you have; the European tourists riding all over the place, paying absolutely no attention to the many sign posts; the elite New Yorkers taking part in their standard Sunday jog, getting annoyed at everyone in their way and then you have me, the Mountbatten Intern who thinks he can race everyone that's on a bike (they didn't like that either). However, the best individual that I witnessed, has to be the absolute trooper that was pushing his baby around in a pram... WHILE RUNNING! If I wasn't concentrating so hard on not hitting anyone, he would of defs been pap'd!

I have also come up with four NYC Sunday jobs that I think would be suitable to my skill set. These are;

• A Big Bubble Blower - My justification; I like bubbles.
• A Dog Walker - My justification; I like dogs.
• A Pretzel Maker - My justification; I like pretzels.
• A L.A.I.R.E King (Live Action Interactive Roleplaying Explorers (watch the movie Role Models) - My justification; I think I would look good with a foam sword, a homemade cape and a plastic crown.

An example of a how I would blow Big Bubbles.

An example of a Pretzel I would make.

An example of how I would walk lots of Dogs.

An example of how I would slay someone with a foam sword as a L.A.I.R.E King.