Surprising to Listen ” Carramba che sorpresa” in New York

New York is beautiful, but according to my travel itinerary, it is time to leave and head to Philadelphia and Washington D.C. On Couch Surfing Groups, I met a Canadian guy, who was originally from Beirut, who was making the same journey through New York.   The idea of traveling together was very attractive because he would have taken his car and I would travel as Kerouac.  It would be able to not spend any money for a bus.  Unfortunately, I received no news of him, and my intention was to leave tomorrow.  So, instead I am going to enjoy New York while I am still here and then plan on going to Philadelphia next Monday with or without him!  Among other things, this week I have the opportunity to stay with Sid.  He then will leave for Paris on the 28th. I have English brunch with Neil, resuming luggage and while I take a shower, I’m listening to the stereo of the bathroom, the soundtrack of Carramba che sorpresa! a 90’s TV show by Raffaella Carra. At first I thought it was in my mind, because the sound was really soft, but when I approached the stereo, I saw the band with the Carra, with his timeless haircut.  Caramba! WHAT A SURPRISE!  Amused, Neil confesses to me that when he lived in Rome, he discovered Raffaella Carra and became a fan.  Well, I can understand, it is an icon for us Italians! This is another moment, despite being overseas, it’s as if I were constantly in Italy.  I say goodbye to Neil and we plan to meet each other again.   Three weeks in New York is a long stay and who knows if I will get a chance to see him again.  The elevator flashes the thirty-first floor and at every blick down, I remember how high I was.  I still have a clear image in my mind of the breathtaking view of skyscrapers, that once I arrived at the ground floor they look unattainable now, as if they are touching the sky. To get to Sid, I don’t need to change metros, I just continue with the C line.  It is good, because the calluses on my hands are beginning to be felt, especially when towing the smaller bag with my computer and books.  I arrive in a pleasant residential complex with a small garden, lines of trees, raised on the sides with sparking blue and purple geraniums and begonias.  There is an increased attention to the white bricks that lead to the entrance.  Sid welcomes me with open arms to the entrance of the building.  This time the building has 30 floors, but Sid only lives on the second one.  He warned me to bring my suitcase before 13.00 or after 15.00 because he was in another apartment.  As usual I arrived at 14.30!  However, the apartment is one block from where we are.