NYC — Good Friday, Hamlet, and the Night That Never Ended
Today is Good Friday, and we are on our way to NYC to watch Hamlet. The start of the trip was great — I sat with Hugh, with Emma and Jacob beside us. Everything went great until Hugh asked me to use his phone and Jacob opened my journal. From that point on, my digital self is fully exposed and has no privacy. It is crazy how much data we produce online, and maybe Google knows ourselves better than we do, because we try to deceive ourselves into thinking of ourselves better.
For example, we usually wouldn't admit to leaving our suitcase on the train the second the trip officially began. This is just such a silly mistake and it shouldn't happen to any "conscious and rational" person — and most definitely not to me. All I would say is that I had already scheduled my campus visit in Baltimore and everything was definitely within my control, because my original plan was to go to Baltimore anyway.
Sadly, moved by the great company of some BTA friends, I had to give up my original plan and follow them in NYC. Well, not exactly — because I followed Johnson and did not meet the rest of the group until thirty minutes after our planned meeting time. But it was okay. I still got to the World Trade Center in time and just missed the 9/11 memorial and a group photo. It was fine, because I have visited here before and have actually gone up to the World Trade Center, I think. Anyway, Oscar had already started his scorecard of NYC vs. Boston, and NYC just got 10 points for the Strangers Project, where everyone can share their story and write a letter. It is definitely a cool concept, but I wasn't there — because I am an on-time, punctual, and good person, unlike Emma.
We walked around the Brooklyn Bridge. Johnson shared his two "jokes" on NYC and 9/11. They were funny, but not. I can guarantee you, the readers, that Emma definitely laughed and appreciated the jokes. We walked on the bridge for a while, took some photos, and then separated again to find dinner.
This time I was smart. I knew not to follow Johnson again, and I would definitely not be late if I just followed the Belks. And that is what I did. A lime lemon refresher was about $9, not including taxes and tips. We watched the play, and I think most of us really enjoyed it. And of course, Johnson was not included in the group that enjoyed the play. We got back to the hotel around 10:30 and grabbed pizza from a place on the way. The line was literally more than a 20-minute wait, and the pizza was not worth it. It is a really famous pizza restaurant in NYC, though.
And even though it was already 11:30, the day did not end there. Eric and Oscar somehow wanted to bike in NYC, and they told Hugh, who fiercely opposed — unsurprisingly. So Oscar was locked in his room by Hugh, though they were also watching something until 1 or 2. Eric, disappointed, came back to our room and tried to convince Johnson to go with him. He knew it was no use trying to convince me. After 30 minutes of argument, they made a deal: Eric would pay for a hotpot meal to get Johnson to go with him. To clarify, the reason Johnson did not want to go at first was not because it was dangerous, but that it was not fun enough for teenage boys. They went out at 1:00 AM, came back at 2:30 AM, and uploaded their photos to our shared album where everyone could see. They are teenage boys, and this night ended around 3.
The next morning, everyone was a little tired — most people had stayed up late. We got bagels for breakfast, and on the way there I got some great photos. Praise is appreciated as much as possible here. Oscar had French toast, making him the last one to finish breakfast. Interestingly, he was also the last one to come downstairs — his alarm did not ring, and Hugh does not have a phone, so they were also the last ones to meet us.
We walked to the Frick Collection Museum. Oscar discovered that he could enjoy both impressionist and realist artworks, which was totally unexpected. After that, we had boba tea with Hugh and Jacob and made our way back to Penn Station.
Oscar bought a MAGA hat in NYC and actually sold it to Henry Drew for $15. He had Mia wear it. On the way back most people were sleeping, and we played Imposter again.
It was a good trip, at a good place, on Good Friday, with two days of good weather, and good companion with some supposedly "good friends."
