Author: diana

Split-Screens—Contemporary Dualism

Written by diana on June 1, 2015. Posted in Lifestyle, Writing and Blogging Tips. No Comments on Split-Screens—Contemporary Dualism

Social networks, the structure of some of today’s blockbuster novels, and experiments in original content for television and movies have given us a world that is a split-screen reality. Plot has merged with multiple points-of-view (POV) more than ever. Pushing further, there is no one reality but a gradient of realities, in flux, and based upon the beholder. A split-screen reality. No black and white, but seemingly infinite shades of gray. Our individual reality, in truth, is a fiction emotionally true and relevant but not absolute. TV series like the award-winning “The Affair” or Netflix’s...

Windhover—Where the Mind Can Hover

Written by diana on May 26, 2015. Posted in Art, Buddhism, Local travel. 2 Comments on Windhover—Where the Mind Can Hover

Zen Fountain Over Memorial Day Weekend I visited Windhover, the new spiritual and contemplation center on Stanford University’s campus, a minimalist architectural style suggesting Zen and personal renewal. Windhover takes its name from the series of five giant paintings by the internationally renowned Bay Area figurative artist Nathan Oliveira (1928-2010) who, in turn, named this series after Gerald Manley Hopkins’ poem (1877). Windhover provides an extraordinarily beautiful and serene venue for quiet reflection exclusively for use by Stanford students, faculty, and staff. If you know...

Aldea—“An Epicurean Hamlet”

Written by diana on May 19, 2015. Posted in Restaurants, Travel (Domestic). 1 Comment on Aldea—“An Epicurean Hamlet”

Aldea drama We ate at the fabulous Aldea, a Michelin star restaurant in Manhattan’s Flatiron neighborhood, and for those of you who are going to be in New York City, this is our new gourmet discovery. Aldea means “village” or “hamlet” in Spanish and is a blend of Portuguese and Spanish small plates. Chef Mendes’s menu is eclectic, highly original, and mixes a smattering of popular Asian ingredients with his Iberian-influenced dishes. Sardines Citrus Radish Salad The Aldea restaurant menu includes a variety of shellfish, various preparations of salt-cod, or bacalao, rice dishes and Iberian-cured...

“The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time”—The Mystery Life of a Savant

Written by diana on May 11, 2015. Posted in Theater: plays and musicals. 4 Comments on “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time”—The Mystery Life of a Savant

Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Two weeks ago we saw “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time”, the theatrical adaptation of Mark Haddon’s 2003 young adult novel on Broadway, after it had become a record-breaking sensation in London, and now has been nominated for six Tony awards, including Best Play, Best Leading Actor in a Play (the phenomenal Alexander Sharp in his first Broadway play after graduating from Juilliard) and Best Direction (Marianne Elliot). The main character is fifteen-year-old Christopher Boone, who has an extraordinary mathematical brain but...

Life of Cats: Selections from the Hiraki Ukiyo-e Collection

Written by diana on May 5, 2015. Posted in Art, Unhealed Wound. 3 Comments on Life of Cats: Selections from the Hiraki Ukiyo-e Collection

Calling all cat-lovers! Recently we had the delightful experience of seeing the “Life of Cats” exhibit at the New York branch of the Japan Society. It’s a beautiful show, greeting us with a custom-made wooden gateway as a portal into the world of cats and the almost irrational, inordinate affection some of us bestow on these sentient beings. The “beckoning cat for good luck” (maneki neko) with its raised right paw is suggested by this amazing gate. The legend is that Japanese merchants carrying Buddhist sutras across the seas from China also brought a few cats who purred their way into...

Los Angeles Book Festival—Not for Book Lovers Only

Written by diana on April 27, 2015. Posted in Art, Local travel. 1 Comment on Los Angeles Book Festival—Not for Book Lovers Only

The Los Angeles Book Festival attracts approximately 150,000 people each year and is the largest book festival in the country. Not only booksellers, authors, and publishers attend but also musicians, and local artisans who sell food and clothing. Movie stars present their recent memoirs and children’s books they have written. Cooking demonstrations on some stages promote cookbooks. There is even a tent where you can have your name written in Arabic calligraphy. This annual event, sponsored by the Los Angeles Times, is now held on the University of Southern California’s campus. Authors and publishers...