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In the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art the following bronze by Harriet Whitney Frishmuth created in 1923 caught the unrepressed joy of a woman who just caught sight of the statue. She was alone and what emerged was a connection without any embarrassment or restriction on the moment at hand. This is a teaching moment for me and perhaps I was one of maybe a few to see and to appreciate the event.
(The slow shutter speed and telephoto lens needed to capture this moment caused the woman in the image to show motion blur. An immaterial note to the moment.)
- Being Alive -
In our youth we spoke with
life
in order to know Beauty
everywhere.
In our body we brought
forth all that was needed
to grow the seeds planted
there.
When our heart spoke it
was to teach the lessons
of the unbounded joy of
being alive.
The voices of our creative
soul still echo
in the halls of passion
and memory –
If we leave the doors to
all the rooms
of our joyous creativity
open,
the courage to listen to
the message they hold
will free that which
wants, needs to be born,
and reborn into the
freshness of each new day.
Bill Lagerstrom, This morning, 2013
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If necessary, the wings of the heart
will pull your true self to the surface,
where, when taking flight
the world can be seen differently,
perhaps for the first time.
(A store window on east 50th. Street, NYC )
In an attempt to find the spiritual qualities of a busy city,
I saw the cars on Queens Boulevard dancing
to the energy of Beauty's presence.
Where there is beauty, God must be present
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Chinatown, NYC, perhaps one of the busiest streets in Manhattan.
If it can be eaten and it comes from the sea it can be found here.
The crowds are behind me as I shot this photo.
My daughter Bridget and myself went to a restaurant in Chinatown reccommended by a friend of hers who lived in the area and found some of the best Chinese food I have ever had. For most of lunch we were the only non-Chinese in the restaurant. We started with "Soup Dumplings" which look something like a huge Hershy's Kiss. The idea is that you put a dumpling on a soup spoon, pinch a small hole in its side which releases soup into the spoon - then eat the dumpling followed by the soup which was hidden inside. (Photo taken at lunch.)
Since I made a mess of it I offer the following as a way of amends to Bridget. (XLB appears to be code or Chinese for Soup Dumpling.)
How To Eat
It's not immediately obvious how to consume an XLB without
burning yourself or sending hot soup cascading down your blouse or tie or naked
chest (depending on how formal the restaurant you're eating at is). Here's how
to do it:
Grab. Using chopsticks or your fingertips, gently lift the
dumpling off of its cabbage (or parchment paper) liner and gently place it upon
a soup spoon. Some restaurant provide tiny tongs for doing this. I find them to
be too rough on the delicate skins. I use my fingers.
Nibble. Find an especially appetizing portion of the
stretched out skin and gently nibble a tiny, tiny hole in it while your lips
are firmly ensconced around the opening-to-be. More advanced eaters paired with
exceptionally thin-skinned Xiao Long Bao may find nibble to be completely
superfluous and that merely sucking (see next step) is sufficient to release
the glorious juices from within.
Suck. Hot soup should immediately being pouring into your
mouth. Carefully suck at the hole tilting the spoon as you go so that every
last drop of precious liquid is slurped away. Alternatively, leave just a
little bit to make the rest of the filling extra-juicy. If you are a true
expert, you'll be able to do this while simultaneously sucking in just a bit of
air to cool the hot liquid as it enters your mouth. If you're not yet at this
stage, you may need to allow the dumplings to rest just a moment before
proceeding.
Dip. If you are so inclined, you can at this point dip the
remainder of the dumpling in a bit of the black vinegar that they should have
been served with.
Bite. Go in for a bigger bite. If the XLB are dainty, you
can eat the entire remainder in one go. Larger ones can be eaten in a couple of
bites.
Swallow. And savor. Repeat until satisfied.
Soup dumplings photo from the Web.
A soup spoon
And a Dentist's Office in Chinatown
--------------------------------------------
(How to look at some Modern Art in a museum with a recorded tour.)
Peace until next week,
Bill Lagerstrom
