Birthday Trip, New York City, May 2015 (Day 6)

Now that we've gone through Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4 and Day 5, time for us to move on to Day 6!

Finally!!! The day has come for us to naik helicopter and fly above Manhattan!!! If you read my entry pasal my pre-flight experience with the helicopter operator here, you'd know that they already cekik my darah by this point lololol.

But whatever, kita dah naik pun (on my birthday mengikut timing New York some more HAPPY BIRTHDAY ME!) and this is one of my life experiences that I will never forget. Unless I get dementia and jadi nyanyuk in old age la. But even then pun takpe, I will just baca balek my own blog muahahaha. I mean, that is the main reason I blog, after all?!

11 May 2015 (Day 6)
[New York Pass activated]

- Grand Central Terminal
- Junior's Cheesecake
- Liberty Helicopters
- United Nations Headquarters

But before we went to naik helicopter, we went to Grand Central Terminal to feeling feeling New Yorker, y'all. I think kita dah lama kena fed the idea that Grand Central Terminal is the heart of NYC and always portrayed as very grand in movies and books but whether actual New Yorkers feel the same way, I don't know lah hah. Aku tak interview dorang.

All I know is that I can't believe I finally stepped foot into Grand freaking Central Terminal already!!!!! It is as magnificent as I imagined it to be... I think I spent a good 40 minutes gawking at its structure and intricate detailing and throngs of locals and tourists coming in and out of all the entrances/exits. All that while listening to their useful self-guided audio tour which we got for free under the New York pass! (Another 15 minutes was spent furiously taking pictures and trying to figure out which angle will look good on Instagram hahahahaha bye la bye la)

Also tried cheesecake from the Junior's Cheesecake! Ada satu outlet kat bawah Grand Central Terminal. As you can see from the swirls, I chose a chocolate cheesecake, but they have other flavours like raspberry cheesecake la apple crumble cheesecake la sugar-free low carb version pun ada.

Kepada siapa siapa yang nak try, please be warned that their sliced cheesecake is huge and very, very rich. I ada friends who didn't like it, friends who loved it, so it really depends on what your preferences are. Personally, Saliheen and I liked it, but dua dua cannot finish the slice even though we shared a slice because it is seriously rich nak mampos.

Anyway, it was after this baru we went to Downtown Manhattan heliport to naik helicopter!!! Dah pandai, nampak. Dah learn from mistake, nampak. Don't book helicopter appointment in the mornings because foggy gila! Bila dah noon baru all clear and bright, perfect for cosy helicopter rides.....

Our pilot was informative (tapi kesian kena pekik pekik over the whirring noises) and I freaking love the sensation of being so high up in the sky. Flying above Manhattan, no less!!!!! One of the most famous skylines in the world, okay. It was a first helicopter experience for me some more (30 before 30 list, checked!) Not the first for Saliheen but him abseiling from a helicopter over Tekong (or whichever area he is assigned to during reservist) is tak pakai k.

Lepas dah rasa exhilarated over our helicopter ride, time to make our way to the United Nations Headquarters pulak. Not the usual stop recommended in travel books or websites but personally we were interested to see their headquarters, which is why we booked their 1-hour guided tour.

So, so cool. We went through a hall where a meeting was in session but we weren't allowed to take pictures, we weren't even allowed to talk (nasib baik allowed to breathe) so I can only share pictures of empty meeting halls kwa kwa kwa.

Last picture is from one of their in-house exhibitions, I was so amazed when I saw the artifacts taken from the neighbourhoods that were destroyed in the 1945 Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings. So crazy. Everytime I see something from a historical event in front of my very eyes, my heart races and my mind freaking explodes k. Not literally, of course. And pun was not intended eh, tak kelakar tau make fun of such catastrophic events. Tau.

We were craaazy tired after that so we went back to the hotel to wash up then instead of jalan jalan around Times Square like the past few nights, we went out to the Empire State Building area instead. To, you know, tukar angin.

Also because I wanted to find a dessert shop located near the area la hahahahaha. 

The dessert shop turned out to be disappointment and their desserts, while instagram-worthy, were hard and tasted blahhhhh (I didn't post a picture in Instagram in the end, it was that bad hahaha). But as we all know, things always happen for a reason, and that old adage proved its point when we passed by a store called "Zumiez" on our way back.

Saliheen didn't want to masuk at first but I insisted because the store had street-wear (which he loves) and many black teeshirts (which he also loves) and we were strolling back to our hotel and had time to spare, anyway.

Guess what lah guys, he ended up being the person who couldn't tear himself away from the store wtf and dia BORONG MAHA BORONG KE APE!!!!!!! I tak tau lah street-wear brands for lelaki ni semua but apparently, they sold pretty good brands at cheap prices. But I think the 'stinger' for Saliheen was when this happened:

Saliheen: Hi, do you have this design in size XL?

Staff: Oh yes, we have it in XL.
Saliheen: Okay, do you have this design in size XL as well?
Staff: Actually we have all of the designs in XL, you just have to choose which designs you like.

Member terus mata terbeliak besar, sampai astronaut kat bulan pun boleh nampak, aku agak. So different from Singapore streetwear stores, where he always, always has to ask the staff to show him which designs are available in XL, and they will always show him 1 or 2 berlapuk pieces yang tak cantik sangat as the rest of the other designs. Dia selalu hampa seh kat Singapore. No such thing as hampa in Zumiez New York, more like habis ah dia punya duit kwa kwa.

And to think he didn't want to even step in to masuk and tengok at first. Had to insist and drag him him in baru dia ikut. See lah, SEE LAH. Always dismissing my recommendations!!! Then he will be one who loves and obsesses over my recommendations!!! Selalu gini tau!!!!! 

Now, whenever he dismisses my recommendations, I always ungkit threaten kacau him - "That time I cakap nak pergi tengok Lion King, you cakap ape? Merepek kan? End up bagus gila kan? That time I cakap nak gi makan Halal Guys, you cakap ala special sangat ke? End up you obsessed with them bila dah rasa kan? That time I cakap nak masuk Zumiez, you tak nak kan? Until I insist kan? Lepas tu you yang borong, sampai sekarang masih termimpi mimpi kan??? NAK DISMISS I LAGI LA????????"

Hahahaha! Menyampah tak aku punya cara ambik kesempatan. But the good thing is laki aku sekarang dah tak wet blanket sangat. Now he doesn't say a big firm 'NO' when I cocok him pasal nak pergi skydiving, I just see him silently considering it in his head hahaha habis ah naik shiok ah aku pakai itu line.