In New York City

Well.. the whole world was crazy for a while.. Going to the beach.. coming back.. that mad 3 hrs drive.. spending the whole afternoon packing for NYC.. trying to reduce the size of my final load back to Singapore.. I ended up with a fifty pounder backpack..and a smaller pack.. and a sling bag.. quite a humorous sight.. machiam a tourist..and i'm only going to NYC for 4 days.. sigh.. haha.. overpack? not quite.. See.. I'm meeting my Karchngz.. who is a "Ahem".. Flight Attendent.. cos god forbid we call them air stewardess.. and I'm going there to be a freeloader!! haha.. as usual.. tsktsk... so.. Lindsey got me to her place on that sunday.. to stay over at her place.. cos she is going into DC on the monday for lunch.. and so.. its kinda on the way.. I manage to get a bus.. two way.. for 35 bucks.. from DC to NYC.. pretty good deal.. but problem is.. i saw a mail the very last minute.. that my cousin.. will be staying in a hotel in New Jersey instead of NYC!!! Doh!! Cos of the republican convention.. Mr Bush.. is coming to NYC to give a speech.. darnit.. that monkey face.. ANyway... I manage to find my way alright to her hotel.. given some difficulties and some uncertainties.... But life has been good to me.. once again.. showing me the light.. or rather.. God...

See.. To get to New jersey.. or rather her hotel.. calling her hotel twice.. talking to the receptionist.. have proven absolutely pointless... they just direct you to some silly machine.. I need to talk to somebody LIVE!! damnit.. LIVE!! and I saw on their website that they are only 2 miles off a train station.. cool.. now if only i can get to the train station... I can prolly walk there somehow or hitch hike.. dat sounds pretty exciting to me.. My fIRst Hitch hike!! So I booked a train ticket from AMTRAK for 27 bucks.. ONE WAY.. thank goodness i bought one way.. I figured I will be able to find a cheaper way to get back to NYC once i reach there.. but as fate.. or rather.. god has it.. I am able to find it way sooner.. read on..

I reach the AMTRAK station... ok.. wait.. backtrek abit.. here's the cool part.. I reach NYC.. via Holland TUnnel.. took a train.. No. 1 to 34th STreet.. and then when I walked to the surface.. this is where it all became like hollywood movie.. The WHOLE PLACE is BUSTLING.. FUll of CopS.. Helicopters flying over head.. at least 4 of them.. one of them is trained at MAdison Sq.. another 3 circling arnd.. one junction.. U'll see at least 40 Policemen.. no kidding.. There are Sirens blaring every 10 seconds.. cracking of the walkie talkies of the policemen is louder than people talking arnd you.. Bus load of people will be shuffled thru the streets... Ambulances rushing arnd.. Police cars screeching all over.... People giving out flyers.. giving out pins.. Smoke gushing out of the manhole.. People holding cameras flashing all arnd.. Man.. I feel like I'm in a Hollywood set. Ok.. enuff of the description.. any more and you guys will prolly think that i'm bullshitting.... so .. I found my exit to the train station.. and a totally different sight.. greeted me..

Not entirely different.. but there are people bustling all over the place.. rushin from trains to trains.. Policemen over here don a different attire... U see policement in FUll Body Armour.. full body plate.. Helmets and Mp5 machine guns. and some other rifles i dun recognise.. Boy.. they have more armoury and weaponry than those guys upstairs.. i'm afraid to take a picture of them.. if i take a picture.. i might have secret police pouncing on me any moment.. so.. i just kept on walking towards AMTRAK customer service to pick up my ticket.. ok.. now the story can continue..

The girl behind the counter took one look at my ticket and say... U going metropak? why buy an AMTRAk ticket? its so expensive!! there's a New Jersey Transit leaving for metropak right now on track 1. U can go catch it and buy a ticket onboard. I'll refund your money back to your visa.. COOL! Awesome stuff!! save me some money.. and it turned out that it cost only 15 dollars 2 ways.. instead of the 54 that i would have to spend.. it would have only cost me 10 dollars if i haven't bought it on board.. but what the heck.. im saving quite abit already! so.. I took the train.. and made my way to new jersey.. the ticketing master forgot to tell me that i have to change a train.. and i overshot by a station. haha.. so he got me off. and gave me a free ticket.. and send me in the right direction.. its all good.. I finally reach Metro Pak.. now.. to get to the Hotel.. I din take the hotel no. down. so i couldn't call them and ask them to come pick me up. I ask the counter. and they din know which direction to point me towards my hotel.. damnit.. its only 2 miles for christ sake.. and thank god..they have taxi services over there.. it'll cost me 5 bucks.. its all good..

Got to the hotel.. got my cousin's room no..... and Wala.. some family.. some familiar face!!! finally!! haha and for the next few days.. we shop.. and we shop.. and we shop.. so much so that her bags are full.. she had to sit on the luggage bag to fit the stuff in.. haha..

Then came thursday.. where she have to leave.. and I have no place to stay.. and I din get myself a hostel.. and all the hostel are like packed cos of the convention.. I had to call my cousin.. which i haven't spoke to in a long long time.. hahaha.. paiseh man.. but it was good.. she was very gracious.. and she invited me for dinner with two of her friends.. Steven and Karen.. we ate at this nice cosy french restaurant.. half the words on the menu dun make sense to me.. and they have the world best concealed toilet ever. u couldn't tell that it is a toilet. it is flushed in together with the wall.. without any signs that says that it is the heads.. awesome stuff.. i had Pork Niman.. some high class pork.. very tastefully done.. = very small portion. but it was nice.

After that very exquisite dinner.. we went back to her L-cove apartment. it is right beside Times Square.. couldn't get any better than that. and it was cosy.. I saw her Canon S410.. and mentioned that mine is spoilt.. and she said that hers is too... i din quite believe..and took and play arnd with it..and it actually work! haha... her memory card is full thou.. so.. I kinda helped her kinda fix her camera.. transferred her pictures out of it.. and got it set up so that she can just send in the card for processing.. pics of her parents during their visit.. how sweet...

She woke up really early in the morning.. went downstairs.. buy coffee from starbucks.. and bagels.... for breakfast..a nd she packed me a little something for me to eat along the way... and 3 peaches... oh darn.. am i touched or wot.. zheng Gam Dong.. anyway.. it was all good..

Thou I din get to see much of new york city.. I got to know two cousins better.... what a way to catch up huh? outta singapore.. Life is good..