NYC - Day 2

Open the windows - put on the eye shades and insert the ear plugs - a great night's sleep in spite of the humidity.

Bundle up the shirts and round up the suit and jacket and struggle off the the dry cleaners - amazingly polite - asks about my twang - ahhh - Australian - says she in a broad Polish accent - you come back tomorrow after 6 and they'll be ready.

Drag some books on NYC tourism from Simon's shelves - quickly put the "Lonely Planets" aside - discover a hardback - "City Secrets - New York City" by Robert Kahn - this is what I was looking for - the places and sites of New York from the perspective of a series of contributors made up of artists, architects, playwright's, historians, academics and others - each gives their personal perspective on a particular site.

Roughly map out the next few days - today Central Park so that I can pick up the wedding trousers - tomorrow - Ellis Island - because it always intrigued me and because the perspective on it given by museum and exhibition designer Charles Marsden-Smedley in the Robert Kahn book rekindled my interest - I will also spend time wandering Battery Park and riding the Staten Island ferry.

Off to the underground - Ahh - a past master at all of this - I even tend advice to a poor tourist -off at 68th Street - down to Central Park - a little rain - I love the park - I walk and walk and walk - I lay down on a bench - I wake in a start - never mind - only a few minutes in the land of nod - I walk and walk and walk and then I walk some more - I love this place - I love the way the locals love it and use it - I love the way the city skyline looks down on the park with a sense of pride - it seems to smile down on the intruder within its midst and says "Well Done Pig" - "you serve the community well!"

Squirrels everywhere - sparrows and countless other bird species - all are comfortable if suitably cautious in this human dominated environment.

What's this - pretty fancy baseball outfits - a major competition going on - it is the Broadway Baseball League competition - "Mary Poppins" is playing "The Lion King" for competition supremacy - not much interest from spectators partly because while there are plenty of people in the park most of them are running, walking or are competitors in softball or handball competitions of their own -

Groups of school kids are everywhere - their activities being supervised by small groups of battle weary teachers who apart from trying to supervise the kids appear responsible for lugging huge iceboxes carrying the compulsory food and drinks for the terrorists under their control.

The sun emerges briefly and the humidity rises to new uncomfortable heights - time to head for Mr. Grace to collect my pants - I cannot believe this place - I front up with the collection slip - a suited gent (perhaps not the right word) greets me - A hot and sweaty Mike notes that he is complete with kerchief neatly arranged in the coat pocket and enormous plum in the his mouth - did he really look down his nose at me or was I just feeling sensitive - I look around anxiously trying to find another customer who is as disheveled as me! - cannot find one - I want to shrink out of the place - "which sales person attended to you sir" - I wanted to say "can't you bloody well just ring up the alterations department, give them the number and get them to give me the garment so I can get out of here" - what I actually said was "I am sorry sir but I don't recall" - A look of disgust - a few terse words to the accounts clerk - few clicks on the keyboard and all is revealed - the salesman is summoned - he takes the slip - rings up the alternations department - gives them the number and they emerge from the depths of the store with the garment - "at last I can escape" I say to myself - no I am subjected to - "Does Sir wish to try them on" - "Does Sir wish to have them boxed or would sir prefer a hanging sleeve?" - "Listen Sir just wants to get out of here" I say to myself - I select the sleeve - The garment is sleeved up - I dive for it in the hope of escaping - "Would Sir like the sleeve folded for easy carriage" - Old Mr Grace you have a lot to answer for!

Escape at last - head for the metro - I am a pasted master at this right? - well nearly - right line - overshoot the exit station - retrace my steps - home for a shower - I will eat in tonight