Also, I really like how the mosaic at Prince Street is of a City Street Scene. When the train is moving at the just the right speed, viewing the scene through the flickerflick of the tunnel beams is like watching an old movie where you can see the the frames.
And it looks like the people move!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Neighbors
Living in a city in which there are so many different ethnicities -particularly living in a neighborhood which has a major concentration of a couple of similar seeming ethnicities- is a real challenge to one's appreciation and understanding of different cultures.
Case and point:
I am working very hard right now, at nearly 2:30 in the morning, to be really specific when I say, "I hate these people" to mean my neighbors in the green house to the left of our apartment building and my other neighbors in the white house to the back of our apartment building and not the ethnic makeup of my neighborhood as a whole.
And when I say, "I hate this music" I mean it specifically in reference to the music that blares loudly, from hours on end and well into the morning (see above and time stamp of this post) which makes it impossible for me to find quiet in any of the rooms of our apartment. And by "quiet" I mean, possible for me to hear my television that I've turned nearly all of the way up or, say, my thoughts.
It would be easy for me, given my ethnic outsider status (as American Black), to make false generalizations about all of the members of my neighborhood based on my limited experience with these specific neighbors because of what appears to be their shared ethnicity (Caribbean).
This is something that I am conscious of and work on diligently. The country, city and neighborhood that I live in requires this kind of work. This is not a bad thing. I honestly think that a little bit more personal frankness about these sorts of thoughts and experiences (and a commitment to work on them) will make a better country, city and neighborhood.
Given all of this, I do think it's fair to say that my neighbors do not help me to like reggae. Or reggaeton.
Case and point:
I am working very hard right now, at nearly 2:30 in the morning, to be really specific when I say, "I hate these people" to mean my neighbors in the green house to the left of our apartment building and my other neighbors in the white house to the back of our apartment building and not the ethnic makeup of my neighborhood as a whole.
And when I say, "I hate this music" I mean it specifically in reference to the music that blares loudly, from hours on end and well into the morning (see above and time stamp of this post) which makes it impossible for me to find quiet in any of the rooms of our apartment. And by "quiet" I mean, possible for me to hear my television that I've turned nearly all of the way up or, say, my thoughts.
It would be easy for me, given my ethnic outsider status (as American Black), to make false generalizations about all of the members of my neighborhood based on my limited experience with these specific neighbors because of what appears to be their shared ethnicity (Caribbean).
This is something that I am conscious of and work on diligently. The country, city and neighborhood that I live in requires this kind of work. This is not a bad thing. I honestly think that a little bit more personal frankness about these sorts of thoughts and experiences (and a commitment to work on them) will make a better country, city and neighborhood.
Given all of this, I do think it's fair to say that my neighbors do not help me to like reggae. Or reggaeton.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Arthur and Gustav.
If you want a quick little smile on your face, or something to add a little spring in your step, check out this delightfully charming bit of business about a young pair of brothers and their fondness for the NY Subway System.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
No Stuart Little.
Squirrels in New York City don't have any natural kind of fear.
These are city-squirrels. They're unimpressed by people and unhurried by the hustle, cucumber-cool when caught up with the cars and unabashedly bold.
There's a squirrel who spends the better part of the day scampering up and down our fire-escape. It's huge. It comes right up to the window and peeks in. When I make sun-tea on the fire escape I have to make sure that the tea's in an airtight container or the squirrel will tip it over. I've seen him eying me from the floor above ours with a look of pure annoyance.
I don't know what his problem is. He doesn't even pay rent.
These are city-squirrels. They're unimpressed by people and unhurried by the hustle, cucumber-cool when caught up with the cars and unabashedly bold.
There's a squirrel who spends the better part of the day scampering up and down our fire-escape. It's huge. It comes right up to the window and peeks in. When I make sun-tea on the fire escape I have to make sure that the tea's in an airtight container or the squirrel will tip it over. I've seen him eying me from the floor above ours with a look of pure annoyance.
I don't know what his problem is. He doesn't even pay rent.
Team New York
I'm not sure if you know this, but I am a HUGE fan of the Olympics.
The only thing on television bigger than the Olympics this year has been the primaries. And now that the Olympics are winding down I am pleased as punch to be able to look forward to what I consider to be the biggest night in television: The Presidential Election coverage.
[Michelle Obama: Honorary New Yorker.][She can bring Barack and the kids too.]
Anyhoods... the Olympics have been great viewing fun for me. They've brought to my attention so many people who ought to live in NYC because they're just too awesome for the places that they live now.
Today, I've decided to offer Honorary New Yorkership to The Entire Chinese Diving Team. They roll so freaking deep that it's getting a bit sad to watch the other countries try and compete. Because they can't. We've got ONE Michael Phelps swimming impressive laps. They've got an entire TEAM of Michael Phelps' diving for glory.
So live it up ya'll! You're New Yorkers now!
Also on the list:
But I'm going to stop because this post is about my 2nd favorite story of The Games: Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh. They have successfully (and, for beach volleyball, historically) defended last Games' gold medal. In the rain no less. And showed the world (unequivocally) who rules the fucking beach.
The final, at 42 minutes, was their longest match of the Olympics. They'd won a total of 108 straight matches. The last match that they'd lost was in July of 2007.
They're smart. They're strong. They're badass.
They're New York.
The only thing on television bigger than the Olympics this year has been the primaries. And now that the Olympics are winding down I am pleased as punch to be able to look forward to what I consider to be the biggest night in television: The Presidential Election coverage.
[Michelle Obama: Honorary New Yorker.][She can bring Barack and the kids too.]
Anyhoods... the Olympics have been great viewing fun for me. They've brought to my attention so many people who ought to live in NYC because they're just too awesome for the places that they live now.
Today, I've decided to offer Honorary New Yorkership to The Entire Chinese Diving Team. They roll so freaking deep that it's getting a bit sad to watch the other countries try and compete. Because they can't. We've got ONE Michael Phelps swimming impressive laps. They've got an entire TEAM of Michael Phelps' diving for glory.
So live it up ya'll! You're New Yorkers now!
Also on the list:
- The Japanese Softball Team for their handy upset of the American favorites.
- Rafael Nadal: He's had an incredible year; outplaying Feder in Wimbledon and then out-playing the world to win the gold medal at the Olympics.
- Usain Bolt deserves to be on the list because, say what you will about his youth exuberance during the 100 finals; in the 200 finals he really showed us all what he could do if he put his head down and ran the race to the finish. And he showed us in double-gold double-world record fashion.
But I'm going to stop because this post is about my 2nd favorite story of The Games: Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh. They have successfully (and, for beach volleyball, historically) defended last Games' gold medal. In the rain no less. And showed the world (unequivocally) who rules the fucking beach.
The final, at 42 minutes, was their longest match of the Olympics. They'd won a total of 108 straight matches. The last match that they'd lost was in July of 2007.
They're smart. They're strong. They're badass.
They're New York.
And the best freaking beach volleyball team in history.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Weird but true.
Sometimes when I close my eyes these new trains running on the Q line make me feel as if I am about a small boat floating gently among the waves.
It is a strange but welcome sensation especially as we cross the Manhattan Bridge.
It is a strange but welcome sensation especially as we cross the Manhattan Bridge.
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