I finally have writing time in America. And to mimic my sessions in Malaysia, I had to be sitting outside, so here I am at Zinburger in Nanuet, NY.

Beautiful evening. Warm, yet slightly breezy. Outdoor music not too loud. Good battery-life on the computer, and sweet-gooey ideas oozing out of my brain.

In fact, I don’t even think the wait staff noticed me for a while. I didn’t have anyone approach me for thirty minutes, and that was only when I flagged someone down. I said I’d like to order a drink, and then she asked if I had been attended to yet, I said ‘no.’  She looked around and located a small index card which was put under the menu. “It’s probably because the didn’t see the card.” I looked at her in a puzzled manner and said, “I have no idea what that index card means.” She bee-lined it indoors and within a second I had a waiter who came and checked up on me about every two minutes thereafter.

I parked myself for two hours there and wrote a 75% rough draft of one of my Christmas sketches, and I was almost finished, that bright bulb went on again and I knew how it needs to end. I just need a little more time to work out the kinks.

Summer time in America is sweet. I can’t imagine, however, what a winter writer in America has to enjoy.

Here’s to many more free and independent writing days in the future.