If you can go anywhere you like at the moment, where would you wanna go?

There would be times when the class gets sooo boring during high school (it'll usually be either a BM class, or History for me HAHA sorry :P), when my best friends and I decided to skip it. I know, the head girl and the head of disciplinary bureau skip class?? What the heck right?? hahahaha But like emm, we were still high school students at that time, and being superficial ALL THE FRIGGIN' time is FRIGGIN' tiring, so cut us some slaaaaack.. haha :P So yeaa, we skip class sometimes, and we would either go to 'bilik wudu' ' (cause the room is very cooling, clean, and only girls are aloud in there, more privacy hahah) or this small pond behind block D where somebody was breeding guppies lol. We would sit together, and talk. Talk about our problems, family matters, our past, and of course, our future. I've always been the 'what if' question-er lol. To me, its kinda nice to actually listen to other thoughts, and understand them. It gives me the vague illusion of the whole picture ya know.. So one day, this particular question came up, of course, from me lol.

Me: Korang, if you can go anywhere at this very moment, korang nak gi mane? Or say in the future ke.. Where would you wanna live your life?

Syakirah: I don't really mind, but I would prefer somewhere peaceful, macam a small town, by the beach or something. Macam Australia ke..

Syahirah: I wanna go back to Paris kot. Jumpe balek my relatives there, my friends :)
Elissa: Hmmm aku nak stay Malaysia, I like it here, and I love my country. I wanna be near my family jugak semua..

Syahirah: How about you, Yasmin?

Me: New York City.

And if that question were to be asked now, I'd still answer the same thing. New York City. Call me a poser, take me as a person who doesn't love her country, but i've been there, lived there, and regardless of how things might not be the same, I love it there. I love the place, I love the weather, I love the air, I love the people.. I love New York City :) I love Malaysia, too, don't get me wrong. Its just that, I miss that place soo much, and I've been missing it for too long already, so YES, I'D LOVE TO GO TO NYC AGAIN!! hahahahahaha :P

I used to live on this island back in NYC, its called The Roosevelt Island. Its not an island with the beach coast skirting its perimeter, no lol. But it is surrounded by the East River, and thats where you get an island, in between Manhattan and Queens. Its not a huge island, so you can actually take a bike ride from one end to the other, and it'll only take you like 20 to 30 minutes. In this picture, Roosevelt Island would be the island in the middle, under the Queensboro Bridge (U'll see a lot of this particular bridge in movies)

On the Island, we live in 20 River Road. Its one of the Manhattan Park buildings opposite Gristedes (our supermarket). There are 4 Manhattan Park buildings, 10, 20, 30, and 40 River Road, and in the middle of these buildings is a small, shady, and peaceful park where you'd always see fluffy squirrels carrying acorn lol. I remembered we had to make a model of our dream town out of clay in 6th grade, and that was where we gathered to create it. In winter, that area will be covered with snow, and thats where my sister, my friends, and I would come down and build snowmen.. hmm :)

The 3rd picture on your right is a picture of 20 River Road, the building i used to live in. The building to your left is 10 River Road, and the trees in the middle would be the park i mentioned earlier. A picture of the park is shown in the 2rd photograph on your right. I think it was took in the earlier days of Manhattan park coz the trees aren't as big as how they were when I got there, which was about 10 years ago. Imagine how they may be now lol. Gristedes is our supermarket, opposite my building. The building at the far end is 40 River Road. My best friend Rabia who was from Pakistan used to live there. I have another best friend, Sue Menon, who lives in 30 River Road, the building next to mine, which is the 2nd building in the 2rd picture. Everyday around 5, or sometimes 3 ish to 4, it depends really since they don't really have a fix time for sunset unlike here in Malaysia due to its position on the globe lol, all of us, plus another 6 to 7 kids would come down with out scooters (the kind that has two wheels, and you push it with your leg haha mine was a red 'razor', and i still have it), and a ball to play.

We play all sorts of games. Make no mistake about it lol. Behind 30 River Road, next to the pool is where we would play baseball. Yup, I used to play baseball hahaha I was no great batter, but i can definitely run bases. Baseball would be played if Sid Menon or Sue Menon comes down to play with their baseball bat. As for the ball, we would usually go with a normal tennis ball hahaha :P Another game would be 'kick ball'. Theres an area in between 20 and 30 river road with 4 lamp posts. Kick ball is very similar to baseball, where you'd have to run bases, but instead of batting the ball, you kick the ball haha and we'd usually use my scooby rubber ball for that :) Some of the days, when nobody brings a ball, we'd go with the traditional 'hide and seek tag' game. I love hide and seek tag.. hahaha and since you can actually hide ANYWHERE in Manhattan park, the game can be dragged till its time to go home. I would usually hide with Sid Menon, and Sid tends to cheat a lot. We would hide on the 2nd floor haha which we shouldn't be hiding. Sometimes, we would hide in people's yard, in the laundry rooms, behind bushes$ at the concierge counter haha, Gristedes! Anywhere!! lol. Funny huh.. There's a sand box behind 20 River Road with monkey bars as well, and there was this time where we just LOVE to play there. Sandra Sirp, Farhana, and I would usually go there, and we'd hang on the monkey bars until its time to go home. I used to be very very flexible haha we did all kind of flips on those bars, and I ain't kidding. We've jumped from bar to bar both hands! OH i miss those days.. During autumn, there will be a soccer league held in Octagon park. The park is behind 40 river road, and there's a soccer field. Yes, there are a lot of parks on Roosevelt Island lol. I would usually go watch my friends play soccer, and specifically had my eyes on this guy i used to have a crush on. His name was Rafik, an Algerian with grey eyes.. He's by far the most handsome looking crush I've ever had. But I don't think I'd see him the same way if i were to see him now. Anyway, he was player number 12. LOL. And thats when I started to like number 12 initially. Pathetic, I know.. And i could switch with any other number now, but like I decided to keep 12 as my favourite just to remind me how wonderful life was then :) During summer mornings, Rabia, her sisters, and I would take a bike ride to the lighthouse. There's a lighthouse at one end of the Island, and its very peaceful there.. With the open space, and wind in your face, plus the sound of rushing waters hitting the black rocks.. And the seagulls flapping their wings, enjoying the morning ray.. its just a splendid way to spend a summer morning. There would be this one spot by the river where we would stop, and wait for a speed boat. Coz when there's a speed boat, the waves would be huge, huge enough to go over the railings haha We'd wait for that huge wave, to get the splash of water on us lol. hmm.. :)
So the first picture on your right here would be the sand box, followed by the spot where we would wait for the speed boats, and then the Octagon park where the soccer matches are held, the four lamp-post where we would play 'kickball', and last but not least, the light house :)

During winter, we would occupy most of our time doing indoor activities. I took pottery classes where I was taught to make pots out of clay lol. It was fun! I also took up karate at my school but i didn't get to finish it. I only made up to green belt and then i had to go back to Malaysia. Sometimes, we would just chill at the Island's library. My pottery class, and the library is situated on Main Street. A bit further from Manhattan Park, where my home was, but its definitely within walking distance. After the River Road buildings, would be where my school was. PS/IS 217 The Roosevelt Island School. I did my 5th, 6th and a bit of 7th grade there. I love school. I love the students, and teachers, the staffs. hmmph.. After the school, would be where the Main Street houses are. There are a row of shops, a pizza restaurant, the library, a thrift shop, a hair salon, a small grocery store where i would usually go to buy chocolates lol, the youth center and a number of other things. You'll find the church there as well. They actually filmed a horror movie here once, I forgot what its called, but it is a remake of a Jap horror movie where there's this ghost of a kid wanting the mom of another kid to be her mom. Dark water? or somethin' like that. At the other end of the Island is where the tram station is, and the subway station. Its where the RIOC swimming pool area is as well, where i would go for my swimming lessons in the winter.. HAHAHAHA SEJUK GILER KOT. So the first picture here is a view of Main Street, and the bottom picture would be my school.

Theres a lot more to share about this place, and I shall do that from time to time. But whatever it is, its such a lovely place to grow up in, and I might be too selfish to dream this, but I'd love my children to experience their childhood in a lovely place, with lovely people as how I had experienced mine. It doesn't necessarily have to be the same place (but if its up to me, I seriously DO NOT MIND living here and raise them here lol), it doesn't necessarily have to be the same way, but i hope it'll be as meaningful as how I see my childhood is uptil today.

I hope I'll see this place again someday.