Yeoh Siew Hoon
Technically, this isn't a postcard from Asia because I am writing it in New York. It's been a cold weekend, thanks to a arctic storm blowing in from Alaska. The United Airlines captain on the flight from Los Angeles told us upon landing it'd be "toasty."
I think he rather relished saying it.
I have to say, it's a bigger pleasure to leave L.A. than to enter it -- airport-wise, that is. Arriving at the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX is like a nightmare out of a bad Hollywood movie.
The immigration officer had the appearance of someone who hated his job. I suspect he's an out-of-work Hollywood actor toiling in immigration to pay the bills. His name was Vong and he looked like one of those Asian-American hunks who play bad guy roles in movies like "Fast & Furious."
Customs is a bad joke. Planeloads of passengers, both connecting and exiting, jammed into four lanes. "Never connect in LAX," I remind myself. Someone tries to get into the express lane only to be shouted at by a woman, "Did you buy the $100 express ticket online?"
But once that part is over and done with, it's a pleasure to be back in the U.S. of A. The biggest pleasure is how easy it is to move around as an independent traveller these days.
Blacklane, the online limousine service, works like a charm. I used them for both my LAX and Kennedy airport transfers. I like that you know exactly where your driver is even before your plane touches down and you can communicate directly with him like he's your friend.
Around both L.A. and New York, I used Uber and, again, how easy is that? It is the same app I use in Singapore: instant booking, cashless payment.
Uber has really changed the way a visitor can enjoy Los Angeles, in particular, because that's a city made for driving, not walking. I found myself venturing beyond my hotel zone a lot more than I had during my previous visit there four years ago.
I like how the Old Bank District in downtown Los Angeles is being gentrified and how life is moving back to the city at night. I visited the port area, as well, and had lunch at the Factory Kitchen, whose Italian creations are both original and delicious. Even after a week, I'm still thinking of their almond pesto ravioli.
The Old Bank District gentrification seems to be a global trend: the revitalizing of old dock areas. It has happened in Cardiff, Wales. It's happening in Belfast and Auckland, New Zealand. And in Singapore, Sir Stamford Raffles would be shocked to see how the spot he landed on all those years ago has been completely changed.
In New York, the driver who drove me to Greenwich Village said Uber has changed his life.
"There's always demand," he said. "No need for cash payments, and we know exactly where the client is."
This was a driver after my own heart, because he recommended a couple of good places to eat in the Village: the Standard Grill for Sunday brunch and the Dublin for the best toffee sticky pudding. Personally, I prefer the recommendations of locals over reviews from strangers on TripAdvisor or Yelp.
In L.A., I stayed at the JW Marriott Los Angeles LA Live, which suits the L.A. experience: It's big, flashy and loud. In the hood are the Staples Center, where there is always some kind of sports event going on, and the Nokia Theatre, which has hosted more than a few American Idol finales.
I wanted to go for a walk the first night, but local friends said, "Don't walk north or west, and don't go beyond three blocks."
New York, though, is made for walking. I am staying at the Blakely, which I booked with Expedia. I wanted a small, nonbranded hotel, something that reflected the character of the city, and the Blakely is as charming and personal as it appeared on the Web.
It is also located in Times Square, which is where I wanted to be.
On my first day here, my New York friend asked me what I wanted to see and do. I said, "I want to feel New York."
And so I did. I walked a lot. I went to the Village and walked on the High Line to Chelsea, where I popped into an Irish pub, Maggie Reilly, and struck up a conversation with Les. He's a retired civil engineer who dreams of taking a holiday in Asia but is happy with his annual vacations in the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica.
And, of course, I got my fill of entertainment. In one day, I caught the matinee performance of "The Real Thing," the Tom Stoppard play featuring Ewan MacGregor and Maggie Gyllenhaal, followed by "The Book of Mormon" that night, which made me split my sides laughing.
After the show, I popped into Birdland, the jazz club on 44th Street, and caught singer Kathryn Allison.
All of this you can only do in New York.
Yeoh Siew Hoon, editorial director of Northstar Travel Media Asia, is the founder and editor of Web in Travel, a content and community platform for online travel professionals in the Asia-Pacific region.