foray into times square.

the day - 31 december 2006, the time - 11.15pm. the location - manhattan, new york city, the junction of 6th avenue and west 40th street.

my mum and i were just two of the tens of thousands of people stupid and disorganised enough to venture into new york's famed times square at this late hour. needless to say, we didn't get very far. all the roads leading to times square were blocked, and my mum was getting seriously freaked out by the crowd.

so i sent my mum back to the hotel, and set out to get into times square on my own.

i contemplated taking the subway to times square. but figured the station was probably closed. i thought about walking further downtown along 6th avenue, finding an unblocked street that would lead me onto broadway, and heading uptown again. but i got as far as 37th street before giving up.

i wondered if i should have taken up my brother's invitation to go to his friend's brother's friend's (i kid you not) apartment which overlooks time square. but decided i really didn't want to spend new year's with a whole bunch of strangers.

i wasn't keen on spending new year's on the streets with angsty people, annoyed with not being able to get into times square either.

so i headed back to the hotel, where i changed into my new jeans and top, counted down with dick clarke, got a close-up of the ball dropping on my flat-screen tv, and spent the new year with my mother.

just where i want to be.