The Really Big Apple

San Francisco from on high
Originally uploaded by suzipaw

I’m here! Yay. A smooth if early (sorry honey, but thanks for the chariot ride to the airport shuttle--it wouldn't have started me off on the right foot if you hadn't taken me) flight, filled with dreams of chowing my way through the Lower East Side: halvah at Russ & Daughters, banana nut pancakes at Veselka, frites from the French fry stand, perogies smothered in sauce at Little Poland, fresh-made mozzarella from Russo, and cold sesame noodles from Mee (ah fond memories of my single gal Friday nights--beer, noodles from Mee and a tear jerker from the video store…), dosa from the guy with the cart in Washington Square. Typing that menu, I've noticed a common theme--everything is beige!

My cousins invited me over for dinner the moment I arrived (OK, I'm warming to being owned by a cell phone), and after checking into my postage stamped sized hotel room and checking email, I hoofed it uptown. Family and pasta was the perfect welcome. It was if I had never left, simply as though I hadn't been in the neighborhood for a little while.

It's been wonderful wandering around, wondering if I'll bump into someone I know, smelling all the scents, good and bad--the carriage horses in Central park, strange spices coming off the corner food carts, warm fetid yawns coming up from the subway entrances--hearing so many different languages (I suspect the low dollar is bringing in the tourists). Today I saw two hip gals walking down the street, one reminding me strongly of the best friend I had when I lived here, and it made me happy and wistful, thinking of how it was for me, being young in the city where anything can happen. And there's so much to buy!

It was a busy day today, but the event I came out for is all wrapped up. A few meetings tomorrow, and then I'm seeing Xanadu with a friend from work in the evening. And there's so much to look forward to!