New York: tips, taxes and cleansing

"Excuse me, are you Jewish?" the random stranger asked.

"No," I responded.

"Ok."

And that was that. Why? What? I have no idea.

I am aware of the large Jewish community within New York but is this a common curiosity? What if I had said yes?

Apple: this is actually outside the Apple store in Madrid. I forgot to take such a photo in New York so this will do

I found the locals pretty friendly, if a little confused. I was looking for the nearest subway station one day and a guy directed me towards the sandwich chain. On another occasion, when looking for something, it was suggested that I take four rights in a row, which made me realise I would end up in the same place I started.

Going back to the subway, New Yorkers seemed to be as confused as tourists when it came to the network. I guess with the simple grid system, maybe it is better to just walk.

What? You don't have a Chocolate by the Bald Man in your town?

During my time in New York I was constantly tempted to make comparisons with London. Definitely the locals are friendlier Stateside, even if their sense of direction is not great. Another significant difference is the number of people speaking English on the street. Almost everyone, at least in downtown Manhatten, is conversing in this language, as opposed to the centre of London, where there are more languages on offer than any other city in the world.

Moving on, Williamsburg, in the borough of Brooklyn, was visited for a night out. Now this district is well known for its hipster element. But it doesn't seem pretentious. In fact, the healthy smoothies and Starbucks aside, I didn't find too much pretense to NY at all.

This neighbourhood proved to be a top night out, particularly a large German bar whose name escapes me, but where the large beers flowed.

This brings me to my next topic of confusion: the tipping and taxing. Something may start off at $3, but will wind up costing you $5. Why? Nobody really knows. It comes under the guise of tips and taxes, but it applies to absolutely everything. From nights out to shopping, from food and drink to electric cables. The price is never quite what it initially seems.

Cleansing: never really given it that much thought

On the topic of those fruit smoothies, in one such store I noticed this curious advert above. A cleanse coach? Curious... Not sure if that is a cool profession. Imagine the scene at the bar...

Hot girl: "Hi, what do you do for a living?"

Guy: "I'm a cleanse coach."

Girl: "Really? What's your expertise?"

Guy: "Colons."

What a job?!? Do you think the girl thinks 'wow' I want to get to know this guy more. Is it a 'cool' profession?

I think if there is one thing that sums up this city it is the phrase 'Only in New York'. Only here would you find such a profession. It is what makes this city both a bit crazy and alluring.