sat hike

d Sat - 19 Jun 2010
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Wake up kind of grouchy with just 3 hrs sleep after returning late night from Salsa dancing last night. Got to meet a terrific hot looking dancer from Ukarine, must be having Uzebek heritage. She seems to have the background of a ball room dancer and very elegant.

Anyways have to be at the Hamilton Train station by 9am in New Jersey, its about an hours drive.

Get chatting with eva a bit on skype and gtalk.

then had to rush to get ready.

Reached Hamilton grand parking spaced station at 9am phew after getting lost on the way a couple of times.

Then brought the tickets,, $30 for return trip to new york. had I known this, I would have just drive to New york.
took the 9:30 train
Reached New york arounc 10:30 - 11. got out and then went to the number 2 subway station for train towards Brooklyn bridge. Decided to take the day pass for $8.75.

Got down at Church st of chambers and walked a few blocks in downtown to reach the Bridge. Holly cow, the whole world seems to have decided to come there this particular lovely warm day. Many people were biking and running on the bridge too. Great view of the city from there. So many people from different parts of the world all speaking different languages.

Mostly today I get to hear a lot of French. Was expecting to meet a few eastern european, Czech or slovak :) but came across non, I guess they are all hiking up in the National Parks.

Walked across the length of the bridge and reached garden dedicated to the WW fighters. Sat there had a snack and decided to call home. Ended up talking with dad, who was again trying to convince me to get back home and marry. Then he asked about eva, did not know what to tell him. So just said, hey you told me that the astrological horoscopes don`t match so it did not work. Then he was trying to get me to ignore the horoscope and just marry if I like her. Oh god, this is so frustrating, how do I tell him that it takes two willing people to do that and now she is not even interested in talking to me leave alone the far and distant marriage.

Mom was at her Ancestral home of her mothers. They were having some pooja there in honor of her ancestors so she was there with the rest of her family and relations. Dad been not so religious and more of a communist - atheist did not go.

After the talk with Dad, wanted to call up Eva, but was feeling so bad after the talk with Dad. Just did not have the mental motivation to call her up.

Walked around the garden and then went to the walk way by the brooklyn bridge.

Took a train back to down town to Penn Station. was feeling a bit hungry, stopped by a Halal way side food stall and ordered chicken-lamb combo with rice. The guys looked like they are from Afganistan, seemed very friendly towards me but seemed angry towards the other people . Anyways take the package and try to find a place to sit down eat. nothing seems to be around. End up walking from 33rd street to 42nd st on 8th Ave. this used to be the area I used to walk around during weekends with my childhood friend Younous when we were in New York. about 10 years ago. He is back in India after 9-11. poor guy got sent back from the airport.

Reach time square, wow they have small tables and chairs out in the open in the middel of times square. So end up with a vacant table and chair and have my yummy chicken lamb combo, something like a falafel. all just for $5. Eating Right in front of the doors of NASDAQ.

Sit down for sometime, taking in the mass of people and tourists from all over the world pass by, and many new york latin americans going about showing off their super shapely bodies and oozing of sexiness. Maybe shallow. but definitely a very good treat for the eyes and adding to the glamor of the location.

3pm debating to go for a show on 42nd street or to the Museum in Central park. Pass by the crowds of 42nd street and then decide to check the movies playing. Nothing seems to appeal. So go the subway again and take the number 1 to 72nd street on the west side. Upper west side is really cleaner and seems to be filled with super rich people. Walk towards (eastwards) to Central park. oh my god. this is like a giant picnic place lots of activity going on.

There seems to be some dance event going on all around the park, just like the jazz fest in Vancouver, but with more people and more events.

Hang in there for sometime, fill up water, get a few free ice tea that was been given out to people. Walk towards the museum. But end up taking the wrong turn in the park and had to walk from the lower end of the park to the middle. something like 10 to 15 blocks. Phew this is getting tiring.

Reach the museum and see there is a lot of international crowd there too. got put off by the $20 entry fee. Maybe good to go there with someone special and who is into the arts, history and culture.

Get out and sit on the steps with 100s of others , beautiful and calming it is.

Around 5pm slowly made my way to the 86th street and lexinton(on 4th Ave I think) and took a subway from there to Grand central Station. Saw lots of security on top with special weapons and dogs there. take a few pics of the grand Architecture and then take the shuttle train (S train) to 42nd street and times square . And from there get back to 34th street by the number 3 train. Get out into the open and slowly walk, its almost 6pm now. See that there is some WWF event happening in Madison square Garden and the crazy fans were there to see their stars getting in.
How different the interests of people in the world are. These guys seem to live to just see the fake fighting and drama on WWF. Its like they are part of the drama.

Guess we all are part of the drama of life and end up getting too deeply in love with something or other. It must be a human necessity. Thats may also be why we are so social creatures, when we don`t have that much attachment to family then we tend to get attached to something else to compensate the non attachment to family. That is something that seems to be there in some of the American Psyche.

Go and check the next NJ transit train is at 7:01 pm, have about 40 mins to spend, get out again from the station and hang around watching the crowd of WWF fans, there are kids as small as 3 and 4 years old with their parents. Wow what an exposure to violence these kids get even at that young age.

America is so truly filled up with all the different types of people. That is what makes America special. Thou it may seem weird that other people have different life style and interests than us, respecting that difference and been understanding to that is what is the core strength of this country. Not always possible but I see that it is practiced and enforced in such a way that people are doing it by their own choice and freedom.

Get into the train around 6:55pm , There is a couple of Chinese students new to US and studying in US sitting besides me. Talk for a few with them. they seem to be having difficulty with English. but seem to be very polite and nice.
So different from the Chinese in Vancouver, who are always aggressive and seem so rude.

8:30 reach back to Hamilton station, the battery on my iPhone is almost dead, need it to get back home with the GPS.
End up paying ab out $7 for the Weekend parking at the station, wow it is really costly to go to New York by train.
Next time I am driving all the way to Jersey city. parking for $8 and then taking the all day metro pass for another $8. instead of this $30+$7+$8 I ended up pay, and not to mention the tolls i had to pay using the highway to Hamilton station about $6. over all $50 .

Get back home around 9:45pm