Sunday, April 10, 2011
Amelie Gatreau
othewise know as Madam X by John Singer Sargent
So Day One in NY and I went for a walk in Central Park which was full of joggers and families and people playing ball games and walking dogs. The trees are moslty bare but starting to be sprigged in green - and an abundance of daffodils and tulips...
I spent an hour at The Met - went to see Madam X, having just reread Strapless which details both the lives of Amelie Gatreau and John Singer Sargent and the scandal that his painting of her caused at the Paris Salon in 1870-something. Only she wasn't where I remembered. Turns out that they are building a new American wing and while parts of it are complete all the American paintings are in storage - acessible storage but storage nonethless. So I found Amelie there - out of her frame and hung so low that you could almost catch her eye - except that she resoultely looks the other way - and hung behind glass. Next to her were 2 other JSS portraits - Louise Burckhardt and ??? (can't remember his name) And all the Eakins and the Chases and all those other great American 19th C paintings are tucked away in this mezzanine area, behind glass.
I should rename this: Shame About the Singer Sargent!
Also spent a bit of time in the 19th C European paintings and did a general wander around the gallery - not quite 'with-it' enough to really spend any time actually looking and appreciating what was on display. There's a Steichen and Sieglitz photography show on that I plan to go back to see & Ringo Starr's gold drum! But plenty of time to spend days lost in The Met.
Walked back through the park and did a little bit of exploring the area around where I am living. Right next door is great deli / market - with lots of fresh fruit & veg and general supplies. Have scoped out where Steps is & planning on doing a tap class tomorrow morning.
Weather is ok - a bit grim & grey today and cool. Tomorrow is forecast to be 80 F - which the tv woman is telling me is warm! I need to learn to translate F to C! But meant to be cooler again later in the week. Glad I brought my coat with me.
So Day One in NY and I went for a walk in Central Park which was full of joggers and families and people playing ball games and walking dogs. The trees are moslty bare but starting to be sprigged in green - and an abundance of daffodils and tulips...
I spent an hour at The Met - went to see Madam X, having just reread Strapless which details both the lives of Amelie Gatreau and John Singer Sargent and the scandal that his painting of her caused at the Paris Salon in 1870-something. Only she wasn't where I remembered. Turns out that they are building a new American wing and while parts of it are complete all the American paintings are in storage - acessible storage but storage nonethless. So I found Amelie there - out of her frame and hung so low that you could almost catch her eye - except that she resoultely looks the other way - and hung behind glass. Next to her were 2 other JSS portraits - Louise Burckhardt and ??? (can't remember his name) And all the Eakins and the Chases and all those other great American 19th C paintings are tucked away in this mezzanine area, behind glass.
I should rename this: Shame About the Singer Sargent!
Also spent a bit of time in the 19th C European paintings and did a general wander around the gallery - not quite 'with-it' enough to really spend any time actually looking and appreciating what was on display. There's a Steichen and Sieglitz photography show on that I plan to go back to see & Ringo Starr's gold drum! But plenty of time to spend days lost in The Met.
Walked back through the park and did a little bit of exploring the area around where I am living. Right next door is great deli / market - with lots of fresh fruit & veg and general supplies. Have scoped out where Steps is & planning on doing a tap class tomorrow morning.
Weather is ok - a bit grim & grey today and cool. Tomorrow is forecast to be 80 F - which the tv woman is telling me is warm! I need to learn to translate F to C! But meant to be cooler again later in the week. Glad I brought my coat with me.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
New York New York with a small stop in LA
Ok - so here I am. New York, County Inn the City, Apartment 6 - which is just as super cute and fab as I was hoping.
Flights were uneventful - which is what I wanted! Premiun economy is the best - champagne on arrival at my seat, choide of meals and wine with meals, after dinner Baileys, bottle of water waiting on the seat, noise cancelling headphone, toiletries kit with earplugs, eye mask, toothbursh etc, hot fasce towels - and heaps of movie and music choices - and lots a leg room. So I managed a respectable 4 -5 hours sleep.
Had a scathingly brilliant idea that Lea should come out to LA airport to catch up with me & have airport coffee. Getting through US Customs & Immigration in LA took a suprisingly short amount of time. Lea trumped my idea by collecting me from the airport and taking me to her LA Venice Beach home where they a re living at the moment - and with her friend Elise who arrived hte day before - we all went to for a walk along Venice Beach, had a real coffee, watched skater dudes & cyclists and general Venice Beach people, had pizza and then they put me in a cab back to the airport and I flew on to NY. Plane arrived early in NY - even at 900 odd kms/hr a tailwind helps! And here I am in Apartment 6, 11:30 pm Saturday 9 April. And have successfully accessed the inhouse wireless network.
Feeling amazingly coherent for all the travel - but about to collapse in a heap... Photos to follow sometime tomorrow!
Oh and the taxi driver drove past The Met & The Guggenheim & Central Park and I saw The Empire State Building in the distance - so I am really here!
'Night.
Flights were uneventful - which is what I wanted! Premiun economy is the best - champagne on arrival at my seat, choide of meals and wine with meals, after dinner Baileys, bottle of water waiting on the seat, noise cancelling headphone, toiletries kit with earplugs, eye mask, toothbursh etc, hot fasce towels - and heaps of movie and music choices - and lots a leg room. So I managed a respectable 4 -5 hours sleep.
Had a scathingly brilliant idea that Lea should come out to LA airport to catch up with me & have airport coffee. Getting through US Customs & Immigration in LA took a suprisingly short amount of time. Lea trumped my idea by collecting me from the airport and taking me to her LA Venice Beach home where they a re living at the moment - and with her friend Elise who arrived hte day before - we all went to for a walk along Venice Beach, had a real coffee, watched skater dudes & cyclists and general Venice Beach people, had pizza and then they put me in a cab back to the airport and I flew on to NY. Plane arrived early in NY - even at 900 odd kms/hr a tailwind helps! And here I am in Apartment 6, 11:30 pm Saturday 9 April. And have successfully accessed the inhouse wireless network.
Feeling amazingly coherent for all the travel - but about to collapse in a heap... Photos to follow sometime tomorrow!
Oh and the taxi driver drove past The Met & The Guggenheim & Central Park and I saw The Empire State Building in the distance - so I am really here!
'Night.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Sydney airport
So here I am at the airport and officially out of the country. And look free internet!
Bag weighed in at 17.5 kilos - the checkin attendant was impressed but I was aiming for 15. But I did add my coat to the case this morning - so I'm blaming that and the tap shoes! Apparently I am allowed 64 kilos of checked in luggage!!!!! that's 64 kilos of checked in luggage. Allow me to express my amazements at this
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And can I say this Premium economy stuff is fab even before getting on the plane. I've queue jumped 3 times this morning all because I had an Premium economy express pass. I could get used to this very easily.
30 minutes to boarding so I had better go find my gate.
Next stop LA and hopefully a quick catch up with Lea Simpson.
Bag weighed in at 17.5 kilos - the checkin attendant was impressed but I was aiming for 15. But I did add my coat to the case this morning - so I'm blaming that and the tap shoes! Apparently I am allowed 64 kilos of checked in luggage!!!!! that's 64 kilos of checked in luggage. Allow me to express my amazements at this
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And can I say this Premium economy stuff is fab even before getting on the plane. I've queue jumped 3 times this morning all because I had an Premium economy express pass. I could get used to this very easily.
30 minutes to boarding so I had better go find my gate.
Next stop LA and hopefully a quick catch up with Lea Simpson.
Monday, April 4, 2011
From 'On the Town' ...
On the Town (1949)
Directed by Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly. With Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Betty Garrett, Ann Miller.
OZZIE:
Come on, Gabey, hurry up!
CHIP:
Twenty-four hours!
SAILOR:
Hey, why don't ya look where you're goin'.
You'd think it was your first time in New York!
GABEY:
It is!
(The sailors look around them, happily absorbing the scene.)
GABEY, CHIP, OZZIE:
New York, New York!
It's a helluva town!
GABEY:
We've got one day here and not another minute
To see the famous sights!
OZZIE:
We'll find the romance and danger waiting in it
Beneath the Broadway lights;
But we've hair on our chests
So what we like the best are the nights
Sights! Lights! Nights!
GABEY, CHIP, OZZIE:
New York, New York, a helluva town.
The Bronx is up, but the Battery's down.
The people ride in a hole in the groun'.
New York, New York, it's a helluva town!
CHIP:
(points to Empire State Building)
Hey, Gabey! Gabey, look.
(consulting his guidebook with reverence and excitement)
Gabey, it says here "There are 20,000 streets in New York,
not counting MacDougal Alley the heart of Green-Witch Village,
a charming thoroughfare filled with..."
OZZIE:
Here we go again!
CHIP:
The famous places to visit are so many,
Or so the guidebooks say.
I promised Daddy I wouldn't miss on any.
And we have just one day.
Got to see the whole town
From Yonkers on down to the Bay.
GABEY, CHIP, OZZIE:
In just one day!
New York, New York, a visitor's place,
Where no one lives on account of the pace,
But seven millions are screaming for space.
New York, New York, it's a visitor's place!
(Two sailors enter, weaving and weary-looking -
one happy, one very glum.)
GABEY:
Hey! Look who's comin' back! It's Tom and Andy!
OZZIE:
Hey, Tom, Andy! Hey, fellas, how are the New York dames?
ANDY:
Wonderful - I don't remember a thing!
TOM:
Awful! I remember everything!
(Tom and Andy exit.)
OZZIE:
Manhattan women are dressed in silk and satin,
Or so the fellas say;
There's just one thing that's important in Manhattan,
When you have just one day;
Gotta pick up a date...
CHIP:
Maybe seven...
OZZIE:
Or eight
On your way.
GABEY, CHIP, OZZIE:
In just one day!
New York, New York, a helluva town.
The Bronx is up, but the Battery's down.
The people ride in a hole in the groun'.
New York, New York, it's a helluva town!!
Directed by Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly. With Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Betty Garrett, Ann Miller.
OZZIE:
Come on, Gabey, hurry up!
CHIP:
Twenty-four hours!
SAILOR:
Hey, why don't ya look where you're goin'.
You'd think it was your first time in New York!
GABEY:
It is!
(The sailors look around them, happily absorbing the scene.)
GABEY, CHIP, OZZIE:
New York, New York!
It's a helluva town!
GABEY:
We've got one day here and not another minute
To see the famous sights!
OZZIE:
We'll find the romance and danger waiting in it
Beneath the Broadway lights;
But we've hair on our chests
So what we like the best are the nights
Sights! Lights! Nights!
GABEY, CHIP, OZZIE:
New York, New York, a helluva town.
The Bronx is up, but the Battery's down.
The people ride in a hole in the groun'.
New York, New York, it's a helluva town!
CHIP:
(points to Empire State Building)
Hey, Gabey! Gabey, look.
(consulting his guidebook with reverence and excitement)
Gabey, it says here "There are 20,000 streets in New York,
not counting MacDougal Alley the heart of Green-Witch Village,
a charming thoroughfare filled with..."
OZZIE:
Here we go again!
CHIP:
The famous places to visit are so many,
Or so the guidebooks say.
I promised Daddy I wouldn't miss on any.
And we have just one day.
Got to see the whole town
From Yonkers on down to the Bay.
GABEY, CHIP, OZZIE:
In just one day!
New York, New York, a visitor's place,
Where no one lives on account of the pace,
But seven millions are screaming for space.
New York, New York, it's a visitor's place!
(Two sailors enter, weaving and weary-looking -
one happy, one very glum.)
GABEY:
Hey! Look who's comin' back! It's Tom and Andy!
OZZIE:
Hey, Tom, Andy! Hey, fellas, how are the New York dames?
ANDY:
Wonderful - I don't remember a thing!
TOM:
Awful! I remember everything!
(Tom and Andy exit.)
OZZIE:
Manhattan women are dressed in silk and satin,
Or so the fellas say;
There's just one thing that's important in Manhattan,
When you have just one day;
Gotta pick up a date...
CHIP:
Maybe seven...
OZZIE:
Or eight
On your way.
GABEY, CHIP, OZZIE:
In just one day!
New York, New York, a helluva town.
The Bronx is up, but the Battery's down.
The people ride in a hole in the groun'.
New York, New York, it's a helluva town!!
Friday, April 1, 2011
New York New York
They Might Be Giants Lyrics » New York City
You called me last night on the telephone
And I was glad to hear from you 'cause I was all alone
You said, "It's snowing, it's snowing! God, I hate this weather."
Now I walk through blizzards just to get us back together
We met in the springtime at a rock-and-roll show
It was on the Bowery when it was time to go
We kissed on the subway in the middle of the night
I held your hand, you held mine, it was the best night of my life.
'Cause everyone's your friend in New York City
And everything looks beautiful when you're young and pretty
The streets are paved with diamonds and there's just so much to see
But the best thing about New York City is you and me
Statue of Liberty, Staten Island Ferry, Co-op City, Katz's and Tiffany's*
Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge, The Empire State where Dylan lived**
Coney Island and Times Square, Rockefeller Center
Wish I was there
You wrote me a letter just the other day
Said, "Springtime is coming soon so why don't you come to stay."
I packed my stuff, got on the bus, I can't believe it's true
I'm three days from New York City and I'm three days from you
'Cause everyone's my friend in New York City
And everything looks beautiful when you're young and pretty
The streets are paved with diamonds and there's just so much to see
But the best thing about New York City is you and me
'Cause everyone's my friend in New York City
And everything looks beautiful when you're young and pretty
The streets are paved with diamonds and there's just so much to see
But the best thing about New York City is you and me.
You called me last night on the telephone
And I was glad to hear from you 'cause I was all alone
You said, "It's snowing, it's snowing! God, I hate this weather."
Now I walk through blizzards just to get us back together
We met in the springtime at a rock-and-roll show
It was on the Bowery when it was time to go
We kissed on the subway in the middle of the night
I held your hand, you held mine, it was the best night of my life.
'Cause everyone's your friend in New York City
And everything looks beautiful when you're young and pretty
The streets are paved with diamonds and there's just so much to see
But the best thing about New York City is you and me
Statue of Liberty, Staten Island Ferry, Co-op City, Katz's and Tiffany's*
Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge, The Empire State where Dylan lived**
Coney Island and Times Square, Rockefeller Center
Wish I was there
You wrote me a letter just the other day
Said, "Springtime is coming soon so why don't you come to stay."
I packed my stuff, got on the bus, I can't believe it's true
I'm three days from New York City and I'm three days from you
'Cause everyone's my friend in New York City
And everything looks beautiful when you're young and pretty
The streets are paved with diamonds and there's just so much to see
But the best thing about New York City is you and me
'Cause everyone's my friend in New York City
And everything looks beautiful when you're young and pretty
The streets are paved with diamonds and there's just so much to see
But the best thing about New York City is you and me.
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