~ Back to the Future
43rd Street
October 7th, 2016
Tag: manhattan
New Yorker Festival
Our initiation to The New Yorker Festival, an annual event with performances, screenings and talks bringing together personalities from the worlds of art, culture, literature, politics and, to quote the organisers, everything in-between.
A modest but very interesting start with just two of the events.
Louis C.K. talks with Emily Nussbaum came first. I remember the shock in seeing the dreaded ”sold out” mark next to the ”buy tickets” button. Ever the optimist, after scrolling down for more talks, I thought I’d give it another try. And, lo and behold, two tickets available – must have been the very last ones.
Hot topics like the then upcoming elections and Presidential candidate Trump were covered, but also those more personal like family and work. And money spending, when it came to Mr. C.K.’s latest work Horace and Pete, a production entirely self-funded and web-streamed on his website, yet still managing to loose money even without involvement of middle-men.
We were even treated to a news flash, when Mr. C.K. announced that it would soon become available on Hulu. Two months later the news became official. I had watched Horace and Pete with mixed feelings of disbelief and admiration upto the final moments of grief; for I just couldn’t stand the last episode, torturous from beginning to Horace’s tragic knife-stabbing end. The untimely appearance of his his long-lost son didn’t help either.
The following evening was the turn of a gentleman whose class, charisma, acting mastery and a certain British charm can be summed up in two words: Jeremy Irons.
In ”Jeremy Irons talks with Rebecca Mead’‘ the discussion flowed freely like between two friends having a good time. A journey that started in the Isle of Wight, touched upon Mr. Irons’ childhood years and went on about education, racism, economy. ”Unregulated capitalism is like unregulated water: It will drown you” said Mr. Irons, a phrase that stuck with me since.
His motorbike, Broadway stints and other important steps in his career (Brideshead Revisited – yes, of course) were also mentioned, as was his newest film ”The Man who knew Infinity” which I have yet to watch.
A lively conversation, spoken in Mr. Irons’ distinctive voice, excellent diction and that very charming British humour, enhanced by his expressive gestures – and when these were not enough to contain him in his seat – his walking about the stage in a kind of improvised performance.
Dressed in a steampunkish outfit, matching scarf and biker boots Mr. Irons was the personification of an English gentleman with a touch of ”frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn” flare, audiences around the world find so irresistible.
The series is held in different venues in New York City, in October.
October 7th & 8th, 2016
Time.Travel.Dream.
Ten past nine. Time doesn’t matter. What matters is I lost you. You hugged me and drifted away in the shadows. You said it’s ok. You said you’d be back by nine. I tried to call you but I couldn’t remember your number. Your number. The one I called thousands – countless times year upon year upon year. I pushed the memory button but that didn’t work either. Anxiety turning to desperation. I start to panic but I try to focus. I start again, digit after digit after digit. Together they look familiar, perhaps I’m getting somewhere. Yet somehow I find it impossible to dial your number to the end. Either I loose track or the screen gets blurry – finally the battery goes dead. Best I can do is wait under the clock. Or wake up. 
A recurrent dream.
October 7th, 2016
Meet me under the clock
October 7th, 2016
Icicle Alert
Monday morning in New York
Tuesday morning in New York
Not the twenty inches of snow predicted but adding the sleet, freezing rain and gusty whistling wind, the day had cocooning written all over it.
March 14th, 2017
Overlooking Columbus
The Time Warner Center overlooking Columbus overlooking the traffic circling around Central Park. Headquarters of Time Warner and the studios of CNN. A world of its own with luxury condos, a five-star hotel, a concert hall, a shopping mall, a fitness center, I don’t know how many restaurants and a Whole Foods supermarket.
Some residents don’t ever have to leave the premises, I would imagine.
Columbus Circle in Blue
October 4th, 2016
Another end, another new beginning
Until then, a few snapshots from the legendary, ultra chic Waldorf Astoria that closed on 28th February for renovation. Its new owners, a Chinese insurance company, intend to convert most of its rooms to luxury condominiums. While the exterior is entirely landmarked, this is not the case with some interior parts. Hopefully, all public spaces and their exquisite ArtDeco elements including the hotel’s extensive archive of photographs, menus and other historical paraphernalia will be preserved.
Waldorf Astoria
Park Avenue
June 5th, 2014
Cloudy vision
Sutton Place
October 2nd, 2016
Bird’s-eye view of Hell’s Kitchen (the monochromatic effect)
I could get used to these views.
I think I will.
October 1st, 2016
A Mad Tea-Party
Which, it seems, we just missed
Just in time to catch the Dormouse 
For a nightcap before he goes off to sleep
October 1st, 2016
The Humble Fabulist 