Part 068 · ~3 min read

I’m knackered…

Sometimes, memories are like dreams: better than reality.

When I used to live in New York, everything seemed to be wonderful. I loved everything about it; the “city that never sleeps” was just reality. Today, the Big Apple seems more like a city that doesn’t let anyone sleep. It’s rather noisy, undisciplined, untidy, people are rather rude in the street and some shops you wonder whether the attendant is going to take a rifle from under the desk and shoot you.

Exaggerating? No, I am not. I remember the Americans coming to Europe and telling me that Europe was “so old”, not antique, old. Americans do not appreciate antiquities; they look at the practical aspects of life, and the smog-plastered buildings in Pest or the Walter Scott monument in Edinburgh are not their cup of tea. The same goes for the Coliseum, which has far too many missing windows and was left rundown by the Romans, attracting strange comments.

This morning, I was walking with an old colleague of mine. He has Danish ancestors, but he lived over here all of his life, and I was telling him that I am starting to understand how Americans feel about “old Europe” because after a few months spent a year ago in Shanghai,

I feel the same about NYC. Old York City would be more appropriate. However, there is a big difference between Europe and America.

Europe, while ageing, keeps its charm and gets even more beautiful unless it gets dirty. America, when ageing, shows signs of poor-quality materials used in its buildings.

Even restaurants used to be much more spacious. However, they have increased the number of seats, leaving the size of the places unchanged. You feel cramped between a wall and a fat Yankee drinking his third disgusting coffee.

Something has changed in NYC. I walked from Central Park to Chinatown, passing through a few areas that did not seem as safe as they used to feel a few years ago.

Am I saying that I do not like NY anymore? No, I am not. I still love it. You can see your wife ageing but still love her despite her not being as she was 30 years ago. But I find it very important to tell in this blog that the only places that never change are our minds and memories. Some places improve. I was in Buenos Aires a few months ago, and it was even nicer than it was 10 years ago, while places like Caracas and Sao Paulo are much worse than 10 years ago…

Tonight, I must go to Central Park for a bit of jogging. I went to buy all-new Nike sports gear, and I can’t miss it!

Mario called me several times, but I didn’t bother picking him up. My father managed to get through the hotel reception and inform me that an uncle has died and I should go back to Italy for the funerals that will be held on Saturday. I didn’t even bother giving him 10% of my thoughts.

I must write a message or send an email to Simona, but now, at 18:06, it’s nearly time to get ready and go to the Park. Well, it’s time to close my eyes for an hour before going to the Park.

See you guys!