September 18, 2004: San Gennaro Festival, 11:15am
Back in 1993, I had only been to San Gennaro a couple of times. My friend Jeff asked me to go in with him from Brooklyn, so I went. We walked the length of the fesitval from Houston to Canal, and then walked another block down because he wanted to smoke some weed with another friend we met up with. Along the way, we had bought some silly string, and while the guys were lighting up, I sprayed them with it. Suddenly, a cop jumps out of the front seat of a yellow cab that had been cruising down the street. Him and his partner throw us up against the fence, empty our pockets, and tell us to keep our hands behind our backs. We thought we were naturally being busted on possession, but Jeff decides to ask anyway- and the cop tell us we're being arrested for graffiti. I pipe up, telling him that he's mistaken, since we're not carrying any paint. At that point, I guess he looked down at the cans on the sidewalk, and realizes that they are silly string and not Krylon. We're still facing the wall, and suddenly I realize the cops are emptying three cans of silly string all over us- while the crowd that has gathered laughs their asses off. I turned around just in time to watch the cops get back in the cab, and chuck the can out the window right at my head. [Unrelated: I was unaware that the greased pole climb was still popular at San Gennaro well into the 1970s.
Comments
Funny story. Hey, there didn't seem to be that many people at the festival - I expected packed streets - did you take these early on? If I know I want to take pictures of the stalls and stallholders in any London festivals I have to get there early, otherwise all you can see later on are bodies and heads. Planethalder.
Excellent story, and great photos -- along with everything else, Jake, the colors in these shots are outstanding.
yummy...heartburn...yummy...
nice pics -- the colors on the balloons are beautiful.
Hi Jake,
my name is Johnny and I'm a second year student studying architecture in Singapore's National University. I own a personal blog/photoblog and I notice that most of my readers originate from Singapore. Most of them being my friends.
I am interested in finding out what blogging is like within other countries. Do they have an internal circle of friends' blogs to visit? And what do they write about? Is it possible for an Asian blogger to permeate and join this blogging community? I would think it would be amazing to exchange ideas and experiences from 2 very different but modern cultures.
Hope to hear from you soon. :)
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Dude, the oranges and yellows on that first shot are completely unreal, that photograph rules.
this and your other photos of the festival were great. brought back memories of being in an italian festival band in chicago. thanks
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