NYC old favs, new discoveries

Time is compacted and condensed in the Big City - the things one can do in 1.5 days would translate to 1.5 weeks in the outside world. After my blink-and-you'll-miss-it interview, I spent the rest of my day either trotting around the Upper East Side or lying on grass in Central Park looking at the sky, after which I took the ferry to Staten Island to hang out with Jen and Mike one last time before they take off to Seattle.

My interview-turned-city-break, "in brief":

- Checked out my perspective new 'hood around Lexington and 8*th. If I land a job in NYC, that's where I'd most likely be living. My only qualm is that I can't seem to locate a slightly-larger supermarket or a laundromat... ah well, I'll worry about that when I actually get hired by anyone.

- Lied on the grass near the C.P. reservoir and read for a good two hours. It's nice to have time to read non-class reading again. On and off since January, I've been reading Suzanna Chui-Yung Cheung 張翠容's 行過烽火大地 [lit. tr = walking through the land of war beacons], a collection of her journals as a freelance journalist reporting in Afghanistan, Kosovo, East Timor, Tibet and Cambodia. It's a really fascinating and awe-inspiring read, but it isn't until now that I have continuous chunks of time to digest and reflect on the profound significance of her candid words and observations. Her questions on world social injustice, on Western media's journalistic practices and on the practical difficulties that NGOs face make the book a must read for anyone who cares. I found myself streaming in tears as I read about her poignant encounters with East Timorans fighting for independence from the Indonesian government.

- Revisited the Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum, prolly my fav museum in town. Nothing say grand better than the sumptously carved dark wood , molded plaster and cast iron interiors in the ex-Rockefeller mansion. The Shock of the Old exhibit on William Dresser co-hosted by the V&A was particularly superb. The Victorian industrial designer's work is so ecclectic and ingenious I wonder why I haven't heard of his name before. His work cleverly draws from Art and Crafts / Liberty styles, William Morris-esque botanics, Chinoiserie, Japanese sabi and wabi plus Arabic and pre-Art-Deco geometrics. His ceramics and silverware are so ultra modern for their age, he puts Arne Jacobsen, Joe Colombo and Panton to shame. Some of his later work, like his legged sugarbowls, even look like they have been ripped off by Alessi a century later. Spectacular.

- Tea at Payard, the prettiest and the most chi chi patisserie / chocolaterie on this side of the Atlantic.

Unfortunately, it was a bit disappointing this time round - they didn't do flavoured ice tea and the apricot tart felt like it had been sitting in the fridge for too long.
I bought a cake to be picked up later in the evening. They broke the white chocolate plaque. The maitre d' asked if I was ok, (I had been running around town all day at 31'C and prolly looked like I was at the end of my wits, drenched in sweat x-/ )and another waiter sat me down once again as I waited for the bakers to redo the plaque. Out of his goodwill (or perhaps sheer sympathy at my drenched-dog appearance) he brought me some apricot and raspberry sorbet with dark choc ice cream :d. He then offered to carry my cake to the Metro station two blocks away but I insisted him not to. Who says New Yorkers are cold and bitter? Boston's service levels suck by comparison.



I'm getting hungry again...

- Ferry and La Grande Americana on Staten Island:

The night ferry to Staten Island reminded me of home. Sure the harbour view of Manhattan at night is beautiful , but it still can't beat HK. Ahhh - I miss home! *^*;

Had my first Sicilian American pizza at Jen's. Twas monstrously big - size-of-office-party-cake big - for three people.

I stayed in Jen's room. The grave sentiments of saying goodbye didn't hit until I looked at the high school plaques and certificates adorning her bedroom walls. It wasn't until then that I realised that we have gone through a lot together, even though I sometimes thought I didn't totally connect with Jen and Mike. Our little girl trio had gone through much - a mutation in the form of Mike, strange outtings to suburbia, moving apart to different dorms then back together at Sid Pac. I'll miss you both!

The next day, I got my first (Greek) American diner experience. Diner had pink formaica with lots of mirrors; so gaudy and kitsch it's great. Sizes were once again scarily ginormous. Lots of SUVs and space wagons on stretches of non-descript four-lane roads where nobody walks. No wonder people get so blubbery. We went to get Italian ices after. My first, and so good! Perfectly light sorbet-y touches for stuffed sweet tooths (or is it sweet teeth?)

A subdued goodbye at the pier. Adios Jen + Mike!