To continue, let’s begin with random photography. It is amazing how a tiny camera can produce art so easily. Although I cannot draw nor paint, I would say writing and photography are the closet art form I can do 🙂

Wall Street – errr…checked. Of course, we had to visit the famous Wall Street. Yea, it was just… a street. And the bull. Way too many people… wasn’t a nice experience at all, BUT the cup of Christmas Starbucks Coffee afterwards to warm our hands and stomach was great 🙂 I mean I’m not really  into the whole Starbucks culture, it’s fat and expensive and I have had much better coffee at random cafes in Europe at cheaper prices. With that being said, however, I must say I’m just an ordinary consumer who simply cannot resist their Christmas Marketing packaging around coffee! ❤

 

911 Memorial – Essentially, there were two giant fountains where, unlike traditional fountains that shoots water upwards, the water is pouring downwards. As if there were some sort of suction deep down that drains away the water, which I think is really sad. As if there is a black hole deep down in every victim’s friends and family where they throw in their memories and happiness, that is forever gone along with their deceased loved ones. As the sun set, a thin layer of the last ray of light casted over the buildings in a sad and ominous red. When I first noticed it, I could not help but saw it as a symbol of blood. (Perhaps a result of taking World Lit classes this semester.) I remember this taxi driver from NJ told me that his best friend, a fireman, died in 911 and he never quite got over it even after that many years. This also reminded me of a movie I watched alone, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. I cried so much it was definitely a good decision to have went alone.

Staten Island Ferry – checked exhaustedly. Since the 911 memorial was delayed, we got to the Staten Island ferry really late. It was so windy and freezing cold walking towards the pier, we were bending lower n lower and almost crawling on our hands in the end; while New Yorkers strolled by us casually like we were freaks.

The ferry probably meant more to us as a resting stop. Someone then fell asleep looking like a dog. Speaking of which, my hat resembles a cat and hers a dog, can you tell? 😛 In general though, New York was glistening with lights because it’s almost Christmas. My absolute favorite festival of the year, presents, feasts, fireworks, friends and family. Home. Nothing gets better than Christmas ❤

Night View of Manhattan (Top of the Rock) – done that. I can’t say the view was spectacularly gorgeous because honestly, coming from Hong Kong, I have seen one of the prettiest skylines at night when I was just a kid. Somehow the “New York” Magic did not work so much on me. I mean the view was decent, but nothing unexpected. New York was in many ways nice, like Time Square and the neon ads but other things made me appreciate Hong Kong so much more. The new and efficient metro system, safe and clean streets etc. When there was constantly no signal underground, I couldn’t help but exclaim, AND THIS is NEW YORK!?

 

Bryant Park / Christmas! – OUTDOOR ICE SKATING RINK 🙂 Now this, this is different because I don’t see them a lot. One thing, out of the not too many things, I love about New York are their parks. We can definitely use more of these in Hong Kong, a system that cleanses the air and soul. Since it is Christmas, they had an outdoor ice skating rink set up with pink lights shining upon it. It was so magical and warm. I felt like I could just stare at it forever watching people glide by loop after loop. I took like a million photos there.

And this concluded the NYC trip. I have been to NY several times now and in my humble opinion, it looks prettier on screen. To end on a special note, we were walking along this street and  saw some cities written on the building: Milan, Stockholm, Rome. And I shouted to my travel buddy “OMG THESE ARE ALL THE CITIES WE HAVE BEEN TO!” Yes, perhaps we have just been to too many major cities, or may be it was destiny. But these names that marked Barclays’ global presence are somehow like a prophecy of our friendship 🙂 It was just a pleasant surprise from life.

Eventually, we concluded that Miami is our next destination after Singapore 😉

But before THAT, the next stop would be LA! And to my GREATEST surprise, there is a modern city stinkier than PARIS! I just couldn’t believe it at first.