PRE
In my 20 years of life, I have never stepped foot on the east coast of this country let alone New York. The big concrete jungle both scares and excites me. Before I step foot into the city I have 10 presumptions that NY is….
- A land where water either costs $5 or $15 if its filtered and imported from heaven.
- Where the rats carry around canes and sing Sinatra tunes.
- A place where smiles don’t exist.
- Where I’ll hear Alicia Keys belting “New York,” as I get off the plane while Jay Z raps along.
- The birthplace of culture and tradition.
- A place where I’ll stick out like a sore thumb with my hand-me-down baseball cap and old navy jeans when juxtaposed alongside all that Prada, Gucci and Louis V.
- Where the people are motivated by inspiration.
- Where I’ll get lost and chased throughout the city like Kevin McCallister.
- A place where the foods are from vibrant cultures that will cause the taste buds on my tongue to salivate immensely, firing my brain cells, triggering my body to explode into a jitter.
- The focal point of cultural revolution but also tradition.
Are these the city’s stereotypes or actual reputation? We’ll have to find out.
David Choe
05.01.2017