On Prejudice, Perfect Parks, Historic Places, Pink Slime and Performance

Before this trip I had a fair amount of apprehension about going to mainland USA for the first time and New York in particular. The lure of the cheap airfare and the extremely favorable exchange rate were too much for me to resist. New York was on my bucket list but I had always managed to find an excuse or a better deal for Europe when I’d had the chance in the past. New York I assumed would be too fast, too crowded, too much and yet I really did went to go there. So the means were there and the excuses were not.

My first impression of New York after the interminably long flight from Melbourne was a bit dreck to be honest, the taxi drive in from JFK took me through some shady looking suburbs and empty streets that seemed to scream every horror I’d ever imagined and I just kept hoping I would not be in a hotel near this particular street or that particular warehouse etc. I had a very jolly taxi driver who had fled Russia with his family, a family that had eventually dispersed to other parts of the world, including, amazingly Melbourne. We hadn’t got very far when we detoured to a gas station for him to fill up. I guess an advantage of a fixed fare is that these detours don’t add any cost to the fare.

It is unsettling too to have to run the gamut of taxi touts at the airport and they are pretty good, all dressed in suits and very polite (and persistent). I am fond of a good gamut but perhaps not when jet lag is creeping up from the ankles, slowly inhabiting the rest of my body and being. Only a few minutes after taking a spot in the not too long (legitimate)taxi queue there was a bit of activity and a surge of energy as about a dozen besuited blokes took flight and headed for the car park. Apparently the airport cops had appeared and were rounding up some of the touts. Quite a comical sight actually.

My apprehension about New York melted as we crossed one of the bridges and there before me was the Manhattan skyline, spectacular, beautiful and warm…I remember feeling very cosy seeing it and I thought ‘this will be okay’.

I really battled jet lag for the first couple of days; I took the line ‘…the city that never sleeps’ a little too literally and fought the ability to sleep for two or three days. This might have contributed to the feeling I had for those days that everything was surreal, I was on a film set, so much was familiar but ‘distant’ somehow. I couldn’t quite get my head around what I was standing amongst, as if I was seeing a painting or a photo of everything rather than in being there before me. I took to touching walls and stepping harder on pavements, running my hands on leaves and breathing in the air just to connect myself to it all. So many images from film and TV, a strong reminder of how much American popular culture inhabits us, especially from TV and movies from the sixties I think.

I walked myself silly and by about day 12 I was starting to flag. I can fall prey to sudden and staggering fatigue, maybe the last remnant of the heart surgery but when it hits, boy it’s a showstopper. Nevertheless I would not have seen as much as I did if I hadn’t kept going. That’s not to say I didn’t take breaks here and there and ‘stop to smell the roses’. Walking a lot after all can be meditative and letting the sights one sees wash over one can be a nice brain space mover. The joy and excitement I slowly started to get infused me with energy and interest.

Whereas New York is relatively ‘modern’, not dripping in ancient or distant history (you aren’t going to be regularly looking at signs on buildings noting they were built in 1690 etc), Washington oozed it. I loved Washington and it was like a literal breath of fresh air compared to New York; wide clean streets, no skyscrapers as such – my hotel was one of the tallest buildings with 11 floors. Reminders of the Civil War and Lincoln, Washington and the original Old Glory were there, indeed up to Martin Luther King and now Obama. The iconic buildings are amazing, spectacular and you can feel the power. I was surprised the White House sits in a city street with no real swathe of land to act as a boundary. It is a somewhat harder city to get around given the blocks in Washington are more the distance we are used to whereas in New York they are really just the length of a building or two rather than an actual ‘block’ (maybe the term ‘apartment block’ was coined to reflect that).

The Newseum was my favorite spot in Washington, so interesting and needed. I could spend a full day in there and what a great resource for educators and people with an interest in ‘news’.

My least favorite thing in Washington was the homeless.  

There were many ‘a-ha’ moments in Washington also that reminded how far the country had grown in some ways race wise. I was having breakfast one morning and at the table next to me was a white man, probably a businessman, in a suit and sitting opposite him was a black woman. They were chatting away, all very natural and banal. I couldn’t help but think that was a simple, ordinary, nonthreatening interaction like that could not have happened in the 60’s or earlier. Similarly shopping at a supermarket or riding on the metro, being served in a shop, let alone using a urinal next to a black man…all impossible at one time. And you have to wonder why, how could something that had no rational or decent reason, made no sense and was fed by hate, could have proliferated in a country that was seen as the leader of civilized societies. What purity, what wisdom, what value the country denied by acting like this. How many great stories let alone fantastic human beings were lost because others thought it was ok to behave like that. It simply defies belief. That’s even before you consider the energy it all took, think of having to constantly be conscious of where you walked, shopped, what public transport, bathrooms you could use. You can’t do anything about it because you have done nothing more than been born a colour that someone else has determined is unequal to them. You have no choice and can’t change your colour (and why should that even be part of the equation – why wouldn’t it be ok to be born black), you haven’t committed a crime so you can’t influence the judgement being made about you. Impossible.

SoHo and Tribeca with their wonderful buildings, cast iron and timber, the cobbled streets and side alleys were my favorite part of New York. There was a palpable energy and some vibey spots I passed by. Also Sutton Place/Park area on the East side down near Queensboro Bridge plus further over with the Tudor City area also took my fancy.

I won’t ever forget the views from atop the magnificent Empire State Building and the reality thud of Ground Zero will take a long time to diminish in my memory. The Paley Center, the NBC tour and the immense Radio City Music Hall gave me a thrill.

Visiting Broadway was significant for a one time actor, Times Square, the busiest part of New York, was a sight but felt so safe, surprising when you think of it’s salubrious (recent) past. I can’t say my theatre visits fill me with revere or delight but they were fine. The concert at Carnegie hall however was sublime and I was definitely on a high from it for a day or two.  

The thing I miss is Central Park. A beautiful space with so many little pockets of magic and peace to sit amongst or stroll through. I want to just go and sit for a few hours there still. To think my previous readings of Central Park almost guaranteed being mugged at least once in there, the gentility of this gem could not have been more disabusing of that notion.

So I left New York pleased with my time there, not particularly pining to return or to extend my stay. I am thrilled and feel privileged to have gone there and seen what I saw, experienced what I did and to learn even more simply by being there. I have a new affection and gratitude for the Americans I encountered, such kindness and openness I have rarely experienced. This was a big surprise to me because, again, I had an impression that the Big Apple locals would be brash, impatient and frankly rude. The range of accents was amazing and that they were so varied…if I heard some of them being imitated on an Australian stage I would have poo-pooed their lack of authenticity (shame on me). I saw some spectacularly beautiful lookers and one or two whackos but by far I encountered gorgeous, warm, fun and generous people. Sometimes they didn’t understand me, occasionally they simply couldn’t help me but never, not once was I ‘invisible’, God bless Americans!!!!

So what, or where, next? I don’t have any pressing plans although the Northern Lights are on my bucket list for my 60^th birthday in five years. I don’t think I can travel on my own anymore, I am tired of making all the decisions, the little ones particularly…I want someone else to share the load and I want to have conversations along the way rather than throwing words out only on a blog (and not often getting a response!!!!). I wasn’t lonely too much but I was often aware of my alone-ness. I’m over lugging the wheel along and deciding on whether to grab a taxi or do the stairs at the subway on my own frankly.

So I would look at tours if I travel overseas again. Apart from London (which just feels like home),I would seek refuge in the fine people of Trafalgar, Cosmos, Insight etc. That was a big learning and a significant change in my thinking.  

Maybe the trip was as much about how I think on holidays as what I saw and experienced. I guess a good trip does that, challenges and sometimes changes out thinking. Whatever it means I hope I will always be interested and have my thinking challenged while ‘seeing’ what is before me, ‘hearing’ what I am told and leave me curious for more.

Happy trails.

And as for pink slime? Google it and enjoy your next burger.

That's a wrap - a Hollywood moment

To say the final night at the HoJo was restless would be an understatement. My room was right near the vending machine and people had the munchies throughout the night and oddly travelled in pairs when they needed sustenance. This meant a bot of a chat and never in whispered tones, a few giggles and the requisite fowl language RIGHT THROUGH THE FREAKING NIGHT. That and a group of young sounding folk checking in around 2 am and buzzing around finding their rooms, again not in whispered tones, kept me awake for most of the night.

Self serve Breakfast at 7.30 and check out for the shuttle bus to the airport, about ten minutes away. Check in was easy and the bags checked all the way through to Melbourne. Security and customs painless so I had a couple of hours up my sleeve before the flight. Cramped flight through to LA arriving early afternoon and earlier than planned. I have eight hours to kill and no bags to lug around. I decide to bite the bullet and see if I can get downtown and have a look and be back to the airport by about 6 (flight leaves at 10).

Sunny but a very cold wind as I wait for  Flyaway bus to Union Station, about a half hour wait then a 30 minute $7 ride into the station which is downtown LA. I then grab a $5 metro card and take the red line train into Hollywood and Highland which takes me to a shopping centre that sits right on Hollywood Boulevard. Lots of people around, I go up to the fourth floor of the shopping centre and get photos of the Hollywood sign and then down to see Grauman's Chinese and all those famous footprints in cement, the stars on the pavement, movie star impersonators having their photos taken, the Kodak theatre and things movie. It was a nice atmosphere and fun. I crossed over the road and looked through a couple of the souvenir shops but as soon as I stepped away from the block where all this was it felt very seedy and unsafe, interesting. I pretty quickly moved back to the crowds before eventually getting back on the train and to the airport. Nicely filled in a few hours and I actually made it to Hollywood!!

Arrived back at the airport and went through security, gawd I was over removing the belt and the shoes etc. Then moving around until time to hop on the plane. Was feeling that I might have the two seats to myself BUT my companion arrived virtually last passsenger on. poor bloke had long legs so he was in for an uncomfortable trip. Turned out too be a lovely guy who had been in the states for 36 hours and accepted an offer from a Louisianna University, gaining a scholarship and a four year contract to play gridiron as a punter for them. A terrific opportunity for him and so interesting to hear all the details from him and see how excited he was. He grew up in Rockhampton but has lived in Ballarat for a few years so a big change for him all round. His 'deal' dinner was with big wigs from the Uni, a local celebrity, Matt Flynn and the State Senator, not bad. Apart from chatting with him it was an interminably long flight but eventually, eventually we got to Sydney and a smooth changeover after two hours for the flight home and the two seats to myself. We arrived twenty minutes early which meant we had to wait for an Emirates flight to get out of our gate (drawing the anticipation out). It was great to step back onto Tulla and then home again.

I'll put together my thoughts about the trip and post them in a day or two. Thanks for being on the trip with me, I hope you've enjoyed it (and the photos).

New York 6

My regular anxiety about moving hotels etc woke with me this morning. Added or supporting it today was the fact it's St Patrick's Day and the major parade of the year is held on Fifth Avenue and the Spring like weather has brought record crowds in to watch the 251st parade. Would I and my luggage be able to get onto a subway train, would I be able to fit onto a bus from the subway station to get to the hotel, if I decide to get a taxi will it be ridiculously expensive or even likely to find one? Ah yes the niggly worries that beset this writer.

The weather cleared early and shaped up as a sunny and clear day, perfect parade weather, apparently last year it was freezing. It's a Saturday so the parade would have many more in the viewing audience than usual. Large swathes of downtown are closed off, there are some security concerns but there is a fun atmosphere as I check out of the hotel and walk the two blocks to the 6 line going uptown to 59th. Surprisingly there are already some pretty loud youngies around who may or may not be 'fueled' (what drunks on Paddy's Day?). It's a quick walk to 5th from the subway and I garner a perfect spot at the front near 61st. This was 10.30 so we had half an hour before the parade was due to start down in the 40's so we wouldn't see any action until around 11.15. A loud, large woman pushes her way to next to me about 10.55 and copped a fair bit of 'tude from the couple on the other side of her. It was pretty obnoxious of her because people had been securing their spots early and she just barged in. Really not something to get het up about, what goes around comes around and she will be taken care of for her selfishness.

We started to see the first of the parade not long after 11.15 and it was very lively and all round a happy event. There were the Irish, the politicians, veterans, police, schools, dance troupes and what all else. The mayor passed by within feet of me. I did feel the soldiers (marines) particularly looked solemn, sad and lost, maybe parades such as this were just not their thing. The cops on the other hand were loose and having fun with the whole thing. The bands were terrific, although one of the school bands had a little trouble with the concept of formation and lines despite having a big retinue of (presumably) teachers giving them guidance...funny.

After a couple of hours, frankly I'd had my fill of uniforms, shaved heads, brass bands, flags (oh those flags, mercy), whoop whooping, 'god bless you's' etc so I moved on. Now getting away was a bit of a challenge to say the least but I worked my way up to 60th near the Apple Store (which had seen a lot of activity with the launch of the new iPad)and eventually we were let across the Avenue and I popped into Central Park and a spot near the Pond. Of all the places I'll miss in New York I think Central Park is the one I'll really miss.

I sat there for a pleasant hour, watching thousands of people pass by, take a pew, climb so,me rocks and even one fall into the pond (lord there goes his chance of a long life, heaven knows what's in that water). I read some of my book, listened in on conversations (apparently Jamie's a gross out and may have screwed Leesha at the same time he was seeing Kim) and having a quiet perv on some of the sights passing by.

On such a perfect day I gathered my now returned anxieties and headed back to the subway to catch the train back to 33rd and to pick up my bags from the hotel. They couldn't get me a cab because the wait would be too long and unreliable so I decided to walk back to Penn Station and queue there for a taxi. As I hit the street there was a line of taxis cutting through East 31st and I took the chance of seeing if one might just happen to be free. The first six weren't but suddenly a woman gets out of the one in front of me and the driver says 'want a lift?' In I get and out we go to Jamaica to the Howard Johnson. Happily it turned out to be cheaper than the ride in on day one so good all around.

A large room in a pretty basic hotel and my first King Sized bed I've ever slept in.

Anxiety has passed, shaver has died and it's my last night on U.S.soil.

The Closing Scenes in New York

Back in New York and ready to wind down really after all the running around I did in Washington.

Weather held up in New York until Thursday when at last it started to cool down, I had in fact put the cooler on in the hotel room can you imagine? It was still sunny on Thursday but refreshingly cool. The first sign of anything other than sun came on Friday morning with fog shrouding some of the larger buildings and bridges and a few showers for good measure easing to  drizzle, a taste of London weather as if to tease me.

Another journey to the theatre, this time to see the musical ‘How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying’ with Nick Jonas and Beau Bridges. The Jonas boy (is he Delta’s squeeze?) was very good acting wise although a bit limited with some of the brassier numbers. I found the dancers a bit restrained and not the sassiness and oomph we tend to see in Australian productions. Big set in a nice theatre, although I have to say the leg room was cramp making. Nice to chat briefly to an Aussie guy who was serving at the food bar. We laughed at the lack of 'lemon' drinks - they assume you want a lemonade rather than something like Solo or Lift. A fun show not stunning and certainly not worth the (obligatory)standing ovation - the show stopper number 'Brotherhood of Man' was terrific. I felt it was all style and pizazz with little substance in terms of stand out performances, except for the Miss Jones and mistress roles.

The three days back in New York were a lot of walking around, a few of the places I was planning to visit not really ideal for getting to, especially as I was starting to flag a bit and needed to take some of the activity down a peg. So I had planned to go to the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens but really it was too much of a hike to get to from my place. The other was the Lower East Side Tenement Museum which I really wanted to go to but it turns out to be a ‘living museum’ in that you are taken around the area with a guide and frankly I just wanted to move at my own pace and learn at my own speed rather than listen to someone.

Notwithstanding that I did go to the Museum of the City of New York which had a great video on the history of New York and an interesting exhibit about the different plans over the years for the Manhattan ‘Grid’, also a very insightful photographic display on New York Cops (it cracks me up to hear the news readers refer to ‘cops’ rather than the police).

Another interesting spot was the Paley Center for Media, formerly the Museum of Radio, Television and Film. Named after the man who formed CBS, it is a resource centre for film, tv and radio archives and great for students of the media and people wanting to research it all. There was a film in the theatre on TV comedy which was great and then we had a 90 minute access to the library and could watch anything we wanted to in their catalogue.I watched an Edward R Murrow show with Marlon Brando and another with Marilyn Monroe and then a Barbra Walters interview with Barbra when she was living with Jon Peters. Great spot and I think if I lived in NY I’d be a regular visitor.

It was amazing to visit the 9/11 site and imagine what had gone before and what was to come. There are two stunning waterfall sculptures roughly aligning to the twin towers and have the names of the people lost on 9/11 in New York, the Pentagon and Pennsylvania as well as those who died in the attack on the WTC in 1993. To see all those names and know there was a life behind each one is heartbreaking. I nearly lost it when I read one woman’s name with the addition ‘and her unborn child’. I do feel a bit of ‘theme park’ to it all as there is a lot of people running around but hey would I want everyone to be drear and sad if I had died there? Quite a distance from where you get your pass to visit the site and where the site actually is.

Popped into Liberty Church and park after the visit, service on but looked a lovely church. The graveyard had some very old headstones so quite interesting. It is thought provoking too see all the massive buildings and activity around where this horror happened and without diminishing the immensity of the death toll, it is nothing less than a-mazing that the damage wasn’t even greater.

Maintaining a bit of a 'Presidents theme' I went out to Grants Tomb, large and a good view of the Hudson and near the George Washington Uni which had some gorgeous buildings. Watched a bit of filming being done for a new ABC TV series, took over a lot of streets but everyone sort of goes on their merry way, buses and taxis ducking in and out so they must all be used to it. Fun to watch the streets being hosed down to look like rain had fallen.

Found my way to the famous Strand Bookshop near Union Square, just like a real bookshop should be, wooden shelves and timber floorboards, staff who know books and second hand books, old editions next to new ones. Needless to say I made a few purchases which I'm sure I'll regret when packing my bags.

Jackie O's apartment block on Fifth

Marilyn's apartment block on east 57th

Lex, not to mention Fifth, Greenwich and Downtown before ending up at Washington Square. What had me on the move? I was wanting to see the places where Streisand, Monroe, Garbo, Monty Clift

Washington Square is a nice park with a faux Arc De Triomph. Quite a lot of ‘street people’ but I think would be a happenin' place on a summer’s day because the University is right nearby. This was the park that featured in play/film 'Barefoot in the Park' which made stars of two actors Jane Fonda and Robert Redford (they kicked on didn't they?). Also some interesting architecture in the area and went past the house Mark Twain lived in for a time, cute.

Footsore and ready to just drop I returned to the hotel and started to think about the day ahead and my final hotel change before the looooong and dreaded flight home. I am looking forward to my own bed, and shower and food and a long sleep.   

My Washington Post (ah yes comedy gold)

Washington is a very spread out city with a population of around half a million. I didn't see any houses, apart from the couple of 'historical' sites, all apartments but certainly  no real skyscrapers which I have become accustomed to in NY. It has a real sense of freshness to the place even though it figures so prominently in American history, particularly of course around the civil war and the formation of the constitution and declaration of independence etc. That's all before you realise it's the home of the nation, the congress and the President 'live' here.

The 'majesty' of the Republic and the sometimes quaintness of history is all on display side by side with the homeless, people sleeping over the air grates, bus stop shelters or any corner they can find, their belongings moved around in shopping carts or big bags. How can the most influential Western country and the most powerful politician in the western world actually let that continue? The second person to speak to me, as I stepped out of the magnificent Union Station (the Yanks give good train station) was a man saying he was a veteran and wanted a few dollars to buy a meal. He wasn't the last to ask.

I really like Washington, it seems very liveable. The Metro works well and logically, it's cheap and, apart from one grump, the staff were all very helpful and pleasant. The stations are clean and not cramped and the trains comfortable and built to allow for tourists with cases. There was one incident on my first trip when a bloke went absolutely 'postal' at another bloke. Whilst unpleasant and aggressive it was actually laughable but looking around at other people in the carriage there was noticeable anxiety.

The Harrington Hotel was really lovely, I was on the top floor and apparently the hotel was a landmark - of which there are many in DC. A large room with a nice tiled bathroom with a bath!!! Two restaurants attached so breakfast was available in one of them. It did feel rather grand there and I was pleased to see the Australian flag was one of the ones on the poles outside...I imagine the flags displayed are determined by where guests are from at any particular time.

The hotel was situated in the Penn quarter downtown so I had the shopping area in one direction and all the monuments along Pennsylvania Avenue in the other. Very handy but didn't mean I didn't do a deal of walking. The weather was warm and the blooms were out (as was the population) which encouraged walking but I jumped on the Metro whenever I needed to get out a bit.

My overview of the capital came from a bus tour 'Taste of DC'; I was due to do it at 10.30 on the first full day but such a tour did not exist! So moved to 1.00 and it ended up being a private tour, no one else booked. The driver was a bit of fun and had a cliched African American accent and lots of 'mmhmm,  that's right' punctuating his sentences. A lot of places had been 'architected' by someone was amusing. Drop offs at the magnificent Capitol, the White House and the Martin Luther King memorial. Really enjoyed it and a bit of bonus because many streets were closed due to the marathon and St Pats parade which meant driving around quite a bit to find clear routes.

When the early tour didn't come off I went out to the Lincoln Memorial which was out near the George Washington University and a bit of a hike from the Metro, but I did pass the Watergate and the Lincoln Centre. Lincoln just as magnificent as it appears in movies and quite a thrill to see. On either side of the statue are the words of both his inaugural speeches so very impressive. From the steps of this monument Martin Luther King made his 'I have a dream' speech, something which planted in me a philosophy I have tried to live by. Imagine standing in the same spot as that speech was made? Good God almighty I am living some kind of dream.

The Smithsonian Institute is not one building but the collective name given to a number of galleries and museums throughout DC covering art, photography, natural history, American History, portraits and other 'sciences'. Smithson was a Brit who never set foot on American soil and who commanded that no one should have to pay to enter any of his buildings and thus you can see treasures such as the Hope Diamond, the original Star Spangled Banner and various Presidential artifacts for nix. The Castle is a lovely building and information centre with a gorgeous garden, including the 'moon garden. With Magnolias and paper bushes in bloom it was divine. I particularly liked the dresses of the First Ladies and the original flag.

The Willard Hotel typifies the history that flows out of Washington. It's often called the 'America's Hotel', Martin Luther King finished his I have a dream speech there, the Battle Hymn of the Republic was written and performed there, the National Press Club was formed there, Lincoln and family lived there prior to his inauguration and President Grant (who often retreated there for some peace) invented the term 'lobbyist' there.

A ten minute walk from the hotel along Pennsylvania Ave was Newseum a museum over six levels which opened in the last couple of years dedicated to the history of news gathering. It has stacks of old newspapers, areas devoted to correspondents and the way stories are filed and news spread through media.They also have all sorts of 'treasures' such as the Unabomber's cabin, the door from the Watergate that the burglars broke through, debris from the World Trade Center (particularly the TV antenna), a section of the Berlin Wall,Dillinger's gun and many more. They have a great 4D film and some interesting videos on different themes. I spent a couple of hours in this really fascinating place.

Another big tick(et) item in Washington for me was Arlington Cemetery. I had almost convinced myself not to go because the map suggested the cemetery was quite a distance from the Metro exit, it was a very warm day and I frankly was really flagging. In the end I thought well I can at least hop on the Metro and suss it out. A 15 minute ride out (well it is on another state - Virginia)and what do you know, the entrance to the National cemetery was only about a five minute walk.

Inside there is a bus that takes you around the cemetery stopping at 'highlights'. While I was very thankful for this I am not entirely comfortable about a bus with commentary and a load of tourists is really in keeping with one of the most solemn and sacred places in the nation. Nonetheless I was pleased that i didn't have to traverse some of the hills around and soon we stopped at the Kennedy grave site. On a small mound with an eternal flame, Jack, Jackie, infant Patrick and the stillborn unnamed daughter are buried together. A few metres away the graves of Bobby and Ted are marked with white wooden crosses (their request). The Kennedy assassinations (particularly Jack's) are a very strong part  of my childhood so again a significant milestone for me to be standing at this place.While my view of Kennedy has changed in time and with knowledge I still find the assassination and all that followed a very sad time.

Only one other President is buried at Arlington - Taft and he has a rather grand grave. Most President's are buried in their home towns. Also saw the grave of Audie Murphy and Arlington House, belonging to Robert E Lee's family but lost due to a rental payment dispute. The land then became 'free' and the government put it to good use. The house has a couple of chilling outbuildings - slave houses, a reminder of those dark days in Yankee history.

There are over 400,000 people interred in Arlington and about 25 are added each week. When one looks out and sees all those thousands of white stone markers each representing a serving officer who has died you can't help but be affected. For me I am bewildered that a President wouldn't go there look out and know, just know that war is so very wasteful and shameful when it makes life this dispensable. Too, too many lost souls, too too many fractured lives and families.

I think the few days in Washington was enough, I had tasted a lot and really loved it all but another day there and who knows? Mind you I have left a part of me there - Two shirts and a windcheater in fact. No big deal but of course they were handy to have and save on laundry. I wonder if the hotel will contact me?

I dragged the case back to Union Station to find my train delayed by 30 minutes. Once on board we were told Business Class had no air con. Given it had been travelling for three hours already and through temps in the high 20's you can imagine how uncomfortable it was and how well I took it all. There were other carriages which were cooler but no suggestion that the extra we'd paid to go Business was going to be refunded or that space might be found for us in other carriages.So, soggy and grumpy I arrived back in New York at 6 and walked to the hotel in 31st Street. I have to say it is the best of the hotels, like a European hotel with cage lift and all. I was concerned about being on the 'other side' of Central Park but it's right near Lexington and Park so perfectly pleasant...the Empire State and Chrysler Buildings are both within a short walk away.

Off topic slightly I wanted to mention a couple of tele shows I saw while in Washington; the first was the Oprah interview with Whitney Houston's family, compelling although a tad too long. The other was 'Game Change' the telemovie about Sarah Palin's run as Vice Presidential candidate(and scary likeness by Julieanne Moore)- compelling also for different reasons, it was very well made at times moving but also some genuine 'OH MY GOD' moments. We'll never know how much (little) truth there was in it but I enjoyed it.

The Popular Bonus Pics

 Metro

The mighty Potomac

looking to the Washington Monument

Martin Luther King Memorial

The balcony box at Booth Theater

A Time to Pause and Look Around

Kony 2012 is an amazing phenomenon and a heartwarming one. The criticisms have started and my reading of it seems to indicate much of the criticism is unfounded, well answered and mean spirited.

Over the last couple of years we have seen people take to the streets with the assistance of Twitter and Fakebook, although not because of as sometimes reported. The ‘Occupy’ movement grew out of outrage and on line connections. It grew most out of people becoming sick of waiting for governments to take action on things that the electorate said mattered to them. In my book that's not a bad thing, we can't expect or rely on governments to do EVERYTHING, we do have some responsibility to make things happen as well and then governments can follow with whatever needs to be done legislatively to support us. It is interesting to ponder upon how any of these historic achievements would have happened if not for social networking. Well, I guess the Vietnam protests of the 60’s did pretty well but perhaps not as efficiently organized.

In New York the headline stories in the news were a New York ‘madam’ with an appointment book which might have some interesting names and her ‘protection’ by the New York Cops. Followed quickly and breathlessly the next story was often something as salacious. We live in the time of the Kardashians having more pulling power than the displaced of Somalia. When the editors (and sadly the readers) find that more space worthy or valuable then is it any wonder ‘movements’ of the day turn to rather facile means of promulgating their messages?

I am thrilled that people are finding a voice and taking it to the streets in whatever form that takes. I don’t actually care which side of the political spectrum they come from, it’s important that people protest and speak out. We went for so long it seems to me, where the young particularly fell silent and the Baby Boomers became ‘too busy’ or too disinterested to actually look beyond themselves.

Imagine, just imagine if the man who is number one on the International Court of Justice ‘most wanted’ list is brought to answer the charges in Kony 2012 and simply because over SIX MILLION (as of yesterday) people took thirty minutes to stop and think about an issue.

Maybe there is a way, a new way to speak up. As long as something does it, as I always  say as long as we are having the conversations, that’s what will keep us going...together.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc

New York 5

Sitting on the Amtrak Regional train on the way to Washington doing this post. Watching the countryside, with very little space between towns it's amazing how dry and brown the areas are, very much like Australia in summer (well perhaps not our most recent one when it was still very green and often underwater). Yes parts of America is going through drought and this winter has been one of the mildest on record.

I always have a little anxiety when I'm on the move during a trip, the saga of carrying or wheeling along a case, steps to be climbed or descended in underground rail stations, barriers not accommodating cases and that's before the possibility of not working out the right train. Anyway it was all quite painless this morning, took a different entrance for the nearby 72nd Street subway and it had a full entrance way which was better for getting the case through and onto the train which was pretty empty (again a usual cause for anxiety if the train is crowded and one has to squeeze in with a case and be in everyone's way). Only a few stairs to be managed at Penn Station fifteen minutes later and a nice spot in the waiting area. Did a bit of reading and a little chat with a bloke who told me he was going to Boston ('Borsten')and on his last trip to there his train caught on fire!!!! Hmm, maybe I'll stay in New York for a few days instead of going to Washington.

My favorite area of New York so far and by far has been the SoHo(South of the Hudson) and Tribeca (Triangle below Canal) neighbourhoods. Easy to get to between Broadway and West Broadway and bordered by Canal Street, walking around the lovely streets (some cobbled) is like stepping onto a film set.High end and 'individual' fashion name stores, the Apple training centre and artists populate the area. The original Singer sewing machine company building is one of the many historic and attractive buildings in the vicinity. There is a lot of creative energy evident as you go around the streets - I loved it.

Stopped off in Duane Street at the Laughing Man Coffee Shop, part owned by Hugh Jackman. Tiny shop where a percentage of profits go to charity. I ordered a flat white and it was passable with the all too familiar bitter tang in it and a remarkable hue of orangy brown. Sat outside a nearby park and watched the world pass by in this frankly very attractive wedge of the Big Apple.

So the very comfortable train pulled into Washington's Union Square Station and I walked the 11 blocks to the Harrington Hotel (somewhat larger blocks than NY). One of the first sights as I came out of the station was the Capitol and that familiar dome. The trip on the train itself showed some interesting homes, mostly large cottages and then some burnt out wrecks in Baltimore, contrasts.

Lovely big room at the Harrington and it's off to find some tucker.

New York 4

It must be a Universal Truth that dining at an art gallery or museum means you will pay more than most places for the same food. Only cinemas probably get away with paying way more than your snack would ever cost to make. Today I had a late lunch/early dinner at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a sandwich, a juice and rice 'pudding' set me back $22. I didn't get a Van Gogh thrown in, not even a fragment of a fifteenth century tapestry!

The Met is a magnificent building containing some real treasures, lots of lovely Vincents, more than a modicum of Monets (a couple of 'lillies') a Degas or two and cheeky Chagalls. The stand out for me though was the Egyptian section with your actual Temple of Dendur, not a replica...a 15th century tomb, removed and installed in the Met since 1978, amazing.

I did a bit of ferry travelling on Wednesday, taking the subway down to Battery Park first off, hopping onto the free (as in no cost) Staten Island ferry. Quite a few people on and your obligatory loud mouth or general nutter to keep it interesting. One guy raced to the front, pulling up at the door then laughing loudly before settling in to some gentle rocking until the doors opened...what must his head be like inside? Thank heavens this country doesn't have a liking for guns because if some of them had one, lord help us all. Anyway it's a 20 minute trip over to a very pleasant looking spot, a lot bigger than i thought. Walked along Richmond Terrace for about fifteen minutes before taking the return journey. A walk from that terminal and past the forbidding 'Department of Homeland Security' (to stop all those baddies who take a ferry obviously) to Clinton Castle, a round structure that has been out on the water, an aquarium, a zoo, a bastion and now, well a box office, to purchase the $13 ticket that takes you to BOTH Liberty Island and Ellis Island. It seems Wednesday was the day at least half the people visiting NY wanted to catch the same ferry as me, so many people. So we were herded on the Miss Liberty and out to the small island that keeps Lady Liberty safe and watching over Manhattan. She is indeed a beauty and so much larger than I had imagined. I must say she has a great view of 'all the huddled masses yearning to breathe free' now living in the five boroughs.

Forty minutes there (the pedestal and monument is closed for cleaning and the installation of a lift) before continuing the ferry journey to Ellis Island. Ellis Island was the processing centre and holding place for nearly 12 million migrants. Quite a moving and interesting place to wander through. Of course not everyone was a 'willing' migrant (orphaned children particularly, the dispossessed and victims of tyranny or pogroms) which makes it even more touching. There is also no doubt people coming to the country with hope in their heart may have had some of their dreams vanquished.What a place and certainly worth the visit. Must say I didn't feel 100% confident about the survival possibilities of the ferry back when I saw the crowd getting on (remembering there were many who only went too Liberty Island and were on the ferry not getting off at Ellis). They did stop the line about five rows after me which I was quite happy with.I had the delight of two very sloppy lovers having a meaningful snog for almost the entire trip back... really? I mean really? Not my idea of romantic.

Dabbling in a bit of showbiz I went back to Rockefeller Center for a tour of the NBC Studios. A couple of Pages took us through the complex of studios, we saw where Dr Oz records his show, Jimmy Fallon and the Nightly News. I have to confess I don't know the first two but the group was very excited by it all. Interesting to hear what the demands of digital TV means compared to analog. A bit of fun.

Time for  a bit of a break, lunch and a read before touring the eye

opening, gob-smacking Radio City Music Hall. Gorgeous art deco style throughout and H.U.G.E. Seats a minimum of 5000 people with a huge stage, large floor space and a 80 ft high stage, they claim it be be the largest permanent theatrical stage in the world.

What a thrill to actually stand on the stage, glimpse into the dressing rooms, see the unique hydraulic lift set up to make all the stage effects and then 'meet' one of the Rockettes. We heard some great stories about some of the amazing productions they have done there, not to mention the annual Christmas Spectacular where they feature 'live' animals, including once an Elephant (each year while the show is on people can see the animals being fed out on 6th Avenue at around 7 AM). I think it would really be something to see a show here and pure entertainment. This was a real one hour highlight.

Bonus of the night (additional)was the Hall being only a fifteen minute walk from my hotel and I must say the walk back at 10 o'clock felt very safe. Yesterday was a warm day and night - 22 degrees.

Walking back from the Met through Central Park today (temp was down to 6 dgs)it was a picture all round, families out walking, people in the practice spaces playing baseball, skaters on the rink, dog walkers with more leashes than hands amidst the gorgeous crocuses (crocusi?), daffodils and even a cherry blossom. The lungs of the City were being exercised nicely. Passed by the apartments housing De Niro, Meryl Streep (hurried past in case she'd read earlier posts on this blog)and Seinfeld (the actual not the character).

This life of mine...I tell ya!

BLOG BONUS PICS

Grand Central Lafayette Room

Me and my (rhyming) Rockette - Annette

The Temple of  Dendur at 'The Met'

New York 3

Well it's been a busy couple of days, playing tourist keeps you on the move that's for sure.My last two posts give you a glimpse into some reflections I've been having in the few days I've been here - would love you to click on the comment section at the bottom of the post and share your responses - don't leave me all the way over here all on my own wondering what you're thinking :(    
     
I've batttled with the breakfast lottery for the last two mornings and have won both times. Very busy down there as the hordes gather at the feeding trough. Quite a decent selection, corn flakes have appeared, toast is available, juice, yighurt and the hot selection is pancakes, waffles, egg (I think a sort of solid scrambled concoction or maybe a mini omelette) and sausage.Even tea is available - if they just understood you need BOILING water not hot water to make a proper cup of tea.

The Empire State Building had a bit of a theme park feel to it but of course it's all real and the uniformed and ever so perky attendants are all for real. Gorgeous foyer of the true Art Deco style and the lift to the 80th floor took about thirty seconds, then you change to another one for the final six floors to get to the Observation Deck and an outside one at that. Clear day so you could nearly see forever, spectacular hardly comes close and one gets to appreciate just how HUGE the Big Apple actually is. Stayed there about an hour ($22). Got quite a nice 'posed' photo as a souvenir along with a nice book. Back on the ground and had a sit with a cuppa and cookie 'sandwich' in Greeley Park near Macys. A walk through Macys which was a bit underwhelming before I made my way over to MOMA only to find it was closed on Tuesdays...actually it's the Met Museum of Art I want to see so maybe going to the wrong place and finding it closed was fortuitous

St Patrick's Cathedral was the next stop and a Mass in progress so felt a bit naff wandering around while people were conversing with their God. Not the most impressive cathedral I've seen but certainly a place of history and worth seeing for that - a shrine to St Andrew my confirmation Saint so I lit a candle and paused for a prayer there.Over then to Broadway and Times Square which is a hive of activity with the requesite infestation of crowds, the TKTS booth particularly had a huge crowd waiting to be looked after.Also saw the Ed Sullivan Theatre where the Beatles and Elvis performed and which is now the home of the Late Show (on 'hiatus' this week so couldn't go even if I wanted). Poked my head in to the Hello Deli but Rupert Gee must have been out.

My New York moment was a hot dog from a sidewalk vendor. Now they are not a rare thing, in fact they are on most corners, there are also Halal, Korean, Turkish, Knish and Indian vendors so no reason to starve. The dog was only $2 and a great non event.

Back to the Hotel to refresh and change and then head out to my first Broadway show - 'Other Desert Cities' at the Booth Theater.The theatre was a bit ordinary and small but the play itself was excellent with a wonderful performance by Stockard Channing - a little bit Katherine Hepburn, a little bit Nancy Reagan, Judith Light was sensational. The play itself could do with a bit of work as it is a tad thin at times and plays dramatic moments a bit too predictably. The part of the father (Stacey Keach, not great)is underwritten and yet would be a terrific strong character with a few tweaks.Audience gave it a standing ovation but I suspect that's more routine than as a recognition of something outstanding.          

On the way to the theatre I had a look at Rockefeller Center and the skating rink, really pretty all lit up.

I loved the fact the play started at 7 because it meant I was back in the hotel room by 9.30. Oh I would love Aussie producers to pick up that little idea.

New York Minute or Two 2 - A Bite of the Big Apple

I can't believe I've only been here three days, it feels like a week already.I can't say I love the place yet but it is growing on me. I am having so many 'oh look it's the Statue of Liberty' moments I haven't really let it wash over me. I am also aware that I'm comparing it a lot to Britain and London in particular which I'm trying to stop myself from doing. What is interesting is that,compared to Europe, everything does  feel 'new', the history isn't there as in over hundreds of years. I get a sense of how Europeans must view Australia when they visit and they see  A couple of times I've seen something here and thought 'gee is it only a hundred years since that was built?'

The people have been a revelation really, they are very friendly and kind, helpful and willing to make you comfortable. I have had a bloke in a wheelchair call me an 'f**king jerk' because (I think) he thought I wasn't getting out of his way - on a six feet wide pavement with he and I being at least three feet apart I feel innocent of all charges. I felt a little like a local though to have copped at least one moment of angst. Mind you some of the conversations I hear on the subway and in the streets makes me think there is a whole lot of unhappiness and anxiety being played out behind the smiles and kind words.My lord people sweat over the small stuff.

And those accents! If I heard actors using some of the voices I hear out and about I scream 'phoney- get a dialect coach' but they actually 'tork loik thart' I love it.

When I haven't been walking I've been catching the subway, I have a station five minutes walk away for one set of lines and another maybe ten minutes tops for another set. I haven't had to do any transfers yet so it's been quite manageable and really it takes you near to everything on the tourist trail. And cheap...$2.50 for a single trip or a MetroCard for 7 days works out to about $4 a day so if you keep travelling it's very economical - and you can use the buses too. I caught a bus today but they are a bit squeezy I find. If you're concerned I can tell you the trains are super clean, fast, regular and some of the stations are lovely with most having tiled mosaic signs. A lot of stairs though - I'm getting calves of steel.

I am struggling a bit with the coins, I can''t work out quickly enough when there is a line of people and I'm wanting to pay for my bottle of Mountain Maid and a banana (69c a pound-the bananas that is) so I keep handing over notes (they still have dollar notes). As a consequence  I have enough coins to feed the homeless (of which there are surprisingly few beggars)and I spend endless minutes at the omnipresent friggin security screening areas at every major bloody tourist attraction removing coins and then having to put them back in to my pocket afterwards (while juggling coat, gloves, belt, watch, bag)...and of course they are such small slippery buggers that I can't quite grasp them properly so the process is even slower. I hate terrorists, I hate the 'war on terror' and I particularly hate the atmosphere of fear that makes us slaves to screening screens,officers with loud harsh and formulaic voices 'keep moving along folks, remove belts please, have your bags ready for inspection'. And as for the people who hover over the tray still at the belt so you can't grab your stuff...that's when they need to be told to move on and get out of the shitfuckingbastardcrapping way!!!! And I just wonder what it all actually achieves or is it just to make us all feel better to feel 'safer'...from what? Has any 'attack' actually been stopped through any of these measures? it seems to me most of the so called baddies have been sprung in their own homes or via their phones or their stupidity...can't remember the last one who got caught with something 'prohibited' at the airport, let alone on the way to the ferry going to the Statue of...what's it called again?  Oh yes LIBERTY!!!

Anyway travelogue and piccies will follow

A New York Minute or Two

Here's the thing, you can't get decent coffee in New York. That's all I'm sayin'.I really can't fathom how a country that was almost built on coffee can serve up something that tastes more like a combination of tar and hickory essence. I've attempted a cappuccino, an espresso and even went to the middle class dark side and sank to having a latte, all to no avail and all requiring I reach for an Anticol or butter menthol to cleanse my palette. I hate to think how many taste buds and brain cells have perished this week...and anyone who knows me knows I can ill afford to sacrifice any brain cells.

I never liked Starbucks coffee - for me it  was the coffee that 'kept on giving' for about the next two days if you get my drift.

So I'm sorry, I gave it a good old Yankee try but I will not, I can not suffer through another $4 (no matter how attractive the exchange rate)cup of swill New York style.Frankly I'd rather drink a glass other Hudson River.

New York 2

My my what a life I have and what a day I've enjoyed.

A bright sunny day and delightfully chilly - top of 40 F. It is quietly doing my head in trying to think in Fahrenheit again.

Breakfast is pretty good although the dining room is pretty small so had to share a table with a French couple. No cereal, although oatmeal is available so had toast and yoghurt.

The hotel is only a five minute walk from Central Park so I got some guidance from the receptionist about the best way to get to the United nations for my 11.15 tour. She printed out directions for walking and different options with that and one if I took the bus.

Had a quick look at the Dakota Building, only from outside of course but great to see the place where John Lennon was shot, where Lauren Bacall still lives, Judy Garland and Andy Warhol would also have flitted in and out of there during their residency. So many flash apartment blocks and often side by side with some pretty drab ones.

Crossed the road to Central Park. Quite beautiful and similar to Hyde Park in London. A bit of work being done around so maybe not seeing it at it's best but gee the City skyline in the background really show it off.

Lots of joggers and walkers and plenty of cops as was true throughout the city.

I had plenty of time up my sleeve so decided to walk to the UN and it really only took about an hour. A bit of security to go through and just made it to the tour. Great and interesting look through much of the building, including the General Assembly. The room was being set up for a special concert commemorating the Japan Tsunami. So amazing to be sitting in the room that has been the focus of world attention on so many occasions. Shown through some of the exhibit areas and learnt about some of the initiatives in play currently. One very sad statistic they told us when discussing some of the things to be eradicated by 2015. Each year 11 million kids under five die and 53% of them die from malnutrition - simply unacceptable because in this world it should not happen. If we committed half the amount spent on going to war (maintaining peace?)on child starvation it would NOT occur, think of that.

I was really buoyed by my visit there and the little bit of shopping in the bookshop. I then wandered along to the nearby Turtle Bay to see where my fave actor Kate Hepburn lived, nice brownstone (up for rent). Stephen Sondheim still lives in the somewhat plainly facaded house next door. They have renamed the block Kate's house is on 'Katherine Hepburn Place'. Up the road a fraction is Dag Hammersjold park, named after the revered former UN Secretary General and a little garden has been installed and that too is committed to Kate's memory.

 Only a few  blocks along is an enclave of buildings giving name to the area called 'Tudor City'. I walked through a nice park and had some  fun with a couple of cheeky squirrels.

Jet lag started to hit around 2.00 so I made my way to Grand Central which is majestic and passed the Chrysler Building...so many people photographing it. I must say it was much cleaner than I imagined.

Much of the day I noticed how wide the streets of New York generally are and Park Avenue was very reminiscent of Oxford Street in London and I really didn't notice the crowds. My encounters with people so far has been that they are friendly and genuine. They are fools for crossing against the lights (in front of cops quite often and  they are never challenged) and seem to be in a constant rush but nice.

I grabbed some food and headed for Times Square to get the subway home. Well children the crowds had all come out to play, swarms  of them. Freaked out a bit and hopped on the train. I'll save that little 'excitement' until later in the trip. The subway was pretty clean and the train fine, very quick trip to 72nd Street. I've got a 7 day ticket which saves me nearly half the normal cost.