Boston Women's Wrestling

For my first assignment in Advanced Photojournalism, I shot a comedic women's wrestling performance at Harper's Ferry, a bar in Allston, MA. The Boston League of Women's Wrestlers (BLOWW) took on another league known as La Gata Negra. Both groups consist of various characters who call themselves "luchadoras," based on the Mexican wrestling style.

September 14, 2007 – Swiss Fist, a La Gata Negra wrestler, shows off Swiss Miss packets of hot chocolate before her match at Harper’s Ferry in Allston on Thursday night. A packet was later used against her by Boston League of Women Wrestlers opponent, The Wrathalie (not pictured), who pinned her down and poured it in her face to win. Swiss Fist is one of many comedic performers in the La Gata Negra wrestling league.

September 14, 2007 - La Gata Negra wrestler Swiss Fist holds back Boston League of Women Wrestlers opponent, The Wrathalie, as her sidekick, Saint Brawley Girl, fails an attempt to spray beer in the “luchadora’s” face in a match at Harper’s Ferry in Allston on Thursday night. The comedic staged bout ended with the Wrathalie winning by emptying a packet of Swiss Miss into the face of Swiss Fist, who lost by means of her own weapon.

September 14, 2007 – Swiss Fist, a La Gata Negra “luchadora”, traps her opponent, The Wrathalie, of rival Boston League of Women’s Wrestlers, in a submission technique known as an arm-bar at Harper’s Ferry in Allston on Thursday night. Despite this maneuver and earlier help from her tag-team partner, Saint Brawley Girl (not pictured), Swiss Fist lost the match by means of her own secret weapon, a packet of Swiss Miss hot chocolate mix, which was poured on her face by The Wrathalie.

September 14, 2007 – Fueled by the music of Panty Raid, the official band of Boston League of Women Wrestlers (BLOWW), The Wrathalie, a BLOWW wrestler, sits on the face of her opponent, Swiss Fist, who is wrestling for rival league, La Gata Negra, at Harper’s Ferry in Allston, MA. The Wrathalie won the match by pouring Swiss Miss hot chocolate mix in the face of Swiss Fist. The leagues, each with their own characters and matches, perform such comedic performances in bars around Boston.

September 14, 2007 - After stealing a packet of Swiss Miss hot chocolate mix from Swiss Fist, a La Gata Negra wrestler, The Wrathali, part of rival Boston League of Women Wrestlers (BLOWW), pours the contents onto Swiss Fist’s face and throws it into the crowd during a wrestling match at Harper’s Ferry in Allston on Thursday night. As Panty Raid, BLOWW’s band, wails in the background, the Wrathalie wins the match.

A Walk Down Broadway

Live music on a street corner.

Coney Island Mermaid Festival

I dont know much about this event, but the people were quite interesting to say the least. It was also my last chance to see Coney Island before restoration.

DVD Hustler

A few weeks ago, I was riding the subway and this man came on with a gigantic black bag. Once the train began to move, he began to speak. Nearly everyone around me was captivated by his salesmanship. He is not an ordinary bootleg DVD vendor - he is a businessman.

To prove to his audience that his movies were legit (i.e. good quality, stable camera, and no one's head popping up), he carried a portable DVD player with him. The reason he was so memorable was because of his slogan, "You can play before you pay." He went on boasting,"They say that 'Nobody beats the Wiz' folks, but I clearly do." After he made this announcement in English, he went on to perform the routine in Spanish and then French - the latter he had clearly just learned for this job.

Graffiti Hall of Fame: 106th & Park

I made a trip to the legendary 106th and Park a few weeks ago - the official site of the Graffiti Hall of Fame, which consists of a few walls that enclose a basketball court in Harlem. Apparently, there was a time when it was repainted annually. I was disappointed to see the following sights when I arrived.

Pieces were literally pealed off the wall in pieces. To the right one can see that amateurs wanting their chance at fame took the liberty of redecorating. Extending left is the main wall of the park, spanning about 50 yards, and standing a good 10 tall. Most of lower perimeter of this collaborative graffiti masterpiece is covered in such vandalism.

The walls have been covered so many times, the layers reveal themselves in the paint chips.

Rumor has it that the walls were repainted on June 30. Stay tuned for an update if this is true.

Introduction: NYC Life Thus Far

Self Portrait with lens & 59st Bridge/East River.

Despite my initial reluctance to join this modern form of self-expression, I have succumbed. As I write, I begin to play my own minuscule role in the online world. My main excuse for doing so: I don't know what else to do with all the pictures I take.

The following is a glimpse at my life this summer thus far. Enjoy.