the starry night

You all know what Van Gogh's 'The Starry Night' looks like, hence just these close-ups. I had tears in my eyes as I approached this one at the MoMA (but to be fair my eyes were never dry when I was near a Van Gogh in New York) and all I could do was stare at and obsess over the brushstrokes as I could finally understand the murkier parts of the cypress tree and see all the real tones of the village beneath the sky and the glowing lines of the stars and moon in the sky. I texted a friend saying something ridiculous like "I just saw Starry Night in person, I could die happy now." and I meant it! But seeing how I reacted to a long-gone artist's magnum opus makes me want to stick around and see more, from more artists and creatives old, dead, and new.

last morning rendezvous

This was exactly one week ago. Thursday morning I left New Jersey to go back to the city and experienced the crazy morning commute into New York! I fell over on the train, stepped on two people, and it was a gloomy day but everyone was very kind, and after a little bit of huffing and puffing I met up with Max at a little bakery called the Blue Stove, where I showed him family photos I'd borrowed from my grandparents over tea and pastries. After that we went walking and noticed a full-fledged vegetable garden growing out on the street, and turning around saw a whole weedy lot bursting with vegetables and flowers. We ducked into a tea and coffee shop where I wish I had gotten some tea now but had been too overwhelmed to choose at the time. Mentally I had been reeling - seeing Steph in an hour, spending my first night in a hostel that night, my flight back to L.A. early the next day and my interview a few hours after landing. I was hoping I wasn't being too brash to leave a few days early, but I knew inside that ten days in New York would be much too long, given the circumstances. I was just happy to be seeing both of my friends on my last day in the city, because they are, among too many of my great friends, people I don't have the luxury of seeing whenever I want to.

grow your own veggies

Some of these things are not edible but you get the idea. Not pictured were eggplant, bell peppers, tomatoes, chrysanthemums, a bay laurel tree, and chili peppers. As long as I've known, my grandma plants as many veggies as she can and even sends us packages once a year, full of Korean side dishes made from home-grown vegetables. We grow some herbs at home but now I want to plant even more, live healthier and grow more of what I consume.

the Museum of Modern Art

On Thursday I went to MoMA with Steph! After I got off the subway up onto the street I could see an enormous line forming and my heart sank a little, but what else did I expect? I got my ticket, dashed after Steph in the lobby as she passed me by and we embraced. Winding through the exhibitions was a little stressful because there were so many people, and I lost interest in photographing the art. No big deal though, as I have my own eyes! Not to say I didn't snap things at all, but the images shown here are an incomplete companion to the full experience, as I said in my post about the Met. Seeing a museum at such a speedy pace is a little harrowing but I guess necessary in such a busy setting as New York. Repeat visits are an absolute must.

current events: occupy wall street

On my last day in New York I went to Zucotti Park to check out the Occupy Wall Street protestors. It had been raining, so everything was wet and kind of filthy, and the protestors seemed restless, but I caught them on a mellower front. Cops were on every corner of the block standing patiently and answering any questions curious passersby were asking. But as I circled the park and walked through it, so many different agendas became apparent and I got the feeling anyone who is upset about anything was stamping his foot and trying to get his voice heard. This protest has set off a chain reaction worldwide, and people are 'occupying' over 80 countries - Canada, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, South Korea, Portugal just to name a few. Will this mark a changing of times? People are certainly raising their voices..

fall in new jersey

In the town of Leonia where my grandparents reside I wandered around the neighborhood until I found this fiery tree and watched a squirrel scramble up its trunk and regard me with slight curiosity. It had been raining and a few droplets trickled down in between leaves, further dampening the sound of my boots on the ground. After spending time with this tree I realized how grateful I was to be able to step away from New York, for my first impression had been lukewarm. The mini-escape from the city, to family was just what I needed.

thank you Steve

While wandering around Manhattan yesterday Steph and I stumbled upon the 5th Avenue Apple Store and a small memorial to Steve Jobs right out front. The Apple Store was under construction but still open (that sign in the diptych does not mean they closed it for Steve's passing, sorry if it comes off that way), and on the way out we rode the glass elevator up to the street. Talk about magical...!

the High Line

The High Line. What a glorious way to see the city! I loved all the foliage juxtaposed with the concrete walkway, the overall angled yet sinuous movement, the 'Urban Theater' that in my preconceptions thought would be lame but was actually quite great in terms of if you're on the higher part of the High Line and peeking into that occupied 'box.' Such a seemingly simple, but elegantly executed project, and such a great urban gesture! So inspiring. I'm a little incoherent because I'm so tired. They say New York is the city that never sleeps, but for me it's not that I'm so busy going out and about, I just can't seem to grab more than three hours of sleep a night. Going to try to break that routine now...