New York City

New York Public Library
Originally uploaded by shutter_grl

In October, my sister and I visited New York City for fun. The east coast is so rich in history and culture. We visited the New York Library briefly (well, it was mostly the gift shop that we saw). The architecture throughout the city was awesome to see in person. We visited the Brooklyn Bridge, Gershwin Theatre (to watch Mary Poppins). We also visited St. Paul's Cathedral which had a memorial display in honour of those who lost their lives on September 11. We saw the vast space where the World Trade Centre used to occupy. No markings now.

Aside from the tourist traps, we indulged ourselves in the local eats, such as Roberto Passion, an italian place which offered an affordable set menu. We wandered the streets in NoLita, SoHo, Little Italy and Chinatown. And when we weren't pounding the pavement, we were riding the rails of the New York Subway system. We made full use of our one-week transit pass.

And, we enjoyed a couple of Broadway shows, Wicked and, as I mentioned earlier, Mary Poppins. Both were highly entertaining.

It was a brief visit, only five days for me, but a shade longer for my sister, who stayed a couple of extra days after I left. It was a relaxing and refreshing trip. It sparked my interest in photography momentarily, especially at the Ground Zero memorial. The trip inspired me to get in touch with my creative side again.

Maps

This Seattle Tourist map was invaluable during our day trip to the States. However, even though we were equipped with highway and city maps, there were quirks in the road systems, you know one ways, highways cutting through the downtown core, that kind of thing. Life is like a road trip. We have our life planned to the detail, including what school we will attend, who we will marry, how many kids we would like to have and what ideal job we will land. Sometimes there are detours, which delay our destination arrival time. Usually, the detour is worthwhile and actually helps when we do finally arrive. Other times, we end up going in a completely opposite direction due to taking the wrong exit because we jump ahead. Thankfully, there is usually another exit that leads us back to our original destination.

We didn't find a particular store (according to the tourist map) and neither did we find a Vietnamese restaurant a local barrister recommended, but we did find this huge book store and a Cambodian Restaurant with excellent food at bargain prices. It was worth the diversions.

radio relaxation

Ah, it truly feels like a summer weekend. A relaxing weekend.

Yesterday, I hung out with a friend and her family pretty much most of the day. We explored the Farmer's Market (reminds me of Granville Island marketplace, but smaller). Afterwards, we had some great Vietnamese food. My friend, Wendy, came over to my place and we watched 15 Minutes and sipped cold water and ice tea. Then, we headed back to family's place to pick loads of rasberries and eat an amazing BBQ dinner with Korean short ribs, chicken, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, soba beans and seaweed salad. Mmmm ... my mouth is still watering ...

I managed to get motivated to clean up my place (I love my vaccuum cleaner... my latest household gadget/toy). Just listened to CBC Radio 2's Tonic on the internet ... a jazz program (what great music to unwind to on a hot Sunday afternoon).

It was a weekend of indulgence in the most simplest pleasures. Good food, good music and good company. Who could ask for anything more?