In a New York State of Mind

I'm off tomorrow. Fly out of LHR at ten past five and arrive at JFK at 7:40 p.m. local time. The next few days will be pretty chaotic - got orientations to attend, a flat to move in to, people to meet, and all sorts of minor things like opening a bank account to sort out. Although my room in New York has an ethernet connection, I don't know how long it'll be before I'm hooked up to it, so I may be without internet access for a while.

In the meantime, I've been to see Stomp in Covent Garden - excellent production, innovative, energetic and performed with just the right mixture of brio and cynicism. Reminded me a lot of a production I saw in South Korea when I was there in March, Nanta or Cooking as it was also called - very like Stomp, only set in a kitchen and with more of a unified plot. Enjoyed dinner and the show immensely...needless to say Sarah was most charming company as well.

Friday, went for Vietnamese in Cambridge with Sandie, chatted about all the usual JET gossip. By all accounts there is a guy in Yoneyama, Miyagi, a new JET, who is the absolute spitting image of me. Lucky fella.

Saturday, lunch at The Viceroy of India in Essex. Full Indian meal with my parents, the best Indian food I've had since Namaskar. Come to think of it the only Indian food I've had since Namaskar, but very good all the same. And talking to the owner about cricket in Bangladesh won us a tray of complimentary cognacs. Never let it be said that my passion for cricket never got me anywhere. Saturday night, dinner and drinks in Soho with Karen and some old uni buddies, Matt Cole, Matt Pound, Kirsty, and Nina. Dinner at New Diamond, in London's rather miniature Chinatown. Fine food and good company, can't go wrong.

So, this is it. As of tomorrow, this blog starts to do what it says on the tin. Where will the next year lead me? Am I destined for Sex and the City living, or a daily existence more akin to Seinfeld?

The curtain rises...