Sunday, November 26, 2006

City of Extremes

The tourist board calls New York the city of superlatives: the biggest this and the most that. Well, its true. Here are some of my own.

New York is the most expensive place I have ever lived. Not only living costs (I pay as much for rent of a tiny dorm room here as an entire house boat in Amsterdam) but also in everyday costs. A beer in a bar costs $5, and unless you add a dollar tip you'll be ignored for the rest of the evening. A sandwich will set you back $5. And the most expensive jar of Marmite ever now has a place of honour in my fridge.

New York has the most rats. Its full of them. At night, Columbia swarms with leathery tails and gry bodies, they jump into the trash cans and rustle around; they scamper in front of you from hedge to hedge.

New York has the fattest people I've ever seen. The cliche about America is true - obesity here is normal.

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