Day 13

Qionghui is a little ill so she has gone to sleep, so I am taking over. Um.

Woke late. To Brooklyn Chinatown in the drizzle/sleet/hail to have dim sum lunch with one of Ning Sung's friends (and her sister). Much excitement over tofu (Ning Sung), carrot cake (me) and chee cheong fun (Qionghui).

Headed to Manhattan (the Brooklyn Manhattan commute is mind-numbingly boring, enlightened only by the bit across the bridge where one is treated to a view of the skyline). Qiong and Ning headed to Chinatown; myself uptown to 42nd St -- en route to the New York Public Library I wandered around getting very vaguely lost and accidentally bumped into Grand Central. Was very pretty, all marbled arches and large windows. Then, again in the drizzle, to the library, which was impressive in much the same kind of way. I gawped for a while at the murals and the gorgeous reading room, sneaked pictures of an old map exhibition, and contemplated taking a book out to read in the reading room while it rained outside, such scholarship. I got as far as filling out a call card for the complete works of Thomas Jefferson from the catalogue (his original handwritten Declaration of Independence is in the library but you can't just walk in off the street and call it up), but then found out that it would take a while to get the book. I decided I didn't really need to read Jefferson all that much, it was an intimidating if truly wonderful place (not, however, so intimidating as Cambridge's university library!).

I enjoyed that first part of my afternoon mightily. There is something about New York that lends itself so well to wandering around by yourself (something which I hadn't done yet) and just poking into shops and grand buildings, not quite knowing where you are going, yet knowing there is always something interesting round the corner. I am starting to understand people's love affair with a city that is noisy and dirty and expensive -- this afternoon I, too, loved it, and felt sad to be leaving tomorrow.

Went shopping in the drizzle. Added significantly to purchases, I am now completely and utterly out of American money, which is really not such a good thing. However most purchases black and practical. Huh, so much for the pika pika (En Ying don't be scarred, "bling" wouldn't be much prettier). Oh and En I bought that lovely $50 wool blazer from H&M, I have never in my life bought anything so expensive from H&M, but it was tailored so nicely and on half price, oh dear me I am a girl. Sent postcards from the Empire State post office, how New York.

Further shopping having met with the other two. Eventually down to Little Italy (I find it really difficult to say it the New York way - lidleidaly) where we had a very lovely if somewhat expensive dinner in a place called Novella, where Another Italian Waiter Tried to Talk To Me. I think I should move to Italy, I shall be much admired and men everywhere will tell me to keep smiling. Hnah.

Back early-ish. Qionghui is asleep still, her stomach is not doing so well -- but not to worry everyone.