Friday 30 October 2015

Thank you for the opportunity to like/love you

Just finished watching the Taiwanese movie “Our Times” (“我的少女時代”) and thought about old school crushes and past loves. Although this movie is not screening in Canada, I managed to find a direct link from Chinese forums to watch it online (http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3d0y0v_我的少女時代-our-times-part3_shortfilms).

While “You Are the Apple of My Eye” (“那些年,我們一起追的女”) projected the romance-comedy perspective from a guy (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Fr3PaVfGyE), “Our Times” is narrated by the girl – an ordinary one. As the Director said, for every Shen Jia Yi (沈佳), there are 99 Lin Zhen Xin (林真心).


Being in the thirties, the teenage years was half a lifetime ago! Thinking back now, I feel grateful to all the guys I had liked. “Because of ‘him’, I am who I am now.” (“因为他, 是今天的我.”) Once upon a time, I hoped there would only be one guy, but looking back now, there are actually a few.


Thank you D for being a wonderful boyfriend. I felt happy almost every day during our 2 years together. At this point, thinking of you still makes me a little teary. Even if I never meet anyone else, I am very glad to love and be loved by you. For now, you are remembered as my Mr Forex Trader, my 郭靖 and my 耶律齐.


Thank you K for being a fantastic first love. You will always be my Mr First Love, my 柯景騰 and my 徐太宇. While I was not an extreme goody-two-shoes nerdy bookworm, I will not be as courageous and street-smart today if not for you. You are lovingly archived at the bottom of my heart in the teenage memories section.


Thank you J for appearing in the same Poly course. You were the eye candy like 歐陽非凡 and 道明寺 that made lectures so much more interesting just because you were there. Think I dreamt or daydreamed of you so much back then until I can’t remember if the memories of you are real or not.


Thank you S for the lovely dates and chats in Uni. You made the challenging uni days so much more fun and interesting by being the charming listener and intelligent advisor. In my memory, you look like or even better than Wentworth Miller and that’s why I was infatuated.


Thank you YK for being the first guy I admired coz you are older and introduced me to post-Sec school and pre-Poly life. If you had asked me to be your GF, the 17-year-old me would have said yes. Till now, you are still the record-holder for most memorable first date on CNY eve even though I can’t recognise you anymore.


Thank you JR for looking like my real-life James Potter. Out of my 4 internships, the one with you was my fave and inspired me to wake up at 5am every day for 10 weeks. I still remember the joke on my last day of work and hope you will remember that funny memory as much as I do.


Thank you B for being the Secondary School eye candy who played basketball. Not sure if I liked you or because my friends talked about you, but you looked good in the basketball court for sure. The memories of you are so vague that I forgot about you until we met again at someone’s wedding a decade later.


There are a few minor crushes who I thought are cute and/or good looking, but did not have a memorable impression as they did not last more than 6 months. Most girls just want 1 good partner for life - I hope to be the 黄蓉 of my 郭靖. Where are you?(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1UuVFhu5bQ)


While I enjoyed both movies, the Taiwanese movie I resonate most with is “Taipei Exchanges” (“36個故”), maybe because the lead character is named Doris and in the end she went on a round-the-world trip (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi010yX8Yl4). It didn’t end with a love story, but it was a happy ending for herself. Because of this movie, I visited Daughter’s Café (朵兒咖啡) at No. 393 Fujin Street when I went Taiwan in January 2013. I didn’t notice before, but my current hairstyle might have been inspired by her.



Friday 23 October 2015

New York City in 22 days

New York City will be the place I miss most at the end of this trip after 3 amazing weeks! To thoroughly explore NYC's 5 boroughs need at least 3 months! The touristy stuff in NYC is expensive, but the local experience is definitely within budget. Most of the attractions are almost free and the most expensive Broadway show was $37.

Published this post while waiting at Montreal-Pierre Elliot Trudeau International Airport. I am very grateful to my friend's mom for hosting me at her beautiful apartment in Queens, and another friend for hosting me at W New York hotel in downtown Manhattan for 3 nights on her business trip. Without them, NYC would not have been so affordable.

1 Oct (Thu)
- LaGuardia Airport Terminal C (LGA)
- Downtown Flushing
- Queens Library (Flushing)
- Main St Metro Station (bought MetroCard 7-day pass)
- Corona neighbourhood

2 Oct (Fri)
- Subway #7, #6, R, and bus Q38
- Grand Central Terminal (free walking tour inside and outside)
- New York Public Library (Schwarzman and Mid-Manhattan Library)
- Chrysler Building (and surrounding buildings)
- MetLife Building (lunch at Cucina & Co)
- Queens Center shopping mall

3 Oct (Sat)
- Trump Tower (dined at Trump Cafe)
- Sony Tower (Sony Store and Sony Wonder Technology Lab)
- Apple Store with Glass Cube entrance
- Empire State Building (ground display and dined at Heartland Brewery)
- Flatiron Building District (Flatiron Building, Madison Square Park, Lego Shop)
- Nutella Bar at Eataly
- Fifth Avenue from 59th to 23rd Street

4 Oct (Sun)
- Queens Zoo (did not go in)
- New York Hall of Science
- Queens Museum
Flushing Meadows Corona Park (Unisphere, JDRF Walk event, Playground for all Children)
- Terrace On the Park, CitiField, State Pavilion, and Queens Theater
- Pitch & Putt Mini Golf, Aquatic Center
- Queens Botanical Garden

5 Oct (Mon)
- Metropolitan Museum of Art (dined at American Wing Cafe)
- Museum of the City of New York (and part of Museum Mile stretch)
- Conservatory Garden & Vanderbilt Gate @ Central Park
- Fifth Ave, Madison Ave, Lexington (82th to 110 St)
- East Harlem Cafe
- Subway #6 and Bus M2

6 Oct (Tue)
- Times Square
- Dos Caminos Cafe
- American Museum of Natural History (dined at Cafe on 4)
- New York Historical Society
- Food Truck (ate Knish)
- Subway B and M

7 Oct (Wed)
- Bronx Zoo
- New York Botanical Garden (and Bronx River)
- Whitestone Bridge (view from bus Q44)
- Fordham University
- Josephine Caminiti Playground & River Park
- Bus Q58, Q44, BX19 and BX9

8 Oct (Thu)
- Greenwich Village District (F.R.I.E.N.D.S. building @ 101 Bedford St, Lucille Lortel)
- Magnolia Bakery @ 401 Bleecker St and 
- The Plaza Hotel (Champagne Bar)
- Central Park South & Columbus Circle
- Rockefeller Plaza, Radio City Music Hall, St Patrick's Cathedral, Carnegie Hall
- Museum of Modern Art (The Modern restaurant)
- Subway 1, 2 and 3 Limited, Bus M2 Limited

9 Oct (Fri)
- New York Aquarium (and Sealion show)
- Tom's Coney Island Restaurant
- Steeplechase Pier
- Coney Island Beach & Riegelmann Boardwalk
- MCU Park, Luna Park, Scream Zone, Cyclone, Carousel (did not go in)
- Trump Village Estates (view from outside)
- Subway F

10 Oct (Sat)
- Brooklyn Botanic Garden (and Yellow Magnolia Cafe)
- Brooklyn Museum (and cafe)
- Prospect Park (and lake)
- Prospect Park Zoo (did not go in) and Green Market
- Brooklyn Public Library
- Grand Army Plaza
- Subway #2 and Q

11 Oct (Sun)
- Statue of Liberty & Staten Island Ferry + Terminals (Central Market Grills)
Battery Park (Castle Clinton and Seaglass Carousel)
- Seaport District (Museum, Piers and East River Walkway)
- Brooklyn Bridge & City Hall
- Secret City Hall station
- Subway #6

12 Oct (Mon)
- Terrace on the Park
- Ashley Fine Food
- Loeb Boathouse @ Central Park
- Sixty Five Bar & Restaurant @ Rockefeller Center
- W New York Hotel

13 Oct (Tue)
- St George Ferry Terminal (dined at River Dock Cafe)
- Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden
- Staten Island Museum
- 1 World Trade Center / Freedom Tower
- 9/11 Memorial and Museum
- Subway #4 and Bus S40

14 Oct (Wed)
- Al Hirschfeld Theatre @ Broadway (watched Kinky Boots)
- Kodama Sushi
- Bryant Park @ Washington Square
- Vander Bar and Arturo's Bar
- Seafood @ Eataly
- Explore middle south Manhattan
- New York Taxi

15 Oct (Thu)
- W New York Hotel (stayed 3 nights)
- Nougatine at Jean-George
- Loeb Boathouse & The Mall @ Central Park
- Ess-a-Bagel
- Explored South of Central Park between 5th Ave to 3rd Ave

16 Oct (Fri)
- High Line
- Chelsea Market (bought lunch)
- Ground Zero Museum Workshop (did not go in)
- Pennsylvannia Station
- New York Public Library (2pm guided tour + get temp library card)
- Bryant Park (dined at corner stand)

17 Oct (Sat)
Wall Street (Charging bull, Trump Building)
- Federal Hall National Memorial 
- Aladdin Lottery @ New Amsterdam Theater
- Booth Theatre @ Broadway (watched Hand to God)
- Subway #3, #5

18 Oct (Sun)
New Amsterdam Theater @ Broadway (watched Aladdin)
- Shubert Theater @ Broadway (watched Matilda)
- Ate at multiple cafes around Times Square

19 Oct (Mon)
- Loeb Boathouse @ Central Park (lunch)
- South of Central Park (from 72nd St to 59th St)
- Downtown Manhattan
- Bloomingdale's at 59th St (bought Ivanka Trump boots)

20 Oct (Tue)
- Trump Soho (Taschen Library)
- Koi Soho
- Soho District
- Lord & Taylor Mall
- Times Square
New Amsterdam Theater @ Broadway (watched Aladdin again)

21 Oct (Wed)
- Corona neighbourhood in Queens
- Downtown Manhattan
- Vivian Beaumont Theater @ Broadway Lincoln Center (watched The King and I)

22 Oct (Thu)
- LaGuardia Airport Terminal B in New York City Queens (LGA)
- Montreal-Pierre Elliot Trudeau International Airport (YUL)

Estimated spending in USD
Transport: $94 ($31 for 7-day pass + $1 for MetroCard)

Broadway shows: $185.50
- Aladdin (2 x $30) = $60
- Matilda $27
- The King and I ($32 + $2.50 online booking) = $34.50
- Kinky Boots $37
- Hand to God $27

Paid Admission: <$20 (average $2 donation for paid attraction)

Fancy restaurants: <$250 (Friends treated for a few places)

Cheaper food: <$500 (average $20-$25 per day for 2 meals out plus snacks)

Shopping: $105 for Ivanka Trump boots
(30% discount, no sales tax below $110 spending @ Bloomingdale's)

Groceries: $150 (about $50 a week on toiletries, bread & instant noodles)

Lodging: < $150

UBER to airport: <$20

Friday 2 October 2015

Wisconsin in 31 days

Wanted to have a quiet homey retreat in a countryside/smaller city and try the American lifestyle. My lovely ex-flatmate, whom I have not seen in 9 years, offered her place in Milwaukee and it was the perfect place to be. Covered mostly Milwaukee (Wisconsin biggest city) and Madison (Wisconsin capital). Stayed in mostly coz the house is so beautiful that I don't wanna go out.

1 Sep (Tue)

- Los Angeles International Airport
- Minneapolis-Saint Paul Airport
- Dane County Regional Airport at Madison, Wisconsin
- Glass Nickel Pizza

2 Sep (Wed)

- Indian Lake County Park
- Monsoon Siam
- Olbrich Botanical Gardens
- Wisconsin State Capitol
- Red Elephant cafe
- Steepery Tea Bar
- Tex Tubb's Taco Palace

3 Sep (Thu)

- Pick 'n' Save at Silver Spring Drive

4 Sep (Fri)

- Bus #63
- Bayshore Town Center
- La Coppa Artisan Gelato
- Trader's Joe

5 Sep (Sat)

- Stayed in to relax

6 Sep (Sun)

- Bus #15
- Milwaukee Public Market

7 Sep (Mon)

- Kletzsch Park

8 Sep (Tue)

- Brown Deer Town Center
- Colectivo Coffee at Bayshore Town Center
- Crestwood Neighbourhood

9 Sep (Wed)

- West Milwaukee
- Target & Menards Superstore

10 Sep (Thu)
- Green Line Bus
- City of Milwaukee Business Park
- Harley-Davidson Museum (+ Racer Cafe)
- Purple Door Ice Cream

11 Sep (Fri)

- Purple Line Bus, Golden Line Bus, Bus #27
- Milwaukee County Zoo (+ Flamingo Cafe)
- Lincoln Park (Meaux Park)

12 Sep (Sat)

- Stayed in (12 degrees Celsius is too cold to go out!)

13 Sep (Sun)

- Stayed in (to read and write)

14 Sep (Mon)

- Sababa Cafe in Plaza  East
- Grohmann Museum
- Milwaukee School of Engineering - Biomolecular Laboratory & Faculty of Nursing
- Sprecher's pub at Bayshore Town Center

15 Sep (Tue)
- Stayed in (planned to do the 23andMe test kit but did not do it)

16 Sep (Wed)

- Bus #80 and #35
- Basilica of St Josaphat
- Milwaukee Public Library
- Wisconsin Center

17 Sep (Thu)

- Stayed in (coz it rained)

18 Sep (Fri)

- Tripoli Shrine Center

19 Sep (Sat)

- Bus #14
- Milwaukee Public Museum (Ancient Skies & Cosmic Colors Planetarium shows, Cafe)
- Milwaukee Public Library (Green roof and Dome tour)
- Dunkin' Donuts
- Bayshore Town Center AT&T block

20 Sep (Sun)

- Kawa Japanese Restaurant at Bayshore Town Center
- Fiddleheads Coffee Roasters (yummy Hot Chocolate)
- ULTA Beauty Superstore

21 Sep (Mon)

- Lake Michigan at Milwaukee Bay
- Milwaukee County War Memorial Center
- Veterans Park, Juneau Park and O'Donnell Park + McKinley Marina view
- Downtown along E Wisconsin Ave
- 600 East Cafe

22 Sep (Tue)

- Discovery World
- Milwaukee Art Museum (main galleries closed due to upgrading works)

23 Sep (Wed)

- Outpost Natural Foods Co-op supermarket
- Comet Cafe
- North Farwell Ave
- Oriental Cafe

24 Sep (Thu)

- Milwaukee River Parkway at Estabrook Park (and Beer Garden)
- Blaze Pizza at Bayshore Town Center

25 Sep (Fri)

- Stayed in

26 Sep (Sat)

- Stayed in

27 Sep (Sun)

- Historic Third Ward
-  Bella Caffe

28 Sep (Mon)

- Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory (Milwaukee Domes)

29 Sep (Tue)

-Stayed in (to pack)

30 Sep (Wed)

- Shorts: Modern Families at Avalon Theater
- Swedish movie Ego at Oriental Theater
- Rice N Roll Bistro

1 Oct (Thu)

- Milwaukee General Mitchell International Airport (MKE)