architecture oscars

i was starstruck! it happens often, i've been told, so fun.

i went to an AIA event, Accent on Architecture, tonight. it was a completely last minute decision, but i was able to take my boss's place at a black tie dinner and experience the sensation of schmoozing with principals and deans and CEOs. it was really pretty neat to see Renzo Piano accept the AIA Gold Metal. Nathaniel Kahn, (yep, the My Architect guy), referred to him as the Bob Dylan of Architecture. Pretty Rad. Renzo Piano was probably quite the ladies man... I would have gone for him about 30 years ago for sure. ahh, charming italians...



I should also mention that Kieran Timberlake got the Architecture Firm award, and after visiting Sidwell School this fall, it makes me really happy. But then the host kept making Justin Timberlake jokes, so lame.

Unfortunately, Ada Louise Huxtable wasn't present, but through video, was able to give MoMA the keystone award. Barry Bergdoll accepted, he mentioned an exhibit on pre-fab homes opening soon that i will definitely go see. Others... Robert Ivy (i'd already seen him at washu, old news, hah), and David Thurm, who loves his new office apparently.

castro's baby's mama

ay los viejitos! it makes me sad to see EL CAPITAN step down. castro's endless presence is such a major part of cuban, and american, political culture. It seems strange to think about being the generation that will be able to compare Castro's Cuba to whatever is coming for that little paradise of an island. obviously though, I have no clue what's actually going on in cuba, i've only ever spent a week there. but it's completely romanticized. it's this mystic place where my mom and aunts and uncles grew up climbing guava trees and teaching farmers how to read. how beautiful.

following castro's life has also been a way to keep in touch with my memories of my granddad. they would have been the same age, both nuts. now i'll just have to rely on food, music and a stiff cuba libre. i can sense my cuban-ness fading away! ?!que carajo es esto?!

it's pretty difficult to try to understand how the rest of my cuban family responds to the news. i never really sense any resentment towards him or the series of events that broke up the family during their youth and made them flee to north carolina in the late 60s. it might just be something better left unspoken during family get-togethers. but i'd like to think that, like me, castro symbolizes what's left of their memories of the island. I think it gets harder to remember their times as happy kids running around taking apart TVs or helping their grandmother sort black beans. but, in combination with those scary times being harassed about the whereabouts of their father and awaiting a visa to the states, conjuring up cuban memories becomes a big emotional gamble. aside from that stark work-ethic and strength in the kitchen, i think it's fair to say that their cuban-ness has faded quite a bit.

... unlike miami cubans, but i won't continue this topic. it begins another discussion on the varying levels of assimilation among cuban-american immigrants and the reconstructed memories of the younger generations. like me, admittedly.

my sadness also comes from the future images i've created in my mind of a country reconquered by capitalism, with its wealth stratified once again along the same seams of race and connections to american business. facing its inevitable fate. i'm completely pessimistic about cuba's future. but like most other political decisions and forecasts, it's just a gut feeling. (and my guts have shit for brains. (pardon the high fidelity quote, i had to.))

ouch, slap me harder

this is the reason i miss saint louis, or at least why I find their art scene to be way fun... yay White Flag

"... negligent provincial art galleries operate with undue pretense, and abuse their inflated authority to routinely betray the good will of their patrons by exhibiting art they know to be compromised, by misrepresenting their motives and expertise, by effectively defrauding both their artists and clients, and by generally diminishing the environment for meaningful contemporary art as a result of their perverse curatorial behavior."

http://youtube.com/watch?v=_sdYZud2Qdc


and it makes up for all the people watching i would have done during the event too, so cool.

holler to the slapees that i know...
2:45 jeff
5:37 stefan
7:59 isabelle
8:08 eric repice

como se dice? como se llama?

obama reggaeton to celebrate the potomac primaries

i remember making posters with helen and annieeee

billy goats

dimsumyum

this was my favorite table to watch at china garden, the older gentleman on the left had a huge jade ring to go with the gold watch. i think he eventually caught on to the fact that i was trying to get a good photo of them. also, movie recommendation: eat drink man woman

salad ballad

okay i admit to recent blog craziness...
i just wanted to thank those who recently contributed to my salad brainstorming session. No names have been changed. Hopefully, I'll continue to add different salads to the list. But, for tonight, just so you know, I have already chosen the Moroccan carrot recipe.

thank you all.



Chelsea: i just had an amazing salad with crispy calamari, yellow peppers, red peppers, olives on arugala with a thick, sweet balsamic vinegarette
me: yum!could i sub out calamari for something?like sweet potato, or prob not?prob something salty
Chelsea: yea--maybe anchovies?or onion crispsthe salad i like from cosi has pistachios, cranberries, blue cheesewith a vinegarette



Carolyn: mmmmletme think
me: think veggie
Carolyn: /go to one of my fave websitesoo look at this farro-and-roasted-butternut-squash-recipe.html not typical salad, but it was in the categoryand looks tasty red-rice-salad-recipe.html
me: coooool
Carolyn: oh yumm moroccan-baby-carrot-salad-recipe.html alot of their salads look awesome

(i also saw this one, spring-roll-salad, oh man.)



Tom: well, i've always been a fan of goat cheese with bakes sweet potato and some other greens tomatoes and nutsmaybe some olive oil and balsamic
me: yum, so like wedges?or maybe round slices of sweetpim going big on presentation
Tom: cut it up into cubes and bake it under the broilier or something
me: okokgood one, thanks
Tom: anytime
me: any preferred greens?
Tom: i mean, i've always been a fan of red romain lettuce, i dont like those mixed bag greens, the piece are always too big to fit in the mouth



Andy: Hmmm...I have a Turkish cookbook... you want me to thumb through it?
me: oh, yes, sure Sent at 3:54 PM on Friday
Andy: Tomato salad?Kind of a tomato/lemon theme
me: so what are some key ingredients?
Andy: 6 tomatoes, 1 lemon, some "desalted white cheese", dillweed, parsley, olive oil, basil...
me: over greens?
Andy: No, the tomatoes are the salad.
me: oh, sounds amazing
Andy: want to see the picture?



me: i need salad ideas
Beth: well i have them right here....come and get them

(well beth.. not helpful, but thanks for the invite to sf)

chicken

the dcist may have recently put this place on the radar, but it's become quite a bbb tradition these days. El Pollo Rico is the best peruvian chicken in the dc bubble.

20 dollar

and some crack about how M.I.A. probably wasn't referring to the price of a beer at SaintEx

this morning

pie