Sunday, December 29, 2019

New York trip (post covers various happenings during week of 22 - 29 December 2019)

Zach and I are cat sitting an acquaintance's two cats in her Brooklyn apartment while she and her husband are in the UK across Christmas and New Year.

I found Chloe through a journalist connection in LA. I had been talking about New York with Alison, the journalist, at a commercial real estate industry event we both attended in LA. Alison had lived in Brooklyn for a long time before moving to LA and said she had an English friend (Chloe) who had people cat sit during the times she would return home to see family.

I expressed my interest to be said cat sitter, and came over for a week in the summer of '18. I had a wonderful time - and what a blessing to have free accommodation in New York!

I'd spend the mornings doing yoga at Eddie Stern's ashtanga yoga school (now closed - sigh), then drop in for coffee and breakfast at a beautiful French cafe, Maison-May, on the way back to the apartment before tending to the cats, then taking off for a day's exploration (including clothes shopping - yay!).

I reached out to Chloe about doing it all again this summer - but she'd already stitched up a sitter. She said she'd need a person for December '19/Jan '20 and even though I am genuinely frightened of a New York winter I knew I'd have my young millennial Zach with me to help brave the chill and could also bring the cold weather clothing I had bought for a Chicago winter work trip three years ago (and not much used in LA since!!).

The following are some pictures from our trip (one week in) - with captions.

1. The night before catching our NYC-bound flight, Zach and I went to a famous LA establishment called Tam O'Shanter - the oldest currently operating restaurant in Los Angeles, and listed as one of the 15 most iconic Los Angeles restaurants (here). It was also close to the Walt Disney studios and Walt Disney and his animators were major fans. A waiter pointed out for me Disney's preferred dining spot. My work colleague, Joy, who knows great LA trivia suggested Zach and I go and said during the Christmas season we'd experience carolers. The following two pics show our carolers: we requested they sing "We wish you a Merry Christmas" and "Silent Night" - superb. Tips expected of course, and our carolers were duly accorded their loot.




2. Our first night in New York (Sunday December 22). It had been a smooth sailing trip and arrival - so in celebration and readiness to "take on New York", we hit up one of Brooklyn's notorious 'hipster bars' (that we just happened to land upon, no real prior knowledge): "Sharlene's". We discovered it has quite the rap - pinball machines included (Star Wars!). Article about Sharlene's in the New Yorker magazine here.





3.  Walking the streets of Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, I came across a "Black Santa" wearing suitable lumberjack "Brooklyn hipster" attire.




4.  Most people are catching the 'Metro' (subway) - which has been Zach and my preferred method (although all those STAIRS - and the copious walking!!). We've only caught a Lyft once - back from a bar in Williamsburg to the apartment in Prospect Heights, but there are a few brave souls who choose to own cars and drive. Seems parking must be an issue (where is parking NOT an issue?). One way the New Yorkers appear to deal with the crunch on parking here is they install bumper protectors on the back of their cars. Genius. I took a few snaps of cars with bumpers, and then one car without - so we see the damage done if you keep your car bumper protector free!





5. Getting out for a walk/run in Prospect Park. Jogging seems to be the exercise of choice for New Yorkers. Lots of fit bodies around and great running tracks. I can see why they love it. It's been fun to hit the road and take some ground while listening to tunes. A brisk temperature but one soon warms up.



6. One of the cats we're sitting. His name is Dougal. He is a great cat. Very chill. The other cat is skittish and hides most of the day. Also a male, called Junior. Junior is low maintenance though (in part because we seldom see him) so it's all good!



7. The Christmas tree at The Met. An entry ticket buys you three days, the museum's collection is ginormous (and I've visited it at least once before). Zach and I first went on Christmas Eve but returned again on Boxing Day to spend another four hours roaming the floors.




8.  A Jewish tradition (neither one of us is Jewish), Chinese food on Christmas Day! After attending a small church service at The Church of St. Luke and St. Matthew with, coincidentally, an Aussie reverend, Zach and I took to Hunan Delight for Peking Duck and other delicacies.



9. Chances are, you'll know at least one person living in New York! Had a fun catch-up on Boxing Day with a fellow Aussie, Sarah, and her American husband, Chaz. Sarah has lived in New York for 20 years, first coming to the city as a singer/dancer for Broadway at 18. She's never looked back. I met Sarah through the "PR Divas" Facebook network in San Francisco five years ago. We drank and nibbled at Le Crocodile bar in Williamsburg (and Sarah didn't even know I LOVE crocodiles!).



10. We happened upon a very cool jazz club called Smalls in the West Village and hit up some jazz on a Friday night. Had meals and drinks at two wonderful restaurants, Bar Sardine and Fairfax, beforehand. The West Village is a wonderful spot , and probably my no. 1 choice of neighbourhood if living in NYC. It's also where Sex and the City's Carrie Bradshaw lived!




11. Riding the subway is a necessity for tourists and locals alike in NYC. Being a big reader, Zach has been carrying around his volume of My Struggle Book 2 by Karl Ove Knausgaard and I'm carrying Andrew Sean Grier's 'Less' (Guardian review here) to help bide the commuter time.

Pics include Zach with his gnome like hat with two bags of shopping from 'Century 21' and one of the Subway's ubiquitous buskers. My donations to the local street strummers have left my pockets a little poor, but I don't mind. They're all good and it ain't easy making it as a musician.





12. Zach was worried about spending too much money. Erm, yeah - solid concern. We've been hitting up the restaurant scene every day. Carb overload! This place, Alta Calidad, happily walking distance from our apartment.



We've had many more adventures, including a performance of Fiddler on the Roof and more hipster bars (The Caledonia and Weather Up to name two), but for now that's a wrap!

Friday, November 22, 2019

Cooking!

Argh! The diary of an occasional cook ðŸ˜œ 

The “Fall/Thanksgiving” work competition called for a pumpkin dish and I was the only entrant ðŸ˜‚ with U.K. chef Nigella Lawson’s Pumpkin & Goats Cheese lasagne (with roasted pine nuts on top (one of these photos has pre-nuts)) and so work gave me a $30 Starbucks gift card anyway!! The occasion called for a potluck so I also made U.S. chef Samrin Nosrat’s almond and cardamom tea cake which was a screaming success. 

Tales from the kitchen - there’s very valid reasons why I eat out two meals (sometimes three) a day!! Ingredient sourcing, preparations, and cooking are work work work!!

1.  Cutting the pumpkins took hours. Fortunately The Crown Season 3 has dropped so I was able to binge on that while chopping.



2. Had to dash out for ANOTHER pumpkin as two didn't cut the weight required. This is what makes food preparation so time consuming too - the actual ingredients shopping.




3.  Zachary was after a blow by blow as I made the dish, so I sent him this pic - lol. Chopping chopping. When I wasn't watching The Crown - I was listening to Eddie Vedder's cool tunes from the "Into the Wild" soundtrack.



4. Simmering.


5.  Had to make another cake as I bungled the first one by adding baking soda when the recipe called for 'baking powder' - OOPS!



6.  The dud that Zach and I will still try tonight (and we did! it tasted fine but the inside was a lot darker than the one made according to the recipe). Notice how it sunk in the middle.


7.  Second attempt at the cake and success - I made double sure I added Baking Powder and NOT baking soda - lol. The ingredients in this cake are not cheap either. Mistakes can be costly.


8. Nigella Lawson's Goat Cheese and Pumpkin lasagne just out of the oven sans the pine nuts which are toasting now.


9. Nigella called for some crusty bread too - which I sourced this morning to ensure its freshness. The idea is you dip it into the tomato sauce of the lasagne : )


10. And my cake - as you can see, I supplied icecream, cream and sugared strawberries. Again, thanks to Lorien (who sublets her place to me) for the cake dish and apple dish.


Friday, October 11, 2019

Calling for good theatre in LA

I am struggling to find good theatre in LA. 

I’ve seen copious works and the best was a production of Euripides’ The Bacchae at The Getty, Malibu last year. Mainly because the lead actress was phenomenal. 

Zach and I went to actor Tim Robbins directed play, “1984” an adaption of George Orwell’s novel last night at “The Actor’s Gang” - a theatre house founded by Robbins. 

The production was so bad I (along with others I spied) left at intermission. I never do this - I am a theatre buff! Zach would have stayed, but he too saw its limits so came with me. 

Bereft of the quality theatre we just came to take for granted in Oz. 

Still think the Europeans do it best - saw quality productions of Ibsen’s “Ghosts” in Oslo/& “Hedda Gabler” by a German company as part of the Melbourne International Arts Festival. 

I guess LA is more film/TV acting. To that note - stumbled on a lovely piece of film trivia. The hotel we had a drink at prior was the one used by all the munchkins in “The Wizard of Oz” - they slept three to a bed. 

The film was being made at MGM Studios around the corner (now Sony Studios). The Wizard of Oz would be in my top five favourite films.

Photos:

1. The Actor's Gang theatre space. 
2. Cocktails prior at The Culver Hotel
3 & 4. Window display at The Culver Hotel - Wizard of Oz







Tuesday, September 17, 2019

First overseas trip with the boyfriend!

My young Zachary and I went to Tokyo, enroute to my seeing my father in Singapore, this September. This post and the one beforehand run a bit backward. Zach and I were in Tokyo and then he jetted back to LA and I kept going on to Singapore. I've been in Singapore since Saturday and today is Wednesday. My Singaporean adventures are much different to the Japanese ones, as it was go, go, go in Japan and yet in Singapore, I'm living a very lazy existence, just a huge amount of reading (of the internet gossip variety mainly) and lazing about. In the afternoons my dad and I get going for a bit of Singaporean exploring.

Zach and I spent about six days in Japan - visiting both Tokyo and Kyoto. It was whirlwind but definitely worth it. Three photos as follows from Tokyo to cap off this post.




Singaporean adventures

Reposting a facebook post:

16 September 2019

Dad and daughter’s afternoon in Singapore - culminating in two Singapore Slings each at ‘Raffles Hotel’.
“My God! All he does all day is make Singapore Slings,” said Mal James (as we watched the barman prepare his umpteenth Sling).
And after dad’s first Singapore Sling, “I reckon I can go another one...” and so it goes.






Saturday, July 20, 2019

Chasing for connection

Responding to an article I read about single people actually being the less lonely:

https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2019/07/case-against-marriage/591973/

This article rang true for me - when I am single, I am constantly out there seeking connection, and quite frankly this process can be exhausting. Sure, you’re meeting many ‘new faces’ and making your own fun - but inevitably, for me, having a good partner means I can kick back and relax, knowing that I have some easy company without chasing it. But yes, this process too can be lonely - as the article suggests. Because it can then become all about the partner. Just you and the partner. And sometimes, just about you because the partner is busy - or needs time out. I know I can rely on my partner to “show up” and thus I don’t take the risk on having others “show up” too. It’s time efficiency. So yes, I can see how ironically single people are not the lonely ones - but many of us in this single state would prefer not to have to go to such lengths just to be that way.

Yoga, yoga it becomes your life!

I never met Maty, but she was one of the practitioners in the primary series youtube videos I used to watch for Ashtanga yoga home practice, and so I took an interest in her thereafter. She had a profound impact on the LA yoga scene and the community here is in mourning. Glad to see the New York Times and LA Times has acknowledged her significant role in raising the profile of yoga’s benefits to the West.

New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/17/health/maty-ezraty-dead.amp.html#click=https://t.co/ywKbTh4dNE

LA Times: https://www.latimes.com/obituaries/story/2019-07-19/maty-ezraty-yoga-instructor-dead

The years keep rollicking by


Responding to this Modern Love article I read today: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/19/style/modern-love-egg-freezing-fertility.html#click=https://t.co/XmFxOZ4YOK


My experience losing my mother at 21 (five days shy of turning 22) - resulting in being emotionally damaged in my 20s carried into my 30s (not good for healthy romantic relationships) - and not having a sister (sisters make good aunts 😊) lessened my desire to procreate. Raising kids is hard and relentless - it takes a village they say; and I did not have the ideal support group. So when the wrong men wanted children with me - I chose to keep striving forward for a better match. Then I turned 37 and thought - well, I’ll look into egg freezing. And I did (look into it but for similar reasons that this article describes of the outcomes - did not pursue). The fertility specialist recommended giving up the baby dream at 42. I turn 45 this month. It’s an interesting one - so long as a healthy woman is fertile, you always have children on the mind (and in body) as a consideration. Until you don’t. So I guess my message is this - for women you know who don’t, or didn’t have children, it does not mean at some point or for a lot of those points - she considered it, and perhaps the reason she didn’t is just that life circumstance was not on her side.

I wrote on this blog in 2011 about seeing an egg fertility specialist: https://ordinarypeopleeverydaythings.blogspot.com/2011/08/ill-take-my-eggs-frozen.html