Meandering in Manhattan

I got my exercise walking around Manhattan over the weekend--Jia had to meet with a former student and his business partner about teaching Chinese at their office. This left me with about ten hours to kill in the city.

After showing Jia how to get to her student's office, I took a walk up Park Ave. and admired the architecture of the city I thought I knew. I realized that after so many years of following people around the city, or walking with particular destinations in mind, I had ignored so much of New York. Maybe it was the three and a half years in Shenzhen, but I felt like I was seeing this familiar city for the first time again.
I passed a few interesting sights, such as Lever House at Park Ave. and 53rd St. They usually have some art exhibit, and this time they had some large Hello Kitty sculptures. It was a little unsettling to see these.
Nearby, down Madison Ave., I found an Easter bunny made out of small chocolate Easter bunnies. That sight made me a little hungry.
On the second day in New York, I wandered through Central Park, Columbus Circle, and nearby streets. I took my time and sat outside in the sun (something I didn't have the day before). It made for a pleasant day to read The Last Picture Show while breathing in the fresh air.

The only disappointing part of the trip for the weekend was that the museums were overly expensive. Without a decent job it's difficult to justify paying $20 for a ticket.