NY - Museum of Modern Art

I have just signed & paid for my lease. Without any existing credit history, i had to pay 2 months security deposit upfront + last month's rent + first month's rent = I am seriously waiting for payday to come now. Luckily, the company is paying for the broker fees which is an additional 15% for the duration of the lease. But wow, it sure ain't cheap to move here.

The studio apartment is of a decent size and a block away from where my corporate housing is. Essentially, it also means that i can walk to work everyday. Finding this apartment was a relief, especially the broker that was recommended to me came up with really crappy finds (e.g. smaller than a toilet, fridge had cockroaches, next to a funeral parlor - would not have minded taking that one but still you get the point)

Using two main sources, (sublet.com & NY Times Real Estate Section), i made a few calls, went for a few viewings and found a perfect apartment in a week. Maybe it wasn't the cheapest but you get what you pay for. Before i left Singapore, someone mentioned how about 40% of your pay contributes to your rent. I can testify that if you are staying alone, that would be the kind of rates to look at. Apartments here surprisingly don't tend to come furnished, so, off for furniture. Spotted some good deals on eBay & Amazon, so i guess that kept the 'fear' demons away for now.

That is it for my life so far, now to to the pictures !


Trip to the Museum of Modern Art ~ I like the Sculpture Garden within the MoMa, very tasteful and comfortable in summer.


Like the way art is supposed to be, just blending in and complementing the environment.


This was an eye catching favorite within the garden.

My MoMa highlights were :-

The Helicopter in the lobby


The Famous American Flag by Jasper Jones. If you look closely at it, it is actually made up of newspapers and magazines and painted over. Very ingenious.


Jackson Pollock - Number 1A. As the audio guide explained it, he didn't just splatter paint around, he artfully and forcefully used his body & understanding of how the paint flowed to achieve this masterpiece. I remain neutral on the subject.


Roy Lichtenstein. The genius of the man was that he replicated the comic strips & even hand-painted the print marks to make his pop culture statement.

Andy Warhol Marilyn Monroe

Van Gogh's Starry Starry Night. After seeing his works in Amsterdam, this famous piece has been the one key piece that i wanted to see. Unfortunately, so did all the rest of the visitors to the museum. It was like the Mona Lisa at the Lourve all over again, you watch from a distance and make a quick getaway.

Monet's Water Lilies

After that, i headed to a New York Street Fair.






It was a lot of cheap Chinese goods, grilled corn and tacos. Good fun, but nothing much that i would want to really buy here.

I was still feeling down, so consoled myself with food - Luke's Lobster.


Maine Organic Lobster in a roll. This was the real thing ! Big chunks of lobster meat coated with a thin layer of mayo & sauce. Perfect, slightly sweet but cold & fresh to the bite. Good stuff ! Better was that the lobster was actually cultivated by Luke's Dad's lobster farm in Maine ... wow..


Information About NYC Street Fairs & Other Events

Luke's Lobster
East Village, NYC
93 E 7th Street (1st Ave) -(212) 387-8487
Upper East Side, NYC
242 E 81st Street (2nd Ave) -(212) 249-4241
Upper West Side, NYC
426 Amsterdam Avenue (80th St) - (212) 877-8800
Financial District, NYC
26 S. William Street (Broad St)