(Click for a better image)

My trip to New York City was absolutely amazing. The weather was great, and I really needed a change of atmosphere. I loved the bright lights in Time Square that made me forget it was night time; the beauty and calmness of Central Park; and the bustling streets during the day.



One of the highlights of the trip was definitely visiting Central Park. I found it incredible that amidst the busy and crowded city, there was a place where people can just relax and get away from everything. As we walked more towards the centre of the park, the outside noise disappeared completely. Sound engineering ftw!



I could have honestly stayed at the New York Public Library all day if I had the time, because it was just that incredible. Guarded by two marble lions named 'Patience' and 'Fortitude' (surprisingly, I didn't take any photos of them), it's yet another peaceful and quiet place in this busy city.

This was the best trip that I've taken in a long time, and now it's back to school and the same routine every. single. day. I uploaded some more photos (the ones that turned out slightly better than the rest... since my camera skills are teh suck) onto my dA account. (No, I will not get a Flickr account; I have way too many accounts to keep track of already. :P )

I'm going to New York tomorrow with the school band (band geeks ftw!) until Monday. I'm so excited right now that it's all I can think about. We'll be doing most of the touristy stuff, such as:

• Visiting the Empire State building


• Getting a tour of Radio City Music Hall


• Going to Time Square


• Watching a musical on Broadway


• Seeing the Statue of Liberty


• Lots of shopping

Other not-so-touristy things include:

• Competing in the "Festivals of Music" competition at Montclair State University in NJ and awards ceremony at Planet Hollywood.



• Listening to the New York Philharmonic Orchestra perform at the Lincoln Centre (yes, I am Canadian and will spell it with -re). They'll be playing Ravel's Concerto in G Major and Schubert's Symphony No 9 "Great".

So for the next five days I'll look like the typical nerdy tourist with my gigantic camera and backpack. But it'll be fun so I don't really care. :P Now I've gotta go and finish packing!

1. If you're of normal height, expect all your relatives to comment on how tall you are and how you just never seem to stop growing.



2. Expect everyone to talk at the same time about the same thing. Very loudly. But the conversation will still somehow manage to make sense to everyone.



3. The phrases "You didn't have to cook this much!" and "How will we ever finish all of this?" regardless of the amount of food present.



4. Lots of discussions starting with "When I was a little boy/girl..."



5. If there are teenagers present, expect the typical "So, which university/program do you want to get into?"



6. Private school vs. public school debates.



7. Moms exchanging recipes for American dishes (which they somehow manage to alter to make it more Asian.)



8. Discussions about the following topics: university, school, good grades, your kids, other people's kids, China, communism, the economic recession, money, how to make more money, taxes, the government, the "old days", marriages and divorces, technology.



9. Expect to leave at around 1 am the next morning.

As much as I want to kill myself over how horribly I bombed the last physics test, this car has made the educational part of physics quite enjoyable. I mean, look at it! It's Pikachu! How can anyone not be cheered up by Pikachu? :)