1/9/06
The lovely Angela Glavan met us at the airport (I have never passed through U.S. customs and passport control so fast - it's ironic that the rest of the world is in free-fall hysteria about airport security, while America retains the same "you're all foreign and therefore potential suicide bombers" approach, without going totally loony on us.

Ange was there in perfect time and drove us here to Joe's appartment. We've already gorged ourselves on BBQ food at a restaurant popular with university students in Chelsea (Graham has launched himself into chicken soup, cornbread, baked potato and half a chicken and a rack of ribs ($10.99, beaut! M&M) while I opted for the soup and the (not as light as it sounds...) taco salad. We all demolished an onion loaf (a heap of fried onions, shaped into a 'loaf' the size of a 8" high fez hat - absolutely gorgeous!) and had to walk to Madison Square to avoid and instant food-coma.

A visit to the fantastic and mesmerising NY pharmacist Duayne Reade also proved productive - we always come out with miracle cures for ailments we didn't know we had!

Tonight we are going to a club called the Pyramid which holds a night entitled '1984' every Friday. Need I explain the theme of the evening?? Should have brought those leg warmers...damn and blast.

The weather is dull and overcast, a bit humid but very bearable. Its raining now!) Oh well - you don't come to NYC for a tan! We are thinking of taking a touristy open-topped bus trip tomorrow. Should be fun! Then hopefully go up the statue of Liberty (I've never done it, after all these years!) and visit Ellis Island. Ange is talking about driving us up the Hudson River (not in an amphibious car - along the banks of the river), as it's supposed to be a great drive.

There you go - no swearing, no jokes and not much interesting to say yet - it will all folllow, no doubt! But we made it here - and it seemed so far away even until this week.