Nathan's Insights

Thursday 30 December 1999
Highlights: New Year’s Eve ‘Late Show with David Letterman, Native American Indian Museum.

Started off the day by visiting the Native American Indian Museum.  The museum is setup from the perspective of the Indian’s themselves which is very unusual and very cool.  Native American’s explained why the various items are important as well as the more traditional Museum experts.

But the coolest part of the day and indeed our time in New York City was attending the special New Year’s Eve taping of the ‘Late Show with David Letterman‘ that started at 8 pm.  They shoot the show a day early so everyone can be in Times Square etc on the actual New Year’s Eve.

Special guests included James Earl Jones and the major Rudolf Giuliani.  The night was amazing, watching the voice of Darth Vader himself, seeing Dave Letterman lose his cool of camera when a joke about the Collect with a cross to Greenland didn’t work, and the energy of the crowd.  And it was all free thanks to sneaky approach to a trivia contest 🙂

Wednesday 29 December 1999
Highlights: New York Library, winning tickets to the David Letterman New Year’s Eve show

We got tickets to the ‘David Letterman‘ show and not any show but the New Year’s Eve special show!!!  CBS were running a competition for this show and they asked Jon several trivia questions about the show which he didn’t know.  So today we went to the New York Library to access the Internet and looked up the answers, cheating maybe but I like to think it showed initiative 🙂

So the CBS representative asked several questions but one was different which we didn’t know but he gave us a second chance and we nailed the rest of the questions.  So we were very lucky, normally it takes 6 months to get tickets.

Then it was back to fantastic New York Library to admire the architecture and send emails home asking everyone back home to watch and tape the show.  The New York Library building is magnificent and the book collections seemed endless, imagine living here and having access to all of this, generous 🙂

Tuesday 28 December 1999
Highlights: Greenwich Village

I now officially have a cold, how bad?  I guess the next few days will tell.  I slept in to about 10.15 am and woke with a headache, not a great start to a day.

Dragging myself out into the elements we did a walking tour of Greenwich Village  which has many historical sites including Washington Square which is featured in the ‘Friends’ opening titles.

We also walked around the East Village which has many early examples of 1800s apartments.

We having been hoping to visit the ‘David Letterman‘ show during a tapping but so far no luck.  The current plan for tomorrow is to visit Atlantic City and try again for the ‘David Letterman’ show.

Monday 27 December 1999
Highlights: UN Security Council, ‘Chicago’ (the musical).

We got up early to get the ‘rush’ theatre tickets which ended up costing us $20 each offering a partial/limited view of ‘Chicago’. New York City was once again very cold today, I’d be amazed if I don’t get sick.

We spent most of the day checking out more of the Downtown area in particular the famous NYC Marcy’s store. I forgot to mention in yesterday’s journal entry about visiting the Empire State Building.  The views are speculator from the 86th floor.  Viewing the city from the balcony was both amazing and freezing 🙂 We also visited the United Nations complex and undertook a tour which was surprisingly impressive.  I got to walk inside the Security Council Chambers which are normally shut as unfortunately the Council is usually sitting due to some crisis or another.

We finished today watching the musical ‘Chicago’ which was brilliant even if I took a while to get into it.  Partial view still allowed 90% view of the stage plus I got to see some of the actors offstage preparing, so well worth the $20 cost.

Sunday 26 December 1999
Highlights: A night of Improv Comedy

Went out to try and find cheap Broadway tickets but prices had actually doubled for the holiday period / millennium. We are going to try and get ‘rush’ tickets tomorrow, basically returned tickets for a same day viewing in the worst seats but hey I’m a backpacker so anything will be great.

Paid a visit to Yankee Stadium hoping to visit the museum or walking around inside but it is totally closed in winter. A lesson for better planning next time.

At night we went to see an off-off-Broadway show (definition is 100 or less seats). The performance was call Sunday Comedy Improv (for improvisation) which is an interactive performance with the audience. Great fun, especially the first half when the audience involvement was at it’s highest.

Saturday 25 December 1999
Highlights: Traditional American Christmas Dinner

Christmas Day 1999 and my first ever away from my family, I wonder how many times I’ll be away from family and friends for future Christmas Days (well I had Jon here this Christmas). It felt very un-Christmas like with no presents, no hot sunny day and no family. I was hoping for it to snow, but no luck 😦

Almost everything is closed on Christmas Day but that doesn’t stop a walk around Central Park. We walked around 40 streets and saw the occasion jobber in the minus 4 degree day. Got a couple of photos of frozen water, why couldn’t it have snowed, that’s an experience I really want.

Back at the Hostel I had a traditional (apparently) Christmas Dinner of turkey (American’s must hate turkey’s eating them all the time!) an mashed potatoes with other hostel guests and a few locals. Definitely felt a little home sick today.

The news again focused on terrorists blowing up Times Square. Definitely a lot of anti-government people in USA. I’m not sure it’s a good idea they all have guns and a deep dislike of authority figures at the same time.

Friday 24 December 1999
Highlights: Rest Day, New York City Library

Christmas Eve was a necessary rest and cleaning clothes day hanging out at the YHA New York City Hostel.

Watching television it became very clear that people are becoming increasingly worried about terrorist acts in Times Square for New Year’s Eve. Talk that some local terrorists were caught near the Canadian border.

We did venture out and visit the Empire State Building only to find it closed early for Christmas. A visit to the New York Library for free internet access also allowed us to experience this magnificent building, book collections and displays.

Spoke to everyone back at home since it is Christmas already for them. Surprised to find Kara is now going out with Jason who was a topic of discussion back in New Zealand when Kara was with us. Lana and Kara were keen for a call accepting reverse charge calls. Work related message was my promotion was being held up with appeals. Earliest it will be finalised will be January, hopefully I won’t have to return home and front the appeals panel, while overseas I have a great excuse!.

Thursday 23 December 1999
Highlights: State of Liberty, Ice-Skating at Rockefeller Centre

Today I got to climb the Statue of Liberty. We had to get up very early to ensure access but given we were in a room with 12 others sleeping in wasn’t really an option anyway 🙂

While the view from the top of the Statue is not really worth the 2 hours it takes to get to the top (big crowds) since the head faces the ocean, the view from the base is outstanding. I think I got some good photos but even better memories.

Later while walking around Chinatown and little Italy I realised you can literally buy anything here, including videos to movies that haven’t even been released yet!

Next up was a visit to Rockefeller Centre in Midtown to watch the public ice-skating which is awesome public event. Then it was onto Times Square. It’s hard to describe the overwhelming lights, smells and mass of people. Should be an amazing New Year’s Eve in a few days.