New York City is incredibly segregated. This morning, as I've done many times, I rode the N train from my neighborhood into Manhattan. When I boarded in south Brooklyn, there were no seats available and the train was full of Chinese (I'm not being racist, though I could be, it's just having lived amongst the Chinese, I can tell you these people were not "Asian"). As we approached the 3rd stop, Canal Street, the train virtually emptied, and an uncontrollable smile came to my face as I mused just how true to form all humans are. We try to be inclusive and diverse, but truthfully, like is drawn to like and Canal Street in NYC is a haven of Chinese culture, thus no matter if they stay out in south Brooklyn, they work and "live" on Canal Street as evidenced by the subway ride each morning. This truth is clear when speaking to a Queens family about 3rd generation immigrants from the Dominican Republic on the upper Upper West Side of Manhattan. The family from Queens knew because of where the DR family lived that they were not Mexican or Puerto Rican or of any other Hispanic origin because "Dominicans tend to live up in that neighborhood." As I ride the bus through a particular section of Queens, I sit behind a guy who looks like a typical 20-something New Yorker until he speaks perfect Russian into his cell phone and I'm reminded that there are Russian businesses on both sides of the street, but also a bank called the Polish-Slovac bank in that neighborhood.
So, I'm constantly fascinated by my surroundings, and this morning, the mass exodus at Canal Street provoked me to write about it. Not that I have any profound or revelatory thoughts on the matter. Just that living in a city of 9 million people affords everyone the opportunity to find the place in which they feel most at home and live, shop, bank, and go to church (a few of them) there. It's not government imposed segregation, but self-imposed based on personal comfort, which is a human desire, as I said earlier, to be surrounded by someone who thinks, eats, talks and even looks like you. Zzzzz...kind of boring. But, I also understand, on some level.
Well, it's Tuesday and it's been more than a week since I posted. I've been absolutely slammed with tutoring, with little energy to even unpack my room which is a disaster as a result of it. However, as I said in the last post, I can see the end in sight and I know it will all change again soon. Although I've got no further clarity on what to do this summer, I have a little more peace and know that it's in God's hands no matter what. So, thanks for any prayers you've offered up on my behalf.
I had a great weekend, in the midst of tutoring for 4 hours on Friday, 9 hours on Saturday, and 3 hours on Sunday, I got to be at Brooklyn Tab's choir recording on Friday night and Sunday from noon til 6 and it was awesome. You're going to be blessed by this CD, if you buy it. (I also got to go to an early showing on Friday morning of "The Taking of Pelham 123" which was great fun as I chose a place on the Upper West Side where some serious movie buffs were attending the first showing of the film, and they clearly had scrutinized the original film. They anticipated, laughed loudly, whooped and hollered at appropriate places, and it was fun for me, the lone fan, to watch.)
Yesterday was a long day, tutoring 3 hours with Kenny from noon, then Gerald and Sheyla back to back 1.5 hours each, and topped off with Janelle from 7 to 9:30. Eight and half hours of tutoring with four children at different levels and varying motivations, sent me home by 11 and in bed not long after. Today, it's Emmaluisa and Lenise for a total of 5.5 hours. I will explain more about these children in the very near future, so you can pray for them and their families.
Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by.
Until next time,
Larissa
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