About
Q1: You stayed at Hostelling International New York-would you call it homely, or hostile?
Christine:
Well honestly, it’s a bit of both. I thought several parts of the hostel were quite lovely, especially the kitchen and the upper lounge area, where there were bean bags, board games, books, television, and you could really chill. I can safely say the toilets though, were not that homely, as was the resident rat which surely helped himself to our food during our stay.
Rachel:
The hostel was pretty cool. The mod wallpaper in the lobby was the first thing that caught my eye when I stepped in and it definitely speaks for the hostel. All kinds of people stay there and it was fun to speak to some of them. I love the lounge area-except that we’re not allowed to sleep in there! That’s kind of difficult because it’s only the comfiest place around town. There are sofas, cushions, beanbags and a large projection screen (else it’s pitch dark, which explains the sleepy atmosphere), which makes for a nice place to chill with friends if you’re staying in.
6 people shared a room, which was a little cramped (suitcases take up space too you know), but my biggest gripe? An extra roommate-a rat-which ate Teresa’s chocolate! We think it was because of the construction going on outside. Hopefully it’s not a permanent resident in room 421.
Michael:
Definitely homely over hostile; I’m quite used to camping outdoors so the facilities were more than adequate for me. Even though my 6-person dormitory had a 9 year old boy and an even younger man in his mid-30s, it still was a good haven to return to after a long day with chatty girls. There was an amazing kitchen where we whipped up some of the best concoctions (I’m referring to the non-MSG ones) and an even more spectacular toilet because it was 3-in-1: shower, toilet bowl and sinks all put together with red doors for personal security.
The other hostel lodgers consisted of mainly Europeans, Australians and other Asian people. It became a global village where people could sit down together in the lounge and roar hysterically together at the jokes on Comedy America.
HI-NY can still have some improvements though. They most certainly could do something about their sweet-toothed rodents – which are in grave danger of turning diabetic.
Q2: Asian stomachs, American grease. Could you take the heat?
Michael:
Bring it on! I was thrilled at the idea of eating hot dogs, shish kebabs and even Cuban food! Not only were the large portions a delight for my stomach, but the smell and the taste was a feast for the senses.
My best memory would be watching a Mexican prepare steak hamburgers by frying, tossing and patting juicy beef, fragrant onion slices and golden cheese together with two giant slicers on a hot metallic table.
The funniest place I wish I’d gotten a chance to dine at was at Times Square – Dim Sum Sushi BBQ Palace. And yes, that’s all in one place.
Rachel:
We tried the pizza there, and the slices are huge. Like, huge-huge. The taste is definitely richer and cheesier, and that filled me up pretty fast. We had hotdogs as well and I think they’re better than the ones in Singapore! Nathan’s hotdogs are great but Grey’s Papaya would be a cheaper alternative which also sells this funky papaya drink that I kind of liked. It doesn’t taste like papaya! At the NY Public Library, I talked to a nice lady clerk who’d been to Singapore before, and she mentioned that she liked our hawker food-that totally made me start missing the food back home!
Christine:
I can’t say constant fixes of fast food was fantastic because by the third or fourth day, I was really craving for good old rice again. And steamed fish. And tofu. Besides, there were insanely huge portions, which I wasn’t used to, to deal with. But still, some of the food was really good, although I’m not sure if it was because the welcome warmth of food was merely a safe haven from the cold and the winds….
Q3: One word-Woodbury. You elaborate.
Michael:
Shopping at factory outlets was thrilling! Everyone in my dorm bought something for themselves or someone back home. Apart from my stocking up on caps, shirts, t-shirts, socks and bags, I also found time to walk into stores like Dolce & Gabbana. It was the best feeling walking confidently into a Burberry store and knowing you could purchase something by blowing your entire stock of cash (which of course, I didn’t.)
New York is definitely the place to shop. You get access to good deals without the shipping tax and can find shelves of books that don’t make it to Singapore. Everything really fits well, well… except the sizes which are most of the time one size too big.
Rachel:
Woodbury is the place to be, shopaholic or not. If not, it will unleash the inner shopaholic you never knew existed. Period. The very long bus ride there (nearly 2 hours) was worth it! There are over 200 factory outlet shops there from Armani to Zegna. Pick a label. We were only given a little over 4 hours, which is not enough to comb the entire place. It’s really, really huge. And we call Singapore a shopper’s paradise? Everybody hang your heads in shame. The things there are from past seasons, but the quality’s still good. I think we all had a field day there, girls AND boys alike!
Christine:
There were so many shops, you had to literally shop-hop around and grab stuff off the rack if you wanted to make the most of the trip. What was really wonderful was that for brand-whores, there were so many famous labels – DKNY, Kate Spade, Banana Republic, Gucci, etc etc. Plus, some were at heavily discounted prices you would never come across elsewhere, ever. If you looked carefully, you could really find some fabulous buys, I guess. So yes, we went quite crazy when we saw how huge the place was – it was really a case of so much to do, so little time. Shopaholics unite!
Q4: And tell us about the other steals or good buys that you made elsewhere in New York too?
Rachel:
We went to Macy’s, which is something like the American equivalent of our Takashimaya, multiplied by 10. They were having a pretty big sale, and we were given an additional 11% off with this special card for tourists. I shopped and saved a lot! I liked the Virgin Megastore at Union Square too, where I got the DVD for Project Runway-HMV in Singapore doesn’t carry it!
Christine:
Well, there was almost a shopping trip everyday, which made us all very, very happy people….Times Square, Union Square, Fifth Avenue…. I’d say at Macy’s, I managed to get some clothes and accessories at discounted prices since it was the Christmas season and all. My best buy? A shirt dress from a shopping centre near Brooklyn Bridge which was discounted to the point of US$2.99!
Michael:
The lomography cameras which I travelled to buy on the last night of our journey! I bought a HOLGA and a fisheye lomo at US$70 each. It’s much cheaper as opposed to purchasing it from home.
Q5: 17 hours is a looooooong time. Was Thai Airways really smooth as silk?
Michael:
I was really impressed by the flights there. The food selection menu was good and the in-flight entertainment was sufficient to sustain me before I dozed off. The seats were comfortable and the attendants were very forthcoming in offering juices and snacks. The flight back was less of a silky smooth journey, but I still enjoyed the killer coffee which kept me awake for the 18hour plane ride home.
Christine:
Hmmmm. Smooth? Not so. On our return transit in Bangkok, the flight was delayed a couple of hours we were sort of the last to know, which didn’t make us feel all that fabulous. But all in all, you just have to watch countless movies to while away the time, or close your eyes, fall asleep, and hope you wake up in New York!
Rachel:
Our flight home from Thailand to Singapore was delayed by about 2 hours. We were pretty tired at that point of time and didn’t receive the news warmly. Well, it was so near, yet so far from home! The 17 hour flights were almost unbearable-there are only so many movies you can watch, and I was relieved that I slept a whole lot more on the return journey, or I would have died of boredom. Seriously.
Q6: Was being in New York like walking into the big screen?
Christine:
To a certain extent, yes! I remember sitting in the bus and as we drove by, I saw street names like Broadway, Madison Avenue, Fifth Avenue which seemed so familiar because you see them on television so often. Plus, during the Manhattan tour, we walked past famous buildings and sites like the New York Stock Exchange, the Trump Building and Ground Zero – I felt it was like scenes you see in the movies and television coming to life. But then again, it’s not all just Hollywood glam, there’s also a very human side to the city, where you see normal people going about their daily lives and routines, especially on the subway, on the streets, in lifts, everywhere.
Rachel:
We went to Grand Central Terminal, where one of the scenes in the animated movie Madagascar takes place! The clock where the giraffe gets its head stuck in is still there though. Our visit to the Empire State Building made me immediately think of King Kong too-it’s high up there! AND when we were on the Greenwich and Soho tour, we saw some filming going on! Exciting! Even though I couldn’t tell who the actors were.
Q7: What was the most memorable building out of the many you must’ve seen in New York-in terms of architecture and style?
Rachel:
I loved the Chrysler building. It looks especially pretty at night! I really admire the art deco style of the building and I actually think that it’s more elegant than the Empire State Building. But we only went in for a short while when we were on our 5th Avenue tour. St. Patrick’s Cathedral had incredible architecture too, but I’m only supposed to choose one!
Michael:
Lincoln Centre was spectacular. Not only was it gargantuan, it also boasted well-planned theatres. I was enthralled by how the same wood was used in the Opera house, and the crystal chandeliers hanging gorgeously from the ceiling. The theatre where we watched the New York ballet was also impressive as the concept of it’s shape – that of a mother hugging it’s child, fitted in perfectly with the idea that the arts if for any one and every one if they are willing to learn and appreciate. I was pleased to hear how it relied on funds from the people and not the government. Maybe one day we might have a 2nd theatre on another bay that will be funded from donations from the people.
Christine:
I can’t think of any specific which stood out, but I was really captivated by the many old fashioned 19th century buildings with such intricate detail and carving on them. There were so many, and besides, you don’t get to see much of that in Singapore, where it’s mostly glass, glass, and more glass, so yes it was definitely an eye opener. I felt these buildings contained so much architectural ingenuity and were definitely style icons, not to mention lots of history and culture!
Q8: Is there anything TJ should know about the schools you visited there?
Christine:
We visited 3 schools – Pratt Institute, Parsons and Columbia University- and each was different and distinct in their own ways. At Pratt and Columbia, we got a tour of the college campus by a student guide where we went to areas such as the library, the canteens and the dormitories. At Pratt and Parsons, we also got to see the artworks of graduate students and the usual workspace in which the students usually worked. They worked in environments with lots of individualism and freedom to do what they wanted without much direction from their teachers.
Rachel:
They rock. And their campuses are beautiful. And huge. I liked how there were artworks all over the campus of Pratt Institute, which made it interesting at each turn. The school’s programmes are also great and they have really useful and extensive connections for their students! Our student guide’s work was displayed on the school’s noticeboard, and it was pretty fabulous! We visited the graduate open studios at Parsons School of Design, and the creativity there is mind blowing. Their style is very experimental and bold and their works very original. I got some ideas for coursework next year (snicker)! Cheesecloth and plaster, oil paint and mylar all sound very intriguing to me! Tee hee!
Michael:
Colombia University is truly worthy of being a top college as it comes equipped with in-house diners and hostelling all within campus!
Pratt Institute has a garden that’s like Dali canvases brought to life – sculptures and structures are littered every where upon the green lawn. Although we didn’t get to see much of their works, we did get to catch intimate teacher-student sessions in progress – something very crucial to a good university education. Furthermore, their library is crammed with books from floor to ceiling – literally.
Parsons has great individual working space for each and every student. Having surveyed the different materials and techniques used, it’s good a good place for arts students to explore different mediums. One artist ventured into the unknown by layering her canvases 32 times with wax and ink.
Q9: Some say NYC is an art museum haven. Is this true? How different is Guggenheim, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) as opposed to other museums in the world like The Louvre in Paris or the Singapore Art Museum?
Rachel:
It is! We went to Guggenheim, the Met, and MoMA, but we also visited some of the small but equally cool galleries when we were touring SoHo, like the Grey art gallery, where the awesome Geometry of Hope exhibition was going on. The unique architecture of Guggenheim was something I found interesting-I really liked the spiral design and how it leads from floor to floor-it was different from the normal rigidity you’d expect. MoMA was really enjoyable too-it had so many of the works we’ve studied in SoVA, and to see them up close was an incredible experience.
Christine:
Yes, I’d agree. Besides the famous museums, there were plenty of really cool art galleries in the Soho and Greenwich areas which we visited. Even the smaller, lesser-known ones held artworks of a very high standard. In terms of collection, I’d have to say that the Metropolitan had the most varied collection, from knights in armour to Greek mythological sculptures, from Renaissance art to modern installations, the Met had it all. It was world-class, and I was really impressed and in awe during the 2 times we visited. Guggenheim, on the other hand, focused largely on their featured artist of the moment, Richard Prince. The variety of artworks was thus somewhat limited although there was some that was relevant to our areas of study. As for the building, I couldn’t get enough of the spiraling design- I thought that being in the building was like being inside a beehive. As for MoMA, the collection was the most relevant because we were familiar with most of the artworks on display.
Michael:
Yes! I went to museums in Paris and Italy last year and saw great works by Michelangelo and other Renaissance artists and after awhile I felt really numbed there. The Modern art on display in NYC was truly inspirational as the works had a lot more concepts to it. To see great works by Chuck Close and Willem de Kooning up-close was a dream come true – because I study them in SoVA!
Q10: So, is Broadway really worth a visit?
Michael:
It was a let-down because we did not watch one of the more acclaimed musicals like Wicked, The Lion King, Les Miserables or Avenue Q. Spamalot was a riot, but it had little depth and unmemorable tunes – something usually characteristic of the more memorable musicals. Despite it being a winner of a Tony, I still think the New York ballet did a much better job with The Nutcracker. Staged at Lincoln Centre, it was magical listening to Tchaikovsky and watching dainty dancers prance and twirl about on stage.
Christine:
We watched this performance of The Nutcracker put up by the New York City Ballet, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. The ballet dancers were so talented, and the Candyland sets and costumes were really so colourful and eye-catching. Okay, honestly, I was far more intrigued by the elaborate, brighter-than-bright, and sugary sweet backdrops! Broadway is just like how you picture it to be – all Lights, Camera, Action!
Rachel:
Broadway was…an experience. Yuting and I were singing all the songs as we walked past the ads for each of the shows! I think we were all just relieved that the strike ended in time for us to go see Spamalot, even though it wasn’t exactly our top choice. Spamalot was very slapstick, but then again I personally am quite the sucker for slapstick! Come on, the tunes were kind of…catchy, too, right? Right?
Q11: The climate change must have been difficult to adjust to! Hopefully none of you fell ill?
Christine:
Well, apart from cracked lips, a sore throat, a runny nose and the constant shivers especially when it snowed, nope!
Rachel:
I did, and almost straight away! I got a fever on the first night and had to go to the doctor’s, which was nearby, on the morning of the third day. Thanks Dr Jimenez! He’s really funny and so talkative, and the strangest thing was that we met him the next night! He was having dinner at Goodburger too! And Goodburger isn’t even near where we were staying! It was a nice surprise nonetheless. On the other hand, roomie Crystal got food poisoning on the second last night. From the Cuban food, maybe? Even more unfortunately, the puke got all over the floor. Oh, and she had to stay in on Woodbury day. Ouch.
Michael:
A bout of diarrhoea plagued me for a day, but after that I was good to go. I’m not a snow virgin so it wasn’t an eye opener. Actually it was more of an eye-shutter because, as my eyes discovered, wind coupled with snow is blinding. The wind also chapped my lips despite me using lip balm. The wind also terrorised me up on the Empire State building – on the 86th floor! It didn’t help that I lost my gloves ¾ way into the trip. Thankfully a kind soul lent me his. Thanks Renald!
