Electric Daisy Carnival 2012

Yo homies, I don't own this picture.  This came from here.  Fo'shizzle.

Despite my eccentric exterior, I've always shied away from partying. Why? Well...

1. I hate drunk people. You have no idea how much I hate being around drunk people, it simply infuriates me.
2. Drugs! Ahhh! Nooo... Nononono. Drugs creep me out. I hate messing around with my perception of reality (and don't you dare come to me with philosophical bullshit about what is reality). Hell, looking at those optical illusions that give you swirly vision sends me screaming out of terror. 
3. Sexual assault and rape. I've heard many stories of people being touched inappropriately, drugged and raped, etc... This was probably my biggest fear seeing as I have faced sexual harassment in the past and I'd hate for that to escalate into something worse. It angers me that many men think that they are entitled to another woman's body just because she's partying or dressed skimpy. Let us have fun, you pigs. 

However, this party was the most fun I've had in a long time! Two of the previous worries did not happen, for I didn't get involved with any drunk people, and I nobody touched me or said anything inappropriate. However I think I saw some people dealing drugs and for the first time in my life I saw a CLOUD OF MARIJUANA . HOLY SHIT. It was so weird! It was like witnessing a behemoth one would hear of in the old stories of our ancestors. Also, a lot of people were smoking legally, which is more ew than marijuana. I find it hard to dance when my breathing is cut short by cigarette smoke. Please, go to the marijuana cloud with the other smokers.

Though the act I wanted to see was Kaskade, he was going to appear at 3 a.m., and me still being under-age with a responsible mother, was allowed to stay until 12. Still the music was GREAT! I danced like CRAZY! You know a party's great when it's raining, you're covered in sweat and you don't care. I'm apalled by the number of people that just wave their hands, shake their heads, fistpump and call it "dancing". Come on! Let loose! Nobody's focusing on how you dance, so go crazy!

Talking about boring people, I've read that EDC is a playground of ravers and Kandi Kids. This made me very giddy, because I know I've made it obvious already, but I LOVE urban tribes, especially the ones that dress crazy. Yet, a lot of people were dressed as if they were going to the beach! There were almost no ravers or Kandi Kids in sight! I also lost count of how many guys were wearing the same "Sex, Drugs and Dubstep" shirt that's sold at Hot Topic. Yet again, it's an electronic fest, one must expect some douche-baggy types of people. Meh. However, this makes me appreciate even more the people that dressed crazy for EDC. I even saw some cyber goths, I think. I remember that guy dressed as a mouse that was only wearing blue underwear. Props to that guy. Props to all the people that dressed fantastic for this year's EDC. No props to anyone that wore Native American gear. Take your cultural-appropriating ass back home.

Here's the story of how my night went:
So my mum knows the guy that organises this whole shindig, and he told me I'd be on "the list", and that I didn't have to buy a ticket. I said "hip, hip, hooray!" and told all of my friends. He said that I had to show my ID, and I didn't have one, so I went and got an official government ID.

My friend who lived in Germany for a year brought me some cyberlox and I was planning to wear them to EDC, I bought some new make-up and I dyed my hair black to match the lox. However, time passed quickly between me dyeing my hair and buying some things because next thing I know, my friend came to pick me up! I did my make-up quickly. I covered 1/4 of my eyebrows and did Spock-brows with dramatic cat-eye and black lipstick. I wore a crop top with a mesh shirt underneath with some faux-leather shorts and fishnets with a garter belt. I accesorised  with a chain-and-lock necklace and a fuzzy little feather purse. I didn't have the time to cut the lox and put them on (Oh, poo). I did this all quickly and rushed down to my friend C, and she wasn't angry at all, God bless her little soul.

We drove all excited because it was our first time going to EDC, and all of our friends were there. We arrived, and took the little golf cart-pool to the pier. We arrive the entrance and I tell the guys there that I'm on the list, my friend shows her ticket and we walk allll the way to the pier. The guys told us that I had to talk to a chick named Andrea. When we arrive, I go to the Andrea chick, I drop the organiser's name and tell her that I'm on the list. "Are you a bartender?" she asks. I reply with "no" and she says that it's the wrong list, because the invited people list was allll the wayyy back in the ticket booth. I grumble, and my friend accompanies me back to the ticket booth. I go to the ticket booth and I tell the lady inside that I'm on the list and she asks me: "Which one?" Then I saw that there were many lists! Oh, goodness! Our organiser friend didn't tell us that there were many lists, much less WHICH list I was in! I guess that I would be in the backstage/staff list, and I'm not on it! So I had to buy the 56$ ticket. I go back to my friend, and guess what, she lost her ticket! She told me that some bastard must have snatched  it from her pocket. The poor girl was crying and calling her mum to pick her up. I didn't think it was fair for me to go because if it weren't for me, she would have been having fun. I offered her my ticket two times, and she refused both offers. She told me that her night was ruined and that she didn't want to go any more. I accompanied her until her mum picked her up. I felt so guilty. If it weren't for me and the stupid "list" bullshit, we wouldn't have gone up and down and have her lost her ticket. I should have told her to go to the party before me so I could get my ticket, instead I had her accompany me and have her lose her ticket.



I walked all the way back because the golf-cartpool was taking too long (stupid tourists that took my place even though I was waiting there before them). Then I found myself upon some other friends of mine and they accompanied me to the entrance. Yay! I wasn't going alone! We held on to each other because there was a LOT of people. I was very pumped up because of the music that was playing while we waited in line. I did get a little worried though, because nobody was checking the metal detectors (what if somebody entered with a gun or a knife?!) As we entered I had to do MORE walking, until we were finally in the party. Our group was waiting for more people, until I found myself with my friend Ana. Then I bid them adieu, and stayed with Ana for the rest of the night.

Let me tell you that majority of EDC is looking for your friends than actual dancing, or at least that was for me because that's what Ana and I were doing most of the night. It was "searching for our friends with a few bouts of dancing". I danced in the AXE cage (also a great tool to look for your friends!), and danced like a fuckin' maniac. A few guys complimented me on my dancing, and being Leo me, those are always welcome. However, I did not like that some douchebag was RECORDING me! I let it pass, because that night was to let all cares go away. But, if you find some cool person dancing, ASK FOR THEIR PERMISSION BEFORE RECORDING THEM. This is part of the book called "Not Being a Dick in Real Life" written by Gudpahrt O'Sosytie. Sheesh.

After dancing and having a good time, we had rest in Circuit Grounds (the building with the big fans), I reunited with my friends and my other friends Sue, whom I met in CTY. Ana and I got a pizza and we left at 12:30, satisfied with our great experience at the Daisy.

I was sooo tired when I got home, I never looked forward to a cold shower so much in my life! And that pretty make-up I did? Ruined! Haha, but I didn't care. I had a great experience and that's all I can say. I look forward to more electronic festivals in the future. I can't wait!

Opinions of things that have happened a long time ago: Damien (Previously known as "Jessi Slaughter")

Once upon a time, there was a boy that once posted a quite controversial video:

...And his name used to be Jessi Slaughter.

At first I absolutely hated this Jessi Slaughter. Her attitude was the most despicable thing I had ever witnessed. She made me so angry and proved to me how our youth was decaying. Questions like "What urged her to say such obscenities?" and "Where were her parents?" ran through my mind as I looked through more of her videos. I later found out she falsely accused two men of rape, and my fury grew even more. I'd never thought such pretentiousness, obscenities, and unpleasantness would come out of a mere 11-year-old girl. I became frustrated with the world. "Why would the Universe give us things like this?" I'd think to myself. Later on, I researched on the internet more about this distasteful girl. I just had to know what caused this.

The results were disheartening. Jessi was in a terrible situation at the time, and the worst had just to come when this video was posted. She was living in an abusive home with drug-addicted parents, and she barely had any friends in school. Her parents would beat her, and basically destroy her emotionally and mentally. The only sanctuary she had within herself was through this persona that (badly) imitated the Scene Queens of MySpace. She wanted to feel known, loved, and appreciated like those girls. She thought they were beautiful, fierce and confident. If she couldn't find that attention at home or at school, she could find it on the internet.

I know this, because I identify with the feeling.

Back when I was a bullied child, I felt lonely and under-appreciated. My parents were never abusive, quite the contrary, but I yearned for the attention and praise from my peers. Since I couldn't receive that, I went to the internet. I made a profile on Deviant Art, and with false confidence I'd write: "Hello Deviant Art! Your Most talented 11-year-old is here!" I would post some traced work, shitty fan-art with nonsensical concepts, my Mary-Sue OC, etc... I was an annoying little shit who always apologized for her drawing because I didn't take "Anime Classes" (pfft), I evaded constructive criticism, I would put on a false mask of confidence and pretended I was the last Coca-Cola of the desert. It was a dark period for me. However, I pulled out and changed my attitude before I could face the merciless wrath of the internet, unlike Jessi.

If one could describe what Jessi faced, "hell" would be least .

Famed 4chan trolls saw her videos and started trolling her videos, send hate messages, death threats, call her phone number, stalk her, etc... Everything was escalating out of control. It all resulted into this video of her having a breakdown:

Of course, the video became hilarious for those who absolutely despised her, which was most of the internet.  Her father became a meme, and her breakdown was taken as a joke. However, this was a prelude to the further chaos she was going to face.

Besides her parents being abusive animals towards her, she held a relationship with a much older man, has gotten pregnant and aborted, attempted suicide multiple times, has gone to mental institutions, has had her nude pictures leaked on the internet, and has jumped from foster home to foster home. Her father has died, and her mother is as emotionally abusive as ever. Jessi's life spiralled downward, and a lot of it was fuelled by the horrid mistreatment coming from the internet.

Jessi even filmed an apology:

Jessi later realised who was her true self: Damien. A boy.  I believe that Damien has realised most of his mistakes, and regrets it. I think he is trying leave it all behind. Yes, I think he has done some stupid shit in the past, including the false rape accusation, which is completely unforgivable. Hell, I even hear he's still doing stupid shit like falsely calling himself "goth" and other things. However, I think we should leave this kid alone and go on with our lives. He has already gone through enough, let the poor kid be.

Time and age and petty little things

Time passes by quickly. In one year I'll be 18, in 2 I'll be 20, in 10 I'll be 27. I wish this would not happen.

Age, death, and being forgotten are my worst fears. Though I am handling not being forgotten, old age and death are two things I cannot change. I do not feel like I have grown up, I feel the same.

I can't believe I have the age to start driving, that my friends are all losing their virginities, that everyone around me is partying and drinking... It is all so queer to me. 

When my friend told me zie lost hir virginity, I had an attack of emotions. I was

 literally crying, laughing, angry and nervous at the same time. It's not that I cared for the loss of hir virginity, it was just so damn strange for me and I did not know how to react. The attack of emotions was more about about these events happening so quickly than about hir.

I do not wish to partake in anything in life yet I do; I wish life would stand still for a second to let me catch my breath.

The concept of age is such a strange thing to me. The concept of death is such a strange thing for me.

I sometimes think about dying, but then I discard the matter because it's not worth it. What am I going to gain? Maybe I just love to be a living suicidal than actually attempting my death. 

Why am I suicidal? I feel lonely. I am ageing. Everyone is better than me. I just feel like staying in bed and doing nothing because sometimes I just don't feel like going out and living. I like being with friends, but they just seem to be enjoying and fulfilling their lives way more than I am. They are prettier, more charismatic, and  everybody loves them. They are accomplishing the dreams I have. Me? I'm just that freaky friend with the weird clothes and singing voice.

It's sad, because I love my friends, but I feel that my jealousy will overcome everything, destroy our friendship, and I will be alone.

If you're reading this: don't worry, I'll never kill myself. I'll die an old woman out of natural causes, like everyone is supposed to. I just, have all these thoughts that I cannot vent to anybody, just myself. There is no purpose telling this to anybody because they can't fix anything. I just have to deal with this for myself. 

Now, returning to blogging: Towa Tei, and why you should listen to him.

Towa Tei. What is you. Seriously. What is you.

In case you don't know who this badass mofo is, he was one of the guys from Dee-Lite. In case you don't know who Dee-Lite is, you might remember this tune:

If you've never heard this tune, God have mercy on your soul. 

However, like many people do in bands, Towa Tei left Dee-Lite because he got sick or somethingbutWHOCARESASDFGHJK HIS SOLO MUSIC IS AMAZING. 

His music ranges from soulful R&B, to experimental Electronica, Poppish sounds, to wtf. He contributed with amazing artists like Kylie Minogue, and his DJ skills are unbeatable. You seriously have to listen to this dude. If you don't, your mum will die. 

Seriously, there are few artists whose work are as varied as his, it's like you're listening a different artist with each song. His style is innovative and fresh and omg why aren't you listening to him yet. 

Towa Tei is boss, yo. Peace.

Songs you have to listen:

The Burning Plain
Wordy (WARNING: The video is very wtf)
GBI (German Bold Italic)
Technova
Time After Time

Aw shit you guys.

As we all know, human beings are not perfect. Even I, the great Andi Sí, fuck up some times. I will be completely honest with you guys:
I started this blog with the purpose that soon I could become cool known for all Puerto Rico: the magnificent Andi, Goth Blogger. However, this is a very foolish thought. Why the fuck was I thinking that? Silly Leo me~! 

This is a stupid reason to start a blog. NEVER EVER DO THAT. OH GOD. NO. I was feeding off views and comments, but when those did not come, I felt less motivated. Then I didn't know what to write. Then I did it when I felt like it, and eventually, I even forgot I had this blog.

So here I am, starting from square one. I will no longer make this blog for others, but for me. You will just so happen to find yourself upon this blog, laugh and agree to the stuff I say, viewing me behind the glass of your computer screen while I, the fish inside the tank, go on with my business.  I evaded political references, cursing, and religion: things that have influenced my life very much. I wish I could talk about about how shitty the government over here is, how angry I feel towards the sexist comments I receive regularly, or just simply my ramblings, short stories, poems and many other things. Stuff that people make me shut up for, or are not suited for tumblr, facebook, or twitter. I want my voice to be written down, so my sorrows, my frustrations, my joys and my fangirling can be noted. I hope you guys understand.

So here, enjoy what is the Life of A Puerto Rican Goth (the real one).

to pull off a Goth outfit

Fact: Goth outfits are hard to pull off. I've seen some pretty bad Goth outfits in my day, and it's really easy to screw up a Goth outfit if one does not know how to coordinate, do their make-up, or use cheap and gaudy items. But once you get the hang of it, you rarely look bad!



1. NO THEMES.


This doesn't go only for Goth, but for any style in general. An outfit shouldn't have a subject repeated more than twice. For example, using an oval-shaped pendant with an oval-shaped bracelet and an oval-shaped headpiece. Another example: using a piano purse with a note-patterned dress and treble-clef shoes. So don't go around wearing a bat necklace with a bat purse, bat shirt, bat earrings, and bat everything. It's like #1: tacky and costume-y

2. A little bit of black, please?


A Goth outfit can have colour, you don't have to go completely black (Especially considering Puerto Rico's hot weather).  But I believe a Goth outfit is not complete without black, even if it's as a small detail. There are 4 levels to the Goth colour coordination spectrum:

Complete black

This coordination is as the name says. It may have 1 tiny detail of colour, like eyeshadow, lipstick, blush or a small accessory like earrings or a ring.

2:1 

This coordination has details of coulour, but black is still predominant. The colours usually reside in the accessories or in a detail in the garment. 

2:2

This  coordination has equal proportion of black and colour. The colours and the black are divided equally amongst the garment and accessories.

1:2
This is a reversed version of 2:1, with the colours being predominant and the black being in the details.

Mostly Colour (A.K.A. Hard to pull off) 

Of all the Goth colour coordinations there are, this one's definitely the hardest. This one is as the name says, with barely any detail of black. The black would reside either on your make-up or on a small, understated accessory. I do not suggest this for Goth fashion beginners. You need a lot of creativity to make a barely-black outfit Goth. But after observing many pictures of Goth festivals, you can make a mostly-colour outfit Goth using what are considered "Goth" items in colour; like corsets, platform boots, dread falls, goggles, fishnets, etc...The way you do your make-up when barely sporting any black is crucial.

3. Make me pretty!

Make-up is essential for a successful Goth outfit. You could be wearing just simply pants and a shirt and look breathtaking if you have nicely done make-up. Now remember: the make-up your favourite Goth model wears could look astonishing on her/him, but look horrendous on you. For example, I remember watching Adora Batbrat's first video tutorial and saying: "Wow! I want to wear make-up like that!"

...Then I tried it on myself. First of all, I have a rounder and fuller face than Adora, not to mention I have big cheeks; so the drawn-on cross didn't look good on me. Second, I've had very few moments that I looked good with black lipstick. This wasn't one of them. And third: I don't have shaved-off brows, which means less space for the dramatic cat-eye. Yeah.

But alas! You have to look for inspiration! Google Image is your friend, deary. Take inspiration from models, or use YouTube! Soon, you'll adopt a style that will suit you and will be unique. And you will look gorgeous.

Also: practice, practice, practice! My God, how many Hot Topic wanderers I've seen with horribly applied eye-liner! You have to start with baby steps when you're Goth. Start simple and progressively get more dramatic on your make-up, or else you will look like a hot mess. I suggest starting off first with a simple black eye shadow with a black eye liner on your water line. And in the privacy of your own bathroom, practice dramatic looks.


Hot mess I commonly see: USING LIQUID EYE LINER OR PENCIL EYE LINER FOR BIG DETAILS! If you're going to do a dramatic cat-eye, don't do it with liquid or pencil liner. Why? Liquid eye liner cracks, and pencil liner is the equivalent of a crayon on your eyes. It gives messy coverage and it looks cheap and ugly. Use liquid and pencil liner for small details only. Liquid should be used for lining your upper lids, while pencil should be used for lining your eyes, lining your water line and making the outline for dramatic designs. NOT YOUR WHOLE EYELID. Instead, use cake liner or gel liner if you're going to fill in your dramatic cat-eye.    

Dramatic cat-eye is the one at the top. Outline with pencil liner, and fill in with either cake or gel liner. The one at the bottom is very easy to pull off. Just add some black eye shadow and intensify it more on your crease. Finish off with lining your eyes.

4. Your skin colour is ALWAYS perfect. 

Pale skin is NOT a Goth must-have. Love your skin colour and embrace it, because you are fucking beautiful. You don't need to be pale to be Goth, you can be fucking purple and be Goth. Goth subculture is open to all ethnicities and skin colours: black, Asian, white, Indian, Native-American, Latinos, Romas, etc... Embrace your skin colour and body the way it is. If some pretentious douchebag tells you otherwise, tell them to fuck off because you're fucking fabulous.

5. Leave the tackiness behind, please. 

"This shit's so fucking goth."

Hey, that design on your right is awesome, right? Perfect for a t-shirt!

*Slaps you*

NO!

ANYTHING that includes dark angels, wolves, dragons, wizards, or whatever else you see on World of Warcraft is an immediate trip to Tacky Town! The only people that wear that are overweight pizza-faced basement dwellers!

6. There is a world beyond Hot Topic.

Hot Topic sucks now. It's not even a resuelve anymore for Goth accessories or clothes. All they have now are Justin Bieber shirts and they play Lady Gaga. Hot Topic is now for...
Normal people.

Forever 21

Here in Puerto Rico there are no Goth stores, but there are vintage stores! In a vintage store, you can find yourself some nice clothing and accessories (and if you have luck, a Goth Rock record or CD!).

The internet is full of wonders. There are a ton of Goth stores on the web that sell beautiful things. If you want something cheap, go on eBay. If you want something beautiful and unique, go to Etsy.

Use your creativity! Ditch the pretentious "I'm so Goth that I only shop at Goth stores because I'm Goth" attitude. I have found a lot of beautiful clothing in Forever 21 and TJ Maxx, like lace shorts, striped shirts and pretty dresses.


7. Steer clear of cheap quality!

If you were thinking to wear this for a Goth festival, God help you.

Clothes made of cheap satin, cheap lace, polyester, and cheap fabric just shows that you really don't know how to dress yourself.

8. Hair is heated, not fried. 


How much do Goths abuse their poor hair! With all the bleaching, dyeing, straightening, teasing, etc, it's easy to look like a scarecrow. Learn to take care of your hair, and keep it silky smooth. For expert Goth tips in maintaining your hair, go here and here.

9. Be creative!

I probably have said this many times already, but it's true! Don't be afraid of trying new things, and soon you will develop your own style!

10. Your inner Goth shouldn't be inner.

Your confidence will make you shine! ...Or dull. Depending on how it is. Confidence is the most important thing not only for the superficiality of clothing, but for everything in life! School, jobs, relationships, the list goes on! Let your confidence shine, because you're awesome! Unless you kick puppies and are a meanie. Then you just suck.

Well that's about it, folks. See you next time~! ♥

LINKS:

Home-made skin bleach

http://www.batgearbeyond.com/ (A great Goth store resource site! You will find there a ton of stores!)

YouTube channels that you should check out:

Satan's Dolly

Adora BatBrat

NosebleedBaby (Not a Goth, but very good "dark" make-up tutorials)

KINGgutterface

SebastianTheGirl

LarsBatula (Hasn't put up a few videos in a while, but it's good make-up tutorials)

NONE OF THE IMAGES BELONG TO ME.

New York City

Before I went to Princeton, I stayed in New York City.

Before landing in NY, I saw this website called newgothcity.com that tells of all of the Goth stores and hotspots there (La Carmina's blog also gives NYC Goth stores and clubs). I printed the map they provided of Gothtown, and marked all the places I wanted to go to.

 The first Goth store we went to was Gothic Renaissance, which is pretty easy to spot due to the huge gargoyle at the entrance. GORGEOUS store. Their clothing looked high quality, they had a very nice variety of clothing and jewellery. The store was gorgeously decorated, and the music they played was very nice. I absolutely loved the clothing, it was gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! I cannot stress enough how beautiful the clothing is in this store! However, in terms of service, the employees were a bit gloomy. They would ask me with a sort of bummed tone if I wanted any help. Also, my travelling partner, S, was not in what many consider "Goth" attire... She was wearing some blue jeans with tennis shoes, and she and I noticed that one of the employees stared at her weird due to her ungoth attire. Not very nice! I suggest this clothing store to everyone, but the employees need to be a bit more friendly.

Second store was Enchantments, a witchcraft store or as S referred to: "Una botánica chic". As I entered and quickly turned my head, I saw a tiny shelf in the corner with an inverted pentagram and Satanist paraphernalia. Though this made me cringe a bit, the employees were very friendly people and were always there in case we needed help. It had a wide variety of ingredients for your potions and, of course, the store had the very pleasant smell of incense. There were Ouija boards, many Wicca supplies, and lots and lots of herbs. The look of the store gave out a quite earthy and natural feeling. It felt like those magic stores you see in fantasy films. There was even a gorgeous white cat and another black one that for a moment S and I thought were fake. They were so nice and soft~. And of course, S and I will never forget the fertility candles in shape of penises.

 

The third store was Obscura Antiques and Oddities. How I loved this store! It was indeed odd, with many taxidermied animals and old pictures of strange things! The only problem would be that it was a bit small and cramped, considering that it had quite a concentration of people. But I do suggest this store if you want some good ol' weird furniture and home decor. 

The fourth store was Vampire Freaks. I have heard something along the lines that it was like a second Hot Topic. I completely and utterly disagree. First of all, even though the clothing's beauty and quality does not match up to Gothic Renaissance, it was WAY more pretty and higher quality than Hot Topic's clothing. It was actual Gothic clothing, no Justin Beiber or Lady Gaga t-shirts anywhere. Not a lot of brightly coloured clothing, and there was barely any clothing that would be considered normal or boring. The CD section did not have ANY mainstream music like 3OH!3 or Lil' Wayne. It was pure Goth and Industrial. As for customer service: EXCELLENT! The guy there was very friendly with me and S, he said he visited Puerto Rico and  he loved our cemeteries. He adored how all the headstones went all the way in terms of decoration and size, since NYC has only small tombstones. We chatted with him for a while, and he randomly gave a lot of VF pins! He suggested some nice restaurants that would fit my taste, stores and clubs. THAT is what made me enjoy being in the VF store more than Gothic Renaissance.

The stores I wished I could have visited but couldn't:

Trash and Vaudeville

 

Halloween Adventure

Sadly, I did not have the time to go to all the stores I wanted or go to any parties or clubs. I had to go to Princeton the next day... Still I enjoyed my stay at the Hotel 17. Hotel 17was wonderful. An ideal New York Hotel: it's homey and comfortable, but not too glitzy or expensive. If you're coming to a beautiful city that you're going to spend the whole day exploring, why are you spending so much money on a fancy hotel room?! All you need is a bed and a bathroom, and you're good to go. The staff was very nice and friendly, always there when you need them. Some people get annoyed because of the shared bathrooms, but I don't find it to be a problem, honestly. Since not everyone woke up, peed and bathed at the same time, there was no line to the bathrooms and there was barely any people in the hallways. Though I'm not suggesting that you walk around naked (Unless you're an exhibitionist, then whatever floats your boat).
 
So, in conclusion and cliché, I ♥ New York.

To any of you Goths out there that have gone to New York or live there: do you suggest any other stores? And what clubs and parties do you suggest also?