Day Trip into New York 2019

A non-standard photo of the World Trade Center and memorial in day and night.
The view from our Residence Inn hotel room.
While Erin was at her meetings, Albert, Curie, and Elia went to Chinatown. Not shown, we went to Bento Sushi in the morning but did not buy anything. Later that day, we went back to get lunch and the woman asked when we changed their dresses. She had noticed us and remembered us.
We can’t get good xiao long bao in the DMV, so if we come to NYC, we go to Joe’s Ginger (we used to go to John’s Shanghai until it closed). Think Din Tai Fung without the frou frou.
We had dessert at the first place they ever did the rolled ice cream in the US. The kids loved it, look at how excited Elia is.
We’ve been cooped up all winter and getting out reminded us of who we are, people who don’t like the rut and people who like to get out and about. Not shown, ramen, sushi, curry, curry pan, chocolate cake, late night pizza, dried squid, and 5 dumplings for $1.50.
Oh and pictures of buildings. Which one is not like the other?

We rushed back to VA for a birthday party at 5:00 PM which we just made thanks to Erin’s driving. The party was next to Peter Chang’s so we went in to see what the hype was about. Turns out we used to eat at one of his earlier restaurants TemptAsian which was just okay. The food felt like it catered to the American foodie crowd, but the Big Bun (basically the giant soup dumpling you drink with a straw) and the bubble scallion pancakes made it a memorable experience.

From Facebook

Okay, anyone who has known me for the last twenty years knows I have been a loyal SPG member with 14 years of Platinum status, but when the loyalty plan merged with Marriott I only had 482 nights, enough for lifetime gold but not lifetime platinum (you needed 10 years of Platinum and 500 nights). I was so sad that I actually stopped going to Sheratons because I was told that the club lounge was only for Platinum’s and I was now just a lifetime gold.

Imagine my surprise when I opened my account and found that I was made lifetime Platinum Elite in the new world order (this might just be the gold lifetime equivalent, but don’t burst my bubble). So there is a Titanium and Ambassador ahead of me, but at least now I don’t have to fight for 25 stays a year anymore (and now 50 nights). A little good news was welcome. Thank you Bonvoy!

I hope the rest of you point counters had similar successes in your respective tiers. Scott Messing, Eric Larsen, Josh Ford, Michael Edward,Amjed Saffarini, Josh Levenson, Edward P. Chen, Sarah Kim, Maximillian Yang, George Hsin – also I understand that there is a 1 to 3 conversion between SPG to Bonvoy on points so that 208K is not that many points – I haven’t had to travel as much in the past few years. BTW I had taken a screenshot but it became a giant picture on FB that was obnoxious, so I took it off. And sorry to all of you who have rolled your eyes at this post, it was strangely important to me.

Erin Stewart Chen This made me super happy. The number of times that we’ve rushed at the end of the year to fit in that one last stay!