North and South America

America experience – 【America】Memorable New York pizza

　The first overseas trip was in 1984 in New York, USA. I had a strong desire to go abroad to see the beautiful nature and meet many people. And it was the United States that I was able to go overseas from Japan for the first time. Moreover, I visited the city of my dreams, New York. 　A few days after arriving in Manhattan, I was enjoying the atmosphere while walking the streets near the Empire State Building. When I was a little hungry and started looking for a shop, I found a stall selling pizza. Surprisingly there was only one type of pizza. The pizza was a thin crust with only tomato sauce and cheese and no toppings. And that one slice pizza was huge. It may have been 30 cm or more. My taste buds were dancing when I took a bite of the hot, freshly baked pizza. This was the New York pizza that I would come to know later. （Image: New York pizza）

American experience – 【New York】The gap between longing New York and reality

　It has been over 30 years ago, but I still remember my first visit to New York. I arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport and boarded a bus to Manhattan. As Manhattan approached, the 102-story Empire State Building gradually became visible. I was very impressed with the feeling that I came to New York, which I longed for. However, when I arrived in Manhattan, the scene was completely different. A mixture of different countries and ethnic groups filled New York City. It was just a melting pot of races. It was a big shock to me who grew up in Japanese society. And, there is a subway doorway on the street, but when I approached it, there was a stink. I also felt that there were so many homeless people. I think my horizons have expanded greatly by experiencing New York where everything is mixed. （Image: Manhattan, New York）