Banksy Month

Bansky offers New York the honor of his presence this month.

Some people might be surprised (like the baby in this video) in the next couple of daysif they run into this truck. I love it!


Here are some of his other pieces. Hopefully they are still up.

 More on his website http://www.banksy.co.uk/

I wish we all run into one of them. Look at the walls when you walk around now!

The coconut guy!

So believe it or not, there is a guy who sells fresh coconuts, sugar cane and cherimoya on Bedford between Atlantic and Herickmer in Brooklyn!!!

yes yes FRESH COCONUTS!!!

The ones that someone cuts for you, pick a straw in and you just go straight to heaven!

$5 for a coconut.

If you are lucky, you will get some nice coconut meat inside.

The guys is there everyday, all day long.

Stop drinking Coke and just go have some real 100% natural juice!

Radiolab

Like everyone, you keep questioning yourself about this and that.
Very simple : you should listen to http://www.radiolab.org/

This is the funniest way to learn about science, history, philosophy and ourselves.
You may find some answers and probably new questions to explore.
So what?! it's great. Keep being curious.

Here is sample of the show



 I love it.

Rockaway beach, ok but which one?

 You want to go to the beach?

You don't have time or energy to go all the way to Long Beach, Fire Island or Sandy Hook...

The Rockaways could be an easy option.

Hop on the A train and go straight to Beach 105.
The subway station stinks, get off and run to the beach.
If it's a week-end afternoon, it might be crowded like any other beach in Rockaway.
However, this one seems nicer thanks to the fresh juices, ice cream and food (Venezuelan arepas) that is served here. No shitty crap, just freshly made produce.
They also have a nice DJ set, beach, music and good food, we don't need anything else!

To get there:
A train to Far Rockaway. Transfer at Broad Channel to the S shuttle.
Get off at 105th.

Well you can also try the other ones at 90th, 98th or 116th. At least for Uma's patties on 92st St or the  busy Rockaway taco on 96th St

Have fun!

Nature Escape 1h30 from the City

Summer time in New York can sometimes be a bit overwhelming.

For people like me who need to escape from the City once in a while, here is a cheap and easy option for a day trip:

Cold Spring, NY

Easy, peezee : choose a sunny day, get to Grand Central, take a round-trip to Cold Spring (less that $20), hop on the Metro North and sit on the left side to enjoy the nice view during the ride.

Once in Cold Spring, explore, follow your intuition. Bunch of restaurants on main Street will delight your palate. I have no specific recommandations, just listen to your taste.

The only thing I would recommend is this little trail by the river off the road 9d. 

On Main St, take a left on Fair St, go all the way until the forest, the trail starts here : Stony Point Park and you can swim! Yeah, not so sure if it's clean but oh well, it won't hurt for one day...

Don't forget to bring something to grill and have fun!

Artisan Ice Cream

Do you think this photo is a not real?
Well, it is, hell yeah! Get ready, put your shoes on, let's go find these guys!!!

Seriously, just stop eating all this industrial crap, and get a fresh, locally made ice cream. t's much better for you and for everyone.

Van Leeuwen was born in 2008 thanks to 3 nice people.
Today, 6 trucks and 3 stores are waiting for you in the City ad Brooklyn. See how spoiled you are!

One of the best flavor according to me is the sugar cane ice cream, totally unexpected. trust me
Try them all anyway. One a week,why not. It can't hurt in the summer...

look at the website for more details: http://www.vanleeuwenicecream.com

Back to back!

Yo yo yo!

After months of deep meditation, fully sunk into the winter and then lost in rotation, here I am back and fresh. Still in Brooklyn, New York.

I have recently moved to this interesting neighborhood called Bedstuy.

It's funny how some people react when I mention this name.

Actually, if we look back couple of years ago, Bedstuy was this insane insecure neighborhood were crime was hitting all over. Now, gentrification has taken over, prices have been crazy increasing and young white people have been invading all over like they recently did in Williamsburg, Bushwick.

In a nutshell, New York is loosing is authenticity while it's gaining in security and wealth.

I am not sure what's better. Is this inevitable? Are the prices going to rise more and more and this City is going to turn into a VIP lounge?! That would suck.

Let's hope that the diversity that has always made New York NEW YORK stays alive.
We definitely need to have this melting-pot, at least for the salvation of humanity.

Seems like it's dying already...

Music will save us, that's one way to keep dreaming!

LAS - Preaching

Hop Hop Hopper

Ooooooh yeeee, who better than Hopper draws those magic atmospheres that take you inside the painting just as if you were part of the scene.

I can't wait to discover the origination of these masterpieces at the Hopper Drawing exhibit hosted by the Whitney Museum. Starting on May 23rd, save the date!

More than 2500 of his drawings will be displayed and...and... some of his mind blowing oil paintings such as Nighthawks!!!!!!

+ You have until October 6 to go see it, plenty of time!

Thank you Life, I love you

Kobra Street art

Have you ever walked by this mural in the City?

It is perfectly in line with the season. We should feel colorful like this all the time actually.

Go, go have a look and combine it with a nice walk on the high line as it is located on 25th Street and 12th Ave.

You want the story behind it, here you go:

This mural is called « VJ Day in Times Square », VJ meaning Victory over Japan 

 it is actually a reinterpretation of a photo taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt on Times Square on August 14th, 1945 when Japan surrendered...

Not sure if we will see a horde of Japanese people taking photos here ;)

Anyway, the painter Eduardo Kobratries, who goes with his artist name Kobra, travels all over the world to paint such amazing murals, see his artwork here: http://eduardokobra.com/

I like it, I think you'll like it too!

Hanami is coming!

April showers bring May flowers. But actually cherry tree flowers show up this month as shown in this time-lapse was created from over 3,000 digital photos, one taken every three minutes from April 18 to April 26, 2008, of Brooklyn Botanical Garden's Cherry Walk.

Looks nice, I never thought about it as you can pretty much see trees everywhere in Brooklyn. Mmmh I kind of want to go now.

The cherry blossom festival itself will take place on April 27 and 28 this year, but you can go visit the park any other day where it would be less crowded.

All details here: http://www.bbg.org/
$10 adults, $5 students, free children under 12, free on Tuesdays

50 Eastern Parkway
455 Flatbush Avenue
990 Washington Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11225

Chanting with monks

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare

This whole story started from this : www.sidetour.com/experiences/dine-with-the-monks-at-an-east-village-monastery. Yes, it says "Dine with a monk in a monastery in East village", for real!

So by pure curiosity, I did it and I met this amazing person Rasanath.

You should get an idea of this place where an amazing happens every Thursday night from 7 to 9 pm. It is free. Just try, you'll see.

Open the door in the middle of crazy East Village, jump up to the 3rd floor, take off your shoes, and slowly enter in the Temple...

Welcome to kirtan* night.

A windfall of warmth, peace, good energy, grounding and happiness hits you right away and sticks around for the rest of your night and hopefully more. You are part of it, all together we form this bubble of positiveness, there is no more individuality but an amazing unity of loving and heartwarming state.

Just by sitting down, closing your eyes, not even singing if you don't want to, you will forget about all the parasites, all the pollution that takes place in your daily life.
By being in this room, you will even forget that there is a world outside, it takes you far away and when you come back to reality, you would probably feel different...

Give it a try
Namaste

East Village Monastery
5 1st Ave
(between 1st & 2nd St)
New York

*Kirtan is call-and-response chanting or "responsory" performed in India's bhakti devotional traditions. Kirtan practice involves chanting hymns or mantras to the accompaniment of instruments such as the harmonium, tablas, the two-headed mrdanga or pakawaj drum, and karatal hand cymbals. It is a major practice in Vaisnava devotionalism, Sikhism, the Sant traditions, and some forms of Buddhism, as well as other religious groups.
Source: Wikipedia

Ha!

Few more weeks

Can you feel it?

Oh yeah

I'm not wearing any socks at home today

ha! that's the sign

Winter is over baby!!!

I kind of understand people who go "I like the seasons you know" blablabla

Well ok it is nice to have some snow for Christmas

It is nice to feel this excitement when spring comes back

But still why does it have to be cold for so long?!!!

I just love it when it's sunny and nice out

Oh well

This winter has been nice on a way

By staying in most of the time

It helped me stand back a bit from the NY hurly-burly

And discover more about who we are, why we are here, what is life

Hehe

I don't have all the answers for sure

But one thing is sure

I feel so damned gooood

Are you ready for this?

Wake up

Let's do this

And to celebrate let's play this tune I fell in love with: