Fulton Fish Market – a glimpse of Old New York
I spent this night listening to, writing about and doing a radio piece on George Bush’s speech on Iraq. Then, it was quite fun to go downtown in order to report on something completely different: the Fulton Fish Market.
It has been on the very same spot since the 1820’s (!) but will soon move to a modern facility in Bronx. The workers will get a cleaner work environment; the market place will be more efficient; the city will be able to build a fancy pleasure boat marina – but something will get lost on the way. New York is a city where you actually see people _working_, and at this market there is lots of magic spinning around between 00 and 08 AM. I talked to some of the fish mongers, amidst giant fishes and boxes with clams, and they are quite sad to leave. They were fun to interview: some of them were real characters: with tattoos, bandanas, and fat cigars in the mouth, chatting with each other while loading enormous tuna fishes and squid.
Pictures of Fulton Fish Market
Now I have to pack my life and company togheter in no time! I need to clean my flat, show it to a presumptive flat mate/sublettee, sort out all of my papers and receipts (tons of them), wash my clothes, pick up a portfolio, get a new passport from the consulate, pack my clothes, and ten thousands other things – in three hours. The plane leaves in seven hours from now. I tried to change my ticket so I could go tomorrow, but it would have cost me almost $2,000! Hilfe! I would need another week here!
/Gunilla
