May 17, 2001 (Day 71): Brooklyn, New York – 11.30pm
Nine days left. A little nervous, but OK.
Health: Fair, in a bit of pain.
Morale: Good.
Despite a late start today, we managed to fit quite a bit in. Since it was cloudy but not “scheduled” to rain today, we opted for outdoor activities and passed on the bus tour, our rainy day back-up. The skies were gray but the rain held off, which made waiting for the ferry to Ellis Island more appealing.
We took the subway to Battery Park to begin our adventure. Tickets were obtained at Castle Clinton and, while we were waiting for our ferry, we checked out the nearby sites. There was the East Coast War Memorial, consisting of large concrete tablets facing the harbor. In the center of these tablets is a statue of a bald eagle, wings raised as though swooping down. On these tablets were the names of all those who were lost at sea in the Atlantic during the Second World War: sailors, merchant marine, coast guard, soldiers. The thousands of names leave a strong impression.
The ferry took us first to Liberty Island, where the Statue of Liberty resides. Due to time – and interest, on my part – we did not choose to stop there. The Anna and her parents have been there before and I have no desire to climb to the top of the Statue. I did not want to climb up and experience a good view of the harbor and a lousy view of the Statue . As it was, the ferry offered an excellent way to see Lady Liberty. I had not realized that her right heel is raised as though she is in mid-stride.
I found Ellis Island very moving. We arrived by ferry as those immigrating to America had in past generations. This was the gateway to a better life but it was not an open door. No customs post or border crossing we have encountered on this trip could even come close to what would-be immigrants experienced. A phalanx of medical and legal inspectors each with their own set of interrogations needed to be dealt with – sometimes in an unfamiliar language. Then the lucky ones were pointed to a train from where America awaited.
Again, we were blessed with an excellent guide, one of the Park Rangers. With energy, enthusiasm, and near evangelical passion, he walked us through the history of the island from oyster bed to military outpost to immigration center. Various diagrams demonstrated the growth of the island over time and in its various incarnations. Of interest was that the island, while close to New Jersey, is part of New York. Significant to the resolution of the court case over ownership of the island was that large sections were reclaimed from the sea using dirt from New York excavated while building the subways. The island may lie within New Jersey limits, but the soil belongs to New York.
He had a sense of humor, but he was certainly in control of the show. There was an opportunity to ask questions, but only on his terms. There was no delaying his tour timetable. After conducting his charges through the building and its displays, he led us to the Registry Room. Here, in this room of harsh acoustics, new arrivals faced the last test. Inspectors tried to assess their character, financial resources, and physical health to determine if they would benefit or become dependent on the state. Having passed this test, the stairway down to the train station beckoned. With the tour at an end, our guide gave his thanks and, his task complete, turned on his heel and marched away, as if propelled by our applause. He departed as he led the tour, on his own terms.
After a couple requisite spins through the gift shop and an unmemorable lunch, we went back to the ferry and back to Manhattan. We had plans for the evening and did not have a lot of time to undertake anything major, so we wandered up along Battery Park checking out the new upscale construction.
Had a peek at the electronic kiosk detailing the list of the millions of people who entered America through New York at the turn of the last century, looking for familiar names. According to the Ranger, 100 million of the 285 million people living in the United States can claim a connection to Ellis Island. I am probably an embarrassment to my family that I am not current on all the family history, what all the maiden names were.
Seems there is a place where I can dock my yacht for merely the cost of my annual salary. Uncle Mark pointed us towards a sculpture garden but we were not successful in finding it. Time was running short, so we cut over to the World Trade Center to catch a subway back to Brooklyn.
Of the 12 million people who passed through (Ellis Island) between 1892 and 1954, only around 2 percent were deemed unfit to become citizens of the United States.
History Channel
While making our way through the New York subway system with Anna’s parents, I remind myself often that we travel differently than they do. Anna and I are currently in good practice and anticipate each other’s actions almost seamlessly. Just because we know what we are doing and have confidence in each other does not liberate us from the need to communicate our plans to our traveling companions. As a political study, it demonstrates the advantages of the oligarchy over democracy, in particular reduced caucus time and less frequent polling of the demos.
And then to the theatre. While we were out, Uncle Mark got tickets for the evening’s performance of Kiss Me Kate. While I am not a musical fan, I am particular to Cole Porter and Anna’s uncle said that it had received good reviews. It also passed my additional filter of being neither Rodgers and Hammerstein nor Andrew Lloyd Webber. We had a good dinner at a little Chinese restaurant prior to the show. Good food and a lot of tea. Attempted unsuccessfully to obtain a spare pair of chopsticks (one never knows when they will come in handy) but did receive another prophetic fortune cookie: “Resist what others perceive of as your destiny.”
The show lived up to the billing and was a lot of fun. We were on the house-right side with a good view of the stage. A lot of energy. Most memorable was the fact that there were substitutions. One of the gangsters and Bill Calhoun, the male half of the young lovers, were understudies, but you would not have known it. Bill, upon confirming the affection of Lois, climbs up a series of balconies with the dexterity of an acrobat. Impressive for an understudy. There was someone seated near us talking during the opening portion of the show. Being part of our group did not exclude them from a few chastising comments and they were well-behaved afterwards.
But I was not feeling well. It had started sometime during the day and by the end of the show my stomach was a bit sour. I wanted to go straight back to the apartment but was fortunately prevailed upon to take a little walk down to Times Square. The kaleidoscope of lights and activity is not easily described. It buzzed with the energy of the after-theatre crowd, frequent tour buses and the odd limousine crawled, full of gawkers like me. It is one big special effect, a light show. But it helped to take my mind off my discomfort. It was also not as crowded as I had thought it would be, which was a good thing to be wrong about.
And now, to bed.
Excerpts from Anna’s journal included.
‘Cause everyone’s your friend in New York City
They Might Be Giants, ‘New York City’
And everything looks beautiful when you’re young and pretty
The streets are paved with diamonds and there’s just so much to see
But the best thing about New York City is you and me
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