dallas blog @ ronaldheartsdallas.wordpress.com

Come Fly With Me

A long-distance relationship takes off and lands in crap – almost.

By Ronald Wan • Saturday, September 15, 2007

Every dear friend of mine knows of my love affair with New York. It has been a long distance relationship over the past decade. I have always loved New York from afar and it was made possible by the likes of Tootsie, Home Alone, Autumn in New York, When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail and just about every other movie made by Woody Allen (Annie Hall, Manhattan, Bullets Over Broadway). I swoon at the sights in the movies, the romance of being atop the skyscrapers, the ferry ride across Hudson river and the gorgeous view of the skyline from the Brooklyn bridge ever since I was old enough to appreciate the beauty of movies set in the city that made a million American dreams come true.

New York is the center of the universe and the center of my constant lurid dreams.

I worked hard enough and saved enough dough for the trip of my lifetime. I’m ready. Nothing will stop me from going. Neither school nor the charred remains of a short-lived relationship will deter me. In fact, it gives me the impetus to really just go. Time to take my bite of the big apple.

This trip will be my paean to New York, my lover and my song. And this blog shall bear the echoes of every nuance and every stream of consciousness encountered in the the city that never sleeps.

Leaving On A Jet Plane
It was a frenzied plane ride. Boarded the plane at an ungodly hour. It was my first time traveling alone and taking three different flights just to get to New York was totally not fun. 8 hours to reach Tokyo with an hour layover. Rush rush. Another 13 hours to reach Detroit with an hour layover to clear customs and board the next flight.

Finally, a 2-hour quick (considering the amount of miles I clocked, it was really a quick one) flight to reach LaGuardia airport in Queens, New York. By the time I landed, I was severely bloated with nauseating cramps in my stomach and severely dehydrated. Welcome to America.

We Build This City
From the airport, it was a 2-hour journey in the shuttle van ($16) to get to Manhattan. Met a guy form Michigan who’s in town for the weekend to do business. Nice chap who told me stuff about New York and got me excited. As the shuttle van meandered its way into the glorious city via the Queensboro bridge, I caught a good glimpse of the Manhattan skyline (cue: ‘New York City’ by Norah Jones) and even encountered the crazy traffic in midtown Manhattan (oh yes, that’s Madison Square Garden!). The Italian/Bulgarian/Insert Any Nationality driver dropped me last(!) at my nondescript hostel in the Upper West Side. And I was shocked. Here was I, at the back door of the hostel with narrow corridors leading to rundown rooms. I ventured in and got a little too confused and flustered. Where was the lobby? Where to check in? I decided to follow two European backpackers who were equally clueless and we finally managed to find the lift up to the lobby.

Proceeded to check in and caught up with Sterling who was hanging out in the lobby buying his M&Ms. Thanks for dropping by over the weekend. It’s nice to see someone familiar finally. And it seems like just another weekend in downtown Singapore. Of course, we’re in New York this time and it’s pretty fucking fabulous, if you ask me.

The rest of the night goes by without anything exciting. What do you expect in cold 18 degree temperature? Camera whoring in the streets and clubbing in the upper west side? It’s not Tribeca, honey. All I could think about was the constant cramps in my stomach. My attempt to crap went wry because my stomach was simply too bloated from  flying. I couldn’t even eat a morsel of my chicken breast dinner. Yup, that was it. My first exciting experience in New York was to keep crapping in the diner and back at the hostel. No shit (pun intended)!

So it’s back to my hostel across 10 blocks from the diner and to my tiny room. Well, it’s not The Plaza. I can’t complain. It’s the nondescript and ridiculously titled Candy Hostel at $80 per night. I could get a decent suite at The Marriott back home with that money. Never mind. It shall be a better day tomorrow.

Goodnight, New York.

These Boots Are Made For Walking

How to orientate yourself first day in New York? Keep on walking.

By Ronald Wan • Sunday, September 16, 2007

Okay fine, I wasn’t wearing any boots although ankle boots are in vogue now. Wore my trusty white loafers which was really not trusty when it came to walking miles after miles. Yup, that’s what we did on my first day in New York, thanks to Sterling’s bright idea of checking out the historic districts instead of heading to the usual suspect Times Square which he already did last weekend. Look, I’m thoughtful to others.

So we woke up early in the morning with bright expectations. Waking up on a lovely weekend morning to enjoy the sights. When we stepped out, it was freezing cold. There was a cold front that hit New York. Like strong winds!We set forth into the subway, which to my amazement, was very dirty and old. Considering the hundred years of history of New York city, I shan’t complain.

A black guy on the sub singing ‘What A Wonderful World’ >

Got my 7-day unlimited metro card ($24) and took the 1 train to Canal Street, which is a long street of Chinese/Viet/Korean people selling fake goods. Like Chatuchak if you ask me. The subway was a nice experience. Just looking at the New Yorkers doing their thing (99% of them always have newspapers in their hands and nope, it’s not the NYT!).

So we’re expecting Chinatown to be bustling in the morning. NOT TRUE. When we stepped off the subway, the streets were empty like a ghost town. Imagine 28 Days Later. Nobody was in sight except a few souls. Same applies for the cars. Shops were closed. Then we realised. The New Yorkers (Chinese, Asians, whatever included) were still sleeping. Sunday morning is meant for sleeping. Or church. They only wake up in the later part of the morning to have brunch. So we walked past Elizabeth St, Mott St (saw some Chinese doing tai chi at the park and some playing football) and detoured into Little Italy where we saw remains of the Festival of San Genaro. Meaning the festival ended the night earlier and now they were bloody closed!

We ventured further into Chinatown and saw sporadic shops and bakeries opened; most were selling vegetables and groceries. We continued walking and took pictures now and then. In the end, we realised we kinda walked most parts of Chinatown and Little Italy (these two districts kinda merged due to immigrants spilling onto each other turfs). The Chinatown in NY has the largest community in North America so it’s quite a sight to see SO many Chinese. Felt familiar. So we ventured east towards Lower East Side, hoping for some brighter action. No luck there either.

We talked and walked. Most of the time, Sterling regaled me with his campus stories and adventures thus far in NY. Which was unbecoming of the usually moody and quiet Sterling. Guess he’s really living it up. I was quiet most of the time which was attributed largely to my bloated stomach. Partly, I was simply soaking in the experience. Later on, even Sterling gingerly made the comment that I wasn’t keen to take pictures and assume my role of a camera whore. My defense? I really just want to take in the sights and not worry about taking the right picture of this building in the right angle. And of course, that bloated stomach.

Where were we? Yes, we’re walking in the Lower East Side, which was once a thriving place of funky hippies. Anyway, we walked across and settled down at Washington Square Park for a good, say, 10 mins? We saw dog walkers, kids playing and even a man playing on a small piano out of nowhere. It’s a nice park with a so-so fountain.

And we continued walking towards the West Village. Of course we could hardly feel the happening vibe because it was still early. I forgot to mention the time. It’s bloody ONLY 9am. Or 10am! Way too early. We set off at 7am if you really wanna know. We saw Bleecker St and parts of the West V (Sheridan Sq) and we decided we really had to stop to have breakfast. So yes, time for brunch at a nice decent Italian cafe. I had my sandwich and hot chocolate while reading the NYT. Pretentious but I fucking love it.

Sterling and I spoke a lot about everything, especially on wishing the gang was here (i mentioned it 10 times, Sterling mentioned like 20 times). Finally the New Yorkers were alive! You see them hanging out in chi-chi cafes and laughing their heads off in conversations. We walked much more, past Madison Square Park and caught sight of the Flatiron building. It’s a cool building in a triangular shape which looks like an iron of course. Funny thing is the building was built there just because there was an empty space in the weird intersection so they filled it up. Turned out to be quite a beauty, ain’t it?

Finally, we ventured more towards parts of Chelsea (we saw quite a few gay couples cos Chelsea’s a place for the pink brigade, according to the well-informed Sterling) and then towards shopping heaven, SoHo. Here, you find loads of boutiques selling designer ware. SoHo used to be relatively quiet until the hip and fashionable crowd moved in here. We hardly walked into any boutique because remember our plan was to walk and see. I’ll save the shopping for later part of the week.

Did some shopping at The Strand. It’s a very old bookshop with miles of books. >

SoHo’s really nice but by then, my feet started to ache. It was about 2-3pm. I made a mental note to return here with Aileen and then we ventured eventually back into Chinatown. By 5pm, we’re safely tucked in a Chinese noodle shop eating xiao long bao and beef noodles ($20). I hardly had any appetite because of my bloated stomach and secondly, it’s Chinese food. Hello? I just flew across hundred miles to eat xiao long bao? Anyway, they sucked. Soon, we returned to my hostel because Sterling had to catch the train back to Bronxville, where he studies.

I ’sent’ Sterling off at the subway and lost my way walking back to my hostel. It was just like a 5 min walk past two blocks and a street and I got lost! Never mind, I’ll orientate myself better once I get the shit out of my system literally and my jet lag wears off. By the time I’m done watching the first 15 mins of the Emmys on TV with the other backpackers in the lounge, I’m knocked out in bed cos I was really tired from the plane ride and my first orientation day of endless bloating and walking. I think in the end we clocked hundred miles and these were where we walked from 8am to 5pm:

Parts of Chinatown, Little Italy, NoLita, West Village, Chelsea, Lower East Side…

That’s like walking from Jurong to Orchard we think.

On the sub >

Thank you Sterling for coming by to spend quite a painful Sunday with me.

So, is anyone getting me new shoes?

Shopaholic Takes Manhattan

My shopaholic muse arrives and we head to where else but the most famous and glamorous shopping artery in the world – 5th avenue

By Ronald Wan • Monday, September 17 2007

It’s moving day! Yes, two nights into my stay and I was already checking out. And thank God for that. I moved across two blocks dragging my luggage to another hostel – this time it’s much better with nicer décor, bigger space and a private bathroom. Yup, we’re still in the Upper West Side.

Check-in was at 3pm so I had to wait. The muse was supposed to arrive at noon but she got held up taking the damn shuttle van transport (oh, the horrors that she actually took a shuttle van instead of a taxi). And so I waited for 4 hours straight before my dearest muse, or Aileen, arrived in fashionable style (and fashionably late too).

There she was, walking down West 95th Street pulling a 29-inch suitcase wearing Kate Spade shades and the brightest smile. I was happy to see you too my dear. We hugged. And I commented on her most wonderful get-up seeking the attention from the other backpackers (honey, New York Fashion Week happened last week just so you know).

In and Out
Carlos, the receptionist, commented, “Dude, you have been waiting for hours to check in!” Damn right. Aileen feigned ignorance. We dragged the luggage up four flights of stairs (yes, the hostel has NO lift) but at least our room was lovely. The princess wasn’t thrilled about the tacky red bed sheets and curtains however. I guess she didn’t see the romance in red then.

We didn’t want to waste anymore time. We took the sub and decided to check out Times Square, the place of a thousand billboards, signs and lights. There’s a reason why New York is one of the world’s heaviest consumers of electricity. Points finger at Times Square. But before we got off the sub, Aileen whipped out her camera and started snapping pictures of us on the train and the platform. And I thought I was the camera whore. Well, birds of the same kind flock together.

Bright Lights, Big City
Out of the sub and what a marvelous sight to behold. Too marvelous for words, Frank would sing. Times Square was really bustling with life, hustling with decadence and cackling with well, a million light bulbs! Never mind the cynical comments that it’s a tourist trap. I love Times Square already! It’s what I have seen and imagined from the movies.

Swatch. Hairspray. Mama Mia. The Lion King. Virgin. McDonald’s. Mary Poppins. Lucky Brand Jeans. Herseys. Billboards after billboards and signs after signs advertising Broadway shows and products. It’s Consumerism 101 right here, right now.

As we took in the sights and lights, there was camera action too. A sweet New Yorker approached us and offered to take a picture, which would be shown on one of the many billboards. No marketing scam involved here except to say cheers to Pontiac cars! And so we took a picture on her phone. The New Yorker commented we spoke good English. But of course.

We walked and bought our first hot dog from well, a hot dog stand. We walked a little down Broadway and 7th Avenue and we missed seeing our picture on the billboard (yeah, there’s a line of other tourists like us waiting for their glittering 10 seconds of fame in Times Square).

Over at the 6th avenue (Avenue of the Americas), we saw Radio City Music Hall. A crying shame we couldn’t watch any performances at Radio City for the entire week because either we weren’t interested in the shows or the tickets were too expensive. The Dream concert with Alicia Keys, Santana and other big-name artistes on Thursday was going at $2,000. The cheapest I think was $500. And of course, I would love to catch the famous Rockettes! In fact, I want to be a Rockette but that’s another story altogether.

Anyway, we moved along to Rockefeller Centre right across, which was essentially the 70-storey GE building along with other 20 smaller buildings. It’s also known as 30 Rockefeller Plaza. We took some pictures at the rink fronting the building – a nice café that would be turned into a gorgeous skating rink come winter, together with the giant Christmas tree. We checked out the granite and marble lobby with awesome murals by Spanish painter Jose Maria Sert and made a point to return another day. Time was running out for the muse to do some shopping.

Just Another Avenue
As dusk sets in, we crossed 6th avenue to the other and very famous avenue which got the muse very excited. And so we walked from boutique to boutique checking out Saks to Abercrombie to Gucci to Prada to Tiffany to even Harry Winstons. Good thing about 5th avenue is you can simply check out their wonderful window displays (especially Saks) if you ain’t doing serious shopping.

Spent close to an hour shopping at H&M, a Swedish department store (Madonna carries her line here) that bears an uncanny resemblance to Topshop. Cheap and chic stuff. Bought a pair of checkered pants ($30). Couldn’t find FAO Schwarz the toy emporium but we walked into esteemed and super atas boutiques like Henri Bendel and Bergdorf Goodman. Speaking of the latter, it’s really true about what you read. The women in there were dressed to the nines and probably lived across on Park Avenue. And they really scrutinized you. Aileen was asking about her YSL muse bag while I hung around looking like toy boy / assistant / kept man / man whore / Asian Barbie doll / whatever.

Shopping ended for the quick day as we trekked back towards St Patrick’s Cathedral. The largest Roman Catholic cathedral in the States is a Gothic marble and stone wonder. Celebrities and presidents attend the services here. Tourists were snapping pictures outside. We decided to go in and…

What a beauty! You feel really small standing in this monumental sanctuary. It’s a different world in there, especially when you just walked right from the hustle and bustle of Times Square and 5th Avenue. Feel the solitude and peace within. Light some candles. The cathedral is like an oasis in the middle of a crazy town. The furnishing and finishing here are all ornate and opulent (think gold and brass and bronze). The St Michael and St Louis altars came from Tiffany. Yes it’s that lavish. Don’t think our pictures (or the lack of) will do justice. You have to be here. Talk about being in the presence of God. We walked around and sat on the bench. And prayed. A good start and blessing to our eventful trip for the rest of the week.

We walked back towards Rockefeller (took some pictures; see above), Times Square and had dinner in a southern barbecue restaurant called Virgil’s. Had to deal with huge platter of BBQ food that we couldn’t even finish a quarter. Think corn dogs, ribs, wings, potatoes, sausages and everything fried. Took a few more pictures at Times Square but the night shots simply proved to be too difficult for our point and shoot cameras to handle. It’s pretty in the night too when the lights from the signs simply take precedence over anything and everything. With the traffic noise, this is really what hustle and bustle should be.

Well, it’s been a great first night spent walking around Times Square and 5th avenue. We can’t wait for tomorrow. A day at Central Park beckons. As I close my eyes to sleep, the bright lights of dazzling Times Square still spurt in flashes. Beautiful.

Walk in the Park

As far as I’m concerned, the picturesque Central Park is the most gorgeous and glorious backyard of Manhattan and possibly, the world.

By Ronald Wan • Tuesday, September 18 2007

Who would have thought – heading to the park in the middle of a dog day afternoon? Well, we did, as we made our way to Central Park at about noon. But the weather was perfect – at 21 degrees in the day, who could complain? Besides, the humidity was only at 65%, which means you hardly sweat.

Located in uptown Manhattan, the Central Park is really an oasis to every other New Yorker living in the Upper East and West Side, including those from mid-town area (downtown New Yorkers usually spend time in Washington Square / Union Square / Bryant Park / Madison Square Park). Anyway, it is known you can spot just about any other celebrity randomly on any given day. Angelina Jolie brings her kids here. Natalie Portman was spotted recently. So yup, being the media whore, I was hoping.

It’s gonna be a slow day for us, considering Aileen just touched down only yesterday. We entered via Central Park West (duh, we’re staying in the Upper West Side) which was a short 10-min walk from our hostel. Don’t think it’s just all green grass and blue sky at the huge park here. It stretches 2.5 miles long from 59th to 110th streets and was designed way back in 1850s. Plenty of charm and history if you ask me. And so we being our mini tour of the mother of all parks:

• We first made our way to the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir. Shame on you if you don’t know who she was. It’s a lovely place where many joggers were seen running (one even growled at me for blocking his path) along the reservoir. Even better, we spotted several planes ‘sprouting’ clouds in the sky that spell, ‘UN FOR TAIWAN’ and many other political messages. Hey, it’s the UN General Assembly next week.

The Muse Gets On the Swing >

• Just beyond the reservoir (at 86th st) is the Great Lawn. Big events are held here such as peaceful political protests, concerts et al but it is also a resting place to just about anyone who wants to sleep, read a book or even sun tan in her bathing suit. Yes, we saw plenty of such people, including a family playing softball. We decided to camp here and well, lull. Or bask in the sun. Eat our hotdogs and read NYT. Whatever you called it. The pictures and video will tell the rest of the story. Warning: they are quite a bunch.

• When we were about done with Aileen’s photo shoot (babe, it’s true), we made our way down south of the park. And we saw the Alice in Wonderland monument built in honor of the author’s wife and the nearby Conservatory Pond! Remember movies where the kids played their motorboats in the pond? This is the place! Spotted 2 motorboats and some summer geese who were still oblivious to the end of summer. Met a pretty little girl by the pond side. Said hi to her and her geese. Everything about here is just so quiet and nice.

• Moving on to the Bethesda Fountain and Terrace, which got me very excited. A popular meeting place for every New Yorker (“Hey, meet at the fountain”). You probably seen this fountain in every movie set in NY such as the TV show Angels in America. Reason why, I suspect, is that the amount of natural light in the open space here is enormous. Angelic even. Bethesda means Angel of the Waters, I think. Great place to people-watch here, which we did – for like, 10 minutes.

• A short distance away is theLoeb Boathouse and The Lake. Ella Fitzgerald sang about it in ‘The Lady is a Tramp’. It’s by far the most romantic place in the park. Why? Weeping willows and cherry tree lined the lake. It’s a beautiful body of water where the skyscrapers on the west and east side are reflected on the water. We rented a boat ($12 for an hour) and I rowed while the princess ate her sandwich. By the way, rowing the boat wasn’t easy. You need to have momentum and strength. Speaking of which, this French trio bumped into our boat because the French monsieur had trouble rowing his oars. I spoke some French (which they were impressed, including Aileen) and we helped each other to take pictures of each other. Would love to spend more time on the boat just talking about the weather but the xiao jie was too busy putting the sandwich into her mouth.

It was almost evening so we decided to end our great day at the park and moved along to the MET, which was on the east side of the park at 80th street. But alas, it was closed. Guess I didn’t research thoroughly. We decided to head back another day. And which also meant we had a bit of extra time for shopping down 5th avenue. So the princess happily trekked down 5th avenue and in no time, we’re in Tiffany checking out jewellery.

Before I forget to add, on our way down Upper East Side, the muse got her first of many compliments from this African American standing outside a swanky apartment on the 70th street. He said to me, “Wow, you got a pretty girlfriend there!” Well, thanks but hey, I’m visible too.

It was a wonderful day at the park although there are still other places in the huge park we missed – the tisch children’s zoo, the wollman rink (serendipity!), the conservatory garden (from the children’s classic the secret garden!), the carousel and the obelisk.

We made a slight detour to Madison Avenue to Macy, which turned out to be rather disappointing. After which, we cab down (our first of many cab rides!) to Lexington Avenue and have a nice dinner at the popular St Bart’s Italian café next to the Saint Bartholomew church. We were sipping wine and eating the Chef’s special lasagne, steak and gelato for desserts ($90). It was al fresco and perfect in the chilly winds. We spoke to these two dudes next to us. Actually, those two dudes were more interested in talking to Aileen. I ate my steak.

So You Think You Can Shop?

Shopping in New York usually involves these two Ss – SoHo and Sample Sales. Okay, three Ss. In the night, we’re top of the rock!

By Ronald Wan • Wednesday, September 19, 2007

The things women do for shopping. Hot Mama woke up early (8.30am) to get dressed for the sample sale. For the uninitiated, sample sales are held by the fashion houses in their showrooms and pieces are last season’s merchandise or the runway show held just last week at insane discounted prices. In New York, you don’t shop in the boutiques unless your husband works in Wall Street. Sample sales are the way to go for just about every other New Yorker and fashion-conscious person. Which include us.

We took a cab down to an office-residential building opposite Trump Tower and made our way up. We’re expecting a long queue and bitchy women shoving us off. Turns out we showed up just in time (10am) to get in line and made our way in. And boy, everyone (or should I say, every lady because I’m the ONLY guy around) started grabbing the Gucci, Chloe, Prada and Chanel bags lying on the tables and shelves. Aileen’s brief to me, “Grab anything you think it’s nice and I’ll consider later.” Well, I grabbed myself a Hugo card holder ($80) too. I think it’s just about the only thing for a guy there.

An hour later and after much consideration, the muse emerged with a limited edition Gucci bag (only available in Europe apparently but no chances if a fake bag can be found in Shanghai too). The bag looks causal and pretty on her. I approve. Even the rich Indonesian lady (who bought a Prada bag by the way) approved. Yup, you make friends (or enemies depending on how you look at it) at sample sales. I was hoping for the Indonesian lady to say, “Saya mau toy boy, boleh mau?” Damn, it didn’t happen. No time to waste, we cab down to another sample sale in the Garment District.

Hot for Hotdogs
Garment District on the 7th Avenue is a concentration of workshops to America’s top fashion designers. Parsons School of Design from Project Runway is found here but I think they’re moving to another place soon. Here you find the showrooms hosting numerous sample sales every season selling garmentos (copy versions of couture pieces). And so we descended into this warehouse-looking showroom which has plenty of kate spade and nine west shoes. However, they don’t look too pretty to me or the muse. We left, not so exhilarated.

Love this moody shot in the cab >

We chanced upon Gray’s Papaya, a small deli selling delicious hot dogs and tropical drinks which the ang moh love of course. But papaya and pineapple drinks? Been there, done that (hello Singapore!). We had the hot dogs, which were good. Aileen complained about having the 4th hot dog in a week. Sorry babe, this shall be the last. Yeah right. Good thing about this deli is the good food, established history and political views of the owner Mr Gray. He loves his politics and I think he’s endorsing Hillary to run for presidency. Awesome. I read in NYT that Rudy comes here too. Mr Gray came up with the popular recession special (told you it’s political) where two hot dogs and a drink go for $3.50. Yeah, we had that. We adjourned to the big-ass Macy down the road but turned out to be rather disappointing to me at least.

Not Again!

It’s mid-day and we began our second round of shopping in SoHo, an area tucked next to Greenwich Village and Little Italy/Chinatown with trendy boutiques. SoHo was known to be a hip place for artists back in the 50s to 70s before they all moved out due to high rents. Now, restaurants and expensive independent designer shops are left behind but we also notice the influx of department chains like Bloomingdale’s. And we really walked and walked around SoHo from Scoop to Club Monaco (bought pants and shirt for less than $25; point being one must check out the sale’s rack at the back of the boutique, thanks to heavenly advice from TMM) and countless other boutiques. The muse complained about her aching feet thanks to her unfriendly shoes and besides, we did walk for about 3 hours damn straight. We reached the intersection separating East and West Houston Streets and amused ourselves with pictures taken against the famous DKNY backdrop. Walked a little more till we cab down to Lower East Side where we had a light meal at Katz!

Katz’s Delicatessen is the city’s best Jewish deli and again, patronised by many, many, many celebrities (most are Jews of course). And you might know the Russian deli is featured in Seinfeld quite often. Anyway, ate the famous ‘frankfurter’ or hot dogs (Aileen screams, “Again!”) and soup.

Eating at Katz’s – Since 1888. Salami, corn beef soup, pastrami…all kosher! >

I decided to pacify her with promises of Chinatown dinner later. We walked a little and finally got onto Little Italy. And yup, we managed to spend time checking out the Festival of San Gennaro. Candy apples, pina coladas, huge sausages, fresh bread, all trademarks of Italian food I guess. They really eat like the Sopranos.

Festival of San Gennaro in Little Italy >

Tucked right next to Little Italy is Chinatown but we had trouble finding the SPECIFIC noodle shop Aileen was clamoring for at Mott Street. Problem is, Mott Street is a long stretch and we simply couldn’t reach the other end what with our aching feet. And so we took a cab down the road which turned out to be our cheapest cab fares of all – evidently. In the end, the dragon lady and the Chinese boy (read: me) had her yummy wanton noodles and hor fun. Yup, I travelled half across the globe to eat Chinese food. But I ain’t complaining. It’s cheap and good and the princess was happy.

Rock On
It’s about nine and we still have plenty of time so we decided to cab over to the observation deck at the Rockefeller Centre. Purchased cheaper tickets ($36) thanks to Aileen’s military discount (salute!) to go up to the Top of the Rock. On our way to the 67th floor, the transparent lift (sponsored by Target) buzzes in psychedelic colours as if we’re in a sci-fi movie. Cool shit.

What’s cooler was when we reached the top. Beautiful, beautiful. The winds were chilly and splendid to catch a cold in the open on one of the highest buildings in Manhattan. The reason why we came here first instead of Empire was because we could catch a view of The Empire building itself! And of course, Central Park but it was so dark all we saw was a black patch smacked in the middle of skyscrapers. Bummer.

Wished we could show more with the pictures but again, our miserable cameras couldn’t really take fantastic shots in the night. In fact, every other camera can’t achieve the desired effect except perhaps a superb awesome digital slr on tripod. We fooled around posing here and there and hung around for the next hour or so taking pictures from every angle possible – north, south, east and west side of the building.

To the north, we see the Empire and mid-town (which means downtown Manhattan view is blocked partially). To the west, we see Upper East Side. To the south, we see Central Park and the whole of Harlem. To the east, we see Upper West Side and the Hudson river and possibly New Jersey. Of course it’s hard to identify especially in the dark but the pretty buildings and bridges that glow make up for it. And besides, my geography in New York is pretty good compared to the clueless muse.

The crowd’s much smaller here and much, much quieter, which makes it even more romantic. Spotted a few couples snogging. I guess Empire is much more romantic (thanks to Sleepless in Seattle) but with the crowd there, it’s IMPOSSIBLE to get romantic. So before the crazy Japanese tourists discover and descend on Top of the Rock, this is the best-kept secret for some romantic down time while enjoying the magnificent skyline – for now.

Shop Till I Dropped

It’s a wonderful world when you can buy designer wear at dirt-cheap prices! In the night, it’s Hairspray on Broadway!

By Ronald Wan • Thursday, September 21, 2007

For the first time this week, we actually woke up early. We’re catching an early coach up to Woodbury located in upstate New York (Central Valley)! At 9.30am, we’re armed with Starbucks and ready to board our coach ($30) at Madison Square Garden, our pick-up point.

Woodbury is an enclave of about a 220 brands from D&G, Fendi, Calvin Klein, Hugo Boss, Prada, Gucci, FCUK to Abercrombie housed in big-sized boutiques. They look like tiny houses so basically you walk in the neighborhood from ‘house’ to ‘house’ shopping!

We got there at about 11am and we had 5 hours to shop. The muse and I parted after checking out Saks Fifth Avenue for our own buys. Thanks to the Muse’s brief, I went only to brands that were not available in Dallas because obviously I would be doing more shopping there. Anyway, these were what I purchased all sundry:

• First stop: FCUK. Bought three tees for $40 odd in total.

• Then Hugo Boss. Bought a black shirt (I love, love this black silk shirt which bears an uncanny resemblance to what Tobey Maguire wore in Spider-man; will go perfect with my black jacket!) and two tees. Total: $150 odd.

• Moved on to Lacoste. Bought two polos in pink and orange and in retro fit which is more youthful. Total? $110 only. With that kind of money, I can only get ONE polo in Singapore.

• A|X. A tee and a shirt for $40. Loved this pair of jeans but decided to wait for Dallas, which turned out to be a good decision. More on that later.

• Lastly, two COACH bags. A wristlet and a purse ($110 odd). Obviously not for me.

Just a picture to show off my 70% completed shopping buys.

For more on my shopping digs, check out my Dallas blog at www.ronaldheartsdallas.wordpress.com

Big on Broadway
When we got back to Manhattan, it was near evening and we went to catch Hairspray at the Neil Simon theater in Broadway. We got in line and I chatted with these two lovely South African ladies. “Singapore is really a clean place.” Sometimes I wish we can get more than just an synonym for pristine and untidy.

The cute usher who got the Muse all smiling >

When we got in, we’re promptly reminded no photography was allowed. The theater inside was gorgeous with big chandeliers, wallpaper-adorned walls and very classic and Victorian to perfection. Even the toilets were labeled Gentlemen and Ladies. We got the aisle seats which turned out to be a nuisance when people had to walk in and out and our shopping bags were obviously blocking their way. Two pretty New Yorkers came in late and apologized to us during the interval. Babes, there’s no need for an apology. Should have asked them to join us for dinner after. Aileen asked about her dress. “Got it from a boutique in SoHo.” Ah, SoHo.

The performance started and everything was great! Good morning Baltimore! Lance Bass looked freaky with his post-plastic surgery look. It turned riotous towards the end when Mama and Papa (who are both male actors by the way for those not in the know) did their famous sing-and-dance-and-kiss! ‘You’re Timeless To Me’ routine. The crowd laughed, including the actors onstage! They couldn’t stand their own absurdity!

“I can hear the bells / Just hear them chiming / I can hear the bells / My temperature’s climbing “

“You’ll never be old hat / That’s that! / You’re timeless to me! Oh Wilbur!”

The finale was awesome, with the whole cast chorusing and singing ‘you can’t stop the beat’. Indeed, the whole audience stood up and clapped along! Everyone was swaying. Nobody could stop the beat. I tried to dance. No space.

After the show, we waited outside the stage door where the cast and crew would exit. It’s so cool to see a stage door like those in the movies. I wonder where’s the stage door in Victoria or Esplanade. Then again, I won’t be too excited to meet Selena Tan. Anyway, a male crew member came out and then gave Aileen the look and she got excited. But of course. Everyone was crowding outside the theater nd simply talking about the show. Check out the buzz! We waited for a mere five minutes and decided to leave. Obviously, the stars were not coming out anytime soon. They should be sipping champagne now and even fucking in the powder room. Anyway.

Fell sick, had dinner at a nearby award-winning Thai restaurant (highly recommended by NYT) brimming with Caucasians and promptly went back and moved into a new but fucking crappy Continental hostel ($420). It was a long day and the songs from Hairspray were still ringing in my ears before I finally collapsed in the shaky bed. Good night Baltimore.

And the Statue goes to…

The Statue of Liberty reminds you that hey, you’re finally and really in New York, the capital of the world. At least that’s how millions of immigrants felt back then when they sailed into harbor.

By Ronald Wan • Friday, September 21, 2007

“Yeah, we’re going to Madison Square Garden!” exclaimed the Muse. For the 5th time my dear it’s Madison Square Park, two avenues and several streets away from the actual concert hall itself. And located in Madison Square Park is the popular burger/shakes joint Shake Shack recommended by every other New York magazine in town, the destination for our hearty brunch today.

We took the sub and go straight for the joint. Think something’s gotta do with the Muse because the last time I was here with Sterling, the line was snaking out of the park. Now, it’s just a few hungry souls and so we quickly get in line. Ordered a shack stack (three patties) and a double stack (um, obviously two patties) and caramel chocolate and strawberry milk shakes.

I waited at the counter and then realized I had to wait for my ‘vibrator’ to buzz then collect my stack. Embarrassed, I trooped back to the table to wait. Also realised the line had gotten longer and reached towards the roadside. Told you the strange Muse has magical powers.

The muse amused herself by taking pictures of the vibrator while waiting. The food arrived. I shan’t do a food review here. All I would say is that the burgers really tastes good with the cheese oozing out. Patties are succulent as well. By the way, I think they have non-fat or trans-fat free fries and burgers here so health-conscious folks, you’re saved. The chocolate caramel milk shake was like, totally, awesome (American speak)!

Shake it Off
Time to do some walking to shake off the fats. We ventured down south towards Union Square Park. On the way, we chanced upon the Greenmarket where local farmers sell produce, cheese, cider and everything green! Should have taken more pictures because the colors bouncing off the vegetables are so vibrant! But the sun was blazing hot today! And so we continue walking.

We tried to see parts of Greenwich Village but the walk and sun was bloody killing us. We decided to make our way down south to SoHo and Nolita again. The muse did some shopping and gotta mention our encounter at some wacky shop with an African salesman who possessed an attitude and tried so hard to stomach the Muse’s requests to keep changing shoes. Can’t believe we spent close to an hour at the shop buying a pair of shoes!

We ventured on and spent another hour at H&M. Bummer. Then Uniqlo, a trendy Japanese store for both sexes. Bought a striped scarf and tee ($30). Then moved onto Kate Spade (looking at the colorful wallets perked me up a little; had to stop short of buying cos hey, I’m a guy), Club Monaco and Burton. Decide to catch a good view of the Statue of Liberty in dusk settings so we bid adieu to SoHo.

All On Board
Took a sub to Whitehall Ferry Terminal. Usually, not-so-clever tourists will head to the other terminal at Battery Park and get in line for about an hour, pay for tickets and squeeze themselves onto the ferry to Liberty Island, get off the ferry, spend another hour or so climbing up the Statue of Liberty and then another hour heading back to Manhattan. Sounds very silly to me.

We took the free Staten Island Ferry which would go past the Statue of Liberty and still allow us to catch a good view of everything. Total time spent? Zero queuing time, 30 minutes on the ferry, 5 minutes waiting time on Staten Island and then it’s back to Manhattan. And of course, the splendid views, especially with the setting sun. Priceless. We came at the right time when dusk settled. Thanks to my research of course. Alright, I’ll let the pictures and videos do the talking.

Some notes on the Statue of Liberty: A gift from the French to the United States (no freedom fries jokes here, please!) and unveiled in 1886. Millions of immigrants who came in by ship to the harbor saw this towering beauty and reminded themselves of the opportunities and the American dream. It’s hard not to be in awe of something so monumental and inspiring.

Closing Time
Walked around for a while to find Century 21, voted New York’s best-kept secret by Zagat survey. It’s actually a huge mall with floors and floors of designer apparel from shoes, caps, bed linen to underwear at discounted prices. We had an hour before closing time so we quickly zoomed in on our buys. Total damage done? A Calvin Klein shirt, a BCBG shirt and Polo socks ($60). The muse bought a few pairs of shoes. Wanted to buy True Religion jeans but they were all stacked in piles after piles and it was just impossible to grab from the mess and try on in such a short pan of time. Plus the unfriendly staff (I don’t want to racial profile here but ALL were African Americans) didn’t help.

Once again, the Muse clamored for Chinese food so we cabbed down to Chinatown. Ended up at Joe’s Ginger, the sister restaurant of the famous Joe’s Shanghai. Best part? We shared just noodles and soup dumplings (the muse didn’t have a big appetite). Made our way back in yet another cab ride back to our depressing hostel thereafter.

Mad About Museum

We took four hours to walk or rather, speed-walked/watched/learned/glanced around the Metropolitan Museum of Art

By Ronald Wan • Saturday, September 22 2007

At 9am, someone was at the door and it was Sterling, which got me and the muse all woken up and preparing to start the day early. It was supposed to be a day spent at Coney island in Brooklyn but the weather wasn’t too kind. It started to rain when we cabbed all the way downtown to the former World Trade Center site / Ground Zero. We couldn’t move around the perimeter looking at the rubble due to the rain (the muse or sterling wasn’t thrilled in getting wet) so had to contend ourselves (or myself) staring at the construction and rubble through the underground and sheltered walkway to the sub.

Interestingly, the sub underneath was left intact and left unshaken by the collapsed towers. And then we got onto the sub. No more Coney Island so Plan B was the Metropolitan Museum scheduled for Sunday actually. The sub stopped just right outside Park Avenue (check out the begonias perfectly manicured in bushes in the middle of the road). Walked towards the Met and went in before the rain got heavier. Had brunch at the cafeteria below and started our tour around the museum.

The foyer of the gorgeous museum . One good thing the architects had done was to allow ample natural sunlight to stream in, making the place look a lot more ethereal >

Museum Fatigue…Sort Of
No way we’re checking out the Asian art. The must-sees included the Greek and Roman art. And of course, the Egyptian collection. Saw countless statues and familiar figures in Greek mythology such as Aphrodite, Hercules and even Cupid. Realised Cupid actually died from grieving over Psyche’s drowning. Hey, you do learn something at the museum.

While Aileen wasn’t too fascinated, Sterling and I tried to walk around and appreciate the art around us. But then again, Mr Clever Fox kept commenting he couldn’t appreciate because he doesn’t know much. Well, we got to try since we’re here, aren’t we? Anyway, walking around the museum reminded me to take Art History 101 next semester. I tried my best looking through and understanding the collections from the three civilizations and we even had time for some American history too towards the end.

My favorite area? The Temple of Dendur (donated by the Egyptians to John F Kennedy) located in the area with the gorgeous natural sunlight streaming in from outside through the tall panels while facing Central Park. Lots of New Yorkers simply chill out here. I would too if we had more time.

Speaking of which, I would definitely return here another time and with an audio tour provided of course. Or at least spent some time learning art history or Greek mythology back in school before coming here. For now, I may not fully comprehend the history and the meaning, but I’m definitely in awe of the artistry and craft behind such monuments and statues in those ancient times.

Simply noticed how her yellow coat stood out in the neutral and pastel shades of the museum >

Sterling and I attempted to take funny pictures with the artifacts but we had to be respectful! It’s not a playground but knowing if Ivy were around, things would be very different. Anyway, there was another gang of friends doing the funny thing around already. Look, we’re nice people who tried to be respectful. Anyway, we tried and here’s the pictures to show:

The Muse and Her Muse
We exited the museum and were right back on 5th avenue. By now, the muse was more excited than earlier. She’s going to buy her muse bag from YSL. In fact she couldn’t contain her excitement we had to cab down several streets down to reach there before closing time. This pretty New Yorker lass served her but her attitude was simply curt. Oh, New Yorkers.

When the bag was ready, the muse asked for a box. I could see a faint roll of eyeballs in that lass. She went back to get the box and never returned. A gentleman came out instead with a huge, huge paper bag with the huge, huge box in it and with the real bag in the box. Very comical and what’s more comical was when the muse’s assistant (read: me) carried it. Mr Clever Fox tried to comment wrly, “Wow, you look like a stylist’s assistant again.”

On our way and past St Patrick’s Cathedral again >

Tiffany was closed so we decided to return on Monday. Started walking towards Grand Central Terminal. I loved the place. On the outside, the exterior looked magnificent. And the inside? GORGEOUS. It’s a Beaux Arts beauty, the main concourse has marble floor with a brass clock over the central kiosk and the golden-nickel chandeliers on the side archways. And of course the sky ceiling which depicts the constellations of the winter sky in New York. Every commuter who takes the train here everyday is a lucky soul. It makes going to work such a joy simply walking right through here. Right, Sterling (he takes the train back to Bronxville from here)?

Took a while to find our way to the New York Public Library, another Beaux Arts beauty. Unfortunately, the library was closed. Had to contend with taking pictures outside the library with the Corinthian columns and statues. Sterling and the muse conspiratorially chuckled (look, I’m not living in the states OK and I don’t have plenty of chances to be bloody here).

Drum rolls…we cabbed down to…drum rolls…Chinatown for dinner! Obviously the two chaps who have been living in the states were happy to eat Chinese food. We ate at this Hongkong/Shanghai chinese restaurant and I was placated with eating my favorite ma po tofu. I SO danced. Bought the I Love N Y t-shirts for the gang. And caps too.

And then, we cabbed back to our crappy hostel. What a day. Damn the rain.

The Big Walk

The walk across the Brooklyn Bridge ended up in Coney Island. In the night, a gorgeous view atop the Empire and perhaps the world

By Ronald Wan • Sunday, September 23, 2007

Last weekend day and we had much to accomplish. First stop: Magnolia Bakery at Bleecker Street in West Village. Sex and the City fans, eat your hearts out. This is the one featured in the TV show and had many celebrities as patrons.

We promptly cabbed down to the bakery (and tore my Zara pants while exiting the cab; the cut leather seat caught the fabric and went zzzzzzik!). When we stepped inside, we got crazy. Or at least the Muse and I got crazy. She took pictures while I snapped up the cupcakes with vanilla butter-cream frosting (1 for $2). They are so, so, so pretty! It’s a small (rather quaint) bakery with no seating space. You buy, you go. In the end, we bought eight in an assortment of colors. Greed is good.

Read my review comparing Magnolia cupcakes vs Sprinkles cupcakes (which I tried in Dallas) on Cheryl Chia’s food blog > www.thebakerwhocooks.blogspot.com

Many New Yorkers walk in dressed splendidly in their shades and trendy apparel and some in their morning sports gear grabbing boxes of cupcakes. They probably live nearby given their glamorous appearance. Yes, it’s the West V, who are we kidding? Ralph Lauren lives here. Same applies for SJP. Daughter of President Bush also lives here. Sad truth is, bohemian artistes have long fled the Village due to rising rents. This was the place where Bob Dylan, Nina Simone and many other young and talented artistes once thrived, lived and hung out. Now, the good (and poor) ones have gone onto Williamsburg in Brooklyn. In Greenwich, it’s all rich celebs and politicians living here.

Anyway, we went over to a small playground to eat our cupcakes.

For my comparison with arch-rival Sprinkles cupcakes, check out my Dallas blog or Cheryl’s blog.

I ate my red velvet (“awesome!”) while keeping a close watch at any hint of celebrity walking in and out of Magnolia. YES! Some sexy chick walked in with shades on. It COULD be some celebrity I can’t recognize. YES! Another walked in with a pram. Could be Angelina. Then another. I came to the conclusion every other damn person living in the West Village is a celebrity or dressed like one.

We bought a few books at the Biography bookshop across and went over to the White Horse Tavern. This is where Dylan Thomas was famed to drink himself to death. We didn’t drink. We just had brunch. After which, we cabbed down once again to City Hall – walk in here and register yourself to get married all in a matter of hours.

Below: City Hall Above: Brunch at White Horse Tavern

Beautiful Stranger
We started our walk across the magnificent Brooklyn Bridge. This is the best and cheapest place to catch a glorious view of the Manhattan skyline. The suspension bridge is a wonder with its Gothic-inspired towers, Maine granite and that intricate web of steel cables spun here and there and everywhere to hold the bridge. Consider the history and spectacle then when it first opened in 1883. Too marvellous for words. One of my favorite places in New York.

Getting ready for the big walk >

And so we joined other tourists and New Yorkers walking/cycling across the bridge at our leisurely pace. Took us close to 40 minutes but it was fun. Stopped at few points during the walk to snap pictures with the Empire or the Statue of Liberty or the Chrysler building in the background. You can even see the Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridges on the other side. Let the pictures prove themselves: the wonder of the bridge with the traffic right below us.

The Muse got excited and decided to play voyeur on these blokes. Show-offs >

Seriously, we’re really walking, not posing >

That’s Empire in the foreground and Chrysler in the background >

Just a picture to prove I do take pictures of others >

End of the walk, finally >

Once across, we’re in Brooklyn. Began to hunt for the famous and institutional Grimaldi’s and when we finally found it after making a slight detour across a park, there was a long line. Decided to walk further down to the Brooklyn ice-cream factory. Again we had to queue to get ice-cream, which we did. Then we went to the pier front to catch gorgeous views of the Brooklyn bridge itself.

On retrospect, should have gotten in line to buy my pizza. I still cannot believe throughout my entire time in New York, I didn’t get to have pizza (it’s a farking New York staple). And I was SO looking forward to Grimaldi’s. Another reminder to myself: I’ll do what I want to do next time when I’m here. No buts.

A World Forgotten
Took the 30-min journey on the sub to Coney Island. It’s not an island mind you, just located in the southern part of Brooklyn. When we got there, you can smell the old-world charm. I’m not sure about you, but when I was young, I read about Coney island in the books. The amusement park, the roller-coaster, the big Ferris wheel and carousel rides. No doubt many New Yorkers decry that the amusement park has lost some of its charm. Or worse, they don’t go there. In fact, it’s due to close for renovations and a major upheaval next season so I guess we’re lucky to catch sight of the remnants of history.

On the sub to Coney Island >

Hello Nathan >

Went over to Nathan’s, the most famous hotdog place where they hold hotdog eating contest every Independence day and televised it worldwide. We grabbed two hotdogs and fries and promptly chowed down the oily but great treat. What’s cool about Nathan’s is its tacky design of bright yellow, something that cheers you up while wolfing down the frankfurter. Sort of.

Sadly, Astroland was already closed for renovations. That’s where the world’s oldest rollercoaster, Cyclone, can be found. Sigh. I would love to sit and enjoy the sound of the wheels on the rickety wooden rails. And so we settled for Wonder Wheel, the world’s oldest ferris wheel too. What’s great about this wheel is that you can catch the entire view of Brooklyn (and even Manhattan in the distance on a clear day) and the wheel cabin actually shook, jerked and swung wildly across. Turned out to be fun ride but not so for the muse. I won’t go into details.

View from the (swinging) wheel >

Check out the Muse’s i-conquered-the-wheel face. Sniff >

The cyclone closed for renovations. Bummer >

Walked around the park and towards the beach. There’s nothing much left for one to enjoy except perhaps to bring a kid along to sit on the carousel or play one of those hit and win a ball games. You could tell slowly, things will make way for something new and modern. New York has been a victim of gentrification for the past decades (think West Village, East Village etc) and Coney Island is another example of commerce and modernity taking precedence. Saw some old school mustangs et al on our way back.

And then we made our way back to Manhattan and it was like a long 45-min ride.

A Tall Order
Later in the night, we got dressed up – me in Raoul – for our last night in town. We went to the Empire State building to catch a good view of the city we have come to truly love for the past week. The line was very long (told you the tourists were all trapped here) and so we waited for about half an hour before finally reaching the top. Got the tickets and the audio guide ($45), narrated by Tony the Italian cab driver.

We walked around the deck while listening to Tony’s sarcasm. Finally the buildings everywhere made sense to me because I know what they are. Even Aileen got interested and bothered to listen and enjoyed the audio tour. Tried to take pictures but the lighting was bad, plus there were just too many people. An hour and many chilly shivers later, we left the building King Kong once scaled with his blonde beauty. I got myself a ‘snow’ globe of the Empire. At least keep some romance alive about this wonderful place. Can’t seem to put it best down into words but to be atop one of the tallest buildings in the world on a cold night with the glowing city right underneath, you feel wonderfully alive. I’m humbled.

Never mind I can’t be seen. Check out the Chrysler in the background >

The muse wasn’t feeling too well so decided to make her happy and went back to Chinatown (I won’t be surprised if she ranked this place as one of her favorite areas of her trip) to have a late dinner. It was near midnight already. We ate at the same restaurant as yesterday and she was happy to have her fish soup. Ah, the things I would sacrifice (i.e. pizza) for her stomach. Would love to go to Nobu (which we did in Dallas!) but I guess fish soup was fine for now.

Goodnight New York.

Time to say Goodbye

Last day in New York City means last-minute shopping and some downtime at the Park

By Ronald Wan • Monday, September 24, 2007

Okay, I’m beginning to feel a little sad that our adventures in the Big Apple were about to end. No doubt I promised myself to return in the near, possible future but still, it hurts. It’s like saying goodbye to a lover. Of course I’m excited about going over to Dallas now but part of me doesn’t want to leave New York.

And so we woke up early intending to catch the sub (boy do we miss the sub). But we didn’t want to waste time. We checked out of the crappy hostel and dumped our luggage in the lockers in the basement. We caught a cab down to 5th Avenue. Walked right into Tiffany.

Bought myself a necklace with cross pendant. Yes, I bought a Tiffany ($185 after crazy taxes) for myself. How cute and gay is that. But may I add that the necklace/pendant is meant specially for men’s so for those clueless idiots who think Tiffany is simply for girls only, get a life. I figure might as well get Tiffany since it’s cheaper here compared to back home. And besides, Tiffany in New York is an institution and scenes for countless romantic movies (think Breakfast at Tiffany, Sweet Home Alabama). Let me leave with something romantic and nice about New York. Sort of.

Walked further up to Madison Avenue to get a pastrami sandwich, a staple for New Yorkers. And then we began our slow walk towards our favorite place, Central Park. Amidst our way walking in the park, chanced upon squirrels, people basking half-naked in the sun and in their bathing suits, random buskers performing such as The Blue Vipers of Brooklyn (whom I bought their CD for $10), the Zoo etc. It’s really lovely to be in the park. I would love to just sit here all day to write or read but that’s another story altogether.

We reached the Great Lawn and settled down on a spot. Had our cupcakes from Magnolia, ate our sandwich, hot dog and fries from the boathouse deli. It was really a picnic. And then it was my turn for my photo shoot. I wanted nice pictures of me in the green green grass and blue blue sky. The pictures turned out fine, although I think the muse’s pictures taken earlier in the week were better.

Finally, we packed up and walked back towards our hostel. Realized we’re running out of time so cabbed back at about 86th street. Took our luggage and departed for LaGuardia airport in Queens. It was a quick ride out of Manhattan.

At the airport, I had to grab some of the muse’s stuff cos her luggage was spilling with bags and shoes. As if we didn’t expect it. Rolls eyes.

The ride out of Manhattan was kinda sad. Heart felt heavy. Just when I was about to get the hang of New York, I had to leave. Oh well, goodbye New York but I’ll be back in a week (or two).

Two Weeks Later…Last Night in New York

Back in New York for one last hurrah (12 hours in fact) and it turned out to be a quiet, sweet affair.

By Ronald Wan • Saturday, October 6, 2007

Turns out that Adeline is touching down on Saturday too at 6.30pm. Our plan was to meet at LGA when I touch down at 10.30pm. Which means Adel will touch down, head over to her friend’s place in Brooklyn, hang out and then come meet me at 11.30pm at LGA and we head to Manhattan together! What a great plan! We get to meet and hang out in New York on a Saturday night!

And then it all went wrong. Her flight got delayed and she will touch down at 11.30pm. She smsed me to go into the city first and wait for her. I touched down at 10:30pm and hailed a cab and dragged my luggage to Park Central Hotel in NY. I deposited my luggage($7) with the concierge and decided to roam around Times Square. It was only 12 midnight. Adeline should call me soon. I got a call from her at 1am. She said she’s with her friend now and wouldn’t be meeting me after all. Boom.

And so I’m gonna be all alone on a Saturday night (technically, early Sunday morning) in mid-town New York. I continued roaming around Times Square (at this hour, it was still very crowded) and even walked into a few shops. One final look at Times Square and all the lights. Got a little exhausted and decided to walk into a deli and idle the night away. Ordered a chef’s salad ($20) with iced tea which was enormous. Think lots of lettuce and chunky turkey strips. Whipped out my laptop and started writing away. How cool is that. I think it’s rather chic like Carrie in SATC writing in a deli at 2am. Yes, I find it rather cool.

Few Yankees walked in and ate their food. Must be wondering who is this lonely Asian soul. And then all of a sudden, three chaps walked in and looked like Singaporeans. Then I heard the accent. Yes, how apt. Singaporeans have an accent okay. They ordered cheesecake in perfect English but the accent was too distinctive. Then the lahs and lors came and I knew they were Singaporeans. First time I met Singaporeans in New York on my last night. Funny how things play out sometimes. Anyway, didn’t say hi because I presume it’s too uncool. The deli was about to close so I adjourned over to Park Central Hotel. I simply hung out in the lobby and even plugged in my laptop and continued writing away. The staff never once came over to question me. They assume I’m one of the guests.

Parting is such sweet sorrow

And so I wrote and wrote until 7am when I collected my luggage and hailed a cab out of the city. Took one last look at the city on a Sunday morning (very quiet, very peaceful with hardly any soul except an occasional jogger or janitor). Maybe the city does sleep at all. The air was cold and I could feel the breeze while in the cab. The driver let the windows down. It was nice. I could hear the whispers in the wind. It says “Goodbye Ronald and I’ll see you soon.”