NY Moleskine list of books on NY
My new friends! They will guide me through NY.
With my TOEFL exams this morning, my January to-do lists have come to an end. At least for now. Of course, there are mountains of unchecked lists, so many that I need a list of list titles to keep up, but I feel free and happy!
The reason for this happiness I owe to 교보문고, because I spent about 4 hours there today just leafing through a huge pile of books on New York that I gathered up from all over the bookshop. I had about 15 that I wanted to buy, but in the end I decided on a couple of books above.
One is like an anthology of fun and hip places that have signboards: shops, museums, cafes, and more categorized according to region. The other is a walk-through of the cultural and historical background of places in NY and some interesting behind stories. And I plan to get Paul Auster's New York Trilogy when I get there, as I don't think it's any cheaper here (although it would be good fun to read it all on the plane!!...Actually that's a really good idea. I might just get it tomorrow). I really wanted to get more stuff, including some photography guides, but I know I will spend ages in bookshops probably with all sorts of brilliant books on New York that I wouldn't mind begging in the streets to earn money to buy, so I tried to control myself a little bit to prevent a book spree just yet.
What I really love about today is that I was able to just stand around at a bookshop without any feelings of guilt or stress, and I got to go through mountains and mountains of books. I love that I was able to spend the rest of the day with Mum, cooking and joking and drinking coffee, and putting things in my suitcase now and then for my trip. Ahh, the pleasures of a carefree mind..
Meanwhile, I am very much looking forward to being a free spirit in New York - not bound by any obligations or pressing deadlines (although, actually I do have a very important deadline to meet almost straight after I return.. but I will not be stressed by this in New York. I will merely enjoy having Something Important To Do). I also look forward to the slightly different person I will be after this experience. I hope I like her.
