Day 4!

The day started with my decision of running down the stairs from the 16th floor, in stead of taking the elevator! A healthy decision, but jeeez there were many stairs!

And for the day I wanted to go back to Central Park, which I hadn't seen enough of! Of course I decided to spare my pocket from a subway ticket - but mostly I did it to see the city by foot! So today I walked. Only walked. And I've walked from 14:30 till 20:30 with rare breaks. I started from the residence at 13th street going up to about 56th to Central park. Then I had a minor goal to walk the length of Central Park too - but we'll see about that..!

The experience was not the goal, but the things I saw on the way. 
You won't believe how many things you see on the way through Manhattan, just people-watching. What I've been amazed at all through the day is that similarity doesn't exist. At a particular corner you may see China (and I really only say that because I've seen China, and I know what China looks like). Another place you see the middle East of Europe, a little bit of India, some Italy and some France and Brazil and Africa. For a whole street I could actually feel like I was back in Africa, amongst the loud laughs and sounds from the market place.. and then by the next block an Italian man suddenly runs into this picture. And he's catering at a very fine Italian restaurant. On the other side of the road a Chinese woman is sitting outside on a plastic stool, waiting for customers in her shop with tons of more plastic things.

What is this place? It's like Manhattan is a huge squared box, where someone took 100 people from each country in the world and placed them in this box. They all carried on doing their things, just as if they were back home: selling the local specialties, wearing the unique fashion, talking in their own accent, behaving with their own manners.
But I definitely know that Manhattan was not created by in this way. And the Statue of Liberty is a symbol of it. These people belonged to the place from their ancestors. And no, America hasn't always been a choice of freedom. Sadly, the opposite. BUT what all these people had was the American dream. That there was nothing that could stop them from fighting for their freedom. And now when it has been given, back in the time, you can see that it has left a mark. And when I look at the people of New York City, I see freedom.
Because there is no right or wrong. There is not one culture, that is meant to form the people of the city. Speaking of the American culture - this is it; because they are all American.
It's like everyone is a big family. In this 'Manhattan box', nothing would work out, if you didn't accept one another. Just think of the nightmare of a war, if New York should agree on choosing one of the cultures! Everyone knows that would be impossible. So in order to be here, you immediately have to remove all prejudice, fear or racism.

I can imagine a good deal of types, who wouldn't survive here. But I am thrilled to know that everyone I met and told about my upcoming adventure in NY, said they found it the most wonderful city in the world. There are a great deal of very great people. And I am so glad, I can be in a place that reminds me of it every day.

When I applied for auditions in London, deep down I secretly hoped for New York more. One thing - it would be the best offer for me. Another is, that if I moved to England for a couple of years. I'd have to mingle with the English, and learn about their culture, becoming more and more English. If I didn't learn that, I'd be a foreigner.
But in New York, as I had heard it from people, the whole world meets one another.

It struck me, while I studied the city, that this place is not about finding the culture (the other people), it's about finding you. Because in New York, your difference is what makes you leave a mark in the city, that is the secret that makes you unique.

Of course I knew that this was the most important thing. It is all over the world, the key to leaving a great mark. But somehow this is just one place that expects it from you. Nothing I've ever seen before.

If you are unique, you stand out. This usually requires a lot of social bravery, of what I'm used to. But in New York, you stand out, if you aren't unique.
And feeling my astonishment and surprise every time I saw a unique person or situation, I just proved that I was beginning to loose that unique-ability. Like I said Day 1, "I hope that the Danish prejudice and fear hasn't affected on me the last 6 years I lived there", I sadly saw that this partly was true.
I just forgot for a time, how important it is to stand out. But all along the way, of course I knew it. If not I would never have relied on my talent and ability to be accepted at a New York drama school, and I would never have longed to go to this place 'where the whole world meets'.
It's in me, big time! ... but mum? could you bring my roller skates when you come??????<3

So back to where my feet where standing around the time I slid my mind out of these philosophical thoughts. I had FINALLY arrived at Central Park. :)
I tried to walk as far as I could through it. However, too many things stopped me on the way. I must have taken at least 200 pictures in the park. One of the first, and most vivid things I saw was this! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dT2rUEvxayI&feature=youtu.be

Just try for a second and notice every single one of the skaters, they are such different types. They have such an outgoing spiritIf you saw just one of these in Denmark in the park - like the belly man or the couple with huge swings in their bum, people would just tend to stare! But this event made people happy and they laughed and rocked along to the music.

This reminds me of this morning, when I went to the temple at the Salvation Army. The gathering was very small, but very intense and dedicated. Especially this one little guy in front of me. He was sitting on the first row, and not a single bit of him was shy. In one of the songs we sang, there was a line saying something about I am free, I can dance. And Lieutenant Olivia told everyone in the temple, that this could either be meant in a metaphorical way, or if you felt like it, you could dance. So along the song, I could see that the little guy was filled with excitement and bubbling with joy for the line he could dance to. And when it came he just danced like he was at a school disco being the one in the middle of the circle. he must've been about 8. What a boy!

In Central Park I found a spot they call "fairy tales with Hans Christian Andersen", which gathers children (and hopefully someone like me too!) sharing the fairytales every saturday at 11 am. There's a sculpture of him sitting on a bench, besides the ugly duckling. Eventually, there are parts of my culture, before I even got here. So if you ever come for an unexpected visit on a saturday at noon, that's where I'll be!

A bit further up there was another storyteller!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDU-SSWYWG0&feature=youtu.be

When I had walked for what felt like a really long time, I figured that I might have been half way through the park.. until I overheard a lady giving guides to a girl "we'll you're almost about a quarter through the park"! :O

So I walked for a bit more, keeping my goal in the back of my mind, but soon realizing that the goal of walking the length of Central Park, would have to be set for another day. A day when I hadn't already walked 45 blocks!

Anyhow, I managed to see the Friend's fountain (!), several lakes, one including the lake with small boats, where Stuart little sailed!, and Central Park zoo, just in time for the chiming of the bell with all the animals at the entrance!!

I should also remember to tell my dad about a part of the park, which is almost like a botanical garden, where you can study the different types of trees. I immediately thought of you! And further into that part, it almost felt like a rainforest, for a second (with a great help from the humidity in NY). That part reminded me of when I was climbing mount Mulanje (Malawi) with my school in the 6th grade. A fantastic feeling.

I also meet several squirrels (the grey American one's, that we don't have in Europe:) It reminded me of the squirrel park in Finland, that I went to once with my grandparents. In this park the squirrels were almost tamed, but definitely unafraid of humans, which meant that you'd have them crawling all over you, had you presented a nut for them!

I didn't manage to pursue this Snow White move again here - but maybe they'll get more used to me during the 2 years! ;)

See?? - I told you every part of the world could be found here!

I can think of so  much more I've seen, but I want to leave some unknown parts for you too - so that you grow your desire of coming to visit me!

*

Videos from earlier, the same day:

Around Times Square I heard some live music, and when I followed it, going through a massive market place, I noticed that there was some sort of Brazilian festival/celebration. There were thousands of brazilian people on the streets in Brazilian shirts!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkVa5DIHDdU&feature=youtu.be

In Copenhagen you can take salsa lessons during the summer outside for free. Apparently, and obviously not unexpectedly, this is normal in NY. I found the dancing at Union square a few blocks from my room.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_svAiUyq0k&feature=youtu.be

Don't forget to stand out!