Enchanted City

New York is my enchanted city. I know that is awfully presumptuous and delusional, but permit me this transgression.From someone who has lived in the Philippines all her life, anywhere else is different. I crave the experience of weaning myself away from my parents; to live alone, of being scared but excited, hungry for food but visually nourished. The feeling of seeing the places I only dreamed of as a kid (Statue of Liberty, the NYC bridges, the free-spirited people who do not have a care in the world how you dress) everyday is what sustains me and probably everyone else who leaves the comfort of home to embark on a strange journey.

When you are living far apart from everything you have ever known, when you rely on your own wit and arrogance to survive, it’s easy to imagine yourself in an “enchanted city”, where everything is happening to you, to everyone, for the first time. I’m just glad it is happening to me…

And last Saturday, it happened to one of my bestest friend Maan. It was her first time to visit New York so I acted as her tourist guide. I had to make sure to show her all the tourist spots and make her feel the vibe of the city. First stop was the downtown area.

Of course I had to show her the NY Stock Exchange and the Wall Street Bull and the Statue of Liberty. And I had to bring her to the famous Pizza under the Brooklyn Bridge, Grimaldi Pizzeria. We had to fall in line for almost an hour just to get a seat in this place but the wait is worth it because the pizza is awesome!

Next stop from Brooklyn is Midtown Manhattan were you'll see the most tourist spots. You just have to walk along Fifth Avenue and you'll see a lot. Not just for tourists but for shoppers as well. LV, Barney's, Bulgari, DKNY..name it.



First stop was the Serendipity Cafe. Oh how wish I could meet my own John Cusack in this place..hehe. And then I had to show her The Apple Store, St. Patricks Cathedral, Rockefeller Center, NBC Studios, Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden and of course Time Square.

I'm pretty sure Maan had a great time. She personally enjoyed staying at Times Square and the vibe it exudes among it's visitors. She turned into a camera whore the moment we reached Times Square.




This is Maan with my favorite shot of her at the square...

I asked her to stand in the middle of the road while the traffic sign says "stop".

I woke up with sore legs from walking the whole day. But it was all good especially because I spent the day with them. I have seen NYC almost everyday for the past year but I must say that this trip was one of the best. I have never appreciated the city as much as I did with this trip.

I guess New York really brings this certain magic that everyday is a totally different experience. And no matter how much I see, breath and live the place, sometimes it's the company you're with that makes all the difference.


I hope your having the best week lovelies (borrowing from my sisters famous phrase!)... don't worry, she'll be back after her finals.