New York!
We've just arrived from New York on a week long trip with 30 students. Tiring? Yes. An unforgettable experience? Yes.
It started out with a red eye flight and everyone was so energetic-so energetic that they talked most of the flight there. Anyhow, we got there at 6am NY time, which was 3am our time and it was go go go! Along the way we saw Times Square, a Broadway Show, lots of shopping, and of course Carnegie Hall!
The whole reason for this trip was because we were invited to sing at Carnegie Hall-a great honor! So our call time was 8:00pm, and our bus was supposed to arrive at 7:40pm. I gathered up all the students, we went outside and there was no bus. So I waited for 3 minutes, then called our tour guide who was busy running a festival in another part of NYC. His phone died and I couldn't get through for a good 10 minutes which made me nervous. Finally he called back and frantically I said, "our bus isn't here, please call to find out if they're on their way." It was now 7:53pm, and we had 8 minutes to get to Carnegie for the performance! He called back 2 minutes later (7:55) and said the bus driver went to the wrong hotel but is on his way and will be there shortly. Yes I was incredibly stressed and upset. At 8:00, our call-time, I called the tour guide back and said, "I need the bus drivers number." I called the bus driver and said, "You were supposed to pick up my group 21 minutes ago. Where are you? We are singing at Carnegie Hall-this isn't just any concert, we're singing in Carnegie Hall. Get here fast!" The response was, "I'm sorry ma'am I was parked somewhere else and now I'm stuck in traffic." My response, "I know there's traffic but you need to find a way to get here now. Our call time was 3 minutes ago. Drive fast." So he finally gets to our hotel at 8:11pm (the concert started at 8:00), the students run on the bus. Patrick is the last to board and he says, "Get us to Carnegie Hall fast. Drive fast. We cannot miss this concert, so do what you need to do to get us there." That driver tore up the streets, and it's a good thing because I was so angry I was shaking. The thought that went through my head was, "if my students don't get to sing in Carnegie Hall, the whole reason for this trip, because of this stupid bus driver someone is going to get fired or they're going to have to get a restraining order for me." So we got there at 8:23pm (really good time for a bus through all that traffic) and the students literally ran off the bus all the way up the stairs to where everyone was waiting. Lucky for us there was a group that began the concert and we were second. I went around to the house and we were just in time to hear the final piece of the Wind Symphony that played before us. Just by the hair of our chinny chin chins! Had he taken just 7 minutes more I don't know if they would have been able to sing! So I sat in the audience with Patrick and the other two chaperones and tried to calm my heart from racing. It was very stressful and I can honestly say I have never been more angry in all my life. Well, the concert was great! I cleaned up Carnegie of all their programs and brought a ton back with me! Now I can look back on this experience and laugh a little. I'm glad it all worked out in the end. It certainly was an experience to remember!
Overall I think the students had a great time, the chaperones had a blast and we all got to know one another a little better. I'd do it again......just not tomorrow :o)
