NYC Day 3 - Liberty

I had to wake up at 7am this morning, so it was almost like a regular school say (and I wasn't too happy about it). We took the subway all the way down to get to the ferry at the harbour. It was pretty windy near the water so I got extremely coooold with my insufficient layers of clothing. After a long line up and an airport-style security check, we made it onto the boat. We found seats on the top deck, hoping for fresh air and a good view. Unfortunately, there was ridiculous wind, and as soon as we started moving everybody got up to stand at the rail. This resulted in a wall of people to block both the wind and the view. So it was 50/50? :D
From the opposite shore in Manhattan, the Statue looked very small and rather unimpressive. For some reason, I'd always imagined it to be incredibly massive. I also realized that it's rather on the tubby side and proportionately short :P Napoleon complex? It was a gift from the French, after all. (er, no offense to French people.) Anyways maybe it's only my impression, because according to Wikipedia, the Statue of Liberty is actually a couple meters taller than Ultraman.

Anyways we only walked around the island at the base of the statue, and also poked around in the gift shops. The weather was lovely though，incredible blue sky and sparkling water. The wind died down a bit later on, so it became less cold, and I managed to stay warm by sitting in sunny spots.

NYC Day 3 - Ellis Island

The next stop by ferry was the historical immigrants' landing point. I remember watching the video "Island of Hope, Island of Tears" in my American History class, 30 minutes of black and white on VHS that somehow managed to make me misty-eyed. Immigrants would have to line up day after day as they were checked for health, as well as tested for literacy and proper documentation. This diamond activity was a test for mental health. The top ones are done by people who had never held a pencil in their lives, while the bottom ones had maybe several years of basic education.

The coolest part for me was seeing the original graffiti they uncovered under all the layers of paint after restoring the building. People coming towards a new life would etch into the walls of their detention areas and dormitories names, countries, dates, dreams, fears, artwork, and songs. It was really moving to connect to that kind of spirit, where people who are seeking a better life both eagerly anticipate a new path unfolding before them, and mourn the loved ones and the familiar world they're leaving behind.

NYC Day 3 - Downtown

Coming back off the ferry, we paused to watch part of a street performance where a bunch of shirtless guys did breakdancing and acrobatics. I've always liked street performers the best because they really have so much heart for what they do.

We made our way into the financial district, where the buildings rise confidently, arrogantly, menacingly. Older styles of architecture mix with modern, shiny things, turning the streets into deep and narrow canyons where the sunlight can't quite reach. Businessmen in business suits poured out of buildings, strode purposefully across streets, smoked in doorways, and held intense phone conversations in the middle of the sidewalks. I saw the Wall St. signs and the iconic stock exchange buildings. That place was rather suffocating, the skyscrapers pressing down and the polluted air wafting all over. On the way out from that concrete jungle, we passed by "ground zero", which isn't much of anything now. They've started rebuilding the WTC and its memorials, so all there is is cranes and scaffolding.



Finally, we emerged from deep in the city area and made our way to the seaport. Here, the air was fresher, the sun shone beatifically, and some ships bobbed lazily at their moorings. There was a boardwalk area leading to a big pier/warehouse building that contains ships and restaurants.

What with the sunlight and the seaside view and the boardwalk, there was a bit of a tropical holiday feeling around. I've never actually been to any of those Caribbean/South American type cruises, but maybe it feels something like that. I guess that whole "sunset walk on the beach" notion may be nice, cliches notwithstanding.