i'm SO a new yorker, mid-toooooown

so today i'm going to drop my visa off and i'm trying to hail a taxi outside the hotel. this cute girl walks up and asks if i'm getting a taxi (to which, i replied in my head, "no i just like pulling over yellow cars, it's a thankless hobby."). "yes" i said and she asked if she could ride with, sure no problem, i don't care. so i shared a taxi with someone without even trying (i'm sooo NYC). she said i should get in first because she was getting out first or whatever, so i go to get in, crash my head of the car, stumble for balance while falling into the taxi and doing a faghat pirouette while slamming into the opposite door (i'm so zac smooth). it ended up being easier for me to get out first, so i gave her my part of the fare and was off.

the visa department only accepts visa applications from 9:15-12:15. i got there about 9:30 and was surprised how few people were there (last time i was here was just after an indian holiday and it was PACKED). i took my number and got to the front around 10:15, told them my invitation letter was faxed this morning. she goes and checks, says it wasn't received, and good day. fuck off, i need tha visa now. she was quite rude about it. having only received a copy of the invitation as a *.tif attachment in my e-mail this morning, i hadn't had a chance to print it up. so i'm running around manhattan trying to find a kinko's. i left my mobile at the hotel, so i couldn't even call someone to look up the nearest. i knew there was a FedEx/kinkos near the hotel but that's like a 40 minute round-trip, but it's the best i had. i passed a copy/print shop and went upstairs to find 2 jewish guys all bearded and yamaka-ed up. they can't help me. as i was leaving, i think i realized they were listening to the shuttle launch (damn indian consulate made me miss it). i made it to the FedEx/kinkos to find they don't open until 11:00AM, WTF kids? this is the city that never sleeps? so i passed a maliboxes etc. hoping against hope, and was met by a rather nice gentlemen who i think belonged to the village people, very tight leather pants, tight sleeveless T-shirt, and we'll say a pleasant demeanor. he couldn't print from a USB, but suggested kinko's i told him they weren't open, but he told it was a bigger one across from trump tower. awesome, that is on my way back to to consulate. i get there, try printing but for some reason the stupid thing tries to print, but prints blank sheets. so i had to do some fancy print screening, editing with paint, and **abracadabra** i had an official invitation letter. the security guy let me go straight to the window without taking a number since i'd been three earlier. so i'm applied, it was like 11:45. i made it with 30 minutes to spare and my NYC touring plans were in shambles. by the time i made it anywhere, i wouldn't be able to stay because i have to go pick up my passport at 4:30pm. dammit.

i took a few quick pictures on my way about today with my new camera. it is much nicer since i don't need a damn satchel to cart it about. i just whip it out and wham, bam, thank ya ma'am. got a picture of some crazy asians doing some meditation on the subway grating in front of a grocery store (check out the guy doing what i did, looking over to see what the hell they were praying to). holy temples in the USofA are just so rare nowadays. in india on the other hand, they are popping up like daisies, you can trip out of one into the other. but enough about india, i'm away from there for a while. maybe more later, beer here i come.