After more than two years, possibly almost three, our Green Cards have finally arrived.

There are certain things that I have never felt comfortable discussing on this blog. My criticisms of the immigration system has been one of them.

Though the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service has, at times, given me cause to wonder whether they would actually be diligent enough to Google me, I did not want to wreck my chance of a Green Card by saying the wrong thing. I still have to renew this card in ten years. So, I’ll just shut up.

What I will say, however, is that after almost six years of jumping from two-year visa to two-year visa, after standing for hours in lines to be fingerprinted and photographed in Brooklyn for a Work Authorization document or to have a visa put in my passport at the US embassy in London, I am relieved that it is finally over.

For Sofie and me that means no more worrying about if, and when, we will get the next visa extension. It means no more endless form filling and waiting. It means no more costly trips to London. It also means our nighttime reading will soon be Welcome to the United States: A Guide For New Immigrants. I don’t think I realized quite how big a step we had taken, until I read the intro:

Congratulations on becoming a permanent resident of the United States of America. On behalf of the president of the United States and the American people, we welcome you and wish you every success in the United States.

The United States has a long history of welcoming immigrants from all parts of the world. America values
the contributions of immigrants, who continue to enrich this country and preserve its legacy as a land of
freedom and opportunity.

As a permanent resident of the United States, you have made a decision to call this country your home. As you work to achieve your goals, take some time to get to know this country, its history, and its people. It is now both your right and your responsibility to shape the future of this country and ensure its continued success. Exciting opportunities await you as you begin your life as a resident of this great country. Welcome to the United States!

Yesterday was quite a moving experience. A hush fell over Times Square on a couple of occasions. And when traffic stopped for the lights the area was almost silent. I cannot quite put into words why it was so special to be there with all those people at that time. But I do know that I will remember it for the rest of my life. (You can click on the gallery above for larger images.)

I would also be interested to know how many copies the New York Times sold today. My home delivery was swiped from our doorstep early this morning. And when I went to the local newsagent people were coming away carrying bundles of eight or ten copies at a time.

UPDATE: BritInBrooklyn has some great pics from Lower Manhattan.

You Americans, with your inauguration ceremonies and inaugural balls, your Thanksgiving Day parades and your Fourth of July fireworks displays. Do you have anything, and I mean anything, that can compare with the pageantry and grace of the great British Morris Men? (Shown here ‘wassailing’ an apple tree in Coventry to bear fruit for the coming season.) Just look what you missed out on because of your selfish little War of Independence. If not for that bid for freedom, this scene could be playing out in cities across America as you read this humble blog post. You’ve got nothing on us! Nothing at all. (PS Just in case you are wondering, that’s cider-soaked toast they are putting on the tree at the end.) (Itsallaboutcoventry via EcoExplorer.)

Every Christmas, I fly to England and am instantly amazed at how everyone appears to be better dressed than in New York. Then, a couple of weeks later, I move on to Copenhagen where the average citizen puts Britain to shame. Danes look immaculate. Miserable. But immaculate.

It’s particularly hard not to feel inadequate in Copenhagen. Not only is everyone taller, leaner, fitter and better looking than you, they also have a great sense of style. Their clothes are stylish, their homes are stylish, their shops are stylish. Even the street kiosks that sell pølser, a type of Danish hot dog, look stylish. (Hell, even the bloody sausages look like they might have been designed by Arne Jacobsen.)

So, only a city like Copenhagen could provide enough material for a site like Copenhagen Cycle Chic, post after post of lean, fit, good-looking Danes peddling effortlessly through the city on sleek, curved, and very retro-looking bicycles, seemingly without a care in the world. Even their baskets and trailers, and the sub zero temperatures, don’t seem to slow them down.

Copenhagen Cycle Chic via Manhattan Users Guide

Living in Brooklyn one of our greatest sources of pride is Prospect Park, generally regarded among friends as the superior cousin to Central Park.

Not only was Prospect Park designed after Central Park—and is therefore devoid of all the deficiencies inherent in an earlier model—it is also predominantly a local park for local people.

It takes a lot to make us Brooklynites hop on the subway on a holiday weekend when the temperature has hit 80F and head to Central Park. But the other week, while working on a story, I met one of New York’s earliest freestyle Frisbee players who invited me and William to join him in Central Park for some jamming lessons.

More on that at a later date but my thanks to him. And my Memorial Day gift to you, this video of some freestyle players jamming in the Sheep Meadow of Central Park on Saturday.