it's not me, NYC; it's so all totally you...

Or, perhaps, I'm just not giving New York the chance it deserves. Having only been up to the city that never sleeps twice (as an adult), it could hardly know it enough to make a final decision, right? Maybe, but I don't think any future visits will change my mind. In any case, here's the recap of NYC with Karen.

Saturday

6:30 am: Get up and get ready so we can catch the 7:30 am Vamoose bus to NYC.
around 1:00pm: Arrive at Vi's (Karen's brother) apartment. Leave stuff. Hop on Subway.
Afternoon: Get lamb gyros from street vendor. Walk to Central Park. Sit. Sit. People watch.
5:30 pm: Attend evening mass at Saint Patrick's Cathedral. Afterwards, head over to H&M.
7:00 pm: Eat dinner at a diner we found passing on the street. Afterwards, head over to Liz's apartment to just hang for a little while.
8:00 pm ish: Take the tram to Roosevelt Island to see the Encampment. Get thoroughly depressed by the Encampment. Leave to hopefully get a pick-me-up at Bamn! the Automat.
later that night: Become thoroughly disappointed with the small size of Bamn! and it's small selection. Go home.
even later that night: Decide to stay in (because we're exhausted from being up at 6:30 am). Watch TV. Go to bed.

Sunday

10:30 am: Dim Sum Go Go!
most of the day: Spent walking around Chinatown, the West Village, and Soho. Shopping. Present searching. People watching at Washington Square. Coffee at Joe's.
7:15 pm: Dinner at Perilla.
night time: Home. Catch up on Gossip Girl and the Next Iron Chef (which we DVR'd). Sleep.

Monday

lunch: Grand Central Terminal.
2:00 pm: Catch the Vamoose bus home.

Perhaps it's the fact that NYC is so freakin' huge, and a little bit because we didn't go out at all. But aside from that, something in my nature is just not completely comfortable in a city like NYC. It's all just too much. Too big. Too fast. Too dirty. Too intense. Just.. too much.

Now, focusing on the details of the trip... The Encampment was definitely not what I was expecting after reading about it online. And, it's probably my own fault, because I didn't read the articles thoroughly enough to actually know what the whole exhibit was about. Instead of being a fanciful art exhibit, which is what I was expecting, it was a number of small installations focusing on the history of the patient's of an old smallpox hospital (now known as Renwick Ruin) that is located on the island. Not only was it a hospital, but it was also a lunatic asylum and penitentiary. All the tents had stories about suicides, murders, people dying, etc etc. It was all very very depressing. And to top it off, they had people around the exhibit, playing depressing music on trumpets, singing creepy lullabies, adding to the depressing atmosphere of it all. If I had known, I would have never gone to see it. Made me want to slit my wrists.

On an up note, dinner at Perilla was AWESOME! Not the best meal I've ever had, but it was still delicious. We even had a brief siting of Harold Dieterle (winner of Top Chef Season 1 - Perilla is the restaurant he opened as a result of his winning) - or at least the back of his head and a bit of his glasses. The entire experience was wonderful.

Maybe someday, I'll return to New York, and do it the way it's supposed to be done (out till 4am, sleep till past noon), but I get the feeling New York doesn't like me either. Only time can tell, I suppose.

Love,
Tran