New York City
Tuesday we slept in, relaxed, watched an episode from the new season of Arrested Development on Martin’s projector, and made meatloaf with the tasty leftovers from the BBQ the night before.
Wednesday we ventured out to Manhattan with Park and Kadin, attempted to go see a MoMA exhibit called Rain Room but there was a five plus hour wait, yikes! instead we went on a shopping spree with Mitch’s birthday cash and he got great deals on a much needed summer wardrobe. After we wandered the streets to Union Square, and took a load off at Maura’s apartment. When she got home she treated us to a soft served fruit dessert that looks like ice cream but is made with only fruit, water and sugar and loads of fun toppings. It was devine, like a puréed banana with cookie crumble and hot chocolate sauce!
On Thursday we woke up early to surprise Park with birthday breakfast in bed. Ventured into Williamsburg to get Mitch a hair cut. Discovered the hippest joint, Manetamed, where we found out his stylist just got back from a business trip to LA to style the models’ hair of this years Calvin Klein campaign. Jumped the ferry to Staten Island and saw the Statue of Liberty. Walked to Maura’s work for an office tour, before heading uptown for birthday drinks at her social club. Met up with the remaining siblings for a delicious Indian feast with the best chai tea I have ever had!
Our last full day in New York, we walked around Brooklyn and stopped at Pies and Thighs for brunch. Took the subway into Manhattan and met up with Maura, Kadin and Park. Watched Maura and her friend Evan choreograph the hip hop routine they will teach to their dance class on Sunday. Then we headed toward Chelsea on an adventure of a lifetime, Park’s surprise birthday gift for the big 21, tickets to the immersive theater production of Sleep No More. Our taxi pulled up outside an old brick warehouse where we waited in a line along the sidewalk, Martin and Kristine joined us. Soon we were escorted in to a dimly lit foyer. At the coat check every purse and coat had to be relinquished. We were then given a room key to the “hotel” and shuffled down a dark, narrow, winding hallway through a door and then poof we appeared in a 1930s style speakeasy; jazz music, Charleston dresses, and waitresses offering apothecary mixed drinks. Shortly our room key numbers were called, we entered an elevator and were handed masks (creepy white masks with duck bills) up the dark elevator we went at each floor a few people shuffled off before the bell boy would stop others and drop them at different levels, an independent experience we were to behold, no talking, keep the mask on at all times, and fortune favors the bold. Off the elevator, my heart quickened and my mask was moist with sweat on my face as I entered into an experience like none other. Six floors of “stage” this theater immersed its “masked bystanders” into the experience, the actors interact with you as they perform Shakespeare’s MacBeth in a manner of dance instead of dialog, throughout the elaborately decorated rooms of the set. A profound musical sound track, lots of blood and death, sex and nudity, gorgeous costumes, awesome choreography , and perfectly creepy set design; I will leave it at that with hopes you will go someday and experience it for yourself, but for a bit more info check out Freakonomics “fear thy nature” podcast. After three hours of insane stimulation we found ourselves again, on a beautifully decorated roof top with climbing foliage and starry lights, city scape surrounding us. Shared fancy drinks with a few of Maura’s good friends who met up after the show. For the next four hours before bed and at length again in the morning we all shared our experiences, processing the thrilling night we had had!
