Too much overtime

I've recently learnt that my overtime will most likely be paid at work..... Is this the reason why I haven't updated the blog lately??
So, quite a few events happened since last time. First of all Elise came back from South Africa, she's currently publishing something about her trip on her blog. It seems she had a very good time overall. The following sunday there was an open air market on Broadway: the street was closed for 10 blocks in the upper west side and plenty of stalls sold a myriad of things for very cheap prices - a kind of European style relaxed weekly market. We bought some vintage posters to add to the apartment decoration (whose walls also sport African art now).

Just after Elise came back, her parents arrived in town, they are staying almost 3 weeks in the US, half of it in NYC. They sublet an apartment near central park, at the border between Upper West Side and Harlem.

We paid a visit to the Empire state building, and I could make my first pictures of New York Skyscrapers by night from the 86th floor. Very impressive, but soooooo much people....

Looking south from Empire State Building (5th avenue and broadway cross)


TimeSquare and George Washington bridge


Suicide is impossible (to of Empire State Building)


Last saturday, the 4 of us went on a trip to the Woodbury Common Outlet stores: a paradise for shoppers, with virtually every shop you want at highly discounted prices. It looks like a (fake) woden houses village (a reminder of the Truman Show), in the middle of green hills, about an hour north of Manhattan. Elise made a fantastic bargain on a high end The North Face GoreTex XCR hardshell jacket, and at Esprit and Levi's. I myself got very good deals at Timberland, Adidas and Quiksilver.
There are so many stores that you feel sick after a while, and have to get a bit of rest before proceeding. But it was a very pleasant day spent in this shopping village.


Elise showing off her The North Face bag


Woodbury tower


Esprit US @ Woodbury

On Sunday, Richard, Tom and I went climbing to the Gunks again, this time the spring is really here and all the trees are green. The sky was rather gray though and it was chilly too. We climbed a few rather easy routes on cams and nuts (the others leading, me following as usual...), and did some very technical finger crack top ropping (I finally sent the old school V10 but it was one of the hardest moves ever). Finally we finished by a nice two pitch route. Very good day indeed, Tom was so much in a climbing mood that he bought a climbing DVD at Rock 'n Snow in New Paltz on the way back.

Nothing special this week, except I broke my personal record of overtime per week in the US (but it's still not much), and I got very good climbing feelings at MPHC: we climbed almost only 5.10 and up (including 2 clean 5.11a), plus I bagged two finger-destroying V1 and made a very good start on a overhanging monkey style V3.