Last Night Around the City that Never Sleeps

It's my last few days here in New York, and that means I won't be back until a year or two. It's a pretty long time. So my cousins and I arranged a little get together for one last night out in the town. And my one cousin decided for us to go to Manhattan's East Village.

The East Village is pretty much known for it's awesome nightlife. It's a nice place to go out with friends, if you have the money and the time. And we ate at a place named Baoguette. It's a small Vietnamese restaurant that is best known for its sandwiches. And I had the Grilled Pork Sandwich, which was good paired up with it's sauce.

And eager for some cheesecake, we walked around and searched for a good place to have some dessert. And after an inspiring story about a friend working in that place. We ate at said place, which was simply named Spot. It's been named as Best Dessert by the Zagat survey, so we thought it'd be a good idea to eat there. The place was nice. It had a good vibe and atmosphere to the area. And what started off as bright lights, soon turned dim and was replaced by candlelights.

The Soft Cheesecake out of the glass

 My cousin and I had a Soft Cheesecake. And my other cousin had a cupcake.  The cheesecake was not at all as we had expected. We had anticipated that it would actually be a slice of cheesecake. But it was whipped cream cheese on one end, with passion fruit foam on top. And on the other end of the dessert were oranges, blueberries, and crushed nuts encased in a glass lying on its side, which is removed by the waiter if you want him to. He says that it was easier to eat without the glass - no shit. The cupcake was, well, a cupcake. 

The dessert was okay. I wouldn't say that I didn't enjoy it, but I would say that it was not what I had expected. The passion fruit foam was not my kind of taste though. But the oranges, blueberries, and crushed nuts paired with a spoonful of cream cheese was pretty good. It would've helped us if our cousin had told us earlier that her friend had actually left the place to find better opportunities elsewhere. 

My one cousin had to leave early to go to work. So my one cousin and I were alone to roam wherever. And we went to 14th St. We went to some stores and checked some things out. I was looking for a wallet and my cousin suggested some other store which was a small walk from where we were. And as we head to our location, I found a store I had been searching for, the Guitar Center. I'm sure my friend would be happy to know I finally got something for him, but would be disappointed to find out it's less in quantity. 

We got to our location, but could not find a good wallet. So, we left the store and decided to have some frozen yogurt at Pinkberry. They had a variety of flavors of frozen yogurt. And I had the mango flavored frozen yogurt, and it was good. I topped it off with yogurt chips and dark chocolate crisps. 

An hour or so later, we decided to leave Pinkberry. The store was about to close, or it certainly looked like it. And we walked across the street, got down to the subway station and we went on our separate ways. She was headed uptown, while I, downtown.

As I waited for the train to arrive, I put on my earphones. And switched on my iPod. Sooner or later, the train had got there. And as it slowly parked on the station, my gaze was met with a man wearing black on the opposite side of the train's doors. His stare was strong, angry even. He was very eager to get out off the train. Finally, the doors opened. And as he stepped off the train, he went out of his way to really shove me, real hard. 

I did not fall and I did not argue. My first instinct was to check my belongings and see if the bastard who pushed me was a thief, rather than just a douche. And I let out a sigh of relief, although a little pissed. And as I sat down and I contemplated why he would hold such a grudge to someone he doesn't know at all. At least, I wasn't stabbed or anything and he didn't steal any of my belongings. 

Subway train headed home.

Half an hour later, I was at home. Safe and sound from the outside. The guy sitting down on the chair looking pissed, is another story. But what can you do?

Two days left. New York, you let it be so hard to love you.

Great Adventure

Saturday morning, I had to wake up early. We were gonna head out to Six Flags Great Adventure, the Warner Bros. counterpart to Disneyland. The plan to go there was thought of a week prior. Going with people who didn't want to go on the rides, there was a lot of pressure for me to.

We drove out at about 8 o'clock in the morning, but we made a couple of stops before going on the actual trip. We went by Queens then to Chinatown, then to the Holland Tunnel, to New Jersey. Two hours and a sore butt later, we were there. When we got out of the car, I was shivering. It was really cold, with the temperatures at about 48 degrees Fahrenheit (8-9 degrees Celsius.)

The Kingda Ka (view from the parking lot)

When we finally got inside, the first thing on the agenda was the Kingda Ka. It is the longest and steepest ride in the world, with a height of 456 ft, a drop of 418 ft, and a total length of 3,118 feet. Why ride this one first? To get it over with, really. This was not my first ride on a tall rollercoaster. I had tried riding the Steel Eel which was from a different amusement park. The Steel Eel's drop is 150 feet, so the Kingda Ka was three times as high. Hesitant, I got in the train, got locked in place and went on my way to the longest 30-something seconds of my life.

The ride did not start out like any ride as I've experienced. The ride started then stopped. After a few seconds, it fired up (and I've read at about 206 kmh) towards it's high peak then slowed for a moment then faster going down. The descent was not at all simple. Although it went straight downward, it turned on it's axis a couple of times. When we got to the bottom and one hill later, the ride was over. The ride took less than a minute, but it was the scariest moment of my life.

Superman: Ultimate Flight
view from the parking lot

Next we got on the Superman: Ultimate Flight. This ride was actually not that bad. The thing special about this ride was that the passengers were suspended, and our view, when riding, was the ground. Imagine how Superman flies. This was the best ride for me. Although, I disliked the ascent. I felt like I could really fall to the ground below me. From the view I had, I could really die. Still, we enjoyed the ride and went on it twice.

The Batmobile enclosed
in the middle of  "Gotham"

Then we had lunch. This was a good idea because I kinda didn't want to ride anymore, not that I was scared but of the weather. And it started to rain, more good news for me. Most outside rides were unable to operate during rainfall because it may cause discomfort to the passengers. It might possibly be because of the electronics configured. But going to Six Flags without going to any other rides would be a waste, so we went to another ride, an indoor ride. The Dark Knight.


I liked the Dark Knight. The ride was enclosed in a facility. And before we got in the train, we were treated to a little drama with a mock news channel featuring Harvey Dent (played by Aaron Eckhart) and it being attacked by the Joker. Then the ride ensued. The place was dark and was decorated with symbols paying tribute to the Joker.

After that, we went off to something small. A ride called Jolly Rogers. And judging from the name, you can just imagine how this ride went. But it was not something you underestimate, especially if you have something in your stomach. It's like a carousel, but faster and with hills. Not for the light-headed.

Skull Mountain

Another kiddie ride but not to be messed with. I forgot the name, but it was a good ride. It would be a ride I would go on a lot and not have any real problems with. Then the last ride I went to was Skull Mountain. From the name itself, you could imply that the ride was in or on a mountain-like building with a skull. In this case, it was inside. You go in a long hallway before you get to the actual ride. The ride was like the Dark Knight, BUT there were no lights. Not at all. So, you would not see if you were going down or left or right, or upside down. The ride ended quick. And we were on our way.

With the bad weather, we decided to call it a day. And be on our way back home. On the car ride home, I just fell asleep knowing that I rode the tallest and steepest rollercoaster in the world.

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Front Row footage of the Kingda Ka

Food Trip in the USA

Every traveler has their own reasons to travel. Business or pleasure, one will ask. No matter what the reason, wherever you are, you will have an interest in food. And it's not like you have a choice anyway. A person does kind of have to eat.

Gaining weight is hard to avoid especially if you're here, in the USA. But there are special circumstances here in New York City(NYC). NY's laws require most, if not all, restaurants or food chains to display exactly how much calories there are in the food, on the menu. This is a plus for me, to watch how many I am taking in.

View from the Brooklyn Heights Promenade

Just last Monday, I had just arrived and I decided to walk around the Brooklyn neighborhood. I did so, to know if I still know my way around, from the last time I was here. And the first place I went was to a park, the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. There you can see the Manhattan skyline, as well as views of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan Bridge.

Small Yogurt with 3 toppings

After walking around the promenade, I decided to walk around again. A few minutes have only just gone by and I saw a familiar sight, Red Mango. Coming from the Philippines, I was well unaware that the franchise was from here. I had just thought that it was the Yogurt craze of my home country. Well, I know now that it originate here in the US. So, I ordered it take-out and finished it while walking back to the apartment.



Earlier in the day, my cousin and I had planned to meet up to eat some Popeye's. Popeye's chicken was a thing between my cousin, my sister and I. It was because that our cousin had not been able to eat Popeye's before, at the time. And with the apartment so close to a branch, my sister and I could just walk for about a minute or two to get there. And now with our cousin living closer to where she used to, she could go there as well. We both ordered a 2-piece chicken with our own side dish. I had a mashed potato, and my cousin ordered rice as a side. The whole meal was all-in-all about 1100 worth of calories. The only thing missing from this reunion was my sister who is still in the Philippines.

I chowed down on the meal and somehow regretted ordering it, but decided not to think much of it. It was not all the time I would be eating it, and these reunions don't happen as much. We stayed awhile and chat. After the meal, we part ways and I went back home to the apartment. I got home, fell asleep for about an hour or so, then went to the gym.

Our Olive Garden Dessert

On Wednesday night, we went to the infamous Olive Garden. I had heard much about it, mostly because I watch Conan and he cracks up jokes about the place. I ate a five cheese ziti al forno. And that was about 1000 calories also. But I consumed only half, and opted to bring it home and have it for lunch the next day. They ordered dessert, a chocolate cake. I had forgotten what the exact name was. I took a bite and stopped there. No one finished the cake, my grandmother(technically. She is not that old. ) took it home with her.

Times Square from the Red Steps

Looking outside from where we were seated, I thought the outside was still day. It was already about seven in the evening. Having that sorta thing here is not that unusual, I was only unaccustomed to it. But when I got outside, I had been proven wrong. It was not daytime at all, it was just the bright lights of Times Square.

Every store there had something to prove. They went all out in their presentation. And we went to the Disney store and Toys 'R Us.


Earlier today, I decided to go to Chinatown to eat in a restaurant my sister and I use to go. We would order a beef tendon noodle soup there. But when I got there, it was closed. I was a little disappointed, but moved on. I ate at Wo Hop. The restaurant was kind of hidden, you had to go down a flight of stairs. Although it was that way, the restaurant was well known.

37 Spring St., NYC

After my little adventure in Chinatown, I went to the other side, to Little Italy. Little Italy was kind of in the middle of Chinatown, and when you pass through to go there, you can quickly distinguish that you were not in Chinatown anymore. The only reason I went to Little Italy was to get to a little place called Rice to Riches. They offered rice pudding in a variety of flavors like Sex, Drugs, and Rocky Road, Chocolate Chip Flirt, and many more. I ordered the two and went on my way back home.


I have eaten a lot of food, here in NYC. And this was just my first week. I have to keep control and not let food take over me. I hope. Roughly three more weeks to go.

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It means what it means. Taken from the front door of Rice to Riches.

Brace for Landing

My stay in airports are not my favorite ones, neither are the actual plane trips. But they bring me to where I need to be, so I can't be that hard on 'em. One good thing about stopovers are that I can say I've been to that country, you know, technically. By that logic, I've been to South Korea and Hong Kong.

This time around, I stopped at Hong Kong, one of the most beautiful airports around. It really can't compare to the NAIA (Ninoy Aquino Int'l Airport) in the Philippines. The airports I've been to can't really be compared to the NAIA. To do so would be unfair, really.

PS3 Demo at Hong Kong Int'l Airport

The Hong Kong Int'l Airport was beautiful. And even though I was there for only 2-3 hours, I felt that I could take a vacation to the airport. There were a few computers there that were available for public use. You were limited to 15 mins only, enough time to log-in to facebook and twitter. There was also WiFi available there. So even if I wasn't using the public computers, I was still online using my phone. One of the highlights there was really the free PS3 demo. I played awhile. As awesome as a PS3 was it's all that it was, demos. And sooner or later, my flight to NY was boarding and I prepared myself, and went on the plane.

Picture taken from the Outside Camera from the plane.

The flights from the Philippines to NY are one of the longest in the world, clocking in an estimated 18 hours in total, not including all the stops. I was glad I took Cathay Pacific this time. From the last time I had taken Cathay Pacific, they have had a major upgrade. One of the biggest plus was the vast library they have in the In-Flight Entertainment which I desperately needed. They also had this Outside Camera, which can show you a view from the outside of the plane. During the flight, you won't see much of anything. But if you're just leaving or just arriving the view can look awesome.

 From HK to NY, it took me 15-16 hours, estimated. My ass was hurting and I was in dire need of sleep. So, I was relieved that I had finally step foot outside the plane. After customs and everything else, I was soon outside the airport and on our way to my dad's Brooklyn apartment. And my brand new laptop was waiting for me, still wrapped inside it's box.

So, what do I do now? The few things I really want to do is hit the gym and lose weight. One of my problems staying here is really getting fat. A thing most tourists cannot really avoid. So hopefully when I get back home, I would be less than what I am now, or the same. Anything but bigger and fatter.

A lot of things can happen in a month's time. Hopefully, a lot of weight can keep off too.

18 Hours

One day left till I leave and I woke up as I normally did, about 8 or 9 in the morning. Quick to follow was lunch. It was spent with the family and a guest. The routine was usually done on Sundays, but today was the exception. I was leaving afterall and I won't be around here until the early days of May.

My flight is scheduled on Sunday, Apr 3 at 1230pm. Only problem is, it's in Manila. So I have to get to Manila first. And my domestic departure towards Manila is at 6:55am. Early, I know. But considering my international flight, it's just right, I guess. There's quite a distance from the domestic airport to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), and that's an annoying thing for me. I mean, why have different airports? You're just wasting space.

Manila is a very congested area. Very much so, that traffic rules enforce that only certain cars are allowed to travel on given days. The taxis there are greedy, not like in my beloved hometown. For example, if the meter says Php 60.00 and you give the driver a P100.00 bill, don't expect any change back. That's how it is in Manila. And personally, I hate it.

As I was saying my flight to Manila is early. And considering my flight to NY is an estimated 18 hours, all in all. I decided not to sleep at all. And to help with that, I went out with my friends, Kevin and Randell. Two bottles later, I was tipsy. I know, two bottles aren't that much. But I haven't had a drink in a while. And I didn't want to push things, so I stopped at two. I was driving home afterall.

I told the guys that I would limit myself to 11 o'clock with an hour extension maximum, but ended up leaving at around one. I was less tipsy then, and less prone to accidents. I dropped the guys off at Nuvo, a club. I was a little jealous that I couldn't go, but I didn't want to get drunk. Then I drove straight home.

I got home, washed up a little, and finalized all my belongings; what to bring and what not to forget, all of that. Hopefully, I didn't forget anything.

This was not my first time going abroad alone. My first time, I was fourteen, a minor. I had a few perks for being younger, like getting to ride Business class. I had met a friend then, she was nice, also of Filipino descent. I wish this time around I could meet another friend to pass the time. The only thing I have to do that with is my phone which isn't even technically mine. My brother owns the phone, I just lent it, rather than letting me borrow his PSP or laptop. (Yes, at this point, I own neither of the two. We just switched phones.)

I hope I really do have someone to talk to during my stay in Hong Kong, my stopover. And I'm not the kind of person who walks up to someone and strike a conversation. But in this case, I might get desperate. Anyway, I have this phone with me. Let there be free Wi-Fi spots there. Please.

By this time tomorrow, I would be in a different timezone. I'll be in New York, the city that never sleeps. And it seems, I'm already getting started on not sleeping.

Four hours 'till take off.

The Win-Meh Situation

It has happened. After a week of anguish, my biggest fear has finally come to life. This is not something I would wish upon anyone. My dear reader, I have failed.

I got the news Tuesday morning. I had given my admission slip, a piece of paper where the grades are written on, to my teachers. And as I wait for the news, I sat outside the faculty room. And then the door opened and my teacher handed out the slips. I had received mine. Slowly, I opened it. The first thing I had noticed was my "ANAT 3(Kinesiology)" grade. There written was 3.0, which was a passing grade. My first reaction was to jump up and down. This is not at all an understatement. I had really jumped UP and DOWN with joy.

But joy soon turned to gloom when I had seen my other subject's grade, a failing 5.0. It was for PT3(Principles of Evaluation). I had been informed that most students who fail in the 3rd Year, 2nd Semester had failed either of the two subjects, Kines or PoE. It was not at all shocking that I had failed, but not at all good either.

After the joy from jumping up and down had ran out, I sat on a step and thought about the repercussions of failing said subject. I would be a year delayed due to the fact the subject was a prerequisite to upcoming subjects in the Fourth Year. Two Subjects, to be exact. It was a better outlook than failing in the First semester, where most of the subjects are required for most of the subjects for the 2nd Semester.

I had decided early on that if ever I did fail, I would rage on with the course and finish what I had started. Some people just give up and shift to another course. Some people would transfer to another school, sometimes it wouldn't be their choice.

A year delayed.

A year sounds like a long time, but really it isn't. Time flies by quickly. I just wish I don't fail another subject next semester. And I sure hope that I don't fail the same subject again. I would probably hang myself if I do.

There are some people who have taken the class more than once already, even more than twice. And now they still failed. How could someone fail the same subject twice? Thrice even moreso? The thought of failing my subject again gives me a sort of unwillingness to continue and try again. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me -- a perfectly applicable saying.

As I have written in previous blogs, summer classes are not an option, for me. And it seems so for the others who failed the same subject as I did. Most people who failed PoE, also failed Kines -- a pair, those two. And there is a 9-unit limit to taking summer classes. Both PoE and Kines are 5-unit subjects, so it's impossible to take both for Summer. Most people are picking Kines, and somehow that makes me happy. Summer classes are opened if alot of people failed in that subject and decided to enroll in it. The more people, the less they would pay for tuition. At some point, my classmates were willing to pay Php 15,000.00 to take a certain class. But I guess, the admin didn't allow it.

Of course, my happiness is one-sided. It's selfish to feel that way, really. But if they could have taken both for Summer, I would have been equally glad for them, yet equally bitter.

I had failed one subject, only one. Thank God for that. Some of my classmates had two. And some, three. A few, four. It's hard enough to know that I have to deal with my one subject, but knowing some of your friends have it worse than you do, it's just difficult to comfort them. Two, sure. But Four is just heartbreaking and I feel bad for them. I really do.

Well, at this point, I couldn't really do anything. I'm set to leave on the 3rd of April. Even if I wanted to stay for summer class, I would be unable to. A kind of win-meh situation.

And I haven't even started packing yet.

UPDATE (04/01/11): It seems that no Third year subjects are open for summer. None at all. 

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Don't be afraid to fail. Don't waste energy trying to cover up failure. Learn from your failures and go on to the next challenge. It's OK to fail. If you're not failing, you're not growing.
                                                                                                                --- H. Stanley Judd

Summer Fail

School had ended exactly one week tomorrow. 

Time out of school seems faster. That's what usually happens. I remember having my sembreak which was 3 weeks. And it just went by. Just like that. The sembreak is exactly what it means, a break from the semester. It culminates the ending of the 1st semester of that year and into the 2nd one.

This past week nothing much had happened for me. Saturday night turned out to be a bummer. Most of the free time I've had was pretty much just lazing about. Spending time with my(brother's) PSP. I've been playing Konami's MGS: Peace Walker, and I just clocked in 86 hours of game time. It may not be a feat for others but to many people, it is.

Tomorrow is a big day for my classmates and I. It's the day we finally know our fate about moving on to the Fourth year. Teachers will be giving out the grades to those who come. If one doesn't come on that day, one's just prolonging the agony. The releasing of grades was supposedly scheduled last Friday, but to my knowledge, they moved it tomorrow to deliberate earlier today. 

The deliberation is where teachers gather and decide whether to really pass or fail a student. Teachers might pass a certain student out of pity, or because the student seems like he's trying really hard. A plus here is if you're always present for their discussion. But if you're tardy or absent all the time, the teachers might not be so kind.

I am proud that I'm present at most times, if not all. This probably comes from my childhood experiences. My mother would actually threaten to not drive me to school and just leave me at home if I did not wake up early. "Biyaan tika rn(I'll leave you here)," she would say. But she would never actually do it, nor would I ever know if she would. It's important to note that my mother would usually drive my sister and I to our different schools. So, it was possible to leave me at home. 

Ten percent of the grade is usually attendance, so I have an advantage there. And I take down notes and listen to the discussion. Not to be a kiss-ass, but I really do. But of course, there is that once in a while that I don't listen. The reason for that is, is probably because of the humidity of the classroom. I tend to really participate in the discussion. My only real problem is at home. I don't study at all.

Studying has always been a problem for me. Most of the time, I just cram the night before. Maybe even just minutes before the actual test. I just don't know how. Sometimes, I really do want to study, but attention is easily diverted to other things, other minute, non-important things. Procrastination. I do this alot, more than that which is healthy really. It's a problem, someone find me a cure.

We go back again. Grades are gonna be released tomorrow. Even though it's only been a week, the schedule of the releasing is pretty early. This is because if you fail, summer classes might be open and you could enroll in the class where you did. 

The bad thing about failing is, I can't take summer classes. I have to go abroad and I'm already booked to leave. People ask me why I bought the ticket already, knowing that there is the possibility of taking summer classes. I didn't buy the ticket. Why I'm leaving? Legal purposes. So if I do fail, I'd be seeing my teachers again next semester. 

Come tomorrow, I will know. I won't be sleeping tonight.