nyc

I think New York City is one of those places that can be strikingly different each time you visit it, and I have yet to disprove this theory wrong. NYC is beautiful and ugly; black, white and all kinds of shades of gray. I love it and I hate it. It's everything in the world all squashed and mashed together into a giant children's finger painting. This past weekend I found a new New York City.

Lesson learned on this visit: it's important to pack casual-wear on business trips. Otherwise you'll have to resort to the gift shop next to the hotel to supply your weekend-wear (see photo to the right). Playing the role of Tammy tourist, I got to visit: the Empire State building, see Avenue Q on Broadway, St. Patrick's Cathedral, the Brooklyn Bridge, SoHo, Chinatown, and (to appease my sister) Serendipity. Other highlights included the best meal of my life compliments of Mary and the Aqua Grill and Asian invasion night with Naerim.

But aside from the typical tourist attractions, you're bound to stumble upon a secret little nook. And the one we happened to find was Joe's Shanghai on Pell St. in Chinatown. It's noisy, confusing, has community-style seating and is cash only. Ask for the dumplings.