mlbk888's VirtualTourist Home Page

New York to me is a city of great contrast. While I often had to put up with the aggressiveness and insolence of its people, all comes to grace when a kindly New Yorker offers me some form of assistance in whatever little way. For example, a bus captain who gave me clear instructions on how to get to the Metropolitan Museum and did it all with a welcoming smile - he made my day and I was ready to change my first 'unfavourable' impression of the city.

But once you are accustomed to the New York 'attitude', the city sort of grows on you as it did me. New York with its little pockets of parks and gardens and different districts each offering very distinctive flavours add up to make this metropolis a most atmospheric city for visitors, especially me.

My favourite walking areas include the East Village, Soho, Greenwich Village, Chinatown, Washington Square. You will know what I mean from the picture above.

Truly one of my favourite places on earth. The majority of its population being practising Buddhists, are slow to anger and careful not to offend. This makes for easy living in this country whose main religion preaches tolerance and self-sacrifice. The performance of good deeds has become for its denizens a lifestyle rather than just occasional acts of kindness. This is why, I find Thailand to be one of the most livable countries in the world.

The country and its people never fails to charm me. The land of smiles lures me, beckons me to visit it again and again.