The holy bus

These last days, i spend time with numbers: 770.
And the last one is 110.
What's that?
The B110.

Those who are not familiar with the Hasidic community, it's a bus, mainly for Hasidim.
The B110 belongs to a private company. It goes from Williamsburg to Boro Park and likewise in the opposite way.
It's an old bus. It's different from the Ohel bus: there are more peyos men.

My beloved rascals, september 2014, ©emmarubinstein

Three men in the wind, september 2014, ©emmarubinstein

I asked a woman at the stop if the bus was working all day. I scared her apparently. Or she didn't speak English.
I waited for it silently.
There it was! I closed my jacket, i didn't have a cleavage. But you could see my skin.

Two men from different sects shaking hands, september 2014, ©emmarubinstein

A yellow alien, september 2014, ©emmarubinstein

Bouquet on the shoulder, september 2014, ©emmarubinstein

The driver that day, was a Chinese man. He doesn't touch the money. You can't use your Metrocard, thus you pay $3, one way.
On my way back from Boro Park, the Chinese driver was connected to the radio, and replied to a man in Chinese. Some Chinese people speak very loud. He was speaking very loud. I didn't pay attention at the beginning. I thought it was a Hasidic who was talking on the phone in Yiddish. But the Chinese man couldn't stop speaking. Nobody asked him to shut up. I felt that the ones who were reading their holy book was irritated a little. They seem to get used to this driver.
Do you know this Yiddish joke?
"Mr. Cohen was amazed as the Chinese waiter in the kosher restaurant took his order in perfect Yiddish. At the end of the meal, he went over to the owner and asked him: "How did you ever get a Chinaman so dedicated to his job that he was willing to learn Yiddish?" "Sha!," answers the boss, "he thinks we're teaching him English."

Bochurim in B110, september 2014, ©emmarubinstein

The women knew that i was not Hasidic. I was wearing black clothes but my hair and the way i dress betrayed me. They saw me sometimes taking photos.

Woman praying in B110, september 2014, ©emmarubinstein

Another beloved rascal, september 2014, ©emmarubinstein

Curling the peyos is an art, september 2014, ©emmarubinstein

There are a few stops in Willy, then we took the highway. The bus was packed, for my biggest pleasure. All these peyos drove me crazy. I don't talk about my hormones, though!
A bochur stared at me many times. He was not scared of being seen. Me either! I wanted to smile at him, but if he smiles back, he might be into troubles.

I felt like in a shul. Some women were praying, talking to each other, or on the phone, eating… But i felt the holiness better than in 770.
Nobody asked me for tzedaka like in 770.
A first woman who sat besides me was praying.
I listened to the silence of Hashem.
The second one was with her baby. She was very cold, and i didn't feel her happy.

I took this bus, not knowing where my stop will be. I felt so well that i can stay all day in that bus.
When the woman saw me looking for the direction, she offered me her help. She smiled finally. She was probably tired with the baby. We went down at the same stop.

I spent time in Boro Park, in the Judaica store, looking at the books. They have a good choice of different Jewish subjects.

On my way back, the bus was less packed, so i could move on my two seats to take photos.

I felt disconnected of New York.
I imagined me in Yerushalayim.
I was smiling, when drivers on the highway look at the bus coming from hasidic outer space.

I like being where i can't be. You don't understand? I like being surrounded by a culture that i enjoy learning, knowing that i can't be one of them, i.e. Hasidic. Only Orthodox!
They don't bother me. I can bother them by taking photos.
Most of the time i don't know exactly what i take in photo. That's Hashem surprise.
I took many photos that day, but i post a few today.
Some from before i took the B110, then the bus.
In the next weeks, i will post the other ones from Boro Park and Willy again.

Shana Tova! 3 days without showering for you! :-)
I can hug you tonight, and maybe tomorrow morning.
Friday and Saturday, i will need oxygen. :-)
Love you guys, and Shana Tova! :-)

Honey peyos on Big Apple, september 2014, ©emmarubinstein