A Good Day - Part 1

It's been beautiful lately here in NYC and today was no exception. One of my new buds, Chardonnay (yes, like the wine), a few other chums, and I decided to play tourists for the day.

First up was Times Square where we met for coffee. A friend recently described Times Square as feeling like you're at the center of the universe. I couldn't agree more. A person can go to this spot at practically any time of day and see people from the far corners of the globe gasping and gazing up at the colossal sights. There is just so much to feast one's eyes on.

My camera's eyes, or lens I should say (tee hee), had plenty to feast on. Hope you enjoy! :-)

Takin' a break - apparently :-)

Kinda reminds me of a diner :-)

With Miss Chardonnay :-)

The girls

For my sisters -  they love Chevys

and I love muscle cars ;-)

Appreciating the Gypsy Life

Walking home from a friend's house last night, I had a strangely surreal feeling as I strolled past some familiar surroundings. You see, I live in New York City - Brooklyn to be exact. It's a world of constant change and diversity; full of places, things, and people to feast your eyes on - sometimes pleasant, other times not so pleasant.

Pleasantries and non-pleasantries aside, one grows accustomed to their neighborhood and the constant, daily encounters. From the guy at the counter of the local bodega or the kind gentleman bagging groceries at your favorite grocery store - all of these people and places add to the experience of daily life.

Also to be mentioned are the friends made in the little spot of the earth that we call home. I look back on my life and all the different areas of the world that I've lived, and even though at times it may not have been all roses or peaches and cream, I'm so thankful for those times, for I never would have made such lovely, lifelong friends (you know who you are).
 
That being said, living a gypsy life - it is easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of constant change (just like the city) and the ongoing thought of where the next adventure will take place, not paying attention to small details or the things/people that really matter. Chances are they add in some great and small ways to our experience. How good it is also to savor the friendships we make and not take them for granted. And even though we may never be at this spot or point again in our lives, it sure is fun to try and enjoy the ride and scenery along the way. ;-)

'The Best of Times and the Worst of Times'

One of the things about being unemployed in the city, for me anyway, is the heightened cognizance of my surroundings. I'm not really focused on too much other than sending out resumes, going to the gym, and writing for my blog.

Therefore, I just can't help but observe other people's situations around me and feel terrible for what so many go through. For example, what about the delivery guy who is not in his home country, but has to work long hours in the heat, snow, and rain? Or what about the waiter who will work 10-12 hour shifts 6-7 days a week just to survive? Or the pregnant teenager who was raised in a harsh home and is now herself in an abusive relationship? What about all these people??

This was a lament to my very good friend last night as we sat over drinks at the bar in a French restaurant in my neighborhood. She, in turn, has a way of capturing what seems to take me loads of sentences, and put them into the most perfectly concise thoughts.

New York is such a catch-all of people from all walks of life and backgrounds - all having different aspirations and goals. There are just so many people with so many different circumstances that it is hard not to miss their situations sometimes. And as my dear chum so candidly pointed out, that 'it is the best of times and it is the worst of times' - some come to pursue careers and have a good time, while others have been forced to leave their homelands in hope of something better only to find themselves just surviving under different circumstances, and for still others this is the only reality they will ever know - stuck in a vicious cycle of abuse and agony. The list could go on and on.

And so as I close my rather somber and forlourn post on this sleepless night, I comfort myself with the thought of hope. For without hope, friends, and faith in something better, we would all be lost.

"We Must Love One Another or Die"

This post was supposed to be about old-fashioned elevators - I know, please don't ask. However, I thought, why on God's great earth would one write about elevators when you can muse about such juicy subjects, as say ... love.

From the beginning of time this devotion has been subject for many a writer and poet; friend and foe; yes, all humans.

Though in the words of Roland Barthes, "To try to write love is to confront the muck of language: that region of hysteria where language is both too much and to little, excessive ... and impoverished." And while it seems there is much truth in Mr. Barthes' quotation, where would the literary spice be if we did not did take a stab at this 'muck of language' of love?

I have been asking myself why I've rediscovered the fascination of this oftentimes worrisome topic. I was quite fine in self-preservation mode, living my life and doing what I pleased. So perhaps it has to do with the fact that the big 3-0 recently swooped down and now has me in it's grip. Or maybe it is the fresh departing of someone special (yes - a breakup).

But whatever the case, it seems I am nowhere as close to finding love at 30 as when I was 10. And though recently thinking I had found it and would have given my heart and soul; in retrospect, I would not have been being true to myself. And so we simply remain that lovely, little F-word - 'friends'.  

I suppose I may be, at the moment, labeled as 'cynical' or 'bitter'. And that is quite possibly true, for what woman in her right mind wants to let down the walls of self-preservation, leaving herself open for an attack? Yes, who wants to lay like a wounded lioness who misjudged the distance and was stabbed by the horn of love rendering her useless? Sure, she will regain her strength, but how long this will take, and how painful it will be, one cannot know.

Or perhaps this cynicalness stems from what most of society has made love out to be. Relationships are more often than not exploited for sex and selfishness. And it seems everywhere one turns there are constant jabs and sneers at the family unit. Yes, what happened to those timeless principles as family loyalty, communication, honesty, respect, and loving one as you love yourself?

In spite of all the stresses on love, why the enduring obsession and enthrallment? Why the allure and appeal? Why do we want it so badly??? Well, I always like to go back to a rather similar rant from Barbara Streisand in 'A Mirror Has Two Faces', "because being in love feels *blank* great."

And though I couldn't agree more with Barbara, I do feel there is a deeper purpose and point - and that is, quite simply, it is the way we were designed. We have this inherent need to provide and care for, to need and be needed, to love and be loved. It is not natural to be alone.

'Two Lovers'
Prague, Czech Republic

Yes, as W.H. Auden wrote, "We must love one another or die".

So until that sensational day arrives, you will find me in the coffee shops of Brooklyn blogging away, at the gym burning off my frustrations, staying true to my Bedouin ways and travelling the planet. And then on the bad days listening to sad country songs like Pam Tillis' 'All the Good Ones are Gone' and occasionally drowning my sorrows in a tub of Ben and Jerry's. If anything, I will be busy.

Along the Way



On my parents' farm

Stories about travel, food, and life’s experiences along the way..

I grew up in the hills of north central PA in a small village called Germania. Just saying the name to some of my friends evokes the thought of a distant land in medieval Europe. Transylvania, Icelandia, Finlandia, Germania .. you get the picture. A distant land it really is. Some may think Germania is worlds away from “real” civilization. There are dirt roads, cows, farms, and dirt bikes. Oh yes, and fishing. My parents, who really do live on a farm, have to drive one hour, one way just to get to a Wal-mart. That all being said, the hills of Pennsylvania are absolutely some of the most be beautiful country I’ve ever seen.

Fields my father hays every year

Anyway, despite being a country girl at heart, my curiosity and love of distant lands has taken me all over the world, as well as, the fact that I am probably the world’s biggest runner. And I don’t mean as in marathons, lol. You’ve heard the expression, ‘when the going gets tough, the tough get going’. That’s me. I’ve lived and trekked in the jungles of Guyana, South America; taught English in Eastern Europe; and now the big city has finally called. I currently rest my head in Brooklyn, New York City.  

Brno, Czech Republic - where I lived

   

Don’t get me wrong - as I get older I’m trying to work on the whole running thing. But I’m also learning to enjoy where my meandering ways take me. And being able to say that I’ve got hundreds of friends all over the world is one of the best things money can’t buy. To me, they’re worth more than any career could ever be. Also being able to see the world through different eyes, as in, not American eyes is truly.. dare I say eye-opening, lol.

Therefore, I dedicate this blog to where life takes us along the way. Being able to enjoy various cultures, foods, debating the pros and cons of differing situations, countries, etc. – I love it all and can’t wait to share my thoughts, and hear yours. A portion will also, no doubt, cover places in my hood – Clinton Hill/Fort Greene area in Brooklyn, NY.

An old trabant in Czech

With my good friend, Jana - Brno