Thursday, December 29, 2011

Happy New Year!!




























I'm sorry that I haven't been posting so often, but I'm taking a little (much needed) break in Uruguay.

Although I usually stay in José Ignacio, this time I'm staying at "la brava" which is super beautiful also and I'm loving every second. The weather has been glorious!! luckily.

I'll be posting more often soon, but I wanted to wish you a happy New Year!! hope 2011 was amazing and that 2012 brings lots of love, joy, magic and success into your lives!

xo

Photo: Isabel Marant, Spring 2011. Love the setting and this perfect little dress for New Year's Eve in the South American summer!

Monday, December 19, 2011

Containers, Jose Ignacio, Uruguay




















Container Design Loft created by chef/entrepreneur Alejandra Dellepiane, is a new hotel I discovered in José Ignacio. It is entirely made of shipping containers.



















The containers are exactly that, containers! not much has been done with that... (as you can see) but the idea is original and it is the first hotel of its type in Uruguay. The interiors are retro and comfortable and I liked the exterior areas most of all... wooden decks and terraces as well as beautiful, flowered gardens seduced my eyes. Among other things, a grill and jacuzzi provide the perfect excuse to hang out there, before or after heading to the beach. All of this surrounded by a pine tree forest.

Solar panels provide hot water and all areas are lit with LED technology.


































Last photo: the concierge!

the sky is pink

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Ernesto Neto

















































Just before leaving Buenos Aires I went to Faena Arts Center to see an exhibition by Brazilian artist, Ernesto Neto. The installation invites us to interact with it in a playful way. First step is taking your shoes off and going into the heart of this work: a labyrinth of colorful ropes, soft balls underneath your feet and a beautiful combination of colors that intensify the experience.

The spiderweb- like installation called "a bug suspended in the scene" takes up the entire exhibition space creating a special, intimate and soothing atmosphere.

It's a great feeling to walk suspended on air! Hope you like it.
x


Where?
Aime Paine 1169, C1107 Buenos Aires, Argentina.


Kisses from Punta!

Thursday, December 8, 2011

2011



















“A cloud does not know why it moves in just such a direction and at such a speed...

It feels an impulse...this is the place to go now.

But the sky knows the reasons and the patterns behind all clouds, and you will know, too, when you lift yourself high enough to see beyond horizons.”

- Richard Bach

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Barcelona!

I heart El Xampanyet












































































































































































































































The best part of a journey is the people you meet along the way. And the food.

Photo above is brunch at PICNIC

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

And you are..?

















In this photo: Charly García


The other day I found myself buying the biography of Miley Cyrus for my 9 year old daughter. When reading through it, I found this part interesting: "I'm left handed by birth, and although so is my father, he is absolutely convinced that I am right-handed. I think it's because he’s always said that lefties have to 'learn the world upside down' and more than once he has had a hard time finding a left-handed guitar. Anyway, Dad made me use my right hand and it worked. For the rest of the things in life, I'm left handed, but I write with the right."

This got me thinking cause I am also left handed and I often encounter obstacles that remind me of that. I write with my left hand, use my right hand to play golf, right foot to kick a ball and I’m not too sure what I use to play the piano but the fact is that I have too much strength in my left hand which requires special attention when it comes to playing the piano. In dance class, the teacher always says I have to first stretch the right leg or right arm. When I there’s a queue I stand on the left and always end up watching everyone pass before me... same thing in the underground.

If you're right handed, you use the left hemisphere in the process of action. If you're a lefty you use the right hemisphere. The left hemisphere is the center of operations relating to language, writing, logic and mathematics. The right hemisphere is associated with music, art, creativity, spatial perception, genius, imagination and emotional experiences.

Leonardo Da Vinci, Napoleon Bonaparte, Marilyn Monroe, Pablo Picasso, Woody Allen, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Nicole Kidman, to name a few, are all lefties.

Argentinian rock star, Charly Garcia once said, "Had I been born thousands of years ago, they would have thrown rocks at me cause I'm a lefty and I have a half-white mustache ...I just learned to use the flaws as virtues;” Seriously, there is nothing wrong with being left-handed.

David Bowie commented, "There was a time when left-handedness was frowned upon in Great Britain. And that made me isolate from the others. So I think that has been one of the signs with which I will evaluate my journey through life. 'Okay, mother fu… errs I'm not like you, so I will try to be better than you "

Having the right hemisphere more developed does make us different… That’s a good thing. To be different, I mean.


Post by: Valeria Mendez Cañás

Friday, November 4, 2011

Malnatti




















This is an interview to Daniel Malnatti, an Argentinian journalist I read in La Nacion, which made me laugh so I thought I’d share it with you:


I read on the internet that as a child you wanted to be a priest, is that right?

-Yes, I am a believer. I have a natural tendency to believe. I need to believe. As a teenager I wanted to be a priest. Then I believed in justice and became a lawyer. Now I’m in a world of beliefs which is a bit more complex, a private religion called neurosis.

Private-Why?

-Because everyone adapts it to his or her own life. You have the person who walks without stepping on the lines of the sidewalk tiles to the perfectionist who stays up working all night.

And you are…?

-I prefer not to answer.

Well ... we're all a little neurotic.

-Yes, 94.9% of Argentina's population is structured with a neurotic personality


Aha. This data is very accurate...?

-It is. This is official data of the Psychoanalytic Association of Argentina and the Artemio Lopez consultants, who are the only ones authorized to speak.

How is this picture completed?

The other 5% of the population shows decidedly psychotic features. And it is precisely this equation that makes the production and GDP remain high.


Reviewing: the neurotic 94.9%, 5% psychotic, and the remaining 0.1%?

-Schizophrenic. People who question and answer themselves.

Revealing


Thursday, November 3, 2011

lol!





















How beautiful is that action that produces a strange and invigorating reaction in your entire body? A reaction that is physical, psychological and chemical at the same time and that changes the way you feel? "Laughter is a funny sound but when I laugh it’s a great feeling. " - Billy Crystal.

Statistics from a recent study show that children laugh about 300 times a day while adults only laugh about 10 to 15 times a day. This result is a bit worrying, no? I relate laughter with how well we are, ourselves.

When you laugh, according to Freud, the ego seeks to find pleasure and refuses to accept suffering that comes from the outside world.

According to Victor Frankl “Humor can provide the necessary distance to overcome any situation, even for a few seconds. “Attempts of developing a sense of humor, to see things in a humorous light are a trick I learned while we mastered the art of living, for, even in a concentration camp, it is possible to master the art of living ". - VF

Laughter is a privilege that men do not share with any other species, it seems; it is possibly the last thing to be lost. Once, a man was sentenced to death in Texas and as they were about to sit him in the electric chair someone asked him if he wanted a cigarette. He replied: 'No thanks, I'm trying to quit smoking' ... #okay

Laughter is cathartic, like dancing, it produces a break in the situations, it is pure profit. Laughter changes the look that you have on the self, raises self-esteem, develops hope, stimulates creativity, makes you younger, healthier and improves your relationships with others.

So ... why not laugh more and take things a little less seriously!

In this photo: Mich and Julia

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

madness

When you fall in love, it is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake, and then it subsides. And when it subsides, you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the desire to mate every second of the day. It is not lying awake at night imagining that he is kissing every part of your body. No... don't blush. I am telling you some truths. For that is just being in love; which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over, when being in love has burned away... (Iannis to Pelagia)


From
Captain Corelli's Mandolin film; directed by John Madden and based on the novel of the same name by Louis de Bernières

Monday, October 24, 2011

Film @ Malba


















Malba Museum, Buenos Aires.


A film is an art form based on the present. It’s also an experience that we are unable to process 100%. A good film has the virtue of making us think. It contains stories, poetry and images that we can often relate to. This is what the critics that organize the Simultaneous Film Festival 4 + 1 say.

The idea of this festival is original. The project consists of presenting the same films simultaneously, in different countries: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and Spain. The idea is to approach the audience with these amateur films that have been awarded but have not had enough diffusion.

For the curious minds interested in good films- regardless of their popularity - head to Malba from October 26th to 30th.

Buenos Aires Jazz














Jazz is to Americans what tango is to Argentinians (uhm… or some say its country music?)

Jazz was born in New Orleans (that’s right, not Chicago, not NYC) just as tango was born on the banks of the Rio de la Plata in Buenos Aires. Like tango, Jazz is also a product of diversity. New Orleans was French, then it was Spanish, then it went back to being French until it finally became American (although, you know what they say in Nola: “third world and proud of it”). Anyone who has been there, has probably noticed how different NOLA is from the rest of the US. In many ways, it's more like Argentina.

New Orleans Jazz was created by immigrants from Africa who met to sing religious hymns, but in the process, their voices started to merge generating different harmonies. Thus, variations on these melodies came to life.

While European music requires careful listening and who interprets it must remain faithful to the score - even in the execution of the expression, in jazz, there is a kind of game. Musicians follow certain rules, but mostly improvise and put their own vibe into the music.

To those who are eager to expose their ears to the sharpness of this genre and also those who simply want to enjoy the pleasure of hearing this music without much thinking, we invite you to the Fourth Edition of the Festival de Jazz de Buenos Aires. Advance ticket sale starts today, while concerts start the following week.

Enjoy!

Friday, October 21, 2011

Punta del Este Food & Wine






















José Ignacio, Uruguay.


Since last year, Punta del Este is part of the world’s circuit of haute cuisine: next month, a weekend with 5 unique events will take place, where chefs from the United States, Spain, Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay will present their best dishes with the finest Wines of Uruguay.

Based on the success of the first edition, for the 2011 edition, the Festival will be in November again, the perfect excuse to visit Punta del Este in this exceptional time of year.

Opening day: November 11, 2011
9:30pm

Ballroom at Mantra Hotel
In the beautiful surroundings of the Mantra Hotel ballroom, a total of 12 chefs from different parts of the world will offer a tasting of their most emblematic dishes.

Their website says: “Escape to the best flavors of the world”

Ok, I’m there. I just booked my flight :-)

Have a nice weekend!!

xo

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Buenos Aires Photo 2011


























If you love photography, this month, don't miss Buenos Aires Photo. It's an opportunity to check out some of the best photography in Latin America and the world. The exhibition will take place from October 27- 30; hosted by Palais de Glace in Recoleta.

Photos kindly provided by: Gachi Prieto Gallery & Elisi del Rio Arte Contemporáneo - stand 19 - featuring works by Carolina Magnin, Gaby Messina, Lena Szankay, Arturo Aguiar, Daniel Kiblisky and Simón Altkorn.

Enjoy! xo

Monday, October 17, 2011

October





















The course of true love never did run smooth.
- William Shakespeare

China girl






















In the mood for Chinese?

During the 80’s, Chinatown started to bloom in Buenos Aires. Located on a small part of the Belgrano district, between Arribeños St., Blanco Encalda St. Libertador Av. and Juramento, Chinatown is worth a visit if you’re looking for a good Chinese restaurant or if you want to buy cool objects for the kitchen, fresh ingredients and other good stuff like hot sauce, tofu, Dijon mustard, etc. And, since 2006 – like in other parts of the world – they have their typical arc :-) see?

Here are some good restaurants you may want to check out:

Todos Contentos (All happy) - Arribeños 2177

Ting Hsiang Tang - 2245 Arribeños

Palitos (Sticks) - Arribeños 2241

Sunday, October 16, 2011

happy friday!










Visual Arts Prize


















One way for Argentinian artists to become known is to win the Visual Arts prize that the Salon Nacional awards each year in any of its 8 categories (painting, etching, sculpture, drawing, photography, ceramic arts, textile arts and installations).

Salon Nacional was founded in 1911, with the idea of fostering Argentinian artistic development and this is what they've done for the last 100 years. Salon Nacional has always been recognized as a very important space where pieces of art are legitimated and aesthetic parameters are set.

Only a few days remain before the exhibition of the works of this years winners are taken down (October 16), if you have time, it is worth a visit.

Where? At the Palais de Glace, Libertador Avenue 1248.

Enjoy!

Hotel Boca


















One can't be too surprised that the first soccer-inspired hotel in the world is soon to open it's doors in Buenos Aires. I mean this is arguably one of the cities with the most soccer fans in the world, so it makes sense, no? The Boca Hotel has been entirely conceived from the love of design, comfort and uhh.. Boca of course. Their internet site says "so much passion needed a rest" nicely said!


















Founded in 1905, Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca, a neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División.

Boca Juniors is one of the most successful clubs in Argentina and in the world, having won 47 official titles at the national and international level.

The hotel required an investment of 15 million USD and is located in the heart of Buenos Aires, within walking distance from 9 de Julio Avenue and a short distance from Puerto Madero, San Telmo and La Boca neighborhoods.

The luxury hotel has 17 floors with 89 suites and 7,500 square meters of surface. Indoor and outdoor pools, a themed bar, gym, spa, restaurant, convention hall and its own theme channel.

















Diego Maradona, about thirty years ago

By the way, I am a River fan! just had to say that :-)
x Mich