:: Pedantic Platitudes ::

:: Saturday, November 29, 2003 ::

Today, we were going to have lunch with another new friend in Yonkers, but my friend's cousin had to go back to Princeton University, where she goes to school, so we all piled into one car and took the drive from New York down to Princeton, New Jersey.

It wasn't too long of a drive. I was surprised that an approximately two-hour drive landed us halfway down the state of New Jersey. On the way, we passed by New York City and Manhattan with all its gloriously tall skyscrapers. The skies were clear today, compared to yesterday's wet and overcast weather. We could see how the Empire State Building stood up so majestically – a beacon to the world.

We went to the house of my friend's uncle, which is in Princeton, New Jersey because my friend's mom had to drop off some items. After meeting the family, we made the quick drive from their house to Princeton University. From far away, we could see the spires of the tower above the trees.

We took the bridge across their artificial lake/river used for crew practice; the body of water looked very natural, not manmade at all. We then drove to my friend's cousin's dorm. After taking a look inside her dorm room, which was very nice (very reminiscent of the rooms inside Matthews Hall in Harvard Yard). It really looked like the dorm they showed in the film A Beautiful Mind, which is set at Princeton University. My friend's cousin said she actually saw John Nash passing by on campus.

Following lunch, my friend's cousin took us on a quick tour of the campus. It is beautiful with its gray stone buildings, which had incredibly intricate details. Their on-campus church had stained glass with such rich colors, and there was even a castle in the middle of campus! Because the university is so isolated from any big city (even though there is nearby train line that can take people to New York City), there is a convenience/grocery store on campus, something we don't have at Harvard University. Another cool thing about Princeton University is that the students get free laundry; that is, there is no charge to use the washing machines.

We shopped around the U Store, which sells official Princeton merchandise, and then we headed back to New York. We passed by Newark, which had really pretty tall buildings, and Manhattan. The setting sun cast a golden glow on all the tall buildings, and it gave the city such a magical feeling. The view really was incredible. We crossed the George Washington Bridge across the Hudson River and made our way back to New York.

Tonight, my friend showed us her yearbook. Then we went and had dinner at a small Chinese restaurant that was pretty good. We all shared different dishes in a family-style meal. Then, we got to meet Chris, my friend's best friend from high school. He really was the lively character my friend described him as, and we had an enjoyable conversation at the coffee shop. Finally, we returned to my friend's house, where we settled down for one final night in New York.

Quote of the Day: "You know what's creepy about Massachusetts? The Amish."

:: SL 6:11 PM [+] ::
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