My Bite of the Big Apple (2008)

Continuing in my series of ‘trip-down-memory-lane’ posts looking at my time in Washington DC as part of the Washington Ireland Program for Service and Leadership.

(From July 23, 2008)

I am at the stage of tired where everything looks like a bed. I’m not far from climbing into my computer and fall asleep on Microsoft word. And, I forget things and lose things and bump into things and stumble over all my words. I know it’s bad to close my eyes for a little second, but man, it just feels so good. My brain is chatting away to me endlessly and I cannot concentrate on a thing. Sign of a good weekend, perhaps?

Well, it was a great weekend. I was in New York City- my first time, and definitely not the last. I don’t trust my mind to be able to logically recall all that has happened over the last three days, so let me give you the highlights.

• Best Breakfast: We had bagels and OJ by Bethesda Fountain on Saturday morning. It’s fountain from Friends and “Enchanted”, and a very pretty fountain it was too.
• Greatest convenience and biggest fear (a joint award): Taxis are the mode of transport of choice in NYC. They’re very cheap, especially if there’s a group since there’s no surcharge. You do take your life in your hands in them though, and u gotta give a very precise address.
• The Real New Yorker moment: The Subway. The best way to see how New York lives is to literally walk in their footsteps. In the NYC context, this means taking the subway. It was cool, though scary. It is a prime target for terrorism after all, but I guess you can’t live like that. It’s less well kept than the DC equivalent and people were more rushed and rude.
• Cultural High Point: The Met (Art Museum) on Saturday. Myself, JC Jnr, the Fiona Buggy and Alan Ralph headed to the Met for a tour. We were very tired, in an altered state of exhaustion which only increased my opinions of the art work. There were conflicting views, as there always are in this group. I was disappointed with the modern art selection though, although it was probably all in the MOMA.
• Wettest Moment: That afternoon, the group met and took to “The Beast”. This motor boating experience brought us out to see the Statue of Liberty. We were getting a little splashed and squealing like girls at it. But then, the beast roared. The boat’s owner poured bucket upon bucket of icy water over us. I left the boat sapping.
• Oddest Moment: I was interested in seeing Ground Zero and I did, albeit from the comfort of a taxi. It really is just a huge building site. There was no place for emotion there, I found.
• Security Shock: I visited St Patrick’s cathedral too which was really beautiful. On the way into the church, there were security checking bags. Imagine getting frisked on the way to mass. The times we live in, I guess.
• Best Music: Singing on the bus!
• Best Shopping: Finally getting Reef flipflops in Macy’s, in the sale, and teaching the boys how to shop with women. I expect a thanks from your future wives.:)
• Most Educational Experience: Our Day at the UN. We were honoured to have a full day’s leadership training among several UN staffers. We began with a briefing from a member of the strategic planning unit in the office of the Secretary General, which was followed by contributions from UN Peacekeepers. As always, we were full of questions and they offered a valuable insight into the world of the UN. In the afternoon, we broke into smaller groups to examine the workings of more specific groupings within the UN. I was in the UN Development Program, which was fascinating.
• Nightlife High Point: NYC is the city that never sleeps, and I mean that quite literally. By the time people are heading home from a mad one, there are others getting up for work. During our brief three day stay in NYC, us WIPpers slept very little too. The highpoint is easy. WIP Alum Paddy invited us to his city centre apartment for a roof top party. The view was, in the original sense of the word, awe-inspiring.
• Brightest Moment: Post-night outs, we made a tradition of visiting Time Square to gawk at the bright lights. It’s a phenomenal place, but I couldn’t help but think of the energy wasted.
• Best Meal: Sunday evening, while I was still dripping from the Beast, though cozy and proud in an “I Love NY” hoodie, we went to the “Harbour Lights” restaurant at Pier 17. Irish owned, I was so glad to hear an Irish accent again.  The view was spectacular, of the BMW bridges and artistic man-made waterfalls and my salmon tasted delicious in the fresh, warm sea breeze.
• Overall Highlight: Brooklyn Bridge, in general. After dinner, we took a stroll along the Brooklyn bridge. I have never seen such a scale of beauty, between the lights, the warm air, the epic view and the excellent WIP company. Skyscrapers stacked like legos, the Statue of Liberty standing there serene and commanding, bridges strung like Christmas decorations. It brought out the real tourist in me. It has such scale that cannot be captured in a camera’s viewfinder. Despite the bustle of the city, and the traffic traveling everywhere, it was calm.