for the love of NYC

 

Grew up in a town that is famous as a place of movie scenes
Noise is always loud, there are sirens all around and the streets are mean
If I can make it here, I can make it anywhere, that's what they say
Seeing my face in lights or my name in marquees found down on Broadway

Even if it ain't all it seems, I got a pocketful of dreams Baby I'm from New York! Concrete jungle where dreams are made of There's nothing you can't do Now you're in New York! These streets will make you feel brand new Big lights will inspire you Hear it for New York, New York, New Yooork!

On the avenue, there ain't never a curfew, ladies work so hard Such a melting pot, on the corner selling rock, preachers pray to God Hail a gypsy cab, takes me down from Harlem to the Brooklyn Bridge Some will sleep tonight with a hunger for more than an empty fridge

I'm a make it by any means, I got a pocketful of dreams Baby I'm from New York! Concrete jungle where dreams are made of There's nothing you can't do Now you're in New York! These streets will make you feel brand new Big lights will inspire you Hear it for New York, New York, New Yooork!

One hand in the air for the big city Street lights, big dreams, all looking pretty No place in the world that can compare Put your lighters in the air, everybody say Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!

In New York! Concrete jungle where dreams are made of There's nothing you can't do Now you're in New York! These streets will make you feel brand new Big lights will inspire you Let's hear it for New York, New York, New Yooork!

Do you know that song?  ..... New York, the streets maybe dirty, the people can be rude, everyone has an opinion about this city.  But I loved it, every minute of it!

I traveled to New York across the Pacific sea and thousand kilometers apart from where I live by myself for the first time since I become a mother.  And I was proud of myself!  I had to thank my wonderful husband for letting me had a "me" time and looking after my boys for two weeks and couple days.  Also I thanked my gorgeous boys for being such an angel while I was having fun across the continents.

The city is heady, shocking, and almost overwhelming in its intensity but also incredibly exhilarating.  When my plane landed in JFK in the evening of September 11, I felt nervous but excited at the same time.  When I sat at the back sit of my new friend's car who kind enough to pick me up from the airport, my heart sank a bit when I saw how dirty the streets and how tacky the suburbs are! I thought Oh shite, why I wanna go here?? Is this it?? And then it's not all chaos and grit.

Romance and ruin blend together in the city that never sleeps.  Brooklyn is not as scary as it pictures on television shows or news.  In fact lots of writers, artist or young couples/family live in this creative area.  I am lucky enough that my friend introduced me to her friend who lives in New York and we hit it off straight away.  It's so good to have someone local that take you here and there, so I didn't only see the "normal touristy" stuff but I also had a chance to experience some "local thingy".

From glorious Manhattan to dirty Bronx,  from Saks Avenue to Chinatown, Soho, Noho, and Nolita, Central Park to Union Square, Harlem to Chelsea, Empire State Building and many more....every day I won't be hit the sack til about mid-night sometimes even later.  I walked every day and every where most of the time, or hopped on and off between one subway to other then walk again. I got lost probably hundreds of times, and got abused by  people when I asked what exit should I take to get to here and there.  But not everybody is heartless there.  A nice young lady even escorted me right into the front of Macy's department store!

While in New York, I also had a chance to visit my girlfriend who lives in Pittsburgh.  It took 9 hours solid on the train from NYC to  Pittsburgh, what a day!  I spent two nights in Pittsburgh and went to  Andy Warhol museum that I always wanted to visit! :)  From Pittsburgh, my girlfriend and I went back to NYC by double decked bus.  The journey that supposed to be 8 hours stretched out to 12 hours because of ....flat tires!!  We spend almost 4 hours tried to get some sleep on the bus seat at Walmart car park, how comfortable!  Instead of 7 am arriving in New York it was almost noon by the time we got there.  But, that was another experience that I won't forget and I can smile now when I am thinking about that time!

Washington D.C, I did it in one day bus tour courtesy of my girlfriend (am I such a lucky girl!).  It wasn't a great day, it was gloomy and wet and cold.  Still I got a thrilled when I got to see the White House and Lincoln memorial and Capitol Hill.  Had lots of fun with my girlfriend at Madame Tussaud wax museum too :)

Busy street in Manhattan

Statue of Liberty

Times Square at night

Manhattan Bridge

Flatiron Building

Horse carriage in front of Central Park

Capitol Hill, Washington D.C

The White House

A tribute to John Lennon, Strawberry Fields, Central Park

In New York: I laughed. I had fun.  I made new friends.  I shopped.  I ate hotdogs at Central Park and it's so delicious.

I love New York.

If I can make it here, I can make it anywhere!

Note: My special thanks to my new girl friends Elza Finishya and Evie Tanjung for the accommodation and took me around NYC.  Hope our new friendship can last forever.  Also to my Nathalie, though we had a bit of "misconception" time but I love you girl and hoping that one day we can meet up again somewhere in this big big world.

xxx