I’ve often wondered why the guy who owns the luggage store a few doors down from me comes to work all dressed up. Every day around noon, he walks down Orchard in a suit and newsboy cap with paper and briefcase in hand to open up shop. His wife, who runs the store with him, dresses simply and casually; it’s not really a job that requires your Sunday best.

This morning, as I was walking to the bank to deposit some cash into our bank account, I saw a man dressed in a suit standing outside a building silently passing out flyers. As I strolled by, I thought to myself that it looked a lot like the guy who owned the luggage store a few doors down. On the way back it was unmistakable – we locked glances for a second as I passed. I didn’t wave hello; perhaps I was worried that he’d be embarrassed that I noticed him there working his second job. I wondered to myself whether he had a son who’d end up spending that money on a new pair of Jordans.

It took a chance encounter during my walk through Chinatown to remind me of the immigrant struggle and how much I have to be thankful for. My parents have also made sacrifices to afford me the many opportunities that I have today, and it’s important for me to think back on them every time I feel like I’ve got it tough. Fact is, I’ve got it pretty good.

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On progression (or lack thereof):

If you’re playing something that’s supposed to sound like it’s supposed to be . . . and you’re perfecting this mandatory expression with mandates all around it, it’s nothing more than a statue. Like polishing a statue.”

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Last year, Lily took me to the LES Tenement Museum – we went on a guided tour specifically focused on the garment industry in the early 1900’s (highly recommended, by the way). I found it fascinating to learn that NYC’s first garment district was located in the place where I go to work each day. Since then I’ve been looking around for little remnants that have been under my nose this whole time; I’ll be posting pictures of old signage and storefronts as I find them. Here’s a gate pattern that I found especially interesting – it was the former site of Fine & Klein Handbags, a Lower East Side institution since the 1960’s. When Murray Klein passed away in 2007, the building was put on the market and was purchased by SAS Property Management. According to this article written in 2008, the building was slated to be turned into a boutique hotel – but as of today, it still looks untouched.

This cardboard filing box has accompanied us to all of our Las Vegas tradeshows over the past 5 years. We’ve used it to carry business cards, clipboards, staples and staplers, pens, order forms, linesheets, paper clips, and the random stuff that we bring back (magazines, buttons, stickers, mixtapes, etc). As you can see, it’s served us very well.