New York

Ok, found a wireless signal at a café... here's what i wrote about new york:



New York

What an amazing city!

As I was flying in from Columbus, we were slightly delayed. So, the pilot had to fly up the Hudson river while waiting for clearance to land. This was great because I had a window seat, and I could see all of Manhattan. There was Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, the UN building, and Central Park. It actually gave me goosebumps. Once we landed, I got in a cab and told the driver to take me to the intersection in Brooklyn where my friend Erin lives. I had assumed that this would be enough information… but it most certainly was not. I was lost in Brooklyn in a cab for about 2 hours. Luckily, he turned the meter off after we realized we were lost ($17). It was a mess of one-way streets and construction, and lets just say its not the prettiest neighborhood in the world… The cabbie was kind of frustrated with me, and said “You come to Brooklyn, you bring directions!!” with a thick Indian accent. But, he was nice enough, and let me look at the map, and we eventually found our way. I felt bad because he missed his shift change and works a crappy job… so I gave him $30. And, I made it to Erin’s just in time to get on the subway with her as she was on her way to work. I left her in Manhattan, and changed trains a couple times (effortlessly) and stepped out on 5th avenue and turned the corner to go to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Unfortunately, the place is closed on Tuesdays, so I didn’t get to go in. No matter, I just walked around for a bit, drooled at the Gucci and Prada window displays, and wandered around Central Park for a bit. I was really amazed at how comfortable and at home I felt there. I had this impression that everyone in New York was either a model or stockbroker and extremely snotty, but that wasn’t the case at all. Really, there is every type of person there, and I didn’t feel as though I was shabbily dressed in comparison. And, people were actually friendly… got a few random hellos, and even a “bless you” from a stranger when I sneezed. I got a bit tired of walking around, so I decided to take the A train down to Greenwich Village to go see Erin at the restaurant where she waits tables. I managed to find the place without even looking at the map even though it was 4 blocks away and required some navigation. It just felt so intuitive… and the people walk just as fast as I do. The place was really nice, very modern décor, and excellent food. She gave me a free appetizer, desert wine, and drinks… the only money I spent was $15 on the burger. She introduced me to her coworkers, and they were all very nice people. I sat out on the tables on West Houston St. and watched the traffic and people go by and used her phone to call a bunch of my friends. After she got off, we went down to the lower east side for some drinks at a bar which reminded me very much of the Union back in Athens. This, of course, lasted until about 3am until we caught a train back to Brooklyn. I know I was only there for about 24 hours, but I instantly fell in love and think that I could live there. As I’m writing this, I’m sitting in the lounge of British Airways Terminal 4, waiting to board the flight to London. Unfortunately, there is not wireless connection here, so you’ll be reading it ex-post facto. Oh well. At least I have it typed.
Next stop: Vienna!