Nesoteric June 29, 2008

Today was brilliant. It’s one of those days where you accomplish nothing you really set out to accomplish, everything you planned goes wrong and as a result of this, you get to experience a bunch of other things you hadn’t intended that are all actually quite fantastic.

Meant to head down to IFC Center for the Asian Film Festival, but unfortunately the film I wanted to see was sold out. Hastily made, cancelled, and remade plans with Vicarhelmet for something later that night. Picked up some Beard Papa and ended up walking through a fantastic street market on Bleecker Street – great for people watching. It spontaneously started pissing down which sent everyone scattering like mad. Made my way up to the Adidas store on Houston to pick up the new Liverpool kit before dropping into the LES to check out a few of those ever so trendy lifestyle shops and a slice at Rosario’s.

At this point it turned into an absolute torrential downpour and with no uptown trains running in the vicinity I was sort of caught in no man’s land. Had to run from scaffold to scaffold, ducking under awnings every step of the way so as not to be completely soaked through my t-shirt (no umbrella – never carry one). About this time I spotted a cozy little caff – Le French Diner. Walked in and there’s French talk radio on, which the owner – apparently called Zucco – quickly shifts over to some tastefully trendy French radio station playing what I guess I’d call urban pop classics. Orchard Street was absolutely deserted and once I got settled in, it started properly gnashing it down outside. I can’t remember the last time it stormed like that here. Zucco whipped up the biggest “grand mocha” I’ve ever seen and I had a relaxing afternoon, digging into the latest Wired, listening to the track Basement Jaxx sampled on Red Alert and watching the rain come down. One would have thought for a second they were in the 18th arrondissement…

Eventually made my way back to Broadway, a spot of – mercifully – stress free shopping in Soho as the rain must have scared off the tourists. Hit the R up to Union Square for a round of bargain hunting down the Strand. Picked up a great piece from the Taschen collection on East German design as well as a bit of a heftier read on the art and architecture of Basel and Zürich. There’s something really quite inspiring about Swiss and German design but I feel I’m going to have to actually apply myself to create before I start to come off all Nathan Barley, swanning about town with no particular motivation or end product.

Eventually met up with Vicarhelmet for a nice stroll through Chelsea before heading up to hell Times Square for a quick run in to the Virgin Megastore. It all came back to France when I spotted Lamorisse’s The Red Balloon digitally restored on DVD in the bargain racks. A total classic and having watched White Mane last week it’s one of those things I’m quite happy to own.

Finally, walked up to Columbus Circle, grabbing dinner on the way and started thinking about Aqueduct Racetrack and how I’ve never seen horse racing and actually, might quite like to check it out. I appreciate how pretentious most of this must sound to the casual observer but there’s something really quite satisfying about getting to a stage where you more accurately reflect your interests. There comes a point where I’ve been fortunate enough to actualise some ambitions. I hope I will be able to keep track of many more such actualisations in this journal in future.