Friday I'm In Love

Technically, Friday started with the beautiful, quiet dawn outside my window and me wanting to go out and conquer it atop the Empire State Building. Luckily, reality got the better of me and I stole a couple of hours sleep before a meeting with TUSA. Went to the UN and checked out a killer photography exhibit by Phil Borges, then back to MoMA to review the works of Picasso, Mondrian, Monet and friends. Yum. Dinner in Tribeca at Viet Cafe, dessert around the corner at Mai House, then I took a dozen guests (artists and journos) over to the East Village to Orchid Lounge and China 1 - Tiger rocks. As the hardcore crew dwindled, two triple pees stood up and we rocked back to the Meatpacking District, got a tip from a homeless dude, and found ourselves getting jiggy with it in a hot NYC club. Mental note: if you put your drink down, someone will take it away. Somehow, walking along the cold streets with eyes bright in the early morning, I felt that my heart was beating in rhythm with the city's pulse. My energy wasn't coming from sleep, it was coming from the city itself.

Yes!

After a relatively decent sleep, Thursday was more human and after a productive morning meeting I went to Bloomingdales around noon and scored a couple of neat pieces for the butchers'. A fortuitous meeting with Mike Lever led to a gorgeous lunch across the road where Susan, Mike, his designer Bree and I caught up over enormous salads and a beer. Met Mogan and walked through central park like a couple, very pleasant in the spring sunshine. Met Henry and had chicken noodle soup at the Brooklyn Diner, hearing about his doctorate, teaching career, ex-boyfriend with HIV, and how he first heard the word "condom" from me when we were nine. Walking back to Chambers I realised how this city makes me feel; 100% myself. Watched some comedy after that with Mogan in the room, then met up with all the media and artists and took them out to Town, Gin Lane (saw an arrest), 5 9th and Brass Monkey. The music in 5 9th was sweet electro and I want to hear more. Slept at 7.30 am, 24 Jam.

Sensory Overload

After forcing myself to go to sleep at 6am on Tuesday night, I slept for five hours then had a lunch meeting with Lizzy and Mogan. Body feeling pretty weird, we took a couple of cases of Tiger down to the artists' studio on White & Broadway, then wandered a little in the area. Picked up a nice treat for Jamie from Petal Pizzazz, then rocked up to meet Susan. Grabbed a quick bite, a shot of whiskey and a beer in Times Square then caught Talk Radio with Liev Schreiber at the Long Acre - fantastic! Met up with Mogan after the show, checked out Double Happiness in Soho, walked through Chelsea and had a slice of heavenly pepperoni pizza, then finished up back in the same bar in Times Square. Sensory Overload. Got a decent sleep in preparation for the rest of the week.

Darryl Mac!

Woke up at 9 and worked awhile, but the highlight here today was sitting on the sofa in the lobby of the Chambers Hotel and having a lovely wee chat with D from RUN DMC! Solid.

Long lunch at Rue 57 then over to Lexington to see Susan at Bloomingdales - mmm...authentic wife beaters...next time.

Met up with Jared, Kat and Roxanne for dinner at Fig & Olive in the Meatpacking District, then Henry Wong Doe at Spice Market - over to Soho and then back for the real deal cocktails at Employees Only in the West Village. NOICE!

Lower East Side

Manhattan

Shifting from Jersey to the city, met Mogan and Lizzy for lunch at Balthazar in Soho and wandered a little. Visited the Xchange with Khairi and Putri before a delicious duck confit at Casimir in Alphabet City. Mogan and I started our research and hit an array of joints in the East Village: Bao 111, The Sunburnt Cow, Orchid Lounge, Horus Cafe and China 1. The owner there helped us get into Le Souk, one of the hottest clubs in town. Industry night baby.

http://www.odinnewyork.com
http://www.china1nyc.com

New York's Fine

Greeted by a bright sun at noon on Sunday, upped and out of bed to big phat panckaes at Lily's diner, with Betty Boop in on the action.

Blown away at the Museum of Modern Art (floors five, four and three), strolled down 5th Avenue around 6pm, stopped for a drink at the Rennaissance bar before heading downtown to Rosa Mexicana for dinner. Outstanding!

http://www.moma.org

Paul Revere's Ride

Andre Hill, New Jersey

Eighteen and a half hours, the world's longest non-stop flight, an Alaskan sunrise and a dinner in Nyack, NJ. Next thing you know I'm having a puff and a scotch, a serious sleep and it's eggs over easy in the Michaels' kitchen. Saturday afternoon we took Bailey and Robbie for a work at Piermont and took it easy, before burgers and Bass ale for dinner.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_John_Andre/

Tactical Insertion

Saigon, 12 February 2007

Greeted by overweight choppers long out of commission, 24 hours in the Vietnamese capital left me impressed by the hordes of motorcyclists that operate without ever looking sideways or backwards, only ahead. The Majestic and Q Bar made great pit stops, while the Museum of Fine Art showcased the aweseome sacrifice made by the country's sisters and mothers back in the 70s.

http://www.majesticsaigon.com.vn/
http://www.qbarsaigon.com/
http://www.galeriequynh.com/

Near Miss

Bangkok, 1 January 2007

A smashing start to the new year with a bottle of scotch and a DVD, we locked ourselves in a hotel room and kept our phones switched off. Earlier that evening on Silom Soi 38 we narrowly missed being blown up by some unpatriotic bastards.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/6221177.stm