Day 13

Qionghui is a little ill so she has gone to sleep, so I am taking over. Um.

Woke late. To Brooklyn Chinatown in the drizzle/sleet/hail to have dim sum lunch with one of Ning Sung's friends (and her sister). Much excitement over tofu (Ning Sung), carrot cake (me) and chee cheong fun (Qionghui).

Headed to Manhattan (the Brooklyn Manhattan commute is mind-numbingly boring, enlightened only by the bit across the bridge where one is treated to a view of the skyline). Qiong and Ning headed to Chinatown; myself uptown to 42nd St -- en route to the New York Public Library I wandered around getting very vaguely lost and accidentally bumped into Grand Central. Was very pretty, all marbled arches and large windows. Then, again in the drizzle, to the library, which was impressive in much the same kind of way. I gawped for a while at the murals and the gorgeous reading room, sneaked pictures of an old map exhibition, and contemplated taking a book out to read in the reading room while it rained outside, such scholarship. I got as far as filling out a call card for the complete works of Thomas Jefferson from the catalogue (his original handwritten Declaration of Independence is in the library but you can't just walk in off the street and call it up), but then found out that it would take a while to get the book. I decided I didn't really need to read Jefferson all that much, it was an intimidating if truly wonderful place (not, however, so intimidating as Cambridge's university library!).

I enjoyed that first part of my afternoon mightily. There is something about New York that lends itself so well to wandering around by yourself (something which I hadn't done yet) and just poking into shops and grand buildings, not quite knowing where you are going, yet knowing there is always something interesting round the corner. I am starting to understand people's love affair with a city that is noisy and dirty and expensive -- this afternoon I, too, loved it, and felt sad to be leaving tomorrow.

Went shopping in the drizzle. Added significantly to purchases, I am now completely and utterly out of American money, which is really not such a good thing. However most purchases black and practical. Huh, so much for the pika pika (En Ying don't be scarred, "bling" wouldn't be much prettier). Oh and En I bought that lovely $50 wool blazer from H&M, I have never in my life bought anything so expensive from H&M, but it was tailored so nicely and on half price, oh dear me I am a girl. Sent postcards from the Empire State post office, how New York.

Further shopping having met with the other two. Eventually down to Little Italy (I find it really difficult to say it the New York way - lidleidaly) where we had a very lovely if somewhat expensive dinner in a place called Novella, where Another Italian Waiter Tried to Talk To Me. I think I should move to Italy, I shall be much admired and men everywhere will tell me to keep smiling. Hnah.

Back early-ish. Qionghui is asleep still, her stomach is not doing so well -- but not to worry everyone.

day 12

Loss of two days to be blamed on Qiong's counting skills, ahem.

Due to certain accusations of incoherence I am here to sound hopefully less incoherent, although correcting past grammar as Q has requested is somewhat beyond the scope of my blogging urges at half past one in the morning.

Today, we
- saw En and Vicki off sniff sniff
- sat in JavaBoy (a place which sells guaranteed hot coffee, and we do mean hot in the other sense as well) and had a perfectly sane and non-gay morning (not, of course, that the two must go together) watching Regis and Kathy in Florida or something. Nevermind the posters on the wall advertising Monday night where you get cheaper cocktails if you have your shirt off. And very conducive bathrooms downstairs. Mood lighting in the loos, woohoo.
- [in other news, Qionghui is sitting beside me sniggering at our old poetry textbook, Calling of Kindred]
- Moved to Brooklyn, to Ning Sung's friend's apartment. Much Sex and the City Miranda deja vu-ness, although probably only I will get this.
- MoMA in the afternoon. They had a large-ish Pixar exhibition on, with lots of sketches, models, complete traditional and digital/animated artwork from their entire archives. Excellent stuff. Very impressive and, well, cute. Watched five shorts on a TV along with all the little kids, isn't modern art just wonderfully mass appeal? Also liked the architecture and design galleries -- actual modern art painting and sculpture failed to move me. Again. I liked this little insect/leaf-like sculpture until I read the plaque, it was called Woman with her Throat Cut, why would anybody want to call a perfectly innocuous sculpture this and put innocents like me off? Oh and saw the furry tea cup again that was at the Surrealist exhibition at the Tate Modern a few years back, I forgot who was responsible. Still, was glad for the visit for the bits that I did like. And got to see dear Vincent's Starry Night, you couldn't miss it, there was a permanent congregation of people in front trying to take photos.
- Shopping in the rain. Being very restrained whole trip and entire total of shopping now constitutes:
a) A trashy I love NY t-shirt, from Chinatown
b) Two prints and two postcards (Gainsborough, Ingres and Whistler) from the Frick Collection
c) A little present for the Boyfriend (which therefore cannot be revealed) from the MoMA shop
d) One party top, which is very very slightly pika pika (am I allowed to type this at least?)
Ning Sung and Qionghui both bought boots, the great boot search is over! I gave up on mine, there is always the madness of the Selfridges sales to come.
- Dinner on 9th Ave near St Mark's Place, good Japanese. For appetizer I had this crazy thing called the mermaid. Sashimi layered on top of a big pile of rice, very artistic.

Tired now. Only tomorrow to go. Plan is to wander around Greenwich Village if the rain stops. To bed, or rather the sofa, anything will do. Ning Sung is on the phone to Aaron and I think she has just said "you never buy me flower". Hahahahaha. I will take this back if I heard wrong.

day 10

today woke p early to send en and vic off before heading to brooklyn ourselves. Moved into Ningz' friend's apartment.

After lunch at a thai restaurant, went to the MOMA. VERY NICE ART ^^ I finally saw Van Gogh's starry night for real!!!!!! GORGEOUS!!! *sigh* also saw many famous works of art, my fav being the special exhibit by Odillon Redon. Lovely fantasy artwork with a very dreamy touch and beautiful colours. ^^ Beautiful.

Later had a good dinner at this jap restuarant called Sharaku (near St marks) before goign to a real japanese mart to buy some comfort foods ^^

and am now back in apt. Shall go shower. ta ^^

day 9

shhheeeeesh what a way to start the new year. 8sigh* got mighty sick and had to go to the A&E ward of the hospital sicne that was the only one open today. got put on a bloody drip and had to change into one of those disgusting hospital gown thingies. O_o you can imagine yours truly was freaked out since it was her first time in the ward and also the first time she’d ever been on the drip O-o And there I was going, “it’s just a flu!!!!” *lol* granted it was an experience, but I’d never want to try it again *lol* but thanks so much, you guys, for being there always *lol* and buying me all those stuff. *big big huggle*

vic and en took two hours to make their way to the Guggenheim in the meantime, and after several subway transfers and an apparently long walk, they were 'treated' to a view of the guggenheim, covered in scaffolding O_o bleagh, talk about bakd timing ^^;

Otherwise, nothing much liao. Am now in hostel room recuperating and hoping everything gets better soon. En and vic leaving tmw,,….*sigh* will so miss you guys!!!!!! *big big huggle* have a safe flight home!

day 8

slept in until real late before having lunch at L’Express, a French bistro with wonderful food. Later, we made our way to the frick museum collection. Beautiful house and rather nice art work. Only thing was I wasn’t feeling so well and hence didn’t enjoy it as much. Otherwise I was impressed by his sculpture collection and all. My fav was the room with all those veronese paintings depicting young love, and another room which showed various kids participating in adult activities like alchemy, art, playwrighting etc. My fav was this pic of a cherubic young boy looking shocked/scared as he expected the glass vial to explode during his experiment *lol*

it started raining really heavily while we were in the frick, and then later decided to snow O-o and then even later still, it snowed and rained at the same time. Ewwwww. *haha* ah well. went home, rested abit, got some dinner at an Indian restaurant before heading off to times square to attempt to catch the ball drop during the count down. Was rather sad that we couldn’t see the actual ball, but nonetheless we had a huge screen which showed us everything so we didn’t miss much. The atmosphere was real fun, had crazy Europeans next to us singing ‘I want to get drunk’ songs *lol* they even offered us their ‘traditional booze’ *lol* Also took pictures with firemen since those on duty were bored and wanted to join in the festive cheer so they happily obliged in taking photos with all the excited Americans. We merely followed like the good tourists we are *lol*

after that we went ot an italilan restaurant to eat before going home. Stole balloons along the way, ningz had a deflated pet balloon which tended to come when you called it *LOL* while tzo and en got normal ones which floated right. Mine was a long red one with a sparkly tail so it was fun to wave like a tour flag *lol*

and so. HAPPY NEW YEAR hahah