recaída

Meia barra de chocolate de leite Lindt, extrafino, 32% de cacau.

rehab

Há duas semanas que não como chocolate.

ainda sob o efeito do jet lag

Esta semana frenética não podia terminar de melhor forma, com o concerto do Seu Jorge em Madrid. E um mojito no Delic, para pôr a conversa em dia.

Encontros III: Hudson

Other "must dos" in NY? Yes, there are many. Saturday afternoon was spent shopping and browsing the newest trends. In the evening, Madrid and New York went to the Hudson Hotel and report.

The New Yorker's view: This time we revisited an old favorite. Special in many senses, in particular because this New Yorker spent key moments in the premises of this Hotel before becoming part of this city. This is where I stayed when I came to NY for interviews, this is where I kept on returning to have dinner when coming to NY on business and this is where, now, as a New Yorker, I come from time to time to enjoy the Cafeteria; the Library bar; the other, more colorful, bar; or simply the outdoors terrace/bar/restaurant. Well, this time I shared the Hudson with Madrid…

The Madrid visitor's view: I've heard a good deal about the Hudson before, as its interiors were designed by Philippe Starck. One thing I like about NY interiors is that they are usually small but with very high ceilings, which convey an interesting sense of space. Another thing I love is that “effortless chic” feel that you get from most places and people in NY. A bit of “everything goes” but still impeccable and trendsetting. The Hudson Cafeteria, with its high ceilings, dim lights, long communal tables and open kitchen is no exception to that. After dinner, we headed to the Library for a drink. Very British with its fireplace and pool table, but finished with a beautiful huge lamp, big and oversized as it could only happen in America. The final touch of glamour came with our Cosmopolitans. Salut!

Encontros II - Pastis

That Sunday, Madrid and New York also had brunch at Pastis and report.

The New Yorker's view: The Sunday brunch is a New York institution which at Pastis acquires a French twist. It is a boulangerie; it is menus and mirrors on the wall; it is a huge crowd; it is delicious eggs Norwegian or pancakes with fruit and maple syrup; it is Bellinis or simply freshly squeezed orange juice as I normally have; it is Sunday end of morning or beginning of the afternoon in the Gotham, which is better spent with friends in our favorite places.

The Madrid visitor's view: As for me, Sunday morning came as a “two in one”, 1) Sunday brunch in NY, and 2) getting a glimpse of the Meatpacking district.
We had our reservation at Pastis made well in advance, as the French style bistrot is always packed, especially for brunch. This was my second real NY experience after getting a cab at rush hour.
Another great thing was getting there in a foggy morning and coming out to a perfect sunny early afternoon. We strolled around the pretty shops, cafés and warehouses still serving their “meatpacking” purpose, all of which give such a relaxed atmosphere to this part of town.

Encontros I: TriBeCa Film Festival

Sunday was the last day of the TriBeCa Film Festival. Madrid and New York met and report.

The New Yorker's view:These are hottest tickets in town, long gone before one can decide which movies to watch, but a very generous offer of two open tickets prevented the irremediable loss. Ready to start the adventure we chose to watch the winner of the Best Narrative Feature, the festival's equivalent to the Oscar for Best Picture. Let the Right One In brought a new twist to a story about vampires. The film is a tale about every day life and about coming-of-age, but also about blood and revenge. In the jury's comments: “[a] mesmerizing exploration of loneliness and alienation through masterful reexamination of the vampire myth.”

The Madrid visitor's view: Who would say that on Friday morning while strolling around TriBeCa, camera in hand, we would actually get our “from yellow cab to red carpet” moment the next Sunday. But that’s NY. My friend R has a friend, who has a brother, who does volunteer work at the Festival and got us two hot open tickets. Still thrilling with excitement we chose to watch the winner of the Best Narrative Feature – no less – the Swedish film Let the Right One In, by Tomas Alfredson. Based on a novel by Lindqvist, it is a story about first love between 12-year-old kids, a bullied boy and a vampire girl, both handicapped in their own way. The story was great food for thought about loneIiness, alienation and ultimately about power and dependence. Also very interesting for me was seeing the audience’s reaction to this European film, as they focused on the sweetness of kids falling in love, rather than on my darker thoughts about alienation. To sum it up, a good display of New World innocence against Old World disenchantment, as Henry James would put it.

a minha guia Michelin

hot dog ambulante, 1 estrela*

na Village, com cebola salteada, 3 estrelas***

o meu fortune cookie, 5 estrelas*****

take your time

Take Your Time, Olafur Eliasson

Depois de vários dias em fast forward, empenhada em seguir a minha mais que ambiciosa lista de to do's em Nova Iorque, no Domingo fui com a R ver a exposição do Olafur Eliasson em exibição no MoMA e no P.S. 1.

Esqueci-me do tempo, da agenda, do resto do museo. Pause-play-pause-rewind-pause... Take Your Time é muito mais do que uma exposição interactiva, é um desafio à nossa percepção da realidade. O título não foi escolhido ao acaso. Ver com outros olhos, requer tempo e disponibilidade para disfrutar sem pressas daquilo que nos é dado a observar; luzes, perspectivas, ilusões de óptica, texturas. Ver com outros olhos é um pouco como ver pela primeira vez, por um momento voltamos a sentir-nos como crianças. Isso é o mais fascinante desta exposição.

brand new

O novo Museum of Contemporary Art, acabadinho de estrear na Bowery, é mais uma razão para que em Nova Iorque tudo se passe em fast forward.

reflexo(ões) do artista na Big Apple

A última vez que estive em Nova Iorque foi há mais de 10 anos, 11 para ser mais exacta. Recordo os arranha-céus, os táxis amarelos e o cheiro a comida de rua. Graças ao convite da querida R que me deu guarida e a perspectiva de uma perfeita "New Yorker", pude (re)descobrir uma cidade completamente nova.

Perguntam-me, no regresso, se a cidade mudou assim tanto. Bom, vejamos; a Estátua da Liberdade continua no sítio do costume, e Times Square também... mas as Torres, por exemplo, já não estão. O skyline da cidade mudou depois do 11/9. Nova Iorque é desses sítios em constante ebolição, onde o tempo parece passar em fast forward. Nestes 11 anos, TriBeCa passou a ser trendy, a zona ribeirinha ao longo de West Street foi recuperada, o Meatpacking District passou a ser in e as imitações de Chinatown pasaram a estar out, Sex and the City tornou-se uma série de culto e a LOE (Lower East Side) está a consolidar-se, agora mesmo, as we speak.