Guia para un viaje practico y divertido en la ciudad de Nueva York (y anexos)

LLEGADA

*Si llegan al JFK airport estas son mis recomendaciones

A. Pueden tomar un taxi a mi depa (les va costar de $35 a $45 dolares)

B. Si no les molesta agarrar el metro...(y ahorrarse una buena cantidad de verdes que les pueden servir para una cena con vino) Salgan de arrivals y tomen el airtrain (cuesta 5 dlls por persona). Se bajan las escaleras electricas y caminan hacia la izquierda, ahi la gente les va decir a donde se metan para agarrar el metro. Compran un 7 day unlimited ride metro card $21dlls c/u . Y en esa estacion agarran la linea que valla a Roosvelt Avenue (en queens), una ves que llegan a Roosvelt Ave, se bajan de esa linea y se suben a la linea R (amarilla) rumbo a Manhattan... a tres estaciones esta la de mi casa, 46st. Se bajan ahi, y caminan hacia la calle 49. En esa suben una cuadra (la cual es un pasillo entre unos edificios multifamiliares y unas canchas de soccer y tennis de una escuela) y llegan a la avenida 31.
Van a ver una lavanderia en la esquina izq y una serie de edificios de tres pisos a mano derecha. Ahi esta el depa, es el segundo bloque, en el piso 3.

La direccion es 4903 31st Ave, Woodside, Queens 11377.

APARTAMENTO
Al llegar, no se malvibren si sale un ruco con pelo blanco y acento raro. O en su defecto una ruca gorda y chimuela. Ellos son los duenios del edificio. Se llaman Nick y Caliope. Yo les dije que Gaby es mi prima, y que vienen a pasar unos dias de vacaciones. Saludenlo, y luego tiren a leon.

Suban al piso tres, y abran la puerta. Mi cuarto (su cuarto) esta a mano izquierda del comedor. Las sabanas estan limpias, y encima deje dos toallas limpias tambien (incluyendo una para las manos). Pueden colgar cosas en el closet (me traje media maleta de ropa sucia a MTY!!!).

Mi escritorio esta a lado del balcon (en la sala). Ahi se pueden conectar a internet si traen cable usb o wireless card.

La cocina tiene estufa, horno, refri, licuadora y tostador. No hay micro. Pueden disponer de ella cuando quieran. Solo laven los platos despues de comer, ya que derepente se acumulan los bichos. Ahi en la alacena, arriba del lavabo, hay salsas de todos sabores y colores, tambien hay chiles jalapenios y creo que frijoles. jajajaja

El banio (espero que este limpio, pues Andres derepente se le va la onda y le vale). La caliente es la izquierda y la fria la derecha. No tiren los papeles a la taza (por que se puede tapar). Ahi hay jabon, talco, crema, y papel de banio). Tambien tengo una secadora de pelo por si se les ofrece. Esta abajo del lavabo.

El calentador se prende automaticamente, asi que no se preocupen por eso. Frio no van a tener.

Si quieren ir al super, o a comprar comida o al Best Buy, Old Navy, Guitar Center o National Wholesale Retailers... caminen por el pasillo que esta entre la escuela y los multifamiliares, de ahi se ve el best buy, y si caminan derecho, veran el Northern Boulevard, ahi se ve el guitar center y old navy.. ahi hay muchas tiendillas de esas, y el Super Stop (que es en donde hago el super). Se pueden llevar el carrito que esta en el pasillo de abajo. Para que puedan cargar muchas cosas.

Si quieren ir a las tiendas equis, sin ir a Manhattan... salen del depa, agarran la derecha y caminan sobre la ave 31st 5 cuadras y llegan a Steinway street. Ahi hay Gap, Victoria Secret, Express, Salvation Army, McDonalds, Starbucks y todo el imperialismo. Si quieren ir a un buen restaurante de comida griega en queens, caminen a steinway y luego volteen a la derecha en broadway , ahi pregunten por Uncle George’s Tavern.

RUMBO A MANHATTAN
Salen del depa, caminan por el pasillo entre la escuela y los multifamiliares y voltean a la derecha, ahi esta la parada del metro para ir a manhattan. Tomen el R(amarillo) o el V (naranja) segun la parada a la que quieran ir. Si quieren ir a Brooklyn tomen el G (verde).

Yo siempre salgo en Hell’s Kitchen, Greenwich Village, o Lower East Side.
Estos son los antros a los que les recomiendo vallan...

1. Mi favorito es el Passerby (15th street between 9th and 10th av). Es un bar pequeno, con piso al estilo saturday night fever. Los Dj’s ahi son un par de judios que se caracterizan por su eclecticismo al mezclar. Despues de escuchar a Dylan, te tocaria Fela Kuti o talves electro de Colonia o Lionel Ricthie. Este lugar es donde Bjork aparece de ves en cuando. Pense que era una legenda urbana, pero la vi el sabado pasado!!!! El banio siempre esta ocupado, hay mucha gente que consume soda. Otros clientes distinguidos son los tipos de Proenza and Schouler.

2. The apt esta a dos cuadras del Passerby (sobre la 13 entre la 9th ave y Washington av). Este lugar es mas grande tiene dos pisos. Uno es el bar restaurante y el de abajo es bar y open space para bailar. Por lo general no hay cover y la mayoria de los que atienden son asiaticos.

3. Lotus... este es super famoso. Ya no esta tan in, pero si quieren comprobar con sus propios ojos que los del Havana no inventaron el hilo negro (o que se copiaron descaradamente) vallan. La comida es deliciosa y siempre hay buenos djs residentes. Tambien esta a la vuelta del passerby (14 st between 9 and 10)

4. The underground bar at the Chelsea Hotel. Este bar se caracteriza por poner musica de los ochentas. Entre neo new wave, erasure, maddonna y otras curiosidades... Ese hotel es famoso por que ahi Sid mato a Nancy (sex pistols). Arthur Miller tambien vivio ahi un tiempo. Esta en la calle 23 en el west side, no me se la direccion, pero pregunten o chequen por internet.

5. The underbar at the W hotel Union Square. Este bar es como el havana... pero un poco mas chico. No sirven de comer, pero los tragos son buenos. Los precios, no muy accesibles, pero es un buen lugar para el precopeo.. Esta en Union square east...

6. Beauty Bar. disfruten de un buen martini y un buen manicure al mismo tiempo. Este lugar es super famoso y va gente bonita y trendy. Esta sobre la 14st en medio de 2nd and 3rd av... o algo asi...

7. Si quieren ir a ver bandas de rock, chequense el Village Voice, sale todos los miercoles, y es gratis. ahi vienen los venues... los mejores son Rothko, Arlene’s Grocery y Hammerstain Ballroom. A veces BBkings (42st).



UNION SQUARE

8. Les recomiendo, vallan a Union Square, enfrente de virgin records hay un mercadito de navidad con un chorro de stands super padres. Enfrente de ahi esta Forever 21 (ropa buena, bonita y barata para la damita), Filene’s Basement y DSW shoes (zapatos de marca a mitad de precio).

Ahi mismo en Union square hay dos restaurantes a precios accesibles y de buen look. Uno es The Coffee Shop y esta sobre la calle university place esquina con la 15st. Es un diner donde pueden hacer brunch, breakfast y quiza hasta precopeo. Sobre esa misma calle, pasando el Barnes and Nobles, esta el Republic. Es un lugar de noodles super rico. dan buen servicio, y tiene la particularidad de ofrecerte una mesa compartida con alguien mas. Pidan el wonton soup o el seafood pad thai.

9. Si estan buscando libros baratos, usados, nuevos, autografiados etc... de Union square, se pueden pasar a Strand bookstore, sobre Broadway.... bajan Broadway, pasan por los cines que estan atras de Virgin, y se siguen un par de cuadras hacia el sur y strand esta de mano izquierda de la acera.

SOHO

10.De ahi se podrian ir caminando a Soho, esta a doce cuadras. Pero en esas cuadras hay varias tiendas interesantes... Crate and Barrel, Canal Jeans... etc...

11. De soho ni les platico, ya saben como es y que hay.
Tambien se pueden ir en el metro en la linea R y se bajan en Prince street.

a parte del restaurante Balthazar, esta un restaurante de comida cubana y mexicana que se llama Cafe Habana. Es super rico y no esta caro. Esta sobre la calle Spring... pasando el starbucks y el balthazar rumbo al este.

EAST VILLAGE Y LOWER EAST SIDE

12. hay varios lugares que recomiendo, esta el Alphabet Lounge (entre la calle 7 avenue B and C), el Orchard Bar, Lotus Lounge, y cualquier antrillo que encuentren tiene su chiste.

13. Coman pizza del Ray’s pizza... de la 1st avenue.

14. Vallan a St.Marks, la calle esta despues de astor place. Y es donde estan los mejores changarros de comida japonesa. tambien hay mercado de cosas para punks y wannabe rockstars. Hay mucho pseudo punk... tambien esta la libreria St.marks donde encuentran las revistas especializadas y los libros nuevos de cualquier corriente filosofica e intelectual.

Pueden agarrar el bus de 14 st es el M14 y se va parando, hasta llegar a StMarks... que esta en la tercera avenida y St.marks st.

15. Los dos diners que recomiendo ahi... el 7a (pidan un tuna avocado sanwich con papas fritas) que esta en la calle siete con la Avenue A. Y el sidewalk cafe que esta en la 6 con avenue A.

16. Sobre Bowery street esta el Bowery Bar, es muy padre y tienen bueno cocina.

17. Si quieren ir a ver cine independiente, acudan al Sunshine Cinemas, Cinema Village, Angelika o film Forum. Si quieren aventarse dos o tres peliculas por el precio de una, haciendo trampa, vallan al AMC o Lowes de 42 st (times square).

18. Si quieren ir a Macys, H&M, Forever 21 etc... bajense en la calle 34.

BROOKLYN

19. Yo soy super fan de williamsburg. Asi que cojen el R train a Unions Square, y de ahi hacen el transfer a la linea L (gris). Se suben al que diga rumbo a canarise.Y se bajan en Bedford Ave (es la primera parada de Brooklyn)... Ahi, salen y caminan derecho una cuadra y la izquierda otra y luego a la derecha otra ves. Pueden caminar sobre bedford y hay varias tiendas vintage, como tambien tiendas de discos y libros usados, y muchas coffe o bagel shops.. Buquen los siguientes lugares...

20. SEA , es un restaurante Thailandes, delicioso y nada caro. Tambien es bar. Su decoracion es oriental, con un buda en medio de un espejo de agua... Tiene sillas sicodelicas colgando del techo... buena musica dub, house y trip hop.

21. Galapagos, es un espacio cultural disfrazado de bar. Es como el torero pero sin la musica del koko y con magnificos espectaculos de burlesque, cabaret y otras curiosidades. Ahi los tragos no son caros.

22. Anytime, sobre la misma calle del galapagos y el sea, esta este maravilloso diner y bar en el cual hay hora feliz de las 5 a las 9. cada trago te cuesta un dolar. No lo podran creer.

23. Falafel and Pita... saliendo del metro, hay un lugar que se llama Oasis, ahi venden comida arabe y falafel sanwich... es lo mas rico del mundo despues de la peda. Tambien hay otro lugar de falafel en bedford avenue.

24. Bonita, es un restaurante Mexicano con muy buen servicio y buenos platillos. es interesante ver como interpretan nuestra comida en el gabacho.

25. Si les gusta comprar ropa usada... hay un super lugar que se llama Beacon’s Closet. Chequen la direccion en el Village Voice) ahi venden todo tipo de garras, para hombres y mujeres, zapatos, gorros, cintos, vestidos, desde los 30’s hasta la fecha. Predomina la moda 80’s con 60’s. Leg warmers de colores y disenios piratas, souvenirs hechos de arreglos que tu abuelita tiene aun en su casa... etc.

NOTA IMPORTANTE
La linea R (amarilla) funciona hasta la medianoche, despues de las 12, tienen que usar la linea E, la cual corre sobre las vias de la R. Esto es igual durante el fin de semana...

PARA LA CASA...

26. Si quieren ir al Ikea.... este es el truco: el sabado o el domingo, agarren el metro a 42 Time square y caminen underground a port authority (la central de autobuses). Al llegara port authority, pregunten donde es la salida del Ikea shuttle... sale uno cada media hora y que creen? ES GRATIS!!!!! jala desde las 10Am hasta las 8 PM y es de ida y vuelta al Ikea de Elizabethtown New Jersey.

27. Williams Sonoma... hay uno en 17 st and 7th avenue. es muy caro para mi, pero si he ido muchas veces con amigos.

28. Crate and Barrel, hay uno en Broadway con Houston St.

29. Bed, Bath and Beyond... en la calle 16 y la 6ta avenida.

OTRAS COSAS...

30. Dense el rol por la avenue A enfrente de tompkins square park, hay miles de tienditas boutique con muchos detallitos estilo Gant pero mucha mas variedad. Puedes encontrar bolsas Le Parcel, vestidos y sweateres para tus mascotas, camaras fotograficas Lomo... etc. Tambien por ahi hay miles de tiendas vintage y sample sales. en la calle orchard.

Who is the Other? Analyzing bell hook’s reading through the San Pedro society .

Gloria Watkins aka bell hooks, was born in Hopkinsville, Kentucky in 1952. After studying her B.A. from Stanford University in 1973, her M.A. in 1976 from the University of Wisconsin and her Ph.D. in 1983 from the University of California, Santa Cruz, she became a distinguished professor of English at City College in New York. hooks is mainly know as a feminist thinker and describe herself as a “black intellectual, revolutionary activist.” She explains that her pseudonym, is about ego; “What’s in a name? The substance in my books not who is writing them that’s important.” Her works cover a wide variety of topics on gender, race, teaching and the importance of media for contemporary culture. In her writings, she explicates that these topics are interconnected. The purpose of this essay is to analyze her work “Eating the Other: Desire and Resistance” through my personal perspective as a Mexican female graduate student in New York.

San Pedro is located in the state of Nuevo Leon on the northeastern part of Mexico. Many of their inhabitants call it “the bubble” because most of them never go out of it and not many people are socially accepted. They all grew up in a similar way, attending to the same schools, traveling to the same places, shopping in the same stores and cutting our hair with the same stylist. There is certain uniformity about “San Petrinos” and you can tell by specific codes they follow; girls have to be slim and blonde, boys have to play golf or tennis, girls study psychology or education and boys study law, medicine or business administration, they all attend to the country club and to the social club, they dress with name brands. Even though they are all Mexican, none of them look like the “typical” Mexican indian with dark skin, black thick hair and short legs. Almost everybody is fair skinned and has light brown hair, blond hair or fine black hair contrasting with colored eyes. The only ethnicity you can see in San Pedro is within the servitude which comes from small towns of the south of Mexico. They are not treated as equal, and the racial difference is strongly marked. In this case, I don’t agree with bell hooks when she says that “ there is pleasure to be found in the acknowledgment and enjoyment of racial difference.” (424) because in my town, there is no such thing. “The commodification of Otherness” is not successful here, and the ways of the Mexican indian do not “become a spice” to our small mainstream white culture. Indeed, it is well known that indians, being more primitive, satisfy their sexual needs earlier -in life- and they are myths about indian women’s special power to sexually satisfy men.

Nevertheless, if we were to compare contemporary working-class British slang when they describe a sexual encounter with the Other as getting “a bit of the Other” or “Fucking the Other”(425) denoting coerciveness and domination, there is a popular Mexican expression that means the same thing; “Chingar”. This expression started to circulate in Mexico during the Spanish Colonization. A well known beautiful indian woman, called Malinche, betrayed her race by becoming the spanish conqueror’s lover and telling him the secrets of Moctezuma, the Aztec emperor. We as Mexican became sons of the Malinche, who was “Chingada” by the spaniards. She was under their control and command subject to their power. That is why, many of us reject our origins and any connection with our ethnic races, because the shame of our ancestors never washed away.

In addition, people of San Pedro are open to the Other, when he or she comes from Europe or some cosmopolitan city of the United States. Depending on their socioeconomic background, they are accepted and mystified as if they possessed more experience and enjoyed life -and sex- in a better way. I recall the days when I used to study at The American School. This school was created for the offspring of foreign investors and employees that moved to the city, but they conformed only 15% of every class. If a Mexican American joined the group, he would have difficulties fitting in because Chicano otherness is not well seen here. On the other hand, if a good looking American German girl would enter this school, the popular crowd would make all their efforts to make her hang out with them, because she would attract other “good looking” people. After I graduated from high school, I noticed that only certain foreigners would be accepted in our social circles. Artists, investors, prestigious lawyers and bohemian bourgeois that had money to spend and good looks. Stereotypes were always around and many of them were supposedly proven as people of San Pedro “adventured” to have a sexual encounter with one of these foreigners. If she was French, she was a stench filled sex bomb, if she was American she was adventurous, fast and floozy, if he was Spanish, he was passionate and sexy and so on. This proves that maybe, people in San Pedro felt as members of dominating races because in Mexico they are, in a financial way. Therefore, hook’s comment stating that “members of dominating races, genders, sexual practices affirm their power-over intimate relations with the Other.” could apply to people in San Pedro if the Other is a European or American.

Still, in the San Pedro case it is important to say that it is not a matter of blacks having more life and sexual experience than whites. It is a matter of Mexicans having less experience than Europeans and Americans. For a Mexican young adults from San Pedro, going to South Padre Island, TX or Cancun during Spring Break is a ritual. They make bets to see who “fucks” more American girls. This is not to gain power over them, but to gain experience and become better lovers. hooks explains this phenomenon by saying that “ the exploration into the world of difference, into the body of the Other, will provide a greater, more intense pleasure than any that exists in the ordinary world of one’s familiar racial group.” (427)

Putting pleasure aside, and talking about crises of identity in the west, people of San Pedro are going through something different. They want to embrace the world, to be cosmopolitan to share their latin warmth and experience, but they are in no crisis. They have no need for spice.

In the end, Who is the Other? I could assume that I am the Other when I am living in New York, because I am not American and all that has to do with me and my personality denotes certain latin warmth and Mexican traditions. In addition, I am part of an international student population, which is something that every prestigious university looks for to offer as a plus to their American students and instructors. A different point of view, a different culture and in the end a little of spice. On the other side, when I am in San Pedro, anyone who is not from there and comes to visit or stay, is the Other because he/she will stand out until he/she becomes part of the “San Petrino” status quo.


WORKS CITED



bell hooks, “Eating the other: Desire and Resistance” reprinted in Meenakshi Gigi Durham and Douglas M. Kellner, Eds., Media and Cultural Studies: Key Works (New York : Blackwell, 2001): 424-438.


Provenzo, Jr., Eugene. bell hooks; Contemporary Educational Thought; Department of Teaching and Learning, School of Education of University of Miami; accessed on Dec 17, 2004; http://www.education.miami.edu/ep/contemporaryed/Bell_Hooks/bell_hooks.html


     

Observing “The Graduate” through Visual Pleasure and Female Spectatorship

During the late 60’s, shifting social and sexual civil movements began to question the values of American Society. In 1967, The Graduate directed by Mike Nichols, became a groundbreaking film. It portrayed the decadence and corruption of the older generation through the eyes of Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) an innocent 21 year old graduate who is seduced by Mrs. Robinson (Ann Bancroft), a mature married woman.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss The Graduate regarding female spectatorship and visual pleasure through cinema. These two counterpoints were developed by female film theorists Miriam Hansen and Laura Mulvey. In Hansen’s (1988) essay ‘Valentino and Female Spectatorship’ she talks about films explicitly addressed to female spectators and the discourse of female desire. While Mulvey’s (1975) essay on ‘Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema’ is a critique of patriarchal cinema and conventions of the male as the agent of “the look” and the image of woman as an object of spectacle and narrative.

The film starts with Benjamin’s arrival to Los Angeles airport. The first shot is a close up of his expressionless face. Afterwards, there’s a long sequence of Ben riding the electric walkway following another close up of his reflexive face as he kneels the back of his head on the fish tank in his room. During this time Ben is introduced in a very close way to the spectator. Close shots make the audience feel intimate with the character and his feelings. If Mulvey (1975) states that the male is the agent of the look and the image of woman is an object of both spectacle and narrative, this part of the film shows an opposite example because in this case, Ben is being looked at by the spectator.

New Year

During 2004, lots of things happened to me. Some were good, some were bad.

1. In January I knew I had gotten the Fulbright Scholarship, but I still didn't know where I was going to go. I would tell everyone that I was going to New York (without being certain).

2. February was a bundle of mixed feelings. I broke up with a person that should have being only my friend and went back with the person with was more than my friend. I also went to the Travis concert at Mexico City, a memorable concert, tears dropped when they sang The Humpty Dumpty song.

3. The month of March started when I decided to share my life and my house with this person. Things at work were not going well anymore, I was not motivated. Things were easy, there was no challenge.

4. April didn't fool me! Those were hard times for us. Economy in Mexico made it's way through my life, but I still made everything I used to do when I was at my dad's place. It was just sad to know that my Dad had to go to work as an employee again, instead of retiring at 56, he started over again. That was so brave, he left his ego behind.

5. May, my mother and I became closer. She is one of my role models. Amazing woman! So wise and stable. During Semana Santa we had fun in the city and the countryside. A jeep, beers, friends, laughs... we even got stuck in the river.

6. To New York it is, I got accepted to The New School! My dreams would soon come true, again. I quit my job, and started preparing the trip. I thought that he was coming with me, but somehow everything fell out from my hands, instead of being closer, we grew apart. I am so self centered that I didn't stop to think about what was going down with my relationship.

7. July and my b-day party. It was a huge success. Everyone went. 200 people at my Dad's place. I was so happy, that I did not realize that someone was sad and putting up with my childish attitude. The last day of this month I sold all the stuff that was in my house... and it stayed there. I only took my clothes and my books. Everything else stayed there. I felt like crying, I did cry in secret. It took a lot of effort to get the place together and make it confortable and homey for me, that by the time I was settled, I had to leave it behind.Mabey I should stick to buddhism and be more detached.

8. A new life, new friends, new setting: Philadelphia, U Penn. I took a preacademic course and met many interesting people from all over the world. Two of them became my roomates and best friends, Andres and Zoe. We struggled together. every weekend we had to go to New York and check out apartments. Until we finally found one in Queens, with a cranky old Greek landlord. The Passerby, and the enemy.

9. September and school started. Mom came to visit and everything was great. I got pampered! I met Ana and all the colombian gang. I also met other people that would call me from time to time. I started going out in the city. Exciting, Enriching, museums, picnics at Central Park, saturday mornings at Williamsburg, Union Square and Virgin Records, Sunshine theatres. Lots of arty movies. Barra Libre, the chilango gang, and cultural attaches.

10. October, midterms, Halloween and his visit. I was exicted, I felt great. I thought everything was fine. Still, my time was not his and so, things wore off. Met Marcela and Albert Hammond Jr. Hahahahaha (liza piratona).

11. November school was kinda dissappointing, I got a new job at DuArt. What a great place to start! I am only a runner, but I am learning a lot.

12. December last weeks of school. Plans for next year. Where a door closes another opens and many new things happen. It is getting cold, leaves are falling. Nostalgic feelings, I crave machacado con huevo and tacos de trompo... I go home for ten days and see Esteban, Brenda, Ale, Mom, Dad, my brother Hussam and my awsome grandmother.

TODAY IS THE LAST DAY OF 2004, I WISH THAT TIME WOULD FREEZE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I AM GLAD THAT IT IS PASSING SO FAST.

I will promise myself to give the best of me during 2005
(and here's when I break down and cry while listen to The Flaming Lips sitting down on my desk in front of the balcony at my apartment in Queens, N.Y. )

I am a citizen of this world, it is not easy, but here I am. I hope that all of you remember me wherever it is that you are. Cause I am here and I am not going to give up.

I hope you do the same too! It's so good to be alive...

WELCOME 2005