My Final Thought on an Exceptional Class (Hint, Hint)

            Where do I begin to explain the best learning experience of my life? Mike and Damian have exposed to me a world that I have never known. I always thought of the city as being an area where Broadway shows take place, expensive foods are on every corner, and where the tree lights up every year. I obviously was wrong, New York City is so much more exciting, fascinating, and mysterious then I ever would have imagined.

            Mike and Damian have taught me that learning does not always need to take place in the class room. I think of it like this; I am in nursing school and in order to reinforce what I learned, I have to do the clinicals. This is kind of the same objective. By seeing, hearing, and learning all at the same time, my brain was challenged even more than sitting and taking a test. They have taught me that New York City is exploding with culture. As I learned from one of our tour guides “wealth is diversity.” I honestly feel that through my encounters with all different people and cultures throughout the city, I will be able to bring that to the clinical field of nursing. This class forces you to have an open mind. If you take the challenge to embrace this experience the long distance walking, weather, and 8 hour day will seem like a piece of cake. So much is going on and there are so many sights to see that the day passes you by in the blink of an eye.

            I would recommend this course to any student that is attending Molloy. Honestly, I feel that it should be made a requirement. The lessons and diversity that is learned can be used in any major or field that you choose. I will be visiting most of these places again one day. I know that I will reminisce on the days of the Gotham Experience and take what I have learned to travel the city subways, streets, and museums. I hope to see everyone around school! Good luck to all the students in the upcoming year! Mike and Damian, I could not thank you enough for such an eye opening experience. Have a great summer : ) !!

Journal #8: immigrant New York

            When I woke up this morning, I was sad because it was our last class together. This experience has been like no other. Just like the previous weeks, Maria and I took the 9:18am train to Penn Station. We sat for our last breakfast together. We then walked around Wal-Mart. Who would have known that a store could be that large in the middle of Penn Station? The rest of the class met us at the meeting point and we were off to our last destinations of New York.

            Our first stop was at Delancy Street, where we stopped in at the Essex Street Market. This market was built in 1940 to house the pushcart peddlers. Mayor Fiorello La Guardia legislated that these push carts be off the streets and eventually the market expanded. The market offers foods of all different tastes: Latino, Jewish, Greek, and upscale urbanite (BG, 123). I was able to buy my Coco nut water so that I would have my healthy electrolytes for the day, and then we were off to the Tenement Museum.

            The Tenement Museum was very interesting. Tenements were built so that the city could maximize its space for the exceeding population. In 1867, the city passed an act where landlords were required to provide fire escapes and to connect toilets to sewers (BG, 122). This was a major movement because it was the beginning of safety law for the people who were living in these buildings. It also helped to clean up the streets because there would not be as much land fill. As we walked up the stairs we were asked to imagine carrying buckets of water and coal.  We were able to walk through actual tenements and get the vibe of what a family had to go through during those times. We learned about the Moore family and the different obstacles they had to face in order to survive. One of their babies died from the toxic milk that was being distributed. We learned that they usually took a shower once a month! Ew! Although this museum was fascinating, it was very hot and humid, and there was no ventilation. Although we were getting the full effect of how the people lived during that time, classmates were becoming sick from the heart.

            The tour ended early because of the heat conditions my classmates were experiencing and we headed next door for some Chinese food. I have had Chinese food plenty of times, but this food was out of this world. The ribs, chicken, rice, and vegetables were cooked to perfection. Damian and Mike have exposed me to a dining experience where you can eat like a king but not have to pay the price. After eating, Liz and I traveled to an Ice cream shop. They only had two types of flavors. I tried honey dew, which was very refreshing on a hot day like today.

            After dessert we met back at the Tenement Museum, where our walking guide was waiting for us. She seemed eager and ready to teach us all about the sights of immigrant New York. We first saw Tammany Hall. We learned about Boss Tweed. Tweed was “convicted for stealing an amount estimated by an aldermen's committee in 1877 at between $25 million and $45 million from New York City taxpayers through political corruption, although later estimates ranged as high as $200 million. Based on the inflation or devaluation rate of the dollar since 1870 of 2.7%, $25–$200 million is between $1 and $8 billion 2010 dollars. He died in the Ludlow Street Jail.” We learned that he had two private chefs in jail and two private rooms. Not too bad for being in jail huh?  He escaped custody at one time, but was bought back to jail where he died. We then walked through China Town. China Town is literally like a piece of China in the middle of the city. I was surprised to find out that “while many Manhattan’s other ethnic enclaves are shrinking or gentrifying, Chinatown is expanding eastward beyond its original boundaries into the Lower East Side and northward into Little Italy (BG, 107).” There were fruits that I have never seen before, writing that was all in Chinese (literally), and the Chinese culture was exploding off of the streets. China town has grown slowly throughout the years. Although the China trade bought many traders from the far east in the late 18^th century, only 150 Chinese had established residence in the last hundred years. We learned about Canal Street and how you could get a great knock off bag for a good price.

            We then made our way past Little Italy. It was amazing to see that one culture transformed to the next in just a couple of blocks. The “Italian population has aged or moved away, and today Little Italy has become a tourist draw, attracting visitor to its cafes, “red sauce” restaurants, and ethnic food stores. We passed the famous Ferrera’s Bakery and heard the crowd cheering about the soccer game that was being played. It was interesting to see Little Italy during the day time. The only other time I have been here was at night when my boyfriend got us lost and we had to WALK all the way back to Penn Station.

            At this point, the class was dismissed unless you wanted to visit Williamsburg. Of course I was going to go. I have always wanted to see the Second hand shops that they have to offer. Williamsburg is in the borough of Brooklyn which offers a verity of art, restaurants, and second hand stores. We stopped at this one store where I was about to buy a Lucella Bag for $26. I learned that they are being sold online for $500. Pretty good find if you ask me. Then we stopped at this cute little Thai Food Restaurant. I ate like a pig, once again, and got the pork thai hero. It was so delicious! To top off our “snack” (hehe) we all got a chocolate cake to share. Oh my goodness I cannot express how the chocolate just melted in your mouth.

After a couple of galleries, we had to say our good byes. It was sad to see everyone go. I have made some great friends in this class and have enjoyed every day. Every Tuesday and Thursday was a different experience and I am thankful I was able to participate in a class, where there is a whole different learning experience. I hope to see everyone around school and could not thank Mike and Damian enough for being the professors they are a teaching me about a whole new world that is in my backyard of Long Island.  

Journal #7: Lower Manhattan and The Captivating Chelsea

            What another beautiful day! Although some of our classes have been hot and rainy, today was not one of those days. I knew that I needed to become mentally prepared today because there were many stops on our list. As having a very large breakfast and buying a phone cover for seven bucks, we headed out with the class to start our adventure.

            Our first stop was St. Paul’s Chapel and Churchyard. “It was built for worshippers, who lived too far uptown to make it down to Wall St (BG, 77).” While other churches became stables, prisons, and hospitals, during the British occupation, St. Paul’s remained a house of God and worship for British Officers. Because of the bucket brigade that carried water from the Hudson, the church survived the fire of 1776, unlike the trinity church (BG, 77). It was amazing to think that I was standing in the same place where George Washington went after his inauguration at federal hall (BG, 77). After 9/11, the World Trade Center Disaster, the church served as a fleeing ground for firemen, police officers, and medical teams. I remember my dad, a captain fireman who was involved with 9/11, telling me about the church. It was one of the few places in the city that “was not covered in sut.” I remember him saying “that day was one of the hardest days of my life. It helped us to come together and morn our fallen brothers.” The interior of the building is striking. It is surrounded with columns and painted with colors of blue, beige and brown (BG, 78). I loved the fact that they had artifacts and writings from 9/11. I feel that it is somewhat of a memorial, other than the waterfalls, that people can go to and reminisce about their loved ones.

            Our next stop was the place where Occupy Wall Street was held. Occupy Wall Street was a movement held by people that began on September 17, 2011. It started in Liberty Square in Manhattan’s Financial District and then spread to places all over the nation. The goal of Occupy Wall Street was “fighting back against the corrosive power of major banks and multinational corporations over the democratic process and the role of Wall Street in creating an economic collapse that has caused the greatest recession in generations.” It was crazy to think that I lived through a movement where the people wanted a voice. People of all ages young and old wanted their voice to be heard and it was. Occupy Wall Street was on the front page newspaper for weeks on end. Wall Street is a small street, which runs between Broadway and the East River. Wall Street gets its name from a wall that ran from river to river during 1653. During Peter Stuyvesant’s term, the wall served as a barrier to protect the Dutch from the British Neighbors (BG, 64).

            Our next stop was the Trinity Church and Churchyard. This placed served as the tomb of Alexander Hamilton. After being in the city for a couple of weeks now, I never knew that so many famous people were buried on the City’s grounds. The church stands “79 feet wide and 166feet long; its tower including the sphere stands 281 feet above the ground: for many years it was the highest point in lower Manhattan (BG, 65).” This class has taught me that Saint Patrick’s is not the only church in the city. There are many famous churches and being a practicing catholic, I hope that one day I will be able to attend a service.

         We continued our Journey through the NY Stock Exchange. It is the world’s largest stock exchange which daily trading values can exceed over $153 billion dollars DAILY. In recent years, certain stocks have plummeted, leaving people in distress over their shares. Gradually, the stocks are coming back up and making a return as NYSE Euronext. This is a fully electronic stock exchange, which is composed of 4 floors, all dedicated to trading.

            We then went into Federal Hall. George Washington took his oath in 1789, on the second floor balcony. The hall was renamed Federal hall in honor of New York’s position as the nation’s capital during that time. Federal Hall was essentially the birth place of American Government. Now it serves as a museum dedicated to our first president and the start to the United States of American. When we walked in, the walls were all white and the style was neoclassical. The ceilings were high, with beautiful chandeliers. It was exciting to think I was standing in a place where George Washington once stood. A man who basically evolved America, once stood in this building and took his oath to be the first president of the United States of America.

            As we ventured on we passed the customs house, where people had to go through when they came to Ellis Island. The wind started to pick up as we made our way through Battery Park. I wish I would have bought a sweater!!! Of course I carry it in my bag all the other days when I did not need it. Battery Parkserved as the world’s first immigrant depot. Before the development of Ellis Island, people from all over Europe would arrive on the sands of the park. I was stunned to find out that such a beautiful park was once situated on filled land. It now includes 23 acres of amazing views and a group of monuments which recall the history of New York’s maritime and history (BG, 46). Although there have been many stories about the Hudson River, it really was appealing. The sky line of the city and the view of the boats would make a great day for touring. As we walked down park there were couples that were reading to each other, music playing, and people sightseeing. It was the essence of New York.

            We eventually made our way to the Irish Hunger Memorial. It was like a piece of Ireland in the middle of the city. It had long grass and rock that really set the tone for the Irish scene. This memorial is “devoted to raising public awareness of the events that led to the "Great Irish Famine and Migration" of 1845-1852. It serves as a reminder to millions of New Yorkers and Americans who proudly trace their heritage to Ireland, of those who were forced to emigrate during one of the most heartbreaking tragedies in the history of the world.” As we learned in high school the Irish were some of the first immigrants to come to America. Some were treated poorly, so it was interesting to see a memorial that was dedicated to the heritage. Because I am a quarter Irish, I think it added to the pleasure of seeing the memorial.

            Our next stop was the Poets house. Readings, workshops, and lectures all take place here. In the words of our tour guide mike “What don’t’ we do, that doesn’t have to do with poetry.”The house is funded by the city, state, federal funds, and ‘”rich ladies at the top of the 4 seasons.” The house has just about 3000 members so far. What is do interesting about this place, is that they will put your work on display. We even got to see a glimpse of Damien’s work! The house started in 1985 by a woman called Elizabeth Cray. She came up with the idea for a great poetry library. With the help of her friend Stanley Coonis, they started the library with 300 books. Now, about 2000 books are donated yearly from all over the country. Every major poet has been through this house. I was very fond of Cummings work. He broke all the rules of literature. He did not like capitalization, he would make a sentence of two words, and parenthesis would start a line. It was like a poet’s puzzle that you had to put together. The other work that I was very fond of was called the between the heart beats, poetry by nurses. These books had hundreds of poems dedicated to patients and nurses in the field.

            Our next Journey was Chelsea! It was once the home of transvestites, prostitutes, and drugs. Now it is a beautifully place which is full of modern art and culture. It “owes its name and approximate boundaries to Captain Thomas Clarke, a retired British soldier who bought a tract of land in 1750 and named the estate after the royal hospital, Chelsea, in London, a refuge for old and disables soldiers (BG, 185). We walked through the Chelsea Market which was composed of Italian, Chinese, and French foods of all sorts. In 1995, the Nabisco factory reopened as the Chelsea Market. The ground floor is full of shops where there is gelato, kitchen supplies, and souvenirs of all kinds (BG, 186). I was upset that we could not spend more time here, but as I stated before this is just a taste of the city life.

            Now it was time for lunch. I ate at this cute diner down the block from the market. The price was reasonable for all the food they gave to you. For $13, I got a cup of soup, chicken wrap, French fries, and a diet coke. Not too bad for the city prices, right?
            After lunch we walked the high line. The high line was built in the mid-19^thcentury. The streets were crowded and dirty. The high line was created in order to fix these problems. In the 1990’s, an advocacy group fought to have the 1.6 miles of line run between west 16^th and west 30^th street (BG, 188). Now it is a beautiful way to travel throughout the area. The garden is unique, there are food vendors, and you can actually look down onto the street while drinking a cup of coffee. Like the central park, it is a small get away from city life.

            From the high line, we walked down to the street to go Gallery Hopping. This was an experience in itself. Cups lying on a box would be considered art. It was funny because people in class would be sitting on the “art” not knowing it could be a piece worth thousands of dollars. It was interesting to see all of the artist’s different methods and ways of creating art. It was a good introduction into the movie that I will be going to see tonight with some people from class and Mike.

            Mike bought us to see a documentary on Marina Abramovic. Her way of art is outrageous, fearless, and captivating, all at the same time. Her method of just looking at one of her fans bought tears to many people’s eyes and eventually was called a master piece. Some of her pieces were so bazar, but she made you understand her reasoning for doing so. I never thought in a thousand years I would enjoy this kind of art, but it actually interests me. After speaking to my mom about it for over an hour when I got home and her looking at me like I had two heads, I realized you have to watch the picture in order to get the true emotion of this wonderful artist.

            What another fabulous day in the city! I’m saddened knowing that it is all going to have to end soon. Between the museums, history, and art, today could not have been any better. This class has been exceeding my expectations and I wish there were more opportunities to learn outside of the classroom.

Journal #6: The Eastside “Este Lado” I think?

            So the sun is out, the birds are chirping, but man is it hot! As Maria and I waited for the train to arrive, we made sure we had enough cold water for the day. I knew it was going to be boiling hot, when I was sweating just standing still. Even though it was going to be a sweaty day, you push on and make the best of it. After breakfast, we made our way over to where the class meets every week. Mike and Damian discussed how we were going to go to Spanish Harlem. Interesting! So after our “hellos” were said and done, we were off!

            Our first stop was the El Museo Del Barrio. From my last encounter with Harlem, I knew not to have any preconceived notions about an area. When I walked into the museum I was in awe. It was up to date, modern, and aimed towards the Hispanic culture. This museum is dedicated to Puerto Rican, Caribbean, and Latin American culture. The museum was founded in 1969 by community activists, teachers, and artists. It was first located in a classroom in a public school, then moved to several store fronts, and finally ended up in its home building (BG, 376). When I walked into the galleries there were art forms of all different kinds. I even watched a movie on this Hispanic man who chewed on tree bark to get the water from inside. It was interesting, definitely opened my eyes to the different methods of art. The museum’s collection includes pre-Columbian artifacts, traditional Caribbean and Latin American arts, 20th century prints, drawings, paintings, sculptures and installations, photography, documentary films, and videos (BG, 377). Surprisingly, I found out that the children who are part of this school also get to show case their art. I feel that this is essential for the community. Children can express their feelings, attitudes, and emotion through all different forms of art. The show case at El Museo Del Barrio helps them to dig deep into inspiration so that their work is “perfect” by the time they want to share it with the public. I can only think of how proud I would be of myself to have one of my pieces show cased as a kid. Now it was time to have a walking tour of Spanish Harlem. We met out tour guide Louis. He was charismatic, captivating, and had so much love for the community he was part of. He started off my saying “Diversity if Wealth.” I could not agree more with him. First we visited the graffiti wall of fame. It was started in 1968 by stingray. Louis explained how it is the folk art of New York. It is part of the world wide culture of Hip Hop. Essentially, graffiti was born here around the same time that Hip Hop evolved out of New York. Louis explained how Italian muralists get paid to do graffiti and New York graffiti artists just want a place to express their passion. He explained how artists usually draw over billboards, such as Cocoa Cola. These artists feel that their art is just as important, if not more important than the message the soda company is trying to convey. There is a sense of inequality for these people who just want their master pieces to be portrayed.

We then learned about Manny Vega. Louis told us that his pieces are seen all over East Harlem. His art is mostly based off of West African Spirituality. He has the up most respect for his African roots. We saw one of Manny Vegas pieces called Julia De Burgos Mural. Julia De Burgos was a poet that was destined to be the greatest poet of the Americas. She was a Puerto Rican nationalist and activist for women’s rights. His art piece magnifies exactly what Julia De Burgos stood for and shows how much respect he has for her. We then saw this dove piece that Manny Vega constructed. It is unique, because people can draw their own doves and put it on the wall. People are able to show how they represent and contribute themselves to the community through this piece. We then walked into their beautiful garden where there was a fountain running. Louis told us that the piece represented fallopian tubes. It was kind of funny, but I guess the artist was showing women pride. They were the most beautiful and unique fallopian tubes I have ever seen (hahahah)!  

We then made our way to the Spirit of East Harlem. This was established in 1974 with the help of Manny Vega. There’s a closeness that is represented in the picture, because there is so many people is such a small amount of space. Louis explained how culture can be passed down as simple as just sitting on the stoop. There is a piece of the picture with older brothers and younger sisters. Family had to fend for one another. This piece truly captivated what the vibe of East Harlem truly was. Louis then bought us to a gallery where we could see pictures of gang life and how corrupt the city could be. Before entering the gallery, he narrated one of his own poems. The passion he had in his voice and the words he spoke were inspirational.  When I entered the room of pictures, I was amazed.

There were pictures of drug deals, fathers teaching their babies how to use a gun, and tattoos of all kinds. It’s crazy to think that these types of events still take place. We ended the tour at this little herbal shop owned by Jorge Vargas. He explained how he has been on 104^th street since 1954. When I looked around I saw old fashioned remedies, medicines, and scents to heal the sick. He explained how all of the remedies are based off his culture. Jorge is trying to base his shop off of pure culture but it is getting hard as the years pass. Because of the event that took place on 9/11, he can no longer import goods from his home country. As for Gentrification of East Harlem, he stated they would have to physically carry him out of his store. The community has been so good to him, he would never close. At this point the tour had ended and we said our good byes to Louis. I would definitely recommend taking a tour with him. His passion for the community makes it that much better!   

            At this point, it was lunch time. I was so excited for Mexican! I absolutely love Mexican food. So Dan, Maria, and I all headed down to the corner to grab a bite to eat at this cute little Mexican place. The steak burrito was to die for. The burritos were the size of a small baby! The guacamole, salsa, and beans were made to perfection. For eights dollars, you left with a full tummy and a smile on your face!

            Our next stop was the Museum of the City of New York. This was a place where exhibitions were displayed that showed the city’s history from as early as the Dutch Colonial to the present time. The museum was founded in 1923 and contains more than 3 million artifacts (BG, 376).  We then were able to watch a movie that gives a summary of the city’s development through the years. The movie starts out by saying “Our streets are calendars, continuing who we were and who we will be next.” That statement could not be truer. As we talk to more and more people in the community, they always express how they became the people they are because of their community. After the movie, I went into a room where I saw the different designs of a living room through different time periods. The “period rooms recreate interiors from the homes of prominent New Yorkers, notably John D. Rockefeller Sr. (BG, 376).”

 Before I left the museum, I went into Activist New York. This room explores the activism of New York City from the 17^th century to present time. I thought the activism on the mosque being built near the World Trade Center site was interesting. It was fascinating to see activism during the 2000’s. Because 9/11 is so dear to my heart, I liked to read up on both views and see what is being done these days to resolve these disputes. One day I would like to come back and visit the toy collection. There are over “100,000 dolls, books, soldiers, trains, boats, and puppets from the colonial period to the present time (BG, 376).”

            Now it was time to walk through the Conservatory gardens, through central park. This part of the park is split up into 3 smaller gardens. Each has a very individual style: French, Italian and English. The Conservatory Garden is an “officially designated Quiet Zone and offers a calm and colorful setting for a leisurely stroll, and intimate wedding, or an escape with a good book.”  The park was scenic. It looked like a picture out of a book, it was gorgeous. My feet were burning by this time, but you have to suck it up and keep walking. Just like the rain, the heat was not going to stop me from getting all that I wanted out of this trip.  

            When I heard that we would be vising the Five Pointz Graffiti Park, I immediately became excited. People from all over the world come and create their master pieces on 200,000 square feet of building. Mike explained to us how artists can come and paint over one another’s pieces. I thought that was kind of sad and wished that there was another place that graffiti artists can display their work. Mike also told us that the building they “create” on is up for sale. I can only hope that a person who approves of Five Pointz will buy it. There is so much history and creativity within this building, I can’t see it going to waste. This park has changed my entire perception of what graffiti is. I always thought graffiti was just a sign of what gang a person belonged to. This park taught me that graffiti is a form of art, expression, and ultimately a talent that people acquire. I can only pray that this park will stay open for many years to come.

            We then made our way to Long Island City! Once a place of factories and garbage, it has now evolved into a focal point for modern art (BG, 495). We saw condos that are going for millions of dollars and the pier was absolutely stunning. There was music playing, people dancing, and it was overall an entertaining experience. At one point in time it was a loading dock, now it has evolved into one of the most vibrant part of queens!

            I had an absolute BLAST today! I did more in the city today, then I ever did in my life time. We adventured, explored, and most of all were educated about what East Harlem has to offer. As the weeks progress, I want to take in all that the city has to offer. I know now more than ever, that you never stop learning with the city. Every step you take there is another site, sculpture, or building to learn about!