This photo is the view from my temporary apartment near Rockefeller Center. I had no idea I was looking at the Empire State Building everyday until Sam came over to help me move my suitcases to my non-temporary apartment. I always wondered why I could see so many light flashes at the top every night. (And yes, you can see my cell phone reflected on the window that I took the picture through.)Since I haven't made much headway with putting my apartment together, I'm not going to put up pics from home. It's super cluttered right now - I'm trying to put too much stuff (an Atlanta apartment's worth) in too small of a space (my NY apartment.) I'll get it together eventually. My excuse is that there's much more interesting stuff to do in New York on the weekends than unpack and organize. So let's talk about that, shall we?
Speaking of fun, my cousin Anirban came to town last month for work. We managed to meet for dinner one night at a Thai restaurant near Time Warner Center. The food was really good, and we thought the rice cone that accompanied the curries looked a lot like a topor. A topor is a traditional hat that grooms have to wear in Bengali marriage ceremonies. I find it interesting that a topor resembles a dunce cap...
I've managed to keep really busy by seeing lots of plays, a couple of concerts, dinner with friends and even a long day of outlet shopping on Long Island. "A Man for All Seasons" is a play about Sir Thomas More with Frank Langella playing the title role. More was a scholar and trusted adviser to King Henry VIII, and he lost his head (literally) by refusing to sign the Act of Supremacy which gave the King of England sovereign power instead of the church. Langella's deep voice and immense height gave a great presence to the character. The Roundabout Theatre's production runs through Dec. 14.
"The 39 Steps" is not what you'd expect if you've seen the Hitchcock film of the same name. This British spoof is goofy and engaging and anything but a serious mystery. It is a thriller, though. If you love Hitchcock and other films of the same era, this play is worth seeing just to try and catch all of the kooky references. The Brits love their men in dresses and quick-change routines, so "Steps" takes that idea and has three actors and one actress playing all of the roles. My favorite part had to be the North by Northwest scene (I don't want to give away too much - you'll know it when you see it), which was over-the-top but hysterical. After several uncomfortable moments, someone on stage finally mutters the catch phrase, which just added to the ridiculousness of it. It made for a really enjoyable night out. "The 39 Steps" is showing at the Cort Theater until Jan. 11.
Here's a shot of the Waldorf Astoria hotel. Earlier this month, Obama and McCain attended a charity dinner where they both gave well-received humorous speeches. I walked by it last month when a lot of world leaders dignitaries were in town for the UN General Assembly and the Clinton Global Initiative, and I wondered why the Indian flag was displayed outside next to the American flag at the entrance. When I walked around the beautiful hotel, I saw that they had all sorts of international flags displayed all around the building. I suspect a lot of those world leaders must stay there when they're in town.
This photo shows the label from a beer called Satan. It sounds so much cooler in French than in English, and it's delicious. My grad school buddies often go to a restaurant in Tribeca on Monday nights called Le Petit Abeille. It's a Belgian place, complete with waffles, mussels and fries. The food is excellent, but we like the 1/2 price beers on Monday nights. They have a crazy number of European beers available - not limited to Blue Moon and Stella Artois, and since it was the week of Halloween, I ordered a blond beer called Lucifer. They did not have it in stock, but the bartender suggested Satan instead. I liked the label on the beer bottle and matching glass. It has a cute cartooney little devil guy on there, which is hard to see in this picture - so I lifted the logo off their website and posted it below.
Before I sign off, I have to say this: New York in the fall is absolutely stunning. Yesterday, I walked to work, crossing through Central Park, and I couldn't believe how beautiful it was with the leaves changing color. The air is crisp and cool, and it's absolutely inspiring to be here right now. I will try to post some pictures after the weekend - I didn't think to take any yesterday. I was just taking it all in. Happy Halloween, Y'all!
