A day at the museum

Last weekend I visited the Brooklyn Museum. Spending a day admiring and analyzing art seemed like the perfect thing to do on such a chilly Sunday afternoon. I took the train into the heart of Brooklyn and was amazed to find that the museum I thought was small and "neighborhoody" was in fact massive and beautiful.

I went with the intention of seeing three exhibits-- the Annie Leibovitz: Photographer's Life series, Ron Mueck, and Walton Ford. Little did I know that it was the last day of the Leibovitz exhibit and that it was going to take forever to get in, but regardless of the wait I'm happy to report that the time spent waiting in line was worth it. I was most impressed with Ron Mueck who works with silcone and a mix of other media to create life-like human sculptures on the scales large and small. Mueck has an astounding understanding of the human anatomy. His work was precisely proportionate and eerily human right down to the fingernail.

I was also taken with Walton Ford's Tigers' of Wrath exhibit, a series of watercolors so vibrant and detailed. Inspired by John James Audobon, Ford's work showcased animals in extremely violent situations, which I find a bit ironic because his work was so beautiful. His work said a lot about colonialism and humanism, although to be quite honest I didn't have enough time to spend analyzing it as it was the last exhibit I visited.

It was great to see Leibovitz's work, but unfortunately the show was so packed it was hard to take it all in. It was quite something to see so much of her work in one room. That women must never stop taking pictures.

Needless to say, I'll defintely be keeping my eye out for other exhibits in Brooklyn.

Going the distance

When I was 15 years old I took a trip to Washington D.C. with a few of my eighth grade classmates. It's the first time I recall feeling truly independent. I was on my own, without parents, in a city thousand miles away and I remember standing near the water with a view of the Lincoln Memorial and being totally bummed because I had just missed the blossom of the Japanese cherry trees.

It sounds funny, I know, but as a young girl I was mesmorized by Japanese culture. I wanted to know anything and everything about it, so I studied on my own. Anyway, I remember learning that the cherry trees were given to the U.S. by the Japanese as a symbol of friendship and that they were supposed be breathtakingly beautiful, unlike the typical tiny blossom cherry trees found in the neighborhood. Well, I missed my chance then, but it seems I may have another opportunity.

I've signed up for the annual Cherry Blossom 10-mile run in D.C. It will be the first time I've EVER ran 10 miles, but I'm looking forward to the challenge. In fact, now that I'm finally a bit settled here in NYC I've joined a gym and have been going on my own little urban runs.

Today, I met with a trainer for the first time. I want to make sure I'm doing the right type of exercises so that I don't keel over when it's time for the 10 miler. I actually enjoyed working out this afternoon, but it wasn't easy. I'm going to have to work really hard to get ready for this thing. The good news is is that I'm not doing it alone. I have great friends who are doing the run with me. We may even start a blog to keep us all motivated and focused on our goal. We'll see.

Time to go to sleep now. I have yoga tomorrow morning! :)