...in Wonderland

Took a walk through New York city today. Alone. The way I like it. I saw the turbulent skies reflected in the Hudson. It was drizzling the whole time. The winds were strong. The Statue of Liberty was visible from the far covered in the what looked like a mixture of rains, winds and splashing waters. There were fewer people at Battery park. The park is otherwise crowded with people queuing to take a ferry to the Liberty Island. Today the ships were sailing empty. I wanted to sit on the benches there and just look at the river. But the wind made it hard and I continued to walk.

I used to visit Times Square, Central Park, Rockefeller centre, Bryant Park and the streets around them most of the times. The area around Hudson had been unexplored by me for long until 2 weeks back when I visited it again and loved it more. I walked today by the Trinity church. I walked by the Wall Street and went to the World Trade centre site. I visited a mall (which sells designer clothes by the likes of Calvin Klein, Michael Kors etc at lower prices) just to escape from the rains for some time. I walked into a bookshop called Borders which was having a clearance sale. But couldn't find any book that I would have liked to read. The buildings here are beautiful. There is a balance of old and new. The beautiful architecture of the yesteryear with the glossy glass buildings of today. Every high rise is so tall I always have to crane my neck to look at the top. And I always wonder what it would be like to work here or live here.

The wind was so adamant and forceful despite the buildings blocking it that I had to catch the hood of my jacket the whole time. I took the subway 1 back to Penn Station. I looked around a few shops on 33rd street just to get out of the rains for some time. I took an early bus back home.

New York city is a wonderland. Its chaotic and yet organized so meticulously. There is old and there is new. The streets and avenues. The subway system can take you anywhere and everywhere. You are always surrounded and yet you can lose yourself. You can sit at Times Square and watch the whole world pass you by. And they say, if you are ever bored of Times Square, you are bored of life. Central Park spans from 57th street to 110th street. So vast and beautiful that I have only managed to marvel at half of it so far. Even when its located in the heart of the city, it feels remote, disconnected from the chaos of the city. Tranquil. Peaceful.

I can never stop admiring this city. Its so unique. Every time that I see it, I see something new. Its been almost a year and the city never ceases to surprise me. Its a world of its own. Even when traveling by a subway I see Indians, Chinese, Jews, Africans, Russians, Mexicans and so many different people. I hear Spanish, German, Hindi, Urdu, English, Italian and so many sweet accents and languages. The city has embraced everyone and anyone. People who destroyed the WTC did not just commit a hate crime against America, they committed it against the world. I am in love with the city. And I wonder what would this Alice do without her wonderland :'(