Joel in New York

Visiting four wonderful and unique cities in only four days is both a blessing and a sin. Each of the cities we visited would be worth a lifetime (or more) of exploration and experiences. Alas, fate (and flight arrangements) had allotted us only four days in which to absorb the sites sounds and smells we were immersed in so we were forced to use them as expediently as possible. New York. New York reminds me of a watering hole in the savannah; every type of animal imaginable crowded together and bumping in to one another as they take their turn drinking. If there is any way in the world to make a living, someone in New York is doing it. There are simply so many people in that city that every economic nook and cranny – every niche and occupation imaginable – is filled to the brim and overflowing with entrepreneurial energy. The moment we arrived in Manhattan i found myself instantly overwhelmed and awestruck by how this many people could possibly survive and make a living in such close proximity to one another. The streets are filled with vendors, buskers, black-marketeers, and above all else: shoppers! Shoppers! Shoppers! Above the streets and the back-and-forth in-and-out hustle-and-bustle of getting and going and eating and selling, apartments and office buildings brimming with productive humanity tower higher into the sky than I have ever before seen with my own eyes. I found it all rather overwhelming to be honest.

The people were friendly, the subway was noisy, and i could not for the life of me find west 81^st street or Monk’s cafe (though i highly doubt that Jerry and George would have been sitting there waiting for me even if i did.) We took a bus tour which was nice and let us see the major sites without having to wait in line. The 3 tour guides we had (a fast talking quick-witted youngster of Ecuadorian descent, an incredibly loud and unintelligible middle-aged Asian man, and a laid-back wise-cracking “no-bullshit” brooklynite) were as good a three slice cross-section of New York life and culture as anyone could ask for.

After a few short hours in that incredible metropolis, it was already time to leave. We arrived at the airport many hours early upon my insistence (visions of 8 hour security line-ups swimming in my mind) only to find that our terminal was more or less completely empty. All for the best, as we ended up bathing and changing right there in the terminal with our gear spread out over 5 of the 6 chairs lined up against the back wall. The 6^th chair was occupied by a slightly overweight and noticeably surly looking gentleman with a suit and a tie and a laptop who could have chosen any one of a hundred unoccupied and thoroughly empty places to park his enormous bottom, but instead chose to sit next to two half-naked slightly dishevelled strangers. Why i will never know, but that’s New York for you.