Day 2: Bus Tour and Changing of the Guard

We attempted to sleep.  Each of us with varying success.  Some of us slept the whole night through while others were awoken by allergies, to bed to late because of face-timing or, in my case, up at 5:30am blogging because that's how I roll with jet lag.  Whatever the sleep situation though, the entire team made it down to breakfast and was ready to roll out the door at 9:20 - one of our latest starting dates.

The hotel has a wonderful breakfast spread for us to choose from - bacon, sausage, eggs, mushrooms, hash browns, yogurt, bread, croissants, jams, fruit salad, muffins, coffee, hot chocolate and 3 types of juice.  Something for every palette.  The group, in pairs of 2 and 4, slowly made their way down throughout the morning hour, and awoke with a hearty meal, or as was needed by some, a hot cup of coffee.

At 9:20 promptly the group headed to the Shepherd's Bush underground station - only 3 minutes away from the hotel if you manage to catch the lights right.  We are riding on group passes - which was BRILLIANT.  Anyone familiar with London will know the tube isn't cheap.  But a tube pass for a group gives us access to 6 zone (which includes the airport), unlimited, at a cost of £4.50 per adult (19 and up) and £1.70 per "child" (18 and younger).  So this is unlimited transportation for very very little.  Each person gets their own ticket for entering and exiting and so far it's worked great - though we did have a student misplace her ticket and have to replace with (which is pricey on it's own).  Lesson learned - treat them like cash!!

The group is starting to get a good feel for navigating the underground.  It's a great way to travel, though not without it's bumps and hiccups.  Being the leader (often Mr. D) with 19 ducks trailing after you is a challenge in not getting anyone lost - we've been good so far.  We have also encountered our first jam packed train (squish in there like sardines in a can) and first cancelled train with 20 minute wait on the platform (which they withstood after whining - impressive given it was the end of another long day).

First visit to Trafalgar Square, with National Gallery in the background.  Harpreet, Harsimran, Qudrat, Kimmi, Manroop, Harleen, Simran, Rene and Suesha, Top; Ms. Mulji (bottom left), Ms. Garr (bottom centre) and Mr. and Mrs. Becker (bottom right).

National Gallery, Serena & Celina (bottom left), Janey & Shelby (center), and the Rooster - aka - Public Art.

We took the tube to trafalgar square to meet up with our "Royal London" walking tour.  We made sure to arrive a little early, so the group could photograph themselves in the square as well as with the red phone booth around the corner.

Top Photos Booth Pics (L to R): Janey, Group jammed in, Simran, Harleen.
Bottom: Group Pic at the fountain in Trafalgar.

At 10:20 "Royal London" walking tour began, where the guide, a rather boisterous and well-informed gentlemen, carried a Scottish flag and guided us from Trafalgar square down to St. James Palace - apparently still an official residence of the queen.  It is currently home to Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.  On our way there we passed monuments to the queens parents - including the queen mother who lived until 101.  We were reminded frequently of the GOOD royal genes - also that the Queen is 87, she is well loved, and Princes Charles is the longest waiting Prince for the throne ever.  Also - did you know Prince George its he most influential person in England right now?  That's one powerful baby!

Top Left: Janey, Celina & Serena with their sunglasses (photobombed by Mr. Becker). Top Right: marching guards.  Bottom Left: Mr. Dewinetz confirms our direction through Green Park.  Bottom Right: Harsimran and Qudrat get settled in for a cold bus tour.

We parked ourselves across the street from St. James' and watched the beginning of the guard formation.  First is was one, then two, all dressed in grey instead of the expected red (not certain why - winter attire?  different regimen?).  The first group of guards assembled, followed by the band.  They stood in arrangement in the courtyard and played the 80's classic "Fame!" as in "Fame!  I'm gonna live forever, I'm gonna learn how to fly.  High.  I feel it coming together, People will see me and cry. Fame.  I'm gonna make it to heaven, Light up the sky like a flame. Fame.  I'm gonna live forever, baby remember my name."  Yes - that song.  Band was good though.  As they began to march, we began to march along side - slightly faster and to the other side of the street, so we could photograph them marching towards us.  We then bee-lined it down the side, cut through St. James' Park, and across to the guard forming on the other side, and watched a similar formation play, and march towards buckingham.  It was amazing to see buckingham, but of course the gates were lined thick with tourists waiting to watch the change.  We didn't actually stay for this part.  To summarize it as per the guide "They stand their for 30 minutes, and then exchange keys."  So we got to see the marching and "interesting" part, and skip 30 minutes of almost nothing.  Should this be accurate, then I think that seemed like a pretty fair deal.  We then skipped the tourist crowds, and cut through Green Park on our quest for lunch at Pret a Manger (there are dozens in London - great place for good, affordable eats).

After our lunch break we began the bus tour portion of the day.  I can only speak for myself, but it was GOOD to sit.  GREAT to sit in fact.  Our legs have been logging a lot of km - 15 on Monday and 8.9 on Tuesday in fact.  So the sitting portion was nice.  The spitting rain, and super cold wind not as much, but Many of us were willing to tough it out for the photos!  In our 2 hour loop we saw SO much, that I couldn't possibly detail it all here.  We went through old London (like Roman London), the financial district, past the Shard, through shopping areas, past Hamley's, across the Tower, London, Westminster and Mayfair bridges, past the eye, Parliament, Westminster Abbey, City Hall, Scotland Yard, Tower of London, numerous old churches and more.  Our guide, Nuri, was well versed in interesting anecdotes and Harry Potter fun facts (perfect for our group), and made the commentary educational and enjoyable.  I wish I could have stopped and fully photographed every since item we saw - but their just wasn't time.  In the end I have snapped pictures of more buildings that I can remember the stories for.  However, I clearly remember a story of Thomas Hardy (writer of Tess of d'Urbevilles) who, when died, wanted his heart buried in Dorset - his home.  He obviously meant his whole self, but the literally meant it as his HEART, and removed it from his body and placed it in a tin, intending to bury just his heart in Dorset, while his body at Westminster.  But a (his?) cat ended up eating the heart in the tin on the counter.  So....not sure what lesson to take away from that...

Top Left; Shelby and Janey embrace the cold.  Top Right: Trafalgar Square.
Bottom Left: St. Paul's Cathedral.  Bottom Right: London Eye

Sites from the tour: Tower containing Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and Australia House (aka Gringott's Bank from Harry Potter)

Driving over Tower Bridge, and then seeing the Tower of London

We got off the bus for a short break at Buckingham Palace.  The majority of the crowds were gone now was the changing of the guard was long over.  We took pictures of and in front of the palace, before getting back on and heading back to the beginning, intending to take the blue line of the bus to Harrods.  The narrator, Ricky, this time around was not so engaging.  In fact, it was a little more of the typical British professor nod you off to sleep type.  He did love Richard Gere though - giving him three mentions over 10 minutes.  We got back to the beginning and instead of taking the blue line, thought it be quicker to take the Tube to Harrods.  Once there we gave 30 minutes to explore (I'd say shop, but it's not the kind of store that most can afford to shop in.)  Some headed for perfume section and others for the toys.  I personally went with Mr. Becker towards the food - it is pretty outstanding what they offer in there.  That being said, at those prices....I can't imagine myself doing much grocery shopping there (apples were £6/lb!!! crazy!)

Buckingham Palace

Qudrat and Kimmi on the escalator up at Knightsbridge, leading to Harrods (complete with food)

By this time we were ready to head home.  It had been a full day already!  We decided on the tube, though ended up with a variety of crowded cars and long waits - such is the tube during rush hour - and finally made it back to the hotel.  We then went next door to Pizza Express for dinner, and finally had a little down time before room checks and (hopefully) sleep!  Another busy, wonderful, amazing day.  I'm going to admit though - my legs are starting to feel the affect of all the walking!  While there is more walking in store for our busy Wednesday, Thursday will give us a little reprieve has we are up early for a bus tour to Stonehenge!  Great things in store!

London Day One: Lack of Sleep and Hard on Feet

 Now that I have 7 hours of sleep behind me I am coherent enough to try and share the first leg of our adventure.  Traveling from YVR to LHR was relativity painless - that is if you can discount the lack of sleep.  We left Sunday evening, just before 8pm and landed the next day in London at noon - to bright skies and a full day ahead.  Most of the group got little to no sleep on the plane.  Not everyone finds plans easy or comfortable to sleep on, or at least not without the beds you get with a $5000 first first first class ticket (it just wasn't in the budget).  So everyone arrived tired, and excited, and adrenalin got us through for the first part of the day.

We passed through customs without a problem, retrieved our luggage (all arrived safely), and headed for our first experience on the Tube.  We are able use group tube tickets - which are a fraction of the cost of regular Oyster Cards or travel cards - and purchasing them was easier than I thought it would be - so that was a relief.  This was one of the few tube journeys that would involve a couple train changes, and as you can imagine with all our luggage, that was a lot of heavy lifting and hassle (and of course we may have gone up and down the wrong set of stairs once or twice while trying to get oriented).  But all in all we arrived safely.

Janey & Shelby heading into and waiting for the Tube at Bond street; Mr. Becker showing proper tube riding technique

The Ibis that we are staying at is in a super cute neighbourhood.  Lots of local shops, and right next to a huge mall.  There is a beautiful park across the street, with grass and trees and a nice mini-escape from the urban.  The rooms are clean and modern, though small, but that is true of most hotel rooms in Europe.  They staff have been incredibly kind and accommodating and were very organized.  I hope all the students have gotten a good night sleep and that there won't be any concerns for our time here.

We settled into our rooms, and just the process of slowing down began to bring in the sleepiness accumulating - but in order to beat the jet lag we wanted to avoid afternoon naps - so after a quick lunch break we headed out for our afternoon Harry Potter/Overview tour.  We were a little behind schedule, so we didn't get through all we have planned.  A great part of this is due to the fact that...LONDON IS HUGE.  Ms. Beyer, our VP told me a while back "do not be deceived in London - things look close on a map, but in fact, they are further away than they look."  I now know this is true.

Headed out for our first adventure - just leaving the hotel

We took the tube down to Bank station and started our walk at Leadenhall market - also known as "Diagon Alley" to Harry Potter Fans.  We also found the original entrance to the Leaky Cauldron - now just an optometrists office.  We had this moment, walking out of the train station that came with a "Wow...now THIS is London....everything is so old...." type commentary from the kids.  Because we had lots to cover we power walked (not kidding about the power part) down to the Thames, and towards the Millennium Bridge.  We walked across, looking back at the view of St. Paul's cathedral for the first time, and then across to the south bank and the Globe Theatre.  We then walked along the south bank past the London Eye towards Westminster Bridge, where we crossed back over, look a good look at parliament and the tower holding Ben Ben (the Bell), before finally hauling ourselves to Porters for our first traditional British dinner of Shepherd's Pie, and Steak and Cheddar Pie, and Bangers and Mash, and Toad in a Hole and many others of the liking.  Food was great, portions were huge and everyone was satisfied.

Janey & Shelby in front of the Bank Building; 450 year old church, complete with vicar who came out and waved to us as we walked by

Leadenhall Market ("Diagon Alley") with students out front, as well as group in front of the now blue door to the 'Leaky Cauldon"

Simran, Harleen, Suesha, Rene, Harsimran, Harjot, Qudrat, Kimmi and Manroop on the Millennium Bridge.

Various view of and from the Millennium Bridge - including looking at if from the ground, towards St. Paul's, and at Ms. Garr

Bell tour containing Big Ben (left) and look from Westminster Bridge towards the London Eye (looks smaller here than in real life - 30 people fit in each of those capsules)

Parlaiment, as seen while walking across the Westminster Bridge

We were going to head straight home, as exhaustion had set in, but the Covent Garden tube station was closed, so we took advantage and walked through Leicester Square to Piccadilly Circus to see the lights, before finally heading home.  Students could barely keep their eyes open on the train!

Left, Harsimran & Qudrat in front of the lights, Right, Harpreet, Rene, Simran and Suesha with Ripley's Believe it or not in the background, both in Piccadilly Circus.

Girls on the Tube ride home, looking tired and struggling to stay awake.  Been a long and fulfilling day.

Tuesday will be a lighter (and shorter) day - less walking, more busing, and early night.  Hopefully the long walk and push forward helped lead students to a good nights sleep and overcome the jet lag (then again - i am writing this at 6 AM London time because I woke early....so that's not a good sign).  Looking forward to another great day ahead!!  We have such a great group of students and I know without a doubt that we have 9 wonderful days awaiting us.

What I'm most looking forward to: Cambridge University & Cavendish Laboratory

While I am so excited for everything we will see and do on our upcoming trip to London, I think I am most excited to see the Cambridge University and Cavendish Laboratory.  There is something extraordinary about being able to stand in the places where something significant has happened.  I could argue that all our destinations harbour moments of significance, in history, literature, popular culture, and of course, science.  But for me, Cambridge University and Cavendish Lab take the cake.

Cavendish Laboratory is the home of Watson and Crick. It is where they worked together to discover the structure of DNA (and then won the nobel prize).

Thomson, credited for discovering the electron and the first isotope, went on to win the nobel prize for his work in Chemistry.

Rutherford, father of nuclear physics, became the director of the lab in 1919, after discovering the nucleus of the atom and discovering the concept of radioactive decay and half life (while working in Canada, for which he won the Nobel Prize).  Under his leadership, Chadwick became the first person to split the nucleus in a fully controlled matter, as well as discovered the neutron and measured its mass.

Maxwell is the father of electromagnetism.  He is credited for the second biggest unification theory in Physics (and the third greatest Physicist of all time).  His work on electromagnetic fields, the movement of light, the existence of radio waves and more make his work so significant in the study of Physics.

But of course the number one physicist of all time is the great Sir Isaac Newton.  He spent much of his life here, formatting laws of Mathematics, Optics and Motion - and was dubbed the father of Modern Physics.  It was having tea and sitting in the gardens where he first questioned why is it things fall to the earth with the consistent rates of acceleration.  Newton's apple tree (or a great grandchild of the original) is still on the grounds to this day.

Of course Cambridge is also home to more recent scientists, like Sanger, the first person to win two Nobel Prizes in Chemistry, for sequencing Insulin and determining the amino acids upon which it was built, and of course the slightly more famous Stephen Hawking, scientist with a focus on back holes and the big bang theory, (and a few more huge theories trying to unify all Physics) and current Director of Research at the Centre of Theoretical Cosmology within the University of Cambridge.

Sir Isaac Newton, in a letter to Sir Robert Hooke once wrote, "If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants."  And Cambridge is home of many giants.  And I am so excited to stand where they stood.

London 2014 - almost here!

The countdown shows we're getting close - only 19 more days until we take off for the great city of London.  It was last year at this time that we were holding out first meetings and introducing our trip to students, and the 365+ day countdown is finally coming to a close.

Travel is a gift. It exposes us to new countries, cultures, foods, values and people.  It connects us to places of the past, moment of significance in history, beauty beyond imagination.  It helps us learn how big, and yet, how small the world really is.  It makes us richer and wiser, more compassionate and understanding, ore aware, more critical, more patient, more appreciative.  Ever opportunity to travel is one to learn and grow as individuals.

So when I say that I, my colleagues Ms. Mulji, Mr. Dewinetz, Mr. Becker and Ms. Garr, and the 15 Sullivan Heights Students are excited about the trip ahead - I'm not kidding.  We are excited for all the things we still see and experience, all the moments we will share, and the memories that will shape us all.  We, that is myself, and hopefully the students as well as guest posters, will be blogging from here - sharing stories of our adventures in England.  Our goal is to learn about the culture, the city of London, and the places that connect us to the history of scientific thought.  To give you an idea of what's ahead for us, I thought I would provide a brief overview.  We hope those who aren't traveling with us can share in our joys, and learn along side us, as we share our tales with you.

The adventures waiting for us include (in approximate order):

• Harry Potter Walking Tour (Ministry of Magic, Millennium Bridge, Diagon Alley)
• Westminster Walking Tour
• Piccadilly Circus
• Double Decker Bus Tour
• Cruise on the River Thames
• Changing of the Guard
• Harrod's
• Tower of London
• Westminster Abbey
• Broadway Show "Phantom of the Opera" in the West End
• Stonehenge at Sunrise on the Equinox
• Roman Baths in Bath
• Lacock Abbey (from Harry Potter)
• Kew Gardens & Workshop
• British Museum
• Oxford Street Shopping
• Platform 9 3/4 at Kings Cross
• University of Cambridge Science Walking Tour
• Physics Lectures at the Cavendish Lab & Newton Science Building
• Science Museum 
• Museum of Natural History
• London Eye
• Stratford-Upon-Avon Shakespeare House, Grave and Afternoon Tea
• Windsor Castle
• St. Paul's Cathedral
• Fish & Chips
• Royal Observatory
• Greenwich Market
• Camden Lock Market
• British Library
• National Gallery
• Broadway show "Wicked" in the West End

As you can see we have a jam packed week! I hope to keep this blog updated nightly (which will be morning here) - so check back daily to see what's going on!  Comments are always welcome and invited.  Looking forward to having you along for the ride!

Why?

Learning, Living and Loving in NYC (Part II)

Day 3 - 7 all had a similar routine for the students.  Breakfast, school, homework and some time to see and explore various parts of New York City.  The students in the writing module were focused on writing that was "showing, not telling."  They did a lot of practice and took a field trip to the New York Times to learn about writing from some of the best in the business.

The photography students spent a lot of time doing there homework while we were out.  They were getting a better grasp of depth of field and points of view.  Looking at their photography that they are doing now, I can instantly tell that their time of purposeful instruction and practice has had an influence on their work.

Monday night we went to Times Square.  We enjoyed a meal at Ellen's Singing Stardust Diner - a 50's diner for wannabe broadway stars who sing and dance while taking orders and delivering food.  Students got the chance to take in the bright lights and shop.  While they tended to the more familiar fashion staples like H&M and Forever 21, I enjoyed the 5 story Toys R Us, and just sitting on the steps watching the billboards change.

Time Square Banners

Tuesday night we went to a broadway show - "Newsies."  The show was AMAZING.  There are quite a few dancers in our group, and many of the Newsies cast members had been on various seasons of the show "So You Think You Can Dance."  We decided to stay afterwards to get a few autographs - which turned into photos and full on interviews!  The students in the writing course were suppose to write an article that involved the principle of "showing, not telling."  They were busy making notes in the theatre and interviewing the ushers.  They never anticipated that they could get interviews from the stars themselves.  The dancers/actors were SO kind to stay after their long day at work and answer all their questions.  It was a powerful opportunity for the girls to practice what they were learning and better experience the world of journalism.

Me and my friend Luke (who chaperoned)

Students in front of the Nederlander Theatre

R & L with Thayne

M with Jess

Students interviewing and photographing cast member Jess

Girls with dancer/actor Alex Wong

Interviewing Alex Wong

Girls with dancer/actor Evan L. 

Interviewing/Photographing Evan

Wednesday night we went to Union Square and had dinner at Max Brenner's Chocolate Restaurant.  The food there is amazing, but nothing like the deserts.  But we were so tired, full and hot that we never got to desert.  Instead took a warm summer night stroll across the Brooklyn Bridge!

View from the Brooklyn Bridge at the Financial Distinct (tallest tower = World Trade Center)

Students on the Brooklyn Bridge

Thursday was our last night in the city.  We went to Lincoln Center and grabbed some sandwiches from 'Wichcraft, and ate by the fountain.  It was a mellow and calm evening.  We ended with one last (and begged for) shopping outing at Macy's - world's largest store and the Herald Square shops.

Girls (very coordinated) in front of the fountain at Lincoln Center

Lincoln Center Fountain.  Lincoln Center to Right, New York Opera to Left, American Ballet straight ahead

Friday was our last day.  Students had a final class in the morning and then we met at the Metropolitan Museum of Art - one of many museums and cultural staples in the city.  However, the students were not as interested in the museum as I had hoped.  After 45 minutes they resorted to taking in the 37 degree heat (celcius to my American viewers) on the roof and enjoying the view.  We walked back through Central Park and had our final dinner at the Shake Shack, another New York Staple,  before heading back to JFK.

The roof of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, looking into the city

The entire trip was an amazing, exhilarating, exhausting whirlwind.  Watching my students experience the city was an incredible opportunity.  Helping them learn and grow and providing them with new opportunities to learn and grow was also a wonderful treat.  But I'm not going to lie - it was exhausting.  Being someone who loves to travel, and is use to the "go go go!" of it all, it isn't the same when you are constantly looking out for the wellbeing of others.  By the time I got home I was ready to sleep for three days straight.  I am so lucky to have such wonderful and well behaved students.  New York is a big exciting city and I wish I would had more time to share more it with them, and had them share their experiences of it with me.  But regardless, our 7 days of shared experience is one that I hope will be as rich and meaningful in the scheme of their lives, as it was in mine.

Originally Posted on lysmekah.blogspot.com

Learning, Living and Loving in NYC (Part I)

I know it is already November.  And while student council is getting ready to deck the halls and winter dances are right around the corner, I wanted to take the time to tell you a story of the adventure that I took with 5 yearbook students in the end of June.  (And if you are wondering "why now" you should see the length of my to do list....)

I had the privilege of taking 5 (then) grade 11 students to New York City at the end of June for 7 days.  They were students who had made a commitment to taking Yearbook 12 this school year, and were travelling to New York for a 5 day Photography, Writing and Journalism workshop offered by Columbia University.  [As it was a photography and yearbook based workshop, this post will be filled with photos.  Enjoy/deal with it.]  My students engaged in 2 streams: photography (3 students) and writing for the web (2 student).  The workshops themselves were great.  Every day I would spend the subway ride home listening to tales of "showing, not telling" and "looking for the action."  The evenings were balanced between poignant questions about lighting in Photoshop and panicked rush to interview strangers and complete assignments.  And of course the biggest challenge was that 2 blocks down was central park, and 5 minutes away was Times Square.  The bright lights of the big city were blinding.  Fortunately we were able to combine our exploring and observing with our writing and snapping.  I'm pretty confident that my students left the big apple as enamoured with it as I am.

First ride on the Subway

On the first day, after a long (but comfortable, thank you Cathay!) red eye flight we arrived at JFK and took the subway into the city.  Even the smell of urine in the Jamaica station elevators could not get us down.  We got off the plane starving, and wanted a quick bite before headed off, and sure enough we came across.....Tim Hortons.  Not the most quintessential NYC experience (I'm pretty sure New Yorkers do not qualify Tim Hortons as "real" makers of bagels", but it was a little piece of home to calm a grumbly tummy).  

Grand Central Station

After ditching the luggage at our hotel in the upper west side (the Milburn - standard hotel, but great location near central park, in between Columbia and midtown, and in a more residential neighbourhood by a great grocery store), we headed to Grand Central Station to admire the marble work and get something more substantial to eat from the food court.  It only took about 5 minutes in the station for my to have my wallet stolen.  This is my fourth trip to the city, so I really should know better.  Some guy came and asked me to take his photo (I had a camera, he had an iPhone camera....happens a lot in NYC for tourists to take pics of each other), so I took his picture, and by the time I handed him back his camera, my wallet had been taken by my camera bag.  So my licence, credit cards and everything I needed to pay for this trip were gone.  Not the best way to start the trip.  So we wandered over to the New York Public Library, as planned, and I paced through the Children's book section while arranging an emergency credit card from Mastercard to be sent to me, and my students could see the ORIGINAL Winnie-the-Pooh stuffed animals.  Not the way I planned on starting the trip, but the students were great and rolled with it.  

New York Public Library

 In the early evening we went down to the financial district and visited the newly opened World Trade Center Memorial.  Even with tickets, there is quiet the series of security measures before you get in to see the reflecting ponds.  I have been to NYC 4 times in the last 3 years.  The first time I went the site has a whole in the ground and they were preparing to build.  So it was amazing to see it completed, and to experience the awe and reverence of those visiting the site.  It was interesting to see my students interact with the experience.  I was in university on September 11, 2001, and most of my friends were American.  I was driving in my car to Organic Chemistry, and getting into the classroom full of US citizens trying to call home, and my professor from Alabama almost in tears was unreal.  My students would have been 6.  There was a certain disconnect between them and the place they were standing.  They were struggling to determine how they should act, think and feel.  They don't really know a world before 9/11.  That's the generation that we are teaching.  Wow.

World Trade Center

Students at World Trade Center Memorial

 As a side note, despite the large number of people who work near and around Wall Street, on a Saturday the place is pretty deserted.  Couldn't even find a place for dinner.  Ended up going back to the hotel and ordering New York Pizza.  I'm sorry New Yorkers, I'm not a big fan.  May be the largest greasiest pizza I've ever seen.  But it was one of the many NY experiences we could check off the list.

Day Two, the second in a week of beautiful, hot, sunny days, was jam packed. We had morning and afternoon sites to see and experiences to partake in, and students had orientation at Columbia.

After a quick breakfast courtesy of the Milburn, we talked to central park, and started our tour in Strawberry Fields, the area of the part dedicated to John Lennon, across from the Dakota Building where he was shot.  We wandered across the Bow Bridge (featured in many movies), down around the boat house and Bethesda fountain and through the mall towards 5th avenue.  The park was BEAUTIFUL in the morning sun and made for the perfect way to start the day.  I may have been sans-wallet, but my camera was still with me, and out in full force.  All 7 of us (me, students, and my friend Luke who was chaperoning) were out with our camera, capturing the beautiful sites.

Following the walk through the park we hit the famous 5th avenue.  All 5 students were super excited for shopping (their request must-have New York experience).  They had fun experiencing the stores, even though very few purchases were made.  We ended up at Rockefeller Plaza (I had lunch at 'wichcraft - HIGHLY recommend) and took the subway back home before heading for Orientation.

Trying on Hats at FAO Schwartz

Columbia University is one of the most beautiful University campuses.  The students checked in and headed to "class" while I got to enjoy photographing the property.  4 hours later they came out with their first assignments.  The photography students needed to go "take pictures" - an easy thing to do while traveling through a new city!  The writing students needed to interview and write a piece and submit it by midnight.  Now, the majority of students attending this program, 350 in all for 15 countries and all over the US, were staying on campus.  They had a 10pm curfew and 12 lights out/internet off policy.  Over the weeks I was told the kids were complaining more and more.  They were in New York City, but were not allowed to leave to go SEE the city.  My students were increasingly grateful for the freedom of off campus accommodations.

Columbia University Library 

Columbia University

When class was over we had more to see though! (every bit of daylight and twilight was maximized!)  We planned on taking the train down town to Washington Square Park.  We proceeded as planned, but when we got off the train we realized we arrived RIGHT as the New York Pride Parade had ended.  There were tens of thousands of people, police, colours, shouting, singing, barricades and general chaos.  I instantly began to think about turning around, but the students were LOVING it.  This was the New York City experience!!  People watching can be fascinating, and this culture of celebration was taken in as one of the highlights of the trip.  Of course trying to get to the restaurant we planned was tricky.  Took us 1 hour to walk 0.3 miles.  We got there and the restaurant was closing, so we had to take the food to go.  Decided to go eat in Washington Square Park, which is beautiful....and under construction.  So we found ourselves some benches beside the construction, next to a few post parade attendees and possibly a couple people who live there on a more permanent basis.  The whole endeavour was a memory building comedy of errors.  By the time we left the park we were well into twilight and a 5 minute subway ride from our final destination - the Empire State Building.  We spent an hour weaving through lines to rise the 86 stories to the windy view of the city lights.  Of course this was the moment is decided to start raining.  So we only stayed about 15 minutes before heading indoors and down and back towards our hotel for homework and warmth.  However, I could have stayed and photographed all night - the view is totally worth the wait!

View from the Empire State Building (see Macy's, worlds largest store, bottom right)

View from the Empire State Building, towards Times Square

** Cross posted from lysmekah.blogspot.com