Long overdue!
(Written on the 23rd of February, 2010, 2.31am, at the Riverside Tower Hotel, 80 Riverside Drive, New York, New York.)
Technically I'd have turned 20 some ... well, 15 hours ago, but because of the time difference I'm only about some 20 years and 2 hours old.
So, yeah. I'm sitting in darkness in my quaint, tiny little hotel room at 2.33am, typing this in Wordpad with 52% of battery remaining on my laptop. Okay, there are several rather intriguing portions of that question (gasp, writing module):
1. Why am I sitting in The Darkness?
Because Suyin, Xiangling and I share a room, and they are both asleep. And, very cutely, both snoring.
2. Why is my hotel room tiny?
It just is.
3. Why is it 2.33am?
Well, New York is the city that never sleeps! And neither will I! Hah!
... Okay kidding. We were supposed to meet to watch Inglorious Bastards on John's laptop in the lobby, but it was all a lie. Instead, I got a birthday song, 20 roses, a cute street sign (Danielle PL), a slice of chocolate cake so fudgy I swear it is just chocolate/caramel with breadcrumbs on the top, and 9 really awesome people to eat it with me. After which, some of us stayed back to study in the lobby. It was ridiculously unproductive.
4. Why am I typing this in Wordpad?
I forgot to ask for the hotel's internet password, because I proudly haven't checked my email/anything internet-related for TWO DAYS. I guess in some ways that could be rather escapist and irresponsible (emails ARE annoying), but heck it, I'm in NYC, and I just turned 20.
Except I was really in the mood to blog, but I can't, so now I'm like this >:( and typing in Wordpad instead.
5. Why is there 52% battery left on my laptop if I claimed I haven't used it yet on the trip?
Well, I just didn't charge it before coming over. Simplicity.
And most importantly,
6. Why am I writing this at all?
Because I'm feeling incredibly, incredibly contented and incredibly, incredibly grateful for having such wonderful people around me, not just here with me at New York City, but all those who remembered somehow and started the SMS spam some 13 hours in advance and I'm so sorry I cannot reply everyone but it really COSTS A LEG AND A HALF to send anything back! ):
Because I just got back from the observation deck at the Rockerfellar centre and standing up there... looking at the neatness of the concrete city grids, the yellow, anonymous windows, the crass, loud, multicoloured flashing billboards, the streaks of traffic's headlights zipping in and out of junctions and alleys... I felt, well, cheesy. Not cheesy in a bad way, but cheesy in a good way. Cheesy in the way that I felt so unbelievably lucky and this tiny bit of pure golden happiness. I dont know why gold, but I imagine that if there were an Essence of Happiness, it would be gold, and I would have had a bit of it on the Rock observation deck.
All this in spite of the fact it was 1degC out, and we were 78 stories in the air, and I had no gloves on.
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Just another random note: New Yorkers are actually really friendly and not as pissed as people all portray them to be at all!!!!!!! I feel indignant on their behalf.
26022010; 01:23am
