New York Trip Note #4

My last fifteen hours in New York City started out with panic. Yes, sheer panic. About five hours after I finally fell asleep, I was woken up by a phone call from the Front Desk, telling me that I needed to give them a new credit card because the one I gave them didn’t work. It turns out that I had to go and pay for my hotel room with cash since, for some unexplainable reason, my card didn’t go through. (After much questions, it dawned on me that my bank had put a hold on my account for big purchases. Of course.)

After that panic settled down and I checked out of the hotel, I walked over to Central Park, stopping by Starbucks on the way there. Oh and I got to visit some of the neighborhoods in Upper West Side. They’re amazingly beautiful. Honestly, I would love to live there. I had this conversation with my friends while I was here. I can definitely see myself living here. New York’s atmosphere is very much similar to how I live my life.

Anyways... Central Park is huge! Gorgeous, and very green, but huge nonetheless. It was so fun to people watch there. I got to see some musicians play there, and they were good. There were lots of people running at the park. I can’t help noticing that some ladies were in need of extra support... and then there were also men in need of extra support. Eh... One of the most bizarre thing I witnessed while I was walking there was this man with his dog. His dog, I think it was a Doberman, sat still at the man’s feet while he attempts to do some Tai Chi moves. Yes, I said the word attempt. It seems like he was only there to show off. Show off what, I have no idea. Very weird. But hey. To each their own, right?

My last stop before leaving on another jet plane was Lincoln Center. My last tourist-y endeavor in such a short time: the Lincoln Center campus tour. Oh my word. It was amazing. I know some of you read this and said, huh? Yes. I’m a big fan of the arts, and so visiting the venues and learning about the history of the NYC Ballet, The Metropolitan Opera, Juilliard School, New York Philharmonic, etc. was a dream come true. I would love to go back, though, to see Elina Garanca in The Met’s Carmen.

So after all this, what have changed? I don’t know why I was scared out of my wits. I laugh thinking about it. This was a great experience. And traveling alone was great!

Oh, by the way, I didn’t have time to post this earlier, so I posted this as I got settled back home in Kirkland.

If you want to see the 266 pictures from this trip, go to:

gallery.me.com/tirza.magdiel

Ciao!

New York Trip Note #3

My one and only full day in New York. So amazingly worth it.

My phone alarm woke the living daylights out of me. It was not even funny. I had a very good night sleep. Maybe it was because I was dead tired the night before. Figures.

Of course, I had to go to Starbucks two blocks away from my hotel. I needed my Grande Extra Caramel, Caramel Machiato.

My first stop was The Rockefeller Center. I went and did the NBC Studio Tour. I was kind of iffy at first about the studio tour, but I actually really enjoyed it. There’s a lot of history behind that broadcasting company, more than just TV shows and programs. Of course, I got to see and learn about the stuff that makes SNL. (So I think I crammed about 100 years of New York history in two days. Whoa.) I got crazy at the NBC store. You should ask me about what I got! Anyways, then I did the whole Top of the Rock observatory experience. It was really cool. It wasn’t as crowded as the Empire State Building, and it wasn’t as high as the Empire State Building. It’s really cool though. They have this one room that has lights all over it. When you come in and you move, the room sensors assign you to a color and then when you move, your color lights up. Am I confusing you? Anyways, it’s really cool. I spent more time in that room than the others that visited the room.

What came after the Rockefeller Center? I walked to Grand Central Station. I really love the building. It’s really cool. However, I got really tired. I’ve been wearing flats everywhere I go and it’s killing me. So, I went and got this Jamaican snack thing and some pop and just people-watched. It was good and relaxing. I sat in front of this flower vendor, and it was very interesting to watch the different people who bought flowers from the vendor. I started creating stories in my head about who they are and what the flowers are for. Maybe not really creating stories, but more trying to guess.

By this point, my totally Wicked experience was a mere three hours away, and I head down to the Broadway Joe Steak House on 46^th Street for my reservation. I feel like the servers were kind of taken aback by me - a girl, traveling alone, dining alone. I mean, I could have just gone to a fast food restaurant. I assume that was what they were thinking. Why do fine dining alone? My answer? Why not? Broadway Joe is a very quaint little steak house on theatre row. I sat facing the streets and had a theatre show of my own. What I mean by that is people watching. It is interesting seeing how people interact with each other and how different people carry themselves. The food was great. I got a very good deal from Broadway.com. To start, I had caesar salad and bread. It was really good. I don’t think it came out of some package you buy from the store. For the main course, I had sirloin steak with baked potatoes. Seriously. Best steak I’ve had in a very long time. It was just the right amount of juiciness. Ah. Even writing about it makes my mouth water. To drink, I had a Hemingway Daiquiri. To think about it, I forgot to ask why the drink is named after Hemingway. Did it used to be Hemingway’s favorite beverage? It was good though, although much more than I wanted to spend. (Broadway.com didn’t cover drinks other than soda, water, coffee, or tea.) For dessert, I had a slice of New York Cheesecake, accompanied by some coffee. See, I still haven’t told my mother about this meal, she would go bezerk. She loves cheesecake. Well, I guess I can tell her that I ordered it for her. So, I think the server was frustrated at me. He seems to have trouble understanding me and communicating to me. This, in turn, becomes frustrating for me because he talked to me like I was in third grade. After a while, though, I just had to laugh about it. When I was enjoying my dessert, I looked up at the television and saw a soccer match. Manchester United playing against some league wearing blue and white that I can’t seem to remember at this point in time. I think it might be a Scottish league? Anyways, I was watching this game and realized that Manchester United isn’t the same team I watched growing up. They did some very idiotic blunders. Really. After a while I just had to get up and leave.

Which proves to be a problem when you’re really, really full. Dragging my feet to the Gershwin Theatre on 51^st was long and arduous. I thought I was about to burst. Anyways, I found Gershwin Theatre without much of a problem. I went in and found myself very giddy. Much like a schoolboy. (Okay. Although I know how and when to use this American phrase--or maybe it’s a British phrase? Wherever it may have originated from--I don’t quite understand the origins of it. Oh well.) I found my seat quite easily, K 155. At first I thought that I didn’t get a good seat, since it’s way up in the balcony. I was wrong. It was a really good seat. I was at the end of the row, so to my right was the stairs and to my left was a big blue pillar. It was like I was in my own world, watching my favorite musical. Yes, this performance of Wicked solidified the fact that Wicked is, indeed, my favorite musical.

The girl who played Elphaba in this, was really good. Definitely a legit mezzo soprano-belter. (It’s okay if you’re not following my little rant here. It’s something my voice teacher, Bernie, and I have been discussing lately.) The girl who played Glinda (the “Ga” is silent), was not Kristin Chenowith, but she acted and sang like she was playing Chenowith playing Glinda. She’s still good, though. The number, “Popular,” was eerily blond-ish. (Please. Nobody take offense.) The show was amazing. Hilarious. Lots of side comments. The three hours passed very quickly, much to my dismay.

If you’re at all familiar with who I am, one thing that characterizes me is that I always have a song stuck in my head. Maybe even more than one. Of course, “Defying Gravity” was looping through my head after the show. “it’s time to try defying gravity... you can’t bring me down... da da da da” (That’s how I describe the musical interlude.)

The original plan after Wicked was to go see Diane Schuur, one of my favorite Jazz vocalist of all time. However, they were out of good table seats by Monday, so I decided not to. Also, my friend Annette (whom I have known for 22 years) asked me if I would be able to hang out after Wicked. Her apartment building is just a couple of blocks away from the Gershwin Theatre. Isn’t that convenient? I walked over to her apartment and we hung out. We chat a lot and we caught up on each other’s lives. We realized that we haven’t really hung out in two years. That’s a long time for people that have been friends since baby-hood. (Did you know that on our grade school report card, there was a note that said something like: Annette and Tirza aren’t allowed to be in the same class. I think we had a really big fight when we were in first grade. The next time we were in the same class together was ninth grade. Wow.

I left Annette’s apartment at like twenty til midnight, when she looked like she was about to pass out. I thought that taking the subway back to my hotel would be dangerous. But I actually managed very well. In one piece.

The excitement of the night combined with fatigue made it difficult for me to wind down to go to bed. I ended up going to bed at midnight. Seattle time.

NYC Trip Note #2

Wow. Today has been a really long day. It’s actually quite hilarious.

It actually started right after I finished writing my last journal. Huh? You wonder. That happened last night. Well... Yes. My last night and this morning has blurred into one giant entity - sleep depravity. I boarded a very full Continental flight 234. I have planned to sleep during the four hour on the plane. It wouldn’t be enough sleep, but at least it’s something. Apparently, there are just some things you could not plan. In the row right next to me, there were two babies who screamed bloody murder every couple of hours. Therefore, no rest for my poor mind. I got to the airport and had to wait for an hour and a half for a shuttle driver who fell asleep and didn’t respond to the notification that I had arrived and needed a ride. A nicer driver came and gave me a ride to my hotel, but by that time, I was so tired. It took me all the energy in my veins to be able to keep a good attitude about it. Or to not convulse into sobs. As soon as I got into my hotel room, though, everything turned for the better.

I checked in, changed, washed my face, make myself presentable, and then went on to find a Starbucks. I’m not a huge fan of Starbucks, but it is a familiar taste of home. And of course, that made the day a whole lot better.

Oh. I also got over my anxiety issues about going on an adventure in a foreign land.

I went to Pier 78 and took a 90-minute skyline tour of New York. It was good, exactly how I like to enjoy the sights. I like to hear about the history and the background behind events and landmarks. It was kind of heartbreaking to hear about 9/11 though, even though it has been nine years. It is still an unbelievably grievous thing.

After that, I went to the Empire State Building. Whoa! The view... It’s like being on top of the world. Side note: I broke a nail.

On the way to Empire State Building, I passed Bryant Park and saw all these signs for their Fall Festival. Apparently today, it was scheduled for the New York City Ballet to perform at Bryant Park. So, of course, I decided to go. After being there and getting settled for half an hour, reading my grad school material, the crowd was interrupted by a rumbling that originated from the sky. We disregarded that and continued doing all the things we were doing. The rumbling happened again. No precipitation, although worry clouded the faces that have crowded the park. A man came and announced that the show was cancelled. As the crowd groaned and the man apologized, the rumbling cloud shed heavy drops that began to pour like nothing else. Yep. My welcoming gift from the Big Apple is a big thunderstorm. I think I ruined a pair of shoes.

The good part of the night came when I finally saw my friend, Stephanie. Stephanie and I have been friends since kindergarten. We’ve been in so many classes together and played in the orchestra together. However, we haven’t really hung out these past four years. You know, college. We had lots of fun catching up and eating one of the most delicious pizzas I have ever tasted at Serafina on 55^th and Broadway. Oh my word.

Today has been a great day. I’m tired, but I’m still up watching a Meg Ryan movie and writing this entry. See ya soon!

NYC Trip Note #1

So I am at Sea-Tac airport at the gate where my plane is supposed to leave in about an hour. I am so excited to go to New York, see friends and see the things I've always wanted to see. However, at the same time, I am scared out of my wits. I feel like I seem somewhat of an adventurous person. To a certain extent, I think I am, but that does not dismiss any kind of fear I might have about going on a trip by myself. Ugh. I guess I should get used to it. I'm at a season in my life where I'm living alone. So I should get used to it. For now.

Hmmm... Well next time I write, I'll probably on the other side of the country already.

Once upon a time... in Hollywood.

"Once upon a time..." Every fairy tale starts that way, right?

When I was little, I remembered some nights when my grandmother was around, she would tell me stories about princesses and kingdoms, about princes and warriors. Even if your family did not tell you bedtime stories about princes and princesses, you were exposed to them nonetheless. Is it too hard to ask for a knight in shining armor? Or, for guys, where is that damsel in distress? I can see your face reading this right now, all scrunched up with indignation. Who is this girl, telling me that I have my head up in the clouds?

Many people today profess to be realists. We live in today. We are independent people. When we have dreams, we make things happen. Is that correct? As a self-professed realist, I share those thoughts. However, I realized that there is a different kind of fairy tale that my subconscious is slightly more inclined to clasp to. This kind of fairy tale doesn't usually start with the stereotypical "Once upon a time..." Some of them do start that way, but these few instances are aberrations from the norm. This kind of fairy tale usually starts with a drum rhythm and the flashing lights of blue and gold, showing a sign that say "20th Century FOX" or a lady in greco-romanesque outfit. Today, I want to talk to you about Hollywood influenced movies and TV series: why I am calling it the modern day fairy tale and the effects it have on the population in general. Also, I will be taking some examples from some of my favorite movies.

Movies are just like books, in the sense that they tell a story. They give people more of the instant gratification of knowing a story within the constraints of two hours rather than reading paragraphs and paragraphs of clusters of words. I love watching movies! It enables me to retreat from my daily activities into two hours of a world apart from mine. When you are watching an epic fantasy movie like Lord of the Rings, your mind would not make the inference that events depicted in the movie might come true in your life tomorrow. (It is a sad fact of reality that our world do not have elves and hobbits.) However, when you watch a romantic comedy set in 21st century Seattle, it is so hard to not hope something worth a Hollywood movie will happen to you tomorrow. Hence, what started out as a two-hour retreat from a hectic week turns out to influence values and morals and expectations in everyday life.

Movies are basically modern day fairy tales due to the aforementioned fact. After hearing the story of Snow White or Sleeping Beauty, little girls want to be princesses, and be whisked away by a prince. When they grow up, they will have embraced reality--finish school, get a job, etc. But somewhere in the deepest parts of their hearts, they will still be waiting for the perfect man to save

them from a "boring" life. After life beats the crap out of them, they will "settle" for a man less than perfect, but they will always still have that feeling of emptiness and longing. They will be longing for their happy ever after.

In this sense, movies have the same effects as fairy tales. Take, for example, one of the movies on my DVD rack, You've Got Mail, starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. The movie is a typical warm and fuzzy romantic comedy, with a long-lasting effect on reality. Meg Ryan's character found a man online with whom she shares a connection. However, she was already in a relationship at that time. What if a woman watches this movie and think to herself, "There might be someone better out there," even when she's already in a relationship? Also, having an emotional connection with someone other than your significant other is just so wrong. It's stupid, actually. Anyways, back to my point, what if every time this woman is in a relationship, she asks herself, "What if the love of my life, my soulmate, my happy ever after is still out there?" No wonder we have high divorce rates.

One movie that was released recently, and I happen to enjoy very much, is The Proposal, starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. Is it okay to be in a relationship with a ruthless, cruel, disrespectful and abrasive person because you might think that after spending time with this person, they will change and becomes less of a jerk? What if they never change? What if that is their natural disposition? Then you're pretty much screwed. (For people that might be offended by the word usage, I didn't find any phrases that is poignant enough to communicate the thought.) It's really sad to see people get into real life relationships with the mindset that "I will change him/her." One day they'll wake up and realize that it's an impossible mission, and they're.. well.. stuck.

Hollywood does not only give us unrealistic expectations, it also presents us with values that, in my opinion, can be really stupid. (Pardon me, I have zero tolerance for stupidity.) Movies like The Ugly Truth (Sadly enough, I actually have seen the movie. The movie makes me sick.) share a unique perspective on love and relationships. After meeting a person with whom our character experienced a "spark," instead of trying to get to know the person, the question that engulfs the character is: how soon can I have sex with this person? What the heck!? It disgusts me that today's media equates sex to food. If you're hungry, then eat! Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

It gives me no pleasure to "bash" movies I love to watch, but in all honesty, I have to say that most of these movies set unrealistic expectations and values to life. A lot of the times, I get caught up with the emotions and romance and tension of movies, but then, once in a while, I step back and think: I don't want to live like them. Do you?

There's no such thing as a happy ever after. There's no such thing as the perfect man or woman. These things exist only in fairy tales, whether they are created by the Grimm brothers or Nora Ephron. My one explanation on why I think we love these fairy tales so much is because we are created with a desire for wonder, adventure, and romance. Believe me, true wonder, adventure, and romance cannot be experienced through living out Cinderella or 27 Dresses.