louisiana
aside from the sheer decadence of new orleans, what i'll remember most from the trip is the country landscape
new orleans
some memorable food moments from new orleans: fried oyster po-boy from felix's, and seafood and okra gumbo from the gumbo shop...
we also had splendid meals at the restaurant august, cochon and galatoire's. i'm so glad my hotel had a gym!
we also had splendid meals at the restaurant august, cochon and galatoire's. i'm so glad my hotel had a gym!
kandinsky at the guggenheim
may turn out to be the best art show in new york this year.
it was the first time in many years that i felt the form of the spiral gallery and the flow of the exhibit fit perfectly. it was such a pleasure walking upwards, observing the gradual changes in his style.
it was the first time in many years that i felt the form of the spiral gallery and the flow of the exhibit fit perfectly. it was such a pleasure walking upwards, observing the gradual changes in his style.
vinyl
digital downloading is perfect for me because i'm always looking for ways to get rid of clutter --i want to simplify my life and my apartment isn't getting any bigger.
and yet... since this summer i've spent weekends flicking through bins of used records, looking for classical, jazz and brazilian music to listen to on weekends. it all started when i picked up a fantastic rachmaninoff recording for 2 dollars at a junk sale in fort greene, brooklyn. there were a few scratches, some crackling sounds, but it was an unexpectedly amazing sound. maybe i am just being romantic?
and yet... since this summer i've spent weekends flicking through bins of used records, looking for classical, jazz and brazilian music to listen to on weekends. it all started when i picked up a fantastic rachmaninoff recording for 2 dollars at a junk sale in fort greene, brooklyn. there were a few scratches, some crackling sounds, but it was an unexpectedly amazing sound. maybe i am just being romantic?
summer of love, with clogs
one summer, when i was about 15, my dad took me shoe shopping in london's soho and i picked out two pairs --black leather clogs and shiny blue doc martens. i loved both shoes so much they were all i wore for about 2 years. then one day, i slipped on a pair of keds and was amazed at how light they felt. suddenly i hated my old shoes, especially my wooden clogs. everything about them was wrong: the way they weighed down my feet, the way they sounded, hollering clog! clog! clog! with every step, and the way they made it hard for me to skip, run, or break into dance... that i was more likely to be sitting in the school library reading sylvia plath than doing any of those things was beside the point.
so i'd been observing the comeback of the clog with mixed feelings.
then last weekend, i tried on some peeptoe clogs at the store No. 6. with slightly elevated heels and a range of beautiful muted colors, they were nothing like my old pair but just as comfortable. and far more elegant than the swedish hasbeens i'd been eyeing all summer with equal parts curiosity and apprehension. so just as abruptly as i had fallen out of love with wooden soles more than a decade ago, i fell back in love with them.
best of all, they've got straps, so i can skip and dance in them too. ohhh can someone play me some music!!
so i'd been observing the comeback of the clog with mixed feelings.
then last weekend, i tried on some peeptoe clogs at the store No. 6. with slightly elevated heels and a range of beautiful muted colors, they were nothing like my old pair but just as comfortable. and far more elegant than the swedish hasbeens i'd been eyeing all summer with equal parts curiosity and apprehension. so just as abruptly as i had fallen out of love with wooden soles more than a decade ago, i fell back in love with them.
best of all, they've got straps, so i can skip and dance in them too. ohhh can someone play me some music!!
saraghina
i've tried both the margherita and capocollo pizzas here --both easily the best pizzas i've ever had in new york.
saraghina is the name of the prostitute who dances the crazy rumba in exchange for some coins in that most unforgettable scene in fellini's 8-1/2.
there's nothing vulgar about the saraghina in bed-stuy; quite the opposite, it's a beautiful place. but it does share that tantalizing quality. i've been there 2 times in the past week and still find myself daydreaming about their pizza, the bubbling pieces of mozzarella di bufala, the slightly charred edges, the breezy backyard patio... and i wish i could just run over after work with my little coin and ask for "saraghina, la rumba! more!"
kyoto ancienne et nouvelle
eating well is not that hard to do in japan, especially kyoto. i love that the city takes pride in local vegetables and that even the modern french and italian restaurants there try to incorporate traditional kyoto specialties.
from top: franco-japonais dinner at l'abbesses in gion. traditional "nishin" soba, buckwheat noodles with herring on top. sea urchin pasta at trattoria minoura in kodaiji.
from top: franco-japonais dinner at l'abbesses in gion. traditional "nishin" soba, buckwheat noodles with herring on top. sea urchin pasta at trattoria minoura in kodaiji.
staying in a temple
there is so much to recommend in kyoto, but for the more adventurous, i think one of the most fantastic experiences is staying at one of the "shukubo" --inns operated by buddhist temples. originally aimed at hosting visiting pilgrims, it's an interesting (and cheaper) alternative to hotels and upscale ryokans.
the downsides first: they have strict "lights out" policies and the temple gates often close at around 8, so you can't stay out late. also, the baths and toilets are shared, and are often traditional-style if you know what i mean. but they aren't really huge problems if you're only staying one night, and are easily outweighed by the positives: gorgeous gardens that you won't see anywhere else, and a unique and very authentic experience of the country's buddhist tradition.
this time, we stayed at "myorenge-in" in ohara. it's a bit hard to get to, but the location is one of its key assets: right behind the famous "sanzenin" temple known for its mossy gardens.
but i would say the best part of staying here was the food.
below: breakfast and dinner, both vegetarian meals, at myorenge-in
the downsides first: they have strict "lights out" policies and the temple gates often close at around 8, so you can't stay out late. also, the baths and toilets are shared, and are often traditional-style if you know what i mean. but they aren't really huge problems if you're only staying one night, and are easily outweighed by the positives: gorgeous gardens that you won't see anywhere else, and a unique and very authentic experience of the country's buddhist tradition.
this time, we stayed at "myorenge-in" in ohara. it's a bit hard to get to, but the location is one of its key assets: right behind the famous "sanzenin" temple known for its mossy gardens.
but i would say the best part of staying here was the food.
below: breakfast and dinner, both vegetarian meals, at myorenge-in
o-hara
every time i go to kyoto i stop by hosen-in's "picture frame" garden in o-hara, northern kyoto. it's the most perfect place in the world.
i feel like i could just sit there for hours. and i would probably do exactly that if there weren't so many places to see... and eat...
i feel like i could just sit there for hours. and i would probably do exactly that if there weren't so many places to see... and eat...
kyoto in the summer
i love kyoto during the cherry blossom season, and during the autumn when the foliage transforms the surrounding mountains into a fiery red. to be honest, though, i prefer visiting in the early summer, when everything is green... every tree a different shade of green.
watching Departures
or losing the battle against sentimentalism
i've been thinking a lot about the movie Departures since i watched it at a screening in chelsea last weekend.
i enjoyed it... such a thoughtful portrayal of the formalities and processes that help us accept death, and a film that, despite its solemn subject matter, manages to strike a balance between serious drama and comedy.
but i had some other thoughts too.
i was prepared for some sentimental moments, but it was a bit much. i felt like the director piled on three or four too many cheesy scenes, some a bit too predictable. there wasn't much subtlety to the metaphors it angled for, and the cello scene made me cringe... it's the kind of sentimentalism that is way too prevalent in japanese film and popular culture in general.
but i wouldn't say it wasn't effective. because yes, like everyone else, i was in tears through half the movie! gah!!!!
and to be honest, part of me kind of misses that part of japan -- that certain softness, that earnest way.
oh, and most importantly! the actor masahiro motoki appeared in person at the screening, and took some questions from the audience. i was impressed at how articulate and thoughtful (not to mention how absolutely handsome) he was. his acting was pretty good. i wasn't sure what to expect since i hadn't seen much apart from his funny commercials. in the end, though, what really pulled the movie together was the great acting by tsutomu yamazaki, who was in some great juzo itami films like Tampopo... speaking of which, i love this scene:
i've been thinking a lot about the movie Departures since i watched it at a screening in chelsea last weekend.
i enjoyed it... such a thoughtful portrayal of the formalities and processes that help us accept death, and a film that, despite its solemn subject matter, manages to strike a balance between serious drama and comedy.
but i had some other thoughts too.
i was prepared for some sentimental moments, but it was a bit much. i felt like the director piled on three or four too many cheesy scenes, some a bit too predictable. there wasn't much subtlety to the metaphors it angled for, and the cello scene made me cringe... it's the kind of sentimentalism that is way too prevalent in japanese film and popular culture in general.
but i wouldn't say it wasn't effective. because yes, like everyone else, i was in tears through half the movie! gah!!!!
and to be honest, part of me kind of misses that part of japan -- that certain softness, that earnest way.
oh, and most importantly! the actor masahiro motoki appeared in person at the screening, and took some questions from the audience. i was impressed at how articulate and thoughtful (not to mention how absolutely handsome) he was. his acting was pretty good. i wasn't sure what to expect since i hadn't seen much apart from his funny commercials. in the end, though, what really pulled the movie together was the great acting by tsutomu yamazaki, who was in some great juzo itami films like Tampopo... speaking of which, i love this scene:
some mornings...
are more special than others
such as the first warm and sunshiny saturday of the year beginning with a breakfast sandwich that looks like this...
such as the first warm and sunshiny saturday of the year beginning with a breakfast sandwich that looks like this...
weekend dinners with top chef
and another from life's greatest things:
saturday night dinners, with a nice glass or two of wine...
with a personal chef...
chicken roulade, beef bourguignon
saturday night dinners, with a nice glass or two of wine...
with a personal chef...
chicken roulade, beef bourguignon
weekends in brooklyn part 1: exploring bed-stuy
one of the greatest things: meeting someone who turns you on to new ideas, different foods, and encourages you to explore new places...
at the brooklynite gallery, Bedford-Stuyvesant
(photo by christopher benton)
at the brooklynite gallery, Bedford-Stuyvesant
(photo by christopher benton)
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