Strangers 2015

New Years Eve. I stand a couple blocks away from my house, wearing a long-eared wolf hat I haven't worn in many months.

A little girl, maybe five years old, short blonde hair under a winter hat with a pom-pom and long strings, runs ahead of her mother and stops in front of me. She looks up at me silently for a moment.

Me: Happy New Year.

Her: Happy New Year!

I waved, she waved back. Her mom caught up with her, and they started walking away. Then the girl turned around, seemingly working up her courage.

Her: ...Nice hat!

Me: Thank you! You too!

Her: I have... one like that! At home.

Me: Nice! Is it a wolf too?

Her: ...no...

Mom: We don't know what kind of animal it is. It's pink and it's got long ears or legs - I think it might be a knockoff.

Me: Sounds cool!

Her: ...Thanks!

Mom: Have a good night!

Me: You too! ...Happy New Year!

Greenwich Village, outside an NYU building. A large brown couch out on the curb, with a curious trio sitting on it.

Leader - A quirky, intense, red-haired woman, in blue winter wear. A strong New York attitude, tried and true.

Godson - A hip young man, long-haired and bearded, bundled warm in cool patterns.

Student - A European young lady, blonde and bright-faced.

Me: What's the story with the couch? Is it your couch?

Godson: No, we just found a couch!

Leader: The couch was just sitting out here on the curb, so I was like, "OK – let's take a break!"

Me: Are you picking it up?

Godson: No, but this is ours for the moment, though!

Me: So are you all family?

Leader: Well, sort of!

I found out she was from East Hampton, and her Godson had just moved there too, from Florida. She was also the counselor of the young lady, who is a foreign exchange student from Denmark.

Me: So what are y'all doing in New York?

Leader: Well, I had some business appointments today. I'm a decorative artist – I make a living as an artist. And she's off from school...

She gestured to the Student.

Leader: And I always just hung out in the village as a kid. I grew up in Long Island, just about 40 minutes from here. So when I was 16, I used to hang out in Washington Square Park, you know, smoking blunts, drinking beers - and the cops would hang out and talk to us.

Me: Amazing! What a city this was.

Leader: Yeah, it was like a whole ‘nother planet. No quality-of-life laws.

Godson: So here, you have three people from totally different sides of the world all sitting on a couch in Manhattan.

Leader: And the couch is totally random.

Me: It's a nice couch, though!

Godson: Yeah, it's not bad!

Leader: It's pretty comfortable! I was like, "Hey, the couch is still here!" We'd walked by it before.

To commemorate the ending of 2015, I asked them about important or memorable stories and events from this year.

Godson: Probably moving from Tampa.

Student: And me, coming to the U.S.

Leader: And for me, my son and son-in-law were plaintiffs in the Supreme Court's gay marriage case. So, that was probably my biggest thing. I'm a Supreme Court junkie, and my boys, they were actually right there - or plaintiffs, they're in the books, they were at the Supreme Court, in the gallery…

Me: Well, congratulations! There's a victory.

Leader: So fucking awesome.

Me: What's most different for you between here and Tampa?

Godson: Well, I've got two jobs… The weather is definitely different! Haven't seen snow! Everything is completely different, the culture's completely different. The melting pot's still the same - it's so many cultural and ethnic groups all squeezed into the same small area, which I love, I love being able to see something from so many points of view.

Me: What's the biggest difference between here and Denmark, for you?

Student: The food is very different, and just The way people are like – it's very small differences in just the way people interact, it's very different. And I'm in a New York high school now. And the way young people act towards each other… I was with a friend yesterday, and he said, like, "This person is such a bitch." And I was like, "You can't say that! That's so mean!" And he said, "It's okay, everybody does it. People are just really mean to each other in a fun way."

Leader: I'm the one that's old as dirt here – I'm the chaperone. And we just had a pitcher  of sangria…

Me: Well, that's the New York life.

Leader: Yeah, we're going to go feed the meter, and then go to the New York Gangster Museum.

You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi! You both like travel.

You: Hi!

You: How are you doing tonight?

Stranger: Its day here lol

You: Ah, where's that?

Stranger: You're from?

You: New York, you?

Stranger: Philipines ;)

You: Ah, nice! So how are you doing this morning?

You: Could you tell me about something that you feel like you’ve outgrown?

Stranger: ohh okay umm, maybe when im with my friends..

Stranger: they do some stuff like I think I shouldnt

Stranger: or not totally friends, but I am a president of a Catholic Youth Ministry

Stranger: and some of my youth are too childish, like I'm adjusting to their attitude

You: Is there anything you have NOT outgrown, some childish things you still like?

Stranger: of course the fun being with them

Stranger: we still play on the park, like running shouting and everything

Stranger: hide & seek

You: What lessons do you think this year, 2015, has taught you?

Stranger: maybe because this year is a challenging year for me

Stranger: so screwed about the college, the ministry, my family and specially to my work.

Stranger: and i end up like complaining

Stranger: but i realize that..

Stranger: life should not be lived. It should be celebrated.

A young pair on a West-Side Local. Her - Light-haired, white, with a very expressive face and a quick voice. Dressed in green, with stripes. Him - Short/dark-haired, Asian, with a clear subtle wit and a low voice. Dressed in blue, with a winter cap. A homeless man sitting nearby with a laundry cart provided commentary throughout the interview.

Me: What has proven most unique to you about your experience this year, 2015? Her: I spent eight months out of the country. I was in Santiago, Chile for seven months, and then I was in Guatemala for a month. Me: What were you doing? Her: I was studying abroad in Santiago, and then I was working as a teacher in Guatemala. Me: Fantastic! What are you studying? Her: Education and Ethnic Studies.

Me: So, what stands out to YOU about you 2015 experience? Him: Probably a lot of relationship drama. If I'm being honest. Nothing as exciting as hers. Homeless Man: Girls! Them girls!

Me: Can you give me a piece of advice or a listen you've learned in the past year? Her: Just be open to new experiences. It's cliché, but true. Him: Ask for help when you need it. Homeless Man: Don't! Him: Let go of toxic people in your life.

The homeless man addressed his taunts to me, from a distance. Homeless Man: Tiny Tim! Tiny Tim! Tiny Tim. ...He's being a sissy.

Me: What stands out to you most about 2015 as a whole, in the world? Him: I think, the growing sense of global awareness is really powerful. Like, I don't think I've ever experienced a year where there's been such a... cultural shift, like in how we portray equality... Just then, a man bumped past us, and said, "Shoo!" Him: ...truth, social movements. And I think social media has a lot to do with that.

Slow local train in Brooklyn. A young man,  well-dressed in dark red and black, short beard, and clean brown dress-shoes. He had watched me get rejected by an older man sitting near him, but was eager to help.

Me: What about this past year has been most different from your expectations?

Him: I just started college this year, and it's been very different from how I expected. Especially because I lived all my life in the city, and I ended up going to Cornell, which is upstate. I knew it was gonna be different, but I didn't think it would be such a drastic change.

Me: What's the biggest difference between here and there?

Him: Probably what people do for fun. Because in city, you might go out with your friends for a night, bowling, pool, or something. Up there, it's more likely to be a bunch of people in a room making conversation.

Me: Did you make a New Years Resolution last year?

Him: No, but I plan to make one this year - to work harder on my schoolwork.

Me: Could you give me a lesson or piece of advice you've gathered in the past year?

Him: Yeah, always think about the future, no matter how much you think you can deal with it later, start future planning now.

A bus stop in lower Brooklyn. A jolly middle-aged Hispanic couple waiting for the bus.

Him - Quite short, bundled up in grey with a winter cap and a strong smile.

Her - Long dark ponytail, a yellow jacket, and a quiet, friendly laugh.

I asked if they'd be my strangers.

Him: OK, but we speak very little English, so please… Go very slow.

Me: what was your favorite part of this year, 2015?

He translated for her, into Spanish, and after some thought, she replied.

Him: She said it's that she will start learning English this year. She does not speak any English yet. She's going to go to Kingsborough.

Me: Ah, congrats!

I gave her a thumbs up, she laughed.

Me: What about you?

Him: For me, that there is no Winter this Christmas! That's the best.

Russian couple on the Downtown N train crossing over the Manhattan Bridge.

Him – Short-shaved hair and beard. Funny. Striped sweater.

Her – Short dark hair, elegant, dressed in black. It was her birthday.

This post is mostly a translation from Russian.

Me: Do you have any good winter stories?

Him: Ooh, so many! But good ones are hard to think of. Bad ones are easier. We've got a lot of bad ones - millions! One time, the rear gear in my car broke, but I could discovered that I could still drive all winter - because of the snow.

Her: It's hard to think of winter stories because we spend most of our winters where it's warm.

Him: Oh yeah! One winter we went to Goa, in India. New story there every day!

Me: Can you give me a piece of advice that you've gathered in the past year?

Her: Don't worry, be happy!

You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi! You both like travel.

You: Do you think you've ever had a supernatural/paranormal experience?

Stranger: yeah I guess so

You: Could you tell me about it?

Stranger: Well what do you mean exactly?

Stranger: i consider deja vu as supernatural

You: Sure, that's a great one. Could you tell me about a strange case of Deja Vu you've had?

Stranger: well the really nice one I had a few years ago

Stranger: when I was watching a soccer game on tv and I was able to tell what will happen in the next few seconds

You: Woah, that's really strange.

Stranger: yeah that was nice

You: Do you have any theory for why Deja Vu happens?

Stranger: glitch in the Matrix

You: Could you tell me about a piece of advice or lesson you've gathered in the past year?

Stranger: don't listen what other people say and do what you think is best not others

You: That's a great lesson, thank you!

You: Do you mind me asking what made you pick that?

Stranger: hmm well I always thought its obvious but this year first time i really thought about it and I feel like I have constantly make decisions that can have big impact on my life so I thought it may be important.

Uptown N train on its way into the city. Gross and rainy winter day. A married couple.

Him - Tall Italian man with short, well-groomed brown hair and beard. Well-mannered. Dark jacket.

Her - Shorter Asian woman with long dark brown and black hair; soft-spoken, elegant.

Me: Can you tell me about something you've not done in a while but would like to do before the end of 2015?

Him: Well, I am from Italy, and there, during Christmas, we the trees but also... You know, the little house with baby Jesus and Mary and Joseph?

Me: Nativity scenes?

Him: Nativity, yes!

Her: So you wanna go to church?

Him: No, you have them for your home. As a kid, it's like a fun thing to do. When you're grown up, you don't get them anymore. But I'd like to.

Me: Do either of you have New Year's Resolutions for 2016?

Her: Go to yoga at least once a week.

He ran a hand through her hair.

Him: Be nicer to my wife.

An older lady on the Downtown D train - with short orange-blonde hair, a high and youthful spirit, brown jacket with lots of pockets and zippers.

Me: What's something you haven't done in a really long time?

Her: I haven't danced in a really long time.

Me: Did you use to dance a lot?

Her: A lot. From Wednesday to Sunday. Latin, freestyle... I have to say, I did a bit a bit of disco. Just everything. All the parties I'd go to.

Her: I had a lot of fun, I have to tell you. I did, I have to say, I sort of partied past the age you're supposed to party at.

Me: You think?

Her: Oh, definitely. You know how people say, "Oh, that's what you do in your twenties?" I was doing that into my late thirties. And the reason why I kinda probably sort of slowed down was, you know when the person who's like your best friend gets married, their life changes... But, not too bad. I fancy I did pretty well. In New York... I should've kept a list. Every club that opens. This boyfriend I had at some point was a party guy. I remember, even though we had no money to go out, he knew everybody, so we went out to every nightclub... Studio 54, the Red Parrot, the Garage, Bond Street... I mean, you gotta make a list - if you look it up, there were tons of these places in the 70s. I mean a LOT. You name it, we pretty much did every club. And it would start from mid-week to Sunday!

We talked about her feelings about the changes New York was always undergoing.

Her: I like how Sunset Park is, it's easier to meet new interesting people. But at the same time, it's a bit plastic. You can say the same thing about the Lower East Side. I remember the Lower East Side growing up. What it is today and what it was thirty years ago are totally different. No one that lives there is from there! They talk about the neighborhood, like, what are you talking about? The neighborhood is a place- you don't know anything about the neighborhood. You've been here two months. 

Two rather young New York guys walking down 8th Street after dark. They told me they were old high school buddies.

Him 1 - Taller, strong-jawed, dressed in black.

Him 2 - Shorter, with large glasses and strong dark stubble.

Me: For you, what's the biggest difference between the beginning of this year and now?

They thought for a moment. Then one thought of something for the other.

Him 2: What you worked on?

Me: What did you work on?

Him 1: Business. Starting a business; launching a technology company. Well, I didn't fully launch it, we're in the process of launching it. We've made a shit-ton of progress over the past year, though. Spreading out, raising money, building up the products, building the team.

Him 2: I've never had any real work experience before this year.

Me: What kind of work experience did you get this year?

Him 2: An internship.

Me: Why did you decide that this was the year?

Him 2: ...Coming of age. Pressure to make it into a workforce.

Me: Do you have a New Year's resolution for the coming year?

Him 2: To learn more.

Him 1: Feeling good. Working out. Eating healthy. Taking care of myself. 

Two strangers on a train.

Waitress - A young Hispanic woman, long dark hair under a fur hat, and a black jacket.

Nurse - A young, pale East-European woman with brown hair and a knit cap.

Me: What were the biggest expectations you had for 2015 when it started?

Waitress: I thought that I would get out of this job that I'm still at right now. I guess I'm still at it. I'm a waitress, and the pay is good, but I've been doing this for five years, and I'd like to get out and do something new. Maybe more money, maybe less hours.

Nurse: I expected that I would finish my nursing school. And I did! That's my Christmas present.

Me: What are your biggest expectations for the coming year?

Waitress: Pretty much the same as last year, maybe it'll come true this time.

Nurse: To get a job, I guess.

Me: Could you give me a piece of advice that you've gathered in the past year?

Waitress: Enjoy as much as you can.

Nurse: Live your life to the fullest, and don't spend your energy on people who do not deserve it.

Uptown R train in Brooklyn. A pair of young women.

Her 1 - Short, bright green/blue dyed hair, large earrings, freckles and a bouncy voice. She was holding a large sketchbook.

Her 2 - Long light-brown hair under a grey winter cap, long red jacket, and a more quiet demeanor.

Me: What's the biggest difference between you at the beginning of this year and you now at the end of this year?

Her 1: Oh, I know mine. I am so much more educated about the LGBT rights and community now.

Me: What do you think most affected your knowledge/awareness this year?

Her 1: Knowing that I wasn't straight. And also going to a school where that's much more important.

Her 2: You're literally taking all of my answers. This is not fair.

Me: Do you go to the same school?

Her 2: No, I live here, she's visiting from Missouri.

Me: What about you, what's your biggest difference?

Her 2: She already stole all of mine, but that's okay. I mean, for me, I guess it's that I came out to my parents. Plus the school I go to now is also very open and accepting.  I've met a lot of people now who are comfortable being out, and at my old school - I went to a prep school - people weren't so comfortable.

Me: Could you give me a piece of advice you've gathered from the past year?

Her 1: I think self-discovery is really important, and also learning more about different communities that maybe you haven't known about your whole life - or maybe that you've been accepting of but haven't really gone out to explore.

Her 2: I guess, just to build off of that, have an open mind, and be willing to put your preconceived notions aside and learn about other people. And yourself!

Her 1: I think we're all sort of preconditioned to think that we're straight, and if we're not straight..:

At the same time:

Her 1: -then we're gay.

Her 2: -then we're wrong.

Two young Indian people on the N train.

Him - Short hair and a smirky, buoyant charm. He gestures a lot with his hands.

Her - Long hair under a grey knit winter cap, a strong bright smile and a humorous attitude.

Me: What's something recent in your life that you're very proud of?

Him: Coming to New York.

Me: Where did you come here from?

Him: India, about three months ago.

Me: Did you come over at the same time?

Her: Yeah. We're in grad school here.

Me: What for?

Both: Computer Science.

Me: What's the biggest difference between here and India?

Him: The people, I think.

Me: How so?

He gestured to me, up and down, with his hand, and then laughed.

Him: This would never happen in India.

Her: Also the public transport here is much better.

Him: We have trains, but they're very dirty and very slow.

Her: Some cities have subway, like Delhi, but it's not like this. The way people crowd, three people trying to fit into this much space.

She gestured about half a square foot with her hands.

Him: Most people there have no concept of personal space.

Me: What's a lesson you learned from life in India that you can apply to life in New York?

Him: Do your studies well.

Her: Mine will be kind of different, I think. Indians, we believe very much in shortcuts. That's something that we could immensely use here, in terms of services and everything. You know, just, there are quicker ways to do things, and as Indians, we get that done.

Night of the new Star Wars film premiere. 8th Avenue just off of Times Square. A group of excited fans, all dressed up as characters.

Me: Are you all on your way to the premiere?

Vader: No, we're going to have to wait for the 2:30 show. So we're gonna be there a while.

Me: When did you first see a Star Wars film?

Vader: I must've been five when I saw a New Hope on TV. And then I spent a while trying to watch it again - you know, light sabers and all that - but I got frustrated because all I would get was Star Trek. I didn't see all of them till I get was about twelve.

Han and Leia said they both saw it on TV as kids too. Kylo Renn said he couldn't even remember, but it was somewhere in his childhood.

R2D2: I first watched Star Wars in school, at age fifteen. It was a requirement - in learning about the Hero's Journey. We were supposed to be following Luke Skywalker to see it in action.

Me: What are your biggest hopes for The Force Awakens?

Vader: I hope Disney doesn't fuck this up.

Han: Hoping they don't screw it up again.

Leila: Definitely looking forward to seeing some of the old characters back.

Me: Who are you most excited to see back on the big screen?

Leila: Solo, for sure.

R2D2: R2D2!

West 4th St. Station. An older gentleman stands listening to a drum performance - by the drummer stranger from December 7th. This man is quite short and stout, with glasses and short grey hair, wide cheeks and a strong smile.

Me: If there was an extra month in the year, and you could do anything you wanted in that month, what would you do?

Him: Relax!

Me: What do you do to relax?

Him: Go to Aruba.

Me: You go there often?

Him: Every first week of December. I just came back - I see my son there.

Me: What's your favorite thing to do to relax?

Him: I like read, I like to listen music. I like to go some kind of performance.

Me: What kind of performance?

Him: Jazz.

He gave me a big smile.

Me: What do you do?

Him: Mechanical engineer. I fix plumbings issue, air conditioner.

Me: How'd you get into that field?

Him: I finish college, I finish high school, I'm... B. What else do I do?

When we parted ways, he gave me a hard and firm hand shake.

Him: See? I am still in good shape!

Union Square Park - a young man sitting on a bench. He's lanky and dark-haired, with a green sweater and a low, husky voice.

Me: Can you tell me about something surprising that's happened to you this year?

Him: You know that mainline that blew up on the Lower East Side last spring? Well, I was in Pom Frites (the Belgian Fry Place which was right next door.)

Me: I thought Pom Frites was the place!

Him: It was the place next door - Pom Frites caught on fire, cause, french-fry place. ...so that happened.

Him: I was in there when the place exploded. Not when the fire started, I think that came after. There was pretty much a bunch of shaking - the building next door was demolished immediately, Pom Frites wasn't. So there you go. That was pretty surprising.

A friend of mine intervened...

My Friend: But here's the number one question - have you ever seen a ghost?

Him: No, but my grandma has.

My Friend: Oh, explain!

Him: She said that a white spectral man was in the room with her, just kind of staring. He had a hat on.

Me: Can you give me a lesson or a piece of advice you've gathered in the past year?

Him: If you're talking to someone, things that you say in another language are a lot more flattering than when you say them in your native tongue. So if you were to say  "Nǐ fēicháng piàoliang," - which means "you're very pretty" in Mandarin - that's alright in English, but if you're an American using the Chinese, that's a little more impressive.