Aug 14, 2019

New York adventures


If you follow my author page on Facebook then you’d have seen ALL the pictures I posted of my recent jaunt to Singapore and New York, and have heard some of the silly stories I told of our travels.

Like the time the New York Subway played a practical joke on Mr Douglas and me—it let him on, but not me. He stood on the train while I stood on the platform, and we waved forlornly to each other as the train pulled out. [We caught up with each other 15 mins later so don’t feel bad for me. It was, actually, hilarious.]

But I thought I’d share another “funny” story today.


St Francis Assisi Church--sweet, right?
For our first week in New York we stayed in a hotel called The Stewart. It’s across the road from Madison Square Gardens—so…pretty central. ;-) We had a view onto 31st Street and a very sweet little church, but also a view onto the building behind us. I took a peek out of this back window not long after we arrived, and the rooms in this neighbouring building were dark, with no movement, but there were figures in beds. I thought: Oh, it’s a nursing home. How deserted it looks…and lonely.


Next to the church was a building with a tree! And look up...there's a water tower.
In the wee small hours of the night—when it felt like it should’ve been day…and I was really hungry because it should’ve been day (there’s a 12 hour time difference between Singapore and New York, so the good news is you don’t have to change the time on your watch), I couldn’t help thinking about those lonely figures in those dark little rooms.

When we finally allowed ourselves to play wake ups in the morning, I said to Mr Douglas, “Do you know we’re overlooking a scene of human misery?” I told him about the scene that would greet him from our back window. I wondered aloud if we could go visit because…you know, we’re on holiday and had the time etc.

Of course, he then had to go and peek out the window too (I’m the window peeker in our relationship, him not so much). And he started to laugh!




Dear reader, he’s not a callous man. But I was shocked, I tell you—shocked! Until he revealed all. They weren’t incapacitated people in lonely beds in dark rooms but mannequins. We were looking into a medical training facility!




There's probably a moral to that story, but I have no idea what it is. ;-)


But if you do ever find yourself in New York I highly recommend the Brooklyn Lager--it was very refreshing after a day spent trudging through a city in 37C temps.



6 comments:

  1. Oh Michelle you made me laugh this morning what a fabulous trip you had and the thing on the train you are better than me I would have been freaking out, and I love the photos that you shared because NY is probably a place I won't ever get to so thank you, my daughter went there a few years ago and loved it :)

    Have Fun

    Helen

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    1. The trip was amazing, Helen, and all the more memorable for the mishaps and funny misunderstandings that happened along the way. :-D I'm so glad you enjoyed my photo journey on FB. I felt very fortunate to have the chance to visit such an amazing city. :-)

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  2. I so love this story, Michelle, and think it should inspire a book opening. Your generous-hearted heroine makes a similar assumption and does go to visit. The hero is probably a grumpy doctor (but a handsome kind-hearted one) and after the misunderstanding is resolved... Hmm, I have no idea.

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    1. LOL. I too thought it had story potential, Bron! It could be a fun idea to let percolate away in some dusty corner of my brain. ;-)

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