when i was ill, it was terrifying to be outside. by ‘outside’ i meant it in the barest minimum – outside of my apartment. but i was also blessed enough that i had a partner at that time during which they would accompany me whenever i needed to be outside – or in other words – when they thought i really should take a walk outside. 

 

as a result, we both compromised. i would go outside, i said, but i cant go further north from school, nor further south from delancey; not further west from bowery, nor further east from second ave or chrystie. that was how petty i was. my partner was an angel. 

 

i live on east first street. and this periphery that i drew for myself was embodied in this bracelet – a chain that i asked for to confine myself. 

 

each charm refers to a physical place. 

 

you see the trash bag pendant with a black elastic band on it. like everyone, i take the trash out as i leave home. 

 

the first thing i see whenever i exit the building is called extra place. where i usually smoke and run into people who stop by with their dogs. there used to be a ‘poetry box’ there that had long been removed. i remember nights when my partner would push the button while i was zoning out and i would get surprised by the voices coming out of it, reading poems, some of which were nice. some of which were sweet. some of which were sad. 

 

during that time i would always see this tall and skinny guy with his fisher hat smoking on the first street. he might live in the same building as i do. but i always, only, saw him on the sides of the street. 

 

bowery could be a bit annoying from first street to the seventh. i am most likely biased because that has been my school commute for five years. hence i didnt make any pendant for anything that is along the way. until you see the clock of the foundation building. 

 

me and my partner enjoyed walking on second ave better. for some reason between the seventh and the first, people on second ave always seem to be slightly more cheerful than the ones you see on bowery (that includes me i guess). 

 

we stopped by sunny’s florist on second ave a lot. it is run by a korean granny. sometimes her son would run the shop for her. they always have flowers that you dont normally run into at delis. and the granny is the kindest florist. this is what the flower charm is dedicated to. 

 

further south on second ave. i go to toy tokyo a lot, for obvious reasons. they sell gacha gacha (toy capsules) (especially the ones made by the company bandai) in sets without the capsules. sometimes i would find some old american toys or trinkets there. i was referred to as ‘the girl who likes tiny toys’ while a guy was working there who had quit his job there a while back. 

 

then the pak pubjab deli on the east side of second ave. my partner always remembered the names of the people who worked there. i always ordered the same thing, curry chicken over rice, large. this charm was very poorly made. i tried to make it look like a symbol of their large plastic container (that serves my curry chicken over rice).

 

 

and we go home. 

 

if i exit home from from bowery, i always take the emergency staircase down. 

 

my partner and i would usually swing by a magazine shop on the east side of bowery, south of houston, to take a look at the visuals on new magazines. 

 

the skirt charm. there is a place on delancey where i shop for second hand clothing at the time. the place was founded by someone who is well connected in the lower east side especially in the fashion or street (brands) scene – affiliated with very specific cliques that include the people they hire to work there as well as kids who grew up in the city during both the 90s and the 00s. 

 

north of chrystie, there is this long strip of playgrounds – ‘houston park’ – called by some older locals, where i watch people play all sorts of sports. or occasionally my partner and i would eat on one of those benches there. 

 

you see the triangle with two tiny footprints on it? do you know that little triangular island that sits at the centre where houston, chrystie, and second ave all meet? because there are two sets of traffic lights, nine out of ten times you will need to wait on that little island. it is an extra stop you have to make. 

 

when i get home, there are usually dogs and puppies running around in the lobby. i watch them sometimes. jobi who works here would always play with them. he himself has a dog now as well. i walked her twice. her name is hunter.