It was deep autumn of 1999 when I first visited the New York City. The fall colours in the Central Park and the cool wind blowing the dead leaves on the fifth avenue triggered a home sickness I seldom experienced during my roaming years in southern California.
Now standing on top of Rockefeller Centre overlooking the New York skyline with the State Empire Building posing its magnificent existence right to my eyes, I felt thrilled while bewildered, welcomed while intimidated, inspired and revitalized. This is a sleepless, charmingly lit up whirlpool where souls from all over the world get drawn into, linger and get lost; dreams of all sorts are born, fulfilled or smashed. If I were 20 years younger, I would jump into it with my splendid dreams, with hope and without fear.
1999年的深秋，我第一次看到纽约。中央公园的秋色和凉爽的秋风让我行在第五大道上听着落叶瑟瑟，心中涌起浓浓的对北京的思念，化成泪热了眼睛。此前在南加州永恒的灿烂阳光中数年，很少体会这样的乡愁。
此刻站在洛克菲勒中心的观景台，望向纽约的天际，帝国大厦就在眼前赫然矗立，我感觉激动而迷惑，跃跃欲试又惴惴不安，被一种活力感染得年轻起来。眼前的这座城市，仿佛一个永远无眠的、被点亮的美丽漩涡，卷携了世界无数心灵投入、眷恋直至丧失。在这不眠之城，梦想诞生、实现、破灭，但生生不息。如果我年轻20年，我会怀着梦想向这个漩涡纵身一跃，无惧而满怀希望。