- OF COURSE I DIDN'T HAVE MY CAMERA

I had just stepped out to lunch and was coming back with my Bun Ga Cary (chicken curry soup with noodles for you whitefolk) as I came upon a swarm of photographers staked out in front of a courthouse on Lafayette street. Remember the thing where he threw his cellphone at a hotel clerk dude and it actually cut the guy? I think it was something like that.

I struck up a conversation with a man who had a similar digital Nikon camera as me, although his was more advanced and cost about an extra 2 grand. He was a "celebrity chaser" or whatever he called it (aka paparazzi). We talked awhile and he seemed really cool. We mostly talked cameras.

I asked what he was doing there. "Waiting for Russell Crowe." First thing I thought was damn I almost brought my camera out with me for lunch but opted not to because it's flippin cold outside.

Right then a black SUV pulled up near where I was standing and about 100 photographers came running like crazed wolves towards the car. I moved very quickly out of the way as I was basically in the line of fire. For the next five minutes Russell Crowe and several bodyguards sllllllllllowwwwwwwwwwwly moved towards the front door of the court building.

It was like Crowe was a large magnet and the photographers were pulled in towards him, moving in unison.

It was INSANE. Bodyguards formed a small circle around him and were knocking people down. Photographers were swooping in and out and pushing each other around like they were going for the last loaf of bread on the planet.

I was in awe and just shocked really. I've never been right in the middle of a melee but that's basically what it was. The whole time Russell slowly walked not speaking a cent, his sharp suit talking for him. Bright flashes of light continually bounced off his mirrored sunglasses.

Afterwards even the photographers were filled with adrenalin. It was an intense scene. Inside Edition and a few other papers were interviewing a raving photographer who claimed he had been thrown to the pavement and held down by someone.

The two shots I got are terrible I know because I only had my camera phone. Later on I caught up with the guy I had been speaking to and he showed me the shots he took, which were great and will probably be online within the next few hours he said.

Oh and the Bun Ga Cary was great and still hot when I got back to work..mmmm



terrible I know. Crowe is in there somewhere. I could only get so close and didn't want to get stomped on.


Photographer after the scene, claiming physical abuse.