I bused down to New York from RI, which involved taking a tour past Yankee Stadium, Central Park, Harlem, some bus that said United States of America Ground Force One, ritzy car dealerships in Manhattan, and the distressing congestion leading into the dark pit that is the horrible Port Authority. Seeing Harlem was really cool and I suppose I was gawking hungrily because people looked like their lives are different from mine. Which they are, and I suppose I will never understand, because I think I would go nuts living in that city. I had a brief ambitious thought that it would be good for me to experience a year or something in NYC, I mean, it is ridiculously diverse and all, but if I'm looking to get all sorts of experiences, I may as well avoid the ones that are glahkful until I run out of the more pleasant ones.
And ps, I hate the Port Authority and all the grimy fumes and stress and unfriendliness and deliberate unhelpfulness. Made it feel like a special miracle when another woman and I exchanged a few words of mutual confusion as to our gate assignment. We didn't help each other much since she didn't speak much English and I've forgotten most of my Mandarin, but it was nice to stand in line next to her.
