New York cries...

Today's the day. And the sky above New York cries. A bittersweet mix of anticipation and melancholy will be my company throughout the day and into the night when my plane will take off into the dark sky above Manhattan.

Too early for a resume for sure, to emotionally colored it would be. Only that much for now: It's been terrific, it's been amazing, it's been challenging, it's been unforgettable, it's been a once in a lifetime experience. I will leave with plenty of memories and personal and professional growth. Thank you New York and thank you all that contributed to or were part of this journey.

One thing is clear: 11 months is too short. New York, I had not enough and will be back for more.

Brooklyn

What a perfect day: blue sky and sunshine. Yet the cold temperatures prevented the limited remainders of snow from melting. We took a trip over Brooklyn Bridge, a sight itself that also offers over and over amazing views looking back onto Manhattan. After some additional freezing in the outside waiting line we secured one of the tiny tables at Grimaldi's, known and rated for it's top-class pizza. And it was good. Another check mark in the few days remaining. --- Ahhh, the desperate attempt to catch up with the fluidity of time...

I want to believe

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum dragged me in for yet another time. Still half-way scaffolded, today was the second day of it's new exhibition "I Want To Believe" by Chinese-born-and-now-New Yorker artist Cai Guo-Qiang. No doubt, the fact that he used cars in one of his recent works Inopportune: Stage One. The installation is the eye catcher of the exhibition showing some nine identical white cars exploding and flipping in sequence, the bursts suggested by illuminated tubes radiating from the cars' center in varying colors. The Guggenheim exhibit is the 2008 copy of original Inopportune: Stage One that supposedly was shown 2004 in the Seattle Art Museum, as a gift of Robert M. Arnold, in honor of the 75th Anniversary of the Seattle Art Museum and also had its appearance in a 2004/05 exhibition at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (see here or here). Interestingly enough, Cai changed the brand of cars used in his art from Ford to Chevrolet. Whatever that will tell us...

Cai has been known for his gunpowder art, but this retrospective exhibition (including an artist self-designed retrospective in the retrospective including a life river allowing visitors to "row" through his work of art) goes way beyond that (including New York's Rent Collection courtyard (2008), a new version of Cai's historic Venice's Rent Collection Courtyard (1999) that reenacts a 1965 socialist-realist sculptural ensemble that is an icon of China's Cultural Revolution. The work comprises dozens of life-size clay figures modeled on side and intended to decompose over the course of the show.

After a stroll in wintery, snowy Central Park we enjoyed the final showing of "The Maddening Truth" (see here or here), a piece about the life story of Ernest Hemingway's third wife Martha Gellhorn that seemed a constant struggle between journalism and writing, with an amazing Lisa Emery (as Martha Gellhorn) and Peter Benson.

Again...

Snow hit again! As if the winter wants to fulfill my deepest dreams, a snow storm hit New York again! While the areas up north of the city got some real snow, Manhattan and the five boroughs were enveloped in dancing snow flakes for hours, what arrived at the bottom was nothing but slush. At least the roofs were topped with white icing as were the trees and lawns in the many squares and parks.

Today was not only a chance to catch up with a very good friend back from a long assignment in Europe, but also the start of a weekend visit from a good friend from my MBA time. We celebrated at Le Colonial, a lovely French-Vietnamese fusion cuisine restaurant in the higher Midtown East/ UES area with plenty of charm, candlelight and atmosphere of French Colonial Southeast Asia. Unfortunately, the second floor lounge was closed for a private event. However the main floor dining room revived by black and white period photos, ceiling fans, graceful palms, colorful antique armoires and wooden screens was equally inviting. Thit Nuong, the grilled loin of pork, with mango-and-jicama salad in a passion fruit wasabi sauce was exquisit that could not be deminished by the slightly forceful service. A any time recommendation.

YES, YES, YES.... no, no, no

Finally! - Whoever is responsible for the weather (St. Peter for me - but LEO.org tells me that that does not resonate in the US) was merciful and sent some snowflakes in our direction. Yesterday afternoon and way into the evening we got a good layer of snow. Park Avenue, Broadway, taxis and limos: all and everything covered in white. While enough to bedazzle at least me for a little while, the press did not seem to notice much (contrary to the coverage of the snow-less January - see for example here)!















The nasty surprise this morning: Snow had changed to rain mid through the night and had not only melted most of the white but left puddles everywhere making one wet from top and bottom. Oh well. If this is winter in New York...?

Anyway. One question keeps nagging: was this it for this year or at least for the days that I'm still here? It remains to be seen...

Konfetti

Oh well... - The day has come that the guys back home celebrate Fasnacht and start Die drey scheenschte Dääg on Monday early morning and as always a week after most others had theirs. How lovely is it to walk through the dark streets, stump through moutains of Konfetti, listen to the Ruesse and Pfyffe that resound in the narrow alleys... and all that in the most perfect weather conditions one can imagine...

Konfetti or rather confetti - at least of those I seem to have had enough this year already. Even far away from home. Tons of them danced in the sky when we welcomed the new year on Times Square and the ball dropped. And even more rained from the skyscrapers when the Giants celebrated their XLII Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots (February 3) during their celebration Ticker Tape Parade ending at City Hall Park that happened February 5 (see for instance here or here).

Yesterday, even something else was "in the air": veritable snow flakes swirled through the air during the day a couple times when temperatures had a sudden drop. Not quite wintery enough... yet, but a start! The windchill this morning that made the temperatures feel like below zero degree Fahrenheit (= -17.78 degrees Celsius!) at least keeps my hopes alive.

Der Countdown läuft...

Believe it or not, weeks and months fly by. My year in New York has been a terrific ride... and draws to a close. One month to go. And while the countdown has started long ago, in fact with my first day when I arrived in this great city, now the clock is ticking.

I can hardly believe it. I can hardly accept it. And I have very mixed feelings.

Enjoy while it lasts. That's what I tried to do since April 1 last year. Some days it worked better than others. But I don't want to miss a single beat...

For the first time in 75 years...

NO SNOW in January in New York... and I am here!

All my hopes for a good, solid snowstorm - disappointed. All my hopes for a couple of inches of white wonder covering Manhattan and slowing down the hustle and bustle of the city that never sleeps - melted in the winter sun as hot as spring... at least!

The meteorologist have us believe it's been 75 years since New York saw a snowfree January (see e.g. here or here). But it's been not only January, but December and November too (with only a few flurries once). And they also predict it won't change anytime soon!

He he, my time here is slowly running out - flakes, hurry up!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

New York Philharmonic II

Tonight, I enjoyed another musical highlight during my time here in New York.



Again, I made my way to the Lincoln Center, Avery Fisher Hall. As an interesting service, the New York Philharmonic had sent both a curtesy email message as well as a phone call to let me know how to best get there considering ongoing weekend construction at the 66 Street subway station. Christoph von Dohnanyi, conductor, seemed to create a strong pull as the 14,525th concert was completely sold out:

Christoph von Dohnanyi, Conductor
Nikolaj Znaider, Violin

Harrison Birtwistle - Night's Black Bird (2004)

Sibelius - Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D minor, Op. 47 (1902-04; 1905)

Beethoven - Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67 (1804-08)


The concert ...

New York Keeps Caring

Thousands have been active again this Sunday for a good cause as they participated in the Alzheimer's Association's 2007 Memory Walk that took place in Manhattan, the other boroughs and across "the nation". I did not, this time, but enjoyed our late summer day with some biking in the park, under the sun and the blue sky, just by myself.

Who knows how long this beautiful late summer weather will last. It is amazing and almost a bit scary considering its past mid-October. But it is - no question asked - with no doubt better then the wet-cold late fall weather you guys have back home ;-)

In recognition of the 2007 Memory Walk, the Empire State Building blazed purple and white this weekend - as sight I don't want to deprive you of. Enjoy (while this view lasts...)














On my way home I'll stopped by Tisserie Bakery Pastry Catering at the north-west end of Union Square to pick up an oversized Luxemburgerli whose American name I was unable to understand from the shop guy who spoke better Spanish than English and a lovely dulce de leche frozen cappuccino. Tisserie's pastries are insanely yummy and the success of this Caracas, Venezuela originated bakery is unquestioned (at least considering the lines in the shop).

New York Cares Day

Fall seems to be not only the perfect timing for bike rides favoring a good cause but also the time of community and volunteer work. During another beautiful Saturday when sunshine combined with nicely fresh, almost too warm temperatures, New York Cares set out to support pressing community needs with hordes of volunteers on the 16th New York Cares Day. My company mobilized close to 100 volunteers. Together, we convened at Washington Irving High School (for some background see here) close to Union Square. The school is educational home to over 2,500 students in an surprising, 11-story building constructed in 1902 with an elegant wood-paneled entrance hall with a huge fireplace and classic wall paintings.

Our tasks: We added three wall paintings, cleaned out a couple of library archives, and re-coated the fence that surrounds the whole building. I was part of one of the outdoor teams. and we enjoyed the nice weather as we scrubbed off the rusty areas and repainted in classic black.

Views

This Saturday, the lovely weather and friends in town lured me to finally go through the trouble and the lines and go up the Empire State Building. We had a nice view and great visibility of beyond 25 miles. We agreed that the Chrysler Building still is one of the most beautiful buildings in the city. This 1930 Art Deco masterpiece by architect William Van Alen is considered a 'classic beauty' and - not for nothing - was recently named the city's #1 Architecture sight by TONY (Time Out New York Oct 11-17, 2007). It measures 1,048 feet (= 319 m) including its 27 m high shiny rooftop, a "stainless steel spire representing a series of overlapping hubcaps". The roof's amazing and distinctive illumination at night are simple neon lights attached to the window frames. Initially build for the Chrysler Company with the founder's appartment located on the 67th floor, the building today houses simple offices that do not show any indication of the Art Deco style we admire at its exterior, the lobby, and the elevators. The building is not accessible to the public with the exception of its lobby.
It held the title of world's tallest building for only a few months before the Empire State Building surpassed it.

In it's background, we'll see the black Trump World building which in the same TONY ranking was names #5 Blight with the comment that "those who live inside this ginormous black slab of metal and glass are the lucky ones - they don't have to loo at it. The ominous structure, which brahsly violates the ruling against constructions taller than the nearby U.N. Secretariat building, thrusts into the skyline like a flipped bird."

Southward, we enjoy the sight of the Flatiron building (also: Fuller building), another New York landmark (ranked #4 in TONY). "At 20 stories, this triangular wonder was the city's first skyscaper upon its completion in 1902 (!)."

And further south, the financial district becomes blurred in the haze of the afternoon...

To finish the day of views, we had dinner at the Rainbow Room on Rockefeller Plaza's 65th floor. From our table at the window we had another great perspective onto the city ("priceless panoramic views"). While the food was excellent ("quality Venetian cuisine") - maybe with the exception of the unspectacular Vanilla Meringue desert that suffert from lack of vanilla - the service did not live up to the expectations promised by ZAGAT: "smooth formal service". Overall, we however agree that it is "a monumental splurge (and) everyone should go at least once". We did - and I thoroughly enjoyed the evening with my great company.

Fall Foilage II

We stayed a couple of extra days in the Adirondacks and made a trip up to Lake Placid. The weather remained an unstable friend. But walking under the colorful tree leaves multiplied the sun leaving one with a much "lighter" impression, much like walking under a sun screen.

A short hike around Heart Lake and up nearby Mount Jo along the Indian Pass Trail was well worth the effort considering the views into the foilage and over towards the Lake Placid ski jumps.

Mirror Lake at Lake Placid sure lived up to its name showing some amazing early morning pictures.

Fall Foliage I

The visit of two friends in the city, Columbus day long weekend, what other excuse did we need for a trip up north, by invitation of a common friend who owns a cottage close to the Adirondack National Park and not far from the Canadian border. First half of October - perfect time to peak the famous foliage. The weather did not fully cooperate. While Saturday was grey and rainy, Sunday spoiled us with wonderful sunshine, mild temperatures, and a mostly blue sky! We spend the day on Tupper Lake chilling out in the sun and having some fun.

Empire State Building

It's by now more than clear that this building represents New York in its special way - at least for me. The sight of it amazes me, over and over. In the morning, during the day, against the blue sky or the clouds, in the twilight or at night - for that matter. Yesterday, New York offered yet another, a new view - Empire by night with the moon right next to it. Enjoy

Season Opening

Today, a much longed season in New York has opened for me. Fall arrives and the big concert and opera houses open their doors again. Opportunity to indulge in fantastic musical, theatrical, or combined events. A pleasures of its own. An unparalleled enjoyment.

The New York Philharmonic under music director Lorin Maazel starts off the season not only with a new (and for the first time) Global Sponsor Credit Suisse which makes we feel very homey but also with a special event "The Tchaikovsky Experience: A Philharmonic Festival" (Sep 26 - Oct 16).

In the impressive Avery Fisher Hall, I was part of the New York Philharmonic's impressive 14,509th concert and enjoyed it to the full:

Lorin Maazel, Conductor
Simon Trpceski, Piano

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23 (1874-75, rev. 1889)
Manfred Symphony after Byron, Op. 58 (1885)

Gedenken und Impressionen

Vor sechs Jahren geschah das Unfassbare. Ich erinnere noch heute den Moment, als ich von der Tragoedie, die sich in New York abspielte, vernahm; wo ich mich befand; womit ich beschaeftigt war. Sechs Jahre sind vergangen. Noch ist Ground Zero eine Baugrube, doch nach langem Hin und Her scheinen sich endlich die Dinge in Bewegung zu setzen, aus diesem Wundmal ein neues Wahrzeichen entwachsen zu lassen.

Bereits ist die erste Haelfte unserer Urlaubstage im Tessin vorbei. Wir haben bei herrlichem Wetter das Relaxen im Garten und die Naehe zum See genossen, haben eine steile Wanderung (insgesamt 1’400 Hoehenmeter) zum Monte Generoso unter die Wanderschuhe genommen, die uns mit phantastischer Aussicht bei herrlicher Weitsicht in alle Himmelsrichtungen belohnte. So wunderbar kann der Spaetsommer in der Schweiz sein. Und auf unseren Pfaden durch die Waelder, auf den Auen, und ueber Stock und Stein, ah ja, da faellt mir ein, was mir im Asphaltdschungel New Yorks ab und an fehlt... - Impressionen vom Tessin, enjoy:

Impressionen vom Tessin II

B-DAY

Heute ist ein wichtiger Tag. Naja, wenigstens für mich... oder vielleicht uns.

Den feiern wir gebührend. Nach getaner Arbeit und waehrend meine Kollegen in den USA noch maechtig schufften, goennen wir uns als Hoehepunkt das Menu Surprise im Restaurant Gundeldingerhof. "Seit der Übernahme des Gundeldingerhofs durch Dominic und Astrid Lambelet 1993 erlebte die ehemalige Quartierbeiz einen fulminanten Aufschwung und konnte sich erfolgreich unter den besten Adressen Basels etablieren. Der Gundeldingerhof besticht durch den sympathischen BistroStil, hervorragendes Essen und charmanten Service." Was der Gundeldingerhof auf seiner Website beschreibt, koennen wir nur bestaetigen.

Wir starten mit gegrillten Wildfang-Crevetten auf Melonensalat mit einem Honig-Curry Dressing. In der Folge verwöhnen uns Thunfisch-Ravioli an schwarzer Sepiasauce mit gruenen Erbsen. Als Hauptgang schliesslich geniessen wir Hirsch-Entrecote an einer Pfeffersauce mit Gemuesebouquet und Ofenkartoffeln. Ein wahrer Gaumenzauber. Im Vergleich etwas enttaeuschend praesentiert sich das Creme fraiche Panna Cotta mit frischen Beeren, das uns nach etwas ueberlanger Wartezeit vom jederzeit ueberaus freundlichen, kompetenten, und zuvorkommenden Personal als Dessert gereicht wird.

Wir haben es trotzdem sehr genossen. Und ganz nebenbei eine kulinarisch-gastronomische Entdeckung in meiner Heimatstadt gemacht. Uns wurde es empfohlen. Und ich koenntes nur waermstens weiterempfehlen - mit oder ohne B-DAY - wenn da nicht eine weitere Entdeckung waere: Auf Ende September 2007 hoeren die Lambelets auf, verabschieden sich vom Gundeldingerhof und uebergeben das Lokal an einen neuen Betreiber. Nun waeren die Lambelets vermutlich nicht die Lambelets und in den letzten fast 14 Jahren so erfolgreich gewesen, wenn sie jetzt das Ruder in die falschen Haende gaeben. Und so besteht Hoffnung meinerseits, dass der Gundelihof so bleibt wie ich ihn eben erst kennengelernt habe. Den Test allerdings, den werd ich allerdings erst dann wieder machen koennen, wenn ich wieder zuhause bin. Naja, ich freu mich drauf. Und wenn einer von Euch mir zuvorkommt und den neuen Gerant auf Herz und Nierli pruefen sollte, wuerde ich mich ueber die neueste Einschaetzung hier sehr freuen... Euch allen: En Guete!