Not Just Another Pretty Face

Night view from the 86th floor of the Empire State Building

The Big Apple is a breathtakingly fantastic city that stimulates my senses through and through.

In the midst of downtown Manhattan’s hustle and bustle, I stand awestruck - like a country bumpkin - crane my neck and marvel at the soaring structures of steel and glass. Setting new heights for me, once and for all, on the definition of ‘skyscraper’!

Graceful bridges over sparkling azure waters, the brightest dazzling neon lights once dusk sets in are truly candy for the eyes.

I wander the streets and avenues, a girl caught up in a dazed reverie, of how amazingly huge and quietly posh the shops are and all the lovely, lovely things that can be bought, if only I weren’t on a shoestring budget and if the exchange rate weren’t RM 1 to USD 3.75.

Pix: 1. Upper left: Empire State Building 2. Upper right: Wedge-shaped Flatiron Building at the intersection of 5th Avenue and Broadway. 3. Lower right: Times Square

My nose goes on overdrive, overwhelmed by the delicious smells from gourmet delis (a heavenly herby-garlicky smell coupled with freshly baked bread), road side vendors (the tangy combined scent of mustard, tomato ketchup, pretzels and hotdogs) and the heady waft of freshly brewed coffee from cafes.

I smell the familiar sweet scent of fresh bouquets of huge roses in the most delicate of shades and glorious tulips! Fresh tulips, so vibrant in colour that I reach out to touch them gently, just to check if they were made of plastic- they aren’t. The petals feel dewy and velvety under my fingers. I bent and sniff them and for a while, lose myself in their subtle yet addictive scent, one that I thought I had forgotten.

Top: Gorgeous tulips . Bottom: Huge roses

I sit in Central Park in the bright sunshine, the cold, crisp air nipping at my face and the wind blowing my hair and soak in the atmosphere around me. I watch New Yorkers jog, bike and roller blade pass me, most equipped with their own portable music - ubiquitous iPods and various other nifty mp3 players.

Couples of all ages stroll hand-in-hand. Dogs bundled up warmly in snug jackets, frolic merrily and bark playfully at passer bys.