New York: Day 3

This morning didn’t go as expected, or actually it went exactly as should have been expected. In my defense, I was up the night before, blogging until 2am, but whatever... I got out of bed around 10:30am and was out of the door by 11am. I promise tomorrow will be different...

The subway blew my mind, it’s like a whole other city below the one on the surface. And the fact that you have to pay to get in this city makes it feel like a grungy Disneyland of transportation. I rode the R train, and there wasn’t even a line! Got off at Whitehall and once I emerged back in the surface city I had to figure out which way was Battery Park. On my way I bought a “breakfast” of Mediterranean chicken and rice and chomped it down outside in the freezing wind. With food gone, I looked around for a blank skyline and headed in that direction. Through Battery Park into Castle Clinton where I bought a ferry ticket and, as per my mom’s recommendation, paid the extra six bucks for the audio tour. Before we got onto the ferry, we all had to go through the standard airport screening procedure (coats through x-ray, people through metal detectors).

A short ferry ride later and we’re at Liberty Island. I’ve seen the Statue of Liberty so many times on TV that I wasn’t all that excited to see it in person; but I think the shiver up my spine I had when I got that first full on view of her was more than just a gust of icy wind. I walked all the way around the base of the pedestal and took a few pictures. I traded up for an orange pass which let me take the elevator to the top of the pedestal and got in line. This time the security screening was even more than I’ve ever seen at any airport. Not only did they have the x-ray and metal detector machines, they also had the air blower/check for explosive residue machines! Checked out the semi-interesting museum (did you know that Eiffel built the inner frame of the statue, and Pulitzer raised the money for the pedestal?) and then up the elevator to the top of the pedestal. The statue itself is still closed since 9/11 but I was able to take a shot up her skirt! Had a dude take a picture of me in front of the Manhattan skyline (I’m wincing because the sun is in my eyes). That was that, got on the ferry and off to Ellis Island.

Ellis Island was incredible. My mom was right, the audio tour is a must. As you walk through the building and see the many exhibits, the audio tour plays recordings of immigrants recalling their experiences on the island. Knowing that my great-grandfather passed through this building made it all the more interesting and personal. I highly recommend visiting this place; I’ve never experienced such a place so alive with ghosts of the past. The buildings were abandoned for many years and it wasn’t until the 80’s that they were restored. There was one exhibit of photographs of the buildings before the restoration and they took me to a very quiet and emotional place. I could practically see the ghosts in the pictures and I had chills as I fantasized about walking the abandoned dilapidated halls on my own. The restoration made the buildings beautiful again, but it feels like something spiritual was washed away with the debris. Anyway, I was dumbfounded by the experience and I stayed until the place closed up. A thoughtful ferry ride and crowded subway ride and BLAM, I was back in the hustle and bustle of Times Square.

It was 6ish, so I ran over to the discount ticket booth to see if there were tickets left for any of the Broadway shows I wanted to see... yup, Chicago for half price. I was worried that it was a bad seat, but I had nothing better to do tonight so I bought it. Had dinner at a sandwich place and went back to the hotel to get all gussied up for the show. The seat was not a bad seat, I was CLOSE! And the show, ahhh, it was wonderful. The movie was a surprise hit for me, and I’ve watched it multiple times since then. The show was less flashy than the movie, but more magical. To hear the music, singing, and sounds coming perfectly together, created for that very moment, is an amazing thing to experience. The “razzle dazzle” of the courtroom scene (not at all portrayed the same in the movie) was, well, dazzling. There is so much to hear and see all at once that it was a serious sensory overload. And Velma, what a part! If I were an actress, I’d kill to play that part. The character is so wild and vivacious that I can’t help falling in love with the actresses that bring her to life. Every time I watch the movie, I’m enamored with Velma/Catherine Zeta Jones. Tonight Terra C. MacLeod nailed the performance with even more ferocity! The desperation of “I Can’t Do it Alone” and the manic performance of “When Velma Takes the Stand” will hopefully never fade from my memory. Man, I wish I could mentally record my experiences and play them back in full vivid detail... but then I guess I’d just stay home and relive the past instead of constantly seeking higher highs.