Worlds Apart

It’s really something else when you miss home so much that home comes to pay you a visit.

I met my family right downstairs in the World Financial Center directly after work on Tuesday. There they were, in the food court! I excitedly embraced my father, then Hannah, Jessica, my mother, and John. I quickly and eagerly led them to the express subway on the red line, telling them little bits of information I had learned about this city I have come to call home for the past month. We stopped at the Famiglia famous New York pizza place to dine before going to a night service at Times Square Church. It was wonderful to all be there as a family at the church which has blessed so much over the years through having received sermons on tape, read profound newsletters in the mail, and been a part of extensive international missions work through financial giving. I have said enough about this church in past e-mails; needless to say, my family experienced it for the first time and loved it.

We then took an express train down to Park Place and boarded a PATH train to New Jersey. They have been staying this week right across the Hudson River in Jersey City at a Doubletree Hotel. This was my first time in Jersey this week. I have spent several nights with them, and it is refreshing as Jersey City is starkly less busy than its nearby bustling neighbor across the river.

Wednesday, July 4th, Independence Day, we all had a delicious breakfast downstairs and headed for midtown Manhattan where we slowly made our way through the mass of tourists to the 86th floor observatory of the Empire State Building. It was a little worrisome climbing this structure, knowing it was completed in only 13 months; but hey, it’s been around for almost a century, and it’s still standing, right?! Needless to say, it is the most amazing view of NYC imaginable. You can look out to the south and see the tip of Manhattan, with the massive, postcard-worthy Financial District skyscrapers standing proudly. Out to the west is Jersey City with its similarly impressive skyline. To the north, Central Park looks like a thick and enchanted forest, and to the east Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridge lead the way to Brooklyn and Queens.

Afterward was the shopping. Macy’s and F.A.O. Schwarz, a massive toy store. I took my parents back to Columbia University to show them around campus and let them peek in my dorm, which I was proud of, as it was reasonably clean. Then we had dinner at Deluxe on Broadway, before heading back across the border to New Jersey for some shut-eye.

Except, I lingered in Manhattan a little longer than the rest. I took a subway down to Wall Street and walked east to the East River to South Street Seaport to look out on the barge that would send up hundreds of fireworks as part of the Macy’s fireworks display, the largest in the nation. The 30-minute display was the longest I’ve ever seen; my only regret is that I do not have pictures to boast the beauty of the display. Every time I thought the zenith of amazement had been reached, a new trick would be unleashed. Bursts in the form of hearts, stars, smiley-faces. Even jellyfish shaped explosions that slowly floated up from the barge in medusa form. It was a very pleased and enthusiastic crowd that left the seaport that evening.

Today I worked until 5 p.m. and met my family in Central Park. They had gone to the Museum of Natural History during the day. We decided to venture into Chinatown for dinner. I thought to myself how ashamed I was that I had not once ventured into Chinatown (or Little Italy) for that matter since I have been here. We had to take the blue, red and yellow lines to Canal Street to go to Jing Fong, a restaurant my mom had read about in a book. It’s one of those places that is a “find”; you’d never guess it’s a decent place to eat from the outside. But once inside, you take an escalator to a second floor ballroom…and “Bam!”, you’re in Hong Kong, seemingly.

It felt a bit goofy and awkward because there was only one other table seated in this huge second-floor restaurant. Another large family, this one Chinese, was busy eating dinner. We were this massive and funny-acting American family seated and watched by the 10 or so servers standing there gawking idly because of lack of business on this Thursday night. Several wet washcloths were quickly dispatched to the table. I chuckled to myself as my dad looked around for a place to put his, settling for his lap, while the kids twirled them in the air and I demonstrated its proper use, wiping of the hands before dinner. But there endeth my knowledge of the Hong Kong way.

We all ordered our own separate dishes…or so we thought.

My dad’s was the first one out onto the table, and he proceeded to take a bite. The owner came out and with a quizzical brow asked, “Are you going to share any with your family?” My dad, thinking this a joke (as did we all), smiled sweetly and said, “Haha, no!” The owner, looking amusedly puzzled said, “Oh but it is Hong Kong way. You American family different from Chinese family.” Realizing quickly that we’re all expected to share each other’s dinners, we cheerily laughed at ourselves and my dad, being the outgoing man of the hour, continued to converse with him.

I had to insist Jessica stop stabbing and chasing the food around her plate with chopsticks and (for Heaven’s sake), Please, use the fork. I was especially adept to spilling the warm and inviting but tasteless tea. I started to wonder why I had ordered squid and pork stomach with peppers, when my family had ordered the more well-known poultry dishes. Sometimes, taking risks is profitable. This time, it wasn’t. That squid and pork belly was an exercise in redefining edibility. Everything else was beyond delicious, though.

As I write, my family is probably exploring the Financial District, and I have already told them farewell.

It is a strange mix of emotions at this point. Seeing Amanda and now my family makes me miss home, but then I honestly must say I might tear up when I have to leave New York. I really love this city and some of the people I have met here are amazing.

And by amazing I mean: inspiring, professional, ridiculous, multitalented, and in some cases bust-a-gut hilarious.