Checks and Balances
I cashed my first paycheck today. Yes, right, a check... I already told you about our first experience with the US pay system (see my second post in December last year) but even after 6 months, it's hard to getting used to.
There was a time in Belgium (and most of Europe), long ago, before Internet, HD television, cellphones and laptops even existed, that people used paper forms, also known as checks, to trade goods which were subsequently endorsed, stamped, processed and cashed at large bureaucratic institutions named banks. But then, a groundbreaking discovery was made, the "wire transfer", it changed the lives of people forever... no more paper, no more standing in line at the bank, no more worrying of losing the check, no more hassle. Unfortunately, the discovery didn't reach the United States, maybe because of the great distance, maybe the language barrier (sure), who knows.
So, that's why, in the US, everyone still uses these pre-historic little papers... *sigh*. My salary is paid by check sent to my home address. Once I receive the check, I have to go to my bank, sign the check, fill in a form, wait in line, wait for the bank cashier to swipe the check, check the number and authenticity, swipe my bank card, type in my pin code, hand over the deposit form, and wait for the receipt. Simple enough, no? Hmmm... in Belgium, payday is as follows: receive money on my bank account, period. Well, I know, no point on nagging about it, that's how it goes in the US and two little legal aliens will not change the system. But still, I cannot understand how the land of the free and the home of the brave does not want to simplify things and get rid of checks all together. Especially, New Yorkers are all about now, quick, fast and hurry (even a 12 year old has a blackberry) but they still don't seem to mind to work with this slow pre-historic payment form.
Funny thing is that debit cards (or Maestro in Belgium) are not as big a success in the US as they are in Belgium. Almost everyone pays by credit card. Just now, when I cashed in my paycheck at my bank, the bank cashier tried to sell me a credit card - she couldn't believe that we didn't have one yet in the US. I didn't get one in the end, way too dangerous in a city like New York and I'm not talking about getting robbed, you are insured for that but you're not insured for an afternoon of shopping in Saks Fifth Avenue!
Friday, July 31, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Weekend in Baltimore
Soccer, Ships and Jellyfish in Charm City
When we mentioned that we would spend the weekend in Baltimore, almost everyone looked at us if we were planning a trip to Kazachstan's fifth largest village (or Blankenberge for that matter). Why would you voluntary spend two days in Baltimore? Are you sure you wanna do that? But no, we actually spent an entire weekend in Charm City and we don't regret it!
What brought us there? Soccer... a friendly match between AC Milan and Chelsea (the wrong ones won, you decide). And we weren't the only ones there: about 71,000 people joined us! The stadium which is normally used for the Ravens' football games was huge, 
I never saw anything like it (an American friend pointed out that there exist 150,000 stadiums in the US... think big). Before the match started, we had an all American experience: tailgating or a BBQ organized around the open tailgate or trunk of a car. In other words, beer and hamburgers. :-)
On Saturday, we visited Baltimore by water taxi. The Inner Harbor is modern but still charming, filled with ships (even a submarine) and lots of shops. We were a little surprised by the number of tourists (especially after the reaction of our American friends who do not seem to be very impressed about Baltimore as a holiday destination), you could literally walk on heads.
The water taxi also brought us to Fells Point, an even more charming harbor. We had our first crabcake there and definitely not our last! We also visited Fort McHenry, birthplace of the American national anthem inspired by the famous star spangled banner which was raised during the Battle of Baltimore in 1812 (we already saw the original flag in the Smithsonian Museum of American History in Washington D.C., remember my post of March 17).
Baltimore's aquarium is very high on a tourist to-do list and with reason! We were very impressed: sharks, stingrays, dolphins, coral, but also an entire rainforest including alligators, monkeys, parrots and even tarantula's (which, may I add, should be pointed out for safety reasons by a big warning sign... it is pretty damn scaring to be on the look-out for colorful birds and monkeys, and suddenly see a tiny little sign hidden between the bushes reading "Also populated by tarantula's"). 
However, I was most impressed by the jellyfish... the museum contained an entire wing with different kinds of jellyfish which were beautifully displayed. I decided to even dedicate an entire post to these beautiful creatures (which does not mean that next time I step into one or find one on my fingers while swimming in the sea, I won't curse or refer to these beautiful creatures in a more unpleasant way).
On the culinary front, we enjoyed Baltimore's crabcakes and fresh fish. Crabcakes for lunch, crabcakes for dinner and yes, even crabcakes for breakfast (Eggs Crab Benedict)! Definitely alone worth the trip to this charming but surprisingly unpopular city.
When we mentioned that we would spend the weekend in Baltimore, almost everyone looked at us if we were planning a trip to Kazachstan's fifth largest village (or Blankenberge for that matter). Why would you voluntary spend two days in Baltimore? Are you sure you wanna do that? But no, we actually spent an entire weekend in Charm City and we don't regret it!
What brought us there? Soccer... a friendly match between AC Milan and Chelsea (the wrong ones won, you decide). And we weren't the only ones there: about 71,000 people joined us! The stadium which is normally used for the Ravens' football games was huge, 
I never saw anything like it (an American friend pointed out that there exist 150,000 stadiums in the US... think big). Before the match started, we had an all American experience: tailgating or a BBQ organized around the open tailgate or trunk of a car. In other words, beer and hamburgers. :-)On Saturday, we visited Baltimore by water taxi. The Inner Harbor is modern but still charming, filled with ships (even a submarine) and lots of shops. We were a little surprised by the number of tourists (especially after the reaction of our American friends who do not seem to be very impressed about Baltimore as a holiday destination), you could literally walk on heads.
The water taxi also brought us to Fells Point, an even more charming harbor. We had our first crabcake there and definitely not our last! We also visited Fort McHenry, birthplace of the American national anthem inspired by the famous star spangled banner which was raised during the Battle of Baltimore in 1812 (we already saw the original flag in the Smithsonian Museum of American History in Washington D.C., remember my post of March 17). 
Baltimore's aquarium is very high on a tourist to-do list and with reason! We were very impressed: sharks, stingrays, dolphins, coral, but also an entire rainforest including alligators, monkeys, parrots and even tarantula's (which, may I add, should be pointed out for safety reasons by a big warning sign... it is pretty damn scaring to be on the look-out for colorful birds and monkeys, and suddenly see a tiny little sign hidden between the bushes reading "Also populated by tarantula's"). 
However, I was most impressed by the jellyfish... the museum contained an entire wing with different kinds of jellyfish which were beautifully displayed. I decided to even dedicate an entire post to these beautiful creatures (which does not mean that next time I step into one or find one on my fingers while swimming in the sea, I won't curse or refer to these beautiful creatures in a more unpleasant way).On the culinary front, we enjoyed Baltimore's crabcakes and fresh fish. Crabcakes for lunch, crabcakes for dinner and yes, even crabcakes for breakfast (Eggs Crab Benedict)! Definitely alone worth the trip to this charming but surprisingly unpopular city.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Trip to New H(e)aven - Part II
Student City
New Haven is the home of Yale University, so New Haven is all about students.
Yale University comprises almost the entire city center. Yale is everywhere, from school buildings, to book shops to dorms to fraternity houses to museums. We visited the Yale University Art Gallery, not a bad collection at all (even if we're used to the MOMA and MET). We also wandered around campus, which we had seen in movies and television shows uncountable times before.
New Haven reminded us of Leuven, the student city of Belgium (before I start a war on "which is best", Ghent is also a really nice city to study but not a student city, there's a difference...). Leuven is of course much older than Yale, but the atmosphere was the same.
And of course, also the food was all about students, meaning pizza's, burgers and Indian food on almost every corner. Some of these places have been around for ages and became very famous (apparently, New Yorkers sometimes drive one hour just to have a pizza here!). We tried the following established restaurants: (You may have noticed that one of my favourite blog topics is food. Well, get used to it... we are what Americans call "foodies" and part of going on a holiday is... well... eating in good restaurants!)
Frank Pepe's Pizzeria (since 1925) - When we arrived at 7 pm, there was a big line waiting. It took us one hour to finally get a seat inside, but the pizza's were so worth the wait! We had a fresh summer tomato pie (incredible!) and a Margherita with pepperoni and mushrooms (very fresh). The pizza's on the picture are the "small" versions... imagine what the "large" are like! 
Although we were stuffed, there is always room for desert. We were recommended to go next door - Libby's Italian Pastry Shop. The outside was fluorescent uncomfortable and the inside was decorated so tacky that normally we would pass it right by. But the gelato was really Italian good and their biscotti heaven. (Now that I think of it, some of the best icecream places in Italy have the same fluorescent tacky interiors, no offence).
The next day, we tried out Louis Lunch, which has been around since 1900. This tiny restaurant only sells burgers, the only choice you have is whether or not you want your burger served with lettuce, cheese, tomato and/or onion. We had to wait forever for our burgers, and they were good, but we were not impressed - New York's Shake Shack is much better! (sorry, don't want to sound like a snob New Yorker)
Our last evening we tried something "new": Barcelona... a very modern restaurant serving tapas (with an American twist). This was really delicious, very fine flavors, original dishes and Ward enjoyed the winelist. Probably, also the New Haven nightlife is all about students... but after all the wine (and face it, we are getting older ;-)), only our hotel room seemed attractive at that point.
By now, you must have realized why I came up with the title for this blog entry: heavenly food, heavenly beaches and oh... heavenly quiet, at least compared to New York! :-)
Next trip: Baltimore! Stay tuned!
New Haven is the home of Yale University, so New Haven is all about students.
Yale University comprises almost the entire city center. Yale is everywhere, from school buildings, to book shops to dorms to fraternity houses to museums. We visited the Yale University Art Gallery, not a bad collection at all (even if we're used to the MOMA and MET). We also wandered around campus, which we had seen in movies and television shows uncountable times before.
New Haven reminded us of Leuven, the student city of Belgium (before I start a war on "which is best", Ghent is also a really nice city to study but not a student city, there's a difference...). Leuven is of course much older than Yale, but the atmosphere was the same.
And of course, also the food was all about students, meaning pizza's, burgers and Indian food on almost every corner. Some of these places have been around for ages and became very famous (apparently, New Yorkers sometimes drive one hour just to have a pizza here!). We tried the following established restaurants: (You may have noticed that one of my favourite blog topics is food. Well, get used to it... we are what Americans call "foodies" and part of going on a holiday is... well... eating in good restaurants!)
Frank Pepe's Pizzeria (since 1925) - When we arrived at 7 pm, there was a big line waiting. It took us one hour to finally get a seat inside, but the pizza's were so worth the wait! We had a fresh summer tomato pie (incredible!) and a Margherita with pepperoni and mushrooms (very fresh). The pizza's on the picture are the "small" versions... imagine what the "large" are like! 
Although we were stuffed, there is always room for desert. We were recommended to go next door - Libby's Italian Pastry Shop. The outside was fluorescent uncomfortable and the inside was decorated so tacky that normally we would pass it right by. But the gelato was really Italian good and their biscotti heaven. (Now that I think of it, some of the best icecream places in Italy have the same fluorescent tacky interiors, no offence).
The next day, we tried out Louis Lunch, which has been around since 1900. This tiny restaurant only sells burgers, the only choice you have is whether or not you want your burger served with lettuce, cheese, tomato and/or onion. We had to wait forever for our burgers, and they were good, but we were not impressed - New York's Shake Shack is much better! (sorry, don't want to sound like a snob New Yorker)Our last evening we tried something "new": Barcelona... a very modern restaurant serving tapas (with an American twist). This was really delicious, very fine flavors, original dishes and Ward enjoyed the winelist. Probably, also the New Haven nightlife is all about students... but after all the wine (and face it, we are getting older ;-)), only our hotel room seemed attractive at that point.
By now, you must have realized why I came up with the title for this blog entry: heavenly food, heavenly beaches and oh... heavenly quiet, at least compared to New York! :-)
Next trip: Baltimore! Stay tuned!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Trip to New H(e)aven
Heavenly Beaches
Last weekend, we ventured on a trip out of New York City (only the 4th including our visit to Belgium). We drove about one hour upstate and were genuinely amazed about what we found just a one-hour drive from our apartment.
Our first stop (not a really planned stop but we were getting hungry) was West Haven Beaches. On the menu: soft shell crabs... nature's fast food version of crab, no hassle with shells but ready to eat. I had never heard of this kind of crab before but from Wikipedia I learned (if the source is reliable) that soft-shell crabs are actually normal crabs with hard shells but which are cooked at the time they are molting. When crabs grow larger, their shells cannot expand, so they molt the exteriors and have a soft covering for a matter of days. Interesting... and quite yummy! Funny though that the Americans decided to deep-fry it.
After our lunch, we walked along the boardwalk and stumbled upon the following scenery... who says you have to go to the Caribbean for nice beaches?
***to be continued***
Last weekend, we ventured on a trip out of New York City (only the 4th including our visit to Belgium). We drove about one hour upstate and were genuinely amazed about what we found just a one-hour drive from our apartment.
Our first stop (not a really planned stop but we were getting hungry) was West Haven Beaches. On the menu: soft shell crabs... nature's fast food version of crab, no hassle with shells but ready to eat. I had never heard of this kind of crab before but from Wikipedia I learned (if the source is reliable) that soft-shell crabs are actually normal crabs with hard shells but which are cooked at the time they are molting. When crabs grow larger, their shells cannot expand, so they molt the exteriors and have a soft covering for a matter of days. Interesting... and quite yummy! Funny though that the Americans decided to deep-fry it. After our lunch, we walked along the boardwalk and stumbled upon the following scenery... who says you have to go to the Caribbean for nice beaches?
***to be continued***
Sunday, July 5, 2009
4th of July
Fireworks and Bicycles
Yesterday, we celebrated the 4th of July in our new home. We started the day with a bike ride along the East River. To our shame, we must confess that we didn't visit this part of Manhattan yet (when you live in the Upper West Side, you tend to avoid going East since this is quite a hassle: it requires bus rides, multiple subway transfers, etc. ). So finally, we saw what the East side of Manhattan looked like... not bad actually. The river park was filled with New Yorkers enjoying the holiday weekend with a BBQ (note to myself: do not go biking along the East River around lunchtime on an empty stomach).
In the evening, we tried something new: a picnic on a highway. Macy's fireworks took place above the Hudson River and to ensure a good viewing-spot, we decided to go for a picnic along the Hudson River with some friends awaiting the start of the fireworks. We ended up on a highway bridge, quite comfortable. I was really amazed how well-organized the event was: hundreds of policemen and fences to divide the road and ensure people don't get squished. The fireworks... well... no words for it. The movie below is only 3 minutes from a more than 30 minutes wonderful show. Enjoy!
Yesterday, we celebrated the 4th of July in our new home. We started the day with a bike ride along the East River. To our shame, we must confess that we didn't visit this part of Manhattan yet (when you live in the Upper West Side, you tend to avoid going East since this is quite a hassle: it requires bus rides, multiple subway transfers, etc. ). So finally, we saw what the East side of Manhattan looked like... not bad actually. The river park was filled with New Yorkers enjoying the holiday weekend with a BBQ (note to myself: do not go biking along the East River around lunchtime on an empty stomach).
In the evening, we tried something new: a picnic on a highway. Macy's fireworks took place above the Hudson River and to ensure a good viewing-spot, we decided to go for a picnic along the Hudson River with some friends awaiting the start of the fireworks. We ended up on a highway bridge, quite comfortable. I was really amazed how well-organized the event was: hundreds of policemen and fences to divide the road and ensure people don't get squished. The fireworks... well... no words for it. The movie below is only 3 minutes from a more than 30 minutes wonderful show. Enjoy!
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Back in the USA!
We're back in good old New York City and today we celebrate Independence Day...
Most New Yorkers escape the city (be it to go to the Hamptons, the Jersey shore or some exotic destination), but we, as semi-tourists, decided to celebrate this patriotic holiday in New York. With free concerts and other events all over the city, we figured this is the best place to experience the 4th of July.
And the day will end with a bang... thanks to Macy's fireworks above the Hudson River. It's the first time that the fireworks will take place above the Hudson River and not the East River, this to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's exploration of the river. Some more numbers before I leave you to go out to celebrate in the sun:
- 1776: year of US independence
- 120,000: number of fireworks used in Macy's show
- 27: number of street blocks the fireworks display will cover
- 32: number of previous Macy's fireworks shows
- 2: number of hamburgers Ward and Evelyn will each devour :-D
Most New Yorkers escape the city (be it to go to the Hamptons, the Jersey shore or some exotic destination), but we, as semi-tourists, decided to celebrate this patriotic holiday in New York. With free concerts and other events all over the city, we figured this is the best place to experience the 4th of July.
And the day will end with a bang... thanks to Macy's fireworks above the Hudson River. It's the first time that the fireworks will take place above the Hudson River and not the East River, this to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's exploration of the river. Some more numbers before I leave you to go out to celebrate in the sun:
- 1776: year of US independence
- 120,000: number of fireworks used in Macy's show
- 27: number of street blocks the fireworks display will cover
- 32: number of previous Macy's fireworks shows
- 2: number of hamburgers Ward and Evelyn will each devour :-D
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)