Dutch heritage

Brief history of NYC [1]:
The Lenape were living in Lenapehoking which was pretty much undisturbed until in 1524 sightseer Giovanni da Verrazano (obvious Italian) casted his upon the land. His aim for the journey was the Orient, and not Staten Island, so he left without setting foot on land. It was 85 years later in 1609 when Henry Hudson (hence the Hudson river), bumped into the island of Manhattan with the same goal, finding a shortcut to the Far East. His tales about the 'rich and pleasant land' made that 110 settlers of the Dutch West India Company were sent to establish a trading post on the island Mannahata, naming the colony New Amsterdam. The many bloody battles didn't drive the Lenapes away, and in 1626 Peter Minuit (New Amsterdam's first governor) purchased the island for 60 guilders worth in goods [2](which is estimated today to have been worth about $500, ridiculous now if you think about the sky high monthly rents in Manhattan).
New Amsterdam became the port for fur trading, but didn't attract enough people to come and work. So instead servants, slaves, thieves, and prostitutes were sent (wow, that would have been a wonderful city to live in). Then in 1647 Peter Stuyvesant comes in view, he was not popular, however he was the first effective governor, establishing the first school, post office, hospital, poorhouse, and prison (so they could put all the thieves they sent earlier back into prison). They build the city in such way that it resembled Amsterdam, with canals, windmills and farmhouses. In 1664 the English sailed into the harbor, and to avoid bloodshed and destruction Peter Stuyvesant surrendered. Soon after, New Amsterdam was renamed New York.

Dutch heritage:
Although the Dutch only reigned for only 40 years, there are still many traces to find throughout the city. I like this very much, so I decided to do some research on Dutch street names. I mean, how much fun would it be to hear an American pronounce 'Schermerhorn Street' (named after a Dutch family in the shipping business [3]).
I will start with my home borough: Brooklyn. This is the anglicized form of Breuckelen, which was founded in 1646 [4]. Really, call me whatever you want, but I just found out a few weeks after I arrived here!
Here are some obvious Dutch traces: we have Harlem (yes, indeed after Haarlem) in the north of Manhattan, Stuyvesant Park (indeed, after the lovely Peter Stuyvesant) between E15 and E17, Little Utrecht in Brooklyn, the Holland Tunnel to New Jersey, Nassau Avenue, and Amsterdam Avenue west from Central Park.
There is this very famous street in Manhattan, which once was 'Heere Straat', obviously named by the Dutch settlers, but later renamed by the English into Broadway [4]. Another famous street, Wall Street, is named after a wall (could you have guessed this?) the Dutch build to keep invaders out [5]. Close to my house is Flatbush Avenue, which is derived from 'vlacke bos' originally the colony town Mitwout in 1651. Midwood is still an area in Brooklyn [6]. The Bowery is the road that let to Peter Stuyvesant's farm, or better, bouwerij [5]. And so there are many more streets in NYC named after some Dutch family (Gansevoort for example).
But my very favorite anglicized Dutch name is Coney Island. Coney (do you recognize some animal already?) is thought to be derived from 'konijn', after the multitude of rabbits on the island [4]! Conyne Eylandt [7]! Since I read this, I always see rabbits jumping around when reading the subway destination :)


References:
I'm not making things up, so check my references if you want to read more!
[1] Time Out Guide New York
[2] http://www.nmai.si.edu/subpage.cfm?subpage=shop&second=books&third=DoAllIndiansLiveInTipis
[3] http://www.myhomebrooklyn.com/2011/02/04/brooklyn-history-schermerhorn-street/
[4] http://brooklyn.com/streets.html
[5] http://www.inetours.com/New_York/Pages/NYC_Streets.html
[6] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flatbush,_Brooklyn
[7] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_words_of_Dutch_origin

Easter Parade

This year is going to one of the very few years I managed to eat only one chocolate Easter egg! I actually searched for the chocolate eggs, but I couldn't find them! So what do they do in NYC for Easter as far as I could find out?
Well, I don't know much about it, but every year, there is this Easter Parade at Fifth Avenue, starting around 47th Street, to 56th Street. So together with hundreds of (other) tourists, I went to see the parade this morning! So for this event, people dress up, wear amazing hats, and try to get attention. All tourists are eager to get images of these crazy New Yorkers. And that is exactly what I did today: take pictures of crazy, cute, hilarious, and strange New Yorkers. Pretty cool!
So in the parade, there was this girl in here buggy, with on her lap all these colorful Easter eggs. Very cute, so I made a picture of her. Then she gave me one of these eggs as a present, I thanked her, wished here 'Happy Easter' and wanted to take off. But this girl was so excited of what could be inside the egg. So I opened the egg, and she exclaimed "It's chocolate!" Beautiful girl. I enjoyed every bit of my one and only chocolate Easter egg.

The parade ended very close to Central Park, so I decided to go and have a look at green and colorful Central Park this time! Suddenly, all the clouds disappeared, and it was summer! I wasn't dressed for that (hey, don't blame me, yesterday it was 9 degrees and raining), so I hurried back home to change into a proper summer outfit. Then I went to sit and read in my 'own' park to enjoy the sun! Happy Easter!
No free Monday for me though.

April showers, May flowers

Hi all,

I'm sorry it takes me longer and longer to write you guys an awesome blog! It's just, I don't really do that interesting touristy stuff anymore. Actually, I don't feel like a tourist anymore, and I'm happy if I can have my lazy days in the weekends, without having to use the subway!

So this weekend was strange, at least weather-wise, almost Dutch, I'd say. Yesterday was great, we had a great tour in the Jewish museum (not that I really care, but the tour was still great), and afterwards we had a very good Peruvian dinner! mmm. But the weather was in one word: HORRIBLE. By the time I got home, I was totally soaked. And it was not only raining, it was thundering, lightning, very very windy, it was one big storm (which I actually enjoyed very much by the time I was inside :D). My lab friends taught me the following: 'April showers, May flowers...' Well, indeed, April showers, yesterday was definitely not the first time I got very very wet. However, I managed to get some of my flowers already this weekend :). Lucky lucky me :D

Today finally was very very nice! I've been so jealous about all the good weather drinks-in-the-park stories from you.. So today, I went to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, to have - finally - my part of flowers, spring, and sunshine! It was just great. And I was surprised how many people were there, I mean, it's 'just' a garden.. I loved it, really, if I would really live here for, say, a long long time, I would become a member, so I could expand my backyard! That'd be great, that'd be awesome :) But sadly, I don't live here for a long time, so no nice backyard for me..

So definitely April showers, and I can just hope that May really flowers!

Just an ordinary weekday

Some of you were actually interested in my daily routines. Well, prepare yourself, it's not awesome and cool, but actually pretty normal (and boring). Working in NYC doesn't differ that much from working in Utrecht, I just make some more hours here. I actually tried to capture my routine in some pretty boring pictures for you!

So, every morning I wake up around 6.30 am. I know, I am an early bird, and I like that! I leave home between 7 and 7.20pm, and usually I'm the first to arrive in the lab around 8.15am. I know, I am an early bird. In the beginning I didn't have the key to the lab, that was really annoying, but now I have one, so nobody can prevent me anymore getting in early! But well, give me credit: I don't use the key in the weekends (yet)!

In total I have to commute 2 hours a day: that is walking to the subway, get into the 2/3 train, change to the 4/5 train, change to the 6 train, and walk again. Often however, I don't take the last train, and just walk the last 15 blocks. It's nice to get a walk in the morning, especially when the sun is out! Writing this down it sounds pretty tough, but so far I like this little bit of my-time. I read lots of books! Watching people is fun as well!

Then, of course, I work work work. I will write another blog on this in more detail, because I also got some requests here! And on my way home, sometimes I have to pop into the supermarket and buy food. I'm eating a lot nowadays, two lunches is no exception anymore! Haha, don't worry here: I'm not gaining weight, I'm simply hungry very often.

Oh, I really understand that American people don't cook. I don't feel like cooking when I arrive home at 8pm after a long day at work! A good solution: go to a restaurant! Often we go eat somewhere with the lab, that is really nice, and good for the bonding, haha.

Ok, just one last note, because I feel I have to defend myself a little bit here. Don't get me wrong: I do work hard and a lot. But I have fun as well, I enjoy every bit of my big NYC adventure! In the weekends I don't work (yet), and all people in the lab are just great! And I would like to get an article out of it!

I hope you guys enjoy my boring pictures! :)

NYC in 5 days

Frank came to visit me! Isn't that great! I was so HAPPY!

As you probably all figured, NYC is huge, monstrous, gigantic. But all friendly. So, where to start if you have only 5 days and want to see/show it all? Well, actually, my trip to the Airport was great already. I never took the 3 train in that direction, and I was happily surprised when I discovered the train is actually like the High Line, and gave me great views over several neighborhoods in Brooklyn.

It was perfect to see Frank again!

The first day, we walked from my place (which isn't too far, I can see the Empire State Building from my living room), over the Brooklyn Bridge (which is wrapped because of constructions which hinders the great views), to the financial district. Although it was freezing cold, there was a long line in Battery Park, waiting to go to The Statue of Liberty. OK, we skipped that touristic entertainment. We went to the High Line, Chelsea, and had a 'real Italian' pizza in Brooklyn.
The second day we visited the Brooklyn Brewery, walked the Williamsburg Bridge (why on earth did they paint it pink?), and climbed the Empire State Building. Very strange, we could feel the building moving (OK, maybe not so strange, the wind was very strong and the building very tall)! The views were terrific, and great that we could recognize all places we already visited! But I have to admit, these 86 flights were a little too high for me, and I was happy when we were save and sound on the ground again.

Time was flying (something with these minutes here), but we managed to shop on Broadway and in SOHO, have a 3 course menu in Park Slope, eat donuts, drink coffee on the way, watch the hawks in Central Park, visit my work, eat a hamburger in the same place as Brad Pitt did in 'Meet Joe Black', and watch a comedy show on Broadway. We also went ice skating on Rockefeller plaza (well not really, but we watched the skaters), went to a party in Harlem, saw almost the whole subway system, watched all the crazy lights (and people) on Times Square, visited Williamsburg, went to DUMBO, and walked in Prospect Park.

I had a great time, with a great guy in a great city!

Spiders, Park Slope, and birds

Note: This is particularly interesting for those who love spiders and birds.

Yet another story, dear follower.

Yesterday we reached the magical temperature of approximately 70F! (Yes, once you're here, you have to get used to Fahrenheit, pounds, miles, feet...). It was so nice! And I was so happy I had to go to the NYU during lunch, so I actually got to enjoy this summer weather! This day definitely was 'skirts day'!

LOL, this morning was fun! I went to the bathroom, and there was this huge ugly scary creature in my bathtub! The first thing I did (of course), was getting my camera to make some pictures, the second thing I did (of course), was getting ready to kill the beast with a stone. However, I covered it with a glass so I could deal with it at a more descend time (it was 6am). Later, my new roomy and I removed it from the bathroom. Some research from my little sister learned us, it's a whip spider. Sadly, our little (about 2 inch) fellow (see picture) is dead now.. I hope there are no siblings coming to get their revenge!


Today was splendid again, however 'only' 60F, and the wind was pretty strong. I decided to enjoy my 'own' neighborhood (see pictures)! It was so good to see all the spring flowers, and hear the sparrows sing. Park Slope is nice, there are lots of bars, restaurants and nice little stores!

I have another story concerning animals for you! In 1993 the first red tailed hawk (Pale Male) was spotted in Central Park. Soon after, a love nest was build in a 12-story chic apartment on Fifth Avenue facing Central Park (I think this is one of the most expensive places to live in NYC). Of course (?) these rich people didn't like to have such great birds building nests on their houses, so they removed the twigs and branches. The bird couple made a new nest, and again the nest was removed. Finally (and luckily) the birds won their nest, and since then Pale Male has sired 23 offsprings, and they have entertained New Yorkers with aerial acrobatics! I haven't seen them yet, should try to get a glimpse of them soon! Nice to have some wild life in Manhattan!

PS: Don't forget to check the links I provide at the top right!

Ticking minutes

Wow, time is flying here, it seems like I'm living here in a city where time is in a hurry. Probably because we have New York Minutes here! The New York Minute according to the Urban Dictionary is 'the interval between a Manhattan traffic light turning green, and the guy behind you honking his horn', but also 'the smallest measurable amount of time in the universe'. The New York Minute originated in Texas in 1967, referring to the hectic pace of New Yorker's lives (a New Yorker does in an instant what a Texan would take a minute to do). Mm, thinking about this, my simple calculation tells me that I would have more time, because what would take me normally a minute, I can now achieve within an instant. There is a leakage in my theory here, because I don't have the feeling I have time left over! Anyway, I think you got my point, I'm mighty busy here.

Tonight is daylight saving time, which means within an instant I 'loose' another 60 minutes of my precious time here! But for sure it will bring a lot of good things. For example, for 15 days, I will only be 5 hours behind you guys. But also, the evenings will be longer light, which means we can do even more in the New York Minutes we've got every day!