Hello Brooklyn!

The sound of Salsa music, horns honking and loud conversations woke me up out of my sleep. The entire week had been fun-filled and this was my first comfortable rest. I looked out of the deep-paned windows and saw the sun beaming off the brick wall on the building across the street. I'm use to quieter Sundays but I had no complaints. It was actually quiet refreshing. This weekend I took a drive to New York to visit my big sister, Nicky, who lives in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn. I live in South Jersey so the drive wasn't too bad. My sisters memory foam mattress is the best mattress I've slept on in a long time and considering the fact that I have one rises some questions for me. Like where the hell she got hers from?! Hanging from a rod in front of the windows is her collection of purses. It's a healthy amount. Not like the shameful trunk on the floor of my closet full of purses most of which I don't even wear. The light grey that decorates her walls reminds me of my own room except her's is much more spacious, neater and tranquil. I felt like that little sister that prefers her big sister's things more than her own. And she was such a gracious host. Besides sharing her room and tee shirt, since I forgot something to sleep in( true Krystal fashion) she shared her city with me as well.This wasn't my first time visiting Brooklyn but it was my first time experiencing it.


My first night there we uber'd from Brooklyn to Harlem to eat at Solomon and Kuff, a Caribbean restaurant down by the Hudson River. It was a bit pricy but hey that's New York for you plus the food was ah-ma-zing. I had the ox tails, rice and beans and sweet plantains. You definitely get what you pay for in taste, portion and ambiance. After dinner, we took a stroll by the river where there were children playing, couples enjoying each other, older folks listening to music, young ladies striking their best pose for the camera and of course the smell of loud was ever present. On the way home, she pointed out other places in Harlem she wants to visit with me when I come back and I was excited and bright-eyeded like a true tourist.


Once we got back to her apartment we relaxed for about an hour and than headed out to Bed Stuy to listen to DJ Rich Medina's set featuring Lady Alma at C'mon Everybody. Now, I wasn't familiar with either artist but they tore it down. The whole house music scene is its own culture.

 Lady Alma

Blacks, Whites, Asians, the hip, the nerdy, the polished and the "little ruff around the edges" were all in attendance jamming with one goal in mind. To experience a good vibe; and that it was. Neither one of us are use to hanging out too late anymore so by 2am the only dancing we wanted to do was in our dreams.




In the morning, after we both got ourselves together, we took an uber to Sweet Chick on Bedford Ave to have brunch. There was a 30 minute wait so to kill time we walked around to check out the brownstones in Park Slope. I wanted to scream out "And stay off my stoop" so bad. 🤣 Shout out to Crooklyn.

Back at Sweet Chicks, it looked like a scene out of the HBO series Insecure. The crowd was mostly hip, black millennials and the food was great. I had the shrimp and grits with a grape soda (ode to my blackness LOL) Nicky had the ricotta pancakes with a side of bacon and lemonade. After brunch I headed back home to my baby Jersey but my BK visit with sissy was everything.

I really wish I would have taken more picture because my weekend getaway sparked my new hobby idea. TRAVELING!! Whether its long distant like my recent vacation to the Dominican Republic (blog post coming soon) or a local staycation, I want to travel and see this world.


Stayed tuned!!

Me and Nicky



Thoro Gem Thrusday: Theresa Patricia Okoumou

"Well-behaved women seldom make history"

-Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

Here's the thing, I never encourage breaking the law(clears throat) but sometiiiiiimes, you gotta say to hell with the rules and take a stand......or sit.


And that is just what this week's TGT feature did. Yesterday, July 4th, wearing a "Trump Care Makes Us Sick" tee shirt, jeans and pink sneakers, Theresa Patricia Okoumou climb onto the base of the Statue of Liberty and planted herself at the hem of Lady Liberty's dress in protest of the separation of migrant families and declared she would not come down until all the children are released.


Theresa Okoumou,a Congolese immigrant is a member of the organization Rise and Resist, who was also on site to protest ICE. After nearly three hours, officers detained an unharmed Theresa and she is due to appear in the Manhattan Federal Court to face possible misdemeanor charges such as trespassing, disorderly conduct and violating national park regulations.


Personally, I see nothing wrong with the action she took. I'm glad that she wasn't injured or worst because that's always a factor but how is her stand for justice any different from the March on Selma, lunch-counter sit ins, Bus Boycotts, and most recently the removal of the confederate flag by Bree Newsome who climbed a 30 foot steel pole to remove the banner. How Sway? How is Theresa any different?  When it comes to an act that takes place to STOP an inhumane practice and/or treatment, like I said earlier in the post, sometimes you gotta say to hell with the rules and take a stand. My only question is how the hell did she get up there?


Strong and brave in the face of adversity, Theresa Patricia Okoumou, you truly are a thoro gem!