The Big Apple

I found myself with time to spare and decided to join my friend, Alice, in NYC for the a few days. Alice, who works for E & Y, was already there on business so it was perfect timing to hang out. It was great to just get away from everything and walk around NYC. During the days I was at my leisure and then at nights Alice and I played.

It was great to meet up with old friends, take in some entertainment, and overall just get away!

WEDNESDAY

Wednesday night (I arrived earlier in the day courtesy of the Lucky Star (say the L like an R), bus. That night the lovely Sara Borg, now native New Yorker, took us down to a great part of Manhattan known as "Hell's Kitchen". This was my first time there but it seemed like a great place to find good food. I spotted a Lime (I love all things lime) and asked about this cute little place.

I can't even tell you how great the food was here! This is a must eat place if you are in NYC! The empanadas were fantastic and I had quite possibly the best quesadilla I have ever had! As good as the food was it was great to see, catch up, and spend a bit of time with Sarah!

THURSDAY

I wasn't planning on going to see a show this time around but I just can't help it. I know I won't be living on the East much longer and I will kick myself for not taking advantage of seeing all the shows I could. So I need to see at least one show every time I'm in NYC. It just so happen that Marry Poppins was the show of choice. The tickets were affordable and I really wanted to see this great show. I loved this movie as a kid! So I got Alice & I tickets and we were off.

I have to admit that the first act wasn't what I was expecting but I moved to a way better seat for the second act and the show came to life for me. Among the highlights was Bert tap dancing on the walls and ceiling (and singing upside down) and Marry Poppins flying with her umbrella right in front of me ( I swear I could almost reach out and touch her). I just love musical theater!

FRIDAY

The WTC Path Station is the temporary place to read about the events of 9/11/01. This is where you can read about updates on how the rebuilding is going, what it will look like, and so forth.


This is a part of what the Memorial Park will look like. The two fountains you can see above will be where the two towers fell and they are currently rebuilding the other buildings. There will be a very large museum and visitors center and also a new Port Authority and something to do with MTA. It looks like it will be absolutely beautiful!

This is at the site where the WTC towers crumbled. It explains briefly the time line of what and how things happened on that day. The pictures are vivid and powerful--I almost didn't take pictures-it felt like a hallowed place.

This is the Visitor Center on Liberty Street (oh the irony) for all things related to the tragedy of September 11, 2001. I stood outside for what seemed like forever debating on whether I should go inside or not. It was the same kind of debate I had with myself when I was asked if I wanted to go tour the Katrina wreckage sites in New Orleans. I don't about you but I get a little bothered by people trying to turn a penny by hashing out and through real people's tragedies. At the same time I'm just as curious as the next person (if not more since I was serving a full time mission during September 11 and didn't experience it like the rest of the world) to know how people are surviving and their sad stories.

In the end I decided not to go inside and opted to come back sometime once the memorial park is here and take some time to reflect. It was the same in New Orleans I opted out of the tour that would have taken me through people's actual yards and torn down houses and just went to a nearby art exhibit that showed pictures of the before and after pictures of Katrina.

I think just being in New Orleans when the Super Dome was reopened( to see how much the people there wanted to rebuild their lives), being at the Ground Zero site, and sensing a small part of the change that was wrought in those places was enough for me. In both situations my heart hurts still for those whose lives were caught up in the waves and wreckage of unplanned and unprepared for catastrophes.

Thank goodness that I believe in God that knows and sees all and can heal every heart and mend every sorrow!