11 Temmuz 2012 Çarşamba
10 Temmuz 2012 Salı
9 Temmuz 2012 Pazartesi
Day 23 (Thu): Dark side of the Wall
To contact us Click HERE
I didn't get around to booking a Segway tour last night for today and Mum isn't too interested in falling off one so I'll join her on the hop-on, hop-off bus tour.
It's great that the bus tours have live commentary but I really wish ours were actually alive. He mumbles quite badly in a monotone voice. He drops in and out of German without a breath so we have trouble understanding when he's speaking English and when he's not. It doesn't have anything to do with Mum talking over him every time he speaks in English, mostly to ask "I can't understand him... is he speaking in English?"
The bus stops at Bahnhof Potsdamer Platz for a while and he explains some history. Our ears prick up as soon as he mentions 'the wall'. It used to cut through this area but it's not really visible now. We wonder whether to get off and pfaff around while the bus is stopped. The bus starts again and that answers that question. We really wanted to see the Berlin wall.
We turn the corner and the bus pulls over at the next unmarked stop. It's a very official bus route. The guide provides some more information about the building alongside us and then takes off again. Lo and behold, immediately as we start moving, he points down the side of the bus at THE WALL! The people in front of us ask if we can get off but the guide says, "that was the stop back there. Ah, ok, you can get off at these traffic lights here." We get off to look at the Berlin Wall. Even if it isn't that great, we'll at least have a different guide on the next bus that we catch.
The wall is made of what looks to be concrete. It is quite long and fairly high. It has graffiti on one side and it's crumbly on the other with some holes and a section missing. Some of the rusted steel reinforcement rods that hold the concrete together have twisted outwards. The top of it is covered by a circular cap to make it difficult to scale. Beside the wall is a timeline of events and people's individual stories from during the war and when the wall was built until it was pulled down. Many people are here, both German and foreigners, to read the stories. We all stop to quietly read each story in turn and take a break every now and then. It is quite overwhelming. The personal stories provide an insight into the war and how people were tricked into divulging information to save their families yet their families are killed anyway.
It's time to take a break for lunch. We walk a block up the road to Checkpoint Charlie and grab a photo with the 'American soldier' (read: pay €2 for a photo with a guy in a uniform). He has a row of soldier hats that you can wear in the photo and he asks if I'd like to wear one. Sure! What do they represent? He just grabs the end one and puts it on my head. I ask him which country it is. He says, "Russia." I'm glad it's 2011 now.
Again, local cuisine: Italian. The Italian restaurant at Checkpoint Charlie is one I'd definitely recommend. It has delicious home-cooked food and at very reasonable prices, like €5 for a big bowl of Spaghetti Bolognese with real - not ground/minced - beef. We eat to gather our strength to go back to the wall and continue through the exhibition about the war.
The exhibition is amazingly well put together. There are texts to read, photos to see, original video footage of Hitler, old clippings of newspapers, and other media. It is heavy reading. I read a story about a 14-year old girl who is being shipped off to a camp. There is a button beside the text that I push and the corresponding video plays. Three quarters of the way through, the 14-year old girl from the story appears in the video. She innocently looks at me through the camera's eye, like she doesn't know where she's about to go. I feel very uneasy and sad. Another video shows Jews being shot dead. On a wall there are articles detailing how Himmler eradicates homosexuals. An old advertisement sits beside it that persuades people into agreeing that euthanasing almost 300,000 crippled or mentally unwell patients is good practice so as not to waste precious food and resources. We can't read everything. It is disturbing. We leave after forty minutes.
The next tour bus takes a little while to come around and it gives our heads time to clear. Excellent, we have a different guide! She is alive and is much easier to understand than the previous man, although the speaker volume could be a little higher. We're told when a 'postcard shot' will be coming up and the bus stops to give us time to take the photos. After reaching the end, we're down on the footpath trying to figure out where the train station is. Our guide has grabbed her bicycle and comes up beside us at the traffic lights. We have a great conversation with her and then confess that we can't find the train station. She points us in the right direction. She is so lovely and I really wish I could ask her for a photo with us but I forget to ask. I'm too concerned about getting home. Spew.
The train takes us back to the east to Hackescher Market and the area lives up to its name. There is a market with food, clothing, rings, watches, books, wallets, and fresh juice at the train station. I grab a few items like pickled peppers with stuffed cream cheese and also some eggplant dip - yum! We head back to the hotel for a light dinner. Unfortunately, it looks like I'm not going to have time to use the jacuzzi. We leave Europe tomorrow to go to the USA. First stop: New York!
Pics of the day
It's great that the bus tours have live commentary but I really wish ours were actually alive. He mumbles quite badly in a monotone voice. He drops in and out of German without a breath so we have trouble understanding when he's speaking English and when he's not. It doesn't have anything to do with Mum talking over him every time he speaks in English, mostly to ask "I can't understand him... is he speaking in English?"
The bus stops at Bahnhof Potsdamer Platz for a while and he explains some history. Our ears prick up as soon as he mentions 'the wall'. It used to cut through this area but it's not really visible now. We wonder whether to get off and pfaff around while the bus is stopped. The bus starts again and that answers that question. We really wanted to see the Berlin wall.We turn the corner and the bus pulls over at the next unmarked stop. It's a very official bus route. The guide provides some more information about the building alongside us and then takes off again. Lo and behold, immediately as we start moving, he points down the side of the bus at THE WALL! The people in front of us ask if we can get off but the guide says, "that was the stop back there. Ah, ok, you can get off at these traffic lights here." We get off to look at the Berlin Wall. Even if it isn't that great, we'll at least have a different guide on the next bus that we catch.
The wall is made of what looks to be concrete. It is quite long and fairly high. It has graffiti on one side and it's crumbly on the other with some holes and a section missing. Some of the rusted steel reinforcement rods that hold the concrete together have twisted outwards. The top of it is covered by a circular cap to make it difficult to scale. Beside the wall is a timeline of events and people's individual stories from during the war and when the wall was built until it was pulled down. Many people are here, both German and foreigners, to read the stories. We all stop to quietly read each story in turn and take a break every now and then. It is quite overwhelming. The personal stories provide an insight into the war and how people were tricked into divulging information to save their families yet their families are killed anyway.It's time to take a break for lunch. We walk a block up the road to Checkpoint Charlie and grab a photo with the 'American soldier' (read: pay €2 for a photo with a guy in a uniform). He has a row of soldier hats that you can wear in the photo and he asks if I'd like to wear one. Sure! What do they represent? He just grabs the end one and puts it on my head. I ask him which country it is. He says, "Russia." I'm glad it's 2011 now.Again, local cuisine: Italian. The Italian restaurant at Checkpoint Charlie is one I'd definitely recommend. It has delicious home-cooked food and at very reasonable prices, like €5 for a big bowl of Spaghetti Bolognese with real - not ground/minced - beef. We eat to gather our strength to go back to the wall and continue through the exhibition about the war.The exhibition is amazingly well put together. There are texts to read, photos to see, original video footage of Hitler, old clippings of newspapers, and other media. It is heavy reading. I read a story about a 14-year old girl who is being shipped off to a camp. There is a button beside the text that I push and the corresponding video plays. Three quarters of the way through, the 14-year old girl from the story appears in the video. She innocently looks at me through the camera's eye, like she doesn't know where she's about to go. I feel very uneasy and sad. Another video shows Jews being shot dead. On a wall there are articles detailing how Himmler eradicates homosexuals. An old advertisement sits beside it that persuades people into agreeing that euthanasing almost 300,000 crippled or mentally unwell patients is good practice so as not to waste precious food and resources. We can't read everything. It is disturbing. We leave after forty minutes.The next tour bus takes a little while to come around and it gives our heads time to clear. Excellent, we have a different guide! She is alive and is much easier to understand than the previous man, although the speaker volume could be a little higher. We're told when a 'postcard shot' will be coming up and the bus stops to give us time to take the photos. After reaching the end, we're down on the footpath trying to figure out where the train station is. Our guide has grabbed her bicycle and comes up beside us at the traffic lights. We have a great conversation with her and then confess that we can't find the train station. She points us in the right direction. She is so lovely and I really wish I could ask her for a photo with us but I forget to ask. I'm too concerned about getting home. Spew.
The train takes us back to the east to Hackescher Market and the area lives up to its name. There is a market with food, clothing, rings, watches, books, wallets, and fresh juice at the train station. I grab a few items like pickled peppers with stuffed cream cheese and also some eggplant dip - yum! We head back to the hotel for a light dinner. Unfortunately, it looks like I'm not going to have time to use the jacuzzi. We leave Europe tomorrow to go to the USA. First stop: New York!Pics of the day
Day 24 (Fri): Welcome to the US of A
To contact us Click HERE
Tegel Airport in Berlin has no train line that meets it so it's a train ride then a bus for us. Oh my god... why is public transport in Europe so bloody hot?! No matter whether it's a bus, tram, or train, you'll cook. With our jackets and jumpers off, we arrive at the airport all sweaty and uncomfortable, right before a seven-hour flight. I'd love to help design a public transport system to make sure that all the different types of passengers and what their possible experiences are considered. Maybe they did think of it and didn't have enough money for air-conditioners? Whatever... I'm hot, sweaty, and cranky now.
I think a computer programmer must have designed this airport because each set of gates begins at 0 (zero)! Our gate is A4, which is the fifth gate along in the series that begins with gate A0. There are ladies at our check-in counters but they're not accepting any passengers. Time is ticking away but the queues are standing still. Actually, they're growing longer as more people join. Finally, each person is called in turn and now it's our turn. We lift our luggage onto the scales. Somehow, we have managed to lose weight in the suitcases so now they're about 17Kg and 16Kg. At least that leaves more room for shopping in the US. We continue through to security and although I have no metal on me, we get frisked by the security guards: female guard for Mum; handsome security for me. no complaints from me. However, I am a little concerned that it's beeping over my chest. To be precise, it is beeping over my nipples. Last time I checked, I had no piercings anywhere other than my left ear. Frisk complete, we're shoved along to put on our belts, shoes, phones, wallet, etc.
There isn't much after security. There is a shop with cigarettes, alcohol, and Toblerones, and a bar to buy drinks. If you ever fly out of this airport, make sure you take a crossword puzzle with you.
The flight is very easy and the food delicious. I must say that this chicken and leek dish with mashed potato is beyond anything I have eaten in the past. It is scrumptious! Followed by a pear compote with hazelnut mousse... I'm in heaven. Scoff, scoff.
We arrive in New York with Customs card filled out and our Visa waiver form (ESTA) that we spent so long completing in Sydney airport. The Immigration officer accepts our passports but doesn't want to see our ESTA forms. We only need to keep them for our own sake. I'd love to say that makes sense. He asks us to scan our right-hand fingertips, then right thumb, then left hand, then left thumb, and then he stamps our passports and returns them. Awesome: another stamp! Considering there was no stamp in Paris, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, or Berlin, it's nice to see a tangible trace of where we've been.
It's an amazing feeling when your shuttle bus makes it over that last crest and New York's eastern skyline makes itself known. It is bold and unashamed and rightly so. Excitement and awe fill the bus. Group by group of passengers, we're dropped off at our locations. We're all around Times Square and there are people everywhere. It is Friday night so everyone is out. The traffic is busy and slow. We're the second last people on the bus to be dropped off and we're so glad because we're incredibly tired now.
The hotel is nice and the people are exceptionally friendly. They're not friendly in an 'I'll be nice to get a tip'-kind of way; they're genuinely friendly. The hotel is in a fantastic location and we each have a queen size bed with a modern fit-out. Best of all: wifi is included. The beds are turned down and we're off to sleep. We're here for six nights so we'll see how the service holds up.
Pics of the day
Tegel Airport in Berlin has no train line that meets it so it's a train ride then a bus for us. Oh my god... why is public transport in Europe so bloody hot?! No matter whether it's a bus, tram, or train, you'll cook. With our jackets and jumpers off, we arrive at the airport all sweaty and uncomfortable, right before a seven-hour flight. I'd love to help design a public transport system to make sure that all the different types of passengers and what their possible experiences are considered. Maybe they did think of it and didn't have enough money for air-conditioners? Whatever... I'm hot, sweaty, and cranky now.I think a computer programmer must have designed this airport because each set of gates begins at 0 (zero)! Our gate is A4, which is the fifth gate along in the series that begins with gate A0. There are ladies at our check-in counters but they're not accepting any passengers. Time is ticking away but the queues are standing still. Actually, they're growing longer as more people join. Finally, each person is called in turn and now it's our turn. We lift our luggage onto the scales. Somehow, we have managed to lose weight in the suitcases so now they're about 17Kg and 16Kg. At least that leaves more room for shopping in the US. We continue through to security and although I have no metal on me, we get frisked by the security guards: female guard for Mum; handsome security for me. no complaints from me. However, I am a little concerned that it's beeping over my chest. To be precise, it is beeping over my nipples. Last time I checked, I had no piercings anywhere other than my left ear. Frisk complete, we're shoved along to put on our belts, shoes, phones, wallet, etc.There isn't much after security. There is a shop with cigarettes, alcohol, and Toblerones, and a bar to buy drinks. If you ever fly out of this airport, make sure you take a crossword puzzle with you.The flight is very easy and the food delicious. I must say that this chicken and leek dish with mashed potato is beyond anything I have eaten in the past. It is scrumptious! Followed by a pear compote with hazelnut mousse... I'm in heaven. Scoff, scoff.We arrive in New York with Customs card filled out and our Visa waiver form (ESTA) that we spent so long completing in Sydney airport. The Immigration officer accepts our passports but doesn't want to see our ESTA forms. We only need to keep them for our own sake. I'd love to say that makes sense. He asks us to scan our right-hand fingertips, then right thumb, then left hand, then left thumb, and then he stamps our passports and returns them. Awesome: another stamp! Considering there was no stamp in Paris, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, or Berlin, it's nice to see a tangible trace of where we've been.
It's an amazing feeling when your shuttle bus makes it over that last crest and New York's eastern skyline makes itself known. It is bold and unashamed and rightly so. Excitement and awe fill the bus. Group by group of passengers, we're dropped off at our locations. We're all around Times Square and there are people everywhere. It is Friday night so everyone is out. The traffic is busy and slow. We're the second last people on the bus to be dropped off and we're so glad because we're incredibly tired now.
The hotel is nice and the people are exceptionally friendly. They're not friendly in an 'I'll be nice to get a tip'-kind of way; they're genuinely friendly. The hotel is in a fantastic location and we each have a queen size bed with a modern fit-out. Best of all: wifi is included. The beds are turned down and we're off to sleep. We're here for six nights so we'll see how the service holds up.
Pics of the day
Day 25 (Sat): Familiarisation by bus
To contact us Click HERE
What better way to start looking around New York than to begin with Times Square. I once saw an advertisement here for a property for lease, which read "1 Times Square. Center of the universe. The ball drops here." It really does feel like the centre of everything due to the criss-cross of 42nd St and Broadway that creates the large open space enclosed by buildings of varying heights. Electronic screens of all shapes and sizes and curvatures smother the buildings into obscurity to provide non-stop advertising, information, and fun. It is the world's electronic cubby house. Since the last time I was here, parts of Broadway within Times Square have been painted blue and turned into pedestrian areas. It seems a little odd and causes some nearby traffic jams but it's great for us.
We buy a bus tour ticket to see this massive city and take note from the driver that the complete course will take two and a half hours from start to finish. That's only one of the tour bus lines and it really only covers half of the city. The guide is pretty funny and we hear about the city, its history, and its present layout. Most of the information is available on Wikipedia so I won't bore you here but hearing the information when you're passing through the area makes it all tangible. Like almost everyone on the bus, we want to take a look at the progress being made at Ground Zero where the Twin Towers used to be. From a distance, the Freedom Tower is in good shape and has a solid structural look about it. I look forward to seeing it finished. However, it's lunch time and we're ready for some nourishment.
I don't believe the US is known for its quality of food but rather its quantity and this little unassuming food shop is no exception. It is like a delicatessen with a few varieties of food in the glass cabinets. Next to them are some paninis. Then there are the soups beside the hot food beside the sandwiches beside the hot chickens. This shop goes on forever. Oh, there's also a salad buffet. I look around quickly for a Sizzler sign but it's nowhere to be seen. All I can see opposite the glass cabinets of food are more glass cabinets filled with cakes, muffins, slices, and every dessert imaginable. I need a drink. We finish our lunch and head outside to see a close-up of the Freedom Tower. A few minutes down the road we release we've left our bag with the umbrellas and Mum's glasses at the unassuming food shop. Now the shop has turned into a thief! Unassuming, my bum. Fortunately for us, nobody noticed the bag and it is still there. In fact, they don't even notice us lifting the bag from their table.
We continue on the bus past the Wall St protestors. There are people dressed as ghouls. When we arrive at Battery Point, we stop to walk around for a while. It is at the bottom of Manhattan and there's quite a bit to see here. This is from where the ferries to the Statue of Liberty depart. The queue is long so I buy some tickets for Monday at 11:00am. Buying them at a particular time should afford us some queue jumping when the time comes. The history of the area is fascinating and very detailed. I find a lovely contrast in Battery Park. A decorative outdoor globe was moved here from where it was partly crushed when the Twin Towers fell. Its original form is still recognisable in this mangled state but the top is badly damaged. In the true spirit of New York pride, resilience, and regeneration, a couple of birds snuggle on the sculpture.
The bus takes us back up to midtown but not up to Central Park, as the map indicates. There are roadworks along the way preventing us from completing the course. It stops at the Rockefeller Center and we take a quick look around. Not to be defeated by roadworks, I take Mum for a walk up to the south edge of Central Park. Unfortunately, it starts raining as begin the walk. What would time spent in a city be for us without being drenched? We do have our umbrellas, which is great for our heads, but the streets are flowing with water and our shoes soon become saturated. We're walking along with squelching socks in our sneakers. Ohhh, look here... it's the Apple store! Omg, it is now open 24 hours per day?! Just when I think it can't do more, it does. It is completely packed with people and I doubt it's because of the rain. Crazy. The iPhone 5 isn't out yet but our hair is dry.
We go back to the hotel to change our shoes and then walk a couple of blocks to Times Square. The lights are shining so brightly now. It's almost like day time in the electronic cubby house. Mum finds a T-shirt amongst a buying frenzy on the ground floor of Aéropostale. A big day.
Pics of the day
What better way to start looking around New York than to begin with Times Square. I once saw an advertisement here for a property for lease, which read "1 Times Square. Center of the universe. The ball drops here." It really does feel like the centre of everything due to the criss-cross of 42nd St and Broadway that creates the large open space enclosed by buildings of varying heights. Electronic screens of all shapes and sizes and curvatures smother the buildings into obscurity to provide non-stop advertising, information, and fun. It is the world's electronic cubby house. Since the last time I was here, parts of Broadway within Times Square have been painted blue and turned into pedestrian areas. It seems a little odd and causes some nearby traffic jams but it's great for us.We buy a bus tour ticket to see this massive city and take note from the driver that the complete course will take two and a half hours from start to finish. That's only one of the tour bus lines and it really only covers half of the city. The guide is pretty funny and we hear about the city, its history, and its present layout. Most of the information is available on Wikipedia so I won't bore you here but hearing the information when you're passing through the area makes it all tangible. Like almost everyone on the bus, we want to take a look at the progress being made at Ground Zero where the Twin Towers used to be. From a distance, the Freedom Tower is in good shape and has a solid structural look about it. I look forward to seeing it finished. However, it's lunch time and we're ready for some nourishment.I don't believe the US is known for its quality of food but rather its quantity and this little unassuming food shop is no exception. It is like a delicatessen with a few varieties of food in the glass cabinets. Next to them are some paninis. Then there are the soups beside the hot food beside the sandwiches beside the hot chickens. This shop goes on forever. Oh, there's also a salad buffet. I look around quickly for a Sizzler sign but it's nowhere to be seen. All I can see opposite the glass cabinets of food are more glass cabinets filled with cakes, muffins, slices, and every dessert imaginable. I need a drink. We finish our lunch and head outside to see a close-up of the Freedom Tower. A few minutes down the road we release we've left our bag with the umbrellas and Mum's glasses at the unassuming food shop. Now the shop has turned into a thief! Unassuming, my bum. Fortunately for us, nobody noticed the bag and it is still there. In fact, they don't even notice us lifting the bag from their table.We continue on the bus past the Wall St protestors. There are people dressed as ghouls. When we arrive at Battery Point, we stop to walk around for a while. It is at the bottom of Manhattan and there's quite a bit to see here. This is from where the ferries to the Statue of Liberty depart. The queue is long so I buy some tickets for Monday at 11:00am. Buying them at a particular time should afford us some queue jumping when the time comes. The history of the area is fascinating and very detailed. I find a lovely contrast in Battery Park. A decorative outdoor globe was moved here from where it was partly crushed when the Twin Towers fell. Its original form is still recognisable in this mangled state but the top is badly damaged. In the true spirit of New York pride, resilience, and regeneration, a couple of birds snuggle on the sculpture.The bus takes us back up to midtown but not up to Central Park, as the map indicates. There are roadworks along the way preventing us from completing the course. It stops at the Rockefeller Center and we take a quick look around. Not to be defeated by roadworks, I take Mum for a walk up to the south edge of Central Park. Unfortunately, it starts raining as begin the walk. What would time spent in a city be for us without being drenched? We do have our umbrellas, which is great for our heads, but the streets are flowing with water and our shoes soon become saturated. We're walking along with squelching socks in our sneakers. Ohhh, look here... it's the Apple store! Omg, it is now open 24 hours per day?! Just when I think it can't do more, it does. It is completely packed with people and I doubt it's because of the rain. Crazy. The iPhone 5 isn't out yet but our hair is dry.We go back to the hotel to change our shoes and then walk a couple of blocks to Times Square. The lights are shining so brightly now. It's almost like day time in the electronic cubby house. Mum finds a T-shirt amongst a buying frenzy on the ground floor of Aéropostale. A big day.Pics of the day
Day 26 (Sun): Helicopter flight + Central Park
To contact us Click HERE
We were supposed to take a look inside Toys'R'Us last night but after dinner we ended up a couple of avenues away from Times Square. We were on our way home so we simply continued. This morning, the first thing we'll do is go to Toys'R'Us! I'd like Mum to see the enormity of how Americans do things. Why have a simple toy shop when you can have one with an internal ferris wheel that scales three to four stories? If you need a gift for a kid, come here to this store. There are grand Lego creations, the very tall animated dinosaur that has been there for years, some life-size Star Wars figures, and some very crafty sales people who are providing intriguing displays of some new toys.
I have a surprise for Mum today. I told her that we have to go South Ferry - the bottom of Manhattan island - by about 1:30pm. We grab some lunch at Times Square and then make our way down by subway. We emerge from the escalator onto the surface. Mum is familiar with this area from our tour bus ride. This is where the ferries depart to the Statue of Liberty; however, our ticket isn't until tomorrow. We walk past the Staten Island Ferry terminal and continue toward the lower east side. I join the end of a queue of people and Mum stops behind me. I stand on my toes to look to the front of the line to see how long it is going to take. Mum is a little confused because she doesn't know where the queue goes. Neither do I. This is simply a ruse to avoid her guessing where we're going. I smile at her and then walk to the front of the queue and continue past it. Some runners and bicycles pass us and Mum knows something is up. She can see and hear helicopters on the next pier. We approach the opening of the pier and I turn right into it. "Ahh, this is where we're going!" she says. Yes, we're going on a helicopter ride around New York City.
We arrive at 1:30pm but our flight isn't until 2:00pm so we have plenty of time. We're checked for metal objects and liquids and asked to place our belongings in a locker. The guy is holding our locker open and Mum and I are casually working out whether we need a drink of water before the locker is closed. He then says, "Sorry, the chopper is about to go." Huh? We're on early?! Locker closed, we're suited up with floatation belts and head out to the helicopter. Mum is asked to sit in the front, which is fantastic as far as birthday presents go! I sit opposite a little hottie so I'm happy in the back. We're strapped in, the headsets are put over our heads, and all security measures are taken. The pilot tells us that we'll be a few minutes before take-off while we wait for the traffic to clear. I'm getting butterflies as the anticipation and excitement builds. The engines speed up to a high-pitch whine, the blades speed up their rhythmic beat cutting the air so fast that the sounds blur into a single whoosh, and we lift off quite quickly from the pier.
The pilot is excellent. He provides a voice tour, including current events, while listening and responding to the traffic controller. We fly over the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, then over to the Narrows Bridge that joins Staten Island to Brooklyn, then up the west side of Manhattan as far as Central Park and finally back past New Jersey to Battery Park and the pier. The entire tour takes about 25 minutes. This is the best helicopter flight I have taken around New York. Mum is ecstatic.
Now that we've seen the layout of Manhattan from the air, we decide to catch a train up to the very long Central Park. We buy an unnecessary map from the girl at the south entrance to the park but it helps create the tourist experience. Trees losing their leaves for Autumn, green grass, sculptures, bridges, lakes, plush horse-drawn carriages, fish, turtles, playgrounds, rock formations, food carts, runners, bikes, pedicabs, restaurants, birds, remote control speed boats and sail boats, and squirrels: Central Park has it all. There is no traffic noise whatsoever. Apart from seeing the tops of a few tall buildings, you wouldn't know you're in a major city. The clouds decide it's time to send a few heavy drops our way.
I know of a great eatery below the shops at Columbus Circle so we head to the south-west corner of the park. Upon exiting, the sound of traffic noise and horns finds us, as we find ourselves standing next to Trump Tower. The silvery metal globe in front of the building reminds us how cosmopolitan this city is. We cross the street and go downstairs to the Whole Foods Market. This place is like a cross between a supermarket and a food hall. There are different hot and cold food bars serving plates of food, salad bars, soup bars, drinks, fruit, and some other grocery items. If you're staying to eat, fill up your plate, make your way to the checkout, and sit down at the tables. If not, simply fill up your basket like a regular supermarket. I love this place, although boo to my broccoli because it is bitter.
Pics of the day
We were supposed to take a look inside Toys'R'Us last night but after dinner we ended up a couple of avenues away from Times Square. We were on our way home so we simply continued. This morning, the first thing we'll do is go to Toys'R'Us! I'd like Mum to see the enormity of how Americans do things. Why have a simple toy shop when you can have one with an internal ferris wheel that scales three to four stories? If you need a gift for a kid, come here to this store. There are grand Lego creations, the very tall animated dinosaur that has been there for years, some life-size Star Wars figures, and some very crafty sales people who are providing intriguing displays of some new toys.
I have a surprise for Mum today. I told her that we have to go South Ferry - the bottom of Manhattan island - by about 1:30pm. We grab some lunch at Times Square and then make our way down by subway. We emerge from the escalator onto the surface. Mum is familiar with this area from our tour bus ride. This is where the ferries depart to the Statue of Liberty; however, our ticket isn't until tomorrow. We walk past the Staten Island Ferry terminal and continue toward the lower east side. I join the end of a queue of people and Mum stops behind me. I stand on my toes to look to the front of the line to see how long it is going to take. Mum is a little confused because she doesn't know where the queue goes. Neither do I. This is simply a ruse to avoid her guessing where we're going. I smile at her and then walk to the front of the queue and continue past it. Some runners and bicycles pass us and Mum knows something is up. She can see and hear helicopters on the next pier. We approach the opening of the pier and I turn right into it. "Ahh, this is where we're going!" she says. Yes, we're going on a helicopter ride around New York City. |
| Mum being buckled up in the front seat |
The pilot is excellent. He provides a voice tour, including current events, while listening and responding to the traffic controller. We fly over the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, then over to the Narrows Bridge that joins Staten Island to Brooklyn, then up the west side of Manhattan as far as Central Park and finally back past New Jersey to Battery Park and the pier. The entire tour takes about 25 minutes. This is the best helicopter flight I have taken around New York. Mum is ecstatic.Now that we've seen the layout of Manhattan from the air, we decide to catch a train up to the very long Central Park. We buy an unnecessary map from the girl at the south entrance to the park but it helps create the tourist experience. Trees losing their leaves for Autumn, green grass, sculptures, bridges, lakes, plush horse-drawn carriages, fish, turtles, playgrounds, rock formations, food carts, runners, bikes, pedicabs, restaurants, birds, remote control speed boats and sail boats, and squirrels: Central Park has it all. There is no traffic noise whatsoever. Apart from seeing the tops of a few tall buildings, you wouldn't know you're in a major city. The clouds decide it's time to send a few heavy drops our way.I know of a great eatery below the shops at Columbus Circle so we head to the south-west corner of the park. Upon exiting, the sound of traffic noise and horns finds us, as we find ourselves standing next to Trump Tower. The silvery metal globe in front of the building reminds us how cosmopolitan this city is. We cross the street and go downstairs to the Whole Foods Market. This place is like a cross between a supermarket and a food hall. There are different hot and cold food bars serving plates of food, salad bars, soup bars, drinks, fruit, and some other grocery items. If you're staying to eat, fill up your plate, make your way to the checkout, and sit down at the tables. If not, simply fill up your basket like a regular supermarket. I love this place, although boo to my broccoli because it is bitter.Pics of the day
Day 27 (Mon): Lady in the Harbo[u]r
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There are varying prices and quality of food around New York. Yesterday, our breakfast was ridiculously cheap: an omelette at $2.25 and a full breakfast at $5. It tasted exactly like $2.25 and $5 (plus tax), too *sigh*. Today we're trying a healthy alternative to have porridge with fresh fruit and fruit juice and the cost is only a little more than yesterday. It is much more delicious and should keep us going for quite a few hours. Food is so cheap here. I am sure there's more than enough to go around the entire world.
Our ticket to Statue of Liberty is for 11am so we have a bit of time to kill. We walk down 8th Ave to take a look in some shops. Mum wants to buy some socks. We come across a ridiculously cheap shop that contains everything: Mr Joe. There are watches, luggage, jewellery, mobile phones, jumpers, T-shirts, pants for under $10, sunglasses, perfume, shoes, and socks! I have no idea how they can sell so much crap at such cheap prices. Most of all, I can't believe they can sell so much crap. Mum finds some delightfully sky blue socks with a pretty print and we leave for the ferry.
We arrive at South Ferry with only ten minutes before we're supposed to check-in. The line is long; like about two hundred people long... yikes. The guy checks our tickets and sends us into the very short line. We didn't even realise there were two lines. How fortunate. So we skip almost everyone and end up near the beginning of the line. However, the ever looming issue of Mum's motion sickness starts to stir the worry in our minds. The short and long lines merge near the security tent containing airport-like security. We put on our clothes and belts and shoes after security and then we're herded off to the next tent where there is no distinct queueing system. I feel like a cow waiting to enter the next paddock. The ferry is ready for boarding and the mob moves forward and compresses while the gangway is still being laid out.
Mum stands next to an open window on the ferry for fresh air and starts to feel sick before we depart. I buy a fizzy drink and some jubes to help settle her stomach. The ferry reverses and then takes off and I keep an eye on her. It's quite a smooth ride and it's not long before Mum realises that she doesn't feel sick at all. It looks like she has lost her motion sickness problem - yay! A short while later, the boat starts to lean to one side and we see people staring out the window. We add to the leaning and look out the right side windows to see the Statue of Liberty. We're slowly gliding by her to settle alongside the pier. We all stare up at the Lady in the Harbor as we descend almost single-file over the gangway.
We walk around the base and look up to see people on viewing decks up high. I've always wanted to see the view from up there but I've never had the opportunity. However, after a little searching, we find another security tent where we have to take off our clothes again to go through security. No liquids allowed so we gulp down the bottle of Coke. We're on our way up! In the first room is the original torch lit up from its inside. The first floor contains a museum explaining who designed and constructed the frame of Lady Liberty and her copper sheeting. There are replicas, original pieces, and models to help explain the history. Next is an elevator (and steps) that go up inside the base. At the top of the base are outside viewing platforms that provide an excellent view in all directions of New York, New Jersey, Brooklyn, and Staten Island. There are steps to go up into the statue but it seems you have to book online to reserve a time and there's a four month waiting period! The descent is easy and broken up with a few stairs for each level. There's a viewing platform after each break that provides its own unique perspective in all directions.
Next on the ferry tour is Ellis Island. This is where the Government took over to check each immigrant entering the country. It is now a museum containing items of the era, such as clothes, tools, luggage replicas, and records. It is amazing to be in the same room that so many hopefuls passed through. It is also sad to discover that about 240,000 people were turned away, some due to trachoma (contagious eye disease).
The boat trip is a success and we return to the mainland ready to return to the hotel. However, one thing I've always wanted to see is Grand Central Station. It has been in movies and on that famous YouTube flash mob video but I've never seen it in person. It seems it's going to be easy to achieve, though. One train in the subway and we arrive in the great hall. It's beautiful. There are an incredible number train line entrances and the architecture and layout are beautiful. We come across two levels below ground, including a dining level. It's the end of the work day and people are rushing in every direction. The guards with machine guns remind us that this is a popular place for almost anything.
After returning to the hotel, I feel like going somewhere random. I take Mum to the nearest subway and we head downtown to 14th St. We walk around the block and find a Thai restaurant. It seems our waitress is a Thai lady boy. In fact, there are a few gay people in the restaurant. It certainly wasn't intended but hello... jackpot! Haha! A quick dinner and my desire for randomness is satisfied. Now it's time to go home. On the way back through the subway, we see some cute little sculptures dotted all around the station that brighten the journey.
Pics of the day
There are varying prices and quality of food around New York. Yesterday, our breakfast was ridiculously cheap: an omelette at $2.25 and a full breakfast at $5. It tasted exactly like $2.25 and $5 (plus tax), too *sigh*. Today we're trying a healthy alternative to have porridge with fresh fruit and fruit juice and the cost is only a little more than yesterday. It is much more delicious and should keep us going for quite a few hours. Food is so cheap here. I am sure there's more than enough to go around the entire world.Our ticket to Statue of Liberty is for 11am so we have a bit of time to kill. We walk down 8th Ave to take a look in some shops. Mum wants to buy some socks. We come across a ridiculously cheap shop that contains everything: Mr Joe. There are watches, luggage, jewellery, mobile phones, jumpers, T-shirts, pants for under $10, sunglasses, perfume, shoes, and socks! I have no idea how they can sell so much crap at such cheap prices. Most of all, I can't believe they can sell so much crap. Mum finds some delightfully sky blue socks with a pretty print and we leave for the ferry.
We arrive at South Ferry with only ten minutes before we're supposed to check-in. The line is long; like about two hundred people long... yikes. The guy checks our tickets and sends us into the very short line. We didn't even realise there were two lines. How fortunate. So we skip almost everyone and end up near the beginning of the line. However, the ever looming issue of Mum's motion sickness starts to stir the worry in our minds. The short and long lines merge near the security tent containing airport-like security. We put on our clothes and belts and shoes after security and then we're herded off to the next tent where there is no distinct queueing system. I feel like a cow waiting to enter the next paddock. The ferry is ready for boarding and the mob moves forward and compresses while the gangway is still being laid out.Mum stands next to an open window on the ferry for fresh air and starts to feel sick before we depart. I buy a fizzy drink and some jubes to help settle her stomach. The ferry reverses and then takes off and I keep an eye on her. It's quite a smooth ride and it's not long before Mum realises that she doesn't feel sick at all. It looks like she has lost her motion sickness problem - yay! A short while later, the boat starts to lean to one side and we see people staring out the window. We add to the leaning and look out the right side windows to see the Statue of Liberty. We're slowly gliding by her to settle alongside the pier. We all stare up at the Lady in the Harbor as we descend almost single-file over the gangway.
We walk around the base and look up to see people on viewing decks up high. I've always wanted to see the view from up there but I've never had the opportunity. However, after a little searching, we find another security tent where we have to take off our clothes again to go through security. No liquids allowed so we gulp down the bottle of Coke. We're on our way up! In the first room is the original torch lit up from its inside. The first floor contains a museum explaining who designed and constructed the frame of Lady Liberty and her copper sheeting. There are replicas, original pieces, and models to help explain the history. Next is an elevator (and steps) that go up inside the base. At the top of the base are outside viewing platforms that provide an excellent view in all directions of New York, New Jersey, Brooklyn, and Staten Island. There are steps to go up into the statue but it seems you have to book online to reserve a time and there's a four month waiting period! The descent is easy and broken up with a few stairs for each level. There's a viewing platform after each break that provides its own unique perspective in all directions.Next on the ferry tour is Ellis Island. This is where the Government took over to check each immigrant entering the country. It is now a museum containing items of the era, such as clothes, tools, luggage replicas, and records. It is amazing to be in the same room that so many hopefuls passed through. It is also sad to discover that about 240,000 people were turned away, some due to trachoma (contagious eye disease).The boat trip is a success and we return to the mainland ready to return to the hotel. However, one thing I've always wanted to see is Grand Central Station. It has been in movies and on that famous YouTube flash mob video but I've never seen it in person. It seems it's going to be easy to achieve, though. One train in the subway and we arrive in the great hall. It's beautiful. There are an incredible number train line entrances and the architecture and layout are beautiful. We come across two levels below ground, including a dining level. It's the end of the work day and people are rushing in every direction. The guards with machine guns remind us that this is a popular place for almost anything.After returning to the hotel, I feel like going somewhere random. I take Mum to the nearest subway and we head downtown to 14th St. We walk around the block and find a Thai restaurant. It seems our waitress is a Thai lady boy. In fact, there are a few gay people in the restaurant. It certainly wasn't intended but hello... jackpot! Haha! A quick dinner and my desire for randomness is satisfied. Now it's time to go home. On the way back through the subway, we see some cute little sculptures dotted all around the station that brighten the journey.Pics of the day
8 Temmuz 2012 Pazar
Broadway's 'Mamma Mia!' tops Concert Association offerings
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Bill Cosby, Sept., 18 Chic Gamine, a vocal quartet from Montreal, Sept. 24 Calo Flamenco, Spanish dance, Oct. 1-2 Concertante, classical chamber ensemble, Oct. 9 "Mamma Mia!," Oct. 14-23 Amstel Saxophone Quartet, from Holland, Oct. 29 American Bluegrass Masters, roots music virtuosos, Nov. 6 Alpin Hong, classical pianist, Nov. 12 The Lost Fingers, acoustic gypsy jazz, Nov. 13 "Nutcracker", Tchaikovsky's holiday ballet, Nov. 26-28 Preservation Hall Jazz Band, returning to present "A Creole Christmas," Dec. 4-5 "Avenue Q," musical with wild puppetry, Jan. 21-27 Bill Charlap, jazz pianist, Jan. 29 Suzanne Vega, folk/pop songstress, Feb. 4 Solas, Irish traditional music, Feb. 18 Calder Quartet, adventurous string quartet, March 5 Chicago City Limits, improv comedy, March 11-12 Branford Marsalis and Terence Blanchard, jazz, March 12 Portland Cello Project, progressive cello band, March 19 Acoustic Africa, world music, April 1 PC Bentley, lecturer and award-winning Time photojournalist, April 27 Blue Man Group
Mar. 22--"Mamma Mia!," the hit Broadway musical based on songs by ABBA, and a return visit by veteran comedian Bill Cosby highlight the 2010-11 schedule of events to presented by the Anchorage Concert Association.
The list, released Sunday night, also features songstress Suzanne Vega, performance artists Blue Man Group, "Avenue Q," another Broadway musical featuring "Sesame Street" style puppets, comedy improv troupe Chicago City Limits and jazz men Branford Marsalis and Terence Blanchard.
Season ticket packages can be purchased at the ACA office, 430 W. Seventh Ave., Suite 200, or by calling 272-1471 during business hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. They will be available for purchase online around April 5. Individual ticket sales will start in the summer.
The 2010-2011 Anchorage Concert Association season:
Bill Cosby, Sept., 18
Chic Gamine, a vocal quartet from Montreal, Sept. 24
Calo Flamenco, Spanish dance, Oct. 1-2
Concertante, classical chamber ensemble, Oct. 9
"Mamma Mia!," Oct. 14-23
Amstel Saxophone Quartet, from Holland, Oct. 29
American Bluegrass Masters, roots music virtuosos, Nov. 6
Alpin Hong, classical pianist, Nov. 12
The Lost Fingers, acoustic gypsy jazz, Nov. 13
"Nutcracker", Tchaikovsky's holiday ballet, Nov. 26-28
Preservation Hall Jazz Band, returning to present "A Creole Christmas," Dec. 4-5
"Avenue Q," musical with wild puppetry, Jan. 21-27
Bill Charlap, jazz pianist, Jan. 29
Suzanne Vega, folk/pop songstress, Feb. 4
Solas, Irish traditional music, Feb. 18
Calder Quartet, adventurous string quartet, March 5
Chicago City Limits, improv comedy, March 11-12
Branford Marsalis and Terence Blanchard, jazz, March 12
Portland Cello Project, progressive cello band, March 19
Acoustic Africa, world music, April 1
PC Bentley, lecturer and award-winning Time photojournalist, April 27
Blue Man Group, May 10-15.
Find Mike Dunham online at adn.com/contact/mdunham or call 257-4332.
Credit: Anchorage Daily News, Alaska
The Dallas Morning News Lawson Taitte column: 'Billy Elliot' to dance his way to Dallas
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Mar. 22--Young boys will be donning ballet slippers and flying through the air at the Winspear Opera House next season as Billy Elliot The Musical headlines the 2010-11 Lexus Broadway Season, announced today.
The British extravaganza about a British blue-collar kid who wants to dance cleaned up at last year's Tony Awards, winning in 10 categories. Director Stephen Daldry and writer Lee Hall adapted their film for the stage, and Elton John provided the score.
The four-show subscription series includes two other Broadway musicals new to Dallas, plus the first national tour of the Blue Man Group to play theatrical venues rather than arena, and large music facilities.
Rock of Ages, which has been running on Broadway for a year, uses songs by such 1980s groups as Journey, Styx and Twisted Sister to tell a story about a romance between a small-town girl and a big-city rocker. Young Frankenstein was Mel Brooks' 2007 follow-up to The Producers but only ran for 485 performances on the Great White Way.
For its special, nonsubscription holiday show, the Lexus series will present Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! on Dec. 7-12. This musical adaptation was a seasonal hit on Broadway in 2007 and 2008.
It's not really much of a surprise that Billy Elliot will be in the Lexus series at the Winspear rather than the rival Dallas Summer Musicals at Fair Park Music Hall, because one of the Tony-winning boys who play the title role appeared in Winspear's inaugural Broadway gala in October.
The one mystery in both the Lexus and Summer Musicals seasons is why the 2008 Tony winner for best musical, In the Heights, isn't playing either series, although both Houston and Austin will see it next month.
Plan your life: Subscriptions run from $100 to $1,000 and can be purchased at 214-880-0202 or www.attpac.org. Seats for Grinch, currently only available to subscribers, are $30 to $150.Lexus Broadway Series lineup for 2010-11
Mamma mia! Look what's coming to Anchorage stages
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Bill Cosby, Sept., 18 Chic Gamine, a vocal quartet from Montreal, Sept. 24 Calo Flamenco, Spanish dance, Oct. 1-2 Concertante, classical chamber ensemble, Oct. 9 "Mamma Mia!," Oct. 14-23 Amstel Saxophone Quartet, from Holland, Oct. 29 American Bluegrass Masters, roots music virtuosos, Nov. 6 Alpin Hong, classical pianist, Nov. 12 The Lost Fingers, acoustic gypsy jazz, Nov. 13 "Nutcracker", Tchaikovsky's holiday ballet, Nov. 26-28 Preservation Hall Jazz Band, returning to present "A Creole Christmas," Dec. 4-5 "Avenue Q," musical with wild puppetry, Jan. 21-27 Bill Charlap, jazz pianist, Jan. 29 Suzanne Vega, folk/pop songstress, Feb. 4 Solas, Irish traditional music, Feb. 18 Calder Quartet, adventurous string quartet, March 5 Chicago City Limits, improv comedy, March 11-12 Branford Marsalis and Terence Blanchard, jazz, March 12 Portland Cello Project, progressive cello band, March 19 Acoustic Africa, world music, April 1 PC Bentley, lecturer and award-winning Time photojournalist,
Mar. 22--"Mamma Mia!," the hit Broadway musical based on songs by ABBA, and a return visit by veteran comedian Bill Cosby highlight the 2010-11 schedule of events to presented by the Anchorage Concert Association.
The list, released Sunday night, also features songstress Suzanne Vega, performance artists Blue Man Group, "Avenue Q," another Broadway musical featuring "Sesame Street" style puppets, comedy improv troupe Chicago City Limits and jazz men Branford Marsalis and Terence Blanchard.
Season ticket packages can be purchased at the ACA office, 430 W. Seventh Ave., Suite 200, or by calling 272-1471 during business hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. They will be available for purchase online around April 5. Individual ticket sales will start in the summer.
The 2010-2011 Anchorage Concert Association season:
Bill Cosby, Sept., 18
Chic Gamine, a vocal quartet from Montreal, Sept. 24
Calo Flamenco, Spanish dance, Oct. 1-2
Concertante, classical chamber ensemble, Oct. 9
"Mamma Mia!," Oct. 14-23
Amstel Saxophone Quartet, from Holland, Oct. 29
American Bluegrass Masters, roots music virtuosos, Nov. 6
Alpin Hong, classical pianist, Nov. 12
The Lost Fingers, acoustic gypsy jazz, Nov. 13
"Nutcracker", Tchaikovsky's holiday ballet, Nov. 26-28
Preservation Hall Jazz Band, returning to present "A Creole Christmas," Dec. 4-5
"Avenue Q," musical with wild puppetry, Jan. 21-27
Bill Charlap, jazz pianist, Jan. 29
Suzanne Vega, folk/pop songstress, Feb. 4
Solas, Irish traditional music, Feb. 18
Calder Quartet, adventurous string quartet, March 5
Chicago City Limits, improv comedy, March 11-12
Branford Marsalis and Terence Blanchard, jazz, March 12
Portland Cello Project, progressive cello band, March 19
Acoustic Africa, world music, April 1
PC Bentley, lecturer and award-winning Time photojournalist, April 27
Blue Man Group, May 10-15.
Find Mike Dunham online at adn.com/contact/mdunham or call 257-4332.
Credit: Anchorage Daily News, Alaska
Blue Man Group denies patron's story of abuse
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His voice cracking with emotion, James Srodon recounted Thursday how a camera had been shoved down his throat during a Blue Man Group performance in Chicago, injuring his esophagus and resulting in nightmares.
The Blue Man Group, famous for its actors who don't utter a word, was forced to respond to Srodon's lawsuit, saying it was all just an illusion -- a camera never even entered his throat. In a bit of sleight of hand, as the camera is held near an audience member's mouth, a jumbo video screen switches to a pre-recorded medical video, leading the audience to think it is peering down the individual's throat, the production said.
"We are disappointed that this false claim forces us to reveal the truth behind one of our most popular theatrical devices," Blue Man Productions said in its brief statement.
The producers referred to the comedic bit as the "Esophagus Video" and said it had played out in more than 50,000 performances over the last 15 years.
Srodon's lawyer, Antonio Romanucci, refused to back off the lawsuit's allegations, insisting that while the act might usually be a harmless illusion, it was a "stunt that went too far" for his client.
On Wednesday Srodon, 65, filed the suit in Cook County Circuit Court, seeking unspecified damages for battery, negligence and infliction of emotional stress.
At a news conference Thursday at his lawyer's Loop office, Srodon spoke by telephone from his Los Angeles residence and called the incident a "surprise attack."
On Oct. 8, 2006, Srodon and his 8-year-old grandson were sitting in Row D of the Briar Street Theatre on Chicago's North Side when the room suddenly went dark during the Blue Man Group performance. As two cast members stepped from the stage and entered the audience, he saw one carrying a device with a small light, Srodon said.
One cast member grabbed him from behind and pulled his head back, Srodon said. As his head snapped back, his mouth opened, and the other cast member shoved the camera down his throat, he said.
Srodon said he bit down on the cord holding the camera and slumped in his seat in a bid to escape. But his feet slipped on the floor, still wet from liquids splashed into the audience from earlier during the show. The ordeal was over in less than a minute, he said.
"I was really in a state of shock," Srodon said. "I really actually did not know what had just happened because it was so bizarre."
Srodon said his grandson was visibly shaken, so he later took him to an ice cream shop to calm the boy. There, Srodon said his throat burned as he drank a glass of water.
Srodon said the camera was filthy, covered in "food, liquid and grime," and that he later had his blood tested to ensure he hadn't contracted a disease.
After returning to Los Angeles a few days later, he started to choke and gag as he drove. Doctors determined he had suffered "a traumatic contusion" to the esophagus, his lawyer said.
"It was a very unsettling feeling," Srodon said. "I couldn't eat. I couldn't swallow anything. ... It was just awful."
Srodon's lawyer said he tried unsuccessfully to settle the dispute out of court. Srodon said he decided to file the suit to warn and protect other theatergoers.
But in its statement, Blue Man Group said it was "shocked and surprised" to learn of the lawsuit. The production said it had not yet been served with any legal papers.
Blue Man Group called the "Esophagus Video" a "hilarious and absurd illusion."
"Because the camera never enters the mouth, the execution of this illusion could not possibly put anyone at risk of injury," the statement said.
Relm worth watching: Club hoppin'
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Blue Man Group wants to teach you how to be a megastar in the 2.1 version of its current Megatour.
But the opening act, Mike Relm, is the rising star to keep an eye on.
When Mike Relm first came to Spokane in 2005, he played The B-Side.
Last year the San Francisco video turntablist came through as the opening act for Blue Man Group.
And on Sunday, Relm and the blue boys are back at the Spokane Arena.
The Blue Man Group are unmistakable, but Relm made popular the DVDJ technology where he manipulates video on the screen by scratching a record, taking the art of deejaying to a whole new level by cleverly juggling "Napoleon Dynamite" and AC/DC, or "Reservoir Dogs" and N.W.A., or "Pee Wee's Big Adventure" and Beastie Boys, or "Office Space" and Jimi Hendrix.
It's the kind of candy for the senses that leaves you anticipating where he's going to go next on two levels -- visually and aurally -- spinning within endless loops of cultural clash.
Since last year's Megastar stint with the blue men, Relm has been making penetrating strikes into the mainstream with his pointed pop-culture precision through mixing music with video.
In addition to his run with Blue Man Group, Relm played high profile gigs at Coachella, Bonnaroo, a San Francisco Giants versus Oakland A's game and the closing ceremonies at the Pan Am Games.
Relm produced remixes for Adult Swim in conjunction with the Aqua Teen Hunger Force movie, scored a short film for the Disney Channel series "Too Many Robots," and created a four-song mega mix for an episode of Nickelodeon's Yo Gabba Gabba.
He's also doing some international TV acting.
When Relm came to The B-Side the cover was, like, $5.
Tickets for Blue Man Group and Mike Relm are $49, and $85, through TicketsWest, www.ticketswest.com, (509) 325-SEAT.
Club hoppin'
- Find out what sort of chaos ensues when Jamie Maker (The Makers, Burns Like Hellfire) unleashes his brand new experimental project on Saturday at Prago, 201 W. Riverside Ave. DJ Orange is also on the bill. There is a suggested donation of $3.
- Idaho all-ages keytar-rock favorite Unison returns on Wednesday at 7 p.m. to Empyrean Coffee House, 154 S. Madison St., with a slew of support for area songwriter-types and friends Austin Davis, Hillary Susz, A Cryptic, Ending and Billy Versus. Cover to be announced.
- Pour Soi is a new-ish band with veteran members, including ex-players in Six State Bender and Chinese Sky Candy. Given that history, it will be worth checking out when Pour Soi plays at The Blvd., 333 W. Spokane Falls Blvd., on Saturday at 9:30 p.m. with locals Level and new headturner Oil of Angels. Cover is $5.
5 Temmuz 2012 Perşembe
Lou Ferrigno gets Envoy Esteem hearing implant
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I was watching the last episode of Celebrity Apprentice when Lou Ferrigno announced during the live show that he can now hear better with his new Esteem implantable hearing device.
Lou Ferrigno, the actor who played the Hulk on the 1970s TV show "The Incredible Hulk," has begun using an implantable hearing aid from Minnesota's Envoy Medical Corp. Ferrigno, who's had hearing problems since he was young, said last weekend on the finale of Celebrity Apprentice (he was fired in April) that he received the Esteem medical implant, made by White Bear Lake-based Envoy.In fact, this was successfully kept underwraps until Medical Envoy released a press release yesterday, the day after the show that was aired on Sunday, about Lou and his new implant and successful it was that Lou even cried once it was activated.
Profoundly hard of hearing since two years old, Lou Ferrigno revealed last night on The Celebrity Apprentice that he recently underwent a surgical procedure to restore his hearing, with the Esteem® Device, manufactured by Envoy Medical Corporation. The device is a fully implantable prosthetic cochlea stimulator, designed to do just that. It has no microphones or speakers. It is invisible. Except that Lou knows it was implanted, he has no sense of it being in his body. But he can hear. And according to Lou Ferrigno, it "is a miracle." "Lou's dream has always been to hear like everyone else," said Carla, his wife of 32 years, who encouraged Lou to have the procedure. Now, Lou says he has "natural hearing and can hear things he has never heard before or could have ever hoped to hear." Birds chirping, rain on his roof, his alarm clock in the morning (scares the heck out of him, he says laughing) the tiniest sounds of his fingers moving together, the refrigerator's quiet motor, but most importantly, the ability to hear people in everyday conversation, even in a noisy environment, like a restaurant. "Everything is so loud and so clear," says the actor, who is still trying to figure out certain, never before heard sounds. Ferrigno said he "can't wait to get his second ear done,"
The device was implanted by Dr. Michael Murray of San Jose CA, who has performed hundreds of Esteem® procedures and is booked through September. Lou Ferrigno's surgery was performed in Houston, Texas at Envoy Medical's private ("decadent," according to Murray) surgical center. The entire procedure costs approximately $37,000 for the device and the surgery, and according to Ferrigno, "is worth a lot more."Approved in a 15 to 0 unanimous, independent panel vote by the FDA, the Esteem® is indicated for moderate to severe hearing loss, in people with sensorineural hearing loss (about 85% of all hearing loss sufferers). It replaces conventional hearing aids for those who qualify. The Esteem® Device is also approved by the VA (Veterans Administration) for those who qualify and have it prescribed by their VA audiologist and ENT specialist.
The device works by leveraging the natural anatomy of a person's own body. Sound enters the ear naturally. The natural vibrations of the eardrum are sensed and sent to a microprocessor implanted under the skin behind the ear. The vibrations are intensified and sent to the cochlea via the stapes. The tiny remaining hair cells in the cochlea pick up the vibrations and send them to the brain where they are interpreted as sound. The result, according to the successful recipients, including Lou Ferrigno, is beyond anything a hearing aid can offer. Ferrigno is still amazed at how well it works. "No more hearing aids for me," Lou Ferrigno exclaims with a huge smile on his face. Tears fell from his eyes upon activation. Ferrigno, dumbfounded, said "he was advised by his audiologist not to have the procedure." "Go Figure?" said Ferrigno. Lou said he "hasn't felt this good since he won the Mr. Universe competition."This is great for Lou. I'm sure he's happy with it as you can see.....just like Sarah Churman.
The graduating class: You're not special
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To those deaf and hard of hearing students who have graduated from high school or college, I have something to say to you in the hope that you'll be inspired to rethink of what the world awaits you once you get your diploma or degree.
All of your life growing up you have been coddled and pampered upon. You have been fawned and doted upon by your parents and grandparents. Your Mommy or Daddy, or both, have held you, hugged you, kissed you, fed you breakfast, lunch and dinner, wiped your bottom, trained you, taught you, listened to your complaints, your rants, your rage, your sadness and joys. You've had people who encouraged you, sympathized you, consoled you and encouraged you again umpteen times.
And over the years you had your sports games, your theatrical plays, musical recitals, and the many science fairs. Or you became class president, secretary or treasury and delved into school politics or became the school newspaper editor or reporter. Maybe you were well liked by friends and acquaintances where they would smile at you the moment you step into a classroom or whenever you approach them at a cafeteria table. Or they would take delight with your constant tweets or blogs thinking you're cleaver or funny.
Having said those things just don't get the idea that you're special because you're not. You're not the center of it all. The Earth is not the center of our solar system. Our solar system is not the center of its galaxy. Our galaxy is not the center of our universe. You're one of the many thousands of deaf and hard of hearing people who have graduated at a deaf-run school, a mainstreamed one or a regular school. Some graduated as valedictorians or class presidents, often with honors of some sort with glittering trophies and shiny medals and the many accolades that came with it. Each of you at graduation day all dressed alike. Same diploma or same degree that everybody expect to have in their hands with the only difference being it has your name on it.
Instead of thinking you're special, which is a dangerous thing to do, look for challenges in life. Embrace them. Think of it as if you're on a quest to climb one of the highest mountains because it's there. It beckons you and smirks at you saying, "Try and climb me! I bet you can't!" You climb because it is there. You see it as a challenge. You climb so you can see the world below you and not about whether the world can see you because you're an insignificant speck on that mountain top. No one sees but yourself. You're not special.
There are 6.8 billion people on this planet. Once you understand that then that's when you may finally understand that you're not that special. You are preparing and bracing yourself on what life will ultimately give you. But to be sure, please do whatever you do for no other reason than you love it and believe in its importance. And in the process change our culture so that it rewards genuine passion, genuine hard work and genuine achievement instead of accolades as an appeasement.
Happy belated graduation!
All of your life growing up you have been coddled and pampered upon. You have been fawned and doted upon by your parents and grandparents. Your Mommy or Daddy, or both, have held you, hugged you, kissed you, fed you breakfast, lunch and dinner, wiped your bottom, trained you, taught you, listened to your complaints, your rants, your rage, your sadness and joys. You've had people who encouraged you, sympathized you, consoled you and encouraged you again umpteen times.
And over the years you had your sports games, your theatrical plays, musical recitals, and the many science fairs. Or you became class president, secretary or treasury and delved into school politics or became the school newspaper editor or reporter. Maybe you were well liked by friends and acquaintances where they would smile at you the moment you step into a classroom or whenever you approach them at a cafeteria table. Or they would take delight with your constant tweets or blogs thinking you're cleaver or funny.
Having said those things just don't get the idea that you're special because you're not. You're not the center of it all. The Earth is not the center of our solar system. Our solar system is not the center of its galaxy. Our galaxy is not the center of our universe. You're one of the many thousands of deaf and hard of hearing people who have graduated at a deaf-run school, a mainstreamed one or a regular school. Some graduated as valedictorians or class presidents, often with honors of some sort with glittering trophies and shiny medals and the many accolades that came with it. Each of you at graduation day all dressed alike. Same diploma or same degree that everybody expect to have in their hands with the only difference being it has your name on it.
Instead of thinking you're special, which is a dangerous thing to do, look for challenges in life. Embrace them. Think of it as if you're on a quest to climb one of the highest mountains because it's there. It beckons you and smirks at you saying, "Try and climb me! I bet you can't!" You climb because it is there. You see it as a challenge. You climb so you can see the world below you and not about whether the world can see you because you're an insignificant speck on that mountain top. No one sees but yourself. You're not special.
There are 6.8 billion people on this planet. Once you understand that then that's when you may finally understand that you're not that special. You are preparing and bracing yourself on what life will ultimately give you. But to be sure, please do whatever you do for no other reason than you love it and believe in its importance. And in the process change our culture so that it rewards genuine passion, genuine hard work and genuine achievement instead of accolades as an appeasement.
Happy belated graduation!
Open Communication and Open Society
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Caption This!
There's no big mystery about this when it comes to believing that an open communication regardless of the method used is key to help people with hearing loss feel comfortable and on equitable grounds with the rest of their hearing peers. There are millions of people who feel the same way as I do. There are a variety of niche areas of technologies and services today that provide the advantage to help people with their communication needs and access. Just because deaf and hard of hearing people who know sign language does not mean they will be able to understand completely what was said in an ASL performance any more than deaf and hard of hearing people with their hearing aids and cochlear implants will understand completely what was said in a spoken (speech) theater performance or movie. I am talking about the whole range of population of people with hearing loss in the United States numbering around 36 million people versus a certain but limited number of those who are deaf/hh and fluent in ASL (around 600,000).
Just because deaf and hard of people who are fluent or know sign language does not mean they prefer always a signed performance but also like to attend performances by hearing people such as music (rock, country, etc) band on stage with their lyrics, stage performances and just your everyday movie theater while providing captions. Both communication access using open captioning and sign language interpreters offer the best of both worlds.
Each year Gallaudet University host this Jump Start program (formerly known as New Signers Program) to help incoming first year and transfer students improve their sign language skills. For them it is easier to improve on their expressive signing than receptive signing. Just because they attended the Jump Start program does not make them experts on ASL or will be able to understand everything that's being signed on stage for example the recent Hamlet performances in April. Many students are hard of hearing and can hear and understand a person speaking with his/her voice. Each person's receptive skills and understanding of the spoken word varies. Even after the first and second year at Gallaudet University does not mean students receptive skills will guarantee 100% understanding the signing of ASL such as ASL performances on stage. In fact, by not providing open captioning to the audience who fall between understanding some ASL to understanding some of the spoken word at a Hamlet play is violating ADA accommodation and Section 504 law. Students should be encouraged to file grievances for this transgression at Gallaudet University.
* American Sign Language Interpreter
* Signed English Interpreter (SEE-Signing Exact English or PSE-Pidgin Sign English)
* FM Systems and Conference Microphones
* Voice interpreter
* CART
* Remote Captioning
* Cued Speech Transiliterator
* I-Communicator
* Typewell/C-Print
* Professional or Volunteer Notetakers
Even though Gallaudet University obviously supports ASL many are calling for the exclusive use of ASL for all or "ASL at all times." That'd be if only the educational institution in question was a private educational institution that receive no federal funding then it wouldn't fall under the rules of Section 504. But since Gallaudet University receive annual federal funding for as long as it has been opened it must abide by Section 504 laws. Section 504 gives the power over to students who may request communication accessibility other than ASL or voice.
Gallaudet University once again violates ADA law and Section 504 for not providing an alternative communication access for their signed ASL performances for students and people who still lack the necessary receptive skills to understand fully the signed ASL performances. Gallaudet University continues to be the living and breathing conundrum for deaf/hh students new to the world of sign language and they are unable to even enjoy and understand signed performances. Gallaudet University was willing to provide voiced support of their recent signed Hamlet performances but was unwilling to provide open captioning to those who are weak in signing and understanding the spoken words. But the irony is that Gallaudet University put up a Hamlet play when a cruel twist of fate usually happens in a Shakespeare play and this cruel twist of fate is the continued ignorance of deaf/hh students who are new or are in the middle of such worlds.
"This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man."
- William Shakespeare, Hamlet, 1.3
There's no big mystery about this when it comes to believing that an open communication regardless of the method used is key to help people with hearing loss feel comfortable and on equitable grounds with the rest of their hearing peers. There are millions of people who feel the same way as I do. There are a variety of niche areas of technologies and services today that provide the advantage to help people with their communication needs and access. Just because deaf and hard of hearing people who know sign language does not mean they will be able to understand completely what was said in an ASL performance any more than deaf and hard of hearing people with their hearing aids and cochlear implants will understand completely what was said in a spoken (speech) theater performance or movie. I am talking about the whole range of population of people with hearing loss in the United States numbering around 36 million people versus a certain but limited number of those who are deaf/hh and fluent in ASL (around 600,000).
Just because deaf and hard of people who are fluent or know sign language does not mean they prefer always a signed performance but also like to attend performances by hearing people such as music (rock, country, etc) band on stage with their lyrics, stage performances and just your everyday movie theater while providing captions. Both communication access using open captioning and sign language interpreters offer the best of both worlds.
Q.What about services for the deaf or those who are hearing disabled? What exactly is open captioning?
A.Open captioning uses a portable LED screen set up orchestra right or left, by the proscenium. It’s rarely on stage because we don’t want to disturb the artistic look of the show. It faces a particular side of the orchestra where we have made tickets available to people with hearing disabilities.
We also offer sign language interpretation, but it is of no help whatsoever to people who are not deaf. Where our department is growing is in providing open captioning because there’s such a demand for it.
Far too many people who don’t hear well are not going to admit it. The benefit of open captioning is that it’s passive assistance. It’s there and you can refer to it or not. You don’t have to identify yourself as having hearing loss. That’s very appealing.
People with hearing loss want to make use of any hearing they have. They will use assisted listening devices in conjunction with the open captioning so they can understand some or most of what is being said.Open captioning should be available to all regardless of the situation. You just never know who in the audience will need one. The same goes for Gallaudet University theater shows such as their recent Hamlet performance that was done in ASL and that all of their performances were voiced under the direction of Dr. Lindsey Snyder. But no open captioning for those who are new or weak on sign language and those who can hear Snyder's voice but would need assist with captioning. An ironic twist and a cruel but blatant discrimination against deaf/hh students and people who are relatively new or weak on sign language. A sign that Gallaudet University continues to be a closed society when it comes to having an open communication policy. One can still be in favor of sign language in an open society that advocates open communication but the converse cannot be true of those who are unwittingly in a closed society.
Each year Gallaudet University host this Jump Start program (formerly known as New Signers Program) to help incoming first year and transfer students improve their sign language skills. For them it is easier to improve on their expressive signing than receptive signing. Just because they attended the Jump Start program does not make them experts on ASL or will be able to understand everything that's being signed on stage for example the recent Hamlet performances in April. Many students are hard of hearing and can hear and understand a person speaking with his/her voice. Each person's receptive skills and understanding of the spoken word varies. Even after the first and second year at Gallaudet University does not mean students receptive skills will guarantee 100% understanding the signing of ASL such as ASL performances on stage. In fact, by not providing open captioning to the audience who fall between understanding some ASL to understanding some of the spoken word at a Hamlet play is violating ADA accommodation and Section 504 law. Students should be encouraged to file grievances for this transgression at Gallaudet University.
According to Section 504, and since Gallaudet University is a recipient of federal financial assistance, a post secondary institution has an obligation under to ensure accessibility to students with disabilities, including those with hearing loss and the need for communication accessibility.II. Scope of Grievance
Any University student who believes that he or she has been subjected to discrimination on the basis of disability or has been denied access or accommodations required by law shall have the right to invoke this Grievance Procedure. In general, this Grievance Procedure is designed to address the following types of concerns:
- Disagreements or denials regarding requested services, accommodations, or modifications to University practices or requirements;
- Alleged inaccessibility of a University program or activity;
- Alleged harassment or discrimination on the basis of a disability; and
- Any other alleged violations of the ADA and/or Section 504.
An important responsibility of the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is to eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability against students with disabilities. OCR receives numerous complaints and inquiries in the area of elementary and secondary education involving Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, 29 U.S.C. § 794 (Section 504). Most of these concern identification of students who are protected by Section 504 and the means to obtain an appropriate education for such students.
Section 504 is a federal law designed to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities in programs and activities that receive Federal financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Education (ED). Section 504 provides: "No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States . . . shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance . . . ."
OCR enforces Section 504 in programs and activities that receive Federal financial assistance from ED. Recipients of this Federal financial assistance include public school districts, institutions of higher education, and other state and local education agencies. The regulations implementing Section 504 in the context of educational institutions appear at 34 C.F.R. Part 104.Services students should be able to request at Gallaudet University:
* American Sign Language Interpreter
* Signed English Interpreter (SEE-Signing Exact English or PSE-Pidgin Sign English)
* FM Systems and Conference Microphones
* Voice interpreter
* CART
* Remote Captioning
* Cued Speech Transiliterator
* I-Communicator
* Typewell/C-Print
* Professional or Volunteer Notetakers
Even though Gallaudet University obviously supports ASL many are calling for the exclusive use of ASL for all or "ASL at all times." That'd be if only the educational institution in question was a private educational institution that receive no federal funding then it wouldn't fall under the rules of Section 504. But since Gallaudet University receive annual federal funding for as long as it has been opened it must abide by Section 504 laws. Section 504 gives the power over to students who may request communication accessibility other than ASL or voice.
Gallaudet University once again violates ADA law and Section 504 for not providing an alternative communication access for their signed ASL performances for students and people who still lack the necessary receptive skills to understand fully the signed ASL performances. Gallaudet University continues to be the living and breathing conundrum for deaf/hh students new to the world of sign language and they are unable to even enjoy and understand signed performances. Gallaudet University was willing to provide voiced support of their recent signed Hamlet performances but was unwilling to provide open captioning to those who are weak in signing and understanding the spoken words. But the irony is that Gallaudet University put up a Hamlet play when a cruel twist of fate usually happens in a Shakespeare play and this cruel twist of fate is the continued ignorance of deaf/hh students who are new or are in the middle of such worlds.
"This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man."
- William Shakespeare, Hamlet, 1.3
Visual Communication
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There are deaf/hh people I know who grew up with SEE with their parents learning the English visual language. I'd say those deaf kids were lucky to have parents willing to sign as part of the visual communication effort than to rely on audition alone (i.e. speaking/listening). The oral and aural route may be a difficult route to take even though many kids have fared well while others didn't and that signing would've been helpful. It also could have easily been no signing (ie. SEE, ASL, PSE, manual alphabet, LOVE, etc) whatsoever with no visual form of communication (including CUED speech) and just rely on their hearing aids only and do the whole oral/aural gambit instead. But luckily for them a visual language (e.g. SEE) was used to communicate and thus a foundation was indeed built. It may or may not have been a solid foundation but at least a foundation nonetheless.
Many SEE kids who are now adults show their gratefulness for their parents' contribution on establishing a visual communication effort with them. It could've been a lot worse. It could've been no signing at all. Although I noticed some adults who grew up with SEE developed a certain disdain towards their own upbringing by their parents on the SEE usage simply because their parents didn't use ASL in the first place. How droll. How about at least show some kind of gratitude instead of being a snotty person about the whole affair and stop with this misguided anger towards parents for providing SEE instead of ASL? Signing in SEE became a familiar affair for those growing up with English visual language and because of that it helped those make the transition over from SEE to PSE or to ASL in a much more familiar environment as opposed to deaf/hh people who have never signed in SEE, PSE or ASL at all.
Be thankful you were exposed very early to SEE which is visual form of the English language rather than having no visual language at all.
Just ...... stop whining about SEE.
Many SEE kids who are now adults show their gratefulness for their parents' contribution on establishing a visual communication effort with them. It could've been a lot worse. It could've been no signing at all. Although I noticed some adults who grew up with SEE developed a certain disdain towards their own upbringing by their parents on the SEE usage simply because their parents didn't use ASL in the first place. How droll. How about at least show some kind of gratitude instead of being a snotty person about the whole affair and stop with this misguided anger towards parents for providing SEE instead of ASL? Signing in SEE became a familiar affair for those growing up with English visual language and because of that it helped those make the transition over from SEE to PSE or to ASL in a much more familiar environment as opposed to deaf/hh people who have never signed in SEE, PSE or ASL at all.
Be thankful you were exposed very early to SEE which is visual form of the English language rather than having no visual language at all.
Just ...... stop whining about SEE.
Combat with Grizzly Bear
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A statue of two Indians fighting a mother grizzly bear in her effort to protect her two cubs was created by Douglas Tilden, a world renowned deaf sculpture, stands at the California School for the Deaf in Fremont, California. The sculpture is called "The Bear Hunt." It is also known as "Combat with Grizzly Bear" as explained by Jack Gannon.
Born May 1, 1860 Douglas Tilden lost his hearing at the age of 4 due to Scarlet Fever. Two years later his parents enrolled Douglas at the California School for the Deaf at UC Berkeley. He became an honor student and graduated from the school in 1879 at the age of 19. He soon accepted a teaching position CSD where he stayed there for eight years. It was during the summer vacations his artistic talents began to flourish.
But another battle is brewing at CSD and that is the effort to get rid of "The Bear Hunt" sculpture on the CSD campus grounds stating that the statue is racist in nature "racist imagery" according to the latest online petition that began on June 28, 2012 calling for the removal of Tilden's statue:
What is palpably ironic, at least to me, is that Douglas Tilden's own statue work is facing the possibility of being rejected by the students of CSD and perhaps the school itself. The irony comes from the fact that he worked at the CSD for several years as a deaf teacher and later on in his life tried to go back to CSD to work as a teacher again but only to be rejected because at the time CSD stopped hiring and employing deaf teachers. Douglas Tilden is turning over in his grave seeing that his own work is once again facing rejection. This Deaf political correctness has simply run amok with no clear thinking whatsoever using false emotional appeal.
A statue of two Indians fighting a mother grizzly bear in her effort to protect her two cubs was created by Douglas Tilden, a world renowned deaf sculpture, stands at the California School for the Deaf in Fremont, California. The sculpture is called "The Bear Hunt." It is also known as "Combat with Grizzly Bear" as explained by Jack Gannon.Born May 1, 1860 Douglas Tilden lost his hearing at the age of 4 due to Scarlet Fever. Two years later his parents enrolled Douglas at the California School for the Deaf at UC Berkeley. He became an honor student and graduated from the school in 1879 at the age of 19. He soon accepted a teaching position CSD where he stayed there for eight years. It was during the summer vacations his artistic talents began to flourish.
Summer vacations were spent studying drawing and painting. In the summer of 1883, he discovered the joys of sculpture. He returned to teaching in the fall but continued making models in his leisure time. He dreamed of studying in Paris, then the mecca of most would-be sculptors. His clay model Tired Wrestler, a young, athletic, male nude figure, impressed the Board of Trustees of the California School for the Deaf enough that they gave him a loan of five hundred dollars for study in New York. In 1887, he resigned his teaching post and left California.
Thanks to a grant of $600 per year from the Durham Fund, administered by the California School for the Deaf, Douglas embarked for Paris in May 1888. After visiting the Salon des Artistes Français on the Champs-Elysees, he went to work on the Baseball Player. With his unorthodox, purely American motifs, Tilden was the first California-born sculptor to win recognition outside of the U.S. by being accepted in the Paris Salon in 1889, then again in 1890, 1891, 1892, and 1894.And thus Douglas began his career as an internationally known sculptor.
But another battle is brewing at CSD and that is the effort to get rid of "The Bear Hunt" sculpture on the CSD campus grounds stating that the statue is racist in nature "racist imagery" according to the latest online petition that began on June 28, 2012 calling for the removal of Tilden's statue:
We feel that while Tilden is indeed a respected Deaf artist in our community, he remains a white male from the 19th century and the sculpture still represents generations of dehumanizing violence towards Native American communities. Such depictions have no place at a school, particularly if a school aims to uphold principles of racial and ethnic justice.The petition failed to explain exactly how or why the statue is racist other than explaining that the sculptor is a white male who sculpted a statue depicting an ultimate battle and will to live between two Indians and a mother grizzly bear while trying to protect her two cubs . Exactly how does the statue dehumanizes violence towards Native American communities? It doesn't. It's about survival. Douglas Tilden explains about his "The Bear Hunt" statue:
Though “The Bear Hunt” has stood at the front of campus for years, this “branding” situation served as an opportunity for us activists to challenge our social consciousness in how we have perceived and now perceive this statue. How long has the statue stood in front of campus without being challenged? How long have some individuals’ misgivings about the statue were ignored? We are working on collaborating with Native American Deaf and Deaf People of Color organizations on this issue in order to mobilize community dialogue regarding the statue.
In 1892, Tilden finished a huge monument, the Bear Hunt. He wrote, “My Indian and bear present a full front, both in so full a vigor that who wins must forever be a question in the spectator’s mind.” The Bear Hunt arrived at the California School for the Deaf in Berkeley in 1895 after being exhibited for several months at the Art Institute in Chicago. Both the school and the Bear Hunt are now located in Fremont.In other words, while looking at the statue of a battle between beast and man makes you wonder, who will win the battle? The Indians or the mother grizzly bear? What is the story behind the fight for survival? Did the Indians accidentally come across the mother Grizzly bear? Or got too close in the bear hunt? However, there is nothing racist about the "The Bear Hunt" sculpture showing two Indians battling to survive a mother grizzly attack while trying to protect her two young cubs. Hunting for bears was common. Indians hunted grizzly bears for food and other materials but at the same time they were revered and respected their fearsome strength, independence and power to the status of being a "spiritual god."
Many Indians feared the grizzly bear but still they hunted the large bears for food, clothing, and even jewelry. Claws were made into necklaces and often worn hanging from their waistband. Because of the Indians' beliefs that the bear had some spiritual power, wearing a bear claw necklace would mean protection and good health to the Indian wearing it.Shortly after the petition to have the statue removed (only 53 signatures so far) another petition came up to counter the petition for removal in the effort to keep the statue on the campus grounds of CSD.
Today Indians still wear necklaces of grizzly bear claws but only a few are preserved from the 1800s in museums. One famous bear claw necklace can be viewed at the Peabody Museum at Harvard. Since bear claws were objects that Indians treasured, very few were obtained outside of the Indian tribes.
CAD Bay Area Chapter president, David Prince, speaking...I disagree with DYUSA Bay Area Chapter to remove the Bear Hunt Statue (BHS) off the campus of the California School for the Deaf. The Bear Hunt statue is not a racist; it illustrates us to understand the visual history how the Indians fought against the nature. It demonstrates the visual education to everyone how it looks like in their time of struggle. It was like a battle in nature, Human versus Bear.So far there are 357 signatures to keep the statue vs 53 signatures to get rid of it. A strong sign that common sense is prevailing. I see no "racist imagery" in that statue other than a battle of survival between man and nature. Violence is part of the game of survival in nature. This is all about using emotional gimmickry to play the Deaf political correctness game based on some vague and obscure reasonings.
What is palpably ironic, at least to me, is that Douglas Tilden's own statue work is facing the possibility of being rejected by the students of CSD and perhaps the school itself. The irony comes from the fact that he worked at the CSD for several years as a deaf teacher and later on in his life tried to go back to CSD to work as a teacher again but only to be rejected because at the time CSD stopped hiring and employing deaf teachers. Douglas Tilden is turning over in his grave seeing that his own work is once again facing rejection. This Deaf political correctness has simply run amok with no clear thinking whatsoever using false emotional appeal.
4 Temmuz 2012 Çarşamba
Thursday: THE GAME + HAUNTED HOUSE
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Today I went to school and I had to do a test on Jackson ( Hope I've done more than 5 correct jaja), then after eating lunch, the Argentinian-USA match came. We won as expected but we played badly, in a very short field and with street rules (the ball never went out of bounds). It was a strange match because you didn't run, you bounced against all the walls as we didn't exactly know where to run to and they pretty clear how to play against us. It was pretty exciting and we won by one goal.
In the afternoon we went to a Haunted House in Indiana. Every Argentinian and its host went. When we entered it was already night and before we did that the people that worked there warned us that the walk would last 30 minutes. I entered with Valen, Chebo, Nico L. and most of the girl hosts. When it ended it didn't look so scary but during the 30 minutes you are inside they look as the scariest, creepiest, weirdest, longest and want them to end, minutes in your life so you must imagine how it is look like. They recreated all the horror sceneries you might imagine so think how scared you might be when creepy, scary dudes came up and scare you, as a psyco killer or a crazy, maniac clown tries to catch you.
In the end, I had fun when I remember everything in the day but it wasn't so good when you were there jaja.
In the afternoon we went to a Haunted House in Indiana. Every Argentinian and its host went. When we entered it was already night and before we did that the people that worked there warned us that the walk would last 30 minutes. I entered with Valen, Chebo, Nico L. and most of the girl hosts. When it ended it didn't look so scary but during the 30 minutes you are inside they look as the scariest, creepiest, weirdest, longest and want them to end, minutes in your life so you must imagine how it is look like. They recreated all the horror sceneries you might imagine so think how scared you might be when creepy, scary dudes came up and scare you, as a psyco killer or a crazy, maniac clown tries to catch you.
In the end, I had fun when I remember everything in the day but it wasn't so good when you were there jaja.
Friday: Shedd Aquarium, Failed Planetarium & Football Match
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Incredible day, this one. We went to the Shedd Aquarium which was amazing. It had lots of different kind of rare and cool fish, and some really awesome little frogs that where of many colors but were very, very poisonous. Then they were some sharks, beluga whales, water otters, etc. In there, we went to a 4D Movie about Happy Feet it was very well made because the effects of wind, hits to any character (yeah!! they hit you in the back with a hard-plastic stick) and stomp or dance, were extremely real. Later we went to a Show in which Dolphins and Beluga Whales jumped and did some really good stuff.
After ending the visit to the Aquarium, we walked to the Planetarium but when we got there we were told that it had closed half an hour ago so we had to stay outside until the School Bus came (what a good way of spending your time!!! :D ). Although, we hadn't anything to do, we entertained ourselves listening to good music and admiring how awesome Chicago is (I've got some excellent pictures). Also, I dedicated myself to scratch people taking them awkward photos but those ones you'll never see them 'cause they are pretty embarrasing jajajajajaja.
At night, we went to the Football match which was extremely fun not because of the match itself (Marist lost) but for the things the fans do during this time (we should take some of these songs or whatever they are to Argentina). First, the 'I believe that we will win' song, then the 'oh ohoh oh oh oooohhh oh jump' one and at last the 'Go Bananas' one, made us all jump and jump all night long so it was a really, really fun game.
Summing up, as I started this entry, this day was AWESOME. I'll attach some pictures of today.
After ending the visit to the Aquarium, we walked to the Planetarium but when we got there we were told that it had closed half an hour ago so we had to stay outside until the School Bus came (what a good way of spending your time!!! :D ). Although, we hadn't anything to do, we entertained ourselves listening to good music and admiring how awesome Chicago is (I've got some excellent pictures). Also, I dedicated myself to scratch people taking them awkward photos but those ones you'll never see them 'cause they are pretty embarrasing jajajajajaja.
At night, we went to the Football match which was extremely fun not because of the match itself (Marist lost) but for the things the fans do during this time (we should take some of these songs or whatever they are to Argentina). First, the 'I believe that we will win' song, then the 'oh ohoh oh oh oooohhh oh jump' one and at last the 'Go Bananas' one, made us all jump and jump all night long so it was a really, really fun game.
Summing up, as I started this entry, this day was AWESOME. I'll attach some pictures of today.
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