The Roaming Minds

The  Central Park  in New York City (NYC) is the most visited park in the world, with more than 37 million visitors each year. It is also the third  most visited  tourist attraction globally after Las Vegas Strip (Nevada, USA) and Times Square, also in NYC. When there are tourists, there is money. Here are the different ways ordinary people take advantage of the crowd to make money in this famous tourist destination using creativity and enticement. 1. The  crowd-pleaser . A group of friends perform and amuse the audience through their comedies and interactions. Probably the most crowd-drawer, they ask for donations from the people and announce the amount they give.  2. The  food vendor . They sell almost everything from different foods to drinks and desserts! The one in the picture is located near the crowd. You can also find food truck vendors right outside the park, usually at the entrances and exits.  3. The  horse-carriage driver . With r...

I was in my fourth month as a newly-married man in 2001 when one night in the Philippines, I learned in a CNN breaking news that the Twin Towers in New York City collapsed due to terrorist attacks. The September 11 tragedy impacted the U.S. and the world on immigration and the war on terrorism and brought many enduring legacies. While  the internet is ubiquitous with horrible images depicting the turn of events at Ground Zero during 9/11,   many of today's generations are unaware of what happened. Today, on the 20th anniversary of the bombings, we had the opportunity to revisit the historic site and commemorate the lives of those who perished.   The Oculus: The transportation and shopping hub near the 911 Memorial. People visiting the Memorial emerge from this magnificent architecture. The entrance to the 911 Memorial grounds (left). The crowd flock to the pools (right). The 9/11 Memorial and Museum estimates a daily average of 9,000 visitors from all 50 states and 1...

We had no planned activity during the Labor Day weekend of 2021. Luckily, we had a few family friends who invited us to join them for out-of-state camping to celebrate a birthday. We already tried camping several times with these families and other family friends before, and we enjoyed it a lot. Therefore, it was not a hard decision to join them, plus we thought it's another opportunity to recharge from work and city life. During our three-day encampment, we experienced different things for the first time. Rustic cabin 82 We rented a  rustic cabin . Previously, we always pitched our tent. If you have been into camping, you know how time-consuming to set up and dismantle a tent. As a result, my wife and I chose to pay for a cabin than spending our time and efforts setting up. Our cottage has a queen bed, bunk bed, and a sofa bed with mattresses to accommodate six persons. We brought our beddings and pillows. There were only three of us, so we had plenty of space. It also has a micro...

We have never anticipated living in Manhattan. However, due to my wife's obligation with the federal government in exchange for the full-ride doctorate scholarship she received, she ended up finding a job in the city. Since then, my family began living between the state of Maryland and The City of New York, which is composed of five boroughs (town or district): Manhattan, Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island. We found the city very exciting and interesting. It has provided us with many opportunities and experiences that we would not have had if we were only tourists. So far, here are some of the perks we have experienced by living in the city that never sleeps. Moynihan Station Riding Amtrak weekly. Riding the Amtrak train is the most economical, convenient, and fastest way to get to the city. We can sleep, use our gadgets, finish work-related assignments, or simply enjoy the views outside the train while traversing through bridges, cities, neighborhoods, or the woods in the...

My children and I love home-cooked foods made by my wife. She is an expert who can cook multicultural foods, such as Filipino and a few Korean, Indian, Vietnamese, and Mexican cuisines. We were all dependent on her when it came to meals.  That situation changed when she started working out of state, and my daughter left for college. I've never learned from my wife how to cook. Now that she is not with us during weekdays, I must prepare meals for my teenage son and myself to survive. Thanks to video calls, the internet, and my fear of starvation, I learned to cook fried rice. Not a typical one because I can change the flavor by adding a different key ingredient. I can also enhance its nutritive value by adding more and different vegetables and spices. In this blog, I will share the recipe for  salmon-veggie fried rice . Ingredients 3 tablespoons butter, divided 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 medium-sized white or red onion, sliced salt and black pepper garlic powder 1 teaspoon sesam...

The Little Island in New York City is the newest attraction free to the public, thanks to the philanthropic efforts of a billionaire couple. It opened on May 21, 2021, and visitors started pouring in to experience what this man-made island has to offer. My wife and I visited the place in July 2021. Here are our takeaways. Historic location . Pier 54 was originally the place where the boats of the infamous Titanic tragedy survivors had docked. The British Lusitania ocean liner also departed from this pier, only to be sunk by a German submarine that killed more than a thousand passengers and crew during World War I. Time . The public space is open daily from 6:00 AM onwards, 365 days rain or shine unless there is a severe weather condition. You must register online if you are planning to visit starting at 12:00 PM and onwards. Registration is not required between 6:00 AM and 12:00 PM. There is no time limit to stay. If you want to avoid the crowd, go there in the morning. Don't forge...