It was my first job as a tour director or tour escort as Capitol MusicFest defines the position: New York City with 20 high school students from a small school in Corpus Christi, Texas. Since I was sitting for the grandkitties in New York a week before the trip, I decided to take advantage of the opportunity and scope out the itinerary. As I arrived at the corner of Second Avenue and E. 42nd Street, the sign above the door of this newly renovated hotel was being changed: the Tudor was now the Hilton Manhattan East. Were these students really going to stay at this now upscale hotel? It seems that, in fact, the original reservations were being honored, and I was delighted, especially considering some of the dives I have stayed in with students like the Carter!
On my frequent trips to New York I always shy away from the subway, preferring to spend the money on taxis or using my feet to get around, so a subway trip following the itinerary was in order. The biggest challenge was not finding the right subway or knowing when to get off, but finding the right exit to get where I wanted to go. The entire week of the trip I never seemed to come out of the same exit twice! That makes it a little suspect when you get on to the street with 20 students and have to ask which direction to walk! Again, I found the iPhone my greatest tool; a downloaded app, Hop Stop, literally tells you where to walk, what train to take, all of the stops along the way, where to exit, and how to walk to your destination from there. I mapped out each of the subway rides and added the details to the itinerary. Now I was going to look like I really knew what I was doing!
I was appropriately anxious as the date of the trip neared. I arrived in New York a day early to pick up tickets and check out a few more sites, especially Central Park since I would be taking the students for a walk in the park. I knew what I wanted them to see -- Alice in Wonderland, Imagine, and the angel in front of the lake. I also came upon the Delacorte clock just as it chimed and the animals started to move, and I decided to time our arrival on the hour or half hour. On the day of our tour, when one of the students asked how long the clock "show" was, and I couldn't answer, I started to time it on my handy iPhone. After four minutes, we all decided it was time to move on. Some things that are cool for a minute get tiresome after two. On the day of our trip to the park I couldn't find the bathrooms by the lake; I remembered too late something we learned at ITMI: always scope out the bathrooms! Now I know that they are in the tunnel leading from the mall area to the angel statue.
Anxious not to be late on the day of the students' arrival, I left the hotel early to take two subways, a NJ transit, and the Air Train to LaGuardia. In the end, it was a little too anticipatory, since I had two hours to kill at the airport. When I finally saw the students coming out of the secure area, I relaxed and everything seemed to fit into place. Bags arrived, the bus was right outside the door, and after counting 16 teenagers, three teachers, and a very over-protective father, we were on our way. I couldn't practice my microphone skills that we spent so much time doing at ITMI since there was no mike in this mini-bus, but that also made it easy to talk. Most of the way into the city to start our trip with lunch at Bubba Gumps, a perennial tourist place, we talked about procedures and expectations.
I really loved being with the students. However, I was reminded several times of the importance of patience. The questions were funny. "Do we have to dress for breakfast?" I asked them what they were thinking; I believe they wanted to come down to the Hilton restaurant in their pajamas. "Is the play tonight in the same theater as last night?" Do you think they could strike the set and set up for the next play? Remarkably, I was asked this question at least four times, including by over-protective dad. After taking the S train, the shuttle that goes between Grand Central and Times Square, at least three times, I was still asked, what stop do we get off? And the ultimate question: how far do we have to walk? And then there was Jose, a sweet young man with more of an interest in buying sneakers than seeing the Big Apple. This was the first time anyone called me, "Miss Faye." Often, I would hear "Miss Faye, how many more stops? Miss Faye, do we have to pay for our own dinner? Miss Faye, are we really having breakfast without sausage and eggs?" And always, "Are we really going to walk there?"
That was the mantra of the trip. It seems that outside of the big cities students don't walk very much. By New York standards, we didn't overdo it, but when we walked down Fifth Avenue from Rockefeller Center at 49th to the Empire State Building at 34th, we had to stop at the New York Public Library for a rest stop. I thought they might like to take pictures of the lions; most of the students had seen them come to life in Ghostbusters or destroyed in some end-of-the-world movie, but all they wanted to do was to sit. When the bus picked us up Friday morning and stayed with us throughout the day, we had some very happy students.
I guess I should admit that there was an afternoon of walking: a three and a half hour tour of lower Manhattan with ace tour guide Matt Levy who led the students to Battery Park, the financial district, the World Trade Center site, and over the Brooklyn Bridge. The students loved his light saber leading the way and suggested that I get one of my own. After the walking tour, Matt led the students to Chinatown by subway rather than the planned walk (yes, there were complaining) where they had an hour and a half to shop and eat whereever they wanted in Little Italy or Chinatown. I am afraid to know how many students found the McDonald's. Next time I am going to do a better job leading students to good eating spots.
I loved it. I couldn't believe I was getting paid to see two fabulous Broadway plays -- Wicked and In the Heights as well as one rather mediocre one -- Mary Poppins (even the students didn't really like Mary Poppins). One of the highlights of the trip, both for me and for the students, was a suprise to all of us, including our teacher leader who was taken aback that these students, who have never put on a musical, chose singing and dancing for their Classroom on Broadway. I never heard of this program; a cast member and music director lead the students for 90 minutes, in this case, learning the music and choreography of one verse of a song from the play. The students, who were hesitant at first, did marvelously well singing and dancing to "One Short Day." Jose was our photographer.
I didn't lose any students, although when one room of boys overslept the last morning despite a wake-up call I had put in, they left behind a wallet and a pair of shoes in their haste to get on the bus. I learned that anyone under the age of 18 accompanied by an adult does not need an ID to go through security. We decided that it was a natural consequence for the young man to pay for his wallet and shoes to be shipped back home rather than attempt a ride back to the hotel during lunch. Lunch that day was in the East Village as Dallas BBQ. I thought that it was the best lunch we had with the exception of the "free" time choice meals, but I guess the students had a point that taking Texans to barbecue in New York seems a little silly.
Everyone went home happy, especially the teachers who were able to relax on the escorted trip. Next time I will utilize the teachers more; it would have been easier for each of them to count fice or six students than for me to count 16 each time. The students, despite their whining, were respectful and fun. I truly loved being with them and sharing a city that I love as well. It is said that to be happy in your career find something you love to do and get paid for doing it; I found it!
On my frequent trips to New York I always shy away from the subway, preferring to spend the money on taxis or using my feet to get around, so a subway trip following the itinerary was in order. The biggest challenge was not finding the right subway or knowing when to get off, but finding the right exit to get where I wanted to go. The entire week of the trip I never seemed to come out of the same exit twice! That makes it a little suspect when you get on to the street with 20 students and have to ask which direction to walk! Again, I found the iPhone my greatest tool; a downloaded app, Hop Stop, literally tells you where to walk, what train to take, all of the stops along the way, where to exit, and how to walk to your destination from there. I mapped out each of the subway rides and added the details to the itinerary. Now I was going to look like I really knew what I was doing!
I was appropriately anxious as the date of the trip neared. I arrived in New York a day early to pick up tickets and check out a few more sites, especially Central Park since I would be taking the students for a walk in the park. I knew what I wanted them to see -- Alice in Wonderland, Imagine, and the angel in front of the lake. I also came upon the Delacorte clock just as it chimed and the animals started to move, and I decided to time our arrival on the hour or half hour. On the day of our tour, when one of the students asked how long the clock "show" was, and I couldn't answer, I started to time it on my handy iPhone. After four minutes, we all decided it was time to move on. Some things that are cool for a minute get tiresome after two. On the day of our trip to the park I couldn't find the bathrooms by the lake; I remembered too late something we learned at ITMI: always scope out the bathrooms! Now I know that they are in the tunnel leading from the mall area to the angel statue.
Anxious not to be late on the day of the students' arrival, I left the hotel early to take two subways, a NJ transit, and the Air Train to LaGuardia. In the end, it was a little too anticipatory, since I had two hours to kill at the airport. When I finally saw the students coming out of the secure area, I relaxed and everything seemed to fit into place. Bags arrived, the bus was right outside the door, and after counting 16 teenagers, three teachers, and a very over-protective father, we were on our way. I couldn't practice my microphone skills that we spent so much time doing at ITMI since there was no mike in this mini-bus, but that also made it easy to talk. Most of the way into the city to start our trip with lunch at Bubba Gumps, a perennial tourist place, we talked about procedures and expectations.
I really loved being with the students. However, I was reminded several times of the importance of patience. The questions were funny. "Do we have to dress for breakfast?" I asked them what they were thinking; I believe they wanted to come down to the Hilton restaurant in their pajamas. "Is the play tonight in the same theater as last night?" Do you think they could strike the set and set up for the next play? Remarkably, I was asked this question at least four times, including by over-protective dad. After taking the S train, the shuttle that goes between Grand Central and Times Square, at least three times, I was still asked, what stop do we get off? And the ultimate question: how far do we have to walk? And then there was Jose, a sweet young man with more of an interest in buying sneakers than seeing the Big Apple. This was the first time anyone called me, "Miss Faye." Often, I would hear "Miss Faye, how many more stops? Miss Faye, do we have to pay for our own dinner? Miss Faye, are we really having breakfast without sausage and eggs?" And always, "Are we really going to walk there?"
That was the mantra of the trip. It seems that outside of the big cities students don't walk very much. By New York standards, we didn't overdo it, but when we walked down Fifth Avenue from Rockefeller Center at 49th to the Empire State Building at 34th, we had to stop at the New York Public Library for a rest stop. I thought they might like to take pictures of the lions; most of the students had seen them come to life in Ghostbusters or destroyed in some end-of-the-world movie, but all they wanted to do was to sit. When the bus picked us up Friday morning and stayed with us throughout the day, we had some very happy students.
I guess I should admit that there was an afternoon of walking: a three and a half hour tour of lower Manhattan with ace tour guide Matt Levy who led the students to Battery Park, the financial district, the World Trade Center site, and over the Brooklyn Bridge. The students loved his light saber leading the way and suggested that I get one of my own. After the walking tour, Matt led the students to Chinatown by subway rather than the planned walk (yes, there were complaining) where they had an hour and a half to shop and eat whereever they wanted in Little Italy or Chinatown. I am afraid to know how many students found the McDonald's. Next time I am going to do a better job leading students to good eating spots.I loved it. I couldn't believe I was getting paid to see two fabulous Broadway plays -- Wicked and In the Heights as well as one rather mediocre one -- Mary Poppins (even the students didn't really like Mary Poppins). One of the highlights of the trip, both for me and for the students, was a suprise to all of us, including our teacher leader who was taken aback that these students, who have never put on a musical, chose singing and dancing for their Classroom on Broadway. I never heard of this program; a cast member and music director lead the students for 90 minutes, in this case, learning the music and choreography of one verse of a song from the play. The students, who were hesitant at first, did marvelously well singing and dancing to "One Short Day." Jose was our photographer.
I didn't lose any students, although when one room of boys overslept the last morning despite a wake-up call I had put in, they left behind a wallet and a pair of shoes in their haste to get on the bus. I learned that anyone under the age of 18 accompanied by an adult does not need an ID to go through security. We decided that it was a natural consequence for the young man to pay for his wallet and shoes to be shipped back home rather than attempt a ride back to the hotel during lunch. Lunch that day was in the East Village as Dallas BBQ. I thought that it was the best lunch we had with the exception of the "free" time choice meals, but I guess the students had a point that taking Texans to barbecue in New York seems a little silly.
Everyone went home happy, especially the teachers who were able to relax on the escorted trip. Next time I will utilize the teachers more; it would have been easier for each of them to count fice or six students than for me to count 16 each time. The students, despite their whining, were respectful and fun. I truly loved being with them and sharing a city that I love as well. It is said that to be happy in your career find something you love to do and get paid for doing it; I found it!
Now you have made me want to be a tour guide!!! So fun! - Gillian
ReplyDelete