Excelsior Flower

Armed with her 35mm Nikon (The One), Ms.Nina Parks finds inspiration and beauty in her district, The Excelsior. In Latin (the language that we derive many of our words from) the word excelsior means "higher."

"You can take it how you want to. If I didn't live in the Excelsior I would have been a different person. I was blessed when my family moved in to my aunts house here in the Excelsior, 'cause I wake up everyday, rain or shine to a breath taking view of the most beautiful city in the world. But on a whole other level being boardered by Alemany, Bruno, and Sunnydale, as well as the activities with in the district, you have an unfortunate oppurunity to see, hear and experience many things, that make it difficult to be positive and optomistic about life. But you have to elevate above it all and find ways to stay modivated and become a stronger person.

I mean look the streets are crazy and everyone is hungry and I wanna live I don't wanna just survive. So I always look for the beauty in it all. I mean damn if you think about it we could be a lot worse off.

Half of my family is from Conception Tarlac a provence in the the Philipines. They worked very hard so we wouldn't grow up with the same struggles they faced, such as not having enough to eat or not having the basic amenities to live. So I know I'm blessed to be living here, but we as a people should always strive for more. You know, something better so that the next generation has a rich history to be proud of and learn from. "

The Excelsior is also characterized by it's unique street signs, named after countries and other major metropolitain cities in other counties. It's the only place in the world that Brazil will intersect Madrid.

"Ha! I love this intersection, I've had some of the best memories of my life out here. Dang it Kae! If we can't make it out to Brazil yet, I suppose the next best thing is living on it."

The Excelsior has birthed other well known artists and local celeberties, such as, Greatful Dead's Jerry Garcia , surrealist poet Philip Lamantia, the man the Twinkies defense was created after: mayoral assassin Dan White, we can't forget about world renoun turntabelist DJ Qbert ,and savy/diva like Hip Hop journalist Ms. Krishtine de Leon. And now added to the eclectic ranking of the Excelsior disrict is one Ms.Nina Parks.

" I love poetry. I love to read it, I love to analyze it, I love to write it, as well as capture it in my images. Maybe, one of these days I'll drop a few lines on all ya'll," she laughs. " Seriously though, art and music and martial arts are the things that keep my sanity. (They are all intertwined... really.) Have you ever read the poem 'The Rose that Grew from the Concrete," written by my favorite lyrists/rapper of all time Tu Pac Shakur. It goes:

Did you hear about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete?

Proving nature's law is wrong it learned to walk with out having feet.

Funny it seems, but by keeping it's dreams, it learned to breathe fresh air.

Long live the rose that grew from concrete when no one else ever cared.

I love that poem and I relate to it. No matter what life throws at you go gotta keep pushen and you always gotta find, as well as be the beauty that rises "Higher" above the adversities and above all the haten ass people that don't believe in you." ----Nina Parks