NYC - Afterthought

This trip to New York City was definitely a March Break well spent. I did get to see most of the things I wanted to see, and somehow got out of seeing any museums at all (I developed a disliking for museums from a previous trip to Washington DC, the place where museum admission is free...and we all know how azn parents feel about free things). However, I must say that I walked a ridiculous amount, and maybe because I'm so soft, that was rather a pain. I guess it was worth it though. I also ate a lot of food...some good, some not-so-good. Now that I'm home again I get to return to my usual eating and sleeping habits, as well as return to school soon. In a way though, this trip taught me how much I actually like being at home and having the regular schedules of my life. Most of all, I won't forget what it felt like to go back to church again, and to be surrounded by my friends as well. =)

NYC Day 6 - Church

We visited the Cathedral Church of St John the Divine. Even from the outside, it was incredibly massive, with multiple outbuildings and a private school on the grounds. The front of the cathedral itself was beautiful, worn stone carved into arches with grapevines and different ecclesiastical figures.
Upon entering, I was faced with a long corridor of successive stone arches leading straight to the back. Softly glowing lights were suspended from the ceiling by long chains, revealing narrow walkways near the tops of the arches.At the center of the cathedral, the ceiling soared to immense heights, so high up it was lost in the shadows in some places, making a large expanse of empty air for every whisper and rustle to echo and carry. I've seen some beautiful churches in Europe too, and there's always been something about those old cathedrals that touches me. A human grandeur and architectural majesty that is raised to the glory of an all-powerful God, there is something moving and captivating that cannot be captures by words or cameras. The peace among the pillars made me want to stay forever, to worship and to wonder.


Once inside the heart of the cathedral, I found many little alcoves along the sides. So many dark and shadowy places everywhere; I wanted to crawl into them, feel the coolness of the marble, safe in the dusty silences. In one area, tables covered with candles gave off a warm glow, and coloured light from the stained glass windows dappled the pale stone columns and steps with translucent rainbows. There was also a monument in memory of firefighters who perished in the line of duty in a 1966 fire.







The air of the cathedral had a sweet, musty smell, reminding me of unused spaces like a basement in a mansion. I followed the haunting sound of music floating from the inside, and found an orchestra made up entirely of guitar players. The song ended just as I arrived, and the smattering of applause that broke through the serenity surprised me. They made a ruckus packing up and leaving, while I made my way past the pulpit (raised on white marble steps and flanked by figures of saints) to a chapel at the side.

There I found a room that reminded me of Hong Kong, with walls covered by marble tiles engraved with names and dates--niches to place the ashes of the dead. I could hear birdsong through the stained glass window, which seemed fascinating to me for a moment. There were many other chapels too, separated from the walkway around the altar area by intricate, wrought iron gates. Some of them weren't lit, uninviting for tourists but with their gates still wide open. White stained glass windows gave a curiously icy feeling to those without the benefit of warm yellow lightbulbs. Others were brightly lit with sun, being placed in the direct line of the sunlight at that time of day, golden and gleaming. Some of the side chapels were very empty, while others had chairs or pews and burning candles, and some even had their own pipe organ.



I wonder what kind of congregation might have filled this sanctuary hundreds of years ago. I wonder how the organ's music would have swelled to fill all that empty air below the great arches, how a preacher's voice would have carried without a microphone. I wonder how God spoke to those people, or if they could hear Him at all over the intensity of this man-made splendour...I feel that God is not found in buildings, so much as He is found in hearts.
The longer I stayed, the more the hollowness and shadows of the vaulted ceilings seemed to press down on me. I was cold, lonely, and I thought--rather incongruously--of the stuffy side chapel where Kyrios gathers in its crowded raucous way. That place is where I've felt like home for two amazing years, a place where I've met God time and again, so much more personal and emotional than the austere beauty of a cathedral like this.
Even so, stepping back out into the bright New York City afternoon, voices back up to a normal volume and vehicles clattering by indifferently on the street, I felt like I lost something. Just a little bit.

NYC Day 6 - Macy's

So near the end of our last day, we decided to pop in to Macy's just to see what it was like in there. It used to seem like something that had a really good reputation for quality and prestige, although I can't really remember where I got that impression from. Anyway, we went inside and found out that it was like one massive Wal-Mart. There's a huge mess from people going through the clothes and stuff, and the music in some spots was loud and unpleasant. The quality of things they sold was not even as upscale as I had anticipated. I kind of thought it would be one of those places where I could window shop and not be able to buy anything, but it turned out to be alright and we got some shirts for my dad for a pretty good price. It was impressively huge though, and they had these really interesting wooden escalators that were super old and kind of rickety. The highlight of my visit was the meal at McD's...yay for unhealthy American fast food? Their burgers do come in boxes made of nicer cardboard, but I'm not sure how good that is to the environment. Also, their ketchup packets say "Fancy Ketchup" on them; I wonder that that means...Anyway I was sad that Macy's turned out to be kind of bland, but that is okay~

NYC Day 5 - Breakfast

This morning we walked over to the Rockefeller Center and took some pictures. On the way, we passed by a Magnolia Bakery, which is reputed to have the best cupcakes in the world. We bought one specialty cupcake (pecan and banana with cream cheese icing), and one regular chocolate cupcake (with light green frosting and sprinkles). Then we ate them on a bench near the outdoor ice rink at Rockefeller. They were indeed very yummy, although pretty sweet, and worth the $3 per cupcake xD

NYC Day 5 - Grand Central Station

When we got to Grand Central Station, my dad was super excited because he'd taken the train here when he visited NYC back in like 1980. That's why he was part of a tripod party taking pictures of the place when we got inside.

It looks a bit like Union Station but bigger, more elegant, more shiny, and better lit. Things are made with smoothed marble-like material, instead of the concrete-like stuff in TO. Windows let in the daylight near the ceiling, which was painted with astrological designs and figures. I wanted to sit down on the stairs to wait, except then I noticed a sign that said sitting on the stairs is strictly prohibited. Not that it stopped anybody...




While my dad was taking pictures, my mom and I went downstairs to the "Dining Concourse". It's like a looong hall, with doors along the sides that go down to the train tracks. There are many food vendors to choose from, like a massive food court, and some cool seats to enjoy your food on. It felt like a hotel lobby mixed with a touch of cave, very classy but clearly subterranean.

NYC Day 5 - Silly Americans

I was trying on a shirt in an Esprit store, and the guy who opens the doors of the fitting rooms was all like, "So where are you from?"

"Toronto."
"..O_o"
"Er, Canada."
"Oh! Canada, huh, nice...Is it really as cold as they say up there? Y'know, igloos and all that?"
">_> Nope, it's pretty much the same as here."
"Aw, really? *disppointed* Well that's nice."

I thought that was just something that we think they say. I didn't think people actually thought that! In a big city too. I don't think he even knew Toronto.

NYC Day 5 - Nightlife

For dinner, we went to this really cool Japanese restaurant called Sapporo. We had some really good ramen, served to us by Hispanic waiters with the authentic Japanese dude calling out "irasshaimase" at the door. It was pretty cool, even though it was kind of tight on space inside. After dinner we went back out to Times Square, because our hotel is just super close to there. I walked through some stores with my mom while my dad was setting up his long exposure shots for the lights and stuff. We got some M&Ms from the big M&M store around there, and went to rejoin my dad. Because I was eating M&Ms, which is chocolate, I wanted to drink milk with it. Because I'm cool that way. Solution: Walgreen's. I was a little sad that they didn't have some reasonably smallish sized milk cartons, but more milk is good, I suppose. Osteoporosis doesn't sound particularly appealing to me. Anyways that's how I ended up drinking milk and eating M&Ms in Times Square at 10:30 at night.

NYC Day 4 - Central Park

I slept in this morning, so I was really refreshed~ After brunch, we took the subway to Central Park. The sun was shining and it was really warm and balmy outside. In the park, the grass was green and the trees were just starting to put forth green buds. Today is also St. Patrick's Day, so there were quite a lot of green-clad people who looked like they'd just come from the parade. Even dogs and babies were decked out in shamrock and beer mug accessories. We took a lot of nice pictures in the sun (I'm only uploading the ones on my phone, most of them are on Dad's camera), and saw all these people sitting on benches and grassy areas. I really enjoyed the atmosphere in the park; it was a really beautiful and peaceful bubble of green space.

NYC Day 4 - Sunny Afternoon

Before I knew it, it was already afternoon. We left the park and took the subway to 14th. I got totally dripped on by the leaky subway station ceilings, and then we actually missed our stop the first time around and had to double back one station :P At 14th, I found all these cute little figurines everywhere. I'm not sure what they're supposed to be, but they're about a foot tall and some of them are adorable while others are just plain...weird.

Once outside, we walked around that is called the Meatpacking District. There were many old, red brick, warehouse-looking buildings, kind of St Lawrence Market flavoured. What I really liked was the High Line, which is an old elevated freight train railroad that was turned into a public park. You can walk along the elevated tracks, now covered with cement walkways and grasses, shrubs, trees and wildflowers. The plants were inspired by what naturally grew on the tracks after they fell into disuse and were threatened by demolition.



People could sit on the benched built to look like they were rising smoothly out of the concrete underfoot. The building that rose around it were both modern and historical, complementing the wrought iron framework of the walkway itself. From some sections, you could even look out over the piers and see Lady Liberty in the distance. There were many people just hanging out and enjoying the sunshine, so that was a vrey relaxing and enjoyable walk for me.

NYC Day 3 - Liberty

I had to wake up at 7am this morning, so it was almost like a regular school say (and I wasn't too happy about it). We took the subway all the way down to get to the ferry at the harbour. It was pretty windy near the water so I got extremely coooold with my insufficient layers of clothing. After a long line up and an airport-style security check, we made it onto the boat. We found seats on the top deck, hoping for fresh air and a good view. Unfortunately, there was ridiculous wind, and as soon as we started moving everybody got up to stand at the rail. This resulted in a wall of people to block both the wind and the view. So it was 50/50? :D
From the opposite shore in Manhattan, the Statue looked very small and rather unimpressive. For some reason, I'd always imagined it to be incredibly massive. I also realized that it's rather on the tubby side and proportionately short :P Napoleon complex? It was a gift from the French, after all. (er, no offense to French people.) Anyways maybe it's only my impression, because according to Wikipedia, the Statue of Liberty is actually a couple meters taller than Ultraman.

Anyways we only walked around the island at the base of the statue, and also poked around in the gift shops. The weather was lovely though，incredible blue sky and sparkling water. The wind died down a bit later on, so it became less cold, and I managed to stay warm by sitting in sunny spots.

NYC Day 3 - Ellis Island

The next stop by ferry was the historical immigrants' landing point. I remember watching the video "Island of Hope, Island of Tears" in my American History class, 30 minutes of black and white on VHS that somehow managed to make me misty-eyed. Immigrants would have to line up day after day as they were checked for health, as well as tested for literacy and proper documentation. This diamond activity was a test for mental health. The top ones are done by people who had never held a pencil in their lives, while the bottom ones had maybe several years of basic education.

The coolest part for me was seeing the original graffiti they uncovered under all the layers of paint after restoring the building. People coming towards a new life would etch into the walls of their detention areas and dormitories names, countries, dates, dreams, fears, artwork, and songs. It was really moving to connect to that kind of spirit, where people who are seeking a better life both eagerly anticipate a new path unfolding before them, and mourn the loved ones and the familiar world they're leaving behind.

NYC Day 3 - Downtown

Coming back off the ferry, we paused to watch part of a street performance where a bunch of shirtless guys did breakdancing and acrobatics. I've always liked street performers the best because they really have so much heart for what they do.

We made our way into the financial district, where the buildings rise confidently, arrogantly, menacingly. Older styles of architecture mix with modern, shiny things, turning the streets into deep and narrow canyons where the sunlight can't quite reach. Businessmen in business suits poured out of buildings, strode purposefully across streets, smoked in doorways, and held intense phone conversations in the middle of the sidewalks. I saw the Wall St. signs and the iconic stock exchange buildings. That place was rather suffocating, the skyscrapers pressing down and the polluted air wafting all over. On the way out from that concrete jungle, we passed by "ground zero", which isn't much of anything now. They've started rebuilding the WTC and its memorials, so all there is is cranes and scaffolding.



Finally, we emerged from deep in the city area and made our way to the seaport. Here, the air was fresher, the sun shone beatifically, and some ships bobbed lazily at their moorings. There was a boardwalk area leading to a big pier/warehouse building that contains ships and restaurants.

What with the sunlight and the seaside view and the boardwalk, there was a bit of a tropical holiday feeling around. I've never actually been to any of those Caribbean/South American type cruises, but maybe it feels something like that. I guess that whole "sunset walk on the beach" notion may be nice, cliches notwithstanding.

NYC Day 2 - The Awakening

I love sleeping in nice hotel rooms.

I woke up this morning in a queen-sized bed, nestled among three fluffy pillows and covered by a heavy duvet. It felt as though I'd fallen asleep in a cloud, the kind that kids dream of sleeping in before they learn that clouds are just insubstantial globs of frozen water particles. I like that feeling of security, that the rustle of the sheets and the whiteness forming hills and valleys around me can shut out the world. The bed's much wider than what I'm used to sleeping in at home, meaning that I could roll around and stretch every which way without worrying that I'll knock something over or tumble onto the ground. Even with the fire station right beside the hotel and fire trucks wailing their way out in response to alarms all night, I think I had the deepest sleep I've had in forever.

NYC Day 2 - Subway

After my first experience on the New York subway system, I've gained a little more respect for the TTC. The trains here are pretty loud and scary as they come into the station, kind of like Moscow ones. TTC trains are actually not so bad in comparison. I couldn't even hear my dad talking and he was sitting right across from me. I'm assuming the train's interior is mainly stainless steel (in places where TTC trains have some off-white plastic stuff) because they want to make graffiti easy to clean off. Unfortunately that also makes it feel like the inside of a prison cell. Also, route maps are difficult to find or read, making me realize how nice it is to have those simplistic colour-coded diagrams over TTC subway doors. Finally, there aren't any stop announcements, or not any that I could hear over the roaring and crashing ruckus of the moving train.



There are good things too. Mainly, I want to point out the ticket system that is very superior to the TTC's. You can buy a MetroCard in any amount of money you want to put in, with a negligible expiry date (mine's for sometime in 2011). It seems much more practical than being forced to carry tickets/tokens or buying fixed weekly/monthly passes. You can just slide the magnetic strip on the card through gates as you enter and a little screen tells you the balance you have left. You can also "recharge" it and put in more money when you run out. Think of it as something between the MTR Octopus and the TTC.

NYC Day 2 - Cafe Cafe

This was a neat little place in SoHo where we stopped for lunch. They had nice sandwiches which were pretty healthy-seeming, as well as good coffee and hot chocolate with real melted chocolate in it. Also, 'Create-Your-Own-Salad"! It's kind of like Harvey's where you start with a plain salad with greens of your choice, and you choose what veggies/dressing/cheese you want to add to it.



The atmosphere was very quaint and cozy as well, with a cool second-floor balcony seating. We met this nice couple who were traveling from Norway and talked to them for a while.

NYC Day 2 - Rice to Riches

A friend of ours recommended this one to us, and we actually stumbled upon it quite accidentally while wandering around between SoHo and Little Italy. Basically, it's a store that specializes in rice pudding. There are many interesting flavours to choose from, such as "Sex, Drugs and Rocky Road", "Corner of Cookies and Cream", and "Hazelnut Chocolate Bear Hug", as well as the traditional plain rice pudding. I chose one called "Coconut Coma" which was extremely yummy. They come in different bowl sizes, and you get to keep both the bowl and the innovative spoon. =) Too bad I wasn't paying enough attention to ask for a cooler colour...I got a weird army-green bowl but I think the orange ones were nice.





The store itself was awesome enough. There were humourous signs telling you that eating rice pudding was more important than avoiding fatness.


There were also cool tingz in the washroom ;D