nYc Mid Summer Hitchabout Bliss | Sleepless in New York | The Strangers Project

 

Here are 104 digital photos of this nYc hitchabout trip July 11th, 2015 from Palmyra, Pennsylvania

highline, graffiti, einstein

highline_graffiti_einstein

With a new impetus to travel, I worked hard for the week – much of my tasks involved with proactively preparing for when my current residence, the family home where I grew up, will be sold. And as I’m not ready to depart just yet, I decided that a weekend adventure in New York city would fulfill that desire.

I decided to make the plunge.

highline_graffiti_plunge

highline_graffiti_plunge

This title could also be Sleepless In New York 🙂

NYC hitching sign

NYC hitching sign

building juxtapostion

building juxtapostion

I went on two of these hitchabouts within two weeks of each other. The first was on the 21st of June, to celebrate the summer solstice with the Make Music New York. Here’s a flickr link to the pics from this trip.

As New York is unlike most other places in America, one visits the entire world as people wander by in full traditional wear from whatever their culture, especially the older generation. One can see saris of India, elegant midwestern wear in burkas, Central and South American passengers on the streets along with various African cultures passing you in turbans along with Jamaican…basically you name it, you will see people from all over the world. I’m merely talking about Manhattan. Of the five boroughs, I know that Queens has one of the most broad concentrations of people living in the same congested area, resulting in the highest concentration of divers languages in one area, in the world.

highline_looking_south_midtown_plexiglass_stadium

highline_looking_south_midtown_plexiglass_stadium

highline, flowers, bees

highline_flowers_bees

highline water walkway

highline water walkway

 

Here are 104 digital photos of this nYc hitchabout trip July 11th, 2015.

 

My best discovery of the last hitch was the the High Line, which is much more maturely grown with its extravagance of wild flowers than the wiki-link pic when it was just being born. It is now one of my favorite getaways for silence and nature and a healthy sprinkle of people from all over the world who are also visiting these lovely gardens imbedded into the former overhead railway. This former railway carried trains to transport meat and finished products back and forth to the Meat Packing district.

The other highlights of this trip both took place in Washington Square park.

A surprise classical piano recital played on a grande piano that Colin Huggins rolled up and played.

Colin Huggins playing the grande piano in Washington Sq. Park NYC

Colin Huggins playing the grande piano in Washington Sq. Park NYC

Colin Huggins, grand piano, Washington Square Park

Colin Huggins playing the grand piano in Washington Square Park

As well as the Strangers Project, an interactive event in the park where people came to read other peoples’ stories, and were invited to share their own.

With a new impetus to travel, I worked hard for the week – much of my tasks involved with proactively preparing for when my current residence, the family home where I grew up, will be sold. And as I’m not ready to depart just yet, I decided that a weekend adventure in New York city would fulfill that desire. I decided to make the plunge.

highline_graffiti_plunge

highline_graffiti_plunge

This title could also be Sleepless In New York 🙂

NYC hitching sign

NYC hitching sign

building juxtapostion

building juxtapostion

I went on two of these hitchabouts within two weeks of each other. The first was on the 21st of June, to celebrate the summer solstice with the Make Music New York.

 

Here are 104 digital photos of this nYc hitchabout trip from Palmyra, Pennsylvania on July 11th, 2015

As New York is unlike most other places in America, one visits the entire world as people wander by in full traditional wear from whatever their culture, especially the older generation. One can see saris of India, elegant midwestern wear in burkas, Central and South American passengers on the streets along with various African cultures passing you in turbans along with Jamaican…basically you name it, you will see people from all over the world. I’m merely talking about Manhattan. Of the five boroughs, I know that Queens has one of the most broad concentrations of people living in the same congested area, resulting in the highest concentration of divers languages in one area, in the world.

highline_looking_south_midtown_plexiglass_stadium

highline_looking_south_midtown_plexiglass_stadium

highline, flowers, bees

highline_flowers_bees

highline water walkway

highline water walkway

My best discovery of the last hitch was the the High Line, which is much more maturely grown with its extravagance of wild flowers than the wiki-link pic when it was just being born. It is now one of my favorite getaways for silence and nature and a healthy sprinkle of people from all over the world who are also visiting these lovely gardens imbedded into the former overhead railway. This former railway carried trains to transport meat and finished products back and forth to the Meat Packing district. The other highlights of this trip both took place in Washington Square park. A surprise classical piano recital played on a grande piano that Colin Huggins rolled up and played.

Colin Huggins playing the grande piano in Washington Sq. Park NYC

Colin Huggins playing the grande piano in Washington Sq. Park NYC

Colin Huggins, grand piano, Washington Square Park

Colin Huggins playing the grand piano in Washington Square Park

As well as the Strangers Project, an interactive event in the park where people came to read other peoples’ stories, and were invited to share their own.

washington_sq_pk_the_strangers_project_stories

washington_sq_pk_the_strangers_project_stories

the Strangers Project whats your story

the Strangers Project whats your story

the Strangers Project whats your story

what's your story? the strangers project

what’s your story? the strangers project

Here are a few stories !-)

washington_sq_pk_the_strangers_project_story_dont_forget

washington_sq_pk_the_strangers_project_story_dont_forget

the Strangers Project

the Strangers Project story How things are supposed to work

the stranger project my story in nyc

the stranger project my story in nyc

The pictures pretty much describe most of my journey, with the exception of dancing the first night in the Meat Packing district!

On the way back, I made my way to my town square in three rides. An Egyptian driver taking his rider through the tunnel to New Jersey, picked me up because she asked him to. His attitude towards me changed abruptly once she left the car; he was now a bit hostile and asking me for a faire. However he calmed by the time we talked a bit and took me next to the road where many cars could head onto the route I intended to take. The next was a man born in the Dominican Republic, whose parents moved to the Bronx when he was ten. He claimed that there’s way too much corruption there and high presence of gangs. That this transformation has been taking place as a result of the economic fallout, with a high percentage increase compared to what the United States population has taken. These poorer countries feel the hit ten fold. He brought me to within feet of the border of Pennsylvania from New Jersey. There I discovered two gas stations across the street from one another, with both of the gas station attendants barely English literate young me from the Ukraine. I sort of drifted back and forth investigating rides from both. One of the men was all smiles and brightness. The other looked continually sour and preoccupied. I thought he was going to ask me to leave, then when he finally said something to me, it was to complain that people in New Jersey and Pennsylvania don’t tip. I offered to make him a sign, and with time on my hands, did so. I showed him the sketch and said I could make a substantially larger one with my marker on cardboard.

Tips R Welcome

Tips R Welcome

After that, the few times that I suggested holding up the sign, he waived his finger gravely, no no, his boss definitely did not like the idea of having a sign encouraging tips! I was about to pack it up for the night, mean walking around to investigate the area, when after getting no response from the two cars at this station, I looked at the less busy one across the divided road, and saw two cars there as well. I was 90 miles from home and it was dark for a while now. I suddenly noticed cars at the gas station across the street and immediately started walking there carrying my pack. I then started to run with a bit of an urgency. I arrived there just as the customer had paid, his window was open. I approached the driver sitting in the car about to leave holding up my

Hershey sign

Hershey sign

as I spoke to him asking if he happens to be going towards Hershey, and he answered, “As a matter of fact, I am.” The conversation with him now started to pull together what the previous conversation with the Dominican Republic man had started to hint at; economic injustice causing most of the problems of the world today. Captivated, I listened as my young driver quite articulately expressed: ‘that the current world problems of injustice and inequality and the subsequent violence and disharmony are all a fall-out of the fact that as the economic powers that be – corporations which are growing larger – grow more wealthy and dismantle and crush mom-and-pop stores around the country (world) have the effect of decreasing the circulation of capital, which normally would take place as more and more people contribute their business and flow of money. These large corporations have the tendency to keep getting richer, as they also suck the money out of the populations. And the years of growing phat monopolies and outsourcing have basically ‘desertified’ the home grown economies. Yep, well, there it is in a nutshell>DIVEST< from petrochemical, chemical, pharmaceutical, dirty industries, from the Starbucks, Walmart, CostCo and all of these huge business chains that are gobbling up all of our local businesses. 🙂 I had my good luck charm with me, which seems to have done me well.

elephant_necklace_gift_from vendor in Berlin

elephant_necklace_gift_from vendor in Berlin

Hope walks through the fire and faith leaps over it.

carol_the_blogger_safe_n_sound

carol_the_blogger_safe_n_sound

Donations towards Carol Keiter’s writing, eBook, music composition, photography & illustrations are graciously accepted! PayPal Donate Button Thanks!

the blogger, Carol Keiter at a luncheon.

Carol Keiter, the blogger

” rel=”noopener” target=”_blank”>104 digital photos of this trip, nYc hitchabout July 11,2015

washington_sq_pk_the_strangers_project_stories

washington_sq_pk_the_strangers_project_stories

the Strangers Project whats your story

the Strangers Project whats your story

the Strangers Project whats your story

the Strangers Project whats your story

the Strangers Project whats your story

what's your story? the strangers project

what’s your story? the strangers project

Here are a few stories !-)

washington_sq_pk_the_strangers_project_story_dont_forget

washington_sq_pk_the_strangers_project_story_dont_forget

the Strangers Project

the Strangers Project story How things are supposed to work

the stranger project my story in nyc

the stranger project my story in nyc

The pictures pretty much describe most of my journey, with the exception of dancing the first night in the Meat Packing district!

On the way back, I made my way to my town square in three rides. An Egyptian driver taking his rider through the tunnel to New Jersey, picked me up because she asked him to. His attitude towards me changed abruptly once she left the car; he was now a bit hostile and asking me for a faire. However he calmed by the time we talked a bit and took me next to the road where many cars could head onto the route I intended to take. The next was a man born in the Dominican Republic, whose parents moved to the Bronx when he was ten. He claimed that there’s way too much corruption there and high presence of gangs. That this transformation has been taking place as a result of the economic fallout, with a high percentage increase compared to what the United States population has taken. These poorer countries feel the hit ten fold. He brought me to within feet of the border of Pennsylvania from New Jersey. There I discovered two gas stations across the street from one another, with both of the gas station attendants barely English literate young me from the Ukraine. I sort of drifted back and forth investigating rides from both. One of the men was all smiles and brightness. The other looked continually sour and preoccupied. I thought he was going to ask me to leave, then when he finally said something to me, it was to complain that people in New Jersey and Pennsylvania don’t tip. I offered to make him a sign, and with time on my hands, did so. I showed him the sketch and said I could make a substantially larger one with my marker on cardboard.

Tips R Welcome

Tips R Welcome

After that, the few times that I suggested holding up the sign, he waived his finger gravely, no no, his boss definitely did not like the idea of having a sign encouraging tips!

I was about to pack it up for the night, mean walking around to investigate the area, when after getting no response from the two cars at this station, I looked at the less busy one across the divided road, and saw two cars there as well. I was 90 miles from home and it was dark for a while now. I suddenly noticed cars at the gas station across the street and immediately started walking there carrying my pack. I then started to run with a bit of an urgency. I arrived there just as the customer had paid, his window was open. I approached the driver sitting in the car about to leave holding up my

Hershey sign

Hershey sign

as I spoke to him asking if he happens to be going towards Hershey, and he answered, “As a matter of fact, I am.” The conversation with him now started to pull together what the previous conversation with the Dominican Republic man had started to hint at; economic injustice causing most of the problems of the world today. Captivated, I listened as my young driver quite articulately expressed: ‘that the current world problems of injustice and inequality and the subsequent violence and disharmony are all a fall-out of the fact that as the economic powers that be – corporations which are growing larger – grow more wealthy and dismantle and crush mom-and-pop stores around the country (world) have the effect of decreasing the circulation of capital, which normally would take place as more and more people contribute their business and flow of money. These large corporations have the tendency to keep getting richer, as they also suck the money out of the populations. And the years of growing phat monopolies and outsourcing have basically ‘desertified’ the home grown economies.

Yep, well, there it is in a nutshell>DIVEST< from petrochemical, chemical, pharmaceutical, dirty industries, from the Starbucks, Walmart, CostCo and all of these huge business chains that are gobbling up all of our local businesses. 🙂

I had my good luck charm with me, which seems to have done me well.

elephant_necklace_gift_from vendor in Berlin

elephant_necklace_gift_from vendor in Berlin

Hope walks through the fire and faith leaps over it.

carol_the_blogger_safe_n_sound

carol_the_blogger_safe_n_sound

Donations towards Carol Keiter’s writing, eBook, music composition, photography & illustrations are graciously accepted! PayPal Donate Button

Thanks!

the blogger, Carol Keiter at a luncheon.

Carol Keiter, the blogger