Baywatchin'

Okay, what confuses me about this scene is that the words "Surf Rescue" are written on the bottom of the surfboard.  Who exactly is the lifeguard trying to reassure?  The attacking shark?

Coney Island.  On Canon Rebel SLR.

Hunting for Eagles, Birdies and, Of Course, Tigers

Over the weekend, Sarni and I attended The Barclays PGA golf tournament (in NJ, but I'm still including it as a NY event, for no logical reason whatsoever).  Before we left Manhattan, we were provided with a list of prohibited items, which included the following.  My reactions are in the parentheses.

- Firearms and weapons (Of course.)
- Radios and TVs (Makes sense.)
- Posters, signs or banners (Okaaay...wasn't going to bring any anyway...)
- Beverages (Wait...what?)
- No bags larger than a 6"x6" (Now, hold on - )
- No cell phones (What is happening here?)
- No cameras (WHAT IS GOING ON??)

Anyway.  I seriously toyed with the idea of sneaking in my point-and-shoot, but I was deflated by visions of me being kicked out by the PGA authorities in front of a mortified Sarni and an unimpressed Tiger.  So all you get is the symbolic photo of our programs (above).  Sorry, guys.

The tourney itself was pretty fun, although Sarni and I almost perished from dehydration (see prohibited item 4, but combine it with very few concession stands and no water fountains).  We spent the whole day stalking Tiger Woods, at my request.  I mean this literally.  We hunted him.  We figured out when he would play a hole and then staked out a position several rounds in advance.  Call us uncool?  You should have seen the hordes of spectators that followed him adoringly from hole to hole screaming, "We love you Tiger!"  (Many of these voices were low and manly.)

Murray Hill (the photo, at least).  On Canon Powershot.

Feast Your Eyes...

...on this baby.  It's the Original 5 Napkins Burger, which I ate with Pre-Raph and a friend at 5 Napkins Burger on the Upper West Side.  Apparently it was served at Nice Matin and became so popular that an entire restaurant was opened in its honor.  Only in NYC does a burger get its own restaurant.

Hell's Kitchen.  On Canon Powershot.

Celebration of the Arts

Before she left, Cricket and I went to the museum party at PS1 (the MOMA outpost located in Queens).  This is a shot of the party early on, before it became crowded with artists and those who love them.  There are wading pools, hammocks, sand, live music, drinks and food.  Later on, there was also the most hilarious crowd of dancers that I've ever seen.  I tried to take photos, but they just didn't do them justice.

The outdoor area is covered with netting that is propped up with poles and weighted down with rubber inflatable balls.  If you want to sit on one of them, you must maneuver the poles so that the rubber ball drops down to the ground.  That's just how it is at the cool parties.  You have to deserve your seat.

The PS1 museum exhibits were wild - edgy and often disturbing, but never, ever boring. Unfortunately, photography was not permitted (if you ever get the chance to visit PS1, I think you'll understand why). However, threat of humiliating museum ejection is no match for my dedication to my bloggees! Voila! (above).  It was untitled, so I have no idea what it really is, but to me, it looked like a giant roll of unfurled undeveloped film.  Perfect for a photoblog.

Queens.  Top two photos on Canon Powershot; bottom photo on iPhone.

It's all fun and games...

It's hard not to be tempted by carnival games.  They all look so easy, don't they?

I mean, look at those guys!  They're just waiting for a bite!

And don't even get me started on the rubber ducks.  Like taking candy from a baby.  Stop trying to look so innocent, you guys.

Coney Island.  On Canon Rebel SLR.

Stockholm Syndrome

Cricket is also doing the unthinkable and leaving New York.  (What's going on here?  Has NYC stopped casting its spell?)

To be fair, Cricket is only a part-time NYC resident.  The rest of the time she spends in Sweden.  Fittingly, a group of her friends met for her farewell brunch at the Scandinavian House, where we feasted on meatballs, smoked herring and lingonberries.

The Scandinavian House is restaurant/museum/specialty-goods store, all rolled into one.  If the Scandinavian foods and imported items are not enough to tempt you to visit, there's also a giant tree in the middle of the restaurant (not pictured, because it's pretty much exactly as you imagine it).

We caught the last day of the museum exhibit "Eco-Chic," which focused on sustainable Swedish fashion.  I, for one, had no idea that I was so unenvironmental.  To be honest, I never thought about the production and usage of clothes as a burden on the environment in the same way as, say, wasting paper or failing to recycle plastic bottles.  Eco-Chic explained how the production of clothes strains the environment, and the fashion industry encourages quick turnover and overconsumption.  However, there are environmentally-friendly ways to produce and maintain clothing - for example, harvesting wild silk instead of cultivating it through heat and energy.  Interesting, yah?

Midtown.  On Canon Powershot.

Alice Leaving Wonderland

Dell is doing the unthinkable and leaving New York.  Insert bummed-out silence here.

A large group of us bid her good-bye at the White Rabbit lounge in East Village (see the little rabbit on the reservation sign?  That's him).  Had dinner at Perbacco beforehand (an amazing Italian restaurant in Alphabet city, and my new favorite place to dine).

Good-bye Dell!  Remember to come down the rabbit-hole and visit us again!

East Village.  On Canon Powershot.

Sing Star

Two nights ago, we had dinner with the Dinner Club, an ever-changing group of friends that periodically meets for dinner around NYC.  Currently, it is me, Sarni, Dell, Cuddles, Yummy, Slippie, Megaphone and CJ (short for Chief Justice).  We ate at Joe's Shanghai in Midtown, which was good if pricey (and Cuddles was more than a little dismayed when an insect wandered across the tablecloth.  Yummy was forced to dispose of it, and he was not that pleased either.)

Afterwards, we went for a rousing round of karaoke at Duet 48 - something that the Dinner Club (especially Megaphone and Sarni) always loves.  We were especially eager to hear CJ's famous voice, and it didn't disappoint.  Unfortunately, I had so much fun that I forgot to take any photos during either dinner or karaoke.  But never fear, my little bloggees - when I got home, I rectified the situation.  You're welcome.

If any of you are wondering why we have two microphones in our apartment, well, I don't really want to talk about it.  And we don't have two microphones.  We have four.

Midtown.  On Canon Powershot.

The Last One Standing from Book Row

After grabbing lunch at Spice, my friend Cuddles and I browsed the mighty beast of a bookstore that is the Strand.  The Strand's claim to fame is that it houses 18 miles of books, and after losing myself amongst its musty shelves, I believe it.

The Strand often attracts well-regarded authors for appearances - according to their website, Jhumpa Lahiri, Umberto Eco, Malcolm Gladwell and David Foster Wallace are just a few of them.

Even though the Strand was first opened in 1927, its products manage to stay modern and relevant.  Historical authors as superheroes?  What could be cooler than that?

Union Square.  On Canon Rebel SLR.

Have a nice cuppa?

Coffee is paired with almost anything in New York.

Credit to guest photographer Sarni.

Flatiron District.  On Canon Rebel SLR.

Miles Away from Ordinary

There are those moments when you're still in New York, but you feel miles away from the city.  This must be one of them.

Coney Island.  On Canon Rebel SLR.

See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil

Sculpture Garden in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Upper East Side.  On Canon Rebel SLR.

Cyclone-Chasers

Please, hold your applause.  But yes, we rode the Cyclone.  (I actually had seniority, as I had been on the Cyclone previously with Sarni).  However, this was my first ride since it has been renovated (because really, isn't that what you want to hear about a roller coaster before you get on it?  that it has been renovated?)

Also, please note the symbol on the green sign.  That means that the Cyclone, a wooden roller coaster first built in 1927, is a New York City landmark that was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Again, incredibly encouraging things to hear before an impending roller coaster ride.

Unfortunately, Dell, Cricket, Iris and I all suffered sore necks and backs the next day.  I suspect it's because riding a roller coaster is like experiencing the following dichotomy.

To the outside world, you look like this:

But in your mind, the world actually feels like this:

Coney Island.  On Canon Rebel SLR.

Research in Motion

Dell, Cricket and Iris decided to prepare for the behemoth that is the Cyclone by starting out with some of the lesser rides first.  I needed no such prep (read:  I was afraid of getting dizzy) and stayed safely on the ground while they rode on the swing of the century.  Onlookers watched fearfully as they were raised to inhuman heights (above).  On the plus side, the swing made for a great starburst photo.

We didn't even attempt to ride on this one - it pretty much consisted of several nested spins.  Watching it was enough to make me dizzy, um, I mean, prepare me for the Cyclone.

Coney Island.  On Canon Rebel SLR.

In Search of Amusement

My friends Iris, Cricket, Dell and I decided to trek to Coney Island the other day, in photographic pursuit of the weird and the wild.  Actually, we really wanted an excuse to ride on the amusement park rides and eat hot dogs at the famous Nathan's hot dog stand.  This is the same hot dog stand where, every Fourth of July, various biological wonders shock bystanders with their ability to ingest ridiculous quantities of nitrate-filled sausages in an absurd amount of time.

Ahh, breakfast of champions.

Coney Island.  On Canon Rebel SLR.

Impressionism with School Supplies

The ever-changing display in Vanderbilt Hall currently features artwork made from Post-its and pushpins.  Do you see the girl in the photo above?  I'm not sure Monet could have predicted this in his wildest dreams.

Like any good admirer of impressionist art (or its, um, descendants), I viewed the pushpin faces from a distance...

...and then up close.

Grand Central Station.  On Canon Rebel SLR.

In-flight Entertainment

Red Robin in eternity fountain.

Financial District.  On Canon Rebel SLR.

Hope, Rising From the Flames

It was Jolie's 30th birthday a few days ago, and she threw the most interesting, meaningful party - a charity party!  Instead of gifts, guests made donations to sponsor Jolie in the NYC marathon, which she is running to raise money for her organization's education initiative in Liberia.  (That doesn't make me feel lazy or guilty at all.)

And the tiny cross above?  Jolie gave them out at the party (which was at Amity Hall, a classy-looking Irish pub) - they were made by a local artist from bullets that were left on the ground in war-torn Liberia.  Bullets!  Talk about making something beautiful out of something ugly.

West Village.  On Canon Powershot.

Throw Another Shrimp on the Barbie

A few days ago, we went to a great rooftop barbecue held by my friend Polo (a modern day Marco Polo - and Polo, I googled "famous travelers" and got Dora the Explorer, so no complaints about your code name - it could have been worse). The barbecue was so fun, a chance to catch up with friends old and new while dining on grilled shrimp, chicken, burgers and sausages under the (thankfully) cool evening sky.


The barbecue was closely monitored by Polo's nature-defying, gender-confused 22 lb male cat, Lucy (pictured below, in all his-her glory). Lucy was not allowed onto the rooftop, for his own safety, so he watched woefully from inside the sliding glass door. We felt bad, but something told me that Lucy wouldn't starve...

Flatiron District.

Credit:  guest photographer Polo (partly because I was too happy and full to remember to take a photo myself, and partly because Polo is an excellent photographer).

To Have and To Hold...

...especially "hold", since Sarni and I decided to go climbing to celebrate our anniversary, and holding onto the rope is pretty key.  You may think that climbing is not a romantic activity, but when your entire life (or at least the painlessness of your rear end) is in someone else's hands, trust and dependency race to the top of your relationship priority list.

Speaking of trust and dependency, there were at least two or three times that Sarni checked my carabiner and was horrified to find that I had not properly closed and locked the gate.  Um...anyone need a new climbing partner?  I have a great attitude.

Brooklyn.  On Canon Powershot.

Light and Sound

A beautifully-illuminated corner in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Happy anniversary, my dear.

Upper East Side.  On Canon Rebel SLR.

The High Life

Over the weekend, G.I. Jane impulsively organized a fun evening of drinks at Upstairs, the penthouse rooftop bar at the Kimberly Hotel.  That's Jane's blackberry, caught in a rare moment out of her hands.

It was so great to see friends from the Beehive - the Movers and Shakers taking a well-deserved break.  By the way, the beige drink on the above right is billed as the "manliest drink alive" - rum with notes of tobacco.  I feel like arm-wrestling someone just looking at it.

Summer nights in the city can be so unbelievably pretty - especially observed from a cozy chair on top of a building.  Sure, we don't get starlight, but there's no shortage of the twinkle and sparkle.

That's Sarni's pin-striped arm on the right, by the way.

Midtown.  On Canon Powershot.