New York

Dear Readers,
I had a chat with theokwek today - a real face-to-face chat! But it wasn't really fair because he wasn't feeling well at school, skipped PE and held me at knifepoint - in a dark, secluded place - such that i couldn't see his face, only his shadow. Still, i lived to tell the tale (i was saved by his throbbing headache, and couldn't see clearly enough to mince my meat) and here is his description of new York.
Adieu, and pray for my safety, as well as theokwek's health.
The Straight Times Editor

What is New York like?
Imagine Singapore, our very own garden city. Housing flats are interspersed with greened areas, schools, drains and parks litter the area. Even our city centre was originally an orchard, and holds true to the name with trees flanking every road.

Now take this same city. Rip out all the trees and transplant them in a neat rectangular area in the centre of the island, and call that Central Park. Double the height of every building, and double the concentration of skyscrapers. Place everything in neat rows and columns, call the rows streets and the columns avenues. Lastly, plant a traffic jam on every road and put buskers, street entertainers and art installations on every sidewalk and street corner. There's New York for you.

Oh, but its not so bad. In New York the streets run straight across Manhattan island, and the sea breeze (or river breeze, should i say) sweeps the length of the sidewalk. The city pulsates with an active, hungry interest for the arts, and the architecture of every building, design of every sculpture reflects this. Lively and humorous, the people show a resilience and energy which is seldom seen in tired, frustrated Singaporeans. Last but not least, this is the metropolitan centre of America, and is the hub for commerce, tourism, history and cultural activities on the continent. New York - a truly vibrant city that our Singapore has lots to learn from.