I went to the nurse on Thursday, her diagnosis was not grim but vague. She said that it would take four days to figure out if I had Laryngitis. By Friday morning, I had completely lost my voice. I was heading to New York, the city that never slept except on Sunday mornings, the city blaring with music from Broadway to local and international acts, a very active city...
I'd whisper, and my friend told me that I was straining my voice more, they said that I should use my natural voice even if it was croaky, on the way to NY I'd forget and I 'd whisper, eventually I'd use my 'natural' voice, most of the times I sounded like an out-of-tune flute...
Highlights...
Friday, March 31
stayed in the Pennsylvania Hotel, it was an okay hotel, it wasn't as posh, but the location was terrific, really close to a lot of things (across from Madison Garden, a couple of blocks from the Empire)- lows: fridge that 's not cold, air conditioner that keeps the room warm rather than cold...
starbucks, one in every corner, got a caramel frap under the pseudonym Mark, got a cinnamon dolce lattel under the pseudoym Matea- both extremely delicious
stopped by St. Patrick Cathedral, Rockefeller skating rink, Librarie De France (failed to convince going to MoMA), Went to the NBC store, bought ER pens which looked like needles
super expensive TGIF- compared to Greensburg price, the NY price doubled, we didn't get free refills on our strawberry lemonade slushies, and we couldn't substitue rice for mash potatoe
finding the Ambassador theater, walking around Times Square, stopping by at every souvenir shop trying to find the best deal, crossing streets with tons of people, some carrying a box of grass, some wearinng white chalky lace dress with matching white powdered faces...later finding out that she's a street mime, she did ballet poses (she wasn't like the European type mime that could stay still for a very long time), saw the famous Winter Garden theater (right now playing Mamma Mia)
Watched the musical "Chicago" with theguy from dancing with the stars, one of the cosby girls (rubens), a woman -Lilian/Lillias (who appeared in Sesame street, worked with Oprah, was one of the muse in Disney's Hercules), it was great, our seats weren't that far, the dancing was spectacular (now I understood more about Bob Fosse's style)
Saturday, April 1
Throughout this day, I found it diffifuclt to stay quiet, I was coughing, blowing my nose, drinking water to keep my throat moist, eating halls, took tynenol, dayquil, allegra d, ate fruits..
we woke up early so we could take the subway to south ferry to get to Battery park, we found out that the suoth ferry route was close, we had to take another one that dropped us off Chamber Street, from there, we transfered to a shuttle bus, it was loaded with british kids and parents "little kids, used the word "ancient", we were in-line to go to Liberty Island, on the way we met another mime dressed as Lady Liberty, they were loud ones, they'd call with their megaphone, enticing you to take their pictures, black men with african accents walked around lugging boxes and briefcase yelling "purse, watches, sunglasses".. the wait on the line was like a musical bazaar, first an old spanish dude sang ballad, then a guy with a giant fro covered by green knitted hand played a percussion bowl that sounded like a xylophone/'calypso', a British a-cappela group, who were tourists themselves serenaded the crowd, little Williiam chasing pigeons away...boat ride was okay, wind rearranged people's hairstyle, imapasto/ thick waves stirred, rising and falling green atlantic hazy sky, Lady Liberty fresh mint green brighter than before, segulls floated like kites...Italian couple asking me to take their pictures because "I looked like a photographer"
Ellis Island, they tried to find their ancestors that migrated here on the US a while ago, I just got here in the U.S., so I new there was no way that my name will be on the wall, the closest spelling to my name was 'Diezel.' They traced their roots literally, they had paper and pencil and shaded in relatives that shared their name, ti started to rain. there was an abrupt stopwhen we were in the boat,..back to Battery Park, the shuttle bus took forever so we walked
we saw the sides of many court houses, we saw a house that maybe dedicated to Elizabeth Ann Seton, we might have seen City Hall, we saw the Bronze bull, an african statue of a gian black marbel antelope headdress.. we walked towards Ground Zero, walking through, I heard stories of what others' were doing when it happened,
walked to Chinatown, explored the stores, went through seafood market place, ginger roots laide in basket like barnicles, roasted ducks rotating next to gut, some fish flapped hopelessly, tanks of lobster, people yelling "purses, only 20 dollars"
Had lunch/dinner in Little Italy, lots of outdoor cafes, tomato sauce lingered, 'baisley' baked oven pizza with rosae grande pepperoni, vanilla gelati, manager of restaurant in Italian style with point white shoes and swhite striped blue suit
Subway to 110 street North Central Park, saw Duke Ellington Memorial statue, already night time, didn't ambled to far in the dark park...
then went to the observatory deck in Rockefeller plaza, "top of the rock", not as high as Empire but beautiful, without the obstrusive barsilver bars, instead, large glass, a smiling crescent in the sky, clouds popped out from the dark starless sky, lights dots inverse of the sky
Went to Grand Central Station (constellation on the dome), took pictures, more "times square shopping", hard rock cafe store...walking
Sunday, April 2 (Last Day)
At 8am, went to the Empire State Building, wait not that long, up there, it was a great day look, forecast was clear, see the lands , trees , Staten Island clearly, windy, white water, pigeon bird food, french, Chinese tour groups (influx)
$8.13 Strawberry cheesecake- melts in your mouth, McDonald's, Burger King, Starbucks
Departure between 12 and 1 pm
Minimum spending of cash and credit card total: $200
Memory priceless....