Unlimited Free Space: Comprehensive Waterfront Plan
| SHANTI |
So, what other questions haven't I answered? |
| ND |
Do you see any limits to the unity of ambiance - either on the waterfront or in general? |
|
SHANTI |
That's an interesting question - if I heard it right. At least, what flashed through my mind. We don't have too much internal water. We have Central Park lake. And a couple of pools. It'd be very interesting to put more water into Manhattan so that you don't have just the east and the west rivers - or do more elaborate... When they build these modern edifices, do you notice they put in these large atriums? Some of them have cascading water. |
| VJ |
[laughs, points to orchids floating past on the water] |
|
SHANTI |
Now, isn't that a trip? Thank you for bringing that to our attention. And that's fresh! Somebody must have had an impulsive moment. A gesture. "Let me adorn!" Now, that's wonderful! That's a perfect answer to your question. You see? We have fireworks once a year. Why don't we have flower works? Why don't we have flower shows? Why don't we have floats coming down the water instead of all this debris? |
| BK |
Yeah. |
| SHANTI |
I like that. That's a good one. |
| BK |
That's a good one. Yeah. |
| SHANTI |
And I didn't make it up. You see? It just came here. |
| VJ |
A good idea. Drifting down. |
| SHANTI |
It's a damned good one. Okay, I got another one now. You could have barges. Floating barges with - instead of flowers - because flowers are cut - and they don't last if it took a week to get to the ocean. Because what's happening is that the water comes up. It comes here, it goes down. This is salt water here. There's a line beyond which it doesn't remain salty. I don't know where it is. Do you know? |
| ND |
No, we've been trying to figure that out. |
| SHANTI |
You don't have to. You should be able to get that answer from the EPA. You should literally be able to get that answer. At any rate, barges - instead of with cut flowers - with growing trees and - |
| ND |
Floating parks. |
| SHANTI |
Yes, exactly. Floating parks. |
| BK |
Floating parks. |
|
SHANTI |
You could have floating parks. In fact, instead of just floating around Manhattan - you know - sailing that stupid trip around the island, where they take massive amounts of people and charge them a handsome amount of money? |
| VJ |
[points at two sets of orchids] The flowers are almost together now. |
| SHANTI |
That's alright. That's a love affair.
They belong together. They came together. Very good, very good.
There should be music - and there oughtta be more lights - light shows,
laser lights - there oughtta be wonderful laser light shows. Want some more? I mean, I can - I hope they do some of this. As an angel, I would enjoy seeing a light show from up there. |
| BK |
Yeah? |
| SHANTI |
Absolutely. I'm sure there'll be plenty up there that I wish that you guys could see. |
| VJ |
We will, eventually. |
| SHANTI |
Yeah. I know, I know, I know. It's the coming attractions. |
| ND |
Do you think that this country club of Manhattan is an inevitability or - |
| SHANTI |
It's inevitable. |
| ND |
Or would you like to see any other eventualities? |
| SHANTI |
If someone will give me some other ideas. I'm not adverse to either incorporating them, or eliminating mine. If i think about it long enough - don't forget that most of this is off the top of my head, most of it. The laser light show or - the holograms. Just think of what you could do. Do I see any other option? |
| ND |
These things that you're talking about - I understand. I'm not associating the laser light shows or the flower barges with the country club idea. I see those as other alternatives. |
| SHANTI |
I see that also. We gotta do something about entertaining the people. Even the rich folks deserve it. After all, they hang out with computers all day, they might as well get a kick out of something natural. The whole world is gonna be computers. We gotta do something about maintaining nature or, taking advantage of how we can erect monuments to it in the steel jungle that we have. If you start to think about it, you might need floating barges in order to even have nature with what they're doing to the city. We can tear down all of these - or gut them - reestablish, rebuild them. I'm not into bombing out the place but, when you erect these nice buildings, you can have all kinds of gardens there. |
| ND |
Do you have any encounters with people on the waterfront? |
| SHANTI |
All the time. |
| BK |
All the time. |
| SHANTI |
All the time. I have encounters - encounters is a peculiar word - it has a kind of negative valence to it. |
| ND |
I mean positive or negative. |
| SHANTI |
Positive or negative? No negative. Only positive. |
| BK |
Yeah? |
| SHANTI |
That's my experience. I believe in magnetic energy. I do. I really do. If you're into joy, you'll find it. Look how i found you guys. It wasn't very difficult. |
| VJ |
[laughs] |
| SHANTI |
Very often, he's the catalyst. [looks at her dog] |
| ND |
Yeah? |
| SHANTI |
Well, it's too warm for him to respond
to people lately. I must have been magnetically drawn. I would have
normally hung out a little longer. But, I decided to come back.
And in going back, you started moving forward. And if you hadn't,
I'd've caught up with you anyway. [cell phone rings] You wanna answer your phone? |
| ND |
Yes. Pardon me. |
| VJ |
We'd like to take a picture of you and issue you one of our cards. It's a certificate to make you an unlimited specialist in unlimited free space. |
| SHANTI |
That's great! I love it! Wonderful! It's great! |
| VJ |
Can we take a picture of you? |
| SHANTI |
How can I resist such a temptation? Should I cut my hair or do something to make me look a little human? |
| VJ |
You're great. You look great. |
| SHANTI |
Can I have him with me? Puppy? Puppy? |
| VJ |
You have to hold him right up to your face because we're gonna cut the picture. |
| SHANTI |
Puppy? You wanna share the limelight? Come here lover. Come on. |
| VJ |
Ready? |
| SHANTI |
Yeah. Did you do it? |
| VJ |
Lemme take another one that we can keep. This one's for you. |
| ND |
[answers the phone] We're interviewing someone right now... At about 97th on the waterfront... Huh? We know what time it is... |
| SHANTI |
Where's your home base here? |
| VJ |
Mine's on 38th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues. Norman is staying with me at the moment. |
| BK |
I'm on 1st avenue between 21st and 22nd Streets. |
| SHANTI |
And do you work everyday? Five days a week? |
| BK |
For now, we're continuously - |
| SHANTI |
All the way down to the Battery. You started off at - |
| BK |
42nd Street. |
| SHANTI |
No. You couldn't have started from 42nd Street. You're working your way up. |
| VJ |
The other way round. We're going down now. |
| SHANTI |
Okay. So, you've been to 42nd Street and you worked your way up. Now you're going down - |
| VJ |
We been to 42nd street and we went down to Battery Park - up on the east side - up to the top - |
| SHANTI |
Oh - you're almost finished with your trip. |
| BK |
Yeah. |
| SHANTI |
How many people are you supposed to interview? |
| ND |
We have no specific number. |
| VJ |
Where's the scissors? |
| ND |
You put them in my bag? |
| VJ |
Here they are. [looking at the photo] This is so fantastic. Isn't this a fantastic picture? You look like an angel already. You're like halfway into the sky. It's like you're dissolving into the background. |
| SHANTI |
[looks at the photo] Oh my god! Have you been sent? |
| BK |
[looking at the photo] Look how physical Norman is in comparison. |
| SHANTI |
Isn't that amazing? How did that happen. |
| VJ |
Fantastic! Wow! |
| SHANTI |
Are you sure? Mr Innocent here. This is great. |
| BK |
It's great. |
| SHANTI |
Lemme see your - [looks at another photo] Oh! Look at that interesting face. Oh, yes! That's an interesting conversation. |
| VJ |
Then, we need to take your name. |
| SHANTI |
What does it go into? |
| VJ |
This is yours. |
| SHANTI |
Oh, the name. Shanti Rica. s-h-a-n-t-i. s-h-a-n-t-i. r-i-c-a. r-i-c-a. you got it. a-a-a-a. |
| VJ |
A. |
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Modified December 23, 1997