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| TAM'S PLACE |
The flight was 7 hours 40 minutes, but didn't seem that long. This was partly due to the 3 generously large glasses of fruit juice and vodka passed to me by the pretty Virgin stewardess I kept smiling at, and also the fact that I was seated next to a young Irishman, Mark, who was as chatty as me. Indeed, given that my ex-wife Sheila is Irish, I felt that we were practically related. On landing, we stuck together as we navigated the vagaries of the rail transportation between JFK Airport and central Manhattan. When we emerged from Penn Station, the sight was almost overwhelming as sights that I had previously only seen in films came into view. Mark and I took a couple of pictures on each other's cameras with the Empire State Building in the background. We then spied an Irish bar over the road and consummated our brief friendship with a drink. I had Guinness, of course. Mark had a lager!! Whatever has happened to young Irishmen these days?
My digs in Manhattan were just a block away from Penn Station. Fortunately, the New York street numbering system is so simple that, even with 3 vodkas and a Guinness in my system, I couldn't get lost. I was greeted by Tam in her small but homely apartment. My bed is a futon in her lounge/dining room/kitchen. For those used to more spacious hotel accommodation, just think of the advantages. I can cook myself a meal, then jump into bed and eat it whilst watching films on the huge television. I think I will be happy here!
In the morning, I pretended I was still asleep as Tam crept past my bed on the way to work.
