New York

1.
Good afternoon, everyone ! So today we are going to introduce you one of the most famous city in the
US, which is New York as you can see. The city of New York is situated at the North East coast of the
country and it’s known to be one of the biggest city regarding its population with over 8 million
residents and its area. It is also one of the most diverse cities in the world, with residents from all over
the globe speaking over 800 different languages. New York city is a fascinating and diverse place with
a rich history and plenty of hidden gems.
The city is also the home of many iconic landmarks, including the Statue of Liberty, Central Park and
the Empire State Building. New York City is known for its arts and culture scene with numerous
museums, theatres and music venues. It is also home to many famous music festival, including
Governors Ball and the New York City Jazz Festival.
New York is known for its food with a wide variety of cuisines available from all over the world.
Some of the city’s most iconic dishes include pizza, hot dogs and bagels.
The Big Apple has also a rich history and has been featured in numerous films and TV shows. It is
often referred to as the “ Capital of the World” due to its cultural and economic influence.
2.
For those of you who didn’t know, this is what the New York Flag looks like. So I am not going to
dive too deep into the flag history, cause I am not an expert and I feel kind of nervous right now. But
fun fact about New York is that it was originally called “New Amsterdam” by the Deutch who were
the first Europeans to settled in the city. And then it was taken over by the English who renamed the
city “New York” in honour of the Duke of York.
One thing you probably didn’t know either, it’s that the ice-cream cone was invented in New York by
Italio Marchiony.
3.
New York is a city I’d like to visit one day for many different reasons. First, I’d like to go there
because a lot of my favourite movies have been shot there. I know this can sound a little cliché as a
reason, but it is really one of the first thing that would push me to go to New York. For me it is simply
one of the city of the US that everyone needs to do once in a lifetime. I do not think I would like to
live there for many reasons, but I’d would like to visit the city especially during the Christmas and
New Year period, to be able to see all the decorations, be immersed in a real Christmas movie and
shout “Happy New Year” in front of the Time Square with a bunch of people.
4. Introduce 2 cultural (and/or social) differences with Belgium:
1. The way to greet in New York is very different than in Belgium.
We don’t kiss on the cheeks in New York! In New York, as elsewhere in the United States, the
traditional European kiss does not exist! With friends, the kiss is replaced by the «hug», a kind of
greeting: the New Yorker will take you in his arms and pat slightly on your back to mark his
friendship.

2. New Yorkers are constantly apologizing.

This is another amazing cultural difference between New Yorkers and Belgians: New Yorkers always
apologize when they feel they’ve come a little too close to you or they’ve touched you. You will also
hear an “oh sorry”. Do the same if you forget to hold a door or if you walk past someone by accident.

5. Mention one place we’d definitely want to see.

I would love to see the Times Square because I always see this place in movie. It looks so beautiful.
Broadway theaters and the large number of neon advertising or other giant screens have made it one of
the symbols of New York. Times Square is the only neighbourhood where managers and owners are
asked to display illuminated advertisements. Times Square is a bustling neighborhood, at any time of
day and night, that probably best reflects the activity of New York, «The city that never sleeps». Each
year, a part of the inhabitants of New York goes to Times Square to celebrate the New Year. Since
December 31, 1907, the square is the scene of one of the most important celebrations of the new year
in the world during which a large luminous ball (today with a diameter of 3.7 m) slowly descends from
23:59 on a mast located on the roof of One Times Square to land at midnight sharp.

6. Talk about one custom or tradition.

Thanksgiving
The traditional Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in the United States the last Thursday of November to
give thanks for the good crops of the year. Families and groups of friends celebrate this day by going
to the house of one of their relatives and enjoying a great dinner of stuffed turkey and pastries. In New
York it's also celebrated with the famous Macy's parade, in which dozens of giant balloons called
"falloons" flood the city streets. This day also kicks off the Christmas season for nearly all stores in the
US and it's known as Black Friday: stores all over the country have amazing discounts and promotions
in their products prices and tons of costumers go out to buy them.