19 Nov In Big Cities…
what to see in...
in New York:
Manhattan, Time Square if you ok with crowds. Central Park ( cool skate in winter), Empire State Building (classics for tour…), Statue of liberty, Bronx Zoo, Cathedrals ( St Patrick’s), Museum ( Metropolitan of Art, National History Museum), 9/11 Memorial (interesting museum, you might be impressed and hope not by the ticket cost). Might say that the pictures may look way more cooler…My favourite, at time I was there, was the shopping malls — I was young and was so into useless stuff.
in Los Angeles:
Dodger Stadium, Griffith Park,The Getty, Different Museums… Haven’t been there so can skip my recom : general and brochure-like.
in Paris:
Ok start with an Eiffel Tower (metal construction a nice lightning show, Louvre ( the garden and the territorial square that around it, on the way there ) — going inside the Louvre? Then there you would need to spend at least 3 days if you want to see all the art (spending a minute on each), but it still won’t be enough — wasn’t enough for me; Arc de Triomphe ( that Napoleon didn’t see, was made in honour of Napoleonic wars…and + French revolution, free if you would look at it from 100 meters away, but to go inside need a ticket); Notre- Dame de Paris (without an old peak since 2019 fire, open for visitors in 2024 December, additional surroundings would be closed till 2028, oh well France was never known for a quick ‘reboot’ ). Like a standard pack what to see there, including the Luxembourg garden (Jardin du Luxembourg). Also walk around most cultural districts , the main one where the Notre-Dame, the renaissance-time Cathedrals and a nice Square du Vert-Galant garden ( Henry IV statue). C’est magnifique Versailles which is not by Paris-metro reaching , a road distance from Paris but so worth it if you’re into art and history — ahem, a long Q is waiting for you there.
I lived in 12th arr. close to Bercy, nice and safe area; ‘the closer the bosser’ houses/apartments in the centre will cost you more — true Im a bit of ‘ Blatant-talking ; the most expensive is the western side 16th arr. as much as its considered now. Bercy village has its cool small cafes and restaurants, if you happened to be there, but around Paris there are many food places for your taste. And no dark bread, well, if you wonder what that is, just slip through this phrase.
in London:
Yeah yeah you might get a tour agency brochure with a “HERE THE BEST TO SEE a Tower bridge, London Eye, The British Nat. Museum, Buckingham palace … cool nice places but don’t overthink, you might get annoyed with rainy weather once you on that London Eye circle — it’s very slow, few minutes and you see the whole London from the top with it bridges and tiny houses, but with kids or jumpy man you would count down minutes till its end, till you set your feet on the ground; Buckingham palace is okey..ish? But shouldn’t be a pin on your map, has a few sec to impress in volume but nothings else, its just a palace that you can pass by walk and look at it casually (usually happens when you live there), ok not the case with Royal fans and fanatics, who stalking any from the Windsor dynasty there, so might bang into many of them ; Windsor Castle is more peaceful place, with swans and couple nice cafés and shops, but need to use transport (train to Slough then to Windsor )to get there. I lived in Egham like 15 min. overground train to London and I could reach Windsor by 2 hr walk; Use metro to get to the shopping malls and I personally liked to browse places and cafes at Piccadilly road but its very touristy, headache is a usual thing there; The IMax theatre (London Waterloo) would be my personal recom., is the one to be at. I was there more than 10 times. Sure If they have solid films to show; Harry Potter Warn. Bros. Studio especially if you are or were a Potter fan, or read all the book, you would be impressed how tiny those Hogwarts’s rooms are in reality.
in Moscow:
Red square, Museums ( historic ones: Central Arm Forces museum, Pushkin Museum,…); no need to go to Lenin Mausoleum ( if you have no clue who is it and not keen to see a dead body laying in the glass box); VDNH ( All-Russian Exhibition Centre).
in Seoul :
Total standard would be a Seoul Tower, Korean food courts ( remember about your capsaicin tolerance) and do hop-hop at the Gangam street. But what recommended by the website is Jogyesa Temple which is the heart and soul of Korean Buddhism. Then the Namsan Seoul Tower Observatory.Starfield Library…Well, could look around and see how pop-cultural..ish they are, with pop-bands posters, adverts of cosmetic treatments and blah blah blah…BY the way, a lot of facial products exporting to China, I could do the video tour in the China’s market but pity I tried to look cool and not making reports in the store.
in Shanghai :
Oh there are so many that i missed and still planing to see… the Yu Garden or Yuyuan Garden (in 1559 during the Ming dynasty, if that would interest you); the Bund, to walk around there and find some little touristic places; Ok this one you cant miss — the highest tower in Asia — Shanghai Tower (632m) and the second one after Burj ( Dubai’s Khalifa – 828m) for now in 2024-2025 year, Gazprom is aiming to build even higher than 632m, in Lakhta Centre; Oriental Pear TV tower is also listed when you finish with Shangh.Tower… look at other nice sculptures around (fat lady shiny statue is my favourite); adults would get back in…not the same for adults; The one village that i had on my journey is the Zhujiajiao, still regret of not staying there till night…was tired and needed to finish one project but if I stayed I would see a cool bright old culture side…ahh, pity; There are many interesting “experience” restaurants — should set my recom. — like a crab ministry or Ministry of Crab where I went twice and enjoyed more eating fish, crab was ok but not cheap; Oh, Disney Park is another fun, for those who is into check-box for”Di” parks around the words and for those who is not tag on true Asian sites… ok there are more Asian themes than in any other parks of Disney; Yeah huh you should look at marriage market in one of the city parks (People’s Park in Shanghai), might like it but no worries you wont be snatched in wedlock… they are VERY selective.
in Beijing:
Down for PEKIN DUCK…? My friends booked their way there from Shangh, only for that; Definitely wont pass The Great Wall, which is too long to have a bet on finishing it all in one day. Life-hack :Don’t bet on it! Pick a section for your GW tour, the Badaling and Mutianyu among the best (10 sections: some are much of ruins, too crowded or be a dot at the spot?). The Forbidden City from the Ming Dynasty, has its goosebumps stories — gory, full of hate and betrayal, nothing there was close to fairytale, behind those giant walls… that are open NOW; Summer Palace ( of the last China’s dynasty (Qing), again for some who knows a bit of China’s history and like to look at decorated gardens and lakes…) another day pick; as well as Temple of Heaven (complex of imperial religious)… But, pleaseee, Peking Duck should go on your list, FIRST!
in Tokyo:
Speedy trains and Sushi? Um, well, after passing the movie-crossing point (Shibuya Scramble Crossing) heading to the Buddhist Temples (Senso-ji is one of them)…then coming to the National Sumo Arena (Ryogoku Kokugikan)…Historical sites (Meiji Jingu, Imperial Palace, Tokyo National Museum, Ueno Park, Yoyogi Park)… If you here in March — June then, woah, I bet you would hunt for a tiny tinny spot at the Sakura garden (Warning : thats a blossoming season, good luck!)
P.S BIG city - big risk
Can go on and on about this topic, so you might tackle some phrases that i used too many times…
Matrix to combine cost and time would get in your head , in such a high-paced city how would it not?; Business running areas are full of ‘jumping’ pressure cost, day by day creeps on your mental rustiness.
‘big city — big risk’ but where this ‘risk’ would come. This would include public’s expectation tricks ( ‘red carpet’ tricks)…when respective folks flood you with compliments about your looks and talents. Easily traced. If not on high-class events, you must have had such experience at job interviews , at some auditions , and so forth, where at the end you get ‘… err thank you, we’ll call you’.
‘wow, you are champ!’ and blah blah.
That a total fraud and attempt to snuff you out of the race: expect you to burn out and crash while fulfilling their promising image of you.
“Family planing” — is another Big city downfall.
What would be your pick? Live in comfort or a family from payroll to payroll.
If you are in your 20s – 40s age group, living in the most high tech city, you more likely to choose the first ” live in comfort” this would lose a bit of pressure from everyday high-pace life.
“Big city — big cost, big loss”. Life in comfort equals corporate job and a few names in your business network…Um,”kids and family” is not on the list. Why so?
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