Christmas 2011
This was my first time in the City during Christmas and New Year. Of course, we wanted to spend NYE in the City and watch drunk people walk around with crazy lights on their heads and ignore the fact that we might we doing the same thing as well. Ah! We did buy our NYE tickets in advance for club, yes, not for the Ball Drop, cause I cannot even think of standing all evening of the last day of the year in the cold waiting for a Lady Gaga going Gaga, yea talk of LMFAO...then we are talking...biat** !!
So where was I, yea..talking about before NYE, which is Christmas.
Christmas Time is here
Happiness and Cheer
Fun for all that children call
Their favorite time of the year.
I become like a child at Christmas. I make all those around me sing carols, drink egg-nog lattes and without doubt, my kitchen smells of holiday cheer and puddings. Apart from the Christmas Tree, you can find almost about everything :-)
I had been in London for Christmas in 2007 and 2009. The spirits, the lights, the fervor and zeal I had seen there was something that I had always imagined about as a child in a Convent School. I would walk around the neighborhood in the morning and the evening to soak in the the Christmas decorations in the gardens of the most of our neighbors. This year, I felt probably, NYC would be way more happening and I had mixed feelings. You see, I had fallen in love with London. I loved the fact that I could catch the train at 3am in the morning on NYE. I know there are cabs, but there is a certain love to commute by public transport, being among people was what I loved. I loved to observe and I loved to derive reasons without judging anyone. So NYC had to stay awake really late to prove this one to me!
Driving to NYC
We reached the City around 10pm after waiting for nearly one and a half long hours outside the Holland Tunnel. (Lesson#1. Always plan ahead if you are driving, especially if you are picking a Friday night to go to the City). It is not exactly the Toll that I mind paying, but it is "waiting to pay", which is the feeling that makes the whole "waiting" really frustrating.
Then we cruised (not exactly) around for another HOUR before we could find a PAID PARKING spot to park. (Lesson#2. Never take your car to the City. Use my favorite.....Public Transport) By then we were so super hungry that we were literally lightheaded. (Lesson#3. Always have an early dinner before you start out for the City)
Amid all the chaos where my hubby was taking care of all the above, my eyes were cruising (exactly) around the City. It was lit up, there were way more people than I had even imagined. Looked and felt like almost all of America and the other countries were here in NYC just that day and I could start imagining what it would be like on NYE. Yes, people, people and more people, now we are talking!
Chinatown was super crowded with long lines (queues) outside I think, most of the highly rated restaurants (which is almost all that are located there). Rockefeller was the most coveted destination. while we walked around, many (who are new to the City) would ask us directions to "The Tree". It felt strange. As if, Santa had really come down and put out some presents under a tree resulting to that location becoming "THE TREE".
"The Rockefeller Christmas Tree"
I got to know later, that "The Rockefeller Christmas Tree" is a world-wide symbol of Holidays in the NYC. This Christmas tree is a "Norway Spruce", which means that this tree is a specie that is native to Evergreen Spruce trees in Norway (yay, a European Connection). Here on referring to it as "The Tree". The Tree is said to be illuminated by 30,000 lights (environmental friendly and LED) on a five mile wire. Also The Tree is crowned by a Swarovski Crystal (which explains a Swarovski booth that I had seen there and I thought what, now they expect people to buy Swarovski for their trees, apparently they did). No doubt, that people thronged to see this tree in not just hundreds but millions every year for The Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony.
The sidewalks of The Tree were guarded and there was an ice-skating rink made just below The Tree. The whole place looked magical and beautiful. It felt good to photograph with The Tree and now I feel worthwhile of making a visit to The Tree despite the bitter cold. It was something in the minuses (double digits), but definitely worth it.
Then we cruised (not exactly) around for another HOUR before we could find a PAID PARKING spot to park. (Lesson#2. Never take your car to the City. Use my favorite.....Public Transport) By then we were so super hungry that we were literally lightheaded. (Lesson#3. Always have an early dinner before you start out for the City)
Amid all the chaos where my hubby was taking care of all the above, my eyes were cruising (exactly) around the City. It was lit up, there were way more people than I had even imagined. Looked and felt like almost all of America and the other countries were here in NYC just that day and I could start imagining what it would be like on NYE. Yes, people, people and more people, now we are talking!Chinatown was super crowded with long lines (queues) outside I think, most of the highly rated restaurants (which is almost all that are located there). Rockefeller was the most coveted destination. while we walked around, many (who are new to the City) would ask us directions to "The Tree". It felt strange. As if, Santa had really come down and put out some presents under a tree resulting to that location becoming "THE TREE".
"The Rockefeller Christmas Tree"
I got to know later, that "The Rockefeller Christmas Tree" is a world-wide symbol of Holidays in the NYC. This Christmas tree is a "Norway Spruce", which means that this tree is a specie that is native to Evergreen Spruce trees in Norway (yay, a European Connection). Here on referring to it as "The Tree". The Tree is said to be illuminated by 30,000 lights (environmental friendly and LED) on a five mile wire. Also The Tree is crowned by a Swarovski Crystal (which explains a Swarovski booth that I had seen there and I thought what, now they expect people to buy Swarovski for their trees, apparently they did). No doubt, that people thronged to see this tree in not just hundreds but millions every year for The Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony.
The sidewalks of The Tree were guarded and there was an ice-skating rink made just below The Tree. The whole place looked magical and beautiful. It felt good to photograph with The Tree and now I feel worthwhile of making a visit to The Tree despite the bitter cold. It was something in the minuses (double digits), but definitely worth it.
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