caught in new york: photos in present tense

this bird and i, we are world travellers.

makeshift trashcan on the rooftop. lisa & i are on our way to the east village, where we will sit and walk and talk a lot.

this boy, no older than 14 and in his sunday best, has hopped on a parked motorcycle. the look on his face is priceless.

one of the boys who saw Blues Clues at radio city music hall, full of wide-eyed wonder and ants in his pants. he is looking for the underground village.

i don't know what it is, but he looks like some sort of prophet. come follow him.

mr. serious is spotted while walking through thompson square park, somewhere near the hare krishna tree and boys playing soccer.

many cups of coffee are consumed to battle jet lag and the usual bouts of vacation laziness. all hail the bean!

the patriotism here isn't as garish as it seems to be in LA and i think that makes the statement more powerful.

seeing this lady care for her plants makes me think of my herb garden and african violet back at home, like a mother and her children.

this is what happens when you see dear friends. you take many photos of many smiles. here's what you don't usually see: their feet.

photos, nor words, do justice to the green. we just don't have this back home.

this sweet pup is the spitting image of mr. doggy, a stuffed animal my brother ricky won in vegas.

this is what i want to be when i grow up: a lady of leisure. she is lounging in michelle's favorite park, an island of pavement & grass at a busy intersection.

blah blah blah i am talking on my cellphone blah blah yes this coffee is good blah blah what's that you say blah blah blah.

pink lattice frosting looks more like pretty curtains than cake. plus, i am too full because i've just had bacon(!) with lisa at kitchenette on amsterdam.

boys in boxers on the university lawn. one guy, not pictured, is wearing white briefs.

i am staying right by campus and it is both inspiring and disheartening, wandering through a sea of brilliance. overwhelming, really.

soap, which brings to mind 1) fight club and 2) candles. the scent is what i like best: mango, cucumber, lavendar. no irish spring here.

sidewalk and trees and fire hydrants. i am walking and walking and walking, a lot -- and i love it.

sister mary martin, is that you? (i do not know why nuns are amusing to me, but they are. okay? they just are.)

all images, taken in may 2002 with the aiptek spy cam and not half as good as those you'll find at lauraholder.com, are copyright by christine castro from now until infinity.