Strangers in Metropolis

Hyeon-Ju told me New York is especially easy to its strangers, we found it’s international by all means. No one even raised a single eyebrow to our rather ponderous arrival – we brought 5 huge suitcases and 4 carry-on bags. I kind of expected to see the “Newcomers HUH?” look in some people’s eyes but surely New Yorkers have seen it all and we are no difference to other 4 million foreigners who came to here not long ago. (for people who love statistics: there are almost 20million people in this city, and about 20 percent are foreigners – which means foreign born rather than anything else, as 17 percent of New Yorkers are black, and 7 percent are Asians.)

The city is stunning. We came in the season that all trees are changing color from yellowish green to flamboyant red, and many streets are paved by a layer of fallen leaves. My favorite time of the day is to walk through Central Park in the morning on way to office, where I see the city’s richest autumn colors in the trees, young kids running in the morning with their dogs, squirrels and pigeons come by friendly with people. It’s wonderful to see the nature so vividly fresh and alive in the center of metropolis.

Brian, my new colleague, said when a person arrives Manhattan, he or she will soon realize that there is no reason to leave this place for the rest of one’s life. I can’t fully agree but I start to see what he meant now. Despite the fact that Manhattan is very crowdy and the tension of life here, for instance it’s very hard to find a seat in any of the cafe in my neighborhood given any time of the day, the city’s charisma is irresistible to new comers. Among many things I fell in love with Chrysler Building next to my office. I love seeing it after finished a day’s work and got out the office, as its beauty is distinctive at night. For me it is a poetic icon of this legendary city.

I have left Beijing but I am not missing it – leaving it is the most resolute decision I’ve ever made. I am awed by New York but this is early time in our relationship as we knew little about each other. Everyday I walked by a lot of New Yorkers on street, I noticed that though in different colors and outfits, they all seem confident and having a somewhat cynical look in their eyes. The same look are in the eyes of children here, as I heard New York kids are precocious. I am hoping to understand a bit more about the people and culture of this city in days to come, and someday, when the city has become part of me, I will know that I have become part of the city.