We get to New York early Saturday morning and take the world’s longest subway ride to our hotel. Ditch our bags, and head out. Times Square, first stop: the TV/Movies tour with our (hot) tour guide, Brian. We see sites like the front of the Friends apartment building, to the front of the Huxtable house. While on the tour a girl on our bus yelled and pointed out Ethan Hawke walking down the street with his son and his dog. We all stared and took pictures, and he waved awkwardly. I felt bad for lurking him, but I guess that’s what’s normal in New York? I don’t know.
Later that night, we thought we’d see what we could find for a Broadway show, and Christina made the best find. We’d never heard of the Farnsworth Invention, but it had two important, decision-making factors: Hank Azaria, and it was about television. Being big TV nerds by profession and interest, we went. It was awesome, and afterwards we saw Hank Azaria outside. We got his autograph and we told him we knew all about the stuff in the play because we work in and went to school for television, hence the “Wow you guys really ARE nerds.” Oh Hank Azaria.
The next day we went on the NBC Tour and spent way too much money in the NBC Experience store. On the tour we saw and sat in the studios for SNL and Conan. I was excited to see the studio was small so there wouldn’t be a bad seat in the house for Conan. That is until, I find out, seeing the studio will only be a precursor cock tease to the writer’s strike, and my inability to see Conan, this not fulfilling my life dream, re-iterating the existence of the widely believed McBride curse, and making me very very sad. I can’t even begin to imagine the ramifications if this strike lasts as long as the one in 1988 (about 5 months), it’s going to totally change American TV, making it much much worse, I’m sure.
However, in my melancholy state I must say that Christina was very sympathetic to my pain and incredibly helpful in getting my mind off the strike, mostly by shopping (which she hates, so I extra appreciated it). While shopping we passed Chris Daughtry (American Idol, Daughtry) on the street. Crazy right? After too much shopping and money spent, we went to the big Apple store, down to Central Park, Radio City Music Hall, Trump Tower, and cool places like that.
On Monday, without the Conan experience we went down to Battery Park to see the Statue of Liberty and walk around. We also went to the Stock Exchange and the World Trade Center. They are doing a lot of construction by the Trade Center right now. Later that night I FINALLY got to see a movie I’ve been waiting forever to see, Into the Wild. So good, the book is good, the movie’s good. Read it, then go see it. You heard it here first.
Tuesday was our last day in the big city. We started off the day on the Sex and the City tour. More props to Christina for letting me drag her on this one as well. We went to places like the Magnolia bakery, Carrie’s front stoop, Aidan and Steve’s bar, etc. But by FAR the highlight came at the end of the tour. The spot the bus dropped us off at was literally down the street from where the Sex and the City ladies were currently filming scenes for the new movie. I was very lamely ecstatic. Now we were across the street, but we DID see all four ladies decked out in New York’s finest fashions replicating a scene from New York Fashion Week (that isn’t actually going no right now). They had fake snow and Samantha had blood thrown on her fur coat from a fur protestor. That’s all I know, but it was pretty excellent.
After that, a little more shopping and a long way home brought me back home last night and to work today. Upon coming home I did manage to find out I should be in Beijing for about a month. I’m still waiting for many many more details. Stay tuned.
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