Brandon Stanton's Blog, page 470

"My parents got divorced a couple of months ago."“Has...

"My parents got divorced a couple of months ago."

“Has your view of the situation changed since then?”

“I guess I’ve just realized that if two people both agree that they’d be happier living apart, then maybe it’s better for everybody.”

Seen on the subway.

Seen on the subway.

Like many people, I was first introduced to Colonel Chris...

Like many people, I was first introduced to Colonel Chris Hadfield when I saw a photo of NYC come into my newsfeed, taken from the International Space Station. I’ve been following him ever since, as he inspired millions with the wonders of space by combining social media and, well, OUTER SPACE. “Watching a shuttle launch is great,” explains Hadfield, “But it’s more entertainment than inspiration. For the first time, social media allowed people to come along with us, and experience space like an astronaut.” 

I had the honor of meeting Mr. Hadfield while he was in New York, doing interviews surrounding his new book, available here:http://amzn.to/1ahDcNE

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(Internal dialogue: “Do I call him Chris? Colonel? Mr. Hadfield? I’m gonna blow it! I’m blowing it!”)

"What’s the most frightened you ever felt in space?"
"Honestly, very little happened that I wasn’t prepared for. Astronauts prepare for everything. You’d be amazed at all the things we train for. Specialization is for insects. Humans have to be generalists— and astronauts especially. Before the mission, I actually studied with a dentist in case I needed to surgically extract a tooth. So I never felt very afraid because I’d prepared for everything. But if I was to give an answer— one time we were coming across the Indian Ocean, and I was looking down at Australia. And a shooting star passed below us. A big one. A shooting star came between us and the world. And I thought: ‘Oh man, we really are floating around in an aluminum bubble up here.’"

"What did you miss the most while you were in space?"
"If you don’t mind me using a euphemism… physical contact. Have you met my wife?"

Today in microfashion…

Today in microfashion…

In what has instantly become one of my most prized possessions:...

In what has instantly become one of my most prized possessions: a photo of me, Chris Hadfield, and David Karp dressed like a piece of bacon.

"One time I was in Saks Fifth Avenue, and I got in an elevator....

"One time I was in Saks Fifth Avenue, and I got in an elevator. There was a woman already in there. She had selected the seventh floor, but when I got in with her, she changed it to the second floor."

“How’d that make you feel?”

“Like I didn’t belong.”

"This store pays a lot of money to have these windows washed....

"This store pays a lot of money to have these windows washed. And my boss just gives me a little of it."

So I made an announcement last night when we hit our $26,000...

So I made an announcement last night when we hit our $26,000 goal. (In exactly 60 minutes). 

Afterwards, I wanted to be sure that the Watkins family didn’t get inflated expectations, so I gave them a call. “This pace won’t keep up,” I told them. “We’re pretty much where we’re going to be. Crowdfund campaigns tend to die off really quickly once the goal is reached.” 

Boy am I an idiot. Looks like I had no idea what I was talking about, and Duane and Kristen will have significantly less to worry about when it comes to saving for their children’s education. They are, of course, desperate to show their gratitude. They said they didn’t know how to show everyone enough appreciation, and asked if I had any ideas. I think I spoke for all of us when I answered: “Honestly, everyone won here. I think we were all just thankful for the opportunity to participate in such an awesome story.”

I’ll be sure to keep everyone updated.

When I discovered this young woman, she was sitting on a nearby...

When I discovered this young woman, she was sitting on a nearby bench. A video camera was resting beside her, aimed at the tree/boulder sculpture.

She said that she was studying to be a sculptor. “Our teacher gave us an assignment,” she said. “We are supposed to sit and observe a sculpture for four hours. But I couldn’t just sit here, so I decided to do more.”

She pulled out a thick stack of charts and diagrams. “I’ve been collecting quotes from people who walk by, counting how many people read the official description, and charting where people accumulate to view it.” In addition to these, she had several other sketches and drawings made from different angles.

I was inspired by her devotion to a single piece of art. “So what do you like about it?” I asked. 

"I’m not sure what I like about it," she said. "But I can tell you what I think about it. Thinking is different than liking."

"So what do you think about it?"

"Well, most New Yorkers have grown accustomed to the tall buildings, so they tend to contrast the sculpture with the surrounding trees, and they observe the difference between the organic and inorganic. But I’m new to New York, so I compare it to all the rigid, manmade, vertical buildings. And I note their similarities. And I also love how it plays with gravity."

"I left my true love in the Dominican Republic when I was very...

"I left my true love in the Dominican Republic when I was very young. My family was leaving for Puerto Rico. I ended up marrying a man who did not treat me well, and moving to America. My true love is married now as well. I still talk to him, but we cannot be together. It is impossible. Maybe when we die, it will be possible. I hope that we die at the same time.”
"What was the greatest day you ever spent together?"
She laughed, looked down, and said: “A week before I left the Dominican Republic, he said to me: ‘If you don’t come to the hotel with me, I will kill myself.’”