THE AMBASSADOREOS TAKE MANHATTAN!

        For our first full day in New York, Oreo scheduled a City Tour for the Philippine AmbassadOREOS. We were treated to a driving tour around the Big Apple, passing by some of the city's most significant landmarks. 

       Honestly, this wasn't my first time in New York. I had been to there before, but only for the day. I have relatives in Delaware, and when we would visit them, my Uncle would drive us up there to check out the sights. He wasn't too sure what building was what, so we never really learned anything about the historical significance of the structures. Since we had a true blue native New Yorker by the name of Sylvia as our tour guide, this was a wonderful opportunity for us to learn more about one of the greatest cities on earth!





        Of course, before getting started, AmbassadOREO Jennifer had to begin the day by bestowing on Sylvia and Oreo Braceletthat she and Jasmin prepared for the trip! As you'll see in the upcoming posts, the bracelets became an international sensation. 

  What snacks do the AmbassadOREOS take with them for the tour?

Take one good guess!

NEW YORK CITY TOUR
      

         We started off by passing by the nearby Times Square. At night, the place is filled with the strangest, yet most memorable characters you'll ever meet. There's a crowd gathered around the plaza hoping to have their face shown on the Giant billboard for their 15 seconds of fame!

   I would have loved to been able to watch a Knicks vs. the Lakers game at the Madison Square Garden, but sadly, it was the off season and there weren't even any pre-season games just yet.  

            We passed by The Dakota, which is the building where John Lennon was killed. In fact, the spot you see in the photograph is the actual spot where the Beatles legend was shot. Pretty cool, and creepy at the same time. 

          Though it was only September, the American Museum of Natural History seemed to be ready for Halloween.

           We weren't able to go down, but we managed to pass by the iconic, Washington Square Park. 

       A must See sight in New York is definitely the Flat Iron Building. Completed in 1902, the odd, triangular shape and classic design has helped the Flat Iron Building become one of New York's historical landmarks. 

The AmbassadOREOS with their father, Edgar. 

I couldn't help but sneak in a little kiss hehe

           For Rina and I, one of the highlights of our trip to New York was our short stop in front of this building, located at the Corner of Grove and Bedford at the Greenwich Village. 

       By chance, do you recognize it? 

         Rina and I are two of the biggest Friends EVER, so we were starstruck to find ourselves standing right in front of the building which was supposed to be Monica's apartment. We stood there for a couple of minutes absolutely speechless. We never really admitted it to each other, but we were secretly hoping that Rachel or Joey would all of a sudden walk out of the building.     (I know they're not real, but I can dream, can't I?)

     In case you were wondering, Sorry, that isn't the famous "Central Perk" on the ground floor. Instead its a quaint little restaurant by the name of "The Little Owl".

THE STATUE OF LIBERTY

             We made our way to the docks to visit perhaps THE MOST Iconic landmark in New York.. The Statue Of Liberty. With the other tourists, we boarded a ferry that would take us around the New York Harbor.  
         


         Our Oreo shirts and jackets got a great response from the crew, who kept asking if we had extra ones! 

          And just like that, we were off to see Lady Liberty herself! 

Not even the strong winds could bring us down!

The Ambassadoreos took a moment to bond with their dad

 before getting to the Statue..

And me, I tried my best to fit in with the other New Yorkers. 

             Finally, we got an amazing view of the majestic Statue of Liberty. Even if you had seen it before, the grandness of it will never fail to captivate you.  

              AmbassadOREO Jennifer did her own "Oreo Version" of the Statue..

Complete with Milk and Cookies!!

In Celebration of Freedom and Liberty... and the kid inside us all! 

           As the boat headed back to shore, Jennifer spotted an exhausted crew member catching his breathe by the concession stand. She offered him an Oreo, and his face just beamed up! If that wasn't childlike delight on his face, I don't know what is!

      We all gathered at the back of the boat to enjoy the breeze one last time. 

       Whenever someone would ask the AmbassadOREOS where they were from, they would proudly whip out their flags and announce, "From The Philippines!".

        During the course of the trip, The Public Announcer told us a story about how the ferry ride is a popular place for men to propose to their girlfriends (I'm assuming it's because they don't have to worry about them jumping off and escaping). 

     So as we docked the hopeless romantic inside me decided to ask Rina to be mine all over again. What better way to do it then by sharing my Oreo with her?   

    Not giving her the entire pack, mind you. Just sharing it with her. Hehe.

THE HIGH LINE

        After our boat ride, We took a stroll down the High Line, which is a public park built on a historic freight rail line, elevated above the streets of Manhattan's West Side. 

    

If you look hard enough, 

you can still see the actual railroad tracks around the area

The Sarmiento Family enjoying a little breather at the High Line..

Chelsea Market

         Our stroll down the High Line took us to the famed Chelsea Market! Words cannot describe my elation upon seeing the stores upon stores of delicious baked goods and gourmet items.. But since we were on the clock, I didn't really have time to sample them... Sniff.. But no worries.. we want back another day :) 

       What Oreo Brand Manager Nano Betita was really excited to see, was the vintage Oreo Mural! 

      
     You see, Chelsea Market is actually the birthplace of the Oreo Cookie, since it used to be the where the factory of the Nabisco company, which was eventually bought by KRAFT. 

       It was amazing to see the old Nabisco Memorabilia, and how it was showcased at Chelsea Market! A great part of American History. 

ROCKEFELLER CENTER

      To get a breathtaking view of the City, we headed off to the observation deck, also known as "The Top Of The Rock"!

       Going up to the observation deck, make sure to look up! A short video will play on the see through ceiling of the Elevator, and it's quite the spectacle. 

          When we got to the observation deck, we entered a room that had multi colored lights attached to the ceiling. The lights seemed to follow you around and change colors! It was actually pretty cool hehe

I got a stunning view of Central Park. I didn't realize how huge it was!

Rina kept looking for the Chrysler Building. 

The AmbassadOREOS with their Dad,

 enjoying the view of the Empire State building

            Afterwards, the tour came to an end, but Rina and I decided to stay a little bit longer.. So we could visit the NBC Store!

        Since we had just visited the apartment, we were still on a Friends high.. We ended up buying quite a bit of Friends Merchandise!

We also got a taste of what it would be like to be a judge on The Voice!

Adam Levine? More like Adam Latrine hehe

  The Tour of the city was amazing. The architecture alone of the buildings of New York city will leave you spellbound. I'm so glad We got to, not only see the sights, be learn about the City itself. (Did you know it's pronounced "How-Ston", not "Hyoo-stun"?)

Thank you again, Oreo!!

On a more serious note, Rina and I pray for everyone in New York,

 especially our friends and relatives that were affected by Hurricane Sandy.