Toronto

2009 travel takes me to Toronto where I spent a couple of days with a
good buddy from Klingenstein, Mike. It was nice to call him Mike
instead of Canada Mike like we did this summer since we had three Mikes.
I had a great time and got to try my skills at navigating a big city
all by myself. This is the CN tower on my way out of town. I was up
there! is what I wrote in the postcards that I sent to family from the
tower.

Toronto night skyline

The iPhone camera is good but not that good. Mike was so excited to
show me the skyline. It was beautiful--just not capturable in a photo.

Fresh cut flowers

Mike and his wife were the hostesses with the mostestest. I had fresh
cut flowers by my bedside.

Mudpies with rocks and moss

Mudpies

Mike's daughters insisted that the bring their mudpies from the
cottage up north back to the city. They are now on the windowsill
right outside their house in Toronto.

Bracebridge

Cottage boathouse view. It was cloudy, but this picture really does no
justice. It was beautiful and so relaxing.

From atop the CN tower

Looking up at CN tower

Streetcars

How dorky am I?

My TC ID and my room key with touristy "I heart NY" keychain.

Me and my cuz

Well. I have only seen my cousin Deborah a couple times in my life so
last week when walking down broadway with my sister I thought she was
crazy when she said-that looks like Deborah. I mean it's NYC, what are
the chances that you'll run into somone you know. But it was her and
get this--her office is in the teachers college right across the hall
from the office of my program!! What crazy odds. I stopped by her
office today to say hi. Here is a picture of the two of us.

View from my room on the 14th floor

I'm here!

Signs from God come in all shapes and sizes

I saw this on the subway on my second day in NYC.

You can do this.

I can go to the biggest city that I've ever been to--alone. I can
figure out how to get from the airport to my hotel via public
transportation. I can find my way around and entertain myself in the
city that never sleeps. I can and will figure out a way to pay for
another degree. I can keep up with my homework this summer and
contribute thoughtfully and confidently in class discussions. I can
figure out the subway maps and learn how to keep standing when they
come to a stop. I can climb a million subway steps and walk 1200 miles.

I needed this trip.

Because where there was doubt--now I believe.....

I CAN DO THIS!!!!!

Adventurous Spirit

My friend Charlotte has an adventurous spirit. She came to NYC in
november for a conference and they asked her if she wanted to come
back and work there and she packed up her things and went for it. In
just a couple of months she went from New Zealand to New York. I'd
like to think that some of that rubbed off on me in the time that we
spent together back in 1995 and 1996 and then again today. She's
awesome and I am so lucky to spend time with her and to have that
opportunity to do so again this summer. I should have taken a picture
of her today with my iPhone but failed to do so. This picture
represents the adventure that I'm about to take up this summer and the
way that was demonstrated for me by my dear friend. I'll learn to
stand on those subways soon, Charlotte--and you were definitely the
high of my NYC trip.

Picture taken from the 125th street elevated train station (3 blocks
from where I'll be living this summer).

Toni and the empire state building

Grand Central

For Vetris

I'm going to be a student again!!!

Today I got really excited because I went and sat in on a class at the
Leadership Academy where there are students about to graduate from the
year long program. I was paired up with this girl from North Carolina.
She actually used to teach at St. Mary's in Raleigh which is one of
the schools that is in the Triangle Diversity Alliance that CFS is a
part of. She and I just chatted and chatted. It was so cool. I also
got a chance to talk to a couple of the teachers in the
Program. The class was talking about Adult Learning with a specific
focus on transformative learning. I admit that at first I was sure I
would tune out most of what was going on especially when it came to
all the scholars, philosophers and such that were displayed on the
screen at the front of the room when I entered. However there was a
team teaching approach to the class and group conversations. It made
me very excited about being a student again especially one that is
being taught by people who teach teaching. So cool. So cool. I think
I'm ready.

~tgw

Sent from my iPhone

Avenue Q

So originally I had wanted to see a show that I had never seen before
but at the discount ticket place--the other shows that I wanted to see
were already sold out or still to expensive to buy even with the
discount. I got my tix to Ave. Q for 1/2 off. And since my sweet
friend Matthew bought me tix last year to see it when it was in North
Carolina and I couldn't because of my uncle's funeral (for Phyllis--my
uncle Fruit had died)--I thought well here's my chance. My seat was on
the eleventh row.

Now I'm sitting in my room waiting for my friend Charlotte to get off
of work and DOGtired. I think I'm going to go to sleep and just wake
up when she gets here.

More adventures to come before I head home tomorrow night.

Times Square

Sweet Tea

Ellis Island

I spent a great deal of my day in line. First for the ferry to ellis
island. Then on the ferry while we dropped off people at Liberty
Island. By the time we got to EI I was so tired and hungry. Thank
goodness for the EI cafè. I had a pork BBQ sandwich (they don't know
how to make them properly here...bit apparently there us sweet tea--
didn't taste that though on account of me hating tea. Anyway by the
time I got my food I hungrily gobbled it up. Honestly I think those
were the best French fries I've ever had. The kids in my EPU class
will know what I mean when I say I felt like Yehuda when he arrived in
EI when he filled down the free milk and banana and tried to sneak
back in line for more. Then I began my tour around the museum. I spent
WAY too much time in the first exhibit so I couldn't manage to get to
the whole thing. I want to go back but this time I know that it's best
to buy your ticket a day in advance and arrive as early as possible--
you live and learn. I loved the museum though and can't wait to tell
my students all about it.

And now to the next time of waiting--I had to wait for the ferry back
to battery park and then I had to wait for the no.1 train. Then I went
to times square to purchase tickets for a play tonight and had to wait
there. I finally made it back to my room about 45 minutes ago now it's
back to times square to see the show I bought. More on that later.
Tonight my friend Charlotte I'd hanging out with me I'm so excited! I
haven't seen her since 1996!!! More on that later I have a train to
catch!

That's not a lady, she's a little girl!

This is what my sister, Lervetris, said when she saw the statue of
liberty a couple of years ago when we came to NYC. She does pale in
comparison to the massive NY skyline.

Wait--it's not raining

It's snowing!!!!!

~tgw

Sent from my iPhone

Public Transportation

I love it!! Don't get me wrong I would rather have the luxury of my
own car (shout out to Tay-Tay!) but how cool is it not to worry about
parking or directions. I spent about 45 minutes this morning using my
map ap and my subway map ap on my phone and figuring out the course of
my day. Right now I am in line buying ferry tickets so that I can do
something that I've never had the opportunity to do--I'm going to
Ellis Island!! Now when we do the Ellis Island unit I can say that
I've been there. They just made an announcement that there is a 1 hour
15 minute wait for the next boat. No problem. It's starting to rain as
well--no problem. I'm as happy as a clam.

Baby tub

At first I thought it was a stand up shower but no--it's a baby tub.
Input my shoes in it so that you can tell just how small it is. I had
to fight with the curtain and water a bit but that's a different story.

My favorite piece

This is a cool piece of art in my hotel bathroom. Who needs the MoMA
when you've got this. Plus there's a cool reflection of an awesome
woman in this shot.

Hotel Artwork

View from my hotel window

Broadway and 103rd

Light in my hotel.

I can't really capture how awesome the light is and how cool this
hotel is. But here it is.

Here it is!

Teachers College at Columbia University. I get to observe a class
there on Thursday AM!! :)

Entrance to MSM

My home for the summer

Manhattan school of music--I hope there's an elevator.

My train stop

Ahhhh....pashmina

One of the things that I was most excited about on this trip to NYC
was a pashmina scarf. I found a street vendor selling them within 10
minutes of being here. I bought two. Depending upon how funny my money
is--I may buy more. Perhaps I'll get all colors. They are my favorite
scarves ever.

Now on to something more about the city itself--I've never spent this
much time on the upper west side. It doesn't feel anything like
midtown. That has a good and a bad side. The New York feel that you
see on TV well that isn't present up here. Instead it is ok to walk
slowly because there is enough space for that to be ok. I walked a lot
today at my own pace. It's also a lot quieter up here--still loud but
you can actually have a conversation on the cell while you are walking!

Cool fact: It took longer for me to get from the airport to my hotel
than it did for me to get from Durham to New York. Crazy huh.

About to head to bed. Too tired to head over to tkts place today in
order to see a show tonight so I am just chillin reading one of the
books that I bought from the teacher's college bookstore. I found a
caribbean restaurant around the corner and had some chicken rice and
beans and am calling it a night. More pictures to follow this post.

Flight home

My extravaganza is over. Home again home again. I'm on the plane and
the flight attendant won't let anyone move to those two empty rows in
front of me. Oh well. At least the lady beside me is skinny!

The restaurant

These are some pictures of the garden behind the restaurant. By sister
would absolutely love it. There are fish in the pond and flowers and
bamboo and running water. It is gorgeous!!!

The Restaurant

The Restaurant

Private room

The Restaurant

The entrance

Huh???

So not only does Yuhsien drive around a gas guzzler like all of her
Texan compadres she also has not stripped off the "Sarah for VP"
sticker that Liling put there. Go figure, right? I couldn't believe I
rode around in a car with that on the bumper!

Another cute shot of Marcel

Mexico

I can't lie. This house isn't really in Mexico but it is a couple of
minutes from the border and iyou would have thought that that's where
I was if I didn't tell you, huh.
I didn't take my phone withne across the border because I left my
purse in the car so I wouldn't have so much to carry. I did bring my
other camera though and I have a couple shots from Yuhsien and my trip
across the border.

Mexico straight ahead

This is the sign that you see as you approach the border to Mexico.
The whole trip including border fees a couple of souviners (sp?) a key
chain for Phyllis and some sunglasses was 15 dollars. How many can
say they went to another country all expenses totaling less than 20
bucks??AND we saw a guy piss his pants and a woman talking to an
imaginary friend about an FBI mission. Oh how I love traveling.

Marcel

My mexican friend

Happy New Year!!!!

This is the first picture that I took in the new year. I look the
same as I did last year. My my my don't I grow old gracefully!!