indian summer

i never thought that i would actually hear this phrase describe london. hot summer.

the summer so far the last few months that ive been here have been miserable. its grey, its gloomy and cold.

now i can wear a shirt n short.

who says the seasons come in order?

into the world unknown

3 years ago, i started my new school life in LSOP.

i took a flight to a completely different country, almost knowing no one prior to coming here.

i didnt get MOH scholarship and was devastated. looking back, i only wanted it for the security.

now, im pre-reg-less so far. i would not even bother denying that i am stressed. this is all not important.

i recieved a package today. from singapore, with no warning. i was so happy.

sure i might be really still looking for my new road. but there is one. i just need to find it.

walking on...

its been ages since i last updated. i almost forgot that i had this blog.

currently, all job applications seem to be going downhill. scary interviews make terrible job offers, ie. none. considering how everything for the past few years have been 'mostly' smoothsailing. i can confidently say for all the travel disasters ive faced, i did miss out quite a gd set of bads ones.

ones tt i hit:

icelandic volcanic eruption (who knew they even had volcanos!)

london riots (didnt get caught but the atmosphere was really bad)

really stormy and blistering weather in NYC

Missed:

hurriance at NYC

getting caught in any major trouble (tube trouble aside)

On the upside, I know I have a really strong support group back home. Family and friends who listened to me grouse, complain and moan about the perils of being overseas, far from help. I am not alone, in all the things that I do. I neglect to understand that sometimes. Far from family doesn't mean that they support me any less. I need to remember that.

after living out for so many years, i realise that i really depend on them. how people manage to live years without seeing their parents previously, they have my respect. Skype has reduced the distance but made it all the more gaping.

I have no job offers now. but i will continue on because i know there are people who are looking out for me. giving up on myself is hardly the way to repay their efforts

summary of events

for this really short trip, i am very proud to say tt i've accomplished the following.

Sports:

2 New York Knicks games: including getting 2 shirts and a giant finger for the fun of it

Animals:

Seen rats on the street, subway platforms and gardens. i think tt abt covers the fact that rats are nyc's mascot.

bronx zoo which took 6 hours to go through. located right in the middle of the bronx neighbourhood, the number of animals there are fantastic though i must admit trying to get around is confusing. kinda like central park. there are no straight paths.

Shopping:

let's not got there, sufficient to say im really broke.

time of my life

this trip has been the most surreal and sublime experience in my life.

yesterday, i went to times square and stared at the brightly lit lights. it was so bright that i assumed it was day when i wasn't looking up at the night sky. there are so many chocolate shops there, i feel so tempted to buy chocolates which I obviously didn't or i would be a chocolate coma right now. There are so many food stores that's no reason why the people here can NOT be morbidly obese. People on the street are bigger as in taller but so far the sizes seem reasonable. i hope i dun become a barrel at the end of the day.

the hair on the other hand seems a little more crazy. there are some cool styles here. and definitely more cool clothes. i have seen at least 5 pairs of shoes yesterday that I wish I could just walk up to her and ask where she got them. sigh, this city will make me bankrupt. not that i think tt's a bad thing.

went to watch Mary Poppins the musical. OMG!!! THE SET AND DIRECTION ARE AMAZING! (i blame this comment on Sharon and Chewy) if it wasnt for them, there is a really low chance I would say this. the costumes are flamboyant victorian costumes. i cant believe how it was designed. the costumes are really nice mix of smart chic and pure fun. the show is caught in btw a classy english play and a children's wonderland.

i must totally blubber over the set. i've seen many plays, from minimalistic to downright extravagant. this set is both. the set is extremely well developed with a unique mix of simple props to huge moving house. the best part i think is the seamless transition when moving the props. im at awe at the speed and the small little details that they paid to the set. the props are not only realistic. small quaint touches such as blooming flowers from a pushcart make it all the more appealing to the heart.

.i wanna watch it again

back to the other surreal experience. My landlady has the same birthday as I do!!!

how fantastic is that?!?!?

I fly over several countries and seas to meet someone who has the same birthday as me!!

We had a fantastic talk last night and this morning I had her creation, beans with deep pan omelette. she's really a fantastic cook. i ate her porto rican dishes just a few days ago. lovely roasted chicken with beans stew and topped off with flan.

i am so going to gain weight after this. but still.... IM SO HAPPY IM IN NYC!!!

the weather is sunny, mostly. the streets are way cleaner then london. the subway on the other hand just is a huge drawback with the smell and all. but who cares, im going to try living the dream for a bit!!

grocery shopping

maybe im just being really picky but food here in manhattan is seriously expensive. there are many choices, dun get me wrong. being able to buy teriyaki sauce n thai chilli sauce nearby is fantastic but the prices are scary.

i felt cheated the 1st few times i bought anything. there is tax on certain items which happily are not included in the intial price tag. food is not taxed but certain items are. i have no idea until i get the bill on wad is taxed or not. pretty confusing.

they also put unit price and retail price right next to each other. at first glance, i can never understand what is the actual price. there is always a need for me to look hard to decipher the much smaller words tt indicate which is the actual price.

on the upside, just looking at the aisle for cereal can entertain me for days. there are so many possible cereals that i only hear in movies that make their debut on all the shelves. apple cinnamon, blueberry cereal and peanut butter captain cookies. its like cereal heaven. they are not as cheap as i would like but the choices...divine

2nd day in the big apple

today, we will talk about getting around the island of manhattan.

there are 3 mains ways of doing it. those i've tried anyway.

1) cab it. seriously the yellow cabs that literally just line the streets of manhattan are the most expensive but accurate way of getting to where you wanna go. they can be hailed randomly on the street. warning would be for traffic and their driving in general. they know where they are going, esp since the GPS in the car is for the passengers' benefit, not theirs. its just their nice speeding techniques that you might not like.

2) subway. its extremely easy to use though the initial induction to it may come as a rude shock. it could really use some perfume or just a good scrub. i tried to avoid going down there the 1st day because the light reminded me of some poor quality horror movie. after i finally got into it. i was horrified at the fat! rat that was running on the train tracks. my landlady said tt there was once a joke that the NY could use rats as a symbolic animal. after staring at the subway, i agree with it. it looks and operates similar to the one in Paris but the level of cleanliness are like polar opposites.

3) Walking. the grid system makes most of manhattan very easy to navigate. the downside is that there are a whole load of potholes on the roads. it takes a whole long time to walk around but its free and the weather during the day is beautiful. everything is walking distance from each other and it allows for more stuff to be seen.

the big apple

After a very turbulent 7 hour flight from london, i arrived in JFK airport which was massive. it took so long to get to the immigration. the place is clean thou having to pay USD 5 for a trolley kinda was a little stinging.

the first glimpse of NY is shrouded in dark clouds with the quaint American houses you see in movies. that was in Queens where you can see that the place seriously is clean. not like london where the markings left by the industrial revolution are still obvious. the buildings almost remind me of Wien because of their colour and roof.

the huge concrete jungle of NYC has surprising quite a number of red bricked residential areas, of which i am living in one. a condo type apartment with a slight chalet feel due to the number of trees in the area. for not really enjoying african and spanish designs, i have fell for hook, line and sinker for the manhattan apartment that i am currently housed in. the lovely wood furnishings are complimented nicely with massive rugs and lovely glass lamps. I'm in love with rustic furnishings and honestly, i would really like to grab some pieces if they could fit in my luggage. my bed though slightly lumpy, has bedding provided for. i mean the classic, slighty lacy which i will never buy on my own, which makes me feel more in a cottage or maybe loft then an apartment.

the kitchen, especially for me, makes up its small size with the sheer no. of things it keeps. there are easily 10 stainless steel pots, lovely cast iron pots and more spices such as saffron here then i ever seen in one sitting.

im also staying with a fat cat. well maybe not fat. just really muscular. she's massive, almost the size of max. her fur is also really soft. makes me feel like brushing it thou im not really interested in such activites.

anyway, i should stop rambling and get about exploring. will send up things soon!