PAVEing a Blog

SATURDAY – March 23rd – the day before we left – wow – I have to say – EXHAUSTING….;)   But – time was going so fast!

Friday we had to consolidate down minus one room – and this originally was thought to work out three girls in one room, but despite the smallness of the ladies, this was not going to work, in the wee hours of Friday after the Open Mic Night Championships ( I know, I did miss it but I hung close to Jazz on the Park to see if a room opened up) – it did not, lol, and when everyone started to filter in – we tried to see if I could take one mattress, maybe someone could use the floor and sleeping blanket, but unfortunately, these options all ran dry.

Only option – and still the best one, was to give up my room and for me to find an alternate location, for the next 2 days, making sure the ladies were in, snug, and safe.  We decided I would leave my shopping items in the room, Alice took my room, and I began to ask via phone neighboring hostels of availability.  I immediately tried an International Youth Hostel – packed.  Another Jazz on the Park on Amsterdam, PACKED.  BY LUCK – one room was available, for one night (well like right now which was 1:00 AM until check out Saturday (it was Saturday!) at 10:00 – but I was like, YEAH!  YES!  YES YES!  🙂   So I had one night, now needed two….but that would come later.

They held the room for me – for 30 minutes, I checked on everyone, they were good, – we originally planned on meeting Saturday afternoon to work on 911 photos and other areas for the staff of the 911 project at ASF – I hustled to Chelsea Jazz on the Park on 11th Avenue, checked in, sharing the room was someone – who my luck, was a GREAT older gentleman traveling so he didn’t mind the late night intrusion.  I scanned some possibilities for an open room for Saturday night to Sunday – nothing, but at that point was super super tired, so decided to call it a night (well, actually 4:00 AM Saturday) and sleep the sleep of the dead, I died sleeping as sound as a baby for sure.

I woke up at 10:00 AM – Still Saturday – and began the New York room search, and after an hour – I did FIND ONE – but it was uncertain.  I then went on to call the students via text/email, and stated for their sake and mine, since Friday had been a late night with the Open Mic NewUYorkian Poet Cafe finals, to let them off the hook, and just to schedule dinner together at 7:30 – location to be decided by them.  In the meantime, I would do the 911 project to the best of my ability, as well as find a place to stay!  🙂 I figured correctly, everyone slept in LATE – so this worked out excellent! (Some people slept to two o’clock, now that is what I am talking about!)

I, through a strange twist of events was able to talk to the former New York mayor, which in turn helped me get a place to stay at the Newton Hotel, seriously perhaps the LAST room in New York for Saturday to Sunday –  THAT is a story in itself, but what I found ironic, was the fact that it was on Broadway, Hotel Newton, only two one train stop from the rest of the gang!  YEAH!  BINGO!  I rushed out of the complimentary bagel breakfast at Jazz on the Park, moved my luggage I had with me to the OTHER side of Central Park – (a beautiful sunny day!) texting everyone not realizing they were STILL ASLEEP!, and checked into The Newton Hotel, thanking them for letting me check in way before normal check in.  I think they appreciated the last 24 hours I had had, lol.  Then, I was off to 911 – where I met my friend Umar, a graduate of Butler High, Butler, PA with me, and we walked through the Empire State Building area, to a restaurant of his choice, Heartland Brewery.  Wow.  Food AMAZING.  I mean the Enchiladas I had and the fries, – TO DIE FOR – A W E S O M E –  worth putting in my restaurant blog.  Then Umar shows me a jersey he bought me – a TERRY BRADASHAW #12!    FREAKING YEAH!  But this was not all…I did give him the Mexico version of Steeler fan-clubbing with an authentic Steeler poncho – and then… (crazy day!)

We met an AWESOME couple – from BUTLER, PA – Prospect to be specific,  at the bar with us as we were eating!  WHAT? Seriously?  He works at Butler County Community College and knew some of the people I knew when I interned there!  (Not mentioning names yet since this is a wide audience)  🙂   I mean, WHAT? NO KIDDING!  SERIOUSLY! AGGGGH!  We talked about the Pens, the Steelers, BUTLER!  for ever! What were the chances?!  LOL….

We then got a text, thanks to Umar checking his new awesome phone and my account in my blog, email, facebook, ALICE WAS UP!  YEAH!  She didn’t know where everyone was in the hostel, but what she didn’t know was most were still out asleep, with  only a few that went to NYU and other collegiate areas at 11:00 having just missed them.  We arranged to all do the 911 together, Alice, Me, and my friend Umar.

We left in a state of euphoria, kind of like, can you believe we met someone from our HOMETOWN?  LOL…

Noonish arrives, and brings Alice, myself, and Umar going upstairs from the metro, and a gentleman that has a stroller with two children needing help up the stairs.  We go to help him carry the stroller, and yep – he’s from BUTLER, yeah, BUTLER, PA too!  🙂  No kidding – NO FREAKING WAY.  We are laughing now, and just like, WHAT THE HECK?!  🙂  Waaaaay crazy!  On the way to the 911 site, we still are a little dazed, yet, amazed (RHYMES!) – and began taking in the new buildings – now making up 911.  WOW.  EVERYTIME, even this has been maybe 8-9 years, I go to New York, I see new images and perceptions of the same areas I visit, that is AWESOME!  🙂

The buildings blended into the sky, I was AMAZED – 🙂  We were abel to retrieve a tons of images to serve for our 911 Educational project.  Umar took some awesome photos and here is one  (mine are RAW images and will take awhile to download!)    I am never surprised, yet I am, in how many angles New York has to show off as a city.  It was breathtaking again showing Alice all the memorials to the individuals who served to well, serve others.

We then moved on, with Umar and I parting as it takes him close to 2 hours to train in from Long Island, and Alice andI decided on seeing the MOMA.

On the way there, we were detracted…by…A Toy Store, but not just ANY Toy Store! (As the link will prove!)  We saw bears, and giraffes, and Harry Potter and the HUMAN keyboard piano!, and CANDY and…okay – onto the Moma…

NOOO!  It closed at 5:30 and we arrive AT 5;30…..I regret maybe seeing the Toy Store first, but deep down, LOVED the toy store, but felt bad as we missed the MOMA…:(  We sacrificed the time we WOULD have spent there and went to Rockefeller Center, the awesome skating rink, then to St. Patrick’s Cathedral, onto past Radio City, and that AWESOME painter with landscapes of New York with paint can and caps – we were getting so close to dinner time!  -(Stomach rumbling)

We decided to go to Carnegie Deli (Thank you Alexa!) – 7:30 and began texting everyone, not Mel’s but Carnegie Deli! – while we cut the time looking for some makeup for Monica Simmons – finding some but not all in Duane Reade stores nearby.

Finally – 🙂   DINNER!  We went into Carnegie Deli, afraid everyone was doing their own thing and just decided, let’s eat!  The comment of someone leaving stating this restaurant did not maintain its Jewish roots anymore made us reflect, but we thought we could still see this from the aurograohs and the amazing food served here and as we waited, amazingly, it was like a Flash MOB!  Everyone from our group began coming in!  YESSSS!  It was like the New York version of the last supper ( I am sure that is sacreligious) but let me tell you, HOW COOL was it we were all together the last night ?  Way more than Cool, it was just, – AAGGG!  PERFECT!

 I realized right then and there, the trip was Great because of the Repentino. ladies that came, and I would not have been any other place for dinner with any other people, than them.   If you’re talking about the food, MY GOSH – servings that could crush the Incredible Hulk’s appetite – SERIOUSLY!   We had to get out early to head to Barnes and Noble on 79th – to grab a book I had to replace at ASF library, and barely made it out before the doors closed – Natalie, I owe you 10.00 !  🙂

We made it back to the hostel, and honestly, I was exhausted recalling all that occurred, from that late morning of needing to find a new room, to right here now, ready to leave back to Mexico in the AM. MAJOR WHOA.  However, the story does not end here, so stay tuned for the next post as we departed this amazing trip on Sunday – just one day ago..:)

Not sure you might agree, but I see this, as a record of comments made in the sessions we made as just that, a spread of art – cool to look at and read, and retelling the story of a story of success at CSPA in 2013.

transcripts of backchanneling CSPA2013

So yeah, I have been giving you the lowdown of the details – but here’s behind the scenes (so to speak)

Keeping up with an intense schedule, tons of important members of the community, checking in, etc.

I have never been so proud of a never presented before staff doing so for Columbia, seeing this staff meet and greet powerhouses in New York and holding their own, could I POSSIBLY want for a better staff, here and in Mexico?  This trip has been a pilgrimage of sorts, and overall, Repentino. becomes more of a magazine as we delve into how we want to not only represent ASF, but ourselves and this amazing young staff does that every day.  VERY impressed with this group of young ladies and the Repentino. staff I miss in Mexico, that together – form a staff of confidence, daring, and   a treasure trove of talent.  All they need is to have those around the, willing to let them spread their wings – Would I take a bullet for this staff?   Would I jump into a raging river after them?  Strangely enough, absolutely I would do that as they wear and represent their soul and heart out for everyone to see – this is what makes them my favorites  🙂

ay, so we are done at 12:30 today, so how’s this..we meet in front of the Lerner Auditorium at 12:45 latest today.

we eat lunch together…until 1:30ish or something, nothing fancy,extravagant, etc.

then random places around Columbia and meet in front of 29 7th avenue – AT 3:15 SHARP then to see Ms Reiner (We are seeing Rebecca Reiner at the Broadway League) today… then to

Hardrock Cafe- option for 10:00PM Slam Poetry tonight – (need to be in line by 8:00 at LATEST) – please check in with my by 1:00 AM for all)

Saturday – we eat breakfast by 10:00 AM – then head to our own plans of the day – IF I can get 3 people to help me with 911 for 3 hours, this would be something I could use help with, we’d be done by noon, and we meet somewhere for our last dinner together in New York, in by midnight Saturday, check in.

Sunday – we are off, some of us will be leaving too early to eat breakfast together, so dinner Saturday will ned to be the call of the day?

DON’T forget to get your bags in my room – 308, and check out with your keys, and we will make sure to check into new rooms – problem, we have 7 girls, and 3 private rooms that easily can fit 2 per bed, we need one room, three girls…(I am sorry!) I tried to get another room, but none opened up and all are taken….) but good news,it is only for 2 night 🙂 Sorry! This was the closest we could come to everyone being out together!

Please check in with me at Lerner Auditorium today, before going here and there, and then we meet back here at 12:45 latest to go to lunch…

IT IS FRIDAY ALREADY?  SINCE when?  LOL…

Okay, catching a breath, let’s recap…

Monday fly in with a flurry.  Late night eats, Tuesday – EXPLORE NY!  COMMENTS about they city, shops, and treasures found  Tuesday night – the first birthday celebration at Mel’s Hamburgers, everyone takes part and had a piece of chocolate cake – al a mode, birthday celeb take one.  Then more shopping, and then….

Wednesday – FIRST DAY conference – CSPA!  – log in, Tweeting, our first presentation, free lunch, rush to meet Mr Raphael Martin Soho Theatre rep, see Soho, visit Soho area, then go to NewuYorkian Open Mic – AMAZING, so far to me, the most amazing part of the trip next to Mr. Martin, was this Open Mic night, I mean THIS WAS AN OPEN MIC!  🙂 Camila was a judge helping the amazing winner Alicia get to the final round of competition, as we cheered on excitingly and full of energy.   AMAZING experience, AMAZING  :), block-long lines, and yet, we missed Alexa, Camille, and Sofia while they were diligent in getting their work in, we respected that but still missed them…:(   Late night cab ride home and…

THURSDAY – THURSDAY!  FANCY MYSTERIOUS SECRET DINNER, then MAMA MIA, limo ride, AND even though we presented yesterday TODAY at 2:30 is Repentino’s presentation from the staff!  🙂  YEAH!!!!  go to todaysmeet.com/CSPA to join the conversation and workshop – We’d love to have you.  Yes we have pictures but they are`soooo huge, we will get them up but it will take awhile amid the workshops…

So here was the skinny on Thursday – Sessions some good – seeing the staff work and prepare for their presentation here throughout the day…

the afternoon sped by like CRAZY – CRAZY and boom, we are in the room we are presenting in, Hamilton, and no MAC adapter for the screen/projector.  I was there early, so I called the IT for Columbia, and they said, “You got lucky in the last room – someone left an adapter there, however, we do not do that!” – I did go into panic a bit, but immediately emailed Alexa and Camila and told them to email the visual, just to be safe – so we have it on the computer in the room.  Next, I emailed Rebecca at CSPA, and no kidding, within 30 minutes, a Mac adapter! AWESOME!

Ms Dickson and family came, and students were coming in!  Repentino. arrived, and voila – they were GREAT!  GREAT – Nervous at first, but the presentation, experiences, questions, advice, started to flow and THEY DID AWESOME  🙂  VERY VERY PROUD – and everyone’s attention WAS captivated and kept…

Excited about how good they did, we headed back to be ready to be picked up at 4:45 – YES!  – JP’s limo, we have two, the ladies looked STUNNING! – and we headed in two limos to the restaurant – mysterious – THE Russian Tea Room!  It was mega mega formal, VERY fancy, and I have to say, the food stunned me and made me salivate, and was DELICIOUS – yet, the group we were with made it AMAZING – however, the atmosphere was okay – just not super comfortable – however, the wait staff, ALL OF THEM, were AMAZING – and AWESOME –

we left a little late, like 7:20 – to travel via JP to the Winter Garden Theatre to see Mama MIA!  I did not know what to expect, but after getting JP and limo prepared for our exit, we went in, grabbed seats, and I have to say…

I truly enjoyed it.  At intermission I realized we were going to talk to Zach following the performance, and we met Clif Thorn, who led us into the back area, then met ZACH! – the girls, um, LIKED him to say the least!  We toured the backstage, went ONSTAGE, and overall, it was AWESOME to have just seen him performing and then bam!  Talking to him!  That was definitely a highlight, and then…we got into JP’s limos full of reggaie, rap and loud jamming music, headed back to the hostel, and crashed – kind of  🙂  It was a night full of meeting who’s who and seeing New York brought to our doorstep!

Again, the second day, it has been hard, it has been rough, and PACKED, but amongst the tweeting, students receiving acceptances for college, and so much more, a piece of New York remains with us.

Sorry for not posting earlier…my laptop keyboard, on the fritz, keyboard is from well, to be nice, HADES, and it takes 45 minutes to basically type my name, however, in 1 sentence, last night, we at at Mel’s Hamburgers and celebrated birthdays, planned a presentation for today and tomorrow, and now CSPA, interviewing CEOs the nextb

Students are in their last workshop (3:40 PM) and we will be headed out to the Soho Rep for info on interviewing him on what the literary and dramatic director does, as Raphael Martin does, our appointment – 5:00 PM  🙂  THEN, to the Open Mic 🙂

Tuesday –

I do not know about anyone else, but Alia and Natalie Cruz seemed more awake than me, lol…but they needed a towel so I grabbed one for them, and then came back to the lobby and was told breakfast was served in the basement, AND my delivered package, before 8:30 AM, was here already!  🙂  YEAH!

This is Jazz on the Park, no frills, yet, eating bagels, muffins, OJ, downstairs from the pool table, among many other people from other languages and countries, some people would be like, “Ohmygosh, this is PRIMITIVE!” yet, it is what makes Jazz on the Park, Jazz on the Park, they will go to any lengths for you, and are super amazingly nice, and are all for the person here, and you, if you are that type of person, learn to appreciate this is NEW YORK and yet, this very simple hostel is willing to do anything to let you see the simple things in life, without blocking them with the complicated.  I LOVE this place, the staff, and all Jazz on the Park represents, period.  LOVE IT.

Here is PROOF that there is snow on the ground from my third floor outside my room

Monday –  As I begin to try and catch up in the wee hours of Monday morning, our plan is to meet at the airport at noon and then prepare to take off from here!.  Any problems, my phone number is 554 834 5606.  Look forward to a great beginning photo and then the photos begin of our trip!

Mrs Clarke, thanks so much for the Sushi you sent to the meeting, it was DELICIOUS., my gosh!  🙂

We started off last night among the attending members talking about connection in New York we will have to Ed Sheeran, 😉 (close, we are on his trail!), then how we can help facilitate the interest in the New York Times article on the 911 Educational plans we need and will go through to achieve an amazing experience with our 911 student committee, on top of meeting with this group’s grant company, expressing an interest in helping them as they work through the grant process in Ms. Dixie’s glass, specifically, this is Charity Water, located in New York!  That is only HALF of our trip!  Not to mention the cool ideas we have for our presentations Wednesday and Thursday!  Don’t miss the chance to back channel with us and join us at 12:30, Wednesday and Thursday, at 12:30 Mexican time – here to join in our conversation during our workshops at Columbia!

What alot to thin about!  Details about how this all plays out on just getting here Monday, will be below!  🙂  Thanks for joining us!

First comments from Natalie on the trip – 2 down 7 more to go!

So, we all get to the airport, excluding Natalia who was initially waiting at ASF, and thank goodness they called, we got her here, once all here at the airport, we settled in to light discussion on what would we expect, everyone a little excited.   FINALLY, we took off to New York!  It seems a longer plane ride due to screaming children on board, but overall, we all got on without any complications, and as we exited into the U.S. customs, everyone was getting excited aside, from touching down at about 22:30 Monday night.

We were able to get onto the shuttle, all 9 of us, and we were headed on our way when, amid the exclamations of “I can’t believe I am here!”, everyone began to realize, “SNOW!”  LOTS of it, show plows, snow removers, shovelers, TONS OF SNOW everywhere! From the shuttle it looked awesome.  Natalie was awesome and got our keys for us, and we promptly checked in, a cool 8 bed dorm for the girls, and in 15 minutes we met in the lobby at the ripe old time of 12:30 at night.  We ventured out and found out old haunting pizza shop, La Familia.  We ate there but OH, the trek there through snow, everyone realized how WET, cold, and miserable snow can be on a night when it RAINS, like tonight.  By the time we ate and got semi-dried off, we went back out, half the group taking a taxi, the other half braving it to the drugstore for incidental items, and soaking wet, and Natalia, Alia, Alice, Ana, all laughing and carrying on, we realized when we got back to Jazz on the Park, we were wet, cold and now TIRED.  Around 1:30 in the morn, and it started to hit us, and we called it a night?

Plans for tomorrow? – We exchanged numbers, and set the time at 5:15PM to meet in the lobby, and we will make our way to Mel’s for dinner, to prepare for the first day, and wow – the first free day of freedom before the conference.  This night was an excellent trial run for all to see who needed gloves, scarves and items to waterproof their feet from the elements of slush, rain, and cold.

A long day, but we arrived with so many new elements of snow, coldness, and just NEW YORK, it was picture perfect how everyone just clicked and things worked out on our first day in NEW YORK!  🙂

Nervous?  Yes.  The DAY before New York, AND ST. Patrick’s Day, (Edinboro University’s version of the Fight Song (Scotland the Brave) and the bagpipe version of (Scotland the Brave) – St. Patty’s – my FAVORITE Holiday… we have a lineup of speakers that is well, amazing, that will enlighten us on the behind the scenes of Broadway shows, theatre, drama, journalism, and well, everything.  EVERYTHING.  Excited. SO EXCITED!  Thanks to Janet who arranged so many meetings for us, SO MANY.

My birthday was a realization of how large this New York week will become for Repentino., and how far I have come with making Repentino. a reality thanks to the hard work of Camila de la Parra and her insistence on continuation.  VERY important.

Shocking and ironic that 16 views on March 16th, my birthday? Or coincidence?  Hmmmmmm…Danielle has placed her blog on her voyages to Morocco, VERY exciting.  LOVED IT.  I think we can start a world voyage of blogs if we keep it up.  🙂

Random acts of kindness, last Saturday, I was walking and used the ATM for Bancomer along Insurgentes, there was an ATM card still left int he machine, sheesh (I would never do that!) Scoffing, I did my first week here, lol.  So I grabbed the card, waited for a few minutes, no one came back, and then when I arrived home, emailed Bancomer and told them the account and the name on the card to try and help.  A few days later, I received this message: