Day 8!

I've now been in New York city for a week!

I wouldn't say that the time has flown by, but it sure is weird thinking about the day I arrived full of hopes and excitement of exploring the city. I wouldn't say I've grown much since then - maybe caught up a bit on the american accent, maybe knowing the giant island a little better, maybe knowing more people, maybe feeling more at home.
But here's to another day of exploration in my new home.

Not long after I woke up my mum called <3 It seems like she's determined to come over soon! If you find her on Facebook, don't be confused when she doesn't choose to accept your friend request! She is not a great fan of the social network, and has created a profile just to be more connected with me. X

After breakfast at the residence, I quickly got ready to see more of Manhattan, seeing I'd been over on Long Island 3 days in a row.
Today I was heading for Chinatown and Little Italy.

Before reaching one of the towns, I hit Greenwich village first. It it the closest of the different towns to my street. Greenwich village is the perfect enlargement of what I described my street as. More quiet and cosy with cute little shops and inexpensive restaurants with tables out on the street.

As I was making my way through the streets to China town, I passed the courthouse. Everywhere in the area were lawyers sitting on benches waiting for their case to begin.
I remembered this place from the movie 'The proposal' about a woman and a man who has to trick the court into believe their false marriage is really true, which they arranged so the woman wouldn't get deported.

And BAM! I had hit China town. All the Chinese people, the shops and the chinese calligraphy came like a wave.

Suddenly I could see far up the street because my eyes were higher than the thousands of other heads!

The China town here in New York city isn't like the one in London. I had imagined it to be a small corner of Manhattan where the Chinese shops were situated. Which they definitely were, but the place was like China. Every direction I looked was Chinatown, - just growing.

As far as I looked in every direction, it just carried on. All the street names were written with calligraphy too.

It was the wave of the Chinese smells from their special spices and the plastic industry, the big chunks of trash on the streets, the huge markets with all the fruits in the world, the cats wandering wildly around and the manners of the strangers I passed or talked with felt completely changed - spitting on the street near your feet, shouting conversations across the street, eating with their hands, picking their noses or scratching their bums, not caring who'd see it.

It was very interesting to experience that change. How quickly a part of town could transform into something extremely different.

Even though it had to be seen, it wasn't my cup of tea!

One thing I do like about China, is the laughs you have

over the funnily-translated signs: "NO BIKE ALLOW!"

If I had my own little kitchen back home,

I would've had fresh fish today, for sure!

Cute kindergardeners taking a safe walk!

Suddenly one street separated Chinatown with what they here call Little Italy. I could see other than Chinese people, and green/red/white decorations over the street signaled the Italian culture.

I can imagine this part of Manhattan to be known as the delicious food area! Restaurants with romantic, but expensive settings were all over.

This street separated the two towns. Take notice of the Chinese people

on one side of the road, and the Italian-looking guys further up the street.

... Apparently, it wasn't christmas - just Italy!

Take notice of the pole colored as the Italian flag!

When I'm rich I'll dine here!

I went back to the residence for lunch, and had a little nap falling asleep to a replay of 'Out of my dreams' from Oklahoma. You should hear the song, the lyrics are amazing.

"Out of my dreams and into the hush of falling shadows, when the mist is low and stars are breaking through, then out of my dreams I'll go into a dream come true."

What I said, before I left for New York, was that coming here would be living my dream. Maybe that's why I slept so well.

.....

After my nap I left for today's 2nd part of the adventure!

Being the lucky girl with a computer and internet, I had found a free concert online which was playing the same night a couple of hours later.

When I got out of the subway on the upper West side of Manhattan, I noticed dozens of journalists surrounding someone. It happened to be 'Bill de Blasio', who's one of the big people running for mayor of the city (as far as I've understood). For my first time in America, I've seen journalists/paparazzis creating a huge buzz on the street for a famous person.

*

I'm walking through the streets of Manhattan with the soundtrack from Saturday night fever in my ears. That is classic. I get the true Manhattan feeling, like it was created at that time. I coordinate my steps to the rhythm of the music, changing them to every new song, - and no-one but me would realize it.

All at once, I experience that feeling of freedom.

And I think that I've today understood maybe a 10th of how extraordinary and fantastic it is that I'm walking the streets of New york - at last. How amazing it really is, that I have made it.

Because I'm just a girl living my life in a city, like everybody else around me. It feels so easy to walk around Manhattan. And knowing my story, - seeing now how easy it is to do what I wanted to back then, it makes me feel like I can do anything.

YOU can do anything, go anywhere. If you set your mind to it. You have the world at your feet.

I don't feel how fantastic it is that I have made it to here every day, every second, to be honest.

Only I know what I've achieved, and in order to feel that, I need to know how thankful I am for it, every single day.

I am entering Central Park from the West Side. I'm sitting in Strawberry fields, by the 'Imagine' mosaic plate.

"Imagine all the people living for today. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope some day you'll join us, and the world will live as one." 

- John Lennon's words from the Beatles song 'Imagine'.

By the square near the plate, a man is sitting with his guitar, playing 'Let it be', a newly wedded lesbian couple take their picture on the Imagine plate, tourists take dozens of pictures of the monument and some even put flowers on it and every passer-by has a short moment here.

Another wedding couple comes by and the people who sat here on the benches from the moment I came still sit peacefully, just gazing around.

It's like this place has a special aura around it.

I realize that this place has been kept in the spirit of John Lennon's messages. This is a blissful and peaceful place, where people hope, dream and love.

Young girls, aged women, worn men, bikers, homeless people, photographers, mothers.

I am looking from one person to another, and I can see it in their eyes.

Ouch! and there I saw a rat - so I hurried further into the park...

The benches of Central Park can be specially

bought for putting a personal note on them.

Most of them are in loving memory

of children or other family who passed away.

In Starbucks I tried the probably 5th new type of drink. This time the autumn season's authentic combination with apple, caramel and spice in a hot chai tea! It wasn't one of the best one's, however, I got the best seat - right by the window! Just people-watching.

STARBUCKS!

A really funny thing happened, when I walked outside again. A young lady COVERED in tattoos, not wearing much clothes passed by. There was an African lady in front of me (the real African mama type) who turned around in shock, saying loudly to the street: "Jeez one or two tattoos is okay, but isssssshhhhhhhhhhh!".

I just love how these little things occur so easily over here. It's not like walking around in Copenhagen or most other parts of Europe, where you see people walk around in their personal boxes, not interfering with one another.

Then to the concert, which I was very excited for (by the way I was actually already amazed by how many places I'd been with my feet - hooray for my trainers that I missed big time!).

The theme of the jazz concert was 'New Orleans over time', giving me the perfect taste of what it will be like when I have the chance to see New Orleans - the home of jazz.

They were insanely good, and they created a fantastic mood in the room!

On my way back I grabbed a $1 pizza slice. Back in my room I'm listening to American radio, while drinking tea (I gifted myself with an electric water kettle - best buy ever!).

I can imagine most of you will read this to your morning tea, so let me make this cup up for the company with you!

Cheers!