Project 90 By Song Dong At MOMA
FRIDAY, JULY 31ST 2009
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"Beijing-based artist Song Dong (b. 1966) explores notions of transience and impermanence with installations that combine aspects of performance, video, photography, and sculpture. Projects 90, his first solo U.S. museum show, presents his recent work Waste Not. A collaboration first conceived of with the artist's mother, the installation consists of the complete contents of her home, amassed over fifty years during which the Chinese concept of wu jin qi yong, or "waste not," was a prerequisite for survival. The assembled materials, ranging from pots and basins to blankets, oil flasks, and legless dolls, form a miniature cityscape that viewers can navigate around and through."

Click the first photo for a larger panoramic view.

An Indoor Garden At Anthropologie, Rockefeller Center
FRIDAY, JULY 31ST 2009
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The Anthropologie at Rockefeller Center had a lovely indoor garden space set up with worn furniture and fixtures, moss and leafy plants. I especially liked the clever use of nails as pegs for the aluminum letters decor. I swooned over that little terrarium container!

Creative Window Displays At Anthropologie
FRIDAY, JULY 31ST 2009
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A refreshing burst of movement and color from the window displays of Anthropologie near Rockefeller Center - made entirely of two by fours and cardboard!

Wagashi From Minamoto Kitchoan
FRIDAY, JULY 31ST 2009
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Minamoto Kitchoan is an upscale purveyor of wagashi - delicate, artistic Japanese confections often served with tea. The character pronounced 'wa' denotes things Japanese, while the characters for 'gashi', an alliteration of kashi, have come to mean confections.

The interior and treat selection were similar to what I experienced in Japan, and just like Japan the prices were ridiculous. I suppose I mean this as a compliment, since these are more than snacks and are an art form in and of themselves in both flavor and appearance. A box of six wagashi can easily set you back $30-$60. Everything looked enticing - oh, the fish packaging! - but I settled on a palm-sized green tea mochi, which was delicious but one piece set me back $3.

All of the food examples are plastic representations of the real treats. I was mostly attracted to the window display that looked like a basketful of breasts.

Purples and Browns At The Union Square Market
MONDAY, JULY 27TH 2009
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I love it when I subconsciously focus on something and it resurfaces later - in this case as a beautiful collection of purple and brown photographs. By the way, have you ever seen purple beans? They were quite a surprise to me today!

Breakfast At Cafe Zaiya, East Village
MONDAY, JULY 27TH 2009
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One of the things I miss the most from Japan is (surprisingly) the bakeries. Perhaps it has a lot to do with their milk, which is much creamier and more flavorful than anything I've had in the States. Anyway, I was determined to recreate my experiences in Japan with whatever one of the biggest cities in the world had to offer. Surely NYC would have decent, authentic Japanese restaurants and bakeries, right?

Thus I discovered the three store chain Cafe Zaiya, which excels in its baked goods and onigiri. It serves other lunch foods as well but I was least interested in those dishes. Their East Village location is small with only three or so tables, but clean and friendly in perfect Japanese style. Although I was saddened to see most of my Japan favorites missing, they do sell a good variety of items, including their thickly sliced square bread, green tea muffins and red bean pastries.

I walked across the street to the small Cooper Square park and ate my sugary red bean bun, a melon bun and some apple tea. As I admired the new Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art building, a bum approached me and asked for part of my breakfast. This is where I learned the valuable lesson do not feed NYC bums. Not only did he proceed to talk to me throughout my entire breakfast, he followed me to the nearby Sunrise Mart and carried my grocery basket full of Asian food.

I later learned he did all of this with the expectation that I give him a dollar. When I countered that I already gave him part of my breakfast - a big sacrifice on my part - he scoffed at me, said some expletives and left.