Graduation

So, the big day finally came! I went with Mutti and Martin to St Albans, where we met up with my Vati. We then got onto one of the uni shuttle buses to go to the Arena. Once there I picked up my tickets and my graduation garb, and then felt like a scholar for the first and last time in my life. I spent a lot of time sweeping around outside, saying that I was a ghoul. It was at this point that I was reunited with Jo! We spotted each other and ran over and hugged, it was all very romantic. We caught up and laughed a lot and it was so nice to see her!

Then, of course, was the obligatory photo session (I also got a professional portrait done but I won't receive that for a while):

We holed up in Costa for a while as it was still around three hours before the ceremony - here I got a white hot chocolate with cherry sauce and it was divine. The walk down to the cathedral was lovely; St Albans is such a pretty town.

That photo is, of course, the cathedral. My crap iPhone photo doesn't do it justice, it's huge and absolutely stunning. Outside, Jo found me again and we were soon joined by Molly - many fond memories of second year ensued. We had a laugh together as we froze to death waiting for the doors to open. I'm gutted that I couldn't get photos of the inside of the cathedral - I didn't take my phone in with me, which I now regret. The ceilings are insanely high, the place is absolutely massive and it's so beautiful. I got this photo from Visit St Albans to give you a bit of an idea of how amazing it is:

This was the point that my nerves kicked in a little bit, although I was pretty calm for the whole thing. It took bloody ages to get everyone into the place, there were so many of us. Luckily the students all got sat down pretty quickly because we had allocated seats (we were called up to the stage in alphabetical order). The ceremony started with the academics coming in and sitting on the stage. Our vice chancellor stood up and welcomed everyone, before awarding an honorary doctorate to a guy who basically told his life story - seriously, he talked forever. The students all started sniggering because we were all thinking a combination of 'he doesn't even go here!' and 'remember when this is our graduation'.

Finally, the names began to be read out, and people started going up to receive their degrees. Spoiler alert: You don't actually get your real degree on the stage - you get a fake one and swap it for the real one at the back of the room. I was shocked and appalled. There was also a piece of paper on all the students' seats telling us where to walk and what to do when we went up, it was all very efficient. There's not an awful lot I can say about people going up onto the stage when their names are called, apart from the fact I saw a lot of gorgeous shoes.

My turn came eventually (curse my surname being in the latter half of the alphabet!), and I had to walk across the stage and shake hands with the vice chancellor, who congratulated me. I then took the fake degree from a woman on the stage, walked down the steps without falling over, and down the (extremely long) centre aisle, past everyone's friends and family. I then, finally, got given my real degree. It was a really surreal moment - all that money, everything I'd worked for, three years of my life, was all summed up in this one certificate that I now held in my hands. It was an amazing feeling, and the first time I've felt properly proud of my degree and of myself.

After everyone had collected their certificates, we were congratulated yet again by our vice chancellor, and then one of the students made a lovely speech about how well we'd all done; everyone was smiling by the time she finished, and she got a huge round of applause that went on for ages. She couldn't have summed up student life and the trials and tribulations of getting a degree better. Finally, mercifully (because my back was killing me from the ridiculously uncomfortable seats), we were dismissed back out into the freezing night.

I had a really nice time at my graduation and am so grateful to Mutti, Martin and Vati for coming to it. It hasn't really sunk in that I have my degree (even though I bought a nice frame for it today).



P.S. I found Jackson like this yesterday, peeping out of his house like a small furry spy:

Job Hunting is a Soul Crusher

I'm still trying to find a job. It's difficult - there isn't much going at the moment, it's still a really crap economic climate so many places are hiring as little staff as possible, and you can only get so many rejections before you start to feel pretty disheartened. I have applied for everything I can find that I will be able to do, and stressed to every place that I can work any time, any days, as well as taking on extra shifts if needed. I couldn't be more flexible if I tried - I'm like an hours contortionist. I have all the time in the world. And yet here I am, 23 days after leaving Spain, still jobless. Some of the jobs I applied for, I was basically told I'm overqualified, which baffles me. Some ignored me completely. Some didn't let me even finish the online application process because the automated testing system decided I wasn't good enough. I think that one stung the most, being rejected by a computer before even getting a chance to correspond with a human.

I have had a few interviews, though, which is a positive point. I've not heard back from them yet; I'm hoping for the best and expecting the worst. I have another interview lined up next week, and I've been applying for more jobs tonight. It's really difficult to keep my chin up when it appears that there are no full time positions that I will be able to get - hell, I can't even get a part time or temporary position at the moment. It's hard not to blame myself; I know that blaming myself is irrational, and that there are lots of different reasons as to why a company won't employ me, but it's hard to suppress the irrational thoughts when you have way too much time to think.

It's not even as if I just want a job in order to have money to waste. I want a job so that I can become financially stable and independent. So I can pay off my overdraft and student loans. So that I can afford to pay my phone bill every month. So that I can finally learn to drive. So that I can experience more, travel more, have something resembling a social life. So that I don't lie awake all night, every night, worrying about money. So that I can properly move out of my mum's house and have my own place, in a town where there are more opportunities. I just want to be an adult, properly, and make money from my own hard work.

This isn't a particularly organised or articulate rant, I just needed to write about it before I go around the twist from being so frustrated and crippled with self-doubt.

Review: Kate Bush Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith, London 02/09/2014

Picture from The Mirror

If I'm honest, I didn't really know what to expect from the Kate Bush gig - I'm used to small, dingy venues where everyone is squished together and there's a constant argy-bargy to get to the front, so the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith was a bit of a change. I also had no idea what to expect from the show itself; nothing prepared me for Kate's performance.

When she walked on, everyone was on their feet, clapping and cheering. There were so many people there, with a variety of age, gender, race and sexuality; it was so communal and so wonderful to be in a versatile sea of people, all enjoying the same astounding woman on the stage. I especially loved that she came out with no shoes on.

Before the Dawn wasn't just a concert, it was a whole stage show, with a running theme and a storyline, stunning theatrics and costumes, and of course, fantastic music. The only old song she sung was Running Up That Hill, and the whole venue just about lost their minds when we heard the opening bars. Her new songs are still brilliant, though; they're somewhat different from her most well-known songs, but the essential Kate Bush style is still there. And her voice is unbelievable - it filled the Apollo effortlessly, and sent chills down my spine.

Another nice surprise was the performance of Kate's son, Bertie. His singing was lovely to listen to, his acting was convincing and very funny at times, and I've since found out that he was responsible for a lot of the mad footage that happened in the background for the majority of the show. He's so young, but he has clearly inherited his mum's kooky creativity and talent, and it was infinitely clear how proud Kate is of him.

Overall, the show was dark and strange and utterly captivating - Kate Bush definitely did not disappoint. She drifted around the stage in her floaty dress, looking just as ethereal as she ever did, and thanked the audience so many times throughout the show. I wanted to thank her for giving us such a great show, and for being so brave and facing such a huge audience after not performing for 35 years.

Walking out of the venue and looking around, I could see everyone beaming and talking about their favourite parts of the show; the atmosphere was so positive and everyone was happy and excited. Caz and I were grinning our heads off for the rest of the night - it was so worth it.

Review: Phantom of the Opera, Majestic Theatre, New York City 23/08/2014

Picture from Broadway.com

When I went to the Majestic on August 23rd, I was immediately thrilled because I had a front row, stage left seat; I could literally lean slightly and peek over the low wall in front of me into the orchestra! I also couldn't believe how much I paid for the seat - around $150 for front row, Saturday night, on Broadway.  

Having seen Phantom in London's West End back in 2007, I knew the basics of what to expect from the show but I still got chills after the auction scene, when the main theme starts and the chandelier is pulled up. From the front, the sound of the orchestra was absolutely huge, but not overwhelming and I was immediately hooked. I'd originally thought the stage at the Majestic was a bit small, but it was at this point that the curtains around the sides fell away to reveal the golden statues and I was bowled over.

The show was absolutely incredible. Norm Lewis was unbelievable as the Phantom; the rest of the cast were phenomenal, but he absolutely owned the stage when he was on. His voice is absolutely huge, and his performance was completely believable. It was mostly because of him that I found myself crying my eyes out at the end of the show. I cannot begin to explain how much I enjoyed his performance - Norm Lewis' Phantom is a definite must-see.

I also adored Michele McConnell, who played Carlotta; she was the perfect mix of glamorous and hilarious. She definitely had Carlotta's character down to an art, sweeping around in elaborate costumes and demanding attention and respect, which the audience gladly gave. Her voice was out of this world too - some of the notes she can reach are absolutely unbelievable!

Picture from Playbill

All in all the entire cast, right down to the last ballerina, did such a good job of bringing the show to life; the performance was polished and well-rehearsed, but came across as entirely natural. Another honorary mention has to go out to Laird Macintosh and Timothy Jerome (Monsieurs Andre and Firmin), who absolutely cracked me up. They worked fabulously as a double act! The sets were also absolutely stunning - I particularly enjoyed the Phantom's underground lair, and the staircase scene for 'Masquerade'. I also loved the final few seconds of the show, when Meg Giry (played by Polly Baird) held up the Phantom's mask, and the lights slowly faded. My heart was pounding for most of the show, and I had a constant knot in my throat.

At the end, I was one of the first audience members on their feet; it was like my legs were spring-loaded. I cannot say how appreciative I was of every cast, crew and orchestra member involved in the show - Phantom means so much to me, it's been my favourite show for many years, and I suppose I'm a bit protective of it. In the Majestic, it is in good hands, and seeing it this year was just as awe-inspiring as it was when I was 15 years old. The standing ovation went on for so long, and crescendoed when Jeremy Hays (Raoul), Mary Michael Patterson (Christine), and of course Norm Lewis appeared for the curtain call. 

Picture from BroadwayWorld

I would definitely recommend that you try to catch Phantom of the Opera if you're in New York; even if you're not a big theatre person, you will enjoy it simply for the wonderful aesthetics and obvious effort and hard work every person on that show has put in to making it perfect. The theatre is definitely a nice way to spend the evening in NYC, and this is one of the ultimate shows not just on Broadway, but in the whole world. Even now as I write this, I miss the sheer magic that I experienced that evening, and I wish more than anything I could go back and watch it all over again.

Review: Carlton Arms Hotel, East 25th St, New York City

I found out about this hotel via HostelWorld, and was immediately taken in by the pictures on their website. It definitely looked like my kind of place, and it was located so conveniently (on the corner of East 25th and 3rd). For a private bedroom, it set me back $600 for a week's stay; the toilet and showers were shared, but after living in the woods for two months this wasn't even slightly a setback for me. It was a lot of money to part with, but seemed reasonable considering the location.

When I arrived, I found that the hotel entrance was a door next to a store, and you immediately have to climb a staircase to get up to the main lobby; I was amused by a sign downstairs, telling guests to bring the cat upstairs if she was at the bottom. Lugging my suitcase and holdall up the stairs wasn't much fun, but seeing the reception area kind of distracted me:

This place was covered, covered in murals; even in a week I was still spotting new things on my floor, and I haven't even seen the other floors of the hotel. It is absolutely stunning, and I love the idea of bringing in local artists and letting them loose to decorate every single room differently.

Checking in was a breeze; the people running the Carlton Arms are friendly, artsy folk who are really relaxed and approachable. I was asked which floor I wanted to stay on and, being lazy and sick of dragging my bags around, I opted to stay on the same floor as reception. They gave me the keys to the two remaining rooms on that floor and told to pick whichever one I preferred. I picked 6A, of which I've posted photos on here previously. It was a monochrome room with beautiful, slightly morbid murals on the walls - definitely suitable for me! I went back to tell the staff my choice, and to pay the remaining $510 I owed them. Here I hit a little snag - the temporary debit card that camp paid me on decided not to work. A lot of people had this problem, and I was incredibly embarrassed, not to mention worried that I would be thrown out before I'd even been there for five minutes. But the people running the hotel were honestly the nicest, most chill people. I was told to go settle in, and to bring them cash whenever I could get to an ATM. I was so grateful for their kindness, as I was pretty flustered at this point.

On my way back to my room, I noticed this windowsill and couldn't resist taking a photo:

As I was dragging my things through the door, one of the two cats (a tabby) that live in the hotel came into my room. She was very friendly, letting me pick her up and give her a big cuddle before depositing her back outside. I soon met the other, a grey and white cat who was a little more shy, and it was nice to have them roaming around the corridors - it made the hotel feel so much more homey and friendly. Not to mention that they keep the hotel clean enough so that you don't get cat hair all over everything you possess!

The bed in my room was a double one, and it was so comfortable (even if it was super squeaky). I loved sprawling out on it after a long day walking around the city. It was also equipped with a sink, and an air conditioning unit that worked like a dream. I was expecting it to be noisier than it actually was, but I suppose the noise was cancelled out a bit by the fact that all I could ever hear was the traffic out on 3rd Avenue. You'd think that would be really annoying and disturbing - I usually can't sleep with loads of noise happening - but I slept incredibly well at the Carlton Arms. Maybe I was tired from all my NYC adventures. Maybe it was because I wasn't sleeping in a cabin in the woods any more. I don't know. In any case, I slept beautifully there, even managing to have a couple of naps during the day when everyone was hustling and bustling outside.

A couple of the corridors on my floor.

All in all, I had a really wonderful stay. The hotel is 'basic', in that you don't get breakfast and there's not anything like a TV in the rooms, but the complimentary WiFi is great. The atmosphere in the place is so ambient and laid back; it's a truly charming little oasis in the middle of the big city and it was lovely to come home to it every evening. I definitely missed it when I left.

So, if you're planning on going to New York City any time soon, I would highly recommend the Carlton Arms Hotel. It's clean and pleasant, with the charm of an old house that's been really lived in and loved for years. If you're an artistic sort of person, a solo adventurer, a young couple or a fan of cats, you will adore it there. It's also really accessible, only a 5-10 minute walk over to 5th Avenue and the Empire State Building, and a short subway ride to famous places like Grand Central Station, Central Park and Times Square.

If I ever get to go back to New York, Carlton Arms Hotel will be top of my list for a place to stay!

London & Kate Bush

 
Yesterday, Caz and I went to the bus station to get the coach to London, for the long-awaited Kate Bush gig! As you can probably imagine, we were ridiculously excited because Kate Bush is our queen. Here's a little selfie of us on the coach:

The gig was in Hammersmith, so we had to travel through some of the poshest areas of London in order to get to the venue. On the Tube, we saw a man eating an entire cucumber, and that was pretty much it for us; we were sitting there honking with laughter in a Tube carriage full of posh folk in expensive business wear. 

I was reduced to hysterics again in Hammersmith, when Caz said, "Omg look, it's Ian McKellen!" - I turned around to see a fabulous old man in a t-shirt and pink shorts. Honestly, it was the best analogy ever. We were massive pigs in the Broadway shopping centre, eating McDonalds and cookies and pretzels, but it was so worth it. Also it costed 50p to get into the toilets. Spend a penny, my ass.

We had fun in the queue for the gig, because there were so many people around that our lookalike game got somewhat out of hand. We had Jeff Bridges, Jared Leto, Raúl Esparza, Vivienne Westwood, Liza Minelli and miscellaneous characters like my personal favourite, Foreign Doctor (then he looked at his phone and left rather urgently, so he became Foreign Doctor On Call). The blokes behind us also thought they were dead subtle when they inched closer and closer to us, eventually overtaking us like the rotten queue-jumpers they were.

We all have assigned seats m8, no need to push in.

Finally, after about twenty years of waiting, we were allowed into the venue. There was a mad dash for the merch table, so I left Caz to it because I'm an awful friend and I needed whiskey. However, I did at least buy Caz a drink to have while she was waiting in the utter madness. When she'd gotten her t-shirt we adjourned up to the circle for the show. Now, our tickets told us we were basically at the back so we were sure we'd only see a Kate Bush-shaped dot on the stage miles away from us, but the venue is actually smaller than we'd anticipated. So my view was something like this:

We could see pretty well (except for some guy's head being in my way for most of it, causing me to sit on an angle for most of the show and develop a numb butt cheek). The gig itself was phenomenal. Kate Bush has such an amazing voice, even to this day, and she had the whole room spellbound for the whole show. I am going to be writing a review so I won't go into masses of detail, but it was so bloody good, and her son's performance in it was really great as well. It was more like theatre than a concert, and it was magical. She was perfect, and I especially loved that she came out on stage with no shoes on.

Even though getting back home was a nightmare (our bus was at midnight, but it was delayed until 00:30), we were so happy to have seen Kate Bush, especially after how quickly the tickets sold out, and the fact that she may never tour again. I'm still buzzing from how good it was, and I feel so lucky to have had this chance. A massive, massive thank you to Caz for getting the tickets for us!

Coming Home

So I made it back to merry old England in one piece, after what felt like the longest journey ever. I left America at 4pm, and made it back to England at 7:40am the next morning - obviously I lost hours due to the time zones, but it felt like I'd been travelling for about thirty years when I finally touched down at Heathrow. It was made easier by the fact that I had Smiley in the row behind me on the flight from JFK to Frankfurt - what also made it easier was that I watched The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and The Devil Wears Prada.

Luckily, I also had Smiley with me to scuttle across Frankfurt airport in order to get our connecting flights. My feet were killing me and it didn't help that Frankfurt airport is basically the size of England; after half an hour of walking and a trip on the air train, we finally found security and our gates. This is where I said goodbye to Smiley, as she was flying to Manchester and I was going back to Heathrow. I hobbled along to my gate, and sat there like a lemon until boarding was supposedly happening, but no one was there. I then found out that the gate had been changed (cheers for letting me know, right?) so I kind of hobble-galloped over to the new gate, which was mercifully not too far away. After berating a dickhead business man for being rude to one of the airport staff just for doing her job, I limped onto the plane and sat down, resting my awfully aching feet.

Border control at Heathrow was a breeze, even though I was now re-equipped with the heaviest suitcase and holdall in the world. What also annoyed me was the 'nothing to declare' section, when I went through the one coming from the EU instead of coming from the USA. There was literally no difference in these two places, but I was told off and made to walk out of the EU one and through the USA one, something my feet were not happy about. I finally got out to where Mutti and Ryan were waiting, and it was so great to see them! I was dead on my feet and in so much pain, but just getting to see some family was a huge boost. I also got a Greggs sausage roll on the drive home - you have no idea how much I've missed those.

I was pretty out of it with jetlag for the next couple of days, but I got to see my family at home, including my fat furry pal, Jackson:

I also saw Caz for the first time in like four months, so that was a bloody blast. And I got to see Liam, who is currently on break from his tour in Afghanistan; him and Ashleigh came over for a chinwag and it was so good to see all of them ♥

I am now over my jetlag and ridiculously excited because the Kate Bush gig is in 2 days, and Arron & Kim's wedding is in 6 days!

NYC: Museums

I started today at the American Museum of Natural History. I was in my element, as I walked straight into the space section, and space is one of my favourite things ever. I went to a show in the planetarium; a great big dome-shaped screen was on the ceiling and the show was about dark matter in the universe. It was so interesting and caused a massive existential crisis for everyone in the room. The 3D effect of the screen above us like the sky was amazing, it felt like we were actually cast into the cosmos. Also, they had a meteorite hall, which is exactly how it sounds - I promptly lost my mind.

Another highlight for me was the main hall, where they had two massive dinosaur skeletons. As a child, I was obsessed with Jurassic Park and wanted to be a palaeontologist, and I still get excited over old bones, dinosaur or otherwise. This museum had an abundance of bones, so I was very happy about this. Unfortunately I didn't get to see all of the museum because it's bloody huge, and I wanted to visit the Metropolitan (and have a walk through Central Park), so I couldn't spend too much time there.

Central Park was next, as I had to walk through it to get over to the Metropolitan. I didn't really stop, but I got to stroll through the Shakespeare Garden and see Belvedere Castle! It was a genuinely chilled out walk in the sunshine, and I really enjoyed just taking my time and looking at the scenery.

After that pleasant interlude, I was back in the bustle of upper 5th and outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art!

I was immediately enamoured with this museum because they had a huge section on ancient Egyptian art! I spent about 80% of my time at the museum in that section, because it was all so interesting and so beautiful! There was also apparently some ancient Sumerian art somewhere, but I couldn't find it - this was crap because if there's anything I love more than ancient Egypt (if possible), it's the Sumerians. But I got to see plenty of Egyptian art, including a few cheeky statues of Anubis, my favourite person ever. So I was happy.

So, this entire tomb was donated to the museum from Egypt.

This has been a bit of a lazy blog, but how much can you really write about walking around museums and parks? They're so much better to go and experience yourself, being told about them doesn't come close to describing it. I've had a really nice day, and I'm feeling sad that my time in New York is close to ending. I don't really have any plans for tomorrow, as I need to sort all of my things out to go home (I'm meeting Starry and Smiley at their hostel in Queens early on Wednesday, so we can all go to JFK together). I will wander down to 5th one last time, and get some souvenirs for my family. It's been a blast, and I'm sad to go, but I am looking forward to being back home after two months away!

Camp Quotes!

During my time at camp, I was collecting memorable quotes that I overheard. Most of them are from my fellow counsellors, a lot of them are from me (because I find myself hilarious), and some are from the campers. I thought I'd make a list of them here, to keep them safe.

"We've got a tree fallen down, there's a fire in the unit shelter, and we've lost our socks."
~ Sunny, on the radio to the office during the disastrous staff overnight

"What are they gonna make us do?"
~ London, in a panicked way, after seeing our supervisors putting bits of paper on a table

"I was in Team Moose. I have dyslexia and so for the longest time I thought I was in team MOSES."
~ Starry

Tim-Tam: Knock knock-
Tink: I'm taller than you!

"All my weight is on this back wheel, baby, this truck's not goin' anywhere!"
~ Pugs, sitting calmly in the back of a pick up truck at night, in the pouring rain, on an almost vertical road

"We worked well together, but we also played well together."
~ Sunny

"We should be in a fucking Hilton!"
~ Smiley, disgruntled during staff overnight

(playing Apples to Apples)
Tink: So, for boring..?
Smiley: I put William Shakespeare-
London: Ugh, he's long.

"You're beautiful on the... Everything!"
~ Burnzy tries to compliment me

"I can shout at your kids if you want me to - no one'll fuck with this accent."
~ Jen, when Smiley was complaining that her kids never listen

"Is it weird if I put my bra in my cubby?"
~ Nibbles

"Abraham Lincoln cause he's boring."
~ Tink playing Apples to Apples

"My Stussy is better than your pussy!"
~ Dappy when Nibbles (who was wearing leggings with cats on) laughed at her Stussy hat

Nemo: Brownie's just in her own world-
Brownie: I was thinking about Crocs.

(while playing Mafia)
Camper #1: You were the Mafia last time-
Camper #2: Yes I was, and I killed many innocent people.

(out of nowhere)
Luna: I had a green neck!
Me: ... That's not even the weirdest thing I've heard at camp.

"Luna, do clouds rub together? And do they make a sound when they do?"
~ Ducky, asking important science questions

"Yeah, I just want to laugh myself into a coma."
~ Me

"Stupid ankles! What's the point in having them if they never work!?"
~ Me, after twisting my ankle

"I'm not scared of bears or anything, I'm scared of ghosts."
~ Indi, explaining why she didn't want to walk up to Sky Meadow alone in the dark

"All I know about Stephen King is that he's scary and that he watched his best friend die."
~ Squirrel

(during a human knot exercise)
Camper: There's an odd number of people!
Squirrel: There's an even number of hands!

"Remember when Luna's hair was a volcano."
~ Me

"Whose taco did Hailey put her arm in?"
~ Me to a camper

(at lunch)
Camper #1: What's that smell?
Camper #2: Probably me.

Camper #1: Someone should wake Pepper up - it's time for lunch.
Camper #2: No, that's not a good idea! Let her sleep!

"Why are you stroking a packet of biscuits?"
~ Starry

"My dad is the cutest little fucker going around."
~ Jen, after getting a nice text from her dad

(at lunch)
Camper: Are you vegetarian?
Me: You just saw me eat a pepperoni pizza!

"The headlines will be: Old Woman Kills Herself on Portable Climbing Wall."
~ Pugs, climbing on the wall the National Guard lent us

"Don't poke me with a hard taco shell!"
~ Me to a camper (who was in fact poking me with a hard taco shell)

"I'm a wise little Buddha, sitting here on my pretzel legs."
~ Me, for no reason

"She thinks she's the best thing since sliced lesbian."
~ Tink

"I'm all hot flushes from saying goodbye to Kiwi, I feel like I'm going through the menopause."
~ Starry

"It better not be supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, because tHAT'S GOT AN I IN IT."
~ Pugs, trying to guess a word in Wheel of Fortune

"It better not be a vegetable, 'cause I won't know it."
~ Pugs, still trying to guess the word

"Is Piranha using her bra as a pillow?"
(She was)

NYC: Ground Zero, Bars & Broadway

Yesterday morning, I wandered down to Grand Central Station, just to see it. It's one of those things that you have to go and look at if you're in New York City for the first time, and it is ridiculously stunning. I was going to go to a breakfast place across the road that Starry had recommended to me, but the line was out of the door and down the street, so I didn't go in. I had a lot of things planned, including travelling down to Lower Manhattan and back, so I had to get started.

I went down to the financial district to find a specific street sign. It's become a family tradition to find this street sign, ever since my Gramps visited New York when he was younger. Since he was a boy, he'd always gone to a working man's club near his home on a street called Morris Street; even now, in his 70's, he still frequents the same working man's club, with his group of equally insane old friends. So, when he visited New York all those years ago, and found a street named Morris Street, he had his photo taken beneath the sign. Since then, my Vati and stepmum, my brother Liam, and now I have all had our photos taken with the same street sign, at the intersection of Morris Street and Broadway, and everyone who will visit NYC in the future will continue this little family joke.

Having fulfilled the family tradition (with kudos to the pleasant French tourist who took the photo for me), I ambled over to Ground Zero. Walking into the area is the strangest feeling: It's still right in the city, but all the sounds become almost muffled as you approach the memorial site. People aren't rushing around, but walking slowly, stopping, looking around them. The memorial pools where the towers stood are so unbelievably huge, it's impossible to imagine the sheer size of the devastation that occurred there. It was incredibly eerie, strange and sad.

Yesterday was also the first time I got a bit lost in the city. I say 'lost', it was very easy to reorient myself, but I suddenly found myself over in the rough end of Chinatown with no idea how I'd managed to get there. It's not too far from the 9/11 memorial, but I was heading somewhere completely different, so I was slightly bamboozled. I found a cute pair of velvet shoes in H&M, which was handy because my Converse had absolutely shredded my feet by this point (and I needed slightly dressier shoes for the theatre that night). 

I headed on over to Times Square, as I wanted to visit the Hard Rock Cafe before I had to go to the theatre. Times Square was utterly packed, and there was so much to look at while being buffeted along by the crowds. I didn't hang around for long as there was an Iron Man and a couple of Minions accosting people, trying to con them into getting photos with them (which you then find out you have to pay for). 

I was really surprised when I went down in to the cafe part of Hard Rock, and was immediately seated. More impressively, I was sitting next to the very guitar that Kurt Cobain smashed up in the Smells Like Teen Spirit video:

Hard Rock also wasn't as expensive as I thought it would be (though still a bit pricey). I had a massive burger with chips, and a huge slice of Oreo cheesecake, and it was heaven. I tried their signature cocktail, the Hurricane (orange, mango and pineapple juice; Barcadi superior and select rum; Amaretto and Grenadine - gorgeous!), and had a cheeky Jack Daniels and coke to round it all off. I spent a while in there, and took my time with my dinner. They played things like Avenged Sevenfold, which made me happy, and there was plenty to look at while I hung out there. I had a little wander about the place when I was done eating, and was glad that it wasn't ridiculously packed (still hugely surprising, considering it was a Hard Rock Cafe, in Times Square, on a Saturday night).

I found myself heading towards the Majestic waaay too early, and was just wondering what I was going to do when I spotted a bar that looked perfect for me. It's called Jekyll & Hyde and it was a sort of bar/restaurant/haunted house attraction combo, which is basically everything I love. The whole place was decorated in Victorian-era style, there were oddities and skeletons hanging around everywhere, and a sign outside said 'eccentric explorers and mad scientists welcome'. It was the coolest bar ever! 

The bartender who served me, Rich, was fab, chatting away to me about my adventures in the USA and how I was enjoying New York. I mentioned that I was going to be seeing Phantom soon and he was excited for me. I had three cocktails from this fine establishment - Sweet Poison, Kiss of Death and the Transformation Cocktail, before I realised that it was time I got down to the theatre. I said to Rich, "What time do you finish work? Yes, I am hitting on you." and he gave me his number! S-c-o-r-e. I left the bar feeling incredibly pleased with myself, and moseyed down the street, where I couldn't exactly miss the theatre I was heading to:

The gigantic Phantom mask kind of gave it away.

I went in and was handed a Playbill, another classic New York Moment. I bought a beautiful program, then scuttled in to the main room. I knew I was in the front row, but I was still overwhelmed at how close I was to the stage. I could lean forward slightly and see over the low wall in front of me, into the orchestra pit. It was utterly magical. Here's a cheeky snap of the stage before the show started, not zoomed in at all!

The show itself was utterly amazing - I will be writing a proper review at some point, so I won't go into masses of detail. I was crying by the end of it, and I was one of the first people on their feet at the curtain call. Everyone gave such an amazing performance, and I was so honoured to be right at the front where I could see every little detail. Also, Norm Lewis was bloody incredible as the Phantom - he absolutely owned the stage and gave such a believable performance. He was mostly the reason I started blubbing in the first place! I also thought I was going to see Sierra Boggess as Christine again, but she didn't do Saturdays. Instead, I got Mary Michael Patterson - she was ridiculously good though, and it was interesting to see a different Christine. I'm so glad I decided to go see Phantom on Broadway, it was so worth it.

When Rich finished work (past 2am), he came to meet me at my hotel. We soon sought out a bar and he ended up footing a $60 tab! I could not believe his generosity. We chatted for ages, and he cracked me up by saying if he was a flavour he'd be beef jerky, and saying that his dog looked like Bryan Cranston. I also laughed when he likened some crazy woman at the bar to Nicki Minaj. It was a really nice time, and we may have kissed each other. And he may have come back to mine for the night. May have.

Today, I planned to go to Central Park for the day, but I've had to cancel. The terrible blisters on my feet have gotten worse, and when I got up today I could barely walk. I managed to hobble down to the nearest CVS and grab some drinks, painkillers and blister plasters, then I hobbled back in agony and I've been resting my feet all day. I think I'll be able to carry on with stuff tomorrow, and if I shift a few of my plans around, I can get a short time in Central Park into my schedule.

NYC: Tall Buildings

I had a slow start today. I chastised myself a little, which is annoying - I've had to keep reminding myself that I'm on holiday now. The first thing I did was wander down to the Rockefeller Centre, where I bought a CityPass (I would honestly recommend getting one if you're in NYC, it saves so much money and hassle!) and got a ticket for the next available trip to the Top of the Rock. On my way up, I had a photo taken on the girder:

The view from the top was stunning. I stood up there for a long while, looking out at Central Park and the Empire State Building. It wasn't ridiculously packed either, so I got  a good look from all angles. It was also interesting because I'd never been on such a tall building before; you really don't get an idea of the height until you're there.

When I came down, I explored a little bit. I went to the Lego store, which was ridiculously cool because (obviously) there was Lego everywhere. There was this ridiculously tall thing with bubbles, and each bubble contained a type of Lego brick; you could fill a bag with them like pick'n'mix sweets, and it was so cool. I also went down to Nintendo World, which was just as cool as it sounds. Upstairs, they had a mini exhibition on all of the consoles that Nintendo have developed; it was so great to look at all of it, and I was quietly laughing to myself when a kid was pointing out the original Game Boy and talking about how strange and old it was. I told him that I still own mine, and he looked astounded that anyone could be so ancient.

Next, I went up to the 86th floor of the Empire State Building for another breathtaking view of New York. While I was queuing inside, waiting to get to the elevators, someone said to me, "Just so you know, it's a thirty minute wait!" I was like, "Mate, I'm English. I know how to queue." When I got up there, it was a lot more crowded than Top of the Rock was, so I didn't get as much of a chance to look around. I did, however, get an amazing panorama photo.

So I had a really fab day taking in the sights, and standing on some really bloody tall buildings. Tomorrow evening, I am going to see Phantom of the Opera on Broadway and I am dead excited.

I Want To Be A Part Of It - New York, New York!

So continuing on from my last post ... After London and I had seen Tink off at security, we decided we needed a stiff drink. This was for a few reasons:

• Saying goodbye is always shit
• We were soon going to be travelling on our own
• A congratulatory tipple for getting through camp, even when it was difficult
• We were finally off contract so we were allowed to buy our first drink in the USA!

It was then that we found ourselves in a bar at Boston airport, drinking cocktails at 8:30am. London had a Cosmopolitan, and - in honour of my imminent bus ride - I got one called a 'Greyhound' (vodka and grapefruit juice). It was delicious! We sat at the bar, socialising with the staff and other people there, trying to postpone the moment when I'd have to leave.

Eventually, alas, I had to go; I had a shuttle to take to the bus terminal, and then I had to puzzle out where my bus would be leaving from, so I needed to leave in good time. It was crap saying goodbye to London, because she's fab and I was really nervous about travelling on my own. I was also insanely excited by this point, as I was on my way to New York!

After arriving at the bus terminal, I had to walk for like twenty thousand miles to get to the place where my bus would leave from. I picked up a cheeky McDonald's on my way and managed to get a seat at the front; this benefited me, as it had a bit more legroom and a little tray thing to put food/drink on. It was made even better by the fact that I didn't have anyone sitting next to me for the whole ride, allowing me to sprawl out across two seats and be a little comfier. The ride wasn't too bad; it went by pretty quickly, and suddenly we were in the Bronx, then Harlem, then Manhattan. I was looking out of the window and giving myself whiplash trying to see the tops of the buildings. At this point I was utterly terrified, but so exhilarated.

I was fully unprepared for stepping out of the bus terminal and literally being in the middle of Times Square - it was a shock to the system. I didn't really stop to admire it because I'll be seeing it this week anyway, and because I had a massive heavy suitcase and a massive heavy holdall. I got myself a 7-day subway pass and bluffed my way through the underground. Luckily, I got it right and managed to get to 23rd Street; from there, it was a fairly short walk (I'm staying on East 25th), but it felt like longer because of the aforementioned heavy-as-shit bags.

Now, I have to talk about my hotel. It's called the Carlton Arms and, if you look at the photos on the website, you may understand why I love it. Literally every wall, every floor, every windowsill is covered with paint and artwork. It is seriously the coolest hotel I've ever seen, the staff are really chilled out and friendly, and the general atmosphere is so laid-back and welcoming. Another majorly good thing about the hotel is that they have two cats! They're really friendly too, and let you pick them up and cuddle them. It's nice to have some furry friends roaming around. Here's a couple of photos of my hotel room because look how ridiculously cool it is!

Last night, I wasn't really going to do anything but then one of the counsellors I worked with this summer, Indi, messaged me asking if I wanted to go out for drinks with her (she lives in Brooklyn). I decided to go out, and I'm glad I did. First we went to a rooftop bar that had cute tiki torches and a view of the Chrysler building. We walked onto the roof and 30 seconds later some Wall Street-looking bloke had bought us a cosmopolitan. A few guys tried to chat us up and it was hilarious; when the rooftop closed, we went into another bar and Indi has so much hustle that she conned another pair of random blokes into buying us shots. So we drank very well without spending tonnes of cash, and it was generally nice to hang out with Indi and have some company on my first night in the city.

Long story short, I didn't sleep until like 5am, and was in bed until noon. On my way out of the hotel, I saw one of the kitties having a nap on the reception desk, and she looked so comfy and cute.

I got an orange Coolatta from Dunkin' Donuts to revive me a bit; I'd never had the orange flavour before and it is now my new favourite thing in the whole world. It was so delicious - so delicious, in fact, that I had two today. I spent this afternoon wandering around 5th, Madison and Park; there was so much to look at and I walked right past the Empire State Building. It was so bizarre seeing it in real life. I learned how to avoid being killed crossing the roads, tried (and failed) to count the yellow taxis, made a mental note to visit the Lego store later in my trip, and stood in the Lindt shop for about five minutes, staring at all the chocolate.

Walking down 5th Avenue - I spy an Empire State Building!

A hilarious moment occurred when I was navigating yet another treacherous crosswalk. An older bloke walked across, narrowly avoiding being hit by what appeared to be every yellow cab in the world; as I walked by him all I heard was him say in a really strong New York accent, "Fuckin' cabs, man!" and I felt like I'd had an Authentic New York Moment. Everyone drives like a mentalist in the city, it's pretty hilarious when crossing the road.

I got back to my hotel at around 5pm, and I've been here since, chilling out. I've had such a nice day wandering around and getting to grips with being in the city. After the first hour or so, I felt confident and safe walking around, so I now feel more prepared to roam around the city properly during the rest of my trip. I can't believe I've been in New York for over 24 hours already; it's been a whirlwind and I am having a blast!