Saturday, July 08, 2006
Twin cities?
Not quite. But it felt like it was a Siamese, connected at the rib. New York and New Jersey. Where did one end and the other begin?
For a newcomer, it didn’t feel like two states. It was just like going from the suburbs into the city. Both had the charm of East Coast toughness and indifference. New Jersey was quiet and gloomy, New York was loud and bright—with neon lights. We slept at Jersey and gallivanted in New York. How can it be that we did one thing in Jersey and easily jumped to do another in New York, supposedly 2 states… two separate entities?
I didn’t get to know much of New Jersey. But I did get to appreciate its solitude (especially since we slept in a convent!) and comfort after the muck from New York subways doubled by the grime of New York apathy.
It was kind of surreal—New York, that is. Maybe because I only had all this conceptions (and misconceptions) of it through movies and TV shows. How sinister and unforgiving it can be. How dark and unfriendly. But it had its unique charm. I especially loved Central Park—indeed the oasis in the middle of a desert, the desert that was created by the lack of human emotion of the city. New York is the American snob. You can see how diverse the people are, even in the variety of interests that can be served in the city—art, technology, fashion, history, business…. Everything was there. But it was devoid of compassion that you can find in Central Park. The city is such an enigma. It was all out there, you know what it offers, and yet you can’t quite put into words what New York is. It’s overwhelming just thinking about it, to attempt to describe what New York is. It’s no wonder you can love it and at the same time hate it. To despise it and yet look forward to go back again.
Who cares about indifference? Who cares about the arrogance? I want to go back to New York. I know it’s a rich city and I’ve seen but a speck of what it has to offer. -3-9may2006
tweenkies_1106 at 12:06 PM