American Views Abroad

Reading this weekend's papers gave a very different perspective on Christmas shopping in New York in this season of the fall of the dollar. The IHT was rather brazen with Europeans flaunt their buying power in the US where it proclaimed 'Add a new superlative to New York's long list of titles: world's most fabulous discount mall.' www.iht.com/articles/2007/12/14/business/shop.php The Sueddeutsche Zeitung had another take on shopping in New York these days. Stress und die City at www.sueddeutsche.de/reise/artikel/481/148131. Christmas Shopping in New York? It's anything other than a winter wonderland, unless, of course, it snows. According to the writer most tourists are flying over to shop, thought they are reluctant to admit it. They are there to take in the museums and to pilgrim to where the World Trade Center once stood and look out over a depressing construction site minus the photos of the victims in a city that is cold and grey. One could book a walking tour that would explain everything about 9/11, but it's cold outside and just across from this site is the number one discount store in New York, Century 21. It seems slightly inappropriate to head immediately over to a shopping highlight after paying one's respects, but that's how things are in New York.

Miracle on 34^th Street was on TV last night. New York and the perfect life on the Upper East or West Side during a time when Santa was still allowed to sit pretty little girls on his knee and point out where parents can buy toys at cheaper prices at the competition and, most important, our judicial system was still functioning. The judge might have been bought, but in the end, justice freed Santa. These old films seem from another world these days.

The Island at the Center of the World -- the epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony that Shaped America by Russell Shorto is delightful to read. 'Sailing silently into the inner harbor, approaching the southern tip of Manhattan Island, the ships glided into a reedy, marshy expanse of tidal wetland, a complicated crossover region of freshwater and marine species........Rising up above the island's reedy shoreline were forested hills: the best guess on the origin of the Indian name that would stick is the Delaware mannahata, 'hilly island', though some have suggested that simply 'the island' or 'the small island' is a more accurate translation. Putting foot to solid ground, the settlers decided they liked what they saw. 'We are much gratified on arriving in this country.' One wrote home. 'Here we found beautiful rivers, bubbling fountains flowing down into the valleys; basins of running waters in the flatlands, agreeable fruits in the woods, such as strawberries, pigeon berries, walnuts, and also .....wild grapes. The woods abound with acorns for feeding hogs, and with venison. There is considerable fish in the rivers; good tillage land; here is especially free coming and going, without fear of the naked natives of the country.......'