In the Shadows of the New Mexican Sun ~ MULTICHRONOTROPIC AVOCADOS

Friday, July 5, 2013

In the Shadows of the New Mexican Sun

Posted by E | 12:04 PM | No comments

There's something strangely alluring about New Mexico. My memories tend to romanticize its dusty landscapes but the fact of the matter is, there's an otherworldly and cinematic quality about them as if you find yourself walking into an old western film or exploring some desert planet in a galaxy far far away. I am fortunate to have family in this frontier state, so when a round trip ticket from NYC to Albuquerque became available for $218 (including taxes), I jumped on it. I knew that come June 1st I'd be freshly unemployed and ready to kill some time until I landed a new job (or flew to Orlando for a family vacation nine days later) so I packed my bags and resolved to take some much needed rest and relaxation out west.
While not exactly New York City, Albuquerque is far from the crime-ridden, downtrodden city depicted in BREAKING BAD - a series which despite its not-so-flattering portrayal of life in the small southwestern metropolis, has been warmly embraced by its lively inhabitants. It's expansive and spacious - or at least seams so to my Brooklynized brain that has been trained to think that a 10 x 11 room is large - and a little hidden gem ripe with cinematic potential. "We're the home to the largest soundstages in North America. Not many people know about that" says Ann from the Albuquerque film office as she walks me into the biggest soundstage I've ever seen. My mind makes a note to shoot a film in Albuquerque at least once - and to find a way to use that soundstage because it's pretty awesome. On our way out, Ann stops by and says hello to everyone at the studio office and the small crew shooting outside. I notice that despite the usual air of production stress hung over the outdoor crew, they are surprisingly pleasant and accommodating and just generally a little more relaxed.
What is this place?
My uncle and aunt take me to a burger joint for dinner and they run into some friends. After making some small talk with them I realized that they are the parents of the husband of one of the founders of the cupcake business that used to work on the same floor next to the tea company I worked for up until June. The cupcake baker was always very nice and would on occasion leave out some baked goods for the floor - a gesture which was much appreciated by everyone trapped in that optimistically-called office building. It was a weird little coincidence that reminded me of how small the world really is and at the same time how long distances can be. If you're wondering, the burger I scarfed down afterwards was a classic New Mexico Green Chile burger that I sincerely recommend if you make it down there.
The rest of my days were interspersed with walks into Old Town to buy handmade rock candy, visits to Santa Fe to take in the beautifully organic and distinctive architecture of the bourgeoning city, and long-deserved afternoon naps on my uncle's porch chair. A much-deserved quiet vacation after a tumultuous year and before a life-changing summer.