The · long · journey · to · nowhere

My impression now, after being back here for a couple of days, is still that of a city, where I felt kind of at home first thing, after walking through the neighbourhood. I was still running around some of spanish harlem's street on that point, without seeing any of the rest. This Barrio, even though not intentionally sought after from my part (thought I'd be living in the Upper East Side), was really growing to me with every day. The people ranged from ok somehow to really friendly and funny. If I ever go back there, I'll learn some spanish before that, which I would have done, if I would have known. So, every day was like this: getting up and going shopping in the morning, then I moved from there, 105th str. to Downtown and/or Midtown. It was kinda funny, having such a fast passing from one area to the other in such short time and distance. When I went back in the evening, I was kinda happy, since these parts of the city aren't so crowded and are a lot more mixed up in color, which made it more interesting for me. The only problem for me, I got into the people and into socializing far to late, or better on the last day or so. Started meeting people then and talking to people openly and without hesitating. Something I'd pick up faster and seeing that it was so easy (almost all around town), do it far more open.

On the last day I went to Little Italy at Mulberry Str. which was again a hassle, because I just started walking from to much a distance with not enough orientation points in mind again (same as in the bronx but less stressy and not with the feeling of impending doom ahead :-)). So, till I got there, it took me a lot of streets to walk and first I came through Chinatown, which was kinda cool, seing such a big chinese part mostly for themselves (there where streets with only chinese people around, exept for the occasional taxi driver, mostly from around the same corner of the world anyways). LI then was ok, very crowded, I guess kinda normal for a saturday afternoon. But I can exactly understand people not seeing anymore, some ethnic feeling coming out of there. I'm glad I got to visit Little Italy in the Bronx, cause when you compare it to Mulberry Str., it really is a great italian experience. Just don't start walking there from the south of the Bronx and it should be ok. There where people who made homemade mozzarella there, and you could by taralli, which is something like a italian brezel and really unusual to find. Still Mulberry Str. was a cool touristic exp. and I got to walk through the Village a bit.

In the end, what where the things that I can say where really positive exp.? (mind though, that I'm a pretty strange introverted(extroverted) person, whit a strange way to perceive the positives and negatives of things in life)
1. For being really crowded and traffic ridden, Manhattan is a paradise for a fast-paced walker as I am. It is fast and intuitive sometimes, I had to become a little more conscious at some point, or I would have walked straight to ground zero on the first day. 2. I must say that, mostly, I met a lot of friendly people, more then you would guess, not only because NYC has a bad rep sometimes. I'm an engaging person, who looks, smiles and somehow interacts with persons and I got it back more often then I've experienced it till now. Women where pretty easy on that too, which again was very unknown to me to that extent. 3. In Spanish Harlem you can find a lot of funny people, who sing around and have a funny mood. Since I'm starting to become such a loon, singing around in different places, this, although being a pretty small not so interesting exp., was really great for me. As I said, it's pretty personal and therefor not universally applicable. 4. Central Park really keeps up with the image you get from pics, documentarys and/or movies. It is a peaceful place with a lot of beatyful little domains. What makes it special though, is the placement in Manhattan. Otherwise it would be a really nice park, but the location makes it special. You forget all the traffic and the not so fine air, and sit down with something to read and a nice drink, forgeting it all and feeling like a part of this little community of relaxers. The saxophone music and nice tricks on the roller skates just add to this image. 5. The subway is a really great ride and just adds to the pedestrian mentality, you can keep up in NYC. Cheap when done correctly and very thorough in the way of making everything accessible in short time with not too much hassle. 6. Well, this one, sadly, isn't so common, so I barely got a taste of it. I like the NYer slang, the one NYers are usually known for. Most people in NY seemed to speak in a finely tuned kinda way (which is cool too, since I like american english very much) or in a not so fine tuned kinda way, like foreigners talk. Since I like language in all it's different ways, I liked anyways. Other then in Bronx, I didn't got a good taste of the slang, but this too, is a minor, very personal thing. 7. Sadly I didn't come to do it myself, which I hope will happen some other time, but the way you can ride the bike in NYC really amazed me. I was like a little child standing before some rollercoaster or something, imagening how cool it must be, to do it yourself. All the things I like to do, but are really frowned upon by most people over here (uptight is what I call that), you can mostly do there, without seeing everybody being upset and yelling at you (which I'm still, even though becoming more more peaceful, very allergic too). So ,yeah, it's the heaven for the slightly suicidal albeit over-conscious bike rider. :-)

Next time, I really have to visit Jackson Heights (I think its called taht way), which seems to have a great Little India there. Also, what makes NY so interestng for someone like me, I'd like to visit the Catskills and other natural environments there, which seem to be very nice too and a little more nature then the park gives away (since here in south germany, you are used to having a lot of woods to go too). Also, the Cloisters in Washington Heights, being rebuild with original material bought from europe, which must be a really funny place so far uptown in Manhattan. With a ticket to the MET (20 $) you can visit these Cloisters at the same day.

Well, that was it so far. A lot more little things that happened and lot of impressions in my mind that aren't ready for access, but I think that sums it up quite ok.

Current Mood:

busy

I'm prettz beat now, I'm all about relaxing, since I have hurt mz knee from mz two day walking the city. That's what happens, when zou try to be the fasteston 5th Ave :-D

Now I'll go lay down in the park.

Current Mood:

thirsty

As it looks, weather will be quite nice, getting colder now but then again I passed on some pretty rainy days. Now I'll start getting my stuff together.

Current Mood:	hopeful
Current Music:	Listening to 300 playing in the living room