I Love New York

View of the Statue of Liberty on board a Staten Island Ferry

Sabi nga sa kanta ni JZ

"In New York

Concrete jungle where dreams are made of

There's nothin' you can't do

Now you're in New York

These streets will make you feel brand new

Big lights will inspire you

Let's hear it for for New York, New York, New York"

Four days in NY has been short but sweet.  It was not in my list of to-go places really but a last minute decision brought me to the big apple. 

NY is alive! It's my kind of city.  Big, breathing, confident.

I like how I can stay at the subway at 11pm and catch up with friends from the other end of the country and the other side of the world because of the free internet.

I love how I can just walk from block to block and would easily realize when Im lost because the streets are easy to navigate because one would know that 42nd is next to 41st and not to the 5th, eh?

I like how people are accommodating, that when you ask them for directions, they try to help and make you feel comfortable and not a bother to them.  That it's perfectly ok to ask.

I like the fact that talking to them puts my grade school GMRC into use.  I like the fact that I could say thank you, you're welcome, have a good day, etc without sounding awkward or pretentious.  Those simple acts of politeness can really help lighten up one's day.

They say that New Yorkers are rude but I didnt experience that.  I assume that rudeness could be the exception and not the norm.

I like how I see different kinds of people with different heights, skin color, hair color, hair styles and hear them speak English with different accents.

I love how they seem to have and support their local brands.

I love the fact that on Monday morning, at rush hour, people in the subway still read books or the papers.  That they still talk to each other.  That others seem not to mind not doing anything except listening to the sound of the train.

I hate it though how difficult it is to find public restrooms.  Or how hard it is to find stores that sell cheap souvenirs and that the cheapest short that I could find were those that they sell at JFK for $10 a piece which is way more expensive than the usual $3 shirt that Im used to.

Despite, and because of, all of these, I love NY!