New York Part 1 (Super long, image heavy post)

Hi guys, it's been a while! I haven't been able to blog because I haven't had access to a computer with internet (currently using my cousin's laptop). Luckily I do have internet on my phone (although it's stupid super slow 2G because T-mobile's 3G/4G bands aren't compatible with the iPhone and the guy at the store didn't bother to tell me!) so I can still talk to my friends. Technically I can blog on my phone but unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to upload photos. Anyway, here's a day-by-day summary of what I've been up to.

30th of November:

My flight to San Francisco lasted 12 torturous hours and then we almost missed our connecting flight because of the super slow and inefficient security at the airport. We had to line up and get all ten of our fingers printed, then had to recheck-in our luggage, take off our shoes and go to through a  full body scan, and then run through the airport to get to our gate. We were the last ones on the plane and seriously came this close to missing it. I wasn't given a very good impression of the flight crew on the connecting flight. When we walked in, a male crew member showed us where we could put our carry on luggage and then just walked away and didn't even help us lift it up even though we had two suitcases and it was just my mum and I. Honestly, I stood there for a minute thinking "Are you serious?" It would've been common courtesy for him to help, right? Or do I just have weird expectations?

1st of December:

Went to meet my grandparents in Brooklyn for yum cha and then my uncle drove us back to their place to stay for a bit. I don't think I did anything for the rest of the day. First time catching the subway this day. I'd say it's a little confusing compared to the train system in Australia.

2nd of December:

Grocery shopping with my grandma and mum in the morning, and then my cousin Alan took me shopping after he got off class. I didn't buy anything that day though, because I felt bad about making him wait if i wanted to try things on. Afterwards my other cousin Helen came over for dinner and we all went to the Rockefeller Centre to look at the big Christmas tree. I stayed over at her (very nice) apartment that night but before we got back, she had to drop by a housewarming party and brought me along. It was weird, because the people were in their mid 20s. They were nice people though, but I still felt rather out of place. I'm so envious of my cousin. She graduated from Harvard, works as a stock analyst/researcher at Barclays, has an equally successful boyfriend (who's surprisingly Korean) and lives in an amazing apartment. She kind of makes me feel that I should work harder. Which is a good thing, I guess. We just sat on the sofa and watched One Day before going to bed. She actually lives together with her boyfriend but he was in London that night.

 

3rd of December:

We went to a cafe before she took me back to my grandparent's house and the hot chocolate there was so rich it was rather sickening after a few sips. The croissant was nice though. I saw super adorable squirrels in the park on the way to the subway station. Afterwards I went shopping with my mum in Times Square and shopped around in Sephora and F21. I finally got my hands on an Urban Decay Naked palette! There's actually a Naked 2 out but I think it's only available online and I wasn't bothered to go through the trouble of getting it. Unfortunately it starts getting dark at around 4 something, and Times Square at night is like Sydney on NYEs. Although there's great shopping here, I think it's too crowded for my liking. We had pizza for dinner at a restaurant in Times Square.

 
4th of December:

Went yum cha in Queens (I swear my family here are such yum cha lovers. I actually hate it). Looked at some houses afterwards because my uncle is thinking of getting a new house, and then did a little shopping at Express, Uniqlo and Macy's on Broadway. We had dinner with everyone in Chinatown.

5th of December:

Shopping with my mum on 5th Avenue. I got a really cute jewellery box and bangle (I don't have it with me now so no photos yet) from Henri Bendel and these really yummy caramels. I bought a few sweaters from Zara and saw a key I really wanted from Tiffany & Co, but it was way too expensive. We were happily shopping until my uncle called and told us that my poor grandpa sliced his finger whilst he was making dinner and was sent to the hospital in an ambulance. So we rushed to the hospital and I had to sit in the room with my grandpa whilst he got stitches because my uncle isn't that fluent in English. I was so scared to look at it that i just stared at the ground. Whilst I was waiting, I was telling the nurse and doctor that I'm actually from Australia and they were surprised because apparently I don't have an accent and they couldn't tell at all. Although my cousin Alan says I sometimes have a "London accent". Also had the yummiest turkey and cranberry sandwich for lunch from Earl of Sandwich. I think it's on 51st Street.

 














 
6th of December:

More shopping on 5th Avenue, even though the weather was horrible and it was raining. I bought a few things from H&M, my mum bought a bag from Michael Kors and I bought some flats from Aldo.

7th of December: 

It was raining again and I wasn't in the mood to do anything so I just stayed home all day. I think I just slept because there wasn't anything else to do.

8th of December:

Woke up early and had yum cha (again) with my grandparents and a friend of theirs. I really didn't want to go but my grandpa made me. I swear it's as if they like showing me off like I'm a trophy or something. Walked around for a bit and froze to death because it was so cold. My hands felt like they were going to fall off. The subway was so full on the way back that I got stomped on the foot by a man wearing chunky man shoes when the subway moved. It was the most painful experience ever and the fact that I was only wearing flats made it so much more painful as he stomped on my bare skin. I now have a very ugly and large bruise on my right foot as a souvenir. I went to Central park afterwards and I wanted to keep exploring but my mum was complaining so we left and shopped some more on 5th Avenue at GAP, Abercrombie and Zara again. Had yummy Japanese food for dinner.

 



 
 











 

 

 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 


 
 
9th of December:

Took grandma out shopping with us which was rather torturous because she walks super slow and I kind of walk fast. I bought another pair of flats from Macy's and was so annoyed at their horrible service. It took me forever just to get someone to bring me my size. I know waiting is natural but seriously, I asked so many people and they all told me to wait. And then I got a "The thing is, I'm going on break after I'm done with this person." Also got a pair of wedge boots later on but I'm not sure if I want to keep them. After a while my grandma was getting tired so I said I'd shop by myself but my mum wouldn't let me and I got kind of annoyed at her. And then my grandpa started chucking a fit about us going to stay with my uncle for a bit. Honestly, I don't see what the big deal is. I feel so sorry for my mum because he kept yelling at her when she didn't even do anything wrong. I feel like a really bad person saying this but sometimes I'm glad that I don't have any grandparents back in Australia.

10th of December:

My aunt and uncle took the day off work and Alan wanted to see the new casino so we all went. But I'm obviously not allowed inside so I stayed at the race tracks with my uncle. I really didn't like it there (both the place and the people) and felt really uncomfortable the whole time. I just sat on a chair and stared into space whilst I waited. We had hot pot for dinner!

11th of December:

Yum cha (4th time) with family of family and then we took my cousin's dog Courtney (Labrador and Jack Russell mix) to the dog park. I usually like dogs but oh my god, she's the most hyper dog ever and won't stop pouncing on me. Spent the rest of the day with my two cousins at the Empire State Building and watched the sun set. I wanted to take some night photos too but unfortunately my camera ran out of battery :'( I was so depressed. Had Korean BBQ for dinner in Koreatown. Then grandpa just had to go and ruin my night by chucking a fit and fighting with my mum again. I helped my mum call him and maybe he thought I was her because he yelled at me through the phone. Now I have to go and stay with them again and I really want to stay here at my uncle's house.

Today:
Went bike riding with my cousin in Central Park. It was so cold I couldn't feel my feet afterwards! Didn't really stop to take photos because bikes aren't allowed on the foot path.

That's it for now! You have no idea how long it took me to resize those photos and move them in my post. I'm not sure if or when I'll be able to blog again but hopefully I'll be able to.