Gong xi fa cai! Yesterday was the first day of the Lunar New Year, and I went on a double date for dim-sum in NYC. I suppose it was sort of a dual-celebration of both the Lunar New Year and Valentine’s Day.
Our friends live in New Jersey, right near the Holland Tunnel, so it wasn’t too far from there to New York. I used to visit New York very often, to the point that it was kind of a second home for me, but I hadn’t visited since pre-COVID. Even so, I did get a sense that things were not quite what they used to be. You couldn’t really call it quiet, but it is certainly quieter than normal, especially considering we were in Chinatown during the first day of the New Year. It was also bitterly cold which didn’t help the gloomy atmosphere.
Despite this, I had so much fun! We ate dim-sum at a historic restaurant named Nom Wah Tea Parlor, tucked away on a side street in Chinatown. Supposedly it is the oldest running restaurant in Chinatown, and they’ve been selling frozen dumplings to increase revenue during lockdown. We went at an odd time (3:45PM) and there were still quite a lot of customers–there were even several people sitting outside! It is a very unique spot, and I am glad that they are still in business.
After lunch, we got bubble tea at Tiger Sugar, which gets its name from the streaks of brown sugar syrup that look similar to a tiger’s stripes. 🐯 I also got this adorable Hello Kitty gashapon toy at a toy shop near St Marks Place. The rest of the evening was devoted to hunting for Pokémon cards, as all four of us are avid collectors. The hobby is experiencing a huge boom right now, and the demand far outstrips supply, to the point that it is very difficult to find cards at market-price. We didn’t find anything, but we still enjoyed the thrill of the hunt~
That really sounds like a nice day! I’m not one who easily adapts to big cities (despite living near a medium size one!), but I love the charm of downtown areas or niche communities within a city. There’s just a nice charm about it that I can’t honestly explain. I think it’s pleasant how many interesting sights there are to be seen in a city.
I hope you’ve been well since this adventure!
Hi Luna, I think I understand what you mean. New York in particular can feel pretty overwhelming but I do love how each neighborhood has such a different feel. That being said, my ideal place to live would probably be the suburbs/maybe even somewhere more rural.
I’m doing very well actually. It’s so lovely to hear from you again!
Absolutely loving your blog! I’m in love with all your posts about princess living and all your cute hobbies. Super inspiring and made me want to try some! Hope to see you around soon ❤
Thanks so much for the kind words, it really means a lot to me! I hope to see you around too! ❤️🌸