Fabian's trip to New York (March 9-14, 1999)

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Tuesday 990309

Day of departure. I left Lafayette in the afternoon, 4:55 pm to be exact, and flew to La 
Guardia airport via Houston. At the airport I was Greeted by Melissa, her younger sister Angella 
and her cousin Richard. We went and ate and drove to the house in Bronx. We watched a movie and 
went to sleep.

Wednesday 990310

We headed off to Manhattan for the day. Ran in 
and out in all kind of different stores and 
shops. We saw the Disney store, the NBA store, 
Virgin Records, S:t Patricks church, Empire State 
building and all kind of sky scrapers and other 
structures.

We ate at a chicken fast food resturant and 
walked down on Times Square in the evening. All 
the lights, neon signs and commercial boards lit 
the town. It was beautiful and magic to behold. 
All the people rushing by, a high tempo and sure 
a great city.

Later we hooked up with Richard's judo friends 
and ate at a chinese resturant.I had giant praws 
and vegetables with rice, a very tasty dish. Then 
we went hometo chill and relax. We watched 
another movie.

Me at the NBA store on Manhattan. Must be the 
coolest place on earth. [above right]

Thursday 990311

We slept late on thursday. When we finally came 
around we went down to Greenish Village and 
walked around in the small and sometimes strange 
shops. We ate at Katzy's, a famous jewish deli. 
They sent salami to the American soldiers during 
world war II.

We almost had a flat tire when we headed back 
home. Richard had driven over a huge pothole and 
probably damaged the tire in the process. Air was 
leaking out, but it was not a major leak so we 
managed to get home.

That night the Nicks played the Wizards in 
Madison Square Garden but the tickets were sold 
out so I missed my first NBA game.

I had a discussion with Peter, aunt Carrol's 
boyfriend, about drinking and driving. Americans 
do see that differently than us Swedes. They do 
not think of it the same way we do. I am pretty 
shocked with the fact that most Americans seem to 
think it is OK to have a beer or two and then 
drive.
 
S:t Patrick's Church in the middle of downtown New York. [above right]

Friday 990312

Did not get up at all on friday. Later we went to 
a place called the Bayou, a resturantwhere they 
served Cajun food. It was so good, I had a 
catfish po-boy which is a huge baguette filled 
with goodies. We also tried cornbread, some 
salad and redbeans with rice. We went out in the 
evening to a local Bronx pub called Casey's. We 
sat there and drank and talked. Angella found 
herself some boys and all of the sudden we left 
and walked across the street to another place 
called the Silver Egde where they had dancemusic.

Me and Richard had an easy night talking to each 
other and we were hit on by a girl who probably 
had seen better days. She was totally wasted, but 
that did not seem to bother her at all.

Richard, Angella and Melissa at Katzy's. [above right]
 

Recovery after the first day out. We stayed in 
all day and ate dinner in the house.Aunt Carrol 
had cooked for us. Geninne, Richard's sister, 
took us out that night.We went to a private party 
in the neighbourhood to celebrate S:t Patricks 
Day.It was mostly older people. I saw Holyfield 
vs. Lewis on TV in the bar. We played music on 
the jukebox, talked and I even sneaked away and 
played some basketballwith some kids downstairs 
in the gym.

The bartender got pissed with me because I
ordered to complicated drinks, so I stopped 
drinking all together. I had had enough anyway, 
the drinks were more or less free compared to 
Swedish standards.

Geninne drove home the 4 blocks, but I refused to 
get into a car with a drunken driver. She drove 
at a walking pace so we came home at the same 
time, even though I had walked back.



Angella, Richard and Melissa beside Cruella de 
Ville at the Disney Store. [above]

Sunday 990314

Last day. Just woke up and ate breakfast. Then 
off to the airport and back to Lafayette again. I 
came home that evening.