In architectural terms, Mandy S.’s facade does not match the interior. Her façade has been stunningly embellished, while the interior exudes a natural potential. The caring and goal driven 26 year old grew up in a rural county. As an employee of a pizza shop on Lark Street, Mandy radiates a type of social peculiarity. She has taken on a great interest in the art of body modification: Facial piercing and unique tattoos are now a significant part of her life. With a pair of malting angel wings permanently pressed on her back, Mandy sits in the kitchen of her mother’s homey Stockport apartment while having her hair curled. This porcelain skinned petite, young woman waits patiently as we talk.
So, Why do you live in Albany?
[Laughs] Convenience. Yea. Definitely convenience, if anything. Job opportunities. That’s pretty much why I’m staying there. [Sways in chair] The pay is pretty good. [interviewee’s mother comments from background] Yea. It definitely has more opportunities. Mandy: The crime rate is out of hand. I would get the hell outta there if I could. Kids get in fights right in front of the pizza shop that I work at on Lark Street.
Does the fighting get out of control?
Some kids that come to the pizza shop are from charter schools. They’re pretty well behaved. Kids between eight and fourteen create the problems. Cops on Clydesdales show up in front of the shop to break up the brawls.
How many fights are there a day?
At least every other day. At least. [Getting her hair curled in her mother’s kitchen] I have to take the tip jars down from the counter at three o’clock because kids will steal the money.
Do you like living in Albany?
It has its perks. Restaurants, club. They’re better than many other places in Columbia County. Mother: Mmmm…the restaurants are really good. Way better than Columbia County and more selection. Mandy: It has opened up more opportunities for me. They are more accepting of me. In Columbia County, they would be like, “Take those things out of your face.”
You were talking about opportunities. What types of opportunities are opened up for you?
Job opportunities. Networking mostly. Tom Santell--- Santelli, I think, the director of the art department at St. Rose, asked me to be in his photography for freelance, portrait work. He does a lot of projects with body modification. [Curling iron was getting too close to ear] He’s from New York City. Whoa, Mema! You’re getting really close to my ear there.
Do you think that you would want a modeling job if offered?
No, I wouldn’t. It’s not gratifying enough. People aren’t benefiting from my picture being out there. If we were in a depression, I would be out of a job. The job I’m working at now, I’m feeding the masses. [Laughs] That famous rapper came into the shop. What’s his name? Flava Flav. That’s it. What a cheap bastard! Very polite, “Yes ma’am, Thank you, ma’am.” He didn’t even leave me a tip. He had this big wad of money. I mean if he just ordered a simple piece of pizza I wouldn’t expect anything. But I was making pizzas, waiting on people, along with making custom orders for him and other people. It would be nice if he at least left me something.
Now, I’m not going to be charged with slander or anything for saying something about that rapper, am I? No one is going to come into the pizza shop and try something, are they? [Smiling] All in all, Albany has been a good and bad experience.
Why has it been a “good and bad” experience?
Well, um…, there is an older man that lingers around Lark Street. He always goes around saying, “I want soup. All I want is soup.” So I went up to him and said, “Well, follow me and I will go to the store and you can pick out what you want.” And [shakes head] he would just walk right on out of the store once we got there….Ah…So, if someone says that they need something I am willing to give them what they need. However, if someone just wants money for a forty, but makes out like they want money for something else, that makes me a little angry. I would rather have someone be honest with me and tell me straight up, ”I want a forty.” I love helping people. I just want people to be honest with themselves and me.
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