a deaf-blind New Year's

This is an email from my friend Martin, who is deaf and blind (due to a condition called Usher's Syndrome, whereas people lose their vision and hearing, or also common, are born deaf and lose their vision slowly. He is nearly blind and uses tactile sign language since he cannot see sign language anymore.) He is super cool. Martin asked me if I wanted to join him as he wanted to get friends together to go to Times Square for New Years Eve. Not only did I not want to go, I didn't want him to go. I thought it would be dangerous for him. This email reminds me warmly of the power of saying yes instead of saying no to what you want to do in life and taking a chance.... thanks, Martin!


I did not expect to happen in Times Square for NYE as it would be dangerous, cold, crazy and no lavatory...... Never been there for the past 55 years so why not I go there for it once in a lifetime, right!?

Well my good friends Liz, RJ and Sylver joined me to a restaurant called Blue 9 for a great burger and fries on Third Avenue between 12th and 13th Streets in Lower East Side around six pm. Great burgers! We made sure we used lavatory before heading out to Times Square! :-)

We took the subway "L" and "F" for 42nd Street and Sixth Avenue near Bryant Park. We walked to Times Square but so many barricades and gates have been set. Asked cops where we could stand in the disabled section for people with disabilities (nerve-wracking) but cops said that we needed tickets to enter in the area so we would not be able to go there. Really to our disappointment and frustration, we were upset but then they would let us in anyway. We were soooo happy! When we arrived in the disabled area around 7:30 pm, there were few people... It was so C-O-L-D and windy... it was 17 degrees that evening. BRRRRRRR We managed to stay warm but we found a place to keep warm for a while at pizza parlor.. They asked us to leave the parlor cuz we stayed for too long! :-)

We were freeezing outside in the area but we tried to keep each other warm by hugging, dancing and moving.. Wow the lights were sooo beautiful all over the place in Times Square that includes big TV screen, big captions, flash off and on, big time clock and finally we saw beautiful crystal balls up in the air changing colors... Really fascinating!

We found another place at a bakery restaurant to keep warm. Working people there were so nice to let us stay for very long cuz they enjoyed watching us using sign language and making gestures at working guys! LOL

We left for outside feeling so cold! We went back to pizza parlor for a while but they told everyone to leave the parlor at 10:00 PM as they were going to close that time (FROWN)

Really to my surprise, more and more people showed up there after 10:00 PM they were brave for cold weather. Very crowded at 11:00 PM and there after! Some are tame, some are crazy and some rowdy!

When we stayed outside, it was brutually and bitterly COLD and very breezy. Liz asked us if we should go home so we discussed for a while but decided to stay until after midnight trying to be sooooo patient and persistent! We watched lights and balls also we chattted but it was soooo hard to understand each other cuz we used big gloves also I put wool hat over my face off and on!

So FINALLY it was midnight we saw crystal balls dropping by and we all clapped, screamed and hugged with some strangers and friends... Oh my goodness my feet and toes were frozen like a frost-bite!

We hurriedly left the area around 12:15 AM for the subway station with happy feelings. We walked so carefully cuz there were sooo many people drinking and sooooo many cars all over the place. We finally got the subway stop at 42nd St and Fifth Avenue... We were so happy we got inside subway station feeling warm! We took "F" for downtown but Liz/RJ stayed that train all the way home. Sylver and I took "L" for First Ave and walked fast to my building! Arrived home around 1:30 AM but then Sylver went home to the Bronx!

I don't think I will ever go back there again for the next 45 years LOL

Have a GREAT NEW YEAR!