We snuck away from NYC for spring break this year and on our return everything from the taxis to our very own apartment smelled horrible to us both. It took a few days, ok it took a week, to acclimate back to the pace, smells and noise of our beloved city, but we are back and we love you NYC, but I'm still in awe of Oahu. I catch myself day dreaming daily of the rides along the coast in our open air jeep taking in all that beauty and wondering if the inhabitants take it for granted. On the plane home we had already started plotting a way to get back to Hawaii and explore more islands.
Here are some of our favorite places and memories...
Hanuama Bay, Oahu
Byodo-In Buddist Temple in Kaneohe, Oahu
Byodo-In Buddist Temple in Kaneohe, Oahu
On the grounds of the Byodo-In Temple
HWY 830 on the way to North Shore
Me at La'ie Point HWY 83
The kid at the entrance to Makua Cave
We called this Make a poo poo lookout
World War II Bunkers at Makapu'u
Makua Beach
Cliff Diving at Waimea Bay
Coral found near Koolina
Coral
Golf Ball
The kid paddle boarding at Ko Olina
The steep stairs at Diamond Head
Chinaman's Hat near Kane'ohe Bay
Laloni Palace
Pearl Harbor Memorial
on our last day we found thispregnant sea lion napping near our resort, a volunteer was there to protect her
Sunset our first night in Oahu we had been up for 24 hours at this point, I sure miss this view
Paradise Cove Luau
There was a very good reason for this sign being posted at the luau...
I've read many complaints about this museum and the kid was absolutely against going, asking "Why would I want to go to a museum to learn more about school stuff?" I explained to him that they had a square wheeled bicycle you could ride which I felt was worth a whirl or two. So we went and even though there are issues, more than a few exhibits were not functioning, the floor layouts are confusing and tight and there didn't seem to be anyone around to help explain the activities, we ended up having a great time.
One
of my favorite exhibits is this video projection that uses an image of
your body to make a fractal image that makes you into a tree.
Rabbit, monkey and dinosaur interlocking puzzle pieces
We painted this pattern with virtual paint brushes
There were so many hands on interactive puzzles, multi-dimensional and pattern type computer animation activities that I kept the kid busy for 2 hours. We will definitely go back to MO Math to view the exhibits that weren't working during our visit and see how the museum grows as it has only been open a few months.
As we left the kid said that was fun, that wasn't like school at all...
Ann Hamilton's The Event of a Thread at Park Avenue Armory at closing
Happy New Year!
2013 is already off to a better start than last year, isn't it? Ok, I know, it's been three days, but I'm optimistic.
We saw an amazing amount of good shows last year. Many of which I didn't blog about. A friend asked if I had become lazy; which annoyed me quite a bit, but there just wasn't enough time to see and post. So here are a few worth mentioning.
One of our favorites was Tomas Saraceno's Cloud City on the roof of the Met this past summer. I was heartbroken when I found out it was already owned by Christian K. Keesee, because I wanted it for my own imaginary back yard. It will, however be at the Green Box Arts Festival in Green Mountain Falls, Colo. summer 2013 in a lush forest. I read in an interview that one of the inspirations for the modular shapes were liquid bubbles.
I kind of see a resemblance
Two other shows we highly recommend that are still open, but I don't have images of because there is no photography allowed:
Christian Marclay's The Clock at Moma through Jan 21, 2013
But let's get back to Ann Hamilton's show at The Park Armory which closes Sunday the 6th...so get over there this weekend!
Still of the cloth being pulled by the swings
The kid watching the singer at closing
the best vantage point of the cloth moving
Poetry and pigeons
They release these pigeons at the end of the night
20 minutes before closing this singer comes out of the balcony and sings before they release the pigeons
pulleys and ropes from the swings in the rafters
Radios are in these paper bags that you can listen to and carry around, Kid was not impressed though
Swingers
Poet
Above a short clip of the cloth in motion. It was quite dreamy to lie under and watch all the shapes about to touch our noses.
"I can remember the feeling of swinging—how hard we would work for those split seconds, flung at furthest extension, just before the inevitable downward and backward pull, when we felt momentarily free of gravity, a little hiccup of suspension when our hands loosened on the chain and our torsos raised off the seat. We were sailing, so inside the motion—time stopped—and then suddenly rushed again toward us. We would line up on the playground and try to touch the sky, alone together." Ann Hamilton
Tatzu Nishi's Discovering Columbus in Columbus Circle, NYC has been extended until December 2nd. Timed entry free tickets are currently available on the Public Art Fund site. This is anincredibly unique experience to engage with Columbus in an intimate settingand was Mom, Nana and kid approved. From the outer platforms and inner windows one can see what Columbus has been looking at since 1882 and we enjoyedtaking note of what the artist decided to include in the room from the wall paper, books and art in and around the room.
North View, from Columbus Circle
The wall paper
The book shelf
East view
He's the center of attention
Columbus Circle, east view with Central Park on the left
We forgot Nana was afraid of heights until we started up the scaffolding, that added a bit of fun to our climb
View of the banks of East River under the FDR/Avenue C and 18th street about 8pm Oct 29, 2012
Despite what you hear on the news, their are many families still with out power, heat and gas in my neighborhood in NYC, but we are thankful we still have homes, we are just with out our conveniences. We are told we will be back up with power in 72 hours and heat and gas with in a week or so. This is the price we pay for this view we love so much.
What I'm also thankful for is the kid seeing what happens in a disaster such as this. How ipads, Xbox and TV even ELECTRICITY are luxuries. We can survive with out them. Making dinner by candle light, lighting the burners with a match the one night we did have gas brought back memories of when I went through the ice storm in Atlanta in the 70's with my own parents. Let's get out some board games. I know how to do this.
This is what the kid and I saw around our neighborhood the last week. Did I mention how bad it smells?
Avenue C and 18th street about 8pm Oct 29, 2012
Avenue C and 18th street about 8pm Oct 29, 2012
The cars around Avenue C, 20th and 23rd streets floated around and crashed in to each other and some damaged with debris and almost all flooded all the way to 1st Avenue.
Near the entrance to the FDR
We lost a lot of trees
Gas Station near 20th and Ave C
Entrance to the FDR
Our staircase was kind of scary. Someone felt their way with out a flash light to their apartment while injured.
Highline East for just a day. The FDR became a pedestrian walk way.
You have to keep your sense of humor. The kid was first to make it to the finish line 2012 NYC Marathon.
The empty bleachers at the canceled NYC Marathon
Below is a video of Sandy's storm surge on Avenue C and 18th street heading into Stuyvesant Town and downtown Manhattan.
Do we really care if David Blaine's latest stunt is dangerous or not? Just standing on the 20 foot high platform for 72 hours seems a bit challenging. Then add no food, sipping water through a tube and urinating via a catheter and it seems a bit torturous.
What I love about Blaine is the spectacle he creates. The kid loved it. I have close up pictures of Blaine smiling when the bolts hit him, but there is real danger in the exposure to ozone and nitrous oxides that are a byproduct of ionized air which is being taken care of with proper ventilation.
