Times Square

Every year as the clock nears midnight on December 31st, the eyes of the world turn to the dazzling lights and bustling energy of Times Square. One million people squeezed themselves in absolutely freezing wintery conditions in Times Square just to have the privilege of seeing the famous New Year's Eve Ball descends from the flagpole atop One Times Square. One of my friends was at the 2005 countdown and she had to squeeze into Times Square at 4 pm and then stood there like a freezing idiot for 8 straight hours. You cannot leave the square, even if go to the toilet, because if you do, someone will immediately take your standing spot. So freezing your ass off with no food and unable to go to the toilet, just to see the New Year's Eve Ball drop? HELL YEAH.

I am tempted to go NY for the New Year Eve countdown to 2009. But it is something which one should only do with close friends of like-minded travelling companions.



Times Square today is the most energetic square in the world. There is a lot of ceaseless movement here. But the funny thing here is that, you feel that you can simply turn around and talk to a stranger next to you. In all the cities I have been to, this is the only city which I have the feeling. In Sydney, Tokyo, London, Bangkok, Istanbul and Beijing, if you turn around and speak to a stranger, you would probably get stared at and then receive an ass-whopping as a welcome.

Bright lights at Times Square.


And without a doubt, the star attraction at Times Square is the Naked Cowboy.

The Naked Cowboy is an American busker famous for playing his trade in Times Square. His routine consists of playing guitar wearing only cowboy boots, a hat, and a pair of briefs, with the guitar strategically placed to give the illusion of nudity. I was told that sometimes, there used to be a Naked Cowgirl but alas, no luck.

Glad to see a women who is so enthusiastic that she spent the whole time on her knees taking picture of his ass.