1
2
The last entry -> NY to Home
This 3 month late entry is dedicated to the 2 Americans who love us most.--
So, after saying goodbye to everyone in Asheville, Nicole, S & I took the car up to Philadelphia, where we were going to meet Jacinth and Yaqi, and put up at Kelly's for the night.
I got to drive for a bit on the highway, and while turning into the gas station for a driver switch, Nicole wondered (aloud) how I got my driver's license.
It wasn't my fault - there were no clear lines on the road demarcating the space, only one stingy arrow pointing left, and there was a line of cars, so I imagined myself turning into The Stig and drove as he would.
Whatever, I got us there alive.
After polishing 3 bags of chips/candy, and a nerve wrecking toilet break in the ghettos, we managed to return our car.
Kelly and Yaqi came to pick us up in an SUV (which Kelly had rented to come get us, #mostsincerefriendever)
Because we didn't get a picture together, here's Kelly, Yaqi, Sharissa and Jacinth. For reference. In case I forget.
A bit about Kelly:
She was my first friend in Junior College. 10 minutes into the start of our first class, Kelly skipped into class with her lovely brown curls bouncing by the side of her perfectly pressed shirt collar, beaming like the rest of us had missed the memo and arrived for class too early instead. (I like to think that the phrase FASHIONABLY LATE was coined by someone who had a friend like Kelly.) So anyway, she skipped to my desk (I was sitting really close to the door,) and decided that I was going to be her friend. Together we spent almost all of our JC days working our asses off for one reason or another, and when we graduated, Kelly went on to become the very successful person that we all knew she would be.
...And so, Kelly is now in America, livin' the life in her big, comfy apartment located right in the heart of the city.
The apartment:
That's Nicole on the most comfortable air mattress in the world (Kelly believes in fine living), on one side of the living room.
Sidetracking, the 3 decisions that I really regret making/not making during this trip are, one, going to Disney World during the disgusting season we were in, two, not going back to Eliada to roll down the hills like a weird ass trespasser, and three, spending too little time in Philly.
Even though S & I had already been to Philly once in '09, I still feel like I still haven't really seen Philadelphia.
Getting back on track, after dinner at an Italian restaurant around the corner (not worth mentioning because the service was so bad that I almost didn't tip,) Kelly brought us to The Ranstead Room, one of the many speakeasies (/spi:ki:zi/ an illicit liquor shop or drinking club in the US during Prohibition) in Philadelphia, where we had some really strong concoctions and I turned bright red in shame. In case you're thinking of visiting Philly, click HERE for a list of really cool secret bars. (PS. Check out the Hop Sing Laundromat!)
Early next morning, Kelly left for school, and we walked around the estate to scavenge for breakfast.
The food took so long that we ended up having to run to the bus stop to catch our bus.
Dragging 2397487 bags under the hot sun is no fun. But being baked for 2 hours in a bus with hot air coming out of the air con vent is worse.
When we finally alighted from the bus I was like...
(S working on her leftovers from lunch)
:D :D :D
2 years ago in Chicago :') I'M SO GLAD WE'RE STILL FRIENDS, GAIZ!
Actually...it's really funny because if you look at the photos that follow, you'll see me disappearing from the camera lens for a bit, and then reappearing in the last photo.
While Sharissa was busy taking selfies, I was picking HUGE rocks to put into her bag.
Now, while Sharissa is a marvellous baker, and my bestest friend in the world, being neat is definitely not her forte. Once she found a 2 week old sandwich at the bottom of her bag and that really elicited a new level of facial contortion from me :6 (that's an emoticon btw, not a secret code. just in case.)
And as expected, she didn't realize that there were 3 HUGE rocks in her bag until much later, when she kept complaining about the weight and I could no longer control my laughter. I am such an asshole, I know.
But anyway, after a bit of waiting, Kimmy spotted us from across the road and.......
KIMMMMYYYY!!! SHARISSAAAAA!!! NICOLE!!!! CAAAAAT!!!! Lol.
This, is Kimmy.
On the first couple of days that S & I moved into the RISE apartments, Kimmy actually came to knock on our door, along with Natalie, Katie and Heather. They were trying to be welcoming, but mid conversation Kimmy got bored of us and left quite abruptly, without saying bye. HAHA. We later found out that Kim didn't like Asians (but then again that seems to be the case for most of the American friends who eventually became really good friends with us,) so I guess that makes us extra special!
What happened after was really ridiculous (...actually, I've never actually had a non-ridiculous time with Kimmy before. Once, she drove her car up the sidewalk and right behind my bedroom window to say HI, and another time she spun her car round and round on the grass like an amusement park ride. This girl has no qualms about punching anyone we find offensive, and shows so much love to the homeless and destitute.)
But anyway, Kim needed to hand up an assignment that was due during the class that started around the time she came to get us (she had to skip that class to be able to spend the day with us,) and we spent half an hour in NYU, watching her pace up and down the door to the tutorial class (tutorial groups are usually really small) deliberating her next move.
But anyway, Kim needed to hand up an assignment that was due during the class that started around the time she came to get us (she had to skip that class to be able to spend the day with us,) and we spent half an hour in NYU, watching her pace up and down the door to the tutorial class (tutorial groups are usually really small) deliberating her next move.
"Should I go in and put my assignment on the desk and just walk out?"
"What if he asks me why I'm not in class?"
"Should I just slot it under the door?" (to which we gave a resounding, mortified "NOOO?!")
"Should I wait for someone to come out to pass it to them?" *after 2 minutes* "no one's coming out!!!"In the end she ran down the stairs to slot it into her professor's mailbox. WTV, YOLO!
A little bit of NYU.
I braided her braids while she was printing her work.
But anyway, we went out for some Thai food later that night, (mmmmmmmm Pad Thai) and went back to Kimmy's to catch up on sleep.
Kimmy had written down a list of things and places she wanted to do and go with us, out of which we chose Coney Island for day 2. Best decision ever. Cold air and a friendly sun -- we really couldn't have asked for a better day.
The amusement park was closed for the season and everything in the gift shops were ludicrously priced, but being on a real boardwalk on a beautiful day with 3 of my favourite people in the world more than makes up for everything.
(Bought those pants from Old Navy for US$6, and the jacket from Wetseal for US$10. #iloveamerica)
Afterwards we speed walked back to the city and did a bit of speed shopping (Understatement. In actual fact I feel like we were jogging to places the whole time we were in NYC.
Kim's idea of a leisurely stroll is walking at 30km/h, and she practically turned into Sonic the Hedgehog when we told her we were going to be late for our next appointment.)
You probably can't tell from this picture, but Nicole, S & I were all panting when this was taken.
Dinner with Natalie, Lisa and Charlie.
Dinner ended early, and of course the four of us couldn't just let our last night together (in what could be years) end without doing something unforgettable. And so, with no internet access on our phones (meaning no Yelp! to tell us where to go), and very little money on hand, we decided to cross the road and head into the first bar in sight.
The first bar was okay, we had our round of drinks and then moved on.
In the second bar there was an awful band playing noise pollution, and about 5 other people, clearly inebriated. We had our drinks from the barmaid, and then moved on.
Now in the third bar, a beach themed bar with a very sandy floor called Surf's Bar (that's a lot of bars in one sentence,) we ordered our drinks. There was a martini, a glass of wine, something else I can't remember, and my Sangria.
When our drinks came and we all took a first sip, I thought that I was dreaming the entire thing up, and that I had in fact somehow fallen asleep in a basket of very wet and dirty laundry that's been left sitting for the past week. It took me a while to realize that it was the Sangria. It tasted like dirty laundry wtf? We played a drinking game that revealed the most hilarious, deepest, darkest secrets, most of which I don't even remember anymore, and Kim got frustrated by how slowly I was finishing my dirty laundry water, and took a big gulp and finished it.
After one more round, we took the subway back to Kim's. It was funny because I was bright red, and we were giggling at everything that was clearly not funny.
While walking back to Kim's, it started to drizzle, and then to pour. I walked as fast as I could because it was cold as hell, and left the 3 of them behind, doing some stupid drunken bra dare. A kind soul shared his brolly with me (actually, he wanted me to take the brolly while he made a dash for his apartment, but I refused because...siao ah?) and I concluded that CHIVALRY'S NOT DEAD (at least not in Brooklyn!)
The morning after our great night out was both sad and hilarious because of how we had to scramble to the airport and bus station to not miss my flight and S's bus to Boston.
Kimmy sent me to the airport where we met a mysterious angel in a long black coat who kept appearing only when we needed directions. It felt surreal, leaving America again. Sometimes it doesn't feel like America is 9000 miles away because of how easy it is to catch up with them over the internet (facebook/whatsapp), but I still wish America was closer, and cheaper/easier to get to.
Well, with that I conclude all of my entries about the USA roadtrip this year.
Till next time!
