Urban Hikes And Upstate NY !
Posted On Friday, July 30, 1999 at at 9:40 PM by AlvinWe have enjoyed our frequent "urban hikes" when we walked from Park Slope (home), on to Brooklyn Heights, across the Brooklyn Bridge, Wall Street, climbed the WTC and ended up with a couple of cool Margaritas' in Mid-Town Manhattan. We would then buy a roast chicken from Canal (Chinatown) for dinner and took our tired bodies on the "A" train back to Brooklyn.
During Fall, we managed to venture along the East coast visiting Atlantic City, Niagara Falls, the Finger Lakes and travelled to up-state New York as far as Boston where we feasted on the famous lobsters. We also visited the ivy-league campuses of MIT, Yale, Harvard and Cornell (in Ithaca). Ithaca worth a special mention as we based in this Uni-town for a few days to sample the coffee bar scene and mingled amongst the philosophical Uni-students and visited the nearby Buttermilk National Park.
During Fall, we managed to venture along the East coast visiting Atlantic City, Niagara Falls, the Finger Lakes and travelled to up-state New York as far as Boston where we feasted on the famous lobsters. We also visited the ivy-league campuses of MIT, Yale, Harvard and Cornell (in Ithaca). Ithaca worth a special mention as we based in this Uni-town for a few days to sample the coffee bar scene and mingled amongst the philosophical Uni-students and visited the nearby Buttermilk National Park.
Park Slope - Brooklyn
Posted On Saturday, April 10, 1999 at at 11:39 PM by AlvinWhat a stunner to be arriving at The Big Apple after our European experiences. Having spent a week holed up in a mid-town Manhattan Hotel (St James with friendly buddy doormen - hey don't forget to watch your back buddy, hey you take good care now buddy, hey what's up buddy and so on) over Easter, I found an apartment in Brooklyn just off 7th Avenue and 14th Street in a nice area called Park Slope. Park refers to The Prospect Park where Mandy and I would go for our frequent jogging.
We loved the cinema-going almost every weekend as we headed off to our local cinema off 15th Street, 10 minutes' walk from home - "The Pavilion". It was old fashioned, family-friendly place that smelt of roastie lunches and hot coffee as well as smelt permanently of hot pop corn, pretty much like an extended living room from home. For an entrance fee of US 5, we could enjoy the latest movies during our weekends. "Sixth Sense" was the most unforgettable movie we watched there and we spent hours on the Subway afterwards trying to figure out how well the plot was.
We loved the cinema-going almost every weekend as we headed off to our local cinema off 15th Street, 10 minutes' walk from home - "The Pavilion". It was old fashioned, family-friendly place that smelt of roastie lunches and hot coffee as well as smelt permanently of hot pop corn, pretty much like an extended living room from home. For an entrance fee of US 5, we could enjoy the latest movies during our weekends. "Sixth Sense" was the most unforgettable movie we watched there and we spent hours on the Subway afterwards trying to figure out how well the plot was.
Winter Outings in Vienna
Posted On Friday, February 26, 1999 at at 7:06 PM by AlvinOn my visits to Vienna from Zurich, we went to Salzburg for day trips as well as hiking in the Austrian Alps. Thanks to the Internet, I managed to find Mandy a furnished apartment near the River Danube from a generous owner called Mr Zharbo before she arrived in this lovely city. The apartment was warm, quiet and comfortable. It would take Mandy an hour to walk to work or she could easily take a tram or bus in this efficient city.
I was so glad to meet Mandy's colleagues as they were as weird as Mandy, so I was sure Mandy would get on with them real fine ! Here they are in the photo below, Peter from England, Paul from Australia, Ron from America and Mike from South Africa! Thanks guys for taking care of Mandy and showing her the pubs and coffee houses ! On occasions, these guys also took me to the pubs showing the Tri-Nations Rugby (annual competition involving NZ, Oz and SA) and we had a fab time but I really wasn't sure which side to cheer for as these guys all came from different keen rugby playing nations.
I was so glad to meet Mandy's colleagues as they were as weird as Mandy, so I was sure Mandy would get on with them real fine ! Here they are in the photo below, Peter from England, Paul from Australia, Ron from America and Mike from South Africa! Thanks guys for taking care of Mandy and showing her the pubs and coffee houses ! On occasions, these guys also took me to the pubs showing the Tri-Nations Rugby (annual competition involving NZ, Oz and SA) and we had a fab time but I really wasn't sure which side to cheer for as these guys all came from different keen rugby playing nations.
Zurich - Clean, Compact and Efficient
Posted On Tuesday, January 26, 1999 at at 6:56 PM by AlvinHaving spent 7 years in Italy, Zurich came as a major shock to the system as everything was on time, clean and peaceful compared to the Italian's buzzling streets, warm peoples and chaos. Mandy came for frequent visits from Wien, where I stayed in a suburb outside Zurich called Oerlikon, just 15 minutes by the ever-punctual trams from Central. Life was interesting as we walked the intersecting streets in Zurich and ventured out to many Swiss cities - Luzern and Bern for day trips.
I lived here during the Winter months and felt the bitter coldness of the Swiss Alpine weather, and at the same time appreciated the excellent Zurich heating systems all around this city's many facilities, at the Hauptbahnhof, at the cinemas, on the trains as well as the real log fires in the many cosy bars !
I lived here during the Winter months and felt the bitter coldness of the Swiss Alpine weather, and at the same time appreciated the excellent Zurich heating systems all around this city's many facilities, at the Hauptbahnhof, at the cinemas, on the trains as well as the real log fires in the many cosy bars !
