Moving into the rented apartment (2)

   When I woke up on the second day, Rich, the one who was most firm about giving up the apartment, asked me whether we would got into trouble legally.We singed a lease contract and submitted security deposite. We are not supposed to break the promise. As I found it hard to switch what I said the day before , I gave the landlady's telephone number to Rich. However, Rich could not reach the landlady. She tried to telephone Vince, the guy who was to give us the keys. This time , she got connected. She explained our dilemma ,asking Vince to tell the landlay about it. Half an hour later, the landlady answered my email, explaining the key to the apartment was exclusive. Although there was an exchange of quite a few emails ,we were still uncertain about what we should do .

The building the apartment is in

     However, Rich seemed to know what she should do. First, she had Vince come

The backyard of the apartment

to the hotel and urged us to buy some necessities for the new home. Though puzzled ,I followed her. At five thirty, Vince turned up . We took two taxi and came to the apartment. This time, to our surprise , the apartment was clean and cool. While Vince got Internet activated, there was actually a storm .The apartment turned cool and windy. We also checked keys to make sure of the safety. We cleaned and  tidied up the rooms. At last ,after frustration and hesitation, we got settled! It is good and we feel good.

      Now we have stayed in the apartment for several days. We enjoyed our first Chinese style supper here. We have come to like it.

The outside of the building

Preparing supper in th kitchen

      All this happened thanks to Rich. I wonder, Rich, who is generally gentle and soft ,became so resoluate and decisive that day. But for her action, we would be staying in the crowded hotel room now.

My first impression of U.S.A.

    What struck me most when I came to America is the blue sky and wide open green space that stretches miles before us when we are on a bus. Everything seems crystal clear and the natual wonders are kept as they are. Niagara waterfall presents a perfect picture of miracle of nature, magnificent,misty,thunderous.

View from the bus window

Niagara waterfall in the sun

   The density of buildings in New York is appalling to me as well. As I look down from Empire Building, what I see actually is a forest of houses. This time what I can not help wondering at is the wonder human being has worked out,skyscrapers, Wall Street and so on. The wonders are more richly and vividly shown in New York's Metropolitan Museum, where there is a display of ancient Egyptian culture, Greek and Roman statues ,European oilpaintings ,China's pottery ,Buddha statues and calligraphy and so on. The splendour and delicacy  of the art works  and the great variety of the styles  are so overwhelming to  me that I am full of admiration for human production.If nature is a miracle, man, as a part of nature,blessed with  imagination and creativity, creates even more miracles.

Pottery from New York's Metropolitan Museum

A bird's eye view of New York city

Independence Day

    When we arrived at the cemetry on the morning of July 4, a group of people had already gathered there.A man in suit was making a speech .Far off, quite a few people in uniform were standing with flags in their hands. A man was riding
 a big horse. As the speaker asked , they fired cannons two or three times. All these  brought us back to the days when United States of America was founded.
     "Soldiers in Independence War"

Each holding a different flag, 

standing for a state.

Making a speech in honor of one of the founders

   A parade followed , with the "soldiers"  holding the flags on either side of the path. We followed the crowd  and stopped in front of two  graves to honor the two great men in New Haven who had contributed to the founding of U.S.A. Two men,one a former mayor , the other a former navy colonel, introduced the life and exploits of the men, telling us the role of these two ancestors in the great event and their life as an ordinary man as well. I noticed the tone of casualty and humour in the solemnity and respect they show to the great parents of this country. I wonder whether this is typical of American people, that is , they try to keep themselves in a relaxed and light-hearted state when they are engagd in a serious thing. Maybe this trait explains the humor and optimistic attitude of Americans.

    The patriotism and passion of the participants reached climax when all the people sang the song God bless America and chanted prayers for America.

The participants of the celebration