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Published: February 2nd 2006
I'm not sure which is more challenging.. living the dream, or writing about it. I'll try:
...It reverses. As this huge powerhouse virgin atlantic boeing 747 prepares for lift off, so do I. And as I stare out of the window, with tear stained cheeks, I fly out of LHR with the utmost conviction that this journey holds more than I imagine possible...
...As the plane made it's descent through the clouds, I caught my first sight of the Atlantic ocean - a vast, dark and dangerous blue, carpeting the earth's surface.. and then.. land. The US of A. Landing at JFK, I am, despite the long flight, boundless with excited energy and immediately feel a sense of ease and grounding. My first sight of the New York City skyline, an amass of sharp, solid grey rising up into a perfect sunset, was enough to take my breath away. I straddled through the security check outs, finger-printed and photoed, I waited patiently for my baggage, I was in no hurry - from today - time, was my own creation. So I sat and read the first chapter of "All There Is" by Tony Parsons until I was ready to
leave...
..I step out into an icy American January. Ushered toward a bus into Midtown Manhattan, I paid the fare and stared out the window, disbelieving I was actually here, in NY. So caught up was I, that I missed my stop and disembarked instead somewhere in Times Sqaure. Fortunately everything portrayed in Hollywood movies about the prevalence of yellow cabs was true - so I hailed one down and it took me to my hotel... appropriately named.. the Time...
..I emerged from the elevator, surprisingly unscathed and still standing, greeted by a very cute receptionist with a soothing smile- my first taste of American eye candy! "what colour room would you like Miss?" Hmm... I chose red. Bold, passionate and intense. The colour for sulphur in alchemy, strength in Kabalah and God in Hebrew, the direction West in Tibet and Mars ruling Aries and Scorpio in the early Zodiac. For all it's vividness, it is, above all, a colour of great ambivalence. As I emptied MnM's onto the bedspread and admired the contrast of colours, I made myself comfortable. Soft, romantic music played through the Bose system and immediately illuminated the room. I had myself a hot
shower and a gorgeously happy feeling that led me into slumber and carried through to the morning as I opened my eyes to Martin Luther King Day. I took this energy to the yoga mat, and to the gym...
..unfotunately the energy was insufficient for me to tolerate any more than five minutes of Macy's department store. I dunno, maybe I just lack the female-shopping gene! Where I found myself next requires little description - the 86th floor of the Empire State building, my breath being caught not only by the cold, but by the stunning views of the city. Chilled by both the icy winds and solitude, I soon descended to discover Greenwich Village, the UN headquarters, the Rockerfeller Centre ..oh, and umm.. La Maison du Chocolat who provided me with a guayaquil hot chocolate (whattt...? it found me!). As night fell, I hopped on a bus into Brooklyn and then headed back to the hotel to attempt to capture the events of day one in my diary. I managed all but a few lines...
...Tuesday morning was one of those intuitive moments. I suddenly felt an inner need to seek the location of the World Yoga
Centre, based uptown. So, I did. And, unsurprisingly enough, there was a class about to begin just as I arrived. Anusara yoga. Nothing I am used to, but I tried to keep myself open to the teaching. It was an experience if nothing else. Much of the remainder of the day was spent attempting to sort out accomodation for the rest of my stay. Once sorted, I realised that I'd only had a shot of wheatgrass all day, and so went into the Hershey's factory for a sample of this world famous brand. Unimpressed by both the ingredients and the taste, I decided to wait til dinner to satisfy my appetite. Unfortunately dinner was preceded by drinks up at the revolving tower of the Marriott Marquis as well as the delicious cocktails at The Tao. Needless to say, I never made it to the delightful Peking Duck that Harsha had ordered. That's enough said about that story!
...The only thing that hauled me out of bed in the morning was check-out and the need for food. I headed out into the rain in search of a hot bagel. Ben n Jerry's provided. Still sleepy and feeling sick, I listened
to what I could of the tour guide at the public library so I left within half an hour. But to be honest, half an hour was all it took to convince me that this majestic, graceful building in all it's architectural beauty was well worth a visit...
...Time to get an insiders taste of the financial district in Tribeca. I walked out of the subway station into more rain. Lots of it. New York's poor drainage system ensured that my boots were filled with water, and my lack of umbrella had me soaking to the skin. I laughed. I must have looked quite a sight as I entered the CitiGroup offices. Lunch there was nice, spoilt for choice in the company canteen, I opted for the shrimp and mushroom ravioli. I then squelched my way back to the hotel, munching on fresh ice cream to ease the process. Once moved into another room, I went over to Pershing Square for drinks with some of the Mountbatten crowd, and en route home managed to pick up some bright red sexy new puma trainers: 'Feline Street, Tibetan Red/Flame Scarlet'. Woop! It being 18:30, the night was still young and so
it didn't take much for the doorman to persuade me to sit in at the italian restaurant. The lemon sorbet, presented in a hollowed out lemon was refreshing enough to keep me awake as I wrote overdue updates in my journal...
...Following my early morning yoga session, I went once again to the fitness room. More mental gratification that physical benefit. Ten minutes and I was out. Breakfasted at La Maison on 5th avenue - a cream cheese bagel. Then, subwayed downtown to take the Staten Island Ferry in the sunshine. I tolerated the bitter winds for a better view of the Statue of Liberty as we made the crossing. Not as big as I had imagined, but a great 'been there, seen that' t-shirt nonetheless. For me, the return route was far more inspiring - pushing toward the city skyline, of which I took far more photos. I proceded to walk through the financial district, Wall Street, Ground Zero and the City Hall before taking an afternoon stroll through the streets of Greenwich Village, SoHo and Central Park. I was probably too tired to appreciate much, and so I gladly walked into the Warner Center at Columbus Circle
to enjoy a peppermint hot chocolate and some vietnamese rolls. Feeling full, I decided to walk back to Times Square, and as I was doing so - it saw the most divine dusk, setting over the city, and seeping through the skyscrapers. I felt tired, weary and cold but... I ran. Racing against the setting sun, I ran to find somewhere from where I could view this magnificent sunset. I found my way to the Rockerfeller Center and quickly bought a ticket to ascend to the Top of the Rock. As I made it to the top... sigh. Enough said...
...The night ended with a meeting at Sutton Place with more Mountbatten people, a visit to a wonderful NY condo, and to the Chelsea district for clubbing. We were all tired and cabbed back to wherever was home in the early hours. I returned to my new room, this time blue - the colour of ambiguous depth, of the heavens and of abyss at once. The colour of shadow side, the hint of the marvelous and the inexplicable. Of knowledge, of melancholy and the unexpected. I packed up, watched a soppy movie and slept a couple of hours before
check out and departure from destination one...
...It is a departure I will never forget. Feeling tired, and lonely, I was sent, from terminal to desk to floor to infomation point, with a headache and a 15kg bag on my back.. nobody knowing the place of my check in. Wandering around JFK almost in tears, I finally found where I was supposed to be at, dropped my bags and went off to warm myself with a chocolate and chai...
-- LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA --
...on board the American Airlines flight to Los Angeles, California, I slept. I arrived and then wandered around some more until I finally found the Air New Zealand check in desk. I now had another three hours to kill. And, there couldn't have been a nicer place to kill it than the Encounter Restaurant, on top of the converted control tower at LAX. Travelling across time zones I had no conception of time.. wandering, from one wonderland to another. I may as well then, enjoy the organic salad, given that breakfast, lunch and dinner are no longer part of any schedule. It was lovely. Yep, ready for my next leg - LA
to Rarotonga via Tahiti.
-- PAPETE, TAHITI --
..It's hot. The day is breaking and we are welcomed off the plane by a trio of melodic sounds. I sink into the soft brown leather couches and consider in disbelief, my current location, my movements and my dream. 26 hours, three airports and an innumerable number of security check-ins later, I feel truly nomadic...and I haven't even arrived at destination number two!
...Fighting the sub-zero temperatures of New York, to landing in the tropics is quite an experience. Time to shed the coat. Time to head to Rarotonga....
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Amal
non-member comment
hmmm.....interesting
Asha! hope all is well, woah wish i could go!