After the Gyro Place, we headed over to this beer garden. It was packed, but it was so great and a pitcher of beer (a good kind, not like Miller Lite or something!) was only $14.00! It was a great experience and is the only original beer garden still open in NYC and it is right down the street!
So, I loved our Friday night date! We started at the Gyro Place where I had one of the best gryo’s I’ve ever had. :) I had the beef gyro and Michael had the Chicken Souvlaki sandwich which he was equally happy with. The fries there were great too!!! Imagine McDonald’s fries totally fresh and seasoned with fresh salt and pepper! It was great and the people there were so friendly. I will definitely be going back soon.
YES, okay, it is about that time again. I’ve joined a league in NYC..had to tryout and everything..they are serious here, and that is good news after spending several years in a state (NC) where VB is no more than a recreational hobby. I tried out and made a division 3 team, WHOOOOHOOO, and my games start this week for the summer season. Wish me luck!
While walking home from the UN Building this week, I happened upon the Ford Foundation building. It looked like just another building, but then I saw a sign in the door and window that said “Garden open” and I turned around and went back to see what was going on in there!
And I am glad I did! It was a beautiful garden with water and trees and a sitting area, in the middle of the building! It was airconditioned (which was nice as it was VERY hot that day) and all the offices had windows that were built to open to the garden. It was a lovely little treat. One thing that was really cool was that all the rain water is collected in a cistern from the roof and that is what the gardeners use to maintain the gardens! What an innovative, green idea!
On Thursday, I took off for the day to visit the UN building. Although I forgot my camera, it was a great experience and one I will remember. (And because I live here now, I can go back anytime and take pictures.)
The is a great photo exhibit in the lobby that portrays what is going on in different places around the world: the wars, the bloodshed, etc. The exhibit is quite graphic and many people stood in front of one picture at a time for a very long period of time in deep thought.
One exhibit, called body mapping particularly caught my eye. Women with HIV from around the world, but mainly Africa, participated in this workshop where they created “body maps” via artistic expression theat helped them begin the process of coming to terms with the reality of HIV and any discrimination or stigma that they have experienced.
I actually loved the idea and I am going to modify it and open my year with it this year in Spanish Harlem. Students will be creating body maps using words, symbols, and pictures that portray influences in their lives that have shaped them into who they are today. These influences should depict both the negative and the positive aspects, as well as hobbies, health, and life goals. I think it will be a great way to get to know the kids!
Now that I officially live here, I have taken up biking the city with my boyfriend, and it sure is fun!
We have biked Governor’s Island (you must get there on the ferry, bikes are allowed!), we have biked Manhattan and Central Park, we have biked the Hudson Valley River area (which is absolutely gorgeous), and we have biked the East Side and Midtown.
It has been a wonderful experience and a great way to see the city. You should try it where ever you live! We pack up a lunch and plenty of water in the morning, attach our helmets and back packs securely and leave for the day! I highly recommend it! It is a great form of exercise too. 
Don’t waste your time watching this movie. It is predictable and at some points just down right dry!
One of the BEST memoirs I have read in quite a while. I laughed, I cried, I got angry and sad. It is amazing the impact that parenting has on children’s lives…it is such an important task that seems to be taken for granted in our society! Read it…you will thoroughly enjoy it.
So my new school gave me this book to read! It is great. It is a journal/comic format written for middle school students and I will be teaching it to my students at the opening of the year. I have made a reading guide with skills and activities, so if you want it let me know!
My boyfriend insisted that I read this book, because he loved it so much and it’s a classic. I must admit that it got better with each page, but it started out very, very slowly. If you are into adventure and mineralogy, then this book is for you. The narrative form makes it interesting to see what they are going to do with the movie format!