Friday, October 12, 2007

Making some strides with my blog!

I am getting close to my final stop in America - Sunny Florida! I should be heading off for Florida tomorrow evening, but before I do, I must mentioned about my stay in NY and Delaware.

NY: September 30 - October 6
I arrived in NY about 6:00pm on Sunday September 30. It took approximately 2 hours to fly from Detroit to NY. I waited for about 4o minites before Claudette and her friend Heather came to pick me up from LaGuardia Airpot. When we arrived at Claudette's apartment, there was a group of friends there waiting for us. Some of them were old friends from Jamaica whom I hadn't seen for decades. It was a real surprise to see these friends again after so many years. There was also a spread of Jamaican cuisine, the kind of food for which I had a yearning for many years, and how delicious it was! Here are a few photos of the welcoming party in NY:
I bought a pass for a week to travel around NY via bus/train, this was quite helpful, as I could get off easily at any stop to explore and then jump on the next bus/train to my next destination. The weather was exceptionally warm for October, but I didn't mind this at all. One of the difference I noticed in NY is the number of police officers walking the streets and positioned at the various bus stops. This seem to give you a sense a security, but also makes you wonder if there is some kind of danger lurking around why such a strong police presence is necessary.
On Tuesday 2nd, I took the train to Newark New Jersey to meet my cousin Wendy, who lives in Newton New Jersey about an hour drive from Newark. The Town of Newton is located in the Northwest Skylands region of the State of New Jersey in rural Sussex County. Newton is located approximately 60 miles Northwest of New York City and 70 miles North of Trenton, New Jersey. The Newton area is very tranquil and pleasant. I could only spend a night with Wendy and her husband Kelly as I had to be back in NY the next day. I accompanied Wendy and Kelly to their book study then afterwards a few freinds came over their palce and I showed them a DVD about "life in Australia". I was so involved in showing the DVD that I forgot to take picture of Kelly and the other friends who came over. However here is a picture of Wendy and me before she took me back to Newark to get the train to NY:







After returning from New Jersey on Wednesday evening, I accompanied Claudette to her meeting (School and Service Meeting) and met many of the friends there. Their congregation is called Hook Creek. Here are some photos of the friends fromHook Creek Cong.

Its now Thursday and time to say goodby to Claudette and Mama Rose (Claudette's mother),
I had promised to stay a few nights with Leticia and her son Peter before I move on to Delaware. Peter lives in Buffalo NY, but was travelling down to NY - A journey 7 hours long so that I could catch up with him and his family. Leticia lives in Jamaica Queens, the same borrow as Claudette and Mama Rose, only about 15 minutes apart. Peter arrived around 2:30 am, while everyone else was asleep, so we talked until sometimes after 3 am. I stayed at Leticia's place until Saturday morning, when I was dropped off at Madison Square Garden to wait for a bus (which never turned up) to Delaware. Instead I caught the Amtark (train) to Wilmington Delaware. Here are some photos of Leticia, Peter's daughter, her mother and me. Some how I didn't get Peter in any of the photos, as he was somewhat elusive at photo taking times.

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Trying hard to stay in touch!


Detroit - September 25 - 30
I arrived in Detroit around Tuesday evening around 7:30 pm about an hour behind schedule. I was picked up by my Cousin Ernie who waited patiently at the airport for me. I stayed with Ernie and his wife Harnetha in a very quiet suburb called Southfield located outside of Detriot city. My 6 days in Detroit went by very quickly as I was constantly on the move visiting family and friends as well as seeing some sites around the city of Detroit. The hsitory of Detroit, (the motor city) is reflected in its buildings, landmarks, statues and architecture. Many of these can be found downtown Detroit along the Hart Plaza River front, with a clear view of the city of Windsor (Canada) across the Detroit river. Here are some photos of Ernie, Harnetha and me visiting some of the sites in the city and along the river front. In one of these photos, I am pointing accross the Detroit River to the city of Windsor (Canada).

I was eager to visit a library while in Detroit and was told that Southfield Public Library was one of the most modern and dynamic libraries in Michigan. Since the library was only about 5 minutes from where I was staying, I was eager to pay a visit. The library's infracture and building amenities amazed me. They consist of fireplaces on every level, Imaginarium Garden, Reader' Tree House, Storybook Castle with Book Throne and dragon, Space Station Room, History Room, Two Computer Training Labs, Quite Study Room, Small Group meeting Rooms in Every Level, Auditorium and Large Meeting Room with Advanced Audio-Visual Capabilities, Cafe, Satellite Dish, Drive-up Service Window and Friends Used Book Store among other features. Here are a few photos of the Southfield Public Library:


The highlight of my stay in Detroit was catching up with family and friends whom I haven't seen for many years. Below are some photos of my relatives getting together at Ernie's and Harnetha's place:
I was looking forward to attend the wedding of my cousin Rachel, but I was unable to because my flight to NY was scheduled to leave on the day of the wedding. However, there was a Wedding Rehersal Dinner planned for the day before the wedding and I was privileged to be invited. Here are some photos of the rehersal dinner:

My last stop before leaving to the airport for NY was at the hospital to visit my cousin Russell (Ernie's father) has been ill for sometime. He has been a very special person to me, and I will keep him in my prayers as I travel around the world.