I’m sitting in a train from Flushing to Manhattan. Qiu. CC. Red bun. Pleasant evening.
This past weekend I hung out w Vishal in the Bed-Sty area of Brooklyn. The couple I met in Ahmedabad told me about Bedford Stuyvesant. It’s some 150k population. 70% African American. I felt the Airbnb place was over priced. But it was nice. Weekend. I flew in after the abog meeting at Michigan. So it was one different thing after another.
The big highlight was the cycle tour with Maxine. I learnt a lot. Had surprised Vishal about it. Our knowledge of people is so distilled down. I never knew about Marcus Garvey. Someone on whose shoulders Martin Luther King would’ve stood. We stood in front of the house of the black poet Hughes. She read out this poem of his - https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47558/i-too. There was a dried up vine. She said he grew it so people can recognize. Maxine had distinct curly hair. We talked a lot about it. V asked if it curled up naturally that way. This was in the middle of one large street in Harlem. We took our cycles right on the divider. In front of Harlem hospital. Also saw Shomberg center which apparently Carnegie funded. In that center are the ashes of Huges I think. And every month first Friday they dance around it etc. she also talked about CJ Walker a lady who made a big business out of hair care products. And we went to the house of one guy who died in a duel. His mom was a mulatto she said. But he looked all white. The guy who killed him Burr? married someone who took him for a ride for his money. And she herself was taken for a ride by someone else after Burr’s death. Oh well.
We went to Jacobs which seemed like authentic soul food which Vishal heard first as tofu. Accents. Maxine’s husband X was from Canada. He was a quiet presence throughout. So was EttiN. He was shadowing Maxine. He told me about why Air Jordan’s people are crazy about and also Canadian Goose jackets?
Towards the end of the ride we went near the Hudson River near GW bridge. There someone had balanced these stones. One over the other. It’s been called Sisyphus stones. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/14/nyregion/a-mystery-solved-why-the-sisyphus-stones-rise-and-tumble.html. It was v peaceful place. The stones seem to have a life. The most interesting thing. The artist keeps making them everyday or every other day. People keep toppling them. He keeps making. He quotes Rumi.
Towards the end of the ride we went near the Hudson River near GW bridge. There someone had balanced these stones. One over the other. It’s been called Sisyphus stones. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/14/nyregion/a-mystery-solved-why-the-sisyphus-stones-rise-and-tumble.html. It was v peaceful place. The stones seem to have a life. The most interesting thing. The artist keeps making them everyday or every other day. People keep toppling them. He keeps making. He quotes Rumi.
She told us about a club called Shrine. We went to it that night. It was ok. A band played well. Crowd was very mixed. I got tired of beer I guess means I don’t take to it very well now. Rather be strong and fit.
We rode a long long bus ride from Harlem to Village. When we reached lower east side we walked up to NY Studio School. At the reception was Raymond. Once he knew I was an alumni he was so warm and welcoming. He himself had modelled that morning he said. He let me go in. My heart something happened when I went to the studio that Bruce taught and we learnt. He’s since left NYSS. I left notes for him and Kathryn. Touching the stool, the clay, the center thing which rotates oh my God. I belong there. It felt so home. Home. Hmmm...
I didn’t take so much Bed-Sty. It does have a run down feel to it. Despite the cafe’s. Perhaps it’s the cold and the winter that many people weren’t outside. But Harlem was way more alive. In Bed-Sty we went to cafe called Saraghina or something like that. At the counter was someone from Burkina Fsso. She was surprised that I knew of the country. She made very good coffee. And this would become Vishal’s fav place. But we didn’t return. I made the wrong call of walking to Williamsburg the next morning. It was too cold. My toes felt like they’d fall out. We both lost it by the time we reached a Jewish bagel shop. The bagels were very tasty. Then all of a sudden it was late and time to checkout etc.
I didn’t take so much Bed-Sty. It does have a run down feel to it. Despite the cafe’s. Perhaps it’s the cold and the winter that many people weren’t outside. But Harlem was way more alive. In Bed-Sty we went to cafe called Saraghina or something like that. At the counter was someone from Burkina Fsso. She was surprised that I knew of the country. She made very good coffee. And this would become Vishal’s fav place. But we didn’t return. I made the wrong call of walking to Williamsburg the next morning. It was too cold. My toes felt like they’d fall out. We both lost it by the time we reached a Jewish bagel shop. The bagels were very tasty. Then all of a sudden it was late and time to checkout etc.
It was beautiful. Many things about the weekend. Harlem seems home too. It’s funny we don’t know he world only until we don’t know it. All these solos we made. Maxine said you cut my hand and your hand it’s the same blood - she said animatedly. It’s more than blood actually. Our entire DNA. Is not even ours. 90% is the kicrobiome. It’s also what forms from the environments we move around in. Srik said after seeing a pic nee pani bagundi you mix with everybody. I don’t know of any other way. It’s simply one. When you have one deep immersion you simply belong to a people. So may be we simply let people experience people. What’s the other way? How can you not love the other? All we need is just one human experience with each other.
Ai Weiwei’s documentary human flow had a big influence inside. Saw it on the plane. Later now.
