Epilogue

Alright...all good things comes to an end, and the whole trip was one helluva good thing. I dun really know how to start writing this. Was thinking of a usual summary but this whole blog itself is more or less a summary. I know it's not a very summarised summary, but so many things took place, so much so that it is really tough for me for give an overview summary. Each and every event brought abt varied varied emotions, thoughts and lessons. Perhaps the best way to summarise this is through Aladdin's "A Whole New World"...I admit that I have a thing for Disney princesses <3 x 10

I can show you the world
Shining, shimmering, splendid
Tell me, princess, now when did
you last let your heart decide

I can open your eyes
Take you wonder by wonder
Over, sideways, and under
On a magic carpet ride

A whole new world
A new fantastic point of view
No one to tell us no
Or where to go
Or say we're only dreaming

A whole new world
A dazzling place i never knew
But now from way up here
It's crystal clear
That now i'm in a whole new world
With you
Now i'm in a whole new world with you

Unbelievable sights
Indescribable feeling
Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling
Through an endless diamond sky

(Jasmine:) A whole new world
(Aladdin:) Don't you dare close your eyes
(Jasmine:) A hundred thousand things to see
(Aladdin:) Hold your breath- it gets better
(Jasmine:)I'm like a shooting star, I've come so far I can't go back to where i used to be

A whole new world
With new horrizons to pursue

I'll chase them anywhere, there's time to spare, let me share this whole new world with you

(Aladdin:) A whole new world
(Jasmine:) A whole new world
(Aladdin:) A new fantastic point of view
(Jasmine:) A new fantastic point of view
(Both:) No one to tell us no or where to go
(Jasmine:) Or say we're only dreaming
(Aladdin:)a whole new world
(Jasmine:)Every turn a surprise
(Aladdin:) With new horizons to pursue
(Jasmine:) Every moment gets better
(Both:) I'll chase them anywhere theres time to spare
(Jasmine:) Anywhere
(Aladdin:) Theres time to spare
(Jasmine:) Let me share
(Aladdin:) This whole new world
(Both:) With you

(Jasmine:) A whole new world
(Aladdin:) A whole new world
(Jasmine:) Thats where we'll be
(Aladdin:) Where we will be
(Jasmine:) A thrilling change
(Aladdin:) A wonderous place
(Both:) For you and me

Yeah...I know none of u will go through the whole lyrics but the song really resonates very strongly with me now...each line really do mean something special to me. I really can't expressed how much I'm in love with life...so much to see, smell, taste, hear and feel. Life used to be boring for me...now i can't wait to start on my next little adventure out into the world

So what's next? I'm deciding between Diving in Palau Sipadan, Skydiving in New Zealand or Exchange in Germany. I'll probably do all of them but would need to decide on the order...and of course, I need to clear my 5K debt first...will be living on bread and butter for the next yr. So if u have any leftovers, kindly share it with me! And would probably learn to play the Flute or Harmonica during the year. As for the oven, only have Chocolate Chip Cookie, Blueberry Cheesecake, Pancakes and Tiramisu in mind currently. So this is a short preview to my sophomore year in NTU (someone commented that I'm very free at home...there's actually a lot of planning going on)

And this is the thing which i find most interesting...Why are so many of you so concern abt how different I am in the States? I really thank everyone for their concerns but it's really quite amusing. I know I'm made for the "Guai Kia" role in watever group I'm with...the quiet, bespectacled, well-mannered, courteous and nerdy one. A selected few of u may know me as the outspoken, witty, confident and arrogant one.

So I guess I did surprise quite a number of people with the clubbing, drinking and gambling in the States. The explanation is simple...if I were to fly across half the globe and be the same me, then it would really be a total waste of time and money. I'm here to live like them, drink like them, club like them and gamble like them...it's part of the experience. If I were to say no to all these, I might as well stay in Singapore. But no worries, I'm already back to being the same old boring and nice Mark.

Anyway, i just went on Facebook and there's this post from Cassandra less than an hour ago "Having fun in USA is about daring to do what you've always been afraid of. I'm absolutely terrified of heights, which was why I chose to go for skydiving from 16000 feet in order to face my fears." Couldn't agree more. I've been restraining myself for far too long...and it was time to let loose and do the things which I wouldn't do in Singapore...after all, what happens in US stays in US:)

The bonds made here were pretty unique as well. It reminded me a lot of my time in army, where we are all basically in the same shithole and can only count on each other. It was a similar feeling in Virginia, where everyone is working their ass off everyday, counting on each other for meals, trips to walmart to get necessities and then going on road trips with people who's schedule fit urs and drinking together from night to dawn.

Such bonds feels more natural, where everyone relied on each other to last through the whole trip, be it the sweat, blood, whining and fun. I HATE orientations and camps as things always felt like they were set up beforehand..."u guys are going to be BFFs because we just happen to put u guys in the same group for orientation"...to HELL with this!!! For me, the cause and effect sequence is very important. U become friends (effect) because of the shit (cause) and NOT, I create shit (effect) because we guys need to be friends (cause). Get my point???

Which is why my closest frens are from army...been through hell together and came back...u can't beat that. We have all left KD already, but it's very heartening to know that everyone still wants to keep in close contact. There's a gathering in August and my Facebook is flooded with comments and posts from them...all about the time (mostly abt wine and beer though...haha) in KD. It's very heartwarming:)

Lastly, I would also like to thank you for keeping track of my adventures in USA. It's my greatest pleasure to write and update this blog, both for my own keepsake and your own reading pleasure. I'm also very honoured and flattered by the fact that a few of u (including my own sister) are inspired to embark on a similar trip next yr. I'm not too sure how much this blog plays a part in ur decision but it's very humbling to know that others may be traversing the same path as I did over the past 2 months next year.

Talking abt inspiration...this blog was inspired by another friend of mine as well (www.mystoryineurope.blogspot.com). Hopefully, I can also inspire someone else to start writing...and it would be amazing if this inspiration can keep passing forward.

I guess this is really the end...I wonder how it will feel like if I come back to this blog 10 yrs from now...Ooo, a tear is coming liao

THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING AND MAY WE ALL LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER

THE END!!!

Mark

A not-so-lonely boy in a foreign land

PS: Will be reverting back to my previous blog (www.hwx-mark.blogspot.com). See you guys there. Ciao

New York!!! Day 2

Day 2 started off bad...really bad. You dun go to New York and get up of bed at 11am...but I guess everyone was dead beat. We fell asleep on all our metro rides and even missed stops the day before

And for some reasons, the Metro is always filled with people basking and asking for donations. This time, it was some guy playing a flute...but as usual, ignored by the general public

The Soup Man, recommended by ZhiChuan…suppose to be very famous, although I think it’s overhyped and over priced

I'm the Man…Soup Man that is

So our first official destination is Rockefeller, Top of the Rock…suppose to be one of the tallest building in NY, slightly shorter than the world famous Empire State Building

Most people dun understand this…u NEVER visit the tallest building. U visit the 2^nd tallest building so u can see and take a picture of/with the tallest building. So here’s the Empire State Building. Imagine the idiots who goes up the Empire State Building and tried to take pictures of themselves with the building….hilarious

Some picture of the city…quite a breathtaking view

This is what I mean, the Empire State Building and Me!!!

And I definitely need to do this since I’m there

and here’s Central Park…wasn’t expecting it to be that big

And a few more random shots

Love this picture…looks like I’m really high up. Is this how it looks like when Batman glides down?

Next up, Time Square…

st the general street view…it’s rather impressive, with the all human traffic, broadway musical, famous offices etc

NASDAQ and Me…my self taken pictures are looking better…notice I got a new cap

I'm sure u have heard of NYPD Blue

Medal of Honor recipients…utmost respect to these real-life heroes, people who have been through real life conflict, unlike our CSMs who act like they have been through a lot with their vulgarities

I wonder if they recruited Steve Rogers (Captain America) here

Woohoo…naked guy on the street of Time Square

…or not. My female readers must be disappointed

And here comes an equally horny lady…look at where’s her hand on!

I admit that under Bumblebee’s crotch is not exactly the best place to pose…but it’s bumblebee!

Here’s the building belonging to Hersheys

And another one belonging to M&M

And YES!!! We are finally at Hell’s Kitchen

The street where Matt Murdock (Daredevil) and the Kingpin wage their unending war…

Look at what I found (not exactly hard to find since it’s so big). It’s TORCHWOOD…Captain Jack Harkness and Gwen Cooper!!!

And we’re finally at the Empire State Building

Not that impressive when view up closed

So we had dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant…and WE ALMOST MISSED THE BUS OUT OF NEW YORK!!! If we missed the bus, I would have missed my flight, and u will not be reading this cos I’m typing this out at Richmond Airport. Wasted too much time going to the toilet, buying stuff near the Empire State Building and other small little breaks. They were abt to put our tickets up for sale when we arrived…must thank our lucky stars

So this effectively concludes my stay in New York, a very hectic rush to cover as much as possible. This also ends my time together with Ben, Alex and Kok, Zhichuan and I will be travelling on our own after this while they go back to Kings Dominion and start their own travel. It was fun while it lasted, guys. Keep in touch and see you guys in Singapore

OH YES!!! And we did the cupid shuffle at the various places of interest…keep a lookout for 4 guys dancing in front of the Statue of Liberty, Rockefeller, Time Square, Empire State Building etc on Facebook

Mark, with his footsteps left behind and memories taken from New York

PS: I really do think that the upcoming travels will not be that fun anymore…just board the bus, go around, follow instruction from tour guide…

New York!!!

Since it's work and travel, and work has officially ended, now it's time to travel!!!

First up, New York! New York wasn't in the initial plan, but since Ben, Kok and Alex have plans to visit New York, I might as well tag along as well. The only downside is that I have to lug my luggage practically across half of New York, nearly took the life out of me...but I guess it was all worth it...for the Manhattan Bridge, Brooklyn Bridg. Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, New York Stock Exchange etc

So we took a Chinatown Bus from Richmond to New York...it's really run by people from China!!!

The bustling street in New York's Chinatown...

And here comes the Manhattan Bridge...

Too bad only cars are allowed on it...can't go on foot

Manhattan Bridge and Me...the sun's in the wrong place-_-

And here's Brooklyn Bridge...

Took a walk on it in the evening...shall elaborate later

This image is postcard worthy if I edit it a little lor...

Manhattan Bridge, Brooklyn Bridge, the City and ME!!!

The New York Metro Subway

U always see it in American tv series or Hollywood movie...people coming in and out from underground. Or when the bad guy needs hostages, he would go down the Metro and get take his pick (usually a small girl or an old lady)...HERE IT IS!!! THE METRO SUBWAY

Ben and Zhichuan buying the Metrocard to get on board the train...

I think we phase such cards out in Singapore like 10 years ago?

Just some pics on the early morning peak hour rush...

On one of my trips on the Metro, there's this homeless guy who came onboard and started to tell his story, on how he does not have a family, so random stuff abt God and Buddha (how do u even tell a story with both God and Buddha in the same context) and basically tragic stuff that happened to him in his life...of course to get money from the passengers. Quite interesting...he probably rehearsed it like many times and obviously the passengers are rather used to and immune to such incidents. There's another more interesting one which happened later...will touch on it soon

Stumbled on to this on the way to the ferry to Liberty Island

So it's a memorial/monument that was damaged in 9/11. Will talk more abt the 9/11 later as well

And here we have the world famous Statue of Liberty!!!

Worship the Goddess

I was pretty disappointed with the Statue of Liberty. I always thought it was the size of a skyscraper, but it turned out to be even smaller than the Merlion in Sentosa. Those special effects people in Hollywood really know their stuff...always thought that the Statue was so grand and magnificent (It still is...but not to the extent I thought it was)

And this was the place where Alex got lost. Everyone was sleeping on the top deck of the ferry when he went down. When we alighted, he was nowhere to be found...apparently, he went to the lower deck to sleep to avoid the sun and missed the Ellis Island stop. Still, kudos to him for being able to cover as much ground on his own as well as finding his way back to flushing street

The well known bull in Wall Street

I wonder if this can guarantee me an office in Wall Street in the future?

Undeniable evidence that I was in Wall Street...

Look really really closely...

See it? It's the freaking New York Stock Exchange (NSYE)!!!

This explains itself

Reconstruction of one of the tower still in progress since then

There are many artifacts and heroics exploits there, but this one struck me the most. The belongings and left-behinds of those involved in 9/11, covering a miniature version of the Statue of Liberty

As well as this...read the words on it. It contains the names of those killed in 9/11...how significant...really shows the resilience of the United States of America

And that is the Brooklyn Bridge...

It's actually very scary sitting there...because

...of all these cars zooming past

Would make a very nice picture if we can only get the people out of it

Love this picture...shows the intricacies in the design of the Brooklyn Bridge

This one as well...look at the ropes holding the bridge together!

The Manhattan Bridge from the Brooklyn Bridge

The usual stuff...

As u can see, a lot of pictures of the Brooklyn Bridge. I've been wanting to visit the Brooklyn Bridge ever since I started reading spiderman. Peter Parker's greatest failings happened on this bridge (The Death of Gwen Stacy) and the Brooklyn Bridge sure doesn't disappoint.

This picture is very interesting. We got onto the Metro to get back to the hotel...however, we were greeted by this group of punks playing their rock music and breakdancing...in the midst of the cabin. One of them even almost jump into me. I guess this is a form of basking as well, since they were asking for donations after

And this final picture to wrap up the day...got cheap accommodation from some street

On to day 2 in New York!

Mark, finally travelling

PS: Lugging my luggage along sux big time