NJUJORK / NYC
organised by the Museum of Natural History. Spending time in New York can also prove educationally useful for all those who have an overinflat- ed sense of self-importance, because they will be brought down to size by standing beside the Dalai Lama or someone else. Oh yeah, you met Naomi Given that the office of [Yugoslav news agency] Tanjug was located in the building of the United Nations, I had the opportunity to encounter politicians and diplomats in the Del- egates Lounge, but also artists like singer Stevie Wonder, actress Can- dice Bergen and model Naomi Camp- bell. My immediate family naturally knew that New York is packed with famous people, but they doubted that I actually met them. Misgivings over the possibility of such a thing, or that such encounters were even imaginable, were usually expressed with words like “oh yeah, you met Naomi Campbell”. I wondered why I shouldn’t come across her. I none- theless gave up on attempts to as- sure them that anything is possible in New York, because such statements most resembled a toothpaste adver- tisement slogan. Which is why I start- ed answering questions about who I’d seen that day in the hive of this glob- al organisation by saying no one in particular, or maybe just a few pres- idents. Considering all of this, is it even possible to describe the spirit of this city, its very essence? A monstrous being Perhaps a perpetual motion de- vice could represent its trademark. What I mean to say is that New York isn’t like other cities. In my opinion, I experienced it more like a monstrous being that constantly stretches in a different place. How do I know that? By a pulse that’s rhythm changes con- stantly. I have taken that pulse on var- ious occasions. I made sure it wasn’t the same. Believe me when I say that it’s a city that suffers from high blood pressure. When it comes to what you must see in New York, if you’re visiting for the first time, I will turn in part to
Krivudavi Grinič Grinič vilidž se izdvaja od geome- trijske monotonije Njujorka niskim zgradama i krivudavim uličicama kao u nekom evropskom gradu. Ovaj kraj je poznat i kao prebivali- šte Edgara Alana Poa, Judžina O’Ni- la, Henrija Džejmsa... Neku vrstu duhovne razbarušenosti i boemi- je sačuvao je sve do danas, o čemu svedoče sudbine blistavih imena. Zar se Edgar Alan Po nije lečio u pri- hvatilištu za siromašne, a Dilan To- mas besomučno opijao u kafani „Vajt hors“?
CURVACEOUS GREENWICH Greenwich Village distinguishes it- self from the geometric monotony with low-rise buildings and winding alleys like those of some European city. It is also known for being the home neighbour- hood of the likes of Edgar Allan Poe, Eu- gene O'Neill, Henry James et al. It has managed to maintain a kind of spiritual- ly dishevelled and bohemian feel to this day, as evidenced by the fates of its il- lustrious names. Didn’t Edgar Allan Poe seek treatment at a poorhouse; and didn’t Dylan Thomas drink himself to death at the White Horse Tavern?
ture ever to have lived, weighing in at more than one hundred tons. The museum is also proud of its Star of India, the 563-carat sapphire gem- stone that was mined in Sri Lanka in the early 20 th century. Testifying to just how much more there is to see here is the fact that this unique museum has collections comprising in excess of 30 million specimens... For music lovers, the Lincoln Center of Performing Arts is the pin- nacle. There are also the Metropoli- tan Opera, New York City Opera and American Ballet. And why not Carn- egie Hall, but also other concert ven- ues that make New York the world’s music capital? No one is worthy of attention The city’s almost absolute respect for privacy is also praiseworthy. You can stand on your head, pull trouser legs over your arms and your jacket sleeves over your legs, but you’re still unlikely to attract attention. Even ce- lebrities who are accustomed to be- ing recognised and adored can walk the streets to their heart’s content without being stared at by anyone. As for the question of favourite activities that are very easy to get used to, an answer can perhaps be suggested at the department store Lord & Taylor, where bargain hunt- ers are greeted with the national anthem and hot coffee. To shop is, thus, to be patriotic. Such a conclu-
what New Yorkers themselves think. And they say that their city is elevat- ed by museums like the Metropolitan and the Guggenheim, the Museum of Modern Art, the Frick Collection and the many galleries containing price- less paintings. Precious valuables of another kind fill what is probably the world’s richest natural history mu- seum. As soon as we enter the lob- by, we encounter a huge Barosaurus skeleton composed of casts of pre- served fossils. Also on display is a replica blue whale, the largest crea-
Dušan Miklja iz mlađih dana, sa suprugom na bruklinskom mostu Dušan Miklja in his younger days, with his wife on the Brooklyn Bridge
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