We have a visitor from Europe who Andrew knows from Cambridge. This is his first time in America and he wanted his first time in America to be in New York. It's exciting to hear his excitement of all the things that have come to be New York, his amazement at Chinatown, at Wall Street, Times Square. The old world comes to the new again. Past grievances which are engrained in the European lifestyle are erased in this country, though not without replacements. It's a reminder of the special place that this country has in the world, in its ideology and optimism. Despite the shortcomings in realizing those ideals, America is still a beacon.
Tonight we had tacos in the West Village and listened to some jazz at Smalls Jazz Club. Tomorrow it sounds like he'll be going to Central Park, perhaps to play some chess, and then likely to Brooklyn. And the day after, off to Boston, the real reason for his travel across the Atlantic, for a conference. But he wanted New York to be the first impression he had of America and he will come back again before he departs to Europe. It's fun to be a part of that introduction, to be an ambassador of an exciting place that is still just barely my home, but a very significant part of who I am.
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