tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87571334553778315842012-02-16T14:39:22.646-05:00Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.comBlogger641100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-80268059521227046712009-12-31T01:57:00.001-05:002009-12-31T02:57:40.227-05:00

I’d like to say that I’ve been feeling guilty not updating my blog or that I meant to post many times but never got round to it, etc. Truth is, I almost forgot about this damned thing until I started receiving flattering comments on my blog from unknown fans, such as: “enlarge your penis”, “cheapest place to buy viagra click here”, “hot Russian brides register now”. So I said to myself: Hell,

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-9929868743207816132009-09-13T19:23:00.001-04:002009-09-14T17:25:39.915-04:00

Westside Rifle & Pistol Range

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-39596518997734889802009-09-10T15:34:00.001-04:002009-09-10T15:39:44.260-04:00

From Barnes and Noble, to the Strand, to sidewalk rummaging. Williamsburg, 09/07/2009

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-40216958602937189722009-06-02T19:17:00.001-04:002009-06-02T19:50:12.544-04:00

I am the opposite of a hypochondriac, whatever that is. Same goes for my husband. We may be suffering from delusions of immortality, the thing is we ignore pains and symptoms until we literally can't function, we don’t bother visiting physicians at all, we can safely watch House and Grey’s Anatomy without shouting "I have that!", and happily embraced a “I must be ok 'cause my heart's still

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-8779818420881139602009-05-26T16:19:00.014-04:002009-06-14T20:12:42.338-04:00

Bunburying: term introduced by Oscar Wilde in the play The Importance of Being Earnest. The art of inventing a sickly friend in need of assistance, as a clever means of dodging unwanted social engagements. Our 10 days guests finally left. We’ve been gracious hosts, they had a good time, and everybody’s happy. As for me, I’m enjoying every single second of this Hegelian progression from bondage to

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-88301929744268039202009-05-12T12:48:00.004-04:002009-09-10T15:38:15.636-04:00

The rule is: if you have to walk 10 blocks or more in high heels to get to that party, bring extra, more comfortable shoes with you so you can change shoes if necessary.Problem: clutch is too small for your flats.Solution: stick them into your husband's coat pockets.

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-49803617556084985862009-05-06T20:31:00.001-04:002009-05-27T11:15:47.972-04:00

How do I know that today in history Louis XIV of France moved his court to Versailles (1682)? That today is Sigmund Freud’s birthday (1856)? That a cat named Hawkeye scuba dived in a custom-made $20,000 wetsuit? Because lately, I’ve been finding myself sitting around work bored pretty often. A typical boring day at work is when an email from FreshDirect announcing they’ve added over 50 new

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-27904493268262343712009-05-01T19:24:00.001-04:002009-05-29T14:30:07.550-04:00

I received a beautiful and enlightening email from a college classmate I hadn’t talk to since 1997. It’s the best thing that happened to me on Facebook. The guy, let’s call him Mike, says that over the years he came to see himself as having serious flaws in his character, he made a point of addressing these issues and he’s become a better person. This is not the average reconnect letter you

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-51085163374456752592009-04-28T14:41:00.012-04:002009-06-17T21:12:05.615-04:00

With all the media overhyping the swine flu and officials around the world, including WHO, reacting to the pandemic scare with dire warnings, it is no surprise that family and friends are calling us, freaking out and worrying about our health.Let me reassure everyone that we are just fine. NYFD black-plague carts are being hauled through the streets piled high with dead bodies, corpses are being

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-16014807278588126512009-04-27T15:21:00.017-04:002009-05-27T11:07:06.976-04:00

A few months ago an ad on the Internet caught my attention. The New Museum was searching for women volunteers to take part in a contemporary art installation. The living statues were required to go to the museum a.m., take a sleeping pill, get into a bed installed in the exhibition space, and sleep as many consecutive hours as possible. It turned out the sleeping installation was part of

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-13692813582516329202009-04-16T23:30:00.004-04:002009-05-27T18:30:17.742-04:00

Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi April 3-13, 2009

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-83489112186623284382009-01-20T22:59:00.002-05:002009-05-27T11:22:44.691-04:00

Just finished watching the series finale of Six Feet Under.It's been an awesome 4 year journey.God bless Hollywood.

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-14634338886224232002008-12-15T15:10:00.001-05:002009-05-27T11:15:47.972-04:00

Los Angeles, 12-14 December 2008 Photo Mitzi Mandel

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-84950582571988981152008-12-09T19:11:00.007-05:002009-05-29T14:29:17.414-04:00

Just came back from Mexico. Eleven days traveling throughout the Yucatan peninsula and all the way down to Chiapas, a couple of which spent in the jungle with swarms of mosquitos who mistook me for a taqueria, plus the last three days spent in Tulum where electricity is limited to nighttime use, from 6 to 10. You get back home and you think what a great, unforgettable vacation, but I’m glad to be

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-52892539771058578862008-11-27T10:44:00.001-05:002009-05-27T11:15:47.972-04:00

We are in recession. Some say that everything will rebound soon while others say that we're in an economic crisis that rivals the one of the 30's. The specter of the Great Depression fuels fear and panic. “We're going into the worst global recession for sure that that we've ever seen”, Obama told the  press today. It’s almost impossible to carry on with this kind of drama almost everyday. No

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-70599977355094824242008-11-27T01:58:00.004-05:002009-05-29T14:32:41.375-04:00

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-17499353090321035242008-10-16T09:02:00.002-04:002009-05-27T11:09:10.775-04:00

A long weekend in Vermont.

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-76058690156978430292008-10-03T15:06:00.002-04:002009-05-29T14:32:58.455-04:00

I haven’t been writing anything lately because I was overwhelmed by all the things happening on this side of the world. The credit crunch, the bailout saga, Sarah Palin and the bridge to nowhere, Sarah Palin and her glasses, Sarah Palin and moose stew… These events do have an impact on everyday life, as I experienced in my own small way.I was shopping at Whole Foods the other day. Looking for the

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-44139559578979275362008-09-12T12:40:00.003-04:002009-05-29T14:33:52.070-04:00

The Interfaith Floating Lantern Ceremony reflects a Buddhist tradition to comfort and honor the spirits of the deceased. Floating lighted lanterns were released on the waters of the Hudson River, accompanied by the chanting of Buddhist priests.

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-1717942995289200262008-09-01T01:41:00.011-04:002009-05-27T11:15:47.973-04:00

Thursday morning, around 6.30 am I opened the window to greet the city and a smell of fried chicken came through. I’m back home. My summer can be summarized under the title “from Brooklyn to Guča”. June: we went to a Balkan music concert at Barbes, in Brooklyn. Quality-wise it was like a garage band concert. Yet the concert was fun and the music galvanizing. We found it

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-58518529614921071922008-07-08T13:39:00.001-04:002009-05-27T11:15:47.973-04:00

We had a barbecue dinner last night on our terrace and our guests today sent me a thank you note with a link to a NY Times article about rooftop dining in the city which quotes a Fire Department spokesman saying that both gas and charcoal grills are illegal to use on roofs. My friends commented: “We’ll ignore the part about using charcoal on rooftops as illegal!”. Well, first off, as the

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-67406800354414122872008-06-23T14:57:00.003-04:002009-05-29T14:34:35.994-04:00

e sembrava Mea Shearim.

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-40549717500121888732008-06-19T14:45:00.002-04:002009-05-29T14:35:21.628-04:00

Downtown is not a place where we go often. Overall, three things are worth the trip: 1) Century 21, a bargain-hunter’s dream, insanely crowded and inappropriately dubbed ’NYC’s best kept secret’; 2) taking your guest for a walk across the Brooklyn bridge and, despite your husband’s recommendation not to give his visiting friends a lecture on landmark buildings because they don’t give a damn,

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-91958897064170585732008-06-11T16:05:00.003-04:002009-05-29T14:34:06.856-04:00

I love Chinatown. I love Chinatown because it’s pure Blade Runner, except there are no camels. Everyone else hates it. When I take my guests to Chinatown I can read the disgust on their face. It stinks, they say. The sanitation standards may sometimes be dubious, I say. Moreover, it may stink in absolute terms, whereas in relative terms it’s just slightly smellier and filthier than the rest of

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-40934169658543802552008-06-07T17:33:00.002-04:002009-05-29T14:34:49.850-04:00

This morning we went to the Union Square market to buy new plants for our terrace. While looking for bay laurel plants, the following surreal conversation took place between my husband and a vendor:husband: do you have laurel plants?vendor: laurel? I don’t think so… what is it like?husband: it’s green [bravo, great hint], it’s used to marinate meat [right, unlike all other herbs that we normally

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-78115034673482131272008-06-07T08:40:00.002-04:002009-05-29T14:37:15.668-04:00

I took this pic last weekend in Union Square where hundreds of people lined up to see Sex and the City. This gal I saw walking with plastic bags wrapped around her feet is living proof that not every woman in NY has a shoe fetish.

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-51545479500757645172008-06-05T10:40:00.001-04:002009-05-29T14:24:41.858-04:00

Last night we attended a reception for the launch of a US environmental campaign, a massive consumer engagement initiative which brings together companies and government agencies to help people drive down their carbon footprints. For example, campaign partner Marks & Spencer is encouraging its customers to lower their washing temperature to 30˚C, a car insurance company offers up to 15% off its

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-40179318999786500862008-06-03T09:30:00.002-04:002009-05-27T11:07:06.977-04:00

Mi aspettavo di vedere, che ne so, Sofia Loren o Al Pacino, e invece mi sono beccata Melba Ruffo di Calabria, non senza riuscire ad evitare l’elegante uscita “Oh, ma che ce frega di Melba Ruffo” davanti ad un diplomatico italiano; le nostre autorita’ hanno dato discorsi improntati a temi di grande attualita’ quali Meucci, Puccini e Toscanini; ho appreso che Boccelli e’ un bastardo che picchia

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-45206253802203938752008-06-02T08:49:00.001-04:002009-05-29T14:24:41.858-04:00

Going to the party thrown by the Austrian Consulate... in the elevator with a Polish couple... sidelong glances between me and the woman. Panic. I was in a white linen suit and golden stilettos, she was wearing a flowery hawaiian shirt and flip-flops. “Am I overdressed?” I leaned over my husband and whispered, “No, no…”  he replied. She whispered something in her husband's ear and he replied “Nie

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-87143405918343965052008-05-29T14:45:00.003-04:002009-05-29T14:33:32.540-04:00

I would very much like to attend a lecture by Louis Ferrante tonight. The guy is a Gambino-family insider who spent eight years in jail for committing some of the most lucrative robberies in US history, refused to cooperate with the FBI against former associates of the Gambino family, wrote a book (From Prison to Proust) and converted to Orthodox Judaism. There is nothing overly exciting about a

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-11144349675105307882008-05-28T12:26:00.003-04:002009-05-29T14:36:40.366-04:00

I hate dogs. But I would have never dared to tell this black camel that I saw walking his owner on leash around the Lower East Side the other day.

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-44237802240396189962008-05-27T15:10:00.004-04:002009-05-29T14:34:22.138-04:00

According to state law no vehicle with a license plate can be parked on the sidewalk. Many garages won't rent space to scooters and motorcycles. There are no on-street scooter-designated parking spots in the city. These are some of the reasons why many Vespa riders in Manhattan fasten the license plate to the scooter with velcro (see pic), and just pop it off after parking illegally on the

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-19207072433918898252008-05-23T13:15:00.001-04:002009-05-27T11:15:47.974-04:00

Things to do in NYC at 7 am :  go see Counting Crows perform live (and free)  on Good Morning America at Bryant Park. Amazing city. 

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-59524194018556901492008-05-18T20:56:00.003-04:002009-06-03T10:06:57.350-04:00

The other night we went to a very popular bar in the West Village to meet some friends. They were Belgians and I thought that, like all Belgians, they were friendly, good-natured and genuine people. Plus, they take their beer seriously and deserve the highest admiration and praise for that. However, all this Belgian goodness surrounding me made me feel guilty about all the fritoland-bashing stuff

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-1126823754190083182008-05-16T14:17:00.001-04:002009-05-27T11:15:47.974-04:00

The Cardamom peeler’s wife has sent me a birthday card picturing Hanuman, the monkey deity worshipped as a symbol of physical strength, power and perseverance. I love it not only because it reminds me of the colors and the magic of India, but also because it brings back very special memories of the time the Cardamom peeler’s wife and I shared an office in Brussels, although it’s possible that I

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-57722006508209204692008-05-15T08:47:00.002-04:002009-05-27T11:15:47.974-04:00

You see those pictures of people in Pompeii and you think, how weird: one quick game of dice after your tea and you're frozen, and that's how people remember you for the next thousand years. Suppose it was the first of dice you've ever played? Suppose you were only doing it to keep your friend Augustus company? Suppose you'd just at the moment finished a brilliant poem or something? Wouldn't it

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-66659640449880021292008-05-11T17:01:00.002-04:002009-05-27T11:09:10.775-04:00

To do in NY when it’s 12 degree outside with no sign of real spring-like weather and showers are forecast for the next 7 days: Book a ticket to Florida.

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-56482669960162645832008-05-01T12:59:00.002-04:002009-05-29T14:37:01.415-04:00

Colin Farrell gave an interview to GQ magazine where he revealed his current passion for Russian baths:"Hollywood hellraiser Colin Farrell has admitted he is hooked on taking Russian-style steam baths while covered in honey. He was a daily visitor to the 10th Street Russian and Turkish Baths where guests are smothered in honey before steaming." Said Farrell: "There's something very basic about

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-22252230825136077632008-04-18T12:06:00.002-04:002009-06-03T10:08:48.459-04:00

I already forgot what it is like to propel yourself out of the office early like a rocket launched from Cape Canaveral, skipping a meeting or leaving your report unfinished because of the gift you have to buy for your friend’s birthday and all stores in town are closed after six. And you finally make it to the store, panting, it’s twenty to six, you’ve got enough time to choose something more

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-45601778581410819182008-04-14T16:17:00.006-04:002009-05-27T11:11:35.330-04:00

I would have added a little bio to this label , like 'Baruch Spinoza, philosopher, born xyz, wrote xyz’.Kellogg’s estimates the cereal box is read an average of five times in a typical household. If the "reading all sides of the cereal box" ritual applies to the bagels bag, this could become a nation of spinoza-savvy consumers. Anyway, let me tell you that the Spinoza bagel is not intrinsically

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-87321153395873009702008-04-10T11:27:00.009-04:002009-05-29T14:37:36.727-04:00

Grandissimo spettacolo, eccetto Rodolfo che mi ha rovinato il pathos del primo atto quando affacciato al balcone ha urlato "AMICHI!"

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-59881147373248987232008-04-09T13:54:00.001-04:002009-05-29T14:30:07.554-04:00

  Trovato nel supermercato sotto casa. 

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-80131165899399653162008-04-07T13:21:00.001-04:002009-05-27T11:15:47.974-04:00

I had a telephone job interview today. My friend A. sent me a message yesterday suggesting that I dress for it because it makes a difference psychologically. I gave her advice serious thought, but the good thing about a telephone interview is that it can reduce your stress level; if you dress for it, won’t your professional outfit bring all the anxiety back? Then I thought that ‘dressing’ does

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-34200373819004773022008-04-05T16:57:00.006-04:002009-05-27T11:23:28.760-04:00

I joined facebook in September in an act of submission to peer pressure. Or, say, to please those friends who were begging me to join in and help boost their popularity. Also, I signed up to see what all the fuss was about. Here is an account of my experience with facebook and the reasons why I believe it is useless or, to put it elegantly, it sucks: Stage 1: I have been a pretty passive user

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-75450697995096872722008-04-02T09:33:00.002-04:002009-05-29T14:37:53.157-04:00

Votato. Con poco entusiasmo e poca cognizione di causa. Alla fine, un po' per esclusione e un po' per affiliazione di schieramento, ho espresso la mia preferenza. E va bene cosi'. D'altronde quando mi ricapita di votare una che si chiama Calogera??

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-31210337083868442972008-04-01T16:14:00.008-04:002009-05-29T14:24:41.859-04:00

I love customer care service in the US. I am and I will always be a very annoying customer in this country. Why? Because here I can. It’s pretty much like the Russian immigrants who had a considerable part in the falls of the Israeli governments in the 90s. Why? Because for the first time they were able to fully exercise their political rights. Likewise, I come from a country, Belgium, where to

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-25517707865207155362008-04-01T13:04:00.008-04:002009-05-27T11:09:10.775-04:00

Indimenticabile la visita dei miei genitori e di mia sorella a NY! Sorella a parte, navigata "connoisseuse" stelle e strisce, e' stato emozionante presentare ai miei genitori questo grande paese, a loro che ci hanno trasmesso il senso di ammirazione e rispetto per i valori di cui l'America si fa portatrice, che ci hanno regalato la grande opportunita' di viverla e di distinguerci con fiera

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-89094784999127482392008-03-27T17:19:00.010-04:002009-05-29T14:40:31.455-04:00

While his fellows fight for acorns throughout city parks, this guy with a sweet tooth took up permanent residency at a street stall selling roasted peanuts. (photo courtesy of my sister)

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-36815258874239391372008-03-19T15:17:00.004-04:002009-05-27T11:15:47.975-04:00

1. Paranoid Park, by Gus van Sant2. Before the Devil Knows you are Dead, by Sidney Lumet3. There will be Blood, by Paul Thomas Anderson4. The Savages, starring Philip Seymour Hoffman5. No country for Old Men, by Ethan and Joel Cohen

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-9282294274745684332008-03-03T08:26:00.003-05:002009-05-27T11:11:35.331-04:00

Perhaps it's hyperbolic to call it the "best ever," but for sure this is the funniest commercial I've seen in a very long time...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDJGjPMR0zo

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-49698714882591675342008-02-27T01:49:00.010-05:002009-05-29T14:38:23.449-04:00

After having systematically forgotten to bring binoculars to theatre every time I went over the last five months, my field glasses finally saw the light again since the time they spotted a giant squirrel in a forest in Southern India in 2007: tonight they received their first New York premiere at the Carnegie Hall. I was so proud of the fact that I remembered to take my binoculars that I didn’t

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-48147506434228535752008-02-20T12:12:00.007-05:002009-05-27T11:07:06.979-04:00

For Valentine’s day my husband gave me the perfect gift: we went to an exquisite luxury spa in Koreatown to each enjoy a pampering evening of rejuvenation. Aura Wellness Spa features what they call “Therapeutic Grottos for healing and relaxation”. In other words, three or four igloo shaped ovens at lobster boiling hot temperature, and an igloo shaped refrigerator at Arctic cold temperature.

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-82850163484413451702007-12-13T04:24:00.001-05:002009-05-27T11:15:47.976-04:00

Per puro caso mi sono imbattuta in “Questo e’ stato” di Piera Sonnino. Una sera di ottobre uscendo da casa di amici a Tribeca avevo notato una pila di libri nuovi di zecca abbandonati all’ingresso del palazzo. Erano stati lasciati da qualche inquilino per chiunque di passaggio fosse interessato. Ne prendemmo due: un saggio sulla Russia «Qui sont les russes ?» e «Questo e’ stato» di Piera Sonnino

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-1782550387816079712007-12-03T13:46:00.000-05:002009-05-29T14:30:07.555-04:00

Surviving the horrors of apartment hunting in NYC is like staying alive and mentally sane in post-war Baghdad. As our apartment-hunting is coming to an end, here is my jungle book of observations, anecdotes and lessons learned about the NYC rental market.Building: what the building looks like, not the apartment itself, is what renters in NYC really care about. This is proved by the fact that the

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-62432483172128907632007-11-25T03:25:00.001-05:002009-05-27T11:07:06.979-04:00

We saw Dave Brubeck in concert at the Blue Note tonight; it was definitely worth the two hour wait (note: standing in line, not seated). It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience to see this jazz icon playing, and most likely our first and last chance to see him in concert, given the fact that, now 87 years old (we didn't even know he was still around), Brubeck makes rare public appearances. The

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-29553841287183680092007-11-21T10:00:00.000-05:002009-05-27T11:11:35.331-04:00

Always wanted that fireplace that can add charm and warmth to any room and to your soul? If you want to add the beauty of a fireplace without actually constructing one, the answer is obviously a fireplace DVD! As seen on Time Out New York...Gee... you live and learn...

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-15956966778630183052007-11-20T12:11:00.000-05:002009-05-29T14:24:41.859-04:00

We nearly jumped out of our skin when we learned yesterday that a colleague who moved to NYC last September decided to go back to Brussels. I find it hard to get my mind round such odd choice. There are job-related considerations behind her decision but also a sense of discomfort or disillusionment with the city. Culture shock? Too many rats? Bagels not cheap enough? I don't know, but this

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-35892950506877305482007-11-20T11:16:00.001-05:002009-05-29T14:38:38.135-04:00

After over 5 years of customer loyalty to the Chinese costume jewelery store on Broadway, I discovered another treasure trove of bangles, necklaces and everything that can turn a bad day around. It's owned by an Indian and offers the comfort of a husband's waiting chair (see picture). When I visited the store for the first time I thought I would try to see whether they sold those traditional

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-22214159236755594152007-11-04T10:27:00.000-05:002009-05-27T11:11:35.331-04:00

On sale at my grocery storeI just can't imagine how we all managed to get by without this massive improvement to our lifestyles.

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-44092427217141948632007-10-31T15:15:00.000-04:002009-05-27T11:15:47.976-04:00

I wanted to wait until the end of our apartment-hunting to write a post about the different brokers I met and my experience with the queer, surreal Manhattan real estate market. I can't. There is this one dude that simply deserves a post of his own. Also, this story may answer questions raised by friends and family who are already all packed and ready to come visit and are now wondering about the

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-12436906591270522572007-10-29T23:13:00.000-04:002009-05-27T11:07:06.979-04:00

I knew Hairspray and Legally Blond wouldn't work for us. Needless to say, our first theater pick in NY was an off off off Broadway play, i.e. the furthest thing from all the pizazz, thrill and extravaganza packed into a typical Broadway show. Now, since the Mint Theater offers seating for 96 (no standing room) it is supposed to be by definition off-off Broadway, precisely because of its having

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-26260357652945722612007-10-18T23:31:00.000-04:002009-05-29T14:24:41.859-04:00

"You know what the funniest thing about Europe is?""What?""It's the little differences. A lotta the same shit we got here, they got there, but there they're a little different."Pulp Fiction, Vincent and JulesI arrived in NYC on September 16th. I didn't do much the first week except for my apt-hunting. Actually, I'm still not doing much except apt-hunting... Anyway, a couple of days later stef

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-13249262946180787602007-10-18T23:05:00.000-04:002009-05-27T11:11:35.332-04:00

Qui l'era dei negozi di noleggio di DVD e' tramontata. In realta' il cadavere e' ancora caldo. Ricordo che ancora nel 2003 andavo con stef a noleggiare dvd in un negoozietto di Chelsea. Armati di buone intenzioni sceglievamo grandi classici davanti ai quali immancabilmente mi addormentavo, complice una buona dose di jet leg. Adesso invece, a 3 anni di distanza, di quel business non rimane che

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757133455377831584.post-29019459917347061352007-10-18T16:40:00.002-04:002009-05-29T14:38:54.265-04:00

I find it hard to believe that there are people who love bikram yoga unconditionally. With all the sweating and crying and crowd and smells... bikram can only trigger simultaneous or alternating emotions of love and hate. Yet, provided that you choose to do bikram come hell or high water, the question is: why exercise rooms are carpeted? Why do they deliberately add fuel to the fire? After

Silviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15177654814263770520noreply@blogger.com0