Journey to the West It was about 4 months ago, just after graduation.
I was given an opportunity to see the US for myself, recover from the ravages of the final year and postphone an inevitable question.
Naturally I embraced it with the help of my mother's and father's sponsorship.
For three months I worked at the amusement park called "The Great Escape" or as the people who slaved there refer to "The Great Mistake".
The damn place is situated in upstate New York in a rural tourist village called Lake George, the offpeak population: 500.
For three months we stayed at the "samoset cabin", the armpits of luxuryOh samoset, oh samoset
How you held me to your bosoms
And fed me its sour milk
How you sang to me your lalabys
And kept me from my sleep
For all that you have done for me
And yet I have come to hate you
Let me count thy ways
Zero Internet connectivity
Half the world's mosquitoes
One common fridge that everybody stole from
Two times of normal wages for overtime but none I ever got
Three times a week I did laundry with my own hand
Four people to one bathroom
Five clock digits of walking just to use the public phone
Six weeks of intermittent hot water showers
Seven clock digits of walking just to get the groceries
Eight clock digits to bring the groceries back
Your ingrate son
My department, loss prevention, was a 3 man super team charged with the sacred duty of apprehending evil doers.
My boss, Al (Left) and supervisor, Joshua (Right)But as we all know crime fighting the super hero way doesn't exactly rake in the cash. So to make up for the lack of Moola and also as a cover for my secret identity, I had to take a second job at a gas station as a cashier.
Good fun, really nice people.I swear the whole time I was there I was just waiting to get robbed, western movies and their stereo types. Hahaha.
The people that mattered grouped by nationality
The Americans
Mick, amazing guy, the true american cow boy
Jennifer, always willing to help
Frank, always there for the International StudentsInternational students from Russia
This is kate and kate can dance
This is svelt and svelt was popular with the boys
This is julia and julia was very popular with the boysInternational students from Bulgaria
Diana also known as my roomate
Borislava, I was going with the jay-chou-I-am-so-cool-chicks-just-dig-this look
Miglena, extremely gorgeous
Andreana, winner of Zan's best roomate awardInternational students from Poland
Anna, one of the few people I enjoyed spending my time withOh yeah and the Singaporeans
National day celebrationsWhile I was working I managed to take some time to tour the immediate vicinity.
Sleeping beauty mountain
No funny jokes about sleeping beauty OK!! she was very niceThe Nearest Town (Glen Falls)
Arbitrary traffic junctionThe nearest town with a race course (Saratoga, it's suppose to be indian for something)
I knew the racing ticket was jinxed the moment she touched it. Semi rural to rural places suck. There is a reason why nature and semi rural areas are free, the only exceptions to the free = sux rule are Pirated MP3s and movies.
Soon came the day that my debt to my employers has been paid in full. I was able to leave their evil clutches and roam the US as the free spirit that I am. (Oh yeah this girl called Chin Wee came along with me, we free spirited together!!)
Chin WeeFirst we went to Hartford, Capital of Connecticut.
There, nothing much. But I highly recommend Mark Twain's House. Mark Twain was a very witty man. He gets my 2 thumbs up, I highly approve his witty behaviour and now with my approval, we all know that he may truly rest in peace.
Mark's houseNew Haven, City to the prestigious Yale University.
Which is actually pretty similar to NTU. NOT! Eh they got museums on campus OK!! How to compare?
Their lectures are like Harry Potter and Dan brown stories multiplied together then cubed, How to compare?
Yale libraryWashington, DC.
White house, Washington Monument and Smithsonian Institute all free. By the free = sux rule, it suxed but not too much. Chin Wee agrees too.
White house
Washington MonumentFor all the mornings we were there we ate at this alfresco restaurant called COSI.
Children walking by CosiNew York City
We met up with the other Singaporeans Genn, Jarod and Alex, all of which worked at the evil place which cannot be named.
Malaysian fareAnd then went for some stand up comedy.
We were high and Yes the act was that good!Watched cold play at Madison Square Garden, we managed to get last minute tickets at discounted prices. Cold play so rules.
haha, the image is so blurr I can claim it's any band I wantCoincidentally, I met my buddy, Sean, after watching "Phantom of the Opera" @ broadway. Which was cool, but Cold play was exponentially cooler.
I've got this face on because I watched cold play and Sean doesn't because he didn't, he is so sore.On Chin Wee's final day, we went to central park.
For the next leg of my journey I traveled with Sean.
First stop, Los Angeles
The Old city centre of the "city of Angels"
The catholic church in the old city centre
Inside the church
The marketplace at the old city centreAfter the 1st night I got attacked by unidentifiable bed insects at the hostel
Why me?I think this is the lowest point of my Journey. Never quite recovered from here.
Drove to Las Vegas.
I played one hand of black jack and won with a black jack hand. Total bet: US$ 120 Total Winnings: US$ 180.
Belagio, the casino that Ocean's Eleven broke.Took an 8 hour Grey Hound Bus to Flagstaff.
Went to Sedona's cathedral rock
The big hole in the ground that millions flock to see each year, Grand Canyon South RimTook a 21 hour Grey Hound Bus to San Francisco, which incidentally happened to be my birthday. Wohoo!! what a treat.
Fisherman's wharf
The people at fisherman's wharf
The people watching the locals of fisherman's wharfAlcatraz
The rock