I ❤NY!

The route of my completely random run through my neighborhood looks oddly familiar...

JAPAN NEEDS OUR HELP!

   Our friends and family in Japan are still dealing heavily with the aftermath of the 9.0 magnitude earthquake that rocked Japan on March 11, triggering a deadly tsunami and causing the devastating nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant on the east coast of Japan.
    The Art Party for Japan online art auction is to show our love and support to all of those affected by the earthquake and to continue
to help the children and families in need. Together we can raise money and hope for everyone!!
 HOW CAN YOU HELP?!
    21 amazing and talented artists from Tokyo, New York, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Texas, San Diego, Berlin and Miami have donated their original artwork to help support this worthy cause. Now we need YOUR help! Bid now! And bid high! Take home an amazing piece of art while helping those in need with your donation. And please, forward this auction site to everyone you know, together we can make a difference!
    All proceeds of this auction will be donated to the "Japan EarthquakeTsunami Children in Emergency Fund". For more information or to donate directly please go to: Japan Earthquake Tsunami Relief. A huge and special THANK YOU to all!!
   P.S. Congratulations to the Japan women's national soccer team!

Magnolia deja vu!

Alison sent this photo to my phone. Looks like she's having the same breakfast in NYC that I had... (scroll all the way down to see it.) Who doesn't like dessert for breakfast?

Food heaven: the travel edition

As my interest in food & cooking has grown exponentially over the last several years, I've had the opportunity to dine at some really amazing places. To me, food is an much an experience as it is a necessity; the presentation should be a work of art, and the taste should be thoroughly savored. I will not pass up an opportunity to taste the work of a master chef. So, to that end, I thought I'd list a few places here for anyone who might be traveling; I whole-heartedly recommend them all. In fact, can't wait to visit them again myself! (Note: Kansas City has so many good places that I posted them separately.)

NEW YORK CITY:
Nobu is unquestionably one of the best dining experiences I've ever had. Both times that I've been. If you're not familiar with Japanese food the menu might seem intimidating, but don't let that stop you if you're a seafood lover. You must try it, and the chefs and servers are always willing & capable of making outstanding recommendations. In fact, don't bother ordering off the menu—just tell them to bring you the good stuff. Experiment and try things you may not ever see on another menu: chef Nobu Matsuhisa is an original. You'll need to make reservations far in advance, unless you happen to get lucky like I did. Don't risk it.

'Wichcraft   (Multiple Manhattan locations) 

Tom Colicchio's chain of sandwich joints, cleverly named after his original NYC restaurant, Craft. I had the grilled asiago cheese & carmelized onions on country bread. Amazing. Get two or you'll be hungry in an hour (granted, I have a hell of an appetite). Don't miss the peanut butter sandwich cookies—grown-up cousin to the Girl Scouts version. And a lemon Pellegrino. There's also a companion book in case you get hungry at home.

Rosa Mexicano  (locations in several cities; I've visited both Lincoln Center & Union Station in NYC.) Inventive Mexican cuisine & fun decor, with large central blue mosaic water feature with tiny diving guys springing from it.

CHICAGO: I found Rick's restaurants completely by accident. I had driven up to Chicago to catch the Puffy Amiyumi show (or was it Polysics?) Walked by, hadn't yet eaten dinner, it smelled amazing, and I went inside... and was treated to an incredibly delicious & unforgettable meal! You must get the guacamole and anything with chihuahua cheese.

Frontera Grill   445 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60610   312-661-1434
With its decor of folk art and vivid colors, Frontera is a fun experience on all levels. It has an ever-changing menu & artistic dishes by chef Rick Bayless. Save room for dessert. Next door (also by Rick Bayless) is Topolobampo, a little more high-end and equally delicious.

 

TOKYO: If you find yourself all the way over in Tokyo, don't miss Gordon Ramsay's luxury restaurant on the 28th floor of the Conrad Hotel in Shiodome. French cuisine in Japan. So good you almost can't descibe it without using The 'F' Word.

LOS ANGELES: For me, one of the great joys of visiting LA (aside from visiting my sister, of course) is to enjoy top-notch sushi. And I've had some of the best sushi outside of Japan in LA, both at upscale restaurants & at modest shops in Little Tokyo.

Zip Fusion   11301 W. Olympic Blvd. Suite 116  Los Angeles, CA 90064
On the high-end of the spetrum, Zip Fusion presents breathtakingly beautiful maki and inventive combinations.

Frying Fish   120 Japanese Village Plz Mall  Los Angeles, CA 90012

For a quick, inexpensive & fun experience, head to Frying Fish. It's かいてんすし\ (kaiten-zushi); with the rotating sushi bar where you can pull your selections directly off the belt, or summon the chefs working furiously in the center to make your favorites just for you. Pricing is determined by the color & pattern of the plates you select. Don't let the older chef trick you into thinking the giant pot of wasabi is green tea ice cream! He's a troublemaker.

OMG I just made myself totally hungry!
(photos are from each restaurants' website)

Stationery Show & more!

I met John for breakfast at the hotel restaurant, and then we headed out on the shuttle bus to the Javitts center for the Stationery Show. The Javitts center was interesting, architecturally-speaking, and the show itself was immense, though everyone told me it has been much larger in previous years, a sign of the times:

This shot illustrates my camera's zoom power. Can you find this dude in the photo above?

After the show, John had to fly back to Kansas City. So we took the shuttle back to the hotel, he left, and I struck out on my own to see the Kuniyoshi show (read all about it in my other post).

After leaving the Japan Society, I was thrilled to hear that Derek was successful in securing dinner reservations for our gang: me, Derek & Dan, and Julie & Erika from Smilebox. We met at Rosa Mexicano in Union Square. We had a blast, and a great meal, too! We all went our separate ways after dinner. And rather than go right to bed as a wise tired person would have done, I visited Times Square again. I saw the "Theater for One" that Pam Kelley told us about; she had a chance to experience it, but I arrived too late to catch it each night. Rats! You can read the NY Times article, and the NY Post. It closed May 23.

I noticed a crowd staring up at this huge screen & I thought, "Man, those guys sure love American Eagle!" But it turned out that they were displaying people's photos on it. Made a little more sense.

A humbling experience

I believe that amazing, serendipitous things are around us all the time, & they'll happen to you if your mind is open to them.

   Proof #1: John Decastro & I were doing the whirlwind tour of Manhattan on Monday, & we stopped into Kinokuniya books, which has relocated from Rockefeller Center over to Bryant Park. (Which is a gorgeous, serene park loaded with trees, as well as the home of New York Fashion Week.) I was thrilled that John was willing to indulge my Japanophilism. As I was at the register I noticed a postcard advertising a show of Kuniyoshi's prints at the Japan Society. My jaw about hit the floor. I own one of his prints, which I purchased at the Kyoto Handicraft Center in 2006! And given that it's the most stunning piece of art I own (and one of the most stunning that I've ever laid eyes on), I knew I had to get to the show.
   So on Tuesday following the Stationery Show, the shuttle dropped me off in Times Square & I proceeded to hail a cab. Yeah right. It was POURING rain, & all were full. I might as well blow my life savings on lottery tickets. The show was pretty far away. What to do? Call it a loss or go all-out & try to make it. My answer to that type of question is always the same. And so I started walking east as briskly as possible. If I hurried I might get 45 minutes to view the show before they closed for the day. I took a couple of wrong turns. But I pressed on.
   The rain was so heavy & the wind so hard that I was soaked despite my umbrella, which I had to carry in front of me like a shield to deflect the rain & which turned inside-out more than once. Near the UN I passed a gorgeous meditation park. And spotted a woman with a shiba walking toward me! We chatted for a minute & I pressed on. Soon I walked into what I thought was the building, only to find that I was on the wrong street: 42nd instead of 47th. Crap. The sidewalks were full but people could tell I was on a mission: they got out of my way! I finally arrived at the beautiful Japan Society, with a running stream & slender, elegant bamboo growing throughout the lobby. The attendant informed me that the show was free today. So I shed my wet jacket & umbrella & marched up the stairs...

   And my jaw hit the floor again. I expected maybe two dozen prints. There had to have been one hundred, mostly dating from the 1830s-50s. I haven't seen a show of such presence & magnitude in years-- not since I saw Gajin Fujita's large-scale graffiti art at the Kemper Museum. And to think these prints were all from one artist!
   Kuniyoshi's prints are crafted with a delicacy that has become a lost art. Each of the galleries had a theme, from samurai warriors battling giant beastly animals or spirits, beautiful women, landscapes, and Kyouga or "crazy pictures."

My observations:
   Related to my upcoming JAS presentation about the proliferation of character design in Japanese society, I was struck that the geishas were wearing sticks in their hair w/hanging decorations that resembled modern cell phone straps. Between this & the kyouga prints, the roots of modern character design were obvious.

   The kyouga room was full of exquisitely bizarre imagery: animals impersonating people (cats dressed as men), people impersonating animals (men dressed as turtles) and people posed strategically so that when you step back the small bodies come together to form a large face, referencing portraits of kabuki actors, geisha & samurai. The triptych of cats was among my favorites. The "octopus games" (tako no asobi) made me laugh out loud, as the octopi with giant eyes & gaping mouths paraded around in men's robes & headbands, wrestling & strutting about.
   Best name ever: Shouki the demon-queller. (I should be called "Jen the demon-queller" for the shenanigans my shibas get into!) Watashi no shiba inu ha oni da to omotteimasu!

   I saw my triptych from 1851, "The Rescue of Tametomo by Tengu." Mine isn't yet framed (a crime I hope to remedy soon), so it was nice to see the museum treatment. The three pieces were aligned with no gap between them, with a 1/4" border between the prints & the mat, with a white background and a 1/2" warm brown wood frame. Simplicity that highlights the piece.
   Overall, what I admire about Kuniyoshi's work is that every piece is teeming w/life, full of force & motion in both the characters & the backgrounds, as in the warriors fighting tigers or the man kneeling below a waterfall, with the water hitting his body & spraying in all directions. Unity is achieved through repetition of form, such as the undulating rope through the vertical composistion in which the warrior uses immense power to haul a giant bell up a mountainside; or in the intertwined arms & legs of people and animals struggling to survive. The delicacy of the linework was nothing short of miraculous. And the vibrant, rich colors and contrast of flat or gradiated color & inticate patterns were masterfully used.

   Of course, my favorite pieces were invariably the men fighting giant animals personified as fierce demons, with smoking mouths, razor-sharp claws and teeth and ultimate determination to survive. Who knows who won the battles? The beasts included tigers, cats, rats, a toad, "Earth spiders," crocodile-fish hybrids, octopi, tengu, dragons, snakes, a lobster fighting a phoenix, and an imposing skeleton hovering menacingly over men and anatomically accurate. It is thought to have been drawn from European art specimens, but is unmistakably Kuniyoshi. His skill in drawing form is remarkable. His sketchbook blew me away. When I studied the prints up close it brought tears to my eyes. It was a humbling & moving experience!

Full review of the show

Japan Society Blog
Examiner article
"As elegantly sumptuous as they are imaginatively extravagant, Kuniyoshi’s greatest prints represent turbulent, epic visions of human protagonists battling supernatural beings on three-page spreads two and a half feet across, a format he invented." —Ken Johnson, New York Times(April 2010)
"The seeds of manga and anime can be seen everywhere in the ukiyo-e prints of Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861), whose eye for the fantastic and the ghoulish remains unmatched." —The New Yorker (April 2010)


Continues with next post...

A humbling experience / I (heart) NY

   I thought my trip couldn't get better. An intimate dinner at Nobu where I felt a personal connection with my server Kimiye & the sushi chefs, which would not have happened in the same way had I not studied Japanese. A glorious morning jogging in Central Park. Realizing I am capable of traveling alone—and thoroughly enjoying it. The unexpected treasure of the Kuniyoshi show. Spending the day running around the city with John, and dinner with Derek & Daniel & my new Smilebox friends, Julie & Erika. What a trip!

...But wait--there's more!

 

   I got back from dinner at Rosa Mexicana after midnight and booked Supershuttle to get to the airport in the morning, agonizing over the early departure time (7:10 for an 11:20 flight!) I was pretty wired from the evening's events & had trouble settling down, but I set my Blackberry alarm for 5:40 & finally drifted to sleep around 2:00 am. When the alarm went off & I turned on the news, imagine my surprise that it was 6:40, not 5:40--BECAUSE THE BLACKBERRY IS ALWAYS ON CENTRAL TIME! Now, I couldn't shower, dress & pack in 25 minutes if I were lit on fire & had Kuniyoshi's demons chasing me. What the *h* was I going to do?! Go without showering? (Not possible... My hair was a train wreck!) Take a cab instead? (No, don't want to waste Hallmark's money!) And coffee—now I wouldn't have time for my planned excursion back to Magnolia Bakery for a delectable treat & COFFEE!!! NOOOOOOOO!!!

    All I could think to do was hurry. It had to be done. So I did it. And was miraculously downstairs & waiting for Supershuttle when they arrived. The impossible, accomplished.

   I didn't know it yet, but it's a good thing I didn't miss that shuttle, because I was meant to be on it. When I hopped in I was greeted by a woman with whom I hit it off immediately. Pam & I chatted the whole ride, discussing her work with Haitian artisans. She commissions handmade jewelry made from pounded oil drums & showed me a stunning example of a bracelet she was wearing, a prototype. The details are all carved out with a mallet & nail. She talked about Haitians' vastly different lifestyle from our own & their lack of awareness about the importance of quality control for the market in the rest of the world, saying she was only able to select 50 pieces out of 500 offered. I said I thought it was a gift for her to help educate them in that way, as it would open more opportunties for them down the road. I remembered what Debra McDermed had said about her counseling experience in Haiti, about how positive the people were despite the death & destruction surrounding them. Rather than focusing on their circumstances, their outlook was of hope. I long to adopt that attitude, fully & genuinely.
   I told Pam about my chance experience at the Kuniyoshi exhibition & we agreed that unexpected discovery is the best part of traveling—and of life, really. She said not to pass up opportunities now that will haunt you later in life. Take chances and do what you love. Powerful words. And they ring so true with me; on the very day of my breakup on February 14, 2009, I started to live my life differently. Fuller. Better. Although I'd like to find a partner, this has been an incredible year of personal growth that I wouldn't trade for anything. My life is infinitely more rich now than it would have been otherwise. Everything happens for a reason, and always for the better—IF you're open to its potential! (See upcoming post about Debra McDermed's recent leadership workshop... Totally relates.)
   On a lighter note, Pam also told me about her wonderful new kitty, Gabby, who came from Wayside Waifs at Christmastime. And Gabby's relationship with Pam's adopted daughter Ellen, who accuses her mom of "always taking Gabby's side" when the two disagree. LOL
   We talked a little about my work at Hallmark, & she asked if she could contact me to get some social networking advice. I was happy to oblige, given her mission to help Haiti. If I could help in any way, what an opportunity!
   All too quickly we arrived at Laguardia Airport & I had to go. Pam stopped me as I was picking up my bags, took her own bracelet off her wrist & said, "Here--I want to give this to you." I didn't know what to say! What a wonderful & sincere gesture. Had I not felt a connection with her I would have flatly refused, but something tells me there will be more to this story. And I'll think of her kindness every time I wear it.

   As I approached the Midwest counter to check a bag, still beaming from my chance encounter, the black attendant (dare I guess Haitian?) greeted me with the hugest smile & and an exuberant "Good morning." He clearly picked up on my mood. I joked that I hadn't intended to check a bag, but had overbought. We chatted for a bit & he handed me a claim check with a wink, saying he waived the $20 charge & that we'd "just call it a carry-on." Where am I--the alternate universe of Happyland?! I gave him a nice tip & suggested he enjoy a cup of coffee, & his genuine, grateful response of sincere thanks made my day.

   Things like this happen rather frequently to me, and more so than ever lately. Why? The world hasn't changed: I have. I've embraced the possibility that goodness is always out there if you choose to access it. My life is blessed in ways I never could have imagined. Reflecting on this makes me wonder where I'll be, what I'll be doing, who I'll have met & what I'll have learned in two years. Five years. Ten. Whatever it is, bring it on. I'm ready.


When I got home, this was waiting for me in my email inbox:
"Hi Jen,  You were meant to have that bracelet -- it's a great reminder of the meaningful work to be done to help Haitian orphans. They are truly suffering in every way physically and emotionally. You're great to offer your help and I'll take you up on it sooner rather than later. There are no accidents -- some unrecognized or misunderstood opportunities, but no accidents!   —Pam"

Running around the city...

After the MOMA experience, John & I started heading towards some of the shops on our list. Take it from me, trying to imitate a giant inflatable rat takes a lot out of you. So we started looking for lunch.

And by a stroke of luck, 'wichcraft appeared. One of a chain of Tom Colicchio's sandwich shops, this was definitely a place high on my list to try. The guy's won like 5 James Beard Awards, and he's the star of Top Chef. (The name is a play on "Craft," his original NYC restaurant.) The atmosphere was spare & casual; a perfect, comfortable lunch spot.

John had the meatloaf sandwich (with cheddar & bacon!) and I tried the grilled gruyère& caramelized onions on country bread. Totally not at all surprisingly, it was delicious! And the gourmet peanut butter sandwich cookies & lemon Pellegrino also rocked. 

I will say, though, I make a helluva sandwich myself. My current favorite is the turkey & bacon with pepper jack & fresh, homemade guacamole on toasted asiago semolina. (Sometimes I switch out the guacamole & pepper jack for goat cheese & balsamic glaze, which is also quite good.) I must tip my hat to Colicchio, though, for the color of the toasted bread. You win this round!

Ok, where was I? Oh yes! New York! Here is a large Hallmark store in Times Square, masquerading as a NY gift shop / toy store / plush jungle / crap depository:

The Shoebox display looked good... minus the SIGNS FROM 2007?! I can hear Steve's eyes rolling in unison with mine.

The storefront at Kinokuniya Japanese Books, which had cleverly sneaked out of its Rockefeller Center location & reappeared in Bryant Park. Took us a while to find it! That shiba book is a must-find (I didn't have room in my bags for books):

This t-shirt is perfect for me, don't you think?

Love the architecture of the police station near Canal Street:

We were down there trying to find a purse for John's wife. (We didn't, unfortunately, though we put in a valiant effort!) I unexpectedly found an awesome Tokidoki purse!

Then we hit kidrobot, Giant Robot and more:

And at some point I accidentally
took a photo of my boob with my phone:

Probably because we were in such a hurry to get over to the reception preceeding the Louies (annual greeting card awards) at Chelsea Pier. The ceremony was fun & some very deserving (and very excited!!) people took home a Louie.

MOMA: A WOW!

Following my jaunt in the park, I met up with John & we went to MoMA, expressly to see the Tim Burton exhibition that Marita told us about. It was gone. But we didn't know that until we had bought tickets & entered the "special exhibition" space on the 6th floor. And boy, was it special. It was a bunch of live re-performances of work by Marina Abramović entitled, "The Artist Is Present." Well, she wasn't present, as luck would have it. But there were a ton of other naked performers doing strange things: running at full speed into solid walls, screaming at each other with their faces 1/4" apart, standing back-to-back with their hair knotted together. Oh yes, this was art. If you like to see naked women crucified high up on a gallery wall, or lying on a large cross-shaped block of ice, this is for you. If you like looking at a grisly photo of bloody bones on the wall, then turning to find a big pile of them picked clean, this is for you. If you like stuff that is normal, this probably isn't for you. Fortunately, they had other art as well. I had never noticed the dog lying under the table in this Picasso. You won't notice it in my photo, either, since it's so @%#*! dark:

Wonder how much force it would take to knock one over?

You try it, kid:

Clearly this artist doesn't know how to spell.

I couldn't read a single one!

When Kristin becomes an ophthalmologist I'm totally buying these for her. Or will more likely steal them from the museum since I don't have that kind of cash. Maybe if I could paint like this I'd have more money. I hate my life.

If your ham looks like that, 

stab it in the eye & lay off the Absinthe:

Please, sir, you're blocking the Pollack!

That sculpture looks like a wiry monster

sneaking up on those two with claws ready:

He'll grab them while they're distracted
by this painting as bright as the sun:

A tapestry embroidered with the names

of the 1000 longest rivers in the world.

Boringest tapestry ever:

Yep, that's a flag all right.

Gotta love the Warhols:

Looks like they made that chick from Iron Man into soup:

Fun way to display photographs. Of naked people.

Which you can see up on the 6th floor.

But these are more attractive than those were:

I like the tiger face in this one by Joan Miró. 

But good lord, Miró, what are you trying to say here?

That's a lot of circles!

Wooden cutouts of SCUBA divers.

I'd be much less nervous doing SCUBA without the water:

Hey, I think I recognize this place:

If you look really closely you can see me & John
in the tiny bus, waving as we leave MoMA.

I could make fun of art for hours. What a blast!