Verbally Yours

When American exchange students stayed on Campus at the University of Queensland, Australia, I was utterly fascinated – especially by the women - the way they would voice every thought that entered their head.

“God, I’m having the worst hair day.”

“I was going to go jogging this morning, but then I decided to work on my assignment for another hour, and now I don't know what I feel like doing.”

My friends and I would hear them talking as they passed outside our window. “It’s like a constant stream of verbal diarrhoea” we’d muse in agreement.

Now that I’m emersed in this highly vocal culture, I am indifferent towards it and even admirable to the extent that I can participate.

Gone is the uptight filter that would sort thoughts that I should keep to my self and those I should air.

“What the hell!” I’ll yell to myself at the smallest of things: perhaps I noticed it was later than I thought or; my coffee tastes weird. And others will respond in turn.

It feels good to lay everything out on the table. “This is me. This is what I’m thinking. What are your thoughts?” is the true beauty of a culture that embraces freedom of speech in its most literal sense.

Of course there are obvious draw backs… and that’s what ipods are for. As for perks? Well, there’s this website – Overheard in New York.

It seems that unlike the American exchange student at uni, I can assimilate to other cultures with ease: In China I happily munched on boiled chicken’s feet and began littering within months of arrival; In New York I watched Avatar 3D and joined the audience in applause on three separate occasions, and; In Australia I will readily go back to walking silently down the street until large enough quantities of alcohol are consumed so that I can let it all out and applaud or glass people as necessary.

Peace.

Once an Adult, Twice a Child

Sometimes Ada will be sitting quietly then start pointing at her apartment, and exclaim "This is all mine! Everything is mine! I own the place!"
(She rents.)

When marveling at her child-like behavior, her Caribbean carer's will chuckle and say "Once an Adult, Twice a Child." And it's true. We are all growing into our second childhoods - especially if we plan on developing dementia.

The circle of life seems so complete when I look at Ada:

• She has soft white downy hair, that covers her face
• She throws tantrums
• She would eat ice-cream for every meal if we let her
• She can only eat soft foods
• She has no teeth
• She is forgetting how to walk
• She needs constant attention
• She wears diapers / wets the bed
• She needs a potty
• She hates taking baths
• Sometimes, she babbles and gurgles for hours in a foreign language - or as we call it 'tongues'
• She is becoming memory-less
• She doesn't care who sees her pick her nose, or flash her privates

Living with her makes me realize what kind of mother I might make. Evidently I'm a good, patient mother who enjoys dressing their kids in ghetto beanies and making them do gang signs with their hands.

Apparently I'm also be a mother who only wants to be there 'some' of the time, and if I'm there too much, all I can think about is my escape.

New York Cityscapes

I wish I had a digital slr camera so so much. But even with out it, the textures of New Yorks buildings are hard to mess up.

Upper East Side

Lower East Side

View form Anya's looking from Union Square to Lower Manhattan

Appartments on 14th st, near Union Square

Upper West Side

Upper West Side - View from Ada's

It makes art direction a redundant job in this city.

On The Streets of NY

A boy gives a girl a flower...

He says: 'Here have a flower'
She says: 'Smelly boy,' but she smiles and takes it anyway.
He says: 'I really like you're new perm.'
She says: 'Thanks. I'd give anything to have your natural curls. Do you use product?'
He says: 'A little bit. What are you doing tonight?'
She says: ' Watching re-runs of The Wire. You should come over. We could order some pizza, Mom gave me her credit card.'
He says: 'Done. I could do with a night in. Works been absolutely horrendous this week.'
She says: 'Tell me about it,' she rolls her eyes. 'I'll see you 8.' She tucks the flower in the front pocket of her denim dress and wonders away.

And that's how it's done in New York. 

Sexy-Exchange

It's hard to explain just how sexy and in-your face these Armarni Exchange billboards were. I'm hoping these pictures will help describe:

These were taken form the 'High-Line' walk in the Meatpackers district.

Snakes on a Train

When this girl sat down next to two unsuspecting passengers on the uptown #1 train one evening, they didn't notice... at first. But 2 seconds later, when the snake caught their eye - their survival instincts kicked in. They practically flew out of the train! Horrified expressions on their faces! Poor things. The others sitting in this shot had some time to get used to it. One of them even let it slither all over them.

Brooklyn Sky

I'm culling my photo library, and thought I'd share some unique experiences over my next few posts.
Last spring I emerged from a subway in Brooklyn at dusk, and saw this sky:

I've never seen anything like it, in all my sky watching days.

Makes me believe in something greater.