Cara's day out alone in NYC: an experiment in loneliness, independence, & getting lost in literary pastures (i.e. Greenwich Village and not my stupid head)
(written on 25th March 2013)
Alone - getting lost, walking by the same street 3 times & missing the bookstore.
Telling people I was gonna 'get lost in Greenwich village today'. And actually doing so. Washington Square Park was my only marker, and thank God for that.
Finally found the bookstore after lots of map folding in the rain. Being the only New Yorker staying still and staring around, seemingly without that famous purpose.
Also, felt like someone was following me 7/10 of the time.
Spent perhaps an hour and a half choosing books at the store. Used the ladder even.
Glared at a fellow asian hogging the reading corner. Decided to buy book I was gonna read for free, as it is US$8.99. The barcode prices actually apply.
I am twitchy at the counter. Too many minutes of solitude with words on pages and pseudo intellectualism going round and round in my head. I have to be social again.
Sitting in this awesome italian coffee and pastry shop on Cornelia Street and taking pictures of my loot, and my food. #instathatshit
Enjoying a self proclaimed 'out of this world' white chocolate latte. By now I have figured out that it is lattes, sometimes black coffee (still risky), that stimulates me to optimum brain wave frequency to suit what ever occasion or situation I put myself in.
Trying to look completely civilised by myself is hard. I eat like a kid and am breaking my pastry wrong.
I am also wearing an iron man comic strip sweater, which is funnier when you have people around.
Am trying not to look angry while stabbing this pastry shell that will. Not. Budge.
Also having difficulty writing on this cream I am smudging all over my moleskine imitation of a notebook that serves its purpose no less than its famous, brand name and curiously celebrated counterpart. (A notebook is just a notebook). (if it's more expensive, will you write more haltingly?)
Saw many novels in the store about people who sit at cafes alone in Paris or wherever, and have life altering experiences of the 'handsome stranger occupying a seat across them and making a home in the heroine's mind' variety.
I have my self for company and cream in my hair.
This is f**cking delicious.
Am still twitchy as ever, in part because of the cold. Talk to me and you will get minimal eye contact coupled with a high-pitched faux American farce of an accent.
I am full. But I paid for this so I will finish it.
Hashtag fat.
Want to write a haiku about the leaves collecting in that corner of the transparent glass ceiling.
5-7-5 (rule can be bent a little)
Conglomerate.
You leave, I leave, Turn over
This is brand new
4-8-4 #closeenough
I want a life alone. Of discovery. Before settling into the inevitable lull of co-dependency and (hopefully) stability. I am done with my pastry.
.
.
Pictures!!This one's from Google:
Greenwich village's inner corners, but it is so much more.
The rest is taken from me:
One of those books I mentioned in my bitter stream of consciousness
My loot and my pastry with its impenetrable shell
my view from my seat with the little bunch of leaves on the top right corner
bonus angle
some of the pastries offered
Washington Square Park arch, I live right over it there
only my favourite cafe in Manhattan. Featuring out of this world white chocolate lattes and crazy cannolis.
introducing me and my iron man shirt #ogodwhy
more pictures of where I will live had I a choice to live in Manhattan
These things are everywhere
streets look like this all the time
Just some extra cute puppies on window display
random awesome building
pretty flower shop I just couldn't capture properly with my flimsy phone camera :(
My last visit to Greenwich village on my last day in NYC:
Hit me baby one more time
This is safer but dirtier
I am Cara's boyfriend
I do not know how to operate the self shot function
Sarah Jessica Parker's house no big deal
A Marc Jacobs in Greenwich
Bonus angle of flower shop
cobble stoned just like London ( I have not been to London)
one more
french dinner in Greenwich
OUTDOORS in winter
well it was BYOBeer
(thank you Kau for your jacket :>)
(is that my hand or my collarbone what is that)
And that's all for now but I will be saying more about my 2 week stay in America, mostly in Manhattan (3 days in Los Angeles, California). So stay tuned :> Also about dorm life with a slob of a partner (me. I am insanely messy.)
Peace
Alone - getting lost, walking by the same street 3 times & missing the bookstore.
Telling people I was gonna 'get lost in Greenwich village today'. And actually doing so. Washington Square Park was my only marker, and thank God for that.
Finally found the bookstore after lots of map folding in the rain. Being the only New Yorker staying still and staring around, seemingly without that famous purpose.
Also, felt like someone was following me 7/10 of the time.
Spent perhaps an hour and a half choosing books at the store. Used the ladder even.
Glared at a fellow asian hogging the reading corner. Decided to buy book I was gonna read for free, as it is US$8.99. The barcode prices actually apply.
I am twitchy at the counter. Too many minutes of solitude with words on pages and pseudo intellectualism going round and round in my head. I have to be social again.
Sitting in this awesome italian coffee and pastry shop on Cornelia Street and taking pictures of my loot, and my food. #instathatshit
Enjoying a self proclaimed 'out of this world' white chocolate latte. By now I have figured out that it is lattes, sometimes black coffee (still risky), that stimulates me to optimum brain wave frequency to suit what ever occasion or situation I put myself in.
Trying to look completely civilised by myself is hard. I eat like a kid and am breaking my pastry wrong.
I am also wearing an iron man comic strip sweater, which is funnier when you have people around.
Am trying not to look angry while stabbing this pastry shell that will. Not. Budge.
Also having difficulty writing on this cream I am smudging all over my moleskine imitation of a notebook that serves its purpose no less than its famous, brand name and curiously celebrated counterpart. (A notebook is just a notebook). (if it's more expensive, will you write more haltingly?)
Saw many novels in the store about people who sit at cafes alone in Paris or wherever, and have life altering experiences of the 'handsome stranger occupying a seat across them and making a home in the heroine's mind' variety.
I have my self for company and cream in my hair.
This is f**cking delicious.
Am still twitchy as ever, in part because of the cold. Talk to me and you will get minimal eye contact coupled with a high-pitched faux American farce of an accent.
I am full. But I paid for this so I will finish it.
Hashtag fat.
Want to write a haiku about the leaves collecting in that corner of the transparent glass ceiling.
5-7-5 (rule can be bent a little)
Conglomerate.
You leave, I leave, Turn over
This is brand new
4-8-4 #closeenough
I want a life alone. Of discovery. Before settling into the inevitable lull of co-dependency and (hopefully) stability. I am done with my pastry.
.
.
Pictures!!This one's from Google:
The rest is taken from me:
more pictures of where I will live had I a choice to live in Manhattan
My last visit to Greenwich village on my last day in NYC:
 |
| Easter brunch at Ye Waverly Inn |
OUTDOORS in winter
well it was BYOBeer
(thank you Kau for your jacket :>)
(is that my hand or my collarbone what is that)
And that's all for now but I will be saying more about my 2 week stay in America, mostly in Manhattan (3 days in Los Angeles, California). So stay tuned :> Also about dorm life with a slob of a partner (me. I am insanely messy.)
LOVE the pictures and love you more! oh man miss you so much leh we gotta do this ny shit tgt one day?!?!?! btw you look gorgeous leh damn pretty srsly #demcheekbonez <3_<3
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