Day 6 & 7 - New Jersey & NYC
Yesterday was Sunday. We got to Uncle #5's place in New Jersey. (By the way, in case you were wondering, in Chinese, you call relatives by their relation title, not relation title and name, e.g. "Aunt" not "Aunt Doris". But if there are a lot of them--my dad has five brothers and sisters--you call them by birth order number. My dad is the second oldest, so I have no uncle #2).
Uncle #5's wife's family was visiting and they were going to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, so we got invited along. I felt bad for the guy on her side of the family who paid--there were 17 people there! And this was a fairly expensive place.
Anyway, I'm deliriously happy I finally met my cousins, Uncle #5's children, whom I'd never seen before. Kara, Ian and Laura are in the 10-5 years old range, and I haven't been to the east coast in more years than that. They are very cute and outgoing.
I also learned something I did not realize previously--they name me and all my cousins to match deliberately. I knew this was the case for our Chinese names because it is traditional. I did not know all the girls' English names end in "-ra" and boys' end in "-an" (though my brothers Edward and Howard don't fit this, I don't know why).
So I've been spending my time playing with my cousins. Also, we drove around New York City today, but never got out of the car, Uncle & Aunt #5 would just point out famous places. We did take the ferry out to the Statue of Liberty though, and then we had dinner at a Japanese sushi buffet restaurant, Mirado. My cousins asked me if I had a boyfriend, and I said no. My cousins also asked me, the previous night, what I wanted to be when I grew up. I guess they didn't realize I technically am sorta grown up. I decided to answer truthfully, and said, "A writer."
Picture time! Statue of Liberty from below. We did not go inside, but I had been inside before as a kid.
Next pic is me wearing a mask of Lady Liberty at the gift shop. Pretty scary.
Final pic is a view of the city from the ferry.
I may include pics of my cousins later, but only under protected security mode.
--Sandra
Uncle #5's wife's family was visiting and they were going to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, so we got invited along. I felt bad for the guy on her side of the family who paid--there were 17 people there! And this was a fairly expensive place.
Anyway, I'm deliriously happy I finally met my cousins, Uncle #5's children, whom I'd never seen before. Kara, Ian and Laura are in the 10-5 years old range, and I haven't been to the east coast in more years than that. They are very cute and outgoing.
I also learned something I did not realize previously--they name me and all my cousins to match deliberately. I knew this was the case for our Chinese names because it is traditional. I did not know all the girls' English names end in "-ra" and boys' end in "-an" (though my brothers Edward and Howard don't fit this, I don't know why).
So I've been spending my time playing with my cousins. Also, we drove around New York City today, but never got out of the car, Uncle & Aunt #5 would just point out famous places. We did take the ferry out to the Statue of Liberty though, and then we had dinner at a Japanese sushi buffet restaurant, Mirado. My cousins asked me if I had a boyfriend, and I said no. My cousins also asked me, the previous night, what I wanted to be when I grew up. I guess they didn't realize I technically am sorta grown up. I decided to answer truthfully, and said, "A writer."
Picture time! Statue of Liberty from below. We did not go inside, but I had been inside before as a kid.
Next pic is me wearing a mask of Lady Liberty at the gift shop. Pretty scary.
Final pic is a view of the city from the ferry.
I may include pics of my cousins later, but only under protected security mode.
--Sandra