Yes that is a cat on his head

I've been in New York for a month now. There is always something going on and everyday you see something or someone different. I was walking near Union Square on Friday and I passed a guy with a cat on his head. He was walking down the street with a cat sitting on his head. A few people stopped and stared, most people just acted as if it was perfectly normal. I turned around and got a photo on my phone!

A man with a cat on his head!

iPads in Times Square

Here are some iPad photographers that I spotted around Times Square.

iPad Camera at Times Square

Another iPad Camera

and another iPad camera

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July 4th in New York

Yesterday was July 4th, a national holiday celebrating independence day. The holiday is marked by a massive fireworks display on the Hudson river. Over 75,000 pounds of fireworks are launched from 6 barges and watched by over 2 million people.

We read online that the best place to see the fireworks display was actually from New Jersey. We took the Hoboken bus to Weehawken in New Jersey at around 6pm although the show wouldn't start until 9:20pm. Here we found a spot on the waterfront looking back over at Manhattan.

View of New York Skyline on July 4th with NYPD Helicopters overhead

Arriving early meant we could see the barges taking their positions on the Hudson river accompanied by the NYC fire department boats. The NYC boats became part of the show spraying red and blue water as they passed.

FDNY boat preparing for Macy's July 4th fireworks display

The fireworks were launched from 4 barges on the Hudson river and the show lasted for about 20 minutes. It was an impressive fireworks display especially with the New York City Skyline in the background.

Macy's July 4th fireworks over New York City

As soon as the fireworks were over everyone rushed to their cars. Traffic was crazy and appeared to be backed up for miles. Eventually our bus arrived and luckily we were near the front of the queue so we got on. We took a bus line and avoided all traffic and were back at the Port Authority Bus terminal in about 20 minutes. We decided to finish the evening with a walk around Times Square. I was expecting it to be busy I just didn't realize how busy it could possibly get.

Times Square on July 4th 2012

Today I learnt the Thai word for away

Plans changed somewhat over the past few weeks. We canceled the India trip and I'm staying in Bangkok for the month. We're busy working regular hours during the week so have a bit a routine going. We rented an apartment with a kitchen expecting that we would cook but the street food around where we live is too good and too cheap to justify cooking. It would actually cost more to cook judging by Supermarket prices. By now we have our favorite street vendors for breakfast, lunch and dinner. For example we go to 'fresh fruit lady' and  'spaceship lady' for breakfast. Spaceship lady sell some things that look like spaceships. I'm not really sure how to describe them but they taste great.

We're far from the tourist district so most of the street vendors don't speak English and we don't speak Thai but we seem to get by ok. Anna learnt the words for vegetarian and no fish sauce and they are all very accommodating. One morning I went down for breakfast quite early without Anna and spaceship lady said madam and did a gesture of sleeping. Anna was actually at the gym but I didn't know how to say this so I smiled, nodded and said yes madam sleeping. The lady repeated the word sleeping, did the hand gesture and smiled. Everything returned to normal the next day until a week later when Anna went to India for a photographic assignment. Every morning I would go for breakfast alone and spaceship lady would say madam sleeping while doing a sleeping gesture, I'd smile and nod and say yes. After a few days of this I could tell she was really wondering what was up, why was madam sleeping so much.

With the help of google translate today I learnt the thai word for 'away'. Possibly I've used the word completely out of context but this morning when she said 'Madam sleeping' I said no 'Madam Pị'. I appeared to be understood, there was lots of smiles at my attempt at Thai. 


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Yes people use the iPad as a camera

I was visiting Wat Pho also known as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. I was surprised by the amount of people with iPads using them as cameras. I guess I was wrong in thinking people wouldn't use them as cameras.

You might look stupid using the iPad as a camera but people still do it!

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Super Mario is living in Bangkok

I was out walking this morning near chulalongkorn university. I came across some street art that I quite like.

Super Mario lives in Bangkok

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Who said people wouldn't use the iPad as a camera?

On our way to Sydney we were talking about the new iPad and how it would have a good camera. I made a comment that it didn't really matter as it is only useful for Skype and FaceTime as no one would actually use an iPad as a camera. The next day at the wedding in Sydney the lady sitting in front of me at the church was taking photos throughout the ceremony with her iPad.

Using the iPad as a camera

Inflatable fish

We came across this fish when staying on Uzi Island close to Zanzibar. I can't remember what it was called but it was full of air!

Inflatable Fish!

Cheese from a can!

I never knew you could get cheese in a can but we came across cheese in a can at the supermarket in Zanzibar. It actually seemed to be something that people were buying so we figured we'd try a can also. As expected it tasted like processed plastic cheese!

Processed Cheddar Cheese in a can

Looks like Cheese

The Miracle Safari - part 4

Buffalo in the Masai Mara

After 4 days on safari it was time to make our way back to Tanzania. Turns out the lodge didn't take credit card and when they guy had said it wouldn't be a problem he had assumed we have our own vehicle. From what I gathered he was from Narok and figured he'd take a free lift home with us, we'd give him cash and he'd take it back the next day. He wasn't so keen to come with us to Narok when he realized we'd be hitchhiking back.
Our plan was to go to the park entrance and see if we'd get a lift from there. He sent a junior member of staff with us and arranged for us to pay him in Narok. After about a few hours waiting at the gate we got a call from the hotel saying that they had new guests arriving by taxi and that we could arrange for the driver to take us to Narok for a fee.
We decided to go with this and returned to the hotel A few minutes later one of the staff tell me there is someone at reception looking for us. I assume its the driver so I prepare myself for haggling over the cost of the taxi. I arrive out and the guys asks where I want to go, he says he can take us to Nairobi. I ask how much and he says 10 dollars, I was expecting him to say 100 dollars or more! Turns out he wasn't the taxi at all, just a guy who was returning after a delivery to a lodge inside the Masai Mara. The officials at the gate had seen us waiting earlier so they told him that there were two people looking for a lift. He took us to Narok, waited while we got cash to pay for the safari lodge and then took us back to Nairobi dropping us to the door of our hotel. It couldn't have worked out any better!

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