New York City during the holidays is the stuff Archie's and Hallmark cards are made of. Blazing lights turning the night into day, huge chritmas trees overladen with shiny red and gold ornaments reaching for the skies with the Star of Bethlehem shining bright, giant inflatable Santas, snowmen, penguins and glittery red sleighs flapping in the wind, every doorway strung with lights and tinkling bells, glittering tinsel festooned on every shop window, the larger than life billboards with the dancing Rocketts, laughing happy voices that spoke a hundred languages surrounded by the sounds of "Rudolph" and "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" - it was New York celebrating its indomitable spirit - saying a New York kind hello to the world during the holidays.

Bryant Park with its shiny white ice skating rink filled with whirring colorful hats, the nimble jugglers, the Christmas shops with bright local art, colored mosaic Turkish lamps, hot sauces called Death by Jalapeno, steaming hot cocoa, stalls selling Ban Mih, fragrant pot stickers, sweet strudels and nutella crepes, vied for the passerby's attention, while the hot dog and pretzel stand on the pavement did brisk business.

And best of all - this was right after Thanksgiving. Black Friday was in full swing - the lines around H&M snaked around the block, Aldo beckoned with deep carmine boots, and the M&M and Disney stores were filled with excited squeaky voices demanding to buy something.

Then we were on our way to the Friends experience, and I have to admit that it was more fun than the skeptic in me had expected - better than the Slomo Institute a.k.a. Slime factory I had reckoned! That place was a kids gooey slimy sticky get stuff all over yourself dream, and having to discover unknown gooey stuff of questionable origin and hue everyday at home had left me a bit battle scarred!

At the Friend's Experience, it was actually pretty cool to sit on the couch in front of the fountain, poke the naked man through the window, ride the white dog statue, posing with the armadillo, trying to 'pivot' the couch up the stairs, get coffee at Central Perk and to remember that even when it hasn't been your day or your year - there is someone there for us all - those friends who are our extended family.

With that fuzzy warm feeling keeping me company - it was dinnertime. When browsing for places to eat - a restaurant had caught my eye - Ellen's Stardust Diner. It was a bit off the way - away from the bustle of Times Square. It was a restaurant with singing waiters and didn't take reservations- seemed to be an old-world small place and we decided to give it a shot. When we reached there - the line to enter snaked around the block and on the frigid New York winter, a 45 min wait with 5 kids amd a very shivering adult in tow was daunting. But sticking it out was more than worth it. Each of the waiters could have been on Broadway - the mellifluous baritone washed over us like warm smooth honey, the power of the tenor played to the crowds and the soprano climbed a new high. But the high notes were mixed with the low - for such talent to wait for the break that may never come, to grow old waiting tables - dreams shattered with every drknk that is served, was a sobering thought.

New York once again had taught me to look behind the glitter and see the pain of creativity being slowly suffocated under the brutal grasp of basic survival.