Arts and Streets in November

Canstruction near WTC

Ever wondered what you can make with canned foods? Check out annual sculpture competition for a good cause. I enjoyed all sculptures but thought it was really impressive to see a Yoshi.

http://www.sdanyc.org/canstruction/

Sunset over NJ (looking from Battery Park City near the water)

Love the color of sunset!

Street Scene

I saw this while walking around uptown (possibly west side) and just had to take a pic.

The Met Egyptian Tour

Ok, so you have been to the Metropolitan Museum, but did you ever take one of their guided tours (http://www.metmuseum.org/events/programs/met-tours/guided-tours)? I have been to several tours including Art of Islam, Great Rooms, Museum Highlights, and Art of Greek/Roman. Recently I took the one featuring Art of Egypt and learned about this female ruler Hatshepsut (http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/544450). The gallery featuring her statues and other temple objects quickly became one of my new favorite Egypt galleries.

Colorado Trip Notes

I visited Colorado for the first time and wanted to share some sights and tips from my visit. I enjoyed both Denver and Boulder and would definitely come back for more fun. Some specifics around restaurants / hikes / beers / food stuffs have all gone out of my head. hopefully S. and T. have better notes and/or memory and can add a bit more.

day 1 Denver

beautiful airport with tent structure and fantastic lighting http://www.flydenver.com/

16th st free mall ride http://www.rtd-denver.com/FREEMallRide.shtml

state Capitol building. restoration of house and senate chambers (check it out next time). hall of president portraits. http://www.denver.org/listings/Colorado-State-Capitol/3679/

Tattered Cover Bookstore with coffee and ice cream shop (reminds me more of Powell's than Strand) http://www.tatteredcover.com/

Wynkoop Brewery. http://www.wynkoop.com/ Rail yard Amber ale (also part of the downtown brewery listing from the visitor center. food was also pretty good. I ordered trout with polenta.

Union Station. yet another station that’s prettier than our Penn Station. I didn’t take the train and we walked inside where they had many food shops and even décor for Halloween.

day 2 Boulder

We took Green Ride from Denver to Boulder. http://greenrideboulder.com/

walking around on Pearl St. one memory store was the puzzle store and one memorable street art was watching people make art by sticking leaves and flowers on the rock with water slowly running down it. http://www.boulderdowntown.com/visit/history-of-pearl-street

tried a pumpkin cannoli from this shop: https://pieceloveandchocolate.com/

hiking and panorama views (photo from S.)

French restaurant near pearl st. I think it was brasserie ten ten? great happy hour specials https://www.brasserietenten.com/menus/happy-hour/

SFjazz Michael Jackson tribute (with jazz interpretation) http://www.sfjazz.org/events/2015-16/1022/collective

day 3

origami convention

west end tavern rooftop – forgot which beer I had? smoker selection (pork, chicken, sausages) http://www.thewestendtavern.com/

day 4

flat iron coffee. http://www.flatironcoffee.com/

flat hiking around Sawhill Ponds https://bouldercolorado.gov/osmp/sawhill-ponds-trailhead

celestial seasoning tea tour http://www.celestialseasonings.com/tours learned about herbal infusions and the overpowering “mint room”. of course sample all the teas there ( I liked watermelon zinger and chamomile lavender) and buy some gifts for your friends and family back home! I enjoyed reading about the history and also looking at the illustrations that they have for each tea.

teahouse lunch (amazing décor outside and inside, visit it!) we sipped some tea and I loved the Mediterranean salad which came with hummus, grape leaves, and olives  http://www.boulderteahouse.com/

street art near the teahouse

more hiking with more slope and views Chautauqua https://bouldercolorado.gov/osmp/chautauqua-trailhead

chophouse and tavern (??) split lamb chops with T.

we sampled java porter (coffee flavored beer) at mountain sun bar and caught haymarket square 'punkgrass' band performance. http://haymarketsquares.bandcamp.com/ the bar also offered prime people watching opportunity. we saw poker players, board game groups, dancers, couples, visitors, and more. http://www.mountainsunpub.com/

day 5

the buff for breakfast http://www.buffrestaurant.com/

Next Time:

• Denver Visitor Center Tips
  • Appaloosa grill 10pm music http://appaloosagrill.com/
  • Jazz at Jack's http://www.jazzatjacks.com/
  • http://www.denver.org/things-to-do/day-trips-around-colorado/denver-beer-triangle/
• Coors Field baseball stadium tour http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/col/ballpark/
• Denver zoo http://denverzoo.org
• various parks and stuff
  • http://estes-park.com/peak-peak-scenic-byway
  • http://peaktopeakguide.com/

Resources:

• Colorado Beer Tour iOS App. I consulted this along with Yelp for a few good outings. https://appsto.re/us/LL6zz.i
• University of Colorado at Boulder
• Visitor Centers and Trail Maps

High line new section and more

Some pics from high line when the new northern section was opened. Very crowded as usual.

Also on same day/evening: watched metropolis on high line and tried artichoke pizza. (chelsea location).

Governor's Island and Typewriters

Screenshot

Reference
Governor's Island (open until Sept 28,2014)
http://www.govisland.com/html/visit/directions.shtml

Down Under Bakery Pies
http://www.dubpies.com/

Blue Marble Ice Cream
http://www.bluemarbleicecream.com/

Hanx writer app

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hanx-writer/id868326899?mt=8

Smithsonian typewriters

http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/scitech/carbons/typewriters.html

Run, Sketch, Juggle

"Run, sketch, juggle" is not the title of my next book nor a catchy name for a new triathlon race. Simply a list of my recent activities: my first 5k run, a sketching session, and my experience at the juggling festival. Replace "run" with another activity "fold" (referring to origami) and I may just be closer to my bio.

Run (Central Park)

June 5, 2014. Central Park. 3.3 miles. 44 min. Official Site.

Notes:

• Gorgeous Weather
• Team
• Shuttle
• Inspiration
• Charity benefits Central Park Conservancy (website)
• Practice runs / apps used
• T-shirt contest and various t-shirts 
• T shirt tag and times (see how this technology works)
• Midway high five from a child
• Mile markers
• Water stations
• Participant vs observer - feels better to be a runner, not a bystander
• Finishing line and cheer
• Meeting people
• Running and walking with landmarks (downhill, lamp posts, signs, etc)
• The lake
• Free finisher t-shirt
• Celebration afterwards
• Bar with top floor
• Beer and bites
• Goals for next year - run more, walk less, and improve time. Ask more colleagues to join

Resources:

• NY Road Runners NYRR (race schedules, classes, training tips, etc)
• Central Park running routes map
• Running Routes from Forbes and Time Out
• Kinetic App (info) used for my practice runs
• "What I talk about when I talk about running" by Haruki Murakami 

Sketch (Brooklyn Promenade / Brooklyn Bridge Park)

The Brooklyn Promanade offers breathtaking views of downtown skyline and tons of benches available for reading, relaxing, and of course... sketching! I have to give a shout out to the central park sketching & art meetup group for introducing me to this gem. Event photos are also posted on their site if you are curious. If you are in the NYC area, look up their event, RSVP, then bring a pad and pencil and start sketching! I enjoy looking at different people's renditions and composition of the skyline and Brooklyn Bridge.

Hello Downtown!

Brooklyn Bridge

Governor's Island via Brooklyn

If you are in Brooklyn and heading to Governor's Island, look for the ferry from Pier 6 (west end of Atlantic Ave). I saw this mural along the way. 

Mural called "Moving Along"

When I arrived on Governor's Island, I found out that Figment Art was happening the same weekend. Very creative and interactive art. Their mini-golf every year is also superb. 

Chalk art giraffe on Governor's Island

Plastic cup sculpture

More info about the sculpture 'City of Dreams Pavilion'.  

Juggle with JuggleThisNYC

I managed to convince two friends to come with me to the juggling festival this past weekend and we all learned basic diabolo from a workshop taught by Robin Hu. Got some tips on passing balls from Jeff (shout out to Bryant Park Jugglers) but we still have a long way to go. Need to get more practice and mark calendar for next year!

Diabolo notes

1. get started, roll diabolo on ground to pick up energy. direction is horizontal line from dominant hand side towards non-dominant hand
2. keep diabolo stable by pointing stick in dominant hand forward or backwards. also keep one side of diabolo in front of body at all times. can walk to adjust position in addition to moving the sticks
3. to launch diabolo, quickly straighten the line by opening up distance between arms/sticks
4. to catch diabolo, raise dominant hand, catch it on the way down. diabolo should slide from near top of string
5. one hand trick involves putting both sticks in one hand, and using one hand to launch the diabolo and then catching it with strings doubled.

Juggling resources

• Check this first http://jugglenyc.com/
• Bryant Park juggling calendar (free lessons and equipment)
• Juggling Festival NYC "JuggleThisNYC"
• Diabolo videos by Robin Hu 
• Diabolo brands as recommended by Robin: Sundia and Taibolo

Long Weekend Boogie

Memorial Day weekend is the official start of summer fun. J. and I spent most of it exploring the city and trying different food places. It's pretty amazing how much the city has to offer besides the normal BBQ and beach activities (not that there's anything wrong with those, gotta love both). A sampling below:

Lincoln Center / NYPL 

Besides the wonderful NY Philharmonic concert with Szymanowski Violin Concerto No. 1 and Prokofiev Selections from Cinderella, we also walked around the area and checked out fountains and sculptures. For library and music lovers, the NY public library performing arts library is also just across the plaza. I'm always impressed by their sheet music section and of course the expected large collection of music recordings on various forms of media.

Passport to Taiwan Event 

A few weeks ago I attended a Japanese culture event in Central Park [see blog entry]. This past Sunday was the Passport to Taiwan event in Union Square. The event featured a number of yummy food stands, fun arts/crafts tables, and of course a stage area. Next year I hope to try out the "bamboo tamales" and "stir fried vermicelli" booths. There were also a number of public art that are good photo ops (see below) and poster boards with relevant stats of Taiwan. I didn't stay for all the performance but I think the band I saw near the beginning of the festival is Takao Run (打狗亂歌團). Facebook page here. I enjoyed their acoustic style songs. Check them out on this youtube playlist. 

Governor's Island

Opening day was Saturday and this year the ferry ride is free on Sat/Sun mornings and cost $2 on all rides week days and afternoon weekends. If you plan on going there often, $20 for a season pass (until end of Sept) helps you avoid lines etc. You can check more info on official site. 

J. and I rented a tandem bike which was hilarious as always. Food truck-wise, I enjoyed the pork belly and chicken buns at Momo and Buns. J. found a vendor (forgot name) that sold flaky pastry covered Shepard's pie. I'm also happy to see that Veronica's Kitchen is back this year, even though they changed location to a newly developed food area, close to the strange fire hydrant and telephone sculptures.

BBG various 

Brooklyn Botanical Garden had more blooms this time of year. While some people prefer High Line and Central Park, I like that BBG crowds is a bit more manageable (except during the annual Sakura Festival). Lunch offering is pretty good too.

Learn more about field of bluebells here on the garden site. 

field of bluebells

snowballs

lily flowers

Wisteria Sighting

When the Met Museum held a Louise Comfort Tiffany exhibit several years ago, I was impressed by all the works on display, especially the works not related to the often pictured lamps. The American wing with various Tiffany pieces also became one of my favorite places to hang out at the Met. There was this particular stained glass window featuring wisteria that made me wonder about this flower. I had not seen wisteria before so filed this image away for future reference.  http://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2006/louis-comfort-tiffany

This past weekend I found myself gazing at some lovely wisteria in Central Park Conservatory Garden. The pergola (framing device) is just as significant as the flowers themselves.

Thank you Central Park Sketch and Art Meetup Group for introducing me to this part of central park! Check out event photos here.

Another place to catch wisteria is Brooklyn Botanical Garden. http://www.bbg.org/discover/gardens/osborne_garden Maybe I have seen wisteria there before but they most likely looked different without the pergola.

More photos from Garden and Japan Day.

Click here to view these pictures larger

Japan Day in Central Park

Japan Day 2014 look place this past Sunday in sunny Central Park. I’d heard about this culture event previously and was glad I had the opportunity to go this year. My friend L. recommended JERO, who is an enka style (a traditional Japanese genre) performer and well beloved in Japan. Below is a pic of the stage where JERO performed enka style songs. I loved his outfit, his vocal chops, and his overall performance. You can read more about him here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jero.

Other festivities included food stands, activity stands such as origami, calligraphy, and kabuki facepainting. I mostly looked at the stage performances: Taiko drumming, fashion show, JERO, and an audience participation dance number by AK848 called something Fortune Cookie. Not quite the macarena or gangnam style but still an international sensation.
Selected photos from my walk around the park. Say hello to Shakespeare.

I’ve always wanted to try the model boat. Aren’t they pretty? The reflections came out perfectly.

The red floor near Bethesda Fountain contrasts well with the green trees.

Weekend Recap

Sometimes simple is best. My friend S. visited me this weekend and I would categorize the visit as pretty low-key compared to other adventures we’ve done before in NYC (sometimes involving many subway transfers). She took more pics of our food adventures (maybe I’ll post some here later).

Lunch – spinach salad with canned tuna, garden variety sprouts (whole foods sprouts section scares and amazes at the same time, garden variety consists of clover, radish, and fennel), grilled artichokes, fresh granny smith apple, fresh mango, grated parmesan, and olives. ice tea made with a combo of peach tea from Charleston and red tea from Argo.

Afternoon – took a walk around the seaport and waterfront. Lovely day and nice view of bridges.

Dinner – attended our friend W’s bridal shower at Joyce Bake Shop in Brooklyn. Cute place with excellent tea, food, and service. Everyone looked gorgeous. The décor is also very cute (spoon sets, round and square waffle irons, and even a coffee grinder). The place is also conveniently located near Grand Army Plaza, a used book store, and Ample Hills ice cream.

Origami lessons with Michael LaFossee (butterfly DVD). Arg forgot to take pics of those. they made for lovely gifts!

Breakfast – breakfast sandwiches from Financier. Pretty much can’t go wrong there, especially for people who want food on a weekend before 11am (apparently standard brunch time for many places near me).

Lunch – dim sum in Chinatown with S.’s family. It’s always very special to see three generations having food together (or just hanging out together in general).

Post-lunch Dessert (me only) – Chinatown Ice Cream Factory. Zen  Butter flavor. The fact this flavor is under “regular” and not “exotic” should tell you something about the selection of flavors at this place. The reason they have so many flavors even in winter is because the line literately never stops.

Now that I’ve gone through all our activities, maybe it wasn’t all so low-key after all… good times!

Castle in Manhattan

I posted a few pictures of J and I from our recent visit to Belvedere Castle on facebook the other day and a few friends had asked me where I found this castle. Good news for castle enthusiasts, you can find Belvedere Castle in the kingdom of … NYC (Central Park). Simply enter central park around 79th street on the west side (near natural history museum) and walk into the park and veer slightly northward once you’re more inside.
For more central park explorations (and helpful ways to get lost and found again), I recommend the official park app which lists various attractions, GPS navigation help, and tour schedule. If you haven’t done a walking tour yet, I strongly recommend it for learning more about the park’s history and design. Since the park is so large, there are several different tours that focus on different areas. If you enjoy drawing, I recommend the central park sketching meetup group.
We also spotted many birds (including a hawk) on our trip. Did you know central park has 200+ different kinds of birds? Pretty amazing huh? Clearly, the birds know a good place when they see it. I need to find a birding tour one of these days. 

Another famous sight which requires no introduction. To find it, look for the boat house and follow the water southward. Don’t miss the celestial tiles and music underneath the stairs (people always use the echo to sound off choir music).

Don’t have the name of this particular bridge. There are many bridges in Central Park which are lovely for picture backdrops. I’ve also included a pic from a previous trip where the water froze over.


More Central Park pics to come in spring. If you missed the autumn pics, they are in my previous post on jazz and colors here.

Spring Time in NY

Even though people always sing about autumn or Christmas time in NYC, every season is NYC is quite special. After a snow/wintry mix passed through the city this past week, the sky cleared up and we got spring temperatures for the weekend. It’s not surprising many people sought cure for their cabin fever by embracing a sunny spring afternoon outdoors. Leave behind those heavy winter coats and snow boots, bring out colorful wind breakers, and welcome spring to our city!

Hudson Pier 45

http://www.hudsonriverpark.org/explore-the-park/locations/pier-45
Pier 45 West Side (cross at Christopher)

I usually visit the Hudson River Parks in the summer for their outdoor concerts or movies. I’m glad I dropped by pier 45 today because the open space and sun light were divine. Nothing quite as fun as walking for miles in the sun. We may not have a beach on the west side, but we are proud of our walkaways and piers.

You can explore the entire collection of parks on their site. While lounging on the pier, I tried out the panorama function on my phone.

Coffee break

Le Pain Quotidien Chocolate bread with cherry jam and ricotta. Masala chai latte. I would recommend the chocolate bread again (seasonal special until April). I’ll probably stick to coffee/lattes next time instead of the chai. Note that the location I went to is steps away from the south end of High Line park. Look for a communal table inside, or get take out at the store. I also saw a booth of theirs outside but not sure if it’s the full menu or just coffees/pastries.

Apple Store West 14th

http://www.apple.com/retail/west14thstreet/

Apple fan or not, most people appreciate the aesthetics of Apple stores in Manhattan. From the iconic cube near Central Park, the fantastic sky light in SoHo, main concourse area in Grand Central Terminal, to this one within blocks of High Line. When you’re there, check out the view of busy streets/cafes from the 2nd and 3rd floor.

High Line

http://www.thehighline.org/

14th Street to 30th Street (check site for entrances) near 10th Ave.

Most people probably already know about this rail yard-turned-nature park. Everyone (locals and visitors) all came out from hibernation and gathered here to walk along the High Line. I found some flowers and berries poking out of snow (pictured).

Grease Lightning light up Bryant Park

Besides juggling in Bryant Park (http://azuleteats.blogspot.com/2012/08/juggling-and-summer.html), my other favorite activity is ice skating. One of the perks is that admission is entirely free if you bring your own skates and a lock (just leave all bags at home since the lockers are rather small).

Before the holidays, the rink plays assorted swing and jazz which fits the midtown scene very well.
Around the holidays they start playing jolly tunes. And also be sure to check out all the holiday stores nearby. Post holidays they have assorted music, including DJ nights featuring theme music from local radio stations. (Maybe next year NASH FM will also be featured?) And then I read that they play movies?!

At first I was skeptical of the rink side movie idea. After all, Feb is typically a cold month. Then I heard they were playing Grease, so I just had to check it out!



While the line to get a wristband is quite long, I managed to get in the rink right around
Grease Lightning, easily one of the most fun dance scenes. At my high school everyone always danced and sang to Grease medley (summer nights/grease lightning, you're the one I want, we go together). The ice skating rink crew clearly needs to learn the dances and do a better job leading the crowd. It was a bit distracting to try to watch the movie and skate. Luckily I've seen the movie many times so it was good to skate to the musical numbers.



You can also snag a rink side seat and watch (but skating was much warmer) or try the rink side lounge area which is enclosed. The crowd is not quite as crazy as the summer movie series.

Ice skating season ended already, but mark your calendar for Oct when the rink returns! I hope to see what other movies they pick for the next season (maybe Happy Feet or Rocky Horror?)
http://citipondatbryantpark.com/

Definitely files under 'only in NY', unless other cities also have winter ice skating movie festivals?

Portland–City of Roses and Water

Without looking at my travel notes, I can narrow my Portland trip down to two major impressions: the best bookstore experience and the numerous fountains (both the drinking kind and the decorative kind).

After sorting through my notes, I realized I had forgotten about the informative city walking tour, the dazzling and overwhelming rose garden, as well as the Japanese garden, the Chinese garden, vibrant life in Pioneer Square, and more. There is a lot to Portland that cannot be photographed. I also spent good number of hours browsing the magazine rack at the famous Stumptown coffee.

By the way, I have never been to Portland before, and didn’t see Portlandia [tv series] until I went to Seattle right after my stay. I really didn’t have too many expectations (high or low) but did hear great things about the bookstore. Having experienced major sightseeing spots and downtown’s efficient public transit along with the best weather one can hope for, I came away with a very positive impression of the city.