For the thanksgiving weekend, my mum travelled all the way from Denmark to New York to be with me.
- The first time this semester it was possible for me to take time off for guests. Always school 6 days of the week and rehearsals after school for the expected level in every subject.
I had a blast with my mum, and it was great to show her where I live, go to school, take walks, teach drama and go to church, not just over the phone or by blogging, but in real person. :) I am still thinking it was strange seeing her here.
All the time she was with me, I kept saying - "it's soo weird that you're here." I had just gotten used to this being my personal place, with new places and a totally new social network.
I'd gotten used to the fact that my own mum didn't belong in this new world, she was back home, in the old world I once lived in.
But the amazing part was to be able to show her a new country for the first time.. - not the other way around. My parents took me to Africa several times. But this time I took my mum to New York :)
Look at all the fun we had!
Thursday:
Our first full day together was spent partly in the city and partly on Long Island for thanksgiving with the Wittenbergs. Scroll back some blog posts to read about that special night ;)
During the afternoon we went to Times Square to see my where my musical theatre center is ;) and then we went to the enormous Disney store! We also came across a Christmas market with small cute shops that sold Christmas ornaments and hot drinks :) My mum tasted an apple cider here for the first time .. she was crazy about it, I didn't like it too much.
In the Disney store - without revealing too much - we found some awesome Christmas presents for family and friends ;)
.. and then, of course, I also got to show my mum what I wanted most for Christmas from the store.
I already came out with one gift in hand though! She gave me this super cool Christmas cup! It's like the cup design from Starbucks for the cold beverages.
*
Friday:
We had a long day, starting with the Metropolitan museum of art!
Before the museum, my mum couldn't resist all the shops on the way, to find Christmas presents and cool things to bring home. Most of them were cute inexpensive shops, where you could get all sorts of American specialties in the candy and toy department. We found things for the Christmas days and presents for my siblings. So many cute things, I'd never seen before... I keep saying, this is the first time I ever entered shops in New York City - I KNOW it's crazy. Busy, poor student ;)
Look how pink this shop is!
A corner of a little girl's dream
Dorothy Christmas decoration, pretty cool!
The Christmas trees are out decorating the streets!
Me and my mum went to the Metropolitan museum of art. Omgosh the place is massive, just check out the building... it's like an ancient Greek monument - it's pretty fascinating, just seeing from the outside.
Me and my mum really wanted to see our family paintings. We knew that the Met has some of Paul Gauguin's greatest. We had walked through quite a lot of exhibitions and several rooms with the impressionists, until we suddenly recognized my great great grandfather's brush technique from across the room.
Neither of us could control our eagerness and we both rushed to the paintings. When I got to the room and looked around, my eyes were suddenly caught by a big surprise: my very favorite Paul Gauguin painting 'Ia Orena Maria' was hanging only a couple of meters away from me.
When I was 13, I wrote and analysis of this painting. And this was one of my grandma's favorite paintings. Not one of the paintings she once owned, but one that she loved and shared with me many times.
That was what struck me in the room, standing there so close to the original. I had to take a long moment just to take it all in.
It was another thing that seemed to bring me so close to my grandma.
I stood there frozen for a good 10 minutes, and when my mum wanted to move on I went with her.. but later on, when we'd finished seeing the things we wanted to see at the museum, we both went back to gaze at it once more and take lots of pictures in front of it!
IS it not massive?
You can see how the building stretches
all the way to the end of the picture!
My mum, in the Ancient Greek department
Me by the statues in the Greek department
This is such a special photo to me!
The jacket I'm wearing was my grandma's, and without knowing when I chose my clothes the same morning, it fits perfectly to the paintings.
Another of his great paintings
- one neither me or my mum had seen before
This is one of the paintings that has hung in our
apartment for many years - a poster version ;)
The painting below is not Gauguin's, but a familiar one that I came across. It's pretty cool; this painting was the inspiration to a musical called 'Sunday in the park with George'. I played in the scene evolving this painting in high school!
Another pretty amazing thing was seeing all the Edgar Degas paintings and figures/statues. The famous ballerina, which I was given a copy of when I was small, was right here in New York!
I felt like dancing!
And moving gracefully!
Me and my mum outside the museum,
after several hours of visit
After the museum we took a walk through Central Park, and stopped along the way when we saw picture-worth things or benches (to rest from all the walking).
It was a beautiful afternoon, the sun was shining bright on the fallen leaves and the air was fresh. It was a lovely day to take a walk through Central Park.
It was a beautiful afternoon, the sun was shining bright on the fallen leaves and the air was fresh. It was a lovely day to take a walk through Central Park.
Even though there are lots of bridges like this one in Central Park,
me and my mum were pretty sure this in the picture above was
the one they used to film the scene in Home Alone!
Look at the beautiful leaves surrounding us!
Alice and her friends
Reading fairy tales with Hans Christian Andersen
I love to walk into a pile of them and let my boots sink deep into the leaves as I brush through them vividly.
I love this picture. The orange/gold leaves just lay the neatly as if they were a spilled bag of grain.
I kind of imagined that someone clapped their hands and sneezed in one fast motion and then all the leaves fell off on that command!
Basically, the only tree that still had it's leaves on is the one right next to it... maybe I should revisit and sneeze underneath it.
That would make such a cool picture...
This day was supposed to be spent just as much in my room back at the residence. We had plans of rearranging the furniture, the things on the shelves and transforming the room to Christmas for the holiday! My mum was very determined on helping me make the room more homey and cozy; one thing I have longed for having time to do!
...I still remember that all the things were on the exact same places as where I set it all out the nights I arrived on Manhattan!
I have not been showered with spare time, no!
While rearranging the room, me and mum listened to the best American Christmas music - the kind that my dad would detest hearing all day long in our apartment - "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas", "White Christmas", "Let it snow", "Santa Claus is coming to town", "Last Christmas", "Jingle bells", "Here comes Santa Claus".. and so forth!
American Christmas music has been our favorite genre to play in the December, and we both agreed that it felt quite surreal - but extremely awesome - that we were in the city where all these songs take place!
We sat on my bed with colored paper for making woven hearts and pixie cut outs. We had the new Christmas tea that my grandparents had sent along with my mum :) Tea with spices, dried fruits and almonds .. and then of course - the ingredient of Christmas!
Some things just taste or smell like Christmas, and there is not much of an explanation why that exact dish is tastes or smells like Christmas.. it just has the ingredient!
Look how cozy my place is!
I'll never be too old for this pixie's hat!!
*
Saturday:
Saturday morning I woke up to my mum coming out of the shower with a big, all fresh and awake, with a big smile on her face saying "Godmoooorgen!". The time was 07:30. No surprise she was awake, she'd gone to bed at 9! I, on the other hand had fallen asleep at 12, after writing on my blog all evening (again - the post about thanksgiving).
Anyhow, my mum brushed me out of bed; we had a city ahead of us to explore!
Our day would start with seeing my school.. which was probably the most important and exciting of all the things to see!
My mum is standing on my street... wow?!
At the subway station
... Even though you can't see the massive banner above the building, this is my school! NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY, the banner says .. but I'm sure you guessed that ;)
First step inside the building. My mum has probably set the record for the most tourist-like visitor at the school, in the Battery Park building! - It's not as bad as I make it sound - bear in mind, - the building is only as new as I am student at the school.. but just saying, we got some good shots of the school. I posted the best.
See - how everything is red, black and white?
the theme is well thought through
I love that of all the quotes, my mum felt
the urge to take a picture of this one.
Without her knowing it, this too was my favorite!
In one of my class rooms. I love the open space, and the light.
This is my view from almost all of the classrooms. My favorite part of day is the last class from 4-7 pm, where we watch the sun set over the sea every night. And every night it's different - some days are so phenomenal that our teacher interrupts the class, because she wants us all to take in the view.
What you see in the picture below is only part of it. I can see the Brooklyn bridge and faerie boats sailing from one island to the other. Helicopters always fly around over the sea, which is the ever so expensive tours for the ignorant tourists. On a clear day Brooklyn stands bright and detailed in the far coast.
This and my roof top are the best spots on Manhattan. And I am lucky to see them every day.
My view
Guess who - The Statue of Liberty herself!
Then I showed my mum my dance rooms. And I danced a little for her. Although it was difficult in a thick jacket and boots!
These pictures below are from my ballet room.
At the ballet bar
On the floor
After seeing the school, we took a walk down to the harbor, getting as close to The Statue of Liberty as possible. The skyline from this pedestrian's path by the sea is amazing. The park at Battery oark is coming on lovely, but there is so much construction at the moment in the area.
I know this was my grandparents favorite spot when they were here several times for conferences. Well - when you come to visit, I will show YOU the park as it looks like renewed:)
Aaand a trip to Starbucks...! Ok, I'm lying, not one trip... - we had a Starbucks every single day!
We never took the subway going back uptown. We walked all the way from my school, through the 9/11 memorial place, and up Broadway to find me a pair of Sorel boots to survive the Manhattan winter (yes! I've wanted them for 5 years!), through Chinatown - and quickly out again (actually we got a fresh ginger for 40 pence! and we got Jake Wittenberg's birthday present for Sunday - a very cool John Lennon t'shirt, that I knew he'd love :), and then through little Italy (we loved this part much better and felt a lot more at home).
I am not going to spend time describing each part of the city again, because I have already dedicated dozens of pages for all the towns some 'blog-months' ago. If you are interested in reading about Chinatown, Little Italy and Greenwhich village, you can scroll back :)
Look who we bumped into on our way!
Honestly, I was amazed at how much we'd walked, and how much of the city we got to see in one day. But then again, we just walked, we didn't stop in every second shop - I think that helped ;).
However, it was way past noon and we were starving - but I had this passion of going to a hummus place in Greenwich village for lunch, so as determined as I was.. I dragged my mum all through the city.
But, oh boy, did we see some sights. We were happy that we did it this way, but in the end our feet almost couldn't take us any further (this time I was wearing some good shoes ;)
- My orientation around the city is still not fab, so it was kind of lucky that I we went down all the right roads, that lead us through all the different town-parts I had a desire of showing my mum.
Awesome art on the street
Awesome mum on the street!
Pianist in Washington square park,
the one the Phil had spoken so much of!
The bird lady.
(Moster: Tell Mattias, I found her!)
At 'Hummus place'!
It was sooo good.... :O
Before returning to 13th street, we looked at the temple on 14th street, and I got to show my mum where I teach the kids drama every Tuesday (now also this day, because of the time consuming Christmas play) and Friday.
My drama room
When we got back home that day, we started to rearrange my room and make it more 'homey'. The first thing we did was to turn my bed around. It took some time, because it only just fit - but the result was amazing!
Now, when I lie in bed, I see the stars and the empire state building, not the door and my empty room. I love it.
Here am I, setting up my Christmas nativity (one that I got years ago from my grandparents from my mum's side):
A perfect detail to the new room
Choosing the Christmas music!
*
Saturday:
We went to Central Park and up 5th avenue to see the expensive, but astonishing window decorations!, Radio city music hall with music streaming out the doors from the annual Rockettes' Christmas show, Rockefeller center with the classic ice rink and the enormous Home Alone Christmas tree.
Unfortunately.. my camera had run out of battery long before we got to Central Park! :/ So no pictures, until this one:
- my mum wanted to have her last picture in my room.
We were going to Long Island that night again, to spend the night and then the whole Sunday, before leaving to the airport Sunday night.
We had a good long night in my room making woven hearts, hearing more Christmas music, and drinking my new Christmas tea that I got from my grandparents (with almonds, berries and that ingredient of Christmas;).
Sunday:
One of the things I had looked forward to with greatest anticipation for my mum's visit, was to introduce her to my church family and show her where my shelter and comfort is every Sunday morning (or as many mornings as I can make it to, on Long Island).
Here is Phil in his office. My mum wanted to take this picture, to show my grandparents. So here you go mormor og morfar. :)
A month ago, Susan had sent one of her favorite Christmas songs to me, and asked if I wanted to choreograph a dance to it and perform it to church the weekend my mum was here.
I was really nervous, because I had never performed with dance in front of an audience before.. but I never hesitated to take the step and said immediately yes. It would be such a joy to perform it for my mum.
After working hours on trying to come up with a choreography one night, I had really gotten hold of and amazing story through movement, and I got more and more excited about sharing this.
For a month I went through it every single night, before going to sleep, and I also became more comfortable in dance in general.
I felt the improvement in my dance classes, so because of that, I felt that performing my dance was an important way of ending my day. It was a way of finding myself and my center.
- Now a month later, the day was finally here, and I couldn't wait to share it.
I couldn't wait to dance it for my grandma and God. The very special light in the Hempstead temple is there bright every Sunday.
I found comfort in the fact that, this was what would lead me through the dance.
Below are a few pictures of me stretching and preparing myself for the dance. Gorgeous dance room, isn't it? This is the dance room for the kids at the Wittenbergs' corps.
- I know I said 'a few pictures'.. but I couldn't resist saving almost all of them. I think they are gorgeous. The light is amazing, my mum took these pictures of me.
The Sunday morning meeting was so beautiful. We were blessed by a fully packed ceremony with lots of amazing things.
I love this picture - a child drawn to the nativity.
This boy had never been to church before,
and he was so curious! Beautiful.
The awesome decoration for Christmas!
Wait for pictures further into the blog of how
this tree was transformed.
The small children presented different Christmas symbols. Star, tree, bells, candy cane..etc. and they each presented how the different things we see all around for Christmas in fact
bear ancient symbols about the true meaning of Christmas.
The church choir sang a beautiful song
The smallest children of the church family then came in one by one with massive poinsettias (julestjerner) to put by the altar. It was beautiful.
The Christmas nativity
Susan sharing scriptures of how Mary was visited by the angel,
just before my dance.
Major Phil and Sue on the first row
Pictures from my dance, and below that is a link to the taping of it.
It is not the same watching it here, and it also filmed me from the side.. but I am still happy to share it with you.
'Be born in me' - 1st Sunday of advent.
The girls' dance!
Transformed!
By the second the lights were switched on, Christmas had finally begun.
Major Philip Wittenberg asks the kids about how
they celebrate Christmas in their house.
Mum in my church!
The church family
Cousins of the family, Ashley and Emily
Sweet girls.
I love this picture! It'll will be my favorite picture for this Christmas.
After the meeting, we had a family dinner.
As I wrote shortly earlier, this Sunday it was Jake's birthday. Unfortunately, he was sick :/ He didn't make it to church, but after the meeting, Phil got him and brought him to Red Robbin, his favorite restaurant, where we waited for him.
Red Robbin is a burger restaurant. You can get almost any kind of burger, with almost anything on it and on it.
I had a delicious burger with guacamole and salad. Jake ordered a bacon burger. When it got there, there was no bacon in his bacon burger!.. being a former waitress myself, I thought that was a pretty funny mistake. Ironic. Anyways.. the waitress had a chance to make it up to him, when they sang Happy Birthday to him, while presenting his free dessert!
- actually it wasn't so much singing.. but more like a speaky presentation of "Happy birthday, happy happy birthday, do we have a birthday, yes we have a birthday" while clapping loudly and repeating the text over and over again out of tune, and without much anticipation.
It was hilarious.... but we had a blast and I am sure Jake had a special birthday, despite his sickness. :/
See the shirt? - awesome?
My meal! yay it was so yummy.
Can you believe it, this was the first time I used ketchup, since coming to the States.
Yeah I'm not a predictable NY tourist ;)
After the meal, we got home to cozyness and quality time with family. I made Danish risengroed (rice porridge) with my mum, for all the Wittenberg's to taste for the first time. :)
We sat with woven hearts and I did my cross stitch.
I am working on a Christmas cloth that I had started on 2 or 3 years ago - that time during high school, where there was really no spare time to sit with it in December. The project was something I was working on for my grandma. Funny, you'd think the opposite was obvious.. but now that she's passed away, I have a reason to finish it.
It was such a blessing to share my mum with my family here and let her see how I am going about in my new life on the other side of the world.
Jeg elsker dig Mor, tak for besoeget <3
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