The Gates

I live in the city that never sleeps, fueled by coffee, continuous wailing of sirens and walking dangerously close to yellow cabs. Whereas most people like the look of New York, I find it relatively ugly. And the Gates in Central Park are great.

Make no mistake, I am not an architect or designer. I lived in Tokyo for 4 years and the drab, grey, plain, conformist architecture there is nothing to write home about. Coming to New York, with its character and grit was a pleasureable change (I miss the modern plumbing from Tokyo though). I liked the scaly ceilings in the subway, the dusty eaves on old buildings, the high rises art decoing the skyline. Over time, you stop looking up. Only tourists in New York look up. And so all I see now are the potholes, the cracks, the grime and the garbage. I dodge the little lakes that form on the corners when the rain falls or snow melts. I use the shadows of approaching people or taxicabs to wind my way though the city.

Central Park is a breath of fresh air in the grey city. Although in winter, its grey too. So when they put the orange gates up, it brightened up the whole place. Now the grey drab park looks alive (or like a big construction zone according to Mrs Hiltmon). The flapping skirts bring the place to life, the wandering hordes forming rivers of movement beneath the rolling winds, small children perched on daddys shoulders reaching to grab a handful of colour. It gives me something to look at, to photograph, to talk about, to show off to those unfortunate enough not to be here.

And something to argue about with the legions of whiners and ignoramuses. They complain that the city should never have spent the money on The Gates, not knowing that the city did not pay for it. They complain that they do not understand it, and are unaware of how stupid they are acting (it takes 5 minutes to read about it in any newspaper). They complain about the waste of materials, not knowing that all materials are going to be recycled. They complain, they complain, they complain.

Come on people, put the latte down and just look at The Gates. Orange gates line the park like worms, the skirts wave and crash like waves and it makes people happy, it brightens up the grey city.

No one got hurt by the Gates, I for one love them.

The hiltmon has left the website.

On opening a new account

So many people blog. They write about what they want to talk about, when they want to do it. Kind of like speakers corner when the audience is world-wide (or at least a Google search away). I guess I will try it out, see if anyone is interested in what I have to say, or more likely just add my ramblings to the Google cache for future generations to ignore.

My name is...well...its kinda like Hiltmon...but not. I am not a dog or a 12 year old ackneyed nerd, nor am I a geriatric in a drooling room awaiting a sponge bath. I just an ordinary guy leading an ordinary life in extraordinary times. They have to be extraordinary times or I'll have nothing to write about.

So why do people blog? Some do it for fame, some because they are bored, some do it because others do, and most have a reason we cannot fathom. Why am I trying this? Well, I guess I want to leave my mark, my insignificant scratching on the internet wall. Maybe one day I will blog something that someone else will read and it will the world a better place for them, or maybe no-one will ever notice me and I'll remain in the nerdy shadows. Either way, I can indulge in any topics I want, when I want. As soon as I find a topic to indulge in, as soon as I find something to say.

I mean, what should I blog about? Shall I blog about me? What shall I say about me? I could cover what I wear, what I eat, where I work, but....boring! Who cares, its not interesting and it will not make the world a better place. How can wearing Gap and eating at a Diner (and then blogging about it) make this world a better place or change someone's life?

Shall I blog about my friends? That would violate the trust between friends. I keep their secrets and they keep mine (I have none but is sounds better if they feel like they have secrets of mine to keep) I do not want to embarass them or make them more famous than me. Let them blog if they want.

Shall I blog about work? Naaaaah!

Politics? Naaaaah!

Sex? Naaaaah

TV? Tech? Sports? 101 Uses of an empty Kleenex box? No no no no no no no!

I'll come back when I have something to say. Until then...

The hiltmon has left the website.