In the countryside of Southwestern Ireland, there's a huge nature refuge called Killarney National Park. Amid all of the greenery, there's a lovely set of lakes, and you can take a boat ride from one end to the castle at the other side.
The boatmen provide facts about the scenery, along with some random conversation and Irish humor. During a lull in his presentation, Dermott, the boatman, asked me where I was from. When I told him "just outside New York," he asked where, exactly, adding that he had been to New York."Are you familiar with New Jersey?" I asked.
"Oh, yes," he replied.
"How so?" I inquired, figuring he'd tell me that like many Irish, he has family here that he visits often.
That, however, was not meant to be. "When I was in New York City, I was looking for a Sears store," he told me. "I asked around, and they told me to go to a mall in New Jersey."
*sigh*
I travel over 3000 miles, and I still can't escape the "New Jersey, land of the Malls" label.
I guess it could be worse. At least he didn't ask me if I know Tony Soprano. Or what exit I live at.
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2 comments:
The funny thing is that Manhattan is becoming filled up with "big box" stores, e.g. Home Depot...while the New Jersey skyline is looking more and more like lower Manhattan. Eventually New York will be able to dump unsuspecting tourists into Jersey to thin things out a bit for those of us who are dying from the Grayline bus fumes.
New Jersey is a great place. It gets a bad rap.
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