Bike Thieves!

Hhhmmm. I am not happy this morning. I left my bike locked up outside a train station in Enfield yesterday and it got stolen at some point during the day. I love cycling and the bike was a birthday present from Neil a few years back. It was very special to me and we had been on many adventures together. Anyway, someone decided that they wanted my bike more than me and clipped through the lock and rode off into the sunset.

Although me and Neil talked about the fact that it is only a possession and therefore not that important, it still doesn't feel v nice to have something pinched. And the bike was a lovely yellow colour. It shall be greatly missed!

I was praying for the bike to be waiting outside the house when we got home in a minor bike miracle but it was not to be. That would have been a cool story though - a bike with a magic homing device.

So, if anyone sees a black and yellow Giant bike with 21 gears on their travels, point it back towards my house.

RIP my lovely bike - you shall be greatly missed.

While in New York, I discovered a taste for NY cheesecake. Mmmmmmm 

Isaac's 1979 Cadillac 

Shock Horror - Blogging leads to actual human contact...

I sometimes wonder how healthy the world of blogging is. I mean, is it encouraging more people to have a voice and express their views, or is it discouraging face to face contact and encouraging people to measure their self worth and popularity by how many comments they receive?

Well, here is proof that blogging can actually generate human contact. A few weeks back, I was on Jonny Baker's blog: http://jonnybaker.blogs.com/jonnybaker/

He linked to a magazine article talking about the emerging church. At the bottom of that it linked to an alternative worship group happening in New York called Mass With a Beat:
http://masswithabeat.org/

It linked to New York church called Church of the Epiphany. As we were trying to find churches to visit while on holiday, I had a look at the website and discovered that the diocese was holding a barbecue for people in their 20s and 30s while we were in NY. So, I emailed them and cheekily got an invite. We ended up meeting loads of lovely people at the Cathedral of St John the Divine. It was so cool to meet some proper New Yorkers and chat about our different countries and Christianity. The evening also included alternative worship courtesy of Mass With a Beat and communion. I thought the liturgy and music were both inspiring and moving. It was also very odd to look down and see that some of the stuff used was courtesy of Jonny Baker - a small world! We also got some inside info about where to go and what to do to avoid some of the tourist traps. We then went along to a bar with our new found friends.

Things got even better when we were invited to Isaac's apartment for a party the following night. We felt way too cool going to a house party in Brooklyn. It was a really good night and at this point I could insert some really cool pictures of Isaac's 'new' 1979 cadillac if I had worked out how to post pictures. Aaargh. Everyone was very welcoming and friendly; they really were great people. Some discussion was had as to why Blair was re-elected but it was like the pot calling the kettle black or whaever the ridiculous saying is.

The BBQ also led to our encounter with the Four Seasons Hotel but that is for another time...

So, there you go. Blogging actually forms relationships! And it also prove that I spend way too much time clicking on random web pages. Hhhmm

New York New York

So here I am back in the UK after an incredible holiday in New York. I did try to blog from an free info 'center' in times Square but it chucked me out after 10 minutes and I lost everything... to be honest, the next few posts are all going to be New York based cos there is so much to tell. We fit so much into 11 days although I pathetically still have some jet lag.

Everything will be much improved if i work out how to post photos - somebody please take pity on me and tell me how to insert photos! And proper links come to think of it.

Anyway, we had a great time in an amazing city. Although we stayed in Manhattan, we ventured out to Brooklyn and Harlem and tried to soak up as much atmosphere as possible.

One of the highlights had to be Spamalot, a new broadway musical based on Monty Python's Holy Grail. It was just hilarious and retained the spirit of the original pythoners. Check out the website... http://www.montypythonsspamalot.com/

If it comes to London, you have to go and see it.