New York, New Year

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Happy New Year readers (and stalkers)! Well here you go; an update on this blog once again after months of inactivity. And of course, you already know where I've just been: New York, AKA the capital of the world! (I think...)

Before I start, a few notes regarding this post. First, I just wanted to let everyone know that I wrote this blog AFTER my trip, not like my previous posts wherein I write them during those exact dates. I wanted to do this instead since it gives me more time to think about what I type, and not some gibberish bullcrap. And second, this is only a SINGLE POST because 1.) I didn't go anywhere but New York City since I only had 2 full days to go around, and 2.) Majority of my time there involved work. Again, this will be a single post, so be warned, as this is going to be the longest post of my blog! (maybe)

Speaking of longest post, did I mention that I flew on probably the longest flight that I ever took in my whole entire life? No really, CX840 (HKG - JFK) and CX841 (JFK - HKG) (along with CX830 & CX831) are known to be the 8th longest nonstop flights in the world & also Cathay Pacific's longest flight at hair, with over a staggering 15 hours of flying time. Sounds like a flight wherein you don't want to get stuck in Economy, no? I don't want to brag, but I sat on Business Class on both flights, so there! Heh, I apologize for bragging, but think about it: Economy class on a 15-hour flight? NO, just no.

JFK airport wasn't any special. Terminal 7 was just a dull & boring terminal with not much to offer. Once I left the plane on arrival, I realized that I was going through a lifeless & desolate tube, not knowing where it leads until I realized it was already the immigration once I got out. Nonetheless, JFK is a wreck. But hey, it's just an airport; it's not like I'm some kind of hobo who sleeps there or anything.

I was also expecting that there will be those controversial TSA scanners on the inspection area on my departure, but turns out there weren't any. In case you didn't know, TSA has already enhanced the airport security by installing scanners that allows them to see everything underneath your clothes, so yeah... you know what I mean. Fortunately, there weren't any scanners in sight when I left JFK, and I also didn't get any arousals- I MEAN groping. There weren't anything to brag about the departures halls too, but at least there's Starbucks!

Now I have to be honest; New York wasn't on my radar this year, and I don't have any intention of visiting New York at all, since I prefer visiting countries that I've never visitied than those that I've already visited. But still, New York is on my 'Visit these places before you die blahblahblah' list, and this was only my second time in the USA. One thing I loved about my stay in NY is the winter season. I admit that I haven't seen or touched snow in my whole entire life, and playing with snow for the first time made me feel like a child at heart. I know I'm going to sound ironic to this, but I have to thank the weather for being so cold & harsh during my time there. Because of that, lines were short & a few people were only present on the attractions I visited, so... thank you weather!

.... SO!

DAY ONE:

First day was up, and I finally got the chance to meet one of my childhood friends, Ariane. She was the one who actually convinced me to go to New York. I was actually supposed to go to NY on November, but didn't because of my heavy schedule. She, her boyfriend, and their other friend drove & showed me around some of the touristic spots in New York. It took me a while to get along with them, despite all of us being half-Filipinos, but overall it was a fun experience.

Our itinerary was kind of a whack, but at least it's something that I never thought I'd experience. To summarize this whole post: it's a mix of touristic spots and hidden gems. First up was Brooklyn Bridge Park, where we encountered a hobo kicking rocks around us. I was already expecting to see a crazy hobo at least once the moment I landed in America, but I never thought we would see one early in the morning! After that, we drove around the main roads of Manhattan, and boy were the sidewalks filled with trash! She explained to me that garbage trucks had been replaced by plow trucks because of the recent snowstorms. That sounds reasonable, but really? You can't collect the garbage while plowing the streets? Whatever, we're talking about America in general anyway.

Moving on was big-ass Central Park, fully covered with snow & naked trees. Going to Central Park at that time made me feel like I'm in a winter wonderland. I honestly felt like a kid inside when I saw the white snow covering some parts of the park, and something urged me to play with the snow; too bad the snow was so hard to touch. My mom told me that it actually takes 2 days to see the whole entire park, so it was pretty obvious that we only have time to visit a small portion of the park. Even though we only spent an hour there, we actually got to see some of the most iconic places in Central Park, like the Bethesda Fountain, Loeb Boathouse, and The Pond. The water on the pond also froze, so... that at least is interesting.

Next up on the itinerary was Top of the Rock / Rockefeller Center. I have no idea how long the line is on the admissions during a fine day, but I expected the line to be fully packed with people since it's a top attraction. When we got to the admission, that's when I realized how wrong I was. The lines were almost empty, and as we got up to the top, there weren't alot of people too (Again, thank you weather!). As we observed every 360-degree view of the city, I have come to realize that New York really is what I expected to be. The city really is full of nothing but buildings, and loud sirens roar throughout the whole area. Reminds me of the criminal drama shows that I always watch.

I guess I was also pretty lucky to see the Christmas tree at the Rockefeller Center before it got taken down the next day. Right next to it is the NBC building, where they host the Today Show which me & my mom watched before Ariane picked me up. Today Show was also responsible for letting us know about the Christmas tree getting taken down on the next day, so thank you Today Show!

It was lunch, and we ate in a "probably" little-known Japanese restaurant called "East". It's a Japanese-themed restaurant, complete with a sushi/desert carousel. The food was alright, only if you like Japanese food. After lunch, we went to a small shop called Crumbs. I had no idea what it was, until I realized that it was a cupcake shop when we got there. I'm not fond of cupcakes, but after seeing the selections, I knew I had to try one. Their cupcakes varied differently on flavors, and there were alot of unique flavors like Red Velvet, Cookie Dough, and many more. Crumbs really is a must try, so don't leave New York without trying one of their cupcakes!

Last on the list was no doubt, the best place to visit at night. Yep, Times Square. As usual, there's nothing much to talk about there, as we only went around & took pictures. We also looked for the Parsons School featured in the reality show "Project Runway", and boy did it took us alot of time to find it! It really did took us alot time to find it, only to realize that it was just near The Fashion Center kiosk with the huge button and needle leaning against it.

DAY TWO:

The second day was particularly interesting, when my mom woke me up & said "It's snowing outside!" I looked out the window in disbelief, and I got really excited and nervous at the same time. Excited because I get to feel what snow is like for the first time, and nervous because there might be crazy traffic jams already in the city. The snow also reminded me about the Cathay Pacific, British Airways, and Icelandair flights that got stuck on the tarmac for almost 12 hours because of lack of parking, and it really made me alot more nervous since it might happen on the next day on my departure (thankfully it didn't!). Boy was I happy to scoop snow for the first time with my bare hands, but I also blame the snow for wetting my feet!

Today's itinerary was the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Chinatown, SoHo, and Lincoln Center. As usual, I expected the lines at the ferry terminal to be full, but thanks AGAIN to the weather, it wasn't. The season is already making me convinced to go back to NY on winter once again. The Statue of Liberty was very interesting, but I already expected what it will look like in person. Ellis Island was probably more interesting than Statue of Liberty. It's pretty amazing how Ellis Island used to be the main gateway to New York, as the Statue of Liberty greeted the immigrants as a welcome symbol. If Ellis Island was converted into an airport, I think it would be awesome. Too bad we have JFK now, huh people?

We went to Chinatown afterwards for lunch, and boy did the smell remind me so much of Hong Kong! Every shop, every store, and every restaurant reminded me of where I usually go in Hong Kong, but the snow made a difference. We ate in a "probably" lesser-known restaurant called Hop Kee Restaurant (I'm not a restaurant afficionado so IDK if it's popular or not). The food selection was above average, but everything tasted very good. The spicy beef curry & the chicken (I forgot the whole name but it's in the specials section, SORRY!) really is a must try. Oh, and Anthony Bourdain was there! ... No, not him; just his autograph and a picture of him eating in that restaurant, posted on the wall behind us. I bet they posted it on their wall as a symbol of "HEY ANTHONY BOURDAIN ATE HERE I BET YOU'RE ALL JEALOUZZZ!!" But no shit, I idolize his show and his rants. If I had his autograph and picture, I would've posted it on my wall too.

There's nothing much to say about SoHo; it's just a huge avenue filled with branded fashion stores & such. The huge Hollister building is a must-go if you're feeling cold by the weather outside. The temperature inside was so hot, I had to remove my double jacket off! Other than that, expect to see some topless guys & women in bikinis strutting around the store, as if it was a strip club. But seriously, the real reason why it's like that is because it's an ideal way for customers to make them feel as if they're in California. I thought California is a sunny state; why was the whole area almost dark? Hm?

It was really hard choosing a store to shop in, since most of them were high-fashion brands, and I couldn't even afford some of them. In the end, I opted for those I ♥ NY shirts, which I bought in a small rip-off store. What luck!

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... And that's the end of my crazy NY adventure! Congratulations (!!!) if you actually sat through my horrible writing & such. I won't be active again till next time since I need to focus now on my work. But on March, expect me to write something again since I might get sent to an international destination once again for work! (hopefully)

So yeah, till next time!

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