A "French-Apple" Adventure

[serfty]

The bargains were amazing and movies that were in the cinemas at home were on DVD for $10. As I piled myself up thinking I could start filling Christmas stockings, I made it to the checkout where a gentlemen kindly reminded me that they wouldn’t work in Australia. Well that was a let down but I’m pleased I found out now and not when I got home. ...

That all depends on your DVD player, I have no such issues.

 

[straitman]

We walked past the Virgin Store and noticed there was a huge Thanksgiving sale on. The bargains were amazing and movies that were in the cinemas at home were on DVD for $10. As I piled myself up thinking I could start filling Christmas stockings, I made it to the checkout where a gentlemen kindly reminded me that they wouldn’t work in Australia. Well that was a let down but I’m pleased I found out now and not when I got home.

littl_flier,

A general rule seems to be that the dearer the DVD player the more likely you are that this is going to be a problem. The cheap players seem to play almost anything. :shock:

 

[kpc]

That all depends on your DVD player, I have no such issues.

There are may sites on the web that "instruct" you how to make your dvd player region free...it also seems that the cheaper your dvd player, the easier it can be done; that said, there are DVd players on the market here in Australia that are sold 'region free"

 

[littl_flier]

Hmm, thanks guys. I'm not sure if that makes me feel better or worse....

Oh well, next time!

 

[Reggie]

There are may sites on the web that "instruct" you how to make your dvd player region free...it also seems that the cheaper your dvd player, the easier it can be done; that said, there are DVd players on the market here in Australia that are sold 'region free"

Yep we found that out, our "now" cheap dvd/vcr combo played multiregion, but when I upgraded to dvd recorder with hard drive didn't, SWMBO was really upset as all her US DVD's wouldn't work (Bones Series 2, etc). We then ummed and ahhed about buying a cheapie, but I thought to have a quick google, and low and behold there was a crack, not only a crack, but a web site devoted to purely cracking this brand. It was easy to do, but noway could you have guessed it. Now if Lifes Good, and you want some info just google the model, otherwise PM and will try and find the site again.

 

[Keith009]

Great pics of NYC, littl_flier. I miss the place, and you've made me look forward to my upcoming visit even more.

 

[littl_flier]

Great pics of NYC, littl_flier. I miss the place, and you've made me look forward to my upcoming visit even more.

I can see why you love the it QF009. Great shopping, amazing city...... I have a feeling you'd like/have liked the model in the entrance to the Abercombie & Fitch store as well.

More coming, just letting it age. I'm sitting here with a bucket of icecream and a bottle of Red so the next installment will be tonight.

 

[littl_flier]

We made it back to the hostel about 1am and met our Brazilian room mate who was on his way to Aspen to work for the ski season. We chatted for half an hour as he practised his English before I decided to call it a night, or the end of a couple of days of interrupted sleep.

I slept soundly and the bed was relatively comfortable. I heard SWMBO a couple of times during in the night but woke to her rousing me around 8am. It turns out she’d been awake since 4am (though she profusely denies it was Jetlag) and was ready for the day.

 

[littl_flier]

Over the next week, we did an incredible amount of walking. I found it was the best way to soak up the exciting atmosphere of New York and to see so many things we’d miss by catching the subway.

On Day 2 over a muesli and yoghurt breakfast, we decided we would visit Lower Manhattan and Ground Zero. The weather was excellent, brilliant sunshine and probably 10 degrees Celsius. We’d decided we would walk until we got bored/tired and then catch the subway the rest of the way. Well, it turns out that Ground Zero isn’t that far from Times Square and there are so many amazing sights along the way. We walked straight down Broadway and then down 7th Avenue.

As we approached Lower Manhattan, we walked through a rather quaint area I presume was Greenwich Village.

Couldn't help but laugh at this. Three weeks later and the car was still parked on a fairly major intersection. SWMBO was worried about the owner, too much SVU.

 

[littl_flier]

Nothing can really prepare you for the sight of Ground Zero and even after six years, I was still amazed to see the amount of destruction that had been caused now I could see what had actually happened. Part of the site has been rebuilt including the corner building which is now home (I believe) to some government offices where the security bunker was built half way up the building. :shock: Ironic!!! We visited the observation centre inside one of the nearby office buildings that was badly damaged. It provides an excellent view of the entire site and had information on the new Freedom Tower that is being built. (and it also gives an opportunity to listen to a tour guide tell their side of the story)

Approaching World Trade Centre

The new bulding in question on the right.

 

[littl_flier]

Nothing can really prepare you for the sight of Ground Zero and even after six years, I was still amazed to see the amount of destruction that had been caused now I could see what had actually happened. Part of the site has been rebuilt including the corner building which is now home (I believe) to some government offices where the security bunker was built half way up the building. :shock: Ironic!!! We visited the observation centre inside one of the nearby office buildings that was badly damaged. It provides an excellent view of the entire site and had information on the new Freedom Tower that is being built. (and it also gives an opportunity to listen to a tour guide tell their side of the story)

After walking around Battery Park and savouring a chocolate brownie for lunch, we spent the rest of the afternoon in one of New York’s highly recommended institutions, Century 21. Some great shopping and a new Tommy Hilfiger carry-on suitcase later (already filled with assorted items) we ventured outside into the chilly night. We’d spent five hours shopping already and SWMBO was showing no signs of relenting.

We got horribly lost trying to find a Subway station to take us back uptown and despite helpful New Yorkers trying to assist, we still missed all the signs to the Subway. As an aside, the night before we’d commented on how many Subway stores there were and how the US seemed to be embracing healthy eating in a big way. Turns out they were actually Subway station signs. LOL.

Anyway, I digress. We did find a subway station but the machine only took coins and given that it was day two and the smallest coins are 25 cents, we didn’t have $4 in change between us. So in our infinite wisdom, we decided to walk back from Lower Manhattan to Times Square on a cold, dark Sunday night.

Well, that would have been ok but SWMBO’s navigation skills lack a little (and I’m daring in suggesting that it’s a feminine thing, similar to the way my mother can hold up traffic by sitting behind parked cars at an intersection instead of going around them) and we ended up walking into the Lower East Side rather than back North towards uptown. Hopelessly lost now and still disagreeing that we should head North, we gave up trying to walk on water and had McDonalds for dinner. Mmm Mmm, not the most nutritious dinner but I think we were both a little tired and maybe grumpy by this stage so it did the job well. But I’m not a huge fan of McDonalds in the US compared with Australia and Europe (and I’m still not a big fan now I’m getting older). The burgers themselves seem to be different but I do like ordering and paying for a small and getting a large. Must be an accountant thing!!

After retracing our steps, we found a Subway that took $1 notes and we made our way back to Times Square. What a day, we seemed to walk forever but what an amazing city. We had our first glimpse of New York’s most iconic feature, the Statue of Liberty, had seen a fair part of Lower Manhattan, had witnessed the leftovers of destruction caused some six years, two months, 14 days earlier and shopped until we dropped.

I was in love, start spreading the news!

 

[Keith009]

Top effort mate!

I too found Ground Zero pretty morbid when I first saw it years ago. Even now the children paintings never cease to make me shed a tear or 2.