On the Spice Trail

While hurrying home one chilly night, we got hit with a warm wave of delicious smelling curry. The next night we were sitting inside Mehfil having a super cozy and delicious meal with Geoff. We ordered saag paneer (my go-to fav comfort Indian dish), Chicken Biryani, Vegetable Jalfrazie, Lamb Kurma, and a naan. Everything was so um um good satisfying. I am relieved to actually find an Indian restaurant two blocks from the new place that I can say is really good.

Candace and Nina, we should have go for the buffet one weekend!

BabyCakes

Em @ Babycakes, originally uploaded by plumandlion.

I finally made it to BabyCakes, the much hyped vegan cupcake joint on the LES, with my friend Emily. We tried a spelt and a gluten free cupcake. We agreed that we liked the texture of the spelt cupcake better but that wasn't the most noteworthy part of the cupcake. The frosting was really the icing on the (cup)cake for me. Not too sweet, creamy, and tasty. I think I can eat a bowl full of that goodness, and that's coming from someone who doesn't lick cake batter. I think I will have to buy R a copy of the BabyCakes book so he can make me some frosting. Next time I'm having a cookie sandwich.

And Meera, when you come back to NY, I promise to take you there!

Cambodian Sandwiches from Num Pang

Mackerel and Leek Sandwich from Num Pang, originally uploaded by plumandlion.

My love for Vietnamese sandwiches runs deep. My sister dated a Vietnamese guy named Do for years and we lived together when I was a teenager. Do would bring home Vietnamese Sandwiches often and I developed a hankering for them. So I was happy when I read about Num Pang, a Cambodian sandwich shop at Union Square in the archives of for me, for you. I imagined them to be close to Vietnamese sandwiches. After all, the Cambodians had the French running around their country too. Geoff and I stopped by one day after work. He had the pork brisket while I had the mackerel leek sandwich. While the pork sandwich was deemed too fatty, the mackerel sandwich was generous and tasty.

Pork Brisket Sandwich from Num Pang, originally uploaded by plumandlion.

View from Num Pang, originally uploaded by plumandlion.

There's even a bit of seating upstairs. I'd go back again and try some of the other options. There's also a bunch of choices for you vegetarians.

*Sorry for the poor pics, it was dim in there!

Sunset over the Hudson

Sunset over the Hudson, originally uploaded by plumandlion.

One really nice touch to the new job is access to real windows. Don't get me wrong, I still work in a dark cave, but I can now walk a couple of steps out of my black hole and see daylight. The icing on the cake has been the beautiful sunsets over the Hudson. My little digital camera does not do it justice. It's really wonderful to see such a great expanse of sky.

Ross @ Nick's, originally uploaded by plumandlion.

R and I also managed to scoot over to Nick's last night for our favorite pie. We were happily stuffed pigs, hence no after pics.

Agassi's Open

I am a big fan of Terry Gross who hosts Fresh Air which I listen to on WNYC. She recently did an interview with tennis star Andre Agassi which I really enjoyed. I have a friend who was a huge Agassi fan when we were 13 or so. She decided one summer that we should go to the US Open, why not, we lived in Queens. We didn't have any money for tickets but she was convinced we could look cute (and pathetic) enough for people to give us tickets at the entrance. Somehow, our scheme worked. We went two years in a row and managed to get into the players lounge as well. It was swell.

Terry Gross talked to Agassi about his recently released book, Open. He reveals this, "I play tennis for a living, even though I hate tennis, hate it with a dark and secret passion, and always have." (This is a huge revelation coming from a guy who was ranked no. 1). It's an interesting conversation where he describes his childhood of tennis camps and his father. His father was a former Iranian boxing champion and tennis fanatic, who pushed him to achieve in Tennis, to complete an immigrant's dream for his child. The best part of the interview was about Agassi's hair (and its malfunctions). It cracked me up. You can hear the entire interview and read an exert from the book on Fresh Air.

Closing Day

Today is my closing day for THE Apartment, a.k.a. the day I became poor. I have a slim budget, as in almost none. I would in an ideal world like to redo EVERYTHING, and knock down a wall or two. I think I am most anxious to redo the kitchen. We spend a good amount of time cooking so doing that would make me very happy. Right now, the kitchen is non-functional for cooking. Before moving in, if there is extra money floating around, I will replace the crappy floors in the living room (if I had the dough, I'd replace ALL of the flooring).

This weekend I hope to buy some paint (as soon as we decide on the colors). Paint is the cheapest and biggest impact way to renovate so we will do that. I will post some before and afters soon.

Above is a picture of our yellow couch, sitting patiently in Pittsburgh. I'm not sure when we can move it east. We'll see. For now, guests will be invited to sit on floor cushions.

The One Week Countdown

Collocation No. 14 (NATURE) Mickey Smith

ONE MORE WEEK. One more week, until I close on THE Apartment. I'm crossing my fingers that it will go smoothly. It has taken FOREVER for this to go through. In the meantime, I've bought some art from 20x200 to decorate my walls. I'm really excited about the Mickey Smith diptych, which may go in the kitchen. I think it will go nicely with the colors I have in mind. I have been a fan of Mickey's for about a year or two now and am so glad I can afford these two prints!!!



Howan Hosang Park

I've been saving Howan and Logging Camp in my inbox since they were both released (along with Collocation). I'm glad they were all still available when I was ready to buy them. Sometimes these things sell like hotcakes and I take too long to figure out that I want them. Now I just need to get my act together to matte & frame them. So pumped to decorate!



Logging Camp, Kham Raul Gutierrez

The Weekend Unwind

The Met after the bomb scare (vendors missing!) Rona Chang

My weekend was full and fun. I hope you had a good weekend too. On Friday I headed to my old stomping grounds on the UES for a lunch date with Bob and Lee at the Met. When I arrived, I was greeted by yellow tape. There apparently was a bomb scare outside the museum. I got there at the tail end of it and was let in so I could go and have the taco lunch in the staff caf. I have to say that it's gone DOWNHILL. It was one of my fav lunches at the museum, oh well.


My alpaca gloves from Puno, Peru (I sewed the buttons on) Rona Chang

I went swimming on Saturday and Sunday. Saw little Nina and met little Marcus (my dear friend Phyllis' tiny one). I also hung out with my friend Eileen and her gang, including her pooch Honey Bee, who I'm absolutely in love with. I did not do anything for Halloween. I rewrote (with help from Geoff) my statement for the Moving Forward, Standing Still project. Sunday night ended with a visit to Keliy's studio, which was so so fun and I will share this experience soon on the Nymphoto blog.



And now it's Monday and it's cold here in the studio. Our building is full of galleries so the heat isn't always on on Mondays. I wish I brought my non-matching hand warmers with me. I made them last year specifically for my freezing knuckles when I'm on the computer. Oh well, I'll suffer.

Natural History

A couple of weeks ago, two little boys came to stay with us in Queens for the weekend. If you have family or friends coming to town, something fun to do when the weather is not so great out, is to head indoors to the museums spread across this great city of mine. I have to admit, I have not been to the Museum of Natural History in years (like 10). It was pricey to go and I don't know this for a fact but I swear they didn't used to have the pay as you wish admission policy, like the Met. Maybe they did and I've just been missing out all those years hanging out across the park. These are just some snaps from the dioramas that still fascinate me.



I love Zebra stripes. Aren't they ingenious?




Lions are the most majestic animals.

A little Astoria in my week

Towels, Boxes Rona Chang

Last night I trekked, well actually got a ride from Geoff to go to Titan Foods (a large Greek supermarket) so I can pick up 9 liters of olive oil. I buy a motherload of oils every year around this time. Most of you should know what it's for. Titan is a great place to pick up olive oil, they have a whole aisle devoted to it.

And two nights ago, my friend Alison and I had a grand 'ol time in Astoria. Eating from the kitchen of Moustafa El Sayed who runs Mombar. I really, really want to go to Egypt. I keep listening to podcasts about traveling to Egypt. I will get there but for now I will satisfy my wanderlust by eating.


Ceiling at Mombar

And this article from the NYTimes about Thomas Keller (the chef) and his dad, Ed Keller spoke to me. Here are some of my favorite quotes from What the Last Meal Taught Him:

In the cookbook ("Ad Hoc At Home"), Mr. Keller leads with his heart. He dedicates it to his brother Joseph and lays out in loving, exacting detail the recipes for the last meal he made his father. He reminds readers that life is better when you eat together with family and friends.

“I had him with me for some really meaningful moments before the accident and I didn’t have that as a child,” Mr. Keller said. “At the end of the day when we think about what we have, it’s memories.”

Memories are what Mr. Keller strives to create with all his food. And food memories are something he said he cherishes about his last years with his father. Especially that last meal.

While I too never spent that much time with my dad as a child, I savour all the time we spent together during my summers and visits and conversations we had when I was a young adult. Those memories will serve me for the rest of my life.

Domestic

As someone whose favorite shelter magazine (Domino) shut down many months ago, I had been saddened and at a loss for a replacement. While reading some older entries of design*sponge yesterday (I'm pretty behind on all of my blog readings and postings), I discovered (or was pointed to) the new online mag, Lonny. While having an online magazine is not nearly as satisfying as a physical one, the content of Lonny in quality is right up there with what Domino used to be (and basically put together by just 4 talented people). Lonny was started by those who worked on Domino and has contributors and interviews from Domino associates, so it has made me one happy reader.

I'm also super psyched that design*sponge is slated to come out with a book later this month with a bunch of DIY ideas and house tours. And all this leads to a minor announcement: I passed the co-op board! I am purchasing a co-op in Jackson Heights next month so I'm super excited to gather ideas and embark on a domestic journey.

Behind the Wheel

Earlier this week, I achieved a mini milestone in my driving career. I drove myself out of Elmhurst, Queens and up to Western Massachusetts early Tuesday morning. The journey was shy of three hours. As a traveler, I've always enjoyed mobility. As a person who grew up on mass transportation, I never really drove. Getting my license didn't mean much. I didn't touch a steering wheel for years at a time. Well, this summer I was sort of pushed into the whole business of driving. The build up has been gradual. The commute to work is less than five minutes in the car. The town to the south where the supermarkets and movie theater are is about ten minutes away. The town to the north where there is good sushi is a good 20 minutes up. The train station is one hour away, and it's what I've been using to go home. I drive to the station, park, get on the train and commute back to NYC. It's what I'm good at.

I've been here for two months now and frankly, I got sick of hauling stuff back and forth on the train and then subway when I had to go home. Ross drove us down to Queens and when we parted ways, I got behind the wheel and started the car. I guess it's not a big deal to most who grew up in a car culture and get in a car daily and drive to work, the supermarket, or the movies. When I was little my dad had a motorcycle. He eventually got a car but was the slowest driver on the road because he greeted everyone. And I didn't live with him for the most part. My mom never learned how to drive. My sister learned to drive after me. I had to work up to it. I suppose this is liberating, being able to drive myself to work.

Shake Shack Junkie

Over the last two months, I've become an undeniable Shake Shack Junkie. It's too good to resist.

I Salivate Every Time...

I salivate every time I think about Thai food. Eating it is just so pleasurable! Boon Chu on Bway in Elmhurst.

I poured half this hot sauce on my food. It's way salty but so nice and spicy!


Spicy papaya salad.


I can't remember what this was called. Lots of basil and peppers.


R's Pad Thai.


For some reason there is also really interesting programming at my local Thai restaurants.

The Mrs.

Turns out my Mr. is a Mrs. She's been spotted with the baby. I hope I can be lucky enough to catch sight of the darling.

My Favorite Pals

Some sightings of my favorite pals from the park.



Feeding hour.




R and I are headed back to Pitt for the long weekend. I think there will be some birthday cakes and bbq's in store. Have a brilliant weekend, see you next week!

The Run Around

Sorry to not have popped in sooner. I have another cold clogging up my head. I'm just sitting here wising it would let up because it's so beautiful outside, everyday. It's torturous. I thought I'd share some pics from last weekend to make up for posting. Ross and I went to DUMBO with Jack, my cousin's cousin. He's visiting from TW and I thought I'd show him around Brooklyn a bit since he had no clue what the borough looked like. We walked around Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO and went to Grimaldi's, whose service is lacking but is still serving some amazing pies. We also saw some shows at NYPH so it was a lovely day.

I picked up a new Mr.T-shirt from my friend Noah. Love it.


Noah gave me this button for my soon to be status.


I bought an old Coach bag from a stoop sale for $5.


We went to see my friend, Jennifer Williams's show [FLŌ] @ A.I.R. Gallery which is up until May 24, 2009 (This Sat!!!) It's an amazing show, so go!




A.I.R. Gallery
111 Front Street, #228 Brooklyn, NY 11201
Gallery Hours: Wednesday - Sunday 11am - 6pm
212-255-6651
info@airgallery.org
www.airgallery.org

When I got home, I got two of Ann's books in the mail. I will be working with some of these poems for the Breathing In book. More images coming soon, maybe in a week or two. Promise.

Landmarks of New York at the NY Historical Society

from NY Historical Society:

LANDMARKS OF NEW YORK
An exhibition of 83 photographs documenting some of the most significant buildings and public parks in New York City will be on view at The New-York Historical Society from April 30 through July 12, 2009, in the exhibition Landmarks of New York. The exhibition has traveled to 82 countries under the sponsorship of the United States Department of State since 2006 and is now coming home to New York for its final showing. The photographs in the exhibition will then enter the collection of the New-York Historical Society, through a donation from the exhibition's curator, Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel.

Some of the photographers include Jennifer Williams, Christine Osinski, Teresa Christiansen, Reuben Cox, Mike Vahrenwald, Tony Gonzalez and me(!). The photos are now in the collection of the New York Historical Society which means I'm in a collection!!!

New York Historical Society
170 Central Park West between 76th and 77th Street
The New-York Historical Society is open to the general public Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m; free admission on Friday from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Sunday hours are from 11:00 a.m. until 5:45 p.m.

Pisco Jars

Pisco Jars Rona Chang

The above photo was taken in Ica, Peru, at a pisco "factory." This week and next I will post images I am thinking of putting in my portfolio. I'm leaning towards no on this one. I'm not quite sure of where it might belong but I do like it.

I woke up this morning before my alarm clock went off to the sound of a man's voice yelling, "Abre la puerta! Abre la puerta!" and some curses in Spanish which I will not repeat. This was just before 7AM. I stuck my head out the window and there was a man, splayed on the roof of a black car service car which was in the middle of the street, pounding the roof in. A couple of minutes later, the police drove down the street. They convinced him to get down, cuffed him, and put him in the back of the police car. They moved the police car about halfway down the street and about half an hour later they released him back onto the street. He wobbled and fell a couple of times but eventually made his way up the street. This is the chaotic bit about Elmhurst, Queens that I am not in love with.

Park friend

So I have a little buddy from the park that I wanted to share with you. I saw him everyday after work last week and on Monday too, when he actually climbed out of a tree, walked past me, crossed the road, and then climbed into another tree. He was a no show yesterday though.







I love walking through the park. The sea lions still make me very happy when I get to see them.

I hope to see you at the Nymphoto opening tonight at Sasha Wolf (6-8pm). sashawolf.com

Pupusas at the Brooklyn Flea

On Saturday morning, R and I went down to the Brooklyn Flea to do some looking around. It was damp and started to rain when we started to browse so half the stuff was covered by plastic. We weren't looking for anything specific so we ended up just trying to figure out what we should eat since we were getting hungry. We decided to try the Salvadorian pupusas which neither of us had before. Pupusas are disk shaped, made of flour filled with cheese, meat, or other veggies, then grilled until golden. We opted to try the cheese and jalapeno version.





This was the ridiculously long and slow line for the goods.


The pupusas in all their glory. $5 for two pupusas, cabbage salad, creamy sauce, and all the picked peppers you can eat.


Our verdict? It was ok. Not the tastiest thing out there but pretty decent for the price. The line was not worth it though...

Blossoms

I took a couple of walks through Central Park this week to catch the cherry blossoms and other blossoms. It's so gorgeous it made me giddy. Get out and enjoy your weekend.

For Kia

This morning I said good-bye to my friend Kia from H.S. She was a beautiful person with a great smile. Sometimes life is really short, but Kia really brightened it up. The service was held at Saint John the Divine, where Kia worked. Paul Winter, the artist in residence at the Cathedral, performed and it was sooo touching. It was an amazing service and it reminded me of how special growing up in NY really is, the people you meet and the diversity of life here. We went to LaGuardia together and we're all still a closely knit group. Kia, we're all going to miss you.

Dessert Truck

About a week ago, my friend Chia-Yu came to town with her mom. She had two pieces that she composed performed at Carnegie Hall. We went out to dinner along with Liu and Meggie in the East Village. And guess what we found for dessert? The Dessert Truck that Jillian and I were looking for about a year ago. Hooray! (I highly recommend it.)

Goat Milk Ice Cream

G really loves goat milk. When I was at Whole Foods the other night, I was tempted to have something sweet. I picked up a pint of La Loo's Chocolate Goat Milk ice cream. A pint is alot, and my eyes are way bigger than my stomach and sweet tooth. It was perfectly rich and creamy, and you could definitely taste the goat milk, which I liked.



I ended up ordering a cup of coffee so I could dunk scoopfuls of ice cream in and finish it off. (Very brilliant idea because it's amazing this way!)

We Americans

Last Friday at Union Square, there was a big flag some people spread out amongst the crowd. It reminded me that this is the time for unity as Americans and change, no matter how you vote. The debates will be on tonight at 9pm on PBS. I hope you will be watching with me.

Stroll through the old neighborhood

I grew up in Corona, Queens. On Saturday, armed with a new camera for testing, I headed over to to my old stomping grounds. Corona was traditionally an Italian neighborhood, where you can get Italian Ice from Lemon Ice King og Corona and stroll to Flushing Meadow Corona Park. Today it is a diverse neighborhood with a heavy Latin American population.

My first stop was Empanadas del Parque, my favorite emapanada joint. Empanadas are little fried dumplings with filling. It can be savory or sweet, wrapped in corn or white flour dough, or anything else for that matter. Empanadas del Parque has an organic whole grains version. I wish this place was around when I was growing up, but then again, I would have spent every penny I had on a little empanada. Here's a photo of some empanadas from Empanadas del Parque, served with their special cilantro, avocado, and garlic sauce, which I can never get enough of. My favorite is the shrimp in corn flour.



I also ordered one of their homemade icepops in rice pudding. Rich and creamy dessert on a stick!



Here's the Unisphere in all it's glory. Most of you will recognize it from Men In Black.



And Just before I left the park, I had some mangoes in hot sauce, lime juice and salt!

Reunion

Can't wait to see who shows up at this one. It seems like I'm contantly going to reunions right? (I've actually never been to a HS or College one.)

Old Friends

Maggie is in town so she invited all the girls for a mini reunion. We had brunch at Orange Cafe, on the LES. I ordered this amazingly tasty tuna on ciabatta sandwich and we all shared some dessert.

Following the Chinese food trail

My friend Teresa recently sent me this NYTimes article about finding Beijing in Flushing. Flushing is an area in Queens, New York that has long been a second Chinatown in NYC. This article highlighted a bunch of places I had never heard of and some food I was not familiar with. With my friend Liu in town, we ventured forth with our appetites.

There is a download-able map from the NYTimes article. We tried the Dan Dan noodles at Golden Mall (no.9) and their version of the wontons in hot sauce. Both really good and spicy (food is from Sichuan and the peppers they use are of the numbing variety). I really wanted to try no. 13 but Shi Hong Mall was closed for renovation so we headed back to Golden Mall. We picked no. 11 from the list and proceeded to order dumplings (10 for $2) and a bowl of vegetable handmade noodles. The texture of the dumpling skin and the noodles were perfect. The dumplings were perfectly juicy as well. (This is coming from someone who avoids dumplings for fear of having a bad one.) The stall across from no. 11 sold Xi'an lamb sandwiches with cumin and red onions. ($2.50 for one.) I really liked this as well (not too much meat, which was perfect for me, and lots of cumin.) For dessert we hit up no. 1 on the list, a huge bowl of red bean ice for $3.75 big enough for four people. It wasn't anything special but did quench my thirst and put a sweet taste in my mouth.


This is Liu eating his third dinner. I did not partake in this meal.


Red bean over shaved ice.

The Lightship Frying Pan

Anna just told me about the Lightship Frying Pan, a decommissioned lightship docked in the Hudson River, next to Chelsea that has a restaurant. It sounded interesting and since I had planned a day of gallery hopping with friends, we decided to check it out when we finished our rounds. It was a great suggestion! We totally dug it and had a ton of fun. The food is on the pricey side but you can't go wrong with the hot dog that's under $3 (I unfortunately don't do hot dogs), the old bay garlic fries ($3.29 for a large portion), or the pizzas ($8.50-$11). The views are amazing and it's child friendly.

Jane Tam

welcome home Jane Tam

Nymphoto's own Jane Tam is participating in a two part group show. Part I opens tonight! (too bad I will be out of town.)

Hun Gallery: The Circular Exhibition: Term I
http://hungallery.org
Aug. 22. 2008- Aug. 28. 2008
Opening Reception- Aug. 22. 2008 (6pm-8pm)
12 West 32nd street, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10001

The exhibition will then travel to Seoul, Korea and be exhibited at:

Gallery Ho: The Circular Exhibition: Term II
http://galleryho.com/
Sep. 11. 2008 – Sep. 20. 2008
Opening Reception- Sep. 11. 2008 (6pm-8pm)
Seocho Dong 1538-4,
Seocho Gu, Seoul, Korea


can i come home with you? Jane Tam


can i come home with you? Jane Tam

Eminent Domain at the 42nd and Fifth

There is one week (closes August 29) left to see the New York Public Library's Eminent Domain show curated by Stephen C. Pinson. The artists participating in the show are Thomas Holton, Bettina Johae, Reiner Leist, Zoe Leonard, Ethan Levitas, and Glenn Ligon. I thought it was a well curated show and well worth the time.

These words that were part of Glenn Ligon's piece really resonated with me. "I was born here in New York, and like many other New Yorkers lack imagination: the idea of living somewhere else has never occurred to me. Indeed, to live in New York is to have lived everywhere."

Hidemi Takagi on Nymphoto

Nigeria from "blender" copyright Hidemi Takagi

I forgot to post here that I put up a coversation with Hidemi Takagi on the Nymphoto blog last Friday.

Momma's Man

copyright Nina Buesing

Nina has blogged about her friend Aza several times. He is Azazel Jacobs, director of Momma's Man. The movie tells the story of a man, Mikey, who when stranded in NY amidst airline cancellations, decides to stay put in his parents' Tribeca loft. The loft is Jacob's family loft where his parents live and is a gem of a set. His parents play Mikey's parents in the movie. As the stay progresses, he starts digging through old boxes of memories and becomes entangled with the past and no longer wants to leave, or return to his wife and child in LA. This article in the NYTimes is a good read and features Nina's photo of Aza. I went to BAM last Friday to catch the movie in the midst of the thunderstorm. I have to say that it was well worth it and Flo Jacobs was amazing in the movie. Go catch it at Angelika, starting this Friday.

Hot air balloon ride above Central Park

You can now take a 10 min. hot air balloon ride 300 feet above Central Park. For more info read this. (Through Aug. 22)

Garden inspirations

I went to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens two weekends ago. It was inspired by my visit to the Huntington Gardens in California (that will be another post, sorry I'm working backwards!) Here are some images that I wanted to share.


I love this texture!


These look like fluttering butterflies.


The color on this baby was so intense.


Airplant


Papyrus


Dessert room


I had no idea this is what vanilla beans looked like.


Succulant that looks like dragon scales.


Burro's tale (I really really want some of this stuff).


And of course I arrived starving and had somegazpacho with a mozarella sandwich.


After all the walking around, I worked up another appetite and downed this farmer's market olive and fennel focaccia bread. (From the Saturday farmer's market at Grand Army Plaza.)

Neti Neti

The Secret Michael Buhler-Rose

Michael Buhler-Rose sent me some info about Neti Neti, a group show he's in at Bose Pacia.

"Coming from the Advaita Vedanta branch of Hindu philosophy, Neti-Neti means "not this, not this" or "neither this, nor that." Artistic practice today seems to comfortably inhabit many interstitial grey areas in terms of content, forms, materials, techniques and cultural identities. Artists are attracted to subjects and ideas from all over the world, with scant regard to provenance or pedigree. Life is, ideally, multi-layered and confounding, full of cross-referencing as well as overlapping concerns. Cultural indeterminacy has become a preferred language and attitude, the most appropriate response for both the inhabitants of cyber-space and the polyphonic community of creative travelers."

Neti Neti (Not This, Not This)
a group exhibition curated by Peter Nagy
July 8 - August 16, 2008
Bose Pacia
508 West 26th St, 11th FL
New York, NY 10001

Fishnet bowl

I saw a fishnet bowl that I really liked while thrift shopping in Vegas. I didn't buy it because the design was faded on the inside, and I was sure I could get something similar in Chinatown. It also had a hefty $6 price tag. While surfing the net I found the same one- voila! And for the bargain price of $2.95 at Pearl River plus some other nice patterns.

(images from Pearl River)

Hee Jin Kang and The Insistent Object

Sandy's Deli (receipts) Hee Jin Kang

A Conversation with Hee Jin Kang that I have been working on for the Nymphoto blog just posted this morning. Have a read. I really like her work, it's making me think of still-lifes.

Just came across the 1987 catalog for The Insistent Object, a show of Black and White still-lifes at the Frankel Gallery in SF featuring works by Fox Talbot, Arbus, Watkins, Muybridge, etc. Beautiful.

Benefit Edition for the Lams of Ludlow Street

One of the most interesting shows I've seen this year has to have been Thomas Holton's Lams of Ludlow Street at the Sasha Wolf Gallery.

I found out from Nina's Lams of Ludlow post yesterday about the situation with the Lam famliy. The details are here from a post on What's the Jackonory?

"As you may or may not know, I photographed a Chinese family from 2002-2005 for a project called 'The Lams of Ludlow Street'. Beyond the remarkable publicity the work has gotten the past year or so, the Lams mean so much more tome than any professional accomplishments. I learned a lot about myself both personally and creatively and see the Lams as family. On Tuesday, June 14th, there was an electrical fire in the walls and the stairwell and the roof of their building on Ludlow Street caught on fire. The family made it out of the building via the fire escape and are now safe and sound, if not a little shaken up. The fire was caught early but their apartment, the 5th floor and the roof took a lot of structural,water and smoke damage. The space is not completely destroyed but the building is currently closed for inspection and the Lams are in a Red Cross secured apartment on West 129th street. The next step is between the landlord and the NYC Building Inspectors as they assess the building to see if its needs to be completely rebuilt or if only the5th floor apartments and roof should be repaired. This is not a new building and this will probably takes years judging by how long these things seem to take. In the meantime, The Lams have this Red Cross space for only six months before they need to find a new home for themselves.

Regardless of what happens with the Ludlow Street building, the likelihood that they will ever live there again is pretty small since they will need a new home soon and perhaps permanently. I am contacting you today to let you know that I will be selling a limited 'benefit' edition print of the project with all the proceeds going to the Lams as they rebuild their lives. The print will be a color 11x14 C-Print for $175 for one with discount rates increasing as the number of prints bought increases. Please contact me directly at thomas@thomasholton.com or call to buy some prints the help the Lams."

Take a look at Thomas' site and email him directly thomas@thomasholton.com.

(photo from Thomas' site)

In Our Dreams opens tonight!

This is a bit last minute but for those of you who can make it, check out the In Our Dreams show at Sasha Wolf Gallery opening tonight from 6-8pm. I won't be able to make it but have a really good reason why (I'm dogsitting for Lulu!)



(image from Sasha Wolf Gallery)

How to get the best views of the Waterfalls

You've heard about the waterfalls designed by Olafur Eliasson that are now happpening around lower Manhattan, right? Well I rounded up some tips for viewing them.

The Gothamist has a list of where the best sites are for viewing (yes, they've actually done the job for me.)
The Circle Line has a 30 min. Waterfall Tour that you can catch from the South St. Seaport.
Or, you can always hire a water taxi to check out the sites.

The details:
June 26- October 13, 2008
Daily 7am-10pm, except Tues. and Thurs. 9am-10pm
The New York City Waterfalls will be lit after sunset

Perforated

I picked up these super soft new shoes at a stoop sale in the West Village for a bargain. I'm wearing them today- so far, so good.

Saturday review

On Saturday morning while I was waiting on Fulton Landing for my companions to come, I decided to read a magazine to pass the time. It was about 10AM. 5 minutes passed and I realized that something gross was happening. . . The magazine was melting on my lap! Gross! It was the first day of the heat wave in NY, I had tons of sunblock on, and then some magazine goo on top of that. Well, the rest of the day turned out fantastic, and I'm glad I got to hang with my two favorite little girls, Camille and Juiszelle.

Here's a shot of the telectroscope against the Brooklyn Bridge.



The David Byrne Installation downtown.



We ended up having lunch on Stone St, which had a bunch of cute restaurants and outdoor seating areas on a cobblestone street.



My super fun companions.



(As a bonus, we also walked across the Brooklyn Bridge.)

Happenings around town

There are two installation pieces up right now that I'd like to see.



The David Byrne Installation seems really cool. (via Shane.)

And Nina intrigued me with her mention of the telectroscope on the Brooklyn waterfront that is ending June 15th.

And don't forget, the waterfalls are coming!

"The New York City Waterfalls, a major new work of public art by internationally acclaimed artist Olafur Eliasson, will be on view in New York's East River from June 26th through October 13th 2008. Commissioned by Public Art Fund, the project consists of four monumental, man-made waterfalls temporarily installed at sites along the waterfront in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Governors Island: one on the Brooklyn anchorage of the Brooklyn Bridge, one between Piers 4 and 5 below the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, one in Lower Manhattan at Pier 35 north of the Manhattan Bridge, and one on the north shore of Governors Island. The 90- to 120-foot-tall Waterfalls are erected on the shoreline and have been designed to protect water quality and aquatic life. They will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, and will be lit after sunset."

(image from Creative Time)

My veggies are coming!

I'm super duper excited that my very first farmshare of veggies from farmspot is coming tomorrow! Greens all weekend. I have to start planning my salads out.

Sources of inspiration

This is the state I found my sister's car in on Friday morning whaen I went to move the car. It was parked across the street from my building, near a corner.



Needless to say, the whole day was spent with my sister filling out police forms and getting the car to a place for inspection and repair work. She was amazingly graceful about the whole incident. It totally drained me out. While standing around on the corner and waiting for the police to show up, I looked up toward our building and noticed that our 4th floor neighbors had window boxes in three of their windows. I had been meaning to get basil plants for the summer, so on Saturday, I went to home depot and got some planters and basil plants and potted them. My Home Depot was out of all of their window boxes so I ended up buying three ceramic ones and wired them to the window sill for safety.



I'm so glad I got these babies. Everytime I look out the window, I see a bit of green and smile.


I also got a nice aloe plant for my bedroom.

Ess-a-bagel in an outdoor garden

For our last meal together, Daf and I got some bagels from ess-a-bagel and went to the public space on 51st St. off 3rd. Ave. There was a nice waterfall and lots of shade in which to enjoy our breakfast. Not a bad way for her to end a trip to New York.

Olafur Eliasson at MoMA and PS 1

On Friday nights at MoMA, it is free to get in. If you don't show up right at 4:45pm, you can walk right in instead of waiting on line. It's a good way to enjoy an entertaining evening in NYC. I checked out the Eliasson show there and went to PS 1 on Saturday (free admission). Don't miss out on seeing his work, his work is quite fun and I'm glad to have the second chance to see it after SF MoMA.


This first piece is not Eliasson's, it's on the first floor (right on the floor!), before the entrance to the garden.


The lights were yellow, and it made everything turn into b&w.


Daf being silly, well, me too!




Moss.

Weekend with Daphne

I spent the weekend hanging out with Daphne. We walked around Dumbo, saw masses of people taking in the New York Photo Festival. Instead, we took in some good pizza and ice cream before walking over the Brooklyn Bridge.



We went to the New Museum on Sunday. The top floor was pretty cool (we couldn't go out on the deck because of the rain). I was a bit disappointed by the shows. We walked through in about an hour.








(last photos from my now retired canon point and shoot)

Hable sale this week

Hable Construction is having a sample sale this week on the LES. Find all details here.

(photo of my favorite bead fabric on a nice canvas bag via Hable Construction)

Relax time

Yesterday when I walked through the park in the morning, the tulips were closed, by afternoon, they were wide open. It's SPRING!!! Because of the good weather and Passover, hordes of families and dogs are romping around the park this week. After work today, I plan on spending some relax time just hanging out on the big lawn before heading to Fairway to grab some weekend groceries.

Last night I watched Jane Campion's An Angel at my Table, the biography of New Zealand poet Janet Frame. Does anyone know her work? I'd like to start reading it, where should I start?

Happy Earth Day!

I heard that it's nice outside (I work in the dark with no access to a window). I had a good walk into work this morning and will have another one on my way home. The sea lions in the Central Park Zoo have been lounging around lots on their sunny rock. Enjoy the day and check out this great list of 50 ways to help the planet.

I found this quirky tool from spell with flickr to spell out anything you want.

Carlo's Bondi Baths

I just made my first ever purchase- Untitled (Bondi Baths, Sydney, Australia) 2007 by Carlo Van de Roer- from Jen Bekman's 20x200 venture. To be honest, I had a hard time deciding whether or not it was I should do it because I felt that the deal was selling the artists short and goes so much against the grain of limited editions (small ones). In the end, I decided that Carlo (who I met and had a great time talking to at fotofest) is ok with this deal, I can afford it (and in a big way, I'd like art to be more democratic, hence the two-sided debate in my brain), and it's a wonderful image. I'm still kicking myself (really hard) for not buying Carlo's gorgeous Astoria Park photo and Bert Teunissen's La Alberca (I was in Houston when that happened so maybe I can be excused).

(Carlo's photo from 20x200.)

Polidori's Versailles work

Robert Polidori's Versailles series opens tomorrow at Edwyn Houk. I'm excited to see this series as I am unfamiliar with it.

Edwyn Houk
745 Fifth Ave.
New York, NY 10151
April 17-June 14

Earth Day is coming up

Earth day is coming up and I just read a great article in the NYTimes about a grassroots movement by some parents of Pubic School 154 in Brooklyn to boycott polystyrene trays and privately fund the use bagasse (the fiber left after the extraction of the sugar-bearing juice from sugar cane) ones instead. How cool is that? At work, we used to use paper products, and when they switched to styrofoam polystyrene products, there was an uproar. We were told that both types of products are equally bad for the environment. Huh??? Thankfully though, this year, we are back on track with biodegradable products.

One other thing- Tekserve is hosting a e-waste recycling event. April 26, 27 10am-4pm and April 28 4pm-7pm. Acceptable items for recycling include: computers, monitors, fax machines, copiers, DVD or VCR players, radios, telephones, cell phones, televisions, cameras and stereo equipment. They cannot accept the following items for recycling: Home appliances - including microwaves, stoves, refrigerators and air conditioners. I'm planning on bringing in an old hardrive that I dug out of my Mom's closet. Spring cleaning!

to die for- Falai's crepe cake

I got one of the sweetest birthday presents on Saturday. (My birthday was last month, coinciding with the period when I couldn't eat or talk.) A wonderful crepe cake from Falai Panetteria on the corner of Clinton and Rivington. Thanks!

Coney Island, USA

My dear friend Anna Seidman's other half, Craig Butta, directed a short film, Coney Island, USA. It is now a finalist on Channel Thirteen's Reel 13 Shorts. If you dig it, vote for it on the Thirteen site so that it has the chance to be viewed by a bigger audience.

Oh some Indian fragrances

Ever since I got my Unaccustomed Earth in the mail, along with Malgudi Days, I had been craving Indian food. No problem, I live in Queens, the most diverse place on earth. I had brunch on Sunday at the Jackson Diner, in Jackson Heights. It was lovely, especially the fresh dosa that my Mom queued up for. I have to say though, I still prefer my Karma Kafe in Hoboken.

A quick tip: leave your precious clothes at home when eating at the Jackson Diner. My cashmere sweater definitely reeked of onion and potatoes when I walked out.

Horizons

Sze Tsung Leong's new work, Horizons will be opening at Yossi Milo tonight. I am eager to see the new images and wonder what he thinks of Sugimoto's seascapes.

Jhumpa Lahiri

Thanks to a tip from Nina I was able to go down to the Barnes and Noble at Union Square to hear Jhumpa Lahiri read from her new book Unaccustomed Earth last night. It was completely packed. So packed that I didn't even get a glimpse of Ms. Lahiri. I sat in one of the rows of books and just listened to her voice flow over the microphone. I am looking forward to reading her new book!

"2 Rooms on Ludlow"

Congrats to Thomas Holton who's Lams of Ludlow Street project is featured in a NY/Region slideshow in the NYTimes.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Here's a cute photo of my Mom at Grimaldi's in Brooklyn. It's her birthday and she's got a cold. Poor lady.

Rear Window

This morning, I watched Hitchcock's Rear Window for the first time. I loved the setup of the courtyard and the surrounding buildings. It was amusing when the film began and I find James Stewart playing a photographer. Well, I had a bit of real life window excitement just a bit ago when I heard several fire trucks outside. A building across the street from ours was on fire, I don't think anyone was hurt, the fire was put out within 5-10 minutes. There was a bunch of smoke shooting out of the windows and about seven firetrucks out there along with some onlookers. The house probably suffered from more water damage than smoke or fire. The windows are all smashed. I took some photos from my window.

Oh, I also think Grace Kelly is gorgeous and great in the movie.

Frozen in Grand Central

Check out this awesome performance in Grand Central.

JetBlue's Saarinen Project at Terminal 5 to reopen at JFK

Read about the renovation of the old TWA Terminal that will reopen in Spetember in the NYTimes.

It's almost Spring!

It's so beautiful outside today in NY. It's almost Spring! I walked through the park and will try to resume my walks as the weather cooperates. It makes me feel so lucky and happy to be able to do that. There is something important happening today & tomorrow for me. Please send some positive vibes my way! I'm very excited. Oh, I saw one of the sealions today which makes me think everything will be good.

Timberbrit

Here's an announcement from my friend Jacob. I helped him photograph Timberbrit for the poster.

Timberbrit
Britney Spears has lately become an almost fictional character for us, her tumultuous personal life providing constant entertainment and making us wonder what she could possibly do next. Timberbrit gives Britney and her erstwhile lover Justin Timberlake the extra push they need to enter the realm of the imaginary. The story takes place in the near future: Britney’s relentless spiral into disgrace has propelled her to her final hours, and Justin, prompted by her imminent demise, expresses his undying love for her and attempts to win her back. The music, inspired by slowed-down versions of the two pop stars’ once-breezy tunes, is sometimes beautiful, sometimes haunting, and always a bit deranged. Timberbrit is of our time but completely novel; it is about our world but totally unfamiliar.

with
Mellissa Hughes (BRITNEY)
Ted Hearne (JUSTIN)
James Moore (Guitar)
Trevor Gureckis (Keyboard)
David Skidmore (Drums)
Yuka Igarashi (Words)

March 16th, 2008
7:30 pm and 9 pm (2 shows)
Tickets: $10 / $8 for students
can be purchased in advance (www.smarttix.com)

The Tank
279 Church Street between Franklin and White
A, C, E, J, M, Z, N, Q, R, W, or 6 to Canal Street
1 to Franklin Street
www.thetanknyc.org

Jacob also created a my space page for TimberBrit.

***Newly added date and place
Sudler Hall on the Yale campus, New Haven
April 12th 4pm
details to be added shortly

(poster image by Jacob, photos of Ted and Melissa by me)

Domingo Milella

On Thursday evening I went to Tracy Williams in the West Village for my friend Domingo Milella's opening. Stunning 59x75 in. c-prints taken over the last three years in Italy, Turkey, Albania and Mexico City. Go see it!

An Angel in Queens

I cried when I watched the An Angel in Queens video on the NYtimes website two days ago.

Sunrise

I saw an amazing sunrise this morning from the subway platform. Streaks of oranges and reds filled the sky, rising quickly. Glorious!

Best bowl of beef noodles

I had my first bowl of good beef noodles in America last night. I am quite picky about this since I come from a town that specializes in beef dishes and is famous for it's 24/7 beef noodle joints. Mun suggested Yogee Noodle down in Christie St. in Chinatown. I will now totally trust his food recommendations. It is very basic: beef broth, noodles, stewed beef & turnips, and scallions sprinkled on top. Midway through my bowl, I finished my soup and I asked for more (free). A bowl of this satisfying meal will only set you back $3.75. Geoff ordered wonton soup and crispy salt & pepper squid, both not so good.

Yet another reunion

Yes we (ACA folks) had yet another reunion. This one was official though with ACA people from Florida coming up to host the event. It was fun and I'm told that it's every October. Rock it!

(Liu playing the guitar at Domingo's, Meera and Chris- sorry about the red eye Chris!)

Columbus Day Weekend- OHNY

I did manage to hit a couple of the Open House New York spots on Saturday with my friend Anna, her husband Neil, and their awesome daughters Camille and Juiszelle.

Soldiers and Sailors monument at the head of Prospect Park. I had been once before when a friend had a show there. This time it was more crumbly in the interior but fun nonetheless.




The Girls were starving after our first tour so we decided to go for Junior's- my first visit even though I've had their cheesecake and used to live not too far away. Anna and I both had the Something Else Sandwich. Beef brisket sandwiched between potato pancakes served with gravy and apple sauce. It was completely yummy and absolutely filling. I ended up skipping dinner- very rare for me.




Caroline Ladd Pratt House









Brooklyn Historical Society

I spotted the seals!

I've seen the Central Park Zoo seals two mornings in a row. Both of them! It's gotta be good luck!

Enjoying my outdoors

I've come to realize that I am lucky to be living in New York City and working at a great institution that's next to Central Park. I found this map the other day and I've used the upper jogging track around the reservoir twice so far this week. Using part of my lunch hour to jog is quite an enlightenment! Thanks Paul for the inspiration.

(Map from Central Park 2000)

Saravana Bhavan Dosa Hut

Saravana Bhavan Dosa Hut is an amazing South Indian restaurant on Lexington and 27th St. that my friend Paul suggested. I'm always weary about trying Indian food- I love it but have had plenty of awful Indian meals (esp. in the 6th St. region). I went last night with Geoff. This one is amazing! I had dosa and shared a special platter which was really GOOD. So many different spices and flavors. I already want to go back.

Reunion

Domingo & Giorgio were gracious hosts for our ACA photo group reunion Friday night. It was super nice to be able to see everyone again.

Can we please have another one?

(group photo from Leslie Sheng's camera)

The Anniversary

It's a wet, gloomy day in New York City. The rain is much needed but it makes me sad. Today being the anniversay of 9/11 doesn't help much either.

Easy Rider

I just caught the Easy Rider: Road Trips through America show at Yancey Richardson before it colosed on Saturday. With several of my co-workers taking road trips this summer and seeing this show- I've really think about taking a road trip, right here, in America. For those that know me well, it's a big statement- considering that I don't really drive (hey! I grew up riding the subway), and the fact that I think travelling internationally is a better deal than travelling domestically. But maybe that's about to change...

(My favorite Joel Sternfeld images from the Easy Rider show at Yancey Richardson)

Ronnybrook Farms at Chelsea Market

Ronnybrook Farm has a store at Chelsea Market. I stopped by on Saturday and ordered a yummy ginger creme brulee ice cream cone. The store is decorated with old milk crates and has a dine-in counter that serves what looks to be great brunch selections on top of their dairy products. If you've never had thier products, go try it. I don't like milk at all but their chocolate milk is heavenly! I have to try their butter, although I have to say that I recently found Icelandic butter at wholefoods and it's been great to me. I no longer have to live without! Here's a little something from their website on "Why Ronnybrook milk is better":

It's old-fashioned whole milk. The way the cow delivers it. All our milk is pasteurized to kill off any bacteria, but our whole milk is not homogenized, allowing the cream to rise to the top. That's why we call it CreamlineTM. You can spoon the cream off for your coffee and be left with natural skim milk or shake it up for creamy whole milk. Non-homogenized milk is simply better tasting.

Non-homogenized milk is also pasteurized at lower temperatures. Ultra-pasteurization, which involves the heating of milk at high temperatures, destroys vital vitamins and enzymes such as galactase (which aids in the absorption of calcium) and lipase (which causes milk fat to self destruct after the body absorbs its fat-soluble nutrients). Ultra-pasteurized milk is simply less nutritious than regular pasteurized milk.

I have to say though that the service wasn't so happening.

Korean food fest

Yesterday was a Korean food fest for me. For lunch I had fried chicken from Unidentified Flying Chicken, a new Korean fried chicken joint I read about from the Cheap Eats issue of New York magazine a couple of weeks ago. It's also been written up by the NYTimes, which explains how Korean fried chicken is very different from American fried chicken. I got a "small" order of fried chicken wings, half in soy/ garlic sauce, and the other half spicy. Whoa! I got twelve huge wings for $8.99 with a side of pickled radishes. It was yummy but way too much food for one. I think it's better suited for sharing amongst friends with some beer in their lounge-like space downstairs.

For dinner, I met up with my sister and headed to Book Chang Dong, what was formerly Natural Tofu in Bayside, Queens. It's open 24 hours for those of you who like to have hearty late nite meals- my aunt who is in the restaurant biz hits it during the wee hours. I had my favorite dish, Kimchi tofu hotpot with pork, soon dubu chigae. For those of you who can't imagine how tofu could be special, here's an article from the NYTimes that mentions Book Chang Dong. We also ordered seafood pancake and LA Galbi (beef shor ribs)- that's why I'm extra fat oday and have good food for leftovers. I also noticed a new Korean porridge restaurant a couple doors down that reminded me of the ones my Mom and I went to in Hong Kong that my she might enjoy- next time.

(image by Jennifer S. Altman for the NYTimes- I had a horrible experience at Li Hua, where the photo was taken, once with a long wait, horrendous service, and a mix up of orders.)

To be so close and worlds away. . .

I spent Saturday with my Mom on a little field trip. We packed some lunch and headed toward Governors Island. It was the last weekend that it's open to the public for 2007 but it will reopen again in June of 2008. For those of you unfamiliar with this island, here's an overview from the Governors Island website.

Governors Island is located in the New York Harbor, approximately one-half mile from Battery Park in Lower Manhattan and one-quarter mile from Brooklyn. The Island is 172 acres with nearly 225 buildings, considerable open space, and recreational amenities. Its waterfront offers some of the most dramatic and impressive vistas of the New York skyline and New York Harbor, including the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. The northern half of the Island, consisting of approximately 92 acres, has been designated as both a National Historic Landmark District and a New York City Historic District, and features late 18th and early 19th century fortifications, pre-Civil War arsenal buildings, Victorian and Romanesque Revival housing, as well as early 20th century neo-classical architecture. Five buildings within the Historic District, including Fort Jay and Castle Williams, are individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

There is a free ferry you can catch at the Battery Maritime Building which is right next to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. We took a short, free guided tour, ate lunch, and walked around afterwards. It really felt worlds away from the city with rolling hills of green grass except for the constant helicopter traffic overhead.

(photo from the Governors Island website)

Serra at MOMA

I finally saw the Richard Serra show at MOMA this weekend. It was amazing! Experiencing the redefinition of the space, and noticing how I feel as I am walking around them made an impact on my senses. At times I felt really dizzy. I left in awe of the elegance of the show.

I also caught Richard Pere's photographs of Soviet Modernist Architecture. It's a mixed bag of a show- crowded and confusing in presentation but there are some photos definitely worth seeing.

Cup of hot chocolate

I met up with two friends from HS yesterday for lunch. We walked around afterwards for a bit downtown. Finally, one friend suggested Marie Belle on Broome street. I had never been. It's a cute chocolate shoppe with a back room that served chocolate drinks and desserts. I ordered a medium dark hot chocolate, American style, made with milk. The hot chocolate was quite thick, you had to spoon it into your mouth, and it wasn't too sweet. It was intense though and I should have just ordered a small. It was perfect for the Fall-like weather we had yesterday.

(image from Marie Belle)

Got 5 bucks?

I had a hankering for a slice of pizza today. I gotta say, it's the one "American" food I truly miss when I'm not in the States. The cheese in Asia just doesn't cut it, but I do love Iceland's own Pizza 67 with all those tiny shrimps on top. I headed over to the local pizza joint- B&T Pizza on the SW corner of 86th St. and Lex. for a slice. Have I not had a slice in so long that the price has gone up to $2.50? When I arrived in NYC, a token cost a dollar and so did a slice. The pizza wasn't the best I've ever had but it was completely satisfying. I wonder if the secret is that B&T uses lowfat cheese. For a regular pizza place they are always consistant, better than the neighborhood's famed Mimi's, on 84th and Lex. Well to tie up loose ends, I went to fancy pants Dean & Deluca for a large chocolate pecan cookie that cost $2.50. So yum! Lunch for 5 bucks in NYC, and the UES at that, not bad. (I had some water back at the office.)

I'm having a good day though

I woke up to the pouring rain. By the time I pulled myself out of bed, my window sill was drenched. I got ready for work and headed out in boots, rain coat, umbrella and hat. I got drenched halfway down the block. Rain was coming in through the tops of my boots. I took the train all the way uptown and skipped my walk. By the time I got out, it had stopped raining. It was 7:30am. Now people are calling into work saying that they'll be late- almost all the subway lines aren't running because they are having flooding issues.

Hi. I'm in New York City.

I'm having a good day though.

(top photo taken in Hong Kong during a huge rain storn, bottom one taken in Taiwan, the morning after a typhoon hit.)

A day with Ian

Yesterday I hung out with Ian, a friend from college. He showed me some recent work- it's so nice to get a sneak preview! Ian's a photographer that is represented by Jen Bekman. We stopped by the gallery to check out the portrait show that is closing today. We met Shane who was working at the desk. Turns out that Shane is fellow photographer and blogger. It was a nice day, walking around downtown, running errands, talking art. We ended the day with dinner at Do Sirak, a nice and cozy Korean restaurant on 13th St.

New York's very own Chinatown

Good thing we have a Chinatown here in New York. Although it doesn't come close to my favorite foods in Asia, it helps curb my cravings. The above are desserts from a HK chain that specializes in mango goodness. Here's an article from the NYtimes that dishes out places to experience dim sum in the city.

Brooklyn Heights

Walking around Brooklyn Heights on Friday while waiting for my turn at the pool, I realized that this was really only my second time in the neighborhood. With time on my hands, I snapped some photos of the beautiful plantings in gardens, on stoops, and even on the lamp posts! The architecture was quite varied and charming. The cobblestone streets were quiet and the neighborhood is really a gem.


This is the view from a friend's apartment that is on the promenade. I had such a hard time leaving!

Swimming on a barge in the East River

For urbanites like myself who love swimming, there is an awesome floating pool in Brooklyn Heights this summer. I headed there Friday afternoon with two friends, enjoyed the the neighborhood, views, and the pool! There is a beach for lounging while you wait for your turn. Be sure to get there an hour (weekdays) or half hour (weekends) before the swim session to get the wristbands which let you in for free, capacity is limited and the slots fill up fast. Details here.

Jellyfish fireworks

I went to the Macy's fourth of July fireworks on the East River in NYC, watched from a friend's rooftop in Brooklyn Heights. The new jellyfish fireworks were the best! The danced and skimmed on the surface of the water.