Hot filth and Ethiopia

  I woke up and groaned at my dirty, dirty clothes. Its been two weeks now.

  I scooped them up and wandered down the hall to the laundry.I threw them in the barrel, shut the door, pumped it full of quarters and went back to bed.

  I woke at three and returned to my fabrics. They were hot. And Dirty.

  I'd tumble dried my clothes for three hours. I cursed at my tabasco stained trousers and holey jeans, then forgave them and turned around to set them in the washer. My whole afternoon has been spent in the laundry. It's now five, dark and snowy, though I have a crisp wardrobe.

  

  I went to Brooklyn again yesterday. I walked some distance, a good few miles. I saw lots of Jewish people, lots of children and lots of hipsters. I took photos of Jewish people, children and hipsters. 

  I wandered down brown brick streets and listened to music. Brooklyn locals wandered up streets and glanced at a quietly singing Englishman.

  I was on a mission to get some new trousers and some good food. I found a clothes shop that would do extremely well on a street where all my friends lived, and some incredible food stores. There's one diner in Brooklyn that is cooler to know, than the name of the band that has three fans, but is gonna take 2009 by storm. This diner has a set menu of about three dishes, and a daily specials board to rival a cinema display. Rumour has it that these guys slaughter the livestock and prepare all the dishes on the premises. It is full of new age brooklynites baying for organic burgers and salads swimming in soil. Very hip. 

  I bought two pairs of pants, and spoke at great length to the girl in the clothes shop about fabrics that'll keep me warm in this bitter cold, but will be wearable down south. We decided on Mustard wool and corduroy. I feel a bit like Huckleberry Finn, though I am comfortable. 

  Radiohead blared out on the hi-fi and we started talking about British music. She told me about the manager of the shop holding a party in the east village tonight and she said I'd be welcome. I might just go.

  I left Brooklyn fed and happy. The sun was high in a cold blue sky and I was heading back to meet Noah. Noah had left the hostel, but not New York.

  In fact, we'd been out the night before. We went to eat Jamaican food with his cousin.

  

  We had some great Indian food. The Jamaican was closed.

  After eating, we went to see a Coen Bro's film called 'No Country for Old men' a film I'd been looking forward to for a while. I was not left disappointed. It made me think about my friend Sam, he would love this film. Sam drinks this sort of shit up. 

  Anyway, that was Sunday.

  I got back from Brooklyn, got out the subway and lit a cigarette. I sat on a bench and started talking to a man with Silver teeth. He had a name I didn't hear, and I was too scared to ask him to repeat it. He talked at me about Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton. I attentively misunderstood all he said and then moved on.

  I got back and was mildly horrified to notice that staring guy had gone. I got over my loss. 

  I hit Noah up at about six and we decided to go for another meal. He had been for more clock meetings and it was his last night before returning to San Francisco. We tried to lay our need for Jamaican food to rest, but they were all closed. So we went with his cousin to an Ethiopian restaurant by her college. I haven't had Ethiopian before, but it was good. We mopped food from a large plate using bread that resembled a dish cloth, but it tasted fine. We drank Ethiopian export beer that was full of honey. Noah and his cousin are very articulate people, and are most unlike a lot of the people I've met. This gives me hope for the coming months. 

  We went for beers and a black guy told us a race jokes for money. 

  I hugged Noah and his cousin and said goodbye, I told him Noah ill see him in San Francisco.

  I'm currently forcing everyone in the hostel to listen to Nic Fanciulli and James Zabiela's Essential Mix from last year on the communal sound system. If you need audio assistance in trying to recreate their glares and stares, you can experience this mix by clicking here