onthetwo

Tatiana

2009-04-08T17:48:00.001-07:00

Wednesday night I met Tatiana. Let me begin my saying...I love her hair. How could I not?!? It makes me think of this. : )

Put simply, I think Tatiana is a cool girl. She is a graphic designer from Berlin, spending two months in New York because...she wants to. Funny, I happen to have another friend, an artist from New York, who moved to Berlin because...she wanted to. Small world, isn't it?

Tatiana's favorite food is a spicy tuna sushi roll, and her favorite film is High Art (which I have never seen, but, after seeing the ImDb description, think I would kind of like to!)

Her favorite thing about New York is the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. Love it. : )

And her message to the world?

"Eat more vegetables."

Tatiana, I like you. I am overusing the smiley face in this post, and I don't even care, because, let there be no doubt, you made me smile. : )

Sabrina, Whitney and Veronica

2009-03-25T18:48:00.001-07:00

FOR MY SISTER JAIMEE : )

Right after I met Olufemi, Veronica, Whitney and Sabrina (from left to right) got on the train. Veronica and Sabrina were having a great conversation, and I had just finished talking with Olufemi, so my first instinct was to pretty much keep to myself. But.

Then there was Whitney. And there is my sister. She has two Pomeranians, with whom I was fortunate to share an apartment with for two years of college (the sister lived there too). Her Myspace profile listed 'playing with my dogs' as a hobby last time I checked, and her bed has little stairs leading up to it so the puppies can get up without too much trouble. : )

I love her, and her dogs. And so, obviously, I couldn't let Whitney pass in and out of my life without getting a picture for my sister.

As it turned out, I'm so glad I was compelled, because Sabrina (Whitney's mom) and Veronica were lovely women to share a conversation with!

Here's their onthetwo info:

Favorite Food: Both Sabrina and Veronica said 'junk food.' More specifically, Sabrina goes for ice cream, and even more specifically specific, chocolate Carvel ice cream. (I wonder if she's seen this...) Veronica's favorite is a white frosted doughnut. However, when Entenmann's Louisiana Crunch Cake came up, both seemed to agree that was pretty much the most indulgent thing ever.

Sabrina raved about the movie Pineapple Express. She recommends watching it when you need a good laugh. Veronica went for a different kind of movie: Monster's Ball, with Halle Berry.

Their views came closer to aligning on the next question- favorite things about New York. Sabrina said her favorite thing was 'the people,' adding that she was 'just a New Yorker, born and raised.' When Veronica named 'the energy' as her favorite, Sabrina decidedly agreed.

Sabrina's message for the world:
Jesus Christ is the Lord and Savior.

And Veronica's:
Peace should be expressed more.

And on an unrelated note (or is it unrelated? Wasn't it Whitney, after all, who sparked this whole lovely dialogue?!?) a final picture of Whitney, the three year old teacup pomeranian...

You just never know who you might meet on the train. : )

Olufemi

2009-03-25T18:46:00.001-07:00

Last night I met Olufemi. And I learned Nigerian! Well, sort of: "Olufemi" is Nigerian for "God loves me." Cool, huh?

Olufemi's favorite food is homemade apple pie. To those who know me well, I am sure it comes as no surprise that apple pie immediately made me think of ice cream. Oh, ice cream. Olufemi, however, prefers to keep things simple. No ice cream. Just pie.

Her favorite movie is Last of the Mohicans, though when we talked about the one thing Olufemi wanted to say to the world, another came up- more on that in a second.

What Olufemi loves about New York is that there is always something to do, and that you don't have to drive to get there. She's also a fan of paying a flat rate for public transportation, rather than a fee based on distance traveled.

Before I pass along Olufemi's thoughts for the world, I have to mention something else. You may have noticed that the picture on this post was not taken on the subway. Here's why: Olufemi proposed something brand new for onthetwo. She liked the idea, and wanted to be on the site, but she asked if she could send me her own photo. It caught me by surprise, but I completely get it, and I think it's cool that Olufemi thinks onthetwo is a big enough deal that she wants to look good. Sweet. : ) Anyway. On the train, Olufemi gave me her card so I could send her an email to remind her to get me a photo, and although it didn't come up on the train, according to said card, she's a graphic designer. She's pretty good! Check it out: http://www.femicreativity.com/

And now...Olufemi's thoughts for the world (that's you!):

"I wish everyone would just get along!"

(quoted from another favorite movie of her's, Spike Lee's Crooklyn)

The coolest part of this for me? After I got her quote written down, Olufemi and I talked for a minute about everybody getting along. We decided talking to each other, being human, was a good first step. It's the little things, yes?

Larrin

2009-03-10T19:05:00.001-07:00

Tuesday night I met Larrin.

Yes, L-A-R-R-I-N. Her parents came up with the name arranging and rearranging baby blocks with letters on them...cool, huh?

Larrin is from Long Island, but now lives in Brooklyn. It was hard to come up with a favorite food, as she is a self described "foodie," but she settled on sushi- spicy tuna roll, to be exact. Her favorite movie is a definite classic: An Affair to Remember.

Larrin is a freelance writer, and after talking for a while about the perks and pitfalls of this career with her, her favorite thing about New York became more meaningful to me. It was clearly a sentiment from the mind and mouth of a writer, and a writer in New York particularly: "My favorite thing about New York..." she pondered. "Hmmm..." And then in this certain matter of fact, slightly jaded, but unmistakably not bored voice: "The endless possibilities in a day..."

Larrin's thought for the world is one that is very near to my heart as well, and it never fails to make said heart dance a little when I realize that, just as I might have suspected, another human being has come to recognize the same truth as I.

What she said: "When it comes down to it, our time here is short. Things are changing. We're going back to a simpler time and I think it's really important to make the connections with your family, with people- to find ways to connect."

: )

P.S. Larrin: This is the cafe I was talking about...olive, oak, fig, iris...something like that...; )

Sherry and Jim

2009-03-07T19:01:00.000-08:00

Saturday night was completely made by my meeting Jim and Sherry. It had been a long day, and on the ride home, the two of them caught my eye. I sat quietly next to Sherry, and watched with delight as Jim stood, eyes sparkling, flirting with Sherry in that irresistibly charming boyish way some men have... : ) Love makes me happy.

Anyway, when a seat across the way opened up, I went ahead and moved so that I could offer Jim the spot he was so clearly coveting. He thanked me, and I told him I was more than happy. A second later, I told him he could repay my favor by checking out my website, and gave him a card. He and Sherry both promised to oblige, and I was quite impressed when I handed him the rather obtuse onthetwo.com card (All it says is : Connect. onthetwo.com), and he said, "Oh yeah, you meet people on the subway?"

Turns out his sister had a similar idea once, so there was sort of a point of reference...but still. Impressive.

Anyway, let's meet Jim and Sherry- ready?

Sherry's favorite food is seafood, particularly mussels. Jim is a fan of Italian, specifically lasagna (Sound familiar? See Bill's favorite below...we really ARE more alike than different...)

Jim's favorite movie is Dune (yeah!) and Sherry's is Sordid Lives (never seen it). Favorite things about New York are, for Sherry and Jim respectively, the food, and the networking.

And last, but certainly not least (You didn't think I would forget twice in a row, did you?!?!)

Sherry and Jim's Thoughts for the World.

Sherry thought for a while- she is very thoughtful- and then we talked for a little bit about the tendency people have to, by default, act defensive about what they think, rather than just straight forwardly and unabashedly saying how they feel. (I think I got that right- Sherry, if you make it to the site, feel free to correct me!) Anyway, I know I got this part right: what Sherry wanted to tell everybody was this:

"Just say how you feel, and don't worry so much about being politically correct. Say it with a smile, and take out the sting, and you'll be fine."

Good thought.

And, now as a special treat, another good thought, this one straight from the mouth of Jim- or, at least, the video of the mouth of Jim I uploaded onto my computer...whatever.

Check it out. (And then forgive me, for running out of camera memory just as the conclusion is reached...but you get the idea, yes?!?!?)

Thanks for sharing, both of you.

And now- this one's for Sherry- I will say how I feel: The goodness of people, and the connections made in the spaces between them, continues to amaze and truly move me. There is a lot of good out there. Sherry and Jim, thanks for sharing yours with me.

Bill

2009-03-07T13:21:00.001-08:00

Friday night, I had the pleasure of meeting Brooklyn native, transplanted to Seattle and revisiting Brooklyn on business, Bill.

The lowdown on Bill:

Favorite Food: Italian, specifically lasagna

Favorite Movie: "That's a hard one...always changing..." But eventually, he decided Gladiator was a good pick

Bill said the thing he missed most about New York was the way people interact with one another, the communication style. "The bluntness and directness of it...." he explained. Having also spent my share of time on both coasts, I understood what he meant.

The great, if somewhat ironic thing was that, though I met Bill shortly after getting on the train in Manhattan, we rode together all the way to a stop quite a ways into Brooklyn, where we got off together, and ran into my roommate, also getting off the train, and together, headed up the stairs back to the world above ground- and it's a small world after all.

Even greater was that Bill and I had a wonderful discussion about one of my favorite subjects- medicine and healing, and also managed to make friends with the guy and girl sitting across from us on the train. The only downside: I was so engaged in our conversation, I completely forgot to ask Bill what the one thing he wanted to say to the world was. I'm sorry!

Bill: if you end up visiting the site, leave me/us a comment, and let us know...

Meanwhile: be well, do good...

Ryan

2009-03-01T17:29:00.000-08:00

So I think I said before it had been too long. In fact, I know I did (see last post- "Mickey"). And it had. Then, and tonight.

Tonight I met Ryan.

(Actually, I first met Maximo, Puerto-Rican American singer and guitar player...but he got off the train before we had a chance to take a photo...alas.)

But then I met Ryan. Ryan grew up in Indiana and now works as an architect in New York. This made me laugh, as this makes him the second architect I have met on the subway in Brooklyn, and the first one has subsequently become a friend I count among my most valued. You just never know who you might meet onthetwo, or otherwise.

Ryan's favorite food is "anything spicy," although he went on to further specify that he really prefers Indian food. Yum. As someone who definitely relates, I told him about one of my favorite places to eat in the city. Mmmmmm. His favorite movie is Motorcycle Diaries, and his favorite thing about New York is that "There's nothing you can't find here."And the one thing Ryan wants to tell the world: "Explore."

I concur.

Now, in a brief personal remark- I'll keep it short, I promise, as this is NOT a blog about me-however, I tend to think this particular sentiment of mine might not be completely unique. I have felt lonely- really, really lonely- in this city lately. I continue to be amazed at just how lonely a city with this many people can feel. And tonight, I remembered something I knew, but had forgotten, yet again. Something so simple, and yet somehow so hard to hang on to: the simple truth that just by being human, by opening your heart a little bit, and then maybe your mouth, to say hello, life is made better.

You might still be lonely, but in a city with this many people, you never have to be lonely alone.

I also want to offer a special shout out to the girl who watched me talk to Maximo and Ryan, and asked for an onthetwo card as she got off the train. I didn't catch her name, but she asked for a card so she could check out the site, and it completely made my night. If there is one thing better than connecting with people, it's connecting with people through connecting with people. ; )

Mickey

2009-01-08T19:43:00.000-08:00

It's been too long, and that's all I have to say about that. : )

Without further ado, meet Mickey Kramer. I met Mickey on the platform at Penn Station, waiting for the F train after a long day. He made me smile, and I hope he makes you smile, too.

(Please accept my apologies: I apparently video with approximately the skill of a drunken ape and I can't figure out how to rotate the windows on Blogger! Aye, technology...)

Catherine

2008-06-16T06:23:00.000-07:00

Saturday I met Catherine. She and four friends were laughing and generally having a good time on the train and their energy sort of struck me. I usually gravitate a little more towards people who are sort of quiet, by themselves, but "open-looking"- people who seem like kindred spirits who are in the right frame of mind to appreciate the whole onthetwo endeavor.

And then sometimes I just kind of see people I think I'd like, and I go for it. Catherine and her friends had great energy, and after a long, long Saturday, I wanted in on it : )

Lucky for me, they were happy to oblige.

About Catherine:

Favorite Food: plantains with fried cheese and eggs

Favorite Movie: Saw IV

This sparked a movie discussion. Catherine and friends were on their way to the theater, debating between The Strangers and The Happening. One friend was pushing for Made of Honor, and I, avidly anti-scary movie, was totally with her, but I sort of got the feeling it wasn't going to happen.

Catherine promised me she'd check in at onthetwo to see her post and let me know what they ended up seeing. I know it's sort of a silly thing, but there's something about having made a connection, however small, that endures, even if only for a few days, via comments on a blog. Something magical in the idea that hey, I met a real person, who is out in the world existing! Going to movies! I don't know. I'm not sure that quite captures the spirit of what I'm trying to say...I'll work on it later, see if I can rearrange some words or thoughts or come up with some other ones to make what I'm thinking more clear. Writing is fun, and important. But not always easy. Anyway, Catherine, if you get here, I hope you guys ended up having a good time and seeing something good. Give me a shout, say hi, and let me know. : )

Moving on.

Catherine's Favorite thing about New York: "the guys, and how it's so busy and not quiet...and it's up-to-date."

One thing she'd like to tell the world: "I'm too cool for this world."

What I think: She was pretty cool. : )

Victor

2008-06-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

NEWS:

I moved. I don't ride the two anymore. So onthetwo is officially a misnomer. Forgive me. I ride the R most of the time now. But...I already have this domain name, and "onther" just doesn't seem as right to me as onthetwo anyway...so alas, onward and upward we go, misnomer and all.

Let's take it as a symbol of the idea that you can carry forth the spirit of onthetwo anywhere.

Above, see Victor. My new train is one of the older lines in the city, which means the seats are configured in little pairs or triplets at 90 degree angles to one another rather than all the way down two sides of the train car. It's sort of hard to explain, but I kind of like it.

So I sat down next to Victor Sunday afternoon and said hello. Victor's from Romania, but has lived in New York for 42 years. "For a lot longer than you've been alive," he told me. He had a hard time deciding on his favorite food and movie, in both cases because he appreciates so many. After some pondering, he settled upon Italian (for the food) and The Children of Huang Shi, although rather than call it his "favorite" movie, he said it was one of the good ones he's seen recently.

Victor said his favorite part about New York was without a doubt the "cultural life," and talking to him even for just a few minutes, it was evident to me that he really meant it. There was something about what he said and the way he said it that made it clear he really and truly did love not just the food, the movies, but the vibrancy, that is this city. I admire him for remembering to appreciate it.

What Victor wanted to share with the world: "Study, and work hard."

Here was my favorite part of my conversation with Victor:

I have these little cards I hand out when I explain to someone what onthetwo is:

I gave Victor one of my cards, and as I was getting my stuff together to get off the train, he asked me very matter of factly what talking about food and movies had to do with "connecting."

Now, I've been in a little bit of an introspective funk lately, and I keep finding myself stuck on this very simple question: "What matters?" Anyway, this blog isn't really about all of that but I tell you this only so that you might understand why and how Victor's inquiry sort of "got me."

I was a little thrown off.

"Well," I told him. "You know how people usually look on the subway?" Here I paused to do my best weary, lonely, self-protective bubble enclosed impression. "Well. It's...too bad. I think we have to be human! I just want to invite people to say hello, you know?"

I was a little nervous as I wondered if he was getting it.

And then he looked at me and said, "Yes, I do know. I know, and I think it's wonderful."

And just right then, everything was wonderful.

Stevie

2008-05-18T19:34:00.000-07:00

Saturday I met Stevie. She’s from Baltimore, and here in New York studying acting. Stevie’s favorite food is fried green tomatoes, her favorite TV show is House and her favorite movie is Lost in Yonkers. She promises that someday she’ll play the role of Velma Kelly in Chicago.

As you may be able to tell from the pictures (we did a mini photo shoot on the two!), Stevie is fantastically charismatic. I liked this girl. Meeting her, and hearing her talk about her dream and how she’s going to make it happen was completely inspiring. Sitting there on the train, Stevie radiated that kind of glow, the energy of somebody who’s alive and excited and engaged. It was refreshing.

When Stevie told me what she wanted to say to the world, I found myself thinking about something my dad used to say, “It’s not what you say, but how you say it.” Stevie thought for a few moments about what she'd like to say, and when she said it, it was with this certain charming amalgamation of shyness and tenacity.

“Watch out world. I’m coming.”

It wasn’t just her words, but the way she said them, that made me believe in her 110%.

Oh boy(s). Tristan, Claudio, Andrea, Pigu + Vadin and Brad

2008-05-04T16:09:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I met…a gaggle of charming young men. : )

[As a side note: I am happy to announce that I recently became engaged. : ) Maybe I’ll take a picture of a pretty ring while I’m riding the subway and post it… Anyway, the point is: I was nevertheless quite charmed by all of the pictured men. Good company all of them. Great company, in fact.]

So here’s the story:

I was in a rush to get somewhere, and I sort of thought onthetwo was going to have to wait. It’s funny how that happens. When you’re in a rush and stressed out, it seems like there isn’t time…for talking to people, for making eye contact, for breathing, for doing much of anything besides looking at your watch, like saying hello and connecting with people will somehow slow you down, and anxiously monitoring the numbers on your watch will somehow make them change more slowly. Or maybe it’s just me. (In which case, I suddenly feel foolish. Well, I guess I already felt foolish. But now foolish, and alone. Wonderful.)

I’m rambling. Back to the story:

So I get on the train. I’m standing at one end, and down at the other end, I see the adorable Andrea taking pictures with his phone. I laugh to myself, as my first thought is, “Must be tourists. Who takes pictures on the train?!?” I know, I know. How do you like irony?

Before I could think too much about it, I sidled my way down to the other end of the train and heard myself explaining onthetwo, handing out cards and telling Andrea I had to feature him, as he was the only other person I’d ever seen taking pictures on the train. As I rambled on, the guy sitting to the right of Andrea looked over with the sweetest, most wonderfully interested eyes I’ve seen in some time. Of course, I had to get him in on the game as well. So, the next thing I knew, I had not one, but four, dashing gentlemen telling me about themselves. And now I’ll share…

From left to right:

Tristan. Tristan just moved to Manhattan from North Carolina. His favorite movie is The Devil Wears Prada and his favorite food is salmon. What Tristan wants to tell you is: “I want some new friends!” He’s new in Manhattan, and doesn’t know anybody yet…check out his myspace page: myspace.com/tristanroderick Seriously. I may have only spent five or ten minutes with him, but it was enough time to know he is great. Look him up. Go get some salmon with him!

Claudio. Claudio (and Andrea and Pigu) was visiting from Italy. I didn’t catch his favorite movie, probably because we got a little caught up discussing his favorite food. For the record, it is steak a la fiorentina. Funny thing. Or me being uncultured, which I prefer to think of as amusing. I couldn’t get the “fiorentina” part. Poor Claudio kept saying it, and I kept saying, “Furrrrwhat? Foreennee? F, O?” Finally, Kris (with a K), the poor girl sitting on the other side of Tristan trying to quietly read her book, chimed in. “Fiorentina. F-i-o-r-e-n-t-i-n-a.” Thank you Kris. (Hey now. I’m a vegetarian, I don’t know about fiorentina. Or something. )

Anyway, moving on. The thing Claudio wanted to say to you: “Find me an apartment in New York!” Apparently he has had a good trip.

Andrea. Andrea’s favorite movie is Minority Report, and his favorite food is lasagna. He is the adorable man who was taking the pictures. If I wasn’t engaged… Well. Andrea’s message for the world is short and sweet: “Peace.”

And Pigu. Pigu’s favorite movie is The Direct Line and his favorite food is sushi. I asked him what his favorite part of New York was, and he told me it was girls like me. Whoooooooo. I try. : ) What he wants to tell you: “Pigu is pigu.” He laughed a devilish little laugh and said that "pigu means something." According to google, it’s a dessert in Italian, and something else in Mandarin…so. Take what you will.

In trying to get back far enough to get all four of my new friends in the picture, I sort of bumped into Vadin and Brad with my shoulder bag. I apologized, and a stop later, after the fabulous four had got off the train, I gave the two of them cards and we started talking onthetwo. They’re both from Florida, and we talked a while about regional differences in this country, and about the importance, or not, of where you’re from and where you end up. Good thoughts. I didn’t really ask the onthetwo questions…sorry. Sometimes lifey talk gets in the way of prescribed interview talk, you know? Time and a place. I almost didn’t take a picture either, as I thought four new onthetwo friends might be enough for one train ride. But then I thought better of it. See below, Vadin on the left, Brad on the right.

I learned something Saturday.

I guess I already knew, but sometimes- okay, often times- I need a reminder. Being kind and enjoying the company of those with whom we share out world does not in fact slow you down. Time just keeps on ticking, same as always, no matter what. When life is slow or when it is fast, when things look sunny or when they look gray, when we feel like things are happening the way we want or not, I think JT says it best: The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time…It’s just a lovely ride.

Evan and Starks

2008-04-12T19:49:00.000-07:00

Check out Starks (on the left) and Evan. Pretty awesome.

I met them on my way home last Saturday, and was so impressed I stayed on the subway three stops past my own to record them. And then, not because of them, but because I'm me, when I got on the train to come back, I wasn't paying attention and got on an Express instead of a Local, so I ended up too far downtown, and had to turn around again. It was all worth it. : )

Anyway: in addition to the fact that they're both endowed with some special vocal cords, here's a little about Evan and Starks ("like John Starks, the basketball player").

Evan's favorite movie is Never Ending Story. His favorite food is pizza, particularly pepperoni. He's Bronx born and raised, and one thing he'd like to tell the world is "Life is love."

Starks's favorite movie is Above the Rim, in keeping with the basketball theme. He's a native New Yorker too, but instead of the Bronx, he's Harlem proud. His words for you: "Follow your heart."

I second that. And I want to add, if you do as much, and you sound like these guys, good things are bound to happen. Evan's working on an album he's going to call "Evan Unleashed," and Starks is dreaming up a company called Starks Entertainment. Keep your eyes open. : )

Connie

2008-04-07T11:41:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I met Connie. I overheard her and two friends discussing the play they'd just seen, (If you're interested: Our Dad is in Atlantis) and it sounded so interesting I had to jump in and ask about it. Connie had a program with her which she generously passed on to me. Her friends got off the train shortly after, and before I knew it, I heard myself saying, "I keep this blog..." and onthetwo time began. : )

About Connie:

Favorite Food: Portabello Mushrooms (At least, that's what she's into for now.) (Can I do two sets of parantheses in a row?) (Or three?) (Anyway. Yum. I love portabello mushrooms.)

Favorite Movie: White Christmas

Originally from Oregon, though she's lived in the city for many years.

And the things she'd like to tell the world: "Help each other. Don't beat each other up, just be nice to each other."

Very "onthetwo"-ish.

Thanks Connie : )

Stef

2008-03-31T13:05:00.001-07:00

Sunday I met Stef. (with an f, not a ph. : ) )

First things first- I asked about favorite foods before anything else. Stef highly recommends crème brulee, and more specifically, the crème brulee at Anthony Bourdain’s restaurant Les Halles. Mmmmm…

Originally from New Hampshire, Stef now makes her way in the city as an actress. Her favorite movie is Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and her favorite thing about New York is “jazz musicians on the subway.”

When I asked Stef for something she’d like to tell the world, she had to think about it a while. “I feel like it should be profound…” she mused. I laughed, because I told her she was like me. I think hard. “Anything. Anything at all…” I assured her. I told her to take a minute to think while I took her picture, and afterward, she was ready with some sage wisdom. Ready?

Here is what Stef would like you to know: “Your mother-in-law is not as fearsome as you think she is.”

Wonder if there’s more of a story there…

Jon, the "Sign Man"

2008-03-24T14:28:00.001-07:00

By Sunday night, I was satisfied with my "onthetwo-ing" for the weekend. I had two pictures and a video...

But Jon was somebody I was meant to meet. I was on my way home with a bouquet of hydrangeas and eucalyptus. The train was loud and crowded, rambunctious to say the least, and especially for a Sunday night. The seat next to Jon was the only one open. When I sat down, Jon took a deep breath and smiled at me. "Eucalyptus!" he exclaimed. I had to laugh because it's hard to imagine there are many people in the world who could be as pleased as I was with my eucalyptus, and here I was, sitting next to one of them. He told me his mom had been a florist, and we agreed that the eucalyptus smelled heavenly. I gave him a stem, and then I started telling him about onthetwo. May I just say, meeting Jon made my night. Made my weekend, in fact- and it had already been pretty good.

About him: Jon's originally from New Jersey. He explained to me that he's known as "the sign man," because he makes his living drawing the signs for street vendors in the city. He told me he likes enterprising, and he's into self-sufficiency. He's also working on a clothing line called "Me and my Krazy World."

Jon's favorite food is mango (definitely in my top five as well!), and his favorite thing about New York is that it's such a melting pot. When I asked him what his favorite movie was, he told me he hadn't made it yet. : )

And the thing he wanted to share with the world: "Peace."

Sounds good to me too Jon.

P.S. Thanks go to my guest photographer. (the girl across from Jon and I on the train!) Didn't catch your name, but nice work!

Marlon and Izz

2008-03-24T14:12:00.000-07:00

Later on Sunday afternoon, acutally on the six, not the two- sorry, I hope that's not cheating! - I met Marlon and Izz. I really do try to stay true to my two train as the sole source of onthetwo material, but I thought Marlon was worth making an exception for. Later, I reviewed the video and was again struck by the way so many people on the train are conditioned to absolutely check out, and as I watched these guys, I thought it was too bad so many people were missing out just because they weren't looking. I've been there, done that. It's a habit. But it's more fun to look and see, connect with your eyes and your heart- I promise. I think this applies to a lot of life. Don't forget to look!

Anyway: Check out Marlon's moves below. He's 12, and when I asked him what he wanted to tell the world, he told me to let everybody know he's "gonna be famous." Go Marlon.

Dawn and Natalie

2008-03-24T14:06:00.000-07:00

Hey, hey. I'm back. Hope I wasn't missed too much...but maybe a little. : ) Took a trip out to the west coast the weekend before last- beautiful beachy coast and mountains and all that, but no two train. I missed my subway! Last weekend I was back here in the city and ready for action, or friend-making- or what have you. Anyway. I met the lovely Eleanor on my way home from class Saturday. We watched a rather feisty little girl on the train and got to talking about strong women, a subject she’s well qualified to discuss as the fourth in a family of five girls. I told her I think it's important for women to be strong. Afterwards, I was thinking about it and I decided, hell, it's important for everybody to be strong. Be strong. : ) Sunday I met a couple of other strong girls, on their way home from a walk promoting World Water Day. They were pumped up, tons of good energy. We didn't have time for a picture, but I gave them the site address- if you girls make it here, say hello! The weekend was underway, some good friends had been made...but no pictures taken! Alas. I was worried over my failure to meet the patient desires of my loyal legions of fans! (Ok, melodrama.) So...then I took some pictures!

Meet Dawn and Natalie. Dawn and Natalie are the first ever onthetwo “mystery guests.” I met Dawn and Natalie right before their stop. We were rushed enough that we didn't really have time to talk, except for me to explain what the site was about and take the picture. Natalie liked the idea though, and said that they could write me a little about themselves later, so I gave them a card and took the picture. Thus, we have an onthetwo experiment: Natalie, Dawn...if you're out there, say hello, tell us your favorite food, favorite movie, where you're from...and what you want to say to the world! Our ears are open. And by the way, lovely smiles.

2008-03-12T07:24:00.000-07:00

a musical interlude...

Raphael and Felix

2008-03-11T17:50:00.000-07:00

The lovely gentlemen in the picture above are Raphael (on the left) and Felix (on the right). I met Raphael first and found out his favorite movie (Clockwork Orange) and favorite food (pizza, specifically mushroom and onion). He's from Paris, and is halfway through spending a year in New York working in finance and taxes. We talked some about people looking "vacant" on the subway, and he told me he thought the phenomenon was even more present in Paris. Maybe someday I'll have to check it out, maybe do an onthedeux segment. You never know. Raphael's advice to the world is to travel. "See new cultures, new languages, new people."

While I was photographing Raphael, I was charmed by Felix. He had a big shopping bag from the M&M store at his feet and a plastic bagful of the most colorful assortment of the candies I've ever seen in my life in his hands. He was snacking a little, and there was something about his face...he looks very, very happy, the deep inside, real kind of happy. Felix is a journalist from Moscow visiting the city. Although we didn't have time to talk very much, Felix did show me all of his M&M purchases and I admired each in turn.

So here's my favorite thing about the picture of Raphael and Felix. Not only did I not know either of them before I got on the train Saturday, but they didn't know each other either. They look like old friends in the picture, don't they?

Cool. : )

Joan, Xantel, Esteve and Jordi

2008-03-01T20:10:00.000-08:00

Finally a beautiful, sunny weekend in Manhattan! So glad that winter is almost over…I can’t take much more. Besides, I’m glad that my new friends Joan, Xantel, Jordi and Esteve (from left to right), visiting from Barcelona, got to see a sunny day in this city. When I met them on the train, they were heading out to find somewhere to go dancing after spending the day in Little Italy and Chinatown. Talking about Little Italy and Chinatown of course got me going on food, and it so happens that Jordi is a cook by profession. (Actually he told me he was a “cook-er,” upon which Xantel corrected him and explained that a "cook-er" was something you cooked in, and a “cook” was the person who prepared the food. This was an interesting comment on English idiosyncrasy to me…why isn’t it “cook-er?”) Joan, Xantel and Esteve are all engineering students, and while I was impressed to learn this, I was caught up in the food thing. (I was hungry!) So we talked about favorite foods-

Jordi’s: rice cooked in milk, and also baked apples
Xantel’s: Mediterranean food- “very healthy, lots of vegetables”
Esteve’s: French fries and hamburgers
Joan’s: hot dogs

I think I would most like to eat with Xantel. : ) Although Jordi’s baked apples sound pretty good, too. Maybe dinner with Xantel, dessert with Jordi?

The one thing they’d like to tell the world, specifically Americans: “Spain is not Mexico!” Apparently, people had been confused about where they were from when they heard Joan speaking Spanish.

Anyway, I loved, loved, loved meeting my friends from Barcelona, and I almost wished the subway ride could have been longer. Alas, we had places to go, and lives to lead. However, when we parted ways, I did get very European kisses on the cheek from Jordi. Preciósa!

Thought For the Day

2008-02-29T07:58:00.000-08:00

TGIF.

No, just kidding. Well, not really, but that's not the thought for the day. : )

My datebook has quotes on some pages, and there was one that I really liked this week.

Without further ado:

"We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee." (Marion Wright Edelman)

This is something I think is really important to remember. I confess- when I hear about some of the remarkable things people are doing in the world, I am first impressed, and second, intimidated. People are doing BIG things. And I sometimes feel like, as much as I want to make my world better, I'm not sure where to start with these big things. Do I have to quit my life as I know it and move far away and remake myself into a sage or a hero?

And then I catch myself and I laugh, because I'm running amuck in my imagination again.

I don't live in my imagination, though. I live here, in reality. And here, big things are nothing more than the sum of little things.

So I guess I should smile at someone. Offer up my seat. The next time I ask somebody how they are, I'm going to stop, look them in the eyes, and listen to their answer. I'm going to make the world better in a little way as often as I can, and maybe all the little things will grow into something big. : )

Candace

2008-02-26T13:12:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday I met Candace, a “real” New Yorker, born and raised in the Bronx. I had to laugh at the way she defied the stereotype- Candace was friendly and bubbly, a real effervescent personality. Goes to show me…

About Candace:

Favorite Movie: The Sweetest Thing. Although I haven’t seen it, we bonded over our mutual admiration of Cameron Diaz and our shame at knowing Christina Applegate primarily as the old Kelly Bundy. Alas, first impressions die hard!

Favorite Food: Pizza. Real New York style.

Favorite Thing about NYC: Summertime. I have to agree- this is a city that knows how to live up the sunny season.

One Thing She’d Like to Tell People: “There are places outside of New York. Most native New Yorkers don’t realize that.”

Candace really liked the idea of onthetwo, and she said she’d check it out. She even got her Blackberry out to note the web address- I was impressed. I told her to promise to leave a comment when she got here, so that I’d know she really saw it. Because…I’m not sure why. Just because! That would be cool.

Candace, are you there?!? If you ever make it here, it was lovely meeting you and I hope life is treating you well today. : )

P.S. I forgot her friends! In the picture...Candace "and friends." They told me to put that.

President's Day Bonus

2008-02-19T09:38:00.001-08:00

And as a bonus, since it was a long weekend, pictures of great muscians aboard the train last night. I love me some good live music. : )

I gave them each a dollar with 'onthetwo.blogspot.com' written across in pen. I'm excited to think that these dollars are now somewhere else. I wonder where?

I don't know these guys' names (I wanted to let them play!), but I did tell them about the blog on the way out, and they thought it was cool. The guy on the right said we could find them at subwayrecords.com.

Bruce and Richard

2008-02-19T09:22:00.000-08:00

Ahh. I’m returning to the computer after a lovely long weekend in celebration of President’s Day. And, lucky for you (oh wait, and for me!), it was a lovely long weekend filled with lovely subway mates. Lovely all around.

Saturday night I met Ari. Ari wasn’t into having his picture taken, but we talked about movies for a bit- he had a hard time picking a favorite, but said that in college, due to poor television reception and a very limited VHS library, he watched Forrest Gump nearly a hundred times. Ari got off a stop or so after Penn, and as is often the case, so did pretty much everyone else. By 86th, I was the only one sitting on the middle bench opposite Bruce and Richard (AKA Elder Gale and Elder Curlon).

They asked me if I had seen missionaries before, and I assured them that I had. I said I admired their devotion, but I also explained that as someone sort of inexorably (can you really be “sort of inexorably committed" to something?) committed to truth, I have a hard time making an honest commitment to any institution of faith that requires me to declare my speculations either true or false without sufficient evidence. Not to be wordy or anything.

Then Bruce said something I really liked. He asked me if I would do just this one thing- promise to pray to God about what I was supposed to do in this world. I promised him that in my way, even though it's a little different than the praying to God most churches teach, I would always do my best to keep my mind and my heart open to whatever compassionate forces might be out there. And I will. : )

Something else cool we happened to realize? Richard and Bruce lived with other missionaries, who had spent time on my street, and talked to my atheist, but ever interested in ideas and discussions, boyfriend. They knew him by name. They said they had heard he was cool. I agreed that this was an accurate assessment. It's a small world after all.

We were starting to run out of time by then, so I took a picture quickly and then explained how I usually ask favorite movies, foods, and where people are from, as well as one thing to share with the world.

Both Richard and Bruce named the gospel as the thing they’d wish to share- though, using my editing privileges, I’d like to also ask you to consider Bruce’s advice to me- and Bruce grabbed a card out of his pocket and started writing. My stop came up fast, and on my way out Bruce handed me the card with the answers he’d come up with so far. There’s something about this card I like a lot. It is a Church of Jesus Christ Latter-Day Saints card, with a picture of Jesus on one side, and on the other, a picture of a DVD, a 1-800 number, a website and three blank lines. Here is what is written on those three blank lines:

Richard Curlon L.A. CA
Bruce Gale Provo, UT- lo mein
Gospel

I like lo mein too.

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T07:15:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day New York City...and New York State...and America...and Earth...and Milky Way Galaxy...everybody, everyspirit : )

Come on you people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another right now.

Jodie

2008-02-11T08:28:00.001-08:00

Saturday, after having narrowly averted a bad run-in with a puddle of drool (see below), I met Jodie. She and a good looking guy (maybe her boyfriend? I didn’t ask.) were on their way home from dinner, and seemed to have had a pretty good time.

About Jodie: Jodie’s from Denver, CO (I’m totally jealous.) and has lived in New York for two and a half years. Her favorite movie is Legends of the Fall and she loves Mexican food. Her favorite thing about New York is the diversity. (Makes her a good candidate for appreciating this little project of mine!) When I asked her what she wanted to share with the world, she wanted to think about it for a second so I took her picture first. She’s got a great smile- check it out- and after showing it off, she told me she knew what she wanted to say. “What I would say is,” she started, “to try to make the world a more humane place to live.” At this, the cute guy laughed a little and teased her, “Aww, how sweet…” Dude…it was sweet. : )

2008-02-11T08:20:00.000-08:00

Saturday’s commute was…exciting. The train was pretty crowded, and as I got ready to get comfortable (can one really get comfortable on the subway?) in one of a couple of available seats, this girl across the aisle called out, “Uhh, don’t sit there!” She proceeded to point out a disgusting puddle of spit that I had nearly sat in, and another in an open seat next to her. She told me, and everyone else in earshot, that some guy had just walked down the aisle and spit on those seats…ewww. The heartening thing about this is that she took it upon herself to warn us, and that in so doing, she created a little bond among those of us there. “Nasty!,” we all commiserated. “Who does that?!?!”

Standing there, giving my thanks to Daisha (I asked the girl who had warned me her name so that I could include her here! Daisha rocks- thank you girl!), I noticed something. It’s amazing to me how quickly we can create a little band of “us” when we feel united against something. What if “us” included everybody in the world, and what if what we were united against was unhappiness?

Dexta and Daniel (01-26-08)

2008-02-06T12:19:00.001-08:00

Last Saturday I met Dexta and his son Daniel. They were on their way home from ice-skating at Rockefeller Center. Dexta was carrying a pretty awesome portrait of Daniel, and though I didn’t ask, I’m assuming sitting for the portrait was probably part of the afternoon’s events as well.

About Dexta: He’s from Jamaica, and has lived in New York for eleven years. His favorite food is akee and codfish (a Jamaican dish) and his favorite movie is Lawrence of Arabia. His favorite part of New York is the landscape and the historical buildings. The architectural background of the city fascinates him. The advice he’d like to share with the world: “Express yourself. Use your freedom of speech.” And the thing he wants you to know about himself: “Love is my religion.”

About Daniel: Daniel was born in Canada, but is Jamaican by blood (Dexta wanted to be sure I got that in there!) He told me he’s been in New York “quite a long time.” Dexta told me that "quite a long time" was three years. Daniel’s favorite food is tin beef and rice, and he told me his favorite movie was First Sunday. Dexta noted that this was actually the last movie Daniel had seen. Daniel’s favorite thing about New York is ice-skating at Rockefeller- coincidentally (?), this was also the last thing he’d done. When I asked Daniel what he’d like to share with the world, he wasn’t sure, so I asked him what makes him happy instead. “What makes me happy,” he told me, a little smile starting to light up his intense eyes, “is if somebody’s doin’ bad stuff, and then I can help them do good stuff.”

That, my friends, is good stuff.

here we go.

2008-02-05T13:40:00.000-08:00

When I first moved to New York, I found the subways incredibly depressing. I am a people person, maybe a little empathic, maybe just over-involved in life and over-interested in whatever it is that flows in the space between people…I don’t know. All I know is that seeing so many people look so vacant and disengaged was hard. For a while, I tried turning on my IPod wherever I went, or burying myself in a book or magazine, but it felt wrong, lonely, tiresome to have to constantly maintain my own isolated little bubble. So one day I quit. I started smiling at people, making an effort to compliment, or at the very least, acknowledge people. And it felt good. Turns out all those vacant looking shells are full of real souls if you know how to find them. It feels good to connect with people, and I want to share that feeling. With you. With the people I commute home alongside tonight. With everybody.

So here’s what I’m going to do. Every week, I’m going to make a new friend on the two train. I’m going to talk to somebody, find out something cool, and tell him or her about this site and what I’m trying to do. Maybe that somebody will want to tell you something. I’m going to encourage him or her to do so, to share, to engage other people, to be human. And then, because, we all like pictures, I’m going to take a picture, and post it here.

Check it out. Meet my friends. Leave a note in the comments here and say hello. Make my friends your friends. And then, whoever you are, wherever you are, go out and share the love. : )