NYce

Latest news: On Monday we were here til May 1st (YAY TWO EXTRA WEEKS) then by Wednesday it was April 28th (bugger, lost 3 days). Although I will be dead happy to go home and stuff I wasn't exactly devastated to learn that we couldn't fly home at the appointed time on the Tuesday just gone. I am possibly the only one who feels this way though.

Highlights of the past few days have been:

In the Heights
Kick Ass
Starstruck Vintage
25th St Flea Market
Breakfast


So, let's start at the very beginningaverygoodplacetostaaaart

Even though those were not written in order so maybe it isn't the beginning but here we go.

In the Heights is a musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda. It's won a bunch of awards and it currently stars Corbin Bleu who was in the ubiqitous High School Musical.

In the Heights tells the universal story of a vibrant community in Manhattan's Washington Heights – a place where the coffee from the corner bodega is light and sweet, the windows are always open, and the breeze carries the rhythm of three generations of music. It's a community on the brink of change, full of hopes, dreams and pressures, where the biggest struggles can be deciding which traditions you take with you, and which ones you leave behind.

So that's the basic premise - story is a lot about showcasing the heavily Latin culture of Washington Heights through music, a bit (but not as much as I expected) of dance, ideologies and accents. Oh and clothes. Although I was hoping for more dance I really enjoyed it. The acting was all really good, especially Blanca Camacho who played Abuela Claudia and Andrea Burns who played Daniela the very Latina gossiping hair salon owner. The whole culture is woven in really well, maybe it's good that there are no big dance numbers - they'd throw in loads of salsa, some commercial hiphop and maybe some other latin or Spanish styles - maybe some rhumba, flamenco even. But it would be like stamping a big label on the whole shebang saying 'THIS IS A MUSICAL ABOUT INNER CITY LATIN PEOPLE, THEY CAN ONLY DO THIS' Instead, scenes are linked by brief musical interludes that dip in and out of South America. Members of the ensemble stroll across the stage talking on phones or interacting with each other then suddenly break into a few steps as they go. This method effectively prevents the characters and story from being overpowered by their heritage while still allowing it to influence and inform the events that play out during the show's course.

Hmm, haven't written a night-before-its-due-in-somehow-got-an-A English essay in a long time but...that last sentence is a fair demonstration of how I did it!

Anyway Corbin Bleu was very good, I've only ever seen him playing an afroed and cocky teenage boy who dances very well. Which is essentially what he was in real life at the time. So I wasn't expecting miracles, but I really liked him. He made a thoroughly likeable Usnavi. That's why I liked him.

Kick Ass - GO SEE THIS MOVIE. Ok it stars Aaron Johnson who is clearly a fool and a twit cos he is having a baby with 40-something artist Sam Taylor Wood who he met when she directed him in Nowhere Boy the Lennon biopic. Which only came out a few months ago. Good going Aaron, you're a really smart 19 yr old guy, have fun THROWING AWAY YOUR YOUTH. Sorry if anyone finds that overly judgemental and yes its the noughties but really. Such a waste. He's scrummy.

In spite of his obvious mentalness he is really, really good in this film. It's a great concept and has tons of air-punching 'yesss!' and finger-splaying 'noooo waaaay!' moments, and the Chloe Moretz who played Hit Girl/Mindy is my new idol, she rocks. Go watch.

Starstruck Vintage - my new favourite haven. Don't remember if I've previously mentioned this but vintage shopping in New York is haaaard. Luckily I am passionately dedicated to doing it so I do not mind the Googling and the ensuing traipse around the East and West Villages respectively looking for internet-recommended spots that have, unbeknownst to me, shut down.

But then I found Starstruck on Greenwich Ave and fell instantly and irrevocably. Staff are one very helpful old bloke who sings along to all the oldies hits on the radio and one shabbily cool woman who gave me the hair compliment (I've never been complimented so much in my life, if I'd known pink hair would do this I would've done it years ago). They have a great selection of jeans from the $25s for nicely battered stonewash denim from a decent brand like Levis or Lee to the $175s for the real golden oldies, flowerpower bellbottoms made from that weird stretchy denimy fabric with rainbow striped panels at the bottom to made the flare even more voluminour. Bellbottoms are my new clothing obsession. As I can't afford the beauties from Starstruck I will be sewing floral panels into the first jeans I lay my hands on when I get home. There's a big reason for my fixation which I will detail soon. Anyway I left Starstruck with an item I've had my heart set on finding for weeks now - a wine-coloured corduroy jacket, slightly on the big side, striking buttons. Dunno why I wanted one. Just felt that it would somehow complete me a little more. It does so I wasn't being completely irrational. And I luuurve it.

All this talk of shopping puts me in mind of that time I went to the flea market on 25th st (once again, our neighbourhood strikes gold) and bought two fantastic vintage dresses at the bargain price ooooof $mumblemumble. ok so I won't actually be announcing the price on here. There are parents reading y'know. But I will say I got money knocked off, one because of my excellent haggling skills and careful looking over of the garment (so parents can rest easy, I remembered to check it over for damage first. On discovering damage I said I'd buy it anyway for less money. So I'm getting there!) and the other because the lady was just very nice, I spose. Anyway I'm super glad I bought them both. Now if someone could kindly get married this summer that'd be great - I need another summer wedding to wear one of these dresses to. Maybe my own wedding...yep, I think I'd quite happily get married in the second one. It is wonderfulwonderful.

AND I somewhat made up for my sliiight flamboyancy with the cash by going to the thrift store across the street and purchasing a beautiful 100% cotton Indian tunic dress thing and a pair of jeans by Paper Denim Cloth. And yes, by going to buy more things I was in fact getting back some of the money I spent in the market. It was a thrift store. That's just how it works.

Breakfast - ah, breakfast. An ode to breakfast is due I think, will start on something tomorrow. Can't wait to start making everyone at home eat giant breakfasts with pancakes and bagels and jam and potatoes and fruit and eggs and chocolate chips and strawberry milkshakes, they're so awesome I can't even say. If everyone had an hour to eat a really really delicious breakfast every day and work started an hour later instead, I'm sure offices would become twice as productive.

Right, I'm all a bit confused about where I am with pictures. Trying to get them from camera to computer with internet to laptop via memory stick is proving a tad inefficient.

For now, enjoy this sign which I in my immaturity and uncouthness (still only 19 y'know. Well, New York time anyway) found hilarious.

There is NO WAY that this was not done on purpose. Surely noone is that naive. Snort.

And here's the Dakota where Lennon lived and died too soon, and where Yoko Ono still owns apartments.

I'm pretty sure its the room on the left with the white curtain that was John's piano room.

And here are some pretty nice upside down trees. Cos I was upside down when I took the pictures.

And now I have 4 New York Minutes of being a teenager so I am going to bed with my hot Nesquik and my Norse Myths and seeing out my teens in styyyyyle! Much love to my peoplesxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx