Day tres

There is just so much to document that I don't know where to begin.

I woke up really late today - kept going back to sleep - being woken up by giggles around - vague images of these two women taking off their clothes - my groggy eyes embarrassed - my arm hiding the obscenity from me - putting me back to sleep.

I finally get out of bed when the room is empty, not knowing what I would do all day. I don't really like sharing a room, even with friends, so this is quite a challenge. I decided to leave for the United Nations tour within an hour or so. It was noon when I realized I didn't really want to do the UN tour. I got my ass out of the hostel and headed for Greenwich Village, again!

I obsessively followed the beautifully warm sunlight like I had been starving for it for months, which I had been by the way. I literally moved with the sun! Sat in the beautiful Washington Square park for a long time, after spending some more money on books :( but then compensated with a $3 pizza and $1.25 hot dog for lunch and snack. I'd been craving for pizza and hot dogs since I came here. The pizza place was a regular tiny NYC pizza place - the sweet old guy at the counter asked me if I was Indian. When I said yes he asked me to repeat my order. He was concerned about me eating pepperoni, and was happy to know I eat everything :)

The book I found at this really cheap "non-imperialist" bookstore gave a lot of food for thought, and I thought it would be appropriate to finish my evening with a visit to the WTC site. Unfortunately my directional skills are stunted, so I end up in this most beautiful part of town, very close to WTC, but still not it. I saw a majestic NYU building, the financial center, Pace University, and lots more that I can't recall now. I sat in the City Hall park for a long time, observing this little girl playing with her equally little dog. I kept smiling at her so she decided to come closer. I couldn't keep my hands off the dog any longer, so the little girl comes up to me and says, "His name is Snowy". I say, "That's a wonderful name". She says, "My birthday is coming very soon". I'm all smiles looking at this cute little girl who just met me, and is telling me about her birthday. I ask her questions about when it is and how old she will be. She doesn't know the date - keeps saying it's "soon" - and can't decide if she's turning two or four.

In the past few days I've realized that I'm very different when I meet new people now. I don't like the usual routine of finding out things about each other slowly, without seeming too interested, or too disinterested. If I get a good feeling from the other person, I start off immediately, without any inhibitions. I feel that the regular routine of introductions is a waste of time. Also, I feel that we all share the experience of being human, have been in similar situations, and at a level we are all the same. So why pretend to be new?

Other things that I want to write about but don't have the time to - also went to Central Park later in the evening, didn't get to see much, might go again. So very many Indians live in this city that it's not funny. There is no way you will peek into a newstand and not see an Indian uncle's face sitting at the window. This morning's Dunkins right across from where I'm staying had two Bengali aunties - and they were so rude! Not to me, but generally. I wondered what/who in their lives had done that to them. Then I wondered how they can still be working in Dunkins with that horrible attitude. Anyways, to each her own, I guess.

I know it's not a good sign that I'm blogging so much, even on a break! In NYC! I know there are drawbacks of travelling alone, but there are advantages too - like today, I completely screwed up my plan and did something I felt like doing. I wouldn't be able to do that with others. I can do all the getting lost I want to do without feeling or being made to feel guilty about not knowing the right way. Only my shoes, my poor shoes, and even worse, my feet, suffer. But that's okay. That reminds me, I've been wearing men's shoes all this while. I went to the shoe store before I came here and wanted to buy some cool sneakers. After much hunting around I found nothing even close to my dream sneakers - the cool kind that I wore for six years when I played tennis. So I bought this only other cool leather shoes that I found in the men's aisle. I got depressed looking at the women's shoes, and thought what the hell.

Before I forget, the only thing that has not worked on this trip is that I've been too quite. I remember when I had gone to visit my Aunt in Singapore back in 2004, I used to go around the city all alone, and talk to lots of people. This time my stupid self thought travelling alone means being all alone, which turned out to be not as much fun as I had imagined. I forgot that the fun part is also to meet new people, apart from doing whatever one wants. I was feeling so stupid today when I realized this that I almost reconsidered my Mexico plan for the summer :(

Okay, I think I got most of it out. By the way, blogging when on a break isn't all that bad a sign, is it?

Will sign off with some lines from a book I got today for only $1.50 from a big, fancy bookstore :)

Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road,
Healthy, free, the world before me,
The long brown path before me leading me wherever I choose.

Henceforth I ask not good-fortune, I myself am good-fortune,
Henceforth I whimper no more, postpone no more, need nothing.
Done with indoor complaints, libraries, querulous criticisms,
Strong and content I travel the open road."

By Walt Whitman