Crumpeted

Pastorals

2012-01-09T18:39:00.000-08:00

Not sure if I've posted this already, but I was really interested in the way Chinese construction was set up to mask any unappetizing area of the city (demolitions, new subway lines, et c). I worked up a series of photos examining this phenomenon, called "Pastorals." Here are a few images:

More photos? Click below.

Goings-on

2011-10-25T19:58:00.000-07:00

"To Do Mon 10/24," the note reads, "finish photo editing; elucidate paintings series; draft Davis Life entry; brainstorm a new post; yoga." Interspersed with pencil doodles and attempts to record my thoughts in a dark car on southbound Highway 101, these myriad engagements appear and reappear throughout what is currently my working journal. Rebuffed for being too bulky, its predecessor sits always in my bag, adding weight and not much else. I'm very busy currently, though it's hard to see why as I'm--for all intents and purposes--unemployed, homeless save for my childhood bedroom, and--it seems--perennially in transit. Nonetheless, I find myself on the Net once more, seeking more busyness.

Here's what I've crossed of my lists so far:

-find an apartment in the East Bay for under $900/month (!)

-finish an article on Kenny G's popularity in China

-devise a recipe for cardamom-walnut lassis (a traditional Indian drink)

-turn my mom's garage into a semi-working studio space

-explore the aesthetic oddities of my aged vetements and also of Dia de los Muertos

make some normal hummus and some BERRY hummus (still savory, just purple)

wine taste with my sweetie at Napa wineries with neoclassical pretensions and excellent limestone-y caves!

An Arcadian Adventure

2011-10-12T17:03:00.000-07:00

Any image search of northern California landscapes, earth, nature, or outdoors-y scenes will yield a myriad of colors and locales but an overarching palette of warm, earthy, sun-weathered expansiveness--a welcome change from Beijing's astronomical assemblages or the monotonal sheen of airports galore.

Now it's October, and the light has changed from sizzling to sun-crisped, the leaves submitting to autumnal breezes and the colors of aging: crimson, mustard-yellow, ochre.

Whenever the clime takes its seasonal turn, I start feeling convivial. Consequently, a few weekends ago I found myself at the Silveyville Pumpkin and Tree Farm, located in Dixon, California--on a quest for pumpkins and Halloween cheer.

While 4 acres of almonds and walnut trees were unfortunately removed to accomodate said pumpkin patch, groups of nut-bearing trees remain, providing shade, dramatic disruption to an otherwise unimpeded horizon, and delicious food, too!

On display are dozens if not hundreds (ok, definitely hundreds) of pumpkins in all shapes and sizes.
The Contenders

While mega-squash rest on their laurels, myriad heirloom varieties also show off their strengths.

A strange and motley cast of scarecrows populates the farm--sartorial choices always successful.

More info on Silveyville Farm can be found on their website, and on Davis Wiki.

Bridges Over Untroubled Water

2011-09-12T17:22:00.000-07:00

Chinese Banquets: fun, filling, completely exhausting.

I've been marinating some photos on my computer for a while now, and thought I'd share. After two weeks in Hangzhou this July (replete with Chinese banquet after banquet, interspersed with bike trips around Hangzhou, Galen and I decided it was time for a change.

We took that Wenzhou train, then hopped on a bus to Taishun, and proceeded to backpack our way around Chinese villages. Galen had done some digging and pulled up fascinating information about old bridges, some of which date back to the late Ming dynasty (17th century). Armed with arduously-copied characters, scribbled maps, and a borrowed tent, we ventured into uncharted territory.

Known as langqiao (廊桥, "corridor bridges") and also fengyuqiao (风雨桥 "wind and rain bridges"), these amazing structures are cared for by locals and remain relatively well-preserved.

We seemed to be the only foreigners in the area, and felt this otherness acutely when village kids followed us and gossipy neighbors gaped at us as we passed--to be fair, though, they may have been gaping at our improvised-trashbag-rain-ponchos, my unorthodox wet-weather shoes (clear plastic jellies) or Galen's mountain-man beard.

It rained a lot at first.

Instead of finding hotels (because there weren't really any), we simply found discreet places and set up camp. One time it was a hill overlooking the road and a bevy of stunning graves embedded in verdant hills; another night we tucked into a small farm's nook.

Galen woke up at 4 am to take this amazing photograph. What a trooper.

In the morning, we began our search for food. The villages had little need for hospitality services, so restaurants were scant. Some grannies were cooking up breakfast for their friends in a makeshift outdoor eating area though, and offered us a hearty serving of rice-y breakfast...blocks...

I don't know how else to describe them, but they were yummy. Hot and spicy sauces were added. Toothless grannies admired our chopstick skills as we scarfed down their culinary creations.

camp set-up

a shrine in Sankui--for some reason I'm reminded of Ingmar Bergman's "Fanny and Alexander"--Uncle Isak's House of Creepy Treasures and all...

We hiked in our own sweat to Santiao Bridge (built in 1843, so a bit younger) and then rewarded ourselves with a swim, where I promptly lost my jelly sandals in the water. Oops.

These two dudes saw us waiting for the unpredictable bus and offered a ride. When we reached "civilization" they absolutely refused compensation for their troubles--then they invited us to come party in the "big city" of Taishun that evening! We respectfully declined, as we had yet to find a camp spot.

This bridge was in Sankui.

If you weren't interested in crossing covered-style, you could traverse these stones instead.

I'm guessing, due to the paucity of fellow travelers, that this region is still rather unknown, but as with many sites in China, it may soon become overrun with tourist busses and bored Beijingers. A lounge on the langqiaos was quite the picturesque way to finish up our voyage in China.

More info on the bridges here.

Memory Reel in Reverse

2011-09-08T17:35:00.001-07:00

I've been back in les Etats now for 35 days--I think I still have some acclimating to do. Perhaps it's because I've traversed my Golden home state more extensively than I have in quite some time. Perhaps it's because one year feels all sorts of fluid when thinking about the passage of time--suddenly marijuana is virtually legal in California, there are compostable spork sightings outside of the Davis Food Co-Op, Denny's Offers a dubious healthful breakfast alternative dubbed the "Fit Slam"...

Hanger 1, NASA Ames Campus

Perhaps it's because I'm suddenly able to speak my native tongue with strangers on the street and business proprietors alike. I can order a hamburger wrapped in lettuce or non-clandestine-secret-menu "Animal Fries."

I can access Facebook, Youtube, This Blog, and more--without so much as a glance as to whether my VPN was directing my IP address to a locale outside the Great Firewall. I can even get a ticket for not wearing my seatbelt, or driving drunk! (I didn't)

Three cheers for Neoclassical columns!

Mexican food in the Mission

I can also meet awesome people doing awesome things like building websites to combat corruption.
Ch eck it out.

I've never been happier to be back in California, and as I scoot from Mountain View to Napa and Oakland and Davis and then back to SF, I'm reminded of how lucky we are in this here country; shure it's got problems that we should probably be critiquing more thoroughly, and yeah, there are more obese people here still, but--in lieu of trite ending, here's a quote from David Foster Wallace that perhaps transcends my binary banter on arbitrary national boundaries:

"[true freedom] means being conscious and aware enough to choose what you pay attention to and to choose how you construct meaning from experience. Because if you cannot exercise this kind of choice in adult life, you will be totally hosed."

Wenzhou

2011-08-22T20:28:00.000-07:00

This is the Wenzhou Train Station. There's been a lot of buzz around this little city in Zhejiang province recently because of the tragic train accident that happened there last month. 40 died and 192 were injured in China's first high-speed rail crash ever.

It's basically been hushed up by the government, but many netizens insist on continuing a discourse about how the rescue efforts were carried out (not to mention how poorly tested and ill-prepared the bullet train system was).

We zipped past the bridge where the two trains had collided a week before, breaking apart and plunging to the ground below. There was still a lot of wreckage. The bullet trains go about 120 mph, or at least ours did the day we took it--a week after the accident (safest time to travel!). It wasn't full by any account, and ticket sales have definitely declined post-tragedy.

Al Jazeera has a fabulous and comprehensive piece revealing how much the government controlled media coverage of the accident. I remember watching the news as the accident leaked to television; notwithstanding the complete terror and total panic obviously rippling through the scene, I was so impressed by the organized and compassionate local villagers who rushed to the scene and did whatever they could.

Bevies of Banquets

2011-08-12T15:03:00.000-07:00

Chinese hospitality is premier in the world. Seriously. I've never wanted for anything but a second stomach when entertained by our Chinese friends.
Here are some shots from various banquets and luncheons in Hangzhou and surrounds.

spicy fish soup with sprouts and sichuan peppercorns

this was snake

futuresnaxxx

typical

barnacles n' octopus

just a lot of crayfish

not a banquet, just good vegetarian recovery food

Hangzhou Hangin'

2011-08-10T15:33:00.000-07:00

"The lovely Spring breeze has come
Back to the Lake of the West.
The Spring waters are so clear and
Green they might be freshly painted.
The clouds of perfume are sweeter
Than can be imagined. In the
Gentle East wind the petals
Fall like grains of rice."
—Ouyang Xiu (1007–1072), excerpts from Spring Day on West Lake

"In Heaven There is Paradise . On Earth, Suzhou and Hangzhou"
--Marco Polo

Galen and I stayed for three weeks in Hangzhou, using it as our last jumping-off point for seeing other cities in Zhejiang province. All in all, we visited Ningbo, Chenghua, Fuyang, Taizhou (Huangyan), Wenzhou, and Taishun county. We also found ourselves invited to Dachen Island for two lovely days of seafood luxury. A friend of a friend who happens to be not only a Party official, but also a manufacturer of Jesus figurines and other tchotchkes, hosted us in his Taizhou neighborhood and then boated us all off to Dachen, a beautiful island with secluded fishing villages and vestigial KMT bunkers.

new friends

fishy business

KTV--a sufficiently loud, smoky, and giddy entertainment option

There are too many experiences to recount in one blog post alone--suffice to say that the end of our trip was perhaps the best time we could have asked for.

cicadas fill the air with their scrapey sounds

Yes We Can

Looking Across the Pacific

2011-08-06T00:46:00.000-07:00

Back on Terra Firma, as of August 3, resting on the fabulously refreshing beach of Playa del Ray with my cousins and their beautiful new daughter.

What a place this America is! I've missed it quite a bit, and yet I find I have so many more stories and adventures from my trip!

my hiking kung-fu shoes are all worn out now

I Want to Be a Young Pioneer

2011-07-11T20:11:00.000-07:00

Overachieving Chinese Boy Looks Like Party Boss, Ridiculed

Bye-Bye Beijing

2011-07-10T18:30:00.000-07:00

We had a good time bedizening our apartment (and ourselves) with the many arabesques of the Orient.

A Festive Anniversary

2011-07-09T19:28:00.000-07:00

Tiananmen Square on June 30th (courtesy of The Atlantic)

July 1st was CPC Founding Day.

For the past two months or so, television shows and ads, billboards, and banners have been rejoicing the NINETY years of the Communist Party of China. Many TV shows and movies have been banned or temporarily postponed to make room for lofty nationalist themes that showcase the Party's formation, solidarity, and history.

a TV Mao Zedong in the popular series Hong Se Lao Yan, "The Red Cradle"

Over 100 famous Chinese/Hong Kong actors "volunteered," for example, to star in 建党伟业 (jian dang wei ye) or "The Beginning of the Great Revival" (trailer here). We saw it in our local Beijing cinema (for, I should note, a MUCH cheaper ticket price than any other movie I've seen here) and most reactions from the audience were those of amusement and surprise at the celebrities appearing in roles as Chiang Kai-Shek, (a very alluring) Mao Ze Dong, Zhou Enlai and the Empress Cixi.

As the New York Times notes in a particularly astute article, "Great Revival" is sort of necessarily popular (my friend Zhang, who teaches at a film school, says his students all received free passes); I think Transformers and maybe Kung Fu Panda were even put on the back burner so theaters could show the film instead (it's mandatory to screen in all cinema).

The East is Red! (thanks Atlantic)

In conclusion, here is a nice 3D animated video celebrating some historic moments of Communist China's history. The song is entitled "Without the Communist Party, There Would Be No New China" (没有共产党就没有新中国). It's pretty great.

A Discerning Eye

2011-07-09T19:26:00.000-07:00

This pup was hanging out in the Caochangdi neighborhood of Beijing, an area teeming with galleries and artist studios.

This pup was 40 kuai at Nanhu Market (she's not mine).

Beijing Spring

2011-06-21T04:43:00.001-07:00

Deng Xiaoping in ten gallon hat:

Chuan'r You Full Yet?

2011-06-12T02:41:00.000-07:00

Excuse the poor pun. I've been replete with them lately.
We were invited to the hutong home of Yang Jie and Sun Wei, the hard-working and oft-underappreciated drivers for our ESL school. Sun quit recently because they hadn't increased his pay in his 4-year tenure; Yang Jie picks us up every day, usually with a big smile. She knows some words in English: "See You Tomorrow!", "Cigarette", "Teacher", and "Thank You."

We brought some special liquor-y stuff that's popular here: Moutai baijiu. We also brought empty stomachs and providently so, as the two assiduous cooks (and Yangjie's brother, wife, and baby) had prepared a feast of epic proportions. I am consistently amazed at the generosity and hospitality of Chinese households. In a two-room living space with a pit toilet and essentially open-air kitchen the size of Dilbert's cubicle, kilos of meat, piles of sesame cucumber, bowls of edamame and fresh cherry tomatoes, and fresh garden greens were procured in a seemingly endless stream of deliciousness. Then there was Chuan'r. It's set up in the same fashion as American BBQ kebobs or Thai satay, tender meats impaled upon a stick and roasted over coals 'til smokey, savory, and succulent. If you find yourself awake and driving through Beijing at 2 am, you'll see rollicking impromptu chuan'r parties on otherwise empty corners and sidewalks--usually consisting of taxi drivers in it for the long haul, late-night amorous couples, and old neighbors. The Muslim minority groups living in Beijing make it best, I think.

Beef, Lamb, and Chicken: my herbivoric undoing (I came for the cucumber and instead took a liking to chicken hearts--traditional Chinese thought says they make you smarter!!)

The seasonings for chuan'r: cumin, pepper, garlic, soy paste

Driver Sun mixin' it up

Driver Sun fanning the flames

he's most definitely got the plumpest baby-jowels in Peking

Yang Jie's nephew: now featured on Lucky Baby of the Month

The skewers kept coming. And coming. "No more," we groaned, and took another round. This principle also applies to beer, and cigarettes, of which there seemed to be an endless supply. Our hosts were most compelling.

Thailand IV

2011-06-10T02:30:00.000-07:00

Chinese Temple
Phuket Town, Thailand

cantankerous cat
Bangkok

bungalow maintenance
Koh Yao Noi, Thailand

Gawker

2011-06-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

Mini-mart
Phuket Town, Thailand

Thaime to Eat

2011-05-22T21:08:00.000-07:00

Som Tam (spicy papaya salad)
Green papaya is used and combined with such savory delights as shredded carrot and shrimp and peanuts.

Backpacker b-fast

Catfish-on-a-stick (pla duk dam)

Rice noodles with chicken, egg, and garlic oil (and chili peppers)

Thai coffee--it's a spectacle

So many beers, so little APV

This banana dessert shop in Phuket Town, Thailand sells dozens upon dozens of desserts...all with your favorite potassium-rich treat in the lead role. These are chocolate banana donuts. They were ooeey gooeey decadence.

Rainy Day Beach

2011-05-22T21:03:00.000-07:00

Koh Yao Noi, Thailand

A Thomas Keller Meal

2011-05-21T18:40:00.000-07:00

Galen and I made some Pan-Roasted Scallops with Morel Mushrooms and Asparagus Purée, Beurre Monté, and fresh salad from Thomas Keller's French Laundry cookbook. So many 'spensive ingredients, and so delicious!

The Post's Up

2011-04-29T04:56:00.000-07:00

You can read my newest post on Printeresting.org here. It's fun! It's exciting! It's "street art" in China!

Getting Back

2011-04-27T03:44:00.000-07:00

Friends,
I do apologize for the lag. Not only has work been most arduous, but the internet has been mighty unreliable. I feel like I've missed a lot back home: Easter's passed with nary a dyed egg in sight, a BFF curated an art show (of her grandfather's work), a bunch of my friends are all about to get those lovely pieces of paper with calligraphied names and seals of approval, other friends are playing shows in San Francisco and singing senior recitals...and the fucking irises are blooming in my garden without me! Quelle dommage.

Anyway. It's been whirlwind-y at best here, sandstorm-y at worst. Work has really become an energy drain, and although I love my students (for the most part...), the job itself isn't always so pleasant.

Luckily for us, Thailand still glimmers sweetly in the memory.

Bodhi Tree

the spires of the Grand Palace in Bangkok--a most splendid sight to see.

inside: a bone of Siddartha Gautama, at Wat Phra Kaew

EYE CANDY MOSAIC

The height of delicious Bangkok street food--"hoy tort" or "hoi tod," a scramble of scallions, egg, batter, and fresh succulent oysters or mussels. Do I sound like Gollum? Tasty fishhh.

bridge over the river Kwai (pronounced like "whey"), Kanchanaburi.

We stayed at Bamboo House on the river in Kanchanaburi. Like, our bedroom was a boat. Our neighbor was an inconspicuous German who seemed to be watching vintage war dramas on a portable TV, and fishing. We suspected a ne'er-do-well. I didn't snap any good pictures of our nap-raft, unfortunately.

Bangkok monastary

Galen and I returned from Thailand with wind in our sails and a (slight) tan to boot--minimal due to the excessive downpours on the coastal South that resulted in flooding and evacuation. O

n Koh Yao Noi (a tiny island) at the time of the storms, we were able to catch the one boat still running back to higher ground, Phuket Town.

harbor near Phuket Town

We managed to have quite a nice time there!

Monsoon'd merrymaking on the porch

Blocked

2011-03-15T23:45:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,
I want to write about all the awesome things that have been happening in life recently, but apparently the Chinese government is holding a big conference of Communists at the moment and have effectively blocked or slowed down much of the internet. Gmail rarely loads, and when it does, it's often hard to reply to or send messages. My apologies for any tardiness, then, in responding to you.
more info here.

In other news, Japan is proving to be not so much of a concern here; it's just really, really sad. Some people felt a bit of an aftershock in Beijing, but I didn't. We'll see if any of that fallout comes west. I think most of it's being blown out to sea for the time being.
Anyway, thoughts to you all. Galen and I are flying to Bangkok this Saturday--hopefully when I return, the internet will have been reinstated to some degree.
xo,
Joanna

Don't be Alarmed...

2011-03-09T22:13:00.000-08:00

...it's just Gua Sha

During Galen's parents' visit, we took his mom, Adrienne, to get foot massages post-Great Wall trekkin'. Well, the master of the house informed me that I had wayyy too much heat, or yin, in my body. I needed gua sha. And the good gentleman just happened to know where I could get it. The same darn place!

So, curious as I am, I ventured back next weekend (with Galen in role of supporter/bemused onlooker/back-massage receiver).
The gua sha felt quite nice. Someone rubbed my back with a piece of bone or wood, and afterwards I felt quite relaxed, loose, and balanced. I don't know much about Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), but I do know I had a great time getting gua sha!

Homemade granola...been getting fat on delicious DIY treats!

Also, I'm working on another post for Printeresting on the pasted, stenciled walls of China. Coming soon!

Chillin' with the Hat Krew atop the Great Wall, prior to foot-massage mania.

Hou Hai's Melting

2011-03-08T19:50:00.000-08:00

...and someone's ready for a dip.

Chun Jie Kuai Le - Chinese New Year in Full Force

2011-02-15T02:50:00.000-08:00

We're still in the throes of Chinese New Year--it's 15 days long which is simultaneously wonderful and tiring. Wonderful, because of the fireworks. Tiring, because of the fireworks. New Year's Eve, the 2nd of February, was a raucous affair. Galen's mom and dad were visiting, and everywhere we walked, there were pops and booms and cracks and sometimes-too-much-like-gunshots. I can sufficiently say that day-in and day-out of mortar fire would be quite the tension-builder. People light fireworks off during the day too (the traditional myth holds that the man-eating Nian monster, which comes out of its lair once a year (guess when!) to eat humans of all ages and sects, is frightened of loud noise--he also is partial to jiao zi ).

I'm the nian y'all

Here is a video taken from our 16th-floor apartment. These are set off by kidz n' dads, not The Municipal Fire Department/Bomb Squad of Wherever.

Like, seriously. You can buy crates of explosives (worth up to 1,000 kuai!) and annoy your jittery neighbors for hours.

We descended to the streets shortly before midnight, and havoc reigned. Like, happy holiday havoc, though.

Let's get some more

It was absolutely ridiculous--businessmen lighting fireworks with their cigarettes and getting their hair singed, red shreds of firework wrappers and empty cartridges everywhere. Some kids lit off this long string of exceedingly loud explosives which, as best I can explain it, crawl across the ground emitting brilliant white light and ear-splitting bangs. Then a bush caught on fire. Calmly enough, the nearby apartment gate-guard swooped in with a fire extinguisher while others stampled on the flames with sneakers. No problem folks!

All trash "mysteriously" disappears by 8 am

morning after

Did I mention that this all occurs all over the city, on boulevards and in front of shops? Everyone is relatively down with the bombardments!

It's exciting!!! New Year's Eve at the Olympic grounds

The Eve was one of the best experiences I've had here, and simply bolsters my belief that the Chinese people are, by and large, some of the kindest, warmest, and welcoming folks around.

(a belief further bolstered by a Valentine's Day snafu involving a trip to the hypermarché Auchan, an invaluable journal slipping between the cracks of a shopping cart, and tearful treading of the store for an hour in a fruitless search. I never thought a knock-off Moleskine from Border's would hold so much sentimental value, but its place in my life as a record of the banal and extraordinary, a place to register last night's dreams, and an all-around brain dump/mood board rendered me rather shaky after its loss.

Luckily, today, Galen insisted that we make a trip back to check up on any news. At the checkout counter, the one employee who spoke rather good English told us, after seeking answers out of his way, "it's there!" Reunited with my beloved ratty black diary, I am uber grateful and appreciative of the attitude everyone at that huge, Wal-Mart-y store possessed when I asked for help in shitty Mandarin. I was led by employees, given phone numbers, and looked upon with concern as I bit my lip to stop the tears of a child who's lost her favorite My Little Pony or whatever.

China so far has been great. As the ultimate groovy gurus Lennon and McCartney once put it--"it's getting better all the time."

blam

Animal Kingdom

2011-02-09T19:24:00.000-08:00

Jain Bird Hospital; Chandni Chowk, Delhi

Ghandi Chowk, Jaisalmer

sleepin' pup; Pahar Ganj, New Delhi

beggin' pup; Gadi Sagar Lake, Jaisalmer

THIS IS NOT OK; Mr. Hog eating out of a shrine, Gadi Sagar Lake

eatin' trash, Jodhpur

Piglet and goat; somewhere between Jodhpur and Udaipur

Taj Mahal Mutt

Taj Mahal Monkey

On Delhi, and beyond

2011-01-25T01:51:00.000-08:00

"You could not see the new city from the old one. In the new city, a race of pink conquerors had built palaces in pink stone; but the houses in the narrow lanes of the old city leaned over, jostled, shuffled, blocked each other's view of the roseate edifices of power."
Salman Rushdie; Midnight's Children

The pollution in Delhi was impressive, albeit diluted with that notorious fog. As Rushdie notes, the city is divided into its many manifestations: Old Delhi, New Delhi, Chandni Chowk, Connaught Place...each area is so unique and unto itself.

From my journal:

Paharganj was also full of Western backpackers in Ali Baba pants and North Face fleeces, seeking essential oils and enlightenment and stuff.

Indian food makes me feel like royalty. The melange of sweet and savory, creamy and piquant, crunchy and velvety--and the colors!

We spent a shifty freezing-cold Sleeper Class 18 hour rickety sleep aboard Indian Rail. I met Pragya, a ten-year-old from Jodhpur who charmed me so that I let her draw all over my sketchbook. We also were placed in a berth with a rotating cast of about 12 men who spent a good 2 hours or so singing Hindu devotional songs (we were thrilled, although less so as the itinerant tambourinist, clappers, and bell-ringers continued tirelessly for the greater part of the evening). I'll try and post an audio clip when I'm able to upload it.

This blog entry is a bit like Robert Towers' comparison of the "World-Mountain" in Hinduism to the afore-mentioned author's attempts to squeeze all of India and three-plus generations of character development into Midnight's Children.

"What came to me is the image of one of those astonishing Indian temples—at Khajuraho, say—that symbolize the “World-Mountain” of Hindu mythology. Whether shaped like an upended cucumber or a pyramid with excrescences, the form of such a temple is often obscured (for Western eyes) by the extravagance of its sculptured surface. The riot of gods and goddesses, hooded cobras, flying nymphs, multi-headed demons, garlanded bulls, elephants, monkeys, and copulating couples point to an aesthetic that, like the religion underlying it, is based upon a principle of maximum inclusion. Beside such a teeming world-mountain, even the most intricately arabesqued mosque appears nearly as chaste and symmetrical as the Parthenon."

So, apologies for squeezing in as much as possible into this first proper post on India. As mentioned, a birds n' beasts entry is soon to follow.

Ganesh guards many a-door.

We saw many incredible Mughal forts, palaces of Maharajas, sparkling lakes, and tranquil green gardened areas that it became difficult to discern the precise trajectory of our trip after the fact. Everything's glommed together in a curry of reminiscence. The Curry of Reminiscence. Sounds vaguely epic.

exploring havelis and temples inside the Jaisalmer Fort...a living majesty rising from rock and slowly eroding from its many residents and water over-usage.

Our final stop before our Delhi-Beijing return--Agra:

Stunning inlaid flowers covered the Taj Mahal.

Encore En Chine

2011-01-14T22:15:00.000-08:00

First of all,

to everyone who wished me a Happy Birthday or a New Years Greeting or a Merry Holiday Time,

MERCI! XIE XIE!

I feel ancient at 22, but rejuvenated by a new year and a new way to go about life.

That being said, both Christmas, and my birth date were celebrated in most unorthodox ways.

Christmas Galen and I spent aboard Air China flight 947, bound for Delhi but diverted to Ahmedabad thanks to some nasty thick fog (which apparently caused quite the impediment for all of Delhi flights, trains, and even cars). We sat, patiently, in our seats, rising intermittently for the excellent beverage service offered by our hospitable stewards (free wine! and tea!)--from 10 pm 'til 12 noon the next day. We couldn't leave the plane due to security issues, so we made do as best we could. We got into Delhi at 3 pm, December 26th!

A BK Christmas Feast chez Beijing International

New Years Eve was spent in a wholly different manner. Finding ourselves in Jodhpur after an overnight train (if you can call it that--11 pm to 5 am!) from Jaisalmer, we were hospitably hastened into a cozy room by the staff of Durag Niwas Guest House--and dozed the day away. After waking, we sojourned into the clogged and noisy alleys of Jodhpur's main market, Sadar--near an old clock tower. There we bargained for intricate wall hangings, sipped on saffron lassis, and perused a lovely selection of used books. But the Eve of New Years found us entirely exhausted, and I, recovering from a bout of upset belly, was laboring to finish my naan. Around 9:30 pm we were already in bed, suffering the bass-tastic sounds of a nearby club. Apparently the youth of Jodhpur had a bangin' time! So did we, in our own way--enjoying chunks of Galen's mom's delicious homemade fudge and reveling in our newly purchased, extremely goofy/comfortable ali baba pants.

India is an animal kingdom

Sadly, both of us (Galen especially) are still reeling from a stomach bug contracted on the tail end of our trip, so I'll write a more reasonable/informational post as soon as possible.

India: December 25th - January 8th

2010-12-24T04:08:00.001-08:00

Dear China,

C u January.

Love,

Off the Air

2010-11-21T01:27:00.000-08:00

Hey friends,
Sorry for the long hiatus! Work has been chillingly busy, interspersed with two weeks or so of a strange cold-like illness that may have been exacerbated by such weather as...

This.

7:15 am, Beijing. Mornin', sunshine!

The myriad coal plants around Beijing lie dormant until November 15th, when China's official central heating system fires up. On that date, we not only felt warm floors and sizzling radiators for the first time this ~~fall~~ winter, but also a strange burning in our throat and a multitude of mucous articulated with what is known as a "Beijing cough"--ubiquitous and enthusiastic hawking of snot-matter that is generously spit upon nearly every floor or sidewalk.

According to the Global Times (a Chinese news source), Fall's "heavy fog" is causin' some traffic problems.

I guess the weird thing is that while London fog has an AQI of 15, this lovely Beijing fog has regularly constituted something above 450 since last Monday...

huh.

U.S. Embassy's Beijing Air Quality Twitter report recently:

the air is "crazy bad".

Luckily, today, the winds began after days of stalemate and have probably blown all those coal-particles seaward to Japan and the Pacific coastal states. Enjoy that fog!

Ghosts, Green Teacakes and Glass Noodles

2010-10-09T19:12:00.000-07:00

Dongzhimen Inner Street, or Dongzhimen Nei, is a wending web of foodie delights--it's known to tourists as "Food Street". While row upon row of "Beijing Restaurant" and "Peking Duck" is nonetheless enticing, I was especially taken by the decorative red lanterns.

Reminiscent of Spirited Away, the film by Hayao Miyazaki...

Befittingly, Dongzhimen Nei is often mis-translated as "Ghost Street" due to similar and confusing tones.

We stopped into a lavishly decorated corner restaurant and ordered strange, bean-paste-filled, sweet-sesame green tea cakes. Fantastic and fried.

Glassy noodles with bok choy and plenty of chopped green onion.

We'll return at night sometime and perchance meet a lingering phantom or two...

Cardamom and Comrades

2010-10-07T16:41:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Galen and I hosted a teeny tiny soiree chez nous.

photo credit: Galen (also pictured, Galen in sketch form)

Initially, we'd thought one of our favorite homemade dishes, sushi, would be on the menu.

(Incidentally, I'm working on this little poster)

But after some consideration, we digressed. Indian food, though available at the more luxe of levels (at least to Frugals like myself), isn't exactly sprinkled among the street food vendors' Korean kebabs, Beijing breakfasts, and towering melon slices-on-a-stick. Galen and I determined to make up the steamiest, spiciest, yellowest Indian dishes possible.

The freshest, from our favorite Nanhu Market.

A highly enjoyable Fruit Tracking Shot.

We needed spiced goods for our veggie delights. We bussed down to the shiny capitalismecca of Sanlitun, renowned for its bar street(s), Apple Store, and surplus of tourists. Lesser known is its Qi Yuan Indian Grocery, a hole-in-the-wall run by Chinese but stocked to the brim with imported spices from India (also, fresh, thick, unsweetened yogurt--a most difficult treat to find in a city that likes its yogurt sugary and drinkable).

(upper left) Apple chutney, the bane of sweet tooth purists
(right) Apple Pear Tart-in-a-Skillet, browned and drizzled with cardamom-caramel syrup

A homecooked apple chutney benefits from cardamom, cinnamon, clove upon clove of garlic, tablespoons of fresh grated ginger, and a bit of black pepper.

The makings of a fabulous Chana Masala--the delectable vegetarian recipe from Galen's mom.

A small sampling of our sup

right-ahhhh

What Indian spice-a-thon is complete without the soothing side dollop of Cucumber Raita? Fresh yogurt, cumin and mustard seed, and a bit of grated carrot ensure a pristine palate, ready for upcoming turmeric treats.

Minimal tart remainder=a successful kitchen improvisation. Recipe in development.

Bye friends!

"Shape" -- the Central Academy of Fine Arts Faculty Exhibition

2010-09-30T11:15:00.000-07:00

This entry is now published on Printeresting.org!

IKEA Beijing

2010-09-29T20:01:00.000-07:00

We went primarily for the meatballs.

The nearing-the-absurd work ethic in China never ceases to amaze me.

In Other News...

2010-09-29T03:16:00.001-07:00

a Mr. Frederic Chopin has quite the cache of filmography credits on IMDB...

Hollywood <3's le Romantisme!

Architecture, and first burrito attempt

2010-09-20T19:08:00.000-07:00

"Everything can happen. Everything is possible and probable. Time and space do not exist. On a flimsy framework of reality, the imagination spins, weaving new patterns."
-August Strindberg, A Dream Play; quoted in Ingmar Bergman's "Fanny and Alexander"

The days have changed here in Beijing, from startlingly sunny smog to drippy, mysterious harbingers of fall. Rain does something to the atmosphere of a place, and its calming effect--coupled with the excited preparations for tomorrow's Mid-Autumn Festival--is highly enjoyable. For some reason, I am reminded of childhood Halloween excursions to Pud Wudgie's Pumpkin Patch; perhaps it's because every other person on the street clutches a colorful gift bag filled with moon cakes (the traditional food of the Mid-Autumn Fest, shared amongst family, friends or coworkers). Hooray for the full moon!

If the weather can create such richly differing "patterns of reality", so too can the architecture within Beijing alone accomplish just that.
Consider:

The cold, Moscowesque post-War stoicism of the Beijing Exhibition Center.

Constructed in 1954, glorified leaders stand tall as statues and each turret on the Exhibition Hall's fence holds a hammer and sickle.

The la-la-land luxury of Empress Dowager Cixi's Summer Palace, once simply known as the Garden of Clear Ripples (too modest)

If you can muster a climb up Longevity Hill, you'll stumble into the Sea of Wisdom temple, built entirely without beams or supports, and covered with these tile Buddhas--headless or not, they are quite beautiful.

Or, what about the perpetually day-lit streets, punctuated with "KTV" signs, yam vendors, and street sweepers?

Adventures and new patterns continue to pop up.

Finally, our first attempt at a burrito proved delicious and disorderly.

[Neater] Our first faux pas was confusing black beans with black-hulled soybeans--still delicious!

[Messier] For lack of guacamole, sour cream, or salsa, I whipped up a sesame-style dressing with chopped cilantro, lots of minced garlic, black pepper, and fresh onion.

Galen's thoughts? Somewhere on the geographical split between Gyros and Burritos. Not bad for a first try!

Good Things

2010-09-15T19:53:00.000-07:00

Fried rice (chǎo fàn), for 5 yuan (about 60 cents), is a good thing.

Cucumber (huáng guā) vines from telephone poles are also good.

While our days of defining Thursday as the weekend's pseudo-preamble are long gone, it's becoming clear that weekends that begin late are none the worse for it. Sunday afternoon saw a trip to a group of burgeoning art galleries one bus stop from home and a home-cooked Indian dinner with Galen's Norwegian friend Havard in south Chaoyang district. Monday took us on a sun-splashed adventure to the ever-popular Summer Palace, on the western edge of Beijing.

golden hour

The bus stop nearest to the Jiuchang International Art Zone is in the middle of the desert, or at least so it feels. Willows line the roads and the occasional motorbike sputters past. Cicadas trill exuberantly.

Also known as the "Liquor Factory", Jiuchang's spacious collection of galleries and studios was quiet when we arrived on Sunday afternoon, though small groups of conspicuously well-dressed individuals strolled past us (eyeing our tank-tops and dirty Keds a bit, methinks).

porcelain battleships among the lotus

Jiuchang was, for the most part, eerily quiet. Doors to galleries were closed, but the where we did pop our heads in, we were welcomed quite warmly. We even found a couple of students playing ping pong in a spacious old warehouse filled with Mac workstations and giant canvases.

The structure of the original liquor factory seems to have been mostly preserved, with rusty vats, winding alleys, and overgrown trees and vines twining around sculptures and smokestacks alike.

hostilitea abounds

On the way back to the ~~dust~~ bus stop we turned down an alley and managed to get about three kilos of pulverized dirt into our hair, clothes, and shoes.

Il Deserto Rosso

please do not disturb the dust

Morning Routine

2010-09-07T20:08:00.000-07:00

Now that things are settling down here in Beijing (if you can call a 6-day workweek punctuated with ridiculous and wonderful wending around the city via squeaky bus and speedy subway "settled") I thought I'd share some highlights of our morning.

1) le Thé vert et le Petit Déjeuner

notice the mondo-grapes

For a taste of home, I snuck along a homemade pancake mix. We add an egg, some honey, banana slices, and enjoy a food both scarce and delicious. Sunflower seeds, flax, and ground oats lend a bit more complex flavor than good ol' Bisquick white flour! I remember enjoying these from-scratch delights on Saturday mornings with Mom. Morning cooking can be a great way to start the day out with a pop!

2) l'Ecole

There's a school no more than 50 meters from our apartment building. Every morning the kiddies assemble dutifully on their blacktop and recite various chants. Today we were lucky enough to witness a hair-raising tug of war contest as well.

calisthenics

3) Tuesday Treasures

Every Tuesday morning is Grocery Morning. Galen and I catch the 446 or the 657 bus near home and ride it down to Nanhu Nanlu, a street with one of the finest markets I've ever set eyes on. It's set outdoors and in, and if you can stomach several aisles of live fish, snails, turtles, and various crustaceans (~~pet store~~) and several aisles of meaty treats of all cut and creature, you're presented with the freshest vegetables (and fruits!) in all varieties and delights: greens, yams, lotus root, garlic, dill, peppers of myriad heat and color, 10 kinds of mushroom, and much more. We spend about 80 yuan a month on as much food as we can carry; that's about 10 or 15 USD!

Pre-lunch

Yesterday we ducked into one food stall that doubles as a lunch spot--I'll be profiling this lovely little business next week, so stay tuned!

the Working Day

2010-09-02T22:09:00.001-07:00

Hey folks,
So until I get a camera and a method of accessing Blogger.com, this little spot will lie neglected for a while more. Just a little "I'm still here" post.

Here's my weekly schedule:
Tues-Friday work 1:45-8:30 pm
Sat, Sun work 8:30-4:30 pm

Just happened upon a new set of galleries in Beijing about a half mile from our house--in an old liquor factory no less! Expeditions to follow.

Beijing Bonjour

2010-08-21T22:32:00.001-07:00

(Dusts off blog)
"Hello, crumpeted.blogspot.com! So sorry about the neglect! Want to take on blog responsibilities once more?"

This place has served in the past as a food blog, a silly blog, and a blog about my travels/adventures as a nanny in Italy. Now it's a China blog.

when you hear a statement about China's pollution being worse than anything in the United States (even LA during the 70s), or about its cities' great swarms of crowds, or about its often surprisingly cheap…everything, you may pass these off as hyperboles. You oughtn't to!

Galen and I arrived in Beijing a week and three days ago, after 30-something hours of transit--from a night spent in LAX to a few hours in Vancouver International to the final leg of our journey: the thirteen hours of movie-watching, napping, and pseudo-Chinese-food Air Canada meals.

Arrival day proved busy in itself. We got in at 3 pm, and were immediately struck with the brown humidity that is Beijing. We're lucky because the school we're working as tutors for has a sort of "take care of your teachers and they'll take care of you" ethic, thus they had a driver (his name is Sun, and he's quite awesome though very much not an English aficionado) and a helpful hand (Ruby, who's assistant to our boss and speaks English fluently) waiting at the gate for us! The drive is long from Beijing Airport to our neighborhood and was even longer because of insufferable traffic. Sun took some "shortcuts" which involved both driving in what looked suspiciously like a non-lane of the freeway, but also involved taking us through the backstreets, most of which are in complete overhaul: demolished shacks, workers sleeping under bridges, mysterious fenced-in buildings, rusty bikes chained to poles, and a lot of dirt.

We reached our apartment in Wangjing, which is on the outskirts of Beijing proper, near the 4th Ring Road. It's a primarily Korean neighborhood which accounts for the myriad Korean BBQ joints--there's one a block away we visited for our first Chinese dinner. Among other things (read: three bowls of kim chi and a little pile of tiny dried fish that Galen politely avoided) I had this, which was weird, but also surprisingly delicious! Acorn Jell-O!

We were glad for Ruby because apartment-finagling is apparently quite a process in China. Our landlord arrived with (presumably) his wife, and three or four young men who proceeded to write out pages upon pages of documents in impeccable Chinese characters. A few other girls showed up a few minutes later, at least one of whom we found out also works at the Learning Center, our school. After many a minute, our landlord promised he would be back to fix our non-functioning gas stovetop, and then everyone piled out.

the view from our 16th-floor apartment

Our apartment is…well, it was quite a project. It's a work in progress--we started with a pretty serious roach quotient (the little guys mostly, but still rather annoying), dusty dirt on the floors, and a shower that shares close quarters and the same floorspace with our toilet and sink. Several trips to the Carrefour (a looming Target-type store) for home/cleaning supplies later, and we commenced our Roach Final Solution (this involved at least 20 of those little roach motels that attract the buggers in to dine on delicious poison, then slowly kill them), Operation Mop the Floors, and If In Doubt Always Wear Your Shower Sandals (the cheap little plastic things everyone in China seems to own).

So far we have gotten a fair bit of travel in:
Tiananmen Square (though we're waiting for tourist season to subside before we hit up the Forbidden City/Palace…did you know that it's the largest public open space in the world?)
Wangfujing--a crazy street with shopping galore, a huge bookstore we browsed in for a while, and a tourist-focused market selling, among other things, live scorpions as snaxx.
Hou Hai Lake--a few stops north of the Forbidden City, this lake was full of swimmers, a wind surfer, and some beautiful wooden boats. There are a bunch of restaurants and bars lakeside, as well as a temple or two with beautiful architecture. We had a beer by the lake and watched the willows get tossed around by a cool wind.
Nanhu Market (thanks Adrienne for the suggestion!)--a mile or two south of our apartment, this market is HUMONGOUS. There are several winding alleys with shacks selling everything from live animals to fabric to plants to toys, and then there is an indoor food market. I would be remiss if I said this was anything less than overpowering to all the senses: live octopus, snails, turtles, fish, and squid; barrels full of red powders and spices; eggs of every shape, color and size; pickled things; and baskets overflowing with fresh vegetables and fruits of every kind.
Dongjiao Market (to get from the subway to this market, we took one of these little mini-taxi-bicycle-scooter contraptions, the shiny metal ones in which one sits backwards. So much fun! We got our kitchen supplies here, including a fatty butcher knife for under 40 RMB (which equals about five USD).
Sanlitun District--this is not exactly our scene, but it's where all the embassies are, hence all the foreigners, hence streets lined with bars and clubs, the Adidas, Esprit, Comme des Garcons, and Apple stores, and a billion other opportunities to spend money. Still, an interesting spot to visit on our Saturday night (which, due to Saturday work, is actually our "Friday night"). We went to Luga's Mexican Restaurant (Mexican!!!) and had our first taste of home in a while. It was heavenly.

Today we made pancakes with the mix I gave Galen for his birthday--"a taste of home" (part II)--and are taking it easy. The sky is blue for the first time since it poured all day yesterday, and then windy'd everything clear overnight. Yay wind, blow all the air pollution to Japan and America! Ha ha, ha…

More updates to follow. Blogger is blocked here (thx Great FireWall of China), so it may prove difficult, but we shall prevail. Right now I'm using this gadget that allows me to create posts in Gmail rather than having to go to blogger.com (an impossibility in China, as I mentioned). Galen has been taking some superb pictures as well but Google's photo hosting seems to be blocked too. We'll just have to be creative in finding ways around this strange and slightly surreal issue of censorship. In the mean time, we're off to enjoy the temporarily clean air! Hoorah!

-J

(PS: when I say "tourist", unless otherwise noted, I don't mean Westerner. In fact the majority of tourists we've seen have been Chinese, except perhaps in Sanlitun.)

Plum Muffins

2009-06-21T14:41:00.000-07:00

Today I made plum bran muffins! They're absolutely delicious, and oh so easy. I even used a mini muffin tray so they fit into a tiny toaster oven, saving energy and keeping the house a bit cooler, too!

I used this Allrecipes.com recipe as a base (really great, thank you!)
Here is my recipe.

1 1/2 cups wheat bran
1 cup soy milk
1/2 cup cooked plum purée
1 egg
1/2 cup Splenda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup diced plums

Basically, just reduced the sweetness (plums are tart when cooked but it's a great taste sensation! So much more exciting!), made the flour 100% whole wheat, and added a tad of almond extract for extra oomph.

The bottoms were pure mushy plum heaven!

Kombucha Successes

2009-06-18T13:56:00.001-07:00

Staying at a friend's house in Portland widened my culinary horizons when I tasted kombucha for the first time.

kombucha cultures drying outside

This strange, vinegar-y drink is actually fermented using a "mother" kombucha culture--a conglomerate mass of live little beings--and sweetened tea. I couldn't wait to start my own! Even if all those health claims are bollocks, this drink is super satisfying to make. And it tastes healthy, at least, if that makes any sense at all!

I purchased a bottle of the drink at my local co-op for a few dollars, and added it to some sweetened tea in a large jar. In about a week, a culture was already growing at the top of the liquid! Soon enough I had my very own "mushroom".

Ready to make your own? This website has a great introduction to the drink, and Food Renegade has a great post on growing your own culture from a store-bought drink. There is also a lovely website where you can post or contact people who have extra kombuchas to share!

Reppin' for the Sauciest Sriracha Around

2009-05-19T20:35:00.000-07:00

Thanks NYT

Blue (da ba dee) - [ Homemade Ice Cream ]

2009-05-13T16:16:00.000-07:00

oh geez. gotta have it:

for the discerning Street style houndz

this guy sure gets around

I think the Cookie Monster may have subliminally influenced my latest ice cream recipe.
Today, I whipped up a normal ol' batch of vanilla ice cream...half n half, sugar, vanilla...

=

wtf?

Secret ingredient, yes yes! I just so happen to be slightly obsessed by all brands of "Birthday Cake" ice cream...

nom...

so of course, I threw in a few slices of cake I took home with me after piano auditions in the music building today.

Ya!!!

The only problems I have been having with my ice cream is that they turn super-hard in the freezer. I am currently researching ways to make the ice cream have a higher freezing point, I guess, including guar gum and eggs, but this one is just good ol' fat and sugar.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I want to be able to make actual healthy ice cream someday, without it turning into a sweet but utterly inedible ice block in my freezer. Halp!

Also, here is a kittie:

I think I am going to do a feature about Maru, he might be the coolest cat on the web.

Dal, Spiced Chickpeas, and Curried Veggies = Indian Vegetarian Feast

2009-05-13T15:57:00.000-07:00

Thanks Monisha Bharadwaj, your cookbook rocks.

the face of a true gourmand

Cuisine Marocaine, Cuisine Algerienne

2009-05-10T17:20:00.000-07:00

Ooh la la! For our final project in Francophone Culture and Contemporary France, a segment involves proving ourselves--in the kichen!

Tonight, however, we are cookin' up Yellow Lentils in a chili-garlic paste with Stir-fried Garbanzoes, from this lovely cookbook.

Pictures to follow.

Here are my hopeful recipes for tomorrow's French cookoff:

Date Tart
Couscous de Tolga (Algerian region)
Moroccan Date Cake, another version
Baghrir (which are like Moroccan pancakes, or so I read...)

Wish me luck!

Proof that Karin Dreijer Andersson is Probably a Witch

2009-04-25T16:09:00.000-07:00

(the very good kind)

Vanilla Almond Black Tea Pancakes with Apple and Bran

2009-03-08T10:47:00.000-07:00

Long title, easy Sunday breakfast!

Note: during the course of writing this entry, these disappeared..."magically"...

Recently my boyfriend and I have both been experimenting with the limitations and possibilities of pancake mixes.
This morning, I grabbed my box of Fiber One pancake mix (one of the healthier varieties) and in my caffeine-less state, reverted back to my childhood cooking memories, ones which included adding grated apple to pancakes (those, however, were made from scratch. Today sees me a lazy college student!) for an instant taste explosion!

So, I definitely needed some caffeine. I brewed up a double (triple?) bag pot of Bigelow Vanilla Almond black tea. It smelled so very delicious that I had to experiment some!

Recipe:
3/4 cup pancake mix
1/4 cup wheat bran (this is of course optional, but is supa wholesome)
1/2 apple, grated
1/2 cup *cold* Vanilla Almond black tea
vanilla extract, salt, cinnamon, whatever else is yums.

=combine in a bowl. Add more liquid if necessary.
then cook your pancakes for ultimate breakfast goodness!

Imagine this plate is empty. My taste buds realize the horrible truth that PANCAKES ARE NO MORE

Super secret tip!: I added a little slice of Monterey Jack cheese in between the layers of my pancakes. OMG they were good! Try it, I dare you.

Apples + Pancakes = Apple Tart or Upside Down Cake?

2009-03-02T19:38:00.000-08:00

I made this galette in 10 minutes!
Too easy!
First, I lined some apples in a pretty ring in a lightly oiled pan, sprinkled brown sugar and cinnamon over them, then mixed up a double batch of pancake batter and poured it over the preheated skillet and apples. I covered the pan for about 10 minutes on medium heat, then flipped the fully cooked cake right-side up onto a plate!
Parfait!

Same as It Ever Was

2009-03-01T22:54:00.001-08:00

RIP Jim Henson

Best of: Billy Mays

2009-03-01T15:24:00.000-08:00

This man's home shopping network promos are genius in their original form.
Their dubs exceed all expectations.

Also:
Mighty Putty
Shitburgers

Yes, cats on the internet are by and large way overplayed, but something about this little pudger just can't be beat!

the "twenty five most valuable blogs": who cares?

street art goes wack, and the return of hipster runoff

2009-03-01T13:03:00.001-08:00

banksy-esque with a cosmopolitan twist

lolCapitalism

posterlolz

just hopin for sum peace, yall

thx
Hipster Runoff, tell me your mysteries.

Happy Sunday!

2009-03-01T12:31:00.000-08:00

I have been painting furniture recently. Remnants of bustling space, psychological landscapes I suppose. More to come!

Kronos Quartet--Dark Was the Night

Also interested in working on:
Mythologies
Portrait as Index
Abstract Expressionism (I still luv Rothko)
Magic Realism transposed to visual art--is there a name for this?

Made caremelized apples with oatmeal-apple-vanilla pancakes this morning with ma boy. Wish I had some pictures to procure!

One week til Spring Break.

Sourdough Bread + Pita = Luv

2009-02-26T17:22:00.000-08:00

This week I attempted my first sourdough sponge, à la Joy of Cooking. Except I wussed out and only let the yeast ferment for two days, rather than 4-7. This website also really helped me in my quest for good sourdough. The loaf turned out oh so nice, a little chewy on one end, but chewy bread + butter + split pea soup = so delish.

[photo by Mark Luinenberg for Artisan Breads in Five Minutes a Day]
So I whipped up a batch of these yesterday (used this recipe), mixing in a lil' bran, and they turned out so well! Stuffed with stir-fried eggplant and mushroom and topped with homemade garlic aioli.

I am growing basil and arugula way ahead of seasonal schedule (luv sunny windowsills!).

Next up: chocolate torte? grilled eggplant? crème brulée? I have the longest culinary to do list ever.

Jeux d'Eau

2009-02-15T16:23:00.000-08:00

Found this little robin on the sidewalk after a swim at the gym. The mist on its feathers was so beautiful.

On Beards

2009-02-15T15:37:00.000-08:00

This week, I not only celebrated Valentine's Day, but also Friday the 13th, Lincoln and Darwin shared b-day, and the nonexplicit President's Day, which for some reason merits a Monday without classes. Hence an entry on a pressing topic, beards.

Everyone's been mocking poor Joaquin Phoenix for a seemingly catatonic turn for the worse, but I see his embrace of a bearded beardo persona of few words simply representative of a recent sociological phenomenon. Love it or hate it, the spike in young gents with facial hair and intimations of rap / apologetic hermit-in-a-cabin rock stardom is nearly unavoidable. Blame the Pacific Northwest, blame these strapping lads, blame Bear Force One.

objects of note: satin apron, man with hand over eyes

"Who the fuk does letterman think he is?? like he has power.. that old man you only have what your FANS allow fuk that OLD MAN he should entertain the OLD group home!"
-GermanWetBack's comment on the infamous Late Show appearance

It's not funny!

Germans 4 Johnny:

searching for the ghost of Johnny Cash

2008-11-18T18:01:00.000-08:00

I don't care what anyone says about Microcastle being Adult Contemp, Bradford Cox's cultural references/jadedness is lovely and endearing. I hope he wears a dress when I see him in San Francisco next week.

Also luv this guy's attempt to subvert the capitalist rent system. Yaaaaaa.

before katie, charlie, and SNL...

2008-10-20T16:39:00.000-07:00

Sarah Palin was on Borat! She masqueraded as "Jenny", a dating agency secretary.

---

happy birthday, lil' wayne

---

"To put them in perspective, I think of being on an airplane. The flight attendant comes down the aisle with her food cart and, eventually, parks it beside my seat. 'Can I interest you in the chicken?” she asks. “Or would you prefer the platter of shit with bits of broken glass in it?'"
— Humorist David Sedaris on supposedly 'undecided' voters [via Gawker].

party people!

2008-10-18T20:05:00.000-07:00

via Grizzly Bear's blog, "one of the most disturbing videos I've seen in a long time"

PS: sorry for the politics

weather funderground

2008-10-16T20:38:00.000-07:00

I have stopped paying attention to the presidential race because every time McCain presents himself in public I get weird associations, and end up feeling guilty.

like the time when someone's grandfather begins a long-winded joke that ends up trailing off into a sad sort of silence

Similar in hand gestures and humor abilitiez:

ur laffs, give me them pls

a bear on wall street

2008-10-06T14:05:00.000-07:00

happiest family in fashion

2008-10-06T09:38:00.001-07:00

Anna Wintour and her daughter, Bee Shaffer

2008-10-03T12:15:00.000-07:00

Augustin Lesage, outsider artist

Richard Colman, contemporary artist

Also, comparing the intellect of Palin versus Biden is a bit like trying to sing along to Sigur Ros.

oh, mo' pls

2008-10-02T19:39:00.001-07:00

sryz

2008-10-01T11:47:00.001-07:00

artdump

2008-10-01T11:29:00.000-07:00

Banksy's most recent works stateside are disappearing fast but at least they're immortalized on the internets.

really beautiful.

His drawings are also rather nice:

aesthetic enjoyments currently:
Sannah Kvist, via Stockholm
flowerzz

Ryan Mcginley's nudie-roadtrip-extravaganza
Santiago Mostyn

BUTTONS
typography, always.

sucka MCs

2008-09-30T08:35:00.000-07:00

After a summer of Feeding the Animals, Swedish beats by way of the Caribbean, and Finlandic edits, finally some more lovely lovely tunez.

SQUAREPUSHER
DEERHOOF
OF MONTREAL (find it urself)
TAKKA TAKKA
FUJIYA AND MIYAGI--old ok but what, i ask, could beat a finger snappin solo?

Following a dearth of good music in the past months, I look back in gratitude at Barack and the Hoff for keeping my faith.

Also:

I'm so sorry.

chez moi

2008-08-28T20:13:00.000-07:00

the interim between the previous post and this one involved me driving through Tuscany to Rome, Florence, the Apenini mountain range, and finally to Malpensa International/Philadelphia/San Francisco. Home!

In summary? A simultaneously new, unfamiliar, trying, inspiring, and intriguing experience. After learning new recipes, making some good friends, seeing sites of incomprehensible history, frescoes from seven hundred years plus, and famous fountains, I am glad to be home, in a city famous for its bicycles, hippies, and a University of California.

alpining away

2008-07-23T06:01:00.000-07:00

From now until about August 20th, I will live in a lovely chalet embedded in the shadowy forested slopes of the Alps near the town of Scopello and also Monte Rosa, the second (?) highest peak in Europe. Downside = no internets. I write this from a town hall in one village of Varallo, some 12 km from home. Excuse any noncommunication, it is surely unintentional!

Maundy Thursday

2008-07-17T11:31:00.000-07:00

Last day in Milan, for a MONTH. I will miss this city, with its bustling ways, incredible history embedded in the midst of banks and boutiques, its stylish folk.

example 1

Also, the art. I've been trying to visually ingest (and regurgitate) as much as I can in the past few days. Here is some of what I've found and doodled.

Hayez--The Kiss

is this legal?

Boccioni's dynamic duo, aka futurism for the nihilistic win

sun through stained glass in the Duomo

unfavorable reactions to Rococo

doodlydoodlydoo

a wtf mural moment outside PAC, a modern art museum in Milan

what a Balla

"velocità d'automobile"

mosaics in development

fun with crayons

fun with markers

in other news

Here is what the Hubble Telescope found:

not

This is what Girl Talk (on the left) found in Walla Walla, Washington:

Red Bull! Sweaty college students! Nadim! (Thanks Nadim)

so fresh and so clean everyday

2008-07-17T07:40:00.000-07:00

This entry is about food. Put on your bibs, children.

Apparently many tourists from less culinarily distinguished countries travel to Italy to take cooking classes. Today Paola told me that by the end of the summer, I might be able to make this...

...Martino's masterpiece of octopus and potato and olive tapenade, among other things. A wonderful melange of tentacles and taters. Doesn't it sound horribly morbid? Started out like this:

which I boiled for half an hour. It was dead already, unlike lobsters and mussels.

I went to Victoria's Pizzeria and Bar with Michele and his girlfriend Elizabeth (from Idaho, as in she studied in Paris and is doing business-y stuff in Milan) the other night. Apparently, Michele takes all of his first dates to this pizzeria, and knows the management pretty well by now. We scanned the pizza menu, and there was "Pizza Michele"--named for the guy sitting next to me. I ordered it, of course.

michele + namesake=omgeee

italy + idaho = THEE COLORS

your name in print, fame and fortune

Ice cream is better here. Last night at a friend of a friend's birthday party, they had watermelon with candles stuck in it and a case of gelato: apricot, pistacchio, yoghurt, etc etc. Apricot goes well with ~~alcohol~~ white wine...who knew? Self-evident, I suppose. I drank Fragolino Bianco, a wine that is apparently banned due to some indiscernible and complex laws regarding wine cultivation/distribution.

Gelateria Umberto is the most famous gelateria in Milan. Their lemon and hazelnut flavors are so much more authentic than Vampire Weekend's Lacoste polos.

the free samples at Princi (which is, apparently, an avant-garde minimalist bakery in Milan's center) were phenomenal

ciao Milano

PS: last.fm got a makeover and it is suspiciously reminiscent of Facebook with its Mini-Feed etc etc. More images I guess which is nice for us visual people.

allons-y à vélo / allons faire les magasins

2008-07-17T00:58:00.000-07:00

(thanks Scott Schuman)

Paola's old bike is rusty and squeaky, but it has a front basket and is relatively speedy on the old cobblestone streets

I need this

Vespa rides are incredible, especially at night, zipping through traffic past crowded bars and brightly lit streets. My friend Michele refers to his as a feminine object, like a vessel. "She's a 1967 Vespa, not a scooter!"

oh HAI!!!

animals on parade at Ice Dream Gelateria

Pharmacy Industry is based in Milan and makes stuff that is reminiscent of haute-ish American Apparel

I don't really like Killah but their store deco was pretty "fly"

the prettiest rooftop balcony I've ever seen

munch crunch banunch

2008-07-15T14:25:00.000-07:00

SF-J: "Not new, but I cannot wear it out"

hungry ghosts

2008-07-13T16:51:00.000-07:00

all calves and Louis Vuitton

I think I often wax grateful for it, but internet is really a beautiful invention. Who knew how lovely the feeling to talk face to face with someone in Seattle while sitting on a futon in Milan, or crouched on a cobblestone patio in Sardinia? The world is a smaller place now. I think that can be a good thing sometimes.

Camera Obscura - Lunar Sea

Thunder has been shaking our little third-floor flat, and my view of the sky over the various tall buildings of Milan reveals blinding (and near) flashes and crooked forks of purple-white lightning.

Milan from my window, on a "nice" day

Here video of the strangest storm I've seen in summer. Excuse the blurted interjections and bad video capability of my camera.

Martino and Paola were both really surprised, maybe even worried by it--most whacky for Milan summer. I am worried more by the excitement and pleasure which I derive from this freak weather rather than the storms themselves.

Air France - Collapsing At Your Doorstep

Robert Indiana exhibition at the Palazzo Reale

moar colors pleez

2008-07-13T07:43:00.000-07:00

Of Montreal: returning with a bang and a Kevin Barnes sans birthday suit (good), happier (?) (better), and wearing blue suede boots (best!).

supah crazy

Colors really please me. I suppose my previous multitudes of colorful clothespins and blue skies kind of testifies to that. Paola makes fun of me when I stop to photograph gelato flavors on display in all their delicious splendor, but someday when I make a beautiful collage or something with them, she will repudiate her previous skepticism.

diabetes in a windowsill yummeeeeee

Given my penchant for colorful things, I found my dream location in Burano, a tiny island near Venice.

Burano welcomes you

Every home was a different flavor. An easter egg hunt for my eyes. I wondered why most homes in American suburbia today require muted, tired shades of mauve pink, peach, and beige. Subdivision designers, take note!

let's move to a lavender house

Someone told me that the houses are painted the same as the fishing boats their residents park in the canals outside the door, but I suspect it may actually be because Burano is inhabited solely by people with a good eye for color.

lacemaker in Burano, a woman of great patience

Color makes everything better, just ask Dov.

In other news:

Last.fm is updates negligently on a Sunday afternoon.

Play-Doh is old, likes color too. (thanks Cool Hunting)

Rupert Murdoch made an oopsie.

~~Mysterious~~ bugs roam the earth.

news of the world

2008-07-12T14:38:00.000-07:00

(via Black Eiffel)

More importantly, Banksy might be an accountant from Bristol? What?

(thanks Wooster Collective)

In which I drool on my keyboard

2008-07-09T14:40:00.000-07:00

So many beautiful sneakers, so few Euros...

The colors...my brain could eat them all day, and my feet would be happy too.

Feed the Animals, or a Day in Sardinia

2008-07-08T05:49:00.000-07:00

This past week has been a whirlwind of fun, hard work, and sandy swimsuits. Now that I'm back in Milan after a tipsy sail from Sardinia to Genova and two hours of a crying baby in the backseat, I realize how greatly I appreciate those souls devoting their resources to developing speedy and universal internet access.

Girl Talk - No Pause

notice: lampshade

The Mistral blew strong for three days or so, we watched sailboats cutting razor sharp sails through the gales and vessels of the Italian richesse plowing through the water as they returned to the marina. According to Paola it only blows for an odd # of days (1, 3, 5...)

unrelated, somewhat: "Anyone caught worshiping Poseidon, even at sea, will be thought insane" -- Sam Harris

On my free day, I went to the market in "town", where I bought various arbitrary items, including a terra cotta pot of figs that were, as you should believe, most excellent. Also the old man selling them was lovely.

magical ocean portalz

Tavolara Island is owned by NATO, so exploring more than a bit of beach and around the one restaurant/bar is a bit difficult.

not really lost in translation

I took a little ferry to Tavolara but ended up feeling a bit stranded so I ended up taking pictures of rocks and alternately lounging in the sea, on the beach, or at the restaurant. I considered finding a bush in which I could sleep without the beating sun, but then the boat came to take me back to Porto San Paolo.

fossilized, yo

weird geology

nature mosaic

Geez, I take pictures of rocks.

There was a 10'x10' cemetery right near the water, a large cross constructed with driftwood. I briefly paused at the entrance and considered my meager vestments and bare feet. Though really, when sand substitutes the luscious green grass of the tombs I know at home, I'm not going to worry too much about dress code.

Tavolara proper

No Age - Teen Creeps

flying machine

Paavoharju - Tuoksu Tarttuu Meihin

Two nights ago I went dancing in town with Aili, which was a nice change although the combination of salsa, shaking, and the not-so-chill climate alerted me to the discord between lamé and hot temperatures.

the church was boring and dry, a bit like the rest of the village but more boring. there were these little flags everywhere from a recent festival celebrating St. Paul though.

on my free days I remind myself to stop looking at my feet or at babies and check out the sky

Pietro's legs are getting stronger and he's almost able to stand up by himself, just in time for his 11-month mark.

Kudos to Gregg Gillis for a killer smooth segue from "Gronlandic Edit" by Of Montreal to "Kiss" by Prince on his new album, and for making me enjoy that song "Renegade" by Styx in an entirely different sense. Ha, and of course he puts that one Superman song on, too.

Avey Tare and Kria Brekken - Opis Helpus

ciao, Porto San Paolo

Eroded/Polished

2008-06-28T23:30:00.000-07:00

Apart from having strange dreams of Russel Crowe living in an abandoned stable and children reciting various pesticides used on fruit trees, I've been keeping busy in Sardinia. Without Martino, the father, here (he arrives soon), it's just Paola, two kids, and I. Yowza! We're basically dividing the work evenly, which leaves me around 2-4 hours a day free. By 11 pm, I am dead. Writing this entry at 11:18 is quite an accomplishment for me which shall be rewarded with gelato and an extra shot of delicious Italian coffee tomorrow morning.

the best gelato in Olbia. I got Torrone and Nocciole (hazelnut)

For the record, The Blow was wrong about babies in "Parentheses". They do not cry bechttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifause they "feel the world", they cry because they are tired, hungry, poo-ey, or simply stubborn. Way smart but lacking more advanced communication methods.

My feet are super tough from climbing these beautiful red granite and quartz rocks that edge all the beaches. beautiful but sharp, and constantly eroding into sand.

Similarly, the discarded glass bottles that have long broken into shards lie in varying stages of polished, surrounded by grains of sand. I've taken to collecting the smoother ones, along with handfuls of tiny beautiful shells that abound nearly everywhere. I love the feeling of holding something metamorphosed by time and the elements--speculating on the mysterious age of small piece of round green glass or polished stone in my hand is somehow as meaningful to me as standing in the same basilica where Augustine or St. Anthony once prayed.

don't worry, I'm saving some for the whales
I used to hate wearing this scarf as a child, around the same age as Aili--the "my mom is wrong about everything" age, I guess, at least for girls. She'd always tell me how beautiful it was, and I guess it took ten years or so for me to realize how very right she was. Ha.

shell sorting

Why I love the beach:
1) browns skin
2) polishes glass
3) inspires Brian Wilson

Beach Boys - Kokomo

The best "I'm scaling rocky sea cliffs barefoot" music is Finnish band Paavoharju's new album Laulu Laakson Kukista. Absolutely beautiful. And, uh, thanks again to Pitchfork. Music snobbery for the busy/lazy listener.

Eatalia

2008-06-25T01:43:00.000-07:00

FOOOOOOOD!!!

We three (Paola, Aili, me) eat a home-cooked lunch and dinner every day outside on the patio—perfumed with citronella for the mosquitos, hundreds of jasmine blossoms, and the sea--looking out to sea and praying the baby will stay asleep (or, at least, not cry!)

every day is something nehttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifw. The first time we repeated a meal was today, when we cooked spaghetti con bottarga, a Sardinian specialty again. Darn?

These are zucchini flowers dipped in egg and wheat flour then fried.

We ate raw (!) meat cooked in lime and salt rather than on the stove, topped with greens and parmesan.

I made my first quiche. It was promptly eaten, resulting in no photo op.

Fish stuffed with rosemary and sea salt and baked with tomatoes, potatoes and onion.
Mediterranean diet FTW

The other day, we journeyed to Paola's friend Antonella's casa for liquor of myrtle berries and a tiramisu gelato that came in a glass with a quote by Oscar Wilde on the side. Antonella is single, 52 (though she looks about 41), and the mother of two ten-year-old girls. She speaks English beautifully, and wants her girls to be fluent in when learning a new language. Like the "gli" and the rolled "r" in Italian that my American tongue is trying to get used to.

smile, it's half past midnight
(dinner in Olbia, a nearby town that consists of more than five cafes and swim shops.)

in Olbia we went to this pizzeria. I had pizza with fresh tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella.

Antonella employs a nanny too, Mahalia, who just finished an art history degree in New Zealand and is now journeying throughout Italy, Croatia, Norway, and "wherever else August goes", feeling the strange post-graduation freedom.

Neil Young - If I Could Have Her Tonight

I'm seeing so much, filling my mind and senses with incredible experience, but at the same time I've never worked so hard in my life (8 to 11 hours per day, every day) nor been so isolated from the familiar. Music, art, journal-keeping, interspersed communication with the outer world and this blog act as my buoys-of-sort to the big and bright world. It's nice to hear people are reading slash slightly enjoying this blog, even this guy, a self-professed panda-napper and blog-avoider. Maybe I can bribe for more readers with offers of shells and bleached beach stones (doubtful).

Solid Good Time

2008-06-25T01:34:00.000-07:00

The two times I've been caught in major thunderstorms on the highway have been in the most unlikely of places: Los Angeles and Milan. Paola says the weather in Italy's been super strange this year and their mountain home in the Alps never gets snow anymore. A most inconvenient truth...

lol

White Williams - Fleetwood Crack

Anyway, we hydroplaned all the way to Genoa, where a ferry (cruise-ish ship?) was waiting to take us away to Sardinia. A strange boat that reminded me of a mix of McDonald's Play Places link, an Italian restaurant in York during the World Cup two years ago, and Motel 6.

moon over the mediterranean

No pictures from Padua or Verona, but later will post from Martino's camera. We stayed in a little agrotourist bed and breakfast on a cherry/olive/random other crop farm. There were pigs, peacocks, and poppies. I enjoyed my first (first!) "Italian" (they only smoke Marlboro and Pall Malls it seems) cigarette at midnight, sitting outside in perfect silence, listening to the night animals and watching the twinkling lights of Verona below. I also woke up at 5 am to have a few hours alone to stroll through the rows of trees and hike to the top of a hill to watch the sunrise, with a sweeping vista of checkerboard farmland and cities below. Tutti belli.

Talkdemonic - Mountaintops in Caves

In Padua, we went to the Church of St. Anthony. It was huge and packed with pilgrims and residents. Outside the cobblestone front, touristy souvenir stands offered everything from 4-foot-tall candles with Anthony's likeness to "Pasticceri di Santo".

more skilled at babysitting than i

Inside, people lined up to touch Anthony's jade-colored tomb or marvel at the relics of various figures in the Church's history (bones, mostly).

Something about the dozens upon dozens of letters of supplication and photos of the sick, healed, young, old, the hands of the hopeful passing over the tomb of a man who lived and died long ago away made me feel something inexplicable, like sadness but more confused.

Paola tells me to make a wish every time I try something new: eat a new dish of food, sail over the Mediterranean Sea, light a candle in St. Mark's...I find myself constantly reverting to pessimism as a comfort, but there's something really wonderful and mysterious about hope.

Tying a wish to Yoko Ono's "wish tree" in memoriam to Peggy Guggenheim in Venice.

island nation

2008-06-20T14:08:00.000-07:00

Here in the tiny town of Porto San Paolo on the island of Sardinia, the night life is just beginning at midnight. From the man with a wireless microphone leading a group in a dance-a-long session of Shakira sung in Italian to an orange moon rising over the sea to a street filled with cars whizzing and couples strolling, this place has a life of its own, I suppose.

I've been letting Pitchfork do most of the music distillation for me, since I lack any semblance of "free" time at the moment. It's either feed/clean/entertain the kids or freaking relax in the ocean!

Tavolara Island, always visible from where we are in Sardinia

I enjoyed Sigur Ros in a major mode although their new album doesn't feel as complex or intriguing as Agaetis byrjun or (). Viva Vonlenska!
Sigur Ros - "Inní Mér Syngur Vitleysingur"

Many Italians vacation. I met middle-aged woman from Bologna (sp?) tanning topless on the beach, another family who invited us all over for Mirto liquor and gelato, and Shakili (sp?? mos def.), a vendor of scarves and kaftans made by his wife in Pakistan. He worked for Oxfam in London so his English was molto bene.

thom yorke hearts oxfam

The beach closest to our home is about 1 minute walk (a thirty second skip?) and is filled with families and couples, all various shades of brown and red. Has anyone heard the magic word melanoma? Ah well, who can be blamed when the sun is warm, the water is cool, and the air is a wonderful and strangely perfect temperature?

Robert Frost would probably dislike this beach

home from the beach

the beach from home

a story about wolves

moar to come

hi-yay-tus

2008-06-20T00:40:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm in Sardinia, the most beautiful island in the Mediterranean (in my meager experience!). Unfortunately, the only internet for me exists on the patio across from "Cala Junco Ristorante" in Porto San Paolo, a mile's walk from our little terra cotta home overlooking the bluest water I've ever seen. I'm spending most of the day on the beach or occupied with a baby, but in the little spare time I do have, I'll be scheming up an entry or two.

Burano, an island near Venice

2008-06-15T15:13:00.000-07:00

My god, finally a place to download, print, and assemble paper steaks.

Just returned from a four-day whirlwind tour of Venice, Padua, and Verona. With a baby in tow and less than five hours of mosquito-bitten sleep on some nights, I'm not quite fresh as a daisy, but have managed to maintain some semblance of sanity, most definitely.

Belle & Sebastian - If She Wants Me

Since my 280-something pictures taken are still uploading on my poor little Macbook, I'll keep this post short.

Animal Collective - The Purple Bottle

With some music. and Milanese street art.

So much amazing design, IKEA's slick aesthetic starts to look like Kmart.

Grizzly Bear - On a Neck, On a Spit

14th century mosaic in the basilica of St. Ambrose in Milan.

I have never seen Tiramisu in an American McDonald's.

John Lennon - Oh Yoko

Animal Collective - Banshee Beat

thoughts of utopia

2008-06-10T00:26:00.000-07:00

If everyone wore lamé, perhaps the world would be a better place.
à la United Bamboo

CSS vs. Velvet Underground + LCD Soundsystem - Can't Stand Dance (DJ Moule)

In the last few days, I have seen incredible ages pressed into stone walls and painted in frescoes or in spires of marble reaching toward the sky, even in the uneven cobblestone streets winding past crumbled brick buildings from the 15th century.

I climbed to the top of the Duomo, up a tiny windowless staircase, and saw these

There's something very exhilarating about weaving around in the marble spires of a church that took 100 years to build. The attention to detail is really amazing, even hundreds of feet in the air.

Animal Collective - Cuckoo Cuckoo

This dude came up to me in the Piazza del Duomo and pressed corn kernels into my hand, attracting a battalion of birds. How lovely! I thought. Then he tried to get me to give him 5 euros.

ur delishus treetz good sir, give them 2 ussssss

Ratatat - Mirando

To pay for restoration of the quickly decaying Spanish wall built around Milan in the 16th century, the city has contracted out the wall and many other old sites around the city to various commercial interests for use as advertising space. This pays for the restoration. Sweet, sweet, capitalism (sort of?).

Wolf Parade - Fine Young Cannibals

Avventuri in Milano

2008-06-09T23:09:00.000-07:00

I feel as if I've lived here for months (barring language disability). If I were alone more, I'd walk the streets with a big hat on, with images of Monica Vitti dancing through my head. Busy with a baby and a bambina, though, I'm happy changing diapers, playing with toys, drawing, and learning that I won't be having children for a long, long while. It can get very lonely being the only American (or at least being unable to communicate complex thoughts and hold true conversations with anyone), a bit of a linguistic desert island, I suppose.

I've already learned a few delicious Italian meals, as well as the merits of tomatoes tossed with onion, basil, and olive oil and spread over bread. Last night la mama and I made this:

melanzane alla parmigiana

We live about three blocks from the Prada showrooms. With its staid indigo wrought iron accents, at least three fabulously clothed grey-haired men near the door, and a cavalcade of mopeds in front, it is of course molto intriguing. On a dog walk two days ago, I peered in an open door as some young ruffian in grey cashmere exited. Inside was a lofty room with gorgeous wood floors. I could have sworn I saw Miuccia Prada inside, but perhaps it was just another chic Italian fashion mogul.

With Aili at the Rotonda della Besana, attempting vainly to communicate in French and English with her friend Sophie as they both messed around on skateboards, I met two well-dressed Italian men sitting on the stone steps.

Fortunately, both spoke English exceedingly well and introduced themselves as Settimio Benedusi, a fashion photographer based in Milan, and Fabio Novembre, an architect and designer whose work was on exhibition inside the Rotonda.

Novembre, photographed by Benedusi
His designs in the Rotonda were altogether innovative, whimsical, and different (chairs with bottoms in the shape of a butt, fluid winding forms, bizarre and intriguing tables and chairs of plexiglass, rope, and metal...).

~~$35.99 at IKEA~~

Il Regno del Teschio di Cristallo

2008-06-08T15:04:00.000-07:00

Perhaps it's because I understood fewer than half of the words spoken in its mildly well-dubbed Italian version, but, similar to "Cloverfield", J.J. Abrams' recent ripping-off of preceding giant-monster-eats-metropolis flicks, the latest Indiana Jones mostly felt like a two hour ride at Great America (not necessarily bad, but for ten dollars more, I can spend the whole day there!) The soft lighting shots in any fleeting moments of tenderness were nice touches as well. A crystal skull though? Really? It's freaking plastic, I'm telling you. Spielberg may direct epic moviez and Lucasfilm makes crazy daydreams reality in sunny California, but they need to hire new props designers stat. Halloween Headquarters, anyone?

Primitivism at its finest

Redeeming factors: Cate Blanchett in a wig, Oxley's hazey smile

"the crystal skull is LOTR times a MILLION Steve"

Talkdemonic - Mountaintops in Caves

intermezzo

2008-06-06T22:00:00.000-07:00

Of course, the minute I leave for Italy, this gets worse.

"A reminder that working families continue to bear the brunt of the failed Bush economic policies that John McCain wants to continue,” in a statement. “We can’t afford John McCain’s plan to spend billions of dollars on tax breaks for big corporations and wealthy C.E.O.’s.”
-Barack Obama

moneygami

< unrelated addendum >
Anthony Lane's review of "Sex and the City" is absolutely gurrrrreat, as is the accompanying illustration.

all ur manolos are belong to USSSSS
Conversely, this vid makes me retch a little bit inside (but chuckle too).
< /unrelated addendum >

In Which I Make Like a Sponge

2008-06-06T10:51:00.000-07:00

Some try for a better grasp of the English language, but I'm currently struggling--with conversation tracks on the iPod, Berlitz phrasebooks and a "Learn Italian" text--to master l'italiano.

Portishead - We Carry On

I learned French, the purported "language of romance", but there is something very round and smooth about Italian (or at least Milanese) words and pronunciation that is so lilting and pleasant...day 3 and I can pick up certain phrases and commands but not much more. Currently am playing a role of ~~ugly american~~ ~~ignorant~~ awkward tourist. Except that I'm a nanny, living in a wonderfully cozy apartment with an Italian family and caring for two lovely Italian bambini.

"the big sister", my 8-year old charge, on the right.

LCD Soundsystem - All My Friends

With my white linen pants à la H&M in tow, I now wish I'd brought the more eclectic elements of my wardrobe...mainly my red mineral wash slacks. American Apparel, how I miss thee (do not mock s'il te plait!).

Everyone in Milan, from the elderly woman taking her granddaughter for a walk, to the middle-aged businessmen in perfectly tailored suits and richly colored leather shoes, to the mothers in Etro picking their immaculately dressed children up from school, everyone has an innate sense of what looks good on the body. There are, of course, some exceptions, but the attention paid to appearance and appeal is something that I can appreciate (as a product of a country that has spawned both candy-colored tire shoes and shameless expenditure of bronzer and fishnets). That being said, even Italians can pull off Crocs better than Americans; my family's mother refers to them as her "slippers", thus implying the "out-of-the-public-eye-because-they're-rubbery-orange" thing.

listen and learn, good sirs!

Andrew Bird - Heretics

Another reason my love for Milan grows by the hour? Their tolerance--no, not tolerance--the natural way in which smoking is an accepted part of society. David Sedaris' piece in the New Yorker speaks perfectly to this point of conflict in American society. Lighting a cigarette in a public place (let alone in a more confined area!) is equivalent to removing one's clothing in public in terms of the horrified/disapproving/patronizing stares one garners. "Smoking's quite bad for you, you know", a kind soul reminds you, as if the glaring Surgeon General warnings weren't enough. Thanks, Doc!
I'm not even a big smoker, but the polarizing attitude of non-smokers in America and particularly in "green" or liberal areas like my hometown really gets my nerves in a tussle. Is tussle even a word? Chi lo sa?

The Anniversary - I Believe That the End of the Reign of Terror is Soon Near

It's Real

2008-06-05T22:37:00.000-07:00

Fellini's Otto e Mezzo was the basis for my first impressions...magical memories and adventures through a life full of women and music--Italy is even better than Fellini's dreams!

Yesterday, I had my first real ice cream and my first real cup of coffee. Today, I had my first Italian beer. Tomorrow, TUTTI!

la mia casa

w.a.s.t.e.

2008-06-02T12:24:00.000-07:00

"one man's trash is another mans' treasure"
--wise old man
I've always been a hoarder myself, stricken with guilt at the concept of tossing anything with even a dash of utilitarian or aesthetic value. Art utilizing "found" or discarded objects intrigues me especially.

Julian Schnabel's "plate paintings".

More recently, photographer Chris Jordan's works showcase the overwhelming waste generated in a society of disposable mass consumption.

Cell Phones

Cigarette Butts
(via Dead Air Space)

Should we embrace our profusion of material crap? Might we dare to say, waste is beauty, and degradation art?

Bright Eyes--Waste of Paint

Also, US Airways is po' and cheap.

Best of...Geocities

2008-05-29T16:57:00.000-07:00

Man, I love Geocities. A creative outlet for those who are more careless with their HTML than Lena Chen with her blog posts, and prefer Turkish Star Wars as a veritable fount of comedic value. Well, minus the last part. I just really enjoy that film.

Here are a few of the latest and greatest from Geocities and the like (circa 1999, when I considered forming my own Neopets appreciation site--oh, the joy of First Amendment rights!) Now with MIDI!
Hamster Illustrations

TIME FOR SOME STORIES

Angels boost your metabolism!

Mermaid gifs galore

"I'll smite you with my god-like powers"

In which Gladiator "will no doubt be dethrowned by the Patriot"

"-º×. My eyeZ HaVe LeaRNeD To SMiLe.×º "

Victoria's dancing gifs.

Pilgrim Camp ROX! God is good!! All the time!!

Kelly Ripa also rox

omg lolspeek rox 2

My eyes are tired of all the bad HTML. Barry, what are you going to do to remedy this?

George Lopez's got my back now, Hill!

A Tale of Two Pretties

2008-05-29T15:38:00.000-07:00

Woah!
How did I miss that Max von Sydow was in Schnabel's latest oeuvre?

exhibit a

exhibit b

t'es un veillard!! (JK)

badass

A recent post on Triumph of Bullshit compared Robert Smith to "Albino" from Princess Bride...I find more likeness, though, in Aunt Blenda from Fanny and Alexander. If you have not seen this movie, may Pete Doherty eat your children.

INGMAR I CAN HAS SWEDISH MEETBALZ AND IKEA BOOKSHELFFS PLS

Wee

2008-05-25T15:53:00.001-07:00

Nintendo: increasing life expectancy around the world!

Cycle

2008-05-25T14:27:00.001-07:00

Obviously, a photo a day is much more difficult than originally perceived...

Finally done with my first grueling year of collegiate life in a neglected corner of Washington state, I've somewhat wholeheartedly vowed to take up my blog with all good intentions. Mainly, this consists of remaining caffeinated and spending at least 3 hours a day in Mishka's.

My main reason to reinstate a semblance of a blog? I'm off to Milan next week to be a nanny and have at least a small element of fun
caring for an 8-year-old girl and a 1-year-old boy. We're traveling down to Sardinia, a beautiful island off the coast of southern Italy and then up to a tiny village at the foot of the second tallest mountain in the Alps. Not bad for a $1200 ticket and possibilities of worse prices to come...

I've begun to fantasize about my trip, visions of white linen pants on the beach, a black dress witha floppy straw hat, sitting in a café near the Duomo di Milano, reading Hemingway and fattening up on gelato and caffelatte. My only sources of Italian popular media being Fellini, "Roman Holiday", and "Ladri di Biciclette", I not only expect a late-night romp in Trevi Fountain, but perhaps a ride on Cary Grant's vespa and, um, this.

In other news, Wolf Parade's new album makes me want to ride in a car with the windows down, but only for an hour or so since I've been in and out of cars for the past week pretty consistently (Walla Walla, Seattle, San Francisco, Davis, SF, Davis, Oakland, Davis). (Note: I love Andrew Kuo and want to emulate his seamless melding of graphic and aural aesthetic someday.)

I knew their music sounded too much like Super Mario Bros.!

Note to self: never forget.

Fickle

2008-03-04T09:24:00.000-08:00

A photo a day. How hard could it be?

Also, I have an ear infection. Who gets ear infections at age 19? On the bright side, it's an excuse to indulge myself in Gabriel Garcia Marquez's short story collection and "Norwegian Wood" by Haruki Murakami.

Digging Currently

2008-02-24T18:03:00.001-08:00

There is really way too much happening for me to share on this little spot of cyberspace.

Mostly, right now, since I am supposed be writing about the role of faith in "Othello".
Bon Iver's new album was reviewed pretty nicely on Pitchfork. They compared Justin Vernon's voice to that of Sam Beam's Iron and Wine falsetto, but I hear so much more of Jeff Tweedy intimacy as well as Andrew Bird harmonies and inflections. It's a really lovely record, especially the quieter songs like "Re: Stacks" and "Creature Fear".

I miss my racing bike, it is sitting alone in my garage in California, where it is above 40 degrees outside. Plus, I have been riding my road bike up here in Walla Walla with a flat tire for three weeks now since I am too lazy to seek out anyplace with a pump.

Listen to Sonic Smörgåsbord, my friend Deirdre's and my radio show at 4 pm every Saturday, on KWCW. The online stream sometimes works.

Winter Break: Food

2008-01-11T00:04:00.000-08:00

eaten:

Boran's Thai Restaurant -- Berkeley, CA
Fat Apple's Restaurant/Bakery -- Berkeley, CA
Broadway Dim Sum -- San Francisco, CA
Finn McCool's -- Santa Monica, CA
Wildhorse Cafe -- King City, CA
Lulu's Cafe -- Los Angeles, CA
Paradise Cafe -- Santa Barbara, CA
Pluto's -- Davis, CA
Burger and Brew -- Davis, CA
Raja Indian Cuisine -- Davis, CA

baked:

vegan coffee cake (???)
lemon bars
whole wheat french bread
garbanzo pepper bread
blueberry coffee cake
chocolate fudge pie w/cookie crumb crust
apple cider
egg nog
daal (indian curry w/lentils)
chapatis and tortillas
crepes w/homemade plum jam
chocolate cake w/chocolate amaretto frosting
apple sauce times ten
pear cobbler w/ginger and cranberries
blueberry crumble
rosemary pepper bread
cranberry quick bread
pizza w/wheat crust and homemade tomato sauce (from garden)
sushi w/avocado, crab, cucumber, carrot, and ginger
blini (russian yeast pancakes)
apple butter
french seeded baguette

Los Angeles/Santa Barbara

2008-01-07T01:00:00.000-08:00

part of me really likes Southern CA.
here are some reasons why (in no particular order):

Art (and rain--it always rains when I come down here!)
The Pacific Ocean, palm trees, and boardwalks.
All the different cities and their proximiy...and a rare lack of traffic.
The FOOD--Lulu's Cafe in Hollywood.
The tall buildings in downtown LA. Dwarfing and ridiculously monstrous. The ~~smog~~ fog.
ART ART ART
The crazy-awesomest performance hall in the West--Disney Concert Hall in downtown by Frank Gehry.