Empite State of Mind

New York City… Alive with possibility! As I walk along 5^th Avenue at dusk, surrounded by the city lights beginning to ignite, I am overcome by gratitude and possibility. Although I should feel overwhelmed and insignificant; I am overcome by the opportunities that lie before me… I think about that song by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys and realize how right they are about the city lights inspiring you and making you feel alive. I realize that I can be whoever I want to be. The moment is mine. I can create any life that I choose. I am engulfed by this presence… A knowing that I am never alone…

I think about how lucky I am and much I have to give. How much love I have to give. I feel invincible and yet no one here knows who I am.

Where are the Americans?

My class at NYFA is like an episode of Community. All these misfits and foreigners who bonded in an extraordinarily small amount of time and stick together like a heard of buffalo; looking out for one another and doing everything together. It’s really great! We have the Ozzies (who could not be more different from one another), the sweet German girl (and former model), the mysterious Norwegian (formally in the military as well as a host of other secret operations), the South Africans (Joburg, Potchefstroom and Durban/Cape Town respectively), the older brother figure from Belgium (who’s like our class dad – always looking after us) as well as personalities from Kenya, India, South Korea, Trinidad and a former USSR country that I won’t even attempt to spell or pronounce. Oh and then we have the token American from Maryland who’s convince that we’re more similar to her than anyone she’s ever met in her life!

Monique, from Potch

 Our little group is fab… We plan dinners together, go on outings to plays and movies and we own the school cafeteria like a heard of elephants at a watering hole. I’m so lucky to have been blessed with so many extraordinary people who’ve fallen into my lap and feel so loved, cared for and appreciated in such a short period of time. We also have plenty of in-house jokes and the joy and laugher amongst us is continuous…

The funny thing is that since I’ve been in New York, I don’t seem to have hung out with many Americans! When I arrived, I was fortunate enough to be welcomed by my dear friend Hannes, who proceeded to introduce me to virtually every South African in New York City. I was also on the same flight to NY as one of my former res acquaintances, Bianca, who I’ve since become close to and tend to razzle with her, her Italian homies and our other South African friend, Cait (from UCT), on a fairly regular basis… In fact, the diversity in this city is not doing me many favours in terms of integrating myself into American society! Which is really Ok with me… For now…

Hannes, B and I on Sparkes's rooftop

The South Africans, celebrating Hannes into Juilliard!

We did have a particularly American experience the other night however, when we met some Americans at a gig at a place called Rockwood, who proceeded to take us dancing and then to play beer pong (with red cups and all) at one of their houses. WHAT FUN!

The South African girlies - Bianca, Cait & me :)

Saturday night was yet another infestation of South Africans at a friend’s house warming. It’s such a comfort to have a little network of people for common ground and support, which is something that one tends to take for granted until one is flung completely out of one’s comfort zone…

Me and Courts, my fellow South African from Jozi

The South African accent has never sounded so beautiful, melodious and gentle as it does in a land of shouting, swearing, singing, jabbering and chattering.

I’m sure I’ll get my American fix eventually, but for now I’m happy with my “international love…”

Dos and Don’ts in NYC

Do: Invest in a sensible pair of shoes!

Don’t: Lean forward on self-flushing toilets

Don’t: Swipe your metro card on the left and try to enter on the right!

Don’t: Go shopping on an empty stomach

Do: Go shopping in Soho

Do: Go skating in central park

Do: Picnic in central park (except in winter!)

Do: Go to Macy’s with time and energy

Don’t: Get on an express train going the wrong way, in fact

Don’t: Get on ANY train going the wrong way/if you don’t know where it’s going

Do: Make reservations

Don’t: Go to the same place twice, unless you love it. There are too many places to explore!

Do: Take photos

Don’t: Drink the tap water

Do: Go to the theatre

Do: Go to Dean & Deluca

Do: Have rooftop parties

Do: Find international counterparts

Do, do DO!

Too much choice can make you sick!

As I stepped out of the subway onto the streets of Times Square, I heard a combination of Matthew Dix and Hannes Otto’s voice in my head saying “S@!T BALLS!”Before me was a sensory overload like nothing on earth. Flashing lights, bright colours, billboards towering over you making you feel like one of the kids from “honey, I shrunk the kids.”

The place is just, if not more insane than it looks on TV, and again I found myself amazed by the fact that this place really DOES exist. Nothing stands still (pictures, lights, cabs, people) and in a few seconds, it wasn’t hard for me to see why they call New York the city that never sleeps. Especially in Times Square!

After visiting the M & M store (an overload in itself with 3 floors of M & M themed merchandise and over 30 different types of M & M’s to choose from), strolling past the hardrock, Madame Taussards  (yes, they have one here now too), countless stores, restaurants, production houses and souvenir stands, I decided to head down to Madison Square Gardens to check out Macy’s, which I thought would be marginally less overwhelming – BOY WAS I WRONG!

By this stage, my feet were sore to the brink of tears, I was dehydrated and miserable and THEN was faced with 8 floors of what is supposedly a shopper’s paradise. I’m not much of a shopper so it was anything but paradise and the clearance sale made it all the less appealing!  

Macy’s sells everything you could possibly think of wanting to buy from suits, dresses, fragrances, food and coats to bags, shoes, lingerie and pretty much every type of clothing imaginable. Determined to rescue my feel from their discomfort, I began to sift through hundreds of shoes from the 65-75% off sale, which was absolute chaos. When I eventually found the perfect shoe, the corresponding shoe was nowhere to be found! Another hour later, I had only looked at one floor! So I decided to save myself from the rest; feeling physically ill and overwhelmed by my surroundings.

 Just a block down, I found my real saving grace – a pair of combat boots from Steve Madden, also drastically marked down that saved my feet from impending doom.

Although shopping is not a love of mine, I’ve realized that it is part of the inevitable in New York. There are shops on every block and the sad truth is that shopping here is like our beach or Lion’s Head back home: it’s what people do for recreation! Having said that, I know to be better prepared next time: wear comfortable shoes, eat and drink before and in between shopping and DON’T try to do everything in one go!

Making (sub)waves...

Some of my most interesting experiences and learnings thus far have undoubtedly been in the underground subway system. It took me only ONE day of deterring slightly off course and having to walk an extra 20 minutes for not being able to find the connecting train, to conquer the subway system, and now that my heart has started to beat a little slower, I can sit back and take in what’s really going on down there…


From the second I set foot into my first underground on Tuesday, my eyes have been like saucers, taking in everything the place has to offer. The people and goings on in this city are an actor’s DREAM! Everything we see and hear about New Yorkers back at home is EXACTLY how they speak and behave, and I have found it fascinating to observe these people who seem as though they are from another planet.

The soda pop Yankees hats with head scarves underneath them (never quite worked out what those are for), the business men, the born-and-raised Bronx inhabitants whose warm, resonant New York accents make you forget just how hardcore they really are, the blue-collar workers, the musos, students, foreigners, kids… These are some of the types of people I encounter on a daily basis. The other day, I met a Puerto Rican artist (Ian Rios) who was more than willing to show me his artwork (and other things of his, I’m sure!) and give me his number, just because he saw me staring bewilderedly at my person-sized subway map. People here are so uninhibited too. Whether it’s swearing (“Watch it, asshole” is not an uncommon phrase to be heard in these parts), mask-wearing or singing randomly in public, the Americans seem to have far less “mind-talk” than South Africans when it comes to what they say, wear and do.

Just this morning, I was sitting peacefully staring at my newest unsuspecting victim, when a chorus burst into song! Out of nowhere came these rich, powerful voices that immediately brought a grin to my face. They were so vibrant and melodious that it saddened me that this talent was not being put to better use. I mean, if Paris Hilton can make it as a singer, why can’t they?!

If that wasn’t good enough, I entered the subway later this evening, sick, tired and sore after a long day of exploring, and there before my eyes (and ears) were a group of exceptionally talented men break dancing in the middle of the station – WHAT JOY! The only requirement was that we had to clap.

The conversations you hear on these trains are also hilarious. From exes getting married, to illegitimate children to plotting revenge against ex roommates; one can learn a lot about people just by being a fly on their wall.

It’s not all sunshine and roses though. Most of the stations smell like urine (you stop noticing it until you try to eat or drink something and realize how off-putting it is) and one can tend to feel rather stuffy and claustrophobic, not to mention the length of time it takes to get anywhere; but the subway system is definitely my favourite way to people watch!

Leaving

As I fly out of my Cape Town, the most majestic and beautiful city in the world, looking backwards towards the mountains from my window seat, I think about everything that I’m leaving behind… Great loves; great friendships; an incredible fulfilled and happy life that makes it all the more heart-wrenching to leave. I am a believer that quality of life is shaped by the people in it, which makes mine all the richer. I think about the people in my life and how blessed and grateful I am to know and love such incredible people… I am overwhelmed by their love for me and support they have given me as I embark on an adventure that will shape and change my life and future as I know it today. I think about how lucky I am to have been provided with the opportunity to follow my dream and do what I love for a living – what greater pleasure?! I suppose that the only thing to do is to make the most of this opportunity and tribute this adventure to all my loved ones and milk it for everything that it’s worth. I think about the possibilities of the year ahead; the adventure and excitement that awaits me on the other side and the sadness is dulled by the thoughts of joy, gratitude and possibility. As someone said to me a few days ago: “Go and make New York your bitch!” I guess that’s what I’m going to do. Let’s see how it goes, shall we? New York city… I’m ready for you.

“Beginnings are usually scary and endings are usually sad, but it’s everything in between that makes it all worth living…”