It was a night before New Year's eve. I spent time with a good friend in our favorite neighborhood, East village. We were looking for a place to sit and have a conversation. Something got my attention on the way to the bar. It was a bare light bulb from a small light stand, a silhouette of a man and picture frames on the wall. I peeked through the window of the door. The space is almost empty except a man playing chess and another young man with books. It's almost like a library but very cozy. There are about 20-30 pieces of art work from Sir Shadow on the wall. I decided to take a tour inside to find out what this place really about. The young man looked at me with a welcome face after I walked in. The light which got my attention was from the mam who was plying chess. It seems to me that he was trying to master the game. He didn't really make any move on the board but looked and analyzed. He was back and forth between the board and, i suppose, a chess book. He was totally a juxtaposition with pictures on the wall. It's Sir Shadow's drawing style. He draws human figure with action by using only one continuous line. It was the same with the man. I saw only his shadow with an outline of highlight from the light stand on his table. We sat down at a table next to a prepaid Internet service computer. It was about 3 tables away from the man. No conversation between us. We observed the place: tiles on the floor, fans on the ceiling, clock on the wall, the service counter and two men. Our interaction is not by speaking but looking to each other. We agreed that this space is like s twilight zone. It's in the middle of the block and next to trendy restaurants, bars and boutiques. The world outside is in a fast pace with party animals were on the sidewalk in a hunt of fluids and flesh but the clock on the was not even move. Eventually, we found out that this is a hostel, Bowery's whitehouse hotel. It's $33 a night and I think I might come back to check the room out.
PK.
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