Out on the Town, New York day 1

I have been all over New York city today using the subways, the ferries and my feet. I met up with a previous Friends World student, Nicoletta, and she took me to see some amazing sights of her native city. First we went to Battery Park, and then we went to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. I learned so much about the massive immigration to the United States during the late 1800s and early 1900s. We went through the Ellis Island museum and we watched a great documentary about how European immigrants flooded into the United States through New York's door. Afterwards we went to Ground Zero, where they are still cleaning up debree from 9-11 and looked at the powerful pictures of tears that poured almost 6 years ago. Plans for the Liberty Tower are underway, and it will be a beauty of a building/memorial. Then we went to Union Square and enjoyed some down time in a five story book store. I hung out in the Buddhist section and I think I found something for Payson and Jimmy to read at the wedding ceremony. Finally, we went across town to a hilariously decorated Indian restaurant, that had extremely delicious food that overly filled our bellies. Now I am back in Brooklyn and I am dreading my return to the horrible dorm. I mean, there I do not even have a shower curtain and I had to buy my own toilet paper yesterday. Nevertheless, I am fine and awed by this massive city. I simpley cannot understand how a city of these proportions can be sustainable. I mean, where does all of the food come from? Where does all of the trash go? How does water get pumped to the top of the skyscrapers? How is electricity made? How can people from every country around the world live together? I mean, really! Today I heard more other languages than English. This city truely does have people for EVERYwhere. The diversity and presence of cultures is astonoshing. I like this city, but it is overwhelming, and I do not think I could live here. OK, off to the dorm. Chao.