Month: November 2010

Bikeathon at Central Park

Rhiza4 Comments

It’s my third week here in NY. I wish there’s a way I could make time slow down a bit!

David and I have been to just a few places so far. As much as we want to spend more time outdoors during the day, he has to be at work and so do I, so we only get to date out in the evenings and over the weekends. But that’s okay, I’ll have more time to get to know New York next time.

The leaves have started falling off, the temperature has dropped close to 30F these past couple of days, everyone’s been layering up. Thank God for Black Friday, I managed to score some discounted layers at an outlet store over the weekend.

But how can I complain? New York is just as I remember it—mysterious in so many ways, and there’s always ALWAYS something to do. Staten Island, on the other hand, is everything I never expected it to be (in a good way)—a lot more laid back than Manhattan, with a commute system that’s good enough to take you wherever you need to be.

On my second Saturday here, David took me to my first ever Central Park bike ride. As for my most favorite New York moments, this one has definitely climbed the charts (sorry for the tacky Serendipity reference). What a contrast to my “ordinary” Central Park experience in 2008!

If you’re my Facebook friend I’m pretty sure you’ve come across this album already, but blogger duties, here are some of the photos from that Central Park trip. :)

We rented out these bikes at $14 per hour from CP Bike Tours and Rentals, impulsively if I may add, at West 58th street near the corner of 7th avenue.

I wasn’t sure I still knew how to bike, I can’t remember the last time I rode one of those and was a bit apprehensive at first, but I took the challenge and I’m just sooo glad I did! :)

I can’t get over these photographs David took from that day. He was actually taking these shots! With his heavy Nikon D90!! With one hand!!! From his moving bike!!! How awesome is my fiance? <3

We stopped by the Bethesda Fountain to take photos.

..and by this lake, just because I had a photo of that building in the background last time I was here and I thought it was really pretty.

And then we stopped over to take photos by the trees and the leaves.

I could swim in a sea of golden leaves all day!

We took turns taking photos.

My friends think David looks like he’s from some Korean telenovela. I concur! Lol.

We found this bench and I sighed in awe. I don’t think I’ve ever found a more romantic place than New York. <3

I’ve always wanted to do an Elizabeth Gilbert, you know, go some place where I can marvel at something. And well, here I am. I’ve been marveling at everything since I landed, and there’s always something new to look forward to each day. <3

I can never enumerate in my hands all the things God has provided us with that made this trip possible, and everything we’ve gone through to get us to this day. I’m in constant awe at how good God has been to us, a lifetime thanking Him will never be enough.

Tuesdate at Downtown Manhattan

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Reposting from FB, November 16. Date backtracked. Photo Dump!

When I went here in 2008, taking the Staten Island ferry to see the Statue of Liberty was a special event. Now, it’s a way of life. It’s the fastest commute to Manhattan from Staten Island after all. I could really get used to this, you know? :)

It was my first week here, and David took me to Oh! Taisho, a Japanese restaurant in the East Village.

We were playing with David’s 50mm Nikkor lens on his D90. Love it!

What I was wearing that night: Jeans from Folded and Hung; Scarf and Boots from Babo; Ridiculously expensive coat from Zara; and gloves from a sidewalk vendor somewhere along East Village ;)

It was drizzling on the way back home. We were somewhere in the business district downtown, and the wet pavement and the pretty city lights made it a perfect night to take photos. If only we have a real photographer following us around, it would have been another prenup opportunity! :)

Don’t You Just Love New York in the Fall?

Rhiza8 Comments

(I just had to use that line. Again.)

This is my version of Street View: the 5-minute walk from where I’m staying in Staten Island to the nearby public library, one of my hang out spots here. (You know me, where there’s wifi, that’s where I’ll be.) There’s just so much beauty wherever direction I point the camera to, I had to remind myself to breathe and stop acting like a giddy tourist.

Somewhere in this neighborhood is where I stay.

My current office address, LOL.

People waiting for the library to open. Hello, colleagues.

Waiting by the library steps.

David’s D90 yay! :)

Hello from Staten Island :)

Lovely, isn’t it? :) You wish Google’s Street View stills were taken on a beautiful Autumn day!

OAN, last night I had a date with the boyfie fiance. We took the ferry to the city, had dinner at Oh! Taisho somewhere downtown, took the wrong train and got lost in the subway, and walked around the business district while the rain was pouring out. It’s Day 4 of being surrounded by New Yorkers, seeing dried yellow and orange leaves, keeping a metrocard in my pocket all the time, and having to be under layers of clothing.

Most of all, I still can’t get over the fact that I get to spend real time with my boyfriend during lunch breaks and after work hours in a fabulous city such as this, after months/years of being so far away from each other. <3

Breathe, Riz, you’ll get used to it. I’m giving you another week.

Hello from New York

Rhiza6 Comments

Hello, I made it to New York! My first weekend here has come and gone. An Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship concert at Calvary Baptist Church in Manhattan, home-cooked dinner by David’s mother, and the Pacquiao-Margarito fight welcomed me on my first day, with the rest of the weekend spent with David’s church friends and relatives in Jersey City. It was pretty hectic, but how can I complain?

Besides, no jetlag for me. My body clock loves EST. :)

This is us in front of CBCNYC at West 57th street on my first night.

OTD: Romper – Trunkshow; Cardigan – Landmark; Shoes – Cinderella

Because I was heading straight to Manhattan from the airport, I had to change from my 18-hour-flight-friendly jeans, t-shirt and slip ons, to a more presentable outfit. Isn’t this romper pants the prettiest thing? Thank you, Trunk Show!! I think I’m going to live inside this romper for months. The fabric’s a bit too thin for the chilly autumn air though, but the legwarmers I was wearing underneath did the trick!
Continue reading “Hello from New York” →

Chika Minute with Joni & Mae

Rhiza4 Comments

Last Tuesday I met up with Joni and Mae, two of my most favorite people in the planet. It’s inevitable, that when I start talking about a list of people I’d like to see before I leave, somewhere on top of that list are Joni and Mae’s names. It may take a lot of effort to meet up since we live in three different cities and we don’t exactly work together, but it’s always worth the effort seeing these two.

Photo dump!

Meh. Joni‘s glowing and I look like trash beside her, haha.

Maemae, our most favorite Korean friend. The bangs, Mae, the bangs.

Note to self: never order pesto on a date, only when you’re with girlfriends. :P

Coffee Bean and Teal Leaf, Trinoma: We got the best seats, woot!

Perfect spot for a talk show.

And perfect spot to camp out :)

What I was wearing that night: Floral printed tank top – thrifted; Purple cardigan – some tiangge; Jeans – Folded & Hung; Bag – SM Dept Store; Shoes – Babo

My shoes are so pretty it deserves another shot :P

Thanks for the “movie”, ladies. I wish I could stash you in my suitcase and take you with meee!! :(

Too early for Christmas?

Rhiza11 Comments

I had this on my list of things to do before the trip. I didn’t plan on doing it this morning though, until I found myself unable to go on with work stuff because my brain’s too drained out after an all-nighter, and I thought I needed to do something that didn’t require too much brain power.

True enough, the twinkling lights, fake poinsettias, and instax photographs made a whole lot of difference to my mood. I took the old Christmas tree from out of its box, and put up the embellishments in less than an hour. Instant pick-me-upper! :)

Notice the difference from last year’s Christmas tree? :) Here’s something you can do with your instax this Christmas!

Photo dump:

The sight of the twinkling lights, and my loved ones, is sooo making me tear up! *sigh*