10) 1 am. A new day and a new year- 2010. I’m hungry… Three Guys in Popeyes on !25th St.
Guy 3: I can’t wait and see when Stem Cells give cure to people suffering from bad diseases…They can cure diabetes, paralysis, and other things. They are already doing it in Europe…They did an experiment with paralyzed girl in Portugal and she could walk.
Rhubamba Grand: I went to Church on New Years Eve. I go every New Years
Guy 2: He got holy on us. He will pray for all of us for our sins and he got sanctified in Lord Jesus.
Rhubamba Grand: I do it because I like it. You are kidding, I am not kidding.
Guy 2: I am happy that you pray for us.
Rhubamba Grand: Down South, I am from the South, in some Churches they do a ritual for New Years that comes from the African tradition. I will give you a short rendition. About 10 minutes before 12 o’clock, they cut the lights down in Church. And one person says “Watchmen, Watchmen, tell me the hour” and another person answers “It’s Seee, its’s see, its seven minutes to twelve.” And people are singing and hollering. That’s the spirituality I go for and I am proud of it. And I have been to 13 different colleges and Universities.“
11) My name is Karen and it’s my 20th year in New York. I used to be a trial attorney. I practiced law for ten years and then I quit. Now I am a yoga instructor. I choose to be out of New York for New Years Eve, but if I am here, I choose to be at Showman’s Lounge up in Harlem, that’s where we are meeting now. It is a classic establishment with wonderful music established in 1942.
I loved this article!! Whenever I walk around NYC, I’m always curious about what the strangers next to me are thinking or what their stories are. Of course I never have the balls to ask them (especially because I don’t want to be punched in the face because I’m being creepy), but this photo essay totally fed my curiousity! It’s amazing to read about all these people — who would have thought a pedi-cab driver was trying to get a degree in international business in order to get the hell out of here? I demand more photo essays!!