That's all for now

New Yorkers,

• Do not use Whatsapp
• Start eating dinner after 8PM only
• Know how to find free stuff (Asians are srsly not the only cheapo people)
• Do not understand what spicy really means
• Live apart from their families
• Rarely grew up in NY
• Are really into their physical activity (old people lapping me along the Hudson!!)
• Who go to Dwell Church are really serious about their faith!

Off the face of this earth

I guess it's not difficult to...just disappear.

9/11 Memorial

Funny story. The 9/11 Memorial gives out a limited number of free tickets on Tuesdays starting from 5PM. Being cheapskate, SJ and I had planned to stand in line for them. On reaching the museum at 4pm (a whole hour before opening time) an long snaking queue had already formed outside. We stood in line, half knowing that we were not gonna get tickets (limited numbers only). Suddenly, this Chinese lady approaches us and speaking in mandarin, asking us if we were in line for tickets, and whether there were just two of us. The highly suspicious husband gives her some curt replies and closed body language, worried that she might be out to scam us or cut the queue. Suddenly, she offers 2 tickets to us, saying that she was in line for the free tickets earlier and that her children had decided not to go. Sounding highly suspicious, I then asked in explicit terms whether the tickets were free for us to take, to which she replied yes they were (and proceeded to tell us not to tell those standing behind us). It was not until we held the tickets in our hands that we were convinced that she was for real! Thanks Unknown Chinese Lady! I guess it sometimes pays to look and speak (some) Chinese.

Visit to the museum was sobering indeed. Live footage and voice recordings of each minute of that fateful day. What was most resonant through the exhibition was the bravery of those firemen and immediate response teams, those who did not run away but instead run fearlessly into the fire to save those who were trapped in it.

"Gentlemen, we may not live through today." 

Jay Jonas, a deputy chief in the New York Fire Department, heard those words on Sept. 11, right before his unit entered the north tower of the World Trade Center.

"We wished each other good luck, shook each other's hands and headed inside."

Unemployment

So SJ and I visited this small church in downtown Manhattan (and boy was it small) and after service stayed behind to have dinner and chat with some of the other church goers.

Meeting people for the first time, I naturally explain the hows and whys I ended up in NYC.

"...so as such, I guess I will be unemployed for the year!" (cue wry smile)

And in response, J (American) looks at me with the most sympathetic eyes as though a loved one had died and says, "I'm soooo sorry to hear that..."

#funny #cultureshock #shouldhenceforthcallitmysabbatical

SG50

It's totally not the 9th of August yet where I am but the SG50 fever has definitely hit. Was sure to pack my flag from the National Day pack earlier in the year (together with stick-on tattoos no less) and here we are!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SINGAPORE! #hometruly

Queen of Cheapo

Bought a Simmons mattress from a Sleepys in-store for $299 and because delivery charge was $100, reluctantly agreed to pick it up at the nearest store and lug it about 8 streets home. Came back and my cheapo instinct prompted me to search the world wide web and to my horror discovered that there was a promotion code for 10% off and free delivery! Instant reaction to call up customer service and demand for a price match and ta-daa! 10% refunded with free delivery to our doorstep.

Hurray!