pic of the week – where’d you get those?

in a city rife with obvious social and economical contrasts, it’s not surprising to see polished jimmy choos next to shredded chuck taylors on the morning F train. who cares? however, much like stumbling upon frogger at a local laundromat, you’ll occasionally spot a pair of shoes that evokes blissful nostalgia. i’m talking about old school kicks.

remember those silly rubber halfdomes pertruding from the tongue that magically allowed you to dunk on your 7 ft jerryrigged bball hoop? yeah, well so do countless sneaker fanatics who scour eBay religiously for these rare urban accessories. check out my buddy’s sick collection of 120+ vintage sneakers and this ill pair of air filipinos.

so which ones did you rock back in the day?

crackerCAM-new zealand and tahiti

crackerCAM was on location in new zealand and french polynesia in early december. this cracker spent almost three weeks touring middle earth where i hiked along snow capped peaks, feasted on pb&j lunches, and nearly drowned in a river. won’t lie, it was a great time. the icing was a four day stopover in tahiti where i was fed grapes by a polynesian swimsuit model. ok, now replace “grapes” with “saltines” and “polynesian swimsuit model” with “unshaven bboy”. a truly once in a lifetime experience.

check out the rest of my pics here.

crackerCAM-high line, ny

crackerCAM was on location at the high line, an elevated railroad that spans the west side from 34th to gansevoort. the high line once directly serviced many nyc factories during the mid-20th century until interstate trucking became all the rage and outpaced rail transport. carpeted by weeds and threatened with demolition, the high line will soon be reborn as a public space that blends its raw infrastructure with bold architectural elements.

as part of the railroad’s preservation, the friend’s of the highline and parks department enlisted volunteers to assess the plant population and collect seeds so that the various species may be reintroduced to the restored space or to other parks city-wide. so crackerCAM joined the ranks, set aside the canon slr, and exercised his long-neglected green thumb… but not before sneaking in a few shots.

crackerCAM-open house new york

crackerCAM was on location at various open house ny (ohny) sites this past weekend. once each year, ohny reaches out to historical landmark agencies, design firms, and private residences to host an event showcasing the city’s rich architectural landscape.

unlike previous years, i did not stock my bag with granola bars and plot my route in GIS to maximize site visits. instead, i enjoyed a 1-hr private tour of a late 18th-century dutch farm house in prospect park, took in some rays at the top of the grand army plaza arch, and got my fill of water supply history at the water tower in washington heights. its events like this, and friction shows, that remind me how amazing our city really is.

jeet kune do? it’s chinese for “whoop ass”

everyone needs a hobby. some follow obscure bands, others surf in ball-numbing waters… me, well i enjoy getting my ass kicked. sure, this may be yet another phase like my earlier pursuits in handbag design, soap making, and harpguitar playing, but few things provide the rush like a thai kick to the head (both delivering and receiving)… yes, i like to receive too, as awkward as that sounds. so despite a few sprained jaws and chipped teeth, i return every week to satisfy my primal urges.

last weekend i participated in two 6-hour sessions with dan inosanto , bruce lee‘s top student, training partner, and the lead instructor of jeet kune do after bruce’s death. at 70 yrs old, the man was still faster than me after a dozen cans of sparks.

for a taste, check out this badass video of dan instructing a combination of filipino stick fighting and jeet kune do. 100% whoop ass.

crackerCAM-mccarren pool, brooklyn

crackerCAM was on location at the mccarren pool, bk for the 4th concert in the pool parties series. hundreds then, by late afternoon, thousands of hipsters still hungover from bloc party (and maybe misshapes) ventured back to the pool to satiate their weekend indie music fix. at the mic were asobi seksu, irving, enon, and of montreal. as entertaining as each band was, my attention was often drawn to the dodgeball tournament the sidelines. i’ve seen countless concerts, but a primal battle with large rubber balls? scratch those water taxi beach plans… and hit the pool.

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crackerCAM-iron triangle, queens

crackerCAM was on location at the iron triangle, a stretch of land bordering shea stadium in queens. the area currently houses the city’s largest cluster of salvage yards and car repair shops with mechanics that could teach the a-team a thing or two. despite the gritty facade, unpaved roads, and non-existent drainage reminiscent of soweto, i was greeting by a number of characters eager to share their stories and pose for pictures. unfortunately, with redevelopment already planned, the days are limited for those who have called the area home for years.

you can check out the rest of the pics on flickr.