The Big Apple

   New York city - home to the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building and King Kong. These Americans have the ability to turn almost everything into a museum. Take the New York Public Library for instance. It houses the furniture that Charles Dickens used personally, the original soft toys that belonged to Christopher Robin, ancient Sumerian tablets and a whole lot more! You'd be amazed at the amount and variety of artifacts this wonderful old building houses.

In front of Fortitude, which guards the entrace to the New York Public Library.
Yes we did bring back stone bookends in the form of Patience and Fortitude, the famous lions!

The original (from right) Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet, Kanga, Tigger and Lottie.

   What's a visit to New York without enjoying a Broadway show? Well, actually it was the wifey's idea, but it turned out to be lots of fun. Imagine a Mary Poppins that actually "flies" into the audience; all happening at the New Amsterdam Theatre.

Do You know that New York was once a Dutch settlement, going by the name of New Amsterdam?

   If you know us, you'll know we can never stay away from museums. The Metropolitan Museum of Art must count as one of the most impressive in the world. Not only does it house art from the various time periods and countries, it also houses classical sculptures, artifacts and other archaeological exhibits. Having been to the British Museum, the Vatican Museum and various other European museums, I come to see these "Ang Mohs" as thieves of history. Imagine, the original Pathenon friezes, artifacts and other works of art do not reside in their local musuems. They have been raided by these "thieves" before there was any international law forbidding the export of "national treasures". Now only people with the means to visit these "Ang Moh" countries have the privilege of viewing them.

   To top it all off, a visit to the epitome of Capitalism - Wall Street. Braving the cold while standing in line for half an hour, just to get a shot this infamous bull is really a whole lot of bull (if you get what I mean).

Taking it by the horns is so passe. Take it by the balls I say!
(hey it rhymes!)