My flight took me from London Gatwick to Raleigh/Durham to Newark Airport, New York. I would then fly Newark-Boston-Heathrow upon my return to the land of rain and bad wallpaper. And would also piss off taxi drivers, suddenly hopping up from my Canal St. t0 Newark cab ride, yelping “No!!! I need to get to JFK! ” and then checking my ticket and realising I was plain confused.

“Why would anyone fly to Raleigh to get to New York?” chimed a weary passenger queueing at the lengthy immigration line. I knew the only reason why I was there was because of my cheap last minute christmas flight to New York… most flights would cost around £400 during christmas and new year. I hung around the Conquest Hospital computer lab at wierd and wonderful hours of lunch and dinner, begged and borrowed for a decent credit card…(Thanks Pandy!!!) And voila, got myself the last sub-£300 ticket for NYC! I shiver in excitement and apprehension as year-end transatlantic flights tend to soar above £400.

“Why would anyone fly to Raleigh to get to New York?” I asked the man next to me, when I saw the flight map and how we were hovering above NYC on the way to Raleigh/Durham. By choice, never again, but right then that was the least of my worries.

Supershuttle was a welcome entity with their $19 door-to-door shuttle van service. I waited and waited. And met Sam Button, from South Africa, having just arrived from her 2 month stint in South Carolina, to spend 2 nights in NYC before heading back home. She was bubbly company, and we decided to hit MoMa the following day.

Arriving at Cass’ lovely flat in TriBeCa at close to midnight… She had her sofa-bed ready for me to plonk my weary self onto, and even gave me a thorough tour of her flat and its workings. All this with a smile, amidst her semester exams! *ahh*

Aww…. This girl was out one day giving free hugs all over Manhattan, I know cos I saw her a couple of times once at Canal st & Broadway where i took up her offer of a good quality hug. And then again at the union square christmas market.

But what really makes a good hug? The actual hug technique? Or the meaning behind the dispensing and acceptance of the hug?

Good hugs are so important. People who don’t understand that are missing out. The emotions infused in and out of your bodies when hugs are given and received is what makes a hug work. Hugging also creates (noninvasively!) the closest distance between two hearts, better fascilitating this infusion of feelings which are possibly centred in the central mediastinal area.

Go forth! Give a hug! Ask for a hug!