California, Here I Come.

It all happened pretty fast.

I talked to John early this month, agreed to fly first week of June, was asked if I could fly a week earlier, next thing I know, I was packing my bags and saying my goodbyes.

05.26 6:03am PHT
My family drove me to the airport. It didn't really felt like I'd be gone for a long time. I was actually sadder when I first got deployed to New York. Isang beses pa lang, sanay agad?! Haha.

Unfortunately, the first leg of my flight got delayed due to some mechanical problems. And I'm not just talking about a few hours delay. My 8am flight was postponed to 3pm! That's seven @#%$ hours!! Called my mom to inform them of the situation. She asked if I wanted them to get me, to grab some breakfast or something. I told her that it's fine, wasn't feeling hungry anyway.

05.26 8:37am PHT
We were given free accommodation at Remington Hotel. I had sausage and egg for breakfast, then I just stayed at my room to rest. Wanted to get some sleep but didn't want to get left behind so I just watched some TV.

05.26 12:14pm PHT
Back to the airport. Needless to say, I was going to miss all my connecting flights. Talked to one of the ground stewardess about my concern. She told me that there's nothing she could do about it and that the rebooking of my flights would be handled by the Narita team. She apologized and handed me a $100 voucher for all the trouble. One of the passengers told me that I could refuse the voucher and demand for a seat upgrade instead. But I don't think I have enough spunk to contend with her.

05.26 2:33pm PHT
Boarded the plane to Narita. Got myself a window seat in the exit row. Fell asleep even before the plane took off but was jolted awake by the aroma of food. Hehe. Had milkfish, rice and macaroni salad. Watched Brave for half an hour then went back to my sweet slumber.

05.26 8:30pm JST
When we arrived at Narita airport, all passengers with connecting flights were grouped by destination. This is when I met Nanay Vivian. I just had to vent my frustration and she seemed like a willing listener. Hehe. They first processed those headed to New York. An hour later, 'twas finally my turn. Earliest available flight to Los Angeles was at 3:55pm the following day via American Airlines. Bummer. Now that things got worse, I couldn't wait for the "it gets better" part.

05.26 10:42pm JST
We stayed the night at Radisson Hotel. Shared the room with Nanay Vivian. The receptionist told us to grab a quick dinner before heading to our rooms since the buffet would soon close, to which we gladly obliged. Loaded my plate with fish, pasta and fried potatoes. After eating, we retreated to our room. She shared a lot of stories about her life in the US, most of which dated back to the '70s. We were both yawning a lot but she was on a roll. When I heard a very brief moment of silence..

Me: "Nay, gusto nio po ba lights off sa pagtulog?"
Nanay Vivian: "Ay oo, hindi ako nakakatulog kapag maliwanag e."

Lights off it is.

05.27 7:21am JST
Nanay Vivian was up early. Wanted to sleep some more but she was making a lot of noise with the hair dryer. After freshening up, we headed to the breakfast buffet. Really enjoyed the chocolate-filled croissant that I also slathered with sinful Nutella. Sweet! Hehe.

We then walked around the hotel to let the food digest a bit and to take some photos.

05.27 12:24pm JST
Rode a shuttle to Narita Airport. Nanay Vivian had set foot in this airport when she visited her son before. So she just sat and patiently waited at the lobby while I explored as much of the airport as I could in 30 minutes. There were little shops selling kawaii stuff and a lot of Japanese restaurants, one of which had sushi as big as my fist and ebi tempura as long as my arm!

05.27 2:52pm JST
After all the hassle, I was finally aboard a California-bound plane. Browsed through the in-flight entertainment offered by AA. The collection of movies wasn't as extensive as Delta's but enough to keep me entertained for a few hours. Two movies after, I still had a long flight ahead of me. With nothing better to do, I just leaned back and floated off into my own little world.

05.27 10:00am PDT
Arrived at Los Angeles International Airport. Nanay Vivian thanked me for helping her carry her luggage since we met each other in Japan. She told me to give her a call if I ever visit Las Vegas and she'll gladly show me around.

05.27 12:05pm PDT
Finally on my last leg. Two more hours to go and I'd be in San Diego.

05.27 1:57pm PDT
Derick and his dad met me at the San Diego International Airport Commuter Terminal. I'm very thankful that they were there to pick me up. Derick, Jhe and I used to just imagine ourselves being deployed in the US at the same time. Now we're here. For real. And in a week, Jhe would be here too. Who would've thought?

I'm very excited but at the same time, a part of me is scared shitless. What if I don't meet my boss' expectations? What if I feel overwhelmed? What if I don't deliver? What if I miss home? Will I be fine? Waah! But there's no going back now, is there?

Decisions, Decisions.

A few weeks ago, my parents had their annual lab tests and stress tests. My mom's the one who usually feels chest pains and experiences difficulty in breathing. My dad never really complained about anything. So we were all surprised when it was his stress test that showed some irregularities. The doctor suggested to perform angiogram to see what the problem really is.

Dad: "Walang makikitang problema dito.. Be positive."

As much as we wanted to believe that, the results proved otherwise. Three of his heart's major arteries were about 90% blocked. According to the cardiologist, my dad could suffer a heart attack even if he's not doing anything. And with his heart's current condition, there's a high chance it would be fatal.

Mom: "Pero doc, wala naman po sya nararamdaman.."
Doctor: "Ganun po talaga ang heart attack misis, silent killer."

Then he went on about his findings, showed us the diagrams, discussed the procedure, estimated cost, etc. He continually stressed the urgency of the situation and wanted us to decide right then and there. As the eldest, my mom needed me to make the decision. Do we stay at The Medical City or transfer my dad to the Philippine Heart Center? Do we proceed with the angioplasty or with a triple bypass surgery? Do we need to get a second opinion? God, what do I know?

My brother and I did some research, my mom sought the opinion of another doctor, but in the end, my dad still had the final say. He said he wanted to stay at The Medical City and that he's more comfortable with the angioplasty. Gave the go signal to the doctor and had my dad scheduled for the procedure. In just a matter of days, our hospital bill shot up to Php800,000. And that is exclusive of the cardiologist's fee, which brought the total to roughly a million. The personnel handling our account helped us exhaust every available option that could somehow cut our expenses. Thanks to her, about a hundred thousand pesos got deducted from our bill.

Thankfully, my dad's fine now. The doctor said it's like he has a brand new heart. I thank God for the successful procedure and for helping us through. This experience may have left us physically, emotionally and financially drained, but it also brought our family closer in love and in faith.

Ilabas ang lechon! Hehe.

Sa Wakas

Watched the first matinee performance of "Sa Wakas: A New Pinoy Rock Musical" featuring the songs of a band that will always hold a special place in my heart - Sugarfree! Read about it on The Philippine Star stacked in our bathroom. Yes, I still read the newspaper and yes, I read it while I was doing my "business". TMI! Pardon the imagery! Hahah.

Arrived at the PETA-PHINMA Theater an hour before showtime. We were seated on the 2nd row from the stage. We were so near, I could literally see saliva shooting out of the actors' mouths! Haha.

"Sa Wakas" is a bittersweet drama that chronicles the breakdown of a relationship and the beginning of a new one. Unlike most musicals, there were no fancy production numbers, jazzy choreography or elaborate set pieces. Just a simple love story and a great selection of songs that never fail to tug at my heartstrings. My only beef was that the live band played a few songs a tad too loud and drowned the voices of the leads at some point.

Meet the characters who were caught in a web of love and infidelity...

Fred Lo as Topper, an artsy photographer torn between two lovers. First saw him on stage in 9 Works Theatrical's staging of "Rent" where he played the role of the nerdy videographer Mark Cohen. Now, he once again worked his charm into his character as Topper. Ended up liking and understanding him even if the guy's essentially a jerk. Hehe. Overheard someone say that he's "bading na bading". Hmmm, is he really?

Laura Cabochan as Lexi, Topper's long-time partner struggling to balance her relationship and her career as a surgeon. Honestly, I wasn't that impressed when I first heard her sing during a TV guesting to promote the show. Guess she just had the jitters of being in front of the camera. Because from the moment she started singing her first few lines of "Kwarto" to her dramatic confrontation scene with Topper, not to mention her sappy fixation with Popoy and Basha; she was spot on!

Justine Peña as Gabbi, a chic photo-blogger turned magazine editor who shares Topper's passion for art and life. Despite her being the "other" woman, I really wanted her to get her happy ending. Loved the "Kwentuhan" moment at the rooftop and I couldn't help but feel for her character especially when Topper stood her up at the hospital. And I love, love, love her wardrobe! The Avengers shirt, the brown leather jacket and the black body-hugging dress! Hotness!

The show will have a limited run weekends of April 13-28. Click here for more information.

"Sabihin na natin ang di kayang sabihin
Aminin na natin ang di kayang aminin
Tapusin na natin ang hindi natin kailangan dalhin."
--- Wala, Sugarfree

Inked

Got my first ink at Snow Tattoo in Saguijo. Wait, I just typed "first" so am I subconsciously considering getting a second tattoo? A third and a fourth? Uh-oh, I smell a brewing addiction! Haha.

The tattoo artist, Sarah Gaugler, did a really fine job "tainting" my skin with ink. Funny coz I didn't know that she's the vocalist of Turbo Goth and didn't know that she's one of the endorsers of Globe Tattoo but her face really looked familiar. Did some research and found out that we attended the same highschool and was just a coupla batches my junior. Small world.

So, the question that everybody asks: Did it hurt? My answer: Surprisingly, it didn't. Sarah was very light-handed and I guess setting my pain threshold to an all-time high helped. Either that or I probably just crossed that fine line between pain and pleasure. Hehe.

Now I wonder, do collar bone tattoos hurt? Hmm. There's only one way to find out. Haha.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

When The Daylight Comes

"Here I am waiting, I'll have to leave soon. Why am I holding on?"

The song has been playing endlessly in my head for the past few days. Couldn't believe that it's already been 5 weeks and that I was leaving soon. I was both excited and sad to be going back home. Of course I miss Manila and all but there's still so much to see and places to go to and Broadway shows to watch! Super bitin! Nevertheless, I felt really blessed that I was given the opportunity to travel, that the project was not that stressful and that I got to work with really nice people and sooo thankful that Candice was there. Haays, I'm sure gonna miss New York.

"We knew this day would come, we knew it all along. How did it come so fast?"

Arrived at the JFK International Airport around 10am. Walked around for some last minute purchases and looked for something to eat. Had a plateful of scrambled eggs, bacon, potato bites and buttermilk biscuit from Sbarro. That was the heaviest breakfast I've eaten while I was there. Coz I usually got by with just a pack of Skyflakes or Inipit. Hehe.

"This is my last glance that will soon be memory..."

Boarded the plane around 12pm. Got an aisle seat beside someone who frequents the washroom like once every two hours. Looking at the bright side, at least he's Pinoy coz I could really use someone to talk to without suffering any blood loss. Hehe.

Him: "Hi, are you Filipino?"
Me: "Yup, I am."
Him: "You speak Tagalog?"
Me: "Konti lang. Joke lang. Oo naman!"
Him: "Haha. Ayun naman pala! Kanina pa kita ine-English!"

The guy's a seaman from Davao. He's going back home for a short vacation and would be heading back at sea after a month.

Sleep was quite elusive so I just took advantage of the inflight entertainment. I enjoyed "Wreck-It Ralph", sat on the edge of my seat watching "Argo", and I fell in love and cried watching "The Perks of Being a Wallflower". I also managed to eat almost all of the chips that I bought from the hotel's vending machine. Despite the roller coaster of emotions I strapped myself into and all the junk that I fed myself with, I just tossed and turned in my seat the entire flight unable to drift away to Lala land.

After being airborne for approximately 13 hours, we had to deplane at Narita Airport in Japan. It sucks how sleep would come at the most inconvenient times and the most unlikely of places. The moment I sat at the airport's waiting area, I just passed out. Didn't care if I was occupying more space than I should or if I had drool dripping out of my mouth. I wanted sleep, I needed sleep, so sleep I did.

Boarded the plane again after a couple of hours. Wasn't feeling all too well when I got to my seat. Tried to continue my slumber but I couldn't find a comfortable position. Food was served and I once again stuffed myself with as much as my stomach could handle. A few minutes after I finished my food, the plane hit some rough air. Felt like I was gonna faint and throw up at the same time. Good thing I still had a bag of M&Ms with me so I quickly downed some sweets to push back whatever that was that wanted out. Yak! Haha.

After what seemed like forever, I was finally back in the Philippines. Never had I felt so relieved to be on solid ground. My phone was dead and never coming back to life (An excuse to get a new phone? Hehe), so I had to come up with ways to inform my parents that I was already at the pick-up area. Like a smoke signal or something. Wehe. Approached one cab driver and asked if I could borrow his phone to contact my parents. All I needed was one text message but he urged me to give them a call instead. I was very thankful, I almost forgot that everything comes with a price. Another kuya approached me and asked if I was able to contact my parents. Then he asked me flat out if I have a few dollars to spare. It turned out that the call that barely lasted 10 seconds costs $5. Oh well.

Caught sight of our car after a few minutes. Waved at my parents with much excitement. OFW lang ang peg. Hehe. I was kinda hoping to find my siblings and our puppy inside the car but it was just my mom and my dad. Shared all my photos and experiences and stories on our drive home. My siblings were still up when we arrived. They were waiting for me daw. Aysos!

Me: "Namiss niyo ba ako?"
Mico: "Oo! Nasan na pasalubong??"

Grabe ha! I felt really missed! Hahaha.

Me: "Ito sayo, DingDong!

Day At The Museum

Had my last NYC lunch at Ho Yip, a Chinese restaurant near my hotel where I usually get my fill of rice. We then headed to the American Museum of Natural History, the very museum where different animals, dinosaurs, cowboys, Indians and Theodore Roosevelt comes to life at night. Hehe.

We first watched a space show narrated by Whoopi Goldberg called "Journey to the Stars" in the Hayden Planetarium. It launched us into a visual voyage through space and time to witness the life and death of the stars. The effects were.. well, stellar. Haha. Would've been better if the seats reclined a little bit more, though.

We then went to the Hall of Ocean Life where a full-size model of a blue whale is suspended from the ceiling. There's also a lot of masterfully crafted dioramas that looked very real. The stuffed animals, the recreation of their natural habitats, the backdrop, everything blended well together creating little worlds inside the glass boxes.

One of the museum's main attractions was the huge collection of dinosaur fossils in the Hall of Dinosaurs. Still can't grasp the fact that these ridiculously gigantic creatures existed millions of years in the past and walked the same Earth that us humans do. I mean, seriously! There's the Pterodactyl, the Triceratops and the mighty Tyrannosaurus among many many others. Power Rangers lang ang peg. Haha.

I was kinda expecting to find Sacagawea in the Hall of Indians and was kinda hoping that she would look like Mizuo Peck. Haha. There were some artifacts from the Shoshone tribe of which she was a member but there was no Sacagawea in sight. The women mannequins looked just as manly as the men and almost all, if not all, looked kinda creepy. Also saw the Easter Island Head but I wasn't able to get close to it. Too bad coz I got the dum-dum some gum-gum. Hehe.

There are many other halls in the museum that a day is not enough to see everything that it has to offer. It closes at around 5:45pm, just before the sun sets. The guards were pretty unrelenting in sending us out, like they wanted everyone out of the museum fast. Hmm, I could only think of one reason why. Haha.

Had my last NYC dinner at Bar Masa, a Japanese restaurant located in The Shops at Columbus Circle. Not really a fan of raw food so I ordered my usual Japanese dish, Ebi Tempura! Hehe. For dessert we had the uber yummy green tea mille crêpe made of very thin layers of crepe (about 25 layers according to Candice) all stacked up like a piece of cake! It wasn't fancy-looking, it actually didn't look too appealing, but I swear, it was D-E-licious! =P~

Cruise And Cycle

Cruised around Manhattan via Statue Cruises. The ferry left Battery Park around 1pm and took us on a 60-minute tour of New York's waterways. There was a recording that told us where to look and gave some historical background about the famous landmarks that we passed. Stayed at the deck and fought the wind's icy grip as hard as I could as I took in the breathtaking view of Manhattan. Normally, visitors get to disembark at Liberty Island and Ellis Island but due to the damages incurred during Hurricane Sandy, both islands were closed for renovation. Surprisingly, the statue wasn't as towering as I imagined it to be. It looked much more majestic and gigantic when it got hit by a huge tsunami or when it was half-buried in ice and snow. Hehe.

Went on a cycling trip with Candice around Central Park. Rented our bikes for 3 hours at Must See Central Park Bike Rentals. It was definitely more fun than just walking around and I really enjoyed freewheeling downhill! Speed freak. Haha. We stopped by the spots that I missed yesterday. When the cold started seeping into my body, the pedaling became hard work. I started walking my bike especially when the road went uphill. Stopped for a while to rest and to decide whether we're gonna continue with our current route or head back. An officer approached us and asked if we needed any help. She told us that we're headed downhill but there's also a steep uphill after and advised us to turn our wheels around since it's gonna get dark and colder soon. Took her advice, turned around and pedaled back. We were literally flirting with danger when we rolled out onto the streets among speeding cars and buses. And there were no marked bike lanes so we're not even sure if we're allowed to be there. Haha. Got off our bikes just to be safe and walked our way back to the rental shop instead.

Favorite shots:

Photo Walk: Central Park

Got the day off from the project today. And since they're already talking about cutting my stay here short by a week, I wanted to make the most of my free time. So with a map and a camera in hand, I wandered aimlessly around Central Park for a little photo walk! ^_^

X2: Times Square

Was chatting with Roxie and she mentioned this pizza place called Lombardi's that was one of the stops in the Amazing Race. Decided to try it out for lunch. Ordered a thin crust pizza topped with pepperoni, sausage, mushroom and spinach. It wasn't the best pizza, actually there's nothing really special about it. But with its claim to fame as the first pizzeria in the US, it was worth the try.

We then grabbed some dessert at Rice to Riches. The place serves nothing but rice pudding in various flavors. Pizza for lunch + rice for dessert. That's one very bad equation but what the hell! Haha. Shared a bowl with Candice. I got the Chocolate Chip Flirt while she got the Hazelnut Chocolate Bear Hug, I think.

Cands headed back home while I jumped on a train to Times Square. I wanted to hit the flagship stores that line the streets and my first stop was every kid's wonderland, Toys"R"Us. I completely lost track of time going through all three floors of toys, toys and even more toys. Was hoping to find my precious Pinkys on the shelves, but no luck. I did, however, found some One Direction merchandise that I could sell in Manila for double the price. Hahah.

Next stop was the Disney Store! First thing I grabbed was a 7" figurine of Mickey Mouse holding an apple! Sooo cute! It's a pretty small store but I think I spent an hour just rummaging through all the cute stuff there. Ended up with a bag full of magnets, keychains and baby clothes!

Off to the sweetest and probably the most colorful attraction in Times Square, the M&M's World store! Love the cool dispensers and the wall of tubes filled with M&M's in a rainbow of colors! The pastels are so pretty but I still want my candies in orange!

Just around the corner is the Hershey's store. Despite the huge candy bar signs that adorn the building, the store itself was very small and wasn't as impressive compared to M&M's World. Bought a Hershey's flavored lip balm just because I left my ChapStick at the hotel and my lips started to feel windburned. And being the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup lover that I am, I also got me some cups in dark and white chocolate!

Another sort of "attraction" in Times Square are the people wearing costumes that roam the streets and pose for a dollar or two. Most of them looked very different from the real thing, though. There's not-quite-Mickey and not-quite-Minnie with their slightly deformed heads, creepy incarnations of Elmo and Cookie Monster, and a group of retired superheroes who need to get back in shape. Hehe. But not everyone looked like cheap imitations. Like the Stormtrooper and Chewbacca costumes that I think were really cool!

Last stop was Grand Slam where I bought some souvenir items for friends and family. I then met up with Candice for another movie. Warm Bodies is a romantic comedy about a zombie who falls in love with a human and slowly regains his humanity. It was funny and creative and gory and sweet. R, the charming undead played by Nicholas Hoult, stole my heart with his undying promise: "Keep you safe." It also had a very nice soundtrack that'll definitely be on my iPod once I return to Manila. Hehe.

After the movie, we waited for a while to catch The Midnight Moment for the month of February. This month's artist is Tracey Emin. Her digital artwork entitled "I Promise To Love You" is a visual valentine that displays neon love notes on the billboards in Times Square. I thought ALL of the digital billboards will be synchronized and display only that, but it turned out to be just a few and you wouldn't really notice it unless you are aware of it.

"There's certain things in life I cannot take
And I will wait
I hope you know I care."
--- Yamaha, Delta Spirit

Shezzo Wicked!

Met up with Candice at the Grand Central Terminal. Tasted all them Apple goodness at the Apple Store while waiting for her to arrive. The colors of the iPod Touch 5th Gen were candy yummy and the iPhone 5 was sinfully delectable. Must control growing appetite! Haha.

The Grand Central Terminal is one of the most photographed landmarks in NYC, no wonder why. The ceiling is a mural of constellations with tiny bulbs that twinkle like stars. Probably the only place in Manhattan where I can see the stars. Any astronomy geek would notice that the constellations were painted backwards. Needless to say, I didn't notice that myself. Hehe. I actually picked that information up from the movie "Arthur". They say it's not supposed to be our view of the sky when we look up, rather it is God's view of the of the sky when He looks down. Hmm, clever. I excitedly jumped on the bandwagon and pulled out my camera. The flow of people was quite frustrating at first, but I later learned to work them into my compositions. Cumu-composition talaga? Haha. Took more photos when Candice arrived. This time, with my face in it.

Got so excited when we walked past the Whispering Gallery! Asked Cands to stand in one corner while I stood in the opposite corner dozens of feet away. Faced the walls and started whispering and it was as if we were whispering to each other's ear! It was soo cool! And I got it from the movie as well! Hehe.

Stepped outside to check out its facade. There's a clock with a really fine sculpture of Hercules, Mercury and Minerva. At midnight, they reach down and stop time and go out swimming in Hudson, cavort in the zoo and go to strip clubs even! Oh, the things I learn from the movies!

Stopped by the New York Public Library. Part of me wanted to step inside and browse through the collection of books and smell the aroma of the pages but another part of me just wanted to stay outside and snap a few shots. The latter won. Maybe next time. If there's a "next time". Haha.

A couple of steps away from the library is Bryant Park. Its centerpiece is a fountain that was a bit frozen but was still running. And there's also a skating rink! I think it's larger compared to the one in Rockefeller Center. And the skates look nicer, too.

My love for broadway musicals started five years ago with West Side Story. I fell in love with the perfect combination of music, singing, dancing, acting, storytelling and stagecraft. Caught a couple more shows since then and I'm just so elated that now, I got to taste the real thing!

Went to Gershwin Theater to watch one of the most pop-yuhuu-lar shows ever produced! Glinda was sooo cute and hilarious! She owned the stage everytime she's on it. I love her! Elphaba was just as amazing and who would forget the handsome prince that was Fiyero! Haha. The staging and the costumes were really something to see. Everything was just visually and auditorily spellbinding! Wicked, indeed!


Favorite shots:




"I'm through accepting limits
'Cause someone says they're so
Some things I cannot change
But till I try I'll never know."
--- Defying Gravity, Wicked OST

Hillsong NYC

Attended a Hillsong church service today at Irving Plaza. We arrived a bit late so the place was already packed and had to stand at the back for about an hour and a half. But that was a small sacrifice for a such an opportunity, I should say.

Praise and worship was very powerful. The band, the songs, the passion and energy were so contagious; it was amazing. Minus the original compositions and the albums, I'm proud that I can say the same about our church's worship team in Manila. Naks! Hehe. Today's message was given by Pastor Josh Kimes.

"If you lose confidence in yourself, put your confidence in God."

Thank you, Lord.  That's just what I needed to hear and that's exactly what I'm gonna do.

"Like a mighty storm
Stir within my soul
Lord have Your way
Lord have Your way in me."
--- I Surrender, Hillsong

Yo MoMA So Phat!

Went to the Museum of Modern Art, also known as MoMA, in midtown Manhattan. It features six full floors of paintings, sculptures, photographs and mixed media artworks of contemporary artists.

The first few floors were, in my opinion, a bit of a bore. Some of the pieces I think I could do myself, some I'm surprised made it in the museum, and some I wouldn't even call art. I'm not an artist but seriously, how much artistic talent do I need to doodle random shapes, let alone leave a canvas blank? Or maybe, I just didn't stare long enough to figure out the meaning behind the brush strokes, or the lack thereof. Haha.

The following installations I found quite interesting. "R.S.V.P.1" by Senga Nengudi, which is composed of suspended pantyhoses filled with sand and "Will the Russians Go to War" by Georg Herold, which is made of planks of wood with little notes stapled around them.

Couldn't wait to go back to my hotel and come up with my own installation! A bubblewrap-covered room, perhaps? Heheh.

The highlight of my visit was seeing the "Starry Night" by Vincent Van Gogh and "The Scream" by Edvard Munch face to face, or rather face to canvas. Hehe. There's always a crowd of tourists surrounding the famous paintings so it really took me a while to capture these unobstructed shots.

Next stop was the Rockefeller Center. As much as I wanted to put on a pair of skates and experience ice skating in the midst of New York's skyscrapers, it was freezing cold and Candice wasn't up for it either. Maybe next time? Wehe.

Stopped by the Lego Store and the NBC Experience Store where merchandise from the different NBC shows are on sale. While I didn't really purchase anything, I had fun window shopping. Haha. And Cands got me an SNL magnet! Weee!

Dinner was at Sapporo. I got a bowl of gyudon beef and shared a bowl of edamame with Cands. I only managed to finish half of my meal so we all know what's for dinner tomorrow. Hehe. Grabbed some sweet treats at the famous Magnolia Bakery. Everything on display looked so yummy and pretty. And HolyMotherOfSweetBabyJesus!  The cupcakes tasted as good as they looked!  Food orgasm at its best!!! Hmmm! =P~