Holy SHIT! That was the busiest four consecutive days of my life. You want me to tell you about it? About the sites, the smells, the people, the show, the city? Do ya? Huh? HUH?? Alright, you twisted my arm, and we all know how utterly weak I am.

THURSDAY: Took off at dawn to the big apple, a day of flying, and M.s. brought the laptop and DVDs, so we were set for entertainment. After we nabbed our luggage (first bags on the conveyor belt, I might add), we headed to the entrance of JFK where my Aunt Diane and Susan were waiting with anticipatory smiles on their lovely faces. On our way to dinner, Aunt Diane and Susan took us through many neighborhoods, offering bits of history and current information on each street that we passed. Dinner was delicious, I wish I could remember the name of that little hot-spot they took us to. A nice, mellow, tasty and loving way to begin our visit!

We checked into the HOTEL . Pictures will come, my friends, the room, the hotel itself, amazing! I�ve never stayed in one quite like it. A featured artist on every floor, a giant shower-head that rains on you in a concrete bathroom. Wow.

FRIDAY: We get out of the bed reluctantly, the goose-down and feather pillows and comforter almost held us for the day. On the subway, over to Chinatown, to meet up with a friend of M.s.�s and break our fast with dim sum. Then, to Chelsea , for gallery hopping and naughty shopping! Curious? We window shopped some galleries, and actually shopped elsewhere. Purple Passions had much more to offer me in the way of excitement than Demask , but both were fun! After shopping, we headed to the Show at the Orpheum Theater. This was just the introduction to all of the percussion entertainment I was to have for the next few days. After the show, we met up with friends at Caf� Loup . Carolyn, a friend I made while living in L.A., and two of M.s.�s friends from Boston, P & S. After the delectable dinner (and dessert!), we headed back to the hotel, for some play (we DID go shopping, remember?) and some sleep.

SATURDAY: Carolyn met us at the palace (our hotel), and the three of us grabbed a slice of New York Pizza and headed to Uptown, to the Gallery . M.s. met with one of the owners and we viewed the current exhibition (from which he acquired something to hang in his living room). Psst! By the way, don�t tell him that I�m name-dropping, because he�s not into that sort of thing, but Elton John, who has one of the foremost private photo collections in the world, just bought two other pieces in this exhibition� just couldn�t keep that in. I was proud of My man when the woman praised his own work in our presence (for those of you who don't know, M.s. is a talented hot-commodity, it's no wonder she wants to give him a show). Very cool! Okay, so what next, ah yes! We headed over to Union Square, and in Barnes & Noble, I ran into no other than SASSY! An old friend of both Carolyn�s AND mine from LA! And we were there together when he ran into us, what are the chances? In line for the bathroom, I heard my name � �Barbarella, is that YOU??� then, �ohmygod! Carolyn???� We caught up for a bit, and then M.s. and I had to break away for the next show! The Blue Man Group was a fantasy ride through percussion, color, and multi-media, with audience interaction. Wow. Oh, and after the show, I got a picture with one of the Blue Men himself! And I�ve got blue paint on my sweater to prove it� oh, and the picture, I guess. Hee hee. But WAIT! This day is NOT over!!!

Later still, it was time to meet up with P & S for the NEXT show! De La Guarda , and oh my fucking GOD. If you have not heard of this, you are in the dark, and if you have not experienced this, there is no way for me to relay it accurately. Hundreds of people in a dark room, a light in the corner, bright, annoying, a steady beat in the background� they keep you there for what seems like eternity. Standing, crowded, getting hot� and then, the light goes out. Noises from above you, as different lights illuminate from beyond the white ceiling of this room. You hear tropical chatter and noises, see the silhouettes of creatures flying over the white. Drops on the paper-ceiling, it�s raining, no, there are colors, pitter patter and you can see where the drops are landing all above you. And then, the lights go out completely, and the drops glow above, stars in the sky, as sounds of night surround you. The lights on again, now big balls are falling onto the paper, with light behind them, no wait, they�re balloons! The paper rips in the middle, an eye peaks through from above, and confetti, a mass of fluttering rectangles, begins to fall through. RIP! To the right, a rip in the paper, no, to the left, something�s coming through, and then AAAAHHH! A man in a business suit plunges through the paper, upside down, grabs a woman and they are both sucked back up and through the paper. Eventually, the paper comes off completely, the walls come away, and the show is PSYCHOTIC. Men and women in business suits, flying through the air, standing and stomping on platforms as water POURS down on them, we get wet, we don�t care. A crowd that is moved constantly, a flowing audience, around the show, IN the show, a part of the show. Men and women in business suits, wet, coming up to us, a woman licks my neck and bites my ear, a man can�t find my nipple despite his eager search, though he reveals M.s.�s with ease. People RUNNING HORIZONTALLY on the WALL. A slow-motion piece with a woman and a man running in slow motion, slow music, up the wall, to fall together in each other�s embrace. People from the audience being lifted and carried up and away, carried by men in business suits, suspended upside-down above us. Music, singing, percussion, involvement, there is NO way to understand this. It ends in May. Go experience it now.

And after the show? Dinner, of course! I Coppi, a Tuscan restaurant, a WONDERFUL dining experience! They took us immediately without reservations (though the place was full by the end of the evening. We loved everything we tasted, the service was excellent, the food was delicious, and the chef, whom we met at the end of the meal, was delightful! A full day, I would say, but not over yet! After dinner, we went to Times Square. WOW. It was like walking onto the set of some futuristic movie, the only thing missing was the flying cars. What a perfect people-watching place! I would have stayed longer, if I could, but my stomach insisted we go back to the hotel and call it a day. A very full and satisfying day� Now, just one more little morning, hang in there!

SUNDAY: Breakfast at the Brooklyn Diner, another gastronomical adventure, and M.s.�s pleasant mother and her cohort along for company. After brunch, S met up with us back at the hotel, and we checked out the featured art on every floor. On our floor, something we had not noticed for our entire stay until S pointed it out, the wallpaper pattern was not a pattern of simple little dots. I remember how disappointed we were to learn that there was no art on our floor, but as she pointed out, these were not simple little dots. Hundreds of thousands of little faces, Japanese military, so small were these heads that I was the only one who could make them out clearly after S pointed out the pattern of them. Whoa. I took a picture, with my hand against the paper, I hope it comes out. We�ll have to use a magnifying glass to see all of the faces around my fingers. Some of the art was spectacular, and some of it was� almost disturbing, but no, that gives it too much credit� an example? Bright, crudely painted parrots and leaves, fruit and other crap decorated one floor� see what I mean? Disturbing. We were happy with our simple little, unrecognizable faces, and VERY happy that S pointed them out to us.

A cab to the airport, and we got in late last night, to shower and pass out. Now THAT was a trip to the city.

-Barbarella

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