While many may think that living in NYC means that you only live within brick walls and concrete sidewalks, we are very lucky to have some beautiful parks right in the middle of all that brick and concrete.
One of these beautiful places is called the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
Among the many lovely spots in this 52 acre refuge is the Japanese Garden which was completed in 1915 by landscape architect Takeo Shiota. It’s a lovely spot and I gave it a shot at capturing it in the watercolor above. It’s just a start, and as usual, I’m so-so about it. We’ll see how it progresses.
In the meantime I progressed out my door and down the block. There is a street fair on 5th Ave. today. And it’s the same crap every year, at every street fair that I’ve ever been to from here to New Hampshire. There may be other crap at other street fairs that I haven’t been to, but so far I haven’t seen any new stuff. Or any new food. One must get some street fair food or one will not be happy. One of my favorites is the fried dough. Any variation of fried dough usually works for me. Have you ever noticed that every culture has some sort of fried dough food. YUM. Street fairs in NYC always have the obligatory zeppole stand. Zeppole are fried dough delights covered with confectioner’s sugar. Light, fluffy and just damn yummy. These trucks also sell funnel cake. It’s the same dough, they just drizzle it out of a funnel into the boiling oil so you get something all squiggly instead of a big fat round piece of dough. They still dump confectioner’s sugar on top. How can you go wrong? If you prefer something a little less sweet, find the Indian stand and get the samosas. Or the Chinese stand and get the dumplings. I could go on and on. In fact, I think I will.
Ok, I won’t. But you get the idea. In about 20 blocks one could eat food from around the world, buy local artists’ works, get henna tattoos, meet the neighbors and listen to local bands. Fun. The Fifth Ave. Fair is the first of the summer. By August you’re done. Where can you hide? The Japanese Garden of course.
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May 18, 2009 at 4:07 pm
swatch
Hey cool start – reflections in water is a world all on its own – a journey.
All that fried dough sounds like indigestion to me (chew cinnamon sticks). I wonder if you would like ‘koeksusters’ – they are doughy plaited strips cooked and dipped in syrup so they get a sugary crust with a juicy syrupy inner – for the ultra-sweet tooth only.
May 18, 2009 at 11:01 pm
Bonnie Luria
Oh what a lovely beginning and it doesn’t need too much extra fussing. You’ve given it a very Zen like feeling in the color and composition.
Every culture has its’ version of a dumpling too. Ravioli for Italians, Dumplings for Chinese, Kreplach for Jews ( i know it’s not a country but a culture ), and I say dough in any form is universal comfort food.
I still recall the clanging of the tent poles outside my window when the street fairs set up early in the morning.
It’s the wide world of crap. Five dollar bras! ( at a street fair! where are you going to try it on and how can you take a guess?)
Products that were probably infomercial rejects wind up being hawked by desperate vendors.
And my favorite part? Not seeing the extenda-leashes attached to some gals poodle and tripping in the crowded streets.
I guess you could rub a funnel cake on the scrape and call it good.
May 19, 2009 at 4:18 am
wrjones
This is another of your nice starts. If it turns out as good as the cake you are on a roll. You have caught the feel of the far east in your beginning. If it ends up looking like 5th Ave you may have overworked it.
My aunt deep fried bread dough and called them fritters. They were wonderful.