I take back everything negative I’ve ever said about New York.
It really ain’t so bad.
Exotic and strange, there is a lot of sass and attitude here that you just don’t get anywhere else. A lot of dirt and grime, but also a lot of character, and style. Surprisingly laid back, and hip too.
I still believe that the women from Toronto are better looking, but how does that really matter eh?
Met my friend G_____ in town. He picked me up at the station after a nice little rendezvous in Syracuse/Ithaca with Howling Mime.
We immediately headed to the lower east side to someone’s penthouse and my NYC adventure started. The guy there took us on his roof and we chatted over the fire escape as I gazed skyward at the city and its buildings in between puffs on the magical L train.
Coming in that night via Greyhound, you could see the city lurking far away. The buildings in the skyline all lit up, sort of how I could see San Francisco from far away on the ride in from Oakland.
It made me think of how Lebron James, kobe Bryant, and Michael Jordan felt whenever they came to town to dismantle the Knicks. No surprise those performances came.
New York is a city with epic proportions, come hard or don’t come at all. You gotta show up when the lights come on. There is a certain force here that eggs you on, spurs you to do the unthinkable, the unimaginable, and to do it when the spotlight shines brightest.
i could see the beautiful monster that is NYC on that bus, and I looked at it, smiled, and nodded and embraced it.
I like getting lost here, no one gives two shits about who you are or what you do. makes great for people watching. i can just blend in here.
There is lots of electricity here, you can feel it from the ground up, even when you sleep. this city is a big machine, with cogs, wheels, and wires behaving as veins, pulsing that electricity towards the people and causing the madness that ensues.
Brooklyn I like. The vibe here is much more laid back than in Manhattan reminds me of Oakland in lots of ways, and i felt strangely at home here. It was just like out of Do the Right thing or other New York shows/movies I’ve seen, people on the stoop, kids playing on the sidewalk, three old men hanging by the liquor store.
It was a bit easier to sleep here than Manhattan, although it was fun sticking my head out of the window of the hotel and blowing smoke out onto the street. Made me think about the crazy times Kerouac, Ginsberg, and Cassedy had when they hung out together and met up in various cities across the country.
Went to good show called Fontana’s which was fun. There was a band from Sasketchawan, Violent Kin, playing and they celebrated Canada day by giving out flags and other trinkets. I even played cow bell on one song. We swapped cds for books at the end of the night, so that felt good. they were a fun band.
Three more days here then off to camp in Jersey then home again.
I’ll never book myself so long out again. A long time to be gone, I’m tired and want to get my life back in working order. though this trip has been really important for a number of reasons.
Seeing the country and doing away with old prejudices, and picking up new ones in return. Things are going to be a bit more interesting. Got a lot of work to do when I get back. And an interesting chain of events I’m sure will unfold when I get back. But for now, all that is on my mind is getting myself a goat roti.
BM
Tags: Brooklyn, Manhattan, New York City, Violent Kin
Nuclear Polio Vaccination 