One super action packed whirlwind trip of NY....Its so wierd how sometimes you feel like a different person a week later. Its hard to look back to the whole week objectively...so much has happened since I left.
New York...is it a melting pot or a collage of cultures and events and people and buildings? Hard to say. Its almost like the city has a life and character of its own and can be spoke about in the third person. So many snapshots and memories to carry with me. The vision of Manhattan rising before me from the Staten Island ferry, the view of the entire city skyline from the Jersey City shoreline, a mesh of a zillion lights and buzzing acivity.
The whole art district in SoHo, random artists on the streets making jewellery, old historic buildings intercepted with abrupt new state of the art interiors, the Prada store, the Gucci store, art galleries.....
Tibetan food, Ethiopian food, Vindaloo, Chaat, Kulfi, Mango Mania, a virtual feast for the palate....so many sights and sounds...SOUNDS!
The subways were filled with musicians who were so talented, a ride to the next station had a few moments of a grand concert intercepted in it.One evening in some subway tunnel many new yorker marched with great purpose to catch some train, all to the beat of a father and son playing African drums. Another day one blind black guy sat in a corner crooning old Louis Armstrong numbers, his voice dripped like honey. Another day an actual budding rock band played at Grand Central Terminal. But the most surreal experience was to come much later.
One evening while walking through Central Park, buzzing with acitivities of all sorts, I walked through a tunnel under a bridge, where a scottish guy was playing the bagpipes under it. The sound bellowed through the tunnel and created the most awesome 3d stereo effect...the music engulfed you till you leave the tunnel where it lingered in your head and blended with all the noises of birds and people around.....like background music ordained by nature. It was indescribably beautiful.How do you capture moments like that? U cant photograph them or even videotape them, you have to experience them.
I guess some experiences can only be captured by the mind.
The whole thing got me thinking about cities. All absorbing cities. At what point do we make that connection with a city and when are we able to feel at home in it? when does it stop intimidating us and when do we feel a part of it? I spent the same amount of time in NY and LA...yet I could connect to NY almost instantly...the density, the multplicity of activity, the constant mix of people from completely different economic strata...the phoenix like quality of constant ressurection and reinvention....places like hells kitchen and the meatpacking district...which used to be the poorest disctricts and are now the most upscale..like bandra and andheri.. .everything about NY reminds me of Mumbai and I have never felt so homesick in my life......Just then I hear about the floods and read stuff like this http://us.rediff.com/news/2005/jul/26rain4.htm
and feel just about ready to break down.
Now I gotta figure out how to finish this blog even though theres so much left to write about. I am just gonna jot down some of the funny things I've overheard in the trains...so I dont forget them later.
Woman: You know, they tell those suicide bombers they'll get 99 virgins when you get to heaven. 99 virgins! But if you blow yourself up in Brooklyn, you only get 50. Half off for Brooklyn.
-woman in E train to WTC
"(singing) Oh Lordddd I don't wanna be gayyyy....its a sin....find me a woman...she'll make me soup everyday...."
-guy singing to himself in an elevator in SoHo
" Son of a bitch...why is it so hard to find tru love? Don't look at me like that! If you want quiet, go to the library! You think I want your money? I don't need your money! See these dollar bills on my pants? I need money, I just peel one off!"
-random crazy guy on the A train from 23rd st., 1:00 am
New York...is it a melting pot or a collage of cultures and events and people and buildings? Hard to say. Its almost like the city has a life and character of its own and can be spoke about in the third person. So many snapshots and memories to carry with me. The vision of Manhattan rising before me from the Staten Island ferry, the view of the entire city skyline from the Jersey City shoreline, a mesh of a zillion lights and buzzing acivity.
The whole art district in SoHo, random artists on the streets making jewellery, old historic buildings intercepted with abrupt new state of the art interiors, the Prada store, the Gucci store, art galleries.....
Tibetan food, Ethiopian food, Vindaloo, Chaat, Kulfi, Mango Mania, a virtual feast for the palate....so many sights and sounds...SOUNDS!
The subways were filled with musicians who were so talented, a ride to the next station had a few moments of a grand concert intercepted in it.One evening in some subway tunnel many new yorker marched with great purpose to catch some train, all to the beat of a father and son playing African drums. Another day one blind black guy sat in a corner crooning old Louis Armstrong numbers, his voice dripped like honey. Another day an actual budding rock band played at Grand Central Terminal. But the most surreal experience was to come much later.
One evening while walking through Central Park, buzzing with acitivities of all sorts, I walked through a tunnel under a bridge, where a scottish guy was playing the bagpipes under it. The sound bellowed through the tunnel and created the most awesome 3d stereo effect...the music engulfed you till you leave the tunnel where it lingered in your head and blended with all the noises of birds and people around.....like background music ordained by nature. It was indescribably beautiful.How do you capture moments like that? U cant photograph them or even videotape them, you have to experience them.
I guess some experiences can only be captured by the mind.
The whole thing got me thinking about cities. All absorbing cities. At what point do we make that connection with a city and when are we able to feel at home in it? when does it stop intimidating us and when do we feel a part of it? I spent the same amount of time in NY and LA...yet I could connect to NY almost instantly...the density, the multplicity of activity, the constant mix of people from completely different economic strata...the phoenix like quality of constant ressurection and reinvention....places like hells kitchen and the meatpacking district...which used to be the poorest disctricts and are now the most upscale..like bandra and andheri.. .everything about NY reminds me of Mumbai and I have never felt so homesick in my life......Just then I hear about the floods and read stuff like this http://us.rediff.com/news/2005/jul/26rain4.htm
and feel just about ready to break down.
Now I gotta figure out how to finish this blog even though theres so much left to write about. I am just gonna jot down some of the funny things I've overheard in the trains...so I dont forget them later.
Woman: You know, they tell those suicide bombers they'll get 99 virgins when you get to heaven. 99 virgins! But if you blow yourself up in Brooklyn, you only get 50. Half off for Brooklyn.
-woman in E train to WTC
"(singing) Oh Lordddd I don't wanna be gayyyy....its a sin....find me a woman...she'll make me soup everyday...."
-guy singing to himself in an elevator in SoHo
" Son of a bitch...why is it so hard to find tru love? Don't look at me like that! If you want quiet, go to the library! You think I want your money? I don't need your money! See these dollar bills on my pants? I need money, I just peel one off!"
-random crazy guy on the A train from 23rd st., 1:00 am
