tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45132722929134887862024-02-21T02:12:59.757-08:00..........Middlepath..........Literature of Travel and Adventure @ Peddie -- Spring 2008 & 2009PJClementshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18050956273903844393noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513272292913488786.post-11516845040919816502009-05-30T13:58:00.000-07:002009-05-30T14:07:31.966-07:00Noise in New Hope<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: Thames;">Stepping out into </span><st1:place><st1:city><span style="font-family: Thames;">New Hope</span></st1:City><span style="font-family: Thames;">, </span><st1:state><span style="font-family: Thames;">Pennsylvania</span></st1:State></st1:place><span style="font-family: Thames;">, the noise – repeated revving of motorcycles interrupting excited crowds laughing – was overwhelming. Hello </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-family: Thames;">New Hope</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style="font-family: Thames;">. It was an exciting welcome: colorful signs outside little boutiques hung above the bustling crowds moving down the street and faint hints of music could be heard from the music festival across the bridge in Lambertville.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: Thames;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: Thames;">Eager to explore </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-family: Thames;">New Hope</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style="font-family: Thames;">, Annelise and I thanked Mrs. Quinn for dropping us off and we started on our journey. Moving Southeast on the </span><st1:place><span style="font-family: Thames;">Delaware River</span></st1:place><span style="font-family: Thames;"> side, we started down </span><st1:street><st1:address><span style="font-family: Thames;">Main Street</span></st1:address></st1:Street><span style="font-family: Thames;">. The </span><st1:place><span style="font-family: Thames;">Delaware River</span></st1:place><span style="font-family: Thames;"> side of </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-family: Thames;">New Hope</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style="font-family: Thames;"> has many little boutiques and art galleries while across the street lie many expensive restaurants, real-estate offices, historical statues, and some houses. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: Thames;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: Thames;">Weaving between the crowds, we tried to glimpse into the windows of some of the stores on our way to the famous Bucks County Playhouse. The Playhouse, an old red and white building that resembles an enormous old barn or millhouse, is situated in the heart of </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-family: Thames;">New Hope</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style="font-family: Thames;">. Famous for past performers, like Princess Grace Kelly, John Travolta, Liza Minnelli, and Bea Arthur, this theater has been a landmark in </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-family: Thames;">New Hope</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style="font-family: Thames;"> since its opening in 1939. Therefore, as we approached the theater, we were not surprised by the crowd outside. The crowd was mostly made up of older couples, all waiting to have their tickets checked to go see </span><st1:street><st1:address><i style=""><span style="font-family: Thames;">42<sup>nd</sup> Street</span></i></st1:address></st1:Street><span style="font-family: Thames;">. Squeezing through the crowd, we finally entered the lobby and took a playbill from the stage manager. Although we weren’t allowed past the lobby without tickets, the lobby itself was exciting with old playbills from several decades ago covering the walls. As the crowd thinned and the audience began to take their seats in the theater, Annelise and I decided to move on so we would not interrupt the performance. Sitting outside for a few minutes at the small pond on the edge of the theater, we noticed how friendly the ducks were. The ducks approached us as if we were other ducks, coming closer and closer and poking around looking for food in our bag. We were both startled by the lack of wariness of the flock of ducks but figured they have accepted that their natural habitat is home to a popular theater, as they know how to flirt up some popcorn.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: Thames;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: Thames;">Ready to move on, we crossed a small bridge over the Playhouse pond. As we were walking, I saw more motorcycles in that small stretch of </span><st1:street><st1:address><span style="font-family: Thames;">Main Street</span></st1:address></st1:Street><span style="font-family: Thames;"> than I ever had in my life. In between each pack of Harleys, a few cars would drive by, each one extremely expensive. However, </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-family: Thames;">New Hope</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style="font-family: Thames;"> didn’t give off the extremely wealthy vibe nor the hardcore motorcycle vibe. </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-family: Thames;">New Hope</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style="font-family: Thames;"> came off as bright and hippy-ish, and was obviously popular. At times, Annelise and I had to walk single-file to limit potential collisions in the jammed sidewalk traffic. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: Thames;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: Thames;">Because it was a Sunday, </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-family: Thames;">New Hope</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style="font-family: Thames;"> was jammed pack with a mosaic of people—old, young, male, female, all ethnicities, and sexual orientations. Reflecting the diversity of </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-family: Thames;">New Hope</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style="font-family: Thames;">’s visitors was the diversity of various shops. The first shop we entered was the Shop of India. Every item in the store was beautiful. They sold jewelry, small religious statues, offered henna tattoos, and traditional Indian clothing that looked as if it had been fused with American teenage culture. The colors and patterns on the skirts and dresses were so unique and each had its own beautiful touch. After looking around in the store for a few minutes, we moved on and crossed a small street over to the next block of shops. We entered another Indian shop, with items just as beautiful as the one before, and passed by “A Taste of Cuba.” We also passed by Spatola’s, a very popular little pizza shop but it was closed because it was a Sunday. Next door to Spatola’s was the Bow-Wow Dog Lover’s Emporium, which had every item for dogs and dog-lovers imaginable. After peeking into that store, Annelise and I became aware of how dog-friendly </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-family: Thames;">New Hope</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style="font-family: Thames;"> is. Each store had a small water bowl outside for visiting dogs and as we looked around us, there were at least six dogs in our sight. While admiring a cute dog across the street, our eyes fell upon an older man, dressed in tie-dye and jeans with psychedelic flowers and smiley faces sewn on, leaning against a yellow car decorated with rainbow flames and peace signs. He immediately caught our attention and we walked closer to get a better look at his car. As we approached the man lost in a different decade, we realized that he was standing in front of a tie-dye store called Type B. With tie-dyed clothes out front, a colorful sign hanging overhead, and a hippy man with a matching car standing outside, we had to go inside. Walking in, we were overwhelmed by the number and variety of items available in various colors and forms of tie-dye. The store itself was even colorful; it had a cute little table with red chairs in a corner and the walls were painted with bright colors in patterns resembling lava lamps, with some hippy stickers including peace signs, the Grateful Dead bears, and </span><st1:place><span style="font-family: Thames;">Haight-Ashbury</span></st1:place><span style="font-family: Thames;"> signs, plastered on the walls. In a green tie-dye shirt, owner Melissa Bayer approached us and offered guidance. We asked her a few questions and learned she and her husband had the store here for only a year yet it was already one of </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-family: Thames;">New Hope</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style="font-family: Thames;">’s hotspots. We also were surprised to learn that most items in the store were dyed by hand. Being modest, Melissa claimed she was not as talented as other tie-dye artists in our nation, and gave credit to a young woman in </span><st1:state><st1:place><span style="font-family: Thames;">California</span></st1:place></st1:State><span style="font-family: Thames;"> who also tie-dyes by hand and sells some of her items through the store. Melissa said she believes her store is the only working tie-dye store in </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-family: Thames;">America</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: Thames;"> because most tie-dying is done now via American computers or in Asian countries. Tie-dying, we learned, actually originating in the Asian culture. War veterans coming home from both </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-family: Thames;">Korea</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: Thames;"> and </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-family: Thames;">Vietnam</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: Thames;"> had seen tie-dyed items and brought the ideas back to </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-family: Thames;">America</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: Thames;">, starting a fashion phenomenon. Eager to get the younger generations into tie-dye and preserve this fashion phenomenon, Melissa and her husband offer hours each day where customers can come in and make their own tie-dye. Promising to come back and attempt to create our own masterpieces, we thanked Melissa for her kindness and left the store. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: Thames;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: Thames;">Walking back into the heat, Annelise and I decided to get some ice cream. </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-family: Thames;">New Hope</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style="font-family: Thames;"> is known for its amazing homemade ice cream shops, located on almost every corner. We stopped at one of the most popular ice cream parlors, called Gerenser’s Exotic Ice Cream which claimed to have been making ice cream in </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-family: Thames;">New Hope</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style="font-family: Thames;"> for over 50 years. Known for its many strangely named but delicious homemade flavors, I was amused by the names of a few particular ice creams, such as African Violet and Magyar Apricot Brandy. Finally deciding on a sherbet, I went to go pay and found it to be very expensive. But the cool creamy taste on my tongue proved to be worth four dollars.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: Thames;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: Thames;">Leaving the ice cream store, Annelise and I realized it was time to go home. As we got back into the car, I embraced the quiet atmosphere. However, I soon came to realize that the noise itself was the essence of the town. It represented </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-family: Thames;">New Hope</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style="font-family: Thames;">’s popularity and the types of people it attracts. And after only a few hours immersed in this noise, I came to realize how wonderful </span><st1:place><st1:city><span style="font-family: Thames;">New Hope</span></st1:City><span style="font-family: Thames;">, </span><st1:state><span style="font-family: Thames;">Pennsylvania</span></st1:State></st1:place><span style="font-family: Thames;"> is.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>Grace Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10934763978060384324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513272292913488786.post-44851494191200551752009-05-22T15:18:00.000-07:002009-05-22T15:21:15.684-07:00Motorcycles, Drakes, and a Taste of Cuba<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Caquinn%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" 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mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">Imagine being encircled by a herd of rough motorcyclists all revving up their engines to flaunt the horsepower of their Harley Davidsons.<span style=""> </span>Imagine walking through a cloud of dried and fermented tobacco cigar smoke that can only be experienced on tobacco farms in Cuba.<span style=""> </span>Imagine being welcomed by the victimization of a male duck who felt as though you were intruding on his territory and had the intention of stealing his mate.<span style=""> </span>This is the environment I encountered when I first stepped foot in the bustling town of New Hope, Pennsylvania.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><o:p></o:p><span style=""></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""></span>Before my travel partner, Grace, and I even reached our first destination, we encountered an evidently very hormonal drake.<span style=""> </span>He was waddling along the bank of the stream surrounded by three female ducks of whom he was very possessive.<span style=""> </span>I wanted to get a closer look so I slowly stepped in his direction only to be greeted with a snarl-like facial expression from the 20-25 pound bird.<span style=""> </span>Grace told me how when she was younger, her brother and she would feed the ducks stale bread when they came to New Hope on the weekends.<span style=""> </span>Was I the only one that felt terrorized by an animal of which I was about five times the size? Adding to my confusion was the roar of the crowds and crowds of motorcycles making their over the bridge and down Main Street.<span style=""> </span>After making peace with the ducks and dodging the little children who also wanted a closer look at this entourage of birds, Grace and I were finally able to make our way to the infamous Bucks County Playhouse.<span style=""> </span>Being the furthest from a theater-goer, I was very apprehensive about facing the numerous people anxiously waiting in the line that extended way out the theater and into the blazing sun of that April day.<span style=""> </span>But with Grace’s tug on the arm, and a voice in my head telling me this would help me to be more “cultured,” we made our way up the steps.<span style=""> </span>The hustle and bustle we encountered in the lobby of the theater ensured me that I wasn’t the least bit crazy when I declared that I may be claustrophobic.<span style=""> </span>The performance of <i style="">42<sup>nd</sup> Street</i> had attracted it seemed like every elderly person in New Hope as well as from the surrounding towns.<span style=""> </span>Of course, we were not permitted to enter the actual theater due to our lack of tickets but we were offered playbills that listed the actors and actresses in the play as well as a short summary of the plot.<span style=""> </span>But soon enough, I felt as though I was entirely cultured and enough was enough, I had to head outside.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>
<br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""></span>From one rambunctious crowd of people to another, Grace and I began to make our way down the backbone of New Hope, Main Street.<span style=""> </span>This Main Street was like any other Main Street I have encountered but with a clearly flamboyant side.<span style=""> </span>One of our many stops was the Type B Tie Dye Studio, one of the only true tie dye establishments in the United States.<span style=""> </span>Parked outside was a yellow Honda with rainbow-inspired racing stripes painted along the sides.<span style=""> </span>Leaning against the car was a rough-looking man with mangled carpenter jeans decorated with various rainbow and peace sign patches.<span style=""> </span>He had a beard full of scraggly grey hair complemented with a rainbow bandana tied around his head to protect his balding scalp from the sun’s harmful rays.<span style=""> </span>My instinct was to be intimidated by this man because he resembled the cycler who tears up the streets on his Harley Davidson yet it was ironic to see him so proud of his yellow and rainbow-inspired mode of transportation.<span style=""> </span>Upon entering the studio, I was overwhelmed with the hand-dyed patterns I only associate with my childhood.<span style=""> </span>Greeting us was a large-boned woman who at first glance I knew had to be Mother Nature in a green tie-dyed shirt.<span style=""> </span>Melissa Bayer’s dark lipstick and lip liner was a stark contrast against the welcoming presence she gave me when I first stepped foot into her store.<span style=""> </span>Grace and I made ourselves comfortable at a dark wooden table surrounded by fuzzy red chairs all positioned in a spot from which we could look out onto the bustling street.<span style=""> </span>We were so fascinated by the man and his canary yellow car in front of the store that the second we sat down Grace pulled out her camera and peered through the window panes to capture this man who we decided was the essence of New Hope.<span style=""> </span>As we began to make conversation with the wannabe Mother Nature, Grace and my only reactions were “wow” and “that’s so cool.”<span style=""> </span>Never had we known that the technique of tying clothing and then dying them was a method brought over by the Korean and Vietnam veterans after the war.<span style=""> </span>Unfortunately, the majority of tie-dying in America is now done by machine or through the use of computer programs, which is not a surprise given the fast moving advances in technology these days.<span style=""> </span>Then when discussing what is made in the shop, the woman told us that it costs “$15 to dye” which, out of context, may have sounded a tad bit odd. Eager to discover the many other secrets we knew New Hope had to hold, we left the woman with her sink of dye and washing machine and set off to our next destination.<span style=""> </span>The store adjacent to the studio, A Taste of Cuba, struck me as some type of extravagant culinary experience I could not pass up.<span style=""> </span>Upon entering, I was confronted with a faceful of cigar smoke.<span style=""> </span>Why had I not made sense of the six foot wooden statue of a Native American Indian, feathery head piece and all, smoking a cigar outside the shop?<span style=""> </span>Indeed, I had had my taste of Cuba and my taste buds had had enough.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>
<br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""></span>Another one of our many stops along Main Street was a small store nestled on a busy corner, The Shop of India.<span style=""> </span>I did not even have to enter to experience what it would be like to dress as though I lived in India as I had to first make my way through racks and racks of skirts, dresses, tops, and scarves.<span style=""> </span>Finally making my way to the entrance, I was thrown right into a crazy assortment of various clothing items and accessories or different pattern, colors, and materials.<span style=""> </span>Covering the walls were saris, blouses, scarves and dresses of intricately designed colorful patterns that would stand out in any society. <span style=""> </span>Imagine living in a society that conformity was not the norm and you could wear any pattern you desired and not be faced with the puzzled looks you receive from other girls who were wondering as to where you found something like that.<span style=""> </span>A sign on the wall advertised that the store was “NOW CARRYING PLUS SIZES.”<span style=""> </span>Wow, go you, America.<span style=""> </span>In the glass cases enclosing the cash registrar, I found a wide array of elaborately and meticulously-designed religious figurines made of various materials from wood to stone.<span style=""> </span>Also in these cases were rings for almost any part of the body someone would desire to pierce from earrings to belly-button rings to those that can be used to decorate one’s eyebrow.<span style=""> </span>This store was a perfect example of the blending of cultures in this area of Pennsylvania.<span style=""> </span>I don’t know how many people in India really have their eyebrow pierced or need plus sizes but you also don’t often see Americans walking around in traditional Indian clothing.<span style=""> </span>The Shop of India showed that cultures can combine to create an entirely new culture that takes bits and pieces from both ends of the spectrum.<span style=""> </span>Upon leaving this shop, my stomach realized it was about noon and needed to find food.<span style=""> </span>Conveniently, a short way down the sidewalk was found Gerenser’s Exotic Ice Cream shop.<span style=""> </span>Inside, a large board had been set up advertising the many flavors Gerenser had to offer from Caribbean Spicy Tree Bark to Puerto Rican Banana Brandy as well as the usual Chocolate or Cookie Dough.<span style=""> </span>Who knew you could put tree bark in ice cream?<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>
<br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""></span>Coming into New Hope eager to experience new things and meet people I wouldn’t encounter in my small town of Cranbury, New Jersey, I left with a both cultured and new outlook on life.<span style=""> </span>New Hope touched on many aspects of life as I realized the clear culture clash in my everyday life as well as ways of life I would not have been able to experience otherwise.<span style=""> </span>Though it was intimidating at times with the roar of motorcycles and fear of panicking from claustrophobia, meeting my own Mother Nature and tasting Cuba was truly worth every minute spent traveling down Main Street.<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span></p> Annelise Quinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06885957820038064903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513272292913488786.post-15664454026965275102009-05-04T04:16:00.000-07:002009-05-04T04:17:07.861-07:00Diversity is Culture<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="">Walking off the bus, Jelani and I could smell the diversity in the air, nothing like either of us could ever explain before. </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="">Philadelphia</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style="">. We took one long look around at City Hall and knew our adventure had begun. As though we were in another country, we only had our $21 and maps to show us what </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="">Philadelphia</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style=""> had to offer. Both of us having been to </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="">New York City</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style="">, we were familiar with the city’s atmosphere, however, this city felt different. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=""> </span>As all places, </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="">Philadelphia</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style=""> had a particular smell. It smelled like accomplishments and new beginnings. Looking around, all the young business men had a look of stress and determination and ready for new beginnings. Jelani and I were the same. This city was new for us and we were ready to find the city’s cultural side. First, we made our way down to the Liberty Bell, where the earliest culture of the city was prevalent. Seeing the long lines, we decided to just get a glimpse of it and a picture. Independence Hall was our next stop across the street. Again, this was as crowded if not more crowded than the Liberty Bell. However, being a big part of the old culture of </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="">Philadelphia</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style="">, they were a necessity for this trip. We walked into the room where the Declaration of Independence was signed and could just feel the history in the atmosphere. I stood there looking at the room for a couple minutes, putting myself back in that time with all the delegates. I felt a sense of pride to be a part of a country with such history. It was inspiring to us to find out more about the city’s history and culture.<br /><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=""> </span>Next on our itinerary was </span><st1:street><st1:address><span style="">South Street</span></st1:address></st1:Street><span style="">, the life of South Philly. It was here where we could find the diversity and culture of </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="">Philadelphia</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style="">, such as stores like Pearl of Africa. This was one of the most interesting stores in my opinion on </span><st1:street><st1:address><span style="">South Street</span></st1:address></st1:Street><span style="">. Walking up to it, loud Rastafarian reggae music was playing from inside the store with it’s medium sized sign in Rasta colors, red, yellow, and green hanging on the side of the building. The store was lined with everything Rastafarian, from t-shirts and flags to CDs and toys. Jelani and I looked around in for a while, admiring some of the more interesting collections he had. However, the person who worked there didn’t even look up from whatever he was reading. I asked him, “How much is this belt?” He responded, “Tin dollar,” without looking up. From his accent, I could tell he was not originally from Philly, so I decided that it would be a good opportunity to ask him a few questions. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="">“Where are you from and how long have you lived in </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="">Philadelphia</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style="">?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="">“Well….why are you askin’ me dis?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="">“I’m new to Philly and I am just trying to get a better sense of the city and the people.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="">“Err…I don’t know. Is you going to buy that belt or not?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="">I learned a lot from this small transaction, and could gather a better understanding of natives from Philly, even though he wasn’t one. He had clearly adapted the ways of a native Philadelphian from only living in the city a part of his life. From this, I made a generalization about Philadelphians, much like people in big cities such as </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="">New York City</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style=""> and </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="">Los Angeles</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style="">, are conservative and rough around the edges. The store, on the other hand, was a perfect example in </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="">Philadelphia</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style="">’s rich diversity, not only in its contents, but also in its workers, being a mix of both African and Philadelphian culture. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=""> </span>After </span><st1:street><st1:address><span style="">South Street</span></st1:address></st1:Street><span style="">, Jelani and I decided that we would take the long walk down past the lively Italian Market to Pat’s King of Steaks, one of the most famous Philly Cheese Steaks places in </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="">Philadelphia</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style="">. This was a focal point in searching for culture and tradition in </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="">Philadelphia</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style="">, as this was a popular place among the locals. When we got there, we didn’t realize that this was going to be such an event. Geno’s another cheese steak place across the street, making the competition fierce. When we got there, I was astounded. Granted it was a nice day. But it was Sunday afternoon and the lines were out the door for both places. Given that we had just walked for 30 minutes to this place “where 9<sup>th</sup> crosses Wharton and </span><st1:street><st1:address><span style="">Passyunk Ave.</span></st1:address></st1:Street><span style="">,” there was no way we were turning back. Even though the line was out the door, it moved relatively quickly. When we got to the front, I was amazed at the type of business they ran. They instantly handed us our steaks the second we ordered them and was already taking the order of the next person in line. We grabbed a table and ate our calorie filled cheese steak; living up to it’s hype as being on of the best in town. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=""> </span>Walking back up 9<sup>th</sup> to </span><st1:street><st1:address><span style="">South Street</span></st1:address></st1:Street><span style=""> where we would make a right and finish our trip with the Vietnam War Memorial, I reflected on the two cultural and diverse places that I went to today, Pearl of Africa and Pat’s King of Steaks. Places like this made </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="">Philadelphia</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style="">, </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="">Philadelphia</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style="">. I thought it was amazing how culture was so prevalent in this city, and even more so with the people of the city, even those who were not native there. Diversity is a part of </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="">Philadelphia</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style="">’s culture. <span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Douglas Ahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07201775448018053995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513272292913488786.post-68993822465906294522009-05-01T20:55:00.000-07:002009-05-01T20:58:27.527-07:00Philadelphia<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 10"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 10"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Cslabban%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="address"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="Street"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="State"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>Despite living relatively near <st1:city><st1:place>Philadelphia</st1:place></st1:city> all of my life, the city was completely foreign to me. This thought didn’t sink in until I stepped off the bus and saw City Hall for the first time. My partner, Mike Tully, and I began our journey from there, only taking moments to adjust to the smell of cigarettes and gasoline. I did not know Mike that well before I traveled with him. In one sense I was on my own, but in a more realistic sense I was far from it. Anything important to the trip was in my backpack or in my pockets: I had my phone, a map of Philly, and $17. While planning the trip, there were only two specific stores that we wanted to see: Geno’s Steaks (the best place to get a cheese steak in Philly) and Pat’s King of Steaks (the second best place, conveniently right across the street from Geno’s). Other than that, we planned on walking through some of the well known areas of the city and meeting genuine Philadelphians. With such a thought in mind, we made our way northeast toward <st1:place>Chinatown</st1:place>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span><st1:place>Chinatown</st1:place> was even more than we expected it to be. While it was physically smaller than we though it would be, it had more than enough culture for the both of us. Colorful signs crowded every inch of every building. People swarmed the side walks like ants. After getting used to the change of atmosphere, we looked for people to try to talk to, so we could get information about the area. We met a fortune teller on a street corner. He knew how to say four words in English, “Fortune, 5 dollar,” and “ok.” It was impossible to communicate with him, he was not interested in trying to understand our questions. However, he did point at me and then hand me a card that read “Round Nose = Doctor.” I wondered to myself if I knew what the card actually said of if he just picked them at random. After thanking him, we continued our walk. I tried to ask a lady shelling peanuts on the curb what she was doing, but she got very mad at me. There were three men outside a dentists office, smoking cigarettes and making incense. We introduced ourselves to them and asked what they thought of the area. After looking at us for a moment, they all started laughing. Mike and I started laughing. In seconds, we were laughing hysterically at each other without any idea as to why. It was difficult to adapt to the environment. Mike and I spoke English and Spanish, and we were only able to find one store owner who spoke English in all of <st1:place>Chinatown</st1:place>. Soon, we decided to leave <st1:place>Chinatown</st1:place> and head through the Historical Parks down to <st1:street><st1:address>South Street</st1:address></st1:street>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span><st1:street><st1:address>South Street</st1:address></st1:street> was the place to be. It seemed endless, store after store, restaurant after restaurant. We walked into whichever shop seemed the most Philadelphian, and we kept our minds open. One un-showered man even decided to come talk to us: I was in a Duke sweatshirt and he asked me how the basketball team was doing in the NCAA. He was so excited to hear good news, I didn’t have the heart to tell him that the tournament had been over for weeks and that Duke had lost. “All the way, this is the year,” I said. He danced off down the street. In a Record Exchange, we met a man named Mike Franklin. When we asked him about his thoughts about the city, he said “I hate the school systems here,” without looking up. His body language told us to leave. Next we looked at a thrift shop. A few teenage kids were working there, all with excessive facial piercings. A girl named Stephanie seemed nervous about us being there. She kept asking why we wanted to know about Philly, and we kept telling her about our trip. Sooner or later she became too busy to talk and we left. It seemed that once people found out that we were not buying anything, they didn’t want us in their shops. But we were not disheartened, because it was at this point that we ran into Lamont. Lamont was sitting in a collapsible beach chair at the entrance to an alleyway. He was an African American man and wore golden sunglasses and a flowered button down shirt. In front of his chair, there was a cardboard sign that bore “MAGIC SHOW,” written in marker. He was a man a few words.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">“Excuse me sir, we’re from out of the area and we were wondering if you could tell us a few things about the area.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>“…ok…”</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>“How do you like Philly?”</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>“Is this an interview?”</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>“No… we just want to get to know this place a little better.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>“Ok…My name is …… Lamont.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>“Thanks, Lamont. How long have you been doing your magic shows?”</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>“You’re talking to the wrong man.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I think he was selling drugs. But he was a genuine Philadelphian, and he helped us to understand where we were a little bit better. The walking had made us hungry, and we headed for the happiest place in the town: The Italian Market.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>The walk was long. From <st1:street><st1:address>South Street</st1:address></st1:street> we went south on <st1:street><st1:address>9<sup>th</sup> street</st1:address></st1:street> until we reached <st1:street><st1:address>Passyunk avenue</st1:address></st1:street>. We finally reached Geno’s Steaks. The line wrapped all the way around the entire building. Mike and I waited in line, talking with the man behind us in line, whose name was Rich. He and his son lived in <st1:place><st1:city>Gloster City</st1:city>, <st1:state>NJ</st1:state></st1:place>. They had drove into Philly for lunch. Out of all of the people we met in Philly, Rich was probably the friendliest. We were waiting in line for 20 minutes before we were in the front. The man in the apron quickly asked me “with or without?” I said, “cheese steak…?” He stopped punching buttons and looked up at me. After his slowest order of the day, I had my cheese steak. It was delicious. For the first time in Philly, I felt like I had adapted to my environment. I was totally relaxed, enjoying the amazing food, and appreciating the characters I had the pleasure of meeting. After many awkward encounters and conversations, I felt like I had truly experienced <st1:city><st1:place>Philadelphia</st1:place></st1:city>.<o:p></o:p></p> sharifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05724025226550042297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513272292913488786.post-79850360835287501652009-05-01T15:17:00.000-07:002009-05-01T15:19:44.635-07:00Four Hours in Philly<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CTEMP%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CTEMP%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CTEMP%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> 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mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style=""></span>It is surprising where one day can bring you; when I was dropped off at The Philadelphia Museum of Art, I didn’t imagine that I’d come across the adventure I found in Philadelphia. <span style=""> </span>I had an itinerary; a well-thought out plan that I had seen myself following. Despite my original beliefs, I ended up going against the grain, taking quite a few exciting detours along the way. <o:p></o:p></span></span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style=""></span>I started waiting in the line at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Admission was free on Sundays, so, I thought it would be a great place to start my journey. After about 20 minutes waiting in a queue, I was finally among the lucky ones allowed to enter the galleries. As I strolled around, I quickly realized I did not want to be spending this lovely Sunday Afternoon in a cold building with painting after painting. It wasn’t that I didn’t appreciate the art, something inside me just made me feel there were better things to do and see. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style=""></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style=""></span>As I left the museum I looked for a sign guiding me to the “Philadelphia Phlash.” I wanted to take a ride downtown towards City Hall, and then head for Chinatown. After a few minutes of searching, I once again had an epiphany: why take a bus when it was a sunny day in Philadelphia?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style=""></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style=""></span>I was trying to find my way on a map when I stumbled upon quite a lot of commotion. Soon, I was surrounded by screaming children and, adults handing me one brochure or flyer after another. A bit overwhelmed, I tried to become conscious of where I really was. I looked down at one of the flyers given to me, and it read, “Free Library Festival.” As I quickly skimmed the ad, it seemed like this festival was pretty cool. They were trying to attract children to reading, while at the same time making it something enjoyable for the parents as well. They had collected books from book drives, offered story time, provided coloring books, and had all other forms of entertainment centered on reading and books.<span style=""> </span>I flipped through another brochure, and soon saw a schedule for these events. I noticed that in only fifteen minutes, world-class swimmer Dara Torres would be speaking. I had heard about her, and heard her story, so I thought it was an opportunity I should take. After wandering around the market for a little bit, I made my way to the stage where she was talking. After watching her introduce herself, I found myself yearning to travel more. I decided to slip out, because after all, I did get to see her in person and my time there in Philadelphia was running short. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style=""></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style=""></span>I made my back onto the calm, sunny avenue I had been on before. I continued on towards City Hall. Soon, I heard another set of commotion. I walked on a round-about and through an empty fountain when I finally saw what was causing all the chaos. In the middle of this square was a giant adult pillow fight. Yes, a pillow fight. Adults dressed in pajamas with dreadlocks, nose rings, tattoos, and all other sorts of interesting features were running around hitting one another with pillows. Not only that, but they were screaming, “HAPPY EARLY 4/20!!!” I decided to stay and watch for a few moments. It seemed so strange that in this neat orderly section of town, something as chaotic as this this was happening. But, after spectating on those events for a while, I decided it was once again time to move on and continue on my way to City Hall.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style=""></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style=""></span>Soon, I was very hungry, and I decided I needed to find some replenishment. Just as my stomach started to growl, I saw a big light up sign that read, “Reading Terminal Market.” I decided to give it a try. When I walked in, I saw shop after shop with everything you could imagine. They had various types of food from all cultures of the world, all contained in one tiny indoor marketplace. I stopped at a cookie stand, and ordered a sugar. I left with a delicious cookie, and a new perspective of food-shopping in Philadelphia. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style=""></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style=""></span>I continued to walk the streets and soon found what I was looking for, City Hall. I decided from there I could head to the Historical District, and skip Chinatown for that day. On my way to the Liberty Bell, there was a block of houses, all built pre 19<sup>th</sup> century. They were all absolutely beautiful. Each was adorned with black iron fences, and held together with eroding bricks which only added to their charm. They must have cost fortune, but seeing them made me want to become a part of Philadelphia. Living in the birth place of our country, would be an experience, especially in this part of town. Everywhere you looked, building after building was enriched with history. As I was thinking about who had walked these cobblestone paths before me, I arrived at the Bell. I waited in no line, and got an up close and personal look at the Liberty Bell. It once rang for freedom, and although it could obviously no longer do that today, it is a powerful symbol to view. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style=""></span>
<br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I had one last stop on my list, Jim’s Cheese steaks. I had always heard my main-line cousins rave about it, and tell me stories of how they would just drive to Philly and wait in the ridiculous lines to get one. I navigated to South Street from the Bell. When I turned the corner onto South Street, it was almost like everything lit up. There is neon flashing, and cars whizzing by. A million sights and sounds overwhelm your senses; I found it all thrilling. But, I couldn’t stop and look; I needed to find my cheese steak place. When I did I realized my cousins weren’t lying about the lines. Ironically, waiting in line turned out to be one of the best parts of my trip. Soon after I had stepped in line, a couple followed me. I listened as the man said, “Babe, babe, let me take your picture, you look great.” The girl blushed, but smiled as he snapped a picture on his phone. I thought it was all a little odd, but intriguing. They then went into conversation as to what they were going to order. The increasingly funny man said, “Babe, do you think I should get the cheese whiz, what about onions, or hot peppers; should I just get it all?” Before listening for her answer, he turned to me and asked what I was getting. To be honest, I was shocked to have a stranger asking me what I was ordering. But I explained that I had never been there and didn’t really have any idea. The man, thrilled, screamed to me that he had never been there either and that his wife wanted to take him there. They then told me that only the day before, they had gotten married and tomorrow they were headed on their honeymoon. I was amazed; I had never had an interaction like this with complete strangers. Our conversation continued on, and they soon learned that I went to prep school. They seemed very excited about it, and encouraged me that even when things became hard, I should keep going on because no where else could I create my own passion for learning. He recited the following, “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire,” a quote by William Butler Yeats. I thought about this, and I was electrified. This couple had reminded me what I was working for through all my work, and I had only known them for about 45 minutes. When we parted our ways, both of them with everything cheese steaks, and me with cheese whiz and onions, I was somewhat sullen. I sat and reflected, with the best cheese steak I have ever eaten, complete with melted cheese and the perfect mixture of beef.<span style=""> </span>All they had said to me had reminded me of important lessons, that in the rush of Peddie I had forgotten. It was so funny to me how to strangers from Philly could change my whole perspective. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style=""></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style=""></span>My trip to Philly was amazing. I found everything that I saw and learned there worth every minute. I am glad that I found my detours and completed one of many short journeys there. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> Marykate McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00012288990552248874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513272292913488786.post-16786224239747579882009-05-01T12:27:00.000-07:002009-05-01T12:32:39.808-07:00The City of Culture, History, and Cheese SteakThe scent of the famous Philly Cheese Steak stimulated our noses as we entered the Passyunk Ave. and 9th St. at the Italian Market. As Evan and I started to barely see the gigantic and bright yellow sign of the Geno’s Steaks from about ninety yards away, I suddenly felt an adrenalin rush in my body and found myself already running to the place. About five yards left til our final destination, Evan and I saw lots of of people standing in front of the Geno’s, waiting desperately to experience the greatness of its cheese steak. The line of the restaurant was so long that it wrapped around the next block. Seeing the line, Evan and I, still panting from a twenty second sprinting just about a minute ago, stood still in front of the restaurant, looking like a shocked man with his jaws cracked down who just witnessed an unfortunate scene of his girl friend kissing his best friend. Our time at Philadelphia was running out, and there was no way that we could have the Geno’s cheese steaks. Shocked and disappointed, we stood in front of the restaurant for five minutes simply watching people buying Philly Cheese Steaks and eating them with a big smile on their faces. I even hallucinated of eating their best Philly cheese steak because I was so started, exhausted, and disappointed. As I was fantasizing, someone tapped me on the back, and my hallucination suddenly stopped. It was Mike Tully. Tully’s partner, Sharif, was eating the Philly cheese steak from the Geno’s. Right at that moment, I honestly wanted to take the cheese steak from his hand and take a big bite of it. We then talked with Tully and Sharif about the trip in Philadelphia for a few minutes. Now Evan and I were really starving to death, and we just wanted to go into any place that served some type of food. Next to the Geno’s, I saw a pizza place called Miguel’s Pizza, which we went in without hesitation. There were delicious looking pizzas that attracted me, but I carefully checked the menu to see what other food they had. Fortunately, they had Philly cheese steaks, and I instantly ordered it with a medium size coke. As we were waiting for the cheese steaks, Evan and I talked about how unfortunate it was for us not to be able to experience the Geno’s Steaks. As I drank the icy cold coke to kill my thirst, I saw the television and Spanish soccer league was on. Soccer of course caught my attention, and the game was at its peak. Then, finally, my longing cheese steak came out, and I was totally prepared to take the first bite of it. And when I took a bite of it, I suddenly felt a chill in my body; the chill that a man feels when he urinates in a cold weather. The cooked meat with onions and peppers and a soft bun were all perfectly matched, and I was happy that I deserved eating the good cheese steak after a long day of journey in Philadelphia. And as I was about to finish the half of my cheese steak, one of the soccer teams scored, making the owner of the restaurant shout ‘Hooray!’ very excitedly in Spanish. Then, Evan and I, excited and thankful about the good cheese steak they served, shouted ‘Hooray!’ to the owner. Then the owner put his thumb up to us, thinking that we were cheering for the winning team. That simple moment was probably the best moment in Philly because then I not only just had the best Philly cheese steak in the world, but I also was experiencing a bit of culture of Philadelphia. In addition, if one asks me if I had Geno’s Philly cheese steak in Philadelphia, I would proudly say that I have had a better cheese steak at Miguel’s Pizza and watched one of the best soccer games.<br /><br />When Evan and I arrived at the City Hall of Philadelphia, the cold soft breeze blew from the north, welcoming our arrival to the city of culture and history. After a brief stretch from a long bus ride, I looked around to see what was around me. The only thing I noticed was the City Hall, and the city was pretty much empty except for a few cars and several passersby. The other groups who got off with us have already left for their first destination and the bus has also left at that moment. Evan and I both were lost, but we tried to act calmly. We then decided that we should probably head to a big street, so we started to head to the east, where the big streets are. However, our first destination, The Gallery at Market East, was not to be noticed, and I felt like we only came to a wrong direction. Holding a map, an itinerary, and a backpack, we surely would have looked like visitors to this city, and an Indian looking person came up to us and asked if he could help us. The gentleman’s name of Sadik, and he was also a visitor who has come to Philly for several times. Luckily, the gentleman knew where the Gallery at Market East was and he was kind enough to take us there. In addition, as he left, he recommended that we go to the Italian Market and try the Philly cheese steak there, which made us become more excited about our final destination. And we were so thankful for the man for the kindness that we kept saying thank you, and the first ever encounter with a stranger at Philly impressed me a lot. When we entered the Gallery, it was just like a mall, except that it was called the Gallery at Market East. We then hung out there for about twenty minutes and started to head to our next destination: Chinese Cultural Center. Going to the China Town was fairly easy, not only because Evan and I used the map efficiently, but also because we tried not to act too confused when we were seemed to be lost. When we entered the town, we were sure that we were in the China Town because of its typical scent, familiar faces, and Chinese shops on the street. After walking around the town and visiting some of the shops that looked interesting for about thirty minutes, we decided to head to the Chinese Cultural Center. We did not want to get lost this time, so we figured we should follow the map carefully. On the way to find the Chinese Cultural Center, we saw a small fire station with firefighters cleaning the fire trucks. There, it was interesting how Chinese people were taking pictures of the firefighters as if they were big celebrities or renowned baseball players. We then decided to ask one of the fire fighters where the Cultural Center was, and although he was not sure, he told us it should be near the African American Museum and told us where it was. We were also sure that the Cultural Center should be there because that’s what the map said, too. With the firefighter’s kindness, we continued our journey to our next destination. After ten or fifteen minutes passed, we arrived at the place, but the Chinese Cultural Center wasn’t there. We were disappointed, sad, and lost again. However, as the firefighter mentioned, we were able to find the African American Museum, so we figured we should probably go there first. When we arrived, we faced another disappointment. The museum was closed and it said it would open again next year. When I realized that the Museum was closed, I figured that things were not going too well as we planned. Evan and I were getting tired from much of walking, talking and visiting. We needed some place to sit and rest for a while; at that moment, we read a sign that would lead us to the Historic Park. Putting aside our disappointment of not being able to visit neither the Chinese Cultural Center nor the African American Museum, we started to head to the Historic Park. What was interesting though, was that although it seemed like we were not acting according to our itinerary, we were lucked out every time that somehow got to our next destinations. Away from the China town where many shops and restaurants existed, when we got to the Historic Park, I was really able to taste a historical aspect of the city. Benjamin Franklin Center, Independence Center and Liberty Bell all located at the Historic Park, and I was able to get away from the crowded China Town and experience the history there. As soon as I saw a bench, I ran there to sit and relax my legs for a bit. People were playing ultimate Frisbee at a nice and large grass field. And as we were enjoying our lunch, one guy came up to us and asked if we wanted to play Frisbee with them. Both Evan and I were exhausted, but we were unable to reject his offer because we did not want to make him feel terrible. So we played Frisbee with them, but as this being my third time playing Frisbee, I realized how bad I was within the group. I made a lot of mistakes and could see read in their faces that they were regretting of choosing me as a teammate. People who played with us were actually really skilled, showing all kinds of throws and catches. We both felt bad that we were so bad, but it was one of the most memorable moments in Philly. Nice people, historic place, and wonderful weather all allowed us to have a unique time at the Historic Park, and Evan and I continued on our journey. Next stop was the Society Hill Synagogue. Synagogue was only across the street from the Historic Park, so it was easy to find. As we were walking a small forest to enter the synagogue, we encountered a homeless person. As we passed him, he reached out his hand to stop Evan.<br />“Please, help this poor homeless person.” The homeless person said. As a pretty generous person, I love helping out the poor and I actually do it a lot in Korea, but this person just looked too shady to me for some reason. The homeless person tried to shake hands with Evan, but as he tried to do it, Evan snatched his hand out.<br />“I don’t have any money” Evan said. We figured that we should just ignore him and enter the synagogue. But as we were about to enter the synagogue, the homeless person shouted,<br />“You look like a football player! I see your triceps!”<br />Evan, responding to the homeless person, flexed his muscles to show that he really is the football player. I was laughing hard behind Evan and thought the situation was really funny. Inside the synagogue, we had to wear a round hat called Kippah. As a Jewish, Evan knew what to do in the synagogue and taught me how to act in there. Although I had a different religion, I still respected their practice and at least in the synagogue, I acted as if I was a Jewish person. After we stayed at the synagogue for about fifteen minutes, we got out and finally headed to our final destination: Italian Market. I suggested Evan that we should take a bus to get there because it would take us thirty minutes to get to the Italian Market. However, Evan kept telling me that we should walk so that we experience more of Philadelphia. Approximately twenty five minutes of walking, I was able to see that I was at the Italian Market with all the signs, pizza places, and of course, Philly cheese steaks. And at Miguel’s Pizza, Evan and I have the best Philly cheese steak in the world even better than the Geno’s.SJ Choihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471486717947106578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513272292913488786.post-68082430933285634132009-05-01T10:29:00.000-07:002009-05-01T10:32:12.828-07:00Finding Philadelphia<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 10"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 10"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CKATEJO%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]-->Philadelphia: known as the city of brotherly love, home of the Philly cheese steak, and perhaps most importantly, the birthplace of our great nation. As a city of immense historical significance Philadelphia naturally attracts people with a particular interest in times past. The city offers a wide range of historical activities and attractions such as the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. However, I fear that some may miss the true experience of Philadelphia by merely visiting the popular tourist attractions. Though they may be very informative and entertaining, they aren’t <i style="">really</i> Philadelphia at all. They <i style="">were </i><span style=""> </span>Philadelphia. I arrived in Philadelphia as just another traveler among thousands of other travelers similar to me. Our only apparent kinship being that we were all outsiders to a city that cherishes their own. Yet I wasn’t aware that I was about to step off the bus and into a second “home,”— and that those travelers who surrounded me were simply distant family members.
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<br />The forecast called for rain all day, but I was determined to not let the specter of a few rain clouds influence my day. Our first visit was the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which was currently featuring the famous “Cezanne and Beyond” exhibit. Unfortunately, my partner Jae and I would have had to pay a fee quite over our budget in order to witness the Cezanne exhibit itself, so we had to forego the exhibit in favor of the permanent collections. We ventured through the halls and exhibitions the museum offered, and were pleasantly surprised. Several pieces of art in the exhibit “Peaks of Faith: Buddhism,” <span style=""> </span>we had only recently learned about in our studies, which enabled us to experience our learning on the fly—experiencing a living, breathing city through its ode to art. Although not originally a part of our plans, we spent time wandering around the Modern art exhibits and really gained a feel for the art culture Philadelphia had to offer.<span style="">
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<br />Art still churning in our heads, my partner and I decided to surrender to the pleas of our stomachs and head down to South Street where Pat’s and Geno’s steakhouses were situated. Hailing a taxi for only $5.43, we talked amicably with the cab driver, who happened to have grown up around the same area that my parents had, and he was eager to make me feel like a local. “Once a Philly girl, always a Philly girl!” shouted the driver to me as I exited the cab. I smiled in return, grateful for his friendly farewell.
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<br />The familiar never-ending queue greeted me as I walked up to Pat’s steakhouse to join the eager cheese steak fans. Anticipation marked the faces of those in line. Fortunately, our comrade Mike Clark had been waiting for a cheese steak as well and he offered us a spot in line with him, virtually cutting our wait in half. As we approached the window I knew what I wanted, and in true Philly vernacular stated clearly “Wiz, wit out,” with impeccable speed. The cheese steak was like any other I had tasted before; the steak to cheese ratio was ideal, the juicy steak was cooked to perfection, and the fresh roll seemed to be right out of the oven. The crowded, vibrant atmosphere of South <span style="color:black;">Philadelphia enhanced the experience and made it seem all the more special. Mike</span> Clark had met up with his aunt Sue, also a Philly native, and we chatted as we enjoyed our steaks. Sue explained what she knew about Peddie, and<s> </s><span style=""> </span>that she thought Jae and I were lucky to attend such a great school. <span style="color:black;">It’s incredibly helpful to hear input such as Sue’s, for sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the little things in life and take things like a Peddie education for granted. Sue</span> and I were soon engaging in an in-depth conversation about my ambitions to someday become and English teacher, something she admired very much. Throughout the duration of this conversation, I could not help thinking that this person had been placed along my path for a reason; if I had not come to Philadelphia on this Sunday afternoon, I would not have met this wonderful person. And as I thought this, the sun poked out from behind the clouds. The day looked promising.
<br />
<br /><span style="color:black;">Sue offered us a ride to the historic district, and we gladly obliged, for it was much cheaper and easier than hailing another cab. </span>Since we had already experienced some of the culture Philadelphia had to offer, Jay and I decided to take in some of the history of Philadelphia whilst on a buggy ride through the historic cobblestone streets. Our horse, appropriately named Truman after the thirty third president of the United States, was as stubborn as a mule, which only added to the unique city experience. The driver enthusiastically pointed to historic buildings such as Carpenter’s Hall, Independence Hall, and the Liberty Bell. She passionately spoke of her experiences in Philadelphia, and her love for the city was infectious. Following the buggy ride, Jay and I walked the streets ourselves and entered Carpenter’s Hall to get a closer look at the building. We walked along the cobblestone roads, original roads, the same roads that our founding fathers walked across—but I wasn’t just walking, I was feeling. I was surrounded by an inescapable history, and it was an inspiring feeling.
<br />
<br />By now the sun was shining completely, and it had turned into a beautiful day. Though I had only spent four hours in the city of Philadelphia, I had learned more than I ever expected to learn from a single place. I found a city on the crossroads of an illustrious history and a culturally rich present. I saw the <i style="">real</i> Philadelphia and then saw where it all began over three hundred years ago. The experiences, the interactions, and the trip as a whole have benefited me as a traveler and won’t leave me any time soon. Kate Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805798859013214156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513272292913488786.post-41667457341716422342009-05-01T10:27:00.000-07:002009-05-01T10:34:57.895-07:00A New Point of View<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CKBRETZ%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CKBRETZ%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CKBRETZ%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> 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mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--><o:p></o:p><span style=""></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Sunlight danced off the arches of Philadelphia’s City Hall as I stood admiring its beauty from beneath the doorway of China Town, if there were a grander sight somewhere else in the world at this moment I could not imagine one. We had walked about ten yards and already Matt, my travel partner, and I were lost. While he immersed himself in our one and only barley decipherable map of Philadelphia, I stood and wondered how many people had ever gazed upon City Hall from the spot I was standing in today. By the time Matt had decided on a direction for us to begin walking in I had come to the conclusion that at some point in history at least four presidents if not more had once stood on the exact cobblestone as I. Together we meandered across the street to Thomas Paine Plaza where an enormous intricately assembled statue entitled “Government of the People,” stood looming above our heads. The shape of the sculpture was comprised of four to five muscular human bodies intertwined together. The most interesting aspect of this piece was that none of the men’s faces were showing. Again I stood and amused myself with ideas on why the artist decided to sculpt his work in this way. To myself I thought that maybe the statue was supposed to represent a strong government with no one specific leader, hence the lack of a particular face on any one of the men. However I decided that sharing my thoughts with Matt would actually require the two of us to converse. I debated and eventually came to the conclusion that a discussion about the meaning of a sculpture would be too much too soon for Matt and I, considering the fact that up to this point our conversational skills were still on the one word level.</span>
<br />
<br /></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">We hung a left and continued down JFK until in turned into not JFK and within a span of less than ten minutes we were now lost again.<span style=""> </span>At this point we decided to toss our map and wing it the rest of the way.<span style=""> </span>We continued to walk along and as we passed Carlton St. we noticed a rundown bridge with an elaborate array of Chinese decorative lights hanging from the ceiling of the Bridge.<span style=""> </span>We stood underneath the lights for a few minutes and marveled at its unique beauty.<span style=""> </span>Here Matt and I spoke again.<span style=""> </span>“That’s cool,” I said.<span style=""> </span>“Yeah, I agree,” he said.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p><span style=""></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style=""></span>We ventured on down the same street until we came to the African American Episcopal Church.<span style=""> </span>The church was huge in comparison to its neighboring buildings and the stones it was built with were covered in decades of mold and dirt.<span style=""> </span>At first glance it was very unappealing to the eye.<span style=""> </span>We stood at the front door for a moment and listened to the sermon going on inside.<span style=""> </span>The front doors were cracked open and inside there was a large bouquet of fresh flowers arranged in the lobby.<span style=""> </span>I sneezed at the sight of them, today was a bad day for my allergies.<span style=""> </span>We circled the church once looking for anything interesting, and I noticed that all the doors on the church were painted red, an interesting color for the doors of a church.<span style=""> </span>Matt found at stone built into the base of the church that read “1844-1909.”<span style=""> </span>“That’s old,” I said.<span style=""> </span>“Yeah, really old,” he said.<span style=""> </span>At least we were making progress? </span></p><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">By this time we were hungry.<span style=""> </span>We made our way to Redding Terminal; a place Matt had been to before and knew was good.<span style=""> </span>As we were about to cross the road into the terminal a blonde tight pants wearing wannabe from the streets girl dressed in all pink with a matching pink book bag to boot ran screaming past the two of us, who at this point were standing motionless on the curb of the street dumb struck at the sight.<span style=""> </span>In a fit of hysteria the mystery girl through her phone to the pavement and stomped her foot in indignation.<span style=""> </span>She had the vocabulary of a rap star and didn’t hesitate to curse like a sailor.<span style=""> </span>I couldn’t help but stare at her only out of confusion, and when she noticed my gaze she again didn’t hesitate to direct her rap star drunken sailor slang at me.<span style=""> </span>To avoid repeating the exact belligerence that she spoke I’ll just say she called me every derogatory word under the sun, and that about sums it up.<span style=""> </span>“Oh, I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to star I just didn’t know if you needed help or something?” I stuttered trying to find the right words that would sooth this raging beast before she resorted to physical violence as my punishment for staring at her.<span style=""> </span>“Gurl it cew’ I jus pissed duh bus driver didn’t wait fah meh.”<span style=""> </span>From this spelling one should be able to interpret the woman’s strong dialect.<span style=""> </span>“Is there anything I can do?” I asked approaching her with caution.<span style=""> </span>“Naw I be aight.”<span style=""> </span>With that she turned and strutted back down the street in the direction she had come.<span style=""> </span>I turned to look at Matt’s reaction.<span style=""> </span>It was a blank stare.<span style=""> </span>I shrugged my shoulders for lack of another motion and we continued into the Termial.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p>All day I had been saying that I wanted to get a Philly Cheese Steak, but when we got there the food court was so incredibly packed with foods I had never seen before that I decided I would try something other than a cheese steak.<span style=""> </span>We ended up both getting sandwiches that were easily the size of a small animal, and of course I devoured every last morsel of mine.<span style=""> </span>I think I may have scared Matt a little bit judging by the look on his face that read, “Holy shit, I didn’t see that coming.”<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p>After lunch we walked on to JFK Park to see the LOVE statue.<span style=""> </span>I had never seen it before and it was actually smaller than I thought I was going to be.<span style=""> </span>I was also surprised at how clean it and well taken care of it was.<span style=""> </span>The red letters of the statue seemed as if they were freshly repainted that day so as to preserve the awe inspiring first glance of the statue itself.<span style=""> </span>It had now been almost three hours since we had arrived in Philly and my leg strength and will to carry on were slowing disintegrating with every passing minute we spent walking.<span style=""> </span>Matt could see that I was struggling and suggested that we start heading over to the Vietnam Memorial a few minutes ahead of schedule, where we were to be picked up.<span style=""> </span>I agreed without hesitation and when Matt turned to lead the way I preformed a silent victory dance in his wake.<span style=""> </span>When we arrived people were already there.<span style=""> </span>We discovered that we could talk through the marble wall that encircled the memorial.<span style=""> </span>That entertained the group until it was time to leave.<span style=""> </span>Clusters of friends moved in packs onto their respective busses sharing interesting travel stories and entertaining experiences.<span style=""> </span>As I made my way to my seat on the bus I recapped the events of my day.<span style=""> </span>Everything from the Chinese lights to the Redding Terminal whizzed through my head, places that weren’t originally on my radar of places to visit somehow managed to cross my path and gave me a whole new perspective of a city with already so much history.</span></p> Kaitlyn Bretzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03480932346505184053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513272292913488786.post-27986739076003853612009-05-01T10:23:00.000-07:002009-05-01T10:29:55.259-07:00Philadelphia: Old and New<p><span style="font-size:85%;">Philadelphia is a complex city that melds together the rich history of this country with present day American life. To truly understand Philadelphia, one needs to understand both the historical and modern aspects of the city. If one travels just to see the many historical sites, one might believe the city is ancient (in American terms) and just full of old buildings and cobblestone streets. However, visiting both the historic and modern areas will provide a true appreciation of the city of Philadelphia and everything it has to offer.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Philadelphia is famous for its numerous historical sites and its pivotal role in early American history. Many historical events, like the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the adoption of the Constitution, took place in what used to be the capital of the country. This city was also home to significant historical figures, like Benjamin Franklin and Betsy Ross. Many historic places are located in the Historic District of Philadelphia. In this district is the famous Liberty Bell, which is free for anyone to walk up and see. Just south of the Bell is Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed and where the Constitution was ratified. For an entrance fee, one can walk in the room where over 200 years ago historical figures such as John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were signing the Declaration of Independence. Both the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall are very popular, and depending on the day, the size of the crowds can vary from large to very small. The Constitution Center on Arch Street is an attraction in the Historic District that combines the historical elements of the city, but also shows how the country evolved into present day America. For $12.00, one can see exhibits such as a display that explains famous Supreme Court cases, and take a virtual “Oath of Office” for the Presidency. While many exhibits are permanent, new exhibits are added, including one on the influence of African Americans in America. The Constitution Center is reflective of Philadelphia because it brings together both the past and the present state of Philadelphia and the country.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Even though Philadelphia has a rich history, if a traveler were to only see the Historic District, he would be missing out on what the rest of the city has to offer. Directly across the street from City Hall, in the very center of the city, is home to some interesting modern art that is worth viewing. The first sculpture that stands out is a tower of bodies titled “Government of the People.” Around it are some friendlier statues of chess pieces and dominos which can be appealing for both adults and children. These sculptures are a contrast to the historic City Hall, built in 1909, that is across the street from them. Northeast of City Hall on Arch Street is the Reading Terminal Market, a place to get something to eat, and explore the city’s culture through food. This market has almost every food imaginable and even the pickiest eater can find something to eat. Many of the Amish from nearby Lancaster County set up their stands during the week to sell their fresh food. In my experience there, I found a great stand called Dinic’s where I purchased a large roast beef sandwich and was able to sit and watch a small band perform in the seating area while I ate. There are also some small shops, and just wandering around the old train terminal seeing the different shops can be entertaining. What makes the Reading Terminal unique is that it used as a market today, but in the past it was something very different. Before food and other supplies were sold there, the building used to be a train depot. It was a part of both the inner city and regional trains through the area, but in 1984 the terminal saw its final train.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Almost directly east of the Terminal is Philadelphia’s Chinatown, which is like stepping into another country. After crossing the colorful Friendship Gates that are three stories high, travelers will step into a colorful world full of hair salons and more Chinese restaurants then can be counted. It is not uncommon to see ducks hanging in almost every window when walking down the street. However, one store sticks out from the rest by having shoes hanging in its window along with fried duck. Abakus Take-out is open seven days a week and located on 10th street between Vine and Spring Street. This store uses a Chinese takeout/fast food theme to sell popular shoes, t-shirts, and sweatshirts. Wandering around the store, one can find small takeout boxes full of shoelaces, a deep frier filled with shoes and t-shirts, and a “take-out menu” with some information about the store. Secretly tucked away in Chinatown, this store would be easy to pass by, but it is definitely worth checking out even if one is not buying anything. Along with Philadelphia’s reputation for a rich history, it also offers a modern image of the country and people.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">When looking for a place to travel, Philadelphia should definitely a destination because of its wide array of sites and experiences that are sure to please anyone. Visiting this city can give the traveler both a sense of where the country came from, and where it is today. In order to experience the “real” Philadelphia, one needs to be open minded, and willing to try a little of everything that Philadelphia has to offer. When considering a new and different destination to travel to, consider Philadelphia and its ability to combine both old and new ideas into one great experience.</span></p>mkostmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18079106000913181920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513272292913488786.post-66341586898636585742009-05-01T10:22:00.003-07:002009-05-01T10:36:57.753-07:00Shades of History<span style="color:#663300;"><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:85%;">I definitely can’t find three eggplants for a dollar in my backyard. Or five apples for $1.10, or ten peppers for $1.50. But that’s just what I found under the makeshift tents of the Italian Marketplace in the heart of Philadelphia.<br /><br />Just across the river from the infamous Camden, New Jersey lies Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. With a current population of about 1.5 million people, Philadelphia served as the nation’s capitol immediately following the revolutionary war, and was the destination for many African Americans during the Great Migration northward in the early twentieth century.<br /><br />As we arrived in Philadelphia on that Sunday morning, spring was just beginning to bloom. The sun was warm, and not a single cloud floated above our heads—we could not have picked a better day for our exploration of the City of Brotherly Love. Philadelphia skyline in view, we crossed the Ben Franklin Bridge excited for the day ahead. William Penn watching over us from high atop City Hall, my travelling group exited the bus into the clatter of center-city Philadelphia.<br /><br />We had our itinerary well-planned: we would begin by taking Market Street east to the Historic District. But somehow we made a wrong turn (my horrendous sense of direction at work yet again). As I brought out the map (I know…the mark of a lost tourist) to try to get my bearings in this new place, I heard shouting. Crowds of African Americans lingering after an AME church service stared, some even chuckling at the spectacle. A city-style battle, a complex concerto of horn and voice, played out on the road in front of us. The two women fought for several minutes, one in a car and one a pedestrian, much to the chagrin of the line of traffic beginning to build. As we walked out of hearing range, the woman in the car sped away huffily with a final blare of her horn. Welcome to Philadelphia, I thought to myself, must be the city of sisterly love too.<br /><br />We walked several more blocks and found ourselves on the map. We arrived at the Historic District, expecting busloads of chattering tourists on such a beautiful Sunday. To our surprise, the area was nearly deserted. After having our bags sufficiently ruffled through by security, we walked uninhibited to the iconic Liberty Bell. Inside a glass room, the bell is out in the open, removed from the sticky hands of innumerable schoolchildren by only a rope and the willpower of a park ranger (the bell is kept by Liberty National Park). While there were no class trips that day, the ranger had brought a boy under the ropes to tell him about the bell. The boy, maybe five or six years old, was clearly delighted at his fortune to be standing somewhere where grownups weren’t even allowed to go, and though his understanding of the bell’s actual significance was probably minimal, his excitement was fun to watch nonetheless. After all the hubbub surrounding the Liberty Bell, the visit was somewhat anticlimactic (it is, after all, literally an historic bell with a crack in it); though seeing it without the crowd was an unexpected pleasure.<br /><br />From the bell, we followed the foolproof, color-coded tourist signs to get to Franklin Court. Arguably Philadelphia’s most accomplished citizen, Benjamin Franklin made his home in Philadelphia during the Revolutionary War. The significance of the area in mind, we entered the courtyard behind his reconstructed home and shops, and found one lonely couple, cameras around their necks, wandering the flower-laced paths of history. Only some stones from the foundation remain of Franklin’s original dwellings, including, to my partner Maggie’s fascination, his privy pit. We wandered for just a short while through the underground Franklin museum, since its’ eerie emptiness was creepy (and besides, we were getting hungry).<br /><br />With our spending capped at $21 for the day, we needed to keep lunch relatively cheap. We decided to make the long walk into the southern part of the city for authentic Philly cheese steaks. When we arrived at Geno’s Steaks, it was around 2 PM, and the line stretched all the way around the building. We staked out a spot in line and prepared ourselves for a long wait.<br /><br />A couple with colorful tattoos cascading down their arms and backs stood ahead of us in line. They asked us how long we thought the wait would be, but we told them we didn’t know. The group behind us, a father and his three sons, bound by a strong family resemblance, responded that it would only be twenty-five minutes from this point, and that they knew well from experience. As their personalized Philadelphia Flyers jerseys verified, they were Flyers fanatics, and they came to Geno’s before every game. We turned back to the couple in front of us, who said they were vacationing in Philadelphia from Rhode Island for the food and the art.<br />Before we knew it, half an hour had gone by and we were at the window to order. I had an “American without,” Geno’s lingo for a steak with American cheese and without onions. We sat on the orange picnic-like tables outside, and watched a little league baseball game that was going on across the street.<br /><br />Walking back north towards the Waterfront District, we walked through the Italian Marketplace. Street vendors had set up shop for the morning, and were just beginning to close as we passed. Table after table of fresh produce, meat, and fish was laid out, advertised with small pickets sticking from each barrel. As we walked along, prices became cheaper and cheaper, but whether because of competition or decline in quality I’m not sure. In any case, the vibrant colors of the rows of apples, pineapples, zucchini, and eggplant seemed to breathe life into the neighborhood surrounding the open-air market. While the district is called the Italian Marketplace, we heard and saw more Spanish than Italian. The Hispanics represent now what the Italians used to: new immigrants looking to make a living in a new city, a new country.<br /><br />We passed churches and parks along the way, in addition to residential areas. The homes and streets looked historic (some even had hitching posts!) yet livable, and flowering trees were in full bloom along the sidewalks. I had no idea that center city Philadelphia would be so picturesque. Along the way we wandered through the graveyard of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. The stones were worn, and most of the older ones from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were illegible. An elderly gentleman with a British accent walked over and introduced himself as the guide. He gave us a brief history of the church, but said he had to be going as he needed to lock up for the day. We took this as our cue to head to the Vietnam War Memorial, where we would be picked up.<br /><br />We rested for a few minutes at the memorial before heading back into New Jersey. Etched in the cool polished marble ellipse were the names of soldiers who gave their lives in the Vietnam War. Small American flags, flowers, and notes lined the walls of the memorial.<br /><br />My feet aching from our long day of walking, I boarded the bus with the satisfied feeling of having seen, done, and felt a new place.</span> </span>Alyssa Barlishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10432122491801409729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513272292913488786.post-84047934425411009292009-05-01T10:22:00.002-07:002009-05-01T10:32:28.641-07:00One Sunday in Philadelphia<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link style="font-family: times new roman;" rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CKTAKAS%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link style="font-family: times new roman;" rel="themeData" 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mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--><span style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:";font-size:100%;" >There are various numbers of places in the world we live. You discover these places when you travel. Discovering things and places that you have never seen or heard of would surprise you. As a citizen of this world, you should discover and learn about places that you are not familiar with. For me, this is one of the learning processes that I actually like. Travels and discoveries are huge parts of education.<o:p></o:p></span> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">One sunny Sunday morning in mid April, I left Peddie School in Hightstown and headed to unfamiliar city, Philadelphia. Worrying about the long walk in the city, my partners and I were dropped off at city hall. My partners, Maggie and Alyssa were very excited for the trip and came up with many plans. Visiting an unfamiliar place is always exciting. My group had many plans so we started walking as soon as we got off the bus. While we were walking, Maggie and Alyssa stared at the map, and I paid attention to people in the city as I followed them. The city was full of joy and everyone was joyful under the sun. The roads were filled up with many cars, taxis, and busses. While we were walking, we heard two women shouting at each other. “Move the damn car!!” “I’m not moving!! You better back off!!” Maggie, Alyssa, and I looked at each other and we were confused. I did not know what was causing the fight, but I thought it was funny because they were causing the traffic jam. <span style=""> </span>With a little smile on my face, we started walking again. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Our first plan was to see the liberty bell. When we arrived there, we found out that the liberty bell is in the building. Before we were able to enter the building, there was security check that we had to go through. The security check made me think the liberty bell is a very important part of the American history. In the building, there were many pictures and words up on the wall. However, most people were surrounding the liberty bell. When I first saw it, I could not believe how close I was to the part of American history. Unfortunately I did not have my camera with me, so I decided to keep the image in my mind. I took a good look at it, and we left the building. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Another historical place, Franklin Court was our next destination. The entrance was so vague that we almost missed it. When we entered the court, there was a big space surrounded by buildings. That is the place where Benjamin Franklin used to live. The actual house was taken down long time ago, but we were able to see the floors where Franklin’s kitchen, bathroom and other rooms used to be on. The bathroom made our group laugh because it was just a hole. After exploring Franklin’s house, we sat down and took notes. As we were writing notes, we saw a museum in the court, so we went in. It was a long to the underground until we saw the entrance of the museum. At the entrance, we saw things that belong to Benjamin Franklin such as his chairs, tables, glass instrument and so on. The woman, who was cleaning the glass instrument, told us that she just finished performing. I wanted to see the performance, but we had to wait for another two hours until the next performance. Disappointed about missing the performance, we went further in the museum. As we advanced further, we saw many phones lined up. On the wall in front, there were many names of people in history and numbers. I pressed the numbers which was next to Thomas Paine’s name. “Hello, this is Thomas Paine from the parliament…” I finally realized that I was calling Thomas Paine. I thought it was really amazing that you can call people who you have seen in history text books. While I was having conversation with Thomas Paine, I heard something from my back so I hanged up and turned around. There was a huge box which had many dolls of colonists in it. As I looked in the box, the lights in the box turned off. I realized that I missed another performance of the day. “What an unlucky day!!” I thought. With the disappointment, I left the box and walked around the room. There were many of Benjamin Franklin’s work in the room. There were letters to the parliament, and letters to other colonist leaders. <span style=""> </span>After we walked around the room once, there was not much too see so we left the place. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">I was excited when we left the museum because we were heading to Geno’s Steaks. I was excited and displeased at the same time because Geno’s Steaks was on the bottom of the map which was very far from where we were. <span style=""> </span>Without any word, we just kept walking, walking, and walking. We had few words just to make sure we were going to the right direction, but nothing else. We did not talk much not only because we were walking a lot, but were also because we were observing the city. The city looked beautiful under the sunny weather. Everyone in the city was relaxed because it was Sunday. I totally loved the place. After the long walk, we saw a long line of people. I became little upset when I found out that all those people were waiting for the cheese steaks. We went all the way around the corner and lined up behind the last person on the line. We had nothing to do so we started taking notes. As I was taking notes, there were two people in front of us. Their bodies were covered with numerous numbers of tattoos. I tried not to make eye contact with them because I was nervous. However, Maggie spoke up and said “May we ask few questions for our class?” I was stunned. Actually, these people were very friendly and answered every one of our questions. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“Where are you from?” Maggie asked.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“Rhode Island” the tattoo man answered. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“Why did you come to Philadelphia?” Maggie asked again.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“We came to see the museums” the tattoo lady answered.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“Also to check out some motorcycles” the tattoo man added. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">As we were talking, many motorcycles passed by the store. The man with tattoo looked at them and smirked as he smoked on his cigar. They were really loud and the sounds of motorcycles were killing my ears. We waited for about forty minutes, and finally ordered cheese steak. When I ordered, the man asked me if I wanted onions in the cheese steaks. I said “sure” although I never knew that you can put onions in cheese steaks. After we got our cheese steaks, we sat down and sighed because we were walking and standing the whole time. Alyssa said “It’s so nice to sit” and Maggie and I both agreed. I took a bite of the cheese steak. As I swallowed the first bite, I said to myself “I am definitely putting onions in cheese steaks next time”. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">With our full filled stomachs, we headed back to north. We were all happy since we just ate the best cheese steaks. Maggie suddenly said that she wants to have a cup of ice cream so we stopped at a store as we were heading back. I saw milk shake on the menu, so I ordered it.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“May I get a milk shake please?” I said nicely.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“What?” the store keeper said.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“May I get a milk shake please?” I said it more clearly this time.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“We don’t have milk shake” the store keeper answered.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“But I saw it on the menu list” I told him.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“We don’t have it” the store keeper answered with frightening face.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“…Ok…” I just walked out the store as I answered.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">I was in a bad mood since then. At least he could have told me nicely I thought. We continued our way to the north. Our next destination was St. Peter’s Church. When we got there, we were not sure at first because the entrance was graveyard. As we walked in further, we saw a church, so we went in. I do not usually go to churches besides Peddie’s, so it was fresh for me. The room was large. As we were taking a look at the church, an old man walked to us and said “May I help you?” We said we were there for the class. I supposed that the old man is the priest of the church. He told us that this is the Church of England, and it was given by the Paines. He also told us where George Washington used to sit. I was impressed that this church had been there since the period of thirteen colonies. After the explanations, we thanked him and left the church. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">We decided to go to Vietnam War Memorial since it was almost pick up time. When we got there, there were already many people waiting for the bus. As I was waiting for the bus, I wrote down more notes. When we saw the Peddie bus, we ran across the street and got on it. Before I got on the bus, I took a last glance at the city, and took a picture with my eyes. <o:p></o:p></span></p> katsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00305386126874862867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513272292913488786.post-75690557729784587502009-05-01T10:22:00.001-07:002009-05-01T10:27:12.186-07:00An Amazing Strangeness<p><span style="font-size:85%;">One thing I love about life is that everyday has an amazement of its own. If you find everyday life to be boring, you aren’t thinking about the delicious cheese steak you had for lunch or the bright sun warming your back. Sometimes a single day could surprise you to an extent that its memories will astonish you till days after.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">On a distinct Sunday, without an exception, tens of people gathered in front of the Annenberg Science Center to travel to Philadelphia, home of the Philly Cheese Steak. There, we packed ourselves in two school buses with only a snack, a bottle of water, a map of Philadelphia, and twenty one dollars in hand. When we got off the bus at Philadelphia, what we had to trust was the itinerary the two of us made days prior to the trip.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Kate, as an inhabitant of New Jersey, and I, as a citizen of the Republic of Korea, were completely unfamiliar with the strange environment surrounding us at the east entrance of the Philadelphia Museum of Arts. Unlike the quiet school we came from, the streets of Philadelphia were filled with cars and people. However, with our hand made itinerary and Google printed maps in hand, we ascended the grand steps of the Philadelphia Museum of arts with confidence. The first thing we were going to do was to visit and explore the Philadelphia Museum of arts, a museum filled with artifacts from centuries before. Because of our well planned itinerary, we were able to investigate these marvelous pieces of arts for a mere donation of five dollars. And with the sign “free admissions on Sunday” greeting us, Kate and I first went to the first floor exhibition hall. At the exhibition hall, magnificent drawings by Gogh, Cezanne, and Monet were hanging on the walls. Past these portraits were exhibitions of relatively modern art pieces. One piece that came in sight was a wall completely covered with sown leaves. If someone told me to sow leaves, I would regard it as a complete waste of time. Yet to others, the leaves became an artifact with significance. After circling the first floor once, Kate and I went upstairs to find what we had been looking for; the architectures of Buddhist arts. When we went into the exhibition, statues of hideous monsters were looking down on us. This seemed a bit odd to me, for it would be somewhat awkward to place Buddha in a dim lit path. With doubt, we proceeded on to the next room. As expected, the second room was in total contrast to the first room. A transparent roof allowed natural sunlight to brighten the whole room. Accompanying the natural sunlight were houses built with nature friendly materials. And in the center was a Buddha statue with a peaceful smile on its face. The Buddha statue itself was a magnificently sculpted piece. But when I saw the Buddha statue with its surroundings, the whole piece of art gave pleasure like nothing else. After examining every aspect of the Buddhist art hall I dragged my feet to the next exhibition. The next and final exhibition was a medieval weapon hall full of diverse weapons from a simple sword to and elaborated crossbow. With this final exhibit we headed outside for our next destination. While exiting the Philadelphia museum of art, I was once again amazed on how wonderful the Philadelphia museum is. Inside a single building were exhibitions from different times and places all over the world. Despite my thought that museums were a boring place to visit, prior knowledge allowed me to recognize the Philadelphia museum of Art as an remarkable place to visit.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Finishing a tour through the museum, Kate and I headed to our next destination, the Constitutional Center. However, by the time we were half way to the city hall we were forced to change our minds. After spending hours in the Philadelphia museum of arts, we had run out of energy to continue without food. To satisfy our dissatisfied stomachs, we changed our course to Pat’s, a famous Philly cheese steak house. After riding down a taxi down to Pat’s we went into line and got ourselves the famous Philadelphia Philly cheese Steaks. Although the contents of the cheese steak were only whip cheese and steak, the harmony of the two ingredients far surpassed my expectations. Despite the fact that I do not crave for cheese steaks, it’s taste was good enough that I had to go for seconds. After filling our stomachs with this magnificent delight, Kate and I were once again able to ‘hit the road.’<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Than an event that proves that this unique Sunday is a truly amazing Sunday happened. While walking up the Italian market, we were able to meet Mike Clark, Justin Lee, and Mike’s aunt Sue in a car. Although Kate and I had never met Sue before, she was more than welcome to help us. As an inhabitant of Philadelphia, she kindly explained the historical sights at the Old town, which we were heading to. In addition to explaining, Sue, with her boyfriend Bob, drove us with Mike and Justin to the Old City. It is true that we were not able to walk through the streets of Philadelphia; however, more than just seeing something that passes by, we were able to make a new friendship that would last. In a matter of a few minutes, people who were strangers the same morning were now friends that same afternoon. It is simply amazing how foreign people can be friendly to people you have never seen before.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">After being dropped off at Independence Visitor Center by Sue and Bob, Kate, Mike, Justin, and I spotted a carriage pulled by a horse named Truman. After finding out that the carriage would be cheaper with more people in it, the four of us boarded the carriage for a quick, yet incisive tour about the history of Philadelphia. During this twenty minute tour, we were able to see the First Supreme Court, the Second National Bank, Washington Square Park, and so on. By riding the carriage, we were able to see the many historical sights that we might have missed due to the lack of time. In addition, we were able to see the second largest jewel street in America and humorous locals. While riding the carriage down jewel road, a small child followed us with his four-wheeled bike shouting at us. At first, I found the child to be annoying, because he kept on bothering our peaceful tour. However, when I found out that the child was telling the jockey to stop hitting the horse, I let out a small laugh. Finishing the tour of Philadelphia with Truman, we headed to the Vietnam War Memorial, our final destination. This short walk was enjoyable in that we were able to connect the sites with the scenes in the movie The National Treasure. In one corridor, where there was a chasing scene, we took pictures together as though we were the characters in the movie looking for the national treasure. Soon enough, we were able to arrive at the Vietnam War Memorial and the yellow school bus waiting us.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">On the school bus back home, I thought that another wonderful day had passed. A day that I would remember for days on; the diverse worlds inside the museum, the welcoming strangeness of others, and the historical sites that lasted centuries after its construction. I will remember all these as an exceptional Sunday of my life. An amazing Sunday I will never forget.</span></p>Jay Junghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00043713562464351464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513272292913488786.post-90006067329047578282009-05-01T10:22:00.000-07:002009-05-01T10:30:54.264-07:00The Great Travels through America's History<p align="left">It was a beautiful sunny day with not a cloud in sight, warm weather, and trip ahead of me that I will remember forever. As I approached the bus that would bring me and the rest of my English class to Philadelphia, PA, I was overwhelmed with what the day ahead of me would bring. While my travel partner and I sat on the bus, we briefly discussed what we would do when we got into Philadelphia; cheese steaks, South Street, and the many historic sites were things coming to our minds. The history of this grand city goes all the way back to beginning of our nation’s birth. While there were many important documents in Philly, there were far more important people who made America the great place it is. Not only have I never been to Philadelphia before, but I had practically no knowledge of the city either. To me Philadelphia was a place that I would fly into after a weeklong baseball tournament, but after being in Philadelphia as a travel, my views of the cheese steak capital were forever changed. </p><p align="left">As our small Peddie yellow bus made its way over the Ben Franklin bridge, I saw Philadelphia as I had never seen it before. The enormous size of the city made me think of New York city, but as we made our way deeper into the heart of town I realized there was a great difference between the two. When my travel partner, Jackie, and I departed from the rest of the class near city hall we were overwhelmed with what site we would visit first. After looking through our travel plans we made up a couple days before, we began making our journey eastward. As we walked by 9th, 8th, and 7th street we were introduced to the various mirages on the walls of the building and the everyday people that made Philadelphia the city it is. When we had walked for over fifteen minutes, we begin to have some doubts about where we were going, but shortly after we felt this sense of being lost, we found ourselves right in front of the liberty bell. When we first made our way to the large grass land that the liberty bell sat in, I could not find this enormous bell. Jackie and I contemplated on where the Liberty Bell was and finally worked up the guts to ask a fellow travel of this great city. The fellow traveler we spoke to told us the liberty bell was inside that large building, and this was a big shock for me. While I had never really thought about how the city conserved such a national icon, I always thought the liberty bell was outside, in the center of a gated off piece of grass. But boy was I wrong. There as an entire building and museum dedicated to this large piece of metal. When we made our way inside Jackie and I figured we had made our way into a closed museum considering we were a part of the small group of four people making our way around the museum. After viewing the bell, we crossed the street and made our way inside independence hall. It was at independence hall when I realized how historically rich Philadelphia is. As Jackie and I stepped into the solemn building I was amazed at how simple the set up of this national icon was. In many ways this room that made America, America greatly resembled my own study room. In this sense I felt a sort of connection not only to my past, but also to Philadelphia. From independence hall Jackie and I made our way South on 5th street and onward to the famous South Street of Philadelphia. As we approached South Street, we were both stunned with how many shops there were and the difference between historic Philadelphia and the modern and up beat South Street. When we made our way into the heart of South Street I made my first interaction with a suspender vendor. I walked around the suspender shop for quite a while until a small Asian man walked up to me and said “may help you, ten dollar all suspender and six dollar all hat”. I had finally chosen a pair of Rasta colored suspenders and brought them to the cashier. Since I thought that ten dollars was an unreasonable price I presented the man with eight dollars and told him that I will go no higher than eight dollars, and he instead sold them to me for six. After I had bought the suspenders I began to ask this small man about life in Philadelphia and about his store. He was much kinder than I had thought and he told me how he had moved to Philadelphia from Woodbridge, New Jersey seven years ago. He expressed his love for all of the shops around this city and the various great places to get food: Pat’s, Capital Grille, Tim’s fish market, and a couple other Asian infused restaurants. When I left the suspender shop, my views of Philadelphia were changed forever. Rather than seeing this city as a place full of typical urban people I now saw Philadelphia as a place filled with everyday people living the life they have always dreamed of. When we walked around the various reggae shops, skate stores, and shoe shops we made our way into one of the most memorable stores I have ever been in. Condom Kingdom was a store filled with risqué clothing, toys, and people continuously laughing. As Jackie and I walked around the store we found some of the funniest named foods, such as “Mac a weenie and cheese” and weenie sharp cheddar. As we approached 9th street we began to head towards southern Philly towards the Italian market and the cheese steak district. </p><p align="left">Walking through the Italian market was by far one of the best experiences I have ever had. Small sidewalk markets were filled with fresh baked biscotti, fish, and a spectacular array of Italian meats. While there were many people walking around, many of the shops were closed due to Sunday being such an important day in the lives of all Italians. As we made our way out of the Italian market Jackie and I reflected on our Italian descent and how similar our families were; being that we are both a part of very traditional Italian families. Just a few blocks down the road on the corner of Washington Ave and 9th street I had an experience that has forever changed my taste buds. I had my first ever traditional Philadelphia cheese steak at Pat’s steak house. Although I had to wait in line for close to a half an hour, the wait was well worth the explosion of taste as I consumed the best cheese steak I had ever had. When I placed my order for a cheese steak with hot peppers on it, the man behind the counter said that will be eight dollars, and as I gave him the money I had the cheese steak placed in my hand. As I ate my cheese steak and Jackie ate her cheese sandwich prepared by our very own Peddie food service we talked a little more about our families along with our plans for the upcoming summer. From Pat’s steaks we began to make our final travels within this great city towards the Vietnam War memorial. </p><p align="left">On our way to the Vietnam memorial we walked over to Penn’s landing and found ourselves in front of an artist using spray paint and stencils to make some of the most exciting paintings I had ever seen. As we made our way towards the war memorial Jackie decided to walk on the curb, and while looking towards the New Jersey river shore, she had tripped on a crack in the curb. As she clumsily fell onto the ground we both immediately started laughing. From that point on Jackie and I had laughed until we made our way onto the bus. The war memorial was a very intriguing part of our trip, and I had been looking forward to finding this memorial the entire day. While walking around the memorial was very upsetting, I realized how great our nation is, with cities such as Philly and the remembrance of those who protect these great cities. </p><p align="left">After a long day of traveling I was still energetic due to the greatness of a brilliant city that has forever changed my views of various groups of people, and our magnificent nation. Through traveling within Philly I understand our nation’s history and where this great city and country all began. Along with getting to know the history of America better, eating the best cheese steak I have ever had, and interacting with various urban dwellers I became a lot closer to a new friend that I will forever remember. </p>Ant Buonopanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081775273705936358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513272292913488786.post-41961329868362645462009-05-01T10:19:00.001-07:002009-05-01T10:52:20.024-07:00One Nation, Under All<span style="font-size:100%;">
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mso-endnote-separator:url("file:///C:/DOCUME~1/jalfano/LOCALS~1/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_header.htm") es; mso-endnote-continuation-separator:url("file:///C:/DOCUME~1/jalfano/LOCALS~1/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_header.htm") ecs;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p>As soon as I step off of the train and onto the streets of New York City, I almost always am hit with the putrid stench of cigarette smoke; sewer residue and body sweat. “Oh, well,” I say to myself, knowing that this is what I must deal with while being in a city. However, while walking in Philadelphia, I was surprisingly welcomed by a soft breeze carrying the aroma of soft Greek gyros, gooey Philly cheese steaks and steaming bowls of <i style="">gnocchi di ricotta</i>. Skyscrapers are replaced by historic brick buildings; business suits by comfortable tee-shirts; and downcast scowls by gentle smiles. The sights, tastes and history of Philadelphia have changed my preconceived notions of what a city ought to be, and made me realize how a historic past can meet a modern present.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Heading off from Hightstown at 10:32 AM with a groggy scowl on my face and Ipod headphones in my ears, I jumped into the last seat of the bumpy school bus, somewhat excited and somewhat irritated<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQgiSMXk7XVyrmtK29x0jwZ2wEpSO42QfcjAB51pQzDfTteaB1VQIrJ8gKoRo4xrfYHHGISW90mD6Ixhd8i0qiBKrlSFIwwQfz7WkaKHEVfFKFRPc9TXMVmvuTCPBKeYSoRbeaZ_O4w4iH/s1600-h/DSC01369.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 178px; height: 227px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQgiSMXk7XVyrmtK29x0jwZ2wEpSO42QfcjAB51pQzDfTteaB1VQIrJ8gKoRo4xrfYHHGISW90mD6Ixhd8i0qiBKrlSFIwwQfz7WkaKHEVfFKFRPc9TXMVmvuTCPBKeYSoRbeaZ_O4w4iH/s320/DSC01369.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330908389684006962" border="0" /></a> by the juvenile vulgarity of the boys surrounding me. We arrived in a timely fashion, and I jumped out of the bus with my partner, Anthony, who wore his usual mischievous smile. We had four hours to explore the city, and I was already getting impatient as all of the groups anxiously gazed at their maps and the street signs, trying to make out what direction they were to take. I pulled Anthony by the collar and we slowly paced down Chestnut Street, with some fellow classmates, Doug and Jelani, tailing us by a few feet. As Doug and Anthony jokingly fooled some strangers with their antics, Jelani and I walked behind, taking in the sun and stopping along the way to take pictures of several of the murals on the walls of brick buildings. <a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=4513272292913488786#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--></span></span></a>I wondered at the importance of these murals to the city, to its people and its culture. A mural on South Street depicting American civil rights activist W.E.B. DuBois captured my attention and made me wonder who had viewed the mural in the past – what impact has it made on discrimination in Philadelphia? A small caption on the side of the painting said that Dubois researched and interviewed in Philadelphia and eventually wrote a volume titled, “The Philadelphia Negro” in 1899; the mural was just recently painted in commemoration of DuBois’ dedication to civil rights in Philadelphia. The beautiful colors, meaningful quotations and artful depictions on several others captured the past and put it in light of the present, where people can still view it today. These murals capture the culture, diversity and life of Philadelphia, a task that is also carried by the people, food culture and history of this American landmark. However, we had many other sights to see, and we had only tapped the shell of a fruitful adventure.</span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;">We eventually hit Independence Hall, which brought around nostalgic memories of walking with an ice cream in one hand and the sweaty palm of my big brother, Jon in the other. We walked into the building, and I was somewhat disappointed – the artificial scene portraying revolutionary Philadelphia was dimly lit and collecting dust; the fat actor playing Benjamin Franklin sat with his legs inappropriately open in a chair next to the exhibit, eating a McMuffin. However, I realized history won’t always be given to me; sometimes I need to go searching for it.
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<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;">As we walked along the streets surrounding the historic district, I couldn’t help but notice a small metal figure in front of each home, sticking out of the ground in the shape of an H.<a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=4513272292913488786#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--></span></span></a>When we were walking back towards Independence Hall, I stopped and asked Officer Joe Brown about it, and he told me that in the seventeen hundreds, men would come home with boots covered in horse manure, dirt and mud. The small cast-iron figures served as a “post” where men could scrape their dirty shoes off so as not to dirty the house. He also said that the homes with marble staircases and more elaborate shoe scrapes tended to be wealthier.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> In addition to the colonial history of Philadelphia, we passed by a few churches, particularly Old Saint Mary’s Church on 4<sup>th</sup> Street, that peaked our interest. Old Saint Mary’s was founded in 1863 and was the site of first religious commemoration of the Declaration of Independence. In addition, the church was worshiped at by many Revolutionists, including George Washington. What I love about history is that it can be right in front of one’s face, she just needs to look for it. History can be found in buildings, burials, objects and skeletons – as the past changes to the present and the present to the future, old thing that were part of people’s lives suddenly become relics of the past – and we too, one day, will become ancient pieces of history; the computers we used to check our email will be primitive technology, the flip flops we wear will be characteristic of the fashion of this era and the food we eat will seem repulsive to the children of our future. In Philadelphia, the culture and diversity of life is not only reflected in the history, but also in the life and people living in the area.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;">From the church, we walked along South Street, observing the wild yet comfortable openness of the people and restaurants. Here, the diversity of Philadelphia came alive through the two skater-punks scootering down the street, the pair of transvestites happily walking arm in arm and the loving elderly couple sharing </span><span style="font-size:100%;">an ice cream. What I was most intrigued by was the artistic feel of South Street; many of the stores were covered in mirrored mosaics, murals and paint. On the way to the Italian market, Jelani and I stopped to talk to Deborah Parnell, who showed us her garden. On the land, stretching about 2 stores-length, there were women gardening and sowing different vegetables and flowers. Deborah told us that the seeds were given to them by the local prison, where the prisoners were learning to grow things. In addition, all of the crops that are reaped go to local charities to feed the hungry. She also told us that this area was one of the only spots to grow in Philadelphia. This fusion of cultures really showed me how the influx of immigrants transformed this section of Philadelphia from old to new over the years. Everyone in the community worked off of each other to accomplish their goals and sustain their way of life.
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<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Our last stop was the Italian Market, my personal favorite, and not just because I happen to be Italian. Here, we stopped in a few shops, but the main event were the lines of stalls selling fresh fruits and vegetables at cheap prices. Here, I picked up a mango and decided to also get some of my great-grandmother’s favorite snack, <span style="font-style: italic;">Ceci</span>, which are crunchy, dried chickpeas. We then walked down to Pat’s Steaks, where th<span style="font-size:100%;">e boys ate their cheese steaks and I nibbled on my snacks. Food, was, is, and will always be one of the best represen</span>tations of people and their values – in Italy, we sit around the table as a family, say grace and <i style="">manja</i>,</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">and dig in to enormous dishes, sharing them among all of our relatives and friends. Family. Family and our character are the essence of our being and the essence of Philadelphia.</span></p>
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last stop was the Italian Market, my personal favorite, and not just because I happen to be Italian. Here, we stopped in a few shops, but the main event were the lines of stalls selling fresh fruits and vegetables at cheap prices. Here, I picked up a mango and decided to also get some of my great-grandmother’s favorite snack, Ceci, which are crunchy, dried chickpeas. We then walked down to Pat’s Steaks, where the boys ate their cheese steaks and I nibbled on my snacks. Food, was, is, and will always be one of the best representations of people and their values – in Italy, we sit around the table as a family, say grace and <i style="">manja</i>,<span style=""> </span>and dig in to enormous dishes, sharing them among all of our relatives and friends. Family. Family and our character are the essence of our being and the essence of Philadelphia.</p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p></p> <span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">While waiting to get picked up, I sat down with Lori and we shared our experiences; I had to explain why my hand was bleeding after pathetically falling in front of the boys walking up the Vietnam Memorial. We talked about our journey and played hand games, while taking the time to walk around the memorial and see the names of the people who gave up their lives in Vietnam to protect our nation. That’s what I concluded from our trip; in the end, America and Philadelphia is one nation, under all, indivisible. No matter our cultures, values, and practices Philadelphia is a place of fruitful history, rich character and a bright future.</span></div> Pepita~http://www.blogger.com/profile/15105067722082012140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513272292913488786.post-86914930356953637812009-05-01T10:19:00.000-07:002009-05-01T10:23:12.089-07:00Philadelphia: Privy Pits, Eggplants, and a Stare Down With a BeePhiladelphia, a place I have been to before for school field trips, hockey and baseball games, as well as a few concerts. However, my trip to Philadelphia was very different this time because rather then having adults tell me where I was going; I was able to tell them what my worry-free day was going to consist of. No schedules, other then to be at my final destination, the Viet Nam Memorial, by 4:22 pm; for those few hours, my partners and I were free to travel and discover a city on our own.<br /> <br />We had planed our trip in advance and we saw and did everything we had wanted to. Our bus driver delivered us to City Hall and as I tried to get my bearings for the city, we tried very hard to find our first stop, the Liberty Bell. After five minutes we knew we made a wrong turn because we were in a bad neighborhood that was completely backed up with traffic. This is where our first real Philadelphia experience happened, a woman walking down the road was arguing very loudly with another woman who was stuck in the congestion of cars. Let’s just say I learned a few new words as we walked past the bickering between the two ladies.<br /> <br />Finally, I found my bearings and we found our way to the Liberty Bell, and although we were excited to see the bell in all of its glory, we were bored after thirty seconds. Of course my partners and I realize that this bell has so much history to it but it is only a bell and we had better things to do with our time.<br /> <br />We left the Liberty Bell and were immediately offered a lovely horse and carriage ride by fifteen different drivers and their horses. We declined, as we told them that we wanted to see Philly on foot and we only had twenty one dollars. With that, we traveled to Franklin Court, one of my favorite places to go in the city, for many reasons. One of these reasons is that you can see where Benjamin Franklin’s house once stood as well as being able to see a real, old-fashioned printing press. Franklin Court also has an underground museum, which is fun for kids; I suppose that is why I like it so much. In this museum, there are many telephones, with a list of the phone numbers for many historical people. I decided to drop in on George Washington and Mark Twain; I’m pleased to report that they are both doing fine. Everything about Franklin Court is remarkable with its cobble stone floors and old brick buildings; I loved every moment of it, However, none of what I mentioned can compare to the best part of Franklin Court: Ben Franklin’s privy pit. Yes, the place where Benjamin Franklin spent many moments of his life “reflecting.” This encounter and fascination actually began on a previous trip to Philadelphia in fifth grade when oddly enough, my goal was to write a travel brochure for Historical Philadelphia. My travel group consisted of myself, my best friend, two icky boys, my father, and my teacher. My best friend and I had made a pact, before the trip, to throw the icky boys down Ben Franklin’s privy pit, but to our dismay, it was covered with glass and our plan failed. Every time I think about Ben Franklin’s privy pit or Philadelphia in general I have to laugh and reminisce about that wonderful journey I had with my class that day. However, I cannot stay in the past forever, and my partners for this trip just looked at me funny when I revealed my fascination with the privy pit.<br /> <br />After our unique experience at Franklin Court, we embarked on our hour-long journey to get the “best cheese steaks in the world”, and they did not disappoint. On our way to Geno’s though, we traveled through the Italian Market where I found exactly what I was looking for, three eggplants for a dollar. Again, while that sounds odd, I had mentioned my previous experience with farmer’s markets to my partners and told them that we could most likely find three eggplants for a dollar. My one partner, Alyssa laughed and doubted me, but when she saw them on the street she could not believe it. Finally we made it through the Italian market, which was surprisingly run by more Spanish speaking people rather then Italians, and we had arrived at Geno’s the best Cheese Steak in Philadelphia and the world. <br /> <br />When we finally found the back of the line, the man in front of us asked us if we were going to try and conquer the line too. We all nodded and asked the man and his wife where they were from, they responded that they came to see the art museums and they were from Rhode Island, and they also knew nothing about Geno’s before that day. We chatted for a while with them as they told us that they are artists who have visited New Jersey for art conventions as well as tattoo conventions. Even though they had a rough exterior and toughness about them, it was obvious that they were genuinely kind people, even before we started speaking to them. On the other hand, the guys behind us were in town for the Philadelphia Flyers game and I knew not to speak to them. In my family, my dad, sister and I are all Washington Capitals’ fans, and my mom is a Flyer’s fan. I have been to a Flyers versus Capitals game before in Philly; I was one of three Capitals’ fans there, my dad and my sister being the other two, and let’s just say that when Flyers Fans travel in packs, its best to avoid them. Listening to their conversation though, they meant business when it came to Geno’s. After all, it is the place they go to before any and all games they go to see in Philadelphia.<br /> <br />At last, we reached the front of the line; it was an American Cheese Steak and Freedom Fries for me. Even though, I wasn’t a huge fan of the fries, the Cheese Steak was to die for. After overindulging in the greatest lunch we began walking back through the Italian Market to South Street, where we went into a no-name deli to get ice cream before arriving at St. Peter’s Church. Just before crossing the street to the church we were cut off yet again by the most annoying tour bus in the world, The Duck Tour. With their annoying quackers and screaming kids I thought I would go insane, but I suppose that is what happens when you tour a historical city. We wandered around the graveyard and talked to a guide who informed us that George Washington had attended church there whenever he came to Philadelphia. As we continued wandering the grounds we found the Orange Trees that Lewis and Clark had brought to the Church. <br /> <br />After marveling at our discoveries, we decided to go to the Viet Nam Memorial and rest before we got picked up. Sitting upon a bench, I sadly was unable to relax due to bumble bee trying to have a staring contest with me. After a long battle, I won and the bee flew away. Katsu, Alyssa, and I then heard very familiar voices and walked over to find our friends from Peddie sitting on opposite sides of the parabola-shaped wall talking into the wall which allowed the people on the other side hear them. It was physics at work, but to them, it was “the magic wall;” we all embraced it and enjoyed our goofy conversations we had using this wall. Suddenly, we spotted our bus, our journey was over, and all that is left is the vivid memories of being an experienced traveler.Maggie Owenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07528990057738037911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513272292913488786.post-27129423123820306832009-05-01T08:10:00.000-07:002009-05-01T08:25:26.736-07:00The Non Historic Side of Philly<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CEROTHF%7E1.PED%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CEROTHF%7E1.PED%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CEROTHF%7E1.PED%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><!--[if 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name="Subtle Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="32" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="33" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Book Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1107304683 0 0 159 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">One by one, Peddie students left the bus to Philadelphia as if they were paratroopers jumping out of a plane. The smell and the purity of the air, or lack thereof, the hair, clothes, speech of the people, and the immense buildings throughout the city were all different from my home, the Peddie School; however, Sung Jae and I were going to have to step out of our familiar places and people into the depths of Philly for the next five hours.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">
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<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Once Sung Jae and I touched our first step on the sidewalk outside the bus in City Hall, a sidewalk with cracks and cigarette butts that were not the same clean pristine sidewalks at Peddie, Sung Jae and I both felt out of place. From the start, however, we asked an Indian man who was walking with his I-pod and confidently ambling where he was going. The man’s name was Sadik and I asked him how to get to the Gallery at Market East so he said we should just follow him to the mall. Sung Jae was somewhat reluctant to follow him because he was a stranger but I had a feeling that, because I did not know where I was going, I had to trust the people around me and that were native to Philly. Although it was somewhat difficult to talk to Sadik because he had his headphones in, we got to know that he comes to Philadelphia for fun not because he lives or works there. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">
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<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">When we reached the Gallery, Sung Jae had to go to the bathroom so I waited for him to go out. The man behind the counter at Pop Eyes, which was next to the bathroom, asked me where I was from. I told him I went to Peddie which is a boarding school in southern Jersey. I was very surprised that the man who was in his early twenties initiated conversation with a stranger like me. He said that he never heard of the Peddie School but he said he went to a local high school in Philly which made me think of all of the different schools throughout the city. When I was about to continue the non Pop Eyes affiliated conversation with the man behind the counter, I was interrupted when another man had taken his spot behind the cash register and asked “May I have your order, sir.” I said no to the new man and waved good bye to the original man behind the counter when Sung Jae finished going to the bathroom. We were off to a part of Philly which we not only did not know how to travel through, but also know the language of the people native there: Chinatown. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">From the second Sung Jae and I walked through the gaudy Chinatown gates, we were lost. Sung Jae and I wanted to know how to get to the Chinese Cultural Center so we asked a Chinese woman standing on the sidewalk next to us. She was confused as she asked,</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style=""> </span>
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<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">“Um-uh the Chinese what?” </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">“The Chinese <i style="">Cultural Center</i>, ma’am”</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">“Um, I don’t-, uh, sorry!”</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">
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<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">After a failed attempt to have knowledge of where we were going, I scanned the sidewalk to see if there were any English speaking Americans who could help us. All I saw was a white couple two blocks down the street while the rest of the street was crowded with Chinese people. Sung Jae and I seemed to walk aimlessly on the sidewalks looking for the Chinese Cultural Center until we decided to sit on a bench next to a fire department. Sung Jae and I were both tired and hungry, but we sat on the bench watching different Chinese people walk on the sidewalk across from us. To the right of us were two fire fighters, who had NFL football player type statures, cleaning their truck. As the fire fighters sprayed the hose on the truck, the Chinese people watched and took pictures as if it were a jaw dropping experience. Once the fire fighters were finished, Sung Jae and I asked them where the Chinese Cultural Center was. They answered that it was to the right on 6<sup>th</sup>. We said thank you and turned to go until the fire fighter said “To the <i style="">right</i>, not the left.” I laughed at my mistake as I was somewhat embarrassed and went the <i style="">right </i>way. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">
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<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Sung Jae and I continued to 6<sup>th</sup> because we not only were looking for the Chinese Cultural Center, but also the African American Museum. We were still confused as we looked at the signs in Chinese on the stores along the street and had no idea what those signs represented. After walking for twenty minutes, looking for the Chinese Cultural Center, Sung Jae and I decided we would not go there. Looking at our map, we traveled the roads that would lead us to the African American Museum only to find out that the museum was closed for reconstruction. I personally did not want to go to a museum because a museum is a bunch of Sung Jaes and me(s):<span style=""> </span>confused tourists learning about history. However, Sung Jae and I decided we would go to learn more about our country’s past in Historical Park.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">
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<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">When Sung Jae and I entered the Historical Park, it was like Chinatown where the scenery of the park was a drastic change from the busy corporate world of the city. Looking at the park, Sung Jae and I both realized that this was where we could both learn a lot more about the United States of America but all of those intellectual thoughts were crushed when we saw a group boys our age playing Frisbee. We both craved to do something besides walking, looking, and being confused so we decided to blend into our culture for five minutes. Sung Jae and I were fairly hesitant to ask the boys to play, but once we stepped on the grass they were playing on, they asked us if we wanted to play. Sung Jae and I were by far the worst ones playing as the kids jumped up in front us snatching the Frisbee that was intended for Sung or I. It was frustrating on how competitive these kids were at Frisbee, but we continued to play. Once Sung Jae and I believed we should get moving, we told the boys that we had to go. They did not seem to care because they were so fixed in their game of Frisbee. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">
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<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Although Sung Jae and I did not visit the Liberty Bell or a museum about the history of America, we decided to visit at least one museum: The Jewish American Museum. As Sung Jae and I turned down the alley way to go to the museum, we realized we were walking with a tour. The tour consisted of kids in about seventh or eighth grade which was lead by a man dressed like Benjamin Franklin. As we walked down an alley way, a group of hobos asked if I had a dollar as one of them shook my hand. He had a very firm grip, but I quickly released my hand from his grip to be safe. I told him I did not have a dollar which was the truth and kept walking towards the museum. When I reached the front door to the museum, the hobo was flexing to me as he said “Do you play football? I know you play football. You got that football build.” I said thank you in an awkward ‘I don’t know you’ tone and walked in the museum.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">
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<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Although Sung Jae and I did not stay in the museum for a long time, we both got a taste of the Jewish American life. I was excited about this museum because I am a Jewish American. The synagogue inside the museum reminded me a lot of the synagogue I used to go to when I was younger. There were wooden benches, similar to the ones in Peddie’s chapel, facing toward the Torah Arks. The sun beamed through the windows as if the light was God speaking to the people at the Museum. The synagogue made me think of my bar mitzvah as I stood behind the podium speaking from the torah to the audience when I was in seventh grade. After visiting this synagogue, I reminisced about the Sundays going to the local synagogue with my family.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">
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<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">As Sung Jae and I walked towards South Street, we noticed that we were getting tired as we dragged our legs along the sidewalk, decided to ‘chill’ on the benches more, and began sweating as if we were playing a competitive sport. We clearly had symptoms of craving a cheese steak. However, like an authentic traveler, Sung Jae and I needed to take a large journey in order to acquire something he or she desires. Sung Jae and I needed to travel on 9<sup>th</sup> street, a thirty minute walk, to the Italian Market in order to acquire a cheese steak. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Walking at a deliberate speed, Sung Jae and I could not wait to get to go to Gino’s, a famous Cheese Steak restaurant in South Philly. All I could think about was the ideal cheese steak with toasted bread, some juicy sliced steak, and melted Swiss cheese lying on top of the meat. With each step I took on 9<sup>th</sup> street, the hungrier I got. Throughout our walk, Sung Jae and I would ask people if we were almost there and every time it was “You have a long way to go, guys.” When an ideal traveler in his or her search needs to acquire something he or she desires, the traveler eventually goes through a phase of giving up and not continuing the journey of that desire. I was feeling this sense of giving up. Every time we would pass pizza places, delis, or other cheese steak restaurants, I believed that maybe we should stop there and eat, but I fought off these negative thoughts. Sung Jae and I were going to eat at Gino’s no matter what the circumstances were. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">
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<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Finally, our long journey on 9<sup>th</sup> street had ended and we were now at the Italian Market. The atmosphere of the Italian Market is a lot different from the inner city of Philadelphia. There are many Spanish speaking people in this part of the city along with Spanish music blasting down the streets as if there was a parade. There are no skyscrapers but there are fruit and vegetable stands with, what looked like, very organic food. As Sung Jae and I continued into the market, there were many fish shops that contained that salty sea and raw meat smell which I love. It was a very different and surprising smell from the Philadelphia smell of when I first exited the bus. Most importantly, however, there were cheese steak restaurants. Lots of them. When Sung Jae and I were lost when looking for Gino’s, we went up to an American man, rather than a person who spoke a different language. He seemed like he was confused as well and did not want to be spoken to by us:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">
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<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Hello Sir. Do you know where-“</p> <p class="MsoNormal">“Sorry guys. I’m new to this myself. I do not know where anything is.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal">“So you don’t know where Gino’s is?”</p> <p class="MsoNormal">“Haha. Actually, that is the one place in this city that I know where it is. Right down Robbins Street.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">
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<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Sung Jae and I were on track to our desire. I walked with the speed similar to a walking speed of a little kid going downstairs on Christmas morning. The cheese steak smell covered the streets like the smell of my room when I first enter it. The smell hits you like a wave, but the cheese steak smell has a better stench. When we turned the corner on Robbins Street, Sung Jae and I saw Gino’s. Our destination was complete except there was one problem. There had to have been close to seventy people waiting in line. Sung Jae and I stared at each other in shock, as if we had arrangements for Gino’s and they blew us off. Our walk with deliberate speed turned into a walk with our heads down and our feet shuffling. We reluctantly decided to go to Miguel’s Pizza Place which was right next to Gino’s. The pizza place was like Mannino’s or any other pizza place except when you wanted to go to the bathroom, you had to ask the lady behind the cash register for a key to open the door. Although we could not go to Gino’s, Sung Jae and I were definitely going to have a cheese steak which we ordered. As we waited, a soccer game was on T.V. I watched with close attention and when one of the teams scored, I stood up, put my fists in the air, and cheered. The pizza men behind the counter gave me a thumbs up believing I was a true fan. I felt happy and a part of the culture of the town. When the cheese steaks came, Sung Jae and I devoured them as if we hadn’t eaten in days.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">
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<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">When Sung Jae and I sat at the tables of Miguel’s, we felt we had accomplished something. My entire journey was not to go to Gino’s and eat Philly’s best cheese steak or go to the Historical museums, our goal was to experience the culture of the people. Because Philly is so diverse, Sung Jae and I experienced the culture of the Chinese people in Chinatown, the Philly teenagers in Historical Park, and the Spanish pizza men at Miguel’s. 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5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p><span style="color: black;">Many have come to know the city of Philadelphia as <i>The City of Brotherly Love</i>; I however see the city as, <i>The City of Cultural Experience.</i> Sharif and I toured the marvelous streets of China town, the unique and urban life style in South Street, and the authenticity of the Italian Market. The city of Philadelphia is flowing with rich cultural, and will guarantee a traveler a truly remarkable experience. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p><span style="color: black;"> I stepped out of our small yellow bus, into the magnificent city that is Philadelphia. I possessed a backpack, filled with a cheese sandwich, a few bananas, a juice, and a water bottle. Eager to begin our journey, Sharif and I pulled out our maps, and headed toward China town. As we approached the neighborhood, there was a large entrance gate that resembled an authentic piece of Chinese decoration. It felt as though it was a greeting into their culture. It was as though we had stepped into another dimension. The aroma changed from peanuts and hot dogs, to fish. Walking down the streets, our eyes met an older man standing in an alley next to a blanket, with cards on it. We approached the man, and he quickly offered to tell us our fortune. Although the man had poor English, he was still very kind. After short negotiations with Sharif, the fortune teller agreed to tell Sharif his future, for a small fee of five dollars. The fortune teller pulled out a pile of cards and began reading Sharif his future. The cards were aged, and in poor condition. The cards read that Sharif would live a fulfilling life with a family, and a good job. He then gently grabbed Sharif’s hand and told us more about the wonderful future which Sharif would experience. After compensating him for his work, Sharif and I parted ways with the old man.<span style=""> </span>The natives of China town appeared to be extremely hard workers. There seemed as though there was a strong language barrier in Chinatown, very few people we met spoke English. We discovered a gift shop and decided to look inside. Although the store contained beautiful Chinese souvenirs, it was empty. Suddenly the owner of the store came around the corner to greet us. The woman informed us that she had been in the country for twenty-three years. She also said that everything in the store had been imported from China. Finally after taking one more look at the store we left and headed towards South Street.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p><span style="color: black;">Prior to our trip, we had been told that South Street is the “hip spot” of Philadelphia. After walking several blocks from Chinatown, we came across the large strip of stores known as South Street. Unlike Chinatown, South Street had a very modern look. There were a variety of stores, from large franchises to small boutiques. While touring the neighborhood we saw a man sitting at a table, he was wearing a hat, and sunglasses, and he had a cardboard sign that read, “Magic show”. A son and a father passed and the boy remarked, “What's a magic show?” The father exclaimed, “That’s when someone takes all your money.” Interested by the tension between the Philadelphians and the magician, Sharif and I approached the man. We said hi, and asked the man his views on the city, and his opinion of South Street. He seemed uninterested, and offended by us. He replied to our questions, “Is this some kind of interview?” We nervously avoided his question, and quickly chose a different topic. So what do you think about the city? The man chuckled subtly and responded, “So this is an interview?” We looked at each other uneasily, and finally he said, “You’re talking to the wrong guy.” We became aware that we were not sincerely welcome in the man’s alley and fled the scene, and traveled down the strip of stores. Suddenly we spotted an interesting record store called, <i>Record Exchange</i>. Although the store was slightly aged, it contained a large selection of music. We entered the store and without making eye contact the clerk greeted us. He introduced himself as Mike Franklin, a lifelong native of south Philadelphia. He seemed as though he was unsatisfied with the standard of living in Philadelphia. Mike resided in South Philly and had two children. He expressed his strong dislike for the school system in Philadelphia, and he planned to move to Collingswood N.J. After a somewhat depressing visit to the<em> Record Exchange,</em> we left and continued on our journey. We decided to head towards the Italian village, and along the way we spotted the <i>Philadelphia Thrift Shop</i>. We choose to take a peak in the store, and see if we could uncover some useful information out of the employees. After browsing for a few minutes, we talked to an employee of the store. The young woman's name was Steph. She was younger, with a Mohawk and a nose ring. At first she seemed a bit frightened by our questions. She defensively remarked, "Wait, what is this for "? We informed her that we were simply travelers looking for information on the city. Relieved, she told us that she really enjoyed the urban lifestyle in South Street, and she was infatuated with the coffee shops. After thanking her for her corporation, Sharif and I left the thrift shop, and left South Street.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p><span style="color: black;"> The Italian market was reeking with culture, filled with markets that sold items such as food, and clothing. We excitedly toured the neighborhood, and visited many of the markets. We were in search of a renowned Philadelphia restaurant, Geno’s steaks, perhaps the most famous cheese steaks in Philadelphia, and arguably the United States. Sharif and I assumed that since it was 2 o’clock on a Sunday few people would be waiting in line and we could easily get in and get out. To our surprise there was a forty five minute wait. We got in that back of line, and envisioned our cheese steaks. The exterior of the building was amazing. There were hundreds of pictures on the wall, and an array of police badges. Sharif and I were puzzled by this. Was the owner a legendary police officer? The man in front of us told us that the officers simply donate them to Geno’s, perhaps a thank you to his delicious contribution to the neighborhood. We introduced ourselves and he was Rich, from Glouster City, N.J. He educated us on the back round of the restaurant. He said that Geno’s had been around since the sixties, and each day people crowd around to get a legendary Geno’s cheese steak. There was an interesting plaque of an office that had been shot some thirty years earlier; it read his name, date of birth and death, and the man who killed him. Rich told us that this was one of the famous cop murders in Philadelphia. Finally after a long wait, Sharif and I made it to the front of the line. Unfortunately they did not accept credit cards, so I had no way of paying for my cheese steak. Sharif graciously shared his sandwich with me. It was delicious, a soft roll, fine meat, Swiss cheese, and onions. We left Geno’s, and headed to the Vietnam Memorial, where we would leave the culturally rich streets of Philadelphia, and step back onto the yellow bus.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style="color: black;">Upon our trip back to Peddie I reflected on the trip. We concluded that the city was thriving with culture, and would we definitely enjoy a trip back to <i>The City of Cultural Experience</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color:black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> Mike Tullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13194436123537059985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513272292913488786.post-39035312113280845762009-05-01T08:05:00.001-07:002009-05-01T08:17:14.275-07:00The Other Side of PhillyFifth grade and American history. That was what Philadelphia meant to me, and besides going there for my big fifth grade field trip, and seeing a small amount of the historical sites, I knew virtually nothing about the city. Gene had never been to Philadelphia either, and it was clear that we were in for an interesting day when we got off at the wrong stop. If that was not bad enough, after trying to head back towards the art museum ended up going south instead of north. However, we eventually found our way to Rittenhouse Square, one of our stops, and were able to successfully navigate ourselves around town after all. Although my preconception of Philadelphia being a large historical city proved to be true, after spending the day there as an authentic traveler, it was clear that Philadelphia was much more than that.<br /><br />After nearly being run over by a mass of roller bladders, struggling with the map, and going in the opposite direction, we finally found a small park, Rittenhouse Square and decided it was time to rest. Although it was cloudy, the temperature was comfortable, and it was clear people wanted to be outside. The park was filled with people and activity. Staring at the map for about five minutes, we decided it would be best to just head back to City Hall. Seeing as our itinerary was useless at this point, we decided to wander around and visit places that seemed interesting or heard other groups discuss. As we made our way towards City Hall, I noticed the amount of street performers in Philadelphia. There were people playing violins, saxophones, and drums. One man stopped us as we were walking and shouted us “SMILE! Be happy because it’s a beautiful day, life was good.” I am pretty sure he was high. Finally arriving back at City Hall, we walked through it and I found myself unable to take my eyes off of the architecture and gargoyles. We heard a few people talk about Reading Terminal, and decided to make our way towards there. On the way there, my preconceptions of the city began to change. Although there were many historical building and sites, Philadelphia took those places and used them in creative ways. Reading Terminal for example is now essentially a food court, and it is the simple combination of historical and new that makes Philadelphia the exciting and diverse city that it is.<br /><br />The food at Reading Terminal looked delicious. When we walked in, we were immediately engulfed by the crowd of people, loud noise and smell of food. It seemed like the stores went on forever and I had trouble deciding where I wanted to start. One thing that surprised me was the amount of fish vendors. Some sold tiny fish and clams and oysters, while others sold larger fish that I had never seen before. At a traditional supermarket, they usually sell fish already cleaned and only have a small amount of whole fish; however, the fish here were all whole. As I stared at the shiny eyes staring back at me, at one particular vendor, I notice the organization of the fish. Not only where they ordered based off size, but they were grouped by color as well. I could tell that this guy put a lot of effort into his presentation, and I thought it was a unique way to stand out in the large amount of stores. After Reading terminal we decided to make our way towards South Street and visit the Liberty Bell on the way down. As we approached the Liberty Bell, we saw a cheese steak place called Campos and decided to stop there. There was hardly any seating however, so we sat on the benches in a park outside of the Liberty Bell. Now that the sun was beginning to come out, and we were tired from the walking, we decided to sit there a little bit longer. After resting, it was time to head to South Street. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. After walking past the quite brownstone houses, South Street was a complete shock. Music was playing, people were everywhere, and the stores were eclectic. We bought milkshakes and decided to walk into any shop that looked interesting. We stopped at a Rastafarian store, a hat store and of course Condom Kingdom. With about forty minutes to kill, we went to Penn’s Landing and hung out before making our way back to the Vietnam Memorial. At Penn’s Landing, a group of older women from Ohio stopped Gene and asked if he would mind taking a picture of them. He took their picture, and we continued to walk towards the edge. After spending about five minutes reading signatures and sayings people wrote on the ledge, we decided to make our way to the Vietnam Memorial to finish off the day.Johnmichael Faustinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04499181096486078078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513272292913488786.post-54156429527237775442009-05-01T08:05:00.000-07:002009-05-01T08:19:06.753-07:00A Balance of Histories<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 10"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 10"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CMRAWLI%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="date"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="address"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="Street"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="State"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:usefelayout/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:SimSun; 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mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:100%;">While on our journey through <st1:city><st1:place><st1:city><st1:place>Philadelphia</st1:place></st1:city></st1:place></st1:city>, I noticed how well history has been protected and honored, while being able to coexist with the modern <st1:city><st1:place><st1:city><st1:place>Philadelphia</st1:place></st1:city></st1:place></st1:city> society. I think that this is what makes <st1:city><st1:place><st1:city><st1:place>Philadelphia</st1:place></st1:city></st1:place></st1:city> stand out from other cities like <st1:state><st1:place><st1:state><st1:place>New York</st1:place></st1:state></st1:place></st1:state> and <st1:city><st1:place><st1:city><st1:place>Shanghai</st1:place></st1:city></st1:place></st1:city>, where older culture and history is being hidden, and even destroyed, by modern conveniences. This flowing co-inhabitance of modern and history, is what makes <st1:city><st1:place><st1:city><st1:place>Philadelphia</st1:place></st1:city></st1:place></st1:city> stand out in my mind, as being a city to look up to.
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<br /><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:100%;">Mid-afternoon on <st1:date year="2009" day="20" month="4"><st1:date year="2009" day="19" month="4">April 19<sup>th</sup>, 2009</st1:date></st1:date>, my travel partner, <st1:city><st1:place>Tyler</st1:place></st1:city> Cabot, and I took a step back in time. We almost walked right past, but after I spotted the sign, no bigger than one square foot hidden by the modern city around it, Tyler and I decided to check it out. As we turned onto Elfreth’s Alley, I could sense the history surrounding me, and as I soon found out, I had just been transported to the year, 1702. Just being there, I felt like I had become part of the time when Ben Franklin had roamed the <st1:city><st1:place><st1:city><st1:place>Philadelphia</st1:place></st1:city></st1:place></st1:city> streets. Noticing its narrow cobble stone alley, no wider than fifteen feet across, this still inhabited neighborhood, contained about thirty colonial style, brick, townhouse looking homes, all squished together to form a very homey, welcoming curb appeal. I could tell as I walked with <st1:city><st1:place><st1:city><st1:place>Tyler</st1:place></st1:city></st1:place></st1:city> down this path, that we were lucky to still have this piece of American history. Storm cellars, lamp posts, and time period appropriate additions really made this section of the Old Historic District one that I am glad I did not miss.
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<br /><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:100%;">After walking back to <st1:address><st1:street><st1:address><st1:street>Race Street</st1:street></st1:address>, <st1:city><st1:city>Tyler</st1:city></st1:city></st1:street></st1:address> and I, reentered the twenty-first century. However, being the city that it is, we were still reminded of the intense history of this “city of brotherly love”. As we walked down <st1:street><st1:address><st1:street><st1:address>Second Street</st1:address></st1:street></st1:address></st1:street> to eventually end up on <st1:street><st1:address><st1:street><st1:address>South Street</st1:address></st1:street></st1:address></st1:street>, we past many colonial style townhouses as well as the historic City Tavern, where Ben Franklin and John Adams used to stop in for a beer. This old tavern was just one of the many important sites that we walked past, that many people probably do not even notice, or think about their historic significance.
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<br /><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:100%;">Once arriving on <st1:address><st1:street><st1:address><st1:street>South Street</st1:street></st1:address>, <st1:city><st1:city>Tyler</st1:city></st1:city></st1:street></st1:address> and I were slammed with the intense aroma of the more modern piece of <st1:city><st1:place><st1:city><st1:place>Philadelphia</st1:place></st1:city></st1:place></st1:city> history, the cheesesteak. Following our journey to choose the perfect spot to try this delicacy, we chose to eat at Jim’s Steaks, which we could tell was a <st1:city><st1:place><st1:city><st1:place>Philadelphia</st1:place></st1:city></st1:place></st1:city> native’s favorite. There were people waiting outside the door in a line which stretched around the corner and down the street, all for a cheesesteak. However, as I soon found out from the lady in front of me, “the sandwich is worth the wait.” During the twenty minutes that I stood outside, I was continuously being taunted by the delicious smell of onions being caramelized on the grill while watching through the windows as the assembly line of bread, whiz, steak, onions, peppers, and mushrooms went by in less than a minute per sandwich. Finally, we made it to the door, where the teasing continued as we had to follow the indoor line which curved all the way to the cash register. After an hour of standing, watching the assembly line continue, and sandwich after sandwich get carried upstairs to be devoured, it was finally my turn to order my piece of <st1:city><st1:place><st1:city><st1:place>Philadelphia</st1:place></st1:city></st1:place></st1:city> history. A cheesesteak with whiz, onions, peppers and mushrooms. After receiving my long awaited meal, Tyler and I walked upstairs to eat with the rest of the people who had waited in line before us. After finishing my cheesesteak in about ten minutes, I could say that it was definitely worth the wait to taste such a delicious piece of <st1:city><st1:place><st1:city><st1:place>Philadelphia</st1:place></st1:city></st1:place></st1:city> history.
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<br /><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:100%;">The modern history of <st1:city><st1:place><st1:city><st1:place>Philadelphia</st1:place></st1:city></st1:place></st1:city> and the old historic <st1:city><st1:place><st1:city><st1:place>Philadelphia</st1:place></st1:city></st1:place></st1:city> from the 1700s, have coexisted smoothly throughout the years. Even though Philly has become more modern, it still pays tribute to its history with constant reminders and preservation spread throughout the city. This expression of the city’s, and the country’s history, is one reason why cities throughout the world should look up to <st1:city><st1:place>P<st1:city><st1:place>hiladelphia</st1:place></st1:city></st1:place></st1:city>. </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> Morgan Rawlingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02893064581005047297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513272292913488786.post-13883897962814023092009-05-01T08:03:00.000-07:002009-05-01T08:13:13.693-07:00More Than Just the CheesesteakThe city of brotherly love, more commonly known as Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is a city filled with many small shops and interesting and unique places that only a truly authentic traveler is able to see. Philadelphia is much more than just Citizens Bank Park, Lincoln Financial field, the Wachovia Center, The Art museum. Philadelphia is more about independence, freedom and small shops such as a fish market in Chinatown or a condom store located on South Street. It was a beautiful day on the morning of April 19, 2009 when I decided to take a trip into Philadelphia with Morgan Rawlings, a classmate and friend of mine. We decided that we would set a goal to see the city like we had never seen it before and try and see it more in the eyes of a local than a tourist. So that is what we did. We began our journey when we boarded a bus bound for City Hall. All we brought with us was a bag with a notebook, pen, sandwich, two small water bottles, rain jacket and twenty one dollars. So off we went down to Philadelphia, with the goal to see the city like a local and a true traveler.<br /><br />City Hall in Philadelphia is gorgeous. The buildings elaborate architecture and the statue of William Penn at the top allows the building to truly represent the sheer beauty of the city. Starting at City Hall is probably the best place for someone who is new to the city. It is located almost completely in the center of the city and it allows you to choose which way you want to go. One can go northwest and head toward the Art museum, or you could head northeast and go toward Chinatown and the old historic district, you could go southwest and head towards Rittenhouse Square and then cross the Schuylkill River and visit the University of Pennsylvania or you could head southeast and visit Washington Square and South Street. City Hall is a great starting point for anybody to start their journey no matter how much travel experience you have.<br /><br />For Morgan and me our goal was to see Chinatown. Chinatown for me was a place I had always wanted to visit. I love Chinese food and I wanted to see what it was actually like. Traveling with Morgan helped because she had spent five weeks in China over the summer, so that made it a little easier to communicate with the people. Traveling through Chinatown one will notice the enormous amounts of Chinese writing on the signs of the stores and everywhere you look. But actually the Chinese that is written on the signs is not actually the kind of Chinese most people learn in school. It is the more traditional old fashioned version of Chinese characters. One of the most interesting parts of Chinatown are the two open air fish markets. For me it was probably my favorite part of the entire trip because I work at a fish market in the summer and seeing fish markets like the two in Chinatown was very different and an eye opening experience. It was very different in the sense that there were live fish in tanks that the workers would take out and kill and then fillet it for you. The variety of different types of fish was also very interesting. Some of the fish looked very appetizing while others looked like they had sat on ice way to long and needed to be thrown out. The way they take care of their fish is so different than the way that I do at work that it was interesting to see. It is definitely one of the top five places a tourist who likes seafood should go.<br /><br />When most people think of Philadelphia they think of Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell and the Constitution. The Independence Mall is a place where anybody and everybody who travels to Philadelphia must see. It is the birthplace of our country the United States of America. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were written and singed in Philadelphia. Therefore it is a national monument and a place where everybody should go. It is very beautiful the way in which the mall is set up allows people to get from one place to another quickly. Also the national park right behind Independence Hall is a beautiful place to sit and reflect on your day, write in a journal or even play Frisbee as we saw three college aged kids playing and enjoying the nice day. The reason for going there is not just to see the liberty bell and Independence Hall but it is to learn the history of our country there is so much History in such close proximity that one could spend the entire day there and they still would not be able to see it all. The independence mall is a must see place in Philadelphia for any traveler.<br /><br />The old historic district of Philadelphia is located at the northeastern edge of the city. It is very quaint and small it has some coble stone roads and old brick buildings. It also is the home to the oldest block in the country. Elfreth’s Alley is the oldest street where people have lived in the United States. It has been inhabited by families since the early 1700s. It is a very narrow road with small town house style homes on either side. It is a beautiful place to live if you don’t mind the extremely close proximity and the deep tradition involved with it.<br /><br />South Street in Philadelphia is a place where everybody must go. It is almost impossible to describe what it is like in words. It is a place where you must go. There are many different stores, restaurants, cheesesteak places and condom stores. You will also find many different types of people. Morgan and I saw a drag queen a crazy street performer with a dancing puppet. One of the most famous places on South Street is Jim’s Steaks. It is one of the best cheesesteaks I have ever eaten. I waited over an hour to get this cheesesteak and it was worth it. I ate it in about seven minutes. It was delicious. The wait around the corner and then winding around inside the store was worth it. When you get up to the grill you will see how it is covered with steak and onions and then next to the grill is a can of cheese wiz. In order to get a really cheesesteak one must order a cheesesteak with wiz, onions and mushrooms. It is absolutely delicious. I am proud to say that I waited in line for over an hour and it was worth every minute. There is a reason why there are always so many people waiting to get a cheesesteak from Jim’s and that is because it truly is the best. Not only is South Street home to Jim’s, it is also home to one of the strangest stores I have ever seen, and that is Condom Kingdom. A store that specializes in the sale of condoms, I found this very amusing yet strange at the same time. Over all South Street is crazy.<br /><br />We finished our trip with a walk over to Head House square which is located on 2nd and 3rd street. This is one of the oldest squares in the city. It is completely cobblestone roads which is very unique. It is also lined with many great restaurants that the menu’s looked enticing and appetizing. We decided to walk around the square for a little while just to kill some time before we had to head to our pick up spot at the Vietnam memorial. Head house square was very interesting and I wished we were able to have gotten there before 1 because on Sundays there is a farmers market that takes place in head house square. Right off of Head House square there are some beautiful apartments and what was interesting about these apartments was the some of the dates on the buildings were in the late 1700s and early 1800s. That just shows how old the city of Philadelphia truly is.<br /><br />Traveling through Philadelphia for a day made me really see the true inner beauty of the city itself. I was able to realize the city was more than just the professional sports teams, the art museum and its cheesesteaks. It was rather more about the people and the small places located throughout the city that make it so special. I would like to encourage anybody who travels to Philadelphia, to not just go to the really famous spots in city but rather go off the beaten path and find a small restaurant and try it, you may surprise yourself how delicious it really is. And I promise you can see the amazing city of Philadelphia and everything it has to offer with less than twenty one dollars.Tyler Cabothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01096174559701126751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513272292913488786.post-28509038258020323952009-05-01T05:23:00.000-07:002009-05-01T05:25:11.124-07:00Why Waste a Sunday in the City?<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CCCARSO%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CCCARSO%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CCCARSO%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> 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mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Why go to the city on your day off?<span style=""> </span>Don’t the crowds all over, inconsiderate traffic and even the smells of the town lure you to spend the afternoon among the city dwellings? It should, because the city is much more than the hustle and bustle you see on movies. A simple Sunday afternoon in Philadelphia can open your mind to a whole new world of culture and adventure in which you never knew was right out your backdoor. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">When we first got to the city, I could just feel that it was going to be a great day. Comfortably dressed in jeans and a tee-shirt, the weather was extremely pleasant. Not too much sun and just enough clouds, the conditions were ideal for exploring the city. Our initial city interaction came when we were dropped in the crowds that surrounded the art museum. A race for the cure, a children’s fair at the science museum, added to the Sunday crowds leaving church, the city was full of people of all different ages and backgrounds. Winding our way past the race finish line to the Art Museum stairs, the image of the entire city from the top was breathtaking. How could anyone avoid experiencing a sight like this? The fear of being in an unfamiliar place, not really knowing what was going on was suddenly relieved when I saw how calm and inviting the skyline looked in front of us.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Winding around by St. Peter and Paul Cathedral and City Hall we happened to stumbled across a fellow traveler with nothing but a backpack and sunglasses on his head. He stopped us on the street corner to inquire about the location of a visitor’s center. I guess he figured we looked like Philadelphians: talk about fitting into your surroundings! We were unsure of the location of the visitor’s center but we tried to give him (we’re pretty sure he was French) some pointers about what to do in the city since he was only going to be there a day. He declined the map we offered him, and then before we went our separate ways the final thing we told him was to follow the perfectly placed, color coded signs that were every couple blocks; these signs highlighted points of interest in the city and really made it easy to navigate the city without the use of a map.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">It felt so good after interacting with ‘Frenchy’ because I could now fit in among fellow travelers. There was no need to use computers or technology to communicate. We were forced to use our surroundings and the previous knowledge we had gained in order to carry out a conversation or to even sound like we remotely had any idea about what was going on. After this experience, I was excited to see what else I could learn about myself as I wandered the streets of Philly. We passed an entire exhibit of can sculptures. Yes, entire trains and buildings made of good old Campbell’s soup, assorted caned veggies, and even some spam. When you first saw them, it was not really anything special: Oh look there’s a train. But after deeper examination, each can was intricately placed to make up a final master piece. The various structures were made in order to gather food to be donated to a local charity organization. If I had come across such a set up in the middle of Hightstown I would have been very confused. But, being in the city opens your mind and makes ‘can art’ just an everyday thing.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Some things in the city did surprise me! After walking through the courtyard of City Hall and looking up at William Penn atop the building, at figure I had seen numerous times when I passed through town; I now realized it was an immaculate work of architecture with massive size. Even walking the cobble streets around Independence Hall, just like I had every year on elementary school trips, I was enlightened. It was amazing to think about how much history surrounded an area in which some people have passed hundreds of times and never even stopped. The horse and buggy and authentic gardens made visitors feel as if Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin were, at that moment, signing the most important documents of every American’s life. But then a few streets down, South Street brings the new wave of our country’s history. The flashy clothes, rare hairstyle and exotic shops, create an entirely different atmosphere from that of the historic district. It is amazing how within four blocks of each other, the pace and lifestyle of the locals changes so drastically.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">After the ‘wiz with and the works’ cheese steaks, the black and white milkshakes, and the several miles of walking, the view from Penn’s Landing into the Veterans Memorial Park was a relief. Although it was clearer now that we were in the middle of an industrialized city, it was relaxing to know that the day had been success.<span style=""> </span>Indeed we stuck mostly to the itinerary, but we were able to stroll the streets of Philadelphia and pretend like we were authentic travelers, ready and willing to discover. Even the simplest bum on the street or old couple exiting church offered a sense of how others live their lives. Outside of the central jersey bubble we reside in, it was an opportunity to experience an aspect of life that is so close to us. This simple journey made me realize that if I learned so much on my five hour trip to Philadelphia, I wonder what I could gain from the endless number of cities all over the world. Now I am eager to travel and discover so much more!<o:p></o:p></span></p> Christina Carsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10778575699865336768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513272292913488786.post-30900850003802778192009-04-30T11:55:00.000-07:002009-04-30T12:01:20.500-07:00Rocky, Orange Juice and War All Do Have Something in Common<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 10"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 10"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CDDRISC%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="State"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="Street"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceType"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceName"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="address"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 10"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 10"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CDDRISC%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="State"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="Street"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceType"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceName"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="address"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>At a dead sprint we began our trip into the heart of <st1:city><st1:place>Philadelphia</st1:place></st1:city>. In the wake of Rocky Balboa, we raced up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Weaving through the ranks of charity runners, after their race, we made it to the top of the steps and reveled in the congratulations from bystanders. After our final few steps, and a good five minutes of hard breathing, we turned and the sight of the <st1:street><st1:address>Ben Franklin Parkway</st1:address></st1:street> from the top of the steps was breathtaking. Flags of different countries line the Parkway and from the <st1:place><st1:placetype>Museum</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename>Art</st1:placename></st1:place> to North Twenty Second street, showing the diversity of the city of <st1:city><st1:place>Philadelphia</st1:place></st1:city>.</p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>At North Twenty Second, there was a children’s fair with a book selling stand, and one of the most amazing inventions in beverages ever, Simply Orange. There was a stand with people from the company handing out free samples of their product. They approached our group and we all received our free samples and enjoyed them for the next thirty minutes while we went around Philly. The people at the stand were very friendly, giving us descriptions of the product, saying it was actually made with real oranges. People around the fair were saying that this was not a one time thing and that these fairs were not a new thing for the city to host. The next stop on the list of things to see would definitely be the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul.</p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>The Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul is at the end of the <st1:street><st1:address>Ben Franklin Parkway</st1:address></st1:street> and is one of the most beautiful churches in the area. I have been to St. Patrick’s Cathedral in <st1:state><st1:place>New York</st1:place></st1:state>, but it does nothing to compare to the beauty of the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul. Just walking in had a hushing effect, which comes over anyone that enters the oak doors. The inside is adorned with marble statues of the stations of the cross which are shown off by tour guides that go through the cathedral while mass is not going on. While we did not have the opportunity to see a mass, just being able to be in and around the cathedral was enough. The sheer architecture and experience of being in the cathedral was worth the visit to <st1:city><st1:place>Philadelphia</st1:place></st1:city>. Stepping from the solemn, quiet interior, we were faced again with the sunshine and noises of the city.</p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>While we were basking in the warm sunshine after leaving the cathedral, we were approached by a man who appeared not to know where he was going. He first began by telling us in a very recognizable French accent, but perfect English that he was only in town for the day and did not know what he should see. He then asked if we knew where a hospitality center was, which we did not, but we did help him to plan his entire day. We showed him places that he could go visit and things of importance to see. Luckily because we had planned our own trip, it was easy for us to plan his trip in our ten minute conversation. We left wishing each other good luck on our respective trips around the city and we were off to find cheese steaks. Some people say that <st1:city><st1:place>Philadelphia</st1:place></st1:city> cheese steaks are the best in the world, and after this trip I most certainly agree.</p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>With visits to two different cheese steak places, Jake’s and Campo’s, we got a true taste of <st1:city><st1:place>Philadelphia</st1:place></st1:city> flavor. After leaving the cathedral we went down to the Shops at <st1:street><st1:address>Liberty Place</st1:address></st1:street>, to experience where people might go to shop, and ended up finding Jake’s Cheese Steaks. There were two people behind the counter at Jake’s, one man was taking the orders and money, while another sat behind an encasing of glass and stoves, cooking the steaks. Although not the most efficient or quickest ways of getting to the customers, it did mean that quality was their main concern. After paying the man at the cash register, our group sat down with our cheese steaks and that was one of the better cheese steaks I’ve had. But, when we later went to the historical district in <st1:city><st1:place>Philadelphia</st1:place></st1:city>, we found a quaint little place called Campo’s Deli where we enjoyed our second cheese steak of the day. Sitting in <st1:place><st1:placename>Independence</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>National Park</st1:placetype></st1:place>, I had the best cheese steak of my life and took my time to enjoy my Campo’s Deli cheese steak. Although both were plain with just American cheese, Campo’s Deli most definitely made the better cheese steak.</p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>The lines for Independence Hall wrapped around the building, and it seemed like everyone wanted to be a part of the history that had happened among these special buildings. But, we did not have the time to wait in the lines to also be a part of this history and went on our way down to <st1:street><st1:address>South Street</st1:address></st1:street> for the interesting specialty stores. This street sure had a lot of interesting things on it. Among the tattooed strangers and drag queens that we saw, there were erotic stores and shoe stores and small restaurants. The entire street was littered with people and stores, it was all quite overwhelming. But after our interesting experience on <st1:street><st1:address>South Street</st1:address></st1:street>, it was off to the Vietnam War Veteran’s Memorial. This was our pickup spot and should be on anyone’s itinerary for a trip to <st1:city><st1:place>Philadelphia</st1:place></st1:city>. With a beautifully kept lawn, and giant marble slabs respecting the sacrifices that our armed forces made for us, it truly is humbling, just like the city itself with all its life and history.</p> Danny Driscollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386347744757908721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513272292913488786.post-20158139145945611362008-04-24T11:10:00.000-07:002009-04-13T13:35:25.028-07:00The Sights, the Sounds, the Smells of PhiladelphiaOn a rainy Sunday morning, I made an escape from the bubble that is the Peddie School and stepped into the city of Philadelphia. The sights, the sounds, the smells all came at me from various angles of the city, opening my eyes to the culture, society, and history that is Philadelphia.<div><br />My travel partner Ben and I got off the small yellow Peddie School bus at City Hall. I felt a mist of rain on my face so I pulled up my large hood to keep me dry. I immediately took out my camera to document the start of our journey by taking a snapshot of City Hall. Ben and I commenced our walking, made a left then a right and strolled to the Reading Terminal Market. As soon as we stepped inside, I was overcome by the size of the indoor market, the smell of fresh baked goods and fish, and the hustle and bustle of sales being made. There was everything from ice cream, Philly Cheesesteaks, and jewelry, to King Crab legs the size of my own. My stomach was rumbling at the sight of all the food as I had not eaten breakfast so I bought a large blueberry scone at the nearest bakery. Ben pointed out an empty section of the market and told me that the Amish usually manned that area, but they were absent considering it was Sunday, the day of rest. After roaming the market, we stepped back outside into the misting rain now with the remains of my blueberry scone in hand.<br /><br /></div><div>We began to walk over to the Old City and the Independence Mall but were stopped by the Friendship Gates, the entrance to China Town. The ornate, three story high gates drew us inside and we walked up the long street. I was walking right on the curb by a large puddle when a car drove by and splashed me with the dirty water. My pants were soaked! I had seen the same thing happen to people on TV and in movies time and time again, but it had never happened to me. I did not make a big deal out of it since my pants were already a little wet from the rain, but I felt like I was one of those unfortunate characters in the movies and just started to laugh. Ben started laughing too. We then went into a small shop filled with the bright colors of Oriental clothing. I started to examine small jade figurines of horses and tigers as Ben examined some wooden pipes. Ben picked up one wooden pipe in the shape of a phallic symbol and we both started to laugh.<br /><br /></div><div>We walked back out of the Friendship gates and continued on our way to the Old City and the Independence Mall. We first went into the Constitution Center where Barack Obama had recently given a speech. Near the entrance there was patriotic colored bulletin board entitled “What You Look For in a President” with pale yellow posted notes written out by visitors. One said “Last name isn’t Bush;” another said “Ovaries;” and my favorite said “Chuck Norris.” Next we went to the Second National Bank and from there we went to the Liberty Lights Center where I had read that there was a hologram of Ben Franklin. I was really excited, but when we got there, I was quite frankly disappointed. I thought it would be a 3D, full body hologram and you could ask him any question you wanted. Instead, a man in a 1700’s costume directed us to a 2D image of his upper body and a computer in the shape of an old fashioned book with only preset verbs and nouns you could click on to ask him. My friend Alex had told me that Ben Franklin was rumored to have had Syphilis and I should ask him about it, but unfortunately “Syphilis” was not one of the preset nouns.<br /><br /></div><div>After the big disappointment, Ben and I went to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers in Washington Square. In the square, which was a peaceful little park, I zoned out for a second as I was taking a picture and all the sudden I hear a man scream “Beep!” as he almost hits me with his bike. He was just messing with me but I thought I was about to have a heart attack. I turned to Ben and he was just laughing at me. After my heart stopped racing, Ben and I sat down on a cold stone bench next to the tomb where a continuous flame burned and we jotted down some notes of the days previous activities. Once we had finished writing, we head over to Fabric Row, the fashion district of Philly. Right outside of Washington Square, a large lost lady asked us for directions. We told her that we are not from the City and did not know the place she needed to find. She said thanks anyway and we both went on down our separate paths. Since she had asked for directions, we must have appeared to her as locals; we blended in. Soon after, a man who seemed to be on crack came up to us and asked,<br /><br /></div><div>“You seen a Wawa?”<br />“No we haven’t,” Ben and I both replied.<br />“I need some change,” he blurted out with an unnatural twitch.<br /><br /></div><div>Ben gave the crazy man four quarters and he tried to give Ben a dollar bill back but Ben made him keep it and the crazy man quickly walked away. We went a little further and came to an ancient graveyard. The grass was lush and overgrown and the faded gravestones seemed as though they might topple over. Out of nowhere comes our teacher, Mr. Clements, on his bike. He said hello to us, stopped for a quick chat, took a picture, and he was off again.<br /><br /></div><div>After our brief encounter with Mr. Clements, we started walking again. Soon I was struck by a chic and trendy wave. Fabric shops with different cloths of all the colors of the rainbow lined the streets. We had reached Fabric Row. We did a walk through the area, observing the surroundings and the window displays which was all I could get Ben to agree to. Once we finished our walk through of Fabric Row, Ben and I were both hungry and wanted some authentic Philly Cheesesteaks. Apparently, there are two main restaurants, rivals if you will, where you get your Philly Cheesesteak, Pat’s and Geno’s. According to Ben who had been to Philly numerous times, Pat’s was the place to go. When we finally got there, I discovered that Pat’s and Geno’s were right across the street from each other, both with endless lines of hungry people. Ben waited on the endless line while I staked out the table. Ben came back with two Philly Cheesesteaks and some fries. Mine had peppers and some cheese whiz. When I took a bite, the cheese whiz came running down my hand and on the sleeve of my Calvin Klein raincoat. Although messy, it was quite satisfying.</div><div><br />After we finished our sandwiches, we made our way to the Italian Market. Little by little, the pizzerias multiplied. We knew we where there when we saw the name “Bruno Brothers” everywhere we turned. We went into a Bruno Brothers shop and as soon as I stepped inside I was taken aback by the intense aroma of cheese and olives. Every type of olive was displayed in crates and there were mounds of Provolone cheese hanging from the ceiling that were twice as big as my head. Behind the counter, there was a thin man with huge brown hair, almost an fro, and a bushy mustache. Once we had our fill of cheese and olives, we left the shop and I instantly spotted a chocolate shop and had to go inside. There was every kind of truffle you could imagine, various kinds of chocolate covered pretzels, and much more. I am a bit of a chocoholic so the sight of all that chocolate was just about too beautiful to handle. Ben and I left with a bag of truffles and sat down to eat them at a near by outdoor café. I took out the first truffle, small in my hand, and my favorite flavor, dark chocolate raspberry. I took a bite. The fruity coco mixture was absolutely heavenly. I savored every little bite. After a couple more truffles, I went into the café and got some chocolate hazelnut gelato which was equally heavenly. A chocolate lover’s paradise.</div><div><br />Once all the chocolate was gone, we started walking to Society Hill. On the way, a guy with dreads came up to ask us if he could borrow a pen. As I observed his unsanitary locks, he used Ben’s pen to write something down a on scrap of paper and was on his way. A little while latter, we passed by a sketchy man in a torn up jacket sitting on a stoop. He called out, “What’s up gurl?” and I tried not to turn around. Oh the cost of being a girl. When we were almost there, I saw a prom dress shop and had to go in. Ben refused to go in and stayed outside. The sign above the door read, Liatali; the most unique collection of women wear. There were gorgeous gowns of all different sizes, styles, and colors. There was only one person in the store, a middle aged man with gray hair and a slick goatee named Eli Aroshas behind a desk. One floor length white dress with clear crystal beading caught my eye and I went over to get a closer look. Next to the white dress was an ice blue silk dress. As I eyed the dress, Eli told me that that the dress was the same style as the dress Rose wore in the Titanic. Eli then went to the back and turned on some seductive Latin music. He came back and asked me in a rather sexual tone if I would like to try anything on. At this point, I was kind of creeped out and told him that I had to go. He gave me his card and then I swiftly left and met Ben outside.</div><div><br />After that creepy encounter, we walked up to Society Hill. The Hill was lined with adorable old houses, cobbled streets and flowering trees. It was like a glimpse into the old world of Philadelphia. It was beautiful. There were a few houses for sale and Ben and I both said that we wanted to buy them so we could live in such a beautiful place. Just as we got lost in admiring the picturesque rows of houses, I get a call from Mr. Clements who tells me that everyone is on the bus waiting for us. Ben and I hurried over to the Vietnam Memorial and found the small yellow Peddie School bus packed and ready to go. We hopped on the bus and head back to Peddie with the sights, the sounds, and the smells of Philadelphia still fresh in my mind.</div>Hillary Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12620558426354892997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513272292913488786.post-44313707229850140132008-04-24T10:59:00.000-07:002009-04-13T13:30:16.894-07:00Exploring Today’s Philadelphia<p class="MsoNormal"> Destinations of great historical importance can be fascinating to visit, there is something entirely different about seeing and experiencing a place of great historical significance. Although sometimes is the case, travelers do not <i style="">always</i> find themselves in the right place at the right time- in all likelihood you will not be visiting a city when a specific performance, event or convention of your choice is taking place. But in a city with a rich history and culture like <st1:city><st1:place>Philadelphia</st1:place></st1:city>, there is always something for a traveler to see and experience and because of this these cities will always attract curious travelers from the world over. <span style=""> </span>Settled by William Penn in 1682, <st1:city><st1:place>Philadelphia</st1:place></st1:city> is considered the “birthplace” of our nation because of its critical importance in the Revolutionary War. Until around 1830 <st1:city><st1:place>Philadelphia</st1:place></st1:city> remained the largest city in the <st1:country-region><st1:place>United States</st1:place></st1:country-region>. Today, aside from its history, <st1:city><st1:place>Philadelphia</st1:place></st1:city> is known for its cosmopolitan atmosphere, art, professional sports teams, and of course the Philly Cheesesteak. <st1:city><st1:place>Philadelphia</st1:place></st1:city> is a city that anyone would agree, embraces its history, but by no means is it a city that lives in the past. Recently I had the chance to visit <st1:city><st1:place>Philadelphia</st1:place></st1:city>, see the history behind the city and ultimately how it’s past has shaped it into the city it is today.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>The first thing that struck me, walking around <st1:city><st1:place>Philadelphia</st1:place></st1:city>, was its size. But this time I didn’t feel overwhelmed by the immense size of the city in fact I was surprised at how small the city truly felt. <span style=""> </span><st1:city><st1:place>Philadelphia</st1:place></st1:city> has a large metropolitan area which makes up for much of its population, but for a traveler most of the cities sights are within a convenient walking distance. My colleague Hilary and I were able to explore a broad spectrum of sights, from Independence Hall to the Italian Market, all by foot and all within the better part of a day. We found that even the simplest of travelers can manage his or her way around <st1:city><st1:place>Philadelphia</st1:place></st1:city>.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Hilary and I began our day at City Hall in center city <st1:city><st1:place>Philadelphia</st1:place></st1:city>, which sits at the intersection of Broad and Market Streets. The wind was blowing and the thick grey clouds threatened to open up. Never mind the weather, we enjoyed the quiet sidewalks and nearly empty streets of a rainy Sunday morning in April. We followed <st1:street><st1:address>Broad Street north</st1:address></st1:street> to <st1:street><st1:address>Arch Street</st1:address></st1:street> which led us directly to Reading Terminal Market-our first stop. Reading Terminal is a great place to grab a breakfast or lunch, with over 80 vendors selling everything from fresh seafood to crafts it is also a great place to spend time even if food isn’t your highest priority. Hilary and I arrived to find the market relatively quiet. Chairs and stools were still turned from the floors being mopped the night before and besides bakeries and small diners, most stalls were closed for the day. Hilary enjoyed a blueberry scone from a bakery near the entrance as we strolled the perimeter of the market looking for something tasty or intriguing, but nothing caught our eye so we zipped up our jackets and headed out onto <st1:street><st1:address>Arch Street</st1:address></st1:street> again. Not far from the market we came across the Chinese friendship gate, the elaborate and ornamental archway that marks the entrance to the <st1:place>Chinatown</st1:place> district. We decided to explore some of <st1:place>Chinatown</st1:place> which, unlike the rest of the city, was bustling with activity and complete with all of the standard city noises one would expect during rush hour. For some reason neither the weather nor the fact that it was Sunday had kept Chinatown quiet. We poked our heads in a few small gift shops which sold phony silk dresses, miniature Buddha statues, bamboo gardens and good-luck charms. Another shop down the street was painted and carpeted in light bubbly blue and was dedicated entirely to “Hello Kitty” merchandise. Being conscious of the time and having not seen anything that caught our eye, we left <st1:place>Chinatown</st1:place> the same way we entered and continued down <st1:street><st1:address>Arch Street</st1:address></st1:street> toward the river.<span style=""></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">Before long we found ourselves at the new <st1:place><st1:placename>National</st1:placename> <st1:placename>Constitution</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Center</st1:placetype></st1:place> on Independence Mall. The interior of the <st1:place><st1:placename>Constitution</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Center</st1:placetype></st1:place> was as impressive as the exterior, and we would have loved to spend more time in it had the admission prices for the exhibit been within our budget. Instead we walked to the other end of Independence Mall for a look at Independence Hall itself. The simplicity of the building would remind most visitors of the nation’s modest beginnings such a short time ago. We took a look around the Hall itself and a neighboring courtyard. Next to the courtyard was a Greek type building with eight large Doric columns and a large, commanding triangular pediment. Upon seeing the building I knew exactly what it was, though I’m not sure if Hilary did at first, luckily there was a sign out front for a<span style=""> </span><i style="">free</i> exhibit which helped me coax her into the building for a look around. As we entered, on our left was a bronze plaque commemorating the charter of the Second Bank of the United States and Jackson’s war on the bank throughout his presidency, these days with security and large scale tourism its not often that you get so close to such a interesting piece of history. I could imagine Nicholas Biddle, president of the bank at the time, coming to work in the morning through those same doors almost 200 years ago. The exhibit was quiet, simple, clean and an expenseless break from the city, but the best part was not the exhibit, but going down into the basement and being able to see the foundations of the building. Looking at the foundations of this building and seeing the hodge-podge of oddly, misshapen rocks I began to consider why after the war of 1812 when the bank was rechartered was it necessary to have a building that whose façade would undoubtedly command respect. </p><p class="MsoNormal">We found an exit in the basement which brought us back out to <st1:street><st1:address>Chestnut Street</st1:address></st1:street> where we then located the Liberty Light Show that Hilary had been eager to see. The Liberty Light Show would be a great place to bring kids, but the talking Benjamin Franklin hologram was not exactly what Hilary had been hoping for. I entertained myself in the gift shop with stuffed Ben Franklin bears and pens that had floating liberty bells inside, while Hilary tried on a variety of colonial hats and garments. We then followed <st1:street><st1:address>Sixth Street</st1:address></st1:street> down to <st1:street><st1:address>Washington Square</st1:address></st1:street> which despite the cyclist that almost hit Hilary, was surprisingly, even eerily quiet for its location in the middle of the city. While in the park we saw the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a monument commemorating Revolutionary War soldiers, many of whom were buried in mass graves on the grounds. We sat down on a bench; in the silence of the park I could hear the flags and the eternal flame flipping back and forth with the wind. Before leaving the park we decided on our next destination, Fabric Row, we also decided we would not consult our map in finding it. Rather we headed south and wove through smaller side streets to see what we might find. Not far out of the park we were stopped by a woman who asked us for directions. We told the woman that we were not locals and could offer little more than a map similar to her own. We couldn’t help her, but we were impressed with ourselves- clearly without our map out we looked like locals, we had assimilated to our surroundings well and avoided the stereotypical tourist look of either walking with our heads down in a map and running into people or with our heads up admiring the tall buildings. In our wandering we found Old St. Josephs Church, the oldest Catholic Church in the city, tucked back off of a small alleyway. A large archway led us into the churches courtyard where we stood and could hear to the churches choir practicing. As we began to get closer to Fabric Row we came across a walled cemetery where we met a funny old man on a bicycle who told us of the Native American tribesman and chiefs buried there. <span style=""> </span><span style=""></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">Fabric Row may not be far from the <st1:place><st1:placename>Old</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>City</st1:placetype></st1:place> but it has an entirely different atmosphere, one filled with tattoo, skateboard and coffee shops. Before we reached the inner part of Fabric Row with the fabric galleries, cutters and designers we passed by a series of “vintage” thrift stores and other stores in the area surrounding the original fabric row. One thrift shop called Armed and Dangerous was blasting music from the storefront. This outer area of Fabric Row is different and interesting but the true fabric row offers little for travelers unless they are in need of fabric or upholstery. Hilary and I both found this to be true and so continued south for lunch at the world renowned Pat’s King of Steaks.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><st1:city><st1:place>Philadelphia</st1:place></st1:city> is known for its cheesesteaks and Pat’s is a <st1:city><st1:place>Philadelphia</st1:place></st1:city> institution when it comes to cheesesteaks, certainly not you’re run of the mill cheesesteak joint. Hilary and I went for Pat’s who though lacking the bright and maybe excessive advertising of its competition, Geno’s, claimed to have the better cheesesteak. The line at Pat’s stretched around the corner, as did its neighbors. But the line moved quickly as one man ran the register and shouted orders in short, loud codes, what seemed like an indecipherable language to me and probably everyone else in line. One could not help but be amazed at watching the grill master at work through the plexiglas ordering window. He was taking and completing orders at an astonishing rate. His white Pat’s t-shirt was plastered to his large round stomach with what looked to be a combination of sweat and cheesesteak grease. The Pat’s kitchen ran like clock-work, and it’s safe to say that this chef proved to everyone there that he was truly an expert in his field. We sat down to eat our cheesesteaks at one of the few, highly sought after tables which Hilary had saved for us while I ordered. By the time I unwrapped my cheesesteak the wax paper it was wrapped in was translucent with grease. Three things immediately began to drip out the bottom of my cheesesteak, clear oily grease, a grey mixture of grease and cheese, and cheese whiz that had not reached one of the grease veins of my cheesesteak. I sopped up the run-off material with our french fries, which made for a thoroughly satisfying lunch. The food was delicious just as we had expected, but in reality it was the atmosphere that made the Pat’s cheesesteak experience memorable.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Now that we had gotten our cheesesteak fill we backtracked north to walk through the Italian Market and eventually make our way to the Vietnam War Memorial. After passing through several blocks of residential neighborhood we reached the Italian district. Today this area truly represents metropolitan <st1:city><st1:place>Philadelphia</st1:place></st1:city> with a large number of now not only Italian stores but Chinese and Central American stores as well. By the time we reached the market, sales for the day were done and it was being swept and cleaned. We walked under the awnings of shops where the smell of seafood mixed with the scent of boxes and crates being burned in the street. We stopped in DiBruno Brothers, a store that sells oils, cheeses, olives and pasta and then The Spice Corner, which specializes in spices, tea’s and coffee’s and assorted dried fruits. Hilary found a small chocolate shop where we bought half a dozen raspberry, pecan and dark chocolate truffles as a follow up to our cheesesteaks. We found an open table at a café where we took a break to locate ourselves on the map and enjoy the truffles. After a while the sun came out through the clouds, which prompted us to continue up <st1:street><st1:address>9<sup>th</sup> Street</st1:address></st1:street> towards the war memorial. When we hit <st1:street><st1:address>South Street</st1:address></st1:street> we peered down and were surprised to find that it was somewhat busy with shoppers and visitors even on a cloudy Sunday afternoon. I lent my pen and conversed with a tall, dreadlocked painter on <st1:street><st1:address>South Street</st1:address></st1:street> while Hilary poked through one of the neighborhoods many funky, boutiquey clothing stores. After Hilary was done we took <st1:street><st1:address>5<sup>th</sup> Street</st1:address></st1:street> further north into Society Hill where we wandered, admiring the many historic Federal and Georgian style homes. Finally we reached the <st1:country-region><st1:place>Vietnam</st1:place></st1:country-region> memorial where we had planned to end our day and our tour of <st1:city><st1:place>Philadelphia</st1:place></st1:city>. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span></p>Ben M. Wildehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677330162457453504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513272292913488786.post-102647213500613742008-04-24T07:05:00.000-07:002008-04-24T07:09:27.796-07:00More Than Just a Historic LandmarkCobblestone streets surrounded Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell center as tourists lined up to see the exhibits that awaited them inside. People waited, somewhat impatiently, staring at the large, numerous sings advertising the displays as the security guards slowly let groups of people into the exhibit. Lines curved around the building and seemed to go on forever. However, while the Liberty Bell is an importance artifact in history, it does not define Philadelphia now. On this trip, we experienced what does define Philadelphia; the diversity that is contained there, represented by the many sections of the city.<br /><br />Andre and Bridget, my travel companions, and I decided that we would try to get a glimpse of the Liberty Bell as we passed the center, opting out of the 25 minute wait in the line. We walked passed the side of the building, and came upon a small window with a perfect view of the Bell. The two minutes we spent looking at it was the perfect amount of time, and did not come with the obligation of walking through the rest of the exhibit. Once we were content with the Liberty Bell, the next historical site in the area, Independence Hall was our next stop. Again, the line for the walk through the hall seemed to go on forever, so we decided to pass by and continue on our journey. We had planned to next go to Washington Square, the last historic stop we intended to see. Walking into what we though was Washington Square, we were surprised at its emptiness. Not only did this lawn look slightly underdone, but it was completely deserted in contrast to the multitude of people at the Liberty Bell Center. We walked around to the front to see if this was our actually destination only to realize that this lawn was solely the back yard of the Second Bank of the United States. This bank had been turned into a museum of portraits, and the most surprising aspect was the lack of people in the museum. This building was right next door, literally 15 feet away from Independence Hall, yet it seemed so abandoned. It was not that there weren’t people admiring the portraits covering the walls, it was the silence and serenity of the people walking around that made it so out of place. All would silently walk throughout the museum, reading the plastic-covered caption card posted under each portrait and learning about the people who created their history. It was nice to see a place that had amazing facts about our past that had not been taken over by tourism.<br /><br />Even before reaching any of historical Philadelphia, we had made a stop in Chinatown. Entering through the Friendship Gate, a huge entryway with intricate designs and Chinese writing marking the beginning to Chinatown, the city transformed from tall, dreary, office buildings to small, bright, colorful Chinese shops. The streets were crowded compared to the empty sidewalks just outside of Chinatown while mothers maneuvered through the crowds pulling their children behind. Even we had to be careful to not get lost in the fast pace of the people who walked through the town. As we walked down the sidewalks, we passed by little shops, each having its specialty. Soon, the smell of fish radiated through the streets, and we finally came to the little market selling seafood. People stood attempting to carefully choose their groceries from the rows and rows of fish and other seafood from the open market. This store, displaying fish right out in the open, seemed so different from anything I would expect to see in other sections of the city.<br /><br /> Later, while walking down 6th Street on our way to Mother Bethel AME Church, the atmosphere once again changed with the new diversity of the area. The buildings were no longer stores, offices, or historical sites, but now houses with actual inhabitants. The streets were no longer crowded, and was quaint compared to the chaos of Chinatown and Historic Philadelphia. This church we were on our way to has been owned by African-Americans ever since Richard Allen started it in 1787, and is the piece of property that has been under African-American ownership for the longest time. Passing the church, we read the historical facts about it on the brown wooden sign next to the church, and it seemed the church service had just ended. An older women walked out, and said “Good Morning” to us as she passed, on her way to a younger women and her son a few feet down from us.<br /><br />From there, we continued to South Street. Walking up and down the street, it appeared to be a popular place to be. We stopped in Jim’s Steaks for a famous Philly Cheesesteak. Although it wasn’t Pat’s or Geno’s, the two places most well known for their cheese steaks, the line for Jim’s filled up the shop and continued outside, so we expected it would be good. No matter how long the line, this was one of the places it was worth waiting for. It was necessary for us to get a taste of Philadelphia, and of course, its signature sandwich. After a good 20 minutes in line, we finally reached the front. Ordering went quickly, as did the actually production of the sandwiches. They formed an assembly line, one man took you order, preparing the bread and cheese. While many, including Bridget and Andre, got cheese whiz on their steaks, I opted for American. He then handed the half-made sandwich to the next man, who placed the roll face down on the thinly chopped meat and scooped it up, adding any additional toppings you requested. Once completed, the sandwich was handed to yet another man who wrapped it in a sandwich wrapper, got you a drink, and placed it on a tray, without a plate of course. Then, you were set to find the staircase in the back of the store and climb the steep stairs to an open seating areas. Although it was crowded, we managed to grab a table and three stools for us to sit on. The walls were lined with autographs and photos of famous people who had eaten, and apparently enjoyed, their own meal at Jim’s.<br /><br />Finishing our steaks, we decided we would investigate yet another atmosphere in the city by going into the Hyatt hotel. Walking around the lobby, we decided to take a trip up the elevator to get a better look of the place. We pressed the small silver button, awaiting the ding of the bell, signaling the elevator, and stepped through the doors that opened. We were faced with a short women with sneakers on, and two men standing besides their full bags. They had been struggling with the elevator, because none of the buttons would light up, and the elevator stood in place. Standing in the shiny, silver little box crowded with the six of us, we tried to figure out what the problem was. One man said to Bridget, who was eating an apple, “If that’s the only food you’ve got, you may want to make it last, because we may be in here for a while,” in a voice that sounded only half-kidding. Finally someone pushed the huge rectangular lobby button, opening the door, however not getting us to our destination. We decided to try our luck with a different elevator, so we entered the next one that opened, following a younger couple, and being followed by the three we had shared the previous elevator with. Finally, between the eight of us crowded into the elevator, we figured out you needed to enter a room key to be able to press a button. The younger couple pushed their card into the slot, and asked what floors we were traveling to. Andre wanted to see the top floor, so we told them to press the button for floor 26. Surprisingly, floor 26 wouldn’t light up, and since we had no room key, we ended up getting off the elevator with the younger couple, yet became disappointed with the floor. Expecting some sort of view from the city, or at least a window in the hallway, we were surprised to see a bland corridor with numerous white doors everywhere you looked. Disappointed with our exploration of the hotel, we went back down to the lobby, and seeing the time, went to the Vietnam Memorial to end our trip.<br /><br />Philadelphia, a city I had never really looked closely at before, proved not only to be an interesting city, but also a place with extreme diversity in different sections. Chinatown, Historical Philadelphia, 6th Street, South Street, and even the Hyatt proved to each have their own atmosphere, completely different from all the others. While not the only places to visit in Philadelphia, these spots showed the diversity of the city, and provided us with a good time.Emily Bordenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00043702728812723365noreply@blogger.com0