methinks

NYC - Days 2 - 7

Manhattan is a walker's paradise. By walker I don't mean one who walks briskly in spandex shorts and headbands in hopes of buring away surplus calories - though there are places here for that crowd as well; I speak of one who takes pleasure in transporting himself through his own powers, one who likes to live in the world and not just drive though it, one whose stride and pace reflect his mood.

Manhattan is an obese man's hell, or at least the cause of his financial ruin. There are buses and subways and taxis, very true, but they none can match the benefits of a fast gait. The buses are slow and stop frequently; the subway is fast, but stops are too few to be of use for a short commute; taxis, of course, are expensive. Walking is cost free and stop free and goes exactly where you want.

That's not to say that walkers don't use the public transportation, but it's only useful when traveling distances of at least twenty blocks, and even then - depending on where you are - it might be better to walk.

The result, if only by neccessity, is that almost everyone who lives in Manhattan is a walker. The sidewalks are always bustling with understandably fit adults who deftly weave around each other. I've yet to see an obese man (probably in the taxis). Street-side storefronts thrive on these passerbys and indoor mega-malls are seemingly non-existant. Cell phones and iPods mark the many walkers who are tired of their thoughts. And the "walk" and "don't walk" signs seem rather to indicate "no need to look" and "might glance before crossing".

Personally, I've walked more miles in these past five days than I've walked in the nine months I've been in Indiana since leaving China. In addition to purposeful walks - walks with a destination in mind - I also have taken some mammoth "strolls", for example last evening I walked from 46th to Battery Park and back, which is well over one-hundred blocks roundtrip, and loved every step.

In between walks, I've done a lot. I haven't done much in the way of sight-seeing (though I've walked through many of the more recognizeable parks and squares); most of my time has been spent either working with Waterwell - setting up the stage, selling tickets, running errands, brianstorming ideas for the big move to the new theatre - or socializing with the people in the troupe. I guess you could say I'm spending my time more like I live here and less like I'm visiting, a long-term idea that is growning on me.