Wow, believe it or not, students were up EARLY!  It was enough time to get a bearing of our location the morn, get them out and orient themselves, then meet back and head to Central park and we made it to the Metropolitan Museum of Art – where they are now soaking it all in, like a small city in one building here.  We saw the dismal St. Patrick’s Parade, no worth looking at with the protesting so it was just well, pitiful compared to before, but rightfully so due to the protests.

I NEVER REALIZED HOW LARGE THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM WAS – A CITY AMONG ITS OWN…We did manage to see the parade but a dismal one form the museum so the greatest phrase, “Let’s go back to see some art” from Payton assumed us that there was much to see that impacted us.  Also, the levels, even though three floors, was enough to fill again, a small city – AMAZING.  Also, we found out, after meeting at 1:30 PM – as we exited that, (and running into a Latino American music group) as at first heading UP TOWN insead of Downtown of a block, that the parade was actually still going on 3 hours later than normal, lol.  And here came the parade – in its glory of all clans – the colleges, and sea of Green, so as we progressed to Southern Central Park – ALL the parade appeared in front of us – like crazy and loud and ALL Irish – signs like”England get out of Ireland” and “It isn’t freedom if you are prejudiced” showed the discontent with excluding Gay Group members from the parade as well as the situations with Ireland and Englad that have dated back to history.

We finally made it to 5th Avenue – and the students were set loose one block from St. Patrick’s Cathedral – shopping, searching, investigating everything from the ice skating rink, Rockefeller Center, and more.  Since the parade was later than normal, the streets were blocked off at corners causing us to take extra longer ways to get around so slight delays impacted us and increased our walking.

After meeting at 1:30, we headed back to the metro, back to the hostel, for a little, lies than an hour due to the delays) – and got ready for East Village.  We headed back out on the metro, hit the Big Gay Ice Cream store, Two Boots, and ultimately the NuYorkian Cafe until 11:30, and back home.

The Open Mic was a wide range of talent, surprise, and an underwear wearing grandpa with a guitar, but live and right in your face – as usual, very lively and all over the U.S. another represented. The way back, um, wow.  We were diverted to an express train, that went ultimately 125th, where we had to get back on the there side and come back to 103rd, and at this point, we were DYING – exhausted and tired of being rerouted and occasionally taking the wrong way, we ran to the hostel and died in our beds.  We decided we’d lessen the load on Tuesday, open up time for more people to study, relax, get working, breathe, and explore locally with no rush and let our feet and bodies recover.

The best part of the day?  The capability of these student to soak inso much art and beauty, and despite the many inconvenient parts of the trip that happened, they pushed through and got through so much – crossing the first half of Central Park in 20 minutes (that is a record) as well as covering at least 15 miles – this group covered most most would only dream about in a day.  DREAM.  And they did it with a determination and energy that few to none would ever be able to contain.