Journal Entry

Monday, November 27, 2000

I'm back from Thanksgiving break in NYC! What an adventure...

I woke up on time for math Wednesday, but my schedule broke out of its routine just after class. I headed straight into Collegetown to buy my bus ticket. Just $56 round trip through Shortline, leaving at 2:30. Sounds like a deal!

After finishing up my last minute packing and withdrawing enough cash to cover my expenses, I head to the parking lot next to our Community Center. It's about 100 yards away from my dorm. In line for a bus, and next thing you know, we're off. A little early, even! They're anticipating the 2:30 rush, so our 2:15 departure freed up space for more empty buses.

In hindsight, the ride there seemed shorter than the ride back. So needless to say, there was nothing much interesting to note about the ride. If I ever thought I was in the middle of nowhere here, well, we drove through the middle of the middle of nowhere.

So I arrive earlier than scheduled--just about 7pm--to the Port Authority, this insanely huge, multilevel bus terminal. I call my mom using my cell phone just to make sure it works, and walk around for a few minutes. "AZ!" Out pops Andrew! Phew... someone I know!

So we walk around a bit, chat about college, and hope to encounter the rest of our party. A while later, there they are. Not exactly looking for us, but eyeing a food stand instead.. no comment...

Only one person missing, and she's coming in on a bus at Penn Station (noting the fact that it's a train station, which does not have incoming buses). All hail the cell phone. Coupling wireless technology, Andrew's quick feet, and a bit of mental multidimensional triangulation, we are united. The NYC bunch. Back to New Jersey (15 minute express bus ride), at one of my friend's aunts' and grandma's house, where we stay each night.

Our daytime activities varied throughout the weekend. At this point I'd like to take the opportunity to redefine 'daytime.' For us, it was about 1pm-2am.

We spent Thanksgiving day, well, sleeping, for the most part. But then we rented a few movies (watched only one that day), and ate a great Turkey dinner. Friday started about the same time, where we hopped a bus back to the Port Authority. Today was shopping day, chiefly determined by the females among us. We browsed Chinatown and Soho (the southern area of Manhattan), where I bought a $10 Seiko. Ok, well, "Seiko" a.k.a. Feiko. But it looks nice, and it's STILL ticking. That night we ate a good dinner at the Times Square Planet Hollywood (although I don't recommend visiting until they finish renovations and employee technology training to curb the backup at the touchscreen register).

Back to NYC on Saturday, where we walked around the Times Square, Rockefeller and 5th Avenue blocks. We strolled through FAO Schwartz, although it wasn't as glitzy as I recall it looking in 'Home Alone 2.' It's sure big, though! We had dinner in Times Square again, at the Olive Garden. Trading a long wait for a drafty seating area, we ditch the line and get escorted to a table right away. After dinner, we go to the AMC Empire 25, a huge theater that really fits the name. It's several stories high, and has a gigantic food court on a central floor. There we watched 'Charlie's Angels.' Good movie!

Sunday morning we woke at the ungodly hour of 5am, bussed ourselves back to the Port Authority, and parted ways with one of our friends who caught a bus to the Newark Airport. We hung around the terminal for a while, and Andrew and I separated from the girls, who went to the NYU friend's female-only dorm. I found an earlier bus at around 10:15, which allowed me to get back earlier to catch up on homework for the upcoming week.

Lesson from New York: Walk. It's cheaper.

Aaron