Sunday 15th of February Got up this morning early around 6:00am. My brother stayed at the hotel with Mr. Crafts and I last night and had a good laugh about everything under the sun. Today we are head off to Ellis Island after some breakfast at a local dinner on Times Square. Mr. Crafts and I took ten students there for breakfast and they just love the variety of foods that was available to them. Good service also. We then caught the subway to Battery where we walked to the ferry to head off to Ellis Island. Coming through the security search would you believe that Im the only one who got searched, being the only American on the trip (this doesn't add up (-: Anyway we then got through. sitting on the boat I can only think of all the people who came before us to make this country as great as it is. People from all nationalities coming together to form a nation of doers. a nation of achievers. The view of the Statue of Liberty from here is amazing, also of New Jersey and it skyline. Whether is cold but the view and visibility is fantastic. Students are really looking forward to seeing Ellis Island. After that we are going to see the New York Ranger ice hockey team. Ellis Island was really an historic and amazing place. It was amazing to see all the names of people who came to the US from different points around the globe and the impact they had on the cultural landscape. Also it was nice for some of the teachers to check and look up their ancestral roots. The whether was absolutely amazing the whole day.
Here at the New York Rangers hockey game at Madison Square Garden. The game is almost sold out and it is amazing the enthusiasm the knowledge New York fans have for the game. To be honest not knowing the rules the game sort of flowed away from me. Quite a few fights on the floor among the players and the crowd just goes wild when this happens. The arena is really nice and big with plenty of room for people to move around. It is really nice that on all levels if you need or want a drink or food there is always someone walking around to sell you something from drinks to popcorn to hot dogs to corn dogs to ice tea. The entertainment during the breaks really keeps the crowd involves. Everything from highlighting how the players are helping out in the community to a 13 year old young man playing guitar to giving away tickets for up and coming events at the garden. Student also got their free New York Rangers hats as one of the promotions going on at the garden. Spend tonight at the Empire State building.
What a fantastic view at night with all the lights, the buildings such as the GE (General Electric) and the Chrysler building. The New York skyline is to die for and at night is fabulous. Ate at the Hard Rock Cafe which was good. Coming out of the Hard Rock Cafe and seeing all the lights on Times Square with all the animations was really nice. The area was always busy, always even throughout the day. One of the fantastic views for me was seeing Madison Square Garden lit up at night with the huge interactive board. A very good night for the students also. It was nice to hear them say how they wish they could live in the US or at least visit two to three times a year. 16th Monday Well. Where do i start! Woke up nice and early for our regular breakfast retreat to Andrews cafe, this time being accompanied by Ms Lamey and Dr Belliss – our recommendation throughout the trip went down well and we had a lovely breakfast on a beautiful New York morning. After breakfast we walked around 15 blocks with the kids to Central Park for an ice skating session! The backdrop of the Plaza hotel and the 5th Avenue skyline and stunning sunshine was a perfect way to start the day. Unfortunately Jamie hurt his knee on the ice (later diagnosed as a sprained knee and damaged ligaments) which meant a trip to St Luke's hospital up the road – the same hospital where John Lennon was pronounced dead in the 1980's interestingly. Also, we were notified by the ambulance crew that they were the first to arrive at the Hudson river plane crash. After 5 hours and with the help of Ms Harper with the insurance coverage curfuffle, Jamie was discharged – hats off to Jamie for his patience and coping with the obvious pain and disappointment at what had happened – a true SJB great in the making! Our evening culminated in a great meal at Bubba Gump, where the students were quizzed on their knowledge of 'Forrest Gump' – a personal favorite! A great day tinged with disappointment for Jamie but happy at how well he dealt with his injury. Last day tomorrow! Boo hoo!
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