[NYC 2013] Day 9: Albany

DAY 9 (3 Nov 2013): Albany
- Visit to Troy, Albany via Amtrak
- Troy High School <3

When we heard about the bombing at Boston Marathon, we were sort of worried about our NYC trip, since it happened to coincide with the annual NYC Marathon. So we decided to make a side-trip to either Albany or Boston for reminiscing reasons. In the end we all decided to head off to Albany.

Background story (lol): Albany, Troy, NY was where my family and I stayed back in 2006-2007 for a year and a half when my parents decided to pursue their Master's degrees there. I was 15 at the time, and was enrolled in Troy High School. I still vividly remember all the details of my life there; all the high school classes (French I, French II, chemistry, Theatre Arts which was my favourite), all of the Malaysian/Muslim community friends there, all of the things that we did together, all of the side-trips we went to... obviously I miss it a lot, which was why I decided to go to Albany regardless of anything anyway. It just happened to coincide with the date of the NYC marathon, so I took the chance :)

I remembered during the first day of school when I was first enrolled as a sophomore (high school classification system in the US is weird); that I didn't know anything about basic elements in the periodic table in chemistry class and was told off for it ("You don't know any? Really? *disappointed*" hahaha really, we don't learn anything about chemistry until we're 16 in Malaysia); that biology was confusing and that we had to dissect a (dead) piglet; that I had to have a private session with my maths teacher at the time to catch up with the class material as soon as possible (it later became one of my best classes because har har I'm Asian); that I sat at someone else's chair in AP English class and had to move a seat and almost cried over it because I was scared and lonely okay shut up (ugh my worst memories of assholes were from this class I swear to God); that I absolutely loved French I (where I was also one of the best student, and I wish I'd continued taking French beyond French II once I was back in Malaysia)... and so on so forth.

But the thing I remembered the most about the first day of school was: the 9/11 Incident. Yes, it happened on my first day of school. Teachers and students would turn on the news on the TV in almost every single class where we would all watch in horror as the World Trade Center buildings collapsed in front of our eyes.

I remembered going to lunch soon afterwards and collapsed in tears for God knows what reason (climate change, new environment, no friends during lunch, the whole 9/11 incident, idek), and the teacher who was in charge of lunchtime at the time pulled me aside and asked me if I had any family in New York. I wasn't aware of anything at the time and I only remembered nodding in between sobs because I thought he meant if I had any family there with me in Troy at the time - only later did I realize he was actually asking me about the WTC Incident, and he was concerned if I had any family at the WTC at the time.

So yeah. It was a vivid memory for me. (There was actually no point to this, was there? Ha.)

Troy High School really, truly, and honestly shaped my entire outlook on life. I wish I was able to finish my senior year there to be honest, and pursued my degrees in the States. But alas, wishes turn into dreams.

But hey at least I got to go back a decade later and see my old "hometown" again :) It was an uneventful day for others, but for me it was like stepping back through time with a Tardis. Argh, I miss Albany a lot :( If given the chance to return back here with my whole family, I would take it up in a heartbeat.

There weren't a lot of pictures, so these are pictures of significant places where I spent a year and a half there :')

One of the families who are staying there. They've been so good to us :')

Our old (rented) house! Apparently it's been sold off to someone else.

The playground next to our house. I remember my siblings sledding down the slope downwards during snow time.

I remember walking down this path to make our way towards the "bus stop", which was less than 5 minutes away.

Doyle Middle School connecting to Troy High School. My French II classes were conducted in the middle school building for some reason or other.

Troy High School!!! The entrance is a bit different now... apparently they got lots of fundings after I left ;_; LOL I still remember the old bulky Macs I used in my telecom classes