I was waiting in the queue for the ferry to Liberty Island on a chilly and windy Sunday morning. The wind was piercing through me and making me miserable as I was not having my wollen cap to cover my ears nor gloves to protect my hand. All I had as protective wear for the cold weather was a Nike sports cap just to cover my head and my NU jacket, fighting hard against the chilling weather to make me warm. The queue was pretty long and I knew I had to wait for almost 90 minutes before my turn comes for the ferry ride.
Well, standing in the line was not at all boring for me that day. You know standing in queue somewhere in NY city can never be boring. Reason, there are hell lot of people doing things to amuse you, to make you laugh, to make yourself enjoy in the queue, and yep all they want is that you give some money to them so that they can keep you entertaining. So, I was standing in the line and the first thing which I was doing was scannign the zig-sag line for beautiful and secy chicks. I was traversing the queue as far as ppl can be seen clearly and then my eyes stuck on ther beautiful lady standing 4 persons ahead of me. She was damn beautiful and let me say it, she was so hot and sexy. I was like OMG, look at her. When everyone, almost everyone around here is covered head to toe to keep themselves warm and save themselves from the cold wind over the Hudson, there this gorgeous young lady is standing in a mini skirt. Well, to my pleasure :) I can bet you, no one would have resisted seeing her! Everyone passing by was seeing her out of two reasons:
1. She was in mini. So eveyone was like "Hey aint she feeling cold?"
2. She was obv beautiful
Anyways, there was a girl, standing right there in front of me. I kept guessing till the very end of my step in ferry as to whether she was an American of a south-east Asian? She had covered all her face, so I wasnt able to figure it up.
So, I was moving ahead in the queue at a vairable pace. This queue starts all the way from Clinton Castle and goes zig-zag around the battery park to the ferry deck. There are food stalls and guys singing, dancing, playing come musical intruments to entertain the crowd and earn their living. When I reached, this guy who was playing a musical instrument (I dont know whats it called), I was feeling bored. Well. the music was good but I was in no mood to hear that. My attention was on the pigeons which were flying so close to people, it felt at times that they will almost dash right into the face. Children were enjoying in running after those pigeons and making them fly away. These pigeons were in huge number accompanied by sea-gulls and some sparrows. Pigeons clearly outnumbered all other species of birds. I was looking at a sparrow who was hiding under a bench in the sun-light. She was sitting in a leaf, which may be giving her warmth. I was intrigued by the bird, I dont know why. Then there were squirrels, which were running all over. You may be thinking as to what's so special about a squirrel. But there is something speacial, you know. First the squirrels are bigger in size than we have in India. They have a hariy tail and they walk/run taking hops. Hops which a squirrel is charecterized for. I have never seen such beautiful hops back in India. Anyways.
So, as i was moving in the queue, there came a black guy with colored hair and a normal guitar in his hand. He asked a couple standing ahead of me as to where they are from. They answered that they are from Sideny, Australia. And he said that "you can always make something for Sidney and Australia. And he started singing a song related to Sideny and Australia. He was framing the song connecting facts about Australia ranging from geography, people, politicians, Kangaroos and lot more stuff. He was making it rhyme and pleasant to ears. I was enjoying his singing and rest of people were enjoying too. Some of them came ahead and gave some money in his box. Then he asked that hot girl, I talked about. She was with two more people (they were couple, she was their fren). They were from San Francisco and he was right there singing a song on San Francisco and California. It was rhythimc and he was making it sound good. When he finished that, he said to me, Young man, a girl is tanding ahead of you and you are not even talking to her. Why? I felt like saying Hi to the girl but then resisted. I just smiled and he smiled back to me. I thought the girl will at least say something to me but she didnt. I kept silent and looking around at the children. The line was moving slowly now. Time and again, I was looking that girl. I was unable to resist her :)
When I was almost near the security check-in room, there was a guy playing Piano at some distance. I was looking at him and moving in ther line. When I came near him, the queue was static and he looked at me and then started playing again. As soon as I heard his music, I felt like "Wait, I have heard it somewhere" Then I dint took time to recognise it. It was our national anthem, Jana Gana Mana I was moved and it touched me! I looked back at him and he was looking at me. I was the only Indian in that part of line and he said to me You from India? I said "Yes". He said this is Jana Gana Mana. I said: "Ya, it is and you played it perfect". He did played it perfect. He was no Indian guy but was an American, a black guy. He smiled back to me and then I gave him a dollar. I missed recording that in my camera as at that time I was just lost in that thing.
That thing made me feel good and for sometime, I was feeling warm inside.
It really feels good when in US somone, says Namaste to you. But this was much more than that. Our national anthem. And that guy there even knew the name of the anthem. Well, he may be knwing the national anthem of all countries to entertain the visitors coming there. But aint that good? Aint it good to hear your national anthem played by some guy who is not from your nation? I think it was very touching. It made my day.
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