New York Update: Tap dancing, work-life balance, PristineGreen Cleaning, Subway Photos

Hello All,

Just a lil’ update from me over here in Ridgewood, where nothing is really going on (thank gad).

First off, people in the subway have become an interesting photographic subject for me over the years and throughout the cities. Yesterday, a girl got on the tube and sat across from me, eyes glued to her phone pretty much the whole time, giving me free rein to stare and examine her being. I noticed she had a little cat shaped patch on her jacket that said “Cash poor, Pu$$y rich.”  Must be a cat person, I thought.

Here’s a photo:

And really, this photo reminded me of another one I took back on the S-Bahn (train) in Berlin last Fall, check out the posture on this girl. Can’t be good! Makes me wonder how the physiology of my generation will change as we age…

In other news, tap dancing has been going well. I have been taking classes with Derick Grant, my favorite teacher for style points and his overall joie de vivre, Tamii Sakurai, one of Grants former students, completely awesome in her own right, and Claudia Rahardjanoto, a member of the touring tap dance troupe, Dorrence Dance. I take classes at Steps on Broadway, which is pretty intimidating because I have to cross a sea of ballerinas sprawled out stretching on the floor to get to my class (see below) and the American Tap Dance Foundation, which is a little more low-key and strictly a tap dance school, phew.

Here is a video of a short tap combo taught by Tamii Sakurai that will surely please your ears: https://vimeo.com/241762393. Enjoy!

What else, what else? Tomorrow, my dear friend Stephanie from way back in high school is moving across the country to be my roommate. This should be fun. It will be nice to have a piece of home over here.

Still trying to strike up a good work-life balance. Things at the flower shop have been ok, just not quite what I’m looking for in terms of labor, vibes (they’re always rushing me…which I hate), pay, and commute…aka I’m looking for something else. Next week I will train one day at the Songs of Love Foundation, a non-profit in Forest Hills, the neighboring town where there are actually trees and houses. I can easily bike there, which makes me happy. This organization provides free, personalized songs for children with special needs and illnesses, as a therapeutic pick me up. The founder and secretary are Brazilian…this could be so very good!

Well, that’s about it for now. I have been procrastinating all day on steam cleaning the little couch in my room. I’m trying to make it nice for my friend’s arrival. Luckily, my house-mate has a upholstery and carpet cleaning business called PristineGreen, which I mentioned before. I will be writing an article for that site asap about “green” cleaning products. Stay tuned, you might learn something.

All the best to you. Hope you enjoyed the full moon this month.

Until next time,

KB