Noo Yawk

Okay, so, this New York monster hostel charges through the nose for internet access - the Internets are expensive in the USA, obviously. So, a quick run down then... Back in Tel Aviv in rained a lot. I had dinner with a voucher at a place right on the beach. And the beaches are beautiful.. white sand, perfectly manicured, with lawn furniture for public use (I assume). I left early the next day to fly to Dusseldorf and then make my own way to Cologne, where I would stay with Lena for another few days. Thursday I made risotto for lunch and spent the afternoon in a cheesy torpor. Thursday night I was taken to some bars... On Friday I went with Lena to a lecture on treatment of depression (for medical students, in German). It looked interesting but felt like a nightmare... sitting through a lecture on stuff I feel I'm meant to know, and not understanding a single word that's said. In the afternoon I finally got around to climbing the tower of the Dom - the big cathedral in the centre of town, you can climb it and have 360-degree views of the city. Although it was raining, and apart from the Dom itself, Cologne's skyline is pretty undramatic. Oh well, lots of stairs, good fun. Friday night we saw an American movie with German subtitles. Not such a great movie, but the popcorn was memorable. Saturday not much happened, but at night we rode bikes to a punk club to see some bands: The Sonic Negroes (Sweden), and the Hip Priests (UK). It was a small grimy smoky club... Both bands were cool. Sunday I had to leave early, get back to Dusseldorf and fly to New York. Lots of waiting around at Newark Airport for a passport check, but I eventually made it here.. to the biggest hostel I've ever seen. It's like a college dorm. I'm in the Upper West Side, which feels like a "good" neighbourhood, unfortunately. I walked a bit last night, had a burger and beer at a diner... the mexican waiter put a lemon wedge on my German beer. Heh... Today I meet Jess at the Natural History Museum. Oops, I think that's everything.