NYC Revisited.

It's been a week since we returned from New York. It was an amazing trip. It's one of those Cities that fulfills the expectation. It is that crowded, bustling and fevered. It is impossible to be bored there as a visitor. 


 However, looking back at my predictions in the previous post they are split between positive and negative. 


 1. It does smell like pee in places, mostly in the stairways to the subway. But the indictment of that pee-smell as belonging to a rundown, unsafe city is groundless. I felt completely safe in New York, especially (maybe obviously) in Manhattan. But it's a completely walkable and welcoming place. Speaking of which... 


 2. I found the lion's share of NYCers to be delightfully friendly. I had three Samaritans pounce on me when my Metrocard didn't work to let me use theirs and slide on through the turnstile. Interesting postscript to this tale: as soon as I thanked the woman for letting me use her card she responded by saying "see? New Yorkers are friendly. Tell your friends. " Was it that obvious I was a tourist? I guess so. Not sure if I like that I was outed so easily. 


 They are impatient, even when They're not particularly busy. But often helpful and quick with directions, information or curious small talk. From the servers (well, some of the servers) to the clerks to the beggars to the drunks, a fine, engaged people. 


 3. We walked a lot. And it hurt. I might've still gained weight from the endless food/beer options but I kept it respectable by walking all over that fucking island like a goddamn headless monkey. There's an energy there assuredly but I think it surges by sucking a little from its inhabitants. New York can be exhausting. It's a lot of town. 


 4. I don't want to live in New York. I was happy to leave. Maybe if I spent more time there or was more thorough with the boroughs but it was fine to leave. Not to be negative, as mentioned, I had a wonderful time, but man it's draining. I realize a local will not be as constantly busy as I was over those 7 days but I don't think I could be 100% happy in a city in which you can never be alone. Not in a park, a field, under an awning or in an alcove. You're in the plural. Always. And standing in line for everything gets to be a drag. I like the elbow room afforded to you by modest Canadian cities. Not that I could afford New York anyways, nor have the desire to work the hours necessary to afford to be in the thick of the action. 


Regardless if it's not for me as a permanent settlement it's an incredible place. Honestly, guys, the capital of the world. I loved the food and the history, I swoon at the influx of black culture which is one of Canada's most obvious social and cultural weaknesses. I highly recommend NYC. 


 Stern nod of approval, 


 Jag.

NYC.

One more day until we head to New York for a seven day vacation. It's my first time and it's starting to feel like a trip that will be the type where pictures are still stared at months after I return. NYC has been high on my list since I was a kid and now that's it's nearly here I'm almost nervous. We will try to have somewhat of an agenda but not be so regimented that the trip seems forced. I want to just experience the city. Perambulation and pictures. there are some obvious places to see but I'm more interested in immersion and hopefully there will be future trips to trammel the experience. The nervousness mostly extends to the micro - I want so badly to love this place - that I fear my anxiety to savor will preclude keeping it simple and just experience. No one wants to travel with an agitated sight-seer but the girl usually does a good job of keeping me in line and sane. The macro is the city disappointing due to the colossal expectations I come with. I think this is unlikely but I've looked forward to this for so long that I'm not sure if I'm desirous to land in a myth on May 1st. It's hard to verbalize exactly what these expectations are but New York should have a feeling and it better goddamn have one, right? So I've decided to try and list some of my - likely off the mark - expectations and predictions of my first visit to the Capital of the World. Some based on my own musings, some on things I've heard: 1. It will be muggy and probably smell a little like pee. 2. People will not be unfriendly. But will be very busy and impatient. 3. There will be an energy to the city that will make walking for hours even late at night feel ethereal. 4. I'll probably want to move there. I'll let you know how it goes.

Dream Cleaver

It's come to this. Talking about dreams. My running joke with friends is that talking about your Dreams is a conversational offense.

what are you really expounding on when you discuss dreams? "Hey, I had a thought that I met Bruce Willis in the house I grew up in. " awesome! Fucking outstanding, man!

If some jerk told you how a few hours ago he thought a cat talking to him would be a weird. That's not someone invited to your next birthday party. But this behavior is tolerated, at times encouraged, when it's prefaced with being a 'weird' dream.

My disdain for dreams is tempered by the reverence they're shown by people I admire in fields I enjoy and covet. Sean Penn once said "I'm a filmmaker so I have to respect dreams." Sergei Eisenstein said film editing owes more to the selection of images dreams than anything else. Screenwriters I love recommend keeping a dream journal! Good god, am I misguided curmudgeon when it comes to dreams?

Perhaps it's anchored to my dreams being quotidian. I rarely reach the supernatural. A lot of dreams about people I know, places I've been, events I could encounter likelier awake than in REM sleep.

Not sure why I lack the fantastic when dreaming, I consider myself creative but the mind doth roam of its own accord I suppose.

I hope to be original in my work if not in my dreams but I wonder if this lack in the latter unhorses the former. I love writing but at times I am bereft of the truly imaginative (maybe this is immediately obvious). Perhaps my dull dreams denote a type of missing creativity gene.

I know that's a depressing logical warren I'm entering. but I do think there's an intangible, biological element to askew works of art and it seems appropriate that it would be demonstrative in dreams.

So, am I completely fucked in reaching a higher echelon of creative life because I have boring dreams? Likely not, but I think I'll have to work harder to get these posts more worthwhile.

To put it in hockey parlance I have a 4th line talent. And like a grinder playing six minutes a game with ambitions of moving up I better make sure I'm practicing hard and taking all optional skates.

This is one more missive in that direction. Let's see if I can reverse the dream journal paradigm and see by vomiting these posts that my dreams stop letting me down. And - if nothing else - in time hopefully I can move up a few lines in quality.

Regardless, I promise not to tell you about my dreams.