hot soup

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, première mise en ligne par • Eliane •.

What about a little soup? It's not supra cold but it is still a nice casual lunch option. And where is it, you ask? Well, we're on the steps of the Met. And across the street, there on the corner, that little white van over there, is where the soup smell comes from.

See, you can even get coffee. Or a cream of broccoly. With all those extras, it should be good.

dude, your car!

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, première mise en ligne par • Eliane •.

No, wait, I take it back: do not click! It is already way too large, don't you think? This monster of a car was parked in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Oh boy...

dude, where's your car?

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, première mise en ligne par • Eliane •.

Well, I found it somewhere in the Upper West Side.
I don't know about you but the Hummers, Porsches and other so-called luxury cars leave me completely cold. But an old car like this one will get my attention. And yes, that would include an old Porsche too. There a couple of ancestors in my neighborhood. Among them a bright yellow Chevy that gets special work for events, movie shoots and the likes.
So, inquiring minds wants to know, in which film would you see this one perform?
Personally, I know it is not the same, but I am thinking of Driving Miss Daisy

l'orange bleue

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, première mise en ligne par • Eliane •.

I could not resist to take a picture of this SoHo restaurant, L'Orange Bleue on Broome Street. Its façade is very cute and colorful but it's the name that made me smile. For anyone vaguely following the political current events of my homeland, L'orange bleue refers to the name given to the political coalition (orange for the center, blue for the liberals - btw liberals means right on that side of the ocean).
Let me reassure you, L'Orange Bleue in SoHo is completely foreign to all this: they serve mediterranean cuisine (think morrocan with a French touch). One of these days, I will test it for you.
So, inquiring mind wants to know, what was the last time you went to a nice restaurant?

chinese coffee

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, première mise en ligne par • Eliane •.

Next, I found a Starbucks in this pretty building of Chinatown. But I did not have my loose change with me. So no latte for yours truly. Oooh, I am good. And anyway, drinking lattes in Chinatown? No way! Tea should be the drink de rigueur here.
So, inquiring mind wants to know: are you coffee or tea?

what's up, duck?

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what's up, duck?, première mise en ligne par • Eliane •.

Yesterday I showed you the bird cages, now I found the birds! They were hanging out at Kam Man Food on Canal Street in Chinatown, those little rascals!
So, inquiring mind wants to know: have you ever bought one of these? What's the best way to eat them?

cui-cui... cui

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, première mise en ligne par • Eliane •.

I was in Chinatown this Monday, enjoying the day off (Martin Luther King Jr. holiday). I took this picture at Pear River Mart on Broadway. The ceiling at the back of the store is covered with birth cages. Decorative, no? The whole store is very colorful with chinese dragons on the ceilings, lots of pretty garments, cute little bags, ... a lot of fun to explore.
So, enquiring mind wants to know: have you ever saved your bread crumbs to feed the birds?

buongiorno!

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, première mise en ligne par • Eliane •.

Did you know that street accessories were tricolor in Little Italy?
Me neither.
Allez, arrivederci and... er... buon natale?

wafels & dinges

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wafels & dinges, première mise en ligne par • Eliane •.

Perfect guilty pleasure? Eating a warm Belgian waffle for breakfast while window shopping on Broadway.
Fellow Belgian Thomas Degeest is Chief Wafel Master for Wafels & Dinges. He sells authentic Belgian wafels, made with fresh ingredients imported from the motherland. On weekends, you can find the wafflemobile in front of Citarella/Fairway on the Upper West Side. During the week, you'll find it downtown around Union Square. Check out their schedule on their website. There's even a blog which is pretty funny.
If you want the real deal, try the gauffre de Liège which is the one you'll find in the streets of Brussels. Ironically, the gauffre de Bruxelles is what we are most famous for abroad (i.e. the big ones, which we can serve with sugar powder, crème chantilly (whipped cream) and fruits).

Miam-lekker-yum!!! :)

So, inquiring mind wants to know: what is your guilty pleasure?

bsur2savur$

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bsur2savur$, première mise en ligne par • Eliane •.

A good advise found at the corner of E58th and 3rd Ave., courtesy of ING Direct: "turn your money into big money" or in a tad groovier way "bsur2savur$".
So, inquiring mind wants to know: what do you do with your lose change?
Personally, I've started to put my quarters in a cute piggy bank (shhh!) and I use them for those little extras once a week. You know, those little things like a latte or a magazine.

the view - part deux

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, première mise en ligne par • Eliane •.

This is what's going on at the right of the New York Times building: the Hudson River, the cruise ships, New Jersey, ...
Wouldn't you like to be that little cloud among all that blue?

the new york times building

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I must say I am quite disappointed: none of you guessed, or even try to guess, the building on the right in yesterday's picture. So here it is: the New York Times building which stands right in front of me at work. This building is a little special to me. See, when we first moved into this building, I was sitting a little further north to where I am now. And I saw it grow. Awwww, they grow up so fast.

[picture taken on 25aug2006]

the view

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Jésus-Marie-Joseph! What an ordeal. Saturday, Flickr was having a massage (see my Saturday post*). Sunday and Monday, Blogger had a hacking cough: it kept on crashing on me anytime I tried to post something on this blog. I am persistent but I have my limits. Apologies for the hiatus*.
Anyways, here above is the view. My new view since this Monday, after the office move. Not bad, he?
Across from the Hudson River is New Jersey. If you look carefully, you should see Chelsea Pier's driving range on the Manhattan side: it's a sort of a multi-stories cage where you can hit golf balls while looking at the river and NJ. Can you see it? Put your glasses on, you might.
Bonus point for those of you who can name the building on the right.

Talking about bonus points, I just got my report card from Evry: apparently I got an A. Thanks, Ol'! Oh, here it is:


(*) I know, I am cheating and catching up on the missed posts today. What can I say, I hate "holes"

wet news

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The weather has been a little crazy over here: from -11C one day, to 13C a few days later, pouring the next day and a bright crisp blue sky a few hours later.
This made me smile. I was actually sort of pleased to see this soaked newspaper in the entrance when I got home. See, I have this new neighboor downstairs. Very nice, quite handsome but... er, he's stealing someone else's newspaper, lol!
So, inquiring mind wants to know: come on, tell me, have you ever stolen someone else's newspaper? ;)

stairway to the stars

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It's been a while and I know you've missed it. It is time to go back to the Met!!!
The new tour season has begun, lots of paintings are back from traveling exhibitions, there's the amazing new Greek and Roman galleries, the drop dead gorgeous new galleries for Oceanic Art and Native North American Art, ... so many reasons to explore this great institution.
Here above is a view of the central staircase. Very magistral, isn't it? It leads to the balcony that overlooks the Great Hall. And if you go straight ahead, it will lead you to the Old Masters: Duccio, Caravaggio, El Greco, Goya, Velázquez, Bruegel, Rubens, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Delacroix, Courbet, Manet, Lautrec, Cézanne, Monet, Renoir, Rousseau, Gauguin, Van Gogh, ... and so many others. They are all there!
So, inquiring mind wants to know: do you have a favorite artist? Or a favorite era? Or medium?

web massage

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No picture today. Flickr, the website I use to organize and upload my pictures, is having a massage. Which I guess is a cool-hip-fun-groovy-neat-fabulous way to say that they are closed for maintenance. Or on strike. Wait - is it a French site? ;)
To show my solidarity, I have no question for you. Amazing, no? Ooops.

moving day

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Menu du jour: office move! Everybody switches places today.
Hello boxes, cables, disconnected phones and happy mayhem. Farewell to the North view overlooking Times Square, right on top of the New Year's eve ball's pole. Hello to the West side with view on... nah, I am not telling you. Not just yet. You'll discover that another day. For now, you can stare at my laptop and its docking station.
There, just because it's you: a tiny-tiny peek at the window, more boxes and my drying umbrella. Aren't you lucky?

So, enquiring mind wants to know: when was the last time you had to move?

morning rituals

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Earlier this week, I was at the local Starbucks enjoying a little cup of coffee and playing with my phone, reading my mail and testing the camera.
What caught my eye here was something new on the wall: that flat screen TV above the woman's head. What it is displaying on that green background, is the song that is currently playing in the store. Well not now currently, but back then currently. I like it: it's unobstructive, even decorative (nice pop of green), a smart way to advertise the songs and the artists. And it answers that question "Dang, I know that song, what is it again? I know it, I know it... It's on the top of my tongue!".
The bonus when I took a closer look at the above picture, was to see the pictures on the woman's newspaper: a row of photographers photographing... us!

So, inquiring mind wants to know: do you have a morning ritual? Those things that you have to do to start the day on the right foot? Personally, I need a shower to be completely awake and you want to be nice to me until I have eaten a little something. What about you?

NB: she is reading The New York Times. Of course.

clair-obscur

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This picture was also taken in early December, as I was Christmas shopping. Can anyone of you name the building we are looking at? I believe it was taken from the intersection of 57th and Fifth Avenue. I have absolutely no clue and failed to do my research job. Ah well...

taxi!

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This was taken exactly a month ago on Lexington Avenue and 57th, I think. Yellow cabs are always fun to capture. Now you know that we are really in New York, right?

history told in layers

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This one is for Tom, my 11 years old nephew. I do agree: what is really super cool about buildings being demolished is that you can sometimes see the wallpapers of the house or building that is no more. And I found one, just like that. With a yellow cab as bonus. One could have hoped for wallpaper with big flowers but I think we scored here. Look at that pink room. I bet it was the bathroom. Or was it the kitchen? What do you think?

let's do brunch

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I love brunch! Brunch means waking up late. Wandering in your pj's (*) for most of the morning. Brunch means you can chill. Brunch is casual, cool, relaxing. And if it's out with your friends, brunch means catching up on all those good gossips you missed, chatting and making plans while eating red omelettes with multigrain toasts and a sinfully good strawberry jam. And maybe, maybe topping it off with a cappuccino.
So, inquiring mind wants to know... what is your ideal brunch?
(*) pj's = pyjamas

Top: my favorite at Sarabeth's: red omelette ("filled with a chunky sauce of tomatoes and red peppers with cheddar cheese, topped with a dollop of sour cream with chives"). Yum.
Bottom: cappuccino, of course.

so sneaky

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A police car of our brave NYPD. So emblematic of the city, no?
Stop dreaming. Tonight, they are on a mission. Ticketing! This here above is their favorite spot: hiding along Riverside Drive to catch all the absent-minded ones who would have missed the no-left-turn sign, or those daredevils who would have dared ignore it.
So now you're warned. If you are taking the Henry Hudson Parkway's 79th St Boat Basin exit, do not turn left on Riverside Drive. It is so tempting, but they are there. Just waiting for you to misbehave...
As for me, tonight I crossed at the light. In the pedestrian crossing. Tomorrow is another day.

Above: two artsy pictures of the decisive spot. What? You've never called your mistakes artsy?

a windy day

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Not only was it -11C yesterday, but it was windy too! So windy that the papers left the trash cans and found their way on the sidewalk. This kind of thing infuriates me: how hard is it be to find trash cans that would keep the paper inside the cans, for crying out loud? Seriously. Mike Bloomberg better be reading my blog. Seriously.

how to look good naked

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But-but-but Carson... is it really reasonable? It was -11C today, Carson! Brrr, brrr, ... Wouldn't it be wiser to bundle up a bit?
Like this woman with her pink winter accessories, I received a promotional DVD with sneak peak to Carson's new series on Lifetime, How To Look Good Naked. It is one of those days you really regret having cancelled your tv subscription. It does seem fun: when you open the DVD cover, there's a little music wishing you a Happy Nude Year. I'll watch it so I can give you a few pointers later. I am sure you can't wait.

new year's resolutions

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This sign from the Mount Sinai hospital made me smile.
For those of you who misplaced their glasses, here is what it reads:

Px (=prescription)
Patient Name: our neighbors
Address: New York City
Put down cigarettes.
Pick up a hobby.

Inquiring mind wants to know... any New Year's resolutions?
And, bonus question: did you keep any of those you made last year? ;)

happy 2008!!!

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On this first day of the year, let me wish everyone of you une excellente année 2008, a wonderful 2008, a gelukkig nieuwjaar, a prost Neujahr and a feliz año nuevo!!! (for those of you who are still unsure what I am talking about, head here). I also want to thank you all for your sweet and entertaining comments throughout 2007. They make this blogging thing fun! And lastly, I want to welcome a special reader - hi Dad! - we'll see how good our internet crash course was... ;)

This month's theme is "photo of the year 2007" - read: "your favorite picture of the year".
I picked this one, which has nothing to do with New York City, but fits the theme for me. I snapped it recently during my Christmas holiday in Belgium. Have you ever had a picture which surprised you? And I mean in a good way, of course. Well, this is the one for me. Those red lanterns, the naked tree, the purple sky, ... I find it quite enchanting.
And just because it's you, here's the "vue d'ensemble" - rue Antoine Dansaert (Antoine Dansaertstraat for our Flemish friends), Bruxelles:

As I finish typing this, there are 118 Daily Photo blogs participating in this month's theme! Go, pay them a visit!!! Traveling around the world for free, who can ask for better than that?
Paris, France - London, England - Hyde, UK - West Sacramento (CA), USA - Grenoble, France - Stockholm, Sweden - Riga, Latvia - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Manila, Philippines - Silver Spring (MD), USA - Weston (FL), USA - Prague, Czech Republic - New Orleans (LA), USA - Wichita (KS), USA - Cleveland (OH), USA - San Francisco (CA), USA - Hobart (Tasmania), Australia - Greenville (SC), USA - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Mainz, Germany - Melbourne, Australia - Portland (OR), USA - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Toulouse, France - Naples (FL), USA - Jakarta, Indonesia - Brussels, Belgium - Stayton (OR), USA - Selma (AL), USA - Mexico City, Mexico - Ocean Township (NJ), USA - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Port Angeles (WA), USA - Toruń, Poland - Fort Lauderdale (FL), USA - Budapest, Hungary - Baziège, France - Nashville (TN), USA - Saint Louis (MO), USA - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Chicago (IL), USA - Prescott (AZ), USA - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Nottingham, UK - Moscow, Russia - Philadelphia (PA), USA - Evry, France - Trujillo, Peru - Arlington (VA), USA - Denpasar, Indonesia - American Fork (UT), USA - Seattle (WA), USA - Chandler (AZ), USA - Coral Gables (FL), USA - Montpellier, France - Joplin (MO), USA - Pilisvörösvár, Hungary - Crystal Lake (IL), USA - Bucaramanga (Santander), Colombia - Boston (MA), USA - Torun, Poland - New York City (NY), USA - Dunedin (FL), USA - Quincy (MA), USA - Stavanger, Norway - Chateaubriant, France - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Jackson (MS), USA - Wailea (HI), USA - Port Elizabeth, South Africa - Budapest, Hungary - Austin (TX), USA - Montréal (QC), Canada - Cypress (TX), USA - Bicheno, Australia - Wrocław, Poland - Brookville (OH), USA - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Nelson, New Zealand - Cheltenham, UK - Wellington, New Zealand - Rabaul, Papua New Guinea - Mumbai (Maharashtra), India - London, UK - Haninge, Sweden - Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation - Arradon, France - Jefferson City (MO), USA - Orlando (FL), USA - Mumbai, India - Terrell (TX), USA - Bogor, Indonesia - Delta (CO), USA - Radonvilliers, France - Saigon, Vietnam - San Diego (CA), USA - Adelaide (SA), Australia - Belgrade, Serbia - Auckland, New Zealand - Seguin (TX), USA - Inverness (IL), USA - Oslo, Norway - Singapore, Singapore - Las Vegas (NV), USA - New York City (NY), USA - Anderson (SC), USA - Torino, Italy - Susanville (CA), USA - San Diego (CA), USA - Sharon (CT), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Port Vila, Vanuatu - Memphis (Tennessee), USA