charles le brigand's photostream  

Jef is a Rastafarian, member of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. This rasta branch is considered the most liberal and unlike the other groups (Bobo Shanti and Nyahbinghi) they accept Jesus Christ as Lord, and Haile Selassie I as his reincarnation on earth. Altought a bit grave on the picture, Jef was actually very pleasant and especially talkative about Dennis Brown, "The Crown Prince of Reggae".

Today is the birthday of a very special man. Shifu Shi Yan Ming is a 34th Generation Shaolin Temple Warrior Monk. He began training as a disciple at the age of 5 in the Shaolin Temple of the Hunan Province in China. While on tour in the US in the early 80's, he took the decision to escape after his last performance and started a new life in New York City. Today, Shifu is the founder and Abbot of the USA Shaolin Temple, where he trains people’s minds and bodies to be soft as cotton and hard as steel.

Training with Shifu is a true privilege, it is like learning to play the trumpet with Miles Davis. He teaches me to embrace pain, to push myself and to celebrate everyday like it was Christmas. Amituofo Shifu!

Joel was handing out flyers for an income tax service in Bed-Stuy.

Kuma is undeniably one of my NYC writers. His work brings a feeling of familiarity even in the weirdest places like the Batcave or the Freedom Tunnel. This one can be seen at the old Bushwick industrial train tracks.