From Moleskine notebook : Friday 25th March 7:15 am Soho Grand hotel New York.
"Opted for chemical and booze free flight to JFK New York. However, after three hours of unspeakable turbulence a gin and tonic became an irresistible notion. Felt waves of claustrophobia too squeezed into the back of the plane with its rancid, germ-filled air next to another gentleman of generous girth. Actually quite a nice guy from NY and had some chats with him, and he was useful in giving me an idea of how much I should be paying for cabs and so on. Information which allowed me to sidestep the usual rip off merchants on arrival.
Yellow cab to Manhattan. Quite misty and foggy and not much to be seen and then... pow! What a beautiful sight! From afar there is almost a fairytale quality about all those glittering colourful towers. Then almost straight away this made me think again about how immense the twin towers must have been.
Hotel found satisfactorily. Check in took well over an hour, however, as the hotel had no record of my booking. So tired that I managed to keep calm and not to rip people's heads off. Once in, however, the Hotel seems fine and quite a funky place downstairs where MJ and myself will meet later today.
Spoke to MJ for an hour on the phone till about midnight local time. All getting scarily close now -- and I think she sounded quite nervous. Apparently she is having a hair cut and "color" before we meet. Sometimes it is easier to be a man!
Now I am here and have got over the horror of the flight I feel relaxed and positive. Sometimes I think I am very Buddhist about things. I have conducted myself as well as I can and the rest is beyond my control. But I feel I have done my part.
So... Have just guzzled some room service porridge aka steel cut oatmeal with berries and will shower and set off into the wild unknowns of New York."
"Opted for chemical and booze free flight to JFK New York. However, after three hours of unspeakable turbulence a gin and tonic became an irresistible notion. Felt waves of claustrophobia too squeezed into the back of the plane with its rancid, germ-filled air next to another gentleman of generous girth. Actually quite a nice guy from NY and had some chats with him, and he was useful in giving me an idea of how much I should be paying for cabs and so on. Information which allowed me to sidestep the usual rip off merchants on arrival.
Yellow cab to Manhattan. Quite misty and foggy and not much to be seen and then... pow! What a beautiful sight! From afar there is almost a fairytale quality about all those glittering colourful towers. Then almost straight away this made me think again about how immense the twin towers must have been.
Hotel found satisfactorily. Check in took well over an hour, however, as the hotel had no record of my booking. So tired that I managed to keep calm and not to rip people's heads off. Once in, however, the Hotel seems fine and quite a funky place downstairs where MJ and myself will meet later today.
Spoke to MJ for an hour on the phone till about midnight local time. All getting scarily close now -- and I think she sounded quite nervous. Apparently she is having a hair cut and "color" before we meet. Sometimes it is easier to be a man!
Now I am here and have got over the horror of the flight I feel relaxed and positive. Sometimes I think I am very Buddhist about things. I have conducted myself as well as I can and the rest is beyond my control. But I feel I have done my part.
So... Have just guzzled some room service porridge aka steel cut oatmeal with berries and will shower and set off into the wild unknowns of New York."
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