New York: Gramercy Park
Inspiration: I took this photograph before I left town for the holidays. So, it's really a photo from the day before. Just posted on the day after. I traveled over Christmas Eve and arrived at my sister's house early Christmas morning, so I wasn't able to post until now. I am only away for a few days but I already miss my city.
Inspiration: Much of the snow is gone now. But that's why it's good to take lots of pictures. Hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas.
New York: Central Park
Inspiration: Lest you think that this is me, I must tell you now . . . it isn't. I was just lucky enough to catch this moment on the craggy "mountain" that overlooks the ice-skating rink in the park and the skyscrapers on 58th.
By the way, where the hell are all of these years going? After having lived a few of them (and all the while becoming more and more obsessed with the passage of seconds, minutes, hours and days), I am still blown away by the mysterious nature of time. It is at once a memory, a reality and a dream. It's gone, but here, yet coming. The once mighty 2009 is now hanging on by a matter of days with 2010, the bold newcomer, fast approaching. Stunning. Sometimes, I want time to stop so that I can catch up a little bit!
Anyway, since Christmas is a time for mushy gushy stuff such as love, joy, happiness and thankfulness*, I want to say to everyone who's followed this blog over the course of the year and especially to those who've left such delightful comments (love those comments) - THANK YOU. I've enjoyed getting to know you through your blogs and messages and I am looking forward to sharing more photos of my own personal journey in New York and elsewhere.
I also want to say**: Feliz Navidad ~ Joyeux Noel ~ God Jul ~ Noeliniz Ve Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun ~ Feliz Natal ~ Shub Naya Baras ~ Kala Christouyenna ~ Ruumsaid Juuluplhi ~ Shinnen Omedeto ~ Froehliche Weihnacten ~ Buone Feste Natalize ~ Sarbatori Vesele ~ Srozhdestvom Kristovym ~ Naya Saal Mubarak Ho ~ Sawadee Pee Mai ~ Mele Kalikimaka ~ Mo'a dim Lesimkha ~ Selamat Hari Natal ~ MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
* Well, the whole year should be a time for this stuff...
** I apologize now for any spelling errors!
New York: Bryant Park
Inspiration: I laughed when I saw this oh so very serious statue of Gertrude Stein covered with a "snow cape" or, more crassly, turned into a snow-cone-head.
New York: Central Park
Inspiration: So I ran into Woodland Fairy in the park. For those of you who aren't familiar with her, see Woodland Fairy Redux and Woodland Fairy: "Gone Fishing". I thought we wouldn't see her again until the Spring. But Woodland Fairy made a surprise wintertime appearance on Poets Walk. I admit that I went into a bit of a frenzy with the picture taking. It must be the result of the golden fairy dust she blows all over the place.
New York: Central Park
Inspiration: I think that he is thinking: "If I stare hard enough, it will melt."
New York: Central Park
Inspiration: It snowed last night. Weathermen predicted this blizzard would rank among New York's ten worst snowstorms. Which goes to show that you can't always listen to those who claim to know the weather. Snow piled up in the city but no where as much as we were told to expect. Since I could actually see concrete on the roads from my window, I thought I would leave my warm apartment to photograph the city. I tromped through slush and melting snow on the city streets for an hour before I reached Central Park. I was surprised to find as many people in the park on this cold wintry day as in the summertime. The snow was untouched and pristine in many areas of the park, while other areas were filled kids and kid-like adults building snowmen and plowing each other with snowballs. As much as I dislike snow, I have to admit it was kinda fun to trek through it today.
New York: Union Square
Inspiration: This guy is a year-round regular at Union Square. He's ready to take on any passerby in a game of chess. The fact that he doesn't let below freezing temperatures prevent him from taking his usual position on the steps, waiting (possibly in vain) for an equally intrepid challenger, impresses me.
New York: Central Park
Inspiration: Tunnels fascinate me from a photographic perspective.
New York: Central Park
Inspiration: For some reason, I like to photograph tunnels (especially this one in Central Park). Maybe it's because they often present such a dramatic contrast between light and darkness.
New York: Union Square
Inspiration: I took this a month ago. I cannot believe the difference in New York's weather in the space of few weeks. The high yesterday was 32 degrees with a wind chill factor in the 20s. When I took this shot in November, we didn't even need coats. I hope we get one more warm spell! Can you tell that I am a girl of summer?
New York: 16th and Broadway
Inspiration: For a city with such a large "persona" and a pervading sense of immensity, most of its inhabitants live small. New Yorkers pay big bucks to live in pint-sized apartments with really little windows facing walls. We own miniature sofas that serve as beds or as storage for sweaters. We use kitchen cupboards, crawl space and nearby storage facilities as closets. We eat in small restaurants and cook in even smaller kitchens (if we cook at all because cooking in a tiny kitchen is painful). When shopping for anything, the first question we ask ourselves is "where will this go?" -- which we answer with: "If I move that other thing into storage, then maybe . . ." We ride collapsible bikes from small apartments to itsy bitsy work cubicles and get crushed inside narrow subway cars and tiny elevators.
We also fly kites. Small ones.
