Cup ’O Joe

So much can happen over a cup of coffee; a first date – a glance – a fight – a smile. As you sit at Starbucks thoughts may wander into day dreams that you never share. A glance may translate into a first date (though that hardly ever happens). I was taking some candid people shots at S’Bux today. The girl looks like she is lost in deep thought or maybe she saw someone that she had been waiting for. The picture captures a sense of calm within her. The one on the right is an all out happy moment; a joke or some good news shared among 2 friends. I like the mans expression and the sun shining right on his face. Makes for a feel good happy capture! Its fun to click people and then wonder what they may have been thinking at that moment. The best place to do it is at the coffee shop over a Cup O’ Joe !

COLD METAL, BRIGHT LIGHTS

It was a cold winters day – the first day of the year two thousand and nine. I took a deep breath and let the cold air enter my lungs. There is something about the significance of a January first – I feel the tone and how you spend the day is a peep into the way the year will go.

On Jan 1, 2009 I took a lot of pictures. I went to Top of the Rock and looked out onto the city that now call home. I did this with those closest to me – both friends and family. I watched “doubt” which was an awful movie with a great cast!

Who knows what my activities of Jan 1, 2009 tell of my year ahead. I look forward to my last post of the year and wonder if any parallels can be drawn between this day and the year that would have passed. I guess we will see.

I took this picture at Rockefeller Center – There are so many things to capture on film there. I thought instead of clicking the obvious Christmas tree below or the scenic vista from top of the building; I would focus on the simple light structure that everyone ignored. Happy New year all.

BEAUTIFUL TEQUILA

The time has come to write about tequila; reason being it is part of my everyday life. No I am not a lush, but its the way I earn a living. Did you know that 97% of tequila comes from the Jalisco region in Mexico. It is made from the heart of the Weber Blue Agave plant (not cactus) that belongs to the lily family. Below are pictures of both; cactus on the left and beautiful agave fields on the right.

In my opinion, the best tequila comes from a distillery called “La Primavera” in Atotonilco where they make Don Julio Tequila. Don Julio (the man) started making tequila here in 1942 using the finest agaves, processes and techniques that are used even today. Below is a picture of the distillery and of cooked agave that is ready for the juices to be squeezed out to make beautiful tequila!

If you are ever in the Jalisco region you must visit tlaquepaque where they sell unique and beautiful arts and crafts. Another recommended stop is Santo Coyote - it is a beautiful restaurant in the area where you can enjoy a yummy Don Julio margaritas. For more information on tequila making you can go to www.donjulio.com

Most people think of tequila as evil and everyone has a "tequila story". After marketing Don Julio for over a year I have truly grown to appreciate the complexity of the liquid and the varieties - Extra Anejo's, Anejo's, Reposado's and Blanco's. It truly is Beautiful :-).

LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW!

New York got its first decent amount of snow yesterday. I wish the snow would stick and look like beautiful white powder; but instead it is slushy and 'icky' outside. What I like though is sitting in my warm apartment watching the snow flakes fall, looking at the white roof-tops and sipping a nice hot cup of cocoa. The below song sums it up perfectly:

Oh the weather outside is frightful,
But the fire is so delightful,
And since we've no place to go,
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

PUERTO RICO DIARIES

Follow your Bliss. The bottle and the card was the first thing I saw when I entered my room at Hotel El San Juan and that is what I did on all my days in Puerto Rico. In this post I want to highlight a few "To Do"s when there. PR has beautiful beaches, the people are very friendly and helpful & the weather is perfect. I wish I had more days.

  

 

 

After sipping Mimosas on the beach all day long we finally got off our butts to the first "To Do" which is a visit to the Bio Luminescent Bay; It takes about an hour to get to Fajardo Biobay from San Juan. You will kayak through the sea and a mangrove forest in pitch dark to get to a beautiful lagoon that glows - absolutely breathtaking and unique. You can also visit Vieques, Puerto Rico for the Biobay experience.         

   

We took in some culture food and drink on Day 2. Old San Juan is a must visit. Going down the winding cobblestone streets takes you back to the days gone by. Take a Taxi to Old San Juan – get dropped off at one of the main squares and then just explore. One of the streets that you should definitely wander through is Del Cristo – rather steep but full of fun shops, bars & restaurants. Some other spots in OSJ are: Plaza de San Jose, La Fortaleza, San Juan Cemetery, Castillo de San Felipe.

         

Food & Drink in Old San Juan: Definitely stop by at Nono’s which is at the top of Del Cristo street; they make great margaritas on the way up to Nono’s you will find El Batey which is a fun grungy bar. Right next to Nono’s is El Patio de Sam, go there for some fantastic Puerto Rican Food – we ordered the Mofongo Relleno and the Beef Steak Encobollado – Yummm ! Cafe Princesa is worth a stop, they usually have live music playing.    

 

The Nightlife: We did not do much nightlife stuff on this trip. The Water Club Hotel has a very cool roof-top lounge from where you have a view of the the beach on one side and the city on the other; it has a cool (blue) vibe. The hotel we were staying at had VERY happening bars and clubs. So if you want to party it up I suggest a visit to El San Juan Hotel.

Puerto Rico is lovely – beautiful beaches – three days was too little time. I am definitely going back.    

ONIONS

I love to cook and I love to eat ! I cook Indian food for the most part and Onions always go into almost any Indian dish. This picture was taken in Mexico City; we were cooking with a chef at his restaurant Pujol - which you must visit if your there. Here is a link to more pictures of cooking in Mexico City.

AHHHHHHHHH

That is how I feel when I look at the ocean; it is amazing how you can take a deep breath look at the sea and take the pace down a few notches. The Ocean has a calming effect like no other. I took this shot in LA. I love the way everything looks so small in the vast expanse of the ocean and the sun glimmers with such gusto over each wave. I wish I could jump right in.

FALLING IN LOVE WITH FALL

People say that fall is the best time of the year. It took me a while to get over the first not so warm day but I came over to the other side and fell for the beautiful fall season. Here is why I think people like Fall. Firstly, it is short - and anything that you can't get enough of you tend to like more. Secondly, the vibrant reds, yellows and orange colors look so beautiful. And last but not least - the coziness that comes with the cool crisp evenings! Gimme some hot chocolate, a romantic movie and a cozy comforter and I'm sold.
I took the below pictures from my recent trip to the Poconos - if you ever get a chance stay at the Skytop Lodge; it is absolutely gorgeous. Click here for more Fall pictures

IS THIS IT ???

Is this the end of summer - finto - finish - khalaas? It felt like all of Manhattan was out enjoying this gorgeous day. I made the most of the sunshine and near perfect temperatures sipping sangria's all afternoon at the Frying Pan - if you have not been here I highly recommend you go. I took this shot from the street on my way back - what a great way to end what may be the last day of summer.

I WANT TO SEE WHAT YOU SEE

What would this world be like if people saw things the way you see them. Do you think it would be easier or crazier. It is difficult sometimes to make other people see your point of view or sometimes you just don't get what the other person is trying to say. We do things that don't totally make sense - we do it because of things that are subconsciously still playing on our minds. Okay this is getting a little intense; so what do you think would it be crazier or easier if the world saw what you saw ?