Greetings from the Big Apple, home of the most prideful people in America. Johnny Palmer came over to Catherine’s house for Thanksgiving dinner. Mr. Palmer informed me that he was going to the Diamond District of New York City to buy his woman a ring. He invited me to go and I was kind of sick of seeing the same sights in Boston. I had been there three different times, and as Benjamin Franklin once stated, “Fish and cities stink after three times,” and so with that guiding statement I ventured to the city by the bay, the city of brotherly love, New York City.
Johnny and I purchased separate bus tickets. Johnny told me that he sat next to a Mexican Women from Texas. He was able to speak Spanish to the woman for the majority of the time, but was unable to fall asleep. I, on the other hand, had the chance to sit next to a person whose gender I am still unsure of. This was due to the fact that she (because I am confident but not certain that it is a she) wore basketball sweats and a hoodie. Mysteriously, she had headphones on over her hood. This muffled the sound of the music. In an attempt to hear the sound she cranked the volume on the head phones all the way up. After eating a large plate of McDonald's and blowing her nose on the paper napkin she was eating with, the woman turned up her music and fell asleep on my lap. (I am attempting to not be a hater and I hope that is not the feeling that I am giving off, because I really did not find this that annoying. I thought to myself this would make a great part in my journal and so I enjoyed the experience. Again I do not want to be a hater. I am not at all upset with this woman. Merely entertained).
Eventually, my four hours of matronly assisting this woman in falling asleep came to a close and we arrived at the windy city. From the very beginning of my time in the city, I was completely overwhelmed by the brabadingnagian structures that surrounded me. New York is not like any other city in America. Philadelphia, Boston, and Los Angeles have their skyscrapers, but they are avoided simply by moving a couple blocks in any direction. The buildings of New York City, however, are endless. The streams of people are endless. It is fast-paced. There is something appealing about the place though. It is a place that is so foreign to most outsiders that it allows them to feel as though they are in a different country or on a different planet altogether.
Johnny suggested that instead of going ring shopping with me that I go ahead and explore around the region. It took no persuading for me to agree with this suggestion. If there is one thing that I enjoy in life it is exploring cities alone. My method of exploration is usually quite simple. Start walking with a simple destination in mind, but do not be hesistant to switch plans on a whim.
I decided that I wanted to try some Chinese food from Chinatown and so I boarded the subway and headed downtown. I asked a gentleman in a Yankees ball cap where Chinatown was and he told me that it was at a certain stop. I asked where that certain stop was and he explained where it was. He then asked if I "wasn’t from around here." “No,” I responded, “I am from Los Angeles, but I like it here.” The man then went into the New York monologue. It was enjoyably filled with the pride of a New Yorker. It was this man's duty to defend his home territory. In every regard he explained to me why New York was the best. I am fine with this and I was not going to tell him that I was more partial to L.A. He did ask if weed was better in L.A. It was at that time that I wished that I had some marijuana to show my fellow New Yorker just how superior L.A. was. I wished that we could partake of one another's reefer to decide which was the best. I am certain that Los Angeles would be better. That’s what we are known for.
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