Chinatown Insider!

As photographer for my school paper at Theodore Roosevelt High school, I was was often able get out of classes to shoot pictures.  This turned out to be one of the most useful skills I was to learn there.  Actually, it was just about the only useful thing I remember learning there.  Parenthetically, I don't recall a single classroom hour ever spent on learning anything about Theodore Roosevelt, but that's a topic for another rant.

Anyway, getting out of those classes turned out to be a double win: I disliked most of those classes and I loved to shoot photos. Soon enough I learned that as a photographer I could – if I played it right - also get into places that a teenage boy might not normally get into.  Places like press conferences. My newly honed skills got me into City Hall a few times and right next to Hizhonor! On a good day, I might get really close to some famous stars or work my way back stage at a rock concerts. I also got to be pretty good at getting through police lines. I even had a press pass, purchased from an add in a camera magazine, but a press pass none the less. Times were simpler. 

These days I rarely need to get into places I don't belong anymore, but every once in a while I get to try just for the fun of it.  Which is how I came to march in this year's Chinese New Year Parade.

See, I never intended to actually crash the parade, I just I went there looking to grab a few snapshots from the sidelines.  I did not figure on the mob between me and the parade.  Seems it has become quite an event and the sidewalks were packed.  So I cut over a couple of blocks and.......well, the details aren't important, but soon enough I was in the middle of the parade, marching along and having a ball.  I also discovered that these folks loved to have their pictures taken.  In fact, they often stopped, smiled at me and waited for me to shoot a few frames.  A fun day.

So, wishing all a 

Happy Year Of The Pig

 – from the inside!