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Well, we arrived in New York last night but fortunately spent longer in the queue for immigration than we did actually being grilled - they were very nice (although the signs around the place suggest that this is a concerted effort) and even told us that the only reason we were pulled aside and subject to extra questioning was because we wanted to stay for nine months and most people only stay for six. They asked a few questions about our plans for the trip during which the Boy Wonder said the word 'ancestors' several times and then made free with the noisy stamp and we were on our way. So, a short-ish cab ride into Manhattan and a miniature trek up three flights of stairs and we were safely installed in our teeny weeny hotel room with it's much larger than average bathroom - the Boy Wonder can touch both walls with outstretched arms, but we're well situated, en suite and seem to have a neighbour across the alley who alternates between singing and having hysterical laughter attacks which is all good. Our first, slightly spaced out exploration of the surrounding area revealed a pizza place which served not only pizza topped with pasta, but also one with lasagne on it, which made us think of the Gift - if anyone appreciates dangerous levels of carbohydrate within a meal, it's him, so we'll have to encourage him to experiment back home. We moved on to a complicated bar which had around 8 different basketball games on screens around the walls, loud and strangely mismatched music and a host of loud New Yorkers making merry - it was a treat to be IDed as we went in, although the novelty of that might wear off given time. Plenty of sleep later, an unreasonably large breakfast and the news of an incoming storm sweeping the west coast until sometime next week and we're all hooked up with internet, some free papers and a vague plan for the next few days including tourist spots and a southern brunch at BB King's club. All in all, a pretty successful trip so far...