New York, New York
Nov. 24th, 2004 03:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fatesfollyGoodness, what a whirlwind!
Jane and I left early Sunday morning. Kim's wedding was Saturday afternoon and I stupidly drank too much wine. I had one hell of a time sobering up so that I could think straight to pack. And 7am came mighty early on Sunday morning. How do church people do it??
Anyway, the flight was uneventful, thank God. We got there just after noon and checked into the hotel. Jane had stayed there before... it was the Shelburne in Murray Hill and it was old and elegant and wonderful. The company with whom she was interviewing had reserved a suite so we had plenty of room. The neighborhood was a good one, too. Quiet (as NY can be) but still just about 4 blocks from Grand Central Station.
I wanted brunch. She did too. So we wasted no time in finding a cool little place. After brunch we walked to Times Square to get half price tickets to a play. We knew what was playing, but we didn't know until we got there what was available. I stood in line while she went and got the names of the plays that they still had tickets for. She came back with 5... several we quickly crossed off the list and deep down, we both wanted to see Chicago. When we got to the window, we were lucky enough to snag 2 seats on row J, Orchestra. It was only after we were walking back to the hotel that we saw a billboard advertising Chicago with Wayne Brady, the funny, cute, talented little guy from "Whose line is it Anyway?"
The show ended up being terrific and we went to bed Sunday night with the tunes still on our minds. On Monday, we got up and headed for MoMA. On the way, the guy Jane was supposed to be interviewing with called on her cell and asked if she could do some early interviews. She agreed and we ended up doing just the museum shop and heading back so she could get dressed. The rest of the afternoon, I was on my own and I returned to the half price booth and got an excellent ticket to Eve Ensler's "The Good Body." I did some looking around on 5th and Madison Avenues, including doing a little dreaming in Saks. I returned to the hotel, got dressed for the evening and treated myself to an Italian restaurant that I had enjoyed on my last visit. Yum, yum, yum! And that was just the cute, sexy butt general manager! :)
The show was great-- I'll expand on it later. When I returned to the hotel, I was worn out! I got the day's recap of interview ups and downs from Jane and went to bed.
Tuesday morning, I got up with Jane to see her off, wishing her luck and bolstering her self-confidence with words of assurance and took my time getting ready. I had planned to see 2 museums and they didn't open until 10.
The first museum was the International Center for Photography. They had 4 exhibits, but I only caught 3. The first was a series of Kennedy and the election and subsequent 100 days in office. The second show was a general "Best of Life Magazine" and showcased all of the most famous images I've remembered seeing in "Life" The third exhibit was a series of shots from the Abu Ghraib Prison accompanied with the shots of the Iraqi and American reaction to the atrocities. What struck me was that in the previous room were shots that Margaret Bourke-White took of the concentration camps, the atrocities there and the American heroes that liberated them. The Abu Ghraib shots were taken by the same America that had once been heroes and scorned mistreatment, only to be no better than the Nazis themselves. I had been so proud to walk by the shots of the concentration camp, knowing we had helped these people and I felt such shame and embarrassment at the military personnel who had proudly posed for the photos of human humiliation.
All while in NY, my ankle killed me. I walked the walk of the New Yorker and I never looked back or slowed down. Standing at the museum did further damage and at the end of the Photography Museum, I considered turning back to the hotel to rest my ankle. But I was determined to do the next museum.
I've written about Racheal and her brashness. I've written about my shyness and mousy disposition. But dammit, i was in New York, and I was going to the Museum of Sex if it killed me... and it very nearly did.
I walked the 20 blocks North to the Museum and went in. And I will admit, it looked a little seedy when I first went in. A Gen Xer was behind the cash register, looking no different than a slacker manning the register at a sleazy erotic store. I really wondered what I was getting into. I went to the restroom after paying the entrance fee. There was a notation on the wall as to the artist who did the laminate stall dividers.. this was different.
A man in a uniform took my ticket at the turnstile. My impressions were slowly changing. There were two exhibits.. the history of the pinup girl and erotica and the Chinese Culture. The pinup exhibit was really very good. They had detailed explanations of each photograph, including chronological areas where they played music from that period. I enjoyed it very much and enjoyed seeing the women who were much braver than I am, sitting here in my thoroughly modern 21st century home. These women were truly pioneers.
The exhibit continued upstairs with the Chinese culture. And let me tell you: I was blown away. It was thorough. It was detailed. It was all on the up and up. No sleaze here. The best part of the exhibit was the details about the art of Chinese foot binding. They had shoes... dozens of them. They had videos. They had photographs of the women's deformed feet. It was amazing! And what struck me was that every woman was expected to bind her feet... not just the wealthy. EVEN THE WOMEN WHO WORKED IN THE FIELDS! The exhibit closed with a commentary on the Chinese culture not being able to properly regulate the pron industry and the rampant wrongs being done with underage women and disease. The whole thing was very enlightening and very good. The only disappointment was the museum shop, but I think I was expecting more Adam & Eve and that maybe my fault.
I returned to the hotel in time to meet Jane and we did a quick round of shopping for small souvenirs and headed for the airport. Our plane was delayed, but we still managed to get home last night before midnight.
Jane's got a very good shot at this job and it would be an excellent thing for her. I just hate to be losing the closeness of someone who has become a very very good friend.
More on the play and others thing later.. I've got to get ready for Thanksgiving Dinner, y'all!
Jane and I left early Sunday morning. Kim's wedding was Saturday afternoon and I stupidly drank too much wine. I had one hell of a time sobering up so that I could think straight to pack. And 7am came mighty early on Sunday morning. How do church people do it??
Anyway, the flight was uneventful, thank God. We got there just after noon and checked into the hotel. Jane had stayed there before... it was the Shelburne in Murray Hill and it was old and elegant and wonderful. The company with whom she was interviewing had reserved a suite so we had plenty of room. The neighborhood was a good one, too. Quiet (as NY can be) but still just about 4 blocks from Grand Central Station.
I wanted brunch. She did too. So we wasted no time in finding a cool little place. After brunch we walked to Times Square to get half price tickets to a play. We knew what was playing, but we didn't know until we got there what was available. I stood in line while she went and got the names of the plays that they still had tickets for. She came back with 5... several we quickly crossed off the list and deep down, we both wanted to see Chicago. When we got to the window, we were lucky enough to snag 2 seats on row J, Orchestra. It was only after we were walking back to the hotel that we saw a billboard advertising Chicago with Wayne Brady, the funny, cute, talented little guy from "Whose line is it Anyway?"
The show ended up being terrific and we went to bed Sunday night with the tunes still on our minds. On Monday, we got up and headed for MoMA. On the way, the guy Jane was supposed to be interviewing with called on her cell and asked if she could do some early interviews. She agreed and we ended up doing just the museum shop and heading back so she could get dressed. The rest of the afternoon, I was on my own and I returned to the half price booth and got an excellent ticket to Eve Ensler's "The Good Body." I did some looking around on 5th and Madison Avenues, including doing a little dreaming in Saks. I returned to the hotel, got dressed for the evening and treated myself to an Italian restaurant that I had enjoyed on my last visit. Yum, yum, yum! And that was just the cute, sexy butt general manager! :)
The show was great-- I'll expand on it later. When I returned to the hotel, I was worn out! I got the day's recap of interview ups and downs from Jane and went to bed.
Tuesday morning, I got up with Jane to see her off, wishing her luck and bolstering her self-confidence with words of assurance and took my time getting ready. I had planned to see 2 museums and they didn't open until 10.
The first museum was the International Center for Photography. They had 4 exhibits, but I only caught 3. The first was a series of Kennedy and the election and subsequent 100 days in office. The second show was a general "Best of Life Magazine" and showcased all of the most famous images I've remembered seeing in "Life" The third exhibit was a series of shots from the Abu Ghraib Prison accompanied with the shots of the Iraqi and American reaction to the atrocities. What struck me was that in the previous room were shots that Margaret Bourke-White took of the concentration camps, the atrocities there and the American heroes that liberated them. The Abu Ghraib shots were taken by the same America that had once been heroes and scorned mistreatment, only to be no better than the Nazis themselves. I had been so proud to walk by the shots of the concentration camp, knowing we had helped these people and I felt such shame and embarrassment at the military personnel who had proudly posed for the photos of human humiliation.
All while in NY, my ankle killed me. I walked the walk of the New Yorker and I never looked back or slowed down. Standing at the museum did further damage and at the end of the Photography Museum, I considered turning back to the hotel to rest my ankle. But I was determined to do the next museum.
I've written about Racheal and her brashness. I've written about my shyness and mousy disposition. But dammit, i was in New York, and I was going to the Museum of Sex if it killed me... and it very nearly did.
I walked the 20 blocks North to the Museum and went in. And I will admit, it looked a little seedy when I first went in. A Gen Xer was behind the cash register, looking no different than a slacker manning the register at a sleazy erotic store. I really wondered what I was getting into. I went to the restroom after paying the entrance fee. There was a notation on the wall as to the artist who did the laminate stall dividers.. this was different.
A man in a uniform took my ticket at the turnstile. My impressions were slowly changing. There were two exhibits.. the history of the pinup girl and erotica and the Chinese Culture. The pinup exhibit was really very good. They had detailed explanations of each photograph, including chronological areas where they played music from that period. I enjoyed it very much and enjoyed seeing the women who were much braver than I am, sitting here in my thoroughly modern 21st century home. These women were truly pioneers.
The exhibit continued upstairs with the Chinese culture. And let me tell you: I was blown away. It was thorough. It was detailed. It was all on the up and up. No sleaze here. The best part of the exhibit was the details about the art of Chinese foot binding. They had shoes... dozens of them. They had videos. They had photographs of the women's deformed feet. It was amazing! And what struck me was that every woman was expected to bind her feet... not just the wealthy. EVEN THE WOMEN WHO WORKED IN THE FIELDS! The exhibit closed with a commentary on the Chinese culture not being able to properly regulate the pron industry and the rampant wrongs being done with underage women and disease. The whole thing was very enlightening and very good. The only disappointment was the museum shop, but I think I was expecting more Adam & Eve and that maybe my fault.
I returned to the hotel in time to meet Jane and we did a quick round of shopping for small souvenirs and headed for the airport. Our plane was delayed, but we still managed to get home last night before midnight.
Jane's got a very good shot at this job and it would be an excellent thing for her. I just hate to be losing the closeness of someone who has become a very very good friend.
More on the play and others thing later.. I've got to get ready for Thanksgiving Dinner, y'all!
