Ben’s Musings

Sunday 14th May

We had breakfast at the Tick Tock Diner today, we both had pancakes, which we couldn’t finish. I had Granny’s pancakes which had bits of apple and walnut in. Then we went to Macy’s to see what it’s like and get some stuff for the family. It is the Worlds largest Store, and it drains you like the Worlds largest Store! So we went back to the hotel for some more sleep!

We woke up and went round the corner to John’s Pizzeria which is recommended in the New York guide we have. It is in an old church building and is very nice inside, and the pizza was brilliant too!

We then got a taxi to St Bartholomew’s for the Emerge service. It was very interesting but not very Urban - their urban effort seemed to be simply an electronic drum machine! But we both met with God and were reminded through the liturgy of His power, might and awesomeness.

Later we went to the McDonalds on Times Square (which is apparently a “must-see” because of it’s interior) so M-L could have some food and astonishingly, it tasted the same as in Britain!

Monday 15th May

Today we had breaky at Time Sq. Pizzeria because it said “all you can eat!” But we arrived when breakfast finished so we had to pile our plates cos we couldn’t go back for more. It wasn’t very nice.

When we finished it was raining so we strolled down Times Sq. to the Toys R Us which has a huge Ferris Wheel inside! We even saw Geoffrey and Mary-Lou was a bit Starstruck!

We then decided to risk the rain and head towards Central Park up Broadway. It was a slight anti-climax when we got there, I was expecting some brass bands and things, but there was nothing, just grass and trees. But it was pleasant to walk through and spy tall buildings in the distance between trees.

M-L really wanted to go to Central Park Zoo, so we headed that way and eventually found it. It was really fun! We saw Sea-lions, Polar Bears, Penguins, Monkeys, colourful Birds, Bats, Tortoises, Puffins, all sorts √? YAYY! The Sea-lions even did tricks for us when they were being fed! It is a very small zoo, but lots of fun.

We then headed off to a caf√? called Serendipity which was in a film or two and M-L had a huge Ice-cream Sundae with chips! I had to help her out, the things I do for love! After that, we got a taxi back to the hotel and currently don\’t feel very well, we haven\’t felt great all day and we think it\’s the dodgy eggs in the breakfast we had. We should be fine tomorrow though.

Tuesday 16th May

Due to the dodgy breakfast yesterday, we went somewhere we liked and trusted √? the Tick Tock Diner for breakfast. After yummy pancakes we popped into Macy\’s to buy some stuff for the family, then we hopped into a Taxi and went to the Guggenheim Museum.

The top few floors of the Guggenheim were closed for refurbishment so we got in cheaper, but there was still lots to see. I\’m not really and art lover, but I do find it interesting when I see it, and I enjoyed the stuff at the Guggenheim.

We got a Taxi back to our hotel and decided to have a break in the Charley-O\’s opposite the hotel. I asked for a pot of tea, which seemed to make the waitress grin, then she bought me a pot of hot water and a glass mug with some tea in it…and a straw! She didn\’t even bring any milk over! We had a big giggle about it and I eventually got some milk, so all was forgiven.

We then headed to the West side of Manhattan to get a Circle Line cruise around the south of the Island, past the Statue of Liberty. It was nice to be on a slow boat and hear the narrator chap telling stories and facts about buildings and the history of New York.

After the boat ride we headed to the Rockefeller centre for the Top of the Rock experience. We went up in a glass roofed lift to the top of the building to see the sights. We timed it for sunset but the sunset wasn\’t very spectacular √? the sights were though! It was weird hearing the city from up there and seeing the cars look so small between the surrounding huge buildings. It was great to see the Empire State Building slowly light up too.

Once we finished there we went to a recommended restaurant near the hotel called Joe Allen\’s and I ordered a Lamb Panini. It wasn\’t until I finished it that I realised it wasn\’t lamb, but chicken! The waitress let us have our drinks for free, so I wasn\’t complaining!

Friday 12th May

We came down to London yesterday by train to stay at Mary-Lou’s Mum & Dads and I slept for a full disturbed hour - probably cos i was so excited about coming to New York! So I eventually got up and watched Domino quietly in the living room.

We got a taxi at 5.30am to Heathrow as the Sun rose over London making it seem quite beautiful, innocent and serene. I realised as we were watching the Sun rise over London, that we would see it set over New York - gave me a buzz!

We got on the Virgin plane and were delighted to have our own TV screens! A girl called Lisa sat next to us. She was off to NY to see her boyfriend who is here for work. She was very nervous about the flight cos she hadn’t flown this far on her own before, so we started chatting which calmed her fears and helped us all enjoy our flight more.

When we landed, we had our fingerprints and a photo taken - a fit introduction to such a fear riddled country. One of the customs officers garbled something in a think latino accent as she checked our passes. We couldn’t make out what she was saying until the end when the asked forcefully “Do you?”. We didn’t want to say the wrong thing so we both smiled and agreed - it got us through!

We had agreed to share a taxi with Lisa cos she was staying near us in mid-Manhattan. The taxi driver was a merry Bangladeshi chap who is studying here. It’s interesting how many people with foreign accents work here. The first white American we came across was Amy, our waitress at Olive Garden in Times Square where we eat our first meal here. Bush is on the news about his immigration policy shift and it\’s very clear to me now how much America depends on immigrant labour.

We are staying in the Milford Plaza, a nice, clean, pleasant hotel, 1 block from Times Square! We went for a walk to Times Square this evening and realised that we are in the hear of the Theatre district, on our block there are loads of theatres with plays starring David Schwimmer, Julia Roberts and Ralph Feines, so we feel quite special by association!

We then went to Olive Garden - now people had told me that you get large portions in America, and it’s true. I’m gonna have to get used top leaving some of my meals, and i hate doing that.. We got a Tea from Starbucks on the way back to the hotel and are settling down now, we’re really tired.

Saturday 13th May

We woke at 6am today and went to the Euro Diner on the next block for breakfast. M-L really liked the “Diner” feel of the place. I had a huge Waffle and sausages - mmmMMMmmm. We then walked eastwards on 42nd Street to go see the Chrysler Building and thr UN complex at the end of the road. We passed a nice park called Bryant Park which has loads of chairs for anyone to use. I’ve always like the look of the Chrysler building, in fact I like Art Deco architecture a lot, and it was great to see the Chrysler in real life.

At the UN complex we turned north and tried to get to the edge on Manhattan island to see the sea, but we got lost and ended up in a little doggy park where owners take their dogs! We eventually found our way back onto 51st street and walked back in the direction of the hotel.

On the way we passed a little private garden, open to the public, with a huge waterfall in it. We stayed there a bit because it felt like a very restful place. Continuing down 51st street we came across St. Bartholomew’s and went inside cos it looked quite nice. M-L thought it looked just like Westminster Cathedral inside. We found a leaflet for a service on Sunday evening called emerge which it says is a mix of the ancient and urban, so we think we’ll go along to that.

When we got back to the hotel, there was a huge crowd outside the nearest theatre to the hotel so we thought we’d go and see what it was all about. People were shouting and laughing then it got louder as someone quickly walked out of the theatre into a car surrounded by bouncers. Then the car window wound down and it was Julia Roberts! M-L missed it before she wound the window back up, but I saw her - I’m famous!

After a rest in our room, we decided to walk down Broadway towards the Empire State building. It is the tallest building in New York now that the twin towers are down. After that we went further south and ended up in Madison Square gardens. New York has more green space than any other city in America and the parks are kept very nicely.

When M-L was here a few years ago, she found a place called the Tick Tock Diner which she loved, so we went looking for that and found it next to Macy’s. By then we were tired so we went back to the hotel and got some food from a local Deli to eat in our room as we watched Prime, which I must admit, I laughed at.

I am currently reading a biography of George Herbert, a Christian Mystic and Poet. I started wondering how he ever got the time to write so much poetry. Then is slowly dawned on me that he didn’t have the TV or Internet or Radio to distract him! So I’ve decided to spend less time watching TV and use that time to write some poetry. Here is my first effort:

Blind Economics

When they thrust their lies on to me,
Is it my fault that I cannot see
Their misinformation and hypocracy
Up in my face, right in-front of me?

And then the lies are hidden,
I’m taught to have forgotten
- A neural path well trodden -
By their killer revelation.

A revelation of value -
“This means everything to you,
Think of your loved ones too.
You need this, it\’s true”

So we buy things we do not need,
We imagine mouths which we need to feed,
We create our needs to fuel our greed
And calm our conscience with an easy good deed

And we empty our pockets over the till,
They’re making money, while we get the bill.
They rape the earth and will until
We decide “That’s it, we’re ill!”

It’s said theres no gain without any pain
But to think it as ours brings a look of disdain
“Who wants to see starving children, the lame,
On my doorstep, are you insane?!”

Economic growth is a joke, folklore,
We get rich to the demise of the poor,
Plundering nations who become our whore
Open your eyes, what do you do this for?

Selfishness and greed are the sins of the day
But we triumph this as “The American Way”,
As long as we have more than enough for today
We keep our eyes closed - but not to pray.