1

WORLDVolume 4 Issue 2:

[As We Know It]

2 3

E-mail questions, comments, and submissions to laguardiamag@gmail.

Many Thanks to Ms. Bruno, Dr. Lasky, Ms. Lombardi,

and Dr. Stricklin.

Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School

of Music & Art and Performing Arts

100 Amsterdam Avenue

New York, NY 10023

Editors in Chief Rachel Berger ‘12

Mari Kroin ‘12

Journalists

Carla Borderies ‘13

Vanessa Grasing ‘12

Lizzy Hibbard ‘14

Jade Johnson ‘12

Yasmin Kelly ‘12

Mari Kroin ‘12

Alessandra Rao ‘12

Ella Sanandaji ‘12

Creative Writing Contributors Ariel Hoffmaier ‘13

Ella Sanandaji ‘12

Art Contributors Kiani Hernandez ‘12

Mari Kroin ‘12 (Cover Design)

Copy Editing Rachel Berger ‘12

Yasmin Kelly ‘12

Mari Kroin ‘12

Layout Team Rachel Berger ‘12

Yasmin Kelly ‘12

Mari Kroin ‘12

Club Advisor Dr. Lasky

Volume 4 Issue 2 : World [As We Know It]

POETRY

COMICS

FEATURES

MUSIC

FOOD

TRAVEL EXPERIENCES

PROSE

FASHION

TV

34 Poland

36 Korea

37 India

6 The Swissophile

8 Mexico

11 Holland

11 Japan

11 Iceland

33 Pocket Patched City

33 It Is Just The World

12 World Music Playlist

15 Featured Musicians

16 Music Under New York

28 Was Bedeuten?

32 Untitled

26 Where I Live: Upper West Side/Harlem

30 Horoscopes

22 NYC Food Map

24 Review: Szechuan Gourmet

20 Featured Designer: Valentino Garavani

18 American vs. British Skins

4 5

From the EditorsVolume 4, Issue 2

WherehasLaG Magbeen?

Amsterdam

´,W·V�SUHWW\�IDQWDVWLF�WKDW�WKH\�DOORZ�SHRSOH�WR�¶JUDIÀWL·�RQ�VFDIIROGLQJ�DQG�WHPSR-

rary walls… this particular picture is of one of my favorites. To some of these street

DUWLVWV�LW·V�PRUH�WKDQ�MXVW�OHDYLQJ�D�WDJ��WKH\�FUHDWH�DQ�LPDJH�WKDW�GHÀQHV�D�FLW\�(in this case Amsterdam.) It’s less about ‘screw the old farts’ and more, ‘let’s do

something interesting.’” - Mari Kroin

Reykjavík Concert Hall and Conference Centre, Iceland

“Economic turmoil during a time of innovation sucks. I hope

WKDW�VRPHGD\�,�FDQ�JR�EDFN�DQG�VHH�WKH�ÀQLVKHG�SURGXFW�µ - Mari Kroin

The Northern Lights

“We weren’t even sure they would appear that night;

ZKHQ�WKH\�GLG��LW�ZDV�DV�LI�HYHU\�ZLWQHVV�ZDV�VSHFLÀFDOO\�chosen by nature to witness this wonder.” - Mari Kroin The Hague, Netherlands

Switzerland Eyjafjallajökull after it erupted in 2010, Iceland

photography by Jade Johnsonand Mari Kroin

Southern Icelandphotography by Mari Kroin

Switzerland

7KRXJK�ZH�WUDYHO�WKH�ZRUOG�RYHU�WR�ÀQG�WKH�EHDXWL-IXO��ZH�PXVW�FDUU\�LW�ZLWK�XV�RU�ZH�ÀQG�LW�QRW�� –Ralph Waldo Emerson

� 6LWWLQJ�LQ�WKH�DUW�RIÀFH��PXQFKLQJ�RQ�2UHRV��LaG Mag’s committed contributors and editors

once again faced the task of selecting a theme for

our next issue. Some of us had returned from winter

break with stories from foreign vacations and over-

seas escapades; others had experienced world cul-

ture by exploring the restaurants and performances

that our city has to offer. After weeks of develop-

ment, our ultimate goal became clear.

In this issue, through photography, travel

ZULWLQJ��PXVLF�ÀQGV��DQG�IRRG�UHYLHZV��/D*�0DJ�brings you the world as we know it. Taking on the

entire globe in 40 short pages requires hard work

and a little bit of hubris. The world as we know it is a

kaleidoscope of opinions, experiences, and artists

from every corner of the earth. This is our perspec-

tive.

Have a great summer!

Mari and Rachel

Editors in Chief

6 7

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The Swissophile

Have you ever

seen someone wearing a

bright red shirt with a white

cross on it? No, that person

is not a lifeguard. He or she

is a Swissophile and is right

to be one. That white cross

on a red background is the

JORULRXV� 6ZLVV� ÁDJ�� 6ZLW]HU-land is one of the great-

est countries on Earth and

people really need to stop

calling it “mini- France.”

What language

is spoken in Switzerland?

That’s a tricky question.

There are several native lan-

guages, each very sparsely

used. The country is divided

into three sections and a dif-

ferent language is spoken

in each one. In the largest

section people speak Ger-

man, in the second French,

and in the smallest Italian.

The French Swiss know a lit-

tle German just so they can

take a trip to Switzerland’s

largest city, Zurich, every

by Jade Johnson

now and then. The German

Swiss know more English

than French or Italian. And

the Italian Swiss must know

a little of everything if they

want to get on at all.

The Swiss are

mountain people, which

means that they are people

of honor. They make their

homes all the way up on

the top of the Alps, earning

their cups of coffee high in

little cabins on the rocks.

Families are close because

the members all live within

a mile of each other. It is a

tiny country, after all. That

means no secrets and no

hiding. Want to hear some-

thing really shocking? Peo-

ple buy bus tickets know-

ing full well that no one will

check them. The driver is

in a car completely cut off

from the passengers. That’s

pretty noble considering

people in New York City will

jump turnstiles or pretend

to be twelve just to evade

paying MTA fares.

Swiss food is with-

out a doubt some of the

PRVW� PDJQLÀFHQW� LQ� WKH�world. The chocolate is

VR� ÀQH� LW� FDQQRW� EH� FRP-

pared. The country has so

many people devoted to

making the sweet that it is

a third of the cost of Ameri-

can chocolate. Small fac-

tories allow anyone come

in to watch the chocolate

EHLQJ� PDGH�� 2QH� SRSXODU�department store in Zurich

has a wall entirely devoted

to chocolate. Cheese is a

staple food, and the Swiss

have found so many ways

to eat it--fondue, anyone?

For one dish unique to Swit-

zerland, called Raclette,

a giant round of cheese

LV� FRRNHG� RYHU� D� OLYH� ÀUH��Then the melted parts are

scraped off and served with

potatoes and meat. This

cheese cannot be bought

The view from a small peak in the Swiss Alps.

Travel Experiences

even in the United States.

Hot cheese dishes were

specially designed to

eat on cold, windy nights

on the mountainside.

An entire para-

graph needs to be devoted

to Swiss soda because it is

WKDW� DPD]LQJ�� 2QH� W\SH��FDOOHG� 5LYHOOD�� LV� DSSOH�ÁD-

vored. It is like Martinelli’s,

but more soda-like. It can

be found almost anywhere.

Then there’s Sinalco, which

is sadly much more elusive

than Rivella. It’s orange-

ÁDYRUHG�� EXW� PXFK� EHWWHU�than something like Fanta.

And believe it or not, it is

DOVR� IDU� VXSHULRU� WR� 2UDQ-

gina. It cannot be found in

the U.S., or anywhere out-

side of Western Europe for

that matter. Such a shame.

The country itself

is absolutely beautiful. The

mountainous landscape

and roaming cows make

for quintessentially pictur-

esque scenery. Remnants

of medieval architecture,

like Gruyere Castle, add

historic appeal. Some cities

are surrounded by bodies of

water, like Lake Geneva by

Geneva and the river Flon

by Lausanne. The towns

are quaint, with cobble-

stone streets. It is a treat for

anyone to get the chance

to be in Switzerland even

once.

Cows on the hillside (left) and a display of Swiss pride (right)

A small town alleyway (left) and the chocolate display at a Swiss department store (right)

8 9

Travel Experiences

� 7KH� ÀUVW� WKLQJ� WKDW�struck me when I stepped

out of the plane was the

overwhelming aroma of

green plants. Robust palm

trees stubbornly resisted the

Mexican summer winds. The

air was humid on my skin.

The strong orange sun hung

low, nearly blinding our

view.

I knew little of

Mexico before late August

of 2010, and never really

formed a steady percep-

tion of the nation until then:

like most Americans, my

only knowledge was based

on the plethora of articles

regarding the Drug Wars,

poverty, and the Swine Flu.

Word of mouth informed me

that it was home to some of

the most beautiful beaches

in the world and a myriad of

animal species. I was about

to see for myself what kind

of country this “Mexico” ac-

tually was. For seven days,

I traveled with a friend to

Riviera Maya. Located in

the Yucatan Peninsula, the

food from the ground.

The next day we

headed out to Playa Del

Carmen and walked along

the narrow strip in the center

of town, looking for a bite to

eat. Playa del Carmen was

like the hustle and bustle of

SoHo nightlife mixed with

the dry earthiness of the

humble southwestern lands.

The streets were cluttered

with vendors in front of worn

stucco and stone. The at-

mosphere at our hotel was

quiet and slow-paced;

here, it was hectic. People

were desperate to sell their

handmade baskets and

beaded jewelry. To be hon-

est, it frightened me, seeing

how hard people tried to

earn un dolar.

A young boy

that looked about my

age was selling custom-

ized bracelets, which he

had made by hand with

different color strings.

“Ninety-one Pe-

sos,” ($7) he asked, with

droopy eyes and a frazzled

disposition. As I nodded my

head “Yes,” his eyes lit up

and he eagerly started on

WKH�ÀUVW�RI�WKH�WKUHH�SHUVRQ-

alized bracelets I had asked

for. I watched his coarse

hands spin the string as if

it were embedded in his

genes to make bracelets.

“I’ll be back in

about an hour,” I told him.

I’ve never seen someone

so grateful to make some-

thing.

We scoped for a

hearty restaurant on the

strip for dinner. Finally, we

found a quaint, traditional

“hole-in-the-wall” restau-

rant, which was known for

their well-made carne. I

ordered arroz con pollo y

verduras (Chicken with rice

and vegetables): red meat

wasn’t part of my diet. My

plate of food arrived in a

humble ceramic plate in

small, yet organized por-

tions. Rich wholesomeness

oozed out of every bite.

of exotic aloe plants, palm

WUHHV��DQG�2\VWHU�3ODQW��7KH�latter of the three--a purple

and green stiff, leafy and

PXOWLOD\HUHG� ÁRZHU��ZDV�ubiquitous. The Chechen

Negro is the infamous “Black

Poison Wood Tree,” which a

little booklet by the window

sill warned hotel visitors not

to touch since it causes se-

vere rash. I remember look-

ing down at a strange bird

as I took a bite of my que-

sadilla con pollo�� ,W� ÁDP-

boyantly displayed an ar-

ray of long, ebony feathers

as its curious beak reached

down to collect a crumb of

PRVWO\�ÁDW�ODQG�RI�ORZ�WURSL-cal jungle is home to end-

less stretches of white-sand

beaches. The name of our

hotel, “Mayan Palace,” ex-

quisitely portrays the values

and customs of the Mayan

culture.

At “Mayan Pal-

ace,” the campus build-

ings were made of stone

and lightweight wood. Trees

and plants of all shapes and

colors lined the walkways.

Inside the room, the walls

and furniture were paint-

ed in muted and neutral,

HDUWK\� FRORUV�� 2XU� ZLQGRZ�displayed an abundance

by Alessandra RaoA TRAVEL JOURNAL

MEXICO As I picked on

some of my friend’s beans,

the Mariachi suddenly

strolled in with their white

suit jackets and heart-felt

guitar music. I could hear

the golden major tones,

sweet-sounding chords,

vibrating off their nylon

strings. As I ate and listened,

I took in the beauty of the

stucco city-village, with

its rust-colored pavement

and brightly colored lan-

terns hanging from the tele-

phone wires and storefront

windows. Stone facades

and short palms made up

D� VLJQLÀFDQW� SRUWLRQ� RI� WKH�landscape. Soon enough,

ZH� ÀQLVKHG� RXU� IRRG�� SDLG�the bill, and walked out

ZLWK�VDWLVÀHG�VWRPDFKV��7KH�Mexican moon hung pretty

in the sky, rotund and tita-

nium white.

Sunshine came

and it was time to get ready

for X-Caret, the largest

eco-archaeological park in

&DQFXQ��2XU�ÀUVW�VWRS�XSRQ�arriving was the river cave,

and on the way, we saw an

alligator lazily lift his head

above the surface of the

water, revealing rigid, dark

olive skin. A tiny salamander

slipped into a crack in the

stone. Two vividly colored

10 11

parrots abruptly turned curi-

ous eyes on me as I crossed

them. I thought such a

bright shade of red existed

only among my oil paints!

From behind the leaves of

a shady palm, I caught a

glimpse of bubble-gum pink

ÁDPLQJRV� ZLWK� ORQJ� VWUDZ�legs standing on a shallow

puddle.

At the end of the

trail, the mouth of the river

waited. The canopy of cave

stones cast a dark shadow

over the murky water, low-

ering its temperature. Un-

daunted, my friend and I

put on our snorkel gear and

jumped right in. My favor-

ite scene that I snapped a

picture of (with my handy

underwater camera clad

in consumer-culture plas-

tic) was the light cascad-

ing through the holes in

the cave ceiling. Fresh ivy

trickled down the walls of

the large stone chamber.

The art embedded in the

stone allowed me to feel as

if I were visiting a sacred un-

GHUZDWHU�WHPSOH��$�IHZ�ÀVK�brushed past my legs, but

unlike the ones in American

EHDFKHV�� WKH\� GLG� QRW� ÁHH�nervously when touched.

The Mexico Espe-

ctacular we saw at X-Caret

was an extravagant exhibi-

tion of Mexican and Ma-

yan culture, displayed as a

real-life timeline. It opened

with the Mayan Ball Game,

a popular sport represent-

ing the battle between

good and evil, between

the gods of heaven and the

underworld. I got to see the

reenactment of a Mayan

VDFULÀFH� ULWXDO�� 7RZDUGV� WKH�last few acts of the perfor-

mance, the Mexican wom-

en displayed their cultural,

vibrantly colored dresses

swaying around their an-

kles as they danced to a

tropical beat. Vibrations of

the Congo drums echoed

through my ears. In the far

corner, the spotlight settled

on a woman swinging from

a taut rope attached to the

ceiling. She brought her-

self to the tip of a nearby

pole and balanced atop it

on a single leg. Down be-

low, stage dancers sported

tall feather hats, sequins,

EHDGV�� SDVWHO� ÁRZLQJ� VNLUWV��transparent veils, Mexican

ÁDJV��ZDWHUPHORQ�KDWV��DQG�eye-catching bird wing cos-

WXPHV��2QH�DFW�SRUWUD\HG�D�FRPLFDO�ÀJXUH�LQ�D�VNHOHWRQ�costume, resembling Dia de

los Muertos. A celebration

IRU�WKH�´'D\�2I�7KH�'HDG�µ�it takes place on Novem-

ber 2nd. People in Mexico

and some parts of Canada

gather on this day to eat,

pray, and dance. Activi-

ties include building private

altars and bringing gifts

to honor the dead; at the

end of the day, families visit

cemeteries and churches

to pray for the deceased.

7KH� VNHOHWRQ� ÀJXUH� SRU-trayed this comical outlook

by dancing and playing

Travel Experiences

In the summer of '08 I took a trip to the southern part of Japan. I had

been to the country before visiting family, but it wasn't until this trip that I felt

really close to its culture. As I traveled, I was able to pick up a new element

of Japanese culture in each new place I encountered. For example, in visit-

ing temples that were centered around the practices of Shinto, I felt a deep

connection to nature; it was impossible to ignore aspects of our world typically

taken for granted in these sacred places that embraced nature. As Henry

David Thoreau once said, “in wilderness is the preservation of the world.” With

the rapid industrial growth in our country it is easy to forget the basis upon

which it was built. We lose acres of precious land everyday to pipes and

smoke stacks, disturbing the land that has kept the human race alive. It was

inspiring to go to a place that did the opposite. While industry is expanding in

Japan, there will always be places in the country respected and cherished by

its people; we could use more of that mentality in our country.

This place was pretty mind-blowing; it rested on the top of

a hill… everything was at peace. I think I sat up there for

two hours thinking about nothing but the wind.

music with his horn.

Mexico is abso-

lutely beautiful: like sinking

your teeth into a creamy

cool avocado under the

beating orange sun; like

puckering your lips for a fun-

ny-face picture on a lounge

chair with your best friend

under ridiculously oversized

sombreros; like diving into

the ancient water and then

being embraced by a net-

ZRUN� RI� UDLQERZ� ÀVK�� OLNH�swaying to the sound of soft

nylon-string guitars under a

palm tree; like stepping for

WKH�ÀUVW�WLPH�RQWR� ODQG�WKDW�once held the Aztec civili-

zation; like daring to squint

straight into the powerful

technicolor sunset; like gri-

macing after squeezing

sour lime juice onto your

taste buds; like melting

into the coconut scented

breeze; and… like having

the strength to get back

on the plane after so many

breath-taking memories.

by Mari KroinJapan

12 13

The LaG Mag World Music Playlist

MUSICmusic musique muzyka muzica ȝȠȣıȚțȒ ၗྥ ϡ˵ϭα˶ϱϕ˴ϯ müzik muzică�ɦɭғɡɵɤɚ��música music musique

Song: Ta Douleur

Artist: Camille

Country: France

Genre: Pop

Year: 2005

Song: Gold

Artist: Klee

Country: Germany

Genre: Pop

Year: 2005

Song: La Pistola y la Corazon

Artist: Los Lobos

Country: Mexico

Genre: Latino Rock

The LaG Mag World Music Playlist

MUSIC ȝȠȣıȚțȒ ၗྥ ϡ˵ϭα˶ϱϕ˴ϯ müzik muzică�ɦɭғɡɵɤɚ��

6RQJ��%ODFN�,V�WKH�&RORXU��2I�My True Love's Hair)

Artist: The song has been re-

corded by a range of artists.

Hamish Imlach has a great

version.

Country: Scotland

Genre: Traditional Folk Song

Song: Jhanjra

Artist: Kiran Ahluwalia

Country: India

Genre: Ghazal

Year: 2005

14 15

Featured Musicians

For more go to kiranmusic.com

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Gipsy Kings

From the age of

seven, Kiran Ahluwalia stud-

ied Indian classical music

and ghazals, which are lyri-

cal, sensual poems about

These two bands

of singing guitarists, the

Reyes brothers and the

Baliardos brothers, began

playing on the streets of

Cannes, France and end-

ed up making the music of

their people wildly popular

worldwide. Hailing from the

South of France, from two

Spanish gypsy families, the

Gipsy Kings have kept a life-

long respect for and pride

in their heritage their entire

OLYHV��D�SULGH� WKDW� LV� UHÁHFW-ed in their art. In their debut

album, “The Gipsy Kings,”

they popularized “rumba

Gitana”: a style that mixes

ÁDPHQFR�JXLWDU�ZLWK� 6RXWK�African rumba rhythm. Even

the dialect in which they

sing tells the story of a blend

of cultures and wandering:

persecution for centuries,

and continue to be ha-

rassed in Europe. The Gipsy

Kings have transcended this

history of persecution and

remind us of it with their sub-

lime music.

the history of their people.

Gitana brings the languag-

es of northeast Spain and

southern France together.

Their families were

originally from Spain but

ÁHG� IURP� SHUVHFXWLRQ� GXU-ing the country’s civil war in

the 30s. The Roma people

have suffered hostility and

Kiran Ahluwalialonging and passion. Ahlu-

walia was born in India and

spent her early childhood

there, where she remem-

bers listening avidly to Indi-

an songs on the radio and

getting her father to tape

them. She grew up in Cana-

da but returned repeatedly

to India to study music, trav-

eling throughout the Punjab

region to immerse herself in

regional folk music. Ahluwa-

lia composes ghazals and

sings them, collaborating

with musicians from every

possible culture and musi-

cal background to create

subtly crafted, passionately

sung songs. Her songs con-

tain, among many other

things: Portuguese fado

guitarra, percussion from

the sub-Sahara, Pakistani

Qawwali vocals, and Celt-

LF� ÀGGOH�� 7KURXJK� LW� DOO� KHU�voice casts a spell, unique,

mesmerizing, and heartfelt.

musique musik musiikki musik musikk muzyka mijucik musica moosiki

muzyka die Musik musique musik musiikki musik

For more go to gipsykings.com

Song: Graceland

Artist: Kettcar

Country: Germany

Genre: Rock

Year: 2008

Song: Nima Diyala

Artist: Afrocubism

Country: Africa

Genre: Salsa

Song: Homeless

Artist: Lady Blacksmith Mambazo

Country: Africa

Genre: World

Song: Ready Steady Go

Artist: L’arc-en-ciel

Country: Japan

Genre: J-Pop

Song: Volver a Comenzar

Artist: Café Tacuba

Country: Mexico

Genre: Latino

Song: Hachidan Uchi Daiko

Artist: Soh Daiko

Country: Japan

Genre: Traditional

6RQJ��2ULQRFR�)ORZArtist: Enya

Country: Ireland

Genre: New Age

Song: Quelqu’un m’a dit

Artist: Carla Bruni

Country: France

Genre: French Pop

Song: Mon Amie la Rose

Artist: Françoise Hardy

Country: France

Genre: French Pop

Year: 1964

Playlist (continued)

Song: Aven, Aven

Artist: The Gipsy Kings

Country: France

Genre: Latino

Year: 2004

by Yasmin Kelly

16 17

Ride the subway, and

you’re beset by a cacoph-

ony of sounds: the beep

and clang of closing train

doors, the chatter of hun-

dreds of mouths, the pat-

ter of hundreds of feet, and

the rumble of approach-

ing trains keeping steady

time. Then there’s the street

music, and the soft clink of

change as busy New York-

ers pay tribute to culture on

their way to work. You may

see your favorite street mu-

sicians every morning on

your way to your school or

RIÀFH��\RX�PD\�QHYHU�KHDU�them again. In this respect,

the subway system is a huge

roulette chamber, with its

hundreds of combinations

of subway cars, doors, and

staircases.

Even in this city, though,

it’s becoming easier to

track musicians down and

hear their talented playing

again. Every spring, about

60 musicians and perform-

ers audition in Grand Cen-

tral Station to be accepted

as a Music Under New York

performer. The MTA began

the MUNY program in 1985

to foster the arts in the NYC

subways. The auditions

are open to the public.

(DFK� ÀYH�PLQXWH� DXGLWLRQ�is judged by a panel of

professional musicians and

representatives from various

cultural institutions. The 25

or so performers accepted

receive a MUNY banner

and are featured on the

MTA website, with a bio, a

sound clip, and a link to his

or her website. They are not

paid except by passersby

ZKR�ÀQG�WKH�WLPH�WR�GURS�D�few coins at their feet. They

do, however, get a secure

place to perform in the sub-

way, where they won’t be

ticketed by the police--and

they’re much easier to re-

encounter.

A couple of years back,

I passed a woman playing

the musical saw. I glanced

back, intrigued, and contin-

ued on my hectic commute

to who knows where. It was

only recently when I looked

up Natalia “Saw Lady” Pa-

ruz on the MTA website that

I remembered I’d seen her

before. By placing a long,

bendy steel saw between

her knees and bowing it,

she creates an unearthly,

plaintive, eerie wailing. This

WHFKQLTXH� ZDV� ÀUVW� GLVFRY-

ered by settlers in the Ap-

palachian mountains and

is still used by some blue-

grass bands today. In her

blog, Paruz writes that she’s

grateful for the protection

MUNY gives her as an artist,

as she was once ticketed

E\� D� SROLFH� RIÀFHU� GXULQJ�her days as a freelancer for

possession of a “weapon.”

As a MUNY performer, you

are limited to certain des-

ignated spots in the sub-

way and must book your

performance space every

two weeks. However, these

areas are reserved for you

and happen to be the most

crowded centers in the sub-

way system, like 42nd Street

or Union Square. The Saw

Lady writes that she’s glad

not to have to spend an

KRXU�ÀQGLQJ�DQ�HPSW\�VSRW�anymore.

Though there are over

one hundred MUNY musi-

cians in the subway and

counting, hundreds more

perform as freelancers with-

out auditioning for MUNY.

The sheer number of tal-

ented artists who bring their

unique instruments and mu-

sic to the rest of us is truly

amazing. Next time you’re

out and about, keep your

eyes peeled for virtuoso

violinists; a Jimi Hendrix im-

personator (at Prince St on

the R line); a band with a

banjo, upright bass, kazoo

and washboard; a beatbox

ÁXWH�� DQ� $ERULJLQDO� GLGMHUL-doo; dulcimers and pipa

from China; and sitars from

India. I recently bought a

CD from James Graseck, a

violinist from Julliard, after

years of watching him sere-

nade people who catch his

eye. My favorite performer,

though, is a little man with

a cane--most likely home-

less and blind--who walks

through the R train and sings

“Always and Forever” with

a smile on his face and his

eyes shut. Though he wears

a Yankee’s cap and a loose,

dirty sports jersey, he sounds

like an older gentleman

who spent his glory days

singing at jazz clubs. He’s

been on the subway sing-

ing the same two or three

songs for at least 20 years.

2QO\� LQ� 1HZ� <RUN�can a classical violinist and

the little old blind man ev-

erybody knows share the

same performance space.

2QO\�KHUH�FDQ�\RX�OHDUQ�VR�much about music around

the world just by taking the

train.

Are you 18 or older and interested in audition-

ing? Download the MUNY audition application

here and have it postmarked by March 18th:

http://mta.info/mta/aft/muny/muny_audition-

form.pdf

2011 MUNY audi-

tions at Grand

Central

1- Staffer Jahstix

talkinh to mandolin

musician Keizo Ishi-

bashi (auditionee)

2- Metro Brass

Quintet preforms

3- Traditional Celtic

violinist Eric Lee

auditions

4- Key Appleseeds

auditioning play-

ing his guitar and

harmonica

The Tunnels Have Ears:

AN APPRECIATION OF THE CITY’SDIVERSE SUBWAY PREFORMERS

photography Courtesy of Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Rob Wilson.1

2

3

4

by Yasmin Kelly

18 1918 19

Lost In Translation? But It’s English!

Review by Carla Borderies

co

ur

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ap

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ab

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om

The American ver-

sion of the popular British

show Skins makes me want

to cry. UK Skins is original,

well thought out, and ex-

citing--and there are British

accents, which is always a

plus. It’s something different

from other TV shows. There

are few popular foreign

shows on air in the U.S., and

UK Skins is especially great

because it is one of the only

shows that was not altered

from the original. Not only is

American Skins a bad copy

RI�WKH�ÀUVW�VKRZ��EXW� LW·V�XQ-

realistic.

UK Skins seemed

genuine, almost like a reality

show. In the new version, the

characters are completely

changed and the acting is

not as authentic. Some of

the character’s names, for

example, were American-

ized for the U.S. audience:

Effy was changed to Eura,

Sid was changed to Stan-

ley, Jal was changed to

Daisy, Anwar was changed

to Abbud, and Cassie was

changed to Cadie. Maxx-

ie, a gay male character

on British Skins, was rewrit-

ten as Tea, a lesbian girl.

This decision puzzled me.

Is MTV unable to handle a

gay boy? Did they think the

show would get more views

if Maxxie was changed to a

girl? In one of the British epi-

sodes, Maxxie and Tony kiss.

This means there will prob-

ably be a kiss between two

girls in an upcoming Ameri-

can Skins episode. We live

in a society where gays are

under-represented in com-

mercials and ads. TV show

managers are more inter-

ested in showing lesbians

than gays. Why is the public

more accepting of lesbian

content? Media companies

in recent years have made

it a point to publicize kiss-

ing scenes between girls in

movies like The Black Swan

and Jennifer’s Body. When

is the last time a kiss be-

tween two boys was publi-

cized? It’s a taboo subject.

This complete alteration

from the British show sadly

UHÁHFWV� WKH�FXUUHQW� VWDWH�RI�American media.

Another problem

is that every American Skins

episode is the same. The

exact same scenes were

played in the British show

and the American version.

There is nothing new or sur-

prising; in fact, it seemed

like all the jokes and is-

sues are identical, so I was

less surprised and eager to

know what happened next.

Instead of making a show

similar to Skins, but Ameri-

canized, they copied some-

thing that was entertain-

ing and loved. Sometimes,

great things are better left

alone.

American Skins a Resounding Disappointment

�� � ��� ������� ��

Anwar Abbud

��.

Cassie Cadie

Chris Chris

Effy Eura

20 21

Valentino Gara-

vani is the only designer in

the world to have a color

named after him. Rosso

Valentino (or “Valentino

red”) is a famous tint be-

cause of the achieve-

ments of the couturier.

The red is rich, noticeable,

and has an expensive

and luxurious look. In the

course of his career, Val-

entino has used the color

in short, structured dresses

DV� ZHOO� DV� ORQJ�� ÁRZLQJ�gowns, usually with satin

fabric.

Valentino Gara-

vani was born in Voghera,

Lombardy, Italy in 1932.

co

ur

te

sy o

f 2

nd

tak

e.c

o.za

Valentino and his Red Collection

A European TintFEATURED DESIGNER: VALENTINO GARAVANI

co

ur

te

sy

of

ha

rp

er

sb

aza

ar

.co

m

Natalia Vodianova wearing

Valentino at the Venice Film

Festival (2008)

co

ur

te

sy o

f n

y-ima

ge

2.e

tsy.c

om

co

ur

te

sy

of

se

co

nd

cit

ysty

le.t

ype

pa

d.c

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co

ur

te

sy

of

le

iwe

b.it

Jennifer Anniston

wearing Valentino

2QH�RI�9DOHQWLQR·V�ÀUVW�appearances in Vogue

Magazine (1960)Claudia Schiffer in Valentino

to huge popularity and

international critical ac-

claim.

Valentino be-

came famous, not only

in Europe, but in nearly

all parts of the world as

well. Americans in par-

ticular embraced his red

jackets, gowns, dresses,

shoes, and handbags. At

that time, American fash-

ion was centered around

showy details such as

enormous bows and

belts. European fashion

was more elegant and

simple, and women were

less extravagant in their

dress. Valentino’s style is

He became interested

in fashion when he was

young, and moved to

Paris to pursue his dream

of being a designer,

studying at L’École de la

Chambre Syndicale de

la Couture Parisienne.

)URP�KLV�ÀUVW� IDVKLRQ�VKRZ�in 1962 at Palazzo Pitti in

Florence, Italy, Valentino

distinguished himself as

a risk-taker. It was for this

show that he invented

Rosso Valentino. Twenty

years later, in 1986, at a

time when bright, bold

colors were in style, Val-

entino’s daring White Col-

lection catapulted him

focused on intricate de-

tails and simple pleats.

Though he re-

tired from his fashion

house in 2007, Valentino’s

name is still widely re-

spected in the fashion do-

main today. Valentino’s

work is popular among

American actresses such

as Anne Hathaway and

Jennifer Aniston. Mod-

HOV� DQG� ÀOP� VWDUV� IURP�DOO�around the globe, such

as Claudia Schiffer from

Germany and Natalia

Vodianova from Russia,

are also admirers of his

oeuvres. Valentino has

greatly changed fashion

by adding a touch of Eu-

ropean simplicity to all his

creations.

When Departures Maga-

zine interviewed Valen-

tino in 2009, they asked

him: "What is your nec-

essary extravagance?"

He replied, "No extrava-

gance is necessary. And

most are tacky."

by Carla Borderies

22 23

Burrito Box

(Mexican)

885 9th Ave # 1

New York, NY 10019-1712

“Best burritos within walking

distance of school!”- Beryl

NYC:FOOD

[As we know it]

Eataly

(Italian)

200 5th Avenue

NY 10010

"The space is rather large but it feels cozy

in the company of other Italian food en-

thusiasts.” - Mari

Szechuan Gourmet

(Chinese)

2ULJLQDO�����������WK�$YH��4XHHQVMidtown: 21 W 39th St, Manhattan

Tanoreen

(Middle Eastern)

7523 3rd Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11209-3002

Beet

(Thai)

344 7th Ave, Brooklyn 11215

Taverna Kyclades

(Greek)

3307 Ditmars Boulevard, Queens, NY

Baluchi

(Indian)

1724 2nd Ave

New York, NY 10128

More locations listed at

www.Baluchis.com

Tandoori

(Indian)

210 West 94th Street

New York, NY 10025-6958

24 25

Szechuan Gourmet

2ULJLQDO�����������WK�$YH��4XHHQVMidtown: 21 W 39th St, Manhattan

From the outside,

Szechuan Gourmet seems

like just another American-

ized Chinese restaurant.

Even inside, the furnishings

are typical: three paper

lanterns and a little Bud-

dha statue in the corner.

You might notice, however,

that the sign outside is in

Chinese--only the tiny let-

tering beneath is in English.

The décor of the restau-

rant, though similar to other

Americanized ones, is not

as, how you’d say in Yiddish,

ungapatchka, or over-the-

top. Furthermore, once you

take a good look around,

you see that there is not one

non-Chinese person in the

restaurant. That is when you

realize you’re in for some

authentic cultural cuisine.

The menu has

a vast selection of food,

from your basic egg rolls

and chow mein to dishes I

have never heard of in my

lifetime. Thankfully, most of

every person was given a

bowl and a spoon so ev-

eryone could have a taste.

The soup consisted of long,

white noodles and large,

thinly sliced mushrooms. It

KDG� D� OLJKW� JLQJHU� ÁDYRU�as well as a subtle spicy

taste. The only thing that

threw me was a thin sliced

spongy material I could not

recognize (possibly actual

sponge), but it tasted exqui-

site anyway.

Next was a stir-

fry asparagus dish that

not only tasted good, but

looked beautiful. The large

asparagus was cut at a

slant, seasoned with some

color-coordinated greens,

and served on a long, white

plate. This dish was also

meant for sharing: a large

metal serving spoon was

nudged into the aspara-

gus, and everyone was left

with a small plate for their

portion of the dish. I usually

expect stir-fry vegetable

dishes to taste plain, but this

was not at all the case. The

dish’s light garlic sauce and

the diced onion and scal-

lion made for a delicious

tangy taste as well as a sat-

isfying texture.

The next dish was

my dish, lamb with bamboo

chutes and chili sauce. By

now I was seeing a trend

in the dishes served at this

restaurant: large, beautifully

presented dishes meant for

sharing. Now the lamb--oh,

the lamb! Soft, tender lamb

chunks, piled one on top of

the other and covered in

red chili sauce, mixed with

long, thinly sliced bamboo

the names of dishes on the

menu are pronounceable,

and the clear descriptions

and numbers on the side

of the menu are very help-

ful. Also beside the name of

each dish are stars signify-

ing how spicy each is--some

dishes have up to four stars!

Keep in mind that these

dishes are mostly aimed at

people who are used to

extremely spicy food. If you

don't think you can take it,

ask your waiter or waitress

to make your dish less spicy

or not spicy at all.

When I went to

Szechuan Gourmet with my

family, we were seated at

a table with small tea cups

ready for each person. We

were immediately served

green tea and a small

bowl of soaked peanuts,

which we enjoyed while

looking through the menu.

2XU� ÀUVW� DSSHWL]HU� ZDV� WKH�mushroom noodle soup. It

came in a huge bowl, and

chutes, mushrooms, greens,

and chopped chili peppers.

It was very spicy, not over-

bearingly so in my opinion,

although this was about the

time that my mother started

saying things like "my soul is

burning." There were some

interesting vegetables and

greens I did not recognize,

probably of Eastern origin,

that I nevertheless enjoyed.

I even liked the bamboo

chutes.

� :KHQ�WKH�ÀVK�ZLWK�tofu and chili sauce was

served, there was a col-

lective "Woah." as the cen-

ter of a metal support was

OLW� RQ� ÀUH� DQG� D� JLJDQWLF�bowl, even bigger than the

soup's, was placed atop it.

Watching the stew start to

boil before our eyes was an

impressive sight. Even more

impressive was the taste!

Tender chunks of tilapia and

fried tofu mixed in boiling

chili sauce--delicious! It was

both sweet and super spicy,

the spiciest dish we had

ordered (by this time my

mom’s chorus of "My soul is

burning! My soul is burning!"

KDG� DPSOLÀHG� JUHDWO\��� %\�the end, everyone was in

WHDUV��EXW�VDWLVÀHG� We decided to

order some Chinese Szech-

uan dessert, so we asked for

the dessert menu. Unfortu-

nately, it was all in Chinese!

However, we did not give

up, and asked the waitress

to recommend us a dessert

from the selection. What we

got was a pleasant surprise

and a sweet respite from

the spiciness of the meal. In

a white bowl came several

balls of rice dough, soaked

and completely submerged

in sweet water. The waitress

laid out small bowls and

served each person three

rice dough balls with a serv-

ing spoon. The dough balls

were soft, with just the right

amount of gooey texture,

and lightly sweet from soak-

LQJ� LQ� WKH� VXJDU� ZDWHU�� 2Q�the inside was a smooth,

sweet, black sesame paste,

which oozed out of the

center, but stayed in just

enough when you bit into it.

It was a great dessert expe-

rience. Even the sweet wa-

ter was good!

If you judge the

restaurant by how fast my

family devoured all the

dishes, then it’s a win. All

the dishes were executed

perfectly in terms of taste,

texture, and visual appeal.

The service was good and

the waiters and waitresses

were very helpful in picking

out a dessert from the Chi-

nese menu. The portion size

was big. The food was gen-

uine non-greasy, MSG-free,

interesting Chinese cuisine.

Also great was the low price

of everything. We ordered

four enormous dishes plus

a dessert and the whole

thing added up to only $50.

The only thing I would add

is that this is not a restau-

rant for people who cannot

take spicy food. There are

only a few non-spicy items

on the menu. However,

for the daring among you,

Szechuan Gourmet in Flush-

ing, Queens is an excellent

experience and I highly rec-

ommend it.

photography by Ella Sanandaji

by Ella Sanandaji

26 27

I live on the brink of

Harlem. My neighborhood-

-and I mean the streets I

could really travel through

blindfolded--runs from 105th

Street to 115th Street on the

West Side. What I like best

about my neighborhood

is that it walks the line be-

tween two very differently

perceived cultures. The Up-

per West Side is viewed as

a rich and primarily white

neighborhood containing

an excess of parks, stroll-

ers, and clothing stores,

whereas Harlem is known

as a lower-income minority

neighborhood with a rich

art and jazz scene.

It goes without

saying that my neighbor-

hood has way too many

banks, grocery stores, and

parking garages (There are

photography by lizzy hibbard

Upper West Side/Harlem

two grocery stores directly

across the street from each

other). This is New York, after

all; we have too much of

everything. What make my

neighborhood special are

the unique landmarks--like

Tom’s Restaurant, known for

its iconic sign featured on

the show Seinfeld. There’s

also the Cathedral of Saint

John the Divine, which

some Internet sites claim is

the largest cathedral in the

world. If you ask a tour guide

whether this is true, you’ll

never get a straight answer

because of the different

ways one can measure a

cathedral. Inside, the ceil-

ings are improbably high.

There are stained glass win-

dows on the sides, featur-

ing not just religious scenes

but also images of modern

per West Side. With the line

between the Upper West

Side and Harlem becom-

ing more and more blurred,

who is to say who’s who and

what’s what? Bottom line, if

someone asks me where

I live, I just tell them I live

in New York City. Cultures

have become too mixed

to label and name different

areas.

and some said it’s at 125th.

In my research, I noticed

that websites labeled some

of these landmarks as part

of Harlem, and some as part

of the Upper West Side.

Istartherenewyork.

com, for example, labeled

the Cathedral of Saint John

the Divine as part of Harlem,

ZKLOH�WKH�7LPH�2XW�1HZ�<RUN�website places it in the Up-

the sanitation department,

or a mental asylum. As I was

taking photos of the build-

ing, a mysterious voice over

an intercom asked if it could

“help me with anything.”

Why the secrecy? I’ll let you

decide.

� 2SLQLRQV� YDU\� RQ�where exactly the Upper

West Side becomes Harlem.

Some say it’s at 110th Street

sports like boxing. The most

impressive part is that all the

sculptures and chiseling on

the outside were done by

hand. Construction on the

cathedral began in 1892,

and the conservation con-

tinues today. Fun fact: a

supplement building to the

Cathedral was host to the

after party of the premier of

the fourth Harry Potter mov-

ie in 2005.

Then there’s the

building on 110th Street

where George and Ida

Gershwin composed their

famous jazz and classical

composition, Rhapsody in

Blue, in 1924. The music took

mere weeks to write, yet

the recording sold millions

of copies and was deemed

“one of the most popular of

all American concert works”

by editors of the Cambridge

Music Handbook.

Nearby Morning-

side Heights is home to Co-

lumbia and Barnard. The

upside of living near these

schools is that they keep

interesting shops like Book

Culture and The Hungarian

Pastry Shop in business. The

downside is that come Sep-

tember, hordes of new par-

ents and kids get lost and

ask for directions. Come

2FWREHU�� WKH� NLGV� DUH� ZHOO�adjusted and they can get

pretty loud at night.

Finally, there’s the

Mystery Building. Though I

live mere blocks away from

this building, I still don’t know

what’s inside. It is rumored

to be either a Con Edison

Power house, a branch of

Where I Live

by Lizzy Hibbard

28 29

Weekends are about to get a little more German.

Was Bedeuten?

By Vanessa Grasing

My parents have

been divorced for almost

six years. My brother and I

had long since grown com-

fortable with the situation,

and had gotten used to

schlepping back and forth

between homes on week-

ends. This December break,

though, both our mom and

our dad decided to move

in with their respective girl-

friends. Aside from being a

major pain, moving means

a new family dynamic at

HLWKHU�KRPH��2XU�ZKROH�OLIH-

style has been thrown off

kilter, and we’re still trying to

get used to everything.

A new family

member is foreign enough

as it is without actually be-

ing foreign. My dad’s girl-

friend, Iris, is from Germany,

and along with her native

Deutsche, speaks three

other languages including

English. She’s more comfort-

able speaking in German,

which becomes apparent

when we get together with

my dad’s friend, Frauke,

who is coincidentally also

from Germany, and she

begins a conversation un-

avoidably exclusive to the

both of them. The rest of us

don’t mind. We can imag-

ine what a relief it must

be to speak in your native

tongue after a full week

or two of work in English.

When she can’t meet with

a fellow Germanophone in

person, Iris chatters excit-

edly to friends and family in

Europe using Skype. Skype is

another marvel of the Inter-

net, bridging the gap of the

$WODQWLF�2FHDQ�WR�PDNH�,ULV�feel closer to home.

Surprisingly, a na-

tive German in the family

doesn’t entail many other

differences. We have books

written in both German

and English on our shelves

now, which is slightly disori-

enting—A book titled Kun-

stgeschichte throws me off

each time I glance at it.

Though my immediate fam-

ily is German-descended,

none of us actually speak

the language except for my

brother (and only marginal-

ly, because he’s just started

to learn it in school).

It makes no differ-

ence whether someone’s

from Germany or Jersey

when you accept that per-

son into your family. In fact,

we may have had a bump-

ier landing with our mom’s

girlfriend, Cara, who’s a

New York City native. Since

we live at her place dur-

ing the week, there’s more

adjusting to each other’s

schedules and habits as

well as getting used to

Cara’s pets. My brother and

I are learning to live with

both girlfriends’ cultural and

personality differences as

we discover the two new

families that are forming on

either side of us.

“A book titled Kun-stgeschichte throws me off each time I glance at it.”

30 3131313131

Aries (Mar 21-Apr 19)

Be careful on your next foreign vaca-

tion. Your rowdy behavior could get

you kicked out of the country.

Taurus (Apr 20-May 20)

Avoid acting stiff around people who

are different than you. Be open to

those who practice cultural traditions

that you would normally crudely laugh

at.

Gemini (May 21-Jun 21)

Congratulations! You will meet your

long-lost twin at a fancy French café

while drinking a tiny cup of coffee

and avoiding a Frenchman smoking

excessively.

Cancer (Jun 22-Jul 22)

You were right all along. That man was

and still is stalking you. However, it’s not

you he’s obsessed with, but rather your

funky wool hat from Kyrgyzstan.

Leo (Jul 23-Aug 22)

You are brave enough to do anything.

You should take some Irish stepdanc-

ing lessons and show off your new

moves to those whom you wish to

impress.

Virgo (Aug 23-Sep 22)

You can smell injustice from three miles

away. When your parents forbid you

from going to that Gregorian chant

concert, injustice will stare you in the

face. Stand up for yourself and do not

take no for an answer.

Your whole life has been a

lie. Parke Kunkle, an astronomer at the

Minnesota Planetarium Society, has

announced that the earth's axis is now

pointing in a different direction--to a

different star than it pointed to 13 thou-

sand years ago, when the Babylonians

ÀUVW� FDVW� WKH� KRURVFRSHV�� 7KLV� PHDQV�that all the zodiac signs have been

bumped up by one whole month! So

all you Aries, you're now Pisces. You

thought you were adventurous and

courageous, but you're actually sensi-

tive and weak-willed. And all you "lions"

are now "crabs." Ha! And…wait. Wait a

second. I'm a Libra now? What? What?

Instead of being powerful, magnetic,

determined, and exciting, I'm peace-

able, easygoing, indecisive, and gull-

ible? No, no, no, Scorpio is so much

cooler.

And what's this about a new

star sign? Supposedly there is a 13th star

VLJQ�FDOOHG�2SKLXFKXV�ZKLFK�WKH�%DE\-

lonians eliminated because 13 is an

unlucky number. Now it’s being added

to the mix. This is not fair! Why are they

messing up our zodiacs? If these signs

have existed for thousands of years,

then why should they change in 2011?

Now everybody, including myself, is

FRQIXVHG� DQG� FRQÁLFWHG�� DQG� HYHU\-

thing is out of balance! I don't like this…

I don't like this at all.

Hold the phone! A need for

fairness and balance. Dislike of cruelty

(well, this whole thing is very cruel) and

FRQÁLFW«�FRPH�WR� WKLQN�RI� LW��PD\EH� ,�am a Libra… maybe this whole thing is

true!

What's that you say, Western

DVWURORJHUV"� 2QO\� (DVWHUQ� DVWURORJHUV�base the zodiac off stars and constel-

lations, whereas Western astrologers

base it off the movements of the plan-

ets around the sun? So the issue of the

horoscope change does not at all ap-

SO\� WR� WKH�:HVW"�2ND\�� QRZ� ,P� UHDOO\�confused. This whole business threat-

ens to shake my faith in astrology. And

if that happens, how in the world will I

know what my personality is?

By Ella Sanandaji

Icons by Jade Johnson

Libra (Sep 23-Oct 22)

Your mother will forget to buy chicken nuggets and

it will throw you completely off-balance. Instead of

having a complete mental breakdown, try some

new food, perhaps from a different culture.

Scorpio (Oct 23-Nov 21)

All of your friends think you have a superiority com-

SOH[�EHFDXVH�\RX�OLNH�IRUHLJQ�ÀOPV�DQG�FDYLDU��'RQ·W�mind them; they will someday recognize your genius.

Sagittarius (Nov 22-Dec 21)

Your true love will appear on a Monday. He or she

will have eyes like a freshly pickled Polish pickle and

a nose that is the most divine of all the noses in the

Tri-State Area. It’s too bad you're going to just miss

him or her!

Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan 19)

This month, broaden your mind and purchase some

goat related products, such as goat milk, goat

cheese, or goat wool. The goat is your zodiac's ani-

mal; the goat in you feels constricted and is longing

to break free!

Aquarius (Jan 22-Feb 18)

The position of the planets portends that the con-

VXPSWLRQ�RI�VDOW�DQG�EDQDQDV��DQG�GHÀQLWHO\�WKH�WZR�together) will block waves of attraction in Aquarians.

Pisces (Feb 19-Mar 20)

This month, eat lots and lots of mangoes, the national

fruit of India, Pakistan, and the Philippines. They boost

\RXU�VHOI�FRQÀGHQFH�DQG�LPSURYH�\RXU�VNLQ���,I�\RXU�friends criticize your consumption of mangoes they

are just insecure because unlike you, they do not

have a reliable source like a horoscope to give them

advice about their daily life.

Horoscopesby Jade Johnson and Ella Sanandaji

32 3332

32&.(7�3$7&+('�&,7<

My life is a culture

A pocket patched man

With each bend and turn a different color

In this city where the streets talk

And tell me something

Anything

Each time a whisper

Something

Everything

Each time a shout

Each patch looks for its way

Its way to talk

talk

For itself

And to each other

To reach out

For its way

to pout

And turn its nose up to another

I look to the ways that I can talk

I look to the ways that can be

And we

Look to be like the others

Look to be together

Look to be like yourself

Like me

7KH�ZD\�ZH�ÀQG�XVÀQGLQJ�WKH�SHUVRQ�WKDW�LV�XVÀQGLQJ�WKH�SHRSOH�WKDW�\RX�ORYHAnd the truth

And there must also be

A you

We live here and we try to reach out

We live here and we try to make sense

2I�WKLV�FKDRV�WKDW�LV�VRPHWLPHVWhat a life is

We make banners for the sky

And we gaze at the stars

And we think sometimes that maybe

The stars gaze back

Just to think about something

We know nothing about

So its not steeped in the grey

The area

Where so many things are in this world

- Ella Sanandaji

,7�,6�-867�7+(�:25/'

1 in the morning

Longing for nothing longing for some-

thing

1 in the morning

And I'm striving not to repeat myself.

Say something

Say

What the teachers all say

Something about this

Something about that

Lay off the teachers

Lay off the students

Lay off the students

The teachers

The Unions

I have nothing to say

For my own purpose

I have nothing to say

For my own devices

I have nothing to say

For my own reasons

To be Frank and honest

I have nothing to say

To Tell you the truth

I have everything to say

Everything

Everything to say

compresses into

Nothing to say

It

Is

Just

The

World

- Ella Sanandaji

�32(75<��SURVH�

When you

grow up in a big city,

the best moments

are always the simple

ones. You know, those

times when everything

and everyone just

seems to slow down,

if only for little while.

Everything goes quiet,

and you feel calm and

relaxed, at peace with

yourself and the whole

world….

Well, those

kinds of moments

don’t happen often.

You always feel that

whenever you do

something, anything,

you’re taking time

away from something

else you could be do-

ing. You’re up late

ÀQLVKLQJ� \RXU� (QJOLVK�homework, knowing

you’ll be passing out

on your desk the next

day. You get hope-

lessly sucked into Inter-

QHW�VXUÀQJ��FRPSOHWHO\�forgetting a promise to

pick up siblings from

school. You spend an

hour talking your best

friend away from a

mental breakdown,

and end up not typing

a letter onto the blank

document you hoped

would become your

future novel.

You spread

yourself too thin and

too far, and you end

up exhausted and un-

VDWLVÀHG�� <RX� ZRQGHU�to yourself if there will

ever be enough time.

You have your life,

stretched out miles

before you, and you

want to live it, but it just

ÁLHV� E\�� LQFKHV� IURP�\RXU� JUDVSLQJ� ÀQJHUV��with you none the bet-

ter for it. How do you

ÀQG�\RXUVHOI� �ZKR�\RX�are, where you should

go, what you should

do), and how do you

ÀQG� KDSSLQHVV�� ZKHQ�everything seems like

a struggle; when you

ÀQG� \RXUVHOI� PHUHO\�surviving, day by day?

You yearn and beg

for the weekend, but

WKHQ�� OLNH� D� ÁDVK�� LW·V�over, and still nothing’s

done.

It gets re-

ally frustrating. I guess

that’s all just a part

of being a teenager,

a high school kid. I

certainly hope I get

over it. I don’t think

I could stand to live

like this forever, you

know?

I learn to

deal. Those moments,

the quiet, peaceful

ones, they help a lot,

ZKHQ�\RX�ÀQG�WKHP�

- Ariel Hoffmaier

City Moments by Ariel Ho!maier

34 35

Cultural Comics by Kiani Hernandez

36 37

38 39