New York Theater

I go through peaks and valleys of loving/hating New York, as I'm sure many New Yorkers experience. My main frustration with this town usually happens whenever dealing with rush hour crowds, slow walkers who stop short for no discernible reason, and slow or non-existent trains. These frustrations mount considerably when faced with the nearly impossible task of finding an affordable apartment in the city, a headache I wouldn't wish on my greatest enemy. During these times, I imagine myself in an isolated part of the world, remote and beautiful, living a simple, yet fulfilling life. Usually, there are small-town elements: a quirky cast of locals, bucolic landscapes, talking animals, etc. I am under no delusion that I would be eternally content in such a place, as I thrive in the fast-paced and exciting New York lifestyle. But the prospect of running away is very enticing.

However, most of the time, I feel a surge of love and pride at being a New Yorker. I especially feel this way after seeing a particularly good piece of theater. It's no secret that the performing arts is robust in this city. There is such a wealth of options. The experience of live theater usually leaves me feeling grateful and a bit more alive. Even if I'm leaving a theater near Times Square, the annoying crowds don't bother me if it's been a good show.

Broadway shows aren't the only things to see in New York City that give me the warm fuzzies. I recently had the opportunity to see the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra perform at the legendary Village Vanguard when a friend was visiting from out of town. They were extraordinary, a superband with an explosive sound and exciting solos. Another favorite of mine is Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, performed by the New York Neo-Futurists. The ongoing show, an attempt to perform 30 short plays in an hour, is usually quirky, funny, and moving. Then there was the awesome short-lived Jump, a kung fu slapstick comedy that played at the Union Square Theater.

In general, my only complaint about theater is the expense. It can be costly, but I consider it a worthy investment most of the time. It's investing in dreams, music, stories, life. Still, there are many opportunities for discounts. I won't necessarily pay $100 for a musical, but I will stand on line for cheap rush tickets or a lottery. I don't mind paying for the cheapest possible seat and seeing a show from the last row, because I'm still there to experience it. For instance, when Gypsy first opened, I paid less than $50 for mezzanine seats. For such a big show, it doesn't matter where you are in the audience, in my opinion. Of course, its nice to sit up close. That way, you get more into the world of the play. But I'd sacrifice that experience to save a few bucks. Some shows have a lottery for cheap orchestra seats, including In the Heights. You submit your name 2 hours before curtain and only have to wait half an hour to see if you've won tickets. The payoff is front orchestra seats for $26.50. I plan on taking advantage of this offer.

For those 18-35 years old, the Roundabout Theatre Company offers $20 tickets for all their shows with Hiptix. Earlier this year, I saw the excellent, Tony-nominated Sunday in the Park with George through this program. Next season, the Roundabout is producing Samuel Beckett's Waiting For Godot. I can't tell you how excited I am for this, as the production will star Bill Irwin and Nathan Lane, two actors I have not seen enough of.

Perhaps the best example of cheap theater is The Public Theater's annual summertime Shakespeare in the Park. All tickets are free for this festival, with two shows per season, sometimes featuring celebrated actors or directors. I'll never forget seeing Hair this summer at the Delacorte Theater. Being in the audience felt like a gift and a triumph; the triumph of enduring a long wait on line for ticket hand-outs. The show was outstanding and was only heightened by the experience of waking up at dawn to sit on cold, hard ground for hours. It sounds silly, but it was very much in keeping with the spirit of the age in which the show originally took place. Not that I felt like a hippie or anything, but it just made sense for the show to take place outdoors, from the process of getting a ticket to the performance itself.

There is nothing like free, outdoor theater. I don't know if this qualifies, but one of my most memorable New York moments happened one night not too long ago. It was a Friday night this summer and I was in the West Village with a couple of friends. We stopped by Father Demo Square, which is really a triangle at the cross-section of 6th Avenue, and Carmine and Bleecker Streets. This is one of my favorite spots in the city because if you face away from 6th Avenue toward the water fountain in the center, it doesn't feel like you're in New York City at all. You're transported to a small, charming European city, perhaps Nice or Siena. During the summer, there's a guy who brings out his piano and plays in this "square." He does a mixture of classical, pop, and classic rock tunes. This one night in particular, he was playing a classical piece, and a few young couples started dancing. Then the male counterparts burst into ballet and danced for a good half hour. The girls were more shy and sat out most of the time, but they eventually returned to their partners for a pas de deux. We later learned that they were ballet students from the LaGuardia Performing Arts High School. They could have fooled me into believing they were professional.

Hoftsra Debate: Obama vs. McCain

Last night's debate was such a joke! How long will it take for people to realize that McCain is all attack and no substance. Granted, he's a terrible debater, always repeating the same things over and over, and has those unfortunate beady eyes and smug look to overcome. But really, he just came off sounding like such a child, it was almost uncomfortable to watch. Obama sat there, calm and collected, with his points at the ready. And they're good points too! He didn't sound petty or disgruntled at all the mudslinging. He even went so far as to suggest they bring it on; it's all part of campaigning. He really gained my ultimate respect last night, if he didn't already have my full support. What he says just makes sense. McCain's attack is to say Obama just wants to spend more of our money. Well, yes, a country costs money to run. So does a war. Would you rather have a strong country or a strong war? I think McCain has made it clear which he prefers.

I do have one complaint with Obama. He missed the opportunity to list the many ways in which Sarah Palin is not qualified to run a country in the event that happens. I realize he was just trying to be polite and not step over the line (because unfortunately it's way too easy to step over the line when it comes to Sarah Palin). But his response to that question was kind of lame. Now only time will tell who's qualified and who's going to sink this country even further.

President Obama

I went to the northeast suburbs of Philadelphia, PA yesterday with Alli, Josh, and my mom to canvass the area for the Obama/Biden campaign. That morning, Barack Obama himself appeared at a rally outside the Mayfair Diner only a few blocks from campaign headquarters. We rolled into Mayfair around 9:20am; the rally began promptly at 9:30am. I'd like to say I got a good look at the man who will become our next president but, alas, the crowd was thick and noisy, blocking Obama's signature rhetoric from reaching my ears. It was still exciting to be there and I did get some glimpses standing on my tippie toes, albeit from afar.

It was amazing weather, perfect for walking door to door asking people if they were voting for Obama. Josh and I went with another newbie, a woman named Barbara from Westchester by way of Queens. Ours was a middle-income, working-class neighborhood, Obama's prime target demographic in this swing state. Most people were not home. In fact, out of the 50 doors we hit that afternoon, only 15 people actually spoke to us. One man leaned from his window and replied, "Yeah, I'm voting for Obama. Two chickens in every pot!" To which we laughed and moved on, marking him as a supporter. "What the hell does that mean?" we later asked ourselves. We figured it had something to do with the economy. Indeed, it was a statement made by Herbert Hoover during his 1928 presidential campaign remarking on the prosperity he would bring our nation. Interesting what all that prosperity would eventually lead to, and how chillingly close we are to a similar fate.

Revival

I'm hereby reviving my blog here on blogspot. It's about damn time too, as I've been craving an outlet that isn't as obscure as LiveJournal. I'm not giving up on LJ simply because nobody seems to be using it. On the contrary, one of my favorite blogs is up there: HopStopTravel.com. Read it, it's completely inspiring. I just feel like refreshing my environment, classing it up a bit--not that LJ is classless. Are blogs ever labeled as such? It's true I did originally move over to blogspot to provide a home for more high-brow endeavors. I'd just rather not juggle the two. I'm condensing, economizing, simplifying, etc. Plus, this is way more fun to play around with...

I've taken on the ambitious task of transferring all my previous LJ posts here and postdating them, because I think it's interesting to see the progression. Unfortunately, some of them have really good comments attached to them and I don't think I am able to add the comments. So if you see a post you like, maybe refer back to the original LJ post for some wonderful commentary.

This reminds me of the day I wrote my first entry, back in January 2006. It was just before I left for Australia. It's interesting how new everything was to me, how exciting. I created it as a way for my friends and family to keep track of me while abroad and it morphed into this time capsule, a way for me to keep track of me and my metamorphosis from a young, naive college grad to a jaded, world-weary vagabond (ha!). Well, maybe it didn't exactly go down that way, but I'm sure I have grown up in the almost three years since starting this. I've gone through a lot, but not in the sense that's particularly interesting to anybody but myself. It's all very a day in the life, as The Beatles once sung. But don't take my word for it, read for yourself.

Indecency

As a follow up to my previous "People are idiots" post...the other day, again on Fifth Avenue, I saw a tourist take a photo of a homeless man asleep on the ground. WTF!!! Whatever happened to basic human decency? A homeless person is still a person, you know. I really don't get how anybody feels they have the right to make a spectacle out of someone like that.

Am I being overly sensitive?

People

I really think I'd be shocked to witness a person acting his actual age. Today, on the street, I saw a middle-aged man talking on his cell phone walk right in front of an SUV, which had the light. So the car honked at the guy so he wouldn't GET RUN OVER and this jackass shouts out, in stereotypical New York fashion, "Oh shut up!" and proceeds to flip the driver off. For real dude?! I hope next time he decides to walk in front of cars he does get run over.

Leaving NY

I'm thinking more and more of going away again. I'd like to think it doesn't have everything to do with job dissatisfaction, or not being able to switch jobs either. I love New York but I just don't think I want to be here right now. Everything about making it here has to do with having money, material possessions, etc. I'm beginning to grow bitter of the corporate business world. It just seems so arbitrary. Everything is a business, even those that shouldn't be, like health care or education. Why? So people can live longer lives with more stuff. I'm not immune to it, of course. I have all the comforts of home, and then some. Is there any other way to live in this city? But what I'm talking about isn't returning to some agrarian lifestyle, or becoming an ascetic Buddhist (although those two things do sound appealing idealistically). I just want some kind of REAL experience, outside of my comfort zone.

Why am I like this?! Why can't I just be happy where I am? Why do I always feel the compulsion to go away?

I suppose this is mostly coming from just reading an amazingly inspiring book called, "Vagabonding," by Rolf Potts. It's a guide to long-term travel, but it's more of a philosophy than a proper guide book. Everything in it totally speaks to me. It awakened thoughts and beliefs I already had, but were lying latent. According to Potts, vagabonding is not about taking a vacation or a break from life, or even running away from an unpleasant situation. It's going out and seeing the world, not as a pseudo-hippie backpacker, but as a true traveler who doesn't conform to notions of conventional travel. It's about scaling down to the bare basics and wandering and exploring in a deliberate way. It's about being completely open to new experiences. It's about gaining wealth of time, not material wealth. When you travel all you really possess is time.

Critics of this lifestyle will call it selfish and irresponsible. But I say, how is living my best life (to paraphrase Oprah) any more selfish than those who work their jobs all day only to have money to buy more things...for themselves? Aren't I contributing to society just as much as they are? And who says I even owe society anything anyway?

In any case, it's a great read, especially for skeptics, since I imagine most of who read this book are already converted. But again, this is not a cult or religion. It's simply living.