New York

 New York

The day began bright and sunny and cold! Kai, the Lyft driver who had yet again come to pick me up, took us to Hamilton Station. The train took us to Penn and the subway to the 81st Street. Straight into the Musuem of Natural History, which failed to impress me. The animals and cultural artifacts on display were cool, India was depicted inadequately. The Hall of the Universe, before which we heard a brief story of the creation of the universe narrated by Liam Neeson himself. Gleeful, I stared at the huge circular depression in front of me that served as the screen and that made me feel like a step further and I would be lost into the great cosmos. The Hall of Biodiversity had a life size whale and the trunk of a tree that dwarfed any other I have imagined ever. The dinosaurs were funky including my favorite triceratops. Back into the present world, we were hungry and like many of my beloved characters in movies, I was jonesing for a Gray's Papaya Hot Dog. So I got one! And then we were off to South Ferry. The sunset at Battery Park was unlike any I have ever seen. The horizon was painted in such glorious hues that could only be the doing of the Artist. We stopped for a minute to take it in. Breathtaking. Onward to the Staten Island Ferry. The promenade offered us a view to die for. From the back of the ferry, I was transported to another dimension. Manhattan glimmered so, I was certain it was a mirage. The Lady Liberty greeted us on the left and the Brooklyn Bridge twinkled away on the right. A quick ride back to the Financial District. The charging bull who has lucky balls, I made Petkar pose for the camera but I could not resist a spot of luck myself. Wall Street was busy even so late and the Trinity church was iconic even from its exterior. The 9/11 memorial was sombre, from afar the falling water appears to be static on a TV screen. Fitting. Two trains and a taxi ride later we were home, reliving some moments already.
Today is the next day and I am off to Texas. But even the last experience as I got off the train to the airport made me smile. A fellow passenger insisted on chatting me up just before I could exit, and told me quite graciously that I have pretty teeth. And oh what a trip it was!

The day after a not-so-white a Christmas, I took the train from Hamilton to New York Penn Station. A small family sung a verse from a carol and following which the conductor announced and I quote "New York New York" is the last station. Was I in a movie? And so I got out and into Madison Square, walked down the 33rd street and onto 5th Avenue. The New York Public Library. The very book Charles Dickens did a few public readings from was on display alongside a small French greeting card signed by James Joyce, all underneath that one beautifully painted ceiling. Walking up 5th Avenue, in front of the Empire State buliding, one of the ticket agents greets me "Upar jaana hai?", who said he had never seen any tall Indian girls, I jibbed that he had now and walked ahead, not before shooting him a winning smile. A glimpse of Saks Fifth and Rockafeller in the morning. St. Patrick's cathedral took my breath away as the bell tolled ten, a taxi whizzed by, a double decker sightseeing tourist bus stopped in front of me and couple of pigeons flew by. Okay, where have you hidden the cameras? To the extravagantly decked up halls of Trump Towers, after a Gyro from the street to a chesnut praline latte from Starbucks. The Apple store in front of the Plaza, surrounded by a host of brands, Petkar pulled me towards Central Park. A purple horse-driven carriage awaited, but due to lack of funds, we walked. The soothing sound of a saxophone player as he wooed the public with Silent Night. That made this trip perfect. I gave him a dollar and wished him a merry Christmas. Street performers, high jumps and large bubbles, Pharell William's Happy performed by a guitarist, a cello and a violin crooned away underneath a bridge and plinky Chinese instruments welcomed us to the Boathouse. The prices drove us away quicker! Off to Columbia University on the subway. A view of Broadway from the top. Rode the subway back to Times Square, but did not stay there long as the Empire State building beckoned. Taking the 6th Avenue this time, we went to our destination. While waiting in the line, I let out a string of exasperated Marathi, to which the stranger in the front turns back and replies! 80 floors in under a minute. We climbed up the last six flights of stairs. That view and I realised that it was all a dream. The Brooklyn bridge so lit up. A new Marathi family greeted us at the exit but we rushed down 86 floors in a jiffy and off to the Rockerfeller again. The twinkly tree and that display of lights synchronised to christmassy music. A few huge displays of lights, reindeer and ornaments. Times Square again, chocolate stores galore, every franchise I know just bigger and brighter. People dressed up as Avengers, Iron Patriot almost poked my eye out with his shoulder gun. Yet another Marathi family while crossing the signal. A quick look at Madison Square Garden. Stuck in some serious crowd on the way back. And in bed at last. Did I wake up yet?
You know when you stay in the ocean all day long and close your eyes in bed, you can still feel the waves lapping around you? As I am trying to fall asleep, images of the city come floating into my mind’s eye, this day has changed my life.

Christmas 2015

Princeton, true to its name is fit for a prince. Multi-millionaires own mansions, no, palatial estates in and around the college town. The university hid behind ivy, I did not get to visit due to rains. (I did visit the university at a later date. The ornate church and the ivy covered walls really made an impression on me. The highlight was the Monet in the art gallery in the university. I also saw Van Gogh, Manet and Andy Warhol originals.)

However, the part around it like Nassau circle was straight out of a fairytale. A christmas red ribbon with golden trim sat upon a lush wreath, or maybe a branch, and even a bouquet in some places. All tied together by starry lights of course! And a humongous tree! Posh shops with luring displays in their windows gave way to cute little bars and restaurants dressed to the nines for the season. Lit up snowflakes adorned every streetlamp in a lazy downtown Pennington. Colourful lights with boughs of holly are strung above the roads like garlands in Lawrenceville. Santas and sleighs and reindeer bearing gifts and baubles and lots of twinkly lights are strewn across some front yards. As we pull into Hopewell township, I feel warmth this chilly evening in America.