New York, New York!

New York City. A city depicted in so many TV shows, movies, stories and books. Glitzy, dynamic, full of life. No matter how much you've been exposed to it, it still does not prepare you when you visit New York in person!



New York City comprises of 5 boroughs - The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island. Manhattan is probably the most well-known, being the home of famous sites such as Wall Street, Broadway, Empire State Building, and the fallen World Trade Center. Thus it is really quite the most exciting city I've visited!
Besides the sights, walking through Times Square at night is an experience on its own! The lights, the people, the buildings - they collectively gel into a feeling that no words could quite describe. Thus, as I've mentioned, nothing could quite prepare you as you step into this City that Never Sleeps!



There are other attractions as well. A visit to the Statue of Liberty. Many many shopping opportunities. A walk in the park ... Central Park of course! Catching a theatre show. I'm not quite a city person, but I really enjoyed myself. So if you're a city person, you'll love New York City!

Chinese New Year!

The Chinese/Lunar New Year is another festival worth coming out for, esp for photoshoots. For foreign visitors to Singapore, I would think the best time to capture the festivities and mood is the week (or few days) prior to the first day of the New Year. This is the period where we are out busy preparing for the New Year, and the streets will be filled with New Year goodies and merchandise. The main area where the mood is most prevalent would be Chinatown.

The lanes in Chinatown will come alive in the evening, where the makeshift stalls will be setup, and families will throng the streets.
Besides shopping, there will also be traditional performances as well. These are favourites for old and young alike (Though for the opera shows, the older folks will appreciate more).



This year, Chinatown has an additional "attraction" : the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. The temple has its fair share of news about its relic in its premises but I will not comment further on that. However, its architecture, and its decor and light up during the Chinese New Year period is worth checking out. Once into the New Year though, locals will be visiting relatives and friends, so tourists will find the streets quieter (especially the first day), unless you have a local friend to visit. In any case, here wishing all readers a Happy Lunar New Year!

Gong Xi Fa Cai!