Flash Back to New York City

Since today I am in the mood to blog, I should exploit myself while this enthusiasm lasts! Some background for some of you guys who have no idea who I am:

Who: Wenai or Jean (for stupid Ang Mohs who can't get my name right)

Where: Currently in Chicago, was previously in New York for the past 14 months

Why: Doing a traineeship with Kraft Foods International in New York but due to the relocation of office from New York to Chicago, I am now based in Chicago for the last 3 months of my traineeship.

When: I first touched down at JFK on June 2 2003 and I should be heading home by mid November 2004.

How: I actually got this traineeship from this student organization called AIESEC from NTU!

What: The original intent of starting this blog is to note down all my sweat, tears and joys while I am in the States. But since I have been skiving, I just have to pen down whatever I can from my memory…

New York City

Every time when someone asks me, “What do you think of NYC?”

My reply: “I have a love-hate relationship with her”

Why I love the City:

1) Un-f**king-believable nightlife. In fact, there are so many clubs, bars and lounges that it takes at least 3 years to explore a new bar/club/lounge every weekend. And we are talking about pristine places with great music, class and good looking people!

2) Un-f**king-believable food. New York is the ONE place where you can find the most authentic cuisine from all over the world. You name it, she has it. From the usual Chinese, Italian, French, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Brazilian, Mexican to the more obscure Afghanistan, Ethiopian, Tibetan, Moroccan and Peruvian. And the best part is that you don’t have to burn a hole in your pocket to eat like a king in New York, one can get these cuisines from USD 8. Of course, if you want to pamper yourself and splurge on those HIGH class restaurants with renowned chefs, New York City is definitely THE PLACE.

3) Believable art scene. There are so many plays, Broadway shows, musicals, and concerts to choose from. One can NEVER get bored in New York, broke, definitely, but never BORED. In fact, due to the limited resources and time, I have to make many tough choices on what to watch, who to catch in order to stretch my dollar to the very max.

4) The diversity. You will find all kinds of people in New York and I seriously mean ALL kinds. Not only people from all over the world come to New York, all kinda weirdos conjugate in New York too. Which, in turns, create this energy, this dangerous buzz that no other city in the world is able to replicate.

5) Roadtrip anytime. NYC is relatively close to many weekend getaways. Boston is just 5 hours away. Rhode Island's New Port is 2 hours away. Washington DC is 4 hours away. Pennsylvania is 2 hours away. Montreal, Canada is 8 hours away. There's also Niagara falls. Not forgetting going to Vermont or just upstate New York, Lake Placid to Ski during the winters. If you can't drive??? No worries... there are many tour agencies from Chinatown which provide cheap buses to these near-by cities and we are talking about 20 bucks round-trip to Boston!!! How can you beat that?

Why I hate the City?

1) It is a freaking SLUMP. New York City must be the most over-rated city in the world. It’s ugly, it’s dirty and New Yorkers are so mean. It’s not a charming city like Paris or San Francisco; in fact, I hated New York for a solid 3 months before I can come to terms with her.

2) Un-f**king-believable expensive. Ok, I know there are many other money-munching, blood-sucking cities in other parts of the world, e.g. Tokyo and London. But rent in NYC definitely brings the word “outrageous” to a whole, new level.

3) Subway in NYC is so GROSS. It’s as if you are in a 3rd world country instead of the “greatest city in the world”. There was this one time when sewage was leaking from the roof of Prince Street Station and the stench was so bad that I almost fainted. The best part was nobody did anything about it and the awful yellowish-brown liquid continued to drip… drip… drip…

4) You can die on the street and nobody will gives a damn. Yes... New Yorkers are that jaded. I have heard of people being mugged in broad day light and nobody lifted a finger to help. Those who came forward eventually are actually tourists.

There you go. My love-hate relationship with the Big Apple. Many people have asked me whether I prefer to stay in Chicago or NYC… a tough choice to make. However, if I am rich enough, I will definitely live in NYC for a while… especially when I am still young and crazy. ;)