..Auf Weidersehn...

I was going to write this on my way back...but apart from the depression of the end of an excellent holiday, jet lag and the fact that I have so much work when I get back, I couldn't think of anything else that I would be thinking about in the plane. So to prevent this from being an ill written, grief stricken, panick filled, dry old post, I decided to write it now....my last night in NY...[not that I'm anymore happy right now]

Where do I start....

Finally saw the great 60 wall street today..and for those who don't work with me, that's the grand DB office here..and man was that an experience..after 9/11 the authorities are extremely strict so from being let into the building to getting access and sneaking up to a level that I wasn't allowed to go to..it was a ride by itself..and the view...breathtaking! Kind of sad but the no-more-WTC has cleared the view for a whole lot of buildings down there!...and of course the souveniers have depreciated in price..which is probably the only 2 good things which came out of that disaster...for the rest, you can still feel the sting of the 9/11 incident..and the floating tension all the time..and of course it remains a rather touchy topic..and rightfully so..

As for the rest of the days...I did more and saw more than I thought I was capable of. The same things that confused me the first day became a part of my normal conversations from the 3rd day...I even gave someone directions when I was completely lost of where I wanted to go myself...pure shot of luck but well what more can I say...the subway is something that still confuses me..and i managed to go over the Manhattan bridge all the way to Brooklyn today when all I needed to do was take a bus down 4 stops...live and learn I guess....but the bridge was beautiful..so nothing lost...

The city is...hmm in the simplest of words...buzzing and enchanting..I think I did mention this before but I never thought I could spend an entire week...or rather 8 days in a new city all by myself and cover it mostly on foot[ except the last day when my legs have given up!]...I have been to almost every corner...every street..every avenue..every sqaure..every coffee shop..every monument etc etc here..and even repeated a few!! It was a thrilling feeling to stand at a crossing..looking very lost and touristy ..gazing at the high buildings...and when someone asked if they could help me all I said was.." I wish you could but I'm not sure where I wanna go myself..at the moment..am thinking about it though!"..:) and that is something that happened almost all the time...its great to have no agenda...and all the time...to do nothing...in a place where there is always something to do..no matter how long you have lived here...and that is something that can never be explained..but must be tasted....

From street performances to mock-fight dances, from alley markets to green farmer stalls, from organic whole foods to exquisite cuisines, from parties to quiet times, from coffees to wines, from sight-seeing to soaking the atmosphere, from mornings to late-evenings, from shopping to rejoicing, from hand picked strawberries to fried hot-dogs, from friends to colleagues...I had the best blend of everything...and each was served on a platter unique, refreshing and yet familiar...In all I had a great time..needless to say the weighing scale agrees with me on that;)

...this post hasn't turned out half as exciting as I'd hoped it would be..but then, for once in my lifetime I can't put something into words....and I can't show the world my expressions...

It would be right to say...I feel expressively inert...

..But the story doesn't end here...I will most definitely talk about this for a long time to come[beware all those excited to see me again!:P] coz it has tickled me in a lot of ways..and stirred a lot of new thoughts....

..I have my NY thinking cap on...blue stars,red stripes and all...