The Art Trip

Every term, all art classes go to different museums in NYC as part of their curriculum. I've wanted to go every year, but my Thursdays are pretty booked, until this year!

They put me on the MET museum trip with a bunch of freshmen, and I would have enjoyed myself more thoroughly in past years than this term because it's totally crunch time for me: I'm currently working on getting sub plans for the 3 winter months while I'm doing my regular work. It's nuts.

Anyway, I worked on the bus ride there and back, and I enjoyed the impressionist art like a true French teacher. It really annoyed me that so many tourists took pictures of every single painting as they strolled by. Walk, click, walk, click. No stopping and appreciating, no reading, no contemplation. As if they will ever look at those 4,000 pictures again.

I had to run a small personal errand during lunch (exchanging some baby clothes for a different size) and unfortunately it was a rainy, windy, miserable day. I was paying close attention to the store front numbers and walking much slower than a New Yorker would, so I let some people behind me pass by. I thought: "Wow, that guy really looked like Woody Allen." I was just behind this couple, huddled together under one umbrella. I tried to get a good look at the side of his face, but it was tough. The big glasses, the outdated corduroy pants, the floppy bucket hat and the droopy face kept me curious. I decided to pay attention to pedestrians' faces as they walked towards us: if they freaked out, it must be him; if they played it cool, then I was wrong. Nothing happened. I thought: "Nah, it can't be! He's too old and too ugly to be Woody Allen! Plus, who's this Asian girl with him?" Eventually, they turned and crossed the street.

When I came home, I told Matt these same details and when I got to the Asian girl, he freaked out. Of courses that was Woody Allen!! And you didn't say "Hey Woody?!" Nope, I didn't. I played it cool like a regular New Yorker.