Taking the A Train

So it finally feels like autumn (or ‘fall’ as they call it here) is on its way. Last weekend was HOT, I think it was actually warmer here in NYC than in Singapore

To make matters worst – some cabins on the subway do not have air-conditioning. Just imagine a crowded MRT train in Singapore with no air-con, and it’s 33 degrees outside and everyone is sweaty, smelly and sticky. Yup – that was the situation here last weekend.

But anyhow, if the weather app is trustworthy (which usually isn’t), today will probably be the last day that temperatures will go above 30 degrees (Celsius by the way, in case any of you reading this are Americans) till the next Summer comes again. Now temperatures average at 25 degrees which is very nice.

Last weekend was fun as I managed to catch up with some Singaporeans and YSTies who are not in MSM. Met up with CJ and WR last Saturday for some dessert in Ktown yumyum! Super happy that I have wonderful people like them whom I can speak singlish with, and talk about home (Sg) with.

Several people asked me about my experience of spending 9/11 in NYC. Honestly, I did not notice anything different, life went on as per usual – no big protests or mention of what happened 15 years ago by the general public. But I think there was a memorial at the site of the Twin Towers – that now stands the Freedom Tower.

Anyway, that evening I went downtown to West Village with V and XX. Wow, I must say that after being in NYC for about three weeks, I finally feel like I’m in New York. West Village oozes rustic charm – the buildings there are shorter (as opposed to the skyscrapers uptown), and the shops more hip. The crowd is also younger and more laid back, dining at chic cafes and bars screening sports matches. What’s cool about West Village is that it is home to many of NY’s jazzclubs!

So after getting back to my apartment after the outing at West Village, I was up to my cooking shenanigans again. This time I tried stir-frying chicken. Wah, the whole house smelled of garlic, oil and ginger. The thing about NY apartments is that they generally do not have a door that separates the kitchen and the rest of the house, so the sounds and smells in the kitchen will definitely drift to other parts of the house. This is a problem because I generally start cooking only after my landlady sleeps so when I put my raw ingredients into a pan already sizzling with oil – you can imagine that the loud ‘frying’ sound might actually wake her up .

Ok – school has started full swing! I actually have readings to do……. and the lecturers here are generally more ‘old school’ in their teaching methods. They don’t use powerpoint or much technology for that matter unless they want to play us some music or videos.

Some random views:

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”
Proverbs 18:10