25 Kislev/12 December, 2009
Dec. 12th, 2009 11:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bearshortyIt was a trip to Manhattan day. I’m just grateful I could just go and hang out with Yeva and Marianna. I was just expecting to have some brunch and go see an art exhibit but we kind of ended up hanging out the whole day and it was lots of fun.
When I was flying back from Kentucky, I was looking at the airplane magazines to distract myself from knowing that I’m in the air. In one of the magazines I saw a small story or an ad for El Greco art exhibition opening on November 17 in New York at Onassis Cultural Center. The main thing I noticed was that it was free which is always great. So for our get together I suggested this and we finally coordinated our schedules to meet up. I do love that for the last two and a half years we have been deliberately planning to hang out once a month. Sometimes that doesn’t work for the busyness but we try and we see each pretty regularly. I had to skip late October but finally I could give Marianna her b-day presents.
We met at “Fig and Olive” restaurant right next door to the exhibit on 52nd and fifth. Marianna picked the place and it was a good choice. It was a nice place but not ridiculously expensive for midtown and being right next to Rockefeller Center. I’m sure their dinner is more expensive but brunch was reasonably prices. I got a Southern France poached eggs with salmon. It was actually pretty good. “Julie and Julia” movie made me want to try poached eggs and it was great with a bread bowl.
After the restaurant we went to see “Origins of El Greco” exhibit. They only had a few actual El Greco pieces, the rest were his influences and Venetian and Byzantine art in the fifteenth century. Lots of icons and other religious paintings with known motives and lots of interesting mixes of West and East influenced by Venetians. The was one very lovely late period El Greco piece that was like looking at a mirror, all blue – that was my favorite. Overall, a well put together exhibition that was interesting but I wished there were a bit more actual El Greco in it. Still, for a free exhibit I can’t complain. Living in New York does have its advantages.
After the art we walking through a very crowded city past the big Christmas tree at Rockefeller center. The city gets very very crowded, especially in great touristy areas like that or at Times Square and we had to navigate both slowly. The tree was pretty, although I did see better one in the past years. Still, huge tree.
We stopped by at a few stores on the way to a movie theatre at 42nd street. I really, really don’t like clothes shopping but Marianna needed a sweater and then we came up an interesting store with unusual clothes. But I basically just waited while the girls shopped. I don’t have the money and I just don’t like shopping for clothes. That girl gene seems to be missing in me. Give me a bookstore anyday.
After we stopped to get a snacks (cranberry muffin is always good) and some coffee/beverages, and walked more through holiday crowds we finally made it to the movie theatre. Marianna got the idea to go see a movie together and since I really wanted to see “Up in the Air,” I suggested that one and convinced them to go. Commercials and critical acclaim got to me and I thought it would be interesting. And it was. The movie theatre was crowded and the best part was the communal reaction by the audience at all the jokes. I did have this weird old guy sit next to me who commented how much he always loves George Clooney movies and talked aloud to all. I leaned slightly to the right towards Marianna. The movie itself is not really a happy movie, more melancholy with some nice subtle and not so subtle humor. It felt very real, like it depicted life in a real way and regular people were in it. The acting was wonderful. It was a really good movie and I see why critics like it so much. I keep thinking about it.
When I was flying back from Kentucky, I was looking at the airplane magazines to distract myself from knowing that I’m in the air. In one of the magazines I saw a small story or an ad for El Greco art exhibition opening on November 17 in New York at Onassis Cultural Center. The main thing I noticed was that it was free which is always great. So for our get together I suggested this and we finally coordinated our schedules to meet up. I do love that for the last two and a half years we have been deliberately planning to hang out once a month. Sometimes that doesn’t work for the busyness but we try and we see each pretty regularly. I had to skip late October but finally I could give Marianna her b-day presents.
We met at “Fig and Olive” restaurant right next door to the exhibit on 52nd and fifth. Marianna picked the place and it was a good choice. It was a nice place but not ridiculously expensive for midtown and being right next to Rockefeller Center. I’m sure their dinner is more expensive but brunch was reasonably prices. I got a Southern France poached eggs with salmon. It was actually pretty good. “Julie and Julia” movie made me want to try poached eggs and it was great with a bread bowl.
After the restaurant we went to see “Origins of El Greco” exhibit. They only had a few actual El Greco pieces, the rest were his influences and Venetian and Byzantine art in the fifteenth century. Lots of icons and other religious paintings with known motives and lots of interesting mixes of West and East influenced by Venetians. The was one very lovely late period El Greco piece that was like looking at a mirror, all blue – that was my favorite. Overall, a well put together exhibition that was interesting but I wished there were a bit more actual El Greco in it. Still, for a free exhibit I can’t complain. Living in New York does have its advantages.
After the art we walking through a very crowded city past the big Christmas tree at Rockefeller center. The city gets very very crowded, especially in great touristy areas like that or at Times Square and we had to navigate both slowly. The tree was pretty, although I did see better one in the past years. Still, huge tree.
We stopped by at a few stores on the way to a movie theatre at 42nd street. I really, really don’t like clothes shopping but Marianna needed a sweater and then we came up an interesting store with unusual clothes. But I basically just waited while the girls shopped. I don’t have the money and I just don’t like shopping for clothes. That girl gene seems to be missing in me. Give me a bookstore anyday.
After we stopped to get a snacks (cranberry muffin is always good) and some coffee/beverages, and walked more through holiday crowds we finally made it to the movie theatre. Marianna got the idea to go see a movie together and since I really wanted to see “Up in the Air,” I suggested that one and convinced them to go. Commercials and critical acclaim got to me and I thought it would be interesting. And it was. The movie theatre was crowded and the best part was the communal reaction by the audience at all the jokes. I did have this weird old guy sit next to me who commented how much he always loves George Clooney movies and talked aloud to all. I leaned slightly to the right towards Marianna. The movie itself is not really a happy movie, more melancholy with some nice subtle and not so subtle humor. It felt very real, like it depicted life in a real way and regular people were in it. The acting was wonderful. It was a really good movie and I see why critics like it so much. I keep thinking about it.
