City Smile

           - OK, Alex, how are you with oatmeal?

           - Love it!

           In about 15 minutes two happy Russians were enjoying a delicious oatmeal made with some honey, cranberries and nuts. I don't know how to explain this, but moments like this (eating breakfast with your new awesome friend) make me very happy. However, it might just the fact that I'm just happy about everything.

           Anyway, the great sunny morning was continued with a nice walk to Columbia University Campus. I personally always feel great when people walk as fast as I do or even faster, as I don't have to feel like I'm in slow motion. Alex definitely became a perfect walking partner for me as we never stopped or slowed down, we just kept moving while looking on the street sides with their pretty houses and shadowy trees.

           - Oh my gosh! Look at that "castle" up there! - Alex exclaimed, pointing at the very top of the Morningside Heights Park. Tha
t's what I love about New York City. It doesn't matter how long you've been here, you'll always find something new and exciting.
           The "castle" turned out to be a wall separating Columbia University from the park. After climbing all the way up we were happy to discover a very nice panoramic view on Harlem.
           - Alright, Alex, get ready to see cute smart guys from Columbia University! - I whispered to my friend.
           - You don't have to say that, it's pretty obvious out here, - she giggled.
           After passing the first block we saw the university. For both of us it was kind of seeing Hogwarts.
           - I can't believe we are here! This is really it! One of the best schools. Ivy League. Oh, dreams, dreams..., - Alex talked to herself.
           While getting to the park inside the campus we took a few pictures of entrance pointing and smiling at it.
           - Yeah, we definitely don't look like we're part of it. Linda, we should try to jump around and scream and just walk calmly, so we fit the situation.
           In about 30 seconds we gave up and just started taking pictures and exclaiming things like "Oh my gosh! It's Columbia University Library!" "Look! It's their bookstore! Now I need to read all of these books!"
         
            After a good long walk I invited Alex to get some coffee at

Hungarian Pastry Shop. I've been there before once, and it got in my "Top Favorite places in NYC" right away. Reasons? If you get coffee to stay, the refills are free, the pastry is like A
MAZING there, and the atmosphere is just so nice! It's just so inspiring for me to look at all of these students at their laptops working on something or discussing their group projects. Oh! And their restroom is pretty cool too. Don't think anything weird, but they have great writing on the walls.
           I knew Alex would love this place, and I was right. We had to leave just because the time told us to. However, we had a great day together, and as soon as Alex went to the train station to get home, I went to explore New York City even more. So, I just got on subway, and went to the Rockefeller Center.
           I heard that the view deck out there was pretty amazing, so I decided to check it out instead of traditional Empire State Building view.
           But, apparently the city wasn't ready to show me this part of it, as the tickets for that night were already sold out.
           'Oh, well,' - I thought. 'I'll just walk around.'
           While I was walking by, I saw bright screens with NBC previews on it. I wasn't surprised at all, as advertisement and commercials become parts of the city life just like neighbors do. But then I got closer, and I saw a studio. A real TV studio. Even though, the lights were off, I still could see everything.
           The thing is, I'm fond of video and producing, and I'd love to do this for living. Television, obviously, always seemed as one of the fields to go in. However, you can never know if you just read or listen about it. You have to see it, and you will feel it. And I felt it. There was some kind of magic inside. Just imagine, this little studio creates something new every day that people watch all over the country! Isn't this purely amazing? The team works super hard and creates a final product on daily basis.           In my head, the studio got alive: the lights are turned on, the broadcasters are all sitting at the desk smiling with their extremely white friendly smiles, the cameras are all at the right spots, and here it's me with a clipboard in my hands checking if everything and everybody is in the right place.
           I thought that it would be pretty cool to come and see the process of creating the show. I decided to google it later.
           Now I just kept walking near the building, looking at the flags, the fountain, flowers. It was just a great night to be here. Some kind of party was going on downstairs, and pretty people who looked like they just left magazines' cover kept going there and back.
         

           I just sat on the bench right in front of the Rockefeller Building and smiled. Smiled, because it was such a great night, because I found an awesome friend in the city, because I was happy. Then I realized that somebody was smiling at me. It was a couple walking away from that party. They were gorgeous as everybody who was leaving that place.
           I think the smile the gentleman form this couple had was the only smile Great Gatsby could have had. It was so open, so pure. This smile exchange between three of us didn't last longer than 5 seconds. But it was an amazing moment. It felt like the city itself, gorgeous, lofty, prosperous and simply great smiled at me.