I love reading blogs, but I have to admit that DIY blogs are not among my favorites. I think it is amazing what people create and even more amazing that they share their methods online for others to try. I personally find some projects far too time consuming and frankly expensive, making it risky for…
Tag: arts
Jazz Fest: This is My Heaven
Oh, New Orleans! This is our first visit back since moving away last June. I have loved vicariously through friends’ photos, group texts, and stories about their experiences at the many festivals since then. Mardi Grad was especially hard to miss since it had been a cornerstone of my memories for the past three years….
Art and Therapy In Unexpected Places
Tonight I draw your hair, A hair of simplicity, With a mysterious beauty, That no one can ever resist, A hair that blooms with the sun, That always shines every sunrise, And turns into deep black at sunset, A hair of smooth silk, That touches my face like a baby, And comforts my soul into…
Hungry for “The Lunchbox”
We’ve all heard the phrase, “A way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” I’d argue that this applies to anyone with a great appetite for delicious food, myself included! There is a new Indian film very recently released in the U.S. that uses this idea as a starting point for a blossoming love…
Why “Ugly Betty” Warms My Soul
Ugly Betty first aired in 2006, but I did not start watching it until around 2008 when a friend lent me her season 1 DVD set. Like most television shows, I had only seen an episode here or there, being unable to commit to a weekly ritual (a combination of being in school and not…
An Open Letter to Jhumpa Lahiri
Dear Ms. Lahiri, It has been about two and a half years since I’ve read a novel from beginning to end. Residency sort of interferes with leisurely reading, especially when one’s mind is occupied with reading journals, studying for exams, and staring at computer screen trying to absorb a patient’s entire health history in a…
Advanced Style
During my morning news fix, I came across a feature about a new coloring book highlighting the stylish seniors. The drawings, illustrated by Ilan Schraer, are modeled after the everyday people photographed by Ari Seth Cohen in his blog and book, Advanced Style. We are always bombarded with images of youth and beauty in the media,…
Happy Chocolate City
My last post about my favorite NOLA ice cream shop mentioned some delicious flavors. This post is dedicated to some beautiful art currently displayed there. The past few times I have visited The Creole Creamery, I noticed a strikingly beautiful painting of the city’s map. Known as the Crescent City for its obvious croissant-like shape,…
Red Baraat: a bhangra brass band!
As we strolled along Frenchmen Street last weekend, I overheard the words “Indian funk brass band” and immediately turned around to learn more. That night, Blue Nile was hosting Red Baraat, a diverse band that fuses the contagious energy of bhangra music with the joyful shake-your-hips sound of the brass bands of New Orleans, the…
Honoring a Musical Legend: Pandit Ravi Shankar
“Pop changes week to week, month to month. But great music is like literature.” [Pandit Ravi Shankar] After 92 years defined by musical brilliance and accomplishment, Pandit Ravi Shankar died on December 11, 2012. The term pandit signifies teacher or scholar; Shankar was indeed both of these in the art of classical Indian music. He brought…
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Almost one full year ago, a good friend and coworker invited me and an interviewing applicant to view William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Somehow, I had gone through all of high school and college without having to read more than one or two of Shakespeare’s plays. Unfortunately, this was not one of them! Feeling…
A Streetcar Named Desire
In April, I had the opportunity to see a live performance of Tennessee Williams’ “A Streetcar Named Desire.” The Southern Rep theater hosts several performances each month, and thank goodness for the five-minute drive to work when I heard about this showing on NPR. I had read the play for English class in high school and…
pen . paper . storm 