People can say what they want, but spring is NOT here. Saturday was nice and sunny, but the wind was freezing and as I walked home yesterday the ground was again covered in snow. It isn't as romantic as it sounds in this city, where snow turns to slush in a matter of minutes and speeding cabs spray you with dirty water.
The weekend was an unusually cultured one, for my standards. On Friday I met Pia at the Guggenheim right after work to get tickets for the "El Greco to Picasso" exhibition on Pay What You Wish Friday. The queue went halfway around the block despite the icy winds, but those who braved it were rewarded with a really good collection of Spanish art from the 15th to the 20th century. We then rested our feet in front of the fireplace at the Skypad, where Colin and Bill were waiting with a great movie and a TV dinner.
Saturday morning Colin and I had brunch with Stew, who put me up on my first night in Boston six months ago. He was visiting for the weekend, and we showed him some Viennese breakfast quality at Sabarsky.
In the evening things became even more Viennese when Pia, the boys and I met for dinner and the Magic Flute at the Met. In my more cultured years, when I was eight or nine years old, I remember lying on my stomach in front of my parents' stereo listening to that opera. The art director, Tony-winner Julie Taymor who also did the set design for Lion King, really managed to turn that old story into a magical fairy tale with her dancing puppets. After three solid hours of Mozart we turned to some live jazz and had a drink at the Carlyle. We brought the age average down by about 50% in that place, but loved it nevertheless.
On Sunday morning we dragged our sleep-deprived bodies out of bed for oatmeal and Eggs Benedict at Balthazar, followed by Mass and an exhibition of a Mexican schizophrenic painter, Martin Ramirez, at the American Folk Art museum. I had never heard about or seen outsider art before, and was pretty impressed by the talent of a poor Mexican immigrant who was locked away in a mental ward most of his life and refused to communicate in any way except through his artwork.
Finally, we put some "pop" into our cultural mix and watched the Oscars with Thierry, who is a film producer and also happens to be a friend of Florian Henckel-Donnersmark, who took home the little golden guy for this year's Best Foreign Film.
There was a lot of cheering and toasting.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Friday, February 23, 2007
It smells like spring
Colin promised that I wouldn't leave New York without catching a glimpse of spring. It seems like this might be true. The sky is clear, temperatures are rising and I heard birds chirping for the first time as I walked over to the Amish market to pick up some lunch yesterday.
Pia is leaving new York next Sunday, so we need to start some serious planning if we want to cram everything we've wanted to do into these last seven days. And although it's Lent, there's no shortage of things to do: Last night Geoff invited us to his one-room apartment for some real Italian dinner. The official reason was to say goodbye to Jeff, who we then discovered will be returning to New York in three weeks - hopefully in time to send me off with a proper St. Paddy's Day celebration. The good food and company was spiced up by Geoff's musical talent - who needs a stereo when you can have it all live, and of the highest quality! We did some singing, too, which felt good after a long musical hiatus on my side. [Photos]
Plans for the weekend:
Guggenheim Museum - finally
The Magic Flute at the Met tomorrow night
Early-morning breakfast at Balthazar
Maybe a visit to the Russian Bath
Never a dull moment in this town.
Pia is leaving new York next Sunday, so we need to start some serious planning if we want to cram everything we've wanted to do into these last seven days. And although it's Lent, there's no shortage of things to do: Last night Geoff invited us to his one-room apartment for some real Italian dinner. The official reason was to say goodbye to Jeff, who we then discovered will be returning to New York in three weeks - hopefully in time to send me off with a proper St. Paddy's Day celebration. The good food and company was spiced up by Geoff's musical talent - who needs a stereo when you can have it all live, and of the highest quality! We did some singing, too, which felt good after a long musical hiatus on my side. [Photos]
Plans for the weekend:
Guggenheim Museum - finally
The Magic Flute at the Met tomorrow night
Early-morning breakfast at Balthazar
Maybe a visit to the Russian Bath
Never a dull moment in this town.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Decisions
decide from Latin decidere "to decide," lit. "to cut off", from de- "off" + cædere "to cut"
With a little more than three weeks to go until I end my six-month stint in the States, and with Lent finally slamming the brakes on the whirlwind that is my life, questions in need of answers are creeping back into my mind. Thesis topics. Career plans. Living arrangements. Friendships. Relationships. Possibilities and options galore, but things need to be decided.
A friend told me the other day that the root of the word "decide" comes from the Latin word caedere - to cut. A decision, consequently, involves finding out what matters and what doesn't, choosing a path and ruling out other options, and sometimes even severing the ties with things that you hold dear.
That's scary, and sometimes I'd rather just stick my head into the sand and have things work themselves out. On the other hand, I was brought into this world for a reason - this is something I strongly believe. I have been given talents and skills that are meant to turn this huge blank canvas that is my life into a gift worthy of God's approval.
The good things is, it doesn't all depend on me. All I need to do is make myself available.
With a little more than three weeks to go until I end my six-month stint in the States, and with Lent finally slamming the brakes on the whirlwind that is my life, questions in need of answers are creeping back into my mind. Thesis topics. Career plans. Living arrangements. Friendships. Relationships. Possibilities and options galore, but things need to be decided.
A friend told me the other day that the root of the word "decide" comes from the Latin word caedere - to cut. A decision, consequently, involves finding out what matters and what doesn't, choosing a path and ruling out other options, and sometimes even severing the ties with things that you hold dear.
That's scary, and sometimes I'd rather just stick my head into the sand and have things work themselves out. On the other hand, I was brought into this world for a reason - this is something I strongly believe. I have been given talents and skills that are meant to turn this huge blank canvas that is my life into a gift worthy of God's approval.
The good things is, it doesn't all depend on me. All I need to do is make myself available.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Graphic update
So much to say, so little time. The weekend was eventful, Mardi Gras is being enjoyed while it lasts, and I still haven't decided on my Lenten resolution.
Until I find time for a proper update, here are the latest photos.
They are a bit scrambled, but I hope the captions do the trick.
Enjoy!
Until I find time for a proper update, here are the latest photos.
They are a bit scrambled, but I hope the captions do the trick.
Enjoy!
Thursday, February 15, 2007
V-Day
I've always looked at Valentine's Day with a healthy amount of grudge and ridicule. First of all, I am not a big fan of pink. Or hearts, for that matter. Secondly, at least in Europe, it is a holiday that has been embraced by various manufacturers of candy, greeting cards, perfume and underwear more than by ordinary people.
But, as the say, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Pia and I are no slackers, so we went and cooked up a fantastic meal for our two favorite men (and perpetual hosts, it seems) in the city. We did the Full Monty: shiny red heart garlands hanging from the chandelier, candles, a fire in the fireplace, and some fine Paolo Conte playing in the background.
The menu.
Aperitivo: Bite-sized Bratwurst bits with a heart-shaped dijon mustard dip by the fireplace, with a glass of Riesling.
Ouverture: Grilled goat cheese on a bed of baby spinach leaves, drizzled with honey.
Main course: Linguine with grilled shrimps, zucchini and cherry tomatoes in a sauce of capers, garlic, parmesan and olive oil.
Interlude: A vicious snowball fight on the roof terrace, waltz lessons in front of the fireplace, and Frank Sinatra sing-alongs.
Grande Finale: Kaiserschmarren with apple sauce and a good, hot cup of tea.
I think we feel better about each other now, St.Valentine and I.
But, as the say, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Pia and I are no slackers, so we went and cooked up a fantastic meal for our two favorite men (and perpetual hosts, it seems) in the city. We did the Full Monty: shiny red heart garlands hanging from the chandelier, candles, a fire in the fireplace, and some fine Paolo Conte playing in the background.
The menu.
Aperitivo: Bite-sized Bratwurst bits with a heart-shaped dijon mustard dip by the fireplace, with a glass of Riesling.
Ouverture: Grilled goat cheese on a bed of baby spinach leaves, drizzled with honey.
Main course: Linguine with grilled shrimps, zucchini and cherry tomatoes in a sauce of capers, garlic, parmesan and olive oil.
Interlude: A vicious snowball fight on the roof terrace, waltz lessons in front of the fireplace, and Frank Sinatra sing-alongs.
Grande Finale: Kaiserschmarren with apple sauce and a good, hot cup of tea.
I think we feel better about each other now, St.Valentine and I.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Sleepless
In the City That Never Sleeps, I hardly ever sleep either, it seems.
Thursday found us watching the second part of the six-hour marathon that is "La Meglio Gioventu" (The Best of Youth), certainly one of the best films I have ever seen. Of course, brainy nerds that we are, we had to discuss the movie for another hour after it finished, which meant that we didn't get to bed until 2am.
I dragged myself through Friday at work, perfecting the rest-chin-on-left-hand-and-right-hand-on-mouse nap, and met up with Pia afterwards for a Veggie Burger at Spring Street Restaurant. From there, we headed to the Friday Happy Hour at The HappyCorp, a SoHo design company that opens its doors to those who know about it on Fridays and serves free drinks to a colorful crowd of art students and other interesting fellows. Sascha knew about it and told us where to go, so we met up with him and his Cooper union friends, and also got to know a few other memorable folks. Saad for example, whose name means "happy" in Arabic, and who frequents hipster clubs in Lower Manhattan on weekends. During the week, he works at Deutsche Bank, and I do hope he adapts his look to his corporate surroundings, because I couldn't believe it when he pulled his business card out of the pocket of his oversized white fake fur coat.
Pia, Saad and Sascha
Sascha's roommate Charles and happy party kids
On Saturday morning Pia and I got up early and stood in line for an hour and a half to get last-minute tickets for Paco de Lucia at the Carnegie Hall. Pia's friend Mark de Young joined us and we warmed up with New York's best hot chocolate and soft boiled eggs at Le Pain Quotidien before Pia and I took off to take advantage of the good weather and walk across Brooklyn Bridge. Making your way across a 500m long wooden walkway with hundreds of cars passing through underneath you is exciting enough, but having the Manhattan Skyline as a backdrop is quite a sight to see. (Photos to follow)
The Passion Fruit margharita that Bill treated us to before the concert that night felt very Sex and the City (mainly because my jeans and cowboy boots lost the battle against the serious Prada and Gucci action that was going on around us), and from there we climbed up to the dizzying heights of the Carnegie Hall gallery to see the world's best Andalusian guitarist work his fingers. Spicy (!) Buffalo wings and milk shakes at Brooklyn Diner concluded the night out, and the gang said goodbye to Mark and Sam and retreated to the Skypad, where we watched the remaining hour and a half of La Meglio Gioventu before collapsing into bed.
On Sunday we finally introduced Pia to Central Park, snuck into the Mandarin Hotel Bar to get a nice view of the park from above, and saw a (rather disappointing) exhibition on Slavery in New York and 9/11 relics at the New York Historical Society.
Needless to say, that night I slept very, very well.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Memorable
If my weekdays were movies, yesterday would have won the Oscar. It was one of those days that finds you lying in bed at night, feeling like you have witnessed something fundamental.
I am currently interning with the Scholar Rescue Fund, an organization that gives grants to scholars and academics who are being persecuted in their countries for different reasons: "Modern" views, religion, ethnicity, involvement with international agencies, human rights defense ... you name it. Since its inception in 2002, the program has rescued 110 scholars from 37 different countries and has found them places to teach in great schools all over the world. Recently, however, for obvious reasons, there has been a sudden surge in the number of Iraqi applicants. We are working on creating a report on academic repression worldwide, and I have been studying the life stories of these 110 grantees for the past month and a half and compiling data, trying to find patterns or connections between the situation of these brilliant and brave people and the promblems in their countries.
Yesterday we presented our findings to the SRF board of directors, a diverse group of interesting people: the former Dean of the University of Pittsburgh Medical School, the former senior VP of the Ford Foundation, the director of scholarships of the Open Society Institute, the President of the International Rescue Committee , and so on. The star of the evening, however, was Donnie George, the former director of the Iraq National Museum in Baghdad, who was all over the news when people looted the museum in the early days of the war and carried away or destroyed many invaluable cultural treasures. He was targeted by militias for cooperating with the US, had to flee his country, now teaches in the States and gave a little report on the situation of scholars in Iraq. I tell you, it is something else when you hear these stories first hand. (Read a great Washington Post Op-Ed piece by another of our Iraqi grantees here.)
After an afternoon of meetings, I changed into comfy jeans to meet Pia and a group of WYA interns for Polish food and a visit to the boys of Grassroots Films, an independent film company in Brooklyn run by a bunch of guys, partly coming from difficult backgrounds. They live together in a house and make amazing stuff. Most of them are Catholics, and their movies are pretty powerful. They are now working on their first full-length movie called The Human Experience and showed us some test shots and a teaser. I'd heard a lot about them since they are friends with guys from YOU!Mag, so it was great to meet them in person. We realized that we had quite a few common friends! Small world.
And, finally, I leave you with a quote I have been thinking about a lot lately: "Excellence means asking of oneself more than others do." - Jose Ortega y Gassett
Have I ever really strived for excellence? Is exceeding the expectations of others really all there is to excellence? Or is it more about finding and taking up that unique place in the world that I am meant to fill?
"If you are what you should be, you will set the world ablaze."
- Pope John Paul II.
I am currently interning with the Scholar Rescue Fund, an organization that gives grants to scholars and academics who are being persecuted in their countries for different reasons: "Modern" views, religion, ethnicity, involvement with international agencies, human rights defense ... you name it. Since its inception in 2002, the program has rescued 110 scholars from 37 different countries and has found them places to teach in great schools all over the world. Recently, however, for obvious reasons, there has been a sudden surge in the number of Iraqi applicants. We are working on creating a report on academic repression worldwide, and I have been studying the life stories of these 110 grantees for the past month and a half and compiling data, trying to find patterns or connections between the situation of these brilliant and brave people and the promblems in their countries.
Yesterday we presented our findings to the SRF board of directors, a diverse group of interesting people: the former Dean of the University of Pittsburgh Medical School, the former senior VP of the Ford Foundation, the director of scholarships of the Open Society Institute, the President of the International Rescue Committee , and so on. The star of the evening, however, was Donnie George, the former director of the Iraq National Museum in Baghdad, who was all over the news when people looted the museum in the early days of the war and carried away or destroyed many invaluable cultural treasures. He was targeted by militias for cooperating with the US, had to flee his country, now teaches in the States and gave a little report on the situation of scholars in Iraq. I tell you, it is something else when you hear these stories first hand. (Read a great Washington Post Op-Ed piece by another of our Iraqi grantees here.)
After an afternoon of meetings, I changed into comfy jeans to meet Pia and a group of WYA interns for Polish food and a visit to the boys of Grassroots Films, an independent film company in Brooklyn run by a bunch of guys, partly coming from difficult backgrounds. They live together in a house and make amazing stuff. Most of them are Catholics, and their movies are pretty powerful. They are now working on their first full-length movie called The Human Experience and showed us some test shots and a teaser. I'd heard a lot about them since they are friends with guys from YOU!Mag, so it was great to meet them in person. We realized that we had quite a few common friends! Small world.
And, finally, I leave you with a quote I have been thinking about a lot lately: "Excellence means asking of oneself more than others do." - Jose Ortega y Gassett
Have I ever really strived for excellence? Is exceeding the expectations of others really all there is to excellence? Or is it more about finding and taking up that unique place in the world that I am meant to fill?
"If you are what you should be, you will set the world ablaze."
- Pope John Paul II.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Ice Age III
I am a proud citizen of an Alpine nation, but this past weekend, I have had to discover that it gets much, much colder in other parts of the world.
Plans for a Friday night tour of the East Village literally froze mid-planning, so Geoff, Jeff, Mark, Pia and I spent the entire evening at Rue B instead, guzzling down several glasses of wine and being slightly surprised by the stiff bill that ensued. Nevertheless, a little jazz band that played on an impressive 3-by-3-ft. "stage" and good conversation about hidden New York gems, bird-shaped cities, and marriage made it worth while.
Saturday was kicked off with scrambled eggs and much-needed advice at Cafe Sabarsky with Colin, followed by an oh-so-freezing Staten Island Ferry ride with Pia. After nearly being blown off the boat, we braved icy winds and made our way up to Bleecker Street via Ground Zero and Wall Street. With no feeling left in our hands, toes and faces, we stumbled into Caffe Vivaldi for a hot chocolate, delicious carrot cake and a roaring fire. The day ended with coq au vin and apple pie (courtesy of Scott and Morag) at the Skypad. Due to bachelor-pad-induced lack of furniture, I sat on an upside down laundry hamper.
On Sunday we had brunch at Le Pain Quotidien, went to Mass and after being treated to delicious West Side sushi by my new landlady Alexandra, I spent the rest of the afternoon writing letters and hanging out in front of the fireplace at the Skypad with Bill, Colin and Pia. The boys didn't seem to mind the interruption of their habitual weekend silence, and we wrapped up the weekend with a good movie and snippets of the Super Bowl, accompanied by chips and salsa, and the expert commentary of Bill.
A runny nose, sore throat and perpetually cold feet remain as reminders of Saturday's arctic expedition, but I already have new things to look forward to, like Standing Room tickets to Bellini's I Puritani at the Met tonight, with Anna Netrebko. Pia, the culture vulture, got us tickets, and one of the many benefits of her presence in New York is that she is forcing me to expand my cultural horizons beyond movie theaters, restaurants and jazz bars.
Plans for a Friday night tour of the East Village literally froze mid-planning, so Geoff, Jeff, Mark, Pia and I spent the entire evening at Rue B instead, guzzling down several glasses of wine and being slightly surprised by the stiff bill that ensued. Nevertheless, a little jazz band that played on an impressive 3-by-3-ft. "stage" and good conversation about hidden New York gems, bird-shaped cities, and marriage made it worth while.
Saturday was kicked off with scrambled eggs and much-needed advice at Cafe Sabarsky with Colin, followed by an oh-so-freezing Staten Island Ferry ride with Pia. After nearly being blown off the boat, we braved icy winds and made our way up to Bleecker Street via Ground Zero and Wall Street. With no feeling left in our hands, toes and faces, we stumbled into Caffe Vivaldi for a hot chocolate, delicious carrot cake and a roaring fire. The day ended with coq au vin and apple pie (courtesy of Scott and Morag) at the Skypad. Due to bachelor-pad-induced lack of furniture, I sat on an upside down laundry hamper.
On Sunday we had brunch at Le Pain Quotidien, went to Mass and after being treated to delicious West Side sushi by my new landlady Alexandra, I spent the rest of the afternoon writing letters and hanging out in front of the fireplace at the Skypad with Bill, Colin and Pia. The boys didn't seem to mind the interruption of their habitual weekend silence, and we wrapped up the weekend with a good movie and snippets of the Super Bowl, accompanied by chips and salsa, and the expert commentary of Bill.
A runny nose, sore throat and perpetually cold feet remain as reminders of Saturday's arctic expedition, but I already have new things to look forward to, like Standing Room tickets to Bellini's I Puritani at the Met tonight, with Anna Netrebko. Pia, the culture vulture, got us tickets, and one of the many benefits of her presence in New York is that she is forcing me to expand my cultural horizons beyond movie theaters, restaurants and jazz bars.
Friday, February 02, 2007
Once Upon A Time In The West
I always knew New York was diverse, but I wasn't aware of the fact that every neighborhood doesn't just look, it also feels completely different. I am lucky to be experiencing three very different environments during my stay here: First the Upper East Side, then Brooklyn Heights, and now the Upper West Side. I've moved all the way northwest right next to the beautiful Columbia campus, and am staying with Alexandra, a friend of my uncle's, and her son Antony in the former nanny's room. The area is full of gigantic, palace-like buildings, some of which are student dorms (!) and some faculty accomodation, like the house I live in. Walking along the breathtaking facades and peeking into lobbies with thick carpets, brass lamps and uniformed doormen makes me gasp, but actually walking in to one of these buildings is something I haven't yet gotten used to (and hope I never will).
After over a month of squeezing my belongings into a little leftover closet space or piling them up on top of dressers or chairs, it feels good to have my own private space for the last six weeks of my stay. I still expect to hear a cat snarling and hissing from time to time, but gladly I am only hallucinating...!
Pia arrived on Monday and it is great to have her around. How she manages to have a choice of three different invitations per night within a day of her arrival puzzles me completely - but I guess I'd better hang on to that girl, she is popular! So far we've done a little sightseeing around Times Square and Midtown, had delicious mojitos, and went to see a screening of The Mission at the MoMa Film Museum yesterday. Ennio Morricone composed the soundtrack and was supposed to give an introduction, but he had some sort of trouble with a concert and didn't show up. Still, I am enjoying the fact that he could have. Everything is possible in this city.
To top things off, Colin, Bill and Thierry treated us to some palate boggling Chinese food afterwards, complete with a frog on a log carved out of vegetables as a table decoration.
Plans for the weekend include some Guggenheim art and music tonight, a dinner at the Skypad tomorrow, and a little more sightseeing in between. My time in New York is halfway over, and I think I need to start making a To Do List to make sure I've seen all I've wanted to see.
On the other hand, my New York experience is so much more about people than sights and places - and that is exactly the way I like it.
After over a month of squeezing my belongings into a little leftover closet space or piling them up on top of dressers or chairs, it feels good to have my own private space for the last six weeks of my stay. I still expect to hear a cat snarling and hissing from time to time, but gladly I am only hallucinating...!
Pia arrived on Monday and it is great to have her around. How she manages to have a choice of three different invitations per night within a day of her arrival puzzles me completely - but I guess I'd better hang on to that girl, she is popular! So far we've done a little sightseeing around Times Square and Midtown, had delicious mojitos, and went to see a screening of The Mission at the MoMa Film Museum yesterday. Ennio Morricone composed the soundtrack and was supposed to give an introduction, but he had some sort of trouble with a concert and didn't show up. Still, I am enjoying the fact that he could have. Everything is possible in this city.
To top things off, Colin, Bill and Thierry treated us to some palate boggling Chinese food afterwards, complete with a frog on a log carved out of vegetables as a table decoration.
Plans for the weekend include some Guggenheim art and music tonight, a dinner at the Skypad tomorrow, and a little more sightseeing in between. My time in New York is halfway over, and I think I need to start making a To Do List to make sure I've seen all I've wanted to see.
On the other hand, my New York experience is so much more about people than sights and places - and that is exactly the way I like it.
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