New York and DC: The Finish

Okay, I'm getting a little long winded with this New York story, so I'll finish it off with some highlights. I've got so much current stuff in the mix, I can't spend time dwelling on the past. Here goes.........

Loved it/the hotness:
Central Park was the bomb! So beautiful in the morning. not as many weirdos as I expected.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre/The Ailey School: I had SO MUCH FUN exploring that place. It felt like home, really. That African Dance class i took kicked my ass; however, it re-lit my dedication to my research and made me stay focused on getting back to dancing.

Djoniba Mouflet African Dance School: I was given so much support for my research project, and the folks there were just mad chill. Can't wait to train for my certification there.

Entertainment in the subway: Man they should have been charging admission (well, they kinda do :)) for all the stuff I got to see/hear at the train stations. Breakdancers, musicians, crackhead comedians (a HOT mess), fanatical religious people...good fun for $2!

Having stores on EVERY corner: Fresh fruit and quality eats pretty much everywhere. A definite plus for my health nut during the week-but eats catfish and BBQ on the weekends ass.

H & M!!!!!!!: I'm not much of a shopper, but I acted a damn foo up in this place. And it was right next to a Foot Locker....I had no control. My only complaint were the tight assed pants with no booty-room. Anybody know of a decently priced, junk-friendly jeans manufacturer?

All the ethnic folks: Puerto Ricans, Haitians, West Africans, East Africans, Dominicans, Brazilians, Italian (like from Italy), Jamaicans, White folks, Asians, Black folks...all together and making it work. It's diverse here in LA, but NY has more of it and people actually interact with one another. I also like how the ethnic folks valued being "ethnic". Holding on to one's culture while succeeding in the dominant society is a beautiful thing.

Clubbing till 4 AM!: I love how at 3 am, the DJ is still doin the damn thang on the turntables.
Parking lot/club exit pimping at 4 am...priceless.

Howard University (in DC): So uplifting and inspiring seeing my upwardly mobile brethren thriving. The eye candy was nice as well....woof.

Seeing my long-lost friends: Chillin with Reg was definitely a highlight, as was getting to see my fraternity bro Jeff and friend Ms. Drea from undergrad. I found out a gang of folks I know live in NY/DC, so my next trip is going to be soo ridiculous!


Hated it!/BOO-HISS:

Crazy ass taxi drivers: I almost died 3 TIMES messin' with transportation via taxicab. I'll take my chances with the subway, thank you!

JFK airport: Why does this damn airport gotta be so damn far away from errythang?? Damn it!

The wave cap as a fashion accessory: I'm talking about non-black hair textured folks donning wave caps, as if wearing one will give them more "thug" credibility. The wave cap is a functional grooming item people...if you don't have any waves developing or cornrows to protect, PLEASE leave the cap at home.

High ass prices: New York City and State must have fallen and bumped their heads if they expect anybody to pay 20 bucks just to park on the street. Boo-to-da-hiss.

The Empire State Building: From the outside, I was mesmerized by the magnitude of this building. On the inside, I got my feelings hurt. I totally felt cheated when i found out you can't go all the way to the top without paying extra. And the telescope thingis were hella broke the day i went. Let's work on that please.

The Village: Okay i know I'm probably going to catch fire and brimstone for bad talking "The Village". But from what I saw, I wasn't too thrilled. Maybe it was hyped up too much for me....maybe things weren't crackin on the night that i visited. Anywho, i'll have to go and chill in the Village on a Saturday to see what it's really all about.

Overall Impression:

I bought one of those corny "I-HEART-NY" shirts and rocked it on my way back home...so I must be fond of NY. There's a lot more to see and do in the city. I hardly touched any of the other borroughs, so I definitely need to spend some time away from Manhattan next time. Until then, I'll enjoy my memories and these ridiculous video clips i recorded. When I get a chance, i'll have to post some of them.

-J.