Shame

Last night I saw Michael Fassbender's new movie, Shame, filmed in New York City. It was the most intense and psychologically-draining film I have ever seen, and I recommend it strongly.


This film has been getting a lot of buzz lately and for good reason. If you haven't heard about it however, check out the trailer here. Fassbender is Brandon, a handsome and successful businessman who seemingly has a lot of good things going for him, but who is hiding a very sinister addiction: an addiction to sex.


He masturbates daily in the office bathroom. His computer hard drive at work and at home is full of every type of porno you can think of. His closets are full of it too. He frequently has sex with women online or with prostitutes, never with women whom he knows.


While such a problem might be hidden successfully when you are living alone, it is not so easy when someone begins to invade your privacy. Enter Sissy, Brandon's troubled and emotionally-dependent sister who moves in with him unexpectedly. It doesn't take long before her reappearance and the obvious tension between them begins to unravel Brandon's life.


The film focuses largely on Brandon's addiction and on his relationship with his sister. We see him spiraling out of control and hitting rock bottom in extremely visceral and emotional scenes.


Fassbender's performance is stellar. He gets all the subtleties in body language perfect, and all the raw emotions his character must be facing: the glint of his eyes as he moves from a woman's face to her legs, the train-wreck agony and self-loathing in his facial expressions as he sleeps with yet another prostitute.

The film does a really great job examining the intricacies and hard realities of addiction. Using long, clear screen shots in some scenes and narrow, unfocused shots in others help you feel the constant shift between being in control and being out of control. Brandon balances these moments back and forth throughout the movie, with each out-of-control scene getting harsher and harsher, and therefore more difficult to watch. The directors knew exactly how to shoot each scene, and Fassbender did a spectacular job all along the way.

Shame is not for the easily squeamish- it was rated NC-17 for its graphic sexual content- yet it is a must-see for those who can stomach it. It is a movie you will never forget, and that will leave you thinking for a very long time.  

World Aids Day

December 1 was World Aids Day, designed to promote awareness and increase education on the disease worldwide, while lobbying lawmakers and scientists for the continued support of Aids-related funding and research.


I thought it was important to pay a little tribute to World Aids Day due to the gravity of its outreach: over 34 million people are living with HIV today, the majority in sub-saharan Africa where there is little to no access to treatment or prevention methods. Unfortunately, organizations continue to slash their budgets for Aids research and prevention in the wake of the economic crisis.

From my blog for Passport Magazine:
"The Global Fund to fight against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria recently announced its intention to abandon the next round of funding due to a ten billion dollar shortfall. While services currently financed will continue with transitional finances, this means there will be no new funding possibilities until 2014. The announcement comes alongside a new report released by the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and UNAIDS. The report revealed that increased access to HIV services resulted in a 15 percent reduction of new infections over the past decade, and a 22 percent decline in AIDS-related deaths in the last five years."


With funds being taken away, however, that positive trend may not last much longer. 


The issue of HIV/Aids and how serious a problem it is has really come to my attention since I began working for a gay travel magazine. The more I read about how HIV affects people's lives and how many people are affected, the more I understand the importance of days like World Aids Day, and the importance of Aids research. If you didn't do it yesterday, then reflect a little today and do some of your own research to stay informed and stay protected, and if you can, to help.

Bike Riding Through Cambodian Countryside

From Bohemian Trails: 

Bright green fields stretched to my right and left, scattered with small wooden shacks with resting farm animals, drying clotheslines and barbed wire fences. A bright red dirt path stretched in front of me. The air was hot and extremely humid, a combined feeling of refreshing and stifling. There were no cars and no mopeds, only bikes running over the million little rocks stuck within the country road.

The vivid colors, open air and bicycles were all in the Cambodian countryside I had the privilege to travel through in October. The experience taught me an important and unforgettable lesson: One of the best ways to spend time exploring a new country or city is to do so through bike riding.

Bike riding, especially in smaller, more off-the-beaten-path destinations, allows you to go places and see things in ways that traveling in cars, trains or airplanes will never let you do. You can take your time and relax, stop where you want to and go where you want to with little hassle and with little disturbance of the area around you. You get to enjoy the open air and do a little exercising while actually interacting with the people and places that you see.

Bike riding may be a little more time consuming than other modes of transportation, but the experiences you have while doing so will almost certainly be more memorable than staring out a window. This is what I discovered when I made proficient use of bicycles in one of Cambodia’s smaller, southern coastal towns. I spent the better part of a day bike riding through dirt paths, past cow herds led by dogs and little children, and along stretching rice fields and salt flats.

I ended up having the most memorable experience of my whole trip- Angkor Wat temples, Tuol Sleng and Killing Fields all included.

My destination was Kampot, an old French colonial hangout now suffering from the same poverty afflicting most of the rest of Cambodia. The town is very small, and doesn’t attract near the number of tourists or ex-pats asPhnom Penh and Siem Reap, but it’s all the better for it.

Kampot has one of the country’s finest ensembles of old colonial architecture, but I admittedly didn’t spend much time in the city center. Instead my traveling companions and I took our rental bikes (another plus in Cambodia: bikes cost about $2 to rent for the whole day) and headed on a path leading to the countryside. We went to the farming fields and shacks of poor farmers who have undoubtedly seen very few Westerners in their day.

There was no destination and no itinerary, nothing and nobody rushing us through the journey. We kept to the path as the fields flanked around us, stopping only for an occasional photograph.

Most of the scenery was the homes of local farmers, the dirt road and rice fields: an accurate depiction of how so many Cambodians live their daily lives. Gone were the pothole-filled roads left un-maintained by corrupt government officials. Gone were the hoards of mopeds and vehicles cruising down the main roads. Gone was even the slightest hint of visiting tourists to the region.

One thing that remained, however, and which we experienced very often in Cambodia, was a personal and genuine friendliness from the families and children we passed by. Excited children constantly greeted us with shouts of “hellloooo!” both up-close and from afar, and their parents often smiled and waved to us as well. They welcomed us to their land openly and without reservation, furthering the sense of belonging I was already beginning to feel.

All these elements together created a scene that was calm and a beauty that was sprawling. Even through the heat, the humidity, and the physical exertion, it was all a profoundly calming experience; being alone and isolated from the city crowds and pollution exhaust, being able to breathe and take in the vivid, stretching colors with little interruption. Those images, feelings and interactions all combined to give you a complete sense of being grounded and connected there, to the land and the people and the history of the whole place. Seeing the locals and their homes and a small piece of their lives, so far removed from my own, created both a feeling of isolation and a sense of belonging I’ve never felt before, but now believe every traveler should experience.

My path took me a total of about 10 miles and left me sore, bruised, tired and dirty. Yet if given the chance to do it over again, I would take it in a minute.

The next time you ponder renting a car or buying a bus ticket, be a little more adventurous and head to the bike rentals instead. Don’t be lazy. The experience outweighs the extra effort tenfold.

Tuk-Tuk Drivers

Tuk-Tuks are a little hard for me to explain. They're like furnished wagon carts with roofs, sides and seating, all pulled by a motorized scooter. They're the primary mode of transportation for tourists within larger cities like Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, as well as the primary mode of transportation to the Angkor Wat temples. Surprisingly introduced to Cambodia just about five years ago, you can now find them anywhere you need them.

We found a loyal tuk-tuk driver with a very interesting story to tell.

Our Phnom Penh driver, Y (full name undisclosed), was a middle-aged man and a survivor of the Killing Fields. He lost one sister to the mass murder campaign, but luckily him and the rest of his immediate family survived the four years of horror. He worked the labor fields like everyone else, and he shared with us his personal story of how he secretly prepared and ate food in order to keep from starving to death under the harsh working conditions. Even the smallest of details could have given him away. He hid certain food under brush fires and covered them with items he could logically explain away. He took particular precaution to cleanse his mouth, so that the Khmer Rouge couldn't smell the food on his breath.

His actions probably saved his life, and after the fall of the Khmer Rouge he went on to work for several NGOs and international organizations. His knowledge of English and his very open demeanor made him many friends and acquaintances.

In 1997, when The Far Eastern Economist published a now-infamous interview with former dictator Pol Pot, Y said he served as the English translator on that assignment. Coming face-to-face with the now-sick and aging murderer still left him shaky and frightened- as he plausibly should have been, given Pol Pot's continued power to order extra-judicial executions.

Y spent several days driving us around Phnom Penh and to a couple other destinations on the southern coast of Cambodia. He was very knowledgeable and very friendly, and at the end of our stay he invited us to his home for dinner with his wife and family. His young son is being sponsored so he can go to private English school, and we had a wonderful time helping him practice.

We still have Y's contact information to recommend him to future travelers, and I'm pretty sure we won't forget him, his family, or his story. What a great find.

The Killing Fields

One of the very first things we went to see in Cambodia were the killing fields. I have been shocked to discover that many people don't know what this refers to, but just to be on the safe side let me explain: the killing fields is another name for the hundreds of mass graves still existing in Cambodia as remnants of the brutal Khmer Rouge regime from 1975-1979.

The Khmer Rouge was a "communist" government led by dictator Pol Pot. In an attempt to convert Cambodia into an egalitarian, poor farming society, the regime essentially killed between one and two million people either through disease and starvation or through torture and execution. That number is close to one fourth of the population.

The majority of executions took place in open fields outside the major city centers, hence the term "killing fields." Today you can visit and tour some of these sites, even as bodies and evidence are continuously being excavated.

We only visited one major killing fields site, just outside of Phnom Penh. There is an audio tour available and a large monument housing hundreds of human remains from bodies discovered in that area. None of this is for the faint of heart, as the stories are graphic, horrifying, and frightening. You can still see clothing and bone fragments along the designated tour pathway and the locations of the burial pits are clearly identifiable.

The fields are now very lush green, but one can only imagine how they must have looked in their heyday.

All the scenes I visited in Cambodia touched me in a very particular way, and the killing fields happen to be one of them. They are exceptional to other remains of the Khmer Rouge regime, i.e. the brutal prison Tuol Sleng, because of the beauty, grace, and life they seem to exude in the wake of such a gruesome past. Yes, I thought the killing fields were beautiful. Both beautiful and nightmare-inducing at the same time.

The paradox of such beautiful scenery harboring such an evil and ugly history was an overwhelming thought. I will never forget the spiritual and mental impact this particular place had on me. Enough said.  

Cambodia Intro

I arrived home from Cambodia this past Saturday, getting off a 24-hour travel stint and feeling extremely jet lagged and exhausted. My two weeks in Southeast Asia, my first trip to that region of the world, were a bit of a roller coaster. I traveled to five different cities in 14 days and saw flashbacks of both glorious and horrific days in Cambodia's checkered past. I relaxed in the small coastal towns and partied in the major urban hubs, catching a glimpse of everyday life in vastly different environments and arrangements. Here is a small introductory slideshow of what I've been up to, with closer snapshots to come in the following days:

Cambodia

I'm leaving for Cambodia for two weeks today. I expect to have some beautiful pictures, and hopefully some good stories, when I return.

Chong Gon Buyn

Here are some images from the Chong Gon Buyn exhibit at the Invisible Dog Art Center in Brooklyn. The exhibit is part of the Crossing the Line art festival I discussed in a previous post. Buyn is a mixed media artist who "gives found and discarded objects new meaning by using them to create sculptures and assemblages that explore the clash between post-industrial civilization and the present consumerist culture."
I don't quite get how post-industrial civilization and present consumerist culture clash with each other, and I didn't see that theme reflected in the artwork (pre-industrial vs. consumerist culture maybe, but not post-industrial). Nevertheless there were a lot of really cool pieces that reminded me of Obscura Antiques and Oddities. See for yourself in the slideshow below:

The UN and the Mainstream Media- A Little Too Star-struck?

Photo by Manish Swarup/Associate Press via The Guardian

I think The Guardian has some really great social commentary, and I often find myself agreeing with their positions. 

On Thursday Marina Hyde posted on The Guardian's Life and Style blog a commentary on Angelina Jolie's recent capture of a humanitarian award from the UN Refugee Agency. According to the agency's report, Jolie was "paid lavish tribute" Monday night during a "slick ceremony" in Switzerland honoring her work. 

Jolie has won at least three other UN awards in the past decade, most of them also presented in rich and swanky ceremonies probably costing thousands if not millions of dollars. 

Hyde critiques this practice by saying: "But what a strange business this is – this hiring of luxury hotel ballrooms, this renting of limousine fleets, this preparing of five-star banquets for invited bigwigs, this donning of floorlength-and-fabulous gowns. No doubt many of the providers contribute their services for free or at cost, but it seems to be a most idiosyncratic way of helping some of the world's poorest people. In fact, I was almost about to make the preposterous suggestion that donating the value of those services directly to the needy would be rather more helpful, but then I remembered that under that weirdo economic model there wouldn't be a fancy party or an insufficiently self-deprecating speech from the star of Kung Fu Panda."

I think Hyde hit it right on the mark there. When you type "UN Refugee Agency award" into Google, the only mainstream news results you get are ones that begin with Angelina Jolie, despite the fact that other organizations also received awards, namely a Yemeni group helping Somali refugees. While that group was mentioned in mainstream articles, they were only given top publicity (i.e. headline recognition) from human rights websites or Middle Eastern news sources. 

Hyde makes a very important point when she speaks of the UN's misguided attempts to raise awareness of important issues through celebrities like Angelina Jolie. Jolie doesn't raise awareness to the issue, she eclipses it, Hyde claims. And she eclipses the work of all the people who devote their lives to these issues, never earning the same recognition she seems to garner in spades. 

While Jolie is certainly very passionate about the work she does for the UN, it is also safe to say that her work is not nearly as extensive as the work of full-time humanitarian aid workers, who give much more of their time and effort than Jolie ever has. Why does it take a celebrity and a fancy ceremony to earn publicity for the crises facing the world, when such pomp is so far removed from the discussions and recognition truly needing to take place?

It’s partly the media’s fault, for refusing to cover these stories without the presence of a famous name, and it’s partly the UN’s fault, for catering to the showbiz glitz that is sometimes demanded of them to make a headline. But as Hyde mentioned, the celebrities do more to eclipse the issue than raise awareness for it, so what does the publicity matter anyway?

The UN should rethink its priorities, and give a little more thinking to the recognition they bestow. 

Full text of Hyde's Article

Occupy Wall Street

I have to write something about Occupy Wall Street. It fascinates me and I feel really lucky to be so near to the epicenter of it all. Tonight was the biggest protest yet, with conservative estimates of 15,000 people marching in downtown New York City. While it was too dark to get any good photographs, I happened to take a bunch when I visited Zuccotti Park on Sunday. Here is a slideshow of my photos:

Obama: Consider the Alternatives

I was out shopping at my favorite kitchen supplies store when I saw this new mug sitting near the check-out line. It says Obama 2008-2016: Consider the Alternatives.

It surprised me and left me pondering exactly what it meant for a while. Seriously consider 2012 candidates outside Obama? Or vote Obama 2012 only because of the terrible other candidates?

Either way I thought it was an interesting and stark contrast to the enthusiasm Obama brought to the presidential race just four years ago. If my guess is correct and this is a pro-Obama mug, then it's a pretty lackluster one at that.

How much the attitude has changed in such a short time.

"Diversity Bake Sale"

The UC Berkeley Republicans made a bit of a scandal in the news today when they hosted an "increase diversity bake sale" to satirize affirmative action.

Current California state legislation, under the title SB 185, would legalize affirmative action in state university admissions. In an effort to protest the bill and show how "ridiculous" affirmative action is, the Berkeley Republicans priced their bake sale goods at various prices based on race and gender.

All baked goods were $2 for white males, $1.50 for Asian males, $1 for Latino males, $.75 for African American males and $.25 for Native American males. All women received $.25 off those prices.

Obviously, this event offended a lot of people and created a local controversy.

Supporters of the bake sale received threats and the group was denounced as offensive and racist. Responding to critics, Berkeley College Republicans President Shawn Lewis wrote "we agree that the event is inherently racist, but that is the point. It is no more racist than giving an individual advantage in college admissions based solely on their race (or) gender."

Berkeley Republicans said they were mostly trying to stir debate about affirmative action and its consequences. But their attempts were misguided and they didn't provoke the debate our country needs to have.

I'm not necessarily a believer in affirmative action. Even if affirmative action itself is misguided, at least it made some effort to counteract the centuries of racist inequalities that continue to have serious social and cultural consequences in the United States. Satirizing this effort as trivial and unfair did not help the situation nor the debate, and unfortunately I don't think the republicans learned either of those lessons.

The impression I got most from reading news outlets' coverage of the diversity bake sale is there needs to be more self-awareness surrounding our discussions and reflections on affirmative action.

Yes, I worked hard in high school in order to get into college. I worked hard in college so that (hopefully) I could get a decent job and support myself independently. I too would have been angry if I was denied admissions to my top college choice, in favor of a minority with lower grades, lower test scores, or whatever.

But I was born and raised in a stable middle class white family. I went to good schools, lived in safe neighborhoods and always had my parents to support me. We never struggled financially, and as much as my parents bitched about the cost of higher education, they could afford to pay for my studies so I didn't have to worry about massive student debt.

No one discriminated against or stereotyped me based on my race or ethnicity. No one's ever done that to my family either.

But how many minority communities in this country continue to deal with those problems? Archaic as it may seem in the 21st century, racial inequality continues to exist in the form of poverty levels, unemployment levels, elementary and high school education access, health care access, safe and affordable housing access, and so on. For some kids in this country, the cards are stacked against them before they are even born.

And that's not fair. That's not trivial either. In order to address the problems of affirmative action, we have to acknowledge that the problems affirmative action addresses continue to exist.

Until the Berkeley College Republicans are willing to accept and understand that, the only thing they're going to be trivializing is themselves.

Pumpkin Lattes

I love Fall and almost everything about it. The crisp, cool air, the brightly colored leaves, the cardigan sweaters and fashion scarves, Halloween, apple cider, apple pie, and of course we can't forget: pumpkin lattes.

Ever since the weather started getting cooler (sporadically) this September, I've been dreaming of pumpkin lattes: the little jolt of caffeine and milk paired with the amazing taste of warm pumpkin and spices. Mmmmm.

While these spicy concoctions are known primarily as an invention of Starbucks, there are lots of little cafes  that offer them for the same price and without the corporate tag. I most often think of Java House, the independent and student-popular coffeehouse in Iowa City where I was first introduced to them. Doing homework on a cold autumn night was always better with a big mug of pumpkin latte to warm you up.

But I'm not in Iowa City anymore, I'm in New York City, where there are probably 100 times more coffee shops. Oh, the possibilities!

After some review searching and map planning, I settled on trying a new little cafe in the West Village, whose unique gourmet espresso drinks and atmosphere were widely praised. Just a five-minute walk from the 8 avenue L train stop, it wasn't too far of a trek for me.

The place is called simply Grounded. They offer a wider variety of drinks than most other coffee shops I've been to, and they also sell lots of baked goods and sandwiches. With lots of table seating, lounge couches, artwork and light music, it actually reminds me a lot of my old favorite college haunt.

And to my delight they have the great pumpkin latte I was looking for. I won't even consider going to Starbucks now that I've had this one.

Grounded's pumpkin latte is quite strong on the spice (cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg?) and pumpkin flavor, a little weaker on the espresso. But that's just fine for me. I'd rather the spices were a little strong than a little weak.

The latte also has the dark orange and light brown color that reminds you not only of the drink's wonderful ingredients but also of the wonderful Autumn season it represents. With a drink that tastes good, looks good, and makes you feel good, how can I not fall in love with it?

Unfortunately every good thing tends to have a catch, as does this one. A regular pumpkin latte costs a little over $4. As a freelance journalist/ recent college grad, I'm sad to admit that these drinks cannot become a regular indulgence for me and my tight budget.

Luckily I don't always have to go to the coffee shop to get them- I can make them at home. With strong coffee and a one-time investment in canned pumpkin and spices, I have enough supplies to make a million pumpkin lattes at home for about $15 (if my estimates are correct).

I might not get the same ambiance at home in my tiny studio, but at least I'll have the spices to keep me warm :)



Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte 

2 cups half and half or milk (I'll use soy milk)
2 tbsp. canned pumpkin
2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 tbsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup strong brewed coffee (or 1/4 cup espresso)

1) Heat milk, pumpkin and sugar in a pan until all ingredients are mixed thoroughly.
2) When heated through, remove milk from burner and add vanilla and spice. Whisk until foamy or blend in a blender.
3) Add 1 cup of milk to coffee mug. Add enough coffee to fill it up.
4) You can top it off with whipped cream and/or more spices- pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves.
5) Enjoy!!!

Urban Girl Squad Pink Bakooza Cocktail Party

Photo courtesy of Urban Girl Squad

Urban Girl Squad is an organization that offers young women in NYC a chance to socialize and network through various fun, interesting and unique events. From cocktail parties to beer tasting tours to volunteer opportunities, Urban Girl Squad is a great way to meet new people and try something new.

I was introduced to this organization through Socially Superlative, a social blog with whom I am a freelance writer. SS covers a lot of Urban Girl Squad events, and I have been fortunate enough to attend a couple of them.

Photo courtesy of Urban Girl Squad

Wednesday night was Urban Girl Squad's Pink Bakooza Cocktail Party at Co-op restaurant and bar. With a complementary glass of wine and a delicious cocktail, paired with yummy hors d’oeuvres and a cool club/lounge setting, the night was a big success.


Co-op, located on Rivington Street on the Lower East Side, is a cool and modern American brasserie and sushi bar. With a nightclub-type feel to it, I loved the dark leather furniture and the interesting art display of faceless photo profiles along one wall. Urban Girl Squad labeled it as “the new hot spot on the LES that has people buzzing about its vibe, clientele and cocktails.”

Photo courtesy of Urban Girl Squad

For the evening Urban Girl Squad was given a small reserved lounge section where we intermingled with other partygoers. Waiters took great care of us with the table-service hors d’oeuvres and drinks. While the music was too loud and it was often difficult to hear other people speaking, the atmosphere was generally laid back and very fun. Urban Girl Squad events tend to bring out a very wide mix of NYC women, and I once again had the opportunity to meet a lot of new and interesting people.


A wonderful part of the evening was getting to taste one of Co-op’s signature drinks, the Pink Bakooza: Grey Goose vodka, watermelon, basil, orange blossom and coco hibiscus. The mixture was delicious, unique and just sweet enough for my cocktail taste. I absolutely loved it.

Photo courtesy of Urban Girl Squad

The night also included an interesting and very difficult game: each attendee was given a sheet of paper with a listed cocktail ingredient- either a glass, a liquor, a mixer or a garnish. In order to encourage more intermingling, you had to find people with all the ingredients you didn’t have in order to make your own “cocktail.” Unfortunately the game was stacked, with a lot of glasses and garnishes, less liquors and almost no mixers. And when not all the partygoers stayed for the whole evening, the ability to find everything you needed became a lot harder. The game was fun though and served as a good icebreaker when speaking to new people, which is really what it was all about. 


Urban Girl Squad had yet another well-planned and well-executed social event for women in New York City, and I’m glad I had the opportunity to go. I will definitely keep myself updated on their future plans. 




* Some of this article was also published on Socially Superlative 

Crossing the Line

The French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) launched their fall festival Crossing the Line yesterday in New York City. The festival runs September 17 to October 16 and features gallery displays and artistic performances from a variety of artists working in a variety of mediums.

Time Out New York calls it "one of the most exciting festivals to hit New York in years." With all performances and exhibits listed and described online, I'm feeling just as excited about what this festival has to offer in the coming month.

FIAF says that this years' festival "presents diverse and dynamic new work from significant artists who are revolutionizing artistic practices on both sides of the Atlantic." Broken into three major categories, Fiction and Non-Fiction, Lecture/Performance, and Endurance/Resistance/Inspiration, this festival really goes all-out in its effort to represent both compelling and varied artistic forms.

You can view all the featured artists and their work in this pdf brochure:
http://www.fiaf.org/crossingtheline/2011/documents/FIAF-CTL11-Festival-Brochure.pdf


And here is a list of the artists I'm looking very forward to seeing:

Chong Gon Byun: A Layer of the #1L at The Invisible Dog Art Center. September 17 to November 6
Cost: Free
Byun is a Korean mixed-media artists who gives life to old and discarded objects by using them to create new sculptures and designs. These designs are used to explore the clash between post-industrial civilization and modern consumerist culture.


Ralph Lemon: A Paradance: The Inherent Protest and Émigré Nature of Performance (And How It Could Belong Nowhere) at Tinker Auditorium. October 6, 7:30 p.m.
Cost: Non-members $15 in advance, $20 at the door
Lemon is a dancer, choreographer, storyteller and visual artist. Through these art forms Lemon will create a unique performance for Crossing the Line, addressing social and political issues with his work.


Faustin Linyekula/ Studios Kabako: More More More... Future at The Kitchen. October 12 to the 15, 8 p.m.
Cost: $15
Linyekula is a choreographer and director from the Democratic Republic of Congo. This show will feature provocative performances reflecting the DRC's sociopolitical and cultural history, as well as its current national struggles.

Amelie Chabannes: Intimate Immensity and Lagerstatten at the Stephan Stoyanov Gallery. October 12 to the 16.
Cost: Free
Chabannes uses a mixed-media installation to explore the complexity of the human being. With a staged archeological dig, she investigates philosophical and psychoanalytical frameworks specific to the "person."


While those are just the highlights I've penned into my schedule book, there are so many more talented and interesting artists filling up this festival. Check them out!

Carolina Herrera Spring 2012

Yesterday I had the rare opportunity to view Carolina Herrera's Spring 2012 collection runway show at Lincoln Center.  The show was both spectacular and beautiful, and I was pleasantly surprised at how fresh and young her new designs are.

The pattern this season seemed to be long and lightweight flowing gowns, pants and jacket separates, and geometric and sparrow bird patterns. I was a fan of every piece in the collection, and I believe each one continued to reflect Herrera's vision of a strong, independent  and modern woman.

Renee Zellwanger, a big fan herself, was sitting in the front row and seemed to enjoy the collection as much as I did. I wouldn't be surprised to see her wearing one of Herrera's gowns in the future, because she would look beautiful in any one of them.

My favorites:
The black-and-white paneled dress (photo 14)
The long canvas coat with the light blue silk scarf (photo 20)
The red, sepia and greige geometric striped silk chiffon dress (photo 30)
The canary yellow silk gazar gown with silk organza band appliqué (photo 37)




* All photos courtesy of New York Magazine

September 11th

10 years ago today over 3,000 Americans lost their lives in one of the biggest terrorist attacks ever perpetrated on American soil. Those people will never be forgotten.

Obscura Antiques and Oddities

There is a little store in the East Village, 10th Street between Avenues A and 1st, called Obscura Antiques and Oddities. My brother introduced me to the place when I first moved here in June, and the whole collection continues to fascinate me.

Obscure is a great way to describe the place. It's like a giant walk-in closet full of junk you threw in there and forgot about- if you were a mad scientist. Old books and pamphlets, stuffed animals bearing their sharp teeth, human skeletons and mummified heads, rosaries and all sorts of other things are piled in this small and narrow treasure trove, if I may call it that. Long and narrow and very cluttered, it's generally run by an old lady, who fits right in with all the crazy merchandise.

I love this store because there are so many strange things to look at and wonder about. You never know what you are going to see there, and chances are you will never see them somewhere else. Take a look at the pictures I took, and then go take a look yourself.

Sleepy Hollow

Last weekend my parents, older brother and I took a day trip upstate about 50 min. to the small town of Tarrytown (aka Sleepy Hollow).

Tarrytown is immortalized through a small yet very famous short story by Washington Irving: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. And while the modern town is not quite like the 19th-century village depicted  by Irving, it still maintains a lot of its beautiful and historic upstate charm.

The main Sleepy Hollow attractions to see are the Old Dutch Burying Ground, the Old Dutch Church, and Philipsburg Manor. Sleepy Hollow was settled largely by Dutch immigrants in the 17th century, with the first recorded residence dating to 1645. The Old Dutch Church and Burying Ground are the most concrete remnants of these early settlers, offering a small glimpse into their lives and deaths.

The Old Dutch Church is in fact the oldest existing church in New York State, completed in 1685. It still functions as a church in the summer, and every Christmas Eve there is a special evening mass where the old wood-burning fireplace is used to heat the building. The oldest decipherable graves in the burying ground  reach into the mid-18th century. Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, just next to the burying ground, is the location of Washington Irving's grave.

The church was constructed by Frederick Philipse, a Dutch farmer who owned a considerable amount of land along the Hudson River. Just across the river from the church and burying ground are a grain mill and country manor owned by Philipse and run largely by his slaves.

A bit ethereal any time of year, I'm sure you can imagine the beauty and life of this place in the Fall (around Halloween of course)- with brightly colored trees, crisp cool weather and a whistling autumn wind. The city does a lot of events to celebrate Irving's story then, including a nighttime display of several thousand carved pumpkins, nighttime tours of the cemetery, tours of the manor, a big Halloween parade and public readings of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

It was a great weekend visit, but I'm really hoping to make it back a month and a half from now, when all the real action is taking place. I love Fall, and Halloween, and what better place to enjoy the two than in Sleepy Hollow.

Vishnu: Hinduism's Blue-Skinned Savior

Krishna Fluting for the Gopis, page from an illustrated Dashavatara series. Northern India (Punjab Hills, Mankot), circa 1730. Courtesy of Brooklyn Museum. 

Vishnu is the Hindi god most often known as the creator of the cosmos and the preserver of Planet Earth. Considered one of the most multi-faceted of all Hindi gods, and one of three deities with the largest number of sectarian followers, he is widely recognized and admired. 

An art exhibit devoted solely to Vishnu and his worshippers, the first major museum exhibition of its kind, is currently on display at the Brooklyn Museum. It features over 170 paintings, sculptures and ritual objects made in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh between the fourth and twentieth centuries. Very detailed, well-organized and well-researched, it offers an informative and fascinating glimpse into the history and culture of this deity. 

Vishnu Flanked by His Personified Attributes. Northern or central
India, 12th century. Courtesy of Brooklyn Museum

In Hindi paintings Vishnu is easily identifiable because of his blue skin. According to the exhibit, "the blue distinguishes [him] from mere humans, and it reflects the God's association with the vast expanses of sea and sky as well as his usually cool, tranquil approach to saving the world." When he does not have blue skin, such as in granite or stone sculptures, you can identify him through his clothing and four different emblems- the wheel, the conch shell, the mace and the lotus. 

The lotus was the most influential emblem to me. As I said before, the exhibit is very detailed in its information on the deity, his followers and believers. A beautiful quote about Vishnu's lotus said that believers seek to emulate these flowers, because they "rise up from humble beginnings in murky ponds to achieve beauty in a higher realm." 

The exhibit is organized by four themes: Images of Vishnu, Legends of Vishnu, Avatars of Vishnu, and Worshipping Vishnu. Images of Vishnu focuses largely on sculptural art either within temples or on outside temple walls. Legends of Vishnu is much more painting-oriented in displaying images and artwork that tell stories about the god. Avatars of Vishnu offers a detailed look at each one of Vishnu's mortal forms (avatars) used when the god descends to earth  to solve a serious problem or fight a demon. Worshipping Vishnu, the most different of all the themes, displays images of Vishnu's devotees, where these devotees pray, and select objects used in prayer to Vishnu. 

Varaha Rescuing the Earth, page from an illustrated Dashavatara series. India, circa 1730–40. Courtesy of Brooklyn Museum. 

While all the art forms were beautiful and richly detailed, my favorite was the paintings with their bright colors. The bold hues popped off the wall and kept your eye focused on their intricate designs. To me they were so attractive and striking with their red, blue and yellow tones that I didn't want to look at anything else. In fact it was the painted images that attracted to me to the exhibit in the first place, and I'm so glad I went. 

The show is on display until October 2, and the Brooklyn Museum offers suggested admission, so it's essentially free. Unfortunately you cant take photos though, so if you want any memories of this wonderful collection you will have to look at them on the museum's website. I recommend doing so.

Media Mania: Hurricane Irene in NYC

I wanted to write about this earlier but my sister and nephew were in town visiting until last night (my sister tends to bring disaster with her- this time it was a hurricane). We rode out the weekend storm together and were lucky it wasn't worse here in New York City. But given how the news media and public figures reported it, the city and our vacation were doomed from the get-go.

Luckily we didn't take the reports too seriously and panic. I don't think very many people in the city did. And now that the storm is over and the city has not crumbled from wind and flood damage, everybody is assessing the media hype that predicted that drastic aftermath.

Yes, over a dozen people died and millions are without power, and there was some heavy flooding and downed trees. But Irene was no Katrina. Was it really necessary to shut the subway system down, order evacuations and warn people "if you haven't left you should leave now. Not later this evening, not this afternoon, immediately." (Mayor Bloomberg)?

Even throughout the day on Sunday when it became apparent that Irene would not be so bad, especially in New York City, news outlets continued to play it up. Most memorable was the Huffington Post, whose headline read in big bold letters "Hurricane Irene Slams New York."

Irene did not slam New York. There was some serious flooding and power loss upstate, but throughout most of the storm New Yorkers continued going about their business as best they could. As reporters and bloggers were tweeting about the imminent emergency barreling our way, I could still see people walking their dogs and going jogging down the street. Those people did not die and were not blown away. They were fine.

It's always better to think ahead and plan for the worst in instances of natural disasters, but what happened with Irene was over the top. It was an important story that deserved serious coverage and warning, but the media got our country worked into a worrisome frenzy for a storm that in the end did not merit it.

Was it for the ratings? That, among other factors, are at the center of the "hurricane hype" debate. It's been a popular topic since about Sunday afternoon, when the news and weather channels finally stopped pushing back Irene's arrival time and people starting admitting it was a dud. I think it was partly for the ratings, partly a result of over-cautiousness from politicians. No one wants what happened in New Orleans, and no one wants to seem unprepared on national television.

The debate will continue for perhaps a few more days, before splintering off into new and more sensationalist stories. As Gawker said on Sunday, "Tomorrow's commutes will be rough tomorrow, but in 10 years, how much will any of us even remember 'where we were' when Irene struck?"

La Bergamote

Bakery display case

La Bergamote is a French patisserie located in Chelsea (9th Ave. on the corner of 20th). I wanted to feature it in this blog because not only do I love their pastries and coffee, but also because it makes me reminisce of my time in France.

This shop has been around for many years and used to be a hangout of Ira Glass (still is?). They have a wide variety of pastries, truffles and sweet breads along with delicious coffee. My favorite is always the lemon tart (or in French: tarte de la citron), but I need to make a habit of being more adventuresome and trying the others. All available desserts are behind a curved glass display case, leaving your mouth watering and you decision difficult.

In fact La Bergamote has been in Chelsea since 1998, when chefs Stephane Willemin (Executive Pastry Chef) and Romain Lamaze (Managing Director) decided to collaborate on the business together. Originally located across the street, they reopened in their new location during the Fall of last year.



Their new location appears to have more space, leaving room for more sit-in customers. A popular staple of the neighborhood, the business has done so well that the owners also recently opened a second location, more of a restaurant than a café, over in Midtown West. It is still on my list of new things to try.

If you are looking for French bakeries in New York City, this is the one to go to. The atmosphere is calm and relaxing, and there's nothing you won't like. You can sit at a small table in front of the vintage murals on the back wall, or in front of the windows if you're more inclined to people watching. Stay as long as you like, have a sip of coffee, a bite of dessert and enjoy a book or the company of a friend. I guarantee you will want to come back.

East Village, NYC

As beautiful as Besançon was, it just doesn't have the eye-popping color and creativity displayed on architecture in the East Village, where I live currently. Check out these beauties!

Besançon in Manual Mode

During the 2009-2010 school year I studied abroad as an independent exchange student in Besançon, France. Besançon is about 2 1/2 hours southeast of Paris by the Switzerland border, and has existed as a city for over 2,000 years. Located on the Doubs river, it served as a major trading post during the Gallo-Roman era. It is also the hometown of Victor Hugo.
Besançon is a very small and relaxing city. It also makes for perfect black-and-white manual photos, which I love to shoot. Here is a collection of photos shot in Besançon with my Pentax K1000.

Arlekino Troupe's Carnevale!

Mira Stroika

Sunday night I went to a performance fundraiser for the Arlekino Theater Troupe, a non-profit theater, art, music and dance program for children ages 2 through 7 from families from the Former Soviet Union. 

The show was advertised and marketed as a grand Carnevale!, featuring circus and sideshow-like performances at the Galapagos Art Space in Brooklyn. It raised money through ticket sales and with the help of volunteer performers, caterers, and artists. The Galapagos Art Space also donated their venue for the evening.

I attended the event for free as a reviewer for Socially Superlative, but if I had paid the $20 ticket fee I think I would have been disappointed. The show had some good acts and a friendly crew, but there were several problems that left it a little underwhelming.

The Galapagos Art Space is located on Main Street in Brooklyn. I had never been to this neighborhood before, and after getting a little lost I rushed to the venue in order to make the 7 p.m. starting time. 

All the ads said the show started at 7. It did not start until 7:45. After 50 minutes of performance, there was another 40-minute break. Fifty minutes after that, there was still a third 20-minute break before the final stretch of the performance reached the stage.

Needless to say all these “breaks” made the audience very restless, including myself. Sitting alone in a dark Russian-style lounge bar with red lights and jazz music, waiting aimlessly for the show to continue, is not very fun. Especially when the "waiting" comprises half of the whole show. It would have all been better if there was only one break, 20 to 30 min. tops. 

The other major hiccup was difficulty with audio and video. The show began with a video montage of the theater troupe’s program and work with children. Unfortunately the video had difficulty running, and it got the (already behind-schedule) show off to a faulty start. 

These issues could have been improved and would have made the show much better. That said however, there were some performances throughout the evening that made it more enjoyable.  

Valeria Entertainment- photo by Marina Vykhodtseva

The most notable acts were the Valeria Entertainment belly dancing, the Jazz Kompot band, and cabaret singer Mira Stroika.

Valeria Entertainment

Representing Valeria Entertainment was a performance of three belly dancers dancing beautifully to Arabic music. The performance was colorful, energetic, and fun. The women proved to be great belly dancers with a strong sense of rhythm and knowledge of performing for a large audience. Their flexibility and hip-moving skills are envious. 

Jazz Kompot is a skilled jazz band with strong vocals and instrumentals. They put you in a great 1940s-lounge mood.

Jazz Kompot- photo by Alex Torres

Cabaret singer Mira Stroika was the best performance of the evening. No one captured the audience’s energy and attention like she did with both her enthusiasm and talent. Her loud, powerful voice has such a soul that it filled the whole venue, and everyone was pulled into her songs.

Mira Stroika cabaret- photo by Alex Torres

Unfortunately Stroika was one of the last performers of the evening, and many in the audience had left by the time she came on stage (they were probably tired of all the waiting too). The rainy evening did not help the situation, but I wonder if Stroika’s performance earlier would have enticed people to stay for the whole show.

According to Arlekino’s co-founder Jane Tuv, the show had great ticket sales, for which I’m sure they are very thankful. The evening had some big setbacks, but at least it raised money for a good cause and ended up introducing me to some new and talented performers. And for that, I am thankful.

Some Further Carnevale! Information:

Co-producers: Jane Tuv, Founder of Arlekino Theater Troupe, and Maksim Brenner, founder of Brenner Media Labs

Caterer: Elena Tedeschi Catering

Videography: Brenner Media Labs

 * Note: some of this article also appeared in my Socially Superlative article.