Metropolian Megatown

My right foot extended past the automatic sliding doors as I took a first step onto the cool concrete.  There's was a quickness in my step, an urgency that only comes out on certain such occasions.  We made our way to the line to await our yellow chariot - maybe chariot is a bit glamorized... yellow cab that would wisk us from the hustle and bustle of the busy morning airport to the hustle and bustle of the always busy metropolitan megatown of New York City.

As we rode in the cab on the way to the city thoughts swirled around in my head.   Ten weeks ago I called the island city of Manhattan home.  Would I miss it terribly? How long would it take to adjust to life where you couldn't walk everywhere but had to drive? Those and many other apprehensions subconsciously came to my attention before the big move.  Now that the move had really happened, and this was no longer home, I looked out the window as we whizzed by other cabs and cars, happy to be going back to the city for a visit. As we continued our automotive journey over the Quensboro bridge and into the City, I immediately felt the edge and buzz of the city penetrate my skin and liven my senses. I anxiously watched the meter as it crept higher and higher and could literally feel the hole begin to take shape in the bottom of my wallet.  I hadn't forgot the price tag on everything in the city...

With luggage in tow we finally reached our destination, hopped out of the cab and assumed full Manhattan attitude.  Crossing the street before the light turned, weaving in and out of people all on their way, like us, somewhere important.  We entered the small cafe we were to meet my sister-in-law at, who was already waiting.  She looked fantastic.  The three of us talked and caught up as much as we could in the 20 minutes we had together.  When time was up we exited the cafe and met the still bustling city streets, she was off in a cab on her way to the airport to embark on her own weekend adventure.  There's one thing I knew I would feel when we moved and it became a pinch in my gut when we saw her off - I miss the people here.

New York City is an anomaly.  With about 1.6 million people in about 23 square miles, there is a constant flow and commotion of people moving in, moving out, traveling, visiting, living, working, doing just about everything.  The energy is contagious yet at the same time you stop every so often and wonder, why am I rushing?

The rushing sentiment was a bit different this time since we were visiting the city instead of living in it.  A smile crept across my face as I thought, right about now I would be taking the subway ride to work.  Why don't they build subways in every city? I mean, I know why, but what a great public transport system the city has.  We continued on with the day walking from midtown to upper east side and back down to the east village, meandering through the concrete jungle and reminiscing about all the fun times we had when we called it our home.  The brisk November air was a bit colder than I remember, I've found it's incredibly easy to forget how it feels to be cold.

There were two surprise birthday's we were lucky enough to be in town for and celebrating in New York City is really something spectacular.  With different bars, restaurants and sites to see around every corner.  We visited with friends and at the end of each party were grateful to collapse into the back seat of a cab who would screech through the city streets back to our awaiting hotel.  Another detail I forgot about the city is the roller coaster ride you get when you risk getting into a cab...

Sunday morning arrived and greeted us much quicker than we would have liked.  It would be back on a plane to South Carolina Sunday afternoon to return to our new home in what seemed like worlds away from this illustrious city.  I couldn't help but reflect once more on how I felt about being back in the metropolis.  The only conclusion I could come to was one of conflict.  I missed the lights, sounds, and excitement that always greeted and sometimes bombarded me each day I would set out to tackle city life.  The convenience of restaurants and stores of every type around every corner is definitely a force to be reckoned with.  Yet living amongst 2 million other people, often was a daunting task to deal with.  And let's remember I grew up in Southern California, a far cry from the bitter northeastern winters. I suppose the city was somewhat of a love and not like relationship for me.  Yet I also know that it's the type of place that is full of learning and challenges that strengthen, encourage and develop one's self.  No matter how I might feel about the hustle and bustle and every other component, both good and bad, that make up New York City, I will always know it was home for three years of my life, and with that - I felt good about leaving.

Thoughts on Gastronomy

Breakfast, lunch, dinner... maybe a snack or two in between.  There is one thing I think about every day - multiple times a day without fail: food.  Since moving to a new town and running our own business, we stay home and cook at night much more than was customary in the past.  Okay, maybe it's also the fact that we don't have every cuisine imaginable offered within a two block radius from the doorsteps of our Upper East Side Manhattan apartment.  Or maybe it's that we used to be able to have that cuisine delivered to our doorstep if it seemed too cold, snowy, rainy or we just didn't feel up to battling the city sidewalks.  As you can imagine, one gets quite spoiled with that kind of gastronomy available at any given hour on any given day. 

Last week we were sitting at home after an exhausting day of work.  I had only gone to the grocery store four times that week but for some reason there seemed to be nothing in the kitchen to make for dinner. I still can't figure out how that happens...  Well naturally, we thought, let's order out?  A quick search on Google and we found ourselves vastly disapointed - no delivery?!?! It seems like just about everything is on demand in today's world... you can chat with someone halfway around the globe from your couch, you can order movies, you can watch a show recorded from last week, write a letter to be electronically transmitted, all from your couch... but alas, I couldn't order delivery.

Delivery aside, I have actually found that I really enjoy cooking.  Being in a new town and trying to save money where we can, cooking is a perfect solution to provide an entertaining night at home.  Something else I've discovered since moving to this new town... southern food.  And it is delicious.  I've been fortunate enough to have traveled internationally.  During college, I studied abroad in Italy during which time I traveled to Germany, Spain, Czech Republic, Austria, France, the Netherlands.  I also had the opportunity to travel to Israel.  One thing decidedly spectacular about traveling to different countries is trying the different cuisines offered.  Each country and city prides itself on a type of cooking, the ingredients and the lifestyle that surrounds eating.  So what about this same notion in the states?

I think sometimes the cuisine of America is somewhat overlooked.  From California to New York to South Carolina, I have recently thought about the very different food each state and region embraces.  Of course there are obvious standard dishes.  Who could live without pizza and burgers in America?  But take seafood for example - In California, halibut and swordfish are regular staples in the grocery store.  Travel east and it changes a bit to Atlantic salmon, lots of tilapia and sometimes easier to find lobster.  Down south - crawfish, lots of shellfish and a fish I have come to love, catfish.  It becomes a curious subject when you think about a town or states' food.  In Columbia, South Carolina where I currently reside, there are a few staples, or rather specialties, that can be found around town.  One category I had not been aquainted with before - barbecue.  Growing up in Southern California, barbeque is usually synonymous with Fourth of July burgers and hot dogs.  Here, think pulled pork, brisket, lots of sauce and oh yeah, hush puppies (aka fried cornbread).  Another saucy delight the town isn't short of is chicken wings - hot, spicy, mild, you name the way it's made, and it's one finger food that is fiercely competitive from one restaurant to the next.  And yet a third example of a southern treat that I certainly wasn't aware existed in California, grits.  Which I actually tried a hand at and it turned out pretty well.

Whether traveling abroad or moving to a new city, I love to embrace the culture and of course, the food. I think food even helps a person get acquainted with a new place, literally offering a flavor for the culture and people that might not think twice about what they are eating.  So for now I'm going to keep "cooking around the world and country" while the actual travel is on the back-burner and look forward to discovering even more regional delights.