Forever, Strawberry Fields

The last time I was in New York, we missed Central Park. Two weeks ago, when I had the chance to go back, it was on top of my list.

We thought of just meandering around but without an iota of knowledge, we realized we’d just be going around in circles. So we enlisted the help of a Turkish pedicab driver to take us around the park for an hour at a mugger’s price of $90 for me and my sister, Flom. But it didn’t disappoint.

The park is relatively huge at 3.4 sq/km. Located at the heart of Manhattan, it was opened back in 1873. According to the guide, everything at the Park is man-made, except for the blue rock formations.

With the weather too cold for comfort, we were like the Michelin Couple. I had thermal gloves and a woolen cap, thermal shirt, sweatshirt, a Columbia jacket, a bubble jacket and a scarf!Until you experience the late November chill here, it’s hard to describe. But the streets of NY are easy to follow especially with the numbered streets so we walked, smelled, observed and savored the sights and sounds of all 19 blocks from the Port Authority of NY and NJ up to the Central Park South entrance.

It’s not hard to miss the cyclists and runners who train around the park. The course is mostly up and down and the cyclists are all bundled up against the cold wind. But the runners, who the guide said are locals, weren’t bothered at all by the cold by wearing singlets and shorts.The guide also mentioned that the Park is one big movie studio with several top-grossing films being filmed here. Lots of movies, with the popular being “Home Alone”, were filmed here.

The area around the park is one of the most expensive pieces of real estate in the world. The Kennedy’s, Michael Douglas, Steve Jobs, John McEnroe - to name a few, are celebrities who lived around the Park.

However, the highlight for me was Strawberry Fields, an area in the Park dedicated to the memory of John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Written on a brass plate, attached to a rock, was a line from the second stanza of the song, “Imagine”. It says, “Imagine all the people living life in peace”, with all the countries inscribed below it, including the Philippines. Goose pimples. Up ahead was the round, black and white “Imagine” mosaic. At that time, a line of wreath was placed across the middle of the mosaic with two short diagonal wreaths beside it forming the universal symbol for peace. It was a jaw-dropping moment for me, a Beatle fan since high school. Across Strawberry Fields was the Dakota Apartments, in which the Lennons owns two floors. One side of the building, at ground level, were two burning lamps, the exact spot where a deranged fan, Mark David Chapman, fatally shot John.

It’s hard for me not to compare Central Park with the so-called parks back home but what I realized the most is that the New Yorkers love their park. While we think that our parks are “government” parks, the New Yorkers believe that it is their park.

When you find yourself in the Big Apple, the Park is a must-see. In the end, while Central Park is a nice place with a long history on it, my heart still pined for home.

Finally, I’d like to thank the following people for the warm reception during my 7-day stay in the NY/NJ area - Flom, JC, Hazel, Erin, Renzo and Longlong. Thanks guys!!! - THE FREEMAN