The city also sleeps

New York is described as a city that never sleeps, but in truth this applies only to Times Square and around Broadway where tourists and locals stay nightlong for the sights. The rest of the city sleeps so that when we passed the apartments in high-rise buildings and condominiums of the wealthy, the lights were also off. The city snores, though, the cafes and bars were open when we passed by at eleven in the evening.

One can really get mesmerized by the lights of Broadway and Times Square and the continuing news and feature stories flashed on giant screens that keep the area alive. Peddlers of all kinds –ticket sellers are aplenty – and people in costumes dressed like the Statute of Liberty or cartoon characters cater to tourists for a pose and the usual “donations”.

I think this is the only place in New York where the lights are dazzling. We walked for blocks along Lexington and Madison and many places along these roads are dimly light, just like our city streets. This is the reason that not a day passes where crimes are not reported. Throughout our walks in these two long boulevards and several others, we have not seen a policeman although police presence can readily be felt with the constant wailing of the sirens of their cars and of ambulances.

I think there are more policemen to keep Times Square and Broadway safe than in the other parts. Mercy Castillo in whose apartment we stayed, told us that she had no trouble commuting even at midnight.

We took a walk in Central Park on a sunny October 20 with Rosenie Macaldo who has made New York her residence with several trips back home in Bacolod, guiding us along Museum Avenue until we reached the Metropolitan Arts Museum where we paused and ate hot dogs which are only $2 each with all the condiments one can ask. The same hot dog costs $4.75 in Times Square and $0.25 for additional fillings.

The park is really large. We walked what could be several blocks and we have not exited yet. It has a wide lake with ducks and geese flying in and out. Their number is being controlled because at one time a flock hit an aircraft and caused an accident.

Since it was a sunny weekend, the park is filled with people, running, biking on all sorts of bicycles or walking. The woods are thick, their leaves and flowers bursting into many color as autumn sets in. It is a place to go and relax.

Not until we reached New York did I realize the implications of the Cyber Crime that was recently passed in the Philippines. So much criticism has been thrown against the law on the issue of libel, but the implications are greater than what we are concerned about.

Of course it would take so much time and more advanced technology on our part before cyber crime haunts us.

Well, already I got an earful of what the use of the internet and the web can do to harm us.

If my columns get delayed, this is due to this apprehension that our internet connections open our computers and files at risks. I am writing from Manhattan but I dare not send my columns without a secured connections and the apartment where we are staying has none.

I also cannot go out where there are many free wifi because the danger is far greater there.

I was warned not to use the free wifi because the hackers and the internet thieves of all kinds will be alerted immediately and then get into my computer to check on my files, especially on financial records, personal data, etc. that they can use.

My personal data, for instance, can be sold to companies and I get a load of advertisements and garbage. Worst, the hackers can be naughty and cause the crash of my lap top which serves me well during this trip.

I thought the censorship in Madrid was weird and in warnings in Shanghai was paranoia until this warning in New York.

It must be also true in Europe because when I asked Eric in France for his password, he gave me a rumble of letters, numbers and symbols. When my nephew in New Jersey, Wilfred, set my connections, his password had over 20 letters, numbers and symbols that do not make sense. The same thing happened in Bridgewater, NJ. My other nephew, Andrew has a password as long as the alphabet.

I have to send my columns from New Jersey where my nephews have secured connections. Such, indeed is the life in a city that keeps awake for the tourists but underneath are problems we all share.*

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