I believe Walker Evans’ subway portraits was an interesting view on the urban environment of New York City of that time. His style of photography, in today’s words are known as “off-guards”. Off-guards are great for photographers, because it allows them to capture their subject in a natural (practically vulnerable) state. His method of capturing the photos in my opinion were unorthodox. Usually people would like to be asked for consent to have pictures taken of them. The idea of someone taking random pictures of yourself is sure to stir up some sort of discomfort, especially in today’s society where privacy is much more of a concern. However, I believe Evans’ project rendered him helpless to any other options of picture taking. In his photos, you can see hard working, sad, tired, and sometimes emotionless faces. Not expecting to have a photo taken, none have a “picture perfect” pose or smile. These facial expressions are very similar to the faces of those on New York City trains today. The people of yesterday and today, in NYC are “working people”. The train riders in these photos, are citizens of the “city that never sleeps” . Its shown in their faces and posture. Walker Evans has done an outstanding job in capturing these photos

I can see the similarity between the Subway Portraits taken during the Great Depression and those of the faces of subway riders today.  From what I can tell, the looks on those photographed and the looks of the commuters i see everyday, is that we are just trying to get from point A to point B.  What happens between point A and Point B is simply this, you swipe your metrocard , a reminder of the ever raising fares for services that does not change,a variety of people from all different points of life, all with their own story, each with one thing in common. Everyone is subjected  to the  confines of a tight space, lined with rows of seats and the sharp unpleasant noise of metal wheels on metal tracks. It is a coexistence that takes place in a given time frame, granted there is no delays , which there always are, searching for a smile in a sea of faces, hearing several different conversations, child’s being loud, babies crying,the overall the ultimate test of patience and tuning out everything into background noise.  You have time on your hands, time that can be spent on taking a nap, listening to music, reading a book, thinking about your problems, that exam you need to study for, those bills that need to get paid and what have you.  Now if I were to discreetly photograph the people i see on the train, it would be no suprise to me that their expressions are of those commuters some 80 years ago.  Although the fasions may change,the trains may change, the state of our country may change, those expressions on subway commuter’s faces may not.

Breakfast is said to be the most important meal of the day for many reasons and I agree. One being that it helps your body rejuvenate from the hours of sleep you endure overnight and the amount of nutrients not being obtained while you’re asleep , another reason is to help your body function and help you maintain a good mood in the morning. When I first read the article on the New York Times , what interested me was the fact that these kids were basically having mini entrees for breakfast when I would just wake up and grab a quick cup of juice and be on my way. Being a college student and working doesn’t allow much time to sit and make breakfast every morning or every other morning but I do admire the nutrients that children around the world are receiving each and every morning , it makes me realize that breakfast is essential and I should start to practice incorporating this meal into my schedule .Breakfast is said to be the most important meal of the day for many reasons . One being that it helps your body rejuvenate from the hours of sleep you endured and the amount of nutrients not being obtained when you’re asleep , another reason is to help your body function and help you retain a good mood . When I first read the article on the New York Times , what interested me was the fact that these kids were basically having mini entrees for breakfast when I would just wake up and grab a quick cup of juice and be on my way. Being a college student and working doesn’t allow much time to sit and make breakfast every morning or every other morning but I do admire the nutrients that children around the world are receiving each and every morning , it makes me realize that breakfast is essential and I should start to practice incorporating this meal into my schedule .

After reading the article rise and shine, i couldn’t believe what kids around the world have for breakfast. It is very fascinating because in america most people don’t have time to prepare such a nice breakfast due to work and school. I been told many times by my parents that never skip breakfast because it is very important and it keeps your day going. Most of the time i would always skip breakfast because sometimes i would get a stomachache since i am not use to eating in the morning. But when i do i would always get a toasted bagel with cream cheese and a cup of coffee to start my day. Honestly american breakfast is only sugary depending on how you want it. Most people love to add tons of sugar into their coffee, a large amount of syrup to their waffles/pancakes or even eating a bowl of sugary cereal. But for me i like my breakfast simple and plain.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day so therefore it is very essential. if I don’t have breakfast to jump start my day I feel very tired and unfocused. I don’t eat anything to big but a bagel and coffee, croissants or instant oatmeal. We tend to have unhealthy breakfast because we do not have the time to stop and make a healthy breakfast. This even happen with parents so children normally eat cereal or a fruit nothing big or essential because of the constant rush to get kids dress for school and yourself for work.

I was born and raised in a country called Guyana, located in South America for until t was about 12 years old. before I moved to the States.  What we ate for breakfast is totally different from what is eaten here, the breakfast there is usually consisted of highly unprocessed starchy foods. Breakfast is truly the most important meal in a highly manual/physical labored workforce in country like Guyana in the early 90’s. Lunch and  dinner tended to be a lot lighter than breakfast.

Some of my favorite breakfast foods are:

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Tennis Roll with Cheese – A tennis roll is similar to a dinner roll, but is slightly bigger and the dough is rich, making the tennis roll chewy. buttery and compliments a slice of local cheese very well.

Bake and Salt Fish –  A “Bake” is a West Indian fried bread, usually served with salt fish, that has been soaked for a day or two to get rid of the very strong salt flavor and to rehydrate the fish. The fish is then sautéed with onions, tomatoes, seasonings and peppers.

Or for a vegetarian option. there is  “callaloo” and it is another popular option. Callaloo is similar to collard greens. The leafs are also sautéed with tomatoes, seasonings and peppers.

This has to be my absolute favorite breakfast ever! It’s called “Dosa” . It is similar to a pancake, but is much more denser and savory. Dosa can be served with various sauces, salsas or reductions. My love eating Dosa with Masala potatoes, served with a spicy green mango reduction.

Papaya is a very popular fruit to eat after a breakfast meal, it is excellent for aiding in digestion and very nutritious.  Papaya is easily cultivated and can be grown in the backyard.

A West Indian breakfast is not complete without a cup of milo or ovaltine, a delicious cup of hot coco that is filled with tons of vitamins.

While I do not consider breakfast an important meal for myself, I do consider it to be important for my son. I sometimes have some bread and cheese or a yogurt with my morning coffee but always make sure that my son eats before leaving the house. Most weekday mornings do not leave enough time to put together a proper meal, so he usually has leftovers from dinner or might grab a piece of homemade bread or cake (there is always something freshly made) as he has little interest in sugary cereals, waffles, eggs or any of the other common breakfast foods.

On the weekends however, we try to do it right! This is a photo of one of our recent family breakfasts. Smoked white fish, salmon and sable, pickled herring, pickled beets, olives, egg salad, white fish salad and bagels.