Princess Maha: A shopping excursion

About a month ago, we were walking along W. 59th St. in New York returning from a little exploration of Roosevelt Island.  West 59th takes you along the southern edge of Central Park, and, as a result, is home to some of the priciest real estate in the city.

We were passing the Plaza Hotel near the corner with 5th Ave. when we saw a group of about 10 black SUVs, the kind you see in TV shows where government agents are conducting some big operation or escorting the President.  Around the vehicles were large, be-suited men with sunglasses and ear pieces.  As a scene, let's just say that it caught the eye.  

As we got closer, we saw an empty cube van and literally piles of shopping bags and boxes.  Some were being packed into crates.  All of the bags originated from every boutique and hi-so brand you could name.  The crates were labelled "Princess Maha, Saudi Arabia."  

Princess Maha's goodies before they were packed up

Now our interest was well and truly piqued.  

As soon as we got to wifi, we started looking up this Princess Maha person.  It turns out Princess Maha has had quite a few historic shopping sprees, some totalling in the millions in just a few hours.  She also has a history of sneaking out on bill payments at hotels and shops.  And, oh yeah, an incident when she likely beat one of her service staff.  

As my one and only 'brush with royalty', this was quite an interesting one.  Thanks, New York.

New York Oddities

I love New York for all its quirky bits. 

My Visit to The Press Lounge

The Press Lounge is one of those places you can't help but have a love/hate relationship with.  It's has a truly beautiful view of the Mid-Town skyline in Manhattan, the Hudson River, and the shores of New Jersey.  What's not to love about that, right?

Let me explain.

We chose to make a night out of dinner at Print. (yes, the period is part of the name), located on the ground floor of ink48 Hotel in Hell's Kitchen.  Print. (again, the period) has a great menu grounded in locally grown, seasonal ingredients.  After dinner, our plan was to head up to the roof to the Press Lounge for drinks.  All three venues have a great 'story'.  The building used to be a huge print house, and the printing press motif runs through more than their names.

Anyway, dinner was great, and, by dining in the restaurant, you get dibs on going up to the roof-top bar.  We didn't realise what a big deal this was until we went to the bank of elevators and saw the very long queue of people waiting to go up.  There was a security guard at the elevator (nice guy) and another guy sort of managing the line.  Even though we got to go to the front of the line, we still had to wait a few minutes, so we got to see some interesting interactions.

We knew something was up when a young woman came up and asked, "What's up there? What are people lining up for exactly?"  The guy managing the line just sort of ignored her at first, but she asked again, adding that, "I have never been here before and kind of want to know what I'm lining up
for."

At this, manager guy swaggeringly replied, "The greatest rooftop bar you have ever seen.  It's the experience of a lifetime, honey."  Apparently that wasn't appealing enough because she just shrugged and left.

A few minutes later, we boarded the elevator and were joined by someone we had seen in the lobby, only this time he was alone, without his friends.  We asked him what happened and he said that manager guy "didn't like my friend's shorts."  This was even more interesting.

The bar has a dress code (fair enough) and had said no to his friend because her shorts were ripped up the front.  Ripped clothing is a tricky thing because sometimes it's fashionable while other times it's a no-no.  When it's meant to be 'sexy' it usually falls on the fashionable side.  Why you would wear shorts that are ripped up the front, I'm not sure, but they certainly drew attention.  Especially since you could just about see where her leg joined her pelvis.  Not my style, but again, you never know.

I can understand why the manager guy said no, but it raised the question, was the bar soooo good that you would ditch your friends to go up?  All this ran through my head while the elevator ascended.  Another couple shared the elevator with us on the way up.  I didn't pay much attention to them (thinking instead about the guy bailing on his friends) until the doors opened.

Standing before us all was a large group of people.  Describing them is challenging.  Some were young, some were our age.  Some were really loud.  Some were not.  Many of them were checking their phones.  Most were well-dressed.  A few were checking their phones.  A few were...

Okay, I am dancing around the issue.  This was a place people were going as much to be looked at as they were to look at the view.  They were primped and polished and seemed very conscious of self (as in thinking about exactly what angle they might best be photographed from as opposed to worrying that they had a spot on their shirts).  And, to be blunt, a lot of them looked like visitors.

This impression flashed in the brief seconds after the door opened.  Clearly I was not alone in my impression because the couple, about whom I had only just become aware, took one step forward to exit the elevator (as is expected in such situations) and then suddenly realised this was not the place they wanted to be.  They quickly backed up and the woman stepped on my foot.

Our group stepped boldly out of the elevator and headed out to the patio.  It was undoubtedly beautiful.  Amazing views, great breezes, and a really nice space.  Perhaps we were not as quick to assess the situation as the couple from the elevator, but we knew this was not our crowd.  We made a couple of laps of the place and took a couple of photos (how could you not) before discussing what to do next.

We looked at the lights and the traffic and the crowd and someone in our group said, "I know what happened!  All those people from over there (pointing towards New Jersey) looked over here and saw all those pretty lights on the roof and said, 'Hey, let's go over there.  It looks like a nice place for a drink.'"

We left.  

I think I took this one while we were making a hasty retreat from The Press Lounge.

Hamilton - The Best of America

I need to get one thing out of the way.  I am not American, and I have expressed my fair share of anti-American sentiment in my lifetime.  Learning about global issues and studying the role played by the United States in those issues, it's perhaps impossible not to have felt some anger towards the country.  Age and experience, however, have taught me that the U.S. can also be a powerful force for good and that there are countries far worse.  What's more, many countries do not have such large and vocal populations taking loud, vocal stands for what is right - even if it is in conflict with their country's 'interests '.  

If you have ever been angry about some action taken by the U.S. government, remember that there are probably Americans protesting, right now, those same actions, writing angry denouncements, and/or proposing a more just alternative. There are millions fighting for the U.S. to be good. 

With that out of the way, I can say that I cried tears of joy and admiration this week while watching the Broadway musical, Hamilton.

Simply put, Hamilton embodies all the best, all the astonishing promise of America.  

A younger me would have denied that such a thing existed because I would have been too focussed on the 'wrongs' of the United States.  But I know the younger me would still have seen the beauty in Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton.  He has captured, along with the cast, all that is great (or potentially so) about America.

His source material is Alexander Hamilton, poor immigrant dreaming of greater things, who finds opportunity in colonial New York.  Whether you love the United States or not, no one can deny that the country still represents to millions around the world that opportunity for (as Hamilton sings) a shot at something better, a shot to be someone different and to reinvent oneself.  Those opportunities may not be distributed evenly or fairly, but there is no denying that the U.S. offers more opportunity than most.

The entire show embodies the great strength the country derives from its diversity.  The lyrics burst with the diversity of musical styles that have flourished from the fertile soils of American art.  The incredible talent of the entire cast demonstrates to any and all that America has benefitted enormously from all those people who have come here (whether by choice or not) over the many years of the country's existence.  The voices, dances, and brilliant minds that shaped Hamilton are distinctly American because they also have roots in many other places.

Miranda's creation does not shy away from the flaws and contradictions of the American experiment.  But in showing those flaws (slavery and class, for example), Miranda shows better than most 'patriots' one of the enduring strengths of the United States - you can denounce what you believe is wrong in your country and still love it.  Hamilton, the person and the play, show us all how the two are not incompatible.  

So I thank you, Lin-Manuel Miranda and cast.  I consider myself lucky to have witnessed your vision, your creativity, and your brilliance.  I cried for a lot of reasons, but more than anything I cried for what can be.

P.S. If ever there was a reason to keep Alexander Hamilton on the $10 bill, this was it.  Ditch Old Hickory instead.  

Chinese Fashion and Its Influence on Haute Couture - Great Exhibit

Small Steps in the Big City

We visit every year, but we always find something new in New York.  This time it was Roosevelt Island.

One more stop before we are 'home' in a place we have never lived before.  Very exciting.

Commas matter