New York City New Year's Eve 2021/22 or: #NegativelyTestedAndPositivelyAttuned

This text was first posted on Facebook in January 2022.

Short USA update:

At the latest after – if not already during – my first stay in the USA in 2009, I realized that I am not a fan, apparently not a lover of America. Everything felt too much, too big, too unfriendly to the climate, too ... typically (North-)American for me back then? A year later, the University of Erfurt took me back to the USA, and I found it a bit better then. However, in 2010, I left again after almost 4 weeks, feeling like: “Well, don’t need to experience that again.” So now again North America, and this time during covid. If the archives were elsewhere, my doctoral thesis would lead me elsewhere; I wouldn’t be here, and I wouldn’t have felt sad. However, New York City pleased me this time, especially with the time I had and without my own stress – worrying about what else I still had to see, do, and explore. Especially the time by the water, the view of the skyline(s), sunsets, (extremely!) long walks – perhaps they were hikes? – Being a detective in archives, searching and finding, a feeling of “This-is-my-home” – at least for a few weeks. Perhaps it was also because almost every New Yorker told me that NYC hasn’t been NYC since Covid; too much has changed, Covid has wreaked havoc too severely, and the people are too influenced and also frightened by it. NYC was quite relaxed up to the holidays. There were hardly any tourists, and if there were, they were mostly from the USA. In some museums and restaurants, I was asked how I, as a European, managed to come to NYC in these times.

Nevertheless – or perhaps because of that? - the stay was divided into two very (!) different city experiences: week one and two: very relaxed, Corona was present and the absolute majority seemed corona-sensitive; a large part was/is vaccinated, far more than the US average, in restaurants there is/was access only with proof of vaccination. Everything seemed okay to me at least. Week 3 and 4: I can’t describe it any other way but panic: the atmosphere in the city had changed drastically. From what felt like one day to the next, people were wearing masks even on the street; even I, who hardly knew anyone in the city, became increasingly aware of who was testing positive or at least had contact with someone who did. The lines at the (free) testing stations became so obvious in the city that I had the impression that everyone – really everyone – was getting tested. There were hardly any self-tests available. Overnight, the subway was almost empty, which I (of course) also tried to avoid. As far as I’ve heard, the situation in Germany/Hamburg has also changed rapidly – this is certainly surprising (unfortunately) not. The difference here, on the other side of the Atlantic, is that while New Yorkers wear masks, only a minority wears FFP2 or KN95 masks. The willingness to wear masks is noticeably lower outside of NYC; in some states there is indeed a mask mandate in public transportation, but it is rarely enforced consistently. Moreover: the vast majority (regardless of where I have been) wear cloth masks or medical masks. This remains a mystery to me even after nearly two years of pandemic. I don’t know if this is the reason, but one reason could be the price: my personal Christmas gift was four KN95 masks and three self-tests for nearly 100 dollars. To avoid the Covid wave at least a little or rather “swim ahead of it,” I continued west. Cleveland with exiled Ukrainians and now on my way to Chicago for a visit tomorrow with exiled Tai’s who will ‘host’ me and give me access to their archives. I am super excited, as always! Resolution for 2022: #NegativelyTestedAndPositivelyAttuned#workandtravelPS: Oh yes, Niagara Falls was too much 'on the way'!