5th Av.

© Joselito Briones

There was just something about the bright light today. We walked down 5th Avenue from Central Park South to Times Square and along the waywe took so many photos, mostly street scenes. It helped that most of the crowd didn't care at all that they were part of the pictures, and some, although subtly, even posed upon seeing that he might be part of the picture.


© Joselito Briones

Since we were already in the area, we also took the chance to drop by Sak's, just so I can see what I can expect to buy next year. Such is my shopping pattern now. I wait for everything to be on sale before buying what I want. I guess it's not too bad. Last year's fresh fashion here in New York is still pretty advanced when I wear them in Erlangen.


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Park Weather

© Joselito Briones

I thought we might have had been running out of luck, it was grey and cloudy in the morning, but early in the afternoon it started getting bright again. We decided to do the rest of the shopping that we needed to do, friends' requests from Germany. After having lunch at the Filipino place (Renee's Kitchenette in Queens: enormous squid grilled to perfection, king prawns in tamarind soup, grilled fish), we went to midtown, via Central Park South, to Bergdorf Goodman's to get the La Mer creams Arun asked us to get for his wife.


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Jackson Diner

© Joselito Briones

Conveniently located close to Jane's is the Jackson Heights locals' favorite, Jackson Diner. It's a buffet restaurant serving Indian food (I know... didn't I just have buffet food last night? But, hey! I'm on holiday.) They have an a la carte menu, of course, but we just wanted to try as many variety available. Food was good, the price cheap, and, as a bonus, this guy (photo, above) who was so nice to let me take his picture, will make fresh vegetable-filled dosa for you, included in the buffet! Yummm!


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Apple Store

© Joselito Briones

After the heavy dinner, the three of us walked up again by 5th Avenue towards midtown, where we passed by the Apple Store (photo, above). The dramatic entrance (the only thing that can be seen from the street level) is a sleek swirling glass staircase surrounding a see-through elevator. This is the first time I've been to this store, right in front of the legendary F.A.O. Schwarz building, across the legendary Plaza Hotel.

And then it was time to go. Tomorrow we’ll probably do some shopping, and Jens in a few days will take his Chinatown-Boston bus adventure again (at one time, I read on the news, one service had spontaneous combustion, just like that - *snap*).


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Eating seafood like there's no tomorrow

© Joselito Briones

Am referring to myself, of course. After the drinks at Victor's Cafe, and walking through Times Square (photo, above), we ended up going to "Todai" (photo, below), the new reincarnation of "Minado", an old favorite, in Koreatown here in New York.


© Joselito Briones

The main attraction was the fresh oysters, shrimp cocktails, and fresh tuna sashimi. The crab legs were a bit too messy to deal with. Great seafood buffet. Everything else on the seemingly endless row of choices of sea food, plus the odd korean barbecue which in itself was a treat, was a plus.


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Free MoMA!

© Joselito Briones

We got in MoMA for free. That's a big deal, me being the cheapo that I am. I wanted to go there originally this Friday, having heard that entrance feee is waived from 4pm to 8pm Fridays, but what do you know, turned out that Jens now works for a museum (albeit in Boston) and he gets in most museums for free. Company included. How he got to be a museum's resident scientist from being a nano-physicist, I can only wonder. Actually no, I did ask him. He just happens to be one of those smart people who can do plenty of different things. He's taken up bust-portraiture (clay sculpture of heads) recently with impressive results.




The food in the museum cafeteria, "Cafe 2" isn't bad at all either. I had butternut squash ravioli in a very, very rich sauce, and lentl and portobello mushroom soup, both very good. I'd have preferred the ravioli with a simpler, subtler dressing though. The price was just slightly more expensive than the numerous cafe's scattered in the city.


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Search & Destroy

© Joselito Briones

This is one of the most interesting shops in the East Village, called "Search & Destroy". What's on sale are actually, literally, junk. Interesting junk. The junk that some collectors look for. The junk that somebody else's granny threw away that young girls (or boys) might be interested to wear. The kind of junk that you'll never think of finding in a shop. This is one of the shops that make East Village what it is. Don't expect to be buying anything wearable though, unless you're a hardcore hipster, the prices aren't exactly cheap.


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Astor Place

© Joselito Briones

Missed this one. I've told you all about this one, of course, when I took pictures of it last year, I just thought I'd take more photos of it under different light.


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