Early days in NYC – Mom and Dad visit: When I first came to NYC from new zealand in 1991 (I had visited in 1988 but less than a month) it was to study Philosophy at Columbia University. New York is of course, an expensive town and the small financial stipend I got from Columbia as part of my scholarship needed supplementation, so I began working in bars and nightclubs as a bouncer. A few years later my dear Mom and Dad came all the way from New Zealand to see me – I had told them I did some extra work around town but did not tell them what it entailed I had arranged to see them and visit the Statue of Liberty and the old World Trade Center – I lived in Harlem at the time and arranged to come downtown and meet them to be the guide. I canceled work the night before because I was worried there would be a night of fighting and I would have to show up to see them with black eyes, cuts or broken nose! All went to plan until at 11pm I got a phone call from a bouncer friend imploring me to replace him for a family emergency at the last minute and take his spot – he had helped me in the past so I had to do it – but the promotion he was working for was legendarily violent even by early 90's NYC standards! I showed up in the middle of a giant brawl and we fought continuously until beyond closing time at 4am! The whole time all I thought about was not getting hit in The face Finally the night came to closing time and I started to relax and say “I made it!” When a last scuffle broke out trying to get people to leave – I got hit in the back of the head with a thrown bottle and cut Luckily in those days I had hair!! When I woke up the next day I had a big lump, bruise and cut – but hidden underneath my hair so all was well!! Here I am with Mom (Mum for my NZ and Aussie readers) and Dad admiring old New York with a clean face and telling them about how safe i was in NYC studying at University
