AIN’T IT COOL that I can form a phrase out of the places I visited today?

TWO LITTLE RED HENS
New York Magazine claims that ‘Two Little Red Hens’ bakes real good cookies and I had to go there to prove for myself. Located at 2nd Avenue, near 86th Street, this bakery bakes all American desserts, including muffins, pies, cakes and of course, cookies. American like their cookies big, and here you can see for yourself that a cookie is as big as my palm, (and FYI my palms aren’t tiny). I have been a good boy for a while now, thus saving enough money to splurge myself with a treat or two. The cookies cost $1.69 per piece, and I bought two each of Mocha Madness, Oatmeal Raisins, and Peanut Butter Almond. I also bought a big chocolate on chocolate cupcake with colorful sprinkles on top for $2.59. The cupcakes turned out to be too sweet for my tastes, but me and my homestays agree that the cookies are incredibly delicious.

MET (METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART)
Met is one of the must see attractions of New York, displaying two million works of arts from 5000 years of mankind’s history. This huge building is an architectural art in itself, conveniently located at the Museum Mile of New York, which is at the Fifth Avenue near 80th Street. Although the suggested donation for entry is $20 for adults and $10 for students, you may be allowed to enter with just merely giving a penny. I contributed six dollars (not bad huh?) and proudly wore on the small pink M metal tag for the day. (They change the color of the tags so that visitors cannot come back the next day without paying). At first glance, the museum looks French (I am not that knowledgeable in art), but while I continue the tour, it soon took me to Africa, and then to Ancient Egypt, Ancient China, India, and back to colonial America. This is a humongous museum, do not even try to navigate your way without a map. But the best thing is, they have a wide range of art here so no one gets left out. I particularly enjoyed the Modern Art collection. The hallways are brightly lit and you can sometimes see visitors sitting down, staring at the pieces of art, contemplating a deep thought. You may think that looking at art on the pages of a book or online would be good enough, but being physically near the masterpieces, feeling its artistic vibe, is truly a different and unique experience. Maybe that is why some artists come all the way here to look at the famous pieces for inspiration. There are many crazy ones, but this spooky headless statue caught my sight, while this wall with unknown material on it puzzled me. This one on the other hand, was so intricately painted that it actually looks like a photograph. Although I only spent three hours here, you can easily use up the whole day if you decide to see all the galleries in detail. Big building, large collection and dirt cheap admission – now I know why Met is the most popular one amongst all.

BRYANT PARK
Bryant Park, the park just behind New York Public Library, is filled with lots of exciting free shows during summer. The Good Morning America concert is held here during Friday mornings, they screen films during summer nights, and Thursday afternoons is when the Broadway casts come to perform some highlights from their shows. The heat was evident but the crowd remained sitted on the lawn while I imagine how the sun literally bakes them alive. I sat on the side of the lawn where there is shade, eating my lunch box, happy enough to watch from a short distance away. The first show featured was Cirque Dreams, which I saw on Broadway. These guys came out with their amazing stunts, making the crowd cheer. Next up is an a capella show ‘In Transit’. The singers are really great, but I loved the beatboxer the most. Little Mermaid’s pet Flounder was played by a little boy, and he can sing SO very well! The dancers beside him are acting as Ariel’s sisters. The one I anticipated the most is the ‘Altar Boyz’, a musical about a singing Christian boy band, and it has Neil Haskell, the dancer from So You Think You Can Dance in it! I did not hear the songs well because the speakers were too soft, but the dancing was hilarious. Next week, they have 5 more Broadways shows to feature, and I’ll definitely be here.