I had 3 things I wanted to accomplish during my trip to the US. I wanted (in no particular order) to see the sights of NY, to buy something I would normally never buy & to avoid getting the A(H1N1). I am please to say that I’ve achieved all this and so much more.
There are more photos on my Facebook account. If you can’t see my Facebook account then there is a reason for this.
The sights and sounds of NY
Walking along Broadway
I got to see, in no particular order, Chrysler Building, Grand Central, Statue of Liberty, UN Building, Times Square, Yankee Stadium, Rockefeller Plaza, Madison Square Garden and Broadway.
I did get a glimpse of the Empire State Building but as it was always out of my way, I didn’t bother to check it out. I didn’t bother going to Central Park but I regret it now after my friend told me that there are football pitches there and I could have tried to join in. A few people told me to go to Chinatown and I always remind them that I come from a city which is like a Chinatown. A friend told me about a good Malaysian restaurant near the place I was staying and I replied that I can go to a Malaysian restaurant anytime.
I did see the studio set of Rachael Ray. She annoys me.
Shopping
I fought all urge to buy anything not on my high-priority list. This is actually misleading because I didn’t have a list to begin with but I roughly knew what I wanted to get. I knew I just had to get a New York Yankees jersey (I got no.13, Alex Rodriguez) which coincidentally became my first purchase item at $80. Buying the jersey burned a hole in my wallet which helped me fight all urges to buy an iPhone 3G for 2 weeks. I thought of getting myself a Playstation 3 and sometimes an Wii but I told myself to wait till the last few days before I spend on something unessential.
My new watch
The next thing I bought was a new watch. I’ve always liked Fossil. Fine, it’s not a Tag but it’s something in my budget means. I was torn between getting a Fossil or a Kenneth Cole. I wanted to get a watch with a face bigger than my old Adidas one and something that had the dials showing. I saw a nice Kenneth Cole but decided not to get it because it was the exact size as my old one so for $100, I bought myself a Fossil watch.
NY Red Bulls
I was in Atlantic City for a weekend and was fighting back all temptations to spend my money at the many outlet shops there. I managed to come out from that afternoon of walking around with 2 pairs of jeans for $40 and a bottle of CK one summer worth $50. I also bought a New York Red Bulls football (soccer) jersey.
From this point on, there weren’t any other major spending besides a new pair of Nikes which I bought for $40, a New York Yankees polo shirt for $20 and a few souveniors for friends. I had a tough time trying to figure out what to get so I just went with shot glasses with the UN logo which I bought from the gift shop in the UN. For another friend, I got him a small bat with the Yankees written on it albeit it was from 7-11 and cost a small sum of $5.
Towards the end of my trip, I had managed to save $300 left to splurge on anything my heart desired. I was thinking of getting a new guitar to expand my collection. I thought of getting new headphones but in the end, I bought something totally unexpected. I got myself an Xbox 360. It was way cheaper than PS3 and I was blown away with it’s graphics and games. I got it for $150.
Being outside of Manhattan
The Atlantic Ocean crashing on the shores of Atlantic City
After spending a week in Manhattan, I moved to my aunt’s place in New Jersey. She and her family were so nice to me. How nice? I followed them to Cherrystone, Virginia. Couple days later, I found myself in Bally’s Casino, Atlantic City. I can say that I have seen both the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. Couple days later, I was on a ferry to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Couple days after that, I was walking around in Washington DC and stopping over in Baltimore.
I must say, if it was for them, I would have wound up staying 3 weeks and not seeing anything. For this, they have my gratitude.
A(H1N1)
Let’s be honest. H1N1 isn’t as bad as it’s made out to be. Yes, a few have died because of it but this is incomparable to the mortality rates of SARS or the small pox. It’s totally treatable but people initially passed it off as a common seasonal flu which led to late treatment and eventually death. I wasn’t afraid of contracting H1N1. I was more afraid when I heard about the Air France disaster.
The thing about non-blood relations
Just a few words on this subject. I was staying with my aunt for 2 weeks. She’s actually the wife of my mom’s brother. So, her side of the family isn’t technically my family and this makes it fair game. Following me so far? In short, HER nieces were all lookers which made me glad that we’re NOT blood related. BUT it’s not like I have the guts (or time) to do anything about it. I’m just saying I’m glad. Clear enough?
The people that made my trip fun
Filed under: Travels
