Myles From Ordinary

The Big Apple was just as juicy on a day that was supposed to be filled with mourning and painful memory. Granted, the po-po were buzzing around like angry hornets looking to sting something, but life still seemed to go on.

We avoided Ground Zero, knowing that we wouldn’t be able to get into the “official” 9/11 monument (Family of the victims only), but instead went to a New York Philharmonic September 11th Tribute concert at the Lincoln Center. 

I’ll give you more details in a two-part post tomorrow. For now, sleep.

-M

The third day in my favorite city in the world was a great one.

We woke up early, per usual. After coffee and a bite to eat, we hopped a subway to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Art geeks…let me tell you. The place is a ‘gasm.

I could spend days in there. Each wing was another wonder as the museum took me to Egypt, Rome, Greece, Early America, Africa and seemingly everywhere else with their elaborate collection of art and artifacts, new and old. If you’re ever in NYC, you need to go here. Just don’t save it all for one afternoon because there is no way you’ll be able to see it all. Also, find a way to the roof. The view of the NYC skyline from above Central Park is fuckin’ choice. 

Post-Met was the Guggenheim, which houses different modern art every month or so. It was mostly minimalist pieces in there (rocks on pillows, a room with 1$ bills pinned to every inch of the walls, paintings that consisted of a single brushstroke down a blank canvas, etc.), but an open mind will yield a rewarding experience at the ol’ Gug. The art in this museum initiated some of the most intellectually productive conversations we’ve had during this trip. 

After that…goddamn Thai food, man. Klong on St. Marks Place is some of the most legit Thai I’ve ever had. The dish I ordered (shredded chicken with bamboo shoots, peppers, veggies, and rice) was supposed to be “too spicy for Americans.”
Not for this guy. Shit was off the goddamn chain. Granted, the spices could have killed a small child, but it was so…damn…delicious. 

Cha Da Thai in Boone…stop worrying about killing your customers with flavor and take a page from Klong’s book. They’re doing something right. 

And here I am in the loft again, typing away at my lowly Macbook in the ASU loft.

It’s already September 11th. Ten years ago, a plane would be plowing through the World Trade Center (which would be standing only a few miles from where I am now) in less than seven hours. A fifth grade boy in Hillsborough, NC would be told around 9:30-something that recess is over and school is being dismissed early due to “low ozone.” His mother would soon afterwards tell him that his teachers had lied to him and turn on the television, where he would witness mass murder in real time, with all the trimmings of a Die Hard movie, sans hero. He had no idea yet, but that 10-year-old would finish growing up in a very, very different America than he had been born into.

I know you remember this too. Share your thoughts or keep them to yourself, but either way, think hard about what happened. If we don’t learn from our history, we are doomed to repeat it.

Catch you tomorrow.

-M

Whoo boy. Where to start…

Alarms roused us around 6:30 and the showers began. After a quick coffee and bagel breakfast, we hopped a subway to Ground Zero and the Tribute WTC 9/11 visitors center. 
It’s a person-to-person museum of sorts meant to teach posterity about what happened on 9/11. They had a section on the World Trade Center itself, the actual attacks, a wall of photos of the victims, a plan for the memorial/new buildings at Ground Zero and lots of artifacts like a window of one of the airplanes, a ripped firefighter jacket found in the rubble two weeks after its owner’s body, twisted steel beams, wallets and ID’s of the deceased and much more.

Lots of people were crying, but I think that was part of the point. If it wasn’t, there wouldn’t be music pumped into the Wall of Victims room that seems meant to bring on the waterworks. There were even boxes of tissues everywhere just in case.

After a brief wander around the Ground Zero area (which is, at this point, a big fuckin’ construction zone) we made our way to Battery Park and, after a brief and thorough security screening, Liberty Island. 

Our girl was looking good. Green, shapely, and 151 feet tall. I’d hit that. 

From there, we journeyed back to the loft for some west and wewaxation before walking up Fifth avenue to the original granddaddy gangster of NYC skyscrapers, the Empire State Building.

Not only did we get to experience the epic view from the 86th floor observation deck, (which, I might add, is SO much better at night) but we also had the chance to check out the 102nd floor observatory up the antenna on top of the building. Now THAT was badass.

And here I am now, prone on my bed in the ASU loft, totally spent and hammering out the day on a Tumblr that (I’m assuming) noone fuckin’ reads.

Oh, you do read these?
Prove it.

See you tomorrow night. 

-M

I’ma write on this more often, ya dig? Myles is fuckin’ back.

Anyway…I’m currently in New York City for my Rhetoric, Memory, and Public Culture class. We’re here to experience this beautiful city during the 10th anniversary of 9/11 and reflect upon the atmosphere and festivities from a rhetorical standpoint.  We’ve been graciously put up in the ASU loft on 24th St, which I assure you is the tits. There’s 12 of us (9 girls, 3 guys.)

I love New York. It’s cliche, but I really do. I fell in love with this town the first time I came here, and if it weren’t expensive as fuck to live here, I’d move in tomorrow.

I’m gonna write here every night during this trip to help reflect on my experiences and shit, so bear with me and enjoy.

I flew into LaGuardia this afternoon and took a cab into the city.  After settling into the loft, I walked around Manhattan for a few hours with a pair of lovely ladies in my group who wanted to buy a camera (they never did) and took in the town. We walked a good way down Park and Madison and by the Empire State Building (I’m goin’ up in that bitch tomorrow night) before returning to the loft. Other activities today included a legit vegetarian Indian dinner (one out of FIVE veggie Indian places in a row on one street block) with Dr. Spurlock (my professor) and another sweet girl. Tomorrow will contain more adventure, which I will surely pass on to you.

-M 

I’m still alive, everyone!

School’s been…very present in my life as of late.

Fun. Certainly informative. But present to the point that Tumblr writing has been out of sight and out of mind.

While being involved with four bands and an acappella group has been fun, I’m drained. 
Summer can’t come fast enough.

Music keeps me sane. As well as a Dexter and Weeds addiction. Muahaha. Such deviant Showtime series choices…

I would love to update more often. So I would like all of those that read this to give me their opinions.

What should I write about? Your suggestions will be my motivation to come back to this website and update it in a regular fashion. Hell, all I need is a starting point. 

Love you all.

It’s pretty obvious I semi-bailed on the 30 days thing. I’ll pick it up when I can because I really do want to finish. 

Life’s been busy. Books gotta be read. Work has to be done. 

Oh, but I didn’t forget about you, Tumblr. 
I’ve felt guilty for not writing, even.

Just stay frosty. I’ll give you more soon.  

My parents kick ass. I really don’t have a good reason to disrespect them.

They’re open minded and full of wisdom and advice. Sure, they’re a little nuts, but aren’t all the best people?