I had a few hours before the IDSA show finale, so I taxied south to this morning's target: Union Square. With breakfast in one hand and camera in the other, I thought to capture 'normal' life. Union Square has a farmers market on Saturdays, full of colour and life. There wasn't much to be seen that spoke of the recent tribulations.

I wandered southwest towards Washington Park, though more Saturday market stalls. Outside the farmers market, the stalls focused on crafts and, well, stuff. Some fun things, though: a t-shirt proudly stating "girl (gûrl), n., see perfect" and others. Some of the stalls reminded me of the Middle East, where there would be hundreds of pairs of sandals, socks, shirts, and more. Some folks made life sustaining by other means.

I listened in on a NY University architecture field trip. It is good to hear the history of buildings and land being told, even with a positively sarcastic bend to some of the story. I continued west through the tight convoluted alleyway feel of West Village and out to the western Manhattan docks. It was amusing to see a chunk of the east coast so resemble the west coast (or visa versa). And I would assume other coasts as well. Old worn docks refurnished for public use seem to have a characteristic feel and surroundings.

I walked further down to Tribeca, then taxi-raced back to the Marriott, dressed up, and finished the show (unexpectedly running into ID friend Josh Kornfeld from Seattle). Done with my responsibilities, I fled the hotel again. I had a date with the Financial District and also with an old high school friend that I hadn't seen in over a decade! First stop, World Trade Centre. At first, I didn't want to make a big deal out of it, didn't want to just be another tourist, another gawker. After Metroing to the WTC stop and walking the length of the block in silent contemplation, I turned around for one look, plus one photograph, and not of the WTC, but of the hawkers that turned the place into a junk retail market. Worth shaking a head about.

I found Wall Street and strode though a stiffening wind to Battery Park for an audience with her Ladyship, Miss Liberty. I didn't feel a need to join boatloads of tourists and stand by her feet, but seeing the Statue of Liberty even from afar and recalling the history of that icon was potent. America has done good things for the world, even though various voices claim it to be the scourge of the world. It can be too easy to become too powerful, though, and that has been hard on the States and its inhabitants. The fisher-folk were definitely not catch-and-release, but then, neither am I with my camera. On the way out of Battery Park, a NY-style departure from a NY-style wedding caught my eye. Nice old-style taxi, and worth a grin to see a church tucked cheerfully beside a solid black monolith.

After the tourist mobs in Battery Park, circumnavigating the remainder of Manhattan's southern tip was peaceful. For some reason, I find tall buildings similar to giant trees, especially when the streets are almost empty. Tracking car trails instead of deer trails, passing through a forest of steel? Question being, what serves in a city as a ridge walk? Midst all my perambulation, I saw some snazzy red pants and a business with a definite sense of humour, especially since the business served liquor. I worked my way long the docks, eventually being driven inland by the fishy tang. I saw the taxi wedding party again as they submitted to being orchestrated and manoeuvred through 'are-we-done-yet' family photos. Nice setting with rough cobblestones underfoot and strong diffuse light from a cloudy sky. I was about to photograph a basement when a small dog poked into view to check out what I was so entranced with. Perfect! The owner apologized as I protested the dog's perfect timing, eventually winning 'She's a ham!' and a smile from him.

It was time to head north out of the Financial District to meet Margit, my high-school friend. Past large government buildings and into Little China, looking at strange specimens of sea life and fruits. I am bemused by the level of knowledge the Asian societies hold about staying healthy with natural substances from the earth, their belief in both mythical and actual. I would guess that European/American societies probably have the same affect on Asians as we claim our innocence and scientific knowledge. Little China suddenly transformed into Little Italy. Too suddenly, though. The answer: Little Italy is being engulfed by Little China. A half block out from the famed street Little Italy occupies, the signs switch from Italian back to Chinese. Apparently the Chinese don't advertise their eating as much as Europe does, evidenced by the ratio of visible restaurants to shops between the respective Littles. I was serenaded about wines and pasta, street-side eating, and beautiful women to watch.

Margit and I finally found each other, wandered through Little Italy to be serenaded again (nothing compared to Margit's opera singing) then gave up on pasta and fled to Little India, to curry and wine. The menu was rather short (understandable given the power outages and lack of refrigeration) but still excellent. We passed a night in delectable conversation, then I turned into a pumpkin and Margit was forced to roll me home to the hotel.