Call me excessive, but I just love snapping those shutters. As I say, a camera around one’s neck is the best accessory one can have! So behold, all 1982642300 bazillion photos I took during my short stay in the city that never sleeps. I kid you, you can handle 38, no?
I present to you: New York City! (A.k.a. probably the most overrated city in pop culture.)
Yeah, yeah. We’ve all seen Times Square…which-is-actually-a-triangle-(!)-but-math-is-not-our-forté. I landed in New York in the evening so naturally, Times Square would be our first stop.
We then watched the Broadway production, “Memphis”- a story about the struggles of biracial relationships during the civil rights movement era illustrated in music.
Lemme tell ya, those musical scores were so incredibly energetic and the plot moved so fast that you forgot all the sleep- deprived nights you had travelling on the go!
Our next stop was at the United Nations headquarters. I learned that raised flags meant a meeting was in session. This was proved by the fact that when we went to Times Square again, later that day, a news report flashed regarding the UN’s security related- decisions on the Libya crisis.
At the gift shop, I was moved by this proverb. It took me a while to fully understand, but once I did, I was struck by how relatable the quote was.
That evening we went to:
…where I became enormously frustrated by my camera’s slow shutter speed without flash. GOSHDARNIT.
That was the best nightscape I could manage.
You know how the observation deck at 30 Rockefeller is called “Top of the Rock”? Well, the interior designers took the “rock” part seriously:
There were crystals embedded in walls and hanging from ceilings for the sole reason of teasing you to jump up and pull one.
Next up, the giant Toys R Us store in Times Square! Needless to say, I felt like a kid again.
If I were actually a kid, I would’ve shat my pants looking at this (no seriously, I probably would’ve seeing how I cried at robot “dinosaurs” at a kid’s museum once):
~RAWRRRRR~
Toys R Us even recreated the edible garden in Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory!
With actual candy inside magical mushrooms. Notice how bright it is outside the windows. It would be fascinating to discover how much energy Times Square consumes in an hour. You know you’re in New York when you step outside at midnight and think it’s twelve noon! Oh, America…
I couldn’t stop reliving my little kiddie days so we went to the M&M Factory store!
~NOM NOM NOM NOM~
….And you can drink ‘em too!
The next day, we took a boat tour to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
And as this is a fashion blog after all, I have to have some style-related elements in this post!
Even if they come in the form of a blonde, plastic, disproportionate doll…
No way am I buying a piece of plastic for $50!
More gift shop trinkets…
Coming up…Downtown Brooklyn graffiti! We crossed bridges between Manhatten and Brooklyn frequently.
Graffiti never ceases to amaze me. How artists gain access to the weirdest nooks and crannies are beyond me.
That day’s weather made headlines across the east coast. The warmth was beyond relieving, especially for cold Canadian tourists. It was perfect Brooklyn weather, calm and warm. The air felt like a blanket I was ready to embrace!
That night, I went to see Fuerza Bruta (ad on the lower left corner).
The audience was able to get up and personal with the dancers when the plastic sheet lowered (the boys said some obscure things!) It was frightening to imagine what would’ve happened if there was a crack on the think sheet…
The show made me want to use so many big adult words like primitive, animalistic, minimalist…but I’ll just stick to one: dream-like. The drum-beats, music, dancing, water and sweat made me feel as if I was a spirit of a human instead of a body. The strobe lights casted my spirit above and left behind a hollow body. We danced and swayed to the sounds of the music as a whole continuous body, like a pulsing animal. I was amazed and mindblown. The show had every element of a traditional show, the suspense, the wonder…but it was so much better than any show I’ve ever seen.
Finally we had to bid farewell to New York. I’ve taken another bite of the Big Apple and gathered many unforgettable memories.
This past March break embodied everything I wanted in a trip and went beyond my expectations. It was educational, personal and above all- FUN AND INCREDIBLE! I end this journey with a view of New York’s skyline from a Jersey Shore (you get it?).
Eew, low resolution. But don’t worry:
