NYC
Winter 2011
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Photo-op with giant Christmas balls at NYC's Sixth Avenue
(Dec-2011) |
Journal Entry... The NYC trip was a spur of the moment thing. One morning well into the month of December, hubby had a light bulb moment to be in the Big Apple, again but this time, for the holidays. Our US Visa had just been freshly renewed and far from expiring, still by 2020.
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| Two Peas in NYC |
22-dec: En route to NYC... At the port of entry in Detroit, for the connecting flight to NYC, from Manila, the Immigration Officer asked us why we'd rather be miles away from home, and family, during the holidays, whilst Filipinos are known to be closely-knitted. Hubby answered him, "For a change and... there's Skype." Immigration officer gave his nod of approval, and put a stamp on our Passports, and said, "Merry Christmas! You guys enjoy New York City!"
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| A walk in the park at Manhattan's Central Park |
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| Downtown Soho |
Never mind if hubby and I were seated apart in that #DeltaAirlines (formerly, Northwest Airlines) flight to NYC, because it was peak season. Never mind, also, if the grumpy FA made a big fuss out of my coffee preference, when I asked for cream to add to coffee; FA lectured, "Darling, in America, when we say black coffee, it is without cream!" No way will I allow the grumpy FA to douse me with cold water and dampen my cheerful spirit... so I tuned her out. The important thing is, the FA went to get a sachet of cream to my coffee*wink;)
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| Atop my fave rock at Manhattan's Central Park |
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| Two Peas in NYC |
JFK airport sent a flashback of our airport terminal experience last 2007, after we got left behind by the Amtrak train to NYC, from Boston... which created a domino effect of us getting left behind by the Delta Airlines' flight to Tampa, from NYC, and of us having to sleep the night away in a concrete bench at JFK Airport, like Tom Hanks in The Terminal movie. Link to>>> Journal Entry: The Freedom Trail #usa #boston #winter2007
Took a taxi to Manhattan, from JFK airport... Check-in: #SilverTowers apartment, at West 42nd. Apartment was a condominium unit in a high-rise building that had a view of the Hudson river, and three blocks up from it was the central place to the "Countdown Ball" to New Year 2012: Times Square. Great to be back in the Big Apple after four years... the city that never sleeps. Because of time zone, and excitement over the holidays, sleep could not catch up on me.
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| Trees get festive for the holidays around Columbus Circle |
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A cousin's treat
at Bar Americain |
By some serendipity, hubby bumped into a schoolmate (from college) as he was about to ride the building elevator, who was also vacationing in NYC from California; the chance encounter led to an impromptu reunion dinner at #VirgilsRealBarbecue, in Times Square, and attending the Christmas Day mass (Dec 25) at St. Patrick's Cathedral.
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Family reunion
in Manhattan |
When I opened my Facebook, I received a notification message from Irene, a distant relative, who was inviting me and the hubby for lunch, which was very sweet of her as I did not even know she was a resident of NYC. Irene's lunch treat was in Bobby Flay's #BarAmericain. Come December 26, my brother & his family arrived in NYC, driving all the way from Tampa, to join us for the holidays. Shout out to Immigration Officer (at Detroit airport), "So, you see, Mr. Immigration Officer, we got to spend the holidays in NYC with family, after all!"
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"Countdown Ball"
at Times Square |
I'd personally confess, after spending the holidays in the city, that NYC had officially become my "Happy Place"... in a positive way. Truly, NYC had magical dust spun in the air during the holidays. Being in the Big Apple for the holidays was like... What did Mary Poppins exclaim in that Broadway show? Its...SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS!!!
Believe in the magic*... and I mean it.
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| Soaring high in the air with Mary Poppins up on Broadway |
3-jan: Homebound Manila... Happy New Year 2012!
oOo
PHOTOSTITCH
#USA #Manhattan #winter2011
