This is the ultimate New York post.
It’s going to be the longest ever cause we packed all these activities in three days before we left the USA.
As usual, to enlarge the photos, click on them.
First, we got ourselves a Metro card which is what they use there for the trains.
A note, some of the machines only take credit cards and it’s pretty annoying that you can only buy the cards or top them up one by one. There’s no multiple purchases like our own machines! Oh well.
Also, while we didn’t exactly get lost, we had to double back and ask for directions for some routes were under construction so you had to switch trains! Listen for the announcements to know which. Heh.
So what did we do in New York?
We took a cruise around the river! Past Brooklyn Bridge and other places like…
Liberty island! AMERICAAAAAAAAAA. They played AMERICA’s national anthem on the boat as we passed by and took pictures of Lady Liberty.
Got to the top of the Empire State Building! There’s a 90s video 4d experience thing in there before you get to the entrance of the top.
It’s really cheesy and soooooooo 90s, heh. It goes like “Hi, I’m Kevin Bacon and…” etc etc.
To the 911 memorial museum… That was really sad. You can buy souvenirs there and it’ll go to the 911 charity fund too.
Get the pass in front of the museum, it’s free but you can donate to it when you get the pass too. Without the pass, you’ll wait longer in the “pass-less” queue at the memorial itself. Just grab a pass and wait for the time you’re supposed to go in.
Where the two towers stood are now fountains with names engraved on the edges of it.
The Museum of Modern Art aka MOMA. Didn’t take much pictures here since not all exhibits can be photographed.
In any case, lots of contemporary art here and the shop is super cool cause it has all those designer house hold stuff and toys.
This is the New York library. Like, WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAT? You could probably do Harry Potter photoshoots in there if it were allowed.
But whaaaaaaaaaat?
They had tours in there too. We just went in there for a bit for a loo break. Hah.
The Met Museum! IT IS SO GRAND AND COOL. AND FUN. If you’ve a student pass, the entry for the museum is a donation of how much you want to/can afford.
The helm in the first picture, on the right is said to be Joan of Arc’s. LE GASSSSSSSSSP.
While the students went to the contemporary art side of the museum, I went to the medieval section. It is a huge section!
Also, the “ticket” to the Met museum isn’t the usual paper ticket, it’s actually a mini button pin that you put on your collar or somewhere on your shirt. So convenient for both the staff and us!
Oh, on the trip towards MOMA and from the Met Museum, we were caught up in Puerto Rico Day!
It was fun and cheery and there were quite a lot of floats passing by! We had to go through the subway to get to the other side.
We got to go to Macy’s the world’s largest store. In the end though, I ended up crossing the road towards Times Square so I could go to Toysrus.
The biggest store in the world didn’t have anything I desired.
While in Toysrus, YOU HAD A FREAKING HUGE T-REX THAT ROARS AND MOVES. There are staff there for official photos to be taken too.
Besides having a working ferris wheel in the store, it had candy shops and other sugary goodness too. FYI, I posted about the Spider-Man movie props featured in Toyrsus here if you want to see more pics.
Nearly forgot, when we got off our cruise on the river, we passed by this spaceship!
It’s on top of a battleship! Unfortunately, it only opens in July. Alaaaaaas. That’s a real spaceship by the way.
Or space shuttle.
Whichever you like to call it.
Also, the subway stations remind me of Pokemon gyms when I first saw them. I was like, “Huuuh? Oh, it’s a subway station…”.
The Tony Awards was happening and they actually have seats for people in Times Square while it was broadcasted live on one of the huge screens. Meanwhile, we also went up to Rockefeller Center and checked out the night view of New York.
Being in Times Square at night seems brighter than day with the lights and billboards on.
We’re staying super close to Times Square and Broadway. It’s ridiculous not to watch a musical or a play there.
We chose MARY POPPINS!
IT WAS AWESOME.
IF YOU DO NOT WANT SPOILERS READ PAST THIS UNTIL YOU REACHED THE NEXT RED TEXT THAT SAYS SPOILERS OVER.
OK SO MARY POPPINS. If you’ve ever watched the movie, it is so cool.
She is ridiculously sassy too.
HOWEVER IT IS SO SAD. It’s like IS THE PRICE OF HER PRACTICAL PERFECT PERFECTION IS TO BE NEVAH WITH BERT?
ALSO WOAAAAAH. SHE CAN FLY.
As in, really. The ending… She flies.
Up.
TO US.
You can’t be cast with a fear of heights in this musical. Or rather you can be the lead characters if you have a crippling fear of heights.
OK SPOILERS OVER FOR MARY POPPINS.
On our last day, we got to visit Blue Sky Studios aka the makers of Ice Age!
Historically, they are the ones who also made Tron! It was a different name then but the founders were the ones who made the effects and all for it.
Here is Wei Siong, a representative of Animagine presenting an N.E.Mation award to Melvin Tan. He’s a Singaporean who worked up in Blue Sky!
As usual, can’t say what they’re working on or what we saw but what I can say is that he told us that when he got the opportunity to apply for the studio he just did it. He had been studying in the USA after NS and then just sent in a portfolio etc to them.
And then he got hired! He was formerly not even an animation student but he worked hard and learned and just kept on practicing.
The main point is, keep practicing and if you get the opportunity to submit your portfolio or do what you really want to do, just grab it!
The last day in New York and after the studio trip, we headed to Woodbury Commons Premium Outlets. Since we were returning to Singapore, this was the best time to finish all the shopping.
What’s Woodbury Commons Premium Outlets? Imagine a village of original, branded items… On sale.
It might be sizes that the main stores can’t sell but are still good or they’re old stock etc.
The good thing for us is that most sizes that the main stores don’t finish selling are OUR Asian sizes. Hur, hur hur.
I bought toys from the Toyrsus there and oh if you’re a tourist and have New York pass or something, just go to the main information office and get a book of free coupons! Usually, they’d cost money to get it.
So yep.
That’s the end of N.E.Mation’s championship trip for 2012!
We headed off early in the morning the next day, our flight to San Francisco and then from San Francisco towards Seoul and then to Singapore.
It was like airport hopping but we made it! For those who’re going to join N.E.Mation 7, heh. The prize is awesome.
Awesome hurhur I will use these tips most usefully. Also, if you remember, the New York Library is actually where the opening scene of the Ghostbusters movie was shot! ;D Improv Everywhere also did a take on that to promote the library.