Thursday, May 11, 2006
Adventures in New York - 10:03 AM
After 2 days worth of getting to know Manhattan slightly better, I am proud to say that I have officially learnt to take the subway. I used to follow Ruoxi around blindly, but since she's at work now, I have decided that I ought to be more independent.So, 2 days of 'sight-seeing' later, I have come to realise why people love this city, despite its cramp quarters, hazardous pollution, over-the-roof cost of living, rude salespeople (compared to other US cities), high taxes etc.
People term NYC as the 'City that Never Sleeps', and how true that is. Anywhere at anytime, there is bound to be some action going on. Only that the type of action sometimes leaves much to be desired. Manhattan beckons to millions of visitors a day, because she offers so much. While at the East Village yesterday, I headed into a random bookstore in search of a bathroom. Though there were no bathrooms in sight, the coziness of the bookstore caught my eye. Ahhhh, if only we can do this everyday.... And so I start to daydream...........
Spend 2 hours in some hardwood floor bookstore, with floor to ceiling shelves, browsing through decorating books. Buy one you fancy, head over to one of the many Starbucks that dot the neighborhood, and read it cover to cover. Then, indulge in some people-watching/display-window shopping down 5th and Madison. I wish at this point, I can say that I can take a deep breath and say 'ahh today's a great day'. Sorry, I REALLY can't, not if I wanna live a longer life. After the shopping, maybe visit Little Korea for some authentic Bibimbap.
Well, if you prefer to be surrounded by greens and sports, you might want to head over to Central Park, the only place in the city where you can breathe as per normal. Bring a blanket and lay down on the grass. Take a nap, relax! After you get up, go home, take a shower, and get ready for a Broadway show in the evening.
Uh-hum, you can wake up from the fantasy now. As much as I would like to continue with this dream, I apologize and can I say that IT DOESN'T HAPPEN? I mean, yeah I can make it happen cos I'm on vacation and I am fortunate enough to be living for free (for now), in a city where real estate is an extremely tricky issue. For a haircut, I had to surf online for reviews for a reasonably priced and not bad one. I walked from East Village to Soho, and from Soho to Wall St, to the gigantic discount store Century 21 to get cheap pillows. geez. so much for being chic. But for the working Manhattanite, this kinda idleness is hard to come by. Very hard indeed, not even on weekends, some of them may not get to enjoy this.
Therefore, I have come to the conclusion that New York City is awesome if you are:
1) rich
2) really rich
3) freaking rich
And I don't mean rich cos you work 80hrs a week. I mean you are rich cos you:
1) belong to Old Money (think Vanderbilt, Rockefeller, Hilton)
2) married Money
3) are a kept woman of some sort
Alas, most New Yorkers work their asses off (think 12hours a day or more on the baseline), and don't get to enjoy what I am enjoying: the slow, relaxing sashay down 5th, sipping coffee at Starbucks while people watching in Soho, or lazing in Central Park. Tsk, tsk... what a pity to live in one of the most fabulous cities in the world and not be able to experience it in the manner of its worshippers. OK, maybe they do. Ala Sex n the City, but thats makebelieve la.
Anyway, my number 1 goal here in New York is to not appear like a tourist. Dun ask me why, its an ego thing. MUAHHAHAHA.