Bye for Now, New York

remembering this day on 9/24/2017


On our last day in New York, I decided to walk around 5th Ave on my own while my sister and her husband visits with his family. I also decided to go buy the Star Wars slippers for my nephew so decided to walk towards Dylan's after visiting St. Patrick's for a quick prayer.

My next stop was at Times Square where I had another hotdog with lots of sauerkrat on it =) I know, I liked it on the sandwich and my  hot cocoa. However, an unfortunate thing happened that I wish did not happen to me, but it did. While I was sitting alone enjoying my sandwich, a homeless man approached my table. I wasn't really scared because there were a lot of people around me. The guy was asking for my sandwich but I told him that I couldn't give it to him because I have bitten into it already but he insisted, so I gave it to him. He bit into it right away but it was a messy bite that all condiments on the sandwich fell on the ground and on the table, and then he proceeded to sit down next to me on my table. At this point, I was a bit scared already and thankfully, the family beside my table was looking at us and so, I decided to grab my cocoa (before he asks for that, too) and told him I'd better get going. I was a bit frightened that he might follow me so I went around Times Square until I was sure that he did not follow me. This was a scary experience but I think, it was an experience that made me reflect on some things - not everything in America is rich, there are homeless people, same as where I am from. If the poor in the Philippines are wary of the rain and floods, these guys here contend with the cold. I was told before that I shouldn't give leftover food to these people because they have pride but maybe, just maybe, that person was just really hungry that he overcame his pride to ask for food. I'd like to look at it that way, and not because I was a female, alone in town, that he made me out as an easy target. I'd look to think that person is good and was just hungry and did not mean to scare me. I'd like to think that I may have been a source of blessing for him at a time that he was hungry. Anyways...

my sandwich before a homeless man asked for it

So after this incident, went back to Queens to meet up with my sister, say goodbye to our hosts and go back home to Baltimore.

Thank you, New York, and goodbye for now.