Again, in New York... (Part Deux)

In New York, you'll never feel you could fit in, unless you're an old-timer New Yorker. But when a slight comfort on your surrounding is felt, you know you're quite acquainted with the contrast, indifference and the New York attitude.

I have stopped doing the touristy thing of taking snapshots of every shops of familiar brandnames, famous landmark buildings and eating the New York hot dog and bagel. I must say, walking around the city without a shopping list can be refreshing sometimes. Hence, I want to make this visit a worthy one by going somewhere I have never had a chance to go before. The thought of museums have cropped up but I am not sure whether I have ample time to do so. I thought, Upper East Side would be quite a visit to shout about since I am following the Gossip Girl series.

I walked towards the Upper East Side and thought that the people actually changed when they enter beyond the 57th Steet marker whether from Fifth or Lexington Avenue. According to Wikipedia, The Upper East Side starts from the 59th Street to 96th Street and bounded by Central Park, in the west and the East River in the east. I only managed to walk till 62nd Street, I think, before I decided to go into Bloomingdale's and Barney's to escape the rain. Smaller shops would make my escape more obvious.

Suddenly, everyone seems like the kind of Lily Bass but the likes of Blair Waldorf or Serena van der Woodsen were not in sight. Everyone who is shopping seems like it is their normal pastime activity. Carrying the latest designer bag and holding a fancy umbrella are quite a sight to remember.

The rain was not going to stop, so I made Borders my next escapade. The new vampire movie to be released, The New Moon has seeped into the bookstores, with merchandise that would entice the fans. I did not buy any of course, as I am no fan of such fictional characters.

The rain was receding and therefore, I should make my way back although I was quite tempted to take a peep of the World's Famous tree around the corner...

Again, in New York...

I am now in New York. The city I always felt so inspired of. I'm not sure why myself. I supposed it's the TV dramas, big screen movies and simply, the power of American media and culture.

As usual, I will bring along my iBook, which makes writing a little easier. Not sure why myself, but I supposed it is the image of Carrie Bradshaw sitting down and typing her thoughts away, so swiftly on her Apple embedded notebook. We, at the audience front, would just look in awe watching her through a window with pouring rain outside. The Apple logo just illuminates so brightly and I still think it's the best advertisement ever!

I am also listening to Pink's 'I'm Not Dead' album. My iTunes shows 15 March 2008 as the time I last played all the songs of this lovely album. Gosh, I almost forgot how introspective and relevant her music is to people like me. I felt connected again.

Yesterday, I saw the Swarovski Star being installed on the yet-to-be revealed The World's Most Famous Tree at the Rockefeller Center. I felt a sense of familiarity. I was always in New York at around this time, before Christmas for the past three years. I just love the scene here and now...

Po Po

My dearest grandmother passed away on 16th November 2009 at 11plus am. I called my aunt who looks after her a few hours before I left for Frankfurt. I urged her to call for a doctor to attend to Po Po since she complained that Po Po was not feeling as well as per her normal self.

I got the news of her passing when I switched on my iPhone after landed into Hesse approximately 4am Malaysian time. The news did not sink in directly nor did it shock me. I was feeling a little relief to know that at first. My Hubby told me that, I was restless for a few days and that I have expected and prepared for it to happen. I almost forgot that I am quite intuitive when it comes to stuff like this.

Cruel as I may sound, but to be honest, death is the only way to end her suffering. It should be celebrated in fact. I am glad when I gradually found out more about her passing. It occurred during her sleep. She died the way her mother did, painless and due to natural causes of old age. My maternal grandmother had lived up to 97 years old but I speculated that she might have hit 100 years old.

She once told us that, a fortune teller told her when she was younger, that the birthmark on her chest signifies that she could live up to 100 years old. If I combine that with a more rational explanation, she could have fulfilled the prophercy. (Well, at the end of the day, we are all trying to shape the facts to suit our belief, aren't we?)

She was born before the World War I in Hong Kong (and that explains the Cantonese side of me). Due to hardship, her mother, my great grandmother and her were forced to immigrate or perhaps to seek refuge elsewhere. Malaya was where they landed by boat. It was no surprise that my grandmother did not have any official record of her birth, just like many people of her time in that particular era. What was registered on her Malaysian IC was 1912 which I think was due to convenience sake, rather than her real birth date.

I have fond memories of my maternal grandmother. My mother used to say so much goodness about her and my great grandmother when I was not even 10 years old. They were the kindest, most generous, compassionate people my mom said. They were the giving kind, never ask for more and expect nothing for themselves but only for others. I remember my grandmother as a person who loves her coffee and she used to drink one can of condensed milk a day. She played lots of mahjong, smoked cigarrette, when she was in her 70's and always offer others especially the younger ones to have their meals first before her. Once, when I visited her at my counsin’s house, she even asked the domestic helper to eat first or to join in. In her 90's, she was still capable of pulling out a chair and let my Hubby take a seat first at a dining table. How hospitable was my dear Grandma..

I think my grandmother was colour blind too. Not the physical disadvantage I mean here, but her inability to differentiate people based on skin colour. That explains her generations of children, grand children and great-grand children have colourful families. We have Indians, Malays, Eurasians, Koreans, British, Scottish etc in my mother’s side of family. It would be really multi-cultural when all get-together under one roof during the Chinese New Year.

I hope my grandmother is now in a better place. She left behind a rainbow family of four generations after her. She is survived by three daughters, one son, countless grandchildren, countless great-grandchildren and one great-great grand daugther.

Her generosity will continue to amaze me. And as her youngest grandchild, I felt honour to have known her and own so much good thoughts of my dear Po Po..