Treks & The City – Episode #1

September 16, 2008

Spam & The City

The island is hardly impressive in a global context, standing a mere 22.96 square miles in area. What lacks in size, however, it makes up for in attitude, erupting from the earth and reaching ferociously for the sky; a Napoleon Complex in metropolis form.

The 'Q' line chugged along that Tuesday morning, surfacing and working its way along the Manhattan Bridge. This ascent from the underground gave me my first daytime glimpse of the majestic island, with corroded Liberty as a backdrop. Simply awe-inspiring. A plunge back into the depths of the earth brought us to 42^nd Street, commonly known as Times Square. An array of lit marquees lines the borders of the "square", announces the latest headlines, financial information, television premieres, and long-running Broadway shows. Armed with a camera and the determination of a tourist, I worked my way from that Newtonian square through Midtown trying to take in as much as possible. We strolled past the Empire State Building, Grand Central and made a quick stop at an authentic deli for a bite to eat. I was amazed to see the New York City Public Library, and frankly felt way too intimidated by it to ever considering studying there. Nearby Bryant Park was a treat, especially for my poor tired feet. As we worked our way through midtown, I was pleasantly surprised to run into St. Vartan Cathedral. I'm looking forward to attending services there soon.

As nightfall approached, I came to terms with the fact that one day simply would not be enough to conquer the island. We proceeded back toward Times Square for a quick meeting with Karen, one of my good friends from Sacramento and the ol' MIND Institute. After some coffee and chatting, Marina and I took leave of Karen to head for the Shubert Theater on 44^th Street to see the highly acclaimed Broadway hit "Monty Python's Spamalot". The show was a delight from beginning to end, infusing that rare brand of humor that only Monty Python can offer. I highly recommend it to all.

Feeling impending fatigue at the conclusion of the show, I headed back to Brooklyn for a night's rest, with the resolve to return to Manhattan the following day and resume my sight-seeing.