Terri Ishmael Speaks-1

Travels in New York City

After trying unsuccessfully to get onto the Blog yesterday, I called Don and he said he'd have Blogspot send me the necessary code to get on. Two more calls and I have yet to receive the needed code.  Don suggested I blog on my email account and he in turn would post it on the site.

Tonight is Friday and four of the students and I are going to see "Phantom of the Opera" at the Majestic Theater at 44th and 8th Ave.  Yueming said she wanted to make certain that she had been to a Broadway show before she went back to California.  I told her to pick one so she narrowed it down to about four.  After much discussion, we - she and Winston and I at first - decided on Phantom because we could obtain relatively inexpensive tickets - $40.  Michael and Jamie decided that they too wanted to come so I'll go up to Columbia at 7:00 and we will all head down to near Times Square.

I am really amazed at how easy it is to get around in New York.  My hotel is at 72nd St. and there is a subway a block away.  If I'm there at the right time - almost any time - I can get an express train and be at 42nd St. is about 10 minutes.  Likewise when I venture up to Columbia at 116th St., it too is only a ten minute ride.  There has been only one time  coming back from Columbia that I couldn't get a downtown train because of some construction.  I had to go up to 137th and cross the street to head to 72nd.  This still took less than 20 minutes.

The Upper West Side is a wonderful neighborhood with all kinds of shops and restaurants within a three block radius.  I've  even discovered an "In-N-Out" clone called "Shake Shack."  The lines are out the door and all they do is burgers, fries, shakes, etc.  One change, though.  You can buy beer at "Shake Shack."  I guess one of the locations is at Shea Stadium.

I went to Coney Island today with my daughter. We took the subway all the way to the end of the line in Brooklyn.  It looks a lot like Santa Cruz with a giant wooden roller coaster and a huge 90 year old Ferris Wheel.  We dipped our toes in the Atlantic, ate chili dogs at Nathan's, visited the aquarium and rode home.  It wasn't quite as hot today and the ocean breeze made it tolerable.  It is humid and we from California are not used to this as evidenced in the blogs from all the students at Cornell who have long walks to their classes.  The Columbia students do not have too far to walk to anything, including the subway right outside the gates.

The Presidential Powers students had to turn in at least 12 pages of their paper today and all were fast and furiously working on it yesterday evening when I met with them.  I think they will all be fine since each of them is a very good time manager and has kept up with the reading and the writing so as not to fall behind.  I have been extremely impressed with all those in my group.  They have really bonded with one another as well as made a number of new friends from the program.  They are a lot of fun and most importantly I can always count on them to be on time and in the appointed spot.  All in all a very nice group -no complaining, whining, etc.  All have really taken advantage of this opportunity to be in New York City.

More to come.  I'm off to the theater.