Trip to Virginia Part 3: New York, NY… and Brooklyn too

When we came home from the windmill around 3am I showed her to where we would sleep in the basement and made our beds. We slept till about 9am when we got up for showers and I made her some breakfast. I had originally wanted to take her to a restaurant near the train station for breakfast so I wouldn’t mess up the eggs as I had last year. But coffee was already made and I made some eggs and turkey sausage for us to eat. The meal came out a lot better than last time… I think.

After breakfast we each packed a bag or two, but she had some issues. While I just had my black back for my cameras and a shirt, she needed to bring two. One was her purse, the other a black bag like mine but bigger. It had to be bigger it had to carry her big school textbook. I think she wanted to bring a third for clothes, but I convinced her to stuff it all in the other two. I also told her that if she would carry my lighter bag through the city I would take her book bag.
On the way to the station Nat reminisced about places along the shore she remembered and wanted to visit that day. I told her repeatedly that we needed to get to the train on time. Fortunately we got to the train station about 10 mins before the train to the city arrived. Nat is so photogenic that she wanted a picture taken with the train schedule while we waited.

On the trip up we of course sat together. As we sat there she pulled out her iPod and textbook. She invited me to listen on one of the earplugs to some Russian pop/rock songs and some American stuff that I found on it too, as we read her textbook on business. The book restarted some thoughts I have had on my own business ideas. But those are stories for another blog.

When we got to the city she insisted on going straight to Macys to find a new coat. That was the first time I have ever been in that Macys of NYC. It was Frakking NUTS! It felt worse than black Friday. I guess the economy is doing well. I don’t know if it was just that it was Saturday or this 150 yr anniversary sale I saw advertised… or both! It felt like there wasn’t a department we didn’t visit hunting for that coat. But there wasn’t anything that seemed to fit her budget or taste. After we left Macys we hit two other stores in the area looking for the coat but didn’t find anything. In the end it all felt like a wild goose chase, but I didn’t argue. If its anything I learned at the shoe store over the last year… don’t argue with a woman when she is shopping. Esp. when I thought we might have a better chance in the basement (incase I forget she did find 2 coats in Brooklyn the next day)
We did finally get to the subway and I navigated us to station near the Brooklyn Bridge.
Crossing the bridge and our time in Brooklyn itself was adventures in of themselves.
As we approached the bridge I pointed out town hall and asked if she wanted to go there and/or take pictures from where we stood. She didn’t. Walking up the approach way to the bridge we saw a guy selling water and I bought us a bottle each for $2.
I soon grabbed my two cameras from my bag on her back and opened up my video camera and started filming. As soon as Nat found out the camera was on she went straight in to this monologue introducing the Brooklyn Bridge. I can’t remember however if she started in Russian or English first. I do remember that the camera seemed to cut out at this point. I thought that the disc was ready to be finalized, but there wasn’t anywhere at that point on the bridge (or any) to settle the cam down to do it. We were both soo disappointed. So I told her I could use my regular cam to take video instead.

I don’t remember taking any video of us as we crossed the bridge, but we took a number of pictures, with both our cameras. There are a few that I remember quite distinctly:
The first was on our approach to the bridge over the roadway. She handed me her camera and told me to take a picture as she climbed up on an I-beam overlooking the roadway, which was a good 10+ feet down. I was scared for her and might have told her she was crazy. But she sat up there with one leg stretched and the other bent as confidently and with out fear as she had done many times before. I think I took 2 pics but the first might have been shaky.
As we were crossing the span I took another memorable shot of her with her camera. I told her to walk down a distance and turn around. My original intent was to photograph her. What ended up happening only one word comes to mind “catwalk.” What she had done was… There was a white line painted down the middle of the walkway to divide it for cyclists on one side and pedestrians on the other… she walked down that line with such purpose!
The third picture I remember trying to take but cannot find in either of our collections is of her and the Empire State building. I wanted to photograph them together because I thought they were soo perfectly straight and lean. I thought it would be a rather artsy pic. But I think the latter two pics came out even better than that could have.
Besides her modeling shots we did of course take a picture or two together. The two keepers that were taken by a stranger with my camera and of us with lower Manhattan in the backdrop. The second I think is best as we are both smiling and I am not as stiff as I usually am in such pictures.

When we got to the Brooklyn side of the bridge time really began to crunch. It had to be around 4pm and she had to get to the theater in Brighton beach by 5pm. She suggested walking the distance. I checked Google maps/GPS on my phone and it said the trip would be over 13 miles. I was like hell no! I think/hope she was kidding. I instead suggested finding our way to a subway and taking that to get there.
We found a map of the area and I guided us towards the Jay St subway station. There was another group of tourists at the map and I said, “I think we go this way,” pointing and remembering how I had done this before. I think I came off as a little unsure of myself at this point, but I got her to the subway easily. However when we got there I did not know how to get to our final destination, so I asked a police or security woman for direction. She told me to take a train (I forget the letter) out to the Coney Island stop. I was afraid we would have to take a train back into Manhattan and from there get one to Brighton.
When we got on the train we were able to sit and relax. As we traveled I kept track of our location with my phone when we came above ground.
When we got to the end of the line I think we were both expecting our stop to be a lot close to our destination. Where we got off was at the Coney Island stop, almost a mile and a half away from the theater, with less than half an hr to get there. We ended up speed walking the entire distance, even attempting to take a bus 5 blocks from our end. The bus driver however told us that he would be turning up a blvd before our destination, so we ended up getting off and walking. Nat also suggested catching a cab as we were on Brighton ave, but I didn’t feel like dealing with such a hassle.
When we finally got there I realized that the bus REALLY would have been a good idea because it could have left us off less than half a block from the theater. We arrived with less than 5 mins to spare, running into the theater looking for the box office, totally passing it as we did so.
After she got her tickets we began to relax, but couldn’t totally till we could find a place to eat. We went up and down that block looking for places looking for a restaurant. I was no help as per most of the signs were in Russian or some other Cyrillic language. The place that she found was actually right next door to the theater.
The restaurant she found was this little hole in the wall place. Very nice, quaint and simple. I think the owner doubled as the maître d and waiter. All the tables had booth seating, that I would say resembled a school bus: on one side tables/booths that could sit 4, the other tables/booths that could sit 10 or more.
I was soo relieved to sit down after all the running and get her heavy bag off my back.
As the waiter brought out the menu I was afraid I would need Natalia to interpret for me, but what was written in Russian was duplicated in English. I soon found some pork kabob that I thought would be safe to eat… She would later tell Rick that it was the most American thing I could order (in my defense I like to try new things and places, but not be too adventurous when too far from home)…
When the waiter came around I let her go first. She ordered in Russian so I didn’t know what she was getting till it got there. To drink she had some tea that came out in what I guess was a clear Pyrex glass surrounded by a fancy metal holder with a handle. I had Snapple, and ordered in English.
When I ordered I think some nervousness bleed through. I think how I was feeling was like a stranger in my own country… and I know how my tongue can be at times I even forgot the meanings of some of the Russian words I knew and kept to English… nervously. I think it was also because I hadn’t mastered the formal versions of the words either. Russian language is really strict.
I was happy to see that Natalia was feeling the opposite of me. She was happy to be in a place that resembled her home; she can speak her language and have some good old borsht!
I ordered some borsht too. I said like to try new things. I also remembered not trying anything distinctly Russian the last time I ate at such a restaurant with her… I had some Russian version of dumplings.
While we waited for our food she was brazen again and went to the bathroom to get changed for the show. When the borsht came out she was still in the bathroom. I tried waiting but I was famished. I sat and took some sips of the soup. Occasionally hovering my hand over hers to try and keep it warm. When she came out she dug right in and was overjoyed that the bread was not American. Later I would ask her how the borsht as I had never tried it before and wouldn’t know good borsht from bad borsht. She said that it was good, but would have been better with meat. I think my eyes widened with some surprise.
Soon our dinners came out: mine was a nice platter with chunks of the pork, some potatoes and what I thought at first was a salad, but really was coleslaw. I think I was disappointed as usual that the kabob didn’t come out on a stick. I guess the place was too formal for that. I also thought I saw a lil nat or bug falling in my food, but thought it better not to say anything. I was hungry, besides, more protein for me! I think it might have been a seasoning seed.
When I saw her plate I could see that it was potatoes. To me the dish looked like home fries that I usually got with my omelets at the diner near home. I told her this and she said “no” then offered me some to try. I tried to say no too as I had plenty of potatoes and other food to eat as it was. But she couldn’t finish everything herself and put it on my plate. I tasted it and it was rather doughy, but good. I still couldn’t understand how this could be a meal.
When the bill came I was rather relieved at the price. I had been thinking it would be rather outrageous and over fifty bucks. Suffice to say it was far from that!
When we left the restaurant is wasn’t far to show her off. There was a much larger crowd outside than earlier. I gave her a hug and only managed to give her a peck on the cheek. That was the last time I would see her for nearly 24 hrs.

This blog ended up being 6 pages long, so I split it for you…

As an amendment I wanted to say for anyone that doesn’t know, the whole point of the entire trip was 2 things: 1. Spend some much needed time with Nat. 2. Drive her to see Comedy Club, a Comedy central-like Russian TV show being performed in Brighton Beach. There may be more about this in part 4.

Part 3.1

Now I was alone in Brooklyn. I knew as we arrived in Coney Island earlier that I did not want to leave the area with out first checking it out. So I found a train to the Coney Island stop from earlier. I would also learn that we prob could have made a transfer at Coney Island to get closer to Brighton. Sadly when I reach the amusement area it was too dark to take any good pictures. I tried to take a couple of the ferries wheel but failed. I walked up onto the boardwalk but couldn’t see far out onto the water. The only thing open on the boardwalk was a sketchy bar that as I passed by I heard the bartender call “last call” I think it was 6:30 or 7pm.
I left the boardwalk and made my way to this establishment that I had noted earlier. The place I thought would be a freak show exhibit of some sort. When I approached I saw a sign saying there was beer served there and that there was a tour. I asked rather stupidly whether it was a bar or both. It was both. I also asked if I could drink on the tour, the guy said yes. So I bought a $10 ticket for the tour and one of the Brooklyn brews they served there and walked around waiting for the tour. I also the asked man about what really was gonna happen to the area and what happened to the Pain Proof Rubber Girls (Google it!) that I had met years before at 6 flags. He told me how the landmark rides like the ferries wheel, parachute jump and I think the roller coaster, and the “museum” plus Nathan’s would stay. Everything else would be torn down to make way for condos.
The show had been advertised as a Halloween tour, and I had expected a freak show, what with all the signage of blockheads and the like in the place. Sadly it wasn’t quite that. What it was more of an interactive funhouse. There wasn’t much scary about the show… unless you find US presidents and politicians scary. The show may not have been much of a freak show, but it was definitely filled with exhibitionists… not nudist. There was our tour guide who I couldn’t decide if she was a dirty simpleton with a stutter, or if that was her act. She would show us around the many rooms caring an A shaped signage that said, “Push here to begin” with an arrow to a button. Whenever we come to a new room she an audience member would have to push the button and the host would push play on a tape recorder.
Once the recording was going the act of the room would come to life. The actors would tell us that they were automatons similar to the ones found in Disney World, but older, defective models. The act was good. When we came into a set room the actors/robots hardly breathed… until the button had been pushed.
Each room had a dead or living president in some form of death or living. The only two non-presidents were the last two first ladies: Laura bush and Hillary. They would introduce the coffin of JFK… then FDR, then Lincoln and other dead presidents, but all was the same coffin, to fool the children in the room to look repeatedly. Then the adults became curious to see… it was a mask of splattered brain.
The tour would end with Obama and McCain debating over Nixon’s coffin, which would also come to life. Over all I guess the tour was unique. Maybe not worth the ten bucks, but eh! It’s New York. It was certainly worth the time and fun. When the tour was done I left and took a picture of the marquee and soon Nathan’s. Then I got back on the train and head back to Manhattan.

When I finally emerged from the subway in Manhattan, I think I was in either SOHO, Tribeca, or somewhere just south of the Village. I walked north thinking I would find my way to someplace familiar. I remember as I approached one intersection smelling a strong whiff of pot in the air, but when I got to the other side of the intersection all I could smell was trash/crap. As I made my way I came to a movie theater that I had past a couple of times before and looked to see what was playing there: “Religoulus.” My original plan after dropping Nat off in Brooklyn was to go see a comedy act of my own in Times Square… but I forgot my ticket at home! Besides I thought it would be lonely too. So I resolved to see this movie as my comedy act.
(I think I will blog about this else-time)
Two hours later I emerged from the theater and made my way north again. I would soon find myself in my favorite part of the village: bleaker st. just west of LaGuardia. I took a pic of a Mexican themed bar that I had seen before, but I think they changed signage. I wanted to go in one of the clubs there. I don’t think it was quite ten or eleven yet. I asked at Booty Bay the cover: $5 I think. I contemplated it, but thought other. I needed the money for the rest of the weekend, and I didn’t want to be stumbling to get to Penn station and home. I also felt uncomfortable going in alone where I knew no one.

As I stood thinking a weird vehicle came down the street and stopped at the red light. The vehicle was red and had 3-wheels: 2 in the front and one in the back. It looked like a partially enclosed motorcycle possible of holding 2… maybe even side by side. Unfortunately I couldn’t get my cam out in time to take a pic.

By the time I got to the next corner I had gotten my video camera out too. This is where/when I would find that there was nothing wrong with it, and I didn’t have to finalize. So I went back to the beginning of the street and videoed the length of the street as I walked. At 6th ave I turned the cam off and headed up to a sub station I knew was nearby. On the way I spotted a Maserati or Ferrari (I cant remember) and I think my vid cam was still in my hand and I caught some images of it while I could. I got to the subway and headed to Penn Station
At Penn I got off the subway and headed for the bigger station. I think where I got off the subway was different from what I am used to, it was a maze walking to Penn. Along the way I ended up following a cute gothic looking woman. I remember feeling like I was stalking her. I was prepared to tell her “I’m not following you unless you are headed for the NJTransit train down the coast.” She finally went a different way.
When I emerged into the NJ Transit/LIRR/Amtrak hall with the schedule I saw it say my train was “all aboard.” I burst into a run to the track! When I got there the doors of the cars were already closed and the train was inching away. No chance at getting on. I had to wait close to half an hr for the next train. I almost fell asleep in the waiting area. Surprisingly when I got on the train I didn’t fall asleep, I think I was over tired.
When I got off the train I got in my car, went to the windmill and update rick. We made plans for dinner the next day with Nat, maybe roman too.

To be continued…