autumn in new york

I have 3 friends heading to New York in the next couple of weeks (that horrible green jealous monster is perched on my shoulder and spitting in my ear).  It is also getting close to 2 years ago that Michael and I were there and it still seems like yesterday and I still feel as though I am an authority on the city where I only spent about 9 days of my life.  9 amazing days.  I need to go back.

Since that experience every movie that I now watch which was filmed in New York, Boston, Canada or Washington is more meaningful.  A couple of weeks ago I caught a re-run of Autumn in New York (I think it was Richard Gere month and the movie channel showed every movie he had ever made).  Oh my word autumn is a beautiful time to be in the USA and Canada. Just the time that the 3 of "them" are going to be there (not together - Francois and Caroline are married, Kathy going a few days earlier).  My sister-in-law Judy had always recommended September / October to be the best time to visit, and it was.  When autumn arrives in Cape Town leaves turn immediately to cripsy brown and fall off - the only place that stands out in my mind is that Virginia creeper on the walls of UCT campus on de Waal Drive.  Now imagine a whole country of autumn colours.  Not just that red colour but the yellows, oranges and browns as well.  The pictures you look at and don't think are real, are real.

I know it is spring in Cape Town and I am a bit behind the times but for Kathy, Francois (King) and Caroline, I thought I would whet their appetites:-

  Autumn in Central Park

New England colours:-

And all the beautiful pictures I have been looking at on Pinterest.  Do you know about Pinterest ? If you have an addictive personality (like I do) don't even go there.  It is seriously addictive and too amazing the wonderful, inspirational and beautiful things you can look at, pin on your own boards and share with strangers.  Try it if you have time.

When writing the first paragraph I tried to remember the difference between jealousy and envy.  We often say we are jealous when we are envious.  On investigation - and for your mental records (if, of course, you do not already know) and very basically -  both these emotions concern the possession of something - an object, a quality, a person, a job, a trip to New York.  But they come from opposite directions.  Jealousy concerns the loss of what one has and envy concerns you not having what you want.  Jealousy is the emotion when you fear something or someone might be taken away from you.  Envy is the emotion when one wants something that someone or something else has.  Jealousy is usually towards someone and envy towards something.

Okay so let me get it right.   This now defines me as a jealous and an envious person.  Jealous of Kathy, King (Francois) and Caroline (someone(s)) for heading to New York without me (another someone).  Envious about the fact that they have an air ticket (thing) in their pocket (another thing) will be in New York (a place) without me.

I am putting together a little travel guide for Franc (Francois, King, Virgil - he is from a sleepy town in the Eastern Cape where they all have wonderful nicknames like Podge, Swamp, Cheese, Milo).  He is so special he has 4 (maybe even more) names.  Cocky chap arrived to work at our office on his first day (as an attorney - not the messenger) and told the staff to call him "King".  A day later we had a phone call from someone asking for "Virgil".  "Who the hell is Virgil?" asked our receptionist (we are only a staff of 9).  That got me singing (in my lovely voice) "Virgil Kane is my name" everytime he walked into the office.  We love it when some of his "fancy" (not) clients call him "Frans Shhhwa".  You know when people who aren't french think they are?  We do have some fun in the office.