Thanksgiving Trip - Part 1: Buffalo

I only worked one full week - 5 business days - in the month of November. The first five days of November were all work days. But, the second week of November saw Thursday and Friday off for Veteran's Day and Furlough Day, respectively. Then, the third week I left for NY on Thursday, November 18, where I stayed until Thanksgiving Day...kids now get the whole week off for Thanksgiving, so I wasn't ditching. "Not like in my day..." when only the day of Thanksgiving and Friday were given as vacation. Yes, November was great. The following series of posts over the next several days will document the awesome Thanksgiving week I had.

BUFFALO - 11/18-11/20:
I flew to Buffalo on Thursday and on Friday I met some incredible Doctors and Support Staff at the Women's and Children's Hospital of Buffalo - the only free-standing Children's Hospital in the region. It was an amazing place doing incredible work for the region's little people. I was most impressed by how kind every person was. It wasn't the fake "I'm tired but I will smile for you" kind - it was a genuine, welcoming kindness that made me feel wonderful to be there. After the interview, I was spending the night in Buffalo and had all afternoon to do something. So, with a potential future Residency colleague, we took the awesome advice of a Holiday Inn Buffalo Downtown employee to take the city bus to Niagara Falls. Forty-five minutes and $4 (the cost of an unlimited bus/rail day pass) later, we were dropped off in front of a huge Casino on the American side of the Falls. It was a pretty cold evening, so we got our obligatory Starbucks (thank God!) and walked the 10 minutes to Falls park. It would have been another 10 minute walk to the actual Falls, but we serendipitously came across a free trolley bus that made rounds around the park. It wasn't the walk we minded, it was the cold, so we got in the trolley. Three minutes later we were gazing at the top of the main falls - we couldn't really see the bottom of the falls because from our angle it was hard to see the inlet and there was a TON of mist...which at one point began blowing toward us and forced a quick retreat. But as always, the Falls are a majestic and amazing place to see - God's beautiful Hand in creation can't be denied here. We took the bus back to the hotel and about 60 minutes later, were seated at the Anchor Bar, anticipating our Buffalo Wings at the original restaurant that created the popular comfort food. It was yummy and a great way to cap an amazing time in Buffalo.

HOTEL: Holiday Inn, Downtown Buffalo. Residency Interview Rate $93.

• PROs: Excellent location, awesome staff, free airport and local area shuttle.
• CONs: Room decor and furniture is pretty outdated and shows wear. Housekeeping did an OK job, but there was definitely areas that hadn't been cleaned in a long time, both in the room and in public spaces.
• OVERALL GRADE: B
• Would I recommend this hotel to family and friends? Absolutely!

TRANSPORT: United Airlines (FAT thru SFO thru IAD to BUF)
I have to give United some MAJOR positive reviews here. I flew them to NY last week and back to FAT yesterday. I don’t know why all the United bashing goes on. I was supremely impressed! Every single employee I encountered was pleasant. Granted, every one of my flights left on time and arrived on time, if not a few to several minutes early. So I didn’t get to see them during irregular ops, but since the majority of the time they operate normal ops, they are doing a great job. The ticketing agents came up to help even at the kiosks. The gate agents did a great job of announcing up to the flights and every flight was boarded in a very orderly fashion so we didn’t have to all crowd around. And during the flight, I had some very kind, smiling, and overall pleasant and helpful flight attendants. I was blown away – United deserves some recognition for running a great operation. In fact, I am now seeking out United flights rather than trying to avoid them like the plague; they really made a great impression on me during this last trip.
Seating Tip: I got the sense that United is boarding its flights where those with window seats are in the higher boarding levels and those with aisles board toward the end, regardless of where in the plane your seat is located. So, if you want to make sure you are one of the first to board so you will have space in the bins for your luggage, choose a window seat. Otherwise, especially during the Holidays when it sounds like flights are going full, you may end up separated from any luggage that can't fit under the seat in front of you.

Stay Tuned! Coming Up in Future Installments:

• Thanksgiving Trip 2010 - Part 2: Rochester
• Thanksgiving Trip 2010 - Part 3: NYC

We Will NOT Be Deterred

There are those among us in this world who hate us. It is a powerful word that every religion (almost) vehemently argues against, but yet, here we are with news of another possible terrorist attack. And it is in one of my favorite spots, Times Square.

I just received a text from NK asking if I was OK. I hadn't thought about it until he texted and then I realized that I am really, ridiculously, outrageously ANGRY. How dare someone be so awfully selfish as to think it OK to attempt to kill what could have been 100s or 1000s of people. Whether this is a homegrown terrorist or one from another country, if you are so pissed off at America and what we stand for, then please do us all a favor - either take a gun to your own head, or if you are too cowardly (which I suspect you are) to finish your own damn self off, then do us all a favor and move to a faraway place and be a hermit. But LEAVE US ALONE.

I love hanging out in Times Square. I'm there often and by the Grace of God this bomb did not detonate. But the mental stress is still there for the very reason that this could happen and it is totally fathomable that I could be there. But let's be clear: you cowardly terrorists will NOT deter us. We will hunt you all down and protect the freedoms that we have successfully fought to protect for over 2 centuries. And while we hunt you down, we will continue to live our God blessed lives to the fullest possible, appreciating all the gifts that God has bestowed upon us, not least of which is the freedom to go to Times Square.

Quickies: Where, What, When, Who

1. Where Have You Been?
I apologize for the lengthy wait between posts. Lately, I have just felt more enjoyment from spending all day at the hospital learning and then going to Manhattan and exploring, versus sitting inside and reading or typing up a blog. When you have no idea what the next steps in your life will be, it somehow puts all the wonderful "here and now" moments into clearer focus and you try to embrace and enjoy every moment. In other words, when you have finally stopped thinking 5-10 years into the future, what's happening now - right now - finally can fill your brain. And quite frankly, it is amazing how much of our lives we miss when we are constantly filling up our heads with what we will do next. I imagine this is what happens to a person when they receive devastating news about their health. Granted, in my case the issue is nowhere near as serious or grave, but the benefits are tangible nonetheless.

2. Where Are You Going?
OK, I suppose answering this question is fair, at least for the very short-term. I return to Fresno on May 12, arriving at 945pm on American Airlines (of course!) I become somewhat of a recluse for 6-8 weeks, retaking my USMLE Step 2 exam sometime in late June. I emerge victorious, and finally claim the title of Doctor (MD) and go celebrate somewhere. Vegas? DisneyWorld? Rome? That can be decided later by the folks who will inevitably (hopefully?) join me in my celebration. You know who you are. And then, I either, 1) find a job doing research for a year and try to Match into a residency position again, or 2) find a job doing research for half a year and enter a residency position mid-year if anything opens up, or 3) I sleep in every day for a year, get a part time job with American Airlines and travel the world in my free time. Point is, I don't know what comes after passing the exam, so please don't ask. The Armenian phrase for I don't know is "chem keeder" - embrace the phrase "I don't know" because sometimes it is truly the best answer.

3. What Have You Been Doing?
NYC is an amazing place to explore. Here are some more great places I have seen (as much as I can remember, since it HAS been awhile since my last post!)

• Broadway: Been to Jersey Boys (which I felt basically took a $20 CD of music by the Four Seasons and recast it into a $60 minimum ticket "show" - in other words, didn't like it). Also been to La Cage aux Foilles (like the movie The Birdcage, this show is hilarious. It involves the audience - if you get a orchestra seat - and keeps you laughing the whole way. A must see!)
• Eats: NYC is up there with the gastronomic greats of the world. And I'm quite convinced it has no parallel when it comes to the diversity of eats available. We have had brunch at a restaurant run by Tom Collichio (the dude from Top Chef), Balthazar's for Brunch is also an amazing place that must be savored (and you should TRY to RSVP for weekend's otherwise you have at least a one hour wait). Some of my other favorites include Karam (a place NK's brother, AK, also loves) - the Lebanese owners of this place make Kebab and hummus and tabouleh as close to the way my family makes it as I have found. The irony is that I love treating myself to Tabouleh ($5) every now and again - but I joke that when I get home, the QUEEN of Tabouleh (my mom) will make it everyday and I will again grow tired of it :)
• Parks: What NYC lacks throughout the city (trees, greenery, open space), it makes up for in some pretty amazing parks. The most well-known and possibly largest of these is Central Park. Every time I go there I discover something new! But when the weather is nice, there is a big green lawn that many New Yorkers love to go lay out on, play some soccer or frisbee or football, and rid themselves of the NYC "tan" (that amazing whiteness that Hanes does well in t-shirts, but should not be the color of human skin!) Indeed, there was a day a couple weeks ago when the temperature hit 87 degrees. Yes, I had the unfortunate case of gastroenteritis that day and couldn't go to work. The only problem was, I didn't plan on my newly acquired tan giving me away the next day.
• Subways: A whole year's salary (when I finally earn one again) says that I will get into your car in California and within the first 5-10 minutes, make one of the new automated subway announcements that you hear on the trains here. "This is a Northeast Fresno bound 1 Express train. The next stop is, my house. Stand clear of the closing doors, please. Ding-dong." Embrace it, it is one of the quirks you all love about me. (And note, this is not a real bet - no I will not give anyone a whole year's salary. Ever.)
  
• School: Even though this blog post makes it seem like I am gallivanting around the city all the time, the truth is that the majority of my time is spent in the hospital. Actually, this should be past tense. I just finished my Neurology rotation in Staten Island - it was up there as one of the rotations I enjoyed quite a bit because the Attendings were totally focused on education and helping us learn the nuances of Neurology. Now I have two weeks of Dermatology at Brooklyn Hospital. I finish on May 7 with rotations. In other words, the only hurdle left between me and my MD is passing Step 2. And that will happen very soon.

I'm sure there are things I have forgotten, but this post should keep you all happy for a little bit. And by you all, I imagine the 4 of you who check everyday, multiple times a day - thank you :)

See you all on May 12.

Boo to You: Salvation Army

I am introducing a new Blog Award. I am calling it the "Boo To You: Big Thumbs Down" Award. I have created this award now in response to a mind-boggling refusal by the Salvation Army to accept my basically brand new full-size mattress and box spring.

Perhaps somebody who reads this blog has ties to the Salvation Army or knows why they have some of these fairly asinine policies...because the agent on the phone with me couldn't be bothered to explain.

Here's what happened: I will no longer be living in NYC, therefore had to get rid of my bed. I tried selling on Craigslist (something that I was ultimately able to do), but at first no responses to my ad got me a bit nervous. So, I called Salvation Army. I told them I had a full size mattress and box spring that I had purchased new 9 months ago and I wanted to donate it. His response: "you don't have a frame?" No, I don't. "Then we won't accept it."

EXCUSE ME?!?! Funny, my ass was able to sleep on the bed just fine for the last nine months without a frame.

Refused.

Dude, you can just go buy a $30 frame from Sears and give a family in need the opportunity to get a perfectly fine bed!!

Denied.

WHAT?! Who comes up with this stuff? This is downright STUPID!

Therefore, for refusing to accept a great, comfortable, clean, and awesome bed that a family in need could have absolutely used, the Salvation Army has earned itself a big, FAT thumbs down and BOOOO to you!!

End of An Era

Friday was a very giddy day for me - it was the last day I have to arrive to the hospital for 6am start time!!! Yes, that's right, starting on Monday, I don't have to be at the hospital until 8am!! Why? Because I start the Burn Unit on Monday, an experience that by all previous accounts will be both amazing, humbling and very rewarding.

And while I'm of course excited to learn a lot in the Burn Unit, it really comes down to this: 2 MORE HOURS OF SLEEP YO!!!

Everyone be aware: I will be much happier for the rest of the Surgery rotation.

Oh and one more thing: For all those who received a very holly, jolly, laugh out loud happy call from me last night in celebration of the end of 6am wake up time for at least a few weeks, please know that you likededed it.

Pictures Are In!!!

HELLO ROOM 15!!!!!!!!!

How are my faaaaaaaaavorite 3rd and 2nd graders doing? I miss you guys! And I must ask you to forgive me for taking so long to add the promised updates - specifically, my pictures! I am currently rotating through Surgery and that means I have to be at work by 6 am and usually don't finish before five or six at night. Plus, I couldn't find the wire that connects my Blackberry phone to the computer. But, I finally found it this morning (at 545am before I leave for the airport) and wanted to post the pictures before I left! I hope you enjoy them.

Quick POINTS OPPORTUNITY: 100 points to the group who can find the answer to the following Surgery question: Where is your appendix found? What do we do if your appendix gets inflamed?

I heard one of the groups found the answer to the Empire State Building question! Congratulations!

REMEMBER: You guys are awesome and I can't wait to see all the amazing things you all will accomplish! Have a GREAT day in school!

Cheers, Hovig (Mr. A)

PICTURE LEGEND:
(Click on the pictures to enlarge them)
1 and 2: My FAVORITE toy store in America - this place is HUGE guys!
3: This is the Tiffany's store that Mrs. and Ms. A have often spoke about. Guys - stay away!
4: A huge skyscraper for you guys! There are TONS of them in NYC.
5: Me in the subway with a subway map behind me.
6: NYC skyline with big skyscrapers at night from the Staten Island ferry. (50 points: What is a ferry?)
7: Famous NYC Hot Dog Vendor.
8: Me at Bryant Park on a beautiful day with a skyscraper behind me.
9: Picture of a bridge and skyline while I was on a subway on another bridge.
10: From my DC trip - the Cherry Blossom Festival. (50 points: What monument is behind me in the picture?)

Guest Post - On Easter

Last week was Easter and my good friend NK and I went to the Church together. We had the opportunity to celebrate Easter at St. Vartan Cathedral in Manhattan. And by 10am there were already more people in the pews than in ALL the weeks we have been going there previously...combined! But alas, we celebrated the Divine Liturgy and felt closer to God. But, in the process, NK and I aren't exactly known for always behaving. Below are snippets from our conversations - always quiet enough not to disturb those around us, but always just slightly challenging to step over the line. NK is the one who remembers all these quotes - I forget them as I'm saying them. He actually published this post - you can check out this and other great posts of his by clicking here. Otherwise, I have copied/pasted his post below for your enjoyment. And believe me, you will enjoy them.

The title of the post was:

Christ is Risen! (or why H.A. and I can't sit next to each other at church)

1. The Universe's Most Reliable Network

(as the choir is rushing through a hymn of praise to the Holy Spirit)

NK: Oh, I forgot that the Holy Spirit isn’t as important, that’s why the choir rushes through this one

H.A.: The Holy Spirit is on a 3G network

2. Only Time Will Tell

(text message sent to H.A. during services...mind you, HA was sitting right next to NK)

Some 852 yr old bishop is doing the morning reading. We might be here until next Easter.

3. Luke 4:4

(text conversation during services)

H.A.: Where are we eating after Church?

NK: Man does not live on bread alone, but on the very word of God

H.A.: Touche

4. Taking High-Speed To A Whole New Level

(after the reciting of the Nicene Creed)

NK: You know, I would hope that the choir could NOT do our proclamation of faith at 8x speed…you know, so that maybe I could get the words out of my mouth.

HA: (pause) (pause) (pause) Finally thinks of the DVD players on PCs and the "8x" feature and has to choke down an lol-moment.

Trip to Washington DC

I spent the day today in our nation's Capitol and I had an absolutely amazing time. I always feel such a great energy when I walk along the beautiful sidewalks of Washington DC. Such history and such excitement! I had a tour of the DNC by my great friend RK. Then, I walked around the Capitol grounds - it was a gorgeous, sunny day today and I soaked it all up. I also walked by the Supreme Court and all the Senate and Congressional office buildings, where the Senators and Congressman conduct their daily business.

Picture update: Since I recently moved and am currently not home, I am not sure where I put the wire that connects my Blackberry camera to the computer - therefore, pictures of all my travels last week in NYC and this week in DC will be forthcoming. Please be patient!

Just as an update on NYC for my FAVORITE 2nd/3rd graders: I have oodles of pictures of skyscrapers, of the Statue of Liberty, of the Empire State Building, of a hot dog vendor, and of me on the Staten Island Ferry (that is a boat that shuttles folks around).

Skyscrapers and Statues and Vendors...OH MY!!

You know, it is amazing how fast the week passes by when you are just chillin'! It is already Thursday! Here is what I have done so far on my days off:

Monday: Awoke at 11am, went to the gym for two hours, studied for 4 hours, went to dinner with some friends.

Tuesday: Awoke at 10am, went to the gym for two hours, studied for 4 hours, went to dinner with some other friends.

Wednesday: Awoke at 7am, went to the gym for an hour and half, met a friend for lunch from Fresno, studied for three hours, went to dinner with some other friends.

You know, for being somebody who likes to be spontaneous sometimes, I'm sure not proving it! But in my defense, my FAVORITE 2nd/3rd graders didn't give me a list of things they wanted to see until yesterday afternoon. And let me tell you, they came up with some exciting and truly unique things! That being said, I leave for DC on Saturday so there is no way I'm going to be able to get to all the places before I leave, but hopefully as many as I can! Stay tuned to the blog for pictures and story updates on where I go!

OH - and of course, after a week of beautiful temperatures and sun sun sun, today it is overcast and expected to rain. OF COURSE! Therefore, not a good day to visit the top of the Empire State Building - but hopefully the rains will clean up the air today and tomorrow will be sparkly outside for a visit. CLASS - WHO KNOWS: HOW MANY STORIES IS THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING? IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER, WHERE CAN YOU LOOK IT UP??? 100 POINTS TO THE FIRST TEAM TO LOOK UP THE ANSWER!!!

Jasmine - you want to see a skyscraper? There are an incredible amount of them in New York City. In fact, the Empire State Building is a skyscraper! I'll get a picture of a skyscraper up on here soon - it will be one of the first things - stay tuned!

Angelina - no, there is no more snow here at the moment. Although, this being New York, you can never tell if the weather will take one more dip into cold temperatures and dump some more snow on us. But at this point in the season, it is unlikely. What is the temperature like in Fresno now? Warming up, I bet!

Have a great day in class today!!!
And hopefully I'm going to have a great day in NYC today!!

Upcoming Events

I have nothing to do this week. I have finished my 12 week internal medicine rotation and don't start my 12 week surgery rotation until March 30. I still have to study in preparation for my exams, however, I have some free time to relax and enjoy the city!

Here is the current schedule:
March 16 - Relax, Workout, Study
March 17 - Relax, Workout, Study
March 18 - Relax, Workout, Study (see a pattern yet?)
March 19 - Relax, Workout, Study (yet?)
March 20 - Relax, Workout, Study (YET?!)
March 21 - Depart NYC for DC/Baltimore
March 22-29 Relax in DC/Baltimore, Play Games w/Nephews, Workout, Study
March 29 - Celebrate my Nephew's Birthday Party!!! Then depart for NYC
March 30 - Return to NYC

As you can see, I have "Relax" inserted in many spots - so feel free to hit the comments below and send me suggestions of things YOU would want to do if you were in NYC. I will go do them and then post pictures up here. Most especially, if you are my FAVORITE 3rd grade class (hint, hint Mrs. A), think of something fun you would want to do in NYC and I will go take a picture there and post it up here for you guys!

Writer's Block

The past several days, I have been left wondering what to write about. I haven't had any particularly exciting days at the hospital, haven't had any particularly interesting patient cases, and haven't really done any major exploring of the city. I have, by all accounts, had a very routine week! Granted, I'm sleeping on a pull-out sofa while I finish my rotation in Brooklyn, before moving to Staten Island, where I will sleep in my own bed, albeit in the living room. And granted, I do have some awesome views of the city from the hospital, which I absolutely do appreciate.

But nothing exciting - no pizazz. My life is currently, well, pretty routine and average.

It is quite possible that I'm missing something. Therefore, if any of you have a particular request for what you want to read about, hit the comments section below and let me know. I'd be happy to oblige. But if not, then I will continue to merrily go through the week, in my skip-hop way, blissfully enjoying my time in NYC...though not doing anything of note.

Urgent - Delete My Mailing Address

The time has come - I am moving out of my apartment in Queens to a friend's apartment in Staten Island. Therefore, please remember to delete my current address in Queens out of your address book.

Go ahead. Do it now.

NOW!

And no, I will not give you my "new" address in Staten Island - I will only be there for three months. Send stuff to my California address and I will get it in a few months or if it is urgent, my mother will forward it to me.

HEY YOU! I said DELETE!!!!
Thank you.

Chocolate - Oh, So Much Chocolate!!!!

Last week I got a pretty big taste of what heaven will be like, God willing I make it!

My good friend S.A. invited me to a "great place for dessert in Brooklyn." Really, she could have brought together any number of words in a sentence - the mere fact that "dessert" was included as one of the words perked my ears. "Hovig, the world is coming to an end after dessert" suggests to me that I still get to enjoy dessert first!

Anyway, SA took me to a place called The Chocolate Room. That's right - the place is EVERYTHING CHOCOLATE and is absolutely divine. Divine I say!!!

We enjoyed hot chocolate; literally melted chocolate in a glass served warm with a homemade marshmallow! We split a Chocolate Layer cake (pictured) that was quite possibly the most tantalicious and moist and gooey and FRIGGIN' AWESOME chocolate cake I've ever had (disclaimer: I may have made similar statements to some of you when you have baked me a cake - those statements still hold true). We also split a Chocolate mousse with homemade whip cream on top that literally melted in your mouth. We did indeed OD on chocolate.

Truly, truly I say to you - if this is heaven, PLEASE count me in!!!!!!

Akbar! Akbar! It Is 45 Degrees Outside!

In California, 45 degrees translates to the following: "E-gad, it is friggin' freezin'!!!! Get the winter clothes out!"

However, I am not in California. I am in New York - where I have suffered through days when the temperature was a frosty 7 degrees.

Therefore, in NYC, 45 degrees translates to: "PHEW, MAN, it is so stinkin' HOT! Take the coat off, take the sweater off!!!" It is balmy! I really could jump in a pool right now. I've even turned the heater off in my house.

And tomorrow will be 50 degrees. Time to start studying in the park.

HUG EACH OTHER!

They say humans need at least 8-12 hugs per day. And it is true - there is so much value in sharing a hug with a loved one or friend. I believe so much positive and healing energy can flow between two humans sharing a friendly embrace.

Working in a hospital with a bunch of pretty egotistical Doctors can sometimes drain any amount of positive energy you have right out of your system. Nobody says hello or shares a smile or even gives you eye contact as you pass by the hospital halls! This can really make you feel lost and alone. Indeed, being from California where, although obviously not perfect, we are definitely much nicer to each other, it can really start to wear on the soul to feel no love.

Therefore, I hope we will all take a moment today to remember to reach out to one of our friends. Share a smile, call them, LAUGH with them. And better yet, as you pass strangers on the street, acknowledge their existence with a smile and a nod of the head.

And afterwards, share how you felt in the comments section here. We can create our own little "Chicken Soup for the Soul" corner.

HUGS TO YOU ALL!

NYC Sites: The New Year Ball Drop

I continue to "live it up" in NYC - I make it a point to explore different parts of the city every chance I get. It is a great excuse to exercise (since you have to walk everywhere) and also a great excuse to get outside and enjoy being free from the confines of being indoors.

2008 has been quite the year. It is the year I transitioned from a lecture hall to a hospital station. From wearing shorts and polos to wearing shirts/ties with a white coat. From wearing no identification to wearing an ID badge at all times and a stethoscope to boot.

It is also the year that I enjoyed an absolutely stunning view of the ball drop in Times Square, NYC. A friend of a friend of a friend (really, no exaggeration) had gotten a hotel room and welcomed his friends to invite other friends. As such, I had the opportunity (once in a lifetime, really) to catch the ball drop from about the same height as the ball itself! I was warm and cozy, unlike the 1000s gathered outside in about 18 degree weather! And I had easy access to a bathroom, another amenity not available to the peons outside. Life was good in the last few hours of 2008!

A couple observations:
1. The actual ball is NOT huge the way it has seemed for the past 26 years on TV. In fact, it is downright small in person. (It is the tiny little green dot in the picture to the right; it does change colors, which is pretty cool!)
2. The distance the ball drops is NOT that exciting, unlike how it seems on TV. In fact, it is maybe like 15-20 feet.
3. All in all, I would be downright PISSED if I had spent 12 hours standing outside in that sort of cold to see the ball drop. I was quite pleased having spent just 30 (FREEZING) minutes trying to get through the blockades with my friends to get to the hotel to see the ball drop about 3 hours later.

All in all, this is definitely a ONCE in a lifetime experience. Emphasis on ONCE. I'm glad I did it but I certainly wouldn't stand outside in the cold to do it again. But I must admit, it was a great way to ring in the new year.

"Rejoice in Hope, be Patient in tribulation, be Constant in Prayer." Romans 12:12

May 2009 be a year that we all can rejoice in the hope for change that our new President promises, may we learn new and more effective ways to be patient with the things that bother us and we wish we could change, and may we be prayerful always that the Lord bless our lives and the lives of others for the betterment of all.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

NY Sites: More Christmas in the City

Time to share more sites and sounds of Christmas in the City!

1. Christmas Concert at St. Patrick
This was a truly divine concert that showcased some amazing talent. We heard the Long Island Choral Society, the Y Choral Society (a group of heavenly sounding young children and young adults), and the St. Patrick Choir. It was a great and festive way to hear some awesome Christmas music in a great venue for music - St. Patrick's Cathedral! We heard some very traditional and spiritual music as well as getting to sing along with some well-known classics. And at the end, they turned off all the lights and everyone in the Cathedral lit a candle as we sang Silent Night. It was a truly spiritual and moving concert that left us all in great spirits. And as a little Christmas gift for Dianne, an avid reader of this blog, there is a picture of the evening's program - JOY!



2. Gingerbread House Making
One of my friends invited me to attend a Gingerbread House Making Party. There was some crazy talent there! I'm including pictures of what I considered to be the top 2 structures. The clear winner is the picture on the right - a gingerbread house of the Louvre in Paris. In fairness, the Louvre was a group project!

3. Snowing!
I love the snow - it is so calming and purifying. Fresh fallen snow just gives you a feeling of renewal and rejuvenation that is unparalleled by any other natural weather occurrence. Of course, with the snow comes the cold and I'm still using my yellow jacket from California that is fine for California winters, but not so much for NY winters where the HIGH on some days is in the teens (and I've been warned that it will get even colder than that!) But for the moment, I'm enjoying watching the white falling from the sky and covering all the concrete and blacktop that is this city!

NYC Sites: Christmas In New York City

New York City knows how to celebrate holidays. One of the great, perhaps unintended, consequences of the commercialization of Christmas when you live in the consumer capital of the USA (and world) is that stores go ALL OUT to decorate. As a result, everywhere you go in the city is decked out with Christmas stuff. There is Radio City Music Hall, with its big tree of lights caddy corner to 6th avenue and across the street from some giant red Christmas balls adorning the front of another office.

There is the giant Christmas tree in the MetLife building that is attached to Grand Central Terminal. If you are IN Grand Central there is a really cool light display all day long in the grand waiting gallery. There is also a giant Christmas Tree shaped light fixture that scales the front of the Macy's building, made famous for the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade.

And of course, perhaps most famous, is the giant Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Plaza. This tree is HUGE. I visited the sight the day before the actual "lighting" of the tree - it was gorgeous (and not crowded, so I was able to get really close to it!) Apparently, Britney Spears would be performing on the NBC Today show the next morning, so I saw her, also, doing a sound check for the cameras that were getting all set-up for the grand festivities to follow the next day.

BONUS STORY:
The story that follows is a TRUE story that is perhaps one of my best EVER!! This is the story of how I saw the lighting of the tree at Rockefeller Plaza, despite being told that the area was full and there was "not a chance" of seeing it lit.

After work on Wednesday, I arrived home around 7pm. The tree gets lit around 9pm and I was debating whether I would actually go to see it. I figured it would be full and I wouldn't be able to see, but around 730pm I decided to go for it. The tree lights up at 855pm. God must have wanted me to make it because I caught my train immediately and the Express was waiting for me a few stops later! I got to 5th Ave and 53rd St around 815pm. I needed to be at 50th Street, but the Police had blocked off the area because it was full. They were telling people to just come back the next day to see the tree. Being a stubborn individual, I was not deterred. I waited by the barricade because I noticed that people with ID badges for the buildings nearby were being let through. As God would have it, a big group showed up and I basically just entered through with them. Come to find out, they were heading to the building directly next to the Plaza - the one across from St. Patrick's Cathedral with a big dude holding the world in front. I entered into the building with them, also! They went to the 5th Floor, to a brokerage firm that was having a Tree Lighting Holiday Party!! They had enough food and drink to feed a small state like Delaware. And best of all - they had an unobstructed, front row seat, full on view of the tree!!

POINT OF STORY: I got to see the tree lighting for the first time in my life - with front row seats, good food, a glass of wine, and lots of merry people who weren't freezing or all up on you (like the people outside at ground level were!) And it was dazzling. Indeed, the tree itself is just a big tree with lots of lights - not a big deal. But being there for the moment it lights up sent goose bumps up and down my body.

A must see (at least once in your life) when visiting New York City. And an amazing way to start the Christmas season!

NY Sites - The NY Public Library

Most of my free time I spend exploring this absolutely amazing city. It is so exciting and full of energy that I just can't justify spending time at home when I could be outside walking around. You never know when you are going to find something super cool in a nook or cranny of the city!

Therefore, I'm starting a new segment in my blog entitled "NY Sites" where I will chronicle some of the cool places I have had the honor of visiting.

The first site to be chronicled is the NY Public Library located in midtown, near Times Square and Bryant Park. This library is IMMENSE. The actual historic building, from what I could tell, seems to mostly hold exhibits and an absolutely GRAND reading room (see the pic - I couldn't even capture the rows and rows of tables to study at!) The majority of the stacks are located in a separate building located across the street. As you walk up the stairs to the main entrance, the sheer size of the building grabs your attention. NY takes its library seriously! There is an exhibit about the history of the building that I perused and found interesting, but not interesting enough to devote precious brain space away from remembering what blood pressure number is considered borderline versus hypertensive versus hecka serious (obviously not the scientific term).

Every corner of the library is grand and displays the grandeur for which NY is often known. It truly is a great place to spend an hour in if you are just perusing, or the whole day in if you are actually studying. And the best part is that there isn't a deafening silence in the place - there is some mild and quiet noise to keep your eardrums fascinated even as your eyes take in the statues and paintings and enormity of the place. Definitely a must see!

UPDATE: One of my very good friends here in NYC from med school shared this extra tidbit of library trivia in the comments section: The names of the marble lions that guard the entrance-way are Patience (south) and Fortitude (north). They were named by Mayor LaGuardia during the Great Depression, signifying virtues he believed New Yorkers would need in order to weather the economic storm of the time. Thank you to my friend for sharing this!

Next to be chronicled: Stay tuned to see some paintings from Van Gogh that are on display at the Museum of Modern Art in NY. This includes my favorite, the Starry Night!

The Kindness of New Yorkers

New Yorkers get a pretty hard rap from just about everyone else in the country. Sure, there are those who are gruff and difficult to deal with. And yes, some times there are occurrences that would be shrugged off elsewhere, especially California, that turn into full-blown shouting matches here in NYC. And YES, there are moments when people mow you down as you pass them.

But hear me out: the SUBWAY, of all places, has displayed some of the outright kindness and generosity of New Yorkers. One example happened to me. A few years ago, I came up with the bright idea to use the subway to get to the airport...despite having two big bags, a roller carry-on, a back pack and a smaller carry-on. YES I KNOW - DUMB! I realized just how dumb when I got to the first staircase and looked with horror at all the steps rising above me. But, every single time, a perfect stranger would pick up one of the big bags and just take it up the steps. They would not look back for a thank you (which would be the understatement of the moment). They would just do it, almost intuitively, knowing that this city is a hard place for all of us to live in, so doing their little part to make it just a little nicer. It was like God sent an angel down at the moment to help me.

There are other examples:
1. Last week, an elderly gentleman was struggling to get up the stairs because the elevator was broken. Two young men who some might have considered trouble by what they were wearing, stood on either side of him and short of lifting him up, basically lifted him up and to the street.

2. Two weeks ago, a young man who was leaving the train at the same exit as me, noticed an elderly lady digging for her metro pass. She couldn't find it the whole time we were climbing the stairs. So, when we got to the turnstyle, the young man just offered to swipe his own card for the lady. She said she wouldn't accept unless he took the $2 fare. He refused, swiped his card and said it was too late, then started walking away. She yelled thank you after him, he smiled, waved his hand, and that was it.

3. Directions - this one is a pretty constant observation. If you ever look confused at a station, especially bigger ones that cater to tourists regularly, count on a local noticing you from a mile away, coming over and offering help/directions/whatever you need to be on your way. It will blow your mind because it is so unexpected. And for those of us who shy away from asking for help or directions, it is again a Godsend.

I'm sure during the rest of my time in NYC, I will see many more examples of the kindness of New Yorkers. I look forward to sharing them with you all as they happen. In the meantime, remember that Thanksgiving is fast approaching, so stock your fridge now and get the best and biggest Turkeys!!