On Wednesday of last week, I journeyed across the city by aid of the Blue Line subway. The fruits of my journey was to be a day with Richard Cray and Greg Panos, two old friends from Phantom, the best production ever to be produced on Maui, my birthplace.

Richard has been someone I look up to since the 6th grade. In our production of Phantom at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center (the largest theater on Maui), he played the Phantom of the Opera, and I played Young Erik, the phantom as a youth. Out of the need for unification of mannerisms and speech came a connection with Richard, which helped shape much of who I was, and some of what I have become.

Greg, the best friend, was traveling with Richard at the time. He served as a built-in media expert. As a visionary and expert in the field of 3D modeling and performance animation, he had much to offer both as a promotions tool for Richard, and as a technological mentor for myself.

Flashing forward five years: My head rests against the window of the subway car as I read the “Travel” section of The New York Times. The ride takes over an hour, but is still faster than driving. The $1.40 price tag is also an attractive feature, in the face of gasoline prices soaring near 5 dollars per gallon.

As the gradual over-rotation of the train’s 24 wheels lightly propel my water bottle back and forth, rolling on the seat next to me, I think back to the last time the curtain had gone down on Phantom. I remember the surge of relief, simultaneous with a feeling of let-down and sadness. At the time, I wasn’t convinced the lead and I would ever be crossing paths again. I was excited to be able to talk about what had happened between the last time I had seen them, and now.

We picked off right where we left off. Talking about what had happened to each of us, what we were doing now, all seemed easy and natural. Greg soon joined us and we continued on to our next activity.

The next activity, my stomach was happy to hear, was a meal at a Bouchee’s Bistro, a hip restaurant specializing in hamburgers and tapa-style entrees. A hamburger ordered here is not slathered in a typical array of condiments, however. The available toppings for these hunks of protein are exotic and well-seasoned.

The system works like this: First, pick your meat. Second, your sauce. Third, your cheese. Sit back and relax and enjoy as they prepare homemade bread framing an organic meat, with a freshly made sauce adding excitement.

After the great-tasting meal, not a face among us lacked a look of satisfaction. We were well fed, and ready to move on.

Next item on the list: Segways. That’s right, Segways…our own…for two hours.

For those who may not have heard the term before, or really truly have no idea what a Segway is: A Segway is an electric, gyroscopically self-balancing electric vehicle - or “people mover” as my sister calls them. Two wheels, minimal in diameter, support the standing platform of the device. Two feet are placed on the platform, and the hands grip the vertically-extending handlebar.

Our to-be-magical Segway experience was supplied by Segway of Long Beach. Rental of Segways are possible for $45 per hour, or $100 for the entire day. For those who seek optimum Segway-riding conditions, renting one for a day - or even an hour - is well worth it at the pike at Long Beach.

Movement on the Segway is prompted by providing it with signals, as you would a horse. Leaning forward slightly indicates you would like to move forward, and leaning backwards creates the reverse. To move side to side (including a 360 degree standing rotation) the handlebars are pushed slightly to the right or left, depending on the intended direction. Segway says these movements are intended to be intuitive.

Each of us had initial spills or accidents. I confused my Segway as my body attempted to stabilize itself, while creating random movements and weight shifts, and ultimately stepping off out of necessity. Richard ran over uneven ground - causing the gyroscope inside his Segway to commit counter-effective corrective actions. Greg smacked his head on an overhead pavilion. This being said, we picked up the technique very quickly.

Within a few minutes of riding,  it became apparent how optimal of a location Segway of Long Beach has in relation to good riding spots. Just across the street, a spiraling cement walkway becomes a popular boardwalk by the beach. The wide cement in this area allows traffic to flow freely and efficiently. These wide walkways cannot be found in similar Los Angeles beach areas such as Venice Beach and Manhattan Beach.

After an hour and a half, we stopped for a refreshments at a grocery store. After a somewhat confused process of parking our Segways, Richard remarked on an unexpected result of Segway riding. “I feel like I’ve been walking all that way” he says, looking slightly weary. The ride had been extremely fun, and the body did feel as though it was getting a workout. This was not what I had expected.

My theory: The constant re balancing of the Segway causes the muscles to tense and release at a very frequent rate while riding. This exercises them, and almost fatigues them. Greg contributed that he felt alot less jarring in his legs when he bent his knees, this did seem to help slightly.

Feeling as though I had just stepped off a magic carpet, I couldn’t help feeling a mix of giddiness mixed in with my exhaustion. I had enjoyed that. Silently, I committed to purchasing one of those whizzing pieces of advanced technology. The price tag of the standard-level Segway is currently resting at about $5,000. Hopefully, by the time I have a static location again, the price will be cut in half. We all can dream!