Somewhere over Texas-Last night I ate my first meal in Texas with real cutlery. It was a great meal, worthy of washable plates, with new friends at La Playa. I was in Harlingen, Texas just miles from the Mexico across the Rio Grande.
I am back from hiatus, having resurrected Nikita's Swim Adventures due to recent hi-jinx and in particular, the visit of a fellow adventurous swimmer.
Last week was Spring/Summer 2010 Fashion week in NYC and Annamay P., was in town for the Ports 1961 show. She stayed with me and it was all I could do to keep up with her. She turned her 1 front row appearance into invitations to 7 more shows, endless parties, and an open invitation to return any time.
Ten years my junior, Annamay got the most out of her first trip to NYC, reminding me in the process just how much fun this city can be. The last few, make that 9 months have been pretty grim, both personally for the city. I had a feeling that summer would change things and it did. By her second night in town Annamay was making friends with Ice T at one fashion show and we were partying at the Plaza Hotel. By the third afternoon we were seeing fellow Canadian Jeremy Laing's show after waking at 7am to attend a fundraiser for Asphalt Green's Swim for the Future, which awards scholarships to AGUA swim team members in honour of two Master's team swimmers Andrew Fisher and Doug Irgang who died on September 11th.
We managed to swim as well and her breaststroke is faster than my free (this was not surprising), but more importantly Annamay took the city by storm and brought me back to the land of the living. But it didn't stop there! I ended the week with box seats to the Women's US Open final courtesy of Jane S. of the Daily Beast, who invited me to join her in the Olympus suite. They let us use their awesome cameras to snap pictures.
Unfortunately, I had to leave town for work and I missed the last two fashion shows that Annamay had hooked me up with, including another Canadian designer, Marlene Grotrian. Where I was headed turned out to be pretty far from Bryant Park. I just started a new job managing a national program that teaches children in immigration proceedings their legal rights as well as helps pro bono attorneys who represent them.
From my dinner at Chilli's Too at the Houstan Airport through my 4 days in Harlingen, I ate just 1 meal with silverware, instead eating my breakfasts, lunches, and dinners on styrofoam plates using plastic knives and forks. There seemed little to eat in Harlingen outside the world of Taquerias (and as in any city dozens of Chinese restaurants) but the Mexican I did have was delicious. I was also invited to one of the fostercare school's co-independence day celebrations for Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and El Salvador. After presentations and dancing, we ate pupusas (Salvadorean meat stuffed flatbread) and corn on the cob covered in condensed milk, chilli powder and cheese. Oh it was good! And more importantly than the food, the people I get to work with here are absolutely lovely.
I am now off to Vermont to see Scott M. We are staying at The Archie Bunker on the Missing Links. Designed by my old roomie and great friend Trills' dad, Dave S., the Bunker is made completely of concrete.
Worlds apart, but within the same country, today I travel from the Texas-Mexican border to the Vermont-Canadian border. If the 50 degree temperature change doesn't get me, perhaps the culture shock will.
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