Food at the Flea

This past Sunday I went to the Brooklyn Flea at the Williamsburg Savings Bank - that huge clock tower you've probably seen from any distance. I've been to the one outside on Saturdays in the school parking lot but I had heard that the food area on Sundays is in the bank's vault. In my mind I was thinking that the vault would be really cool with old safety deposit boxes and bars, but the only cool thing was the big vault door. The rest just looked like an unfinished basement with Sheetrock and really dim lighting. I ended up getting a very yummy grilled cheese sandwich from the Milk Truck that was called the "Classic with a Twist." It was Gruyere on rye with whole grain mustard and pickled onions. Yum! While I was waiting for it, I spotted Jesse Eisenberg (actor known for Squid and the Whale, Zombieland, Roger Dodger) holding hands with a girl. Love the celebrity spottings!

After, I made my way upstairs to where all the stores displayed their goods. The atmosphere upstairs was so much nicer. The building looked like an old cathedral with beautiful, painted dome ceilings and all the old details I was hoping to see. The vendors are very diverse from old and new jewelry to vintage furnishings to collectible items. I didn't end up buying anything but it was worth the visit. I recommend stopping in since it is free, but check out the Flea on Saturdays for a nicer outdoor shopping experience.

DUMBO is More Than an Fictional Elephant

This past Saturday I went to the BKLYN Designs event in the DUMBO area of Brooklyn (for those not from the area, it stands for Down Under the Manhattan Brooklyn Overpass - NYC loves their acronyms). I met up with a friend who had an extra ticket, and glad she did because I wasn't about to pay $15 for this event. Apparently the stores involved do not pay to be a part of the event so they have to charge the public. It was housed at Warehouse 38 on Water St, which when you think that it's in a warehouse it would be large but it was actually fairly small and was walkable in about an hour. It was amazing to see all the great furniture designers out there but there was nothing I could afford so it was sort of like being in a museum. The DUMBO area was nice to walk around though with it's newly designed park and great stores and restaurants. It was an incredibly windy day, but the views of Manhattan and hanging out with a friend were well worth it.

Yoga in the Park

Last night I went for the first time to the free yoga offered in Fort Greene Park. Yoga outdoors is a very different experience then at a studio or in your home. I'm going to totally sound like a hippie right now but doing yoga outside really gets you in touch with the earth and puts you in a different mindset that is a little more peaceful and enjoyable. The only thing that bothered me a little was that although I was on my yoga mat, we were in an area where the grass was not cut and was pretty uneven with sticks and stones. I don't know how some of the guys managed without a mat but they stuck it out.
The class was an hour long from 7 - 8pm and there were about 12 people. It is a free class but the instructor did ask at the end for donations. It will take place every Tuesday throughout the summer, so check it out.

(Note: The photo above is not from the class yesterday and was just found on Google images to give you an idea of what it was like.)

Family Get-Togethers

This past weekend I took a trip up to Massachusetts to see family and celebrate my nephew's 2nd birthday. The weather was beautiful so we were able to party outside in my sister's backyard. We did the usual bbq fare of burgers, dogs, beer and lemonade. It was interesting to see the new dynamic in the family though now that there are so many kids. I noticed it is a challenge to have a conversation with someone because everyone is trying to concentrate on where their kids are and entertaining them. You get in the small talk and catch up a little, but relaxing and chatting is not really a part of life anymore. I guess that's what email, texting, Facebook, Skype and the phone are for.

New Orleans On My Mind

I just finished the book Zeitoun by Dave Eggers. The story follows Abdulrahman Zeitoun, a Syrian contractor living in New Orleans, before, during and after hurricane Katrina. It was amazing to me to learn how one man can be so courageous, generous and intelligent and yet be trapped in the ridiculous crisis management that took place during this tragic event. The bureaucratic brutality was just horrifying to read when I really heard nothing about this living my daily life. I don't know if I was just closing my eyes to the whole situation at the time, but now my eyes are wide open. This is a true story and I'm sure there are many other stories like Zeitoun's out there that should be heard.


Coincidentally, I have also been watching the new show Treme on HBO that takes place in New Orleans three months after hurricane Katrina. The show follows the interconnecting lives of several struggling musicians and locals in their beloved city. It's really an amazing show and has once again enlightened me to the issues that took place in my own country. Definitely check out the show. It's on Sunday nights at 10pm. At least listen to the opening song...it's amazing!

Street Sm-art

Yesterday my husband and I went to see the movie "Exit Through the Gift Shop." I had seen a good review on "At the Movies" and heard from a friend recently that it was sold out when she went to go see it, so I was intrigued. I have to say that this was one of my favorite movies so far this year. First of all, this short film is not only insightful and fun to look at, but it's funny, and it's all in an hour and a half. It brings you into the world of underground street artists through a documentary that ends up being a documentary sort of about the making of a documentary.

The film begins with Banksy, a well known British street artists who is also the creator of this film, saying that this was suppose to be a film about him but it ends up being about the guy who was filming him because he's actually more interesting. The film began as the obsession of Thierry Guetta, a French immigrant in Los Angeles, who became fascinated by street art and spent years filming the art and its creators. As Thierry follows various street artists filming days and days of footage, he begins to get involved with making street art himself, even though he has no artistic talent. Now I don't want to ruin the movie for you but I have to say that as it continues there is a twist that has caused a lot of speculation and theories on whether this was a real documentary or a Banksy hoax. I definitely say "See It" and let me know what you decide.