Surfing on the Couch (wave)

Laundry is being dried and I've managed to get the internet working just by switching into the next room. This is one weird hostel.

So my first two nights in New York were spent couch surfing as mentioned before. Whilst practically free accommodation and insider knowledge sounds like a good, I don't think I enjoyed it as much as everyone makes it out to be. But maybe this is just me being my usual self of having such high expectations in life.

Don't get me wrong, my host was very considerate and did a good job of entertaining me. He had an excellent apartment (it was more "spare room surfing" than "couch surfing"), in a good location. He also suggested plenty of things to do together and  we even decided to watch "The Social Network".

Understandably, my host wouldn't leave his surfers alone in his apartment, but this meant I had to phone him to find out when I could get back. This turns into a big inconvenience of finding a Starbucks to use their internet to phone him via Google Talk, and occasionally asking someone nicely to use their mobile if the reception is bad internet wise.

The other thing I disliked about my experience was my host throwing me into the deep end of NY life by expecting me to find his apartment alone by taking a cab. Again, it might just be me being picky and needy, but if he had known prior that I was going to making my own way their, he could have given more precise directions and instructions, and even suggested taking the Subway. The cab driver also wasn't particularly friendly or helpful which really didn't help with the experience.

So all in all, I'm not entirely sure if I'll be couch surfing again. Unless a good rapport and level of trust is developed between the host and the surfer prior to the stay, it seems quite inconvenient. I initially asked to stay for much longer than a week but I'm glad it was only for 2 nights given my experiences from just two nights.

So I genuinely look forward to my stay at HI NYC, and meeting new people. It's a bit further out from the city than I would like it to be meaning I can't stay out too late (it doesn't seem as "safe" as DC) and I might be more inclined to catch bed bugs, but at least I can control most of these things.

P.S. I missed the 30 Rock live recording. I'm currently listening to it whilst I blog. It's quite surreal to see it with a live audience, and the camera shots are quite unlike 30 Rock's style (understandably SNL like). Some of it appears to be done quite well (and funny) and it's good to see the return of familiar characters. But it ultimately feels alien to me. I will probably review this in the end. For those of you unfamiliar with 30 Rock



Laundry's probably done by now so best be going.