other times in NYC
posted by Father Park at 10/18/2007 08:38:00 PM
Thursday, October 18, 2007
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Jacob A. Stam at
18/10/07 10:31 PM
at
18/10/07 11:22 PM- Jacob A. Stam at
19/10/07 12:38 AM
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19/10/07 10:01 AM
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19/10/07 10:03 AM
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19/10/07 3:39 PM
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- pure poison
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- webdiary.com.au
13 Comments:
I remember some of these, Compadre, very nice to see again!
Scanning old photos can give a very pleasing effect with many subjects.
Where was the bottom (and top?) pic taken from?
Hi Jacob!
It was taken from the top of the World Trade Centre when we were on our honeymoon 23 years ago, hence the sepia image. It is a shame the colour has to fade.
We loved USA so much that we decided to take the children to some of the places that we went to plus a few more like Disney World and we all enjoyed it so much. Actually, I took a book on the 25th Anniversary of Disneyland to show them (when we told them about the trip) but of course it looked so ANCIENT as 'The happiest place on earth' has now passed its 50th year. In New York, the children really enjoyed the Broadway show 'Spamalot' and loved NYC too. We had to find something to see on Broadway that would interest an 8 and 10 year old. It was very funny and being three rows from the front was great as the chidren could see the orchestra pit and everything so easily. 'Spamalot' will be playing at Her Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne from November 20th onwards. If you get a chance, go and see it and have a good laugh.
They coped better than I did with the various currencies of the various countries. They were very generous buying things for Mum and Dad, each other, aunts, etc. but thought more than once when buying things for themselves. The shopkeepers could not believe that they were spending so much of their money buying things for others.
Hi Anne-Marie.
Obviously you must be the refined lady in some of the Padre's other shots (i.e., Lady Rector).
Yes, I thought those pics MUST have been from the WTC. So poignant these days to see those towers in the odd recent and not-so-recent movie productions, including old favourites of mine such as Three Days of the Condor, The Insider, etc.
I well remember Bertie's posting over at Harry's of your family's recent holidays in the US - late last year, if memory serves. From all accounts, your lovely kids will have had the time of their lives that will stay with them all their lives. Very sweet also that they shared it all so generously with each other, family, friends...
We'll certainly look out for Spamalot. I don't know anything much about it. Sounds vaguely Pythonesque...
Yeah, hi Annn-Marie! Nice to hear from the "better half" for a change!
Oops, sorry, added an extra 'n' instead of an 'e' *blushes*
Hello Kathy, thanks for the correction to my name. Knew it was a typo. You are a funny lady and good mediator.
Yes Jacob, the photos were either from the World Trade Centre or an aircraft of some sort but nowadays the second option would be a dangerous one. Not sure if the no fly zone is only for planes or any aircraft. The view from the top was spectacular and am glad Michael took us there.
The trip started on January 3 2007. Boy! it was an extremely long day when you leave here in the afternoon and arrive there in the morning to start the same day again and you happen to be staying opposite Disneyland with two excited children that are raring to go. Needless to say. we did not get back to the apartment till about 1am the next day which meant that I'm sure we were awake for more than 36 hours. It was great fun regardless and the best part was all the Christmas decorations, songs and atmosphere was still around. Would love to do it all again. As you would say, Kathy ..... sigh.
Yes, we checked with the assistant principal about the children missing out on about two weeks of school and she said that the experiences that thay would get from such a trip would far surpass what they would learn. She said that they have issues with people who take their children out for a whole term or in the middle of the school year especially if they are ones that are struggling and can ill afford to miss out on crucial parts of the curriculum.
They missed their friends so much, we got them each a telephone card so they could call their friends for a chat. Occasionally, this proved a little difficult with the time differences. Don't remember ringing my friends until I was in high school but Caitlin and her friends have been ringing each other up since kindergarten. A different world definitely.
Yes, Spamalot is a Monty Python play. The children have the same sense of humour as their father and like him, can repeat the dialogue afterwards. I must admit that I enjoyed it very much too. All of us were laughing so much through it. Wouldn't mind seeing it again and to note how different our production would be.
To cap our evening off, when we got back, our hotel restaurant had our desserts ready for us as they said they would after the show. We read the time wrong for the play when we were having dinner there with a friend and had to skip dessert and coffee. They really looked after us when we stayed for nearly a week at The Algonquinn. The children loved the mascot - Matilda the cat and gave her pats and cuddles every day. Very nice hotel and extremely central - in the Theatre District and close to Times Square.
Of course... Now you mention it, Anne-Marie, it was indeed in the new year you folks went on your 'Parkwald' vacation. All that kind of information really is in here somewhere, sometimes just requires a gentle nudge. Or occasionally something a little less gentle.
Too right about the travel being a richer experience for the youngsters than just learning the three-Rs. While abroad, they can of course see how all that knowledge and skills can be so essential.
We didn't actually have a phone until I was in high school, and even then our parents policed it militantly. Now our young folk can't exist without a phone. No phone must go unanswered. If the phone rings out before they get to it, it's essential to use Call Return to find out just who phoned and why. It's not a matter of life or death, it's much more important than that!
The missus much prefers voice comms too; in fact she reckons we're all crazy with this blogging stuff. Sometimes I'm inclined to agree.
Matilda the cat? Was that an Aussie thing at The Algonquinn, or just a weird coincidence?
Thankyou for your kind and gracious words Anne-Marie.
Would absolutely love to get to the US one day.
The Alonquin, sounds like a fascinating place.
Some years ago I read Harpo Marx's autobiography, and the Alonquin featured quite prominently in it.
He and others, Alexander Woolcott, Dorothy Parker and Robert Benchley to name a few, gathered there to exchange ideas, have a bit of a gossip and a few drinks.
Certainly a lot of history at that hotel Ann- Marie.
I agree with you Jacob about the Comms thing. Our now 9 year old would love a mobile, must be a girl thing. Boys don't seem so fussed. She was sending occasional SMSs to family and friends on our Parkwald holiday and now sometimes sends us messages from the other's mobile or to her aunts or uncles.
Matilda - don't know if there is an Aussie connection but a cat walked into the hotel in the 1930's and the hotel owner let it in and fed it. From then on, it has a beautiful little lounge chair that it sits on and has the run of the place except for the kitchen and dining areas. They even have birthday parties for her and in 2002 in front of over 100 guests, she jumped onto the cake and ran out of the room leaving a trail of paw prints. Ooh! the cleaning up ......
You are spot on, Kathy. For 100 years, the literary greats and writers you mentioned have met at The Algonquin. Some famous people enjoy staying there too although I didn't see any. Michael saw a rather drunk Trevor Howard there once and he was very polite but everytime he got into the elevator, TH was still in there. 'My Fair Lady' was penned in one of the suites there and Harry Connick Jr got his start playing in The Oak Room.
It started with the people you mentioned getting together for lunch in 1919 to welcome back Alexander Woollcott from his service as a war correspondent but they had so much fun, they made it a daily occurence. They still have a table set up with frames showing you who sat where.
It's almost certainly a girl thing, Anne-Marie. If our 22yrs youngest has an area of expertise, it is mobile phones, their theory and practice.
I just use them when I have to, but she lives and breathes the things, they're virtually a seamless extension of her faculties. Without one, or even two, she may as well be living in the dark ages, life would be unlivable.
My brother-in-law recently gave his daughters, 11 & 9yrs, their own mobile phones. Guess you're never too young to zap your brain cells with microwaves.
"Better half"???
I wasn't aware that one side of me presented better than the other. Interesting.
The Lady Rector has followed me into here. Hmmm, seems I'd best watch what I say. Wouldn't do to have a barney on the blog now.
Yeah, those shots taken from the top deck of the WTCs in 1984. I had hair; it had colour and I'd a thirty-two inch waist. Ho hum.
Those were the days my friend!..Sigh.
Indeed they were Kathy.
Bit different to today: 35" waist (well almost 36); bald; what remains is grey and there are days I ambulate after the fashion of a ninety year old. Oh bum!
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