Return to NYC...

We've all heard that old saying "there's no place like home," but to me, that's a load of bull... I say, "There's no place like the places where I'm not!" I have been back in NYC for a week and a half now, and I'm still missing California heavy. This is not to say that NYC has not welcomed me back in true form.

On my first Friday back, I had the honor of attending a lecture at Riverside Church by Noam Chomsky, one of the great intellects of our age. As usual, he was simultaneously brilliant and soporific. Following, I ran into some old downtown friends from high school outside and we went to grab a bite. The falafels and shwarmas of the Upper West Side hold nothing on "Momouns" of the Village, but it was refreshing for all of us to hang in a different part of town (at least for a few minutes). Next, I stopped through a huge loft party some friends had thrown on the outskirts of SOHO. With B-Boyz, B-Girlz, every other type of dancer, and people of every ethnicity and racial background, it could not have been any more New York!

Once of the things that always puts me out when I travel to other parts of the country and the world, is the lack of integration I see. In San Francisco it was intense, as Latinos, Asians, and White people all seemed to hang, primarily, in their own racial circles... The Black people were all across the bay. In L.A., the segregation of people wasn't as intense, but still obviously present in where people lived and hung out. New York is unique in that no matter how separated people are in terms of where they lay their head at night, we all share the same common areas and thus, interact more (at least far more than most places on the planet).

Last weekend was also the Big Apple BBQ Festival in Madison Park. After staying the majority of my time in Los Angles with a vegetarian, and trying as best I could to eat less meat, this may have been one of the more intense eating weekends of my life. Some of the most popular "Pitmasters" in the country set up on the streets surrounding the park, with their portable smokers and crew. I ate so much pork this weekend, I fear I will officially banned from conversion to several religions!

Luckily, my west coast withdrawal was aided a couple nights ago by the stand up comedy performance of Gabriel Inglesias at Summer Stage in Central Park. Though my friend and I couldn't get into the venue, because it was filled to capacity, we sat outside listening and laughing our heads off. The humor of this Mexican American from California reminded me of the family I had recently spent so much time with. It helped me deal with being back here, but made me miss L.A. even more...

Despite the joy of both BBQ, breakdancing, and seeing friends, I feel like I am just beginning a vacation away from my new life... my true life, that is waiting for me back in California. My love for this great city that raised me will always remain, though how much of that city remains will continue to be the subject of this blog for as long as it moves me. Still, the energy of a new place, seems to have synched with my energy in a way that I have not felt in many years... But until I run west for good, we will continue to search for our Village and city together...