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Jeff Koons on the roof of the Met, NYC

A few weeks ago I went to the Met to see one of their new photography exhibits. It was a beautiful day outside, however, and I naturally gravitated towards the roof. I thought I might find a shaded spot and read, but it was not to be. The roof was crowded with patrons, and there was precious little shade.

Once out of the elevator everyone gravitated towards Koons' "Balloon Dog (Yellow)." Made from high chromium stainless steel and covered with a transparent color coating, the surface reflected everyone who approached, cameras snapping. People stood their children in front of the sculpture and took portraits. Some asked others to take their photo as they themselves posed. Others, casually took a few photos when they could and moved on.

A young woman removed her earphone and asked me to take her picture. She handed me an old digital camera, the pixels in the display window all faded to almost the same color. I did my best and handed the camera back to her.

We ran into each other in the elevator heading back down into the museum and we introduced ourselves. She was visiting from St. Petersburg, although her parents lived in a small town outside the city. I told her I had almost decided to visit Russia this year, but that my plans were in flux. She told me that if I were to go, I should definitely visit her adopted city.

I asked her how long she would be visiting. She said she was supposed to be here for a week but had enrolled in a program to find work so she could stay longer. She said she had an interview later that day for a waitress position. We introduced ourselves and she told me she liked my name as it was shared with a character in her favorite work by Pushkin. She pronounced my name, and I told her I liked the way it sounded better in Russian than Englsh. Julia told me that no English translation could do justice to the Russian.

She asked me the way out of the museum, and I tried to explain the path from where we were. She seemed uncertain, and so I offered to walk her there. The main entrance was under construction, and we took a turn into an exhibit of superhero fashion. Uncertain where that would lead, we backtracked and I led her through the medieval galleries (upon entering them, Julia remarked that she loved medieval art) and I pointed to the entrance. She thanked me and walked east, towards the afternoon.