Wednesday, August 28, 2013

NY: Day Two



This morning, Mom had Ate Diday make some oatmeal for her.
Kuya Dennis comes in and sees it then says,
"Kadiri!!! Para yan sa walang ipin!!!"
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After laughing at Mom, he goes and has his breakfast microwaved which was scarier than oatmeal.
It was a can of chili he bought the night before - he said it was the "best breakfast ever!!!"

(Lol. We've been walking past this place called Chipotle, a Mexican place, and he
started craving for Mexican food because it was the "best cuisine ever!!!" daw)
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I had cute milk + cereal + coffee
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A car for Mrs. Patricia (aka Ate Diday) was waiting downstairs for us to take us - duh - shopping!
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He was our driver for the day! Ate Diday asked him if I could take his photo,
and he laughed and let me do it
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A bit later, tah daaaaaah - We were at Target
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I found this cute Mario doll at the kid's section and took it with me
just so I had some company (I can hear Carlos judging me right now)
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I rarely had anyone take my photo on this trip because I was shy -
Ate / Kuya Leo weren't there so I had to do the mirror thing a lot :-))
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After Target, we went downstairs to Costco.
Mom got a ton of batteries (which will mostly be used up by Dad and Ana)
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Found this giant dog and got over the shyness to ask Ate Diday for a photo
because this HAD to be documented. This has to be the heaviest stuffed toy ever
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Bored brothers waiting for Ate Diday and Mom to finish shopping
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Everyone paid for their own things, and when it was time to have our cart's receipt checked,
Mom realized that it was missing and we were standing there at the exit looking like this:
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Thankfully, we found the receipt in one of the boxes in our cart
so we got to leave na. I owned the back-back seat and I spent the ride home
writing down notes on my handy pink post-its so I wouldn't forget to draw
funny things that have been happening!
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Fast forward to the hotel, where they totally forgot about me!!!
They all left me in the car and I had to knock on the glass until
Ate Diday noticed me and started laughing
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Kuya Dennis took me to B&H, a photo/video store that had everything you could ever need.
Grabe, nastress ako dito ok. Camera things everywhere let's crey.

Kuya Dennis went to the digital camera section because he had finally decided
on the new camera he wanted to buy, and I spent my time in the film camera
section, because I wanted to get a new lens for Spencer, my Canon A-1.

There were so many lenses to choose from and I didn't know what
to get. The guy who was helping me out made me try a bunch, and I finally
decided to get a wide lens that could also zoom in and out. He gave me a slip
so I could pay for my lens at the cashier and told me I had two hours before
I actually had to pay, so I went to Kuya Dennis, who was done and picking up his slip as well.


This guy's name was Andrew, and when I went up to my brother, Andrew said,
"Oh, is this your daughter?" Kuya Dennis started freaking out, going,
"NO NO NO! She's my sister!!!"
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So ayon, we went downstairs to pay at the cashier.
I ended up paying to this lady who asked,
"Hey! How are you?" She laughed at me when I said "Excited!!!"


After paying, you get a pick-up slip which you take to this part of the store.
You see those wheels at the top of the photo? That's how they transport all their products
to the pick up area at the ground floor! No one has to walk the products to the
cashier or anything! I find it cool ok
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Kuya Dennis and I started walking back to the hotel from B&H.
He decided that we should pass by Times Square so that it would be an interesting walk
and I saw this dude and asked him for a photo - I didn't realize that he was from
Ripley's until I uploaded this to my computer! 
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It's a funny coincidence because after walking a bit further, I see the Ripley's Museum
and ask Kuya if we can go - he paid for my ticket (student discount, yo), so yay!!!


This is a replica of the World Trade Center. It's made of toothpicks!
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Kuya Dennis comparing his hand to the world's largest hand
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I remember all these characters from the Ripley's Museum in Shangrila Mall!
Did you guys ever get to go there before it closed???
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This dude I remember because I used to follow the Ripley's show on AXN when I was a kid.
(I also own about three Ripley's books!!! I like weird things)
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The 1,400 pound man who was hanging from the ceiling
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This buddha's made of money!
I rubbed its tummy because the description said it would be good luck. :-))
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That mural thing on the wall is made out of postage stamps
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This is a cute decorated skull!
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When we finished the exhibit and left,
a performer was swallowing needles outside the museum :-)
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When we got home, we had dinner at the restaurant in the hotel and walked around a bit.


That night, Ate Diday taught me how to wrap my shampoo in plastic so it
wouldn't spill in my luggage! :-)
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Saturday, August 24, 2013

NY: (Actual) Day One




Hello! Meet my room (which I didn't want at first because 1. It was so close to the door which
would mean that I would have to answer it whenever someone was gonna knock - hehe
2. The other room had a balcony!!! 3. The other room had a nicer view, ok)
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Ay ay ay before anything else I should say that I am in a two-bedroom suite with 
my mom and Ate Diday! Kuya Dennis and Kuya Manolo each have their own 
rooms on a different floor. This is our living room.
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You can't really see Mom and Ate Diday's room, but this is it. 
The first day's morning was a lazy morning.
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The view from our balcony!
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Here's a better look at the Public Library from the last post -
it's cute, 'no? It would be fun to play Katamari here.
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Halu our bathroom mirrors are circles
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Everyone met up at our room at around 9:45am and I was laughing
at Kuya because he went jogging that morning and got lost. 
He ended up at Harlem and didn't know how to 
get back. He didn't have any money on him either, so instead of getting a cab,
he had to jog all the way back to the hotel. He jogged about 17km :-))
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At 10am, we left to walk to a nearby Best Buy.
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We looked around a bit and I saw a new Wacom Bamboo tablet model
but I decided against it. Didn't need it + save money!!!
 I WAS looking for some 4LR44 batteries for Spencer, 
my film camera, though. Didn't find any huhu.



At 10:30am we had to take a cab to Norma's because Ate Diday made
a 10:45am reservation, and it was really funny because when we called 
a cab, Mom, Ate Diday, Kuya Manolo and I got in.



Eh in New York, only four people are allowed in a cab - but 
Kuya Manolo still didn't leave the car and Kuya Dennis had to get a cab 
alone. That's him standing at the sidewalk waiting lol
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In this photo, Ate Diday's laughing and saying, "What a brother you are, Manolo!!!"
Turns out he didn't know what was going on the whole time because he 
was on his phone - probably playing a game :-))
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Poof! We got to Norma's! We went here for brunch. The entrance of the place
has a projected clock on the floor and I found it kyot.
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I like the "MOM CAN'T MAKE THIS" section of the menu.
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#MaartengB&WPhotoKasiWalaLang
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The girls shared a four-cheese omelet and a bacon + cheese + egg pizza!
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After brunch, Kuya Dennis went on his own to check out a golf store,
and the rest of us got on a cab to Bloomingdale's.
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I didn't feel like going in there, so Ate Diday pointed out the H&M in front of 
the mall. I got some office clothes (I start work on September 1!!!) and then I headed towards
Bloomingdale's, past it, and into Urban Outfitters (There are a bunch of branches everywhere,
and I go into every new one if I can because I LOVE THIS STORE PLEASE)


When I got to Urban Outfitters, a lady went up to me and asked for directions 
to H&M (probably because I had a shopping bag with me) and buti nalang hindi 
ako napahiya! I was able to explain the directions properly ("Uh, you just go
straight ahead, past Bloomingdale's" LOL) and she thanked me before leaving.



When I was done, I walked to Bloomingdales and met up with Mom and Ate Diday,
who were at Louis Vuitton. Kuya Manolo was there on the couch, so I sat there too
and had a game of Hungry Shark (which I had to start over because it my phone deleted
everything when I went back to IOS6 from IOS7!!! Huhu). 



After Mom paid, we went to a restaurant because she wanted to eat something.
Ate Diday says this piece of bread is called a Popover. It's a hollow cute bread!
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I had sliders! (I was only able to eat one and I had the rest of them packed for me)
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After shopping + meriends, we all met up at the hotel. I chilled for a little bit,
then it was off to a store called Adorama with Kuya. I was trying to look for
4LR44 batteries again, and I finally found them!
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Hemingway, when we were on our way into the store, I saw this guy
standing outside with a really big camera. I couldn't stop thinking about him
and about how I should have taken his photo. When we were done paying,
we went out and he was still there, so I decided I had to go say something.

ANA: Hi, excuse me. Can I take your photo? I really like your camera.
GUY: You do?
ANA: Yeah! Can I take your photo with it?
GUY: Sure, but you only get one shot.

I laughed and took a photo, then I showed it to him.
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GUY: Oh okay. I think you know what you're doing.
ANA: Yay! Can I take another one?
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After I showed him my second shot, he asked me to write down his name
and to look for him on Facebook. He spelled it out for me - Louis Mendes.
Turns out he's a street photographer who goes around taking photos
of people! He's pretty popular, and he's been using that big camera since 1959.



After that, I had dinner with Ate Diday and Kuya Dennis at Bryant Park Grill - again.
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There was some sort of drive-in movie at the park, except without all the cars.
They were showing E.T. with all the people sitting down on the grass.
It was cute.
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