New York - Day 2

November 5, 2009 Lower Manhattan

We had learned from Keyvan that we should get a MetroCard for the day to use the subway and the buses. What a fantastic system - fast and efficient! No need for cars. We took a special line to the World Trade Center or Ground Zero as it is called now that was relatively new and everything was easy to figure out.

The whole area was fenced off and they were constructing a Freedom Tower with an underground museum. Sue Glass had told me to make sure we did go to the little church nearby - St. Paul's Chapel. It is supposed to be the oldest public building in continuous use in Manhattan, built in 1766. There was a very emotional exhibit there about volunteerism after 9-11 and the church's participation in the relief efforts.

We walked by Trinity Church towards the tall buildings on Wall Street and the Stock Exchange. Our next stop was Greenwich Village so we jumped on a subway train without knowing what we were doing. The train which was old did not have the route on the wall like the first, new train did. I was asking Jalil where we were going, when a nice man asked us where we wanted to go. He then explained that we were on the wrong train and where we had to get off and what train to take next. He was so helpful. And we did end up in Greenwich Village after walking a bit where we had lunch in a little restaurant. It was called Italian but it was more Jamaican - not particularly good. It was so nice in Greenwich Village. You could see the sky as the buildings were low and there were not lots of people everywhere.

We walked by a university to Washington Square where the Washington Arch stands. There was a strange happening there. A group of young people were walking around the arch calling out BUTTERFLIES EAT BANANAS! I asked a woman next to me what it was all about but did not get an answer I could understand.

Next we reached Union Square where lots of people were sitting on benches even though it was pretty cold weather. At home in California, nobody would sit on a park bench in that weather. We found a coffee place just to find a warm spot to sit.

We were invited to Keyvan and Talieh Kashef for dinner so now it was time to take the subway in that direction. They live on a sliver of an island in the East River next to Manhattan called Roosevelt Island. We walked a few blocks from the subway station to a tram - like a ski lift - which took us across the East River to the island where a red bus picked us up for 10 cents! We rode it to the end of the line where their apartment was. So nifty! The building used to be an asylum but was now an apartment building. The island was called the Welfare Island. They live on the 12th floor and they had a fantastic view of Upper East Side. It was so nice to see them. I have known Keyvan since he was a baby and I have met Talieh one time in Sweden when we took a boat tour from Uppsala to Skokloster Castle with my friend Ann Larsson and Ann Kashef. They now have a baby - Oliver about 10 months old. He and Jalil got along well. He objected to going to bed when we were having dinner as he does not like to sleep. We had a very nice time with them and had a good dinner.

Keyvan explained how we should walk to the subway along the East River. It was cold and windy so we walked briskly. The train arrived quickly. At one station a tall, skinny man entered the train with a white cane which he was hitting the metal poles of the train with like he was trying to find his way. "I am on a fixed income and blind so any contribution will help." Nobody said a word and he got off at the next station without getting any contributions. We got off at 42nd Street and 6th Avenue and had 20 minutes to get to our bus so we moved quickly and ran like deer up and down the different stairs just like real New Yorkers and made it by the hair of our chin chin chins (?) to get the last two seats in the bus. And we arrived at Super8 in 20 minutes!