A Day to Remember

I wasn't really sure how I wanted to spend today. Part of me really wanted to go to Ground Zero (New Yorkers now prefer to call it "The Sight"). Part of me didn't want to go there. I think I waited too long to ask someone to go with me and I did not want to go alone. But I still wanted to do something to remember all the people who lost their lives in such a terrible event. Living in California I didn't know 1 person who had been in either of the Twin Towers, or the Pentagon, or on any of the planes. Having lived here for just 2 months, I've met a handful of people who had a loved one who either made it out alive or didn't. It's makes me think everytime I go anywhere around here that I may be brushing shoulders with someone who was directly effected by the events of that horrific day. New York City always has a more heightened level of security (you know the red, orange, yellow scale) than anywhere else in the country. So, for the last 2 months, everything has become more real to me. Signs everywhere that say "If you see something, say something" and the number for Homeland Security. So, back to Ground Zero, or The Sight, I didn't go there today, but I was just there last week. I knew of a 9/11 Memorial in Westport, CT (where Martha Stewart lives by the way). I decided that visiting that memorial would be more private and I had never been there.

It was very solemn. The memorial looks out into the Long Island Sound toward Manhattan. I just sat there for almost an hour people-watching, wondering who was like me and just there to see. Who was there because their loved one died? Who was visiting because they had survived? Some people just stared at all the names blankly. Some broke down and wept. Some only shed one tear. But everyone walked to the edge of the Sound and stared toward Manhattan as though they were looking for the Twin Towers.
















The Twin Towers were once visible from where the Memorial now sits, and 9/11/01 visitors to the park could see smoke from the towers. This map gives you a general idea of where the CT memorial is in relation to Manhattan. (Blue circle= memorial, yellow circle=Manhattan)

People today are a little more jumpy when they hear a plane overhead. But they are also a little kinder than usual. After I walked around the park for awhile, I sat in my car and prayed and read the Bible. Here are some verses that stood out to me.
Psalm 10:14 "But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless."
Psalm 5:4-6 "You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell. The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong. You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the Lord abhors."
Lamentations 3:32 "Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love."
John 16:22 Jesus said "So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy."

New Month, New Phase

I graduated from CSB last Thursday. We finished our TV final and it turned out really good. CSB has 4 phases.
Phase 1- Class instruction
Phase 2- Creating demos
Phase 3- Interviews and getting a job
Phase 4- Keeping a job and growing in your career

So, I'm in phase 2 and since I already have a voice demo, I can send it to agencies to get the ball rolling. As a graduate of CSB, we are expected to make top notch demos. It makes sense. If you put a little extra work and time into a demo, yours will stand out above the lesser quality ones. So, I'm going to be putting together at least 2 demos...one for infomercial work and one for hosting. NY has a television station sponsored by the mayor's office. The shows are really informative and a bit cheesy but they are always looking for fresh talent so I'm going to give it a shot. Also, I have an interview set up with A&E on the 27th. A&E is the company that has the History Channel, A&E Network, etc. So, please pray for all these avenues I'm pursuing that something would pan out and God would show me the right path to follow. I'm really wanting to stay here in NY because this is where the opportunities are, and this feels like the place I belong, at least for now anyway. California is great for radio and on screen acting, NY is the place for what I am interested in. Tomorrow I am going to a live taping of Montel Williams. I'm trying to take advantage of every possible opportunity that will allow me to meet people in the broadcasting industry.

Beyond, broadcasting stuff...I had a nice visit with a friend over the holiday weekend. We battled Hurricane Ernesto as it ripped through NY. It poured! I'm learning about sample sales. Fun times! And it's really starting to cool off so all my winter-type clothes are on their way out here. Thankfully, I do have my job with Sylvan and they are willing to give me as many hours every week as I need. So, until I get a steady job in broadcasting or some voice overs, at least I have Sylvan.
That's it for now. Thanks to everyone for reading my blog postings, I love reading all your comments.

Ch Ch Changes

So to catch you up on things...I did meet Andy Phillips at Ridgeway Church a few weeks ago. He has a very touching story about how his wife became pregnant, then was diagnosed with a type of uterine cancer, and lost the baby. His wife spoke at the church also. As of June, she is in remission. The church provided cards for you to fill out your information and a message to Andy, he would read all the cards, and sign them while he's on the team's road trip (which is right now). I put my info on the card and explained that I want to interview him for broadcasting school. Unfortunately, Andy was placed on the disabled list last week so I don't know if that effects his chances of returning to New York but it's all in God's hands.









The week before last, I went to a Yankees game with the other girl from class. I was surprised when we drove to Yankee Stadium how close it is to where I live. It's only about 20 minutes. We had a lot of fun even though the Yankees lost :(









This past Sunday I went into Manhattan to scope out a field near Chelsea Piers for my news story. Manhattan is an amazing place...when I walked out of Grand Central I could hear a lot of noise. It sounded like a protest but it turned out to be an East Indian pride parade. I walked a block over and they were doing a photo shoot for what I think is an ad campaign.









Things are wrapping up quickly at school. I have one week left. This past week we had to do our sports and news finals. The instructors said I did really well on both finals. I also went to Randall's/Ward's Island to interview the NY Women's rugby team. Randall's/Ward's Island is a tiny plot of land in the East River on the north end of Manhattan. This is a picture from the island toward Long Island.









This upcoming week I have a radio show final with a group of 3 guys (which I've done most all the work), and our TV final where the entire class is creating a news program. A guy named Chris and myself have been chosen by our instructors to be the producers. This just means that we are in charge and responsible for everything. Actually, I take it as a pretty big compliment that I was chosen and I hope it means my instructors see potential in me. It feels a lot like The Apprentice lately. Everyone is working on a huge project, Chris and I are the leaders and the other students are either very cooperative and easy to work with or total slackers. Some listen to you because they know you're the leader and others just don't care. I guess in the end it will be like The Apprentice when some of us actually get jobs and the rest are left scratching their head about what went wrong. We took a class picture, so when I get a copy of one, I'll post it on here.

On September 7, we are going on a field trip to a taping of the Montell William's show. And we are planning a field trip to ESPN studios.

Please be praying for God to lead me in the right direction. I have no idea what I'll be doing after September 7! I'm waiting on God to provide a job that will allow me to pay my bills, I'll need to find a place to live, and this all should be figured out by September 7. I feel like there's not enough time between now and then to get things figured out. I need to trust God and realize it's His timing, not mine. I don't know if God wants me to stay here in NY (I'd like to stay here and pursue some of the networks I've made). Maybe He wants me back in Cali or somewhere else entirely, in which case, I'd still need to find a job and affordable living.

The Ugly Side of Broadcasting

The whole point of going to the Connecticut School of Broadcasting (CSB) is to learn by doing. This means that we learn how to use all the equipment in staged situations inside the classroom. However, this also means that since CSB is well known in the community we get calls regarding news tips and the teachers send students out to get raw footage of the event as it occurs. Today, one such event unfolded while we were in class working on our final projects. We received a call that someone had jumped off a bridge less than a mile from the school. The teachers asked for at least 2 people to go and tape some footage of the scene. I did not want to go but I also did not want it to look bad that I was unwilling to go. Would it jeopardize me being recommended for a job because I hesitated to go? I didn't go...I just couldn't handle a scene like that. I mean, my stomach just dropped at the words that someone jumped. I don't know if I was more surprised that hardly anyone volunteered or that 2 people actually did volunteer. So, the 2 volunteers grabbed a camera and headed down the road. When they returned they shared their stories and then we had to watch the footage of the scene. I didn't want to. It was pretty graphic and it was real. It wasn't a movie, it happened less than a mile away. The way the teacher was talking about the camera work, how he should have gotten a different angle on this shot or the lighting was wrong on that shot, like it was all staged. The teacher has been a camera man for a long time and I'm sure as a reporter or camera man you have to have a thick skin to handle situations like that. I just don't think I want to be that thick-skinned. I mean, a man was so hopeless that he felt he had no other choice but to end his life. I can't imagine that. And now his family has to hurt and grieve. I don't know the reasons why the other students didn't volunteer to go. I'm just wondering if my instructors will tell me I'm too sensitive for this business. I think if I ever lose my sensitivity, that's the time to get out. Just give me the stories about the kitten being rescued from a tree.


*Side note: Some of you have asked about the Andy Phillips interview and other things. I will update you on that in my next blog.*

This Week's Updates & Info

A lot has been going on in the past couple weeks. I have been super busy with all my assignments and classwork. So here's a rundown of things I'm filling my time with in case you're interested.

In the last 2 weeks I have learned about radio programming, copywriting, linear editing, digital editing, RCS, and automation. I did a morning show with another student (not real, just practice), wrote and created a commercial, filmed a news report, rewrote copy, and created a news log. Also, our class managed to get a teacher fired. I have been putting in studio time every week too so I can practice what I've learned outside of class. So, I know most of that probably didn't make a lot of sense but at least you see what I've been filling my time with. We have 3 weeks left in the program which means it's crunch time to get our final assignments completed. I have to do a TV commercial on Monday. I have a sports final coming up where I have to rewrite newspaper stories to air on ESPN and prepare to interview athletes from those stories (of course the interview is pretend), News final where I have to do a 90 second segment. I'm currently trying to arrange a meeting Andy Phillips from the Yankees to interview him for my demo package. He'll be at a church on Sunday and I'm trying to work up the nerve to talk to him. My final will be a news story on a local landmark. I have to rewrite a news story to air on the radio. And my group has to produce a radio show for the final project. Yes, it's a lot of work but most of the time it's a lot of fun too. Next Wednesday I'm going to a Yankees game with the other girl in my class. She has season tickets. It should be fun. This weekend I'm planning to visit Central Park. I've heard that there are a lot of movies being filmed right now so perhaps I'll get a cameo :)

God has a Purpose

So last time I posted an entry, I explained the drama that was unfolding in my family in California. My great-grandmother passed away July 19 at 4:45 am. I flew back to California on Friday (the 21st). Her funeral was yesterday (the 24th), and I fly back to California tomorrow morning (the 26th). What a week! Not one of the better times in my life but I keep reminding myself that God has a purpose for everything and His timing is perfect. I don't understand why He allowed my grandmother to live in pain and confusion for almost 4 years, and ended up calling her Home last Wednesday. Inside I feel like pointing out how inconvenient it was for me to miss a week of classes, and fly back to California just as I was feeling settled in NY. That's obvious but I don't feel bitter about that, I just don't understand God's timing. Why did He wait until my Mom was out of the country to cause her to enter a state of unresponsiveness? That was inconvenient and painful for my mom, too. I don't understand His timing. Now it's even harder for me to leave California than it was 2 weeks ago. I have to believe God has a purpose for His exact timing to everything. I don't see it now...will I ever?

I Needed a Break!

So after I wrote my last blog, some things started to go wrong...but they were big things! First, I went to Sylvan to finalize the details of being transfered. I was told on this end of things that there should be no problem getting me teaching hours here. I just needed to meet with the director to talk about salary and availability. When I met with Eddie, the first thing he told me was that the center was just sold the night before to a new owner. (The Sylvan's in NY are franchises) As a result of the center being under new ownership, he was out of a job. He had planned to hire me on the spot and give me what ever hours I wanted but now he didnt want to hire me without being sure the new owners would keep me on staff. I completely understand! But it's still disappointing. He's going to talk me up to the new owners and hopefully they'll call me to come in. But only time will tell. I'm also going to look into working at Kaplan Learning, which is only a block away from where I'm staying and the same idea as Sylvan. That was Thursday.
Friday...my uncle called me frantically trying to get ahold of my mom who is in Mexico. My great-grandmother has slipped into a state of unresponsiveness (kind of like a coma but not as severe). She hadn't eaten or drank anything for 2 or 3 days and she was turning blue. I can't believe she's been in the hospital for 4 years and has been in pain and sometimes very confused. I've prayed for 4 years that Christ would take her home to glory and that she would be able to walk again...with him. And now that I'm on the other side of the country and my mom is out of the country, she's doing really bad and I can't even tell her I love her. I feel so helpless and very alone. I still haven't met anyone in White Plains. All my classmates live in Connecticut or New Jersey. So after 2 days of sitting in my apartment and waiting to hear from my family, everytime my phone rings, I cringe. I went into Manhattan. I walked and walked...for 6 1/2 hours. You know how Forrest Gump ran and ran? Well, I walked and walked. It was a great day in Manhattan...a bit too hot (about 95 degrees) but very clear. The people in Manhattan are very encouraging. One guy told me I was pretty (granted, he wanted me to buy a t-shirt) but it made me feel wonderful. The stories you hear about New Yorkers being rude, I've never really encountered that. I think they are very friendly. Customer service, now that's another story!! As of now, my Grandma Esther is hanging in there. Her color is back to normal but she's still not eating or drinking and basically unresponsive. Since I'm not there, it's hard to understand what's really happening but I guess she's just sleeping. I wonder what she's dreaming about. So here are (finally) some pictures of things I saw today.




<-- Weekly street festival. Madison Ave. was closed off and there were people as far as you could see.






<--The Apple store on 5th Ave. Open 24/7









<--Inside the NYC World of Disney store. You can create any Mr. or Mrs. Potato Head you can think of!








<--Inside the Trump Tower where I had to stop for Starbucks. I didn't see Donald though.











<-- Such a beautiful day. The Empire State Building looked great!








<-- The Flatiron Building






I went to Rice to Rickes and Magnolia Bakery in SoHo. Oh my goodness...the cupcakes at Magnolia are so delicious. No wonder they have been around like forever!
Tomorrow it's back to school. I have my first Studio session which means I get to spend some time in the studio producing things. Spending time in the studio has led to jobs for quite a bit of people.