I came home last Friday and the amount of photos I've taken of my US trip was so daunting that I considered closing my blog. The other reason was after seeing the big world, blogging seemed so trivial. Then I remembered why I've kept on blogging: so that one day when I can't remember, I can still recollect my life and travels through my blog. Also, of course, I miss you all. I do.
Jet lag wasn't so bad this time and in fact, flying 14,726 km/9150 miles from New York to KK (with 1 1/2 hr transit in HK) was quite pleasant. Again, I must say that Cathay Pacific is one of the best airlines to fly. The movies were great. I watched four, rating in descending order: The Flowers Of War, Hugo, Unkown and The Young Adult. Pork was on every meal and so I had pork sausages for brekkie and pork again for dinner or was it lunch because flying out at 10 am meant there was no night even though flying time was 20 hours (including the transit). One of the most thrilling moments for me was when, after flying about 7 hours, I went to the toilet and looked out the window (the windows by our seats were all shut to black out the light for watching movies) and saw the whole world below me covered with snow and ice, with large tracts of ice cracked open and rivers of water in between. It was like a National Geographic movie and I was watching it live! A passenger pointed out that it was the Artic, and that if I come back much later, I'd see the green grass of Mongolia. Awesome.
Cheap as I am, I avoided all alcoholic drinks and went for the peanuts and huge crisp apples throughout the flight. I love that they gave us Haagen Dazs ice cream, the big choc-covered one on a stick. The flight attendants were professional and efficient, spoke Chinese and perfect American English and their minimally made up faces were refreshing. On a long flight, it is a relief not to have to put up with fake sickly sweet attendants with garish faces covered with thick foundation, false eyelashes, blue eye shadow and hair pushed into a silly puffed beehive. You know I'm talking about the SIA and MAS girls. Terri's back and opinionated as ever.
A couple of days ago, my hub suddenly told me to move on. I was complaining about the lack of fruits and veggies in our local supermarkets ("Is there a war going on here, food supply is so low?!") and on ("What, it's 35 degrees Celcius out there?! It was a perfect 65 Fahrenheit in NYC and I could walk from morning to night without sweating and why aren't there streets to walk here?!") and on ("What, RM13 for a lousy bowl of noodles with three slices of fish?!") about how America is the place to be, of all the countries I've been to, and how happy I was there and how I've never felt so free in my life and how people were so nice and polite and integrated, how 'melting pot' they really are. I still have moments when I wish there is a bridge which I can drive on to any place I want in the world.
Darn, I have to run an errand now. I'll post this quickly or it'll not get done until the weekend.
We got out of our cosy, perfectly located apartment at the corner of 17th St and 8th Ave (a neice's, and she was in Holland) one Saturday morning to find 8th Ave closed to traffic and a street market going on. What luck! We love street markets!
Mexican food is one of my least-liked cuisine. Boring beans and wraps in same not so tasty sauce. This, however was Puerto Rican food and it turned out delicious!
Halumi in plantains grilled and caramelised on the spot, very yummy! USD4 each, ouch.
Deep fried pork, awesome! The skin was a bit hard but chewable. USD2 each piece.
Was told that this was a chicken and pork dish.
Only a fool like me would walk by these, thinking they were imitation stuff, and then go to a pharmacy and buy bottles of the same thing at twice the price. Ladies in Msia, do not pay RM60 for Opi nail polish. Get your friend's friend to get then from the states, USD9.50/RM30 at Sephora and a dollar cheaper at pharmacies.
Neon colors are in, especially neon pink and orange.
Walking to 23 St and turning to 5th Ave after the street market, we chanced upon this donut place called Doughnut Plant New York City on our way to meet a friend for lunch.
Was very yum! Very 'home made'.
We both prefer the yeast type donut.
I really have to go. Will post again when i get back.
14 comments:
Terri - welcome back!
I can't believe you stumbled upon the best donut shop in NYC and my fav haunt when I lived there. You are so lucky! BTW, it's 'famous' and there's a couple of outposts in Japan, that's how good these donuts are.
Welcome back Terri - have really missed reading your regular posts. Can't wait to hear more of your adventures.... take care.
Hi Terri!
Welcome back!! I'm really curious to see all your pictures!!
How is Yi?
Greetings!
Laura
Miss your postings too. Love the pic of the beagle so adorable! More, more travel USA posts.
Hi Terri,
USA and NYC are great! I miss NYC so much especially the cheap and good food.
In NYC, if you clip coupons, there is buy one get one free on the good stuff. Sometimes even buy one get two free and discounts are usually from 25%-75% off on name brand clothes. I usually laugh when salespeople in HK tell me I am getting a good deal because it is 10% off.
I never realized how fortunate I was to live in NYC until I moved to HK and HK is an amazing city.
Regarding Mexican food, it can be extremely tasty, I am going to review my favorite NYC Mexican restaurant soon. Will keep you posted.
-Kelly
Kelly
nice you got to try the doughnut plant i first know it from a show on TLC years ago
chopsuey: really?! oh wow, i shd've eaten more donuts! i wanted the black out but there was only one and somebody else had ordered it before me:(
jackie: lol, i miss 'connecting' with you all!
laubao: yi's good, she left for melbourne frm nyc and she'll be coming home tomorrow for about 9 days before she goes back to shanghai.
anon: i intend to post twice a day so watch out!
kelly: yes, it's crazy! things are so cheap there, compared to asia! i used to shop in hk during the summer sales but i'll never do tt again! i bought a kate spade full leather bag for only usd200 but was told tt the same thing in singapore, where they carry the brand, will cost thousands! i kick myself for mot buying more things!
hmm, the last trip to LA, we ordered so much mexican food that the table was overflowing and that was the last time any of us ever wanted mexican again.
june: gee, i'm the last to know!
Sounds like you had an amazing trip there. Guess it was hard to be back in KK. My American friends living here always get a sticker shock when we're out shopping. They're used to incredibly low prices in the US
So glad you're back with photos and stories. You mustn't close your blog as I missed reading your stories while you were away.
I have yet to visit Doughnut Plant. I live in NY and I love it. I was on vacation in Singapore and Indonesia when you were here. Would love to meet you and Yi.
ccc: yes, things are incredibly cheap in the states. i think of all the places i've visited, the states is the cheapest for clothes, food and i'm told even rent is cheapest. and the americans are complaining?!
blurting: there are just heaps of photos to go thru n i feel so lazy...but comments do encourage me, make me feel like i'm not alone, so thanks for your comments!
linda: oh yes, next time i go to nyc, let's meet:)
Just found your blog - wonderful writing and photos! So glad you enjoyed your visit to the US. It's not all the gloom and doom so often shown on the news in other parts of the world. Americans are really friendly and helpful, I love NYC too!
fuji; yes a lot of countries like to blow up the bad news about the US and tell their citizens to be grateful tt the same things don't happen at home. typical scare tactics. boo.
I saw alot of pre orders in forum lowyat cost RM20-RM30 per bottle for the Essie ones.
I told my friend about this and she doesn't believe me that they are ori as she bought hers RM60 plus per bottle in a nail parlour shop in Karamunsing. :S
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