I want this book! I'm obsessed with islands! The more remote and uninhibitent the better!
Atlas of Remote Islands: Fifty Islands I Have Never Set Foot on and Never Will.
We have not done any musical interludes lately. Of course you can trust the Sunny Orangery to come up with something...well Sunny!
If you're not a fan of country music, then you're lying to yourself. How could you not be!? Cute guys with cowboy hats singing about how their hearts belong to you? Hello? I'll take one! And another point: have you seen ONE cowboy that didn't have a nice butt!?? Something about riding horses all day and other manual labor tasks makes cowboy butts oh so smackable!
Now I know what you're thinking, I'm a married woman, how inapropriate of me to drool in such a juvenile maner. It's ok I tell ya, my hubby is a footballer so he also has them nice thighs and butt.
Anyway, here are some singing Brazilian cowboys! Sing to me boys!
How cute is this? A pretty nice little gift for a hostess or so... And you don't have to go to the museum to buy it! The Moma shop is not even located in the same area as the museum! (Haha, just kidding, museum is not so bad too! ...or so I heard.)
I've been into 'designy' stuff lately... I think I'm just getting old and realizing that there are no GRAND schemes to life, just pleasure in details. EWWWWWW BARFFFFFF!!!
Don't worry, no depressing stuff here, but HEY! Why not chase down the grand schemes AND pleasure in details as well!?
Sempreprimavera is about having it ALL!!! That's right! No guilt, no excuses! FORWARD my people!
My coffee was especially strong and wonderful this morning! Aaaaahhh!
I DID go shopping and got her! Haha, its a skirt with a style name "Bandaid"!! I have basically discovered my new favorite store!!
Funny enough they got started in Chicago as a Nautical company, making sails. Funny for two reasons: 1. Because there is no sea in Chicago, 2. It has been bought by the Italians in the 70's but they still carry out the American Nautical theme.
Anyway, their clothes simply ROCK! I later found out that the company that bought them is the Sixty Group, yes the creators of "Miss Sixty" brand which I LOVE because its the only brand of jeans that can fit me correctly!!! Its all about the fit. It shoud be called "the hug" really.
As for the Beers, the winner for me was Leffe Blond! The awesomest picture of Leffe here!!
Now something more relevant, one of my favorite bars here on the east coast in Phili, not too bad at about 20 Belgian beers on TAP with about a hundred others available bottled.
Chocolates... hmm... I going to get into it, but ended up completely ignoring them! Just not a big chocolate person. Plus if anything I like my chocolate hard and bitter! Non of that mushy sweet stuff for me. And I like biting it right of a big chunk! Non of those tiny truffle thingis that look like boobs... hmmpf!
Just want to interrupt the "Princess Diaries" for a second. The other day Jazz, Highcontrast, and friend we went to the see La Boheme put on by City Opera. I like opera, though I must admit the last time I went, I was admitted with a child's ticket. Yeah, last year, no, I wish, maybe like 18 yrs ago...
Anyway, it was a rainy evening and I was already getting annoyed as it is due to having to beat and fight my way through the crowds with umbrellas on Fifth ave. Finally we made it to the theater where we also attended a lecture about opera. The lecture was ok, though the speakers were condescending in their ways of explaining the basic elements of opera, I mean COME ON! Everyone knows what an "Aria" is... if not, you can watch TV where our very own Mr. Highcontrast explains to us what it is. (Yes he was picked out of the crowd to be inverviewed because he is just so pretty.) It really wasn't bad, since before the lecture we were able to grab complementary drinks made with Fernet Branca. I was rather annoyed when server chick tried to explain to me what Fernet Branca was. Dude!!! Don't you know I'm a faux Italian!??? I know my aperatifs and digestifs Grazie very mucho!!!
It did calm me down, the drink I mean.
Ok, now as for La Boheme. I liked BEING at the opera, but the storyline was just NOT doing it for me. Its supposed to be a story about falling in love, though to me it looked more like a bunch of poor people looking for a cheap romp that turns out to be more expensive then thought.
Seriously, the play starts out with 2 guys in their little attic bohemian Parisian pad trying to conduct their bohemian activities (paint and write poetry) but its too cold and they have no money for heat... Then the 3rd guy shows up saying he just got paid and they all decide to go out to dinner, it is Christmas after all...
One of the guys Rodolfo (main guy) lingers behind... this is when the main chick, Mimi shows up at his door BEGGING FOR IT.
According to the story, she is supposed to be this shy, sweet girl who talks in a soft voice... YEAH RIGHT! Who does Verdi take us for?? Everyday fools???
This Mimi slut, shows up at Rodolfo's door under the pretext of lighting her candle that has gone out. Then she mentions that she is out of breath climbing all those stairs, so Rodolfo offers her a seat. Now WHY in the world she didn't knock on her next door neighbor's door instead of "climbing all those stairs" sure beats me! Rodolfo is still being a fidgety dumb ass, so Mimi decides to FAINT into his croch area to speed things up. The moran still doesn't get it, but when she comes to, he does offer her some wine. Ok, good.
She sings him a little "Aria" about how she is a nice, sweet girl who likes romance, hint, hint... who's real name is Lucia, but apparently everyone calls her Mimi (hmm... her prostitute nickname perhaps?) She proceeds to tell him that she lives alone... (Ahhh, ALL ALONE) HINT HINT.
Rodolfo the fool still doesn't get it and decides to sing her an "Aria" in return... after he is done, and after some awekward moments of silence Mimi finally decides to leave. But the shameless slut in her doesn't give up so easily!!! She comes right back and says that she dropped her house key in the apartment, then both candles go out cus she creates a draft in the apartment and both of them end up on their all fours on the floor looking for her keys (which she probably never had to begin with because I dont know about any whores locking up their rooms).
Ok, making long story short, she continues to be really annoying asking Rodolfo for presents and etc... then when he rightfully gets sick of her bony ass, she guilts him into staying with her because she gets sick. (Probably syphilis from all her previous whoring around.) At the end she dies. I don't know WHY, but I'm not sad for her, but extremely relieved for Rodolfo.
Hmmm.. maybe I should try Carmen, see if I like that better. She was a conniving seductress and was not afraid to admit it.
I'm not big on cultural, educational stuff. I drink before going to a museum... (and during). I think its because I've gotten too much culture and museums when I was little when my parents took me out everysingle weekend to some kind of exposition. And I used to LOVE IT! I would read the inscription underneath every single rock, half-rock and rusty nail! And now days, I cross the street when I see a museum. I don't know why, but I think it just plays into my theory that people get dumber as they grow up. I think I've mentioned it before, but can't help to say again, in my almost year of residing in Italy, I successfully did NOT go to any museums, nor did I make time for the Sistine chapel in the 50+ odd times I've been to Rome. I know, DISGRACEFUL! Kids, don't be like me in this case.
Anyway, I took pains to go do something cultural last week and Dulce and Wallstr and I made it to a gallery to see some photography.
This was my absolute favorite. I could just stare at it for hours. The other photographs in the series are majestic as well. I went to the original gallery website www.galerie-poller.com that shows all of them. I was not impressed with the space that was dedicated for it in NYC. Such gorgeous work should not be displayed in tiny maze like corridors with poor lighting. Obviously just my feeble unprofessional opinion.
Here is the back story (full story on the website)...
"The viewer is surrounded by photographs of pine trees found at an ancient grave site near Kyong-Ju (Kyung-Ju, Gyeongju) taken from the central vantage point at which the viewer stands.
Kyong-Ju is located in the southeastern part of Korea about 60 km north of Pusan. It was the old capital city of the Shilla dynasty during more than 1,000 years from BC 57 to AD 992. A lot of historic monuments, especially numerous Siberian styled tombs, are scattered throughout the city.
The achievements of the Shilla people and their devotion to Buddha are evident in the stone images carved on cliff walls and the other stone monuments found throughout the area. It was appointed by UNESCO in 1995 as one of the world historic cultural heritage places. Currently, the population of Kyong-Ju is around 150,000, but in ancient times after Shilla dynasty unified Korea in AD 668, the population was estimated about 800,000, which was one of the most thriving cities of the world. Around that time, the city was the door of Korea to the world."
Yeah, that's why cultural/educational experiences are so depressing, like opening a can of worms. You can't just learn about ONE thing, all these OTHER things you should know about come up!!! Mommy, why didn't you ever tell me about the Shilla dynasty?! (When in doubt always blame the parents).
Thanks to a reminder from Google we can all feel a bit culturally enriched today!
It is the birthday of Joan Miro' who was born on April 20, 1893. He is a famous Catalan surrealist painter. From our "favorite" city of Barcelona. He was buddies with Picaso and all them other cubists and fauvists. I am not too big on abstract art but once you learn what are some of his recurring symbols are in his paintings and sculptures, it is possible to "read" what the painting is saying. And a lot of it is pretty kinky! Where classical art is supposed to evoke a certain feeling in the viewer and is open to personal interpretation, I think (just MY opinion) is like apuzzlel that actually reveals a little hidden message from the artist. 
So knock yourselves out! Google image the heck out of him and see if you have any favorites!
This is one of my favorites... I got it at the gift shop at the Fundacio' Joan Miro' when I was in Barcelona. Note: I said GIFT shop, since I didn't ACTUALLY go into the museum... yeah yeah ignoramus...
Anyway, the ant that is hanging in the air is supposed to represent something sexual... the bottle... um... something else... and the creatureswimmingg out of the stormy water is drunk? Is that why he has red eyes?
Also he is a bit of a hero to me because his family wanted him to be a business person, but after he worked as an accountatnt for two years he staged a "nervous breakdown" so his parents would let him persue other things... well... how come that didn't work for me!? I can draw cubes and lines and ants and stuff! Ignoramus... ok, off to lunch...
Read more...
Here are some pics from our fun outing to the museum.
This is the Budda room... was cool! This is also the room where Dulce got reprimanded for being on her cellphone by the museum security attendant who was power tripping after an overdose of opium.
Wallstr told him that the tone of voice he was using "wasn't very nice". And I tried looking at his name badge so we can report him to for bad customer treatment! But he immediately started running away... and well my vision was still fuzzy from the drinks earlier.
Ahhh... and the sculpture garden! That's always marvelous! How hot would it be to have something similar in your house!? Amm... VERY hot.
Oh, and how cute are people whose English is a second language!??? Here is a tidbit of a conversation with Nico today:
Ale: Hey, I think you need to bring a jacket since it looks like it might rain on Saturday...
Nico: Oh, MAN! I was really hoping to wear as little clothes as possible this weekend!!
(Good boy!)
Yesterday was a major WME!!!! WORST MONDAY EVER! Besides it being a Monday, it was freezing, it rained... it just sucked!!!! Ok, whining over... next topic...
So this weekend I went to Brooklyn to this SMS -Special Magical Store- called Loehmanns. Saturday morning is just about the only time you can squeeze in and do some shopping because the Jewish Princesses are in Synagogues trying to seduce Jewish boys and the Vulgar Russian girls are still sleeping off their hangovers and probably NOT in their own beds... SO, Saturday morning it is actually possible to walk in and do some shopping without being ripped to shreds. I didn't find any La Perla, but there was a very fabulous black linen backless top that will make it possible to go sans bra! (ou-la-la)
Oh yeah, and after that I went to visit my lovely aunt and uncle and they dragged me to a museum! What!? Yes, the Brooklyn Museum of Art. It was like some kind of big party out there being the first Saturday of the month which is free entrance. It was ok, but the way I was yawning I think people around me were afraid that I'd rip my mouth and squirt blood.
All this cultural/artsy immersion made me realize that I don't know anything, and what's worse is I possibly remember learning about it so I THINK I know it, but in fact I don't so I can't even imagine what it is I should re-learn. What's more concerning is that I realized I should really prep a bit for Nico's visit. You know how these European boys know absolutely everything about the US and politics and world economy and ... all that other good stuff... I bet HE will be the one telling me about the background of NY's architecture or prominent historical and social figures! That would be super embarrassing! I mean hopefully he will not want to talk politics or world peace... or even talk at all!... but you never know what the heck kinds of strange things turn people on... gotta be prepared for anything.
So you see, besides learning key words in German, and making sure I have perfect outfits to channel sexy/classy/slutty/pretty/bitchy/sweet all at the same time, I have other preparations to conduct! Some current events to read up on, learn everything about the European System of Accounting practices... or whatever..
Note: Just kidding about Brooklyn Museum being boring. The current exposition of the Jewish Mosaics that were found in some dude's backyard in Tanzania was very interesting. The mosaics and other artifacts were apparently from the times of Flavian dynasty. Inspired me to read a book about the Ruler Vespasian, my uncle promised there would be scandal and promiscuity. Good stuff!
We interrupt our trip through Costa Rica to travel to the opposite side of the world. Allegedly the center of Asia... We're going to the Republic of Tuva!
The Republic of Tuva (from www.slowfood.it)
"Situated in southern Siberia on the border with Mongolia, the Republic of Tuva has an area of 170,500 square kilometers and is one of the least known regions of the Russian Confederation.
It is the geographic center of Asia and in Kyzyl, the capital, there is a monument to mark the most distant point from the sea. The climate is continental, with temperatures ranging from 40°C in the summer to -50°C in the harsh Siberian winter. The variety of landscapes and temperatures has resulted in a huge range of flora and fauna: from the taiga—the Siberian forest of firs and birches—to the Mongolian steppes; from the yaks in the most mountainous areas of the country to the camels in the far south.
The land of Tuva has been inhabited since Neolithic times and there are many historical and artistic remains from this period (rock carvings, burial sites, stones and artifacts of many kinds). In the 13th century, the region had to yield to the ‘Golden Hordes’ of Genghis Khan, while in the 18th century it came under the sphere of influence of China under the Manchu dynasty. After a war of liberation, it became independent once again in 1912, and in 1914 became a Russian protectorate. The Popular Republic of Tuva was formed in 1921 and remained a sovereign state until 1944, when it became part of the USSR. In 1992, following the break-up of the Soviet Union, the Republic of Tuva returned to being an independent state within the Russian Confederation."
Shamans of Tuva (from www.fortuva.org)
"Shamanism, probably the earliest religion on earth, believe that every mountain, river or forest 
has its own spirit which owns the place, and is in command of animals and birds living there. Spirits can protect people, provided their goodwill is obtained with prayers and sacrifices. Shamans have therefore a vested interest in protecting their environment. They were our first ecolo ancestors. They were also our earliest doctors and psychiatrists: through a trance, the shaman engages in a dialogue with spirits to clean the patient of evils which affect his heath, physical and psychic. Spirits help the shaman to look into the patient's past and apprehend his future. After decades of violent persecution by Communists, shamanism makes a forceful comeback in Russia, mainly in the Siberian republic of Tuva." (A story of a woman Shaman "Heart Moon")
Now for a treat. A slide show of Tuvan landscape, also included shots of the inside of a Yurt, and the main city in Tuva. Its accompanied by some traditional music and you can hear a bit of the famous "throat-singers".
What inspired me to look all this up is going to see a performance this Saturday. A group called Huun-Hoor-Tu . They were amazing. Its unbelievable quartetrtette of voices can take you on a journey through the Taiga with cries of birds, howls of animals and the sounds of galloping horses... all done with their voices, simply incredible.
Cheers! (To another discover in this world)
Yeeehaw! Now where did I park my horse last night!??!!
So we're going to take a moment away from International Relations, cus' I think its important to take a look at my new boots!
Yeah, yeah, I know cowboy boots are popular and everyone has them, but I started it!!!! I did, I did!! I got my first pair four years ago! And they were pretty wild looking, deep blood snake. Very vulgar. Now since they're so mainstream I decided to go with a more natural looking pair. (They're the result of my shoegasming last week- at Shoegasm store, of course.)
My very first introduction to real life Cowboys happened at Cal Poly. (California Polytechnic University, at the beautiful San Luis Obispo.) Their Rodeo team is very good, as I was told by my friends that took me to see my very first Rodeo. Cal Poly has one of the largest agricultural programs in the country. Its really awesome on the campus, they have huge pigs, and horses and cows! (Oh my!) I remember having a total crush on the Rodeo club president. Hehe, he had nice thick thighs. I think guys with substantial legs are sexy. This year's guys and gals are #2 nation wide (after Texas). When I was trying to decide my career (at 14) Manager of a Farm was seriously one of my considerations. I don't know where I went wrong and what happened to that dream... ahhh.
But back to my cowboy boots...
Some people may say, "ohhh how vulgar, cosmopolitan city folks are wearing cowboy boots, what kind of perversion is that!" Well to answer that, I say: "What are you talking about!? We have PLENTY of Cowboys in NYC!!!"
We have...
The Naked Cowboy - You can find him most days right in Times Square wearing his cowboy hat, his guitar, boots and underwear. That's it. Otherwise he is NAKED! AND he stays Naked even in November.
Ok, fine he is a singer, but we do have real cowboys...
But the Federation of Black Cowboys over in Howard Beach, Queens are for real. They have stables and participate in Rodeos. They also work with inner city kids. This picture for example was take by someone who saw them in Prospect Park, which is in Brooklyn.
Just goes to show you that ANYTHING is possible. I mean, come on, if we can have Cowboys in NYC then... world is full of opportunities.
And in case you were wondering...
"Cowboy up" means: tuff-up, get back on yer horse, don't back down, don't give up, and do the best you can with the hand you're dealt.
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