Long Day in NYC

In preparation for my study abroad and internship program through Klein Global Opportunities, I was required to obtain a Tier 4 Student Visa. Unfortunately, the center in Philadelphia for the required biometrics closed due to an issue and we weren't sure when it would reopen. I was given the opportunity to receive special service for free, meaning I would get my visa back much sooner than regular service, if I went to the closest Premium center near me. Luckily, the nearest one was in New York City. However, I was only permitted to go on certain days and I had to miss my afternoon French and Guitar for Non-music Majors classes.

To my despair, I received an email only minutes after my Greyhound bus pulled out of the station in Chinatown saying that the Philadelphia center was reopening that day. I was so irritated that I had spent time and money in fear that I wouldn't be able to go on my program all for it to work itself out after I had been stressing so much.

It didn't take me very long to get to the premium center in New York. The wait for the biometrics exam took about 10 times as long as the tests themselves–this is not an exaggeration by any means. I finished much earlier than expected, so I decided to take the rest of my time before my bus would arrive to explore and do something fun!

My mom told me about the new mall complex in Chelsea, so I decided that would be where I went. There were so many high end stores, it was hard to choose which ones I wanted to go in. There was also a huge new building that I believe was made to be an observatory deck, but you have to get tickets to climb to the top. Someone told me that they were free, but I didn't have the time and it was a bit chilly outside, so it wouldn't have been very fun for me.

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There was a cool store called Muji that I've never heard of, so I decided to check it out. It was like a Uniqlo for storage, along with other cool things. They had everything you could image for home storage and decor, even some clothes and snacks. What caught my eye the most was their stamping station by the stationery supplies. Once you bought a journal or blank envelopes or something, you could use their stamps to customize it however you like. I played around with some pieces of paper in an already opened notebook and had a little bit of fun with all the different designs!

I then looked into a few more stores before finding an amazing sequin wall where people had made all sorts of designs. Some people just wrote their names or something silly and others took the time to create a true work of art out of these sequins. It was really remarkable! I decided to put something on there and write my Chinese name for fun and to my surprise, a Chinese woman behind me said I did very well once I finished. I also wrote the character for love on another part of the wall along with the English one in cursive. I loved seeing all these people young and old contributing a temporary design to this gigantic, shiny, multicoloured wall.

Right around the corner, there was another cool wall that I wanted to get a picture in front of.

Not far from that wall was a store with really cool art that I couldn't resist getting a picture with either!

Here's my delicious shrimp linguini and hot tea from Europa Cafe!

To end the day with even more shopping, I spent my last hour or so browsing through the Forever21 in Times Square. I was delighted to see that it was having a huge sale and found 7 shirts for just $1 each! I got a meal at my favourite place in Times Square, Europa Cafe, where they have the best food on the go! My usual is their penne a la vodka, but I wanted to try something new! I went on my way to the Greyhound Terminal and from there, it was smooth sailing and I arrived home safe and sound at my dorm ready to take on the next day.