So I've got this list.

I didn't realize I had a list of things I wanted to see or do that counted as very "New York", but during this trip I witnessed or did two things that were retroactively put on just such a list and then checked off as “done”. So far these are the only two items on the list, and I think future items will be presented in a similar fashion, without my prior knowledge of their existence.

The items on this list are things I'd only expect to see or do in New York City. Not necessarily tourist attractions but more local events, and these events are small and trivial happenings. You might even classify them as stereotypes. But even if they are stereotypes they came from everyday events that make NYC feel like home to locals. The type of thing you might see if you lived in NYC, and on the 100th visit to the store you noticed a homeless man chasing a pigeon (or maybe visa versa). Or someone peeing on a passing subway train. Now those may not be the best examples, but it’s the scale of event I’m referring to. Nothing big, or grand. Just New York. Hopefully I’ve explained myself, but if not maybe relaying the incidents will do the explaining for me.

The first item I checked off the list is something I witnessed, as opposed to experiencing first hand, and it was New York City temper. The event involved The Couple in the line to buy Broadway show tickets and The Man selling the tickets. The Couple was an elderly, sweet seeming couple and The Man was a rather large, red-faced native (assumed). The Man handed The Couple their tickets and The Couple, with their gloved hands, dropped one of their tickets. The ticket then slid into a crack between the sidewalk and the ticket booth, never to be seen again. The Couple informed The Man, and The Man disconnected his headset and disappeared for a moment. The Man returned visibly frustrated, but he did have an answer. The Man told The Couple to present the theater box office with the receipt that showed two tickets purchased. Now, here is where the New York temper revealed itself to me.

The Couple asked, "Will that work?"

The Man then said, "No, it won't work."

A short pause ensued where The Couple didn't know how to respond.

Then The Man yelled, and I mean really yelled, "OF COURSE IT WILL WORK!" slammed his hands on the desk and then raised his hands up in the air in disbelief.

The Couple walked away and The Man disconnected his headset and again he threw up his hands. He then starts to yell something to his coworkers within the multi windowed ticket booth. Nayoung and I view all of this as a pantomime because without his headset connected the sound of his fury cannot escape the booth. Once he stops yelling and slamming his keyboard against his desk he reconnects his headset.

The Man then says to us, “Wadda’you want?”

The second item on the list is something I experienced myself. An actual event that I took part in. Having this event happen to me has always been a dream of mine, but I just didn't know it until it happened to me. I figured this type of thing only happened to bike couriers or high powered Wall Street execs from the 80's with those big brick cellular phones. So you can imagine my surprise when this dream happened to me.

As Nayoung and I crossed the street we were assured that it was OK to cross by the symbol of a little white man in the crossing signal. Halfway across the crosswalk I notice that a cab was stopped by the curb and the driver was conversing with someone on the sidewalk. As I watched the two men exchange words I could all of a sudden see the events of the immediate future. I was positive that two men's conversation will end, and that the cab driver will start to drive in our direction with out looking. I was also sure that these things would happen just as we crossed in front of the taxi.

As we aligned with the center of the cab's hood, sure enough, the cab driver began to accelerate. At that very same moment is when my previously unknown dream was simultaneously born and fulfilled. The engine revved, the car lurched forward, and in one motion with out slowing the pace of my walk I slammed my hand on the hood of the cab, and then raised that hand above my head. In my mind I shouted with a New York accent, "I'M WALK'N HERE!"

Just like in the movies.

Two New York moments that I can now mark off the list that I didn't know I had until there were two things to put on it... and then mark off. I love lists.

M