… cracks a smile. “You’ve got an interesting sense of… uh… I don’t even know what to call it. You’re an eclectic person.” “Am I? You figured all this from my telling you about a tattoo?” “It’s the way you tell it.” I laugh. “Oh really? This coming from the guy with a barcode tattoo because he’s ‘a product of society?’” “Hey, what can I say… I didn’t say that I wasn’t a character either.” This guy is… frankly, an oddball. He’s basically calling me strange, but he’s claiming it as well. And the way he talks… the accent was intriguing at first, but now… not so much. I don’t know… it’s New York. It’s expected to meet weirdos. People talk about LA people, but I never met any of the odd ones in LA… only hot beach boys!! Hahaha…. My LA buds… you know about Tyrone and Jake. Although, those were special cases. Well, Tyrone was, because of Ricky. But that’s old stuff. These posts are dedicated to new stories. So off to another day in Central Park… guess who I see, but more…

Tune in 3/13/02

... shows me his tattoo of a barcode on his arm. He says it's because he is a product of society. I tell him I'm thinking of getting a tattoo too. "What tattoo do you want?" I tell him I want my tattoo to be green, of a triangle with a squiggly line running through it. "Why green and why a triangle?" I give him my reasons: Green is my favorite color, the water is sometimes green, and the green is also going to represent the earth. Water because I love drinking it like there is no tomorrow... and because I love swimming in it and being around it. Water is one of the great forces on earth (earth, fire, water, and wind), with the ability to carve through rocks and to exist in different forms of matter (ice, liquid, gas). BG stares at me for while I explain to him my reasons for a green triangle tattoo. He must think I'm crazy, I think, until BG...

Tune in 3/8/02

I met him in the park one warm and sunny day. It was weird, to say the least, because…2/3/02

… it was 67 degrees on a Tuesday morning… in January!!! I thought it was supposed to snow in January in NYC. Well, I was just sitting on the bench watching this awesome rollerskater, and I gotta say, this skater knew his stuff. Then this guy comes over and sits down next to me. He looks my way, says hi, and I smile and return his "hi." Guess what was the first thing we talked about. And we talked about this for about a good seven minutes. Imagine talking about this subject with a complete stranger. It wasn't just a nonchalant conversation either... it was a DEEP conversation… well… kind of… So anyways, we talked about none other than…2/7/02


…the weather. Yes... 2 strangers sat down and had a deep conversation about how warm NYC was in January. How profound. Then we discussed NYU, how I live in the Village, how he used to live there but now lives in the UWS.; about how he works in the stock market and used to work downtown but now works from home. We talked about people "finding" and discovering who they are, we talked about exercising and health. I must say, it was nice talking to a complete stranger about the most random things. We were having such a wonderful conversation, but suddenly…2/11/02


… I realized that it was 1:30.... I had to go to a meeting at 2 on W. 4th St. So I bid the man farewell. We each wished the other good luck, me with my career and him with his job. Then I walked back to the subway, quite satisfied with the conversation.. Decided: I need to go talk to more random people who don't attend NYU. So, this is my goal. So every so often, I always return to the park to study, hoping to pick up a conversation with another person. So guess what happens the next week when I returned to the park? I sit on a giant slab of rock and see. . . 2/15/02


. . . a bald guy sit down about 2 ft away from me. Of course I wasn't paying much attention to him b/c I was reading my HR book, but I finally look up, twist my head, see a bald guy. Then my nose returned to the book. A photographer approaches the bald man to ask if he could photograph Bald Guy. BG asks "what do you want me to do?" in a British accent! Then he goes "like this?" with his accent. I think... ooh... HOT! Then I start to pay attention... When the photographer leaves, BG looks my way. . . 2/19/02


. . . smiles, and says hello. Of course I smile back and say hi too, "Why did that guy take pictures of you?" I ask. "He's a photographer for a Japanese paper and wanted to get some photos with me and the rink." "Oh... interesting," I reply. "Isn't it? Now I can tell others that I'm in a newspaper" he smirks. "What are you so dilligently reading there?" "My HR book" "Are you starting a business?" I laugh,"No, it's for one of my classes..." The conversation continues with... 2/23/02


... talks about.. the weather!! Yes... it was another warm day on a February day. What is it with me and weather? I don't know. BG tells me he has been living in NYC for about 2 years. He works at an architectural firm, but doesn't really do the designing. No, his profession is in the construction area, although, he tells me, "I am not a construction worker." No, BG, who shall remain BG for privacy purposes, is a draftsman's engineer who provides concrete and practical "advice" when architects and designers dream up with too whimsical ideas. I have no idea what he saying but am interested, especially when BG... 2/28/02