It was fun writing it all up. I've always wanted to keep travel journals, but when you're constantly moving (as we were), it's a little hard to do. I'm just glad I got as many photos as I did so I could relive those moments from last weekend.
I'm glad you had such a good time! And OMG the food! It all looks so good! I'm the kind of person who gains 12 pounds on vacation stuffing myself silly, so this post really spoke to me. :)
Oh yes! The Food! My big brother and his wife always plan their vacations around what restaurants they want to try and what kinds of food they're interested in. I think they've got the right idea, and with all the walking we did, I'm just glad I DIDN'T gain those extra pounds from all the food we'd been eating. Eating and walking seems to be the way to go. XD
We really DID see a lot of NY, more than I'd expected we'd see. There were still a few things I would have liked to see and visit. And, God, yes, my feet, my back. All that walking was killer, but I think it did a lot of good for us since we also spent a lot of time on the Metro... and more time eating.
lol I wasn't sure if I wanted to insert more personal photos that included anyone in my family, but some of the pictures I felt like I needed to share. Especially the one of my parents' and their first subway ride in NY. I thought it was super cute they wanted to memorialize that.
Yes, that one in particular -- though really, your entire family. You've shared so much about them in your posts, it's really great to be able to put faces to some of those closest to you that you've been telling us about.
This was awesome! The good looks amazing - even the stuff that doesn't appeal to me (sea cucumbers) looked fabulous.
We have a Chinatown here in Melbourne, as well as a ... Vietnamtown? and while I'm no expert in the worldwide Chinatown aesthetic, your descriptions nailed the ones we have here to a T. It was fun experiencing it with you even from the internet remove. :D
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed my travelogue! I wish I had thought to take more pictures of all the food we ate as well as some of the streets of Flushing Chinatown--that would have been a nice touch to this photo journal, I think. But food got eaten pretty quickly... you know how it is. lol
And sea cucumbers actually look nastier than they taste. Of course, there's also the question of texture, which I know even my sister-in-law can't get past. I think it's one of those foods you either like or don't like, and there's no warming up to them. =D
That's interesting to know that the Chinatown areas in America are no different than the ones outside of America. Something about them just feel like they haven't quite caught up with the times yet, and yet, I kind of feel like that's the appeal they have. For me at least. hehe
I love walking through the Chinatown here - just the artistry is worth the effort, but the feeling of being submersed in a different culture without leaving your city can't be overstated; our Vietnamtown is not in a walking friendly area, but I DID see one of the most amazing non-animal sights in my Australian experience there. We were driving through one day during Chinese New Year and saw the - and I don't know the proper name, sorry - dragons dancing out in front of the businesses, which was AWESOME. If I remember right, I was told the business do it to ward off evil spirits/bad luck? I got a little video of it from the car - for once I had the phone handy - it was likely also the only time I was ever thankful for heavy traffic! It was just so cool. :D
Ah. There's a lion dance and there's a dragon dance. Both are used equally to ward off evil and bring good luck for the business, and has always been a traditional way to celebrate a grand opening, or some sort of special occasion. Those are always fun to watch. It's also accompanied by loud music and fireworks.
Thanks for sharing all those photos ... including those of that wonderful food. (I remember your "Festive Tasks" post!)
And, not just incidentally, thanks for including photos of yourself and your family -- nice "meeting" you all!
lol I wasn't sure if I wanted to insert more personal photos that included anyone in my family, but some of the pictures I felt like I needed to share. Especially the one of my parents' and their first subway ride in NY. I thought it was super cute they wanted to memorialize that.
We have a Chinatown here in Melbourne, as well as a ... Vietnamtown? and while I'm no expert in the worldwide Chinatown aesthetic, your descriptions nailed the ones we have here to a T. It was fun experiencing it with you even from the internet remove. :D
And sea cucumbers actually look nastier than they taste. Of course, there's also the question of texture, which I know even my sister-in-law can't get past. I think it's one of those foods you either like or don't like, and there's no warming up to them. =D
That's interesting to know that the Chinatown areas in America are no different than the ones outside of America. Something about them just feel like they haven't quite caught up with the times yet, and yet, I kind of feel like that's the appeal they have. For me at least. hehe