Lesson idea:
Discuss with a partner:
What bizarre, strange, interesting people have you met throughout your life?
What bizarre, strange, interesting people live in your city?
Watch this NYT video.
What bizarre, strange characters can you see in it?
What's funny about them?
Describe them in as much detail as possible or describe what you can see them doing.
Watch again, and answer these questions.
1 How long has Reporter Corey Kilgannon worked for the NYT?
2 How many days a year does Gary Atlas of Brighton Beach swim in the ocean?
3 What two jobs does Sonya de Monacus have?
4 What nationality is the trapeze artist?
5 What's the general perception about New York people?
Key:
1) 15 years; 2) 365; 3) teacher and boxer; 4) French; 5) they are unfriendly
This is the transcript for the clip:
You know, it’s hard to go even a block in this town without meeting all kinds of interesting people.
I’ve written about so many characters in my 15 years in The New York Times, and I’ve met many more. Now I’m going to have a regular column in the Sunday Metropolitan section called Character Study in which I will be able to feature a different character of New York City every week.
Latino street vendors…
I’ll be writing about the people who really make New York New York.
People like Gary Atlas of Brighton Beach, who swims in the ocean 365 days a year.
People like Linda Hutchinson, a Harlem woman who considers herself the second coming of Billie Holiday.
I’m so parallel to everything she’s been to except incarceration and drugs. You know heroine use.
People like Sonya de Monacus a New York City school teacher who is also one of the top-ranked female boxers in the world.
This French boy wonder still have it? Well, let’s see.
You know, it’s a fast-paced and crowded city and there is a perception that New Yorkers can be unfriendly but if you take the time and talk to them usually the opposite is true. Most people can be pretty accommodating and they easily have a good story to tell.
I just put it up on my head and it took like a duck to water.
