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~* Trip to New York City day 7, 8, 9 *~
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Back in Manhatten I spent some time to find the PS1 fleamarket but it was closed. Next was a trip up north to the Bronx with Chris, Max, Tharuka(?), Thomas(?), ?? We were going in a huge bus. Everybody except us was afro-american. It was strange to be the minority. We talked to the busdriver, a friendly guy. He told us that he has familiy in France, the orchid-exhibition and the zoo in the Bronx. But also how he had worked as a taxi driver (you just rend a taxi for 120$ and see how you make a profit with it) and about the cold social climate. The others went to city island to eat Lobster, while Max and me got out @ the Bronx. People spoke Spanish had flags of Puerto Rico. We were walking around a bit. A guy was washing his car in front of his garage, it was a Ford Mustang blasting Mariachi at full volume while the engine was running. We dropped in a small restaurant, people didn't speak English. I think they had the Padre Nuestro on the wall.. we ordered our food from a friendly Spanish girl, (she smiled a lot and was simply cute :)) and ate it at the bar. We ate rice and meat and fish, sun was shining bright trough the window, reflecting in the bar and it was good. |
Full and happy we checked out the shops of the area. It was all Hip Hop and triple X. We saw a shoddy Jesus-neckless in a shop window, a few minutes ago we had seen exactly the same on a guy eating in the Spanish food place. In my imagination that guy had never left the neighbourhood. We found some _great fashion_ in one shop, I bought a "Hell's kitchen" T-shirt for 1$!!! Two pretty girls were selling clothes in another shop and we talked to them. They thought we were somewhat rich and living in a fancy hotel. Another shop sold all kinds of Hip Hop things, fashion and music. First the two boys selling looked at as somewhat hostile, but thanks to Max's superb social skills we soon had a interesting conversation. Of course we talked about the situation of the neighbourhood. They told us they had been to places were people were shooting, but they also said that you just have to know what you are doing. If you act stupid, you get in trouble - anywhere, not just in Hell's Kitchen. It was pretty dark by then and I urged Max to leave, I'm not as brave as he is and I just had a feeling that the area was not save after dark. |
- Puerto Rico
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Day 8 We got up early to attend a service at The Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem. There was a gallery, we were sitting up there. The organ was build in a way that it was distributed over the whole church room and about 400 people had come, mostley afro-americans and tourists. It's hard to discribe how it feels to be there. The organ alone had a huge sound but what was really breathtaking was the singing of the choir. They filled the room with their voices in a way that makes you somewhat shiver. Christian was about to cry, so was I. It was also delightful how the pastor was wellcoming us, the tourists. We had to stand up and everybody was clapping hands. Postcards from members abroad were read to the community, and even the ones who had birthday got a special wishes. |
After the service we felt a bit spaced out but went to the Studio Museum of Harlem, were we spent an hour or so looking at really creative paintings and sculptures. Later that day I found another flea market, where I bought a leather jacket that I still like a lot and that even brought my through the Finnish winter later on. The famous Madison Square Garden! Playing that day: The New York Knicks vs. The Golden State Warriors. Oh my god what a show!! (Even tough the game was boring thing to me) That's what the Americans are really good at: Making it a big show. Little kids were doing amazing acrobatics and there were cheerleaders and show-parts. There even was a time-out for a show-element! The break was like the 100th anniversary celebration. The NYN won. |
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This night we went clubbing at the NYC "Church" which was actually lodged in a former church 41th street, 6th ave. Cunning Chris A. had organisted free tickets for us, otherwise it would have been 30$(?) each. Bouncers checked us and then..we were in!! O my god!!! It was full of people, the sound system was so powerful that you could feel it kicking in your stomach and the whole thing was - moderately spoken - sexually charged. There was a huge sculpture of an ASS and the DJ couldn't get enough of mentioning the Assssssssssss...There were drag queens and people swinging on trapezies. Man, most of the audience seemed to have Asien roots and they went down so strange!! Often they clustered, mostley three of them clinching together. And the boys graped their girls at the shoulders and were just shaking them, regardless of beat or rythm, just shaking. Girls looked completely exhausted. |
- wastebasket
Day 9
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