Mp3 Experiment 4

Yesterday I discovered, rather last minute, the Mp3 Experiment 4 and so I decided to go. I've always wanted to go to something "mysterious" like this. Created by Improv Everwhere, this is an annual event (different each year) in which you download an mp3 from their website and go to a specified location with specified things at a specified time and once you get there, you (and everyone else there for the same purpose) listen to the mp3 and follow the instructions.

Here were the directions for this mp3 experiment:
Date: Saturday, August 18
Location: The World Financial Center Plaza by the North Cove Yacht Harbor
Time: The event will begin at exactly 4:00 PM. Arrive early and remember to budget time for weekend subway service delays. The event will be over at 4:36.
Wear: A Red, Blue, Yellow, or Green t-shirt.
Bring: A watch with a second hand; a digital camera or camera phone (if you own one.)
Instructions:
1. Download the Mp3: Click Here to Download (you can listen to it if you want to see what you missed for those of you who didn't go).
2. Load the track onto your mp3 player (iPod, etc) or burn to a CD for use with a “Discman.”
3. Do not listen to the track.
4. On Saturday, wear a t-shirt that is one of the following colors: Red, Blue, Yellow, or Green. (I wore blue)
5. Pack a digital camera or camera phone, if you have one. Keep it stowed away until directed to use.
6. Bring a watch with a second hand (or use your cell phone if it displays seconds.) Before you leave, sync it up to this atomic clock. (I had no clock with seconds or even a watch I could sink up to the atomic clock, which became problematic).

7. Anytime before 4:00 PM, arrive at World Financial Center Plaza and find a seat. Sit anywhere one would normally sit - park bench, concrete seating area, steps, etc. Spread out and don’t sit too close to others who look like they might be a part of it.
8. At exactly 4:00 PM, press play.

Some of the highlights of the various things we were instructed to do were play twister on the tiles of the plaza, find and skip around the "German tourist," parade to a park giving strangers thumbs up and high fives (the people there who didn't know about the mp3 experiment were SO confused...), play human darts (form a dart board shape with our various colors and then yellow were the darts who had to push their way to the center) and played freeze tag.

It was silly and the basic point was to make a fool out of yourself and be ok with it since there were so many other people doing it too, but it's always nice to have an excuse to be a little silly and I had lots of fun and I'm so glad I went. It was such a beautiful day too, I was so happy to be outside. It was 70 and sunny, and there was a nice breeze since we were by the water. I spent the rest of the day walking around because I just couldn't stand being inside. And now some photos:

The parade of colors as we went from the harbor to the park area

We were instructed to photograph a person in blue standing next to person in red.

We were instructed to photograph as many people as possible with nobody in yellow in the picture. I almost did it but people were moving as I took the picture, so there's a sliver of a guy in yellow in the background.

There's no one in yellow in this picture, but there's not that many people in this picture either.

People chilling out afterwards.

Maybe I will post more pictures later, once they put some up of the various activities (I couldn't take pictures while engaging in most of the activities). I went and looked at the stuff they did in previous years, and I have to say the past years actually looked even more fun (they had more crazy characters and stuff), but it was still plenty of fun, and I will definitely go next year if I can.

Oh, and while I was on my way there I saw that fire on Liberty Street and tons of firetrucks racing for it. Craziness. Tata dahlings.

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