Tag Archives: New York City

“People. Are. Everywhere.”

There are so many different people in New York City.

(photo: Fidel Amos)

(photo: Fidel Amos)

Different races, from different backgrounds. Different ages, following different religions. Different financial and social standings.

(photo: Fidel Amos)

(photo: Fidel Amos)

 

I never really understood the term “people watching” until I moved here a little over a decade ago. It’s not that I wasn’t used to seeing a variety of different people…I was born in Asia, raised in Europe and went to college in Midwest America, so I’ve met my share of people.

What’s so astonishing about New York City in particular is the amount of people you see.

(photo: Fidel Amos)

(photo: Fidel Amos)

Hundreds upon thousands upon millions of people passing by you in the street at any given moment, going somewhere you’re not and coming from somewhere you weren’t. There’s always someone to look at and always someone looking at you.

(photo: Fidel Amos)

(photo: Fidel Amos)

 

People. Are. Everywhere.

– F

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Filed under Blog Quickies, New York City

“Love…So Many People Use Your Name In Vain.”

I’m always wary when I hear the word ‘love’ thrown around these days. People love their new car. They love tv shows. They love their pets. I don’t think it’s wrong to say those things, I simply believe that there are varying degrees with which we can like something or someone.

Those feelings can be split into all kinds of emotions: enjoyment, appreciation, affection, respect, etc, all of which can sometimes be substituted with the word love due to time constraints or incorrect use of the English language. It’s no one’s fault, it’s just easier to do. ‘Love ya girl!’, ‘I love this song’ being perfect examples. 

 

(photo: Fidel Amos)

(photo: Fidel Amos)

Even with all the in-vain ‘love’ usage, I thoroughly enjoy when I happen upon true love randomly. It doesn’t need boisterous words. It doesn’t need to be scripted, planned or pondered.

It simply IS.

– F

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Filed under Blog Quickies, Love Life, New York City, Relationships

“A Person In The Darkness…”

Sometimes when I’m out and about late at night in New York City, I’ll come across a patch of darkness in the middle of the blinding lights of the city.

Most of the time there’s nothing there, just darkness…but every so often there’s a person in the darkness.

(photo: Fidel Amos)

(photo: Fidel Amos)

Depending on the depth of the darkness and the distance between yourself and that person, it can sometimes seem impossible to tell if the person is coming or going…or BOTH.

It’s during that exact fraction of a second that my skin begins to crawl.

– F

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Filed under Blog Quickies, New York City, Nightlife

“No Sleep Til…”

Sleep…it seems like such a simple thing.

You get tired, you lay down, you close your eyes and eventually it comes.

For many New Yorkers however, sleep is a  luxury not so easily  afforded. There is so much to see and do in the Big Apple and so little time to do it all. Work gets in the way. Family gets in the way. The everyday responsibilities that end up taking longer than usual get in the way.

So you sleep where you can, when you can…sometimes even on a subway bench.

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(photo: Fidel Amos)

Perhaps that’s why they call this the city that never sleeps…

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Filed under Blog Quickies, New York City, This Thing Called Life

“$40 Million Dollar Slaves & The Woman On The Train.”

A couple days ago I boarded the downtown 4 express train, headed for Union Square. As the doors closed and the train began to move, I found myself a seat and began to fumble with my iPod. Before finding the song I was looking for (Coldplay’s Viva La Vida…for those of you that are REALLY into details) I happened to glance across the subway car to the seats in front of me and saw one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever laid eyes on.

Her hair was long and the darkest of browns, almost black…dyed slightly lighter at the tips and pulled into a single large braid behind her. Her skin was light, internationally mixed and absolutely flawless: the kind of color you get when you pour a little too much fresh milk into your morning coffee. Her eyebrows were dark and thin, her face classic, the only modern touch was a single tiny golden stud in her left nostril. She wore a sleek and perfectly fitting top and a simple skirt, which in my opinion happened to be exactly the length and style that a perfect lady would wear. Her long, full legs were in a pair of black heels that you just wanted to buy ten more pairs of in ten different colors for her JUST because she looked so good in them.

Her big, brown eyes acknowledged my presence with a quick blink before looking away just in time to avoid that “uncomfortably long stare”. She reached down into her shoulder bag and pulled out a book that I had never heard of…$40 MILLION DOLLAR SLAVES. This enhancesd the attraction, as her reading such a book denoted character and intelligence. How do I know..? Because I was reading the comics section of the Daily News…

As she found her place and began to read, I found myself daydreaming about what I would say to her should the opportunity arise for conversation. I could have just admired her beauty in awe and silence without interrupting her. But what would be the point of that? Even Outkast once said “Everybody knows you can’t let a pretty one pass you by…without saying hi.” For those of you that have no clue who Outkast is, how about a different analogy, “If you saw a sparkling diamond just sitting there within your grasp…wouldn’t YOU try to pick it up?”

But I digress…where was I?

Oh yeah…

The point is, how does one start a conversation with a woman who has probably already shot down ten other men better than you just in the last hour?? What perfectly original, sincerely smooth, ear-opening comment do you make to such a woman?

“Hello there young lady, I see you’re reading my favorite book of all time…$40 Million Dollar Slaves.”

No…that’s not it.

“Hey girl, I noticed you sitting over there, looking all good, reading $40 Million Dollar Slaves.”

Nope…definitely not gonna work.

“Excuse me miss. I seem to have lost my copy of $40 Million Dollar Slaves and I was wondering if I could borrow yours?”

Geesh…shoot me.

How do I speak to her? How do I tell her that she’s absolutely stunning and even though I don’t know her in any way, shape or form, I feel that my day might be a little more grey if I don’t continue to look in her direction? How do I explain to her that if she’s at all as interesting, funny, cool, or understanding as I THINK she might be, than she should let me take her out, wine and dine her, meet her parents, prove my love, propose and grow old with her until we both die happily like those two fools in The Notebook…???

How do I tell her…?

“Um…hi…”

I look up…she’s standing above me, $40 Million Dollar Slaves in her hand.

“I’m sorry,” I say, pretending to turn down my iPod to buy some time, “What were you saying..?”

She blinks her baby browns at me again. “I was just saying hi.”

“Hi,” I mumble, shyly.

She sits next to me and reaches into her purse.

“I feel a bit foolish,” she continued, “but I saw you looking in my direction earlier and I thought you might introduce yourself, but you didn’t.”

She blushes ever so slightly.

“Well, the thing is, I don’t really know anyone in New York, the subway’s a short ride so I never know how to start a conversation with anyone…and you’re really cute.”

She pulls her hand from her purse…it’s holding a business card.

“…anyway, if you’d like to…I don’t know, get coffee or something, my number’s on the card.”

Before I can part my lips to speak, the doors open, she smiles again and leaves me sitting there on the downtown 4 express train.

I don’t say anything.

I don’t do anything.

I simply put the card in my jacket pocket, go back to fumbling with my iPod and begin laughing aloud like some kind of crazed lunatic.

– F


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Filed under Love Life, New York City, Throwback Blogs