My first summer in Tokyo was fast approaching and I needed to spend my 7 week holiday wisely. I have always had a deep-rooted affair with traveling and it only made sense to visit my sister in Philadelphia, America. It took her a whole 2 minutes to say, "yes!" and a further few minutes to convince our mom to join the trip. I would be traveling from Tokyo with a layover in Beijing before ending up in NYC. My momma would travel from Johannesburg to Doha and then onto NYC.
Most mornings I would wake up and write about the adventures we had experienced the day(s) before. I hadn't planned it and I wanted to have it somewhere I could access it again. I posted them on my social media and I received a lot of positive feedback. It was on this trip that I fell in-love with writing for myself - and my, unexpected, audience loved it too.
"We have arrived!"
When researching for my holiday, I came across an unbelievable deal. (More to come about the “how to's” on finding cheap flights) This deal was a steal at $700 from Tokyo to New York and from Los Angeles back to Tokyo. But here was the catch..there is always one...the airline I would have to fly with was Air China WITH a 15 hour layover. Adventure is my middle name, actually Jade is, and so I booked it. How bad could it really be?!
I arrived at the airport, effortlessly checked in my 22.5kg bag. I was 0.5kg underweight and this neverrrrrr happens. I like to think I pack sensibly. I roll my clothes, put them in a vacuum bag and enjoy watching the life being sucked out of them. But I am always having to open my bag at the check in counter – don’t pretend that you have never been that girl – and throw whatever I can into my hand luggage. TIP: Always travel with an over-sized hand luggage!
I had read reviews about Air China and to be honest, there wasn’t a good review to be found. I was nervous and expecting the worst. I chose a gluten-free meal for all my flights because that would allow me to see how the flight attendants handled a high-maintenance passenger. I boarded, was greeted with a smile, and sat down. The seat had sufficient legroom and the inflight entertainment was on comparison with some of the other big names I have previously flown with. In flight service began, I had a vino – because it’s good for you! – and prepared myself for some cardboard with a sprinkle of dust. The food was actually pretty good! Lunch was tasty fish with steamed veggies. A good end to my 6 week diet. I had made a conscious decision to diet before America so that I could eat everything that came into my path.
Arriving at Beijing, I was blown away from the heat that hit me as I departed the plane. Since I had a 15 hour layover, I was eligible for an STPC. Most airlines will offer you a hotel, transport and meals for a layover over 8 hours. Be sure to call and check!
I went to information, let them know that I had arrived and waited for them to let my driver know that I was there. Suddenly, a whistle and a rapid hand gesture was made and off I went behind my driver and few other tourists. We climbed into a banged-up, rusted, van. Eyes wide open, mouth closed for the fear of swallowing some filth that was floating in the van, I peered out of the peeling tinted window. Beijing was green, lush and actually very beautiful. En route to the hotel, I got chatting to 4 young Taiwanese who were about to go on a boys trip to America and we would be on the same flight the next morning. The hotel staff spoke zero English and these young men helped me with checking in and even helping me with dinner plans. We planned to meet outside the hotel at 6am and take the shuttle together. Then I was alone...I ordered what looked like fried spinach balls and sticky chicken and it was awful. I was sure for the first time in my life, I had eaten something that I would never consider eating! I had a few bites and left feeling hungry and sleepy.
6am and I was outside waiting for the shuttle when people started loading into a van. I didn’t see my new friends and the driver pointed at me and raised one finger and I said, “Yes. I am alone," and jumped into the packed van. 10 minutes into the ride and we hit a pothole. Something didn’t sound right. The driver said something, the people started shouting at him and a kind lady told me that he wanted us to walk the rest of the way to the airport. He was asking for a mutiny and he was forced to drive the next 10 minutes at about 10km/h to the airport. Angry Chinese people are NOT to be messed with.
We eventually arrived and this place did not look familiar. Panic mode set in. I walked inside, asked where the Air China desk was and I was told I was at the domestic terminal...terminal number 1...remember the driver with his one finger?!
“Where is the international terminal?" “Across town. But don’t worry, you can take the shuttle bus downstairs.” I rushed downstairs. I had two hours to catch my flight. Panic was written all over my face and a man near the shuttle smelled my fear. He asked my what time my flight was and immediately told me to follow him to his taxi as I had no time. I followed, actually we ran. He pulled up in an unmarked car, with no meter and I told him I only had my card. “No problem...You can use your card.” 10 minutes into the drive and I was shown a tariff card. 550 Yuan. That’s R1000, $80, or 10000 yen! I refused. I told him he was crazy and that’s when his crazy set in. He started shouting at me and it was at that point I realized that I was in potential danger. I looked in my purse. I had one 10000 yen note. I just wanted out of this situation and I wanted out now. I offered it to him and he took it and smiled. He then asked me if I was “Obama’s people”. I told him I was Mandela’s child. He said Mandela was a good man. I replied that he – the driver – was not. We turned off at the airport and I let out a sigh of relief. I was in disbelief. How did I allow someone to take advantage of me? I have always considered myself “street-smart” but I let myself down. I felt deflated but relieved to be out of danger. I met up with my 4 friends at the boarding gate, told them about what happened and they apologized on behalf of their countrymen. Anywhere you go in the world, there will always be someone who could take advantage of you. You allow yourself to be taken advantage of, so be aware!
The plane ride was long – 14 hours long – and I managed to get a few hours sleep and check up on the guys. It was their first international trip and they were feeling the affects of a long-haul flight. I assured them that it would all be worth it and they wearily smiled. We walked off the plane and at arrivals, they snapped a few selfies with me, we exchanged details and we went our separate ways.
I was off to find Von. She had arrived an hour before me and was waiting at a different terminal. I went to her terminal and she was nowhere to found. Eventually, I located her, with her new friend, Laura, and after a few long hugs and tears, we bought bus tickets to Port Authority Bus Station and off we went. From there it would be easy to catch our afternoon bus on the Greyhound to Philadelphia.
Fast forward and we are in Leigh’s apartment, freshly showered and on our way to a restaurant while we waited for Leigh to arrive from work. We were exhausted and the only thing that would get us up on our feet was a big, cold cocktail. While waiting for our table to be ready, we were escorted upstairs to the bar and we ordered 3 cosmopolitans. Surrounded by with the young and trendy Philyadites, we gawked at the price. R130/¥1500 each with a tip! We would savour every sip. After about 30 minutes, we sauntered downstairs, feeling bougie and we were seated at a booth by the window and ordered:
French onion dumplings loaded with Gruyere cheese
Crispy brussel sprouts
Lobster mac & cheese.
The food blew us away! This was what all my hard work of dieting was for!
Continental Mid-Town, in centre city, is another Steven Starr restaurant. This genius of a man has various establishments around Philadelphia and it seems that with each restaurant he had a country/city in mind when he decorated and planned his menus. We were what seemed like a modern day, upscale diner. A big chandelier hung from the second floor, towering majestically over plush booths and tables. Wicker hanging-chairs hung from the ceiling, allowing for some private space for couples to share special moments. While we were marveling at our surroundings, there she was... We embraced, shed tears, pinched ourselves and took in the moment. The fun was just about to start!
American observation #1
1. I understand everything!!! That's not always a good thing.
2. People don't smile as much as I would've thought
3. The food is GOOD.
4. Tipping 15%-20% is standard.
Myself, Momma Bear and her new bf, Laura
Having a Cosmo while waiting for our table
Ready to try our first experience at a Steven Starr restaurant, Continental.
"I planned on being short and catchy...but..."
Perhaps we were a little jet lagged or because Momma Bear, Von, wanted to make us coffee and breakfast, but we were up at 5:30AM! After some real bacon - not the excuse we have in Japan - and eggs with luminous yolks, we had a slow start to our day.
We shopped and we shopped! Designer thrift stores are like none other here Von treated herself and bought a Michael Kors dress and some Via Spiga wedges. What a classy bird!
We were sent to Luke's Lobsters for the best roll I have ever eaten! Trying to explain the deliciousness of it is near impossible. It was a crispy roll filled with juicy lobster. We also tried root beer for the first time. Firstly, it's not a beer nor does it come from a root! If you remember what wicks bubblegum- circa 90's - tastes like, this is the liquid form.
We strolled to Rittenhouse Square and sat on a bench for about 30 minutes. It was such an amazing experience. There were people from all over walks of life and nobody judged or even raised an eyebrow. A gay couple walking hand in hand, a lesbian couple with their daughter, two old fabulous ladies dolled up and a guy doing yoga. This is the kind of lifestyle we should try to live.
I wished for a real thunderstorm and that's what we got. For 30 minutes, flashes of lighting and roaring thunder boomed. Then suddenly, it stopped.
We waited on my sister to get home. No doubt she will be full of energy and will want to paint the town red. Pasop Philly!
People in Philly are warm and inviting. I'm falling in love with this place...
Dressed up and ready to hit the streets
Luke's Lobster Rolls with extra lobster and prawns
Lekker!
Rittenhouse Square
God Bless Mother Nature
"When we have an uneventful day, I'll merely post a photo."
Off to getting to bed far too late the night before, we decided to sleep in…
We spent the morning and part of the afternoon eating crispy bacon - yeh America! - chatting and trolling the Internet for fun things to do. Von found out that the Rolling Stones are playing in NY tomorrow and we scrambled to find tickets. We called people and emailed vendors. On the cusp of buying tickets, I wanted to check that Buffalo was not the ghetto...well...it's on the border of Canada! So that was out of the question. Def Leopard was only 3 hours away...we are still debating what to do. Our love for them but our hate for driving on the right side of the road collide.
We eventually decided to walk out of the door and stroll to the Harbour Festival. We stopped for some hipster coffee and it was amazing! Side note : Von manages to offend most vendors by showing her distaste. She's becoming more and more like the matriarch of our family, Oma Kitty, and Leigh and I are becoming more like Von. Heaven help us all!
We got side-tracked and spent 2 hours in Macy's. Von has got this new-found love for shopping and I think we created a monster! After a selfie in front of City Hall, we realized that we wasted a fair amount of time so we hopped in a taxi.
We arrived at the seaside and made it just I time for Happy Hour at the old Bookbinders (Olde Bar). As legend has it, Bookbinders was the place to be for many years and its regular customer base included former presidents, famous actors and singers. "Phila" is proud of its heritage and its obvious that the "new" is trying to adapt with the "old "instead of replacing it. We over-indulged with $1 oysters and clams and had some strong rum punch - sorry not sorry.
We made it to the festival and made their happy hour by a few minutes and over-excitedly ended up getting 2 massive craft - Yeungling - beers. It was so nice to sit under the trees, next to the Delaware River, surrounded by dangling lights and people in hammocks. This is what South Africa and Japan lacks.
During or morning "troll" we stumbled across the U.S. National Air Guitar Championships happening 10 minutes out of town in Northern Liberties. We got a taxi and headed there for - possibly - the most American thing we could ever do. The guys we saw perform took it SO seriously and so did the audience. Hands down the weirdest thing I have experienced!
Confession: I have fallen in LOVE with Steven Starr restaurants! If these restaurants were people they would be the cool kids that never try hard. We have had the most incredible food I have ever tasted and each restaurant had a different theme and they are all impeccably decorated.
So far we have been to:
El Rey - Mexican
Continental - Global
Fette Sau - BBQ southern style
This was post-Von "this is not how they make ice coffees in South Africa"
Philadelphia City Hall - worth a trip!
Holla for a dollar oyster at
Biggest chair in the world - along the Delaware River.
US Air Guitar Championships. It's a real thing.
"I'm getting the hang of this."
I've resigned to the fact that we won't be leaving this apartment before noon everyday - isn't that what a holiday is supposed to be about?! Much to Leigh's dismay ...
We had heard about an amazing designer thrift warehouse near Kensington and that would be our first stop for the day. We decided to walk the "1.5 miles" to the station and we came across some interesting finds! We stumbled into an NPO shop called "Ten Thousand Villages". This shop buys from 3rd world country's artists and gives them a platform to reach a wider audience. The proceeds from sales go towards buying their next allotments.
We followed the masses of people and ended up at Independence Hall near the Liberty Bell. It's incredible how Philly is so rich with history and diversity! We sat down in the middle of the park and were treated to an animated man telling us about the history of this magical city. We wanted to go to the Liberty Bell but there were too many people and I wanted to go shopping! Nearing 5th station, I was prepared for my first American train experience. We walked the stairs and into the darkness that is the subway. Cold, dark, dirty and unimpressionable...As we found a seat, I heard a woman fighting with her partner on the phone and had a man begging from us. Definitely more exciting than the dead-quiet Japanese trains! Thank the pope we didn't have long to go. We arrived and it looked like we made a wrong turn. We were determined to go and well... it wasn't amazing but it was worth the "experience".
This morning Von wore her "I Paris" tee and I knew there was a reason! The surreptitious display of French patriotism was in fact a plot to get us to go to Bastille Day outside the Eastern State Penitentiary. We watched a cast of kweens perform - with about a million other people - to renditions of lady gaga hits. It was a laugh!
We then took a tour of the Penitentiary. What an eerie place! We chose the audio function to take us on the tour as it was narrated by old inmates and officers! There are no words to describe the feeling you get when you walk into one of those cells. It was a great experience.
We sat down to rest out weary feet as Von had checked that we had walked over 10000 steps and 6km so far. It was 8 PM and we had not eaten a crumb of food all day. That would explain the current state of affairs between Leigh's stomach and my mood. What to eat you say? A Philly Cheesesteak!
Now, if you're ever in Philadelphia and you're in need of an authentic cheesesteak, we were told to not go anywhere else except for Pat's or Geno's. We decided to have both and rate them. At Pat's the queue was out of this world and we were excited to order our first cheesesteak. There is a specific way to order a cheesesteak and sounds like it should be usually done in an Italian accent. My order went something like this: " Wit wizz and wit provolone". I was surprised that he understood me! He slapped on some cheese and we tried our first Philly cheesesteaks. I was slightly disappointed as I expected more then steak on a roll. But isn't it just a steak roll?! It's true...women are confusing. Outcome: Pat's had more meat and caramelized onions and Gino's was more juicy. My preference ... Pat's.
We got home, tired but happy. I'm exhausted just thinking about what tomorrow will bring!
Things I've learned: Have a plan but be flexible. If you don't stop and take a look around, you'll miss the really important things.
Von got her South African ice-coffee aka a Frappuccino.
"Bonne Fete Nationale"
East State Penn
"Witt Wizz"
"I want to ride my bicycle."
The curse has stayed with us and so we lazed about until midday. (It's a Sunday after all!)
Over the last few days we have seen posters lining the streets of Philadelphia (Cue Bruce Springsteen) advertising a musical called Memphis. Von's dream is to travel to New Orleans and visit the Slave Quarters but that has become short lived when she saw how hot and humid it is down south. There were two shows left and we had to try get seats for one of the last shows. We hurriedly got a cab and dashed to the oldest theatre in America - which was established in 1809 - Walnut Street Theatre. We lined up and once we arrived we were told that since we bought tickets on the day, they would be half price ! We bought tickets and headed to the nearest bakery to buy a croissant and a cup of "kwafee" to cure out hunger pains.
"From the underground dance clubs of 1950s Memphis, Tennessee, comes a hot new Broadway musical that bursts off the stage with explosive dancing, irresistible songs and a thrilling tale of fame and forbidden love. Inspired by actual events, Memphis is about a radio DJ who wants to change the world and a club singer who is ready for her big break. Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical, Memphis features an original score by Bon Jovi's David Bryan that evokes the powerhouse funk of James Brown, the hot guitar riffs of Chuck Berry, the smooth harmonies of the Temptations and the silken, bouncy pop of the great girl groups of the period. Turn up that dial! It's time for Broadway's roof-raising rock 'n' roll musical, Memphis!"
Well...Memphis was INCREDIBLE! It has won 4 Tony awards. The set design was realistic, the dancing, singing and acting was of the best I have ever seen. Now, if you know us Pearce girls, you know that out bladders are too close to our eyes. The storyline moved us so much that a number of times I happened to see Von and Leigh wiping their eyes. For a fleeting moment, I wished that I was a Broadway star too, but I can not sing too save my life. If you ever get the chance to watch this show, DO IT!
The ever-adventurous Leigh suggested that we hire a bicycle and ride back across the city from the theatre. I'm glad we did as it was amazing riding through traffic and seeing the architecture that Philly is so proud of. We stopped off at a cafe in the suburbs and had some late lunch and wine - to calm Von's nerves. (That's our story and I'm sticking to it!) We rode down to the Schuylkill River and took in the scenery. There were so many people running, cycling, walking and sitting next to the river. It was the absolute perfect Sunday afternoon.
We came home, sat down and relaxed. Our first weekend here was a whirlwind of delicious food, beautiful places and unforgettable memories. Since Leigh is back to work tomorrow, no doubt, Von and I can kick our feet up a bit more and really take it easy.
"I was walking in Memphis"
Mandatory South African photo
Gorg cobblestone alleyways
Go Von go!
Schuylkill River at dusk
"Finding LOVE."
Waking up to rain put a damper on our mood, but since it wasn't cold or miserable we put on our walking shoes and started our search for LOVE.
We had heard about the infamous dollar store and saw on our map that there was one en-route on our adventure. We walked down some stairs across from the iconic Suburban Station.
Imagine a place where everything is one dollar...and then imagine the people in it! We bought a few odds and ends and asked the cashier to help us with our coins as we had no idea what they were. At this point, a larger "lady" a few people back started shouting, "What the hell are you doing? You wasting my lunch break!" I apologized and she responded with, "Get the F out of here!" And. That's. What. We. Did!
Leigh had planned this "treasure hunt" and the only thing she said to us about this was " find LOVE". If anyone knows Von, you'll know that her nickname is Sherlock. She used to taunt us when we were in our teens saying, "I've got eyes and ears everywhere!" So this riddle was right up her alley!
In Tokyo, I've visited the LOVE statue in Shinjuku, so I knew what I had to look out for. But the LOVE park in Philly is incredible! In the centre of the park is an impressive fountain that deafens out the traffic noise but also creates a sense of calmness. We took some photos in front of the statue and then sat around the fountain for a good hour taking in the sights and sounds of Philly.
We decided that our next destination would be the Rocky Steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Arts. It didn't seem so far and we could see it in the distance so we decided to walk the few kilometers. We came across Logan Square. Philadelphia must love it's fountains because this was one of the many I've seen. Surrounding the grandiose fountain, sculptures of animals spray water from their mouths back to the centre of the fountain. There must've been a school excursion that day because there were so many little children running in the fountain and riding these animals - it was a sight to see.
The hunger pains started setting in and we decided to try a Middle Eastern food truck. We ordered one lamb and chicken kebab over long grain rice. Right across the street we sat under the trees and had a picnic - of sorts . The meal was huge! We barely finished it off, but it was delicious. We have been converted. Street food is a must here!
It was hot, humid and we had walked about 4km but we were determined to run up the Rocky Steps. We stood in a long line and took a photo with Sylvester Stallone's statue. We then looked up the stairs, took a deep breath and sang "Eye of the Tiger" as we ran up the stairs, punching air and side-stepping our invisible opponents. ( PS we weren't the only ones doing it before you think we are weird!) We arrived at the top and felt triumphant. I'm not sure why though? The view from the top is incredible and you can stand in Rocky's footsteps and take the ultimate picture.
We caught the Phlash bus - a $5 hop on hop off bus service - and just missed the afternoon thunderstorm. We jumped off at our stop, got soaked, laughed, ENJOYED the rain and made our way home to enjoy the A/C.
"Yes, I like piña coladas and getting caught in the rain. I'm not much into health food, I am into champagne."
We found love
Ultimate joy
Our eyes were bigger than our stomachs
The wait was worth it
Triumphant
“Life's not about how hard of a hit you can give... it's about how many you can take, and still keep moving forward.”
"Day of the dead."
The plan was to do nothing except go to a museum full of weird and wonderful dead things. Imagine "Ripleys Believe It Or Not" but with preserved parts of bodies.
BEFORE you close this post, I promise we aren't psychopaths...Leigh and I grew up around lab coats, specimens preserved in jars, glass slides being dunked in and out of various formulas and this fostered my love for biology and the human anatomy. (My dream was/is to be a reconstructive plastic surgeon...true story.)
Enter the Mutter Museum...Google it! The walk around the museum should've taken 1.5 hours but Von and I were in there for just under 3!
The most fascinating things we saw:
Micro slices of Albert Einsteins brain. His brain was kept (forgotten about) in a jar in a cupboard somewhere in America before it was "found". He was missing a section of his brain- probably the dumb area- and it weighed less than most people's!
A wall to wall display of Skulls. Each skull had a little history behind it. It's interesting to see that different races / country's people have different shaped skulls/jaws/eye sockets.
Shrunken heads
Conjoined twins who managed to father 21 children between them!
We meandered back towards the apartment, stopping in at all the designer thrift stores and trying not to convert Rand/Yen - Dollars. (I'll be broke by the time I leave here but I'll be looking fabulous!)
We stopped at El Rey - another Steven Starr restaurant - for their happy hour and had a a few tacos (about the size of my palm but tasty) and a Tecante (Mexican Beer) to quench the thirst before heading home to kick up our feet.
Introducing the Mutter
Each skull has a story
A shruken head
Micro slices of Einstein's brain
24 years after marriage, this "stone child" was discovered in the pelvis region and outside of the Fallopian tubes after a post mortem was conducted on the mother.
"It's been awhile..."
I knew this moment would come. I wouldn't feel inspired to write my daily travelogue. With writing, it comes to you, you can't force it and if you do, you'll know you end up with utter rubbish. So I waited until I felt inspired, or it might be the wine talking.
Waking up any day at 6AM is a sacrilege - or at least in my world. We quickly packed our bag (singular. 3 ladies.) and dashed off to catch the infamous Greyhound. It wasn't THAT bad. The only thing we didn't prepare for was the rumbling stomachs. We would survive and let's face it, we could all do with skipping a meal!
We arrived in DC and went straight to our Airbnb apartment in DuPont Circle. It was a quaint but tastefully decorated apartment in the LGBT-friendly district. I LOVED the vibe here. Imagine a world full of delicious cafes and restaurants, buzzing bars, 100 year old townhouses and impeccable fashion! My kind of perfect world.
As we arrived late, we walked around the area and managed to catch the last 30 minutes of The Philips Collection, America's first musuem of modern art. We stood back, tilted our heads and tried to look like we knew what we were doing with the contemporary art exhibitions. What we were really searching for were the big names. We wanted the Van Gogh's, the Renoir's and the Cezanne's. It was incredible to be standing 1m in front of these works of art with no one around. At closing time, we were ushered out so we walked around the area, bought some dinner and settled in for a night in front of the TV.
On Saturday AM we put on our walking shoes and leisurely strolled down to The White House - as you do. It's not like what you see in the movies. There are people crowded around the gate, taking selfies while sniffer dogs and secret service eyeball you. When in Rome, do as the Romans do...so we took a selfie.
The hot summer sun was draining us and we found refuge under a large tree in the park opposite The White House. Leigh and I goofed about, doing yoga poses, cartwheels and generally acting 20 years younger. (Much to Von's delight!) Nearby The White House are a number of the Smithsonian Museums. They are incredible FREE museums - thank you DC residents! - and we went into the natural art museum. After watching a 3D IMAX movie about dinosaurs, we decided to call it a day of walking - 6km in the heat surrounded by people - jumped in a taxi and headed to a rooftop bar in Georgetown to have some well-deserved bubbles and watch the sunset. The night didn't end there as my friend from Kobe, Natalie, came to pop in and one thing led to another and the wine flowed!
OUCH! My head hurt. I turned on the news and saw that today was predicted as the hottest day this year in DC and we had planned on going to the zoo. Natalie arrived and took us to a busy brunch diner where we were treated to a delicious meal. America knows how to make a GOOD milkshake!!!
I wasn't that keen on the zoo as I don't believe wild animals should be caged. This zoo was BIG and everything was outdoors. There wasn't an element where I felt awful looking at the animals. (Except for the Orangutans who were regurgitating their food and possible doing it for attention.) I had had enough of the extreme heat withtmy raging "adult jetlag", the scores of people and I wanted a shower and to go back to Philly.
Learning from previous mistakes, we dashed to Shake Shack and bought cheeseburgers, fries and malted chocolate milkshakes. Off we went and jumped on the bus - just before departing, a lady was escorted by a handcuff-wielding security officer off the bus for talking too loud on her phone (?!?). Moral of the story...Well, I don't think there is one?
We arrived back in Philly 3 hours later, with stupid dress and shorts tans and a lot of great memories.
The Boudoir
Loved the attention to detail
Vincent Van Gogh
Pierre-Auguste Renoir
"Guess who's back!"
The last few days have been a bit of a blur. I made friends with 4 Taiwanese guys while transiting in Beijing - they took me under their wings and helped me out a few times when I was Lost in Translation - and they decided to come visit Philadelphia. We had them up on the roof, ate some meat, drank some wine and enjoyed the conversation/charades!
Leigh invited over a co-worker, his wife and their daughter for dinner. She asked us to make something traditional and mom willingly agreed. OMG. What was supposed to be an easy meal, ended up being a FULL Sunday-on-a-Wednedsay roast and a "milktart"...made in a tiny kitchen.
Grilled chicken with potatoes, chargrilled brussel sprouts with blue cheese, sweet carrots, boere boontjies, and rice. Half way through prepping, cooking, measuring and baking, mom and I became hysterical after realizing what we got ourselves into. We laughed until we cried, poured some wine and sent some silly videos to Leigh. It all worked out though...we had delicious food, great company and an average first-attempt at a milktart. (Von rated it a 3/10...but I don't bake. I cook!)
One of the last things we needed to do on our agenda was to go listen to the organ play at Macy's. Sounds pretty lame BUT this was one of the largest in the world and a hall-of-famer would be playing at 12PM.
The music echoed through the massive atrium in the centre of Macy's. Mom and I took a video or two and that's when we got distracted. We saw sale signs and they were EVERYWHERE! Imagine a world where your ultimate indulgence was in front of you and there was no limit. Welcome to my paradise, Macy's. Long story short, we bought more than we anticipated.
Now we were tired and felt like we deserved a drink. We stumbled across a place called "The Happy Rooster". If you can imagine and old saloon bar decorated with lots of little roosters, this is were we ended up. We sat down, ordered a cold Yeungling, and started chatting to the people around us.
If anyone tells you that people in America are rude, they are lying. We have only met lovely people along our travels so far. One lady was a building manger who gave us the info on where to find the Speakeasy bars. These prohibition style bars still exists and find them and their secret rooms are must do! A man who travels the world, was in the Godfather 2 and bought us a round of drinks and finally, a wonderful couple who shared my love for antiques/vintage/good deals.
We didn't want to leave but we had a date with Charlie. "Charlie was a Sinner" is a delicious vegan restaurant in city centre. It's dark, sultry and if it were a woman, I'd say Charlie would be Marilyn Monroe. We were adventurous and ordered what we usually wouldn't eat and everything was on point. Who knew eating vegan would be so delicious!
After Charlie's, we decided to try find one of ten elusive speakeasy bars. We walked down a dark alley until we arrived at our destination. Upon entering we were offered a table, but I declined and asked if we could go to "The Office". The answer would be yes, IF I had the password. With a little eyelash batting, the manager picked up the telephone, said the magic word and the bookshelf opened to a dimly-lit, jazz and blues heaven. It felt like we had been transported back in time.
As I stand here typing this, we have just arrived in NYC. It's full of people, the city is alive, albeit a bit smelly! We are checking into our hotel and then the fun begins.
Go, Von, go!
Yum...
Cock-a-doodle-doo.
Charlie wasn't the only sinner this night.
Open Sesame!
" New York, New York "
Off on the infamous Greyhound we went and we arrived in a less organized version of Tokyo. I was taken aback by the amount of people in the center of town - yes! Even though I live in one of the busiest places on earth.
Straight from the station to our our hotel, ROW NYC, and it was just what you would expect from a NYC hotel. Hip, cool and oozing sexy house music. We dropped off our baggage and walked the two blocks to Time Square. Time Square is exactly what you would imagine it to be, just smaller. It was packed with 1000s of people. Looking around we saw people dressed up as cartoon characters, famous characters and even naked women with their body's painted - head to toe - in the American flag. We learned our lesson very quickly with a Elvis Presley impersonator. Mom got excited and took a picture with him. He then demanded money and when we refused, he told us right where we could put out camera and the flipped us the bird. We were gobsmacked! He wasn't even that good anyway... That was our cue to depart Times Square.
We decided we were going to walk the few kms to the Highline. The Highline is a an old train track that runs along the Hudson River. It's recently been converted to a walkway lined with the hottest property, restaurants and bars in NYC.
Our first pitstop on this massive journey would be Bryant Park. We wanted to sit in the sun and take in the sights and sounds of NYC. While sitting there we watched a few minutes of a theater production of Romeo and Juliet before venturing out on our groot trek. Near Korea Town, we saw a group of people dressed up like 80s rockers. I thought we had entered a time warp. There were old cars - think Knight Rider - and we were the only 3 people who didn't fit in. It was surreal. We walked a bit further and A-HA! It all made sense after we asked what was going on?! They were filming an episode of Red Oaks which is set in the 80s. They had shut down the street and turned back the hands of time.
We walked, oh how we walked. I would recommend spending one day, putting on your most comfortable shoes and walking the streets of NYC. There is still such a massive contrast of new and old. The architecture is exquisite and the people you will meet along the way are incredible.
After a long walk on the Highline, we were thirsty, our feet with throbbing and we needed a drink STAT. We walked down to the street level and into the first bar we came across and ordered a nice, big cold one. Leigh had heard about the oldest Irish bar (from a fellow customer) in America and off we went. We landed up outside the bar and the man checking the IDs look like he was straight out of ZZ Top. Old rockers was spilling out of the bar and it looked packed. It was definitely old, it was definitely dirty and it was definitely popular. It felt like we were standing in a 1800s saloon. Welcome to McSorleys Ale House, an old prohibition bar. No piece of memorabilia has been removed from the walls since 1910, and there are many items of "historical" paraphernalia in the bar, such as Houdini's handcuffs, which are connected to the bar rail. There are also wishbones hanging above the bar; supposedly they were hung there by boys going off to World War 1 to be removed when they returned, so the wishbones that are left are from those who never returned. Old portraits of Teddy Roosevelt, Lincoln lined the walls and it felt strange being in the centre of all this chaos. They are only 2 kinds of beers, light and dark. We order 3 lights and got 6! We drank, made friends and had a great first day and night in NYC.
Tres Amigas in Times Square
Nearly Naked Cowboy
Bryant Park
Set Life I
Set Life II
Walking the Highline
McSorleys Ale House
The wishbones of the solider who didn't return from WW1
"New York II"
We woke up without heads pounding and out feet throbbing. Yesterday must have been a long day. Our plan for the day was to take a boat trip around Manhattan Island and visit some of the biggest landmarks in New York City. We pulled ourselves together and headed down to the pier where we would catch the boat and set sail down the Hudson river.
Our first departure point would be near the 911 memorial site, Ground Zero. As we arrived at the memorial park it was surreal. It was like a scene from the movie. There were hundreds of people around but nobody was talking. The park is lush, green and full of trees and the foundations of the two fallen towers have been converted into waterfalls which run into the ground. Along the border of these memorials were the names of the victims who tragically passed away during these attacks. What we came to realize was that the families of the victims chose whose name would be placed next to their brother/sister/mother/father/colleagues and we decided to research one of the names that we had seen. To the left of a name we saw was the name of this lady's husband. They worked in different towers and were tragically killed on the same day. This was when the tears started flowing and we realized we were just 3 of many who were mourning people we had never known. It was such a beautiful and humbling experience.
Back on the boat and off we puttered to Brooklyn Bridge. We decided not to get off as we were running quite late and wanted to catch the Statue of Liberty before sunset. I would have enjoyed walking across the Brooklyn Bridge but that just means we have to come back! Our next stop was Wall Street. To be honest there wasn't much to see except the very narrow Wall Street which had a few financial establishments. There was a beautiful cathedral / church though. There she was in the distance. Majestic, large and an off-green colour...the Statue of Liberty. With a lot of eyelash batting, we were ushered right to the front of the boat and had prime positioning for the perfect selfies. Looking around, the highline of Manhattan, the Empire State Building in the background and the Statue of Liberty to our left was worth enduring the terrible heat.
We had an hour nap before heading off to Broadway. Von wanted to watch the Phantom of the Opera and what the boss says, goes. We dolled up and walked half a block - wearing our highest heels - to be entertained. It was an absolute spectacular of glitz, glamour and pyrotechnics! It was worth ever cent.
We ended off the night with a rooftop nightcap or 3. Sitting high above the road, hearing the horse and carts trot by and feeling the cool breeze...in the city that never sleeps.
9/11 Memorial Park
Ground Zero
Brooklyn Bridge
Tres Amigas on a boat.
Wall Street
Dolled up for Broadway.
Ready, set, go.
THIS chandelier!
" Sayonara "
This past week has been a bit of a blur. With Yuzuru arriving and us helping Leigh move apartments, we didn't do as much as we would have liked - but we were productive! But I'll write about that in the next post, today I will dedicate this entire post to Von.
This dol...where do I begin? On a whim Leigh and I said, "Come to the U.S. Happy Mother's Day!!" We were testing the waters...would she bite? That she did. Hook. Line. And. Sinker. Without batting an eyelash she planned her visa appointment, made the bookings, packed her bags and off she went.
It was the first time Von, Leigh and I spent a holiday alone. Just the 3 of us. What we came to realize was:
* She is strong. If you know our family, we have strong matriarchs. The kind who haven't had it easy but never complained. The type of people who truly know the value of family and love deeply, fighter harder and protect fully.
* She is friendly. Everywhere we went Von was the one who was chatting to people, sharing stories, making people laugh and just generally being amazing.
* She is brave. As I type this now, Von is somewhere between Europe and the Middle East. This is only her 2nd overseas flight and her first traveling - with 2 stopovers - all by herself. No doubt she would have made a friend or two along the way.
* She is funny. How we have laughed! Two particular moments stand out for me:
1. Leigh got home one night and had seen some stupid - Mortal Combat in an elevator - prank on YouTube and showed us. Von ended up having an asthma attack, I ended up sick from laughing at Leigh and Von. It was just such a ridiculous, vicious cycle of laughter.
2. Linda! If you ever seen seen the little boy on YouTube, begging his mother for a cupcake, you know that it's the cutest grovel for sweets! At many points, we were at the tipping point with 3 strong, opinionated women, but a simple "but Linda, listen baby..." had us all in stitches!
We're not sure when we will meet up again. BUT if you're lucky enough to have your mom close to you, grab her, squeeze her, kiss her, thank her.
Von, rest well. You've earned a few days in bed with your feet up.
Exhibit 1 of Von being cute.
Exhibit 2 of Von being cute.
Exhibit 3 of Von being cute.
Exhibit 4 of Von being cute.
Exhibit 5 of Von being cute.
Exhibit 6 of Von being cute.
Exhibit 7 of Von being cute.
Exhibit 8 of Von being cute.
Exhibit 9 of Von being cute.
"Stella's got her groove back...I think"
This post is going to be a bit like Philadelphia... A bit of old mixed in with a bit of new. Potentially, actually let's get real, a bit long too!
Mom left and Yuzuru arrived but between the mayhem we did quite a bit. My handy built-in health tracker...thanks Apple...says we have averaged around 6km a day walking. A slight decrease from when mom was here! You might think 6km isn't a lot. But... you try average that EVERYDAY for 3 weeks led by a Gustapo - a fabulous and highly entertaining one at that. (Love you mom!)
The last few days before Von left was a bit of blur. We had things to do and see before she left. Top of the list was the Liberty Bell and the exploring Old City - Moeks, it's now time for your story! Old City is exactly what it says it is...beautiful multi-story brownstone townhouses, flowers lining the windows, cobblestones separating the rows of history with a faint smell of sea breeze. The added magic is the horse-drawn carts that pass you every now and then. We headed to the oldest "road" in Philadelphia, named "Elfreths Alley". Gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous. If you're in Phllly, it's worth a trip there for the quick time travel. PS, there are 3 townhouses for rent / to buy in the "alley". Go for it...if you don't believe in ghosts. I'm a massive wimp and you couldn't pay me to live there!
On our final night with Von, we decided to treat ourselves and go to a delicious Italian BYOB restaurant and ended up at a LGBTQ bar that was having a 90s night! We were all in our element. Leigh and I were the entertainment singing and dancing to the music we grew up with and Von was right there taking photos and videos of us - cringe!!!
Yuzuru, Leigh and I made the trip with mom to NYC to see her off and spend the night in the city that never sleeps. On the bus, my eyes were dry and I took out my maximum strength menthol eye drops - if you've tried them you know how amazing they are - from Japan and as I dropped 2 drops in each, a voice came from behind me. "Those are the best eye drops." I turned around, vision blurred, trying not to look like a member from Kiss with mascara running down my cheeks. Long story short, we met a man who in all honesty, was a God-send. (Now now girls, not that kind of God-send!)
Enter Gary, the most modest famous hairdresser who you could come across. He trained under one of the best Japanese hairdressers, Suga, about 30 years ago and after some chatting, Yuzuru figured out that one of his clients also trained with Suga back then and they knew each other! The world is small. The ride flew by incredibly quick and we bid farewell and went our separate ways.
Von, Yuzuru, Leigh and I were now left to figure out how to get Von to the airport in time. We had an hour, so we hopped in a cab, had a drink and Googled the easiest way to the airport. The traffic was bad, so any road transport was out. The route by train didn't seem so bad, but went though questionable areas, so we went underground and it was as if time slowed down. It was utter chaos and the 4 of us stood around, wide-eyed trying to figure out what to do and where to go. (Different trains use the same lines.) Enter...Gary! He literally walked us to the ticket booth, helped us with our tickets, took us to the correct platform, straight to the conductors compartment and made sure we would be looked after. After a few hugs, exchanged details and a quick farewell, we were on our way.
After a teary farewell, Von was on her way home and we were in NYC with no accommodation. I've ALWAYS been someone who plans everything beforehand so this was abnormal for me. The sun was setting, we were Airbnb'ing trying to find an apartment and we took the train to Soho. Everything would work out...right? We found a place, sent in a request and decided to hop off at the stop nearest the apartment. We would eat some food and pray to the Airbnb Gods that we weren't too late. (It was 8pm). We stumbled upon ACME which is a restaurant Leigh has been wanting to go to for ages, so we went. It was great, minus the tray of white wine that was dropped onto my lap...
A new message, the apartment was unavailable. 10:35pm in NYC, with a massive bag and nowhere to go...let the adventure begin. We went to a hotel and you guessed it, "fully booked". Leigh and I played the dumb tourists with Yuzuru waiting around the corner and managed to get a room at the Marriott in Soho. We slipped Yuzuru a key, sent him upstairs and we crawled into bed...we were exhausted.
The next day, we met some friends of Leigh's for a NYC brunch on the upper east side. What I really like about a lot of American restaurants is that they encourage family-style dining. Large portions geared towards sharing. Go in a group, order a few plates and sample everything. We then walked from the east side of Manhattan, through Soho, TriBeCa and the Meat Packing District to get to the infamous Standard Hotel which straddles the Hudson River. Remember when Solange attacked JayZ in that elevator? I rode that elevator, all the way to the roof for some schmoozing and drinking. What. A. View. We were wondering whether to stay another night, but we didn't want the hassle and jumped on a midnight bus and went "home".
I've been exposed to a newer, more active, version of a holiday maker. When Yuzuru and I travel, we like to be travelers rather than tourists. We usually don't go to the big sites or stand in long queues and we sometimes cringe at the look of an atypical tourist. We like to chat to the locals, find out where they hang out. What do they eat? What do they drink? Where do they go for fun? This was our mission for the next ten days.
Yuzuru loves shopping just as much as I do, so we decided to walk from the apartment to the beginning of South Street and meander / shop our way through it where we would end up at Connors Pool. Geographically, central Philly is situated between two rivers, the Delaware and the Schuylkill - you try pronouncing that! By the time we arrived at the pool it was late afternoon, our feet were sore and we were ready for a dip in the pool. We walked through the gates and we heard, "Who are these people?!" I turned around...enter Gary! I mean what are the chances?! We were all pretty gob smacked...we swam a bit, bronzed a bit and invited him around to the rooftop for drinks later that evening where we cheers'ed to new friends and very fortunate encounters.
Speaking of fortunate moments, it's about time I thank my best friend and little-big sister Leigh for being the most incredible hostess. Between leaving for work at 6AM and coming home around 9PM, you were a bundle of energy that I admire. You work hard and you give your all in everything you do. You opened up your home to us for 4 weeks and we had the best time. The time we spent together was precious and I hope all of our plans for the future work out. Dankie sussie.
As you read this, I'm sandwiched between two rather large men...read on...on a plane to Las Vegas. The guy to my right, between comatose periods of sleep - which includes snoring, furiously practices poker. The guy to my left, alternates between eating smelly fake-cheese chips, watching RomComs and dating sites. Only one hour to go...then it's Vegas baby!
Liberty Bell
Elfreth's Alley
In an courtyard off the Alley.
We found Love.
Mural Mile in Philly.
Gary!
Snapped in Soho.
Standard shot at the Standard Hotel.
Rooftop at The Standard Hotel.
THE best sister. Thank you.
It's time for Vegas...
Babes! Those days of traveling and going on a real urban adventure seems like such a distant memory. But what a great memory to have had <3