Wednesday 10th 2004f November 2004

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A Note From Daragh

A , posted by Anthony in the late afternoon.

Finally, Daragh’s guest entry arrives. It’s handwritten, so this is my transcription – the footnotes and hyperlinks are mine, too. You can read my account of his visit here and Vanessa’s here.

And now, the man himself…

Daragh Pounch!

Top Things I Did in NY

  1. Went To The Met:

Monet, Rembrandt, Vermeer – in particular Van Gogh’s paintings were awe inspiring. Only when you get to see the originals you understand why these guys were so famous world wide for what they did. Having said that Van Gogh never sold a painting in his lifetime and I love the idea that he painted what he felt rather than what he saw – they just didn’t get it back then. Similarly Monet painted light, each grain or pixel if you like – up close doesn’t seem much but at a distance it all comes together. Monet too got criticized for painting haystacks at different times of the day – he wanted to show – what he reckoned – if there was no light – it didn’t exist – he didn’t see it as a haystack but as an object reflecting light back at him. Seeing all of this really makes you want to be inspired – dare to dream. I loved it – more than I thought it would – nice one, Vanessa!
Starry Night in particular was so different up close – huge amounts of swirling paint coming up to meet you from the canvas – do it! Go there! Say you’re a student too – they never ask for ID.

  1. Karaoke:

Myself and Anthony howling Where the Streets Have No Name into a microphone – has to be done. At first everyone is reserved and quietly mumbles into a microphone but later on – and a feed of drink on ye – you are that rock star – these are my people – and sometimes “even Jesus thinks he’s Bono”! Be warned, Blondie’s Heart Of Glass is a great song to get you going but singing it is a completely different story – “Once a… bla bla bla – na na na na”! We were very good at the na na na bit, and the rest… Blondie never really sang all that, did she?
Vanessa and Young-Min doing a few solos as well. I’m convinced Young-Min had a special microphone with effects on it – ‘cause my mic just didn’t sound the same. The night went on and several drinks and hoarse voices later we called it a day and as Anthony so delicately put it “that was the last time he saw me alone”! Makes a change from sleeping on the floor! The Latin spirit got me in more ways than one!

  1. Flaming Sambucas – Always A Neat Trick:

  1. Knock it back… Hold it.
  2. Important – dry lips
  3. Get a friend to light you up – don’t worry, it doesn’t burn – only tickles – and when it tickles the most close your gob – the blue flame diminishes – you’ve cut off all the oxygen – swallow hard and you’re done. Warm glowing feeling comes upon you… Like the guy in the “Ready Brek” ad.
  4. NB: If lighting sambuca in mouth with with match be sure to tell them to take match out of gob – their job is done here… Yes, it has happened – the guy left the match in me gob – basically using me as an ash tray… And a flame thrower spray effect is enjoyed by all.

  1. Comedy Club:

The two drink minimum we didn’t have a problem with but three drinks max – that’s not on – I mean at least two of us were Irish – and definitely the legal age. So if you’re going – get trashed beforehand and let it rip. Don’t wear an Irish jersey at all costs on entering – they only put you up the front(you might as well be on stage) and they make fun and ridicule you all night – although to be fair – I gave back as much as I took – I got the crowd on my side and I was very close to standing up and doing it myself – I thought “yeah, this is a piece of piss – I can do this”. Everything is wonderful/achievable when you’re drunk I suppose Vanessa’s joke about the fly and the Guinness1 would have gone down nicely here I reckon.
Later that night… “Please stand clear of the closing doors!” In London they have the Underground with the ever annoying “Mind the gap” – no emotion or feeling whatsoever – whereas “Stand clear…” has all the emotion – the guy’s voice sounds as if he’s from the midwest – some old western like The Searchers / John Ford’s Stagecoach etc. I like it, never got tired of it and puts a smile on my face each time. Yeah, right…

  1. Greenpoint/Brooklyn:

Great part of town – Polish area – the Pope’s training ground! Completely different feel from other areas of New York. As Anthony said I reckon this is going to be the new Greenwich Village2 – went to a great Thai restaurant – where they shot “Sex and the City” we were told3. Great bargains on CDs/vinyl and little markets packed with odd bits of stuff nice place indeed.
TV in NYC: Trying to watch a film here on American TV is pointless – you just lose the will to live with all the TV commercials. As the song goes 57 Channels and Nothing’s On – by the time you go through all of them – you forget what you were watching in the first place! Also, went to Katz’s Deli, made famous by When Harry Met Sally – “I’ll have what she’s having!” As long as it’s on rye! Good food – nice atmosphere.

  1. Rockstar/Grand Theft Auto:

Met up at Anthony’s work place here one day – while he finished off I got to play the new San Andreas game… Well, an opportunity to play the game – but I got distracted ‘cause there were other classic games there too, in particular “Space Invaders” – original and for me still the best… Keep it simple… Left and right buttins and one big red fire button and blast everything you see – doesn’t get any better than this and the crappy na na na ni sound effects getting faster and faster as you’re close to death – wonderful! Imagine having it as an art installation piece at some Warhol museum next to Marilyn and a tin of meatballs!

Great city, great place second time here and saw and experienced different things each time and I reckon there’s a lot more to see next time I’ll go.

1 An American, a Frenchman and an Irishman are drinking Guinness. The American sees a fly in his pint. Disgusted, he calls the barman over and demands a fresh one. The Frenchman has a fly in his pint too, but he just shoos it away and continues to drink. The Irishman looks down and sees he has a fly swimming around as well. He plucks it out violently and starts shaking it, yelling “Spit it out! Spit it out!”

2 Did I? I think I probably meant Williamsburg rather than Greenpoint, but maybe not.

3 And “Garden State”.

 
 Vanessa models Daragh's strangely analogue blog entry. 
Vanessa models Daragh's strangely analogue blog entry.
 

Comments on "A Note From Daragh"

  1. Gravatar

    Comment ID: 2105

    At 1:56 pm on Friday 12th 2004f November 2004, daragh pounch stated

    wow…....that shut everybody up!

  2. Gravatar

    Comment ID: 2106

    At 2:13 pm on Friday 12th 2004f November 2004, Anthony typed

    So long after the event, Daragh, so long… By now people are just curious about what will happen when Vanessa visits you in Ireland in a couple of weeks.

  3. Gravatar

    Comment ID: 2107

    At 4:28 pm on Friday 12th 2004f November 2004, Babs said

    You didn’t take him to Staten Island, Anthony??

    Shame on you!!

    There’s, like, a mall here and everything, dude.

  4. Gravatar

    Comment ID: 2121

    At 2:11 pm on Sunday 14th 2004f November 2004, Nigel imparted

    I’m surprised at you Babs. As somebody who never stops slagging Staten Island surely even you would agree that it wouldn’t merit inclusion on a list of ‘top things done in New York.’

  5. Gravatar

    Comment ID: 2122

    At 7:09 pm on Sunday 14th 2004f November 2004, Babs wanted everyone to know

    It’s all a mindset Nigel. We islanders think this island sucks, but we’re SUPPOSED to think like that. The tourists aren’t meant to know. We’ve got the ferry AND the worlds largest dump!!

    AND Ralph’s Ices which are only like THE best Italian ices in the WORLD. A trip to Ralphs alone is worth coming to this god-forsaken hole of a rock.

  6. Gravatar

    Comment ID: 2123

    At 7:13 pm on Sunday 14th 2004f November 2004, Babs channelled

    Besides, the more tourists we get here, the bigger the pool of men we have to hit on. Because, frankly, the men here are nits.

  7. Gravatar

    Comment ID: 2126

    At 6:24 am on Monday 15th 2004f November 2004, Mary declared

    Great to hear your version Darragh, very funny. Were you forced to write that!?

  8. Gravatar

    Comment ID: 2129

    At 9:30 am on Monday 15th 2004f November 2004, Anthony typed

    Not forced – pressured.

  9. Gravatar

    Comment ID: 2135

    At 12:09 pm on Wednesday 17th 2004f November 2004, daragh pounch announced

    Anthony i’ll deal with you later! Cheers Mary – twas more a train of thought – a hard act to follow after Anthony’s description – i tried to put things in that were not in Anthony’s version already- .......and Anthony I’m sure all the bloggers out there would like to know about your love life? watch this space….......

  10. Gravatar

    Comment ID: 2149

    At 4:44 pm on Saturday 20th 2004f November 2004, Nigel posted

    I’m quite amazed at your ability to get lots of high paying jobs and yet still be in debt and in possession of few assets apart from gadgets.

    I do, however, admire your anti-jinxing approach to job hunting. Smart thinking to assume you won’t get one in a crafty attempt to trick fate into giving you one. As per your advice (and against my better judgment) I have applied this tactic to dating. It ha syet to prove successful beyond the short term though. As I knew would be the case.

    But I’m rambling again. Perhaps I should think of another stupid question. I noticed that some other people have posed brain teasers so I know I can’t now violate rule 6.

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