my hometown...

it was a year ago almost to the day that i got a chance to go back to my home town - new york city. i left there a long time ago - elementary school when my dad decided it was too cold and we moved south. what a change that was going from a city of diversity to another one where people asked me almost daily if i was related to the other 3 asian kids that were in the same school (yes on my sister but um no to the other kids who were asian but not chinese).

i miss new york in my mind. we used to go back for 10 days every christmas when we would drive from the carolinas to new york. i used to get so excited to see the statue of liberty esp when NJ felt like the biggest state with the longest turnpike EVER when all i wanted to do was be in NY. i miss going to rockerfeller center when i was little to watch the ice skaters. i miss convincing my parents to buy me a pretzel from a street vendor. i miss chinatown with all of its sights (and smells). i miss seeing the empire state building and the field trips to the MET. i miss the subway and the times my mom would walk us about 10 blocks to go to the public library and the occasional times she would let us get a big slice of NY style pizza.

it has been about 10 years thoughbefore i went back last year. sometimes i wish we could live that big city life. we went back to the house my parents had when i was born and we took pictures out front. i miss that energy, the life of the city.

in the pic here, i am with my cousin, al. he and i lost touch over the years much like the city and i but our love was never lost. i love NYC. no more words needed to express how i feel.