where else but NYC can you get that yelled at you as part of a bank promotion on the sidewalk for free hot dogs and bottled water. anyone who said the conventional was immediately drowned out in that nasalese bellow. it's fun to say: free frankies and wadda. i might be losing my british dialects in favour for some of the best that the port authority can offer, although it'll miles away from steph's.

the heat of southern ontario, coupled with a few latenight phonecalls from nameless man meant that i had maybe 3 hours sleep before my early morning flight to laguardia. first time flying any u.s.-based carrier, but american airlines did fine by me (nice to hear a good yankee drawl from the pilot sometimes), although i can't be thrown into much analysis on an 8.20 flight. sat beside gabby, an 11 year old who had been up in t.o. for 2 weeks, visiting her nan and checking out carnival (formerly known as caribana), who was great fun to talk with, although the landing at laguardia still confuses me to no end. perfect flying weather meaning that i could see all of new york state from the sky, but rounding manhattan and the low altitude turn over yankee stadium before seemingly landing on the water right as the runway pops underneath can still be unnerving.

light day thus far, but already i wandered about for a bit and found that walking 41st west from 1st brings up some great surprises:

• art deco is god amongst the towers of manhattan. the chanin building sits at lexington and 42nd and has a beautiful mosaic work patched into its side. the building beside it, the socony-mobil building, has a striking metal pattern that snakes across the entire facade.
• the chrysler building is one freaky skyscraper. it stalks you as you walk around, peeking behind other buildings, but up close, it's a masterpiece and at the same time, it can be completely monstrous and twisted. but you still can't go up top, ever since 1945, which is a complete shame.
• walking by grand central station involves going under park avenue under 42nd and the south side has the most tucked-away café i've seen. one day, though, i'll actually go inside. one day, as well, when i take the pictures, i'll provide them at post time.
• right across from the dylan hotel on 41st (although the dylan is getting more notoriety as being the home to britney spear's restaurant is the faboo library hotel, where the theme is a (duh) library and the rooms are numbered and themed based on the dewey decimal system.
• to the west of the majestic new york public library on 40th and 5th is bryant park, one of those wonderful little places that the natives know about, but isn't heavily populated. a restored park where those faded english spade trees border a simple grass plain, where hundreds of little green pavilion chairs are available to move around to sit and read or just look at the world around it. there are chess tables and a merry-go-round, little kiosks and the bistros behind the library that provide a perfect shelter from the august heat.

that's it for now. just recovered from a brief nap and now thinking what can be done in 2 hours before sex and the city.