NEW YORK CITY
By Wong Tze Ling
It was a cloudless morning, a day perfect for us 10 of the NCBV 6th batch to embark on our first trip to the home of the ubiquitous “Statue of Liberty” - New York City. We had initially planned to take the earliest Chinatown bus from Philly, but considering the dynamics of such a large group, it was not alarming that we were delayed by the perpetual “sleepyheads” within the group. Nevertheless, it didn’t dampen our mood as we boarded the bus in high spirits, chirping happily throughout the journey. After a smooth 2 hour, we finally arrived in Chinatown of New York City.
As planned, we went to have our first Chinese meal. Dim Sum, it seemed was an obvious and unanimous decision. Eric was especially elated as Dim Sum was his favourite and seemed to leave a trail of drool behind him. It seemed too long time since we last indulged in proper Chinese cuisine thus we buzzing with excitement. This eargerness was of course chimed by the growling of hungry stomachs. Unfortunately, Kelly could only eat vegetarian dishes (which left the Ex-vegetarian Neeraj stuffing his face relentlessly) was Estee was her usual self - pinching on a variety of food. The whole episode ended poor Jaron was sabotaged to pass all the coins we had thrown in to the cashier while everyone “escaped” to the restroom.
Following this, we decided to go to the famous Statue of Liberty. Peiling, who was group leader and travel guide, led us to downtown, Manhanttan. When the train crossed the river, we caught a glimpse of the statue from afar and I screamed in awe at the sight, startling everyone. It was hard to swallow the fact that we were so near to this national monument! However, due to the confusion, we boarded the wrong train which took us to the suburbs instead. This delayed us by 2 hours before we reached downtown Manhattan. Unfortunately, by then, there was a very long queue hence, we decided not to better spend our time touring the rest of New York City.
Because we did not plan the itenary, Peiling instinctively brought us to the attractions that were nearby. Next stop was the New York Stock Exchange where we took photos with the famous golden bull and also outside the building itself along Wall Street. I have always imagined Wall Street to be a very busy and bustling road like Shenton Way, but it seemed to be only a small alley. Despite this, it still attracted many tourists and it is known to be the heart of New York’s economy. After satiating our need to be trigger-happy, we proceeded to the holy Trinity Church that was just opposite the New York Stock Exchange. Once you stepped inside the church, you could instantly feel the serenity as if all your worries had evaporated instantly.
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Following Trinity church, we decided to have lunch at TGI Fridays before carrying on to the site of the former Twin Towers of New York. It was better known as Ground Zero after the 911 disaster and the site remained the center of attraction. The area was fenced up and a huge cross stood in the middle of the debris. There were big boards depicting the timeline of the reconstruction as well as description of the actual incident. Despite the hot weather, many people were crowding around the fence. The atmosphere was gloomy as some were sobbing, probably their loved ones were lost there and some were simply dazed, staring into the empty site. It was a sad sight that just made my heart sink.
Following Ground Zero, we went to the heart of New York City, the popular Times Square. It was simply overwhelming to see so billboards. Each and every advertisement was just shouting out to catch one’s attention. Even in the broad daylight, the billboards had neon lights flashing copiously. It was there in Time Square when all of us parted into small groups. Some of us went to check out the Broadway musicals while others went shopping in the malls. However, all of us went to the well-known Coldstone Ice-cream store to taste their delicious ice-cream. The queue was so long that it stretched beyond the outsides of the shop. The unique thing about Coldstone Ice-cream is that the additional toppings like Oreos, pecan nuts, chocolate mints etc are all added at the time a customer orders. Their ice-cream is not pre-mixed but tossed and mixed together with your individual selections on the spot. Indeed, it lived up to its reputation; the ice-cream was simply fantastic and irresistible.
Before we head back to Philly, we went to Central Park to enjoy the rest of the day. Against the magnificent New York skyline, many people were seen lazing on the grass, soaking in the sun and healthy individuals were jogging around the park. Horse carriages were also ferrying tourists around the park to enjoy the cool breeze. What a wonderful to end our day trip to New York. Although we are all exhausted from walking the whole day, it had been a fun and enjoyable trip, to say the least! It was definitely the first of New York City, but not the last.