Tuesday, January 09, 2007
NYC
Well, guess you guys have seen some photos on the class blog already, so I shan't bother putting a lot more up..just one pretty one of puddle and me at bubba gump, the amazing restaurant inspired by the movie "Forrest Gump"!
Can't get enough of my nice face? go to: http://picasaweb.google.com/boonshan/NYCTrip :P:P
Since I don't want to give a account of our day-to-day events coz im lazy and the photos more or less show where we visited, I'll make a list of 10 things I love and hate about New York. (I realise I love making lists..maybe it is a suggestion of my innate talent to organise and consolidate ideas..HAHA)
Well, let's start with the bad things; we'll save the best for the last!
10 things I hate about NY:
#10: It was freezing cold and yet there was no snow!!! so much for a white christmas..bleah..
#9: The excessive number of bilboards that I personally feel serve no great purpose other than to waste electricity.
#8: The terrible traffic which makes my heart jumps into my mouth everytime I cross the road (ok, i'm exaggerating, but the idea's there)
#7: The fact that it is the city which never sleeps but most shops close by 9pm.
#6: The exorbitant prices of souvenirs just because they have "I love NY" on it. (ok, I admit that I was thinking of buying them because of that phrase in the first place, but STILL..)
#5: The subway stations which are old, noisy and most important not user-friendly because there are no escalators and you have to climb up and down if you enter from the wrong side of the station.
#4: The lack of places with restrooms. I know this sounds funny, but I was seriously needing one after the new year countdown and we had to take a train to another place to get to one..
#3: The super long lines/queues at all the tourist attractions. Well, I guess it's kind of expected, but it's boring having to wait for an hour or so at every place.
#2: The crowd. Seriously, it's as if the entire world is at NYC.
#1: The feeling of loneliness and lack of the human touch despite the fact there are so many things and people everywhere.
Ok, now to the good things.
10 things I love about NY:
#10: Authentic chinese food at Chinatown!
#9: The little roadside stalls which sell pretzels and hotdog buns: our yummy supper!
#8: The endless shopping that can be done, which also made my wallet much lighter. I returned with an extra bag.. :S
#7: The entertaining and talented buskers. There's music of every type (there was a chinese man playing the jin hu and san xian, and another guy playing some sort of african drums).
#6: The layout and numbering of the streets and avenues. The roads more or less form a grid and the street and avenue numbers run in order so it's pretty easy to get to a place once you know its location.
#5: Broadway musicals!
#4: The fact that many things work on the honour system, which contributes to customer satisfaction. Examples include store return policies where you can get a complete refund back even after you have used the goods, and being allowed to enter the subway station without paying if you were stupid and entered from the wrong direction and can't swipe in again.
#3: The couple of really nice and considerate people I met on the subway. And people are more courteous in general, as in they don't push and shove to get onto the train and they usually let people alight before boarding (without the need for friendly reminders over the broadcasting system)
#2: The freedom of expression and hence activism. It's an experience to hear people preaching their religions in the middle of the streets, speaking about the hanging of Saddam Hussein etc..
#1: The fact that there's always things to see and do. It's like a treasure trove of different gems waiting to be discovered, and there's at least a gem that appeals to you regardless of what you like.
So, here are my top 10 lists for the best and worst of NYC..hope you guys enjoyed it!! Disclaimer: the above content represent my personal opinions and are by no means intended to suggest or generalise anything about NYC..you have to go to experience it for yourself! :):)
boonshan at 8:39 AM