potions_master: Time only knows the price we have to pay.

Time only knows the price we have to pay.
Of course, America had often been discovered before Columbus, but it had always been hushed up.

Truer words were never spoken

However, despite the many flaws, annoyances and irksome qualities of this overcrowded and decidedly pungent metropolis, it is not Singapore, and that is more than enough.

My lodgings are located in a central part of the city, which is supposedly a convenience however I am not seeing any such thing myself. Attempts to walk from point A to point B resulted in dodging throngs of unfriendly people to the point of C, and so I elected to try my hand at public transportation. If, by public transportation the city of New York means a loud, uncomfortable, crowded system of underground trains fragrant with cigarette smoke and urine, then that is precisely what I attempted to utilise.

Instead I found myself in an area I do not wish to return to, ever, in my lifetime or the next. The accent alone was torturous enough, not to mention the hoardes of beer-soaked wretches chanting some sort of ode to balls, games and peanuts. I was forced to flee for my very life.

Anywhere else in the world, and I would simply resign myself to taking taxis to my required destinations, however here I do not trust the operators of said taxis as I firmly believe that the majority of them have arrived here this morning from a place where the primary method of transportation are camels. I far prefer to take my chances with the underground railroad system and its unsightly denizens than to spend an inordinate amount of time using hand gestures to convey to my driver exactly where I wish to go while trapped inside of a likely unlicensed, unregistered car.

There are also entirely too many bloody people here.

The streets smell of roasted animal flesh, the aforementioned urine and exhaust fumes.

The only form of communication anyone seems capable of is through the horn of their automobile.

The coffee is sub-par at best, and I do not understand the notion of purchasing food prepared in a cart parked upon a street corner.

Currently I am in some sort of a park. It is wretched place where it seems to be a requirement to have pierced multiple portions of your own body, not to mention a myriad of hair-colours and brands upon one's skin. I am certain that the gentleman sitting on the bench across from me is smoking something highly suspect, and a nearby group of malcontent cretins insist on loudly beating upon plastic buckets in an effort to avoid obtaining gainful employment.

If the future of the Muggle world lies within these people, I would not trust to hope for them.

Purely out of curiousity I paid visit to a the New Amsterdam Wizarding Academy, located on the 13th floor of an extremely tall building. To access, one has to board the lift labeled "Out of Service," then direct it to the space between floors 12 and 14. No Muggle attempting such would find anything beyond a cement wall. The Principal of the establishment, a woman called Vaguely Bellows, was extremely gracious and offered a tour of the facilities. It is of course not at the level of Hogwarts but I suppose that it is adequate enough for their purposes. I am told by Miss Bellows that there is a much larger and better-equipped school in the nearby state of Massachusetts.

Thankfully, now that I have completed this day misspent in such a sewer of all the depravities of human nature, I can now retire to the relative peace of one of the many museums here. I would not expect such appreciation for culture from any population that would choose to live in such a city as this, but I shall take full advantage nonetheless.

This day owes me nothing.

sibyllsays @ 2003-08-10 09:22 pm UTC

But Severus, surely you don't mean that you have never smoked anything "highly suspect"?

I see all, you know.

potions_master @ 2003-08-10 09:32 pm UTC

I have no use for you.

(parent)

lupercus @ 2003-08-10 11:19 pm UTC

There are no fortunes to be told, Sibyll.

(parent)

sibyllsays @ 2003-08-10 11:23 pm UTC

I wasn't telling a fortune, Remus.

And where were you when I went to Diagon Alley? If I didn't Know better, I would think you were avoiding me!!!

(parent)

lupercus @ 2003-08-10 11:33 pm UTC

No, I wasn't avoiding you. I was simply extremely busy. My apologies, Sibyll.

I will not be around at all tomorrow and I'm afraid I'll be pretty scarce for the rest of the week. Perhaps another time?

(parent)