Aquarium

Fast food

Wherever you go, whenever you go you never stay hungry!
There is Wendy's on the corner, Waffle House just across the road, Arbi's next to it, KFC and McDonald's an inch from each other ... and it never ends.
Warm air of fast food places coming through the welcoming doors, subtle smell of fries and burgers, instantly makes you hungry... there is competition, but everybody wins, prices are so low that making food at home is not an option anymore. It does not occur to many that the cheap on money is as cheap on health... it is well-build business strategy, based on weaknesses of human psychology... it's a dynamite for discipline and commitment.
So, yup let's go the Super Wings first, get some fries and deep fried chicken, diet coke? nope, just a classic, who cares about extra calories and sugar. Hmm, craving for something sweet, - Metro cafe is just next door, they have such a variety of 20 sm tall cakes... ok, let's finish up with a bag of M&M's, Walmart is open 24 hours - hurray to never stopping consumerism.
And after such a nutritious dinner, let's put our energy into something intellectually developing...yes, let's watch TV...and let's wonder why 70% of advertising is for pills and drugs....

Discovering Atlanta

This was definitely a strange day...
It started quite normal and quite early. I had jogged in Stone Mountain Park along with dozens of people walking, jogging or cycling. It gets quite hot by 8, so people try to get their daily exercise in the first waking hours.
I was back to catch some breakfast - the cafeteria was fool of people, I had my bit on the porch.
And then it started... a messed up day... I am sure you had those, when all goes wrong and events happen the most unsuitable way... to the point you just do not feel intervening and just seat back to see what would be the further development... feeling fool and self-sarcastic.
Without going too much into details, I could say this all pushed me out of balance and I was too tense to keep standing (it is like on roller skates, have got some experience this week... if you get too tense any disbalance leads to failure).

Well into the afternoon, I have decided that Saturday could be still saved... Any action is better then, since it keeps thoughts away from the questions like: so why exactly did this all happen? how did it start and when?
So I took a cab and went downtown Atlanta... on the way making a plan of what to do there... talking to cab drivers helps.
I ended up right downtown - in the Underground area: shops, art, music, food stalls, all mixed together and lavishly spiced by people.
Not having a map I just walked where my aesthetic preferences lead me to. Walked through Olympic park, stopping to watch children happily running through the strings of fountain. Young and careless, enjoying themselves to the most they made me think what make us, adults, be selective on reasons to be happy... why do we have to be reminded how happy we are just by waking up every day and looking out to this wonderful world? why is dejection often a default setting for many?
World of Coca-Cola wiped my pensiveness away... and even though I am not a big fan of soft drinks, I honestly enjoyed it. I enjoyed the monument to the idea... one person's idea. Can you imagine inventing something tomorrow, that in hundred years will be still popular with millions of people all over the world? You should... Jon Pemberton did when Consumer Behavior, Market Research and Globalization Trends where yet to come to stage... we are more skilled, more knowledgeable and even more manipulative today... but also we are less responsible... we expect this world to be invented for us and we do not put effort to creation... we have not got enough reasons.
... they advertising is just great(they are showing the international festival ads in the museum - piece of art)...

Well, after going through taste it! room things started coming back to place, caffeine made its work, my heart was beating and I was smiling like a fool...
I went to CNN center later and then took a train to Barnes and Noble... uhhh, my credit card status is worsening any time I go there. And since I was still smiling on the way, I've got to attract people - mostly smiling and positive, and, importantly enough, helpful, since I was alone in the dark city without a map and clear destination...
I got home late taking same taxi that brought me earlier to the railroad station... miracle

I am back to normal but still thinking how fragile our happiness is and how dependent we are on external...

Settling down

Atlanta... Hot and colorless... Scarlett O´Hara and Civil War come to mind more than Museum of Coca Cola or 6 Flags when the city is mentioned...
No sidewalks, nobody cycling to work, cars seem to be the inhabitants of this place and everything is meant for them. Everything is on driving distances. How can you not get a car here... how can you avoid the debt?

Fast food places and shopping centers abound, they stay open late... stimulating consumption. There is Asian Buffet across the road, fixed rate for all you can eat... people make sure they eat a lot, sad... shows the dark side of human nature.

Wal-Mart, king of the place, most of the walking is done inside I would guess... rows of things to spend money on. Children get their first business skills here, running around, grabbing stuff and fighting with their parents in pursuit of added possession.

There is a bold mountain to be seen out of my Country Inn window, Stone Mountain. It is claimed to be the largest exposed granite stone in the world... and it is famous for the carving which depicts Confederate leaders of Civil War.
I saw the carving while jogging by this morning, looks impressive...

Still happy and excited... not sure where this come from to a person that appreciates black hues more than white. I am still the same collection of flaws, but I learned to see opportunity for improvement in each of them... Well, my perfect readers, don't you find it boring knowing next to everything? ... joking and yet hoping to be on the other side of the line that separates ignorance and knowledge.

Leaving New York

…I love flying, but god, do I like airports… I do not have to think much to answer this.
No. No. Read my lips - no. Did I say no?
Just had one of those experiences that build my attitude…
I was flying Delta Airlines, domestic flight to Atlanta … too many bags for that I discovered. I was indifferent until they told me the fee for second check in bag(I had two extra)… 150 USD… I was not sure it holds that much…I was not ready to pay and I knew I will not. I was trying not to be difficult and assumed that all will solve itself well. I let attendant to rearrange my bags, to make 2 out of 3 – she is better at packing than I am I guess. Still I had one more than it was allowed…I shared my plans for the half a year travel – they showed no interest… they discovered something to get preoccupied about – my ticket was not reissued they said, not sure what that means, but nothing good I thought.
I was asked to step back. I said that I do not see it as my problem – and I honestly did not, I came to the right airport, I had my passport and I had my e-ticket… whatever happened in the system when the ticket was booked was somehow irrelevant to me, I could not change it… I was calmly watching people checking in, while my bags were pulled aside and I was told to call my travel agency. Did I mention that there is no service on my mobile… I did not want to get nervous, but decided this is time to take an action – I said here is my ticket, here is destination, here is the flight number, and my name… I do not see a problem , if you see a problem – solve it. And they did… so here am I next to the window overseeing the flight field, waiting for boarding… Btw, they forgot to charge me for second bag.

4th of July

Looking out of the window, right at Financial Times headquarters... there are more skyscrapers around, tall and slim, gray and black wherever the eyes travel...
Hard to imagine how many people walk in every morning to earn their bagel and cream cheese...
What do they think, those that we see at the wheel of business word? What do they think of their country? Do they see the role-model? or mess? or do they see skyscrapers out of their office window... shadow of competition?

It's Independence Day, which is highly celebrated by New Yorkers... checking out Macy's seems to be inseparable attribute of the day. Flags are up and people are slow... no rush, just may be for the better deals.

I found myself in Museum of Sex... khm :) Well, what are you gonna do on an Independence Day in the City? Almost like talking a class on this intricate issue... at Masters Degree :)

At Greenwich and SoHo the life was out on the streets, full of people restaurants and cafes, music and laughter... sounds bouncing off the walls of very nice buildings. This is a place to learn architecture.

Later in the evening, when the dusk fell, I crossed the FDR Drive to get to the embankment, thousands of people gathered to get a glimpse of the 4th of July Fireworks... It started to rain... umbrellas flew into the air covering curious gazes... Half an hour later the crowd, inspired and united moved back... the celebration was over... but the spirit was pumped for the year ahead.

Omission points...

All kind of sounds around: music, kids screaming, people talking...I am in Apple store on 5th avenue. It is after 10pm. I am a bit overdressed for this place...was planning to see a Broadway show... did not realize more people would be planning to do the same...tickets were sold out. I waited in cancellation line, no luck... strangely enough did not get disappointed.

I walked instead... and walked into places that never interested me before: M&M's store (there are more colors of m&m's, than I could name), Toys R Us (maybe I have overgrown the place, did not find it appealing...just was amazed to see how African American girl has chosen a dark skinned doll from all the selection), Swatch(thought I might help to be more punctual if I get a watch)...
Now Apple, it is worth visiting, just for watching the people and talking to stuff. I was not pleased when they guessed my accent though, not that I flattered myself of not having it...

I did a lot today, a lot of walking that is... I set off to a place far away (looking for best bagels in town), just to have a goal to get somewhere... visited market on the way: flowers, fruit and vegetables and many many people looking for healthy nutrition... Grabbed coffee and set with a book at some point... seems like I am coming back to reading.
I took subway to Financial District: Wall street, World Trade Center (7 buildings destroyed) to be rebuild by 2012, Battery Park and Statue of Liberty fading in misty air, Brooklyn Bridge... people and more people everywhere.


I am hungry... do not remember having lunch... going to look for sushi place... It's New York they have to have it open whenever... and one of 50 000 taxis can take me there.

First lessons...

It is past midnight. Quite dark outside for New York that, as they say, never sleeps. The twin building in front is completely shut and dissolves in the night.
Just came home; it’s been a long day and…a good learning. Learning mostly about people and myself along with the City of course.
It was a happy day and I made it such…well, Starbucks coffee helped a bit.
I have not found any difficulty in following the thought before ideas (some would call it plans – me in the past, not anymore, not in New York…plans are not flexible (they break folded), ideas are). Jogging in the Central Park was surprisingly not… lonely. People everywhere, jogging, walking their dogs, cycling, laying down on the grass, reading, writing, talking…in the morning of the middle of the week. How come?
My friend was drinking coffee over his Mac when I jogged back. It was nice to see him again after all these years…and a bit awkward. Stepping down into his life again, a guest from past or future, same conditions, but surely moved on people. We talked in Esperanto for a while before switching into English. He did not change much, but he changed his work several times. He is still open and kind, the way I remember from 2002. We had Mango Tapioca in Chinatown then and me and my sister laughed a lot without any particular reason…just being happy.
I went to Chinatown again. This time alone. But many things happened before…which all connected to make a circle of the first lesson I had to learn. I sent some time in Barnes and Noble, carefully choosing books (I have made a commitment to finish any of which I buy or borrow – it hurts too much to see books I had and had not opened – they shed a light of slight accusation from the shelves…many many of them, knowledge that has not been acquired) and set for some time in Starbucks studying the people and flicking through some books that did not make it into the purchase. I hurried back through the Rockefeller plaza and into Museum of Modern Art where I scheduled a meeting with my new friend from the airplane and…looking for Dali. Something happened then. I was feeling good a bit hyper…and a bit inquisitive…I felt so much and so deep, I could almost make a physical shape in the air and I could definitely put it in words…I was willing to see if others could…
…she felt pressured and left me on the way to Little Italy where we agreed to have dinner. She got nervous over the late hours, danger in Subway, her intuition dragged her back home, and mine led me forward… Was I disappointed? Not much, just pensive...We are social animals and are psychologically interconnected…we influence each other, we create connections, invisible platforms which should be comfortable for both parties… I build my side too fast and too high…she slipped away. People do not like to be pushed…most of them, I do since it turns my engine on… and I am not used to slowing down for people, I wonder why, since so many stopped for me.
So I was alone in the East Village heading to Chinatown. I decided to be open for experiences and they did not make themselves wait for too long. I had wonderful conversations sitting at the bar under the red lanterns. I got priceless lessons which I would not want to erase by no means. Here is the question though - if I would not have been me – pushy and demanding would this had happened? Would I meet the right for the moment people? … let them share the thoughts that make the bricks in my foundation? I am falling asleep now, after the day, that hold month’s experiences and year’s emotions.