stefano giovannini’s journals

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April 09, 2010

I was biking bike home and I turned left from Myrtle ave into Skillman instead of the usual Bedford ave. The traffic was stopped and I could see a crowd around a schoolbus.

A Mexican delivery person on a bike got hit by school bus. He appeared unhurt but shocked as he almost got ran over. He filed no report with the police. He needed an interpreter as he spoke no english even if he worked for the  kosher butcher Simon’s just around the corner. The Hasidic  kids surrounded me as they wanted to see the pictures I took. They appeared very curious after an initial suspicion. I had to tell them I was not Jewish and from Italy which is in Europe and it was a bit confusing, I asked the kids how many siblings they had and they replied “between 3 and 4 or so”. But someone said they know of a family of 15 kids and another one where the israeli mother has 20 children.

They wanted my business card but I told them I could only give it to a parent. There was a mother with a balck turban at the window, I gave her my info and told her I would email the photos.

A few blocks down took photo of chair in the window and hasidic woman told me it would be a nicer picture if her 2 year old daughter would be sitting on it but she was now asleep.

I remember in 1997 I was going to a loft party in the area and the Hasidic women would not even stop when I asked for directions. Now they are ok at being photographed sometimes and have Mexicans with big crosses on their chests working for them by doing deliveries or selling flowers.