Guy Brighton: January 2005 Archives

January 31, 2005

Lower East Side - Dead, Official

Luxe Invasion: http://nypost.com/entertainment/21549.htm

I like this quote:

Though located a bit north of the Lower East Side, Lit suffers an influx of weekend warriors.

"Lit's a dive bar; it's a rock bar," Consoli says. "People who live on the Upper East Side - their idea of getting crazy is to go hang out with the punk rock kids. But they don't really like to hang out with these people; they don't really like this music.

Posted by Guy Brighton at 11:30 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 30, 2005

Flowers Mark The End?

This is a picture of the flowers I bought the Lady after the last upset.

btw - I don't really care if this blog isn't as funny as it used to be....

Posted by Guy Brighton at 8:37 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 27, 2005

Tue 25th Jan : Liberation

Guy_brighton_live_1

Well, it was liberating!

I did WYSIWYG at PS122!

Did you hear that?! Yup, I got up infront of everyone and spoke some words. Alongside this lot:

Liza the MC

Jenny Francois of Aeki Tuesday
http://aekituesday.blogspot.com/

Carolyn Castiglia
http://carolyncastiglia.blogspot.com/

Guy Brighton of Guy Brighton's Wishful Thinking in New York (oh, that's me)
http://newyorkguide.blogs.com/uknyc/

Jon Collins
http://jonwcollins.livejournal.com

Rich Villar of The Book of Leviticus According to St. Ricardito
http://revolutionaryscum.blogspot.com

Ron Mwangaguhunga of The Corsair
http://ronmwangaguhunga.blogspot.com/

Everyone else was fantastic and oh, so different. I am going to post the reading but I have to take out all the names of the real people I btchd about.

Posted by Guy Brighton at 11:51 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

January 20, 2005

Thur 20 Jan : WYSIWYG

Oh no. I forgot all about this:

OK... umm what the hell am I going to say?

Posted by Guy Brighton at 5:35 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

January 19, 2005

Wed 19th Jan : Guess Where I Am?

Yo marz rememba dis. A kiz is jars a kiz

Narkin on havanz dooor

(I must leave bar area)

Posted by Guy Brighton at 10:54 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 18, 2005

Tue 18th Jan : Westin Bar Jazz Singer

Ven I farl in lavv I'd weel be for effer

Fli mey to Da moon. Led me Zee wot spring is lyk on jupider und marz

Posted by Guy Brighton at 10:51 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Tue 18th: Warsaw Town

Spent the day in sunny Warsaw: "Here is the old town and here is the new town that is older than the old town."

More bitterness towards the Germans than the Communists, I feel. The Germans must have ripped down the whole city and at least the communists had a go of putting it back together: they took all the plans they could find, paintings, photos and rebuilt the old town!

I think they're a little embarrassed that the Old Town isn't authentic but I think it looks pretty magnificent. And the town elsewhere may look a little soviet era but hey - that's cool - at least it gives you an edge, Warsaw! Hey - and check those new skyscrapers.

I suppose my only fear about the place is that the Polish hunger to tidy up their city and look progressive is that they will knock down all the older buildings to make way for the new - and that could get rid of some of the quirky charm in some areas.

Posted by Guy Brighton at 5:44 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Tue 18th Jan : Through The Dam

Wow. Back in Europe again. On the way to Warsaw. Waiting in Amsterdam airport really made me happy. Buzz. Accents, people, individual cultural angles on homogeneous cultural activities (coffee, cafes, drinking). Man, there's a casino in the airport. People smoking in their areas and it smells ok. Why shouldn't they?

I'm tired. I came business class on a conservative no frills airline. I wondered what the money for the ticket went to until they brought me out a huge steak. I was full by the first third but you can't waste food. And then you can't sleep with your full belly.

But the airport is a-buzz and I can speak English and they reply in their unexpected accent. Wow.

Posted by Guy Brighton at 5:16 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 15, 2005

New York Graf Mob Blog

Now, this is New York (!!!) : http://bluejake.typepad.com/moblog/

Posted by Guy Brighton at 10:45 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Sat 15th Jan : Flight From Seattle

Flight back with screaming baby from previous day now sat beside me.

And it's continental!

Posted by Guy Brighton at 2:14 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 14, 2005

Fri 14th Jan : Flight To Seattle

Flight to Seattle with baby in seat in front screaming its lungs out.

And it's continental

Posted by Guy Brighton at 2:12 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Newark Airport

Friday morning. And the world and her husband is trundling through the airport. All this walking should be having an impact on all of our waists but we end up eating egg type food out of polystyrene boxes served in a plastic french style cafe served by smiling Spanish speaking ladies.

Couples wearing matching clothes. Slim husbands with their rotund and deaf nagging wives. Loud folk who think they have money. Silent types who do. Policemen looking like they want some trouble.

Now the ladies at the cafe see singing and jugging to a cher anthem on the radio.

Make my day!

Posted by Guy Brighton at 7:52 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 13, 2005

Spooky eBay

Just to show that you can sell anything on eBay. Currently on sale is a 'stange bowl' that 'will spell words to you from the other side!' using a tin of Campbell's Soup!

Strange Mystical OUIJA "Spirit" Bowl On eBay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=14&item=3774640005

Posted by Guy Brighton at 5:52 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 9, 2005

Chilling - 3000 US, Swedish, French & British Probably Dead

Found at the bottom of a Washington Times article:

In Washington, State Department spokesman J. Adam Ereli said about 2,100 Americans remain unaccounted for. He said 17 others were confirmed dead and 20 presumed dead.
Sweden's government said that at least 637 missing Swedes were feared dead, along with 52 known dead.
French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier issued a similar warning for his country, saying "there is little hope" for 69 missing French citizens. Twenty-two others are known dead.
British Foreign Minister Mr. Straw said 49 Britons were known dead, but added that his government felt 391 others listed as missing were "very likely" dead.

That's 3000 foreigners just from those countries... Not exactly spoken about.... or in the headlines.

Posted by Guy Brighton at 1:14 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 8, 2005

Sat 8th Jan : Brad / Aniston

So the Lady comes back on Monday from India. I'm nervous about what will happen. I mean if this couple can split up, what's the point for the rest of us?

;)

Posted by Guy Brighton at 3:32 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

January 6, 2005

Letter To My Father

This is a letter I wrote to my father for his birthday late last year. I thought I would share it.

To my father,

Sometimes when you seem to be forever on the subway to and from work or your head in front of a screen you sometimes think that New York has lost its sparkle, that New York is becoming mundane.

And then the city hits you with something that makes you stop and gape your eyes wide open so they could drink it all in.

Late on Sunday afternoon I went for a run down by the Hudson; south along the river-park, up and down the river piers. The sun had just set behind the buildings.

I raced down to the end of the pier that runs above the Holland tunnel out to a large ventilation shaft as I watched the end of a cruise liner glide past down the river. At the end I was about to turn to run back down the pier but I was forced to stop because of the revealed view/

A long ridge of thin high clouds packed together stretched from behind the Empire State Building over the water and Jersey City. It was if a colossal dragon in the West had breathed a tremendous ball of fire across the sky and this had been frozen in time and space. My mouth was wide open I could feel my heart beat.

The clouds shot above the Jersey City skyscrapers like they were fire; amber, gold and tangerine. As they travelled over Manhattan they turned to that pink you can only see in the evening sky: moody, pregnant.

The pink lines travelled beyond the Empire State as it stood tall above the skyline – lit yellow with an electric blue needle pushed into the darkening blue sky.

At the other end of the bank the clouds were still bright and some of the straight beams becoming ruffled, flamed out against the neon blue sky. Under the clouds the horizon was rust coloured and silhouetted the dark buildings of the city. To the left stood the Statue of Liberty and across the water the towers of Lower Manhattan huddled together to brave the extravagance of the sky that was reflected in their windows and glass.

Eventually I had to start running again. Twilight descended and I ran along the river looking to my left at the clouds; watching the orange recede to pink. At Battery Park I had to stop again to look at the end of tangerine clouds sat brighter than the rusty sky.

Night fell as I ran back towards home under a deep water-blue sky and people along the river sat in silence watching the light. The tall buildings across the river had now become silhouetted with a vignette of desert blondes and beiges. I didn’t ever want to blink.

At these moments you are so grateful for being alive to witness nature at its most beautiful from within the concrete of the city. And all these moments would not be possible without you. Would not be possible without your love, your support, the manners I inherited and the lessons you gave me.

Thank you father for everything you did for me. Thank you for giving me the sky over Manhattan.

Happy Birthday.

Guy

Posted by Guy Brighton at 11:48 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 5, 2005

WYSIWYG: Oh Gawd....

This is the sort of thing that happens when you are nice to other bloggers...

What? I've got to go up on stage and give a reading?? Huh? When did I volunteer myself for that. Oh, i did, did I? Oh.

Advice from the people:

Here's better definition of the January WYSIWYG. What we are looking for is for you to write an story that goes with the theme of Misunderstandings and Missed Connections. Considering you're a Brit, dating a lovely Persian Lady...I 'm sure you have funny observations about misunderstandings. You get 10 minutes for your story.

10 minutes??? How do you pick just one??? Will the Lady kill me before I go on stage or after???

Oh Gawd!

Posted by Guy Brighton at 11:35 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

January 3, 2005

Mon 3rd Jan : Father!

I have plenty of stories to write about over New Year but for the moment - just this one from today:

So I'm standing by my colleague and she turns around and says, "You know. You have a very particular way of standing." I erect myself immediately and puff out chest. "I was thinking why I am these friendly feelings towards you," she goes on to say. I hope she won't mention the Christmas party, I think.

"The thing is, Guy, you hold yourself just like my father. He's got a beard and wild hair and you stand just like him with your arms crossed."

My colleague's father lives in NewZea land and at first I feel some sort of glow. Ah, she must feel some comfort in my presence. then I start to think about it. Oh my goodness! I AM STARTING TO RESEMBLE YOUNG GIRLS' FATHERS!!

(Going to the gym gets back on my resolution list)

Posted by Guy Brighton at 7:33 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 1, 2005

New Years Eve 2004/5

Yes - a different one from last year.... the Lady is away and Bella, who's in town with Dan, was sick so we sat in until 11.20 (Bella in and out of conciousness) and then Dan and I went out and tried to have a drink. Everywhere was quiet - Passerby, Brass Monkey. There was 5 mins to midnight and we decided to try to go downmarket - Hogs &Heffers wouldn't let Dan in because of ID so we eneded up in the Hog Pit 8 seconds from the ball falling. Empty. A quiet cheer. What an anticlimax. Where's all the dancing up and down and kissing (on cheeks obviously)? Trafalgar Square, maybe.