My Bite Out of The Big Apple

Prairie Girl Adventures

March 30, 2008

Alas, spring break. While most city dwellers were gearing up to get out of this place, I was dusting off my tour guide cap to welcome my good friend Tawnya to the city that never sleeps. Despite having seen most everything New York has to offer, it was very exciting for me to re-experience the sights and sounds of my chaotic surroundings with someone who was seeing it all for the very first time, getting their initial reactions to an environment that can be summed up in one simple word... crazy.

Our touristy adventures led us uptown, downtown and all over town. From the Statue of Liberty and the Ellis Island Immigrant Museum to window shopping along Madison Avenue, strolling through SoHo to absorbing some breathtaking views of the city from the Top of the Rock, taking in an Islanders hockey game from the nosebleed section (mental note: don't move down to 100-level seating during the 1st intermission... you'll only be made a fool of) and being blown away by the enthralling Broadway talent in Spring Awakening, were just some of the highlights of an unbelievably fun, but indeed fatiguing week in the Big Apple for two true prairie girls at heart.

I'm running out of words to describe how truly worn out this city leaves you... but I'm certain Tawnya would be able to tell you first-hand not only what it's like as a first-time visitor, but also what it's like to live it on a daily basis. She left here completely exhausted and drained, surely looking forward to returning to her spacious, comfortable and slower-paced surroundings and I can't blame her... in fact, I was really a tad envious! Here you long for a day of peace, quiet and space, a morning to sleep in without waking to the noise of sirens, horns and your neighbors upstairs bickering at the top of their lungs, and hope that just one day, ONE day, be granted enough elbow room to not feel like cattle being herded from one pen to the next. Not until you physically experience it will you really believe it.

Kudos though to my good friend for being such a great trooper! Not a single complaint to my jam-packed itinerary of sight-seeing and galavanting... ok... maybe just one, but we were both getting a little cranky over how many hundreds of stairs we were climbing each day, in and out of the subway. She and I both could use another break to recover and unwind from our spring break, but when you spend it in NYC, there's no such thing as a relaxing vacation!

Mmm... the best pretzels ever!

The spectacular Statue of Liberty

View of the Empire State Building and Lower Manhattan from the
Top of the Rock

View of Central Park, the Upper West Side and Upper East Side from the Top of the Rock

You definitely see it all in this city... The Naked Cowboy in Times Square

Prairie girls really love their hockey... our view of the Islanders and Penquins from the very back row of the stadium!

... And we also love cars... One hot Ferrari at the
New York International Auto Show

End of an Era

March 15, 2008

One of the most famous sporting venues in the United States and third-oldest stadium in the Major Leagues will soon be closing its doors, once and for all, after one last season of ballplaying on some truly hallowed grounds. Historic Yankee Stadium will play host to the legendary Bronx Bombers for it's 85th and final season before bidding farewell to the most successful franchise in North American professional sports history. Luckily the Yankees won't have to venture very far to their new home... in fact, they'll just have to cross the street, where the current generation of baseball players will have their own awe-inspiring opportunity to play in a new park, becoming new legends.

With my Dad (a.k.a. 'die-hard Yankees fan') in town for an overdue visit, there was no question that a Yankee Stadium tour would be at the very top of our "to-do" list. Having himself played semi-pro baseball back in his prime, my Dad was fully and completely in his element once again but on a much grander scale. Taking a seat in the press box and yankee dugout, getting an insider's glance into the infamous clubhouse and walking the field (ssshhh, don't tell, but we scoffed a few slivers of holy grass from the infield between home and first base), were highlights of a tour that left my mouth dry at the extensive chronology of historic and storied events that have taken place within those stadium walls. If only walls could talk.

It seems only fitting that the park will showcase some of the world's best players this July in the 79th All-Star Game, and perhaps even see a World Series Championship celebration in October, given the rich tradition of post-season action the stadium has seen since its opening in 1923. Quite the spectacle that would be... chalking up a 27th in the history books for a team who clinched 16 of those in a stadium that will sadly be razed, but fortunately replaced with a park and a number of playing fields for youngsters with a passion for baseball to play on their own field of dreams. Because as the saying goes... if you build it, they will come.

In the grandstands of Yankee Stadium

My beyond-thrilled Dad in the Yankee Dugout

View from the Press Box

The concourse level of the Stadium

The Stadium has a capacity of over 57,000

Yankee Stadium: "The House that Ruth Built"

The Yankee's retired numbers in Monument Park

The Facade, running along the bleacher billboards and scoreboards

The New Yankee Stadium, slated to open for the 2009 Season

The interlocking 'NY': one of the most recognizable insignia's in sports, and perhaps the world

Grab Your Scalpel!

March 2, 2008

It's been awhile since my last post... maybe I myself just can't keep up with this digital generation that us creative twenty-something's find ourselves immersed in everyday... that and the fact that turning 25 just one month ago may have had more of a brain-draining effect on me than I had once anticipated it would! You know the feeling... where you start to question every single aspect of your life to the point that you wake up every day with a headache because your mind just won't stop racing... ok, maybe not. Well it's a new month, the winter- and getting-older blues are seemingly starting to fade, and my mind is gradually starting to clear of the constant 'what am I doing with my life?' concern, to finally allow me a surge of mental energy to do other things... like blog.

Today I ventured all the way down to Lower Manhattan to attend an unique exhibition that took me way back to my early days of university. Ahhh.... the glory days of being a Phys Ed student. Surely we had more fun than any other faculty on campus, but it wasn't all just fun and games (those volleyball and golf courses only filled up half of our schedules). In all the years that I was a professional student, my favorite class was without a doubt was 'Structural Anatomy.'

South Street Seaport is currently playing host to Bodies - The Exhibition, an innovative exhibition showcasing real, dissected human bodies (preserved that is), that unveil the intricate and complex systems of tissues and organs that make our body work. From bones to muscles, a healthy heart to cancerous lungs (stop smoking people!), and everything imaginable in between, the event was a fascinating display of the reality of our entire physical makeup.

Having regretfully not taken Gross Anatomy as an elective for my BPE degree, and therefore not having that course under my belt to serve as a buffer for what I would eventually see this morning, I was a tad worried I wouldn't be able to stomach the event. But it's all good, my porridge stayed down! Looking back, I definitely don't miss the days of cue card studying and bell-ringer lab exams associated with one of the more difficult first-year courses I was required to take, but it sure was nice to have a visual refresher course now, to allow me to re-identify all those muscles that sure do ache on a daily basis in my old age.

South Street Seaport in Lower Manhattan

Got Monuments?

February 11, 2008

American history. I can't say I remember much of anything from my Social Studies classes back in junior high and high school, but everything that was easily forgetten was quickly refreshed in my mind in my recent mini-vacation to Washinton, DC. Monuments here, memorials there, and more museums, federal buildings, state department buildings, marble and Grecian columns than you care to imagine, most people can probably think of much more thrilling places to visit. My reasoning however, for hopping aboard a train to experience the land of America's forefathers went beyond any interest I may have had in government, politics and orators of the American republic.

USArts, the sponsoring organization behind my internship in New York City, recently invited all interns currently living and working in the U.S., to Washington, DC for a couple of days of sightseeing and tours, and to have the opportunity to exchange stories about our life-changing experiences thus far. Even though I was able to take in some quite stunning sights of the nation's capital, drop in to a handful of beautiful Smithsonian museums, and absorb all that forms the basis of America's power in today's society, that was all just a bonus of my trip.

The real perk was being able to meet and spend time with some intelligent individuals who are all literally walking in the same pair of shoes. It was reassuring for me to learn of my fellow interns' similar experiences in moving to new and challenging territory, facing both forseen and unforseen obstacles and sharing the same sense in hoping that once our internships come to an end, we leave here with a confirmed feeling of what it was that we came here looking for. And if not... well... at least we'll all have our own little piece of American history.

The US Capitol Building

The Washington Monument and Reflecting Pool

The Thomas Jefferson Memorial

I spy snipers...

Canada (x2), England, Venezuela, Poland, Argentina and USA all share a little taste of Italy!

A Turtlehog Party!

February 3, 2008

Though I never did hear whether Punxsutawney Phil, Wiarton Willie or New York City's own Pothole Pete (though also a very suiting name for Edmonton's own groundhog) ended up seeing their shadow yesterday, I'm crossing my fingers they didn't... particularly for all you Albertans out there who are bravely toughing out the deep freeze these days. While the odds are not likely in our favor for an early spring, the odds that Groundhog Day would be a day to celebrate not one, but two birthdays for a couple of cute turtles is slim to none... or so I thought!

Seriously, what are the chances, that in a city this big, I would not only meet someone, but also work with someone, who shares the same oddly recognized day as a birthday! I couldn't help but chuckle at this random coincidence when my Turtle Bay co-worker Julie and I discovered this little known fact. So despite my longstanding dread in joining the quarter-century club, I was actually excited for the day to arrive knowing I'd be able to celebrate it with my fabulous fellow turtlehog!

Along with some fantastic company, we celebrated our special day in Little Italy, where we feasted on some of the most amazing pasta I have ever eaten(!), sipped some superb wine, nibbled on some tasty tiramisu and were even treated to a birthday song by a 'polka band' who got the entire restaurant to sing to us! What a great night. I couldn't have asked for a better way to entertain the start of my 'halfway-to-30' age in the Big Apple. ACK! Forget about that last part... turning 25 felt pretty good until that scary thought crossed my mind.

Two Turtles who share a special birthday!

A Little Ballet with that PB & J?

January 30, 2008

Today I took a lunchtime fieldtrip to the New York State Theatre, home to the New York City Ballet, one of the foremost dance companies in the world. Having only seen one other professional dance company in New York since I've moved here, that being Complexions Contemporary Ballet, which was quite outstanding, I didn't want to pass up the chance to see some of the best dancers in the world rehearse for their opening night performance of Double Feature, Tony-Award winner Susan Stroman's latest choreographic work.

Rarely have I seen, or even heard of a ballet, that delves into aspects of silent film, musical theatre and melodrama that results in such a unique and inventive piece of work. And this afternoon, in a dress rehearsal open to the public, I was witness to poised ballerina's alike effortlessly run through the first act of this intuitive double bill ballet, The Blue Necklace. A Cinderella-ish tale with a hint of Broadway theatrics, imaginative sets, lavish costumes and entertaining choreography definitely left me hungry for more.

Tomorrow afternoon the NYC ballet is offering up Act 2 to the public... entitled Makin' Whoopee... hmmm... a light-hearted slapstick parody perhaps? Your guess is as good as mine. Not every day can be a free ballet and brown bag lunch kind of day!

Surprising Saviour

January 21, 2008

I never ended up sleeping over like I once said I would, but I most definitely should have. My visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art was penciled into my next months calendar as requiring a full weekend to explore; to have ample time to enjoy the numerous exhibitions and new installations in one of the world's largest art museums, but my visit came early when all of the radiators in the apartment chose to hibernate for the winter early Sunday morning, leaving me scrambling to take cover someplace warm.

Despite mid-teen temps earlier this month that gave me false hope in anticipating an early spring (I even started to dust off my sandals), a recent swoop of bitter, icy, wintry air, comparable to that of prairie cold (but without the snow), finally found its place on the east coast. The painful wind is enough to want to stay inside all the time, only venturing out when you absolutely have to. But when your apartment is itself an igloo and no degree of layering will cooperate to retain even an ounce of heat, where do you go? Yup, you guessed it, the Museum.

This holiday Monday I wandered The Met to stay warm, albeit aimlessly because I kept getting lost. With over two million works of art in its permanent collection, 19 curatorial departments, plus a handful of new Galleries featuring Oceanic Art and 19th- and Early 20th-Century European Paintings and Sculpture, it sure doesn't take much to lose your way!

One of the short-term exhibitions at the Museum which posed to be my favorite was The Costume Institute, which showcased fashionable dress and regional costumes from the late 16th century to the present. One other collection that was indeed a favorite of mine from my last visit in 2004, was the Hall of Musical Instruments. Rare violins, harpsichords, and the oldest extant piano in the world is on display here. But it looks like it will take another broke-down radiator for me to see that particular collection again, because I'm pretty sure museum renovations that have closed a number of wings for public viewing will be complete by the time the heat decides to shut off again in my building. Space heater anyone?