'Tis now the very witching time of night,
When churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out
Contagion to this world.
- William Shakespeare
There is a graveyard by our apartment complex. It's the first thing I noticed when we first moved here four years ago. I told hubby, "We're going to be in trouble if these folks decide to wake up one night!"
If I had never seen "Night of the Living Dead", I might never have thought to say such a silly thing. But as it is, I have a morbid curiosity with horror films, mostly since I've been with my man. I can only watch horror flicks with him or with friends, though...never alone!
I do not like the gruesome, gushy blood fanfare. Especially any head lopping stuff. I can thank my 8th grade history teacher for that. She showed us a film on the French Revolution that had guillotine scenes. That did it. My lunch period was next. I don't recall having had lunch that day; my stomach was in a knot. Yuk. Sorry if you feel sick at this moment, but you can understand my aversion to certain scenes. Nothing will make me puke faster than a head scene.
I'm more into the eerie psych stuff, which I think is scarier than lots of butchering. Films like "Psycho", "Raising Caine", "The Exorcist", and "Rosemary's Baby" still scare me to this day! %-0 Even "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre"--which actually did not show a lot of blood but only let the audience imagine it with the screaming and the sounds of the chainsaw, is more a psychologically scary film than the slash and burn types. It certainly leaves more to the imagination than some newer films, which is why I like older films in general, because they're not insulting to my mind.
The other week, I got "Dracula" with Bela Lugosi from the library.. I'd seen it eons ago, but hubby never saw it. It was GREAT! We had seen the Dracula movie by Coppola with Winona Ryder, Gary Oldman, Anthony Hopkins, and Keanu Reeves. That was also very good, and stylish! But there was something very pure and raw about the 1931 version with Bela Lugosi--he was portrayed as more human...and tortured. The other Dracula movie we saw was an older one with Christopher Lee as Dracula, probably from the 60's or early 70's. That was a funny one: there was a host in the castle named Clove (as in garlic clove!), thick blood that looked like it came out of ketchup bottle, and Dracula sinking into the ground like the Wicked Witch of the West in "The Wizard of Oz"!
Silent horror films can be spooky, too, like German expressionist films "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" and "Nosferatu". They look tame...but don't watch them by yourself!
Also, when we first moved here, we had a horribly noisy fan in the bathroom. It sounded like the motor on the boat in "Jaws". Yes, in my wild imagination (especially if I was home alone), I fully expected a shark to rip through the bathroom wall and violently tear my flesh off! I had that thought for only a moment! But t was enough for us to call maintenance to come and quiet the thing. They did something, I don't know what; afterwards, it was still loud, but not so obnoxious. :-)
Many eons ago, I heard some horrible voice coming from another room and went in to find my honey watching "Hellraiser". I was so scared for him! As if the skinless people in the movie were going to reach out and grab him! Aren't you scared, I asked? Oh no! He was very non-chalant about it, and in fact, was getting quite a bit of thrill and morbid amusement out of it. Being the good wife, I stayed with him cuz I was worried for him. Instead, I ended up hiding behind him everytime I thought something gruesome was going to happen, like a head scene. Yuk!
Would you believe I saw it a second time? Or maybe it was the sequel. I don't remember! All I remember is that I was laughing my head off at Pinhead! The other characters, too, but mostly him. Some of these horror flicks have a lot of black humor in them, if you can get past the red liquid part. Hubby and I tend to be attracted to the bizarre and black humored fare (which, I suppose, could mean both of us may be weird, ourselves). ;-)
This can include non-horror entertainment, such as Dr. Who, The Twilight Zone (the old, black and white episodes) and Monty Python, all of which were prone to showing some horror--usually in a very, dark-humored way.
I don't know why some find horror fascinating and others are revolted by it. I guess it depends on your tolerance level. I just figure: it's only a movie!
Books are another matter. I went through a Stephen King phase in jr. high and high school and got scared reading "The Shining" while babysitting; my neighbor's heater was really loud one night, and their little girl didn't like to be in the dark, yelling for me to come keep her company. And wouldn't you know it--her yelling combined with the choking, gutteral, wailing heater coincided with the "purple lady in the bathtub" scene! %-0
A few years later, at a church youth group xmas party, "The Shining" was on the host's tv! Yes, a church Christmas party! It really was quite funny that it was on during most of the party! Most of us were only looking at it periodically until the really scary parts--then we were all glued to the tube! I'll never forget that party because it's when I ran into my ex-boyfriend and he asked if I was going to the senior ball (he had graduated two years previously), and I said, no...no one asked me. NO ONE? he asked incredulously. Nope. Wanna go with me? So he did...and then stood me up two weeks before the event saying he couldn't get off work; then a friend found me another "date", then the ex called back and said he actually could take me, so I had two on my hands! I ended up going with the ex, since I hardly knew my friend's friend and didn't particularly like him to start, AND my parents knew the ex from before (you know how it is, put the parents at ease so you can get achieve your goals!).
I read a few more of King's novels, the scariest being "The Stand". Then I had enough! They sort of became formulaic, like Danielle Steele novels. Or cheap romantic novels. You read a few of them and they all seem the same. I despise that! Scary to me is Edgar Allen Poe's work...try him if you'd like your imagination to fly.
Or Dante's _Inferno_..."ABANDON ALL HOPE YE WHO ENTER HERE"...oooh! And that was just at the gates of hell, not in the depths! %-( I actually had to put the book down because it got scary and gruesome! On the second reading, it was actually amusing, in a dark way, which is probably why it is part of a larger work called "The Divine Comedy" (which I read in junior high but did not appreciate at the time).
How about music? The scariest contemporary artist we heard was Marilyn Manson. We were on the road one day, and didn't hear the announcer say who was singing until after the "song" was over. It sounded like the devil! Is he related to Charles Manson, I thought?! Geez! He sounded inhuman! I was thinking of "Rosemary's Baby" when I heard it! %-0
You can listen to good, classical music and feel very spooked, such as with Maurice Ravel's "Isle of the Dead" and Modest Mussorgky's "Night on Bald Mountain". Probably many people have heard these tunes in pop culture, but didn't know their origins. I didn't until the last several years. Check them out sometime...just don't listen to them by yourself at night! %-0 Then there's "Pierrot Lunaire", by Arnold Schoenberg. NOT for the faint of heart! Just be prepared--you might just think there is a crazy person in the house...! And everyone's heard Bach's fugues for Halloween. Did that master of music ever turn in his grave to know what was done with his work?
I had good restraint today: I only took two Tootsie Roll candies out of the plastic pumpkin overflowing with sugar at the library! And I haven't eaten them...yet!
Oh, I miss dressing up for Halloween. The last time I did that was in college. I was a gypsy. I hope to go to a grown-up Halloween costume party one day. I think it would be fun! And I wouldn't be a gypsy again. I'm inspired more by Marvin the Martian (of Looney Tune fame) or the creatures in the bar scene from "Star Wars". Or even the "creatures" who carded me at a dark disco somewhere south of Market Street in San Francisco during my wild college nights! :-D
BOO to you!
One need not be a chamber to be haunted;
One need not be a house;
The brain has corridors surpassing
Material place.
- Emily Dickinson
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Cancer Click
Hey, everybody! Wouldn't you love to enter a contest for a good cause, like breast cancer awareness? :-)
Imagine winning digital camera--a PINK one no less! If that doesn't catch people's attention, I don't know what would be an easier way to mention cancer awareness to others. Go to the 5 Minutes for Mom website to enter the contest for a chance to win a cute pink digital camera. Spread the word!
Oh, and if you search further down on the page, there is a pink button you can click on: if there are so many clicks, the sponsors of this breast cancer campaign will pay for mammograms for women in need. Your click will help another woman somewhere. Every click counts :-)
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It's good to know that cancers particular to women are getting more attention in recent years. I can only hope more research and better medicines and technological advances will benefit more women in my lifetime, if not the next generation.
It would be very cool if someone could invent something better and more accurate than the painful mammogram, so that one day women can cringe in horror at the very thought of it--imagining it to be some sort of medieval torture device (which I think it is)!
When I think of breast cancer, I think of my mother in-law, who battled and survived it over 14 years ago. She had a mastectomy and danced two weeks later at her middle son's wedding. :-) And she's still going strong. You go, Mom!
She and my fil's older sister are actually the only close, relatives I know who've had breast cancer, though I've known of friends' or neighbor's relatives who've had to battle with breast cancer.
While I think it is fabulous that breast cancer has gotten so much publicity in recent years, I hope that other forms of cancer will not be eclipsed by it, and will in fact, gain as much awareness to garner research funding to benefit future patients. Particularly women's reproductive cancers, which I know little about--and which ob/gyns don't discuss with you beyond asking for a family history, or if you've got something going on. I lost my favorite auntie to ovarian cancer. I didn't know anything about it then...only that it took her from my uncle and my family and so many people who loved her. And truth be told: I'm not even sure if it was ovarian cancer. I only know that it was related to the reproductive system.
It seems that women's reproductive cancers are still somewhat of a mystery. It's up to the public to educate themselves--docs aren't much help unless something goes wrong in your system. Even when I may occasionally discuss women's reproductive issues that includes cancer, with close friends, I realize our knowledge is quite limited.
It's too bad that it takes celebrities' battles with cancer to make people aware of female reproductive cancers, as if non-celebrities don't count. Women like Gilda Radner or Fran Drescher ("The Nanny"). Fran Drescher has become an activist extraordinare for women's cancers and has a wonderful website dedicated to raising awareness through her foundation, Cancer Schmancer.
And what of other cancers? A close friend battled and won over testicular cancer (before Lance Armstrong became famous). My dad and other male relatives suffered from prostrate cancer, two cousins from the same family lost their battle with brain cancer in the last year, and now my aunt recently had major surgery for a brain tumor. Another aunt has a growth on her pancreas, and my sister in-law is battling Hodgkins (re-diagnosed from diagnosis of a rare form of non-Hodgkins lymphoma earlier this summer). How much attention does prostrate, brain, pancreatic and Hodgkins get, I wonder?
The "C" word is scary, especially when you learn that someone close to you has gotton it. I can't imagine what the ones who are afflicted with it must be going through. But I am inspired by my sil, whose sister put up a website for her to keep a journal on her progress, which keeps her family and friends and even total strangers (usually friends of friends or family!) around the country up-to date. Check out her site at caringbridge.org.
There are other inspiring stories on that website worth reading, also. :-)
Please don't forget to click on 5 Minutes for Mom !
Imagine winning digital camera--a PINK one no less! If that doesn't catch people's attention, I don't know what would be an easier way to mention cancer awareness to others. Go to the 5 Minutes for Mom website to enter the contest for a chance to win a cute pink digital camera. Spread the word!
Oh, and if you search further down on the page, there is a pink button you can click on: if there are so many clicks, the sponsors of this breast cancer campaign will pay for mammograms for women in need. Your click will help another woman somewhere. Every click counts :-)
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It's good to know that cancers particular to women are getting more attention in recent years. I can only hope more research and better medicines and technological advances will benefit more women in my lifetime, if not the next generation.
It would be very cool if someone could invent something better and more accurate than the painful mammogram, so that one day women can cringe in horror at the very thought of it--imagining it to be some sort of medieval torture device (which I think it is)!
When I think of breast cancer, I think of my mother in-law, who battled and survived it over 14 years ago. She had a mastectomy and danced two weeks later at her middle son's wedding. :-) And she's still going strong. You go, Mom!
She and my fil's older sister are actually the only close, relatives I know who've had breast cancer, though I've known of friends' or neighbor's relatives who've had to battle with breast cancer.
While I think it is fabulous that breast cancer has gotten so much publicity in recent years, I hope that other forms of cancer will not be eclipsed by it, and will in fact, gain as much awareness to garner research funding to benefit future patients. Particularly women's reproductive cancers, which I know little about--and which ob/gyns don't discuss with you beyond asking for a family history, or if you've got something going on. I lost my favorite auntie to ovarian cancer. I didn't know anything about it then...only that it took her from my uncle and my family and so many people who loved her. And truth be told: I'm not even sure if it was ovarian cancer. I only know that it was related to the reproductive system.
It seems that women's reproductive cancers are still somewhat of a mystery. It's up to the public to educate themselves--docs aren't much help unless something goes wrong in your system. Even when I may occasionally discuss women's reproductive issues that includes cancer, with close friends, I realize our knowledge is quite limited.
It's too bad that it takes celebrities' battles with cancer to make people aware of female reproductive cancers, as if non-celebrities don't count. Women like Gilda Radner or Fran Drescher ("The Nanny"). Fran Drescher has become an activist extraordinare for women's cancers and has a wonderful website dedicated to raising awareness through her foundation, Cancer Schmancer.
And what of other cancers? A close friend battled and won over testicular cancer (before Lance Armstrong became famous). My dad and other male relatives suffered from prostrate cancer, two cousins from the same family lost their battle with brain cancer in the last year, and now my aunt recently had major surgery for a brain tumor. Another aunt has a growth on her pancreas, and my sister in-law is battling Hodgkins (re-diagnosed from diagnosis of a rare form of non-Hodgkins lymphoma earlier this summer). How much attention does prostrate, brain, pancreatic and Hodgkins get, I wonder?
The "C" word is scary, especially when you learn that someone close to you has gotton it. I can't imagine what the ones who are afflicted with it must be going through. But I am inspired by my sil, whose sister put up a website for her to keep a journal on her progress, which keeps her family and friends and even total strangers (usually friends of friends or family!) around the country up-to date. Check out her site at caringbridge.org.
There are other inspiring stories on that website worth reading, also. :-)
Please don't forget to click on 5 Minutes for Mom !
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Of Shallow and Deep Adventures in My Favorite City
I participated in the ultimate shallow activity last Friday: celebrity gawking!
On the eve of my annual weekend trip to New York City--my favorite city to visit (and where my dearest friend lives), another good friend of ours called and asked if I knew anything about movie stars Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. I replied that I know who they are, but only saw one film with Brad Pitt in it (The Twelve Monkeys--quite good!). So what about them?
B said they had come to her ward's school, where their eldest attends...at this outrageously expensive Lycee Francais de New York on the upper east side of Manhattan. Tuition hovers near $20k a year for one kid alone! Apparently, my friend missed being at a school party the day before, where Angelina came and was very amiable with the teachers, parents and nannies (mostly nannies), and took photos with them. Did I want to come along when I arrived in NYC on Friday when school ended to see her?
It didn't matter. Did I really care about Angelina and Brad or any other movie star for that matter? Just to be a pal, I said, sure why not! %-0
Since I don't own a cell phone, we wasted over an hour looking for each other around Macy's. Our friend kept reminding us to be specific where to meet (she was working); what could be more specific than meeting in front of Macy's, I thought? I just read off the bus ticket address of where it drops off passengers! My friend B took it literally, and went to the wrong place. She phoned our friend D, who told her no, you go to this end of the street! I ended up calling her from a pay phone after half an hour. We both arrived early, but managed not to see each other for over an hour, even though we were probably less than a 100 feet from each other the whole time! Macy's takes up A WHOLE BLOCK in NYC.
After a nice big lunch at Todai's, a sushi buffet, we rushed uptown on subway. School was going to be let out soon (my friend had the weekend off; her employers went to Bermuda with their families)...no bus in sight! B got anxious, called her nanny friends about any star sightings at school? Nope.
We stopped by her employers' building to drop off my rolling duffle bag for the day. It was a different place than last time I visited there. Some actor also lives there--one of the Baldwin brothers, in this swanky upper west side apartment. A three-bedroom flat can cost you only 8 million. That's all! But it was nice that I could just leave my bag behind the front desk for the day for the men at the desk (all in suits) to guard. ;-)
We were on the upper west side. My friend asked me again did I still want to go and try to catch Angelina? Sure, of course! You only live once! %-) I know she wanted to go more than me because she missed her the day before. But time was running out. So she hailed a taxi to cut across town through Central Park and around it to the upper east side...and blew more than eight dollars to get us there.
When we arrived at the corner, it was quite a sight, seeing lots of cute blond and brunette school children being gripped tightly by their nannies of different nationalities waiting to cross the street. One of B's nanny friends from Russia or some Slavic-speaking country was really funny when she described her experience meeting Angelina: "I felt bad for her, with everybody asking to take pictures with her and asking her autograph! So, I just put out my hand and said, 'Can I shake your hand?' and she did. I saw her three times already. That's enough for me. It's not exciting anymore."
Soon enough, people were gathering at the front gate of Lycee Francais and the commotion was getting louder, with paparazzi appearing out of nowhere! A black SUV drove up and there she was, with some pock-marked man who obviously wasn't her honey, but looked like a mean bodyguard type straight out of a Bond movie. It all happened so fast--she just walked into the gate and out: someone had her son ready to go (I didn't see him).
I couldn't bring myself to take her picture. I was feeling guilty: I'd be invading her privacy. I already was, just standing there gawking with everyone else! And I must admit, I was also feeling pretty shallow at that moment! ;-( But it was rather exciting I must admit, being part of a scene I only see on tv news! :-0 It was enough for me just to observe her and the crowd.
B couldn't believe I didn't take a photo. I told her the reasons why, as stated in the paragraph above, and she understood. Besides, everybody rushed to the front, including photographers, so I let them push past me. The funny thing was, B didn't really like Angelina much--it was just a celebrity "rush"...the excitement of seeing movie star.
I wonder how many people living in the Big Apple make a point of engaging in star gazing?
Apparently, those few minutes Angelina was there got caught on some website, probably dealing with entertainment gossip. Tonight, my dear friend D emailed me the photo of her appearance that day, from the opposite angle, which showed our pal B smiling and holding up the camera. Where were you, J, she asked--weren't you there also? Yes I was...I let myself get pushed back by the crowd and just enjoyed absorbing the whole scene. :-)
It seems that once someone becomes a public figure--particularly a movie star, everybody takes liberty of calling that person by his or her first name. Guilty me! I write "Angelina and Brad" but only refer to family and friends by their initial for privacy. Perhaps I shouldn't feel so guilty about that, since by virtue of entering certain professions, you run the risk of becoming famous. ;-) I can't imagine what life would be like for the celebrities' children, apart from a life of luxury...to have paparazzi and the public watching your every move would be enough to drive anyone crazy. No one in their right mind wants to be under a constant microscope.
So much for dreams of being famous! ;-D If I were to achieve notoriety in my lifetime, may it be for a worthy cause, such as championing the rights of women to be treated as equally as men as human beings, so that they may enjoy the same fair treatment in courts, in society, and at home.
Later, we spent the next several hours at the Metropolitan Museum of Art because I really wanted to see the special exhibition of one of my favorite artists, Rembrant van Rijn, and other Dutch painters of the period. I was pleasantly surprised B didn't mind going because when she went to a special exhibition on Dada-ism at MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) last year with our friend D, she complained she didn't understand any of it; it was too weird! I loved it! I saw it by myself on the Target Free Friday night. ;-)
I got to visit the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens with D the next day, for free. There was just a two hour time frame when the public can visit for free on Saturdays. We just had barely half an hour to spare we when arrived; it took over an hour to get from Bronx, where she lives, to Brooklyn. I'd never been to Brooklyn before. (I always try to do something different when I visit!). It was very nice, especially the Japanese Garden. But since it was October, there wasn't a whole lot to see...so good thing we went in free!
Amazingly, there were quite a few rose bushes still alive with blooming (and dying) roses. It boggled my mind that there were SO many different varieties. Come in spring next time, D said. It's beautiful then...so colorful. :-)
We went to a birthday party for a 3 year old--or rather, post-party snacking.;-) Then we headed over to another friend's 77th birthday. This lady is a real character. Everybody in the building calls her Mommy. Even me. She was all gussied up in a green gown (for good luck--and green for money!), even though red is her favorite color, like mine! All her friends wanted to take photos with her, so she posed with them like a Filipina starlet! Mommy's a shrewd business woman who knows how to party and dance and eat! I met all these people on previous visits, so they're almost like an extended family in the northeast for me: always trying to make me eat even when I've already eaten! %-0
D and I escaped the party scene (my belly was SO full after two party eatings) so she could pick up her camera from her niece's coworker in their ice cream shop in uptown Manhattan. Then we went downtown and took the tram across the harbor to Roosevelt Island. It was less than 10 minutes, but it was fun being in the air, like a ski lift (which I've never been on)! Nice and breezy evening after a stifling hot and humid July-like day in October. Not to be missed for a fabulous nightime view of the city!
I didn't even know a tram existed in NYC! Round trip using our metro pass is just two dollars. D told me it was in a movie with Sylvester Stallone where he had to rescue the people on it in a very outrageous plot that can only happen in the movies. Good thing I wasn't there last fall: the tram got stuck at night for SIX HOURS before the occupants got rescued by having to transfer to either a helicopter or to the tram going the opposite direction! %-0
We took a break while waiting for the tram to return us to Manhattan and strolled along the walkway. D said that side of the harbor used to be really polluted. It was also a favorite place for the Mafia to dispose of those who disappointed them in some way! %-0 That part of the harbor is apparently cleaned up now.
Like the night before, I didn't get back until 12:30 or so! We slept in Sunday, which made D and B miss Mass. We went directly to The Cloisters museum.
The Cloisters is part of the Metropolitan Musuem of Art and dedicated to art and art and architecture of the European Middle Ages. It's a castle on a hill! VERY cool! Lots of history behind the art there. And a very nice place to rest and have peace, especially with Gregorian chants in the background. A must see for anyone who appreciates art and history. The gardens are beautiful, too. :-)
We got in for free, thanks to the invitation of the niece of D's employer. Imagine the looks on the staff's faces when she said she knows JL. So the guy calls JL to say there's someone here named M (her formal name), while another staffer sneers under her breath, "Yeah...one of those kinds...!" :-( "What did you say your name was?" the guy asks. "M", says my friend D, "tell her I work for her aunt K" HAH! How many people can claim that?
JL is high-up there on the administrative staff at The Cloisters, in charge of most of the staffers after 11 years, starting out as a cashier! She was a really pleasant young woman, barely in her 30s and very tall! She took us where almost no one is allowed to go: the top of the castle tower where the president's office is. Really nice office! ;-) It had almost panoramic views of Bronx, some of Manhattan and New Jersey from afar. While we were inside chatting, an older gentleman opened the door to peek in and just for a moment, my friends and I felt like guilty schoolgirls and thought, "Oh shit! J is going to lose her job!"
But J was very nonchalant and said, "Hi! Just showing my friends around!" and introduced us. Can't remember his name or title but I know he was up there in The Cloisters powers that be. He was just wondering what was going on since he noticed that the president's office door was open! ;-0
JL was very sweet and accomodating in her busy schedule and invited us to come at any time. Just tell the people at the front desk to ask for me, she said. Do we really want to endure the scutiny of the staff again? ;-) In any case, she added, be sure to see the film XYZ (can't remember the name--has the word "zero" in it!) coming out in November; it stars Elijah Wood. (I don't know who he is!) She's playing a party girl! JL is a part-time actress on her days off managing the staff at The Cloisters.
We ate Thai food at a popular place that night; D treated us. It was so popular (and so tiny a place) that there were long waiting lines outside. We ordered a whole red snapper; being Asian, we all expected the fish to fill the platter! But this sucker must have been a baby fish! %-0 No head (not that I care about the head), but it only occupied half the platter! A rip-off for the price charged!
It was pretty tasty food. I'm not a big fan of Thai food because they usually give too little for too much $$. And I'm not that fond of coconut milk on non-dessert food. Those waitresses couldn't wait to get rid of us; we ourselves had to wait 40 minutes for a table.
B wanted to go to a bar called Tao, next to the Four Seasons Hotel, where one goes to be seen, like celebrities. So we went, at the recommendation of one fast-talking and jovial concierge (or staff) at the apt where her employers live and where she works as nanny to their daughters.
Unfortunately, B chickened out, which irritated D. As soon as D said, "Of the three of us, you are the best suited to go inside and take a look! You look sexy and well-dressed! Look at me and J! We look like tourists!", a very tall, svelte blonde and her equally tall male companion walked out of the Four Seasons Hotel and walked by us. He wasn't particularly handsome, but he looked like he could have been some Bollywood movie star with his shiny, black ,wavy hair, his sharp designer suit and oh yes...the way he held that cigar! So very sophisticated, my dear! %-) He gave us an amused smile, not a smirk or sneer, but a sort of look that said, "Oh really? You three actually think you will walk into Tao?!" He had quite an aura about him! However, I thought his look was bordering on the vacuous Calvin Klein model gaze!
D and I saw his look and burst out laughing! B didn't see it and was puzzled. "Now I am challenged, to go visit Tao!" D announced. "That look he gave us! That amused look! C'mon J! Let's go in! B doesn't have the guts to go in!" At that, we dumped my backpack and D's handbags onto B and marched right into Tao, behind the sleek and suave Beautiful People.
It was warm, dark, and smoky in there, with large golden statues of Buddha at the entrance inside and way inside. Standing behind a line of the Beautiful People, the first question we heard from the host at the podium was, "Do you have a reservation?" That did it! We turned around and took business cards and matchboxes and headed out. Me in my shorts and t-shirt, D in her capris and t-shirt. ;-) It was like sneaking into a forbidden place. And we can thank our supposed Bollywood star for inspiring us! We might as well have been ants to his mind.
Again, we didn't get home until past midnight!
Monday, before I left, I was able to buzz through the Pearl River Mart on Broadway St. A three-story store full of mostly Chinese wares, art, furniture, clothes and food. Got a lot of Xmas shopping done there for the in-laws. Such deals! :-D Not enough time to shop! %-( Actually, I had planned to spend a few hours there, but B had some plans in store for me, like eating lunch first at her friend's store.
I had to think fast: no use getting upset! I didn't want to leave a bad taste in her mouth and be temperamental and appear ungrateful. It's more important to spend time with friend than shop, isn't it? So we compromised. :-) But I didn't get to food shop for Chinese veggies which are much cheaper than where I live, for the most part. I only had a little over an hour, so I just grabbed stuff, although I had my Xmas list. Got everything I wanted for them, which is good because they were cheap (but expensive if I'd looked for them online, if you include shipping). :-)
Too bad I got on the wrong bus going home! %-0 Never been kicked off a bus before. But at least I got off before they took off! I was extremely upset, mostly at myself.
Hubby says I'm a volcano! %-0 I went stomping in the waiting area to ask what was going on?! They started speaking Cantonese to me (this was a Chinatown bus service and had to say, STOP! I don't speak Chinese!
Nobody pointed out which bus to take--I saw only one marked bus, which the agent pointed out when I first arrived. There was a white bus with just designs but no name--it was in traffic, so I thought it was some random bus! Oh well! I had to wait two hours for the next and last bus to Wilmington. I read for a while to calm myself down, then decided I had better eat. I left my heafy duffel bag at the mercy of strangers, at the end of a sofa, and went three doors down to a humble eatery where they filled my styrofoam container full of rice and three vegetarian dishes I chose--all for a whopping $3.24!! ;-) Very homey tasting! Made my belly happy! ;-) I love eating at places like that! This time I took the food back to the bus company's waiting room and ate in front of everyone. Some people were eating. Two women spied on me eating away for some time, walked out, and then came back with food.:-)
I didn't get home until past 11:30 p.m. But that's okay. My annual whirlwind weekend with my dearest friend and company was the best kind of fun! We are free to be ourselves and be as wild and crazy as we want! :-D
I love NYC. Even w/o my friend being there, I still love it, although her and her friends' presence makes it that much more pleasant! I've spent almost whole days exploring the city on my own. SO much going on there! Hence, the city that never sleeps. I don't know that my mind ever sleeps either. Hubby always says I' m a restless spirit on an endless flight. It's the maddening intensity of the place that I am drawn to. Maybe that's why I love visiting the Big Apple. :-)
On the eve of my annual weekend trip to New York City--my favorite city to visit (and where my dearest friend lives), another good friend of ours called and asked if I knew anything about movie stars Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. I replied that I know who they are, but only saw one film with Brad Pitt in it (The Twelve Monkeys--quite good!). So what about them?
B said they had come to her ward's school, where their eldest attends...at this outrageously expensive Lycee Francais de New York on the upper east side of Manhattan. Tuition hovers near $20k a year for one kid alone! Apparently, my friend missed being at a school party the day before, where Angelina came and was very amiable with the teachers, parents and nannies (mostly nannies), and took photos with them. Did I want to come along when I arrived in NYC on Friday when school ended to see her?
It didn't matter. Did I really care about Angelina and Brad or any other movie star for that matter? Just to be a pal, I said, sure why not! %-0
Since I don't own a cell phone, we wasted over an hour looking for each other around Macy's. Our friend kept reminding us to be specific where to meet (she was working); what could be more specific than meeting in front of Macy's, I thought? I just read off the bus ticket address of where it drops off passengers! My friend B took it literally, and went to the wrong place. She phoned our friend D, who told her no, you go to this end of the street! I ended up calling her from a pay phone after half an hour. We both arrived early, but managed not to see each other for over an hour, even though we were probably less than a 100 feet from each other the whole time! Macy's takes up A WHOLE BLOCK in NYC.
After a nice big lunch at Todai's, a sushi buffet, we rushed uptown on subway. School was going to be let out soon (my friend had the weekend off; her employers went to Bermuda with their families)...no bus in sight! B got anxious, called her nanny friends about any star sightings at school? Nope.
We stopped by her employers' building to drop off my rolling duffle bag for the day. It was a different place than last time I visited there. Some actor also lives there--one of the Baldwin brothers, in this swanky upper west side apartment. A three-bedroom flat can cost you only 8 million. That's all! But it was nice that I could just leave my bag behind the front desk for the day for the men at the desk (all in suits) to guard. ;-)
We were on the upper west side. My friend asked me again did I still want to go and try to catch Angelina? Sure, of course! You only live once! %-) I know she wanted to go more than me because she missed her the day before. But time was running out. So she hailed a taxi to cut across town through Central Park and around it to the upper east side...and blew more than eight dollars to get us there.
When we arrived at the corner, it was quite a sight, seeing lots of cute blond and brunette school children being gripped tightly by their nannies of different nationalities waiting to cross the street. One of B's nanny friends from Russia or some Slavic-speaking country was really funny when she described her experience meeting Angelina: "I felt bad for her, with everybody asking to take pictures with her and asking her autograph! So, I just put out my hand and said, 'Can I shake your hand?' and she did. I saw her three times already. That's enough for me. It's not exciting anymore."
Soon enough, people were gathering at the front gate of Lycee Francais and the commotion was getting louder, with paparazzi appearing out of nowhere! A black SUV drove up and there she was, with some pock-marked man who obviously wasn't her honey, but looked like a mean bodyguard type straight out of a Bond movie. It all happened so fast--she just walked into the gate and out: someone had her son ready to go (I didn't see him).
I couldn't bring myself to take her picture. I was feeling guilty: I'd be invading her privacy. I already was, just standing there gawking with everyone else! And I must admit, I was also feeling pretty shallow at that moment! ;-( But it was rather exciting I must admit, being part of a scene I only see on tv news! :-0 It was enough for me just to observe her and the crowd.
B couldn't believe I didn't take a photo. I told her the reasons why, as stated in the paragraph above, and she understood. Besides, everybody rushed to the front, including photographers, so I let them push past me. The funny thing was, B didn't really like Angelina much--it was just a celebrity "rush"...the excitement of seeing movie star.
I wonder how many people living in the Big Apple make a point of engaging in star gazing?
Apparently, those few minutes Angelina was there got caught on some website, probably dealing with entertainment gossip. Tonight, my dear friend D emailed me the photo of her appearance that day, from the opposite angle, which showed our pal B smiling and holding up the camera. Where were you, J, she asked--weren't you there also? Yes I was...I let myself get pushed back by the crowd and just enjoyed absorbing the whole scene. :-)
It seems that once someone becomes a public figure--particularly a movie star, everybody takes liberty of calling that person by his or her first name. Guilty me! I write "Angelina and Brad" but only refer to family and friends by their initial for privacy. Perhaps I shouldn't feel so guilty about that, since by virtue of entering certain professions, you run the risk of becoming famous. ;-) I can't imagine what life would be like for the celebrities' children, apart from a life of luxury...to have paparazzi and the public watching your every move would be enough to drive anyone crazy. No one in their right mind wants to be under a constant microscope.
So much for dreams of being famous! ;-D If I were to achieve notoriety in my lifetime, may it be for a worthy cause, such as championing the rights of women to be treated as equally as men as human beings, so that they may enjoy the same fair treatment in courts, in society, and at home.
Later, we spent the next several hours at the Metropolitan Museum of Art because I really wanted to see the special exhibition of one of my favorite artists, Rembrant van Rijn, and other Dutch painters of the period. I was pleasantly surprised B didn't mind going because when she went to a special exhibition on Dada-ism at MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) last year with our friend D, she complained she didn't understand any of it; it was too weird! I loved it! I saw it by myself on the Target Free Friday night. ;-)
I got to visit the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens with D the next day, for free. There was just a two hour time frame when the public can visit for free on Saturdays. We just had barely half an hour to spare we when arrived; it took over an hour to get from Bronx, where she lives, to Brooklyn. I'd never been to Brooklyn before. (I always try to do something different when I visit!). It was very nice, especially the Japanese Garden. But since it was October, there wasn't a whole lot to see...so good thing we went in free!
Amazingly, there were quite a few rose bushes still alive with blooming (and dying) roses. It boggled my mind that there were SO many different varieties. Come in spring next time, D said. It's beautiful then...so colorful. :-)
We went to a birthday party for a 3 year old--or rather, post-party snacking.;-) Then we headed over to another friend's 77th birthday. This lady is a real character. Everybody in the building calls her Mommy. Even me. She was all gussied up in a green gown (for good luck--and green for money!), even though red is her favorite color, like mine! All her friends wanted to take photos with her, so she posed with them like a Filipina starlet! Mommy's a shrewd business woman who knows how to party and dance and eat! I met all these people on previous visits, so they're almost like an extended family in the northeast for me: always trying to make me eat even when I've already eaten! %-0
D and I escaped the party scene (my belly was SO full after two party eatings) so she could pick up her camera from her niece's coworker in their ice cream shop in uptown Manhattan. Then we went downtown and took the tram across the harbor to Roosevelt Island. It was less than 10 minutes, but it was fun being in the air, like a ski lift (which I've never been on)! Nice and breezy evening after a stifling hot and humid July-like day in October. Not to be missed for a fabulous nightime view of the city!
I didn't even know a tram existed in NYC! Round trip using our metro pass is just two dollars. D told me it was in a movie with Sylvester Stallone where he had to rescue the people on it in a very outrageous plot that can only happen in the movies. Good thing I wasn't there last fall: the tram got stuck at night for SIX HOURS before the occupants got rescued by having to transfer to either a helicopter or to the tram going the opposite direction! %-0
We took a break while waiting for the tram to return us to Manhattan and strolled along the walkway. D said that side of the harbor used to be really polluted. It was also a favorite place for the Mafia to dispose of those who disappointed them in some way! %-0 That part of the harbor is apparently cleaned up now.
Like the night before, I didn't get back until 12:30 or so! We slept in Sunday, which made D and B miss Mass. We went directly to The Cloisters museum.
The Cloisters is part of the Metropolitan Musuem of Art and dedicated to art and art and architecture of the European Middle Ages. It's a castle on a hill! VERY cool! Lots of history behind the art there. And a very nice place to rest and have peace, especially with Gregorian chants in the background. A must see for anyone who appreciates art and history. The gardens are beautiful, too. :-)
We got in for free, thanks to the invitation of the niece of D's employer. Imagine the looks on the staff's faces when she said she knows JL. So the guy calls JL to say there's someone here named M (her formal name), while another staffer sneers under her breath, "Yeah...one of those kinds...!" :-( "What did you say your name was?" the guy asks. "M", says my friend D, "tell her I work for her aunt K" HAH! How many people can claim that?
JL is high-up there on the administrative staff at The Cloisters, in charge of most of the staffers after 11 years, starting out as a cashier! She was a really pleasant young woman, barely in her 30s and very tall! She took us where almost no one is allowed to go: the top of the castle tower where the president's office is. Really nice office! ;-) It had almost panoramic views of Bronx, some of Manhattan and New Jersey from afar. While we were inside chatting, an older gentleman opened the door to peek in and just for a moment, my friends and I felt like guilty schoolgirls and thought, "Oh shit! J is going to lose her job!"
But J was very nonchalant and said, "Hi! Just showing my friends around!" and introduced us. Can't remember his name or title but I know he was up there in The Cloisters powers that be. He was just wondering what was going on since he noticed that the president's office door was open! ;-0
JL was very sweet and accomodating in her busy schedule and invited us to come at any time. Just tell the people at the front desk to ask for me, she said. Do we really want to endure the scutiny of the staff again? ;-) In any case, she added, be sure to see the film XYZ (can't remember the name--has the word "zero" in it!) coming out in November; it stars Elijah Wood. (I don't know who he is!) She's playing a party girl! JL is a part-time actress on her days off managing the staff at The Cloisters.
We ate Thai food at a popular place that night; D treated us. It was so popular (and so tiny a place) that there were long waiting lines outside. We ordered a whole red snapper; being Asian, we all expected the fish to fill the platter! But this sucker must have been a baby fish! %-0 No head (not that I care about the head), but it only occupied half the platter! A rip-off for the price charged!
It was pretty tasty food. I'm not a big fan of Thai food because they usually give too little for too much $$. And I'm not that fond of coconut milk on non-dessert food. Those waitresses couldn't wait to get rid of us; we ourselves had to wait 40 minutes for a table.
B wanted to go to a bar called Tao, next to the Four Seasons Hotel, where one goes to be seen, like celebrities. So we went, at the recommendation of one fast-talking and jovial concierge (or staff) at the apt where her employers live and where she works as nanny to their daughters.
Unfortunately, B chickened out, which irritated D. As soon as D said, "Of the three of us, you are the best suited to go inside and take a look! You look sexy and well-dressed! Look at me and J! We look like tourists!", a very tall, svelte blonde and her equally tall male companion walked out of the Four Seasons Hotel and walked by us. He wasn't particularly handsome, but he looked like he could have been some Bollywood movie star with his shiny, black ,wavy hair, his sharp designer suit and oh yes...the way he held that cigar! So very sophisticated, my dear! %-) He gave us an amused smile, not a smirk or sneer, but a sort of look that said, "Oh really? You three actually think you will walk into Tao?!" He had quite an aura about him! However, I thought his look was bordering on the vacuous Calvin Klein model gaze!
D and I saw his look and burst out laughing! B didn't see it and was puzzled. "Now I am challenged, to go visit Tao!" D announced. "That look he gave us! That amused look! C'mon J! Let's go in! B doesn't have the guts to go in!" At that, we dumped my backpack and D's handbags onto B and marched right into Tao, behind the sleek and suave Beautiful People.
It was warm, dark, and smoky in there, with large golden statues of Buddha at the entrance inside and way inside. Standing behind a line of the Beautiful People, the first question we heard from the host at the podium was, "Do you have a reservation?" That did it! We turned around and took business cards and matchboxes and headed out. Me in my shorts and t-shirt, D in her capris and t-shirt. ;-) It was like sneaking into a forbidden place. And we can thank our supposed Bollywood star for inspiring us! We might as well have been ants to his mind.
Again, we didn't get home until past midnight!
Monday, before I left, I was able to buzz through the Pearl River Mart on Broadway St. A three-story store full of mostly Chinese wares, art, furniture, clothes and food. Got a lot of Xmas shopping done there for the in-laws. Such deals! :-D Not enough time to shop! %-( Actually, I had planned to spend a few hours there, but B had some plans in store for me, like eating lunch first at her friend's store.
I had to think fast: no use getting upset! I didn't want to leave a bad taste in her mouth and be temperamental and appear ungrateful. It's more important to spend time with friend than shop, isn't it? So we compromised. :-) But I didn't get to food shop for Chinese veggies which are much cheaper than where I live, for the most part. I only had a little over an hour, so I just grabbed stuff, although I had my Xmas list. Got everything I wanted for them, which is good because they were cheap (but expensive if I'd looked for them online, if you include shipping). :-)
Too bad I got on the wrong bus going home! %-0 Never been kicked off a bus before. But at least I got off before they took off! I was extremely upset, mostly at myself.
Hubby says I'm a volcano! %-0 I went stomping in the waiting area to ask what was going on?! They started speaking Cantonese to me (this was a Chinatown bus service and had to say, STOP! I don't speak Chinese!
Nobody pointed out which bus to take--I saw only one marked bus, which the agent pointed out when I first arrived. There was a white bus with just designs but no name--it was in traffic, so I thought it was some random bus! Oh well! I had to wait two hours for the next and last bus to Wilmington. I read for a while to calm myself down, then decided I had better eat. I left my heafy duffel bag at the mercy of strangers, at the end of a sofa, and went three doors down to a humble eatery where they filled my styrofoam container full of rice and three vegetarian dishes I chose--all for a whopping $3.24!! ;-) Very homey tasting! Made my belly happy! ;-) I love eating at places like that! This time I took the food back to the bus company's waiting room and ate in front of everyone. Some people were eating. Two women spied on me eating away for some time, walked out, and then came back with food.:-)
I didn't get home until past 11:30 p.m. But that's okay. My annual whirlwind weekend with my dearest friend and company was the best kind of fun! We are free to be ourselves and be as wild and crazy as we want! :-D
I love NYC. Even w/o my friend being there, I still love it, although her and her friends' presence makes it that much more pleasant! I've spent almost whole days exploring the city on my own. SO much going on there! Hence, the city that never sleeps. I don't know that my mind ever sleeps either. Hubby always says I' m a restless spirit on an endless flight. It's the maddening intensity of the place that I am drawn to. Maybe that's why I love visiting the Big Apple. :-)
Monday, October 1, 2007
Becoming the Bicycle Advocate
Thanks to you, Mr. Feynman, I have been able to walk through stores with my bike helmet on (with blinkie light on the back helmet, but not turned on), x-large reflective vest that makes me look like a highway worker, backpack on my back, and maybe even one day--my safety glasses, if I don't take them off by habit as soon as my bike is locked.
"What do YOU care what other people think?"
Where would I be if I hadn't read the writings of the late physicist, Richard Feynman? He would say that to his first wife often and she would throw that line back to him, when challenging him with what he thought could be socially embarrassing or harebrained ideas. I never tire of those words of his! They're an inspiration to me. :-)
Recently I acquired a hybrid bicycle from my fil's property which had been sitting in a garage for who knows how long, but it was in pretty good shape. I'd been missing riding a bicycle since we moved to Delaware 13 years ago. Fil and mil strongly discouraged us from bicycling in rural Sussex County because people were not used to bicyclists. And really, there was nowhere to ride because the two lane roads were so narrow. Now there are more bicyclists around, especially near the beaches.
Hubby and I haven't owned a mobile prison (car) since 2003 when we moved upstate from rural Sussex County; my honey has been relying on his bike, and me the bus. I'M quite the expert on public transportation! Throw me in any city, anywhere, and I will find my way around town faster than I ever would by car!
However, when I need to get to work, waiting for a late-running bus can severely raise my tension level, and I don't like that. I can say this much though to those who may be alienated from public transportation: a city bus is obligated to show up, no matter what the weather brings. If your car breaks down--or worse, is involved in a car accident, then what are you left with?? High stress calling work, home, insurance company, towing company, etc. With the bus, the attendant headaches are mainly on the bus people. You know a bus will show up sooner or later...or the powers that be will have to answer to a lot of pissed off people.
Plus, you can get lots of good reading done on the bus. ;-) I've read many a great novel over the years on the public transportation system: War and Peace (2x!), The Iliad, Moby Dick, The Sound and the Fury, and more, plus a lot of non-fiction works. You can't do that driving a car.
Or riding a bike.
But, with riding a bike, you have freedom! Freedom to explore! Exhilaration! An adrenalin rush! The thrill of speed! Freedom to move your legs as you wish--with the satisfaction that you're getting exercise while traveling to where you want to go.
Nothing like fueling a bicycle with your own power and knowing a soldier or a citizen didn't have to die to fuel it.
Freedom also brings with it responsibility: knowing and following traffic rules. And also being well-equipped. We've both done a lot of reading online and with books and a video from the library on effective cycling. We want to be safe and traffic-savvy efficient riders. Nothing less. No one can predict anyone's behavior behind the wheel (I already slipped and fell on the bike in front of a pizza joint right on our Main Street the other day for all to see! ), but it's better to be as prepared as possible.
Lately, I find myself observing bicyclists the same way I observe everyone's posture and gait while they walk (from a massage therapist's viewpoint)! The more familiar I become with traffic rules and good bicycling habits, the more shocked I am with other bicyclists' lack of adherence to simple safety principles--down to the simple things of not even wearing a helmet! I wanna have my brain around for as long as possible and protect it as much as possible!
I'm all set to go, now! I just need my night light for the front of the bike. I've got new tires for pavement riding, a bell, hubby's old bike rack (he got a newer, better one for heavy loads), my crate for a basket, a x-large reflective vest (so I can wear it over winter coats), fenders, blinkie lights for the helmet, safety goggles so insects--and rocks and dirt from cars won't fly into my eyeballs, U-lock and cable...and of course, my snazzy RED helmet. :-)
This is just my third week of urban cycling. I can't say I've ever ridden like this before. Growing up, it was riding in the 'burbs. It was the same when we lived in Goleta, CA (near Santa Barbara), just riding in a residential area to reach the university campus or to the grocery store. The latter involved cutting through a wide swath of a bumpy dirt field, which was great fun! :-D
Now, we live near a university and the main street of the city, which involves quite a bit of traffic: cars, people and other bicyclists that I am not accustomed to yet. I'm getting more comfortable with each ride though.:-)
Hubby did hours of research on bike safety and equipment for my sake and also his. I know he's more worried about me, but I do remember him walking into the store I once worked in and he was scraped up: a lady didn't see where she was going and he flipped over the trunk of her car...and all she gave him was a lousy $20! %-( And the one day he didn't bother with his bike helmet last year was the day some dumb bunny ran right into him because she was busy talking on her cell phone. The police officer didn't have much sympathy for him...maybe because he didn't have his helmet and/or other safety gear on him. I think it's because she put on a good drama act. I wasn't present (thankfully...else my mouth might have gone off), but I know that hubby was visibly annoyed with her hysteria and "current lack of funds". It wasn't even her van that she was driving. We didn't hear anything from her, after promises of sending $$ for bike repairs. She oughta thank her lucky stars that we're not the suing type of people.
We are almost fully equipped for night riding, as soon as we get our flashlights for as our front lights. There is a whole bicycle culture out there that I wasn't aware of! It's really neat reading their websites...they did all the hard work for us already!
I especially admire the bicycle advocates and the women bicyclists who have traveled solo by bicycle in faraway lands--beyond the tourist destinations. Places like Turkey (I love that place!), the "stans" in Central Asia, Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia. It all just sounds like a lot of fun to travel by bicycle! But I wouldn't do it until I was an experienced commuter and knew something about bike mechanics.
And from what I've read so far, I think bicycle advocates are very progressive-minded people. Yes, they may still need their cars for work and travel, but cars are not their focus. Bicycling is.
For some food for thought, check out the article, Make Money By Commuting on Your Bicycle.
By walking into the store and looking like a bicycle geek of sorts, I am making a statement to the world: that I'm proud to be a bicyclist and not afraid to look like one either! Bicycling is cool! It brings my honey and me closer together in spirit, helps keep us fit, and helps us not contribute to air pollution.
It's the civilized thing to do.
Besides, I'd rather be SEEN by cars (especially at a busy intersection) than not. Why should I care how I look in the grocery store or anywhere else as long as I'm well- equipped? I do not care what others may think! Why, this morning I wore my safety glasses over my regular glasses! %-D
I intend to be bicycling well into my 100's...! Freedom is very nice thing indeed.
If you have a bicycle in your possession, is it collecting dust? Or are you giving it fresh air? ;-)
* * * * * * * *
I know but one freedom and that is the freedom of the mind.
--Antoine De Saint-Exupery
"What do YOU care what other people think?"
Where would I be if I hadn't read the writings of the late physicist, Richard Feynman? He would say that to his first wife often and she would throw that line back to him, when challenging him with what he thought could be socially embarrassing or harebrained ideas. I never tire of those words of his! They're an inspiration to me. :-)
Recently I acquired a hybrid bicycle from my fil's property which had been sitting in a garage for who knows how long, but it was in pretty good shape. I'd been missing riding a bicycle since we moved to Delaware 13 years ago. Fil and mil strongly discouraged us from bicycling in rural Sussex County because people were not used to bicyclists. And really, there was nowhere to ride because the two lane roads were so narrow. Now there are more bicyclists around, especially near the beaches.
Hubby and I haven't owned a mobile prison (car) since 2003 when we moved upstate from rural Sussex County; my honey has been relying on his bike, and me the bus. I'M quite the expert on public transportation! Throw me in any city, anywhere, and I will find my way around town faster than I ever would by car!
However, when I need to get to work, waiting for a late-running bus can severely raise my tension level, and I don't like that. I can say this much though to those who may be alienated from public transportation: a city bus is obligated to show up, no matter what the weather brings. If your car breaks down--or worse, is involved in a car accident, then what are you left with?? High stress calling work, home, insurance company, towing company, etc. With the bus, the attendant headaches are mainly on the bus people. You know a bus will show up sooner or later...or the powers that be will have to answer to a lot of pissed off people.
Plus, you can get lots of good reading done on the bus. ;-) I've read many a great novel over the years on the public transportation system: War and Peace (2x!), The Iliad, Moby Dick, The Sound and the Fury, and more, plus a lot of non-fiction works. You can't do that driving a car.
Or riding a bike.
But, with riding a bike, you have freedom! Freedom to explore! Exhilaration! An adrenalin rush! The thrill of speed! Freedom to move your legs as you wish--with the satisfaction that you're getting exercise while traveling to where you want to go.
Nothing like fueling a bicycle with your own power and knowing a soldier or a citizen didn't have to die to fuel it.
Freedom also brings with it responsibility: knowing and following traffic rules. And also being well-equipped. We've both done a lot of reading online and with books and a video from the library on effective cycling. We want to be safe and traffic-savvy efficient riders. Nothing less. No one can predict anyone's behavior behind the wheel (I already slipped and fell on the bike in front of a pizza joint right on our Main Street the other day for all to see! ), but it's better to be as prepared as possible.
Lately, I find myself observing bicyclists the same way I observe everyone's posture and gait while they walk (from a massage therapist's viewpoint)! The more familiar I become with traffic rules and good bicycling habits, the more shocked I am with other bicyclists' lack of adherence to simple safety principles--down to the simple things of not even wearing a helmet! I wanna have my brain around for as long as possible and protect it as much as possible!
I'm all set to go, now! I just need my night light for the front of the bike. I've got new tires for pavement riding, a bell, hubby's old bike rack (he got a newer, better one for heavy loads), my crate for a basket, a x-large reflective vest (so I can wear it over winter coats), fenders, blinkie lights for the helmet, safety goggles so insects--and rocks and dirt from cars won't fly into my eyeballs, U-lock and cable...and of course, my snazzy RED helmet. :-)
This is just my third week of urban cycling. I can't say I've ever ridden like this before. Growing up, it was riding in the 'burbs. It was the same when we lived in Goleta, CA (near Santa Barbara), just riding in a residential area to reach the university campus or to the grocery store. The latter involved cutting through a wide swath of a bumpy dirt field, which was great fun! :-D
Now, we live near a university and the main street of the city, which involves quite a bit of traffic: cars, people and other bicyclists that I am not accustomed to yet. I'm getting more comfortable with each ride though.:-)
Hubby did hours of research on bike safety and equipment for my sake and also his. I know he's more worried about me, but I do remember him walking into the store I once worked in and he was scraped up: a lady didn't see where she was going and he flipped over the trunk of her car...and all she gave him was a lousy $20! %-( And the one day he didn't bother with his bike helmet last year was the day some dumb bunny ran right into him because she was busy talking on her cell phone. The police officer didn't have much sympathy for him...maybe because he didn't have his helmet and/or other safety gear on him. I think it's because she put on a good drama act. I wasn't present (thankfully...else my mouth might have gone off), but I know that hubby was visibly annoyed with her hysteria and "current lack of funds". It wasn't even her van that she was driving. We didn't hear anything from her, after promises of sending $$ for bike repairs. She oughta thank her lucky stars that we're not the suing type of people.
We are almost fully equipped for night riding, as soon as we get our flashlights for as our front lights. There is a whole bicycle culture out there that I wasn't aware of! It's really neat reading their websites...they did all the hard work for us already!
I especially admire the bicycle advocates and the women bicyclists who have traveled solo by bicycle in faraway lands--beyond the tourist destinations. Places like Turkey (I love that place!), the "stans" in Central Asia, Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia. It all just sounds like a lot of fun to travel by bicycle! But I wouldn't do it until I was an experienced commuter and knew something about bike mechanics.
And from what I've read so far, I think bicycle advocates are very progressive-minded people. Yes, they may still need their cars for work and travel, but cars are not their focus. Bicycling is.
For some food for thought, check out the article, Make Money By Commuting on Your Bicycle.
By walking into the store and looking like a bicycle geek of sorts, I am making a statement to the world: that I'm proud to be a bicyclist and not afraid to look like one either! Bicycling is cool! It brings my honey and me closer together in spirit, helps keep us fit, and helps us not contribute to air pollution.
It's the civilized thing to do.
Besides, I'd rather be SEEN by cars (especially at a busy intersection) than not. Why should I care how I look in the grocery store or anywhere else as long as I'm well- equipped? I do not care what others may think! Why, this morning I wore my safety glasses over my regular glasses! %-D
I intend to be bicycling well into my 100's...! Freedom is very nice thing indeed.
If you have a bicycle in your possession, is it collecting dust? Or are you giving it fresh air? ;-)
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I know but one freedom and that is the freedom of the mind.
--Antoine De Saint-Exupery
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