NY/NJ Arrival

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I arrived in the United States yesterday, and met up with my cousins from New Jersey.

I arrived in JFK airport, then took a shuttle bus to Newark airport, which is 5 minutes from the Sisk residence.

The bus ride was my first time in New York City (I had seen it from Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty when I stayed with the Sisks and Faellas (my cousins) for the summer of 1997).

It's great to see the New Yorkers live up to the cultural impressions of them, ie that their larger than life attitude and language match those shown in the movies.
(though I think if I ask my Jersey friends for their opinions of New Yorkers they'll give me a different response...)
Unfortunatley the reverse cultural exchange may not be the same.
People here have been telling me of their great affinity for Ireland, though I think the current state (of Dublin at least) does not warrent it.

here's a few pictures I took on the bus:

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h238/fitzsij/P2260107.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h238/fitzsij/P2260105.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h238/fitzsij/P2260103.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h238/fitzsij/P2260095.jpg


The bus journey between the airports was over 2 hours, and gave me time to form some initial impressions of the place.


First, the traffic leaving the city was absolutely insane.
This was rush hour New York, but having multiple meandering 4-lane motorways clogged with cars, trucks and SUVs from the city centre out to Jersey makes no sense.
I felt sorry for the many schoolchildren in the large orange buses caught in the mass of automoblie madness.

This is an effect of the evidently robust economy that exists here.
I doubt I'll have time to see it enough to form informed opinions, but I do wonder about the sustainability, resource and environment-wise.
Some more information about this is contained here and here.

New York contains a very diverse mix of people. I'd love to spend some time living there.
New Jersey is really cool too, the industrial landscape is great.

Over the next few days here I will meet my other relatives, and visit New York and Philadelphia.

My cousin Nick offered to show me round the city of Elizabeth, NJ where I'm staying.
This'll be absolutely fascinating (the town has lots of history, and is currently one of the most ethnically diverse parts of America), so I hope to take him up on the offer.

I think my cousins here deserve a post of their own as well; they're wonderful and interesting people.


I am about to prepare for a soccer match I'll be playing in this afternoon with my (soccer-mad) cousins.
This was a great surprise to me, as the last time I was here, there was nothing but abuse for this 'sissy' sport...

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