0 R.I.P ANTHONY BOURDAIN

Anthony Bourdain dead at 61. His death is confirmed as suicide.

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Sadly, he hanged himself. He was found in the bathroom of the hotel where he stayed.

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Blessings and prayers to his loved ones

4 OBSERVATIONS ON COMMUTES

Observation One:

She seats beside a stranger. He stands besides her hitting her left  shoulder periodically with his thigh. She looks up at him saying, "have a seat," turning her head slightly back to indicate the seat directly behind her. "Can't, a leg's in the way," he replies. She looks back to see. The young man in the seat behind her makes no effort to shift to accommodate another. He kept up a steady rhythm of tap tap tap tap his fingers flying over the keyboard he neither looks up or acknowledges. He sits scatter corner across two seats, his left leg propped casually. His pose saying, 'I do not really care, I don't want anybody to sit next to me.

Observation Two: 

She stands by the bus stop, positioning herself in front. The bus arrives. She pushes forth without regarding the passengers on board. Pleading from others to wait for the passengers exit falls on deaf ears as she holds her position leaning to the side as if the act of leaning is creating space. The bus driver sat observing. The passengers squeezing past her arguing at her obtuseness. She pushes her way through and sits with a loud sigh.

Observation Three: 

Stooped and clothed in winter hooded jacket pulled tight around his face he boards the first subway elevator going down, destination Eastbound. He gets off heading in front toward the next elevator, destination subway platform. He presses the button as the elevator sounds indicating that someone is coming up. The door opens and he pushes his way in before the 2 women inside could come out. "Can I leave?" says the younger woman. "Yeh yeh," he says without moving. The young woman navigating her way through looks at him. The other women more assertive says, "Wait! Wait! Wait till we get out, this is not slavery days buddy." He stops, moves himself slightly over creating more room for her to exit. Laughing at the situation, she and I made contact. She looks at me then she looks at him as if to ask, 'can you believe that?' Smiling and shaking my head I step in behind him.

6 SHARING THE SUNSET FROM MY SIDE IF HE WORLD

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

Behold the beauty before thee.

9 GROSSED OUT ✤ NAVIGATING DISFOMFORT TO ENJOYING THE MOMENTS

I was committed for the day, 8 - 5:30. One of the first to arrive and not knowing what to expect I chose a table up front.

8:00 am ✤ Breakfast served:

I helped myself to breakfast - Salmon, eggs, pineapples & bagels and retook my seat. 3 other women joined my table. We introduced ourselves and they excused their selves to get breakfast.

During our breakfast the woman closest to me started up a conversation. She ask me a question. I turned to look at her, an act I regretted. Food liquid oozed from the sides of her mouth. She smiled and food clong to her teeth. She spoke and food flew out her mouth. I thought to myself 'eewww'. I kept my facial expression neutral so I don't give away my disgust. 

1:00 pm ✤ Lunch served:

Quinoa salad with cranberry, pasta salad, roast beef , coleslaw+. I quickly learned to smile and nod without direct eye contact to the woman directly to my right as she ate steadily throughout the day. I thought I had it mastered until the woman right of her asked me a question. I looked toward her and paused. I had to schooled my features as she worked her bottom dentures in and out of her mouth. I silently thought, 'Jesus Murphy help me.' I grimace smile with teeth and nodded my head affirmatively.

Toward the end ✤ Indirect stare

The day was enjoyable. I didn't change tables because it would have been too ackward. I had no intention of being deliberately rude instead I adjusted. I used an indirect stare and angled my body toward them during conversations. Eye to eye contact was made intermittently when they were not eating. I didn't escape entirely though as the woman played with her dentures periodically throughout our communication.

14 MY WEEK LONG BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

This year my birthday celebration lasted one week. Each moment was was special each together making one fricking fantastic week of acknowledgment, honoring and celebrating.

A GLIMPSE OF MY BIRTHDAY WEEK : 

May 10th: Surprise breakfast ◇ Chocolate almond croissant with strawberry, black berries & cheese.

May 11th: Phone calls from family singing me happy birthday.

MAY 11th: A movie (Black Panther) night with my eldest daughter which turned into a dinner when my sister met us after. My food was not the greatest. I didn't care because the company was fantastic.

May 12th: A birthday/mother's day lunch with a sister/friend then at home a small celebration with my said sister/friend, her sons, my God sons the youngest of whom felt no birthday was complete without cake. I had a large cookies and cream ice cream cake from Dairy Queen. Yum, it was fabulous and lasted a week.

May 14th: Happy birthday song message from my gorgeous,a cousin stationed in Germany. Yes she's military, love her to life!

May 15th: Dinner at the 360 restaurant 1,150 feet up in the CN Tower with a friend. Her gift to me because she said I am  her greatest supporter (receprocity is a beautifuly experience). See CN Tower photos below.

May 18th: Dinner with my youngest daughter, Korean Cuisine. It was great and the company even better!

It was a spectacular birthday.

VIEW CN TOWER/SKYPOD 447m (1,465ft)