Mad Mallu goes to the Big Apple!!

 So, after long LONG hiatus, here I am again.... and writing in from the Big Apple!! Calamity is on a walking and eating tour of the city - exploring the Upper East side on foot - eating and walking .... and then eating some more! So far, I've done the Guggenheim and the New York City Museum, a part of Central Park, lots of window (and real!) shopping. I LOVE reading the inscriptions on the benches in Central Park... even shot a couple!! Walked into a frame shop because the display was so colourful, the proprietor turned out to be Bangladeshi! The picture below the frames is of the Rotunda, the atrium in the Guggenheim.... and the last picture is of a couple of my nieces' snowglobes...

Yesterday, I walked into this quaint little shop which had the COOLEST stuff.... and the friendliest shop-owner....She was TALL!! Her shop had these cushions and plaques on the wall with the coolest sayings! And Oh yes! Indian shopkeepers!!  I've made friends with a LOT of Indian shopkeepers! Seems like a lot of the hotdog vendors are Bangladeshi, and the convenience store guys are Indian.... The bagel shop I go to is owned by a guy from Delhi, who was SO thrilled to talk in Hindi with me!!

Today was absolutely magical... ended up near Central Park and walked into a church - which had THE most gorgeous stained glass windows.... went and sat in the chapel, I was alone... and then this gent came along and sat down at the piano and just played.... and played.... and all I could do was stay... and listen. Walked through Central Park and was lured by the sound of a violin.... there was a wedding happening near one of the fountains (small, intimate, beautiful little wedding..... sighhhhh!!) and this lady was playing the violin... again, stayed for a while, listened and left..... Walked around the rest of the day with the happiest smile on my face, only to have a cabbie smile and wave, and when I waved back, he said "Te quiero!" I must have looked baffled, because he said "I love you!" and drove away!! 


New York's been great so far, hotdogs, sushi, super salads and cheesecake all the way!!
I'm loving this, but I miss my Serenity....