Doses of New York

Wow.

So, after 15 years, I finally got to watch Autumn in New York (gasp), starring Richard Gere and Winona Ryder. I do remember my friend, Siony, watching it but I forgot with who (I have a feeling she watched it with Jan, her friend since high school from UP High). She was a Gere-natic, while my obsession fascination with New York manifested years years years later, so there was no mutual connection there.

It was a typical movie. A story involving a rich and older (late 40's) bachelor who took pleasure in his indulgences with different women and never thought of the word LOVE. Well, not until he met a young woman who captured his attention and gotten involved with her. But there's a catch to the relationship. She's sick with only a year to live at most and he, being a person who avoided longer entanglements, only offered her the present, until the relationship ends.

With the way their relationship was going, she hoped love was already a part of the equation. That failed when she learned he had sex with his ex on the rooftop of his friend's house on a Halloween Party, while she was in a room telling stories to three beautiful little girls. She got mad, called it off and led her life. He, also led his life, but not handling it well, being miserable without her.

On cue, J. Jackson's Got Til It's Gone starts playing...

Gosh, watch my eyes rolling. 

Eventually, they got back together and sweeter than before with him, recognizing he's in love. They lived happier, until she collapsed, brought to the hospital, operated but was not able to be saved by the best heart surgeon and eventually died.

Sure it was a heart wrenching movie. One that guaranteed to make it at the box office, with people being people, i.e. romantic, who loved a love story and a happy ending (at least they tried).

What really drove home for me, was that he was clear from the beginning what he could offer her, the present of their relationship. He gave her the options to back away or get involve with him with no strings attached. See, there's no mistake and hope of forever. It's more realistic to me. No leading on from either parties. But then, when you decide to commit yourself to someone, you sign up for everything it will be, all the good and the bad, the present or the future. It's pretty much understood without verbally expressing it to just enjoy the moment. This is the part where we all go wrong, I think. And I will leave it at that. Lol.

So, besides the drama, the best part really was that it showed New York City. Woot. I fancy going there. Everytime I watched movies shoot in New York City, my heart just... FLIPPED. I have a feeling I am just really amazed with the crowd and can you imagine not being able to experience being in the city that never sleeps?

Here are the movies that I watched so far set in dazzling, dynamic NYC:

1. Julie & Julia                                          16. Black Swan
2. The Devil Wears Prada                        17. The Proposal
3. New York Minute                                 18. Confession Of A Shopaholic
4. New Year's Eve                                   19. The Mirror Has Two Faces
5. Maid in Manhattan                                20. Stepmom
6. Serendipity                                           21. You've Got Mail
7. Definitely Maybe                                  22. Cruel Intentions
8. Kate & Leopold                                    23. Coyote Ugly
9. Breakfast At Tiffany's                          24. Head Over Heels
10. Save The Last Dance                          25. Two Weeks Notice
11. Step Up                                               26. How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days
12. Ghost                                                   27. Sex and The City
13. Eat Pray Love                                      28. P.S. I Love You
14. Home Alone                                        29. The Terminal
15. Sleepless in Seattle                             30. 27 Dresses

Oh gadd, I could go on and on and on. But let's not forget the TV Series (well, the ones I managed to watch at least):

1. Sex and The City                                   6. Will and Grace
2. Gossip Girl                                            7. 24
3. CSI New York                                       8. Ugly Betty
4. The Nanny                                             9. Mad Men
5. Friends                                                  10. 2 Broke Girls

Also, books. But shucks, this is shameful, I can only think of two. I NEED to do something about it:

1. Bergdorf Blondes by Plum Sykes
2. The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger

Hey, if you have the time, please check this page: http://www.humansofnewyork.com/. The photographer, Brandon Stanton, tells a New Yorker's story. What makes it compelling for me is that, he helps facilitate donation drives for less funded schools, because yes, everyone deserves the access to education. He is able to bring people from all over the world together. If you want to witness humanity (agnostics, christians, bashers, etc.) coming together, you will find it in this page. He was commissioned by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon to show the other side of Iran, Syria, Sudan--the side that shows humanity and that they're not all cloaked in violence and hatred. Brandon manages to highlight the ordinary people(and make them extraordinary) and makes famous people (Katy Perry, Ariana Rockeffeller, Derek Jeter...check the photos from The Met Gala 2015) reachable to HONY's followers. Ok, enough. Just check for yourself! Hahaha.

Is not that awesome, doing something for the good of others? Hart. Hart.

Oh, by the way, HONY has published Humans of New York and Little Humans, and Humans of New York: The Stories will be out by October. So, anyone who's feeling generous to a total stranger on Christmas? I would be divinely happy to be that stranger. Hahaha.

Also, if you purchase a ticket for my flight, let me arrive on a freaking awesome night with the full moon rising. Why? Because I just can't get this over my head and I want to live it out:

When you get caught between the moon and New York City...

 Yo, Christopher Cross! You ruined me for life.

Just to give you a glimpse of how New York has been a running joke among my family and friends (I really got a strong support system for this, lol), here's a note from a friend (and I got several of this from others but unfortunately they're back in the province, in my shoe box of stuffs):

This was attached on a white chocolate bar as a parting gift when I went home to the Philippines. See, my name sounded Yankee-ish. FYI: "Hey, Jo!" is how we, Filipinos, especially kids, greet Caucasians and it does not matter what nationality as long as the person is white and yes, it's reserved for males. Dunno if it's good or bad that "Jo" is part of my name. Maybe I should just confess that I'm really a boy.

Do you want some water? In case you're reading this entry out loud and your throat's dried up?

Or perhaps you need a plastic bag? In case you have the urge to throw up? Lol.

They said to speak your dream/s out loud. Better, write and advocate it for the whole world to read.

I should start wearing sunglasses from hereon. To avoid paparazzi.

So, now...

Start spreading the news...

I want to be a part of it...