La Esquina

La Esquina and I have been seeing each other for about two years. La Esquina is great, we couldn't be happier. And how terrible would it be if I carried on with this? (114 Kenmare St.)

La Esquina is an island on an island. They have the to-go window, the inside counter area, there are tables outside, and there's the cafe directly around the corner. I tend to sit at the inside counter, since I can order individual tacos, verses buying them by twos outside. I also enjoy sitting on a stool inside to people watch. I admire the hair cuts, the clothing, and the unusual eye-wear of the patrons that frequent there.  Yeah, it's a fun place. It's a place to get ideas.

Now that I've put up wall paper, we should probably discuss food.... I have never had better tacos, anywhere. I have tasted the fish, roasted and shredded pollo, sausage, white bean, and steak tacos. (I am loyal to them all, and especially loyal to the shredded chicken and the white bean) These tacos are not the generic, strips of lettuce with diced tomato tacos. These are the cabbage, avocado, and sauteed spinach tacos. It's like home food, except it isn't Mom's home food, cuz you know she just throws it together for her own kids. It's like Auntie Tonya's cooking, because she makes it with love...And it's a pleasure to look at.

When I became inquisitive, I learned that La Esquina's menu is inspired by Mexico City, (I wonder if the owner is from Mexico City, or does the city just mean something to him?) and that they have a new executive chef, Akhtar Nawab. Nawab has worked at Bizou, La Folie, Gramercy Tavern, Craft, and Craftbar, where he put on a executive chef hat. I think he knows what he's doing..

Since I just had brunch at  La Esquina on Saturday, let's elaborate.

The interior decor. The cream leather booths, the wooden tables painted black, the checkered cushions, the indirect light, the worn wooden floors, the brick, the green cement wall that appears to have natural wear & tare to it. There are various shades of green and shapes on this wall. (Of late, I've noticed that new establishments are doing this pseudo antediluvian look, but it looks too new to appear believably old.) And, compare all this to the lite colored wooden wall that felt like it was just cut and roughly sanded. Goshhhh. (This means I like.) 

Then there's the artwork.... La Esquina features various artists in their cafe. Presently there are photos hung on each wall by Gogy Esparza, a local artist. Gogy is a photographer and head barber at two barber shops in the East Village.  He has a book out, LIGHTTIME, and this is his first solo debut. Esparza's info. is at the door, yes he can be contacted. My favorite of his work? The -- looking at life through a bubble -- one. I probably should have taken a photo of it.

For brunch I asked for the Pescado, (Or fish tacos, if I were to be less romantic about it.)  which was accompanied by pickled radish. Umm, yeah....I recommend this as a brunch/lunch option. And for desert (I guess I like my sweets.) I had the Crema Cocida, which is a Mexican cream panna cotta. This was chaperoned by pineapple and pumpkin seed brittle. Let me just say, woahh. These are flavors that I have never experienced together before. Do you know how exciting that is? I actually got up and brought it to the door so I could shoot it under natural light.

And the books on the back shelf.....Those are the owner's books that he has collected during his travels. E-huh.

I'm a little sad about this ending, but I guess it has to. So....."Get that corn outta my face!" (Nacho)

Free Hugs Last Night 05/29/10

After a long and merry day of gathering more material for this blog, I ran into a number of Free Hug participants at Union Square, where a man asked if I wanted to be hugged. I responded: "Sure, a hug sounds nice."

The hug was real sugar, it was none of that Sweet 'n Low business. When we separated Mr. Free Hugs moved on to another person, a twenty-something looking fellow. I stood there and watched. When they separated, Mr. Free Hugs said, "I love you," and he meant it, or he said it with meaning. Mr. Twenty-something soaked that in for half a moment then said, "Thank you. I really needed that." And that is when I said, "I need another hug," which lead to us talking.

Mr. Free Hugs is Yoav Broza. Yoav is an Israeli who is currently working at NBC for the next three months. (He's a computer guy.) He doesn't have many friends in Nyc, which is what caused him to join the Free Hugs movement.

Since the man in charge of Free Hugs Nyc was there Yoav asked if I wanted to meet him. I said yes, and followed him over to Solomon Seagal. Solomon explained how this movement is essentially trying to dole out love to a lonely city, that city being Nyc. I'm not so sure if I agree with him on that. I think everything is what you make it to be.

But, something was said that struck me in a not so soft manner....When I asked: Has anyone ever cried after receiving a hug? (I got.) "Yes. I hear stories almost everyday of people who have broken down and started crying. Lots of people get very emotional. The story I heard today was that somebody got hugged who did not get hugged since their mother died." Because people don't really touch a lot anymore. "No they do not." That's why pets are important.

That's why I wrote this, because I think there's something there.

Nyc can be a lonely place for those who don't get the knack of making new friends. It's like any dorming experience, if you don't make connections, you aren't going to have an okay time.

And as for the physical contact -- Yeah, I guess everyone could do that a little more. Everyone meaning, this is not a Nyc problem. This is a larger problem than that. I'm not exactly sure how large it is.

And, and....If anyone knows any decent Kosher restaurants get back to me.

Tomorrow I write about La Esquina so stay tuned.

Maria Bonita

My Mother, "And what are you going to do with your hair? Me, "Omgosh, you're killing me." Yips, I've been busy lately with living and writing. I wasn't giving graduation much thought. Or was I trying not to think about it?

Any how, for the past four birthdays Maria Bonita has done my hair. (Party or no party, I think it's important to appreciate one's self.) At past arrivals at Maria Bonita I've said things like, "Okay this is what I wanna do...Can you do it?" And they have. They have brought a number of my visions to life...They have also talked me away from some very un-flattering ideas. The good stylists will do that. When we look sharp, so do they.  

When the hair question came up, I knew that I wanted Maria Bonita because I know I can count on them, and I guess I was being a little sentimental about it...So I called to find out what their opening hour was. 10 a.m. they said, and at that I concluded that it wouldn't work, since graduation was scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m.   

A few days after that I went to Soho, Maria Bonita's neighborhood, to meet a friend. On the way to this friend I thought, go over there and explain. So, that's what I did. I told them of my time predicament. And if someone felt like coming in early, great. If not, I would be sad, but I had to try.

A few hours later I received a voicemail from Maria Bonita with a request for me to confirm an 8:30 a.m. appointment for Wednesday morning. After disconnecting I cried. (I've been happy crying a lot lately. If you see me crying on a park bench some where, I just want you to know that I'm happy.)

At 8:20 a.m. I was greeted by Nonato Santo, or Raymond Santo (Or just Ray.) at the salon. At this greeting I expressed my gratitude. Cuz who volunteers to come into work an hour and a half early? When I got into the chair Ray went to it, because a ton of time is something I didn't have. Although, I was oddly relaxed about the whole thing.

When we got to talking I learned that Ray has been cutting hair for twenty-seven years. (Bravo.) And that he is Brazilian, which I guess adds up since Maria Bonita is a Brazilian salon. If you're Brazilian, or if you're well acquainted with one, then you would know that taking care of the body is a very serious matter. I have a Brazilian mother, believe me, I know this to be true.

While we were talking a woman entered the shop to ask if she could get an early morning appointment for the following day. Ray amiably told her that she would have to call and ask since they opened at 10 a.m.... I don't think she was super content about that since she asked why I was there before 10. Ray responded, "Well, she's a special customer." Then she left. And I thought, huh, how cool, and haha. Common, she was impolite. (My hair from a previous birthday.)

When Ray finished blow drying my hair straight he asked how we were on time. I think I said something like, "we have plenty of time." Which really didn't make any sense at all, which he knew because he kept rushing.

At 9:24 a.m. Ray did the finishing touches of putting some type of glaze in my hair. The only thing left to do after that was to take a few shots of the salon, then it was time to depart. During the go process Ray told me to "run," as he handed me my coffee that I would have deserted there. For a person who was supposed to be in a rush, I was not rushing very much?

Was I pleased with the end result? I have never left Maria with a -- well, I guess it's okay -- feeling. Eleven out of eleven times, I've walked out of there feeling like I should be starring in an action film. (That means six stars.)

~

A side note about the dress. Yes, this is the Roni dress. Instead of the belt I ran to a fabric shop for ribbon.

~
Final thought on this story. Obrigado Nonato. Siento especial.

'Looking For My Life'

Looking For My Life
By: Dr. Walter Raubicheck
~
For the past quarter century, I looked for my life.
Such a long time to be without it!
Looked behind doors, up in the attic,
On the street where you live.
Gone missing…or fishing.

A con man tried to put me wise
But not in a wisdom-way:
“Spread some money around, you’ll find it!”
So I did…
But it got into the hands of all the wrong people.

So instead of a life I’ve had a role
And I played it very well:
Summer stock, all the regional theaters,
And I caused some laughs and tears.
A good gig, for twenty-five years.

But I just can’t put the old zing into it anymore.
I need a new part…or my life,
Which is still playing hard to get.
I’ve tried religion, and sex…
Next I’m going to take up Tae Kwan Do.

At least I’ll go down fighting
Looking for my life.
~

Dr. Walter Raubicheck, is a professor at Pace University. He has published numerous scholarly articles on literature and film. He is also a playwright who has had a number of his works produced in the city.

Romeee? No, Grommm.

Let's talk about gelato. Since my EU holiday, I have not been able to find a gelateria that has been able to match the quality of Italy's gelato. I tried my luck at two handfuls of gelaterias in the city. And nothing. I could not find anything akin to the goodness that Italy has. I simply dealt with the fact that I would not have good gelato again until I return to Italy. Then there was Grom.

Holly. Schmolly. It's good. O, and it's expensive, like really expensive. It's also completely worth it. Ya see, every ingredient that Grom uses is organic. They grow their own fruits at Mura Mura, their farm in Italy.  They purchase the best of dairy and nuts. And they choose their monthly flavors according to what's in season.

All this information is listed on their Website. But, I can tell you from my experience, I think it's true. I did not feel the heaviness I would normally feel after any desert. (I promise I won't repeat this, but I'm onto something.) Also, Grom's gelato melted in a rushed manner the same way Italy's gelato did. I think it has something to do with the freshness, and the organic qualities that Italy's fruit has in comparison to ours.

Yes, I'm referring to US fruit. I hate to be the one to tell you this, but natural fruits and vegetables are not supposed to be that perfect looking. That's called chemicals. I know, it was a major bummer when I found out too.

Another factor to be noted about the cost of Grom's products is that all of their plastic, their spoons, and their garbage bags are biodegradable. And the paper they use, it's recycled. This is due to their Grom Loves World movement, Grom's effort towards going green. So, when you're paying a little more -- That's why.

When I asked Grom's manager, Richard what his favorite flavor pairing was, (cuz you can't just get one.) the response I got was: "I prefer a simple Stracciatella. We use a milk base called Fiordilatte (Literally it means, milk flower.) and chocolate chips from the Columbian Teyuna Plantation. I'll pair this with our Coconut Sorbet. The pairing gave me the idea to try to add chocolate directly to the coconut. I'm proud to say it has become one of our flavor of the month offerings.A small thanks to me." (Smile.)

Of course I had to try Richard's favorite, especially since coconut is one of my preferred gelato flavors. (I am very aware of what it's supposed to taste like.) And yeahhhh, it's good. I was surprised that the coconut was sorbet and not gelato.

What else can I tell you about this place? Um, go there, and please get back to me after you do.

And final note: "We're also gluten friendly, with the exception of a few flavors." So, make sure you ask which are rude.

An Interview With Joe Mangrum, & Then Some

My interest of Joe Mangrum began in March. There were afternoons where I'd catch him an hour or so in, when what ever he was working on was at it's skeleton stage. Then I'd go off somewhere to meet someone or do something for awhile, and return to check out Joe's progression. It was like witnessing the blossoming of a flower, I would see the bud, then hours later the flower, and think, wow, how did that happen? 

I friended Joe on FaceBook, and would consistently see his work on the news reel, until it became evident that I should be finding out more about him. 

This interview is it's own animal in comparison to the others. For one thing I was kneeling most of the time beside Joe as he worked on the piece of that day, while holding my iPhone towards him so it could catch his voice over the wind. When he got up, I got up. When he knelled, I knelled. Yeah, it was pretty fun. Shall we?

So what do you call this? Is there a title for it?  "Sand painting. I'm an artist. I do lots of different things and mediums."

What are some of the things you work on? "I make installations, I do oil paintings, I do collage, I do sand paintings, I do permanent with some sand on a panel, I do photography, I do photographic prints of my work, ah I do."

When did you start working in parks? "Ah, I started in Union Square on August 23rd  last fall, 2009."

Cuz I see you out here all the time..... "Yeah, this is what I do for my day to day, sort of  bread and butter."

Is this how you pay the bills? "This is what I do. Um, this supplements my income so that I can work on other paintings and stuff, as opposed to being in construction, which is what I did before that. I worked in construction in a number of different jobs up until last August. Where now, I've found a balance to create art in the streets, and get enough income from that to support my other projects. I'm making art full time, all the time, in a lot of different mediums. But I've been an artist all my life."

I love that, too many people sacrifice them-selves, for them-selves...When did you get the idea to work with sand? "Ahh Well, I've done temporary works in public for a long time. I went to art school at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and ah, after I graduated I took off traveling for many years. And I couldn't really paint while I was on the road, and to lug all the canvases with me wasn't practical. So, I started doing temporary works out in nature using flowers, and seeds, and berries, and what-not, and photographing it. And it lead to using all different types of materials -- Cutting up cars, computers, ah creating relationships and dialogue between different objects. So after so many years of that I was using sand, like beach sand as part of that.....I was out living at San Francisco at the time, and I started this work out in Southern California, at Laguna Beach, and it eventually just, ya know, you start exploring different things, different ideas. And I was doing a lot of large scale installations up to 60ft. in diameter and 40ft. tall. Which is all pretty simple when you've got access to a huge number of friends with large scale equipment, space, and all that.

But I decided that I was gonna move to New York, and all those resources sort of disappeared. Ya know? When I moved to New York, I was like: What can I do to make art? I started using colored sand back in 2006, and I brought it out in a suit case, and tried it out, and shoou (This was a sound he made.) it worked.

Now, I'm also exploring painting and going back to the canvas, and panel painting to create objects for people to collect, and express painting in a different way."

Can you tell me if you're winging this? "Yeah, pretty much, you know, the painting will start to tell me what it wants after awhile. And certain shapes leave voids, so you wanna fill in the in-betweens. And ah, the color combinations and everything kind of ah, it just starts talking to you like a painting would, just like oil painting or anything else, but using sand, which is a temporary medium."

Do people contact you? Can they buy your art? "Yeah, absolutely, it's just JoeMangrum.com, and my sand paintings are archived on facebook, more so than my website because I post while I'm working.
And I've done plenty of events over the years. I've done commissions for large scale festivals like, All Points West, lots of different stuff like that, as well as private events, weddings, parties, that sort of thing."

Okay, this is a little un-related, but I have to ask.....Did you have a themed wedding?  "Yeah we did, we were planning to move to New York so before we left San Francisco we decided to throw a big party and have our friends and everything, and ah, a true San Francisco style wedding. Um, we did it at the Palace of Fine Arts, and we had everyone come as their favorite artist or a piece of art.

Who was your artist? "Well, I made up my costume. It was a combination between the Mad-Hatter, George Clinton, and Willie Wonka. And then my wife made her own dress which was inspired by art nouveau."

Okay, I've asked my questions. Is there anything you would like to include? "Um, well, I just think this symbol is very important for people to relate to, and engage with. I make these inside an urban grid, and this is like ah sort of organic mandala-like shape, if you will. Um, I don't really like to use the term mandala because it puts -- See the thing is the urban grid, it puts us in a state of psychology where we compartmentalize everything, where everything has it's own little convenient box. And when you use the word mandala, it's actually a Sanskrit word, so people associate it with Eastern philosophy as opposed to relating to it on a Western side. So, I don't like to use the word mandala necessarily, but it accurately describes what I do.

And, in terms of the urban grid, it's like the world is dividing by minutes and seconds by the Gregorian calendar. And those equate distances, and so it puts us in a state where we're out of balance with nature. And it puts us in a psychological division opposed to unity. So, that's why I explore this symbol."

Then a fellow with a small white dog joined us. 

Mr. White Dog: "Is that your design?"

Joe: "Yes."

Mr. White Dog: "What prompted you to choose that if I may ask?"

Joe: "Ah, it's all just made up as I go. It's my imagination just getting poured out onto the sidewalk."

Mr. White Dog: "I'm not making a judgement at that. That's one way or the other. Do you understand anything about the meaning of that? I'm a painter, and a student of psychology."

Joe: "What do you see in it?"

Mr White Dog: "I'm just talking about the purely intrinsic qualities of design."

Joe: "Em-huh. That's like we're peeling an onion of metaphors, so where would you like to start?" (Laughter)

Mr. White Dog: "We can start with the fact that it's non-figurative, it's not an object."

Joe: "It's leaf like, and it's.."

Mr. White Dog: "Suggestive."

Joe: "Suggestive."

Mr. White Dog: "Um that it's symmetrical, the symmetry is basically four-sided."

Joe: "E-huh."

Mr. White Dog: "Um in one way, from a psychological view, I don't wanna shock you with this, but it would be considered symmetrically the kind of design somebody who is schizophrenic would come up with."

Me: "Really?" (Joe laughed.)

Joe: "That's funny."

Mr. White Dog: "Why is that so?"

Joe: "Roses are red, violets are blue, I'm schizophrenic, and so am I."

Me: "That's funny!"

I had to stop recording because Mr. White Dog was very intent with attempting to convince Joe that he was schizophrenic… Apologies for the interruption.

Dear Joe is humble because when I took a closer look at him online I learned that while Joe lived in San Francisco the L.A. Times wrote about his public artwork a number of times, that he has permanent work at the bus stops at 22nd Street and Mission in San Fran, and that he was honored by the Lorenzo de Medici Award at the Florence Biennale in 2003.

So, if you're looking for something that will circulate positive energy visit Joe's website. The link is above.

Lastly, when you spot Joe drop some cash in his suit case. He is a gem of New York City.

Searching For Thee Dress

My Mother: "What are you wearing for graduation? Me: "I donno? I haven't really thought about it." My Mother: "Do you think you should get a new dress? Me: "Is that your way of suggesting that I do?" My Mother: "If you feel like getting a new dress, I'll pay for it." Me: "Okay. And thanks." So I took an afternoon to find a dress. Actually, I took two afternoons, or was it three?

The initial afternoon of searching, I walked into Roni, a clothing shop on Broadway. (Downtown) While there I combed through each dress, feeling the fabric, while my eyes scanned for what I wanted.. I wanted Day. I wanted Happy. I dress how I feel. I touched every dress there, and there were many present that I would wear. But for this particular occasion I choose three to play dress-up with. There was a floral magenta dress, which I tried on last since I knew I had a strong inclination towards it. (I give myself a hard time with buying the first thing I try on.) And when I put magenta on yup, that was the dress.

Did I buy the dress? No. I enjoy torturing myself, and I had it in my head that I wanted to see what Anthropologie had before making any decisions. Before departing, I asked the manager, Michael, the chances of magenta still being there the following day if I didn't make the purchase then. Ya see, Roni's dresses are purchased from all over the US, Europe, but mostly Asia since, "they have a very unique style." And, "We also buy 1 to 3 of a kind," which means that's all they have of that dress in stock, unless there's a special order put out. (Special orders usually mean time.)

After Michael took a look at the computer he responded, "There are three currently in the store right now. And if you come back tomorrow it'll probably be here," instead of, I donno, you'll definitely be taking a chance response. That is what I look for in a shopping experience, someone who is looking out for my interests, as well as their own....I thanked Michael before leaving, because that type of shop honesty is refreshing.  

The following day  I took a trip to Anthropologie, where I examined many dresses. Yup, the entire time I kept thinking, I want magenta dress. This isn't magenta dress. Sigh.

The following following day, I returned to Roni to say, "Is it still here!" And yes it was, it was the last one of the three. I was also going to purchase this cream hued fabric belt. I'm not a huge fan of belts, but the dress needed one. Yet when I heard it's price, I hesitated. It wasn't anything extreme, it was just more than I was willing to spend at that moment. (Even though I wasn't spending my own money, that's just me.) And Michael was fine about it, he didn't snob me, or guilt me with silence. He actually gave me a clear description as to what I should be looking for when continuing the search. Again, with the honesty. Thank You.

~

After this whole ordeal I contacted Michael for a few more details about his work-life. What I found out is that there is a point system. Each spent dollar is equivalent to a point. When one reaches 4/5 thousand points, V.I.P. treatment commences. Which means discounts, not chocolates. There is also a $25.00 gift when one spends $250 or more. (Yup, there's a shelf-life on that.) This may be a more reasonable goal for me.
~

And as for the shopping itself, I'm very specific with my purchases. I think we all reach a certain point where we have everything that we already need. So, when I make additions to the closet I think: What will this add to my collection? Because everything should mean something.

In close: If you're looking to splurge, try something new at....well, I think I've expressed the where information thoroughly enough....too much repetition is no good. And before I forget...there are three other blank shops, which are all located downtown.
(p.s. You'll get a better idea of the dress next week.)

Luke's Lobster Rolls

"Dr Claw will be serving up the streets starting at 6pm. Have cash in hand. Text from the red wall across from address (I had to delete the address) with the number of rolls you are looking for. Wait till your text is answered and take a quick walk around the block. You will be given the exact location about 10 min after your first text. Do not be late in getting to location #2 Your rolls will not taste good the longer they sit...Send a follow up text letting us know you have received the roll. Dr. Claw does not make change on the street. Suggested donation: 14"

Yup, I did something in relation to the above in order to taste the "Best Lobster Rolls in Nyc." Um, yeah it was fun exchanging a brown bag for money on the street with a guy who went by, Dr. Claw, who did wear bling around his neck in the shape of a rather large lobster claw.

And was it good? Yes. There were sizable lobster chunks in a buttered hot-dog roll. There isn't much to complain about that. But it being the first lobster roll I have ever had, there wasn't much to compare it to.

So, at yesterday's noon I decided to check out Luke's in the East Village, (93 E. 7th St.) since I have a friend that works there, Nic, who has been claiming good things about Luke's lobster rolls for some time now. (Way before this Dr. Claw ordeal.) When that decision was made, I texted a friend to ask if he felt like having lobsters rolls for lunch. The response: "LOBSTER ROLLS?!?! Laugh. Been craving those forever! I almost got one last night but changed my mind at the last minute. Where in the East Village?" First: I had no idea lobster rolls were this loved? And second, take a look at what fate did.

At Luke's the chunks were larger, and there was this herb, I don't wanna say sauce, but juice would sound weird, on it. It was refreshing, rather than buttery. Which is what I like. And it looked pretty. The folks over at Luke's hadn't the slightest idea what I was up to, yet it was still pretty. That says something about their attention to detail.

After the positive experience at Luke's, I looked them up. An interesting factoid about them is that their lobsters are driven down from Maine. And according to their website, "Your server can trace your roll back to the very harbor where the lobster was caught. If your first bite brings to mind an old lobster boat steaming through the morning fog off of Vinalhaven Island, it’s because that’s exactly what happened just hours before." What a beautiful  paragraph. And, I'm pretty sure this is true, because I've tasted, and it does taste fresh. (p.s. They are also opening a UES shop at 242 E. 81St. btw 2nd and 3rd.)

And no, I'm not dogging Dr. Claw, he has his own madness going on. The whole waiting around on a random stoop, before making an exchange for goods was just as entertaining as it sounds, especially since I was accompanied by Thomas. Yup, it's mandatory that all of my interviewees must hang out with me after the interviewing process is over. You should really take a closer look at that fine print. (If you want to track down Dr. Claw he Tweets about his schedule.)

'Lessons Of Mucous-Coated Throats'

Lessons of Mucous-Coated Throats (and other things I learned along the way)

By: Alexandra Gauss
~

5:30 a.m.

Need coffee immediately.

     Dave listens to sports radio all the way to Dallas.
We all have coughs.

11:30 a.m.

Am I the only one getting hungry?
      Julie reads a sign and mispronounces
             Chicago. We erupt with laughter.
Cough.

9:42 p.m.

Finally on the ranch in Fort Stockton.
             We’re only 2 hours from Mexico?
                  I wish I was in Mexico.
Cough.

8:36 a.m.

“Wake up, city girl, You can help me skin the deer Katie shot in the head
          last night.
               Har Har Har.”
Cough.

6:45 p.m.

Electricity cuts out during dinner.
        In the dark, Katie tells us stories of all the
                          times she has seen maggots.
Cough. Cough.

3:15 p.m.

Dale shows me the baby crib in the attic that
           once belonged to George Bush.
                        We run out of Dr. Pepper.
Cough.

6:05 p.m.

Dusk is slingshotted across the horizon.
      On the way to Cafe Amigo, there is a billboard says
              “We need to talk. –God”
Cough.

6:25 p.m.

Dave and Dale compete with story telling and ignore the Latina waitress
              when she asks us how the food tastes.
                        I get salsa in my hair.
And cough.

8:15 a.m.

Pass the border into New Mexico. What would I do if I lived here? Sit
       against the fence post with my grandmother’s typewriter and a glass of  sweet tea.
   Mom says over the phone
 “Don’t forget to see the turquoise people when
                          you get to Santa Fe.”
                     God, I miss her.
Cough.
~
Alexandra is a graduating senior at Pace University. She majored in English with a focus on Writing. She also minored in Creative Writing & Fine Arts. O, and Alexandra is a Texan, who now resides in New York. I know, it's cool.
(This poem is also in the 50th edition of Aphros.) (Pace's Literary Mag.)

The CupcakeStop

Since I intern close enough to Madison Square Park, I tend to end up there a lot after free work. I try to get in as much outside time as possible. I can't help it, I like the sky.

Anyway, after spending an efficient amount of time on a park bench last week I head to the yellow line. While rounding the corner I spotted this Cupcake truck, and  thought, nahh.

If you know me, then you know that I will go to the ice cream...Although I have been known to lean towards a tart when I feel like livin' on the edge, or I will do an occasional visit to Crumbs, cuz yeah, they're up to good things over there. But, for the most part I'm usually dissatisfied by cupcakes. I think it's the dryness that confuses me.

After passing up the CupcakeStop for two days while giving it these inquiring looks, I decided to stop behaving like a crazy person and find out what the cupcakes tasted like. At the very least, I could form an opinion.

I stepped up, ordered a nutella cupcake, carried it down into the subway, got on the subway, (It was one of those perfect moments of being in sync with public transport.) sat down, put cupcake in mouth. "Woahh, this is really good," I said aloud. There was an Italian couple seated across from me, I figured they understood the concept of: When food is good, it's good, it's only right to be excited about good food. There were pieces of hazelnuts in there! The frosting was lite, and it complemented the cake so well.

Of course I had to contact CupcakeStop to ask questions. There was no hesitation about that. After a few e-mails I was able to obtain the following information from Lev, the CEO of CupcakeStop.

Lev studied law, not cupcakes. Yet, when he graduated, the job market was unfriendly, which caused him to go about things a little differently.

"I wanted to go out on my own and work for myself instead of waiting for the job market to improve. I thought a cupcake truck was a creative spin on selling cupcakes and would allow me to not only reduce start up costs, but also garner more attention and exposure than a brick and mortar location would provide."


The inside information on these cupcakes is that Lev runs his business on a strict, this - has- to - be - fresh basis. Which is why it's so good. How can I tell? By how I felt after eating the cupcake. A heavy feeling is never good.

The CupcakeStop just opened their first shop at the Limelight Place at 6th Ave and 20th. Their truck is also parked in a number of locations according to days and times. They do Tweet about locations. So, check them out.

And yeah, it's better than Crumbs. (Crumbs I still love you, please don't start screening my calls.)

(I've also tried their Oreo cupcake. Yup, it's good stuff, especially if you're a fan of the frosting in the middle.)

Anthony Vazquez

When I spent that day at the studio salon, I left with some great info. about West Village's neighborhood, and Anthony Vazquez's contact information. I had tucked his card in the pages of my journal, and had forgotten about it, until I found it while waiting for the subway. When I took it out I thought, no, I'm not going to contact him. Then I thought, wait, why not? So, I asked if he wanted to meet me in an e-mail. (People the most difficult challenge you will triumph over is looking at you in the mirror.)

                     Anthony Vazquez
     Anthony was conceived in Oklahoma
   Yet he didn't stay long enough to remember it
                            Right?
                Anthony studied at NYU
   He lived in Italy for months after his studies
O, and um, he started his own business at twenty-three
                          Shall We?

Where do you live? "I grew up in Queens, Bayside Queens, I've lived in Bayside for 28 years now. And I still live in Bayside." (Italy is included here.)

Tell me about Queens, any favorite places?  "I love Bayside. It's my neighborhood. I love going to this place Villaggio, that all my friends hate. They probably hate it because I make them go there so much, but I love it cuz the foods good.....I also feel like this is my neighborhood. I spend so much time here. I couldn't imagine my office being in another area in the city. I love Hells' kitchen, I love the West End, all the restaurants around here are amazing. Um, it's just I love it. It's not Times Square. It's not what people think it is."

So, this is just an office? "This is an office. I wanted to make it very homey, very relaxing, cuz most people come to me on week-nights after work, and I want them to feel like they're at home, so they can relax."

What does photographgy mean to you?  "I think you reach a point where you become one with your artistic medium. Photography means everything to me... It is who I am and I am what it is. If that makes sense?..."

How did you get into photography? "It was kind of coincidental, I needed a job when I was sixteen years old. And my best friend's mother ran a wedding photography company, and I took the job. Basically answering phones.......Yeah, I'm self taught but I stayed in the business with them for four years. And then, I was studying at NYU, and then, I moved to Italy for a little while."

Where? "Florence...It's a small big city. The streets, people, and love of life is unmatched....But I traveled all over the country, I did like thirty-five cities, I studied the Medicci Gardens and landscapes... And then kind of there, was where I discovered my passion for photography cuz I just traveled around with a camera taking pictures and meeting Italians. And then as soon as I came home my company fired me. And I opened up my own business that same day.

Let's go back to photography. How did you make this into a business? "Ah yeah, we opened up my first office in NYC when I was twenty-three. I literally just rented a little space in Long Island and started sharing space with somebody. I built a little website, and it was just word of mouth in the beginning. We had that for two years, and it didn't go as well as expected, so we closed. And I actually met people in Starbucks for two years. Yeah, a little note of experience. We kind of just, ya know, we had this huge overhead, and it really wasn't working out, so I closed the office. I just didn't wanna spend any more money. So, I would meet NYC clients at Starbucks and discuss the logistics of their weddings and book the jobs there.

For awhile we did that. It's been a crazy ride, ya know, up and down, but I mean, I love what I do. And things couldn't be better right now. My career has definitely taken off in 2009 in ways that I could never have imagined."

Which types of events do you work with? "Weddings, social events, Bar-Mitzvahs, but mostly weddings."

Can you talk about what sets you apart from the rest?  "I focus on shooting the most fabulous weddings. What I strive for is creating really provocative and innovative and fashion forward images at weddings. So we're trying to, ya know, to create a trend, to create something that's not your prototypical wedding image, and that really has a more L, Vogue, Harpers Bazarr feel to it, comparatively to some of the other stuff that's out there right now. We're really for the more discerning bride, for somebody who is looking for something really edgy and different.

I asked Anthony to send over a photo he was proud of, and to talk about it a little, this was his choice: "I love the feel of this image... It was about to rain and she booked.... So we did the shoot as we ran to beat the rain. To me, it says gritty New York..."

So, who have you worked with? "We've done a couple of really big deal weddings. We've worked with the the Jonas brothers, Beverly Mitchell from Seventh Heaven. We've worked with one of the METS, Paul Lo Duca, who's retired now. Ah, then a lot of socialite events, well known New Yorkers. My clientele is pretty diversified.

Does your passion for photography ever seem like just work now? "Fortunately I have a passion for photography in general. But my business has grown so much and I have so many demands placed on me right now that I don't really get to ....(Do fun stuff?)  No, I love what I do, what I do is fun. But I don't necessarily get to do personal stuff. My personal work is almost a at a zero, but my business is at 100 right now. But it's good, money isn't everything, but it helps.

How do you feel about New York? "I love New York. No matter where I've been in the world, there's no other place that has this vibe, and diversity of culture, and ethnicities, and people. It's just in my opinion the coolest city in the world....I've been all around the world to major cities, we just got back from Tokoyo, we've shooted in Argentina, and Italy, and as much as I love those other cities, um, there really is only one New York. It's great to go to Italy, but there's nothing like a Saturday in New York City shooting a wedding, for me.

Where is your favorite place to shoot in Nyc? "Okay, I'm addicted to the Meatpacking District and Soho. I hate Central Park. I can't think of anywhere worse to go. Everyone wants to go there, there's this whole affliction to it. Central Park does not represent New York City. Central Park is just like every other park, it's just huge, it's a really big park.....When you really wanna capture the essence of New York, that's the Meatpacking District, that's Soho. That's where all the immigrants moved into, that's who came here and really developed the city. The streets are so old and so indicative....And Madison Avenue. How else can you show the wealth of New York, but walk down Madison Avenue? I love shooting at Madison Ave. I love stopping the cars right across the street to piss everybody off. So, um, those are places, probably the top three for me."

What do I wanna look at, at Meatpacking? "You wanna look at the cobble stone, just the walls, the actual iron gates. I mean it's def changed, they got rid of a lot of graffiti, which I think is an injustice to it. I think what really gave the Meatpacking District it's original start was how gritty it was. But, you know Niro? The restaurant with the yellow wall? Where else do you get to shoot in front of yellow brick walls? I think there's a lot of color there. The high line is cool. That to me is like Central Park."

Any other projects that you're working on? Yeah, we have a new project that we just launched, it's a new company called The Click Nation. It's a spin off of what I do. It's an educational company. So right now we're traveling around the country helping other wedding photographers who are learning to do what we do, and how to run a business.

 I gave a talk last week, it's called, Get Passionate Now. It was about self evolution. The whole concept was based on the definition of the word 'passionate'. Which is a loving, and tender, and strong, emotional feeling towards any person or thing. Um, you're willing to endure suffering in many cases for it, so um, it was all about discovering your inner passions and getting motivated, how to tap into that energy. And how that energy will help you evolve as a person, as a business person, and to become a more successful, creative and passionate photographer. That was last week."

You have a blog. I know that you do! Do you want to talk about the blog? "Sure, I just started my Blog three months ago. I was writing on FaceBook as it was a blog, about recent events, but some people don't have FaceBook....Right now it's about who I am, how I got to where I am, what my beliefs and passions are about photography. It's about the work and the clients I work with, and a feel for who they are. And then it's also to help my clients to better understand the wedding industry. There's a pros and cons section, and a section for tips of the trade. I'm aiming for multi-faceted.

And it's something that's still developing. You know, I'm learning a lot about blogging, finding a voice on the Internet, a voice to be heard, which is a challenge in it of itself. But so far I think it's been going pretty good."

Okay, happiness, you're busy, you're making money, all this stuff is happening. Are ya happy? "I am. You know, I think ah, I'm finally in a place in my life, I'm living in every aspect the life I want to. I'm single, I'm traveling the world, I'm experiencing different cultures, I'm working with the clients who I want to, um, I'm more profitable. You know, I mean, could we change things? Absolutely. Could things always be better? Absolutely. But I think the glass is more than half full at this point. You know, and I've been blessed in so many ways, with so many different career opportunities. We wanted to work with celebrities, that's happened. We wanted to do all these different things, all those goals, one by one have kind of been tackled which is pretty cool. Now I have to give back to the community, and help other photographers grow and become successful entrepreneurs and artists as well.

So, was that a "yes"? Cuz I hear ya on the whole amazing stuff is happening, but are you taking it in? "I'm actually happy. Yeah, I think a lot of people are not, I agree. I'm busy, I'm really busy, and it's definitely a hard juggle between my personal life, and would I like to be able to spend more time with my friends and family? Yes. Would I like to be able to travel more for my own personal work? Yes. Would I like those things? But at the end of the day I have to look at what I have. And what I have is based on how busy I am at this point. Do you go through those feelings of, O this is really tough, I wish I had more time? Absolutely, but at the same time things couldn't be better for me at a professional stand-point, and from a personal stand point, like I said, I'm single, I'm turning thirty, and life is good."

You're Turning thirty? "In September." What Day? "The 2nd." I'm the 3rd. "Dope."

Any theories about life? "Yeah, that if you have a dream you can live it if you choose to, nothing can stop you from achieving that, if it's truly what you believe in. If you put all your efforts out there towards that, what ever that dream is you can definitely do it. And if you can't do it in the capacity you wanted to, you can do it in a different capacity. So you might not be able to play professional football, but there's no reason why you can't work in the NFL. You just need to decide what you wanna do. I'm a big believer in that. I think people sell themselves short way too often."

Tell me a funny story: (I'm pretty sure I was having too much fun talking to him) "A funny story? I had a bride about three years ago, look at me right before she was about to walk down the aisle, and her quote was: 'Fuck it. I'm already here, there's always divorce.' (Really?) True story. True story.

Also contributed:  "Ya know what, someone asked me a couple months ago if I'm successful, if I think I'm successful. I don't really know how to answer that. I think it's a tough question to answer. Because what is success?.....I think a measure of success is the ability to give back, part of achieving a certain level, comes with an obligation to give back, because you know, that's the real thing."

Are you lying about any of this?  "As for lying I am as direct as they get." (Loud Laughter.)

(Amelie's, "L'apres Midi," was on while writing this.)

'A Trip To The Catskills'

Catherine Casalino

Last week I asked Thomas Ng if he knew any cool girls I could interview. I have no interest in starting a boys club. (I want to learn from everyone, because that is what this is turning into. These people are teaching me things.)

Anyway, Thomas suggested Catherine, a fellow book jacket designer, and since I have this thing for those objects called books, (Not kindles) I checked out her website, then sent her an e-mail. Shortly after that we met at Bryant Park. An hour before we met she e-mailed: "Look for a black dress with a pink jacket," I e-mailed back, "Look for a floral skirt with a white top."

                                         Catherine Casalino
        She moved to New York a week after graduating from college
                                Catherine is from Connecticut
                During summers she surfs at Long Beach, Long Island
           Does she customize her own T-shirts and New Years cards?
                                                    Yes
                      If you are friends with her, you already know
                     She hearts dresses with ostentatious collars &
                                   she wears them correctly
                    Catherine is employed by Grand Central Publishing
                          GC published Twilight and it's children
                                                 Shall we?

Where do you live? "I've lived in Astoria since 2003. When I first moved there, I lived with a good friend. Later on, when she and I out grew the small apartment, I started looking for a place by myself. I looked all over Brooklyn and Queens, and ended up 2 blocks from my old apartment."

What do we like about Astoria?  "I really like the brunch at Locale and the food at Brick Cafe is also great. I also like the fact that Astoria has so many little specialty shops.Within a few blocks from my place I have a bakery, a butcher, a hardware store, a cobbler, a florist, and even a place that repairs sewing machines! What more do you need?"

What's it like working at Grand Central? "I work on cool stuff, and it's a lot of variety which I like......One day I'm working on a book about zombies, and the next day I'm doing Ozie Osbournes memoir, and then I'm doing like a beautiful novel....And it's a cool industry for a graphic designer because it's really self contained. You're not working on a team. I have my own lists, I hire my own photographers, and do what I want which is really cool --Well, you obviouslyy have to please the author and the publisher but no-one else is creatively working on it, which is really nice. So you're kinda like: I'm an expert, trust me. Ya know? Which is kind of, I like that. I feel like it's one of those random jobs that you didn't know existed when you were in college."

Did you always want to be a book jacket designer? "Well, in college I was an English major. I studied poetry. and I was a minor in history, colonial history. I thought I wanted to write for a magazine. I always liked the visual stuff cuz I did photography, so I thought, a magazine would be cool, it's a nice mix of image and writing. And then there were no jobs to be had and I kind of interviewed for everything and everywhere and nothing really came of it. Until this guy offered me an internship in the graphic design department I thought o that's kind of cool. We hit it off, so why not? When I started out I would read the books for him and give him summaries, I also did research for him and photo retouching, and it just snaked, it just went everywhere. I went to Simon & Schuster, after that, Random House, and now I'm at Grand Central. It was kind of crazy........"

Contributed: "You know, you go to school and you're like: I'm gonna write a novel and you just think you write a novel and it becomes a book but it's a completely different process. They don't tell you the possibilities when you're in school. I studied History and English and read a million books and then I came to New York for the publishing institute at NYU and I realized very quickly that this is ridiculous. I don't know all these things about this industry that produces everything that I use. There's so many aspects, like agents, and book sellers, and publishers. It's a whole system, and I thought, wouldn't they teach you that?"

Can you describe what you did to create a book cover that you're proud of? "I think the cover I'm most proud of right now is Procession Of The Dead. It's a really dark book set in a Gotham-esque city. Well, how do you take a scene in a book and make it into a visual image that can go on a 6x9" book cover?....I had these little metal letters that I bought awhile back. I think they're supposed to be for scrap booking or something? And I had the idea to have them spell out the title with their shadows. Then, admittedly, I sat on the idea for a little while. I wasn't exactly sure how it would all work...Then I ended up attaching the letters to thin wooden skewers and sticking them into florist's foam. Then I placed them behind a sheet and lit everything from behind, setting up the letters and making sure all the shadows were falling correctly, so that the title was legible, it was really tedious. When I showed my boss what I had been working on for the cover and explained the scene with the shadow puppets, she told me she had a shadow puppet from Thailand! So I ended up re-shooting the cover with the puppet in place.(Um, how amazing is that?) A lot of the covers I do go through multiple rounds of ideas, but this was one that everyone went for right away. I think because it's just something that was so unique to the book." (P.S. Those are Catherine's hands on the other cover.)

How do you feel about the city? "I always had this idea in my mind that I wanted to live in New York. My mom always tells this story how when I was little she brought me into the city to see the Met or maybe the Christmas show at Rock Center? Anyway I was looking out the window and said, I'm going to live here, (I was like 4 or 5) and my mom was like, okay? And I was like, I'm going to live here when I grow up. And she was like, greatt.....And when and I came up when I was in college, I always wondered, what if it's not what I thought it was gonna be? You know? And it is. I wake up every morning and I'm like, I live in fucking New York City. It's awesome. I just, I don't know? It's exciting, it's just an exciting place to be, the people, and the things you can see, the food, and everything it's interesting.

And the kindness of strangers. I really think there's a lot of good people in the city. You know if you post on craigslist: "I really wanna go to this concert but I can't pay a scalpers price." Someone will get back to you and give you a ticket."

Um, has that happened to you? "O absolutely.

Also Contributed: "I have a Fashion Blog."

Well Hello..Let's hear about it: "Well, I love doing book covers, but I just wanted an outlet where I could create my own content in a way. I've always found fashion really interesting. It's an art form that people wear. And when you grow up in the suburbs you look through your vogue, but you're never going to see any of that. In the city I could walk into a Yves Saint Laurent and try on a pair of shoes, and like poke them all, and touch them, and try them on, and see what they're like which I think is really cool about the city.

The blog is all fashion stuff, but I like to have a personal story when I write anything. I feel there are so many fashion blogs that are like, o look at what Prada is doing this season. And every other blog has the same thing, it's just kind of regurgitating the same information that I get from vogue and everywhere else. I think people react negatively to fashion with that kind of stuff, because it's not personal, it's like so, this is fabulous. Okay? Why don't you tell me why you like it? Why is it interesting? Why did I save up money to buy that pair of shoes?" (Amen.)

Are ya happy? "Yes, absolutely. I feel like very lucky to be here. I like where I am and the people in my life, they're all wonderful. I'm surrounded by all these really talented people.....I think people get unhappy because they don't know that they're options, or they don't change something. If you're unhappy, do something about it. If you don't like the way you got your hair cut, find a new stylist. If you don't like where you live, or if you don't like your boyfriend just breakup with him, and get a new apartment. You can move two blocks and never see him again. There are so many different worlds within New York that the possibility of being unhappy is unlikely....

I mean everybody has bad days. I think for me if I had a job I didn't like, it would be very difficult. I've been in situations where I've had a bad boss, or a work situation that was stifling. And it sucked. It definitely brings you down.  Right now I'm lucky, I have a great boss....But two years ago I got laid off in the whole economic down-turn. And um, I was totally shocked. It was crushing just because I felt like there was really no reason for it, it came down to numbers. But when you work hard and you're good at what you do you think you're gonna be fine. I never took a sick day. I was that kind of worker."

Wow, what did you do about that? "I immediately got on the phone and called everybody else I knew in the industry and told them, 'I just lost my job if you hear anything let me know.' It was incredible, within a week  I had all these freelance jobs, I mean everybody I called sent me work. They were like, here's work, take this project. About a month after that I got a new job.

It made me realize what a good support system I had throughout the industry and friends and everything else. It gave me a little more faith in people, I guess. You know, you feel like the world is gonna end if that happens and it doesn't. Someone will always come in to help you."

Are you lying about any of this? "I'm a TERRIBLE liar. I'm just pathetic at it. I never got away with anything as a teenager. All my mom had to do was give me a look and I'd crumble and spill my guts, like Chunk in the Goonies.

~
While I wrote this I listened to Journey's, Don't Stop Believing. It just felt right.

O and Catherine went into work the day after she was laid off, when no-one else did. I'm not so sure I could do that?