new york, new york

OH MY GOSH I'm in New York! Wow! Bus ride was pretty comfy as it was pretty empty, but I didn't sleep very well after my run in with the immigration officer at the border...I was SO CLOSE to not getting in...he called me a 'risk taker' and seemed to think it strange and quite criminal to go through a country without everything planned and hotels booked. He thought I was a danger to American society because I stay at people's houses when I can and don't spend a lot of money. He ooozed the sort of arrogant authority that I severly dislike about the United States. Man this country is friggin paranoid. What the hell am I gonna do...damage their reputation by sleeping on a bench if I can't get accomodation...? I'm pretty sure there are so many bums in this city that one more wouldn't hurt. I wish I could have had a go at this guy but that was exacly what he wanted...he was just waiting for me to say something stupid or angry and then I would have been kicked out back into Canada with a very bad mark on my immigration record...but mum you would be proud, I stuck up for myself well and kept complete composure...quite proud of myself :)

Well anyway, I was the first person from the bus to go through immigration and the last to get out...they could have left me at the border but thank goodness they waited. The view coming through New Jersey towards Manhattan was stunning...one of those 'wow' life moments that all the immigrants must have experienced as they saw the buildings rising up out of the water and looked forward to their new lives. Now I'm on 42nd Street in a Burger King trying to think of what the heck I'm gonna do with myself. There are real New York yellow cabs outside! And everyone has such an obvious accent! Will try to call Krista in an hour or so...wasn't able to get hold of her from Montreal. Here's hoping the immigration officer wasn't correct and my ignorance of the United States of America and it's customs doesn't make me a risk to society.