Category — Podcasts and Videos

Last week I met up with a few of my friends in Max Brenner to catch up on stories and a whole lotta chocolate. As we were waiting on line, it was fun checking out all the stuff behind the candy counters. Once we got seated, we had to pour over the menu and contemplate on what to get. As most of us are chocolate monsters, it was daunting to figure out what to get as everything in the menu sounded so good. [Read more →]

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Last Monday I participated in the Guggenheim Mind’s Eye Tour. This tour is held monthly for people with sensory impairments and gathered a unique collection of perspectives.

The exhibit explored was titled “Paired, Gold.” It comprised of a conjunctive conversation between two artists touched by gold: Felix Torres-Gonzales and Roni Horn. Although Torres-Gonzales work is untitled, its aesthetic magnificence has so much to say. “Untitled” is a 20’ by 30’ plastic-beaded curtain that is glittering with gold. The cascade of shimmer looks sublime, but what is it; mere plastic cellophane painted in gold? It materiality and implication is literally nothing.

However, crossing the curtain is a simple and humble world—a “Gold Field.” On the bare floor is a 5’ by 4’ rectangular mat of pure 24K gold.. It is simply sitting there; without any barricade, plexy-glass or any other barrier. Its simple immensity astonishing. You just want to dive into the radical simplicity and emotive captivation. There is so much that it says in so little a way.

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Lets say you just so happen to be on the Upper East Side, craving for that delicious decadent warm chocolate melting in your mouth but you do not know where to fulfill your desire. Well, fear not, Serendipity3 on East 60^th Street is a popular attraction for tourists and was once and still is, a celebrity hotspot for many.  Opened in 1954 by Stephen Bruce, this place has many amenities- desserts, a full menu including hot dogs and sandwiches, as well a convenient gift shop offering books of recipes and many other neat, small trinkets. However, like many other places, this popular place is not cheap by any means. Their signature “Frozen Hot Chocolate,” ten dollars and one of their most popular items, is known for its delicious milkshake like quality. It tastes like a hot chocolate, but it indeed cold as- the name implies, topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Not only does this place priced pretty highly, it has the celebrity list to prove it. Frequent regulars in the past include Andy Warhol, a regular customer, and First Lady Jackie O. To add the final icing on the cake and to add to the already demanding prices, Serendipity is home to the most expensive dessert. At a cool one thousand dollars, you could get the world’s most expensive sundae. What makes up this extreme creation? 5 scoops of Tahitian Vanilla Bean ice cream, Madagascar vanilla covered in 23K edible gold leaf, the most expensive chocolate- Amedei Porcelana, covered with addition chunks of Chuao chocolate, and cocoa beans harvested on the Caribbean Sea. It is then suffused with exotic candied fruits from Paris, Marzipan Cherries, and a glass bowl of golden color Grand Passion Caviar. To top it off, this dessert is only eaten in a crystal goblet and an 18K gold spoon, a petite mother of pearl spoon, and topped with a decorated sugar flower. So, save up and enjoy this wonderful, blissful opportunity only found at Serendipity3.

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Flowers, to me, have always been a simple ornament to any lawn or household; so when I went to visit the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, I was expecting to see no more than a larger version of my neighbor’s backyard.  When I glanced in, though, I found an array of unique flowers, each seemingly to have a story of its own.  The first flower I encountered was the Calliandra.  It somewhat resembled a pink porcupine, but to my surprise, when I touched it, it was as soft as any stuffed animal.  After admiring this for a couple of minutes, I found several doors that led to what seemed to be a whole different world.  They were filled with trees that had the most humongous leaves, cactus roses, pedals that looked like faces, and so many other plants that not even my imagination could think of.  After four hours of walking through the entire garden, with an hour dedicated to getting lost several times, I wondered if there was any way to capture all of its beauty and fragrances, and bring them with me as I reenter the real world.

A trip to University Pita satisfies not only a raging hunger, but also the thirst for Israeli art and culture.

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Asians have come a long way in this nation’s history. From the humble beginnings of a railroad worker, many Asian immigrants of that time have settled here and gave birth to a new generation of Asians—Asian Americans. On November 14^th, The Asian American Writers’ Workshop hosted its most ambitious project yet: “Page Turner—The Asian American Literary Festival” in D.U.M.B.O, Brooklyn. [Read more →]

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Beautiful gardens, a sweet smell of the natural perfume that nature omits, and a rainy day. These are the things that greeted me last Saturday as I walked through Queens Botanical Garden. It seems very odd that this garden is located on Main Street in Flushing, Queens. The serene peaceful air that rests inside is very different from the bustling streets right outside. As the cars speed by, life inside the garden continues to grow and show the beauty of the Earth. [Read more →]