Preparing To Travel To NYC (Part One)

I have been to a few places in my lifetime and I always considered Sydney to be the most attractive city to visit and live in. That was till I got the chance to visit NYC many years back. Well, for the next 10 days or so, this blog will morph into a travel log / travel blog. This will be my third time visiting NYC. I am sure I would have been there many more times if the place wasn't so damn far from Asia.



This time I have been invited by Qatar Airways to take the route to NYC via Doha. Sometimes the airlines will hand out complimentary flights as a PR or marketing exercise to the media and/or certain type of bloggers (lol). Hence in exchange for the RM24,000 odd business class ticket, I will be writing a bit on my experience of travelling in Qatar Airways' business class. I probably could have secured flights from other airlines but this route is worthwhile and brilliant for Malaysians as it will be one of the shortest to NYC. Plus QA is right up there as having the best business class / first class ... can't wait to try out their Doha lounge.

Many Malaysians find it hard to even consider NYC as a travel destination for holidays as they think the arduous travelling alone is not worthwhile. Plus many many do not like tour packages, which is fair enough. Next, they feel intimidated by the big bad city that is NYC.

Next, they feel intimidated by the strict immigration and customs personnel in the US (which is quite a reality depending on your passport, travel chops on your passport and race).

Lastly, it probably is damn costly ....


Taking The Fear Out Of NYC / The Prep

a) Accommodation - Its damn expensive staying in NYC. Hotels ranging from just 3 to 4 stars can set you back RM800-RM2,000 a night alone. You can find cheaper ones but they are usually a bit more out of city center, not recommended if its your first time.

Do not fret. If you are going in a group, its better to stay at apartments. Have a look at this site OneFineStay which does private rentals. Make sure you know where you wish to stay. OneFine Stay is a bot more expensive, a better alternative is AirBNB. Very nice two or three room apartments near Times Square may only cost RM400-600 a night. When shared out, not that expensive.

http://www.onefinestay.com/new-york/?gclid=CMHzh8ydn7oCFeUE4godXy4AMA&res=N&mar=1&dev=0&abc=AMZ160&xyz=TVQR8444&key=_nyc_stay&zzz=B&oftm=true&cvosrc=ppc.google.+nyc%20+stay&aduid=e_bfe84dc37a2e9d2184174662aa00e7d0_c#

https://www.airbnb.com/s/New-York--United-States?af=1922719&c=A_TC%3Dewhnhqtqe9%26G_MT%3Db%26G_CR%3D23719402216%26G_N%3Dg%26G_K%3D%2Bnew%20york%20%2Bapartments%20%2Brent%26G_P%3D&gclid=CPL_z7Gen7oCFVB34godnHQA9A



b) Food - You can read up on the restaurants you want to go and book them beforehand. NYC is a mecca for all kinds of food. Just walking around the city and stopping for a slice of pizza or sandwich from a deli usually will be one of the better experiences in life - seriously, pizza and deli sandwiches in NYC must be the best in the world. Do not go to gawdy places such as Olive Garden or anything around Times Square.

http://www.opentable.com/new-york-city-restaurants?m=8

Just go to OpenTable and search for restaurants you want to dine in. There are time slots and navigating in NYC is very easy as its all East West and Avenues around Manhattan. I would advise to dine at good restaurants for LUNCHES and not dinners as there are plenty to do at night. Plus dinners are usually a lot more expensive.

The one restaurant that I still did not get a table for is Per Se, which is fully booked for the next 3 months. What to do, one of the top places in the world to eat. Anyway, you can still find tons of great places, even one two star Michelin places. The menus are all there including prices. I have booked for lunches at Aquavit, Tocqueville and Caviar Russe this time around. OpenTable does not have any handling fees for bookings.

During other times, just grab a bite to eat whenever you are hungry ... must try Nathan's Hotdogs, go to a nice looking deli for great sandwiches, try out any pizzas that is not part of a chain ... you are already eating very well in NYC. Plus their breakfast places are ginormous and a lot of fun.

(credit: Alexandra Penfold/BlondieandBrownie.com)

Doughnut Plant

379 Grand Street
212-505-3700
doughnutplant.com

More: NYC’s 5 Best Doughnut Shops

Doughnuts are the ultimate breakfast treat, and Doughnut Plant takes the scrumptious items to new pillowy levels. They have something for everyone, but people rave about their dulce de leche and chocolate blackout flavors. Consider yourself lucky if you get your hands on the elusive pistachio.

Clinton Street Baking Co.

The savory Biscuit Sandwich at Clinton Street Bakery. (credit: clintonstreetbaking.com)

4 Clinton Street
646-602-6263
clintonstreetbaking.com

More: NYC’s 5 Best Pancakes

Known for their exquisite – and creative – approach to pancakes, Clinton St. has been one of New York’s favorite breakfast spots for years. Yet to disappoint, you can expect long lines of people eager to enjoy their fluffy, perfect flapjacks and moist, flavorful scones.

(credit: Siobhan Wallace/BlondieandBrownie.com)

Five Leaves

18 Bedford Avenue
718-383-5345
fiveleavesny.com

Greenpoint’s nautical-themed restaurant with quirky Australian touches is home to some of the best ricotta pancakes around. The light pancakes are layered with bananas and covered with fresh berries year-round. The wide range of their full breakfast menu will win over any appetite, or for those in a rush, they can stop by the pick-up window for a quick coffee and some pastries from renowned Ceci Cela.

(credit: Alexandra Penfold/BlondieandBrownie.com)

Shopsin’s

120 Essex Street
No Phone
shopsins.com

Two locations after the original, and Shopsin’s still has the crowd, perhaps because they make some of the best food in the city. Don’t come here looking for a simple breakfast, expect something more along the lines of the Mo’Betta, maple bacon and scrambled eggs sandwiched together by their famous mac n’ cheese pancakes. Beware: they don’t accept parties of more than 4.

(credit: Siobhan Wallace/BlondieandBrownie.com

Wally’s Square Root Cafe

584 Myrtle Avenue
718-230-7077
squarerootcafe.com

Wally’s is a neighborhood corner joint that serves up their fantastic breakfast menu all day long. You can pick up their “Not French Toast” which is made with sweet brioche, or their “Green Eggs & Ham,” eggs scrambled with pesto and spinach placed over ham and grilled challah. They also serve Brooklyn’s own, Kitten Coffee.

Me & You & A Dog Named Boo

As far as photos posted on Instagram go, they don't get much cuter than this. Tokyo, Japan-based mother Aya Sakai has been charting the adventures of her young son and his best friend, which just happens to be a French Bulldog, using the popular photo sharing app. Whether they're cuddling on the couch or watching tv on a cushion, the two just can't seem to get enough of each other. The relationship will remind you of the sweet 88-year-old grandmother and her cat, as well as Haru and Mina, those incredibly cute brothers growing up in Japan. Adorable beyond words!

Have You Been To GERAI, the Food Loft???

Love it when entrepreneurs take the well known and tries to do it better. Its tough to even consider trying a cafe concept serving all hawker top hits. You know very well that the hawkers do single dishes only and have years of experience to perfect them or have handed down recipes.

Despite all that hurdles, I must say that most of the dishes @ Gerai are much better than the stuff you get out there. Of course they are not here to be the #1 for every bloody hawker dish. Plus for the quality (usually 8/10 stuff) its very reasonable indeed, a lot cheaper than Madam Kwan. 

 I am there at least once if not twice a week as its very close to BFM office, so the bunch of hools are there often. I love their Hainanese Chicken rice (8.5/10), top notch, the Mamak mee (8/10) is refreshing, not as heavy as the ones you get outside and much much less MSG .... their daily tong suis are pretty good too.



Other hits include the Nasi lemak with a vg curry chicken (9/10). Laksa (7.5/10) and mee rebus (7/10) are solid too. Yang chow fried rice (8.5/10), pork noodle soup (8.10) ...

So, if you are near BU or Shah Alam ... pop by. 

https://www.facebook.com/Gerai.TheFoodLoft

p/s  all write ups and reviews were done without owners' permission and no gratuities or payment or payment in kind were given

About Time We All Watch About Time

I like time travel movies, whats not to like ... the ability to move back and forth to change things to our favour. The Back To The Future series were a lot of fun, Steven Speilberg at his story-telling best. This led to my top comedy movie of all time, Groundhog Day, starring the unlikely pair of Andie Macdowell and Bill Murray. If you haven't seen Groundhog Day, you are missing something huge. It talks about a "nasty mean spirited person" being trapped in the same day over and over again. Everything is the same except for him. It requires him to play with the permutations, making the right choices and damn hilarious along the way.



There is a new movie out also about time travel, but this one is by Richard Curtis, who was quite brilliant helming Love Actually. Its along the 4 Wedding & A Funeral genre but only more meaningful.




Only the males in this family can travel back in time but with a few caveats and rules. It is not supposed to be an all out comedy but there were a few laughs. What was more important was the story line which makes us think very hard about our own life and what we would do if given the same gift. You know what, we all arrive at the same conclusions as the main characters. Richard Curtis did magnificently in fleshing out the characters of the main roles, you end up knowing and feeling for them.

Its a wonderful movie about regrets, second chances, living each day well, loving fully and then letting go. It has to do with coming to terms with the bitchiness of life in that it has to end someday (take religion and God out of the equation for now). 

The most beautiful thing about the story, the passage of love between the two main characters ... and the most immense and heartfelt love between the son and the father.



You will have the most wonderful lesson ever ... "live each day ... as if you have chosen from the future to travel back to this day ..." because if you do that, you will live each day "better" with more gratitude, appreciation.

Go watch it, its brilliant, the cast and acting the same.

Asset Class Returns As At 30 September 2013

September proved to be a great month for almost all assets. The triggers being a slew of good news flowing through: non-tapering, the likelihood of Yellen taking over and not Summers, and Merkel prevailing. The global markets rebounded sharply in September, with most of the major asset classes posting handsome gains. The main exception: broadly defined commodities, which retreated nearly 3%. Otherwise, there was a bull-market party across the board at the finale for the third quarter, led by a potent 8.6% rise last month in foreign real estate/REITs. In fact, foreign assets in unhedged US dollar terms generally fared quite well in September, including a strong revival in emerging markets equities, which advanced 6.5%--the best month for this slice of global equities in more than a year. Unsurprisingly, the Global Market Index—an unmanaged, market-weighted benchmark of all the major asset classes—earned a handsome gain in September, rising 3.9%. That’s the best monthly increase for GMI since January 2012.

The revival in asset prices last month looks impressive, marking a contrast with the red ink of August. On a year-to-date basis, however, the results are mixed, with an even split between losses and gains for the major asset classes (excluding cash, which continues to tread water in the land of zero returns). Nonetheless, GMI’s 8.9% rise so far in 2013 through September’s close is a strong advance for a broadly diversified mix of everything. For the moment, at least, Mr. Market’s asset allocation is still a tough act to beat.

The one month figure is good to monitor but what is more significant is the YTD figures which gives a better grasp of the prevailing trends. Look at the top gainers on a YTD basis, they were US stocks and Foreign developed equities ... a significant trend to stay in developed markets. This may already be a deep trend this year to stay away from emerging markets, which may further lend clarity to the sell down in BRICs over the last few months. In generalised tones, the trend is not reversing yet, which would means that the dangers and risks attached to being invested in emerging markets and their currencies are still "high".

Americans Playing With Fire

Despite all the so called good news for the last couple of weeks (such as "no tapering", Merkel winning to further add to stability for EU, Yellen winning and Summers out thus favouring a longer period of non tapering, sell down in BRIC seemingly halted for the time being) ....

...we have a new coals being thrown into the cauldron. .. The shutdown ... actually the Republicans are at fault here, they are trying to stop or delay Obama's Affordable Care Act and make some changes to health ways as well .... even though Congress has passed this and Supreme Court has upheld its legality (so Republicans are trying to overturn or nullify the Courts I guess, why???... because they did not rule my way, don't they know big pharma owns the Republicans' asses!!)

What is more important is the debt ceiling which may be triggered come October 17 ... I think its a brilliant idea... why don't we in Malaysia pass a law that says if budget deficit rises above 4%, the government shuts down and all departments have to negotiate their budgets down to go below 4%. If there was a crisis which may require the budget deficit to go above 4%, that is fine but it can never go past 5%. Even if the latter were to happen the government will have 2 years maximum to get that deficit back below 4%. The long term target budget deficit should be 3%-3.25%.

The Life We Have When We Don't Have A Life