Our Week in NYC

This past week had been a lot of fun for KC, Matmat and me (as evidenced by the pictures here). I just want to list down where we went day by day just to have an account of the trip.

Day 1 - Sept 25

Train No. 7 to Grand Central Station
Walked along 42nd St to 5th Ave
Saw the New York Public Library, Empire State Building
Went to Rockefeller Center and went up to the Top of the Rock
Walked along 5th Ave for shopping until we reached the corner of 59th St
Walked to Time Square
Took the No. 7 train back to the hotel

Day 2 - Sept 26

Train No. 7 to Grand Central, transferred to No. 5 to the Metropolitan Museum
Walked to Central Park
Spent a few hours there

Day 3 - Sept 27

Train No. 7 to Grand Central (again), transferred to No. 5 to Bowling Green Station
Went to Battery Park
Took a ferry to Liberty Island
Hopped to Ellis Island (didn't disembark the ferry)
Returned to Battery Park
Walked to Wall St.
Saw Trinity Church
Saw Ground Zero
Saw the New York Stock Exchange
Took No. 2 to Pellham Parkway in the Bronx
Took No. 2 back to Time Square (45min)
Watched Beauty and the Beast in Broadway (Wow!)
Took No. 2 back to the Bronx to fetch Matmat
Drove from the Bronx to the hotel (in Queens)
(Whew!)

Day 4 - Sept 28

Drove from the hotel to the Bronx
Went to the Bronx Zoo
Ate at Hop Kee in Chinatown
Bill took us to a nighttime tour of Manhattan
Drove around the East Village, Greenwich Village, SoHo, South Street Seaport

Day 5 Sept 29

Took the 7 train to Grand Central, transferred to No. 5
Went down on 59th and Lexington
KC went shopping
Went back to Central Park
Walked along 5th Ave. (again)
Ate at East Japanese Restaurant at E 44th
Took the 7 train from Grand Central back to the hotel
Typing this blog entry

Day 6 - Sept 30

Tomorrow
Be back for updates


A week in New York is just about right considering just visiting the top tourist attractions here. But for a more in depth tour and sightseeing and immersing in the whole New York experience, 2-3 weeks is probably just about right.

Coup d'etat!

A few hours ago, the Thai military ousted the Thai PM in an apparent coup while the Prime Minister is in New York for the United Nations General Assembly. This is a long time coming. The (former) Thai PM is a dictator comparable to Ferdinand Marcos and is corrupt as hell.

I'm sure this will send ripples across the region and I am almost 100% sure that the Philippine President will declare a state of emergency. Not because there is a threat of coup in the Philippines (I hope she gets ousted though), but just to grab headlines. You all know GMA is a KSP.

Hope all goes well in Bangkok.

Well, as for Manila, hint hint. ;)

Pope condemns Canada's gay marriage OK

Reference: VISITA "AD LIMINA APOSTOLORUM" DEI PRESULI DELLA CONFERENZA EPISCOPALE DEL CANADA-ONTARIO

What's in a word?

This debate about gay marriage has been going on for quite a time now and it is really getting very irritating. The church obviously has been against it and probably will be until the very end but I sincerely believe that this whole topic has grown out of hand. Before I go on with this rant, I will just clarify that I am for gay marriages.

The whole thing stems, I think, from the use of the word "marriage" in describing the union of two people of the same sex. The church thinks that they have a monopoly of the word marriage and would like to reserve it for the union of a male and a female who vows to stay together and as one under the eyes of the Lord.

This premise is the stand of the church, and moralists (I hate it that they call themselves that). They believe that a couple should be a man and a woman, whose sole purpose in getting married and by the way, in having sex, is to make children. See what good it did to the Philippines. :P

But I believe that this argument is wrong. People are supposed to be free, free to make their own choices and stand for them. If they want to marry to somebody from the same sex, let them be, its not as if they are doing anything bad. They just want to be happy - like you and me. They just want to be acknowledged the same way that male-female married couples are acknowledged. They want nothing more. So what's wrong with that?

The church is up in arms against it because it goes against everything that the Catholic religion stands for. Just imagine negating the very first book (Genesis) in the Bible (that God created man and woman and that they should be together) and cave in to the idea that anyone can marry anyone. That would make the very foundation of the whole Catholic belief system crumble.

Remember when the church excommunicated Galileo when he said that the earth was not the center of the universe? Or Darwin when he theorized about evolution? This may be the debate that would define our generation, our era, and our existence.

My advice, forgo the church. Just wait for politicians and the government to figure out what the people want. Or else don't vote for them again!

This is a very important time in the history of man, and I truly believe that future generations will look back and talk how primitive our ways and beliefs are. The union of two people is not just a union of the physical, but also the spiritual. And on the spiritual plain, there are no differentiation of sexes.

3 more weeks!

I can't wait to buy the new NBA Live 07 for the Xbox 360. After seeing all the preview videos and pictures, there is no way that I will not buy this game as soon as it is released!

I am done with playing NBA 2k6! The game has lost all its appeal to me (I could kick all the opponents asses at the highest level blindfolded! :) )

Michael Schumacher retiring?

If reports are to be believed, Michael Schumacher will announce his retirement this coming Sunday during the Italian Grand Prix. I got hooked on the sport primarily because of Ferrari and Schumi about 10 years ago.

Say it ain't so. C'mon, how about another year?

The night we watched a concert

Well, we tried.

Two nights ago, we went to the Tacoma Dome to watch the American Idols in concert. KC has been waiting to watch the concert for a really long time.

It took us only less than 10 minutes to realize it was a lost cause.

Matmat started crying as soon as people started screaming and shouting and we had no choice but to leave our seats.

We stayed in the refreshment area just outside the concert hall until intermission and decided that we might as well leave (it's a two-hour drive back to our house).

And no, we didn't get to see Taylor Hicks (or Catherine or Elliot or Chris).

Not that I really care.

Steve Irwin

It's either you love him or you hate him. But no one can discount what he had accomplished in getting people understand more about wildlife.

The world needs more people like him - fun and passionate about the stuff that he cares for.

May he rest in peace.