We have arrived

So it begins, Project Dumbo 2011.

My name is Hillary Irvine and I am a returning veteran of the trip. After only a few days, I can already say that, thus far, the trip has been a completely new and organic experience. Coming back to Dumbo was sort of like a homecoming, which speaks to how well associated and integrated we become with the neighborhood during our time. We rolled into town, unpacked the vehicles and hit the town. Marc made reservations for us at Superfine, a mainstay, and undoubtedly one of the best restaurants in Dumbo. We saw a few familiar faces, such as Tanya and Carolee, the owners/masterminds of Superfine--a place where the vibe is always good and the food is second to none.

Saturday was Christmas, and by this I mean Marc lets us loose in the art supply store and we are figurative kids in a candy shop. This was the result, an eight plus foot receipt.
We returned to Dumbo, overwhelmed with glee.

On our days off, we are free to make the city our playground, and we are never at a loss for things to do. On Saturday, we decided to amble about Chinatown. I'm always taken back by the overstimulation I experience in this particular part of the city. The hustle and bustle of the street vendors, crowds of people on the streets rushing by, the smells of the fish markets, the melting pot of cultures and languages--it never ceases to amaze.

As a returner of the trip, I can say that during the span of the month, we become very well oriented with the city. I had the opportunity to pursue summer jobs while here last year and came out of Project Dumbo with a paid summer internship, but I would not have been prepared to do so without having the knowledge and the experience that this trip provides. Having lived in the city for nearly five months this past year, I was turned on to a few fantastic city staples, like Joe's Shanghai, home of the soup dumpling. Six of us wandered through the streets of Chinatown to Pell Street, where we waited in the line at Joe's. While we were there, we also had a chance to grab a bubble tea, which some folks never had before. It was a day of firsts for most, but definitely not the last time for all.

We were all quite sated by the soup dumplings and took Duke Ellington's advice to "Take the A Train" back to Dumbo. I gave my cohorts a continuation on an informal tour of Dumbo, paying close attention to the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory, where we grabbed some waffle cones and hit the park. It's sublime to eat ice cream and watch the Manhattan skyline glow across the scintillating river.