Thursday, September 25, 2008

getting personal with Helen

Sometimes when I walk around New York I think, "I freek'n live in New York City!?!? How did I end up here?"

You see I grew up in a little tiny town (population 3000) called Raymond. Which is in Southern Alberta Canada. This town is mostly white people, tend to not move away, some farmers, some cowboys, and a LOT of flat dry land. There the high light of the year is the high school basket ball tournament just after Christmas - called the Sugar Bowl. Cause the town was founded on sugar beets. Ahh, it is just a different world. There are NO natural trees (all trees are planted by people), NO natural bodies of water (again people intervene and make irrigation canals) and you can see for miles and miles - like Nebraska. It is also VERY windy. Like 75 mph and wind storms can last for days and nights. It will push your car noticeably as you drive on the highway and at least once a year a big tree gets knock over.
Every winter the grass ALL dies. A goldie brown color.

Now I live in the most diverse city in the US (Canadians don't call it America). Where building are very tall and natural water surrounds us. Where the humidity makes you feel like you are breathing soup in the summer and creeps into your bones in the winter. Gosh i love it here.
I love the subway, how you don't have to worry about falling asleep on the way home, and you get to people watch or read a book.
I love the art all around - galleries, museums, and street art. I love how there are new opportunities for career, new friends, to fall in love or have a life experience.
I love how it feels to walk down the street in Manhattan, it is history and at the same time completely current, to me it is magical. When I got here I finally felt like my environment matched my brain.

I am actually a editorial portrait photographer, but I love my toons. You can check out some of my work here:
www.helenphotography.com
Random get to know you facts about Helen

I love spinich, eat it raw by the hand fulls without dressing, but despise how it goes bad so quickly.
I sing well and play the guitar so so.
I wish I spoke french.
I run a 8.5 min mile
I like to dress up as in disguise when I pick people up from the airport.
I drive a Honda Passport AKA Honda CUB motorbike

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