New York, day 4, Central Park

We spent this morning in Central Park. Goran was reading his newspapers and I was wandering around trying to find good spots to take pictures in this magnificent park.


The park is full of people who are running, jogging, meditating, walking, riding horse carriages and resting on the lawn.

New York, day 3, Guggenheim

Outside of the museum.

Everybody knows this museum, one of the most visited places in New York. Every six months the museum has a different theme. This time the theme was “Contemporary Photography/ Video/Performance”. Much of contemporary photography and video seems haunted by the past, by the history of art, by apparitions that are reanimated in reproductive mediums, live performance, and the virtual world.



There was nothing that I liked in the contemporary section, furthermore many videos were so disgusting and revolting that I couldn’t stay in the show room for a second, and I can assure you that I was not the only one who felt this way.

For example: an eerie video called “A nails biter” is a video of a crazy  guy confined in bed, drooling  with saliva, all his bed sheets covered with old nails which he is constantly biting and staring at you with an insane look. It is not healthy, it’s just so sick. I don’t know how come the artist is allowed to present his video. I guess I have no qualifications to judge this kind of “art”, but I am a human being who is supposed to perceive it and I don’t like it at all.

I could continue with many other examples of cutting hands, sticking needles in skin and photographing all this insanity, but I refuse…



The first two floors were dedicated to “normal” art. I couldn’t take pictures of my favorite paintings; at least I can mention the names of the artists: Picasso, Edouard Vuillard and the one I admire the most, Claude Monet. I saw these paintings 4 years ago, but I am still fascinated and awed by the prodigious beauty of this art.

The interior of the round hall in Guggenheim.

“Wicked” at the “Gershwin” theater

After the museum visit we had tickets to “Wicked” in the “Gershwin” theater at 222 west 51^st street. The musical was much better than “Mamma-Mia” and the tickets were a bit more expensive. I never saw this performance before and the story was new for me. I liked it.

                                                                                                                                   “Elio’s”

At 8 o’clock we had a reservation at “Elio’s,” the 40.7768 -73.9527 restaurant located on 2nd Ave at #1621.

The restaurant is located outside the tourist area and you have to know how to get there. The food was delicious, the wine was fabulous, and the dessert was to die for. The good news was that the check was tolerable, especially compared to the check that we got the day before in fancy “San Pietro”. I highly recommend you visit “Elio’s” when you have the opportunity.

 

New York, day 2.The Museum of Modern Art

We spent this morning at MoMA, the museum of modern art. The 6th floor is dedicated to special exhibitions and distinguished artists. This time the special guest was Marina Abromovic, a New York-based Serbian and Yugoslavian performance artist.

Marina Abromovic performs the art.

I was shocked by her “art”; you might call me narrow-minded and prejudiced, but I can’t perceive her creation as art. Marina films human naked bodies in sexual positions and uses real people as models during her exhibitions. For example, today I witnessed how people embraced by squeezing themselves between two naked youngsters in a narrow corridor to be able to proceed to the next room.

The public is a part of her performance.

On the first floor of the MoMA Marina was presenting her art by sitting motionless in one position on a chair. I was most curious about all these people who were also surrounding the artist and were watching her for hours and hours. I was wondering what was going on in their minds, why would they stare at the stolid face of Marina. By the way, Marina’s desire is to show the painful suffering of human bodies.

After 5 hours of wandering in the museum I was so tired that I could easily be a “suffering model” for Abromovic art.

There were plenty of other art works and creations that attracted me or just caught my attention. I would like to share with you some of them.

Marc Chagall, French, born Belarus. 18887-1985

Max Ernst, French, born Germany. 1891-1976, “Napoleon in the Wilderness”

James Ensor, Belgian. 1860-1949

Marisoal, Venezuelan, born France 1930

The artist rendered the smiling faces of prominent people by house wrens. I think my portrait is missing here.

Vincent van Gogh, Dutch. 1853-1890

Can you call this rope by Robert Morris for an art?             Some Russians broadsheet art.
I don’t think so!

“Center of Gallery” by Lee Bontecou, American, born 1931 

Tokujin Toshioka, a Japanese artist, likes to experiment with broken dishes and cutlery.

In the evening we went to “Mama-Mia” at the “Winter Garden” Theatre on Broadway. Unfortunately it was not allowed to take pictures. The musical was good though the singing performance was weak, not powerful.

 

New York, day 1

I am in New York and blogging directly from my hotel room.


We arrived today and checked in at “The London” NYC. I highly recommend this place. The rooms are new and bright. The hotel is centrally located on 54th street so that you can easily reach many famous attractions of the city. There are also a lot of complimentarily services which are included in the room price; the one which I appreciate the most is the free wireless connection, so that I can work or blog directly from my room.My feet are hurting; we were walking around all day. I don’t know the names of all the buildings and statues I took pictures of.

“The London” NYC

Donald Trump's tower on the 5th avenue               The Central Park

In the Central Park you can always take a horse-drawn carriage ride.

Just look at this colorful city that “never” sleeps. NY is the metropolitan capital of the world. The diversity of the city says it all, from the newest high sky scrapers to the old picturesque buildings.

 Broadway                                                             Broadway square

Today in NY is the premiere of “Sex and the city”, part 2. People were queuing for many hours before the show. The city is full of billboards about this film which has become like a symbol of life in NY.

The diversity of the city says it all, from the newest high scrapes to the old picturesque buildings.

This evening we ate at “San Pietro” an Italian restaurant at 18E 54th street. The food was good but definitely not excellent. The atmosphere and service of the restaurant were much better than the taste of the food. The price was much too excessive for the quality of the food which was served; I think it was not worth the money.

“San Pietro”

The incredible nature of Florida

Nothing to say, except from the fact that I am spending my Friday night absolutely lonely with champagne (no reasons) and rented horror movies from “Blockbusters”, what a terrible combination!

The week was good and intensive. I worked; I worked out a lot; and I went to my English courses. To be honest, I don’t mind to be alone. I prefer this than to spend evening with empty and superficial people who don’t care about you. Alone and strong.

Today, during my walking, I discovered part of Fort Lauderdale witch I have not seen before: the hidden, virgin beauty of Fort Lauderdale and took some pictures. The tropical environment is fantastic and beautiful, but many people who live here do miss this incredible nature.

I would love to know the name of the trees.

Like in heaven.

“Schakolad” is the best chocolate factory in Broward County

I came back to Florida yesterday night and today I am fighting with a jetlag. I decided to take a refreshing work on Las Olas and check what’s going on. A hot tropical rain started when I was on my half way through. I found a shelter in a new open chocolate factory named “Schakolad”. These coffee’s place, restaurants and any other possible eating establishments are popping up as mushrooms on the main tourist street Las Olas and usually they are not survive for a long time, but I hope this place will stay.

“Schakolad” is a fine chocolate factory

I like this new Chocolate Factory; it is fresh, built with a taste and inspiring. The amiable personal showed me many handmade pieces that they do by themselves.

A chocolate bowl or may be a chocolate shoe?

I have bought 8 pieces and immediately tasted one. The chocolate melted in my mouth and I was too. I got an incredible sensation of the fine chocolate taste. The flavor brought up my memories of my childhood. When I was 4, my step father was working at a chocolate factory, and quite often we had unshaped raw bits of real chocolate in our home. Having said that I can’t give the better grade than this on the quality of the chocolate. I love it.

Таможник и домохозяйка

8.55 вечера во Флориде, а в Швеции 02.55 ночи. Я только что приехала домой (мой второй дом) во Флориду и едва соображаю от усталости.
Перелёт прошёл хорошо, самолёт, как всегда опоздал и мне пришлось носиться как угорелой в Атланте, что бы успеть на следующий.

Единственное что меня привело на раздумье, уже потом, сидя в самолёте, по пути в Форт Лаудердейл, так это странный разговор во время прохождения американской таможни.
Все знают, что с ними шутить нельзя и пререкаться ни в коем случае не рекомендуется. Обычно у меня с ними не когда длинных разговоров нет, и после коротких формальностей меня впускают в страну.

На этот раз, таможник попался угрюмый и на его лице было написано, что ему хочется кого то засадить, и моя персона подвернулась под руку.

Он круто начал с вопроса, чем я занимаюсь и после ответа, что я домохозяйка, он впился в меня глазами, в которых я прочила, что он не верит. Потом, уже анализируя эту сцену (я люблю анализировать), я приняла это как за комплимент, что его испытанные навыком глаза сказали (они проходят обширное обучение, как опознавать людей по их поведению и внешности), что домохозяйкой тут не пахнет. Значит, я до сих пор сохранила свою независимость и твёрдый взгляд. Я больше всего стыжусь, что бы меня воспринимали за американскую ограниченную домохозяйку.

Таможник не сдался, и закатил в меня вопрос, где я работала раньше (то есть признаки рабочей женщины сидят глубоко), я ответила на его вопрос. И он, не замедляя, поизвился, как, мол, от глобального закупщика до домохозяйки? У меня чесался язык, порекомендовать ему в ответ, обратиться к моему мужу, но вместо этого я скромно ответила, что, дескать, всякое в жизни случается. Потом он прицепился ещё ко всяким визам, и что, и где, и почему, и как, и зачем, и я не знаю, что ещё. В конце концов, он шлепнул штамп и процедил сквозь зубы: «Добро пожаловать домой». После этого я как угорелая помчалась на местный самолёт.

Наш весёлый вечер

Завтра я улетаю  в Штаты. Три недели пролетели быстро, я умудрилась сделать много и в тоже время не так уж много. Работа занимает много времени, и конечно же это нормально.

Мне невольно приходит на ум прошлая среда. Когда мы с девчонками пошли в ресторан пообщаться. Мы решили пойти в нормальное место, где можно свободно поговорить, пообщаться и чувствовать себя свободно без всяких норм этикета. Валентина посоветовала один ресторан, который успел поменять хозяина и мы попали в настоящию ужасную забегаловку. Только бегающих тараканов не хватало, что бы перенестись в русскую вокзальную закусочную. Ну да ладно про этот ресторан я напишу позже.

Mongolian Barbecue in Malmo

А сейчас я просто хочу сказать, что мы провели прекрасное время и насмеялись до слёз и в частности благодаря именно тому, что с нами произошло в ресторане. Сервис и недопонимание были на таком уровне, что даже я которая всегда легко раздражается от плохого сервиса, не смогла даже выразить своё неудовольствие, я просто каталась от смеху.

Всю дорогу, ведя машину домой, я улыбалась, перетупивши порог дома, я улыбалась, вспоминая наш весёлый вечер. Всё таки хорошая компания значит очень много. Компания людей, где ты можешь говорить свободно и не переживая, что твои слова будут нарочно неправильно истолкованы и ты потом будешь осуждена и так далее.

Мы решили повторить этот вечер и через 3 дня собрались у меня дома пить шампанское. Девчонки пришли с едой, и самое главное с хорошим настроением и русскими пельменями. Я их так давно не ела, что я даже забыла запах свежих сваренных пельменей. Нежный запас защекотал мои ноздри, мой желудок заурчал, и я с жадностью проглотила хорошую порцию пельменей.

Мы говорили ни о чём и обо всем. Я, конечно же, проявила инициативу и прочитала мою опубликованную статью. Потом мы все, дружно хохоча, пошли к морю, пугая своей непонятной, «Барбаровской» речью местное шведское население этого последнего пристанища чистокровных шведов.

Ljunghusen, May 20210

Одежды на прогулку, у девчонок с собой не было, поэтому они выгребли все мои старые запасы зимней одежды из гардероба. Не пугайтесь за нашу одёжку, зато было тепло.