day 364: what awaits me around the corner

10.11.10 - i spent my holiday day off in beacon, new york with my dear friend, m. although i was still feeling under the weather, i thought some fresh air and a change of scenery would do me some good. we hopped on to the 9:56 am metro north train from the harlem station and about an hour later we were surrounded by the lush greenery and views of the hudson river. a far cry from the noise and concrete of nyc.

we spent the morning checking out dia:beacon. it was nice to enjoy the art work free of crowds. perhaps my favorite installation was the drawing series-composite by artist, sol lewitt. i was brought right back to my geometry class. add a dash of what could only be a slight case of ocd to the artist's affinity for lines and shapes... and, you get some amazing and intricate work of art. brilliant!

i also enjoyed seeing richard serra's torqued ellipse series. i saw his work for the first time in seattle and it was nice to be able to experience it up close at dia. here's a shot i took of my friend, m, and we walked the narrow entrance to one of his pieces. 

after the museum, we enjoyed a nice lunch along dia's main street. i couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. beautiful, sunny weather and a chance to rejuvenate both the body and soul. 

i'm now just one more day until the close of this project. i anxiously await it. 

day 256: summer, summer, summertime

06.25.10 (posted 07.06.10) - summer is in full swing! it's hotter... the sun sets later... there are plenty of activities and events (many of which are FREE)... to top it off, i'm a summer schedule and i have every other friday off. woohoo!

how did i spend my summer friday? i got up at the crack of dawn to make way to central park's summer stage. alicia keys would be performing a free concert for good morning, america's summer concert series. after two and half hours standing in the hot sun, we enjoyed alicia belt out a few of her hits including "no one" and "un-thinkable". of course, the crowd went bonkers when she sang "empire state of mind".

afterwards, r and i decided to grab a quick bite to eat. on the way to a local cafe, we passed by the apple store on 5th avenue. it looks like i wasn't the only one up bright and early. there were plenty of folks camped out the night before to get in line for the new iPhone 4. as expected the line went around the corner.

r and i participated ways at this point since she had to get to work. i spent the rest of the morning checking out the henri cartier-bresson exhibit and hanging out at the museum of modern art. i felt really inspired after seeing his work up close and learning more about his life and approach to photography. before i headed back home, i took a quick break in the sculpture garden. can't wait for more summer friday outing in the coming weeks.

day 193: a night at the museum

04.23.10 (posted 04.25.10) - i met up with some friends after work this evening at the moma. the tim burton exhibit is closing in a few days and they wanted to make sure to see it before it ends. since i have a membership, it would guarantee they would get to see the exhibit in case the show was sold out (which of course it was). to our surprise, it was target free friday night. great! not only was it free for them but they got "top of the line" service. ah, the perks of vip. it's been the best $120 i spent in awhile.

given that i already saw the exhibit the week before, i decided to check out the photography wing instead. after about an hour and a half, i took a break at the 2nd floor lounge and snapped this picture on my way down the stairs.

day 187: one person's craziness is another person's reality

i have a problem when people say something's real or not real, or normal or abnormal. the meaning of those words for me is very personal and subjective. Iive always been confused and never had a clear cut understanding of the meaning of those kinds of words.

~ tim burton

04.17.10 (posted 04.22.10) - i've been looking forward to this day for weeks. i would finally get to view the tim burton exhibit at the MoMA. last december my hubby and i tried to catch the exhibit one rainy afternoon but it was sold out. we knew that it would only grow in popularity. we decided to bite the bullet then and there and get ourselves memberships to the MoMA so it would guarantee we can go any time we wanted. 

checking out the exhibit also gave us an opportunity to resurrect "culture day" -- a little something that my buddies organize to get us to experience the arts and culture of the big apple. sad to say that culture day has been dead for a couple of years... because of... um... careers, personal obligations, and life has pretty much taken over. but today would be different! hopefully, it will be the start of many more culture days for 2010.

after seeing the tim burton exhibit, i have a much deeper appreciation for his work... his art. i could not fathom what goes on his in mind but it has produced some amazing and memorable creations.

not only did we get a chance to see the tim burton exhibit but i also got to "experience" marina abramović's the artist is present. whoooaaa. the ny times featured an article recently about how some patrons reacted to it. apparently, some don't understand the idea about the look but don't touch policy. yikes. i had hoped to also check out henri cartier-bresson's photography but i was starting to feel like a sardine in a can. there were just too many people and i couldn't enjoy the exhibits at my own pace. well, that's for another day. 

here are a few pics i took to remember by afternoon at the museum. 

day 148: a big bowl along 5th avenue

03.09.10 (posted 03.11.10) - i was on a express bus from the bronx this afternoon and snapped this picture of the guggenheim museum. since its opening in 1959, this building has been surrounded by controversy. from the choosing of frank lloyd wright as the architect to many people saying the building itself overshadows the artwork it houses. some folks aren't too keen on its shape as well. woody allen once called it a lavatory basin. ha!

one thing is for sure. it is really a sight to behold. its spiral shape is a stark juxtaposition to the rigid lines and boxy shapes of most of the buildings on the upper east side. it kind of just hits you. you can be walking or in a vehicle along 5th avenue... then boom it comes out of nowhere.  one step into the guggenheim you instantly see its complexity with its shifting plays of light and shade, concave niches, and unconventional use of space. while it can be frustrating for some, i personally have found it inspirational.

frank lloyd wright once said, "if you want to experience man, to know him, go into his buildings". he really must have been some man to know.

day 83: working on my 6 pack

01.03.10 (posted 01.04.10) - it's been exactly 18 days since i started my "stay-cation". i spent the first few days of my time off running around catching up on errands that i'd been neglecting for weeks like painting and decorating my apartment, organizing and purging, as well as completing all the other holiday-related tasks and usual chores.

i finally got a chance to relax starting a couple days before christmas. i've been savoring every moment of it and will do so especially today since it's my last day off. it's been such a treat to not wake up to an alarm clock, meet deadlines, sit through meeting after meeting and conference call after conference call, write up reports, etc. this past week i got a chance to do things i love but never feel i have enough time for such as visit a museum, catch up with family and friends, watch a movie, and of course... enjoy my favorite hobby, photography.

i think we, americans, need to reconsider our vacation policies for employees. i have a pretty generous one which gives me 25 days in a year. however, i know others that are lucky if they get 12 days. compare that to other countries and we look like workaholics. time off from work i believe shouldn't be a luxury but absolutely necessary to feel renewed, reinvigorated, and creative.

i woke up this morning. brewed a large pot of coffee, made some french toast, and enjoyed my last day of so-called freedom from the grind with my hubby. tomorrow, i'm back to the thick of things.