September 11 in New York City with Irene

Thursday, September 11 2008

Though she told me she'd be returning in June of next year, I thought I had better go and see my friend Irene before she left for "Down Under". Irene and her New Zealander boyfriend Anthony had decided for the time being that they'd reside in Anthony's second home, Australia. As it turned out Irene was leaving to join Anthony in Australia on Monday. I had gotten back to New York 6 days before, but Irene had been visiting her brother in Denver, Colorado. So now I had a small window of opportunity to meet and catch up with the always fun and interesting Irene Hwang, so I seized that opportunity.

As it were, the day we decided to meet up in Manhattan was coincidentally

Fashion Week -

a time when top designers meet and display their work in hopes of expanding their careers. It has also, within the last few years, become the climax to a reality Television show called

Project Runway.

Here is Irene with other fashionable New Yorkers in front of the great tent in Bryant Park, inside which the models strut their stuff.
Michael Kors!!!

(one of the judges on Project Runway)

Atsuko and I got into this silly show for a while

Only in NEW YORK baby!

ONLY in New York!!!

I had only been back in America for 6 days, but Irene concerned that I might have been suffering from some sort of withdrawals, took me to a Japanese restaurant called

Yakitori Taisho

We got grilled chicken, TAKO YAKI (Octopus balls), beer and other yummy things.
I attempted a conversation in Japanese with one of the waitresses, but she put me OUT! She fired back at me in some very curt English - which inevitably led to me putting any decent

tips for her OUT!! Zannen! (TOO BAD!)

The joint was jumpin', so we were pushed by the staff to eat and leave basically.

Though I like this place, it certainly isn't much like a Japanese restaurant in Japan. Not that it mattered much anyway though; I was just enjoying being with my friend in a very cool town. For all I cared, we could have been eating dog **** in a junk yard

and I would have enjoyed myself!

Irene took us to the most incredible toy shop I had ever been in.

This shop actually had a "Good Guy Doll" based on the "Chucky" character from the movie Child's Play!

Irene bought a funky T-shirt.

Fashion week wasn't the only big thing going on in New York town. It just so happened that it was September 11, the 7th anniversary of the terrorist attack on the

World Trade Center.

Where the Twin Towers once stood, this night there were two blue beams comprised of dozens of intense blue lights shooting up into the night sky. I heard that these were literally costing millions of dollars per day to do what they were doing. What was so fantastic though, was the illusion the luminescent pillars in conglomeration with a few clouds created. The blue beams didn't appear to be coming from the ground at all. Rather, it seemed as though they were blasting into the ground below from some sort of space craft - the clouds.

It was mysterious and awesome, and all the while very somber.

It wasn't completely full, but the moon was big and bright.

It only added to the surreality of this night.

Irene and I were able to see the "September 11 Lights" from many angles

I felt very nostalgic as we used the subways. During my late teens and early twenties, "the college years", I had lived in and around Manhattan. These were my stomping grounds.
This man was sleeping deeply on a subway train. I could tell by his big, calloused hands, that this man was a physical laborer and was probably exhausted from another hard day's work. I remember often falling into very deep and peaceful sleeps on the subways on my way home from school.

What New York City scene would be complete without a mountain range of garbage piled along a sidewalk?!





We ultimately got directly under the beams of light. It was truly spectacular.

Ladder Company 10 was the closest fire department to the World Trade Center, and therefor it's firefighters were the first to the scene after the Trade Centers were hit. Many people were in tears at this sight, just next to "Ground Zero"
Here Irene and I are riding a subway back to Penn Station where we parted; Irene for Flushing, Queens, and me for Saint James, Long Island.

Thank you for a wonderful night Irene.

Take it easy in Oz!