Never mind the cold......

I have experienced a new form of cold over the weekend here in NY, today it is -13 degrees Celsius and with the wind chill it reaches -25 this is abysmally cold. Take a glove off for a photo and you can feel the blood start to thicken under your skin instantly - there isn't allot of clothing that can take this, so I am convinced its all about acclimatisation, these New Yorkers are a hardy bunch. One girl today was prancing around in tights, mini skirt and pumps with no socks - bloody mad woman!

Well after having met so many locals on my trip the coast I have spent my time with old friends and haven't craved the stranger contact of last week. Spent my time chilling and catching up on old times, learning about life in New York and have taken in most of the key sites. I haven't stressed about doing and seeing too much but have ticked off most of the Top 10. The highlights were the view from the Top of the Rock (The Rockefeller Centre) rivalling that of the Empire State, and a slow roasted Pork Shoulder dish from the Dominican Republic that Joseph and Ruth put on for us on Saturday - quite divine! I have put away copious amounts of Champagne and Prosecco which is always an achievement worth bragging about - fortunately my hosts are complete foodies and so we have been taken most well....Capital job!

This morning I had a personal guided tour of the UN building in Manhattan, strolled the corridors of Peace & Power and was given an insight into the workings of the UN. A very complex organisation.

Waiting for cab to take me to JFK. "Home James.....and don't spare the horses!"

Home...now there is an interesting topic....discuss!

Gorilla Coffee

Continuing my mission for coffee excellence, yesterday I experienced the most incredible coffee I have ever had the pleasure of drinking (those of you not interested in coffee no point reading on here.)

In desperation for a coffee fix yesterday, Mike kindly went out in some of the coldest weather New York has on offer and brought back coffees from a local Park Slope coffee bar called Gorilla (5th and Park Pl). The coffee had a smooth earthiness to it, heavy body, bags of flavour and without that usual S*******s bitter and sometimes burnt tast.

The bean was Sumatra Gayoland. I have been told that the island of Sumatra continues to produce one of the most popular specialty coffees available. Gayoland refers to a tribe that originally lived in the heart of the northern Aceh Province of Sumatra. Gayoland has recently come into its own largely through the help of Forestrade, a company that specializes in marketing and exporting organic agricultural products. Forestrade has done a great job galvanizing more than 450 local organic coffee growers to supply the increasing demand for high quality organic coffee. The standards and practices for organic agriculture in Gayoland have grown and thrived as a result, and have become one of the best cooperative models known in specialty coffee.

Coffees from Gayoland are semi-washed in the tradition of Sumatra. The fruit is removed from the bean while still fresh. After a quick fermentation and washed to release a bit of the residual fruit, the beans are dried and ready for export. The green beans are so fresh and clean they resemble small pieces of jade or sandblasted, blue-green glass. Their clean aromas are reminiscent if the shade-covered jungles they came from.

Gorilla coffee roast daily in small batches and by hand thus preserving freshness – a fantastic experience.

Today we strolled Central Park, Broadway, 5th Avenue – it was so cold we had to duck into the Met for a few hours to defrost. Dinner was at Joseph's and Ruth's in Manhattan. Joseph is from the Dominican Republic and cooked us a traditional dish of slow roasted pork shoulder (cooked for 6 hours in tomatoes and spices) and was quite incredible.

Couldn't stand looking at the tracks when we were in the subway stations!

Background information from ForestTrade.

A crazy day in New York

What happened this morning is too crazy to spend too much time on and I am still in shock, feeling nauseous and shaken for most of the day.

I am staying with Daragh (my childhood friend from growing up in Newfoundland, Canada) her husband Mike and their 13 month old daughter Anthea. They live in Park Slope, Brooklyn and are my hosts for the next 4 days. I see Daragh, if I am lucky about once per year and she has taken the day off today (Friday) to show me round lower Manhattan etc. We are standing on the platform of Union Street subway station in Brooklyn waiting for a train into Manhattan for the Staten Island Ferry. About 10 yards to my right a man just collapses onto the rails of the track (very similar set up to the that of the Underground in London, about a 4 foot drop down on to the rails) from where I am standing he falls on his head and shoulder and he seems unconscious. The next couple of minutes are a complete blur.

I run down to the station master offices (MTA) and scream at them to stop any trains, unsure as to whether they can even do that, I run back to the guy. There is a group of about 20 people standing on the platform and yelling at the guy on the tracks to get up, but he doesn't move. As I get near I slip on the slimy platform and slide to level where he is lying. Several thoughts go through my head: how close is the incoming train; has the station master stopped it; which is the electrified rail; can I get down there and back up with him before the train arrives; how heavy is he (over 100 kilos). As I am lying there on my front he sits up and I think I can reach him without jumping down, but I start to hear an approaching train. I reach all the way over so that just my knees are left of the platform and grab hold of the man's shoulders, screaming at the people behind me to pull my legs. Someone grabs my waist and I have something to lever against to pull him to the edge of the tracks, but he is a dead weight in his semi unconscious state. I adjust my hold and grab his belt and try to lift him up onto the platform, but he is so heavy all the belt loops break and his belt ends up around his waist and he drops back down to the rails. People behind me are screaming that train is coming and I grip him tighter and hoist him up on to the platform and at the last minute another guy helps pull his legs up behind him and helps relieve his huge weight, the guy collapses on top of me and I can feel his full unconscious weight splayed across me as I am laying face up looking at 20 shocked faces. The train suddenly arrives but fortunately it is an express on the platform opposite and so breathe a huge sigh of relief, the noise I believe was completely amplified because of the situation and I had no idea where it was coming from over the din of screaming passengers.

It transpires that the guy, Frank, had had a seizure whilst stood on the platform and just fell onto the tracks hitting his head and became unconscious. Fortunately there was a nurse nearby to help and we waited for the paramedics and fire department to arrive before he was stretchered off to a local hospital.

I have been in a bit of state for most of the day, sore arms and legs and dirty clothes and in a mild state of shock. At the end of the day I wanted to go and find out if he was OK and thanks to Daragh's detective work (calling the city for records of ambulance pick-ups) we found he was at the Lutheran Hospital in Brooklyn but as we didn't know his last name we were unable to inquire as to his well being. I hope he is doing well.