My friend dropped me off at the bus station and left. I took my position in the long line of passengers waiting for the arrival of the bus, and as we tend to open our eyes widely when we are in a foreign land, I noticed that the passengers were mostly white young men and women. In front of me stood an old couple with their twenty something stocky son who wore a kippah. They were talking in Hebrew and when we were about to ride the bus, the son bid them farewell.
My seat turned out to be next to the father, and the mother sat a bit far. Minutes later before the bus moved, the female driver or an employee came over and addressed the father saying something like "you should thank the gentleman for accepting to exchange the seat with your wife". She pointed at me. Apparently the wife told the employee she wanted to sit next to her husband . I was surprised the employee talked directly to the father as if I have already accepted. Not that I intended to refuse, but....anyway I did not mind to move although a window seat was, for a foreign traveler like me, a sort of joy.
I moved to the aisle seat beside a skinny thirtyish lady. She was wearing a short skirt and looked somehow skanky. More than once she put her hand under the skirt to rub itchy skin. Fortunately she minded her own business and talked several times in her mobile during the five hour trip. On my part I avoided looking in the direction of the window for fear she might think I was looking at her.
When the bus passed by Newark airport my friend called me asking if I have arrived or not. He mentioned that his colleague has just told him he had stayed before in the same hotel in which I made my reservation, and that he did not recommend it at all. I said it was a bit too late for this piece of information because my online reservation was nonrefundable. I tried to solace myself saying that all I really needed was a clean bed since I would be out sightseeing the whole day. Besides, the very reasonable price and the excellent location would make up for any inconvenience.
I got off the bus at 33rd st. and walked with my rolling bag few blocks to the hotel. It was not the first visit to the big city, but some cities get us excited no matter how many times we visited them before.
Sightseeing and meeting up with two old friends of radiant characters, but nonetheless as different as they could be, were basically what I have done in my one week stay.
Two indispensable things that I always do in big cities. Walking until my feet almost bleed and positioning myself in a park, cafe, crowded square..etc where I can watch people. In the past when my mother used to visit me where I was living back then, and whenever I became too busy to go out with her, she would ask me to just drop her off in a busy corner in the nearby park in order to sit somewhere and watch people.
The week went very well. The last night I sat on the steps around the bottom the column of Colombus. Weather was perfect. Many couples were dancing tango. Lights were sparkling everywhere. Life at that moment seemed beautiful. Stunningly beautiful and satisfying.
July 2008
