The event was from 6.30pm-8.30pm so being the typical anal person I am, I decided on the 4pm bus which would get me into Manhattan by just after 5pm. That way, I would have some time to head to Zabar’s one street over from the Sunburnt Calf. I had been told about this place by a reliable source, a friend who lived in the US during her college days. She explained that Zabar’s was an iconic UWS haunt (now I’m joining in with the acronyms! Upper West Side). This place is supposed to have an amazing deli, gourmet cheeses (yum!) and a dedicated Jewish deli where New York’s Jewish community regularly frequent. Zabar’s was going to be an ideal spot to people watch, take in the sights and sounds until the function and cool down! Given the heat, 101.F (38.C) I wanted to be as close to where I needed to be, after all, I had to frock up for this event.
So after being inside for most of the day, by the time Joe dropped me at the bus stop at 3.45pm for my 4pm bus I was melting on the sidewalk. Thank goodness for water proof mascara as by this stage water was dripping from every part of my body.
“Oh my it’s so hot today I can’t wear my jewellery” she says. I turn around and almost leap out of my skin. This woman standing next to me was wearing brown corduroy pants, a long shirt which I can only describe as a sack, with a vest over the top. A big floppy hat and thong’s topped off the outfit and she proceeded to take off her jewellery with 10 foot talons of nails. Okay, so over exaggerated…but I could only assume that when she got her nails done, the person forgot to cut them to size!
“Um, yeah……” awkward silence “yes you are right it is a tad warm isn’t it” says I, thinking oh my goodness how can you be wearing that?
“Ohhhh you are from the United Kingdom I hear. I love Ireland.”
“Actually no, I am from Australia, however where I am from most people think we are from the UK as we speak a little different to other states in Australia.”
“Oh no, I never get an accent wrong…you are definitely from the United Kingdom.”
Hmmm okay sack wearing corduroy pant lady…. If you say so. Please bus, why are you 15minutes late. It’s so hot standing at this bus stop!
Almost reading my thought’s corduroy lady says, oh these buses are never on time. They call it community, but where is their sense of community when they can’t be on time.
Okay so she had a point!
The bus arrived a few minutes later, so only 20 minutes late, and after standing in 38.C heat for almost 30 minutes I was just itching for the hour in the air conditioned coach. Hopefully I can reapply some of this melted make up!
The bus takes off in the usual direction and as we zoom along the freeways at a frantic pace I zone out to the conversation to the ladies behind me. Three big black African American ladies heading into NYC for dinner to celebrate Patty’s 70th Birthday. Now I wasn’t eavesdropping but let’s just say here in the states, American’s do not know what an ‘inside voice’ is… everything is a shout, scream or at least a conversation loud enough for everyone within ear shot to hear!
These ladies by the sounds of it traveled regularly over the years.
“Remember when we went to Florida” says one…..”Ohh yes says the other…that’s when we tried to get Maisee laid.”
Oh my! Did I just hear a 70 something year old woman refer to someone getting laid? No way.
“Rose, rose, do you remember that”, as Rose two seat’s down begins to shake like jelly on a plate with laughter! “Oh yes, Patty, how can I forget the FFF” as all three ladies begin to laugh with an infectious belly laugh that begins to make the other passengers including me smile.
“Oh my Rose…I haven’t heard of the FFF in what 40 years! How do you remember these things?”
“Patty girlfriend…..how else can I make my children and grand children blush…who would think that their mamma and grandmamma was part of a Florida F_ _ k Fest” as they all begin to laugh frantically again, and Maisee goes a nice shade of fuchsia!! And Rose sitting by herself pat’s her eyes with the corner of her hankie as she continues to shake with such a contagious laugh!
The gasp that came out of my mouth could not match the glare of the Asian lady sitting next to me gave…. Wow! The things I hear in NY!
As this is going on and I still have a smile from ear to ear hearing about well, yes the fact that these ladies had a lot of fun in their 30’s and more importantly that they are still friends and having fun. I look at my window and a rise of panic raises in my chest. Where the hell are we?! None of the surrounds look familiar as we are no longer on the freeway. Hmm it appears the buses in the afternoon take a different route…very different! We cover Essex, West Orange, normal Orange (??) and main streets of I don’t know how many suburbs. I look at my watch and it’s already after 5pm…no sight of anything familiar. Bugger, it means I may not get that photo opportunity of the Manhattan Skyline as I roll into NYC.
As we roll along, the FFF crew behind me start making some phone calls to their other friends meeting them at dinner…it was not reassuring to hear “no idea where this driver is taking us….he has gone a completely different route!” “No we may not be at restaurant in time as I have no idea how he is going to navigate the city”
Great….so this driver has taken us on a completely different route. This becomes extremely apparent when we see the following sign...meaning we are heading away from the Lincoln Tunnel....even though I am sure that is the way we should be going!
The sick feeling is swapped for panic as it is now 5.55pm (yes I have been on the bus for 1hr35min) for a 50minute journey normally. We got stuck on 31st and 10th avenue for what felt like an eternity. The driver tears in front of another 4 buses; we swing an almighty left turn and manage to get into what seems a back entrance of the PABT behind lines and lines of buses. We sat in the terminal inching 2miles every 5 minutes until we finally get in at 6.22pm. Hmmm so much for Zabar’s let alone for being on time!
I make a mad dash down to the subway in the hope that the train I need to get is downstairs rather than walking to Times Square and Broadway Station! Aha, it’s the same station essentially, just underground passage. So far so good. Looking in my purse for the directions of which train to get, I realize that I have written down two choices…Small panic sets in and the sweat from rushing is nothing compared to the sweat from the intense heat from the subway. I follow the signs to what I hope will be the right train. Worst case scenario, it is an express and doesn’t stop where I need to.
At the turn styles…beep please try again…the card reader says. Hmm, I bought a month pass for the subway…I try over and over again, and this hot hot hot guy next to me says in his beautiful coffee voice… ‘scuse me, you may need to clean it…let me try! Oh my I think as I look into his eyes…be my guest! It works, he smiles, I thank him...and for a moment I hesitate...do I follow sexy voice or head for the train!! Dang …. It is by invitation and they will know if I am not there….by sexy voice! Hope to run into you again one day!! (“,)
I jump on the train, and to my delight I am heading in the right direction! At least something has gone right!
I get off at 72nd Street and gravity has me turning right…I see 230…the Sunburnt Calf is 220…ahhhh sheer delight as I realize it is there, and it’s only 6.40pm. Could have been worse!!
The venue was great although the subway was cooler than what the place was! The function was upstairs and fortunately not many people so I knew I wasn’t too late.
The first group of people I met where lovely. A husband and wife who have been in NYC for 8 years and now officially on a green card. He used to work in HR for News Ltd, but since the changes of Rupert and Lachlan he is in between jobs. As his wife said, they were fortunate that green cards meant they could take their time, and as she was working as a US Realtor (Ex Teacher in Oz) they were doing okay. The other five people were a mix of an economist, a lawyer, an accountant, a banker, all of which had been in NYC between a month and two years. The lady who worked for the host company had been there for a number of years after a stint in the UK.
I was able to meet up with the contact and the lady who invited me to the event and she was lovely and very helpful.
The rest of the evening was mingling and meeting different people. What was refreshing though, was meeting people in similar situations who were also looking for employment and finding it a bit tough. It helped the self esteem a little. Sadly though, some of these people where highly qualified….Psychologist, Event’s & Marketing Manager, IT Guru, Publisher and they were all finding it a bit tough.
The finger food provided was great, but after a while the heat upstairs was so intense (and I had only had one drink! A beer) I started to feel very unwell. It may have been a combination of nerves, anxiety from all the rushing, but more so it was like standing in a small office with 50 people all fighting for one eency teency bit of air from a combustion fan. I had to excuse myself from one conversation, grab some water and sit down. Great, so I am going to be remembered not as Bianca from Adelaide trying to get back into hotels, but Bianca from Adelaide who either fainted or vomited from heat exhaustion! Great.
Fortunately I found that inner strength to talk myself out of being ill drank copious amounts of water and even splashed a bit on my neck discreetly and slowly felt a bit better. Back to hogging the air.
It proved to be a good spot to meet people and there was even an exchanging of numbers with a few people to meet up for a drink in the coming weeks!
As much as I had of wished I could stay beyond 830pm (the function had officially finished, but there were still a lot of people) I had to excuse myself to enable me to catch the 915pm bus to ensure a pick up at 10.20pm by the hotel.
I said my goodbyes and thanked the appropriate people and headed back on the subway to the PABT. Same problem with the card, this time a lovely older gentleman explains that in the heat the magnetic strips tend to go funny so just do it a bit faster. We get it to work, and meanwhile the train isn’t expected for 3 minutes. Hmm, it’s just before 9pm.
As we pull into 42nd Street I jump off and scurry towards the PABT. My scurry turns to a bit more of a jog as the clock in the subway says 9.07pm. Ooh this is going to be close. I join a man in a trot as we head up to gate 306 and we see the bus pulling away! Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! We race outside as its break lights disappear into the night!
“Ohh gee…first time all week it has been early! 9.11pm!” says the man.
“Great, oh great” is all I can muster….an hour to now sit here until the next one! Although the thought crossed my mind to walk up to Times Square and Broadway and take some photo’s, I was just so over the evening! I spent more time traveling than at the actual function!
To top it off, I am now going to miss the shuttle…normally safety would be a factor, but given the mood, I thought just someone try and give me a hard time as I walk from the bus stop.
Fortunately I sat next to a nice (bit boring….too financey) young guy, Carl, but it made the journey a bit easier to swallow. He kindly offered to drive me to the hotel after hearing that the bus wouldn’t stop any closer to which I thanked him but declined. It was way out of his way!
After Carl got off, and I discovered I was the last passenger I asked Mr. Driver (who looked a lot like Mr. Miyagi but not as nice!) very nicely would he be so kind as to head to Walnut St rather than drop me off at the Circle.
“No Wal-nut, just cir-cul”
“But sir, I am the last passenger….so there is no chance you can go to Walnut near the Westminster Hotel” as I try and sound as pleading but nice as I can.
“Hmm you last perswon….lemme check” as he stops the bus and turns around….”hmmmm okay walnut but not Westminster”
“Thank you Sir, thank you very much”
As we head towards Walnut, and he performs his U-Turn RIGHT OUTSIDE THE WESTMINSTER!!
“Okay wady, here you go…you give me money…or tip”
“No tip, sir, other than thank you for not smoking, and thank you for ensuring I don’t get raped”! Slightly rude of me I know but given it was 11.15pm and I was buggered it was all I can do from throwing a hissy fit! Lol.
I staggered into the hotel, and there is Esther, a 7ft Amazonian woman with a smile as wide as she, “Ooh Good Evening Miss Baggio, welcome back and how are you this evening?”….
How was I? That was a very good question…how was I? “Glad to be home Esther, and glad to see a smiling face…please call me Bianca…remember, we discussed that”
“Sure thing Biunka…you have a tops evening now won’t you” as she flashes her pearly whites!
“Thanks Esther…I will, goodnight!”
I flop in the room, and poor myself my drink of choice while in the US…A&W Root Beer.
I turn the computer on to Skype home as I know they are eagerly awaiting news from my evening, get changed, take off make up and giggle to myself as I replay the night’s events through my head.
There is always a positive in a bad situation, and despite all the running around, panic, stress…all in all I survived and the night was ok. Who knows if any leads will come out of the evening, but alas, another feather in my cap!
Over to the desk, and as I plug my Ethernet cable in I see the message… UNABLE TO CONNECT TO THE INTERNET, A NETWORK CABLE IS UNPLUGGED…
Hmmm I smile…that figures!!
Until the next one,
Lots of love Bee xxx
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