Now, you might wonder, with a title like that, whether or not the love affair is over... But the answer is most definitely not. I'm still infatuated with this city, and living here remains a joy. So much so that the realisation that I only have 2 more months here (I have to go to England for a bit before returning home) is filling me with a sense of impending despair. Like being in a relationship which is going to end before you're ready for it (and you know when it'll happen), the pleasure of here is now slightly bittersweet. Frequent moments of realising "I may never do this again"... and a constant wonder of how I can manage to live without sleep (and without drugs...P not really being the answer). So it's mostly pleasure tinged with (only) slight pain. I'm not sure if D is feeling it as acutely, but it hurts.
Not that I expect you to feel too sorry for me, at all. It's not like we haven't had (and continue to have) a wonderful time here. So don't all start crying into your keyboards in empathy, and destroying your hardware...
So the title... Last weekend we went out to brunch, with some friends, and it was fun. We've done 'brunch' only a couple of times, here, and the experiences just does not compare to back home. Here's how it seems to work: Most places to seem to have a 'price fixe' menu for brunch (it varies between about $11 and $15US around our neighbourhood, plus tax and tip) and in that you may get a drink, or not... there are a range of options (shorter or longer) within that price. Andwhen you get to the place, and inevitably have to wait in a line (queue), and then your whole party has to be there before the consider seating you, and then order and get your food (don't go too hungry, or go early!). But what you get doesn't seem to be 'quite right' - it's either absolutely huge (and I still haven't got beyond the eating equivalent of the protestant work ethic, where I feel I must eat everything on the plate; quite a problem with US portion sizes), or just somehow missing something vital, like flavour or concept. D and I have been discussing how NZ cafe breakfasts would fare here, and we just don't know. interesting to reflect on how 'tastes' are locally produced.
So cafes here in general have been a bit of a less than 100% satisfactory affair, but there are some great ones. but don't get me (us) started on the 'free wifi' and the culture it creates... you walk into what would otherwise be a great cafe, to be greeted by a sea of vertical mac notebook tops, with people utterly engrossed in them. people don't seem to go to cafes together, they go with their laptops, and spend hours there. it doesn't create a great atmosphere. A few places have (hooray) 'no laptop' policies... including 'cafe grumpy' in Chelsea (which D pointed out, is sited right next door to 'Harmony House'... ha), also one of the few places here that does a 'flat white', which is quite nice, but very heavily male in its clientele.
We have had a wonderful week - marred only slightly by my now being somewhat under the weather - D was earlier in the week. We've made new soccer friends and hung out with them at a gallery opening/dinner in Chelsea earlier in the week, before heading over to Williamsburg for a gig - an unknown band - the Albertans - so we had aguess at what it would be like... it was ok. Still great to be out among the 'kids' and seeing more live music. Raced home just in time to get D signed in for the last soccer spot this Sunday (you have to sign in because it's a limited number; men can sign in from 12.01am on a friday, and all spots fill within 5 minutes!). D has got some work assisting an artist which is great (a few days), started Friday. Yesterday we visited the Brooklyn Flea which has opened again outdoors for the season, in a school playground about 20 minutes walk from us. Got some good scores, but by and large second hand here is very expensive... so we've cancelled the container to bring goods home in. And it was hot yesterday... sunny and about 26C. joy! We had dinner out with friends last night, and sat outside in a courtyard - with no heating! Yummy sushi. mmmmm.
The highpoint of this week has for me been a work one - I gave a public lecture at apexart, a non-profit gallery in TriBeCa, as part of a plastic surgery show they have on at the moment (if anyone wants to have a listen, it's online; email me and I can send you a link). I was as nervous as hell, having no idea how the audience my react to my rather critical talk, and having seen that it had been included as the 'picks of the week' on the Feminist Art Blog from the Brooklyn Museum (Brooklyn Museum has a large 'feminist art' collection). But I need not have feared. It went really well, full audience and good questions. Allure magazine included comment about it on their website the next day... so the audience was clearly quite mixed. A high point for me was that after the talk, a young guy came up to talk to me, and he had under his arm a book by an artist, Heide Hatry, which I'd seen a few weeks earlier and been fascinated by (it's very disturbing). I noted this, and how great it was, and he said he was her assistant, and she hadn't been able to make the talk, but had wanted to, so sent him, with the book, to give me. Stoked! So I'm going to get in touch with her soon. The other highpoint was dinner afterwards with the gallery owner and others involved in various ways, an incredible mix of arty/intellectual people for the ultimate NYC evening experience: great conversation and great food. We loved it! That all came about as a result of the gallery connection which D got from Ani O'Niell...
Anyway, the city continues to burst into life - the botanical variety, of course, for starters. The view out my window as I type this is of two different types of blossom, which will soon block the brownstone across the road:
The yellow one - I have no idea what it is; the white is dogwood and it's all over this city, gorgeous in every way. 5th Ave, just a block down from us, is really the most stunningly beautiful street in NYC at the moment (that's not a scientifically-determined 'fact') - it is lined with dogwoods and is just an avenue of white:
But as well as the botanical bursting forth of life, there's also been the humanoid variety too... There seem to be a lot more people living Park Slope than there were in winter - or they've come out of hibernation. And I'm kinda traumatised by the fact that "my" park - aka Central Park to others - which was basically mine alone through the depths of winter, my playground, my wonderland, has suddenly been invaded by the hoards (including many unable to walk of their own accord, being pushed in strollers by nannies or the occasional mother/father), who seem to think that they also have the right to be there... Central Park has become a frenzied mass of activity, which kinda detracts somewhat from the experience of 'getting away from the city' in the park, if you know what I mean. And I've only seen it in the afternoons on week days. I live in fear of it on the weekend:
The famous as well as the mere 'normal' folks were also out in Central Park - I walked past the actor Michael Hall (of 6 Feet Under and now Dexter fame) on friday. Along with the masses, there are less squirrels, too, but it's hard to tell if it's more influenced by the season or the numbers of humans (and dogs!). Here's a very impressive tail (slightly blurry, it was moving fast!):
We met the 17-dog man (mentioned in an earlier blog) in prospect park the other morning on the way home from our 7.30am soccer game. We had a good chat to him; he has 18 dogs! Drives around in a van, collecting them, then taking them to the park. He does about 3 'runs' a day, with mostly different dogs. Control is maintained with food. We had a good play with the dogs, gave out some treats, and got smeared with slobber and blood. Great way to start the day.Tonight we're off to another Steve Abel gig - at the house of a musician in Bushwick. Should be fun. So don't feel too sorry for us and our limited time left here!
over and out...
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