Ryan "Cooper" T. Chong
19 years old
Singer
Artist
Starbucks barista

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Life In The Big Apple

7/10/2007 10:46:00 PM OK. Too lazy to blog about the walk around Manhattan. Just walked around everywhere... I'll post the pics here at the end of this post... We (Alvin, Melissa, Chester and I) woke up quite early today around 6 to 7.30am with me waking up first. This is cause we were planning to go to Liberty Island and the last time we tried the line was soo long... we decided to skip it and come back earlier another day. We made it this time, but on a day which had a high temperature of 41 degrees Celsius. The ferry ride to the island was windy though so it was nice. The Statue of Liberty herself was not as big as I expected it to be when we were approaching it. Still it was definitely taller than a 10 story building. Cause they base itself was 10 stories.

In the past, immigrants to the United States were greeted by the statue herself after spending usually weeks at sea. The crowds cheered when they saw her. Knowing that they have arrived at the country of opportunity where they can live a better life. The statue itself (not including the supports) is made out of copper 3/32 of an inch thick. As copper comes into contact with the oxygen in the atmosphere, it produces a green outer layer that protects the copper itself. It took around 30 years for the Statue of Liberty to achieve the green color that we see today.

After we left, we walked to a small cafe on Broadway near Ground Zero. It served kosher Italian/Sandwiches/Salads. Once we were done there, we split up into three groups. Alvin went and looked for the I (Heart) New York shirts, Chester and Melissa went to Borders and I took three different subway lines from Ground Zero to the SVA. Seriously I feel damn pissed off that the Malaysian Ministry of Education doesn't bother to have any transcripts in English. They should have made the transcripts in 2 languages. English and Malay. Its soo screwed up that they only do it in Malay. Sure, a majority of students will stay put in Malaysia. But what about all the others who had the chance to go overseas??? Malaysia is the only freaking country in this world that uses that language! I can't even find a freaking translator to translate my stuff. AND IT AIN'T CHEAP HISHAMUDDIN!!! U HEAR THAT!? THE MALAYSIAN EDUCATION SYSTEM SUCKS!!!! AND IF U DON'T BELIEVE ME! ASK THE SMART STUDENTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now I have to go to the Malaysian Permanent Representative to the United Nations and get help from him/her since the Malaysian Embassy is all the way in Washington D.C.

After we separated, Alvin was followed by 2 big sized blacks. They forced him to go buy candy at like 3 bucks per piece and that's daylight robbery! I had to help him finish the candy. At least the money didn't go to waste.

Today they had to fly back to San Fransisco. I got up at 8.10am, after all of us got up, Alvin, Melissa and I went over to the Teashop and had our breakfast there. After that, we walked non-stop along Main St. for more than 2km up and downhill to look for a FDNY or NYPD shirt for their sister. Unfortunately, after checking in with a few shops, we found out that the only place we might be able to get it would be in Canal St. in other words, Chinatown. And thats all the way in Manhattan. Turns up that they're not allowed to sell those kind of shirts.

We walked over to Kissena Blvd. to get a smoothie and then to Gamestop on Roosevelt Ave. I was really tempted to buy the games there but I couldn't. Was broke from the souvenirs that I bought at Liberty Island 2 days before. So we decided to go to Ben's and Victor's house. It was the last time we'll be together in quite awhile. All 6 of us, Benjamin, Victor, Melissa, Alvin, Chester and I, have been together since we were born. Its finally time for us to part ways. Well, at least with Melissa and Alvin. The rest of us guys are still together.

So anyway u 2 (Alvin & Mel), take care of yourself. And Alvin, my dad told me that u could study in New York this year. So don't go waste a year of your life doing nothing there. Good luck k! Hope your parents will come over with you as well.