Our Lost Tribe!
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olt! is a way station and oasis on the ancient road from Bedlam to Bellevue, dedicated to free and open discussion of topics moving heart and spirit.
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From: gunter
Sep-3
This has nothing to do with trains, really, other than it came up today on my trot across town from the East Village to the West Side by the river where I take a break and contemplate New Jersey on the far shore. In the many years I've been doing this much has changed, there were no skyscrapers there, no apartment towers reaching into the river, no Hudson River Park on the New York side, only rusting hulks of abandoned trans-Atlantic steamship berths. Looking south there used to be two tall towers not that long ago.
Lost tourists leaf through their guides, is there a train, a subway station somewhere? I point east, up Christopher, past the Path Station (that's not a subway it goes to New Jersey) up on Sheridan Square is a Number 1 Train stop. Where do you want to go?
Ground Zero.
I point south to the tall building with the green pyramid on the top. That's American Express. The towers were across the road there, double the height. I reach up to indicate the height.
It's a pleasant walk.
They thank me, Somehow saying 'Enjoy' didn't seem right so I just waved at them as they head south and I head east, up Christopher past the Number 1 Train , back to the East Village and on to Alphabet City and the supermarket on Avenue A, hunting for tonight's dinner.
Lamb Shoulder Blades, Rice Pilaf, Mesclin Salad and fresh tomatoes picked this morning in New Jersey. Miguel Mendoza Malbec Reserva MMM 2003, lucious. ++
jello chocolate pudding
103007
From: gunter
Sep-10
Rothmans
Occasionally, not often, I fondly remember the days when I smoked cigarettes, relaxing with a cigarette and coffee or having a pipe on a rainy afternoon. Never did smoke much even with the free packs they handed out in basic training to get people hooked and had little problems quitting. My last one was ages ago, it was a menthol on a hot and steamy night ... it was good. I would give the pipe a try even now but it's a NO SMOKING building.
Back then I smoked Rothmans so in a fit of nostalgia I googled them, they're still around!
Noticed this review:
on second thought I'll think about something else ...
From: gunter
Sep-17
Oktoberfest
The Oktoberfest in Munich opened today. Weird how that always starts in September. They had an accident on the first day on the ‘Höllenblitz’ (Lightning from Hell) roller coaster with a couple of cars smashing into each other ... eight minor injuries.
There have been attempts at German style beerhalls here in the City, several in the old Schuetzen Gesellschaft Building on St. Marks, it's an ornate building used by German immigrant social clubs back before WWII. Since then it's gone through many incarnations, in my days it has been a Third World bookstore during the heydays of the hippies, and beerhalls that didn't last long.
No beerhall there now, it's a pleasant Korean hangout by the same owner who runs the Japanese Market across the street. As far as I'm concerned it's a hit and may it last for many moons to come. All meals are accompanied by five small dishes of various pickled veggies, a stack of kimchee cabbage being my favorite and mung beans being the least only because I developed a dislike of all kinds of sprouts one week many years ago while substituting for a friend in a dank basement bean sprout factory in SoHo, rotating sprouts and scrubbing beds for the next load. I couldn't get the smell out of my nose for weeks after.
Ahem ... no such problems here. Able service starts us off with Steamed Pork Dumplings and a large Kimchee Pancake, we pick from the pickles as we go. It's mostly warm, spicy home cooking with a Codfish Steak and stewed radish sauteed in a spicy sauce turning out to be one of the best cod I recall having. The obligatory Short Ribs are extra tender and delicious though a noticeable coating of grease soaks onions and green peppers on the serving dish.
There is a selection of Japanese and Korean rice wines but we opt for Terrazas de los Andes Malbec 2005 from Argentina, a good choice as it turn out, smooth and peppery and a nice fruity tart body to deal with the spices and meat.
On the way home we pick up plain vanilla Häagen-Dazs to go with slices of cake donated by a friend who is experimenting with extra-heavy doses of real ginger. I expect the ice cream should make it possible to deal with that.
010707
From: gunter
Sep-24
Brave people ... noticed how at first it was only one person at a time with others at at safe distance! ... Just in case ...
