Following summarizes our three interviews from the site: Grand Central Terminal.
1. An immigrant
He was an older gentleman, pacing steadily along the concourse of the Grand Central Station. Every now and then, he would stop, and take a look around. In the sea of people, Terminal rushing to their destinations, his slow ramble stood out.
We asked him if he’s lost, and if he would like our help.
He smiled, “ah, no… I’m just walking here”
“Walking?” we were puzzled. We asked for a short interview for this assignment.
He explained how as a child, he had fallen in love with the movie North by Northwest by Alfred Hitchcock. In the movie, there was a scene with the main character being chased through Grand Central. This scene was strongly stuck in his mind and his dream was to visit the great hall in his lifetime. As his son works in New York now, he has also moved from the old country. We exchanged a few more pleasantries and parted ways.
2. A wedding
Grand Central Terminal could be a grand place to have a wedding. Actually that’s what a lot of couples think. One such company offers a “One Minute NYC Elopement” deal. With a banger name like that, who wouldn’t be up for it?
We saw a couple posing in what we thought was their impression of “The Kiss” by Gustav Klimt. They then did a lot of other poses in quick succession. We were compelled to keep watching. Finally, it was a time for their break. They sat down, the smiles from their faces switched to exhaustion. We went over, and asked if we could interview them for this assignment. They said no. We felt sorry, but could empathize why they refused at the same time. It seemed like they’ve been there for hours.
We then walked over to their photographer and talked to him instead. He was in a much better mood, sipping on from his Nalgene bottle.
He told me that the couple was on their honeymoon from Texas. He also told me that the majority of his clients are from out-of-town. The locals (New Yorkers) generally don’t get suckered into something like that. Ironically, they prefer going to the countryside. We talked about our favorite restaurants in Manhattan and he recommended that we should try out a place called “Halal Guys”. He then went back to the shoot.
3. Lost ‘n’ Found
Every day, a hundred things are lost and found in Grand Central Terminal. That’s what the attendant at the counter said. Of course, her being the undisputed expert there, we took what she said for it.
We asked the attendant for some unusual events in her memory during her working years at the Grand Central. She listed some things lost and found: Rings, eggs, drugs, bagels, expensive coats, a bicycle, etc. Then, she remembered that one time, there was a misunderstanding where somebody claimed her property of someone else’s bag. It turned out that they both had the same name, and had the same design of the bag. It was a bewildering experience for everyone involved, something that you would expect out of a movie. We thanked her for sharing her stories and left the station with some new memories on our own.
We do not expect these interviews being practical, but they made us feel just a little more connected with this city, and its inhabitants.
