A Train

Waiting for the A-Train on Christmas Day. A long, long ride downtown from Washington Heights...

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve with Carola, Penelope (in the cupboard!) and Roberto up in Washington Heights. An amazing fennel soup, plenty of turkey and a bakewell tart.

Bakewell Tart

About as English as my cooking skills could manage for Christmas Eve dinner!!

Never too old to skate!!

Roosevelt Island

Today's day trip - Roosevelt Island. A small strip of land on the East River, between Manhattan and Queens. It has a metro stop, but the best way to get there is on the cable car. It's a planned new town - they knocked down the few old houses to build blocks in the 60s. Sort of like a new town that actually works, though of course on a very small scale. Lots of seagulls that stopped us from having our lunch on the west side of the island, but Macarena was quick to point out that seagulls don't like trees. So we went and sat in a little park to have lunch. "The afternoon was spent in the Met."

Brooklyn Bridge

We finally did it!! We walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, there and back again. Very special.

Family visit

The globe and the UN

Autumn is here!!

Mundial Futbol Playa 2006 - Uruguay-Argentina

Palm Beach

In our Wedding finest

Tom and Margot

Flew down to Palm Beach in Florida for the wedding of Tom, a good friend from Brazil, and Margot. It was a fabulous weekend "a todo lujo" including a party on Friday eve at the local beach club (pictured!), the wedding at Saint Edward church and party Saturday evening at the sumptuous Everglades Club. A stunning weekend!
 

The city's hobby

Putting up and taking down scaffolding is this city's favourite pastime. You never know where or when it's going to happen, but it's coming to a really open, sunny pavement near you.....

Cheap food

Cheap food in Chinatown, a couple of dollars for a taste of the restaurants' fare. It began with some great Vietanmese food down one of the backstreets, but ended up with some of the dodgier fattier stuff out on the main street, definitely the wrong way round. In the evening, a perfect art gallery opening - arrive, say a few hellos, mooch around a little bit - and leave.

Real culture

Some real culture on Thursday, with Macarena's first exhibition opening at Praxis. The artist was Martin La Rosa, from Buenos Aires, and a big fan of Vermeer and also of Independiente. Great turn out from our friends and colleagues, Rob, Luis, Becky, Api, Nilesh, Jeff, Erica, Wailin, Claire, all there! A great success, apparently, with lots of people that own Martin's paintings showing up as well. We went for dinner with Martin, Trinidad afterwards down in the East Side at Casanis, and on the way back took an accidental tour over Brooklyn Bridge 'cause of roadworks!

Great day wondering around the city with Helena. It was open house weekend, so we tried a couple of places, including Jefferson Mkt and masonic lodge but none of it really panned out. So we went walking, round midtown then downtown, good noodles and a quick look at Brooklyn Bridge. A really great day in town. 

Religions in Malaysia

I was struck how - despite the conflicts that do exist - incredibly tolerant people are in a country with such a variety of religions. Here are Hindu, Chinese and of course Muslim, old and new.

 

Mr. Thomas

The most trustworthy cabbie in Johor Barhu, Malaysia - just across from Singapore. Slightly suspicous of the English but made me take a photo of these former British barracks. Very into "independence". Took me for lunch, all included in the 35 ringgit trip to the airport, for flight to Kuala Lumpur, where cricket awaits!

Singapore!

Heading East for the first time ever. In fact, I went west. Sept. 12 flew NYC - Anchorage - Taiwan - Singapore on the fabulous China Airlines - flying away from the sun, so darkness lasted about 20 hours and the sun took a goof four hours to rise. Taiwan has the best business lounge going, with great food, noodles and plenty of beer. Didn't see too much else as I was actually working! Arrival in Singapore, met at the airport and ferried to hotel - they lay out the red carpet for the IMF. Seven days shut up inside a bunker along with the DJ team, interviewing finance ministers and bankers from Ecuador, Mexico, Uruguay (dep!) to Nigeria central bank pres and many more. Carlton Hotel was home, made it to the Raffles Hotel for a Singapore Sling on the last day, Wednesday, as well as the beach for some of the local crab specialties. Plenty of work and good to meet a fun bunch of colleagues.