'Metrocard' art :)

I wonder how many Metrocards are thrown away in NY every month...
Here's a bicycle decorated with used Metrocards:)
It's a brilliant idea
it'd be interesting to see a Metrocard-themed shop/restaurant some day

The first time I came across "Babies R Us", I was quite amused:)

I was used to seeing "Toys R Us" stores in shopping malls, but I didn't know that "Babies R Us" stores exist...until 3 months ago

A poster found on NYC train...

"Please Don't Hold the Doors

You delay the train and everyone on it.

Help this train and the next one stay on schedule.

Thousands of trains are delayed every month due to customers holding doors."

Again...I found this amusing, because I used to be one of the culprits who delayed trains, lol:p

Free wi-fi @ JFK Airport, NY :)

The free wi-fi's only for 20 minutes...but still, it's free :)

The JFK Airport departure terminal is really quite nice

Lotss of restaurants...

Pleasant deco... (I like the poster of the fish :) )

Souvenir shops with the signature "I heart NY" t-shirts

A "caviar bar"
It's my first time seeing a caviar bar & it amazes me how a business model that's based entirely on serving caviar & wine survives (especially at an airport terminal)!
that place is so darn expensive
wouldn't people rather have a really nice meal at Haru's, Buddakan, or Maialino?
or purchase something with more "volume" -like, a nice tailor-made suit?

okay,..maybe those people were just sitting there having drinks & not eating caviar
well, then shouldn't "caviar bars" offer more food items on their menu?

I have a hard time understanding the rationale behind "caviar bars"
I know it's meant to be classy, sophisticated, etc etc
but eating caviar at a fine-dining restaurant is different!
you'll probably have caviar & then followed by entree
so, you needn't worry about having bits of black eggs sticking in between your teeth
I guess you're at a "caviar bar" with your family, then it really doesn't matter even if you coloured your tongue black
that caviar bar is no "family dining place"
no no no

oh...well, I digressed :p
what else is in JFK?
- CNN Newsstand

Funny NYC Subway ads :)

 

"Still a virgin? 

For help call 888-743-4335

Toll free"

(but...why would virgins need help?)

 

"PUBLIC B.O. NOTICE:

Persons emanating foul body odor in confined spaces may be reported and cited for olfactory violation"

(Olfactory violation? lol :) hehe)

The real NYC:)

I was pleasantly surprised to find colourful tulips along sidewalks/buildings in New York:)

I had always thought that the 'real' NYC is dusty, polluted... graffiti on walls, just like how it's portrayed in Flight of the Conchords- a popular comedy series in New Zealand


(Below: Flight of the Conchords cast)

(Image source: http://whatsontv.co.uk/blogs/tvspy/files/2008/12/flight460.jpg)
In Flight of the Conchords, the musicians depict the hardship of the artist community - NYC is fun if you have money & a job, but it can be depressing living in this big city if you're an unknown musician and you don't get any gigs. There are too many talented musicians/artistes!
__________
Another thing that is distinct to NY is the ubiquitous breakfast carts where you can get fresh muffins, bagels, donuts & other types of pastries:)

'American breakfast' = home fries, omelette with Swiss cheese or Americn cheese, & toasted bread

The portion's unbelievably huge

There are many things that's nice about NY...but I remember that I was quite shocked to find that there are no washing machines in apartments here.

No washing machines, no clothes dryer

But the laundry services here is far more affordable compared to most other cities :)

It's quite easy to find $1 per pound laundry services

...and they wrap your clothes nicely into a litlle parcel

Neatly folded too :)

"Bagels" are the new (Dunkin) "Donuts"?

In Malaysia, Dunkin Donuts sells donuts

In Australia, New Zealand, Singapore + anywhere else, I bet DD sells donuts

But in the US, Dunkin Donuts no longer sells donuts as much as it used to

Walk into a Dunkin Donut shop in New York 

- you'll see...

more "bagels" than donuts

"flatbread sandwich with eggwhites" 

(very healthy, I'm not complaining :) I hardly eat donuts. I'm glad DD has other healthier items on the menu, but the egg whites taste 'weird' - spongy. I hope they're real eggs;p)

Malaysian Organ Donor Card :)

I'm lucky to have very liberal parents.
I signed up as an organ donor back in 2006, and I still carry the Malaysian Organ Donor Card with me wherever I go.
Organ donation is against my parents' religious practices, but they didn't stop me from wanting to be an organ donor.
Of course, I wouldn't dream of donating parts of my kidney as long as I'm alive :p
I'm not that selfless...
but when I'm gone from this planet, I'd like the idea of being able to have my body parts reused to save other people's lives - eyeballs, teeth, heart, lungs, intestines ;p anything - rather than letting them go to waste

That's a very radical thing for a Chinese to do.
Chinese culture believe in burying or cremating bodies of dead people.
When it's my turn to leave this planet some day, I wouldn't want a funeral.
I'm supposed to want a funeral, shouldn't I?
After all, people that I know of who passed away - relatives, neighbours, etc - all of them had funerals.

When I was in school, I used to be more religious (I think ;p). For instance, I'd burn incense during exam period because Mum told me that I'd get better grades;p ;p lol

I stopped doing it when I was 14 and an avid reader of the Environment column in The Star newspaper - I came across an article about how incense-burning cause pollution & cancer.
 

Fake "breakfast seafood" in Manhattan :p

I'd consider myself as quite the seafood connoisseur, but even then I was fooled :p

For weeks, I had been dying to try the breakfast 'lobsters' served only at one Japanese-owned cafe that I pass by quite often in midtown Manhattan.

When I finally tried the "lobsters", I realised that they're actually 'lobster cakes' : MSG-laden flour + artificial colouring & loads of other chemicals

They look like real lobsters, don't they?

But that fake stuff taste disgusting. They should be banned (at least, from the breakfast menu)!
Silly me, I was craving so much for seafood that I bought 3 of the fake lobs

Other food items at the Old Bridge Gourmet Deli are probably okay

The ambiance is good

Free water for diners

But at the moment I'm still very traumatized by the "fake seafood experience", I don't thimk I'm likely to revisit that deli anytime soon

Thanks, Old Bridge
From now on I'll stick to bagels & eggs for breakfast
I miss New Zealand yogurt ;p
NZ's got the best yogurt in the whole world

American "Tuk-Tuk"s?

Wasn't expecting to find "Tuk-tuk" carriages in New York :)
I was taking a walk in Central Park and saw these!-

 

There you have it :) It's the American version of Tuk-tuks

 

This reminds me of the New Zealand BAXIs

"Curried Goat"..."Jerk Chicken": A taste of Jamaican cuisine

In New York, there's more to fast food than just burger & fries
- and if you know how to choose the "right" food, it's easy to eat healthily, even when you're at fast food joints.
I'd recommend "Curried Goat" and "Jerk Chicken" - available at a Jamaican fast food joint -Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery & Grill

Whatever your choice of meat is, be it Goat, Beef, Chicken or Fish (yes, they do serve fish :) real fish. Not McD stuff) - they come served with vegetable + bean & rice

The best part of it all - they're all MSG-free
The gravies are flavoured using natural ingredients - spices (cardamoms, anise, ginger, fennel, etc)

I went to the Golden Krust outlet nearby 135 St. station
The ambience is nice
It's quite spacious for a fast food joint
Oil paintings of Jamaica on the walls...

Clean chairs & tables

Why is "Jerk Chicken" called Jerk Chicken?
Well, I don't really know
but from what I found out,..."Jerk" means "spicy"
Jerk Chicken = Spicy Chicken

The "Genius" who painted an oil fin heater...

The oil fin heater painting is a meticulous piece of artwork!
But I have a hard time trying to appreciate the ingenuity of the painter.

There are probably at least 5 layers on paint on the heater

but there's not a single drop of paint on the floor
How...oh how did thou manage to do this?
Thou's magic touch paralyseth the heater :(((

it's not an easy task painting the heater without making a mess on the floor

but the Genius who painted the heater didn't know that you're not supposed to paint a heater

because if you do, it won't work anymore!

so...now I have this giant heater in my room that I can't get rid off

thanks to the Genius

My new room on the upper west side :)

Pros - It's spacious :) - more than twice the size of two double beds (I miss having a gal pal around, so if any of you wanna have a holiday in NY between now & July, lemme know),

- less than 20 metres from a subway station & Gristedes supermarket
- free wi-fi

- no bed bugs/fleas, no old stinky carpets...but I was still inclined to be prepared before I moved in.

I couldn't find any flea bombs but I found Swiffer (it gets rids of dust mites).

- not fully furnished...but at least you get a bed & a cabinet.

Okay...I know it's messy;p but I took this pic on the day I moved in. It's a lot tidier now.

Cons - no washing machines...

& there's only one washroom...;p

Blueberry bagel with "egg" & "cheese"???

-->

The cook gave me a "surprised" look when I asked for a blueberry bagel with egg & cheese.
Okay, I admit that it's unusual... :)

but it's much healthier compared to a blueberry bagel with icing sugar/jam,
plus - I can tolerate that unusual combination.

Of course, an occasional sugary bagel doesn't hurt at all - but you'll feel lethargic if u have just carbs for breakfast.
There's so much to see & do on a fine morning in NY, so I didn't want to ruin my energy level

I've tried all the savoury bagels - sesame, poppy seed, flaxseed, onions/garlic
I just haven't sampled all the sweet variety
I badly wanted to try the blueberry bagel
but I didn't wanna mess up with my breakfast by having it with icing sugar.

This is supposed to be an onion bagel, but it doesn't have a hole in the middle like all other bagels do

 

A black bagel called "pumpernickel" - my favourite

 

Bagel with pumpkin seeds, flaxseed, poppy seed
I had it with chicken (yum)

Sesame seed bagel with cream cheese. I love cream cheese:)
Delis/bagel shops usually have 3 variety of cream cheese
- scallion cream cheese
- vegetable cream cheese
- LOX cream cheese (cream cheese mixed with smoked salmon)

 

In Manhattan, you can go to a deli anytime & there'll be fresh bagels waiting for you

 

This is a pumpernickel with scallion cheese

 

Funny & "special" signboards at Beijing airport

The mainland Chinese are conservative in many ways...

You'll hardly catch them wearing a low cut top, but they're surprisingly open-minded when it somes to using toilets.

For many decades, they are used to toilets without doors.

& then there are also the toilets with dysfunctional doors-

like, a transparent door made of glass pane (what purpose does it serve, lol;p?)

1 -inch high doors
& if you come across toilets with fully functional doors, you'll find that people don't bother to use them
yet, they get all upset & glare at you if you accidentally enter the toilet while they're inside

Found at the airport

When the new Beijing Airport was built, they get new toilets with fully functional doors

but people are just so used to not locking toilet doors

& they need to be reminded

"Special" disinfection

"Special"- purpose Toolbox for Toilet

What else is "special"? ;p

15-minute Dark Choc Brownie recipe :) (Low-fat, reduced sugar)

Dark (60% cocoa) chocs are lower in fat + good for your sex life ;p
I love dessert, but I don't like anything that's tooooo sweet
unfortunately, that's what most ready-made cakes are like
- they contain too much sugar
So, start making your own dessert:)
it's easy
What I have here is a fool-proof dark choc brownie recipe:)
- yes, it CAN'T go wrong AT ALL if you use the 3 key ingredients listed below
& you only need 15 minutes to mix it up & pop it into the oven:)
- and then you can go have a quickie with your partner & practise the Lusty Leapfrog position while waiting for the choc brownie to cook

There are 3 main secrets to making good low-fat choc brownies :)

1) use good dark chocs (Lindt)

- and they'll turn out nice, no matter
(well, it doesn't have to be Lindt, but if you can get some good 50% & above choc bars.. that would do :) )

but of course..if it's for a big party, you may wish to substitute Lindt chocs with dark cooking chocs - eg Cadbury or Nestle
But cooking chocs suck - they render this "waxy" aftertaste in ur mouth

...my advise is - splurge on the dark choc, skimp on the flour/butter
You don't have to buy expensive butter/self-raising flour
they're all the same
- just get the Home Brand items
more people buy them & they're always fresher

2) fresh self-raising flour

- check the expiry date before purchasing.
The fresher the flour is, the more active the raising agents are

- and hence, the cake would rise more beautifully

3) use "salted" butter. real butter. no margarines

- do you know that real butter is actually healtier?

yes, the cholesterol content may be higher compared to margarines, but the calorie amount is about the same + 'pure' butter contains far less chemicals

Salted butter brings out the sweetness of the brownies - and you won't have to use quite as much sugar

The Recipe:)

a) The bottom layer

2 cups plain flour

1 1/2 cup melted butter

Mix well & line the bottom of the cake tin with the pastry

Prick the pastry with a fork

b) The middle layer

1 1/2 cup pure butter

+

1 1/2 cup icing sugar

+

5 large eggs

+

1 cup high-quality cocoa powder (Hershey's)

+

1 teaspoon 'real' vanilla essence ( not the fake vanilla flavourings, please. it's gonna spoil the brownies)

Mix the above ingredients. Then add

2 cups self-raising flour

Pour into the cake tin. bake at 180 degree Celsius for 40 minutes

Melt 300g dark choc (Lindt) with 1/2 cup skim milk and pour over the brownies

Put the tray in the freezer for 5 minutes.

Then add chopped almond, pecans, hazelnuts or any other kinds of nuts that you prefer