Travels by Bus
See the world on bus, ON foot & on my own.
 |
|---|
MY AMERICAN DREAM
From West Coast to East Coast and in between
New York gave me a feeling that it doesn’t care what colour I have, what I wore and what I do.
When I was 17, my aunt gave me a map of the city and let me explore it on my own. I walked everywhere because there are more to see above ground than under. The only time I rode the Subway was when she took my cousins and I to the World Trade Centre. Funnily the only building I visited in NYC was completely destroyed in 9/11! I remember the view deck on the 107th floor where we got a complete view of Manhattan and the area around. My aunt also took us to the United Nations which is the only section in Manhattan that is not part of the United States! We were told that 181 flags in front represent each of the member countries’ commitment to working together for peaceful means of conflict resolution. We couldn't finish counting the flags but Singapore flag was there.
One evening, my aunt took us on the ferry to New Jersey just to see the Statue of Liberty at a distance. I’m not sure why we didn’t go on to Staten Island although it was a free one-hour round-trip. I guess we ran out of time. I promised myself that I will return and true enough, I did.
Dawn and I met in Europe and kept in touch over the years.
TIMES SQUARE
One of my favourite place in NYC. I love the vibrant feel of this place even though it is so busy. I'd love to see the ball drop here once in my lifetime.
CHINATOWN
The last time I was in NYC, my aunt took us to a tiny restaurant in Chinatown. That was all I can remember. This time round, it is different because Dawn took me to see the "crazy" side of it: they were selling everything from restaurant fridges, restaurant stuff and even chandeliers to the food alley of Chinese herbs & stuff. I’m not a vegetarian but it makes me really happy looking at those Chinese pakchoy and vegetables. I’m so deprived in Germany. Haha!
EYE-OPENER
For Dawn, my visit was an eye-opener for her because I showed her (Chinese) things she could cook and eat. In return for the fabulous day out, she requested me to teach her how to make fried rice. And it’s way better than the dinner she took me to at Appleby’s where the dinner was so heavy that Yvonne and I walked back but it was such a nice walk as we saw more of Brooklyn Heights.
Dawn's other sister from Florida came up for Christmas and they at in a suite at the Walldorf! I had no idea how posh it is until we went to see them. Thankfully I was dressed appropriately in my white Zara top with black embrodery and a long flowing black skirt to the ankle. Dawn and her family loved it. Her brother-in-law is a ex-Military guy who has made it. And we talked about Paris Hilton and how hardworking she is. I forgot to take my camera along but it was an interesting Christmas lunch I'd never forget.
The couple of days with Dawn went by very quickly. She and her sister Yvonne had taken great care of me! When James came to pick me up, I was sad to leave but I guess I just have to go back to NYC again.
PFIZER REUNION
James was an hour late because of bad traffic from Connecticut. His VW Toureg was fab and he made me want to own one myself.
James treated me to a Vietnamese restaurant downtown together with Jarrod and Stephanie, all my ex-Pfizer colleagues. We had a sampler for US$35 per person and the food never stopped coming. After dinner, Steph left as she was tired which meant party has just began! The first club we went to used to be a parking lot. What a cool place! It reminded me of IndoChine. At the ID check, Jarrod and I swopped IDs to add some confusion and amusement to the doormen. We found the rest of the Pfizer gang Tanya and Karina. So nice to see everyone, in New York! It was a mistake again not to bring my camera with me. Jarrod took lots of pictures on his cool phone, with even one of James in a monkey suit. Hilarious! If only I have a copy of them to post, not! :(
Next club was the Spirit. It was just me, James & Jarrod because the girls went home. This time Jarrod sponsored me for the cover of US$25 entry but argh! electronic music. I do miss it big time but I would have enjoyed myself more if I had been appropriately dressed. A random guy asked me up to the podium. I couldn’t resist but I left after a while because he makes me uncomfortable.
Time flies while you are having fun. We have to leave because James' parents live in New Jersey and we have a little drive to do. Across a bridge and we’re in a different world – all residential, quiet but nice. I love his parents' house, an “oldish” house with a big front porch. They kept the furniture to a minimum because of James' dad who had a stroke many years ago. His mum said it’s “shabby” but she’s just being humble. I only met her and James’ dad in the morning. She is really nice and chatty. She also likes to “challenge” people, in a nice way, and I can see who James got it from now.
I love New York City. Will my dream of living there forever ever come true??!
I also visited Upstate New York and Thousand Islands
THE AMERICAN BEAUTY
You can't go to America without meeting some beauty like this '65 Chevrolet Corvair Corsa Sport Coupe which Bill owns.
The Corvair was inspired by the top-selling German Volkswagen. Thus, like the VW Beetle, the engine is placed in the rear, because this was how engines were placed in cars before. I'm not sure but I'm guessing its the "thrust" and "drag" mechanics similar in airplanes.
The engine is aluminium, horizontally opposed, air-cooled i.e. turbocharged. Turbocharing works by inserting a small turbine in the exhaust system, and using it to spin an air compressor to pump more air into the engine - an engineering device that produces "free" horsepower. A significant horsepower INCREASES resulted. To give an idea, a Corvair Spyder Coupe which has a four-speed manual transmission with 150 horsepower turbocharged would sprint to 60 (96) in 10.8 seconds, and reach a top speed of 105 mph (170 km/h). This 1965 model above should have a top speed of 180 mph.
Turbocharging was only seen in some hot rodders and racers during the 1950s. It was not until the '60s that it were fitted to production cars but the Corvair soon "died" due to a damaging book published by Ralph Nader "Unsafe At Any Speed" where he savaged the Corvair for "alleged unsafe handling due to the rear swing axles fitted to the 1960-64 models". Although the Corvair came to a sad end, Chevrolet and Oldsmobile managed to pioneer production-automobile turbocharging and demonstrate its potential. A decade later, it was introduced by Porsche in the 1975 Turbo Carrera. So you can see the stage of engineering "advancement" with turbocharging then!
I had only been driven in this Corvair ONCE because we always go back during Christmas so we never got to take her out again. Wish it was otherwise because it made me feel like a queen. Had an appropriate 70s style dress that would go great with it! "Women like the colour most". There are Sierra Tan, Glacier Gray, Cameo Beige, Evening, Orchid, Crocus Yellow and a Madeira Maroon colours. Makes me think that Chevrolet painted this series "weird" but very unusual & catchy colours. I like the Crocus Yellow and Madeira Maroon but no doubt this green is the best and the (tire) rims, the seats, the no-seat-belt, the shape, the steering wheel. It's one of my dream cars and I'm sure glad to have been on one.
I don't have photos of my visit to post but I was visiting a friend who lived out in the country, its nearest shopping mall was in a place called Seven Points or something; when I stepped into a Honky Tonk bar, every turned to look at me like one of those western cowboy movies. They were about to shoot me because I wore a floral dress without any cowboy boots so the next day we went looking for one for me but I don't know how anyone can afford those things. We drove through Dallas one evening when we went for dinner and we went dancing in a place where we have to do line-dancing. It was certainly a true American experience.
Flew by American Airlines to Chicago. It was the first time I saw female flight attendants in pants. They are addressed as flight attendants, not steward/stewardess. That would be so politically incorrect!
Being winter, it was pitched dark at 5pm when I arrived. I stayed in the Days Inn Hotel by Lake Michigan. Bernard recommended me this hotel because he said the lake view is great. The sky was overcast the next day so I didn't get any view. I went to the Sears Tower and did a bit of shopping.
The next day, I moved to a small hotel - The Roosevelt Hotel. When I mentioned this to my friend from Chicago, he cringed at the very mention of the name. Looking back, it's a rather amusing experience. It was US$25 for a room with shower and TV but the bed covers had cigarette-burnt holes and small cockroaches were crawling on the wall. It would be a miracle if I slept that night. I couldn't wait for the morning to come to call AA and get myself onto the next flight to San Francisco.
 |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  |
 |
I quite enjoy my flights on AA now. The attendants are very warm, friendly and helpful. One of them recommended me the Youth Hostel in Fresno and even took the airport transfer with me.
The San Francisco Youth Hostel is on a hill top by the sea. It was a very nice experience that it started me staying in youth hostels wherever I went. I remember clearly a notice put up by a photographer asking for (a) companion to drive down to Mexico. This was "pre-psycho" days. If I hadn't booked my ticket to Seattle, I would have taken that trip.
I bus-ed & walked all the time- Twin Peaks, Fisherman's Wharf (where you see seals sunning themselves), Chinatown and crossed the bay to Oakland!
I fell in love with San Francisco the minute the coach got out of the airport. I fell in love with long-haired men on their Harleys going down the sloping streets in San Francisco but most of them are gays...
My favourite is Ocean Beach. I went there twice. The 2nd time I packed a Taco Bell with me. It's winter & there's hardly anybody on the beach except for the occasional horse-riders! But with the temperature hovering around 18C and the sun shining, I stayed on the beach all day! The Lincoln Park is just next to the beach so you could roam around the sculptures if you like!
Since it was near Christmas, San Francisco Ballet was performing Nutcracker. I got myself a balcony seat for US$15 and sat next to this woman who goes to Nutcracker every year on the same day taking the same seat! I realised only then that Nutcracker is a tradition!
I don't usually watch ballet but Nutcracker is very entertaining and the props, costumes & performance were very good! Well, if I live in San Francisco, I'd probably watch Nutcracker every year too!
I wanted to travel along the coast up to Seattle. The people I spoke to suggested taking the Greyhound bus instead of the train but they forgot that it is winter, the Greyhound doesn't take the coastal route.
The journey took over 12 hours since we stopped at many little towns along the way. We drove up some mountains/hills & I saw a deer along the road. Thankfully I had a lot of Christmas cards to draw and write. I was even happy when Joe, this 17 year old obese boy came and sat next to me and tell me all his stories about his family.
I do not know why - blame Hollywood movies - but I had always wanted to retire in Seattle! Imagine my disappointment when I only saw dumpsters after another on the street! It smelled like garbage too & homeless sleeping on the street.
With Christmas round the corner, there were Christmas markets, merry-go-round, Santa-band and Santa Clause everywhere. For some reason, the underground is free too.
Joe hang out with me the whole day - someone to talk to and we made friends with Mia and 2 guys later on at the Greyhound Bus station while waiting for the bus to our next destination, which won't happen until the next morning. This became the most adventurous day of my life when a police beat up a guy at the Greyhound Bus Station and the paramedics announced that the man is HIV-positive; since it was dinner time, we went looking for a place to eat. We came to a restaurant in a hotel next door but we didn't get to enter because a fight broke out between the fans of 49ers and the Lakers. We heard gun shots and ran out of it as fast as we could. Finally we found a diner to have our meals but at the end, just after we paid, the Mafia came in. We were lucky to have gotten out before anything happened to us. This is my 24-hour in Seattle. I don't want to repeat it but it brought back good memories nevertheless.
I wanted to travel along the coast up to Seattle. The people I spoke to suggested taking the Greyhound bus instead of the train but they forgot that it is winter, the Greyhound doesn't take the coastal route.
The journey took over 12 hours since we stopped at many little towns along the way. We drove up some mountains/hills & I saw a deer along the road. Thankfully I had a lot of Christmas cards to draw and write. I was even happy when Joe, this 17 year old obese boy came and sat next to me and tell me all his stories about his family.
I do not know why - blame Hollywood movies - but I had always wanted to retire in Seattle! Imagine my disappointment when I only saw dumpsters after another on the street! It smelled like garbage too & homeless sleeping on the street.
With Christmas round the corner, there were Christmas markets, merry-go-round, Santa-band and Santa Clause everywhere. For some reason, the underground is free too.
Joe hang out with me the whole day - someone to talk to and we made friends with Mia and 2 guys later on at the Greyhound Bus station while waiting for the bus to our next destination, which won't happen until the next morning. This became the most adventurous day of my life when a police beat up a guy at the Greyhound Bus Station and the paramedics announced that the man is HIV-positive; since it was dinner time, we went looking for a place to eat. We came to a restaurant in a hotel next door but we didn't get to enter because a fight broke out between the fans of 49ers and the Lakers. We heard gun shots and ran out of it as fast as we could. Finally we found a diner to have our meals but at the end, just after we paid, the Mafia came in. We were lucky to have gotten out before anything happened to us. This is my 24-hour in Seattle. I don't want to repeat it but it brought back good memories nevertheless.
Came to Vancouver to spend a white Christmas with Karen who has emigrated from Singapore but was so disappointed that it didn't snow! Even on Grouse Mountain, the snow on the ground was so flat! Well, on my way to Grouse Mountain, I went to the Suspension Bridge. It's thrilling!!!
​
Karen & her friends introduced me to gay clubs. She said that she doesn't like straight clubs because it's a flesh-market and not funky. Her friends are fun. All gays but very nice. Danny said to me,"I'll introduce you to men. They'll never hurt you & they'll never leave you!" Danny is very nice and wears false-Ys to parties! We went to many house parties, the sort you watch on TV!