My name is Jerome,

-- Saturday the 29th (Last day in New York)

Leaving the residence at noon I had planned to go to the Guggenheim, the Top of the Rock and if possible to have a nap in Central Park before going to the airport. Carrying my laptop, a bag and my camera I choose to begin to the museum. I was not persuaded to find interesting things there, I just thought I had to go to see the architecture of the building (at least the inside, the outside is being renovated). $15 and an audio guide added to my equipment I was on the first floor contemplating the room. It is good to notice that pictures are only authorized on this floor, even if a lot of people don't follow the rule, it is why you will see in majority the kind of pictures I took. It is true this snaily shape is beautiful, the views you can have just walking along the corridor are amazing. However I don't like the roof (I understand it's never taken in picture) and this structure is not the best to discover exhibitions. The linearity of the path, of the installation possibilities, can be a little boring. You have to know that the exhibition usually start from the top to the bottom, so take the elevator first. There are also little galleries you discover on each floor. As you don't walk on stairs but on an inclined plan they seem to appear unexpectedly on your way. I was surprised to see painting of Picasso in a style I didn't expect him to paint. They are not the best he did but it is always impresive to see an artist who can break totaly from what he did to adventure on new ways of painting. There were also several great Kandisky, I spent a lot of time in front of them.

Next step : the Top of the Rock(efeller building). After a little coffee break I went losing my way in the Rockefeller Center. I finally found the entrance of the observatory center and I realized we were sturday... it was crowded. Hopefully the line vanished quickly in the two elevator which bring you, with sound and light, to the 60th floor. When you climbed the last stairs you hold your breath.
Here it is.
  At first you are in front of Central Park, with the Hudson on your left. It looks unreal, you don't feel you are hundred meters above the ground. I always postponed my visit there and at the end I was afraid the weather would turn bad, I was lucky. Going back to France without having gone there would have been a mess. From the top you can see the variety of the architecture which contrast with the picture of Timesquare or the financial district we often have in mind. Brick or glass, gothic, art deco or modern styles are melted together in an anarchic way. However when you walk down the street everything looks coherent. The flatness of Chelsea with its warehouses, the cosy hotels and appartments of the Museum Mile, midtown Manhattan and the Chrysler Building. It is as if the individuality cult was visible in the architecture.
  I was thinking at that moment that I had to take my time, in a way this visit was a kind of goodbye to New York. I had to be consious it was over. Astonishingly I didn't feel sad, it was not a farewell but a byebye. In New York I realize going abroad was easyer that what I thought and I am convinced I'll go back there a day or another. It was good to discover the USA, good to see interesting people, looks from different countries, to break prejudices... but I need a little time to feel all the benefit of this experience, to think clearly before jumping.

  The time was running, after going back home to take my luggage I hesitated between taking a cab or a subway. I had two briefcases added to my former panoply, no need to say that climbing stairs and going through rotating entrances with the hour of my flight getting closer would be a challenge on a saturday evening at 6pm. Moreover I hadn't thought I had to include the fact that, from the Upper East Side to Downdown, half an hour must be added to the time I was given... theoretically I had the time, just the time. Afraid of losing my plane, and because I didn't want to be hectic 2hours before the flight, I took a cab.
  It was listening to Creole music I saw Manhattan disappeared behind me. I arrived at the airport in advance, I could check in, have a diner  without having to wait in line, without having to hurry. I left the American ground on time.

-- Friday the  8th of september

What a scaring thing : I had to party out of Manhattant, moreover on a foreign Island (as much as 30mn from here) which was the evil nest of little known rappers named The WU-TAN CLAN. I had to took a (free) ferry from downtown to the so called Staten Island, location of the festivities.
It is really pleasant to see the sea just living the nervous center of New York. Leaving the peer you see the buildings beginning to be smaller and smaller, seeming to be a set after ten minutes of our ride. Even the Statue of Liberty looks like a tiny chess piece. The weather was quite grey so my pictures lack of contrast, of colours, the sun set was discreet, but it is very relaxing to vogue out of the City. So close and so far.
I was encouraged to take the ferry at sun rising, setting and at night. I am convinced it is a something you have to do at least one time. Sometines you need to make a step back to have a better sight.
After this "adventure"  we landed on the other side with Ian and Peter, decided to celebrate this week end. We were invited by the couple of french girls you may have seen on a previous article about the Williamsburg's party (which happened in fact in the hous of my two friend). Through the streets I discovered an other aspect of New York, a  quiet and green residential area. It was far to look beautiful but it was nice. A vigil after we enter in Da place.
To resume the atmosphere I can just say that we were asked three times to turn down the music and to stop jumping on the floor. We were not numerous but we danced with a sufficient conviction to feel the fitted carpet going up and down under each of our bounces. Big Up to Dorothée, Alix, Doug and arty Nicolas.
Our ride back was impresive. We were "exhausted", talked a lot before, but we were out of breath looking at the lights of the skyline. Even at 5am you can see that half of the buildings are in activity, the little red points warning the hellicopters flickering on their roughs. In a way it can look threatening : it is close to the New York's picture in "romans noirs", but you feel drawn to it.

-- Under tskycrapers, the tube

If you ask a Korean how was his first impression taking the subway he will answer you : "it is dirty". If you ask a Parisian he will answer you : "it is complicated". The metropolitan transport is  one of the oldest subways in the world (the Underground/the Tube - London 1863, Paris' "Métropolitain" 1900) :

-- Thursday, the 30th

Have you ever seen this seen this movie about sexy barmaids  exciting clients by  dirty dancing on a bar ? No ? You shouldn't, it's a crap, but the concept is quite fun for a red neck like me. If you want to try go there on a saturday or a friday... or maybe the best is to go there for a firemen or cop gathering.
  It was nearly 9pm, we were quietly drinking our $2 beers when it started. One of the barmaid, the cute blond wavy haired, jumped on the bar and started dancing. It was not provocating, not like the brunette, but it was sexy. I started feeling like the average american with his bud in hand, a stupid smile on the face, amazed by the dance and the guys hypnotysed in front of the bar. I could nearly forgot about the stinky atmosphere of the room. My hypothesis is that all the bras hung on the walls aren't of prime freshness, and perhaps the men coming for the show too.
  Anyway it was fun, and if you are not a male you have the privilege to climb on the bar to make the show. Congratulations to Fernanda, Caru and the spanish team who made a great prestation ! 

-- Wednesday, august the 22th

In the corridors of the school it was frequent to hear about Broadway, especially from the girls and more specificaly from the Korean one. Comedies, songs, shows, terms that didn't use to awake in me the eager need to splurge $60 to $80 (half price). However Carlo, Italian friend and classmate, suggested the idea to go and watch the Phantom oh the Opera. "The longuest running showin Broadway history !", first played in january 26, 1988. Giving cowardly to Carlo and Dorian (my french colleague) the burden to go buy the tickets I was not putting great expections on the show. I just wanted to see a it by curiousity.

Was the show rotten by these nineteen years ? Dusty ? No at all.
After a huge line in front of the entrance we arrived in the Opera wich is really beautiful, the picture doesn't give the notion of space and the accoustic we had in it. Just looking at the curtains and the architecture of the building I was yet satisfied having come.
At first all looked static, the covered furniture and the grey/brown curtains gave an impression of age, of death maybe. I was asking myself if the scene was changed sometimes or if they used to always play with these same old items.
  I was far to think how wonderfully and thouroughly they could change the set. They can faint a river of smoke and a little embarcation voguing in catacombs, a huge staircase can appear in a few minutes and disappear in several seconds, all kind of building or landcape emerged and vanished. I was amazed by the technical proesse and beauty of this scene change.
  The costumes were also wonderful, and so were the actors. I am not fond of Comedies but I truely appreciated the songs, even if it was too diffult understanding it, and the dances. The more little movement was perfectly mastered, from the expression of their face to the extremity of their fingers the actors were perfect. The group scenes were also very interesting. Adding to that a classical orchestra was there to fill the room with its live music. It gives an other dimension to the show and stress the play of the actors, densify the atmosphere around them

After 19 years they had improved all the part of the show, sadly I can't find a way to criticise. I have nothing to say except I enjoyed it. Now I want to see an other one to confirm my impression... but $60, argh !


P-S 1  I made a mistake on the date of the PS1 party, it was the 18th and not the 24th... I have still a lot of delay !

P-S 2 I uploaded an other article on a lecture in the New York Film Academy I assisted to. As I began to write it last week it was added before the article "Wall art in the Lower East-Side".