This Week in New York

Two things happened this week during my visit to New York: the presidential election and my birthday.

This election was historical either way; my birthday was memorable. I celebrated my birthday with cousin Chin-Huey and her husband at a Portuguese restaurant in Newark after I took the subway and then the train to New Jersey. Never thought I would have celebrated any of my birthdays there and with them. Funny how life goes. It was a fun night.

How about the NY underground?? Huge! Like a complicated maze! So many people and so many exits. Need to have strong legs and fast feet to run from one platform to another to catch the transfers. My ride was: Subway S from Grand Central Station to Time Square --> Subway 2 to NY Penn Station --> NJ Transit to Newark. It took an hour and about $6.

Subway: human sardine cans. This is what New York commuters have to go through everyday. It makes our BART ride a breeze. Happy to have experienced it once so I can talk about it. The NJ transit train moved slower than expected. Somehow I was expecting it to zip through like a bullet train.

The Grand Central Station is beautiful and big. The New York Penn Station is even bigger. People rushing here and there - kind of like ants hurrying in and out of different tunnels. The Newark Penn Station is split on two sides of Market Street. Ching-Huey and I couldn't find each other because we were waiting at different side and different end of the station.

Note to self: pick a corner and stay.

The Big Chill. It rained all week but not cold at all. The biggest chill has to be the global economic crisis that is turning countries upside down. One bad news after another. The rain was very suitable for the mood especially in Manhattan.

Home Sweet Home. Glad to be back and leave the cold and misery outside.

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