Big Disappointment in the Big Apple

As I’ve mentioned before, this school year has been a rolling list of disappointments for Nathan. One of those has been the fact that the choir tour destination was New York and the men’s choir (the only choir option for sophomore men) is not invited to participate. Sophomore women get to go, just not the men. New York has been at the top of Nathan’s bucket list for years so this was a low blow to him.

In January one of the normal hired accompanists became unable to go on tour for health reasons. The choir teacher, recently having discovered Nathan’s stellar piano and sight-reading skills, extended to him the opportunity to go on tour as an accompanist. Nathan was thrilled, of course. At last! Something positive for the school year!

Nathan got home from tour today, and honestly, it was just another huge disappointment for him. The choir teacher was the chaperone for his group and because of his way of handling things, Nathan didn’t get to do or see hardly anything. He went to the Statue of Liberty and didn’t even get to see the statue from the front, just the side. He spent about two seconds on the observation deck at the base and that was it. He didn’t get to go to Ellis Island at all. There was no sightseeing, no Empire State Building, no Metropolitan Museum of Art, no Natural History Museum, no even any shopping for souvenirs. He did get to see one Broadway show but because the chaperone (he swapped chaperone groups for this one) got lost and refused to use google maps to help find their way, he was late for that and didn’t get to buy his show shirt. He didn't even get to eat hardly any local cuisine. His group only wanted to eat at the familiar chain restaurants. (Apparently the New York Chick-fil-a tastes exactly like the Utah Chick-fil-a.) The only exception to that was a dinner at a real Italian restaurant, run buy Italians where the kids were yelled at in Italian...so the real deal.

There were really only a few highlights in his week. First of all, he got to play a Steinway in an amazing cathedral. At the choir competition held in the cathedral, there were awards given to groups and five awards given to individual students-three vocalists and two accompanists. Nathan, the only sophomore man on tour and a last-minute accompanist, received one of those awards! He was completely shocked and so excited. It was a happy moment for me as well because not only am I an enormously proud mom, but it was a high point for his trip and something good to take away from a trip that was overwhelmingly disappointing. Another positive event of his week was getting to walk the Brooklyn Bridge. He really enjoyed that excursion.

After a week in New York, all he came home with were a few posters purchased from a street vendor at the Brooklyn Bridge, one amazing award, a few pencils and pins, and a snow globe. We’re going to let him get online and order his show shirt and any other souvenirs he wants, but it’s just not the same and I know it. And both Kevin and I wish we were rolling in money so we could book a flight right now and take him back to do New York the right way.

"Give My Regards To Broadway . . ." (New York-Day 9)

After an adventure filled week, we are finally on our way home. We spent the morning in a marathon packing session (yes, we did in fact manage to get everything we bought home) and then headed to the airport. We ate lunch at the airport in a restaurant past the security check point, so we ordered our very last cheesecake to go and brought it home (I shared mine with Kev since he didn't get to eat cheesecake every day while I was gone). In summation, let me list some things I learned while in New York:

1. Life is short, eat dessert first.
2. Especially if it's cheesecake.
3. Some of the best cheesecake I've ever had in my life can be found at the Magnolia Bakery in Manhattan.
4. In general, New Yorkers are much nicer than they get credit for. Yes, there are scary people to, but strangers frequently stopped to give us directions, help us find what we were looking for, and give us tips on how to stay safe.
5. Once you learn how to read the map, the subway can get you just about anywhere. But wear comfy shoes just the same. There is still a lot of walking involved.
6. The Bronx is freakin' scary!
7. To quote Rocky, the drunk homeless guy, concerning the nature of public transportation, "It comes when it comes!"
8. Dumpsters are nice. I much prefer them to the mountains of trash piled on the sidewalks of Manhattan each night. Coming out of the theater after an evening performance was a smellerific experience.
9. Salt Lake is an itty bitty, teeny tiny city. In fact, it's really just a wide spot in the road. And I'm okay with that.
10. When visiting the Statue of Liberty, get in line first and do your shopping afterward.
11. To enjoy the 4th of July in New York, pay the big bucks to have access to one of the rooftop parties near the waterfront. Unless, of course, you like being pressed up against a wide selection of complete strangers.
12. Don't buy anything right on Broadway. If you go a couple of blocks west you can get all the same merchandise at half the price.
13. Public bus drivers in Jersey and New York really are as colorful as depicted in the movies. There was one day when I swear the bus was on two wheels going around the curves. Even the locals were surprised.
14. No matter how hard you try, you will never even come close to seeing everything in a week. It just gives you an excuse to go back again.
15. In spite of all the unpleasant things that are a part of such a big city (I did in fact pay $4 for a bottle of water once. And I willing used the restrooms in the bus station because they were the cleanest ones available.), New York is still steeped in art, culture, and history. I can see why people love it. I think I may be slightly enamored as well.

"Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor . . ." (New York-Day 8)

So I know it is what everyone does the first time they go to New York, but The Statue of Liberty was freakin' awesome! Seeing it in person is an entirely different experience than looking at pictures or seeing it in movies. We got on the ferry at Liberty Park in New Jersey and it was actually really exciting as the ferry circled around to the dock from behind the statue and we watched as her face came into view.

Inside the base of the monument is a museum. There were life-sized replicas of the torch, face and foot of the statue as well as displays showing how the statue was made. It was actually very interesting and I learned some things I didn't know. For instance, France paid for the Statue but the U.S. was responsible for building and paying for the base. Construction on the base came to a standstill partway through due to a lack of funds. The very first replicas of the statue were made and sold as a fundraiser so the base could be completed.

Patti and me in the museum.

Looking up inside the statue from the level of the observation deck at the top of the base.

On the observation deck at the top of the base.

After we saw the statue we went to Ellis Island. We didn't have anywhere near enough time to see everything there. We just didn't know how much there would be to see. I learned a lot there as well. Can you imagine sailing all the way to America only to be sent back because you were sick? Add to that the fact that you sold everything you owned (including your home) in order to pay for the voyage and the possibility that your family may have been admitted to the U.S. without you and you can get an idea of what some of these people went through. It was nice to learn that the people who were detained were cared for; given beds, medical care, food, etc.

The registration building on Ellis Island. This is the first place people came when they arrived on Ellis Island.

Once we were back in Manhattan, we made our way back to the Magnolia Bakery, the only eating establishment we intentionally visited twice. We had super luscious cheesecake for dinner and then split a panini three ways for dessert. We bought the panini at a deli we had visited before, but that was an accident. We didn't realize we had been there until we walked in. Luckily for us, it had been good the first time so we weren't afraid to eat there again. On our last night in the city, we saw "Wicked." And although I really enjoyed it, it wasn't the powerhouse performance we saw in Salt Lake. The girl playing Elphaba was amazing but the girl playing Glinda was not as good as the one we saw here. But in spite of that, it was a nice way to end our adventure. And no matter where you are, having monkeys fly out over the audience is fun!

"Come On Along And Listen To The Lullaby Of Broadway . . ." (New York-Day 7)

So you know that Broadway musical called "Billy Elliot"? The one that just won ten Tony's? That was this evening's show. I cried all the way through the second act. I actually woohooed during the curtain calls. It was fabulous. Seriously. My favorite show so far. (And all that is in spite of the fact that we weren't warned that authentic British language would be a special effect for the show.) This is why I'm drawn to Broadway. It's not because of the street vendors, the taxis blaring their horns or the jumbo-tron in Times Square. It's the emotion and rush that I get when I see a show that speaks to me. And of course the fact that I'm a music geek tends to figure in as well.

In other news we spent the morning at Grant's Tomb and the afternoon at the American Museum of Natural History. Grant's tomb is one of those lesser known historical sites that can be found in New York. Everyone knows about The Statue of Liberty, but these other places we have visited are frequently nearly deserted. And I enjoy them all. (I know, history geek. Go ahead and say it. You would never know that only a night before cram session and some stinkin' good luck led to me passing my A.P. American History exam.)

The Exterior of Grant's Tomb

A few weeks before I left for New York, Daniel was reading a book on how to become a paleontologist and informed me that the first dinosaur skeleton to ever be mounted for viewing was the t-rex in the American Museum of Natural History and that if I went there I might see it. He was mighty excited, so I made sure to see the aforementioned t-rex and sent him a picture.

The museum was much bigger than we had anticipated and we didn't have time to see everything we would have liked, but we had fun . . . of course. Especially Esther. She was so in her element.



I won't bore you with more of the fifty thousand pictures I took for Daniel, but we saw much more than dinosaurs. There were rocks and planets and ancient peoples and a ton more things we didn't even get to. It just gives me a good excuse to go back some day.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch:

Kev took the boys camping with Papa. When I called to talk to them they were chasing bunnies, feeding fish, and generally having too much fun to talk to me.

"Take Me Out To The Ball Game . . ." (New York-Day 6)

Today we saw a game and ate a hot dog at Yankee Stadium. Hot dogs were $5 and my frugal mind thought, "This better be the dang best hot dog I've ever eaten." And to its credit, it was pretty good. The texture was actually meat-like rather than rubber-like. I'm still not sure it was worth $5, but hey, I ate it in Yankee Stadium!


After the game (in the midst of a developing heat headache), we headed further into the Bronx to the New York Botanical Gardens. This was probably not our brightest idea ever. The Lord tried to tell us as much (#1-the Botanical Gardens were closed when we arrived and #2 the Bronx is freakin' scary!), but we were all being too thickheaded to listen. Once we were headed back to the scary bus that would take us back to the scary subway station, Patti informed us that she had a feeling we shouldn't go but thought, "But Esther really wants to go!" Then Esther 'fessed up to having a feeling that we shouldn't go but thinking, "But Patti really wants to go!" And then I had to throw in my two cents and admit that I had a feeling that we shouldn't go but assumed it was the headache talking and thought, "But Patti and Esther really want to go!" So to our credit, at least we were all thinking of others!

Once we were back in Manhattan, we shopped FAO Schwartz (Did you know that you can build your own Muppet?!) and then headed on over to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. This was one of those places that was creepy, but in a fun way. The wax folks were positioned all over the place so that it was very startling to catch one out of the corner of your eye, think it was a real person, and then turn to be confronted by an unblinking oversized candle. It's like a train wreck where you want to look away but can't. But we didn't let our slightly crawling skin get in our way. Like I said, creepy but fun!




Today was the day we finally gave up on public transportation and paid out the money (Thanks to my parents for this!) to take the Newark International Airport Express Bus to and from the city. Instead of the one and a half to two hours it had been taking us to get back to the hotel, it took twenty five minutes to get back to the airport and then a few more to get to P4 to catch the shuttle. After all that time spent on the public bus and the train, it was pretty darn near a blissful way to end the day!

"If I Only Had A Brain" (New York-Day 5)

You know that hazy, befuddled, aimless feeling you get when you are almost too tired to live? That is what today was like. Luckily for me, we had a fairly calm day planned. We went to church (I only slept through part of it, I promise) and then to a matinee of "The Lion King." Let me tell you this show is just about the most visually stunning thing I have ever seen. The costumes were part clothing and part puppet. There were stilts, these cool bird thingies, and that whole bit where Mufasa talks to Simba from the sky was pretty darn spectacular. I had to prop my eyelids open with toothpicks, but it was worth it.

"My Country, 'Tis Of Thee . . ." (New York-Day 4)

This morning we had a bit of a sleep in (I must be getting old. I can't function well on four or five hours of sleep like I did in college.) and then were on our way. Unfortunately, we missed the #62 bus we were aiming for. But it wasn't because we weren't at the bus stop. Oh, no. We were there in plenty of time. Unfortunately for us, the bus didn't stop to pick us up. It kind of swerved towards the curb about a hundred yards away from the stop, barely slowing, and then continued on its merry way. And yelling and chasing the bus yields absolutely no results in New Jersey. You gotta love Jersey bus drivers. (Be sure to note the sarcasm dripping from that statement.) On the weekends the bus doesn't run as often as on week days, so half an hour later we caught the next bus.

Once we were in the city, Patti purchased a fabulous dress from a street vendor named Mr. Gummy Bear. He said people call him that because he has no teeth. He then proceeded to tell us how to avoid being mugged during the fireworks that evening. Between his accent, the slang, and his lack of teeth he was very hard to understand, but we managed to get the gist of it. He was one of numerous New Yorkers who helped us out by giving us pointers on staying safe or how to get where we were going, but I definitely think he was the most entertaining!

After lunch (Mmmm . . . cheesecake) we had tickets to the matinee of "Jersey Boys." Our first Broadway show! There was a notice posted inside the theater that stated the following:

The following special effects will be used in this production:
Smoke
A Gunshot
Strobe Lights
Authentic Jersey Language

We heard plenty of authentic Jersey language on the bus, but I had no idea it was considered a special effect! Anyway, the show was so fun; lots of good music, great performers, and a true story to boot.

We grabbed dinner at one of the many tiny cafes and delis the city has and then we headed down to the river to see the fireworks. What we didn't know was that approximately 50 billion other people were headed in the same direction. You know how around here you go to a park, take a picnic and have a nice leisurely time at the fireworks? In New York there was no park, no leisurely anything, and only the fireworks we could see in between the buildings. We got about a block away from the river and that was it. From there to the water was one solid mass of humanity. And as we sat in the middle of 42nd Street waiting for night to fall, we were continually amazed by the fact that people were still shoving their way through the crowd attempting to get closer to the river! We probably would have had a better view from the end of the street where you could actually see the river, but hey! We saw the fireworks, we cheered along with the rest, and we didn't get mugged. Who could ask for anything more? Besides, now I can truthfully say that I've sat in the middle of 42nd Street.

If you look at the bottom of the picture, you can see the teeming mass of humanity and off in the distance (past the street lights) was the river. At least we assume that is where it is. We never actually got anywhere near close enough to see it.

The Empire State Building showing its patriotism.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch:

"I Love To See The Temple . . ." (New York-Day 3)

Today we went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As this was our first excursion uptown, I was pleasantly surprised to note that uptown subway stations are much cleaner than downtown ones. In fact, the entire city seems to get cleaner as you head north. We walked through Central Park on our way to the Met. It is a beautiful, green oasis right smack in the middle of a thriving metropolis. Walking through the park was like a breath of fresh air for a small town girl like me.


And the Met was amazing. Patti, Esther and I must be art geeks too because seeing an actual VanGogh was very exciting! We saw some amazing things and had some fun at the same time.





After the Met, we headed uptown to the Manhattan Temple. Unfortunately for us, the #1 uptown subway was harder to find than we had expected. We kept asking people where to find it, they would point out a direction, and we would walk. We went up stairs and down stairs and up stairs and down stairs and up more stairs and down even more stairs. I was like a labyrinth down there! This was the point where I started to feel a bit overwhelmed by the city. It felt like we were never going to find the right train! Finally we got to the right place and were able to ride the train uptown. When we got off at the station, I took a big breath, knowing that now we would have to climb to street level and begin the search for the temple (Did I mention that the addresses in Manhattan don't make all that much sense? A building can be between 8th and 9th street and have a street number of 231. It makes finding things a bit of a challenge.) But when I stepped out of the subway and looked up, there it was, right in front of us. I have never been so relieved in all my life. It was so enormously comforting to see something familiar, a shelter in a strange city, that my eyes welled up.


After our session we chatted with some of the temple workers for a few minutes. One of the ladies told us she drives an hour and a half each way to get to the temple. I was struck by how dedicated these people are. Not only do they take the time to drive to the temple to do sessions, but they travel in order to serve as temple workers as well. Unlike here, there is not an abundant supply of retired men and women to staff the temple. People my age are temple workers. The church may build the temples, but it is the members in the area that run it. It gave me a good reminder of how blessed we really are. On a clear day, I can see four temples from the top of my neighborhood. And the closest one is a ten minute drive from my doorstep. The members in the Manhattan Temple district are more often than not much farther away and yet they still come to the temple and volunteer to serve. I think I could learn something from these folks.

"I'm A Yankee Doodle Dandy . . ." (New York-Day 2)

This morning we jumped into New York with both feet. Having figured out how to get into the city the night before, we repeated the process. First, the hotel shuttle (which runs somewhere in the neighborhood of every thirty minutes) takes us to Terminal A at the airport. We walk to the opposite side of the terminal and catch the #62 bus which takes us to Newark Penn Station. From there we ride PATH (this is the New Jersey to New York commuter train) into the city, transferring halfway if we're going to 33rd Street so we don't end up in Hoboken. Once we get into the city, we walk or subway it to our destination. At the end of the day we reverse the process, adding in an air train ride to P4 (Parking 4) where we wait for the hotel shuttle to pick us up. It takes somewhere in the neighborhood of an hour and a half to get to and from the city.

Today's first stop was the World Trade Center Memorial. As we got off PATH, I noticed that the entire station was pretty much brand new and still under construction. Later on I learn that this particular train station is directly underneath where the twin towers used to stand, hence being brand new and still under construction. As we walked down the block to the Memorial, we passed an older gentleman who was standing on the sidewalk in front of his deli (across the street from where the towers used to be) hollering for people to come in for lunch. I happened to notice that the name of the deli was the Essex Deli. Later on when we were about halfway through the Memorial (which is filled with items found during the clean up, photos, eye witness reports, memorials to those who lost their lives, etc.) I came across a quote from a man which stated that he was standing in front of his deli when the towers collapsed and he was blown out of his shoes and found himself lying in the park down the street. Then man's name was listed and then the fact that he was the owner of the Essex Deli. That was when the tears started for me. Sep. 11, 2001 was a shocking and horrifying day for everyone, but for those of us who live halfway across the country and who watched it unfold on the t.v., I don't think we can ever really understand what it was like for those people who live and work in New York, those people whose lives were changed forever and who had to pick up the pieces and start over. I think it all just got just a little bit more real for me.

1,000 Paper Cranes at the World Trade Center Memorial

After my cry-fest, we moved on to Federal Hall which is located on Wall Street. This is where much of the early government of our country was seated. This was where George Washington was sworn in as the very first President of the newly created United States of America. I think Patti, Esther and I must all be history geeks because it was very exciting to walk where George Washington walked!

Esther in Front of Federal Hall

After eating a hot dog in front of Tiffany and Co. (we were a bit too late for breakfast at Tiffany's), we took our maiden voyage into the subway. It was not the cleanest place I have ever been. And it was only a little bit scary.

Ick!

Other stops for the day were the Magnolia Bakery (we were taking refuge from the rain and happened upon some of the best cheesecake I have ever eaten), Radio City Music Hall (we walked where Harry walked!) and the American Girl Store. After that we rode a bicycle taxi (Did I mention there was enough rain to fill our reservoirs for decades?) to the Hard Rock Cafe to have dinner.

The person who rang up our merchandise in the Hard Rock store after we ate was very concerned about his little curl of hair and was definitely one of those guys who has a boyfriend. Nevertheless, he was very nice (he gave Esther credits good for lots of free stuff), enormously entertaining and had us all laughing.

After dinner we saw our first show, the off Broadway production of "The Fantastiks." It was a lovely first show because the theater was very small, giving the production a very intimate feel. The actors were (literally) right at our feet. And for anyone who is unfamiliar with "The Fantastiks," the music and the story are gentle and sweet. And this particular production incorporated tons of humor to spice things up!

To sum up my first full day in the city: Long day! Lots of fun! Tons of walking! Very grateful for my Sketchers because my feet don't hurt!

"Start Spreading the News, I'm Leaving Today . . ." (New York: Day 1)

Part I- "Dramamine Is My Friend"

I have discovered that I dislike flying. I didn't always, but the last time I flew was somewhere in the neighborhood of thirteen years ago and at that point flying didn't make me feel like I was going to vomit. Taking into account that it has been a long time since I've flown, I decided to play it safe and take some Dramamine. The bottle said taking it one hour ahead of time was good, but I always seem to forget that it takes me longer to metabolize drugs than a lot of folks and it usually takes at least twice as long for me to feel the benefits. As a result, one hour was not long enough. I've never been airsick before and it was not pleasant. We had a three hour layover in Chicago (4 1/2 by the time you take into account the weather related delays) and I was very grateful for a chance to let my stomach settle. I took the next Dramamine two and a half hours before we took off and the flight from Chicago to Newark, although more turbulent, was much nicer.

As we began our descent into Newark, I caught my first glimpse of the Statue of Liberty and (huge bawl baby that I am) there were a few tears shed. I welled up a bit just watching fireworks last weekend, why shouldn't I shed a tear or two for Lady Liberty? As my mother-in-law says, you think it won't be a big deal because you know what it looks like but seeing it in person is a whole different experience.

Part II- "Baptism By Fire"

The best way to feel comfortable as a first time tourist to New York City is to make your maiden voyage into the city at night. Yup. I wasn't nervous at all. (You may now officially call me a liar-liar-pants-on-fire.) But seriously, the Empire State building at night! How cool is that! We figured out how to get into Manhattan from Newark and let me just say that Patti, Esther and I (who are half Chinese) were the whitest folks on the bus. Seriously.

Going to the Empire State Building at night was a good thing, not only because the night time view of the city was amazing, but because the lines were shorter. Especially because we got turned around, ended up where we weren't supposed to be, and after Esther was wounded tripping over one of those barricades that they put everywhere to make the people go where they want, the usher that found us took pity on us and sent us right to the elevators, thereby allowing us to skip the entire line.

Christmas In July

For most of the world Christmas in July is just a marketing ploy. For me, it means that tomorrow I'm finally getting my Christmas present. New York, here I come!

Esther Is The Undisputed Queen Of Christmas

Seriously, I've given some good gifts in my lifetime, but every time Esther has me for Christmas I end up crying. At least last time I was pregnant with Nathan and could blame it one the hormones. This year she did it again, and what's more, she was planning on it. My gift came in three parts. I opened #1 and found this:

I knew at that point that there was no way I wasn't going to need #1. The only member of my family who is a bigger bawl baby than me is Rachael. So prepared for the flood, I then proceeded to #2.

I pushed the button and heard this:

Music Playlist at MixPod.com

During which I opened up #3 and saw this:

Then I proceeded to make good use of #1. You see, Esther and Patti are going to New York next summer. They have been planning for months. And although I knew it would be an incredibly fun trip, I never really considered going due to the fact that saving up for a downpayment on a house is just a bit more important. So my wicked awesome sister (and my parents) are sending me to New York. And it made me cry. Apparently everyone in my family except for me and my boys (who aren't all that great at keeping secrets) knew about this. Even my mother-in-law was in on the secret. Her Christmas gift to me was spending money for the trip. My family is the greatest.

And as for Esther, undisputed queen.

Undisputed.