The Day After Tomorrow

Attempting walking like a supermodel in
the knee deep snow.

Snow storm Jonas (a.k.a the Snowzilla) had come and gone - and sounds like NYC had survived the blizzard without any major dramas.  I considered ourselves fortunate - that the first snow storm we have ever experienced was a record-breaking one.

Having grown up in the sub tropics and spent half my life living in Sydney, where bush fire is more the concern because it can get so hot and dry, I was anticipating my first snow storm (actually it only snowed once for 2 hours since we moved to New York) with even a bit of excitement, and I truly didn't know what to expect anyway.  What will it be like?  What will it look like?  How will I feel?

Ignorance is Bliss

The Friday before Jonas came to town, while normal people were buying snow shovels and stocking up on food, clearing out shelves in the shops, I was getting ready to visit New Jersey for the first time in my life to attend a dinner party, oblivious to what a blizzard really means.  Until I started getting concerned messages from family and friends overseas and interstate, and an email from Brooklyn Music School (that was the final straw), I quickly ran to the supermarket and bought some tinned soups (Clam Chowder in both Manhattan and New England styles... yum.  Only the best will do) and some bottled water.

As kids these days would
say: 'S**t just got real'

Tony Soprano Eat Your Heart Out

Nine years on since the series finished, I still have the intro of The Sopranos very clearly imprinted on my brain: Tony Soprano driving through the NJ turnpike and into Jersey - with New York City, Statue of Liberty, the factories, houses, and bushes swooshing by in the background.  This is the kind of road trip I imagined going into Jersey for the first time.

But first I had to go to the Port Authority Bus Terminal on the corner of 8th Ave and 42nd street.  And it was like a massive maze inside the building.

Escalators and stairs and signs everywhere.

You then line up with everyone else to buy a ticket.
Different tickets for different bus companies.
So intuitive.. not.

Really?  Find your 'gate'? I thought
I only had to do this at the airport.

Hmmm... okay this really is a 'gate'.  It is soooo
weird waiting for a bus in an underground
greenhouse (in the dark too).  Am I really catching a bus? 

Public Service Announcement:  Yes!  I am on a bus!
New Jersey here I come!

After about half an hour on the bus (no NJ turnpike like Mr. Soprano - we took the Lincoln Tunnel), I got off at Port Imperial in Weehawken.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weehawken,_New_Jersey

Looking at mid-town Manhattan
across the Hudson River.

I made it to my friend Vanesa's apartment and we settled into a late afternoon tea waiting for our boys to join us for dinner when they finished work.  The snow storm forecast started coming in with a possible travel ban, and the guys (such worry pants - where is your party spirit?) were a bit concerned about us getting stuck in New Jersey without being able to go home until the storm passed.  (Okay I get their concern about having to play hosts to Nelson and I for more than 24 hours hahaha)  So there and then we made a group decision to cancel dinner and I was to hop on the Sopranos bus again to go back to New York.

The Whiteout

Snow started falling at around 10pm on Friday night and I couldn't help but got really excited.  In Chinese there is a saying that describes how a girl would look 3 times prettier if she has fair skin (direct translation is: 1 x white-ness covers up 3 x ugliness).  I can't say I agree with this theory but it is so true when it is about the snow.  The white layer makes everything so much more beautiful.  You can't see the garbage bags waiting to be collected.  You can't see the occasional dog poo.  You can't see rusty fire stairs.  You can't see batted up cars.  You just see this amazing white world.  New York to Narnia in 60 minutes.  

Just like a thin layer of icing sugar.

6am on Saturday morning.

12pm Saturday.
The beautiful little snow mountain was caused by a large
pile of garbage bags underneath.
And do not mistake the thing sticking out for
someone's snow shovel.  It is a vacuum cleaner.

Winter Wonderland

Nelson and I decided to go check out 'the outside world' on Saturday afternoon.  It was AMAZING.  So much snow!  (Record was 26.8 inches at Central Park)  A travel ban was put on NYC for Saturday so there was no cars on the streets.  It was surreal to be in the middle of Manhattan and hearing no traffic noise.  Most of the shops were closed, including trusted Starbucks and McDonalds.  It was almost like this was not New York City but some country town in the mountains.  Everyone was out (and looking happy) and walking in the middle of the roads.  People were building snowmen, having snowball fights (so much harder than I thought - I couldn't even make a snowball).  And kids sledding on container lids and boogie boards.  It was truly a winter wonderland (and what I was really hoping for Christmas 2015).

Walking down our street

All the stairs covered in snow

Walking up 5th Ave like you
just don't care

Skiing in Union Square - why not!

Let it go ~ let it go ~
something something and then,
'the cold never bothered me anyway'

Perfect comfort food when its blizzard type of crazy outside

We even had entertainment ready, in case
the power goes out.  

The Day After Tomorrow

If I didn't feel the pain of the snow storm during the blizzard, I definitely felt it after it stopped.  You can tell where the snow plow trucks have been,  as there is a layer of dirt on the snow, making it look like yesterday's jam.  What was worse than the dirty snow was the slushies.  It was dark in color which made the slush puddles look like surface of the road.  So you stepped in and suddenly your whole foot was inside icy cold slush.  I did it twice on Monday and another time on Tuesday.  Although I was pleasantly surprised my cheap boots from Sydney seemed to be waterproof and my foot didn't get wet.  The streets were slippery and crossing intersections became difficult because of all the push-aside snow everywhere.  

Snow plowing in action!

Not only you had to watch out for the slushies,
snow/ice falling from fire stairs can also hurt your head if
you get hit.  I was constantly having to look both upwards
and downwards.  Not easy.

I was walking in Flatiron area the other day and noticed that the snow had almost completely melted.  And it looked somewhat depressing, with the snow all crumbled and mixed with mud and dirt.  It was like I never noticed the ugly side of New York until I saw how beautiful it was covered in pristine, powdery white, and lots of it.

I think I am ready for the next snowfall!

Graffiti covered mailbox with dirty snow.
Give me back my winter wonderland please.