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| The Berkshires is so green and pretty |
This experience was amazing. I never imagined that the east
coast to be so green, like an infinite forest, like a permanent spring, lakes
everywhere, the air is so clean, and the sky so blue. It makes me think of the
blue sky in the highlands of Peru. What surprised me the most was the friendly
people. I am used to being ignored by
the people in Los Angeles. People in the east coast simply say, "hello"
to strangers everywhere.
Our first stop was Chicago Illinois. We landed in what was
supposed to be a 27 minute stop, but it turned out to be a six and half hour
stop. I would not mind the wait if American Airlines would have been honest
from the beginning and let us know that we would be waiting for over six hours for our next flight. They landed 20
minutes after our connection to Connecticut already left. This is the last time
I will use American Airlines.
This stop in Chicago was great because we had the chance to
see our dear friend Lira Luis in her home town. You probably remember her from
our prior videos on social media, green building, sustainability, etc. and I
couldn’t resist to shoot a brief video
at the airport having Lira sharing some thoughts on Social Media and global
work.
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| Me in the Berkshires so green |
think I was the only Latino in this part of the country hundred
miles away too.
I was visiting friends in the Berkshires Massachusetts,
which was a pretty nice experience.
I was eager to see the Boston Tea Party museum because as an
IRS Enrolled Agent I believe that here is where the foundation on the IRS
spirit was born. Early Americans decided to stop paying taxes to the British crown
and to build their own country, with self taxing.
Boston is full of pretty nice old buildings everywhere. To
my surprise the building styles are so different from the ones I grew up in
Peru, where Spanish colonial is the norm. I try to picture the early
individuals living in this city, their works, their lives, and buildings can
tell a lot, from the multifamily buildings to the rich doctors and lawyer's
mansions
I was in shock to be able to see one of the original wooden
tea party boxes that were thrown out of the ship back in time.
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| Boston central station |
There are two things that I want to do in my next trip to
Boston, see and touch the USS Constitution the very first war ship made in
America, and taste an authentic Boston Lobster.
I was amazed by some crazy drivers in Boston, they can be
ruthless! Don't get me wrong we have those in Los Angeles too. However, I never
got honk to making a left turn in the indicated area before
Everything is still so green around this area.
Philadelphia was the next stop on our east coast tour,
another pretty early American city, full of historic and old buildings, the
first congress was here, the liberty bell that cracked before it could go on
use, what a bummer!
Walking up stairs of the Philadelphian Art Museum like Rocky
Balboa did was a thrill.
I found the general Philadelphian environment so mellow and
easy going.
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| Original tea party wooden box |
And this is the moment of the truth, when I was to taste an
authentic Philly Cheese Steak ! WOW it was delicious like never I have taste
before.
I was very surprised by the names Pennsylvanians named their
freeways too. The Turnpike freeway ? it was a bit confusing at first, I’m used
to 405 freeway, 101 freeway, the 10 freeway, but nothing prepared me for a
Turnpike !
But what I found most confusing was the way east coasters
charged their tolls. When you get in the freeway they give you a ticket to
which you are supposed to give away in the next toll and they tell you how much
to pay. My guess is that they charge you by the distance. I have to admit some
times this was free of charge, and they only take cash.
In Los Angeles, in California in general all freeways are
free, except those bridges in the Bay area near San Francisco, but when you use
a toll in California you can pay with credit cards too, or you can buy a fob
that can do it automatically for you without even stopping in the toll. I know
someone would say spoiled Californians!
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| Boston old church |
We’re heading to the next and last major city in our east
coast tour New York. Traffic was a bit hectic when we passed it by in our way to
Philadelphia. So I was a bit apprehensive about not being able to make it on
time. I also found the freeways to be a bit narrow unlike the ones in Los
Angeles that can have eight lines each way.
Weird, but sometimes I swear people drove too fast, and sometimes
I found exactly the opposite.
WOW I can feel the excitement going through my body by just
seeing the skyscrapers in the distance, going under the Atlantic ocean in that
tunnel in my way to Manhattan was a thrill. Finally, at the other side of the city.
My GPS went crazy a few times because it couldn't get the satellite signal.
Then, we were so close to 7th st where my only $24 per day parking was waiting
for me.
But then OMFG 7th st is closed! Repairs on Sunday morning! This is
pretty difficult because streets in Mahattan are only one way most of the time,
so overcrowded with cars and people that DON'T RESPECT THE SIGNALS! In one
instance I have people crossing the street while I waited for them to go when a
taxi driver kept on honking on me, once I crossed he made a total illegal turn
and passed me.
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| Boston Art Museum |
Boston
OH well, this is the New York experience. Finally, we found
an alternative parking structure and BOY it was expensive! $ 57 for a day! And
all because major Bloomberg decided to do improvements on 7th Street
that day.
Once in Times Square, I was just bombarded with all the New
York Experience, solicitors trying to make me buy a bus tour, hundreds of
people walking in every direction, I felt like people didn't even care if they
touch you when you are walking in the other direction.
And the city smell like pee.
It was a hot day and we were just waiting for our private
tour guide arrival. Later the same day we learned it was the hottest day in New
York in years. I felt like baking both sides from the sun and from the concrete
reflection from above.
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| Philadelphia first Congress room |
This was a unique walking, subway private tour that I
recommend to everybody, very authentic tour. Rockefeller center caught my
attention, built in the 1930s still have its unique personality. Good morning
America is broadcasted
from there every day. SNL is recorded from there too. The view from the top of
the Rock is just breath taking
I cannot believe I was there at Fox news Corporation
headquarters, the GOP seem happy in there.
The NY subway was neat, always on time. I recommend it for
the ones that can follow maps and are good with directions.
Next stop was Central Park, and the building where John
Lennon used to live, and where he was shot in 1981. I heard a history that
Madonna try to buy a condo in that building and she was turned down. I heard
the same thing about the make up pioneer lady Helena Rubinstein, who try to buy
a condo in the center of Manhattan and she was also turned down, but this savvy
lady purchased the whole building and end up living there anyway
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| Philadelphia liberty bell |
The John Lennon memorial is there in Central Park, this
experience is amazing, the carriages with the horses, the people, the joggers,
the street sellers, and the heat.
Then to our way to the Staten Island Ferry, thanks god for
the air conditioned stations!
WOW, the ferry experience is awesome, the Brooklyn bridge is
right there.
While we get farther away from the island I can see the new
World Trade Center, which is the tallest building in America, it does show from
the ocean.
And there she is, Miss Liberty, I can just imagine the
experience to the millions of immigrants back in the 1800s, new lives, new
jobs.
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| Old Philadelphia at night |
I was able to see the Jersey shore from there too, this is a
definitely to do in my next trip to New York. I would live to see Snooky and
her whereabouts too.
Back in land we walked towards Wall Street, on the way we
saw the original Standard Oil Company headquarters. Can you imagine this was
the biggest oil company in the world before it was forced to divide in to
smaller companies.
It is hard to believe that people had been building sky
crappers since the 1800s, and I was able to see some of those early buildings,
Cathedrals everywhere in Manhattan, subway stations and people walking up and
down the streets everywhere.
The New York Stock Exchange was impressive, it was
displaying a company logo on its front, it is said that the NYSE does it when a
new company is going to start trading stocks here. Some day OREM will display
its logo here too.
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| Rocky Balboa at the Phi. Art museum |
The 911 Memorial was just blocks away, and the new World
Trade Center, which is the tallest building in America is here too. The 911
Memorial was built in a way that shows water falls that resembled infinite
tears for this tragedy. Among this memorial there is a tree, the only living
individual that survived 911. You can see the burnt skin on it and the new
branched that grew from it.
Just steps away we could see the hurricane Sandy water
markings, it is surreal to think that this whole area was under water during
hurricane Sandy.
Our last stop in Manhattan was Grand Central Station that
just celebrated its 100 year anniversary. Here is where I met my friend and
clients Luis who happens to be a film editor that nowadays is working in a new
project in New York.
On our way back to the car we met with another of my good
friends Chriss who happens to work in Manhattan.
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| Times Square |
Then we went to our last New York Experience, a dinner in Little
Italy, I want to try the authentic New York Pizza, I heard so many good thing
about how different and good it tastes. Yes, New York Pizza is a total
different thing than what I’m used to in Los Angeles.
What surprised me a lot this time is the fact that all the
Italians are gone from little Italy in New York, I’ve seen a lot of Turks,
Moroccans, Bulgarians, but not Italians.
This tour was amazing and I met a lot of new friendly people
that can help our OREM group to grow in this area, we still have to go to some
more details before making the announcement. Of course I would love to have
OREM east coast up and running, we’ll get more good news soon.
In the interim of writing this East Coast Blog I got
confirmation news that I will be going to Dallas Texas and
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| On top of Rockefeller Center |
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| Central Park |
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| Miss Liberty |
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| Hurricane Sandy water marks |
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| Some day OREM at the NYSE too |
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| With my New York friends |
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| Grand Central Station - 100 years |
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| 911 Memorial |
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| The new World trade center |
