In case I didn't mention it before. . .

. . . I'm going to New York next Friday. The purpose of the trip is to celebrate my sister's birthday with her and our mutual friend who is doing a PhD in Germanic Studies in Indiana. New York City is a sort of a midpoint geographically for the three of us so we are meeting there.

I have no particular affinity with New York, to be honest. I don't have anything against it but it lacks a definitive personality, in my opinion. Chicago, Philadelphia and San Francisco make me a lot happier. (None of them can compete with Montreal or Toronto, of course, but that's a different subject.) My sister loves it, however, so we are going.

Here is what's on the program for this trip:

1. A shopping extravaganza. And before you condemn me, come live in my little village and then we'll talk.

2. A visit to MOMA and a dinner at MOMA's restaurant The Modern. People say it's something special but I'll tell you what I think after my visit.

3. As good luck may have it, a fellow blogger Jonathan will be giving a scholarly presentation in NYC while I'll be there. So I'll even do something intellectual during the trip.

4. Three days of walking around Manhattan. I love to walk but there is no place to walk to where I live and nothing to see on the way. Walking in Manhattan will be a different thing altogether.

Of course, I will blog about everything that happens during the trip and post pictures.