Saturday, April 30, 2011

Day 3 - Fun around the city


How could we not take a picture of this iconic installation that was first introduced to us in our teens (Remember the now-defunct TGIF @ The Glass House opposite Plaza Singapura)

Oh well it was in the vicinity of MoMa so why not?!


Lithographs by Picasso - earlier works.

 One of my favourites - Kaylen has a book titled 'When Pigasso met Mootisse' which describes their love-hate relationship between Picasso & Matisse with illustrations similar to the artists' signature styles. 
Françoise with a Bow in Her Hair (Françoise au Noeud dans les Cheveux)
In 1943 Picasso met Françoise Gilot, a young aspiring painter; she moved in with him in 1946. This was an optimistic time of renewal in France, after the end of World War II, and the couple's early years together, spent mostly in the South of France, seem to have been idyllic. The couple separated in 1953. Gilot returned to Paris with their two children, who were born in 1947 and 1948.
Here Picasso employs some of Henri Matisse's signature devices, composing simply in lines and flat shapes. Picasso and Matisse renewed their friendship around this time, as both were in the South of France. Françoise Gilot and Matisse were also fond of each other.



 Paul's favourite Jackson Pollock picture - No. 31 - for obvious reasons to those in the know. The epitome of abstract art, this artwork was first introduced to Kaylen at the Dallas Museum of Art where we chanced upon a story book of how a little girl met Mr Pollack and had a hand in making this piece of art with random splashes of paint.


 A very intriguing piece of acrylic paint use.


 A painting that represents the different states of USA.
Cat and Bird by Paul Klee. I could so picture this painting in my home! It is so amazing that a painting from the 1920s can still be so relevant and modern.
A perspective of how this picture was conceived.
In the Cat and Bird, 1928, in this allegory, the prey appears trapped within the hunter's mind. Using a simple two-dimensional method of distinguishing inside from outside that had been used for millennia in many types of primitive drawing, Klee went beyond the depiction of physical phenomena - the internal organs of an animal or a beast with its swallowed prey - and created the visual equivalent of mental states. Klee places a moon to balance the cat's eyes and nose and placed the bird on the forehead of the cat; with this he has lent an air of oriental mystery to the composition. The cat was Klee's favorite animal; he did not consciously intend to portray a cat. He merely painted lines, circles and shades of color and found the cat had entered the picture. On MoMA - The cat is watchful, frighteningly so, but it is also calm, and Klee's palette too is calm, in a narrow range from tawny to rose with zones of bluish green. This and the suggestion of a child's drawing lighten the air. Believing that children were close to the sources of creativity, Klee was fascinated by their art, and evokes it here through simple lines and shapes: ovals for the cat's eyes and pupils (and, more loosely, for the bird's body), triangles for its ears and nose. And the tip of that nose is a red heart, a sign of the cat's desire.

Henri Matisse's La Danse (I)....K said 'shame, shame' when she saw the image..
Van Gogh's Starry Night - his magnus opus..
Les Demoiselles d'Avignon by Pablo Picasso...
After a lovely day at the museum, we headed down to the West Village for dinner with a friend of Paul's. Beautiful day, K was carefree and happily posed for us..























 Finally, a group shot!
After that heavy dinner, we strolled home back to Gramercy Park, a half-hour walk away. Last night in New York City but we know we will come back again!!!!!! For the entire duration we were here, we had not once taken the subway and instead walked EVERYWHERE, with help from the trusty iphone, printouts from google maps and the quintessential tourist maps from tourist stops... We will be back!!


Friday, March 18, 2011

Day 2 in NYC - Woodsbury Common

Jun 2010 - Ha! More than 6 months have passed but I still feel that thrill from this holiday!


Day 2 and we were all ready for some outlet mall shopping! ;) We rented another car; this time we got a PT Cruiser in silver and headed off to the Woodsbury Premium Outlet. Some pics...

Still not satisfied with her full day at Sesame Place obviously...
The only shot of our spoils from the trip... quite fulfilling considering the slightly wet weather... So how great was this outlet mall? Well I haven't been a fan of outlet malls considering the ones we have been to in Dallas but then again, I'm quite a noob at outlet mall shopping. This one definitely has brands that would be popular with most Asians such as Gucci, Marni, Chanel, Bottega, YSL for bigger ticket buys and then definitive everyday brands such as Rock & Republic, Banana Republic, DKNY & MaxMara. Surprisingly if you have been to the crazily discounted Club 21 Bazaar or seasonal sale for brands such as AX, Calvin Klein then don't even bother visiting the stores in here.

We considered signing up for those daily bus tours to the outlet but really, nothing beats having the comfort of your own transport, convenience of having your own sanctuary to kick your shoes off after going through a 7-hour keep-fit, walk-and-shop marathon!

The shopping you see in the picture below are mostly the hubs' save for just one bag!
As promised, more pics of our lovely Gramercy apartment which we found through Roomorama! Vacation accommodation has never been the same ever since!


A lovely nursing chair that gently rocks back and forth as Kaylen and I wind down after a long day of exploration.



Last we checked, the rates for this particular apartment has gone up nearly 20%. But rates become cheaper with longer stays of course so you might still get a good deal. The above walkway is rather unique in the sense that whenever we have to go through this walkway, we have to tread very gently as the 'floorboards are weak' - we think rotten really because the squeaking is really very loud! Nonetheless, it makes for a fun adventure for the lil one everytime we need to use the toilet and the kitchen!

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Four seasons' past and another 4 more to go

 
Reminiscing
The last day of 2010 was a day well spent indeed.. after a trip to Highland Park Village to indulge in my favorite past-time, this time with hubby and lil K to savor the yummilicious kobe burger from Who's Who Gourmet Burger Joint. Then home again to plan a new layout for 2011. An impromptu trip to the Sleep Experts came into place to enjoy the end of year clearance sale but we ended up getting the price-fixed tempur bed with its 20-year guarantee and ache-free, allergy-free promises.

But oh well, it came with a free pillow of our choice so we chose a tempur neck pillow and bought another side pillow for the pregger-me. Of course, the over-zealous salesman threw in another pillow for lil K when the over-zealous us succumbed to stain-free, allergy-free mattress protectors for 2 beds with 10-year guaranteea. Gosh.. our USD299 affair turned up many more times more expensive but hey, sleep is key!

We celebrated our last day reminiscing about what we had accomplished in 2010 over dinner and decided that other than the terrible failure on the Mister's part on golf, we had done pretty okay!

Accomplishments
Here is a recap of some of the general resolutions for 2010 :
1. Acclimatising myself to becoming a full-time homemaker (my multi-tasking and planning abilities are in tiptop condition I dare say!)
2. Maintain my happy habit once a month (sometimes twice!) Reading that is!
3. A blog post a month
4. Spending an inane amount of quality time with K (she minds her Ps and Qs)
5. Being able to churn up dishes that didnt cause stomachaches (hey, the whole family is still alive!)
6. Breaking 36 for golf (I broke 30 on one ocassion)
7. Keeping fit and healthy with regular exercise with walks/ runs around the lake or to the gym (I supposed I was confident about being fit enough to do a 3km run with my suspected pregnancy back in Aug!)
8. Finally, successful family planning! We were planning for a 2nd child to debut early 2011 just so that I get to spend some time with him/her! So yes, we are definitely on track!

Sure, there are some other items that are private to our family and of course, items on my checklist that are still not fulfilled but nonetheless, I have another year to go so still time to work it!

Relationships
The start of 2011 officially marks a decade of friendship for my DH and me and I have to say, it has been and is still a blast knowing him. I particularly remember one year when we drew up resolutions for the new year (when we were friends) and he put it under the bed for safekeeping. Thank you for the magical but tiring trip to Europe for my final babymoon (yes, this baby-making machine will no longer be in service thank you very much)...

I still find it amazing how in new situations that arise throughout our friendship and marriage, during times when I see him in the most surprising or undesirable situations, his character and beliefs have remained a constant. Even in times where adaptability is required, he has done so with gusto and conviction, and yet, distinctly Paul. Yes, I am still in love. :)

So goodbye to 2010 and welcome, 2011! I am so thankful for this time for self-discovery and calibration without the noise of obligations and stress that sometimes come with being near to family, friends and being employed.

Thank you my dear friends, for all the long distance messages and chat sessions.. while I may not see you here in the US during this period, you will not be forgotten!

And lastly, my loved ones. You are misssssed so badly, if not for the hearty meals and conversations to the very companionable times of just watching television together!

See you all soon!

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

'Empire State of Mind'

[Chorus: Alicia Keys]
New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do
Now you're in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you
Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York

Well the song's got a nice ring to it and it was exactly how I felt once the NYC skyline from our boltbus rambled into sight - I love it after being in 'quieter' Dallas and even historic Philadelphia.. I miss the bright lights, the hustle and bustle of city life, sidewalks swarmed with people having coffee at all times of the day (Orchard Road coffeehouses and void-deck kopitiams alike) and of course, being able to grab groceries and snacks just minutes away from where we stay..  

While I was expecting women dressed up in designer garb similar to what I saw in Gossip Girl and Sex and the city, I was swooning to see alot more bag ladies in NY than I have experienced in the months in Dallas, even in more upmarket areas of Highland Park & Preston. Just seeing the multitude of yellow cab and hearing the sounds of police sirens at all times of the day in NYC gave me a lil buzz.. I love it!

Kaylen was a dream as we hammered the pavements of NYC together for more than 6 hours each day - from lower east side, Soho, to the iconic Times Square and enjoying an ice-cream at Madison Square Gardens. Our revived Peg Perego Pliko P3 was also extremely handy as K happily sits and sleeps in it at all times of the day. We were happy to even grab on to the railings of the doggie run in the Gardens as the dogs roam free and smell each other out. At nearly 3 years of age, travelling with her didn't require a luggage full of diapers, snacks and milk powder. What we needed, we bought from Walgreens and the likes.

Here are some pictures of the lovely city! First off, with K with her handy backpack (from a lovely Aunt Marian), containing snacks and water bottle.

 Off to the apartment in Gramercy Park. A classic stairs on the facade, with potted plants, butterflies and birds chirping from the nearby entry-by-key-only Gramercy Park.
 Once we had met the host and finished all the arrangements with checking in and out & directions to the nearest grocer's and laundromat, we got ready to walk out the city.
How to resist taking this huge poster of Carrie Bradshaw? Paul couldn't and didn't as he knew that I really liked her. And I bet he did too. Her shades were a tad too MIB for my taste but who else can pull that off? ;)
 Leave it to K to spot a window display of little duckies in a beautiful concoction in the sea of pingpong balls.
 We strolled by Madison Central Park to check out the resident squirrels. Did u know squirrels are considered pests to young shrubs and trees as they gnaw on them for food esp in the early spring when their acorns have sprouted and new food sources are still not available? As a last resort, they will even eat birds' eggs. Interesting snippet as I can no longer look at them as the impersonators to Alvin & the Chipmunks! ;p
Then we chanced upon a quirky Gershwin hotel a street away from the throbbing pulse of the Theatre district.
And finally I see a milliner!


Music in the city. Seemed like they had plonked a colorful piano within every couple hundred of meters.
Such randomness. Seats plonked between 2 busy streets just outside Macy's.




We stopped to sample every single cupcake shop wherever we went. I remembered it to be mildly exorbitant with prices ranging from USD5 -9 for a single one, but we are on holiday and they were heavenly.A great pick-me-up for all the walking we were doing.

Dinner at a family restaurant a few streets from our apartment - Friend of a Farmer' - the place had a great vibe, lovely candlelit audience plus it was starting to drizzle so we weren't too particular. It had great reviews but perhaps we didn't order quite the right thing (oh yes, my iphone went flat before I could source for food recommendations) but a hearty meal nonetheless. A gin tonic for me to end the dinner. It was heaven enough for me.
Back to the apartment where we got once again, impressed by how homely it felt, complete with a fresh vase of my favourite hydrangeas. More pictures once I have finished sorting out the huge album from the trip.
A fantastic place to wind down after the long road travelled thus far.
An after-dinner snack from yet another cupcake bakery. ;)