Ah Fyodor Dostoyevky, my dream to read your books in their original language is farer and farer!
Little Odessa, Brooklyn,
Little Odessa by James Gray
In 1998, my first time in NY for vacation during 2 weeks, i spent one day in Brighton Beach, the Little Odessa of Brooklyn.
4 years after watching this movie which slapped my face, i wanted to follow the steps of Joshua and Reuben, the characters of the movie and feel the Russian Jewish soul.
The trailer is not terrible.
I walked in Brighton Beach, starting by Coney Island, famous for its old Luna Park.
The beach was empty, we were in September, everyone was back to school.
Then, i followed the boardwalk, and i saw them. These Orthodox Jewish Russians.
We can forget the black grabs, we are in a world of a firework of colors: animal and flower printed clothes and hat, with strasses. Their jewels are very bling bling. The fashion is from the 70s, and so far, nothing has changed.
That's very kitsch, and for the French, totally old fashioned, bad taste, and vulgar.
In winter, there is a competition between fur coats. Probably, which one of them has the coast with the most expensive animals killed on their back. I can't stand that.
Their hair is like choucrouté* (*sauerkraut-ed, in French), a sort of beehive hair as you call it here. Lot of hair spray and perfume, they smell la cocotte* (*tart stinking of cheap perfume).
I am not here to judge the way they dress up because i enjoy seeing that. I am fascinated.
 |
| Man reading in the street, Brighton Beach, July 2014, ©emmarubinstein |
 |
| Pin-up, Brighton Beach, July 2014, ©emmarubinstein |
 |
| Tatiana Brighton Beach, July 2014, ©emmarubinstein |
 |
| Men playing chess when…, Brighton Beach, July 2014, ©emmarubinstein |
 |
| … women gossip, Brighton Beach, July 2014, ©emmarubinstein |
I recommend you to go when there are flea markets, the ladies are all outside for the pleasure of our eyes.
They sell vintage stuffs, and you can find something nice to buy. And that's the best occasion to talk with them.
 |
| Tatiana terrace, Brighton Beach, July 2014, ©emmarubinstein |
 |
| Man who loves his country, Brighton Beach, July 2014, ©emmarubinstein |
 |
| Tatiana terrace, Brighton Beach, July 2014, ©emmarubinstein |
They are not the most friendly people, but with persistence and obviousness, things can happen.
Yesterday, i forgot their unfriendliness, and i talked with them at stores and in the streets.
I have a Russian face, so spontaneously they talk to me in their language. I replied in their mother tongue that i was not speaking Russian very well. We switched in English.
 |
| Flea market besides the shul, Brighton Beach, July 2014, ©emmarubinstein |
 |
| Shul, Brighton Beach, July 2014, ©emmarubinstein |
In the movie, you don't actually see these women. We are more in a black and white dress code, but not Hasidic. It's a drama. The Jewish culture is seen because we are in their apartment, and shul.
It's the most intimate movie of James Gray. The three movies following that one, The Yards, We Own the Night, and Two Lovers are less intimate, but the relationship between a son and his father is always present. His movies are a sort of therapy for the filmmaker. Movie after movie, you can feel that the relationship is better.
 |
| She won the race when…, Brighton Beach, July 2014, ©emmarubinstein |
 |
| … her girlfriends kept on gossiping, Brighton Beach, July 2014, ©emmarubinstein |
The inhabitants are religious, live in community, doesn't speak English very well, but you don't feel their holiness the same way than in Williamsburg. Their wealth is more show off than their religion.
 |
| Shoe repair, Brighton Beach, July 2014, ©emmarubinstein |
 |
| Flowery hat, Brighton Beach, July 2014, ©emmarubinstein |
 |
| Fashion, Brighton Beach, July 2014, ©emmarubinstein |
 |
| Fashion, Brighton Beach, July 2014, ©emmarubinstein |
 |
| Fashion, Brighton Beach, July 2014, ©emmarubinstein |
At a flea market, in 1998, there was a couple selling Russian calendars. The woman refused to sell one to me because i didn't speak Russian. But, in NY $ is $, the husband sold me one.
Since i am here, i have been many times, at any season, to meet them up, sitting on benches besides them. Some couples defended me against meshuga Jewish Russians who asked me for a drink, to go to night-clubs with them… Oh la la!
That was pretty funny.
 |
| Summer boots worn by a Emma Peel from The Avengers, Brighton Beach, July 2014, ©emmarubinstein |
 |
| Golden Magen David and flowers, Brighton Beach, July 2014, ©emmarubinstein |
Another place that i recommend you is Tatiana, the restaurant on the boardwalk. I am not sure if it's Kosher, despite the Jewish population around, because they sell mussels and shrimps.
Go during the day and enjoy the terrace and at night, have your dinner inside.
Most of the time, you can become the witness of a birthday party and weddings in the same room. There is a dance-floor, and all ages dance like crazy.
We made friends with a man besides our table. That was his birthday, he was a butcher. He drank a lot of vodka, and water between two glasses of vodka. I was stunned that, even drunk, he could keep on dancing so intensively. We shared some L'chaim with him.
Yesterday, i was at the terrace, and i met the Dame Peepee at the entry of the restroom. She was a cutie, and became my grand-ma right away. She is Armenian and she doesn't speak English, but with the body language and some Russian, we were able to introduce to each other. Armenians are Christian Orthodox, but i asked her if she was Jewish. I had to draw a Magen David on a napkin because she didn't understand my question. She told me stories but i was out of space with my bad Russian.
But the importance is not what it says but what happens when two persons meet up. There was a friendly chemistry like we knew each other since a long time. She was very tactile. I asked her if i could take a photo of her, and she wanted to be pretty and put some lipstick. :-)
 |
| Giulietta, my Armenian grand-ma, Tatiana, Brighton Beach, July 2014, ©emmarubinstein |
Three years ago, i met a Jewish man, with Russian roots, native New Yorker, who had never been in Coney Island. He was 48. He couldn't imagine the chance he had to go to the beach by subway.
No comments:
Post a Comment