we went to china today...china town, NYC

on a whim, we headed to NYC with mr. clint for one of his site visits in china town. when the boys woke up, we unleashed our spontaneous plan, threw snacks and the camera in a bag, and headed out on a family adventure. it's exactly what our germ ridden status needed: change.

after taking a wrong turn and ending up in a most beautiful part of new york city (mansions with lush green yards and large blooming cherry trees everywhere...seriously? could this be new york??)

we descended upon canal street and china town.

it's so funny to me that the streets in china town are so much like the streets in the real china. little shops, all selling the same trinkets and bags and chinese chotchkies, people pushing strange carts full of strange things, torn and taped signage, baskets of un-named chinese variety food items, and the hustle and bustle. i'm always tempted to buy something just for the thrill of the bargain. the crisp sounds of chinese phrases floating about, with old men smoking pipes, babies bundled deep in their strollers and old ladies wearing ancient chinese style jackets...it beckons me and my heart throbs for china.

it was fantastic. the perfect new york afternoon, and you can't beat free :) seriously, there's no better way to jaunt to NYC.
just enough time to walk and eat and walk some more. there wasn't any whining (miracle?) or complaining...just adventure. wonder. delight. when we headed home we maneuvered through the hustle and bustle. just a block or two away, we weren't in china anymore. there was a hustle and bustle, but the style changed. the feel. sleek. modern. broadway.

old and new merging together in city style. i must say, i love the feel of downtown Manhattan. lofts, tall boots, scarves and styled accessories at every turn, trendy and fashionable tall windowed galleries. there are times i think of the city life with awe and wonder. it would be delightful to try it on for a year or two.to be city-folk and have city-jobs and a city loft. i could be an artist or a writer or a lawyer :) but then again, such a lofty new york lifestyle probably wouldn't allow for me to slouch around in my comfy pants (after having slept in them) with my hair-a-wild and crazy, and the boys running amuck in their rain galoshes with pajama shorts and bare skin bellies. where on earth would we find mud? that's a deal breaker :)

so we are home. exhausted. delighted.
me, editing photos with a glass of red wine. clint playing softball with the guys. and the boys...oh the boys. they practically put themselves to bed. in fact, they begged to get in bed. it was adorably cute. we talked for a while of new york. they wondered why there is so much trash on the streets. they remembered the pigeon we chased on the sidewalk. they tucked their new york city cars into bed and dreamt of high rises and china town. dumplings and real chinese noodles. and sister. we always talk and dream of sister.