Later, I saw:
an ochre catfish swimming in a tank of beautiful carp in a tank on Mott St. (the one next to the old Double Happiness) — maybe one of the ugliest fish I had ever seen
an empty cardboard that had once held MSG (“Ajinomoto — 99+% pure”) — that’s a whole lotta MSG!
As if to serve as antidote, not long after the episode with the DVD seller, I came upon, down in the Atlantic subway station:
first a booth of two handsome Lubavitchers set up looking for Jews to bring back into the fold. They didn’t try to give me their spiel but very sweetly said hi
and immediately after, coming out of the elevator, an extravagantly dreadlocked black man with a shopping cart COMPLETELY laden with Africana — drums, fabric printed with village scenes, tasseled hats (like those I imagine on Moroccan water sellers) other musical instruments…
I loved the city again.
I got off work a little early yesterday and took the bus down DeKalb, got off at Flatbush and decided to walk to Target to hang out in some air conditioning — it had already hit 90 degrees. Walking past the Nevins station, I passed a seller of incense, oils, books and DVDs. He was tall, remarkably handsome, black, and wearing a beautifully embroidered kameez and cap. Remembering a film I had seen a few months ago about the popularity of the so-called “Protocols of the Elders of Zion” among such sellers, I browsed the DVDs — only to find such titles as “Judaism, a Stolen Religion,” and “Jews, the Illegitimate Race.” The cover of the latter was illustrated with an old-fashioned cartoon of an orthodox Jew, with a pendulous nose and side-curls. I picked it up and walked over to the seller.
“Can I help you, sister?” he said.
“How much is this?”
“Fifteen dollars.” (If it had been five, I would have bought it out of curiosity)
“You know, I have to say, I find this really heartbreaking and offensive.” (I put the DVD down on top of some incense.)
“Heartbreaking? Why heartbreaking?”
“To have the group of people I come from labeled ‘illegitimate.’… (I looked right at him) You should be able to relate.”
“You should put that back where you found it,” he said, indicating the DVD.
“Thanks for helping your ‘sister’,” I said, and marched off, despondent and furious. “Jerk.”
People are so fucking stupid.
visit the ponies at the horse stable
go on a paddle boat on the Prospect Park lake
take the B 16 bus through Boro Park on any day except Saturday and marvel at the backwards time travel
get off and visit Brooklyn Chinatown for excellent bubble tea and cheap fashion items
re-board the bus and take it to Bay Ridge — look at the water, also eat real Moroccan couscous off of Fifth Ave
take the B68 down to Coney Island Ave. and Foster, explore Little Lahore — good for buying fabric if you are a fabric person
get hennaed at one of the salons in Little Lahore — also buy some Bollywood DVDs
get back on the bus, go to Sahara near Ave. T, eat a huge amount of Turkish food under the grape arbor
get back on the bus, go to Brighton Beach, trip out on the Russian ladies with their wild hairdos
ride a bike down Ocean Parkway
go to Pergament and buy cheap stuff for the home and occasionally find awesome designer stuff cheap
walk around on 13th and 14th Aves. in Boro Park, take pictures of the nutty old-fashioned signage
make sure to buy the makings for a Greek salad at the 24-hour produce store on Church — don’t forget the feta (so many kinds to choose from!) and fresh mint
go to Ave. J and E. 16th and taste the famous traditional pizza there
hang out around Church and MacDonald in the Bangladeshi area — great chicken tikka, tea, and paan! also lakh earrings in the little stores on I think Chester?
walk around in Ditmas Park envying the houses
go to Vox Pop for coffee and anarchist literature
eat the salads and appetizers at The Farm at Adderly
(a Katie-like entry)
On the F train this evening, a black woman in her 40s or 50s shaking convulsively and preaching in a Caribbean accent. She wore all white and a white turban. Her faux Louis Vuitton white bag with multicolored emblems took up a sideways row of seats while she stood in front of a visibly furious couple (Jewish, I believe) intoning GOD GOD GOD SATAN SATAN GOD, FORGIVE THESE SINNERS, etc etc. She wasn’t quite in glossolalia mode, but she might as well have been. I thought that someone should come and put a cape around her as if she were James Brown.
I noticed that most of those she was preaching to appeared to be Jewish or Muslim (but of course, who knows).
Once we got to Smith and 9th, the couple she was brandishing her fists and words at tried calling 911 on their cell phones to report her, but to no avail — she headed to other end of the train and got off at 4th Avenue.
I really wanted to turn to the pretty young orthodox Jewish girls sitting next to me with their straightened hair, heavy stockings, and multiple shopping bags from exclusive stores, and say “thin line between religion and mental illness, hmm?” But instead I just said “it’s going to get much colder this week.”
What are you gonna do?
Otohime 