A Little Boat Ride in Central Park

Just a few weeks ago, when the weather was a bit warmer, my friends and I decided to go to Central Park and go row boating! We had been talking about boating in central park since last year. Finally, we had all gathered and took the Ram Van to Lincoln Center. It was a beautiful day for a walk in the park. We passed people playing ball and tossing frisbees. We enjoyed some musical acts along the way and the typical Central Park scene. When we got to the Boathouse on 72nd street we anxiously lined up for our long-awaited boat ride. Each row boat is only $12 for an entire hour. We split into groups of three and went in two boats. I have to say, as a first time rower, it was quite the experience. After a few minutes of rowing in the wrong directionand hitting other boats (oops!), I finally started to get the hang of it. We had little races withour friends around the lake. It was a really fun experience, that was inexpensive and easily accessible. I would recommend it to everybody!

Study Break: Indian Fusion Dinner

I was raised by an Italian mother who stayed true to her roots and cooked a pasta dish or something (chicken, eggplant, etc.) parmigiana practically every night for dinner when I was growing up. But despite being raised on meat sauce (or gravy), pasta, and cheese, I’ve always been adventurous when it comes to trying new food. However, up until yesterday I’d never tried Indian cuisine. Basera Indian Bistro was the perfect first step into my new found obsession. Located on 9th Avenue between 51st and 52nd, Basera offers a comfy environment, college student friendly price tag and delicious Indian American fusion food for its patrons. My favorite part of the meal was the garlic naan which was great for dipping in the chettinad chicken I ordered. Its sauce was very spicy, which I love, and the chicken was really tender (for under $15!). I was totally full by the end of the meal. After my friend and I could not stuff our faces any longer, we casually walked the 10 blocks uptown to our Lincoln Center campus and caught the 9 o’clock Ram Van back to Rose Hill. In 30 short minutes I was back to studying for midterms but at least got to savor a little break from it all with some yummy Indian American cuisine.

For Basera's full menu click here.

Manhattan // Wicked Ticket Raffle

There are a variety of ways to get tickets to Broadway and off Broadway shows. On campus, CAB (Campus Activities Board) does a ticket raffle every few weeks. These tickets sell for around $15 depending on the show, which is incredibly discounted. If you're a newbie to buying tickets this could be a great way to start! There's also the tckts counter in Times Square that sells discounted tickets for shows going on that day. It's really hit or miss, especially if you go later in the evening.

I personally, have found my best fortune to be at ticket raffles for specific shows. Last semester, a friend and I entered the Wicked ticket raffle. We went to the theater and put our names in, in the hopes of getting $26 tickets for the show that evening. We stood outside waiting to see if we would be called, and we were! We got our tickets and our pins "I won the Wicked ticket raffle" and were pretty pleased that we were seeing Wicked for twenty six bucks. It wasn't until we looked at our tickets again that we realize the seats were FRONT ROW. Needless to say it was the experience of a lifetime, and one that I encourage everyone to pursue if they can. A large number of other theaters do the same type of raffle, and it's a great way to do something fun and different in the city.

Oh, after the show, we also waited outside the stage door and met some of the cast! Above is the photo of us with Kevin Kern, the actor who played Fiyero.
 
--Posted by Leah Newman, FCRH '12 on Thursday, March 11, 2010