Subway Surfing
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
I have a friend whom I kindly refer to as Jew. Actually I have another one who is Jewish but doesn’t get that title because I already call her Brooklyn. But anyway, Jew is a subway surfer, meaning, she doesn’t hold on to anything/anyone on the subway – I mean I don’t blame her. It is the dirtiest place in NYC – except for the public restrooms. Jew likes to look cool and she does actually. She rides the subway from Park Slope all the way to midtown without having to touch anything. That’s really talent because the average Jane would be flying across the subway car, screaming because she just broke a nail OR she might grab someone’s arm because the subway stopped short.
The other thing that Jew does that’s really fascinating is that she has the balls to dance – not stripper dance, because she doesn’t hold on to the poles, but like full hardcore, head bopping, feet sliding, shoulders leaning and finger snapping dancing. She is never embarrassed. She always says that NYC is the only city where no one truly gives a fuck about you. Everyone is either doing the same thing; reading/or pretending to read or they are eating an entire meal from the Chinese take-out. Speaking of eating full meals on the train – have you ever encountered someone eating a full meal on the train? See I understand if you are hungry and you are nibbling on chips or something small…but eating fried chicken wings covered in ketchup and hot sauce with pork-fried rice on the side is just rude (what if other people were hungry?). Jew is also the girl who will sing (not loudly but you can definitely still hear her) this girl evidently does not care what the world thinks of her.
I am also guilty of being a subway surfer – I have not yet mastered the not holding anything on our fine NYC public transportation but I am getting there – slowly but surely. I am also guilty of pulling out some major air drums or air guitar. But I do it a little discreetly – or so I think. I am the one who taps or bang the ipod on the side of my thigh, or the motion of striking the guitar strings. I have a reason though, and its only because I can actually hear a song and know the chords. Or I am trying to figure out the correct chords. I can split each instrument in a song and tell you exactly what’s playing and what keys they are hitting. I thank the one-hour session of music lessons everyday after school when I was a tiny tot. So thank you Madame Boire. When I play my air guitar, it may look as though I know nothing about music OR it may look like I know a shit load about playing music – it really depends on who is staring at me. BUT I will not dance on the train. I will occasionally bop my head but not pull out a whole Britney Spears – Hit me baby one more time dance routine. Remember the old Britney? Memories – really.
When I see someone who is like Jew, I just look intently for a little and see if they have talent (I love people who have real talent) and after a few seconds I go back to whatever I was doing. I don’t think people like Jew do it to get attention, I think they just do it because they don’t care what people think and also, because it is NYC. Imagine you pulled a Jew moment in eastbumblefuck? Or even better…the LIRR or the NJT??
The other thing that Jew does that’s really fascinating is that she has the balls to dance – not stripper dance, because she doesn’t hold on to the poles, but like full hardcore, head bopping, feet sliding, shoulders leaning and finger snapping dancing. She is never embarrassed. She always says that NYC is the only city where no one truly gives a fuck about you. Everyone is either doing the same thing; reading/or pretending to read or they are eating an entire meal from the Chinese take-out. Speaking of eating full meals on the train – have you ever encountered someone eating a full meal on the train? See I understand if you are hungry and you are nibbling on chips or something small…but eating fried chicken wings covered in ketchup and hot sauce with pork-fried rice on the side is just rude (what if other people were hungry?). Jew is also the girl who will sing (not loudly but you can definitely still hear her) this girl evidently does not care what the world thinks of her.
I am also guilty of being a subway surfer – I have not yet mastered the not holding anything on our fine NYC public transportation but I am getting there – slowly but surely. I am also guilty of pulling out some major air drums or air guitar. But I do it a little discreetly – or so I think. I am the one who taps or bang the ipod on the side of my thigh, or the motion of striking the guitar strings. I have a reason though, and its only because I can actually hear a song and know the chords. Or I am trying to figure out the correct chords. I can split each instrument in a song and tell you exactly what’s playing and what keys they are hitting. I thank the one-hour session of music lessons everyday after school when I was a tiny tot. So thank you Madame Boire. When I play my air guitar, it may look as though I know nothing about music OR it may look like I know a shit load about playing music – it really depends on who is staring at me. BUT I will not dance on the train. I will occasionally bop my head but not pull out a whole Britney Spears – Hit me baby one more time dance routine. Remember the old Britney? Memories – really.
When I see someone who is like Jew, I just look intently for a little and see if they have talent (I love people who have real talent) and after a few seconds I go back to whatever I was doing. I don’t think people like Jew do it to get attention, I think they just do it because they don’t care what people think and also, because it is NYC. Imagine you pulled a Jew moment in eastbumblefuck? Or even better…the LIRR or the NJT??
