Paradise 24: July 2007

I can't believe I'm actually flying off to Tanzania tomorrow! I won't reach my destination (small town in the South) until Thursday though haha. I wonder how ulu it's gonna be there.. it's gonna be interesting regardless =)

I still have a little bit of New York City withdrawal lol. I think doing my elective there was definitely the right decision. Visiting the place as a tourist would be a totally different experience I think. I got to have a little taste of how it was like working there.. and I quite enjoyed it. Applying for work there is gonna be terribly difficult though.. and I hardly know anyone there! Hmm.. maybe I might change my mind again soon.

Okay I should go back to packing now.. need to optimise the limited space!!

Just to illustrate how much I love Central Park, here are the various sights you can see:

The 'Imagine' plaque in Strawberry Fields

The Bow Bridge where Spidey and MJ broke up

People doing crazy stretches like this

Belvedere Castle with the Turtle Pond beneath it

Overlooking the Turtle Pond

Hula-hooping at the Park

Alice in Wonderland

Gapstow Bridge

And last but not least, the NYC skyline with Brooklyn Bridge in the foreground, taken @ night. *Dreams*

Wow, it's been a lightning-fast 4 weeks.. I'm leaving New York this Sunday! Have taken lots of pictures but won't be able to show them all in one go. So here are the main tourist sights in the city. These are not just ordinary sights but each of them are international icons in their own right.. definitely worth the 200+ pds return flight from London. =)

Sheep's Meadow @ Central Park

I love Central Park! It's really huge, spanning about 50 streets long and a mile across. Don't think I can physically explore all of it in a day! What I love about it is that it's divided into lots of different areas, and each of them look completely different from each other; from the flat Sheep's Meadow to the hilly and quiet Strawberry Fields, after which The Beatles' song is named.

Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty is synonymous with the USA. When I first saw it, it wasn't as big as I have always pictured it to be. However, when standing beneath it, it does look colossal! Too bad visitors have not been allowed to go up to the crown since 9/11.

Ground Zero

Of course, one could not come to the Big Apple and not visit the site where the majestic World Trade Centre once stood. Being on the site definitely gave me a solemn feeling. And it's sad to still hear about the car bombs in the UK just recently. I wonder what atmosphere I will be returning to this coming Sunday. Hopefully the flights will not be delayed much and everything has settled a bit by then. I doubt it though =S

Times Square

Times Square is another favourite spot of mine. The neon lights come alive at dusk, and the crowds here never seem to disappear. It must be amazing to countdown to New Year's day here.

Brooklyn Bridge

Before going to Brooklyn Bridge, I thought to myself, how interesting would walking a bridge be? And boy, am I glad I did it. The bridge was once the longest suspension bridge and tallest structure in the Western hemisphere. Walking towards Brooklyn, I could see the view of the East River and the Harlem Bridge in front of me, while the New York City skyline slowly shrinking behind me. And watching the NYC skyline at night, with all the lights, is just out of this world! Too bad there's no significant other for me to watch with =P

On Top of the Rock

Another amazing experience was going up the Rockefeller Centre. It is not the tallest building in NY, but you could still see the whole city, as well as the Empire State Building itself. I can't stop imagining King Kong sitting atop of the tower lol.

Apple Store

I took this picture while I was on the bus. It was the launching day of the iPhone, hence the crowd. But isn't the glass cube really cool?! The whole store is actually in the basement just beneath it. I checked out the iPhone today and the features were awesome! I would have gotten one if I wasn't so broke. *hint hint*

Strawberry Fields Sundae & Frozen Hot Chocolate

If you guys have watched Serendipity (the movie starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale), then you would know what I'm talking about here. The Serendipity 3 Cafe is just really close to where I live, but I only went there last week! There was always a long line whenever I walked past it even late at night. I finally went there last week at 12am (it closes at 2am hehe). Tried their trademark Frozen Hot Chocolate which was really yummy, along with other delicious desserts.

Okay I think it's time for me to go to bed. I have to wake up in 4 hours time for my last day at the hospital! It's quite bittersweet actually haha.. oh well better not be late for the last day! Here are some random shots I've taken..