The Westend Adventures

I like egg and pepper sandwiches.

Don't worry I always do.

Zoe and I went on a walk through the Westend of Portland Maine. It was a fantastic journey. Did you know there is a chicken nugget factory there?

This was a boat on the side of the road for sale.

Oh, what a Mainer. Oh wait I love Moxie too. We bought it at an Irving and noticed individual pickles for sale in pouches of pickle juice. The side read: Contents: One Pickle.

Straight Up New York City

Let me first explain something about my photography. I take all the photos I post, and I don't change them in anyway other than occasionally cropping. They are all raw straight up photos. When I take pictures of New York City it feels really great because the city matches my exact style.

The more I stare at this van, the more confused I get.

Because of Zoe, we never got lost. She knows the city really well, which contributed to the trip being so great.

Omar Souleyman

Lawrence, our friend who we were staying with works at Issue, which for us Mainers is somewhere around the equivalent of the Space Gallery. Omar Souleyman was preforming- Syria's #1 pop musician. The band opening was called Talibam, not Taliban, Lauryn (Lawrence's girlfriend) said they had an interesting time explaining the name to Omar, who after some confusion eventually found it to be entertaining.

It was a great space, it was sort of the parking lot behind Issue but it was inclosed. When Omar got on stage it was so exciting. Here is actual footage from this concert, it was taken about 10 feet away to our right.

The man sitting next to us explained that Omar likes to support the arts. He has many poets that whisper lines into his ear moments before he sings them. He hand picks poets based on where he is and what he feels like performing that night.

During our walk on the way home the rear bumper fell almost completely off a small Saab car after taking a right turn. The car pulled over and a woman got out and put the bumper back on. It fell off immediately and she put it on again with more force, it seemed to hold, then she drove off.

"Zoe I think it's pride weekend...."

Zoe and I were walking through the Greenwich Village and I asked her if it was pride weekend, she explained that this is just how the Greenwich Village is. But as we got deeper into the area I couldn't help but to ask again. Then we stumbled across a parade, my question was answered.

It was the best parade I have ever witnessed. Complete with a band.

The pride weekend King and King of course.

This was my favorite float: Our icons of America, and our prisoners following on the back.

Zoe got spanked a lot. Including on one occasion by an entire group of 7 women at once.

Barnard

Zoe is enrolled at Barnard! It is an all woman's college, students can take classes at Columbia which is right across the street. The whole area is very cool, we had breakfast at a near by Hungarian pastry shop-if I remember correctly. Here is Zoe in front of the retro Barnard library.

As a tour past us I heard the guide saying this was the original Barnard building, it had everything in it: dorms, cafe, offices, classrooms.

We decided to enjoy its garden.

Columbia is a big. It is a great resources for Barnard.

Exploring New York City

I have not a clue why one would own a car in New York City. Zoe and I walked and took the subway everywhere, I think we got to most places faster than cabs could.

We got coffee at the Ace Hotel (twice actually), which is probably the coolest hotel I have ever been too.

We went to Washington Square Park for lunch. We bought very good dosas from the Dosa Cart, run by Thiru Kumar who is now famous, at least to us. As we ate lunch in the park, a man dragged in this piano and began to assemble it while an Evangelical church group of at least 25 were spreading the love of Jesus. I talked to a kid in the group, he was about my age, once I got him off his script I think I surprised him a little.

At least the squirrel was honest with himself. Maybe.

Midnight Megabus to New York City

Zoe and I pulled into New York City on the double decker Megabus at 4:30 in the mourning; when the interesting people are out. We ate some breakfast at a 24 hour Ukrainian diner.

On the way to our friend's house we walked down this very interesting street.

We also hit up the Union Square farmers market along the way. I was tempted to talk to some farmers, but I was too tired to talk and make sense at the same time.