Tired of Titles, still in New York, 4 whole days left

I always forget how un-pretentious Montreal is until I come to New York. I'm in this cafe I found on my second try looking for free wireless access and no hassle. Maybe everyone in this place comes here everyday and knows each other by name, but somehow I doubt that's why I became the instant focus of all the patrons as soon as I walked in. I think, and this is just a theory, that they were scoping me out, because that's what hipsters do, don't they? They size you up (clothes, hair, attitude, accessories) so that they can compare and allot you a space on the ruler either above or below themselves. Or... maybe that's just what *I* do. Heh.

Anyway, they play really good music that I don't know and the guy behind the cash IGNORED me for about a minute and then was simultaneously attentive and morose. Funny. He has professionally "just out of bed and still hungover" hair. I can see the product in it. But he did offer me half-and-half so that was nice.

I went to Soho today to check out a building I read about in the Village Voice. It's 11 Spring Street, and apparently it's been some sort of focus point for all kinds of street artists (visual, not performance) in the city. There's some legend behind the whole thing, but the point was that this is where I'd find my favourite flavour of expression in a city that's progressively cracking down on it. In the article there was also a reference to another building in the area that might replace this one as graffiti mecca once it gets turned into condos. But there was no address for the second building, only something about an "old candy factory" and the name of the street it's on. I was walking along it, looking for a plausible ex-candy factory, when I saw a guy who looked like he could help. An artist. I mean, he was wearing paint-stained clothes, aviator glasses and was rolling a cart full of canvases, I assumed he was an artist. Good guess, eh? He pointed me in the right direction, gave me another address, and invited me to an opening on Friday night. He also invited to an exhibition he's already showing at, and said to drop by the corner where'd he be trying to sell some old paintings, but I didn't do that. I might go to the opening though. One of the guys I met at the dinner on Christmas Eve texted me about going out this weekend, so that might be an option.

The other thing I've done a lot of here is see movies. I just saw Notes on a Scandal, which opened today. It stars Cate Blanchett and Dame Judi Dench, as well as the guy who played the aging rocker in Love, Actually. Judi Dench is impressive. She gave me the willies. It's my second Cate Blanchett movie this week. She's also in The Good German, which I think I wrote about below. God, is she ever stupid in this one ("Notes..."). I mean, her character, of course. Stupid, stupid. Tonight I'm going to see Shortbus, which IMDB describes as "A group of New Yorkers caught up in their romantic-sexual milieu converge at an underground salon infamous for its blend of art, music, politics, and carnality." Great. Besides those, and just to keep track, I also saw David Lynch's latest, Inland Empire (bee-zar) and one with Judy Garland where she marries an alcoholic hasbeen actor.

Ahh, anyway, gotta leave to see that Shortbus one. I heard it snowed in Montreal. I am truly jealous.