I surely walked by this Ecuadoran/Peruvian/Colombian playing his churrango (should have bought the beautiful one I saw in Quito in February, sigh) in Times Square this evening.
When you walk from the A, C, E train over on Eighth Avenue to Times Square, you're going two long city blocks underground through a maze with a gazillion people and musicians everywhere so you can't hear what is on your iPod.
The Times Square Shuttle that then gets you over to Grand Central finally is at the end of a walk that takes you down a corridor, down another corridor to the left that rises and then goes steeply down and then you have to hike up two flights of stairs (I don't remember this interchange from ten years ago; they've done something different). You get to the top, go down some stairs and then back up again. Now if you were to have gone down another flight of stairs before going back up the first time, you'd land on the 7 tracks and from there you can get an escalator that takes you all the way to the top. Finally, two more steps and you are at the curving platform for the shuttle. I don't see how someone who can't walk can get around Times Square; it seems pretty hopeless. From the description I have just given you, just picture that Escher drawing with all the stairs. (Relativity — for some reason, right now I can't get it to load).
You're always sweaty by the time you've schlepped your way two long blocks. Then it's stuff yourself into a crowded subway car (it's rush hour after all), and go the short distance to Grand Central. Then it's more fighting and horsing your way through the crowds to get to the 4, 5, and 6 lines (Lexington Avenue) to go uptown to arrive at 96th Street.
Two more long blocks walking and finally you're at House of the Redeemer. Then four more flights up and you're in your little maid's quarter room with its lorgnon window where you shall further roast because the heating system here is 'mature' and can't be regulated.
Yes, I have arrived for the Standing Commission on Anglican and International Peace with Justice Concerns. They are all off working on blue book reports so I took an hour-long CPG survey on clergy life and am now finishing the day.
It always amazes me that within five hours (this time by driving to Albany and taking the train in) I can go from rural Vermont to the mayhem of NYC (which I love having gone to seminary downtown in Chelsea). The train ride along the Hudson is always nice though today it was raining so hard I couldn't see all that much. It also gave me time to read the reports for this meeting. Even better, the train has outlets so I could plug in the computer and iPod and travel in comfort (computer, phone and music for the entire trip, not minus the first and last twenty minutes of travel).
The new 'province' made the top left column of today's New York Times. I guess Bob Duncan finally got to be what he has always wanted to be, an archbishop. Ça louche.
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