Backpacker
by A’an
Tinggal di backpacker hostel memang selalu penuh kejutan. Orang-orang yang tinggal di backpacker hostel ini rata-rata masih muda, suka berpetualang dan berasal dari berbagai negara, sehingga perilakunya banyak yang aneh dan nyeleneh. Backpacker memang populer buat petualang muda di seluruh dunia karena harganya murah, jauh lebih murah dari hotel dan biasanya selalu update dengan selera anak muda. Harga sewa kamar di backpacker hostel murah karena fasilitasnya gak sebagus hotel dan mirip-mirip asrama, kadang-kadang satu kamar dipakai tidur oleh delapan orang sekaligus.
Jika kamu bepergian ke luar negeri dan atas biaya sendiri, ada baiknya tinggal di backpacker hostel karena faktor sewa murah diatas. Turis dari Eropa bahkan kadang-kadang sampai berminggu-minggu tinggal di backpacker hostel.
Backpacker hostel menyediakan berbagai macam kamar, ada yang untuk satu orang, berdua dan bahkan berdelapan seperti yang disebutkan diatas. Tentu saja, semakin banyak orang yang tinggal di satu kamar, akan semakin murah harga sewanya. Selain kamar, mereka juga punya dapur dan tempat makan umum, dan juga tempat untuk ngumpul. Dengan makin canggihnya teknologi, mereka juga punya WiFi sehingga kamu bisa mengakses internet di mana saja di areal backpacker hostel. Backpacker hostel juga menyediakan berbagai brosur dan informasi mengenai turisme di daerah yang kamu kunjungi.
Gue sudah tiga kali menginap di backpacker hostel dan sejauh ini impresi gue asyik-asyik aja. Backpacker hostel yang sudah gue kunjungi ada di tiga tempat yaitu Sydney, Berlin dan New York.
Banyak pengalaman yang mengesankan ketika tinggal di backpacker hostel. Ketika gue di Sydney di tahun 2001, tepatnya di Central Sydney, gue sempat terkaget-kaget karena cowok dan cewek bisa tinggal di kamar yang semestinya khusus untuk cowok. Kejadian berawal ketika sepasang sejoli orang Australia tiba-tiba masuk kamar jam 2 pagi. Gue sempat dengar mereka pelan-pelan buka pintu dan masuk kamar, lantas si cowok-cewek merebahkan badan dan tidur di satu ranjang persis di bawah gue. Lampu tetep gelap, dan dua cowok lain yang tidur di tempat tidur susun yang satunya lagi, tetap lelap tidur. Atau mereka pura-pura tidur, gue nggak tahu.
Ketika gue bangun jam 8 pagi, si cowok dan cewek tadi sudah lenyap. Mungkin mereka orang lokal yang kemalaman, lantas nginep di backpacker hostel semalam. Dengan perginya cowok dan cewek tadi, dengan demikian penghuni yang tersisa ialah tiga cowok yaitu gue dan dua cowok lain dari Jepang dan Korea Selatan.
Ketika di Berlin di tahun 2002, gue tinggal di sebuah backpacker hostel di daerah Berlin suburb. Kalo di Sydney bayar gue bayar AUS$24 semalem, di Berlin cuman Euro13 semalem. Kalo di Sydney, untuk cowok ada kamar sendiri, di Berlin rupanya bisa campur antara cowok dan cewek. Ketika gue tiba di backpacker hostel di Berlin Jumat malem, ruangan kamar dengan 3 tempat tidur susun kosong, mungkin penghuninya lagi pada keluar. Gue kaget alang bukan kepalang karena ketika bangun tidur hari Sabtu pagi, di tempat tidur sebelah, persis di sebelah gue, tidur seorang cewek bule. Rupanya dia satu-satunya cewek yang tinggal di kamar dengan tiga tempat tidur susun ini, sisanya cowok-cowok. Gue gak sempat ngobrol dengan mereka karena begitu bangun, gue langsung mandi dan cabut keliling Berlin.
Terakhir gue nginep di backpacker hostel di New York, beberapa hari lalu. Gue nginep di Chelsea Hostel International, yang letaknya di bagian barat Pulau Manhattan, di mana kota New York berada. Letaknya strategis, cuman sekitar 5 blok dari Times Square, sebuah tempat yang masyhur di penjuru dunia. Hostel ini bener-bener aman karena di seberangnya ada kantor polisi. Pertama-tama gue heran kenapa begitu banyak mobil dan motor polisi nangkring parkir di jalanan di depan hostel. Setelah dicek, rupanya kantor polisi letaknya persis di seberang hostel.
Hampir semua tamu hostel ini rata-rata dari negeri maju dan ini memang khas pemandangan di backpacker hostels di seluruh penjuru dunia. Kalo tidak berasal dari Eropa atau Amerika, ya mereka berasal dari Jepang atau Korea Selatan. Jarang yang berasal dari negeri miskin seperti Bangladesh, Afrika atau gak usah jauh-jauhlah, yaitu negeri Indonesia.
Gue tinggal di kamar dengan dua tempat tidur susun dan satu toilet, cuman bayar US$32 semalem. Kalo di Indonesia, duit segitu bisa nginep semalem di hotel bintang tiga atau empat. Di kamar itu, tiga tempat tidur terisi dan satu kosong. Selain gue, yang tinggal di kamar ini ialah cowok dari Austin, Texas yang namanya Andre dan satunya lagi cowok dari Swedia yang namanya Otto Gerdrup.
Begitu gue tiba Jumat malam di kamar hostel ini, langsung gue dihadapi dengan satu kejutan! Begitu meletakkan tas di tempat tidur, tiba-tiba satu cowok masuk ke kamar, dan ternyata gue tahu kemudian si doi ini namanya Andre, dari Austin, Texas. Kita berjabatan tangan, kenalan, dan setelah itu dengan cueknya si Andre ini kencing di toilet tanpa menutup pintu! Coba bayangin, udah kamar ini kecil, si Andre ini kencing membelakangi posisi gue, yang tengah berbenah-benah tas. Memang itulah seninya tinggal di backpacker hostel, selalu siap dengan kejutan!
Si Andre lantas nawarin gue, mau gak gabung dengan teman-temannya untuk jalan-jalan di malem Sabtu ini. Karena gue gak ada kerjaan, maka gue bergabunglah dengan si Andre dan teman-temannya, yang ternyata baru dia temuin juga di hostel. Hampir semua orang di kelompok ini orang Amerika yang berasal dari berbagai negara bagian, termasuk Texas, Virginia dan beberapa yang lain ialah teman mereka yang asli penduduk New York. Kita semua, sekitar 7 laki-laki dan tiga perempuan, kumpul di common room yang juga sekaligus tempat makan sambil minum-minum dan ngobrol. Di situlah gue bertemu dengan Andre yang asalnya dari Swedia, yang orang asyik, ramah dan menurut istilah ABG Jakarta, cool abis. Setelah sejam ngobrol, kita lantas beranjak menuju ke suatu bar di daerah New York tengah, cuman gue lupa namanya. Andre nggak jadi ikut, katanya gak enak badan.
Memang agak parah, soalnya ternyata beberapa dari orang kulit putih Amerika yang umurnya sekitar 23-27 ini pada setengah sadar, bahasa Inggrisnya got drunk atau intoxicated! Yang gawat, yang mabuk agak parah, jalannya sempoyongan justru menjadi pemimpin kelompok ini. Namanya Jack, tapi teman-temannya pada memanggil WACK atau WACKY (edan, sinting). Si doi sering senyam-senyum sendiri, kalo jalan gak lurus, kadang-kadang dengan cueknya nyebrang tanpa lihat lampu lalu lintas dan bahkan telpon temannya di tengah-tengah jalan, membuat pengemudi mobil memelankan laju kendaraan.
Karena kita sekitar 10 orang, maka dibagi tiga, tiga dan empat orang, dan ternyata susah banget dapet taksi di New York malem Sabtu. Semua taksi penuh. Sekali kita nekat nyegat limusin, mobil panjang yang biasanya dikendarai artis, dan kita tawar. Rupanya pengemudinya lagi nekat ngobyek, mungkin tuannya lagi ada meeting atau pertunjukan. Ditawar sama teman gue 40, si supir limusin bilang pokoknya minimal 60 dollar. Dibujuk bagaimapun juga dia tetep gak mau turun dari 60 dollar. Akhirnya teman se group gue nyerah, dan membiarkan limusin tadi lewat. Padahal kalo dipikir-pikir, gak pa pa 60, karena kalo dibagi 10, cuman 6 dollar. Dasar matematika orang bule ini agak payah.
Setelah menunggu, akhirnya satu kelompok bisa pergi juga dengan satu taksi, sehingga tersisa 6 orang, termasuk gue. Kita akhirnya dapet taksi gelap, yang sedannya lumayan besar, dan dipaksakan semua orang naik! Satu didepan, dan lima di belakang. Lisa, satu-satunya perempuan di kelompok kami akhirnya duduk di belakang dipangku oleh si Jack. Kita berlima betul-betul berdempet-dempetan di belakang.
Memang supir taksi gelap yang asalnya dari Pakistan ini lagi sial. Sudah dipadati 6 orang, dua diantaranya yaitu Jack dan Keith sepertinya rada mabuk. Si Keith, satu-satunya yang duduk di muka, nyetel musik keras-keras lagu rap, sehingga kuping ini rada budek. Orang-orang di jalan pada ngeliatin ke taksi, dan rada-rada bingung, soalnya ini anak kulit putih kok dengerin musik dan teriak-teriak di taksi nyanyi musik rap. Kita bayar $30 dan dibagi rata oleh semua penumpang.
Begitu masuk bar, memang kelompok kita termasuk yang paling rusuh. Teman-teman gue sering teriak-teriak sambil minum bir, sehingga membuat pengunjung lain bengong.
Suatu ketika, gue terlibat insiden kecil. Ini berawal ketika gue pingin kencing dan lantas menuju toilet. Gue rada bingung ketika mau masuk toilet, rada-rada lupa ketika lihat tanda hormonal di depan pintu toilet. Kalo untuk toilet cowok itu tanda panah doank atau tanda panah lengkap dengan tanda silang yah? Kalo gak salah ingat, yang ada tanda silang pasti cowok, makanya gue masuk aja ke toilet itu. Begitu selesai kencing dan buka pintu, alamaakkk!! Di depan pintu sudah antri tiga cewek, yang tampangnya terkejut dan sengit melihat gue. Gue lihat Lisa berada di baris depan. Untungnya si doi segera ngomong: "That’s okay, since I know you…" kata cewek ini dengan nada ramah. Huh, selamet gue! Rupanya untuk cewek itu tandanya ialah bulatan dengan tanda plus, bukanna bulatan dengan tanda panah, ya nggak coy?
Setelah itu, gue lantas tenang-tenang aja duduk di pojokan, dan mereka lumayan friendly. Satu persatu duduk dan pergi silih berganti, ngajak gue ngobrol. Di situ, jumlah yang masuk ke kelompok gue bertambah, karena orang dari kelompok gue telepon teman-temannya yang tinggal di New York untuk gabung. Akhirnya gue ngobrol lama dengan cowok New York yang umurnya 27 tahun, dan kerja di HSBC Bank cabang New York. Dia gabung ke kelompok kita karena pacarnya diajak ke bar ini oleh salah satu teman dari kelompok kami.
Semuanya fine-fine aja, sampai ketika satu teman cowok tiba-tiba berargumen dengan pacarnya, dan tahu-tahu si cowok ini menampar cewek itu di dagunya. Setelah itu suasana kembali normal, dan gue lantas kencing lagi ke kamar mandi. Kali ini gue antri karena pengunjung semakin banyak yang masuk dan tentu saja gue antri di depan toilet cowok. Sialnya, begitu selesai kencing dan kembali ke tempat gue nongkrong, kok semua teman gue pada lenyap? Yang tinggal berkeliaran cuman Jack dan Lisa.
Gue tanya ke orang HSBC tadi apa yang terjadi. Rupanya, insiden tampar tadi tetep berlanjut dan bertambah rusuh sehingga hampir semua teman di atas pada memutuskan untuk pergi dari bar, kecuali Jack dan Lisa. Gue tanya apakah Jack dan Lisa pada mau balik, nyusul yang lain. Mereka bilang tetep mau tinggal. Waah, sialan, ini berarti gue balik sendiri. Udah jam 2 malem pula.
Akhirnya gue nekat putusin gue balik pakai subway karena pakai taksi mahal, apalagi entar pakai acara diputer-puterin lagi. Dan ternyata cukup mudah pakai subway. Asal kita tahu daerah yang dituju, misalnya dalam kasus gue ini Chelsea, maka tinggal pergi ke arah stasiun terdekat dengan Chelsea dan lantas cari alamat Chelsea Hostel International. Memang sempat kesasar satu dua blok, tapi gak jauh. Memang transportasi di New York ini simpel dan gampang, walau stasiun subway gak sebagus di Washington, dan pesing pula. Ternyata gak ada bedanya stasiun kereta di New York dengan stasiun kereta di kita! Sama-sama berbau pesing!
Oh yah, gue juga nulis pengalaman gue dalam bahasa Inggris, untuk di share dengan teman-teman Humphrey Fellows.
"dear folks,
As you may know, I have just been to New York and I
should say, that was a wonderful trip. Thanks Serap
for giving me ride to New York and being a good
company. We had great time on our way to New York, and
shared a little gossip
I lived in a backpacker hostel that cost me only 32
bucks a night, and it was a safe hostel. Besides being
cheap, living in backpacker hostel is always full of
surprises. I did stay in backpacker hostels when I
visited Sydney and Berlin, and here in New York, I got
stunning surprises too.
It began when I entered the room (for four people) and
found in the room a man from Austin, Texas, named
Andre. He was a funny guy, always mumble because he
had sore tongue. We shook hands and introduced our
names each other. Then, he went to a rest room inside
our room and started peeing without shutting the rest
room’s door! I could see him peeing while I was
tidying my clothes inside my bag!
It’s just a beginning. He asked me to go out with
other friends, all of them were Americans, except one
from Sweden named Otto Gerdrup, who happens to be also
my room mate.
We had drinks in common room and we saw several groups
of people from across the globe, especially from
developed countries, such as Europe, Japan and South Korea. There are many Americans too from several other
states here such as Virginia and Texas. Our group
consists of about seven men and three women, all were
white except me and a Korean American. Interestingly,
several people in our group seemed to be intoxicated,
got drunk. One of them, Jack, but we called him Wack,
seemed to be leader of our group. I was probably the
oldest, but since I was a foreigner, then I did not
take the lead and instead, I merely observed
attentively what was going on and it was interesting
because some of them got drunk. Jack was so
interesting figure. He could not walk straight,
perhaps because he was intoxicated. He talked on
cellphone in the middle of the street, prompting
motorists to slow down their cars. He always laughed
and seemed happy, probably because he was affected by
alcohol. He had charisma.
After conversation, we stepped out the hostel and
looked for cabs and it was difficult to find cabs on
Friday night in New York. We attempted many times to
catch the cabs but always faltered. Once we found a
limousine. Yes, a limousine! White one! We stopped the
limousine and we bargained the price. The driver
insisted that we should give him 60 bucks but we were
adamant that we paid only for 40 bucks. At one point,
Lisa, the woman in our group said "How about 50? Hei
guys, 50 divided by eight how much?" It was a simple
math actually, but I don’t know why it took so long
for us to answer the question. White people were bad
in math as The Washington Post reported recently, but
even this time the Korean American and I were also at
lost about the calculation. Probaby, were we also
intoxicated? Anyway, the Korean American came up first
with the figure, "Around eight", he said.
In the end, we agreed to disagree with the driver
about the price, and the limousine left and we had to
again look for cabs. I don’t know what happens with
the limousine driver, probably he abused the limousine
in order to gain additional revenues for living. It’s
a kind of side job, probably.
Four persons got a cab, and then remaining six left,
including me and a woman, Lisa. We six people finally
got the cab, the big black sedan without taxi sign on
top of it. One sat in front, while the remaining five
sat behind, with Lisa sat in the lap of Jack. I wish
she sat on my lap! The driver was from Pakistan,
Anita’s fellow countryman. And poor he was, because
Keith, who sat in front turned on audio set out loud
so that every body on street stared at us.
We entered the bar and I was lucky because I brought
my passport. Our group was the most unruly one in bar,
but as a distinguished Fulbright Fellow, my manner was
the best among us. We had a drink in the corner and at
one point, I went to toilet because it was pretty cold
inside the bar. It’s teh beginning of an embarrassing
incident. I was at lost and don’t remember the
hormonal sign posted on rest room door. I figured out
which one was for man, but still I don’t remember and
then I made up my mind to enter one of them. I
finished my business there, and then attempted to
leave the rest room. I opened the door, and suddenly I
saw three girls lining up across my face! I realized I
entered into the wrong rest room! The girls gritted
their teeth and looked angry, but I was lucky because
standing in front was Lisa, a girl in our group.
"That’s okay, since I know you," she spoke to me in
friendly manner. She saved me!
Then I rejoined the group and engaged in a
conversation with newly found friend who works as an
IT staff with HSBC New York branch. As time went by,
more people came to bar.
Once upon a time, another incident happened. This time
I saw our friend in our ground slapped his girlfriend
on her cheek, and they started trading arguments. The
situation cooled down after few bad words, and I went
again to rest room and this time was the correct one,
the rest room for man! There were men in line. After I
left the rest room, I strolled to our corner but I was
surprised because there were only two people left in
our group namely Jack and Lisa. I talked with my HSBC
staff who just spoke with me, "What was hell going on
with the other persons?" I said. "After a period of
calm, the fight got worse and they already left,
except Lisa and Jack," he told me.
I asked Lisa and Jack whether they would also like to
return to Chelsea Hostel, but they said they would
stay in bar. It was 2 a.m and I had to leave the bar.
It was quite terrible because I was new in New York. I
had two options, taking a cab or subway. I chose the
subway because it was the cheap one. I found one
subway station nearby the bar and it was very easy and
safe returning home with subway. What a hillarious
night!
The next morning I went to Rockefeller Center and I
could see the whole Manhattan Island from this place,
including the Empire State Building. I also joined
with a bus tour, dropped by to have a lunch in a
Chinese restaurant, did window shopping, dropped by to
St. Paul’s Chapel, Ground Zero and other tourist
attraction in New York. I saw statue of Horace Greely,
the founder of New York Tribune and great American
writer who coined the famous words "Go West, Young
Men, Grow the Country." On Saturday night, I went to
Times Square, which is only five blocks away from my
hostel. I dropped by to The New York Times office, but
only standing in front of it. I saw an interesting
debate in the street between a white man and two
blacks men who claimed themselves Jews. The black men
believed that saints and Christian martyrs are black
and so were prominent Jews. The fierce debates
attracted a large crowd, including some seemed to be
the red-necks, but it never turned to brawl. I took
the picture and I attached it below.
I bought The New York Times Sunday edition and it was
so thick! It cost 3 bucks! I read it in a Starbuck
coffee shop there and went home again at 2 a.m.
In the next morning I joined again with the bus tour,
and went to Central Park. It was a nice park although
it seemed dry place due to winter. Our forest and
parks back home are much more beautiful then the
Central Park because ours have various kinds of trees
and lively leafs.
Near the Central Park, I saw a crowd of people
watching performance by two black guys. They were so
funny and it was a nice comedy and acrobatic
performance. And it engaged the crowds. At one point,
the performer asked three persons to line up in the
middle, because he would like to jump over them. Two
among the three people are white female and the third
person was an Asian guy. "Do you all speak English?"
he said. It seemed that the Asian guy was a tourist
and he did not speak English. Then the performer
warned him "Don’t FUCKING move, okay?" Of course, the
crowd burst into laughter.
I went to Time Warner building and then head off to
Port Authority Bus Terminal. End of the story. To cut
short, folks, I really enjoyed my visit to New York,
and I’ll be back!
As you may know, I have just been to New York and I
should say, that was a wonderful trip. Thanks Serap
for giving me ride to New York and being a good
company. We had great time on our way to New York, and
shared a little gossip
I lived in a backpacker hostel that cost me only 32
bucks a night, and it was a safe hostel. Besides being
cheap, living in backpacker hostel is always full of
surprises. I did stay in backpacker hostels when I
visited Sydney and Berlin, and here in New York, I got
stunning surprises too.
It began when I entered the room (for four people) and
found in the room a man from Austin, Texas, named
Andre. He was a funny guy, always mumble because he
had sore tongue. We shook hands and introduced our
names each other. Then, he went to a rest room inside
our room and started peeing without shutting the rest
room’s door! I could see him peeing while I was
tidying my clothes inside my bag!
It’s just a beginning. He asked me to go out with
other friends, all of them were Americans, except one
from Sweden named Otto Gerdrup, who happens to be also
my room mate.
We had drinks in common room and we saw several groups
of people from across the globe, especially from
developed countries, such as Europe, Japan and South Korea. There are many Americans too from several other
states here such as Virginia and Texas. Our group
consists of about seven men and three women, all were
white except me and a Korean American. Interestingly,
several people in our group seemed to be intoxicated,
got drunk. One of them, Jack, but we called him Wack,
seemed to be leader of our group. I was probably the
oldest, but since I was a foreigner, then I did not
take the lead and instead, I merely observed
attentively what was going on and it was interesting
because some of them got drunk. Jack was so
interesting figure. He could not walk straight,
perhaps because he was intoxicated. He talked on
cellphone in the middle of the street, prompting
motorists to slow down their cars. He always laughed
and seemed happy, probably because he was affected by
alcohol. He had charisma.
After conversation, we stepped out the hostel and
looked for cabs and it was difficult to find cabs on
Friday night in New York. We attempted many times to
catch the cabs but always faltered. Once we found a
limousine. Yes, a limousine! White one! We stopped the
limousine and we bargained the price. The driver
insisted that we should give him 60 bucks but we were
adamant that we paid only for 40 bucks. At one point,
Lisa, the woman in our group said "How about 50? Hei
guys, 50 divided by eight how much?" It was a simple
math actually, but I don’t know why it took so long
for us to answer the question. White people were bad
in math as The Washington Post reported recently, but
even this time the Korean American and I were also at
lost about the calculation. Probaby, were we also
intoxicated? Anyway, the Korean American came up first
with the figure, "Around eight", he said.
In the end, we agreed to disagree with the driver
about the price, and the limousine left and we had to
again look for cabs. I don’t know what happens with
the limousine driver, probably he abused the limousine
in order to gain additional revenues for living. It’s
a kind of side job, probably.
Four persons got a cab, and then remaining six left,
including me and a woman, Lisa. We six people finally
got the cab, the big black sedan without taxi sign on
top of it. One sat in front, while the remaining five
sat behind, with Lisa sat in the lap of Jack. I wish
she sat on my lap! The driver was from Pakistan,
Anita’s fellow countryman. And poor he was, because
Keith, who sat in front turned on audio set out loud
so that every body on street stared at us.
We entered the bar and I was lucky because I brought
my passport. Our group was the most unruly one in bar,
but as a distinguished Fulbright Fellow, my manner was
the best among us. We had a drink in the corner and at
one point, I went to toilet because it was pretty cold
inside the bar. It’s teh beginning of an embarrassing
incident. I was at lost and don’t remember the
hormonal sign posted on rest room door. I figured out
which one was for man, but still I don’t remember and
then I made up my mind to enter one of them. I
finished my business there, and then attempted to
leave the rest room. I opened the door, and suddenly I
saw three girls lining up across my face! I realized I
entered into the wrong rest room! The girls gritted
their teeth and looked angry, but I was lucky because
standing in front was Lisa, a girl in our group.
"That’s okay, since I know you," she spoke to me in
friendly manner. She saved me!
Then I rejoined the group and engaged in a
conversation with newly found friend who works as an
IT staff with HSBC New York branch. As time went by,
more people came to bar.
Once upon a time, another incident happened. This time
I saw our friend in our ground slapped his girlfriend
on her cheek, and they started trading arguments. The
situation cooled down after few bad words, and I went
again to rest room and this time was the correct one,
the rest room for man! There were men in line. After I
left the rest room, I strolled to our corner but I was
surprised because there were only two people left in
our group namely Jack and Lisa. I talked with my HSBC
staff who just spoke with me, "What was hell going on
with the other persons?" I said. "After a period of
calm, the fight got worse and they already left,
except Lisa and Jack," he told me.
I asked Lisa and Jack whether they would also like to
return to Chelsea Hostel, but they said they would
stay in bar. It was 2 a.m and I had to leave the bar.
It was quite terrible because I was new in New York. I
had two options, taking a cab or subway. I chose the
subway because it was the cheap one. I found one
subway station nearby the bar and it was very easy and
safe returning home with subway. What a hillarious
night!
The next morning I went to Rockefeller Center and I
could see the whole Manhattan Island from this place,
including the Empire State Building. I also joined
with a bus tour, dropped by to have a lunch in a
Chinese restaurant, did window shopping, dropped by to
St. Paul’s Chapel, Ground Zero and other tourist
attraction in New York. I saw statue of Horace Greely,
the founder of New York Tribune and great American
writer who coined the famous words "Go West, Young
Men, Grow the Country." On Saturday night, I went to
Times Square, which is only five blocks away from my
hostel. I dropped by to The New York Times office, but
only standing in front of it. I saw an interesting
debate in the street between a white man and two
blacks men who claimed themselves Jews. The black men
believed that saints and Christian martyrs are black
and so were prominent Jews. The fierce debates
attracted a large crowd, including some seemed to be
the red-necks, but it never turned to brawl. I took
the picture and I attached it below.
I bought The New York Times Sunday edition and it was
so thick! It cost 3 bucks! I read it in a Starbuck
coffee shop there and went home again at 2 a.m.
In the next morning I joined again with the bus tour,
and went to Central Park. It was a nice park although
it seemed dry place due to winter. Our forest and
parks back home are much more beautiful then the
Central Park because ours have various kinds of trees
and lively leafs.
Near the Central Park, I saw a crowd of people
watching performance by two black guys. They were so
funny and it was a nice comedy and acrobatic
performance. And it engaged the crowds. At one point,
the performer asked three persons to line up in the
middle, because he would like to jump over them. Two
among the three people are white female and the third
person was an Asian guy. "Do you all speak English?"
he said. It seemed that the Asian guy was a tourist
and he did not speak English. Then the performer
warned him "Don’t FUCKING move, okay?" Of course, the
crowd burst into laughter.
I went to Time Warner building and then head off to
Port Authority Bus Terminal. End of the story. To cut
short, folks, I really enjoyed my visit to New York,
and I’ll be back!
A’an
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