if you can pay the entrance from leftover peanuts and bring a friend? By all means, go for it
if you think tickets are fckn expensive for a view? Don’t. It’s exactly what you get – a very expensive view, not worth it SHRUG
Is this view worth 40 bucks? You decide.
long version
missed my station going there
extremely confused by the lack of helpful signs telling me where to go, starting with the best exit from the station to which way to go topside
tf if anybody knows where the ESB is
can’t I just look up? bby, dude, luv, there be big-ass houses all around. I see nothing
had a chili-cheese hot dog and regretted it immediately
can’t recommend but at least no longer starving
found the entrance, was admitted 1 hour early
why is nobody wearing a mask?!?!?!?!
it’s French Day (ich spreche noch immer kein Französisch)
wtf is the floor made of? (scratches gently)
feels like an airport, but you can keep your drink
picture point at the entrance, I de-mask and wonder if that goes extra
fun little tour about the building’s history
is it worth 40 bucks? I think not
elevator ceiling show to distract from how fckn fast this thing goes
schade eigentlich, ich liebe Aufzüge die HUIII!!!! machen 😔
a floor for views, people are not looking as they leave (not to self for later)
I spy with my bleary eye: the Statue of Liberty – hm, hab ich mir größer vorgestellt, maybe it’s the distance
nice enough views, bric-a-brac to look at, long queue out
10 mins into the wait a surge forwards
I claim the windows alongside the queue and thread my way back in later
another 10 mins into the wait the announcement that we do not have to wait for the elevator in this queue, we can also take the stairs for the last 6 floors (cue another rush)
coming to the conclusion that NYC can do with some more directive signs, arrows and such
stairs – huff puff, so many fckn stairs
why does floor 85 exist twice? 🤨
short existential crisis of having another 5 floor 85s
nah, we’re up
can’t sit on the shiny broad stairs 😔
bench miraculously becomes free enough for my ass as I approach. Yay
outside it fuckin wimdy
not as packed as feared
nice views, worth 40 bucks? I think not
walk around once, stare into the distance and down
good sir, are you sure you wanna hold the mobile over the edge for taking pics?
Need the number of mobiles dropped each year ASAP
going down the stairs is easier
once again Very Bad Beschriftung strikes
ESB: has gift shop out the back
me: that’s the guy I’m after
time to pic up that pic shot at the entrance – for 26 BUCKS?
another gift shop that hasn’t grasped the concept that I have burned all my money on the ticket already, smh
nervous af because do I know anybody at the event? no
but do I feel we’re friends because twitter? also no
but do I believe they’ll be as happy to see me as I’m scared to meet them? definitely no
my people-ing skills strike before I even leave my hotel *le sigh*
but ready or not, here I come, people will have to endure my presence for the evening
should probably have had dinner before the event
swimming to the station, high-humidity to the max 😔
can’t see much when crossing the river 😔
arrive at destination station in Brooklyn, start walking in the right direction before uncertainly bumbling about in the rain like a drunk bee for 10 mins before getting back on the right track
now this looks like a place where people actually live, I like it
street food guy on the corner but I am to nervous to stop, what if I’m late
Probleme die man als Deutsche nie los wird – Überpünktlichkeit 🤷♀️
find the bookshop, enter – get recognised? welp
recognise Chelsea, Jen & Gabe
talk a little to Chelsea, bought another copy of the book, stand around awkwardly, trying to look as if I belong
failed at small talk 101
the reading was good, wished the fooking birds had shown some respect for my hearing problems and shut tf u *le sigh*
also: CHELSEA HOW DARE? 😭
book starts my fave way with the introductory adventure going right
will it also be the cause of all problems in the book? Too early to tell, will love finding out
got book signed
tried to socialise
probably failed
had pics taken that will hopefully surface somewhere
managed to actually talk to people because OFMD cosplay
awkward goodbyes
prolly spoiled the surprise event the next day somewhat *oop*
this area really doesn’t look as if I need to be walked to the station, it’s a people area, people live here?!?
hungry enough for courage to get chicken burrito from street food guy
I cannot hear the song of the sun anymore all stones are wrapped in iron chains turning and churning but captured.
I cannot hear the song of the sun anymore deserted silver sands freezing with blank indescription nor hot nor cold not dry nor damp not even the chafing of sand.
I cannot hear the song of the sun anymore moonless midnight of hidden storm skies clouded with grey forgetting hunched up lonely under the blankets listening intently hearing absolutely nothing
I cannot hear the song of the sun anymore and with every line that passes the distance grows inseparable, untouching deaf and dumb and blind and numb unable to hear the song much less write a new one.
paying, like, 120 bucks for vibes and the rest for the room
not me freezing my ass of in the subway after simmering in the humidity outside
the face of a person starting to sweat at 18° C without humidity
I don’t understand English anymore suddenly, I don’t know
Chinatown being 95% masked people 😍
no way to open the window but a/c?
I’ll die from nosebleeds, is2g
the metro system being much easier than anticipated
the people are very – people-y, everybody is fashion
all sockets actually D:
50/50 chance of getting the directions right
accidentally buying fizzy cocktail-y drinks instead of iced tea (thank you Chinatown?)
why is soda/water so fckn expensive here?
NYC being humid only for me? 🤨
NYC putting up no helpful signs pointing at the correct exits for sights, like do I look as if I know which exit to take for the Empire State Building? Not to mention which direction to go above ground
Now? NOW? I get my period after 3 months off??? Fckn fck that 🤬
oh, so the window opens after all, too late though because it is fckn humid AGAIN
thought I’d be more impressed with NYC overall 🤷
auch auf Deutsch ist nur “wältigt” kein Wort
water tanks on roofs? Quaint
fooking humidity again from Friday on
still generally underwhelmed
LOVE the subway system, tho. Get me to a station and I am safe
why does 78% here smell either of weed or half-brewed beer? BOTH MEME
Hating the taste of chlorine and having fine taste buds for it won’t make you happy here
wtf did I think post boxes are red?!?
a big city I don’t wanna live in 🤷
not getting the free rides I was promised after the first 12 or even the first 14 *le sigh*
will never be over the tax thing, like, come on, it’s not that hard to price with tax included
And so we lie to ourselves on the phone pretend let’s make it better than it is pretend. it appears you’re fine (I’m fine) and if you are (fine) so am I.
Let’s play pretend.
And so we lie to each other on the phone. I’m fine I’m fine alright yeah, fine. But the lies we spread over the bloody mess of ourselves doesn’t help a bit too gauze thin holding nothing hiding nothing.
We know each other to well. We know it’s just pretend.
I think we have all come across it. I think we have all written it. There’s exercises in writing only dialogue to make it stronger. There’s also plays but those are a different bunny entirely. I am not talking about plays here.
I must admit that I didn’t always notice free floating dialogue (FFD). My background is in fanfic where you can write as you please and it pleases a surprising (?) number of people to have FFD. I never thought to take note because as long as I am not losing sight of who says what, I’m good.
In a recent workshop, I commented on the phenomenon.
Why?
Because I have now been trained to notice and avoid it. (It doesn’t always work, ok?) And while I typed out my comment that the dialogue was rather free floating I started wondering why commented on that? Why did I take the time to comment? Because I don’t care. I only noticed because I trained to notice.
In the workshop the subject came up with my dialogue as well. (What did I say above? 😭?) The explanation was also a good one. It is like a camera in a stationary close up. Nothing moves, nothing happens! Just talking faces!!!
Have you seen the music video for Proof by I am Kloot? Because it is just that (with the extremely ogleable face of Christopher Eccleston, too!). You get to see his face for three minutes straight. Nothing happens. Well, almost. In the end, he smiles. And boy, does that have an impact.
FFD is similar for me. The scope is a little bigger – face and shoulders (for the Shrugging™). And that is all I need really. People have expressions. And there is nothing to distract from this intense and intimate observation of two (or more) people lost in conversation. The smallest gestures carry weight and meaning. (Think of the hand-brushing in period dramas).
To you this may be heads floating in space. To me this is the experience of pure conversation, undistracted and served on the silver platter of (hyper)focus.
I don’t want to be grounded in the bloody world. I want to be grounded in the dialogue!
I do not want to hear about sunshine reflecting somewhere or the sound of feet going by or the scent of lost love wafting on a gentle breeze. Those are all intruders on a perfect conversation. Take those distractions away and let me focus on what is important here.
But Mel, what if I need the surrounds for the dialogue to work for me? That, my friend, sounds like a you-problem. And one you don’t have to worry about because we’re currently all being trained to write like that.
