This year, secondary 4 and 5 students were offered the incredible opportunity to go on a weekend trip to New York City. After sleeping anywhere between one and five hours on the bus ride there, they finally entered the Big Apple. If this city earned its famous nickname from the many horse races which took place on and around it throughout its history, it is a completely different place now; with the closest thing to a horse race in sight being the different horse-drawn carriages in Central Park trying to pass each other, the students didn't see much of any equestrian activities during their stay. Instead, they got to enjoy some of the city's most jaw-dropping attractions : from Broadway to Lady Liberty, they saw it all.
The first day started early for Group A after an overnight bus ride across the Canada-U.S. border. The group waited a short while in the halls of the UN headquarters for their multiple guides to come get them. They were then led through many internationally iconic rooms, namely the Security Counsel room. For lunch, they got to pick between multiple food options in the Grand Central Terminal, and, of course, take pictures in the beautiful main hall. They then walked over to the Empire State Building, where the panoramic sights of the city took their breaths away. Madame Tussauds Wax Museum was their next destination. Many people got to check taking pictures with some of their favorite celebrities off of their bucket list ; Michael Jackson’s, Selena Gomez’, Ed Sheeran’s and Melissa McCarthy’s statues were all presented. The day finished with a Yankee’s baseball game during which not many students were very attentive ; their very few hours of sleep and their long day was starting to catch up to them. It was then finally time to hit the hay back at their hotel in New Jersey.
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| The city as seen from the Empire State Building |
After their continental breakfast buffet, the group drove past an amazing point of view of the New York skyline, or “ligne esthétique”, as their tour guide called it. On a bus tour with a local guide, they learned lots about the city’s history and present-day socio-economic realities. A visit of the famous American Museum of Natural History followed, where they were welcomed by expositions on space, animals, and humans. In order to get to their dinner reservation at Ellen’s Stardust Diner, the group got to walk across Central Park, led by their guide, who almost didn’t get lost. A few Google Maps searches later, they got to experience the magic of a musical dinner at Ellen’s Stardust. But the magic wasn’t over yet as they got to watch the wonderful world of Aladdin on stage at New Amsterdam Theatre, featuring a mysterious enchanted flying carpet. How did this carpet float above the ground with no apparent attachments? This was a heated debate topic once on the bus, for once again, it was time to retire to their rooms for a good night’s sleep.
Potatoes, a new addition to the breakfast buffet, was a huge success on the third morning. The students headed out to the Beast, an enormous speedboat at Pier 83. Although some made it back from seeing Lady Liberty seasick or soaking wet, most of the travellers had a blast jamming out to some sick beats and watching the city fly by them. The rest of the day consisted of visiting the 9/11 Memorial and lots of free time. Between 2pm and 8pm, the students were set free in the Chinatown-Little Italy neighbourhood. Shopping, tasting new foods, and negotiating prices with vendors were all activities they experienced during this period. After sunset, they met back up at the Brooklyn Bridge to take a few final pictures; alas, the time had come to drive all the way back home.
Although this american adventure left everyone needing a good fifteen hours of sleep, it was great fun and everyone, students and supervisors alike, made some memories to last a lifetime.
Thank you, New York!
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| World Trade Center from below |
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