V/B-day

By this point, the roses have withered and the chocolates have been devoured. I'm talking about some people's most loved...or hated holiday. Well I love Valentine's Day because it's my birthday and it makes for a DOB that's kind of hard to forget. So thanks to all who wished me a happy birthday!!! Although it may be a little late to be sending out my love, I just want to take this moment to say that I absolutely adore my family and friends and love them ever so deeply.

I had a fabulous time as always with my girls! We had a mini-party in the West Village. And the following night went to Buddakan in MePa where we devoured the delicious food and marveled at the grandiose interiors.

J'aime ma maman

I had recently come across a posting on Gwyneth Paltrow's blog GOOP about her first trip to Paris. She went on the trip with her father and when they were flying back home he told her, “I wanted you to see Paris for the first time with a man who would always love you, no matter what.” It was such a sweet sentiment and I thought back to my first trip to Paris where I went with my wonderful mother. Paris is the city of love and I am glad that I got to share it with someone I care for deeply and whom I will love forever. 

At the gardens of Versailles

        

Mom listening to the audio tour of the Hall of Mirror inVersailles

I also fell in love with the architecture of Paris. There are so many great places to see and three days was not nearly enough to truly appreciate all the facets of the great city.

Basilica of Sacré-Cœur

Sacré-Cœur is such a young building, only a mere 91 years old! It is such a brillant node in the city, located in Montmartre, marking the highest point in the city. The day I went it was foggy so the views of Paris were not so great. I especially love its domes-a perfect hybrid between Byzantine and Islamic prototypes.

The Metropolitain in Paris has the most fantastical entrances I have ever seen. Art Nouveau is one of my favorite styles of architecture and these stations do not disappoint! They put NYC's subway to shame.

Louvre

Although many people don't like I. M. Pei's pyramid at the Louvre, I absolutely love it. It makes for a fabulously grand entrance into the museum.

Eiffel Tower

Thankfully, the night we went there was a light show and it was truly spectacular. 

Pompidou

I had written a report on the Pompidou in 8th grade for French class so I thought I should pay it a visit.

Hotel le Marquis

Our hotel was a nice boutique style hotel, nothing special. It did have a great location and we could see the Eiffel Tower from our window. The facade, with the ironwork and balconies, looks so chic. I love the facading of Parisian apartments. 

The trip I took with my mom is something I will always cherish. 

Where is Paradise?

February 1, 2011 marks a momentous day for the country of Egypt. It is amazing to see that a movement by the youth, through the social forum of Facebook, could be such a potent catalyst in the revolution of a country. But I have to say that before the rise in protests I was unaware of the social injustices that were taking place in the country. Even though one of my best friends is Egyptian, I always had the illusion that Egypt was some sort of paradise.

I find that certain countries that are far-away and off the beaten track have a certain mystic and allure to them. An allure that sometimes causes us to forget about who lives there and what is facing them. It's not just Egypt that faces this issue, India is also a victim to it. All the Shahs, Rajas, and the famous Aishwarya Rai make India out to be some land of exoticism, wealth, and glamour. In reality, people there are still victimized by the caste system and the Untouchables (I HATE that word) are demoralized by working "grotesque" jobs. In addition, slums are a major part of cities across the country and the caste systems seems as though it is here to stay.

Reality is far from those romantic ideas conjured in our foreign brains. Although dreaming and fantasizing is no crime I wish everyone, including myself, could make a conscious effort to try to understand the modern world.

But maybe there is some paradise in this world in which there is beauty in the landscape and the people of the country are genuinely happy.

Here are some pictures from my trip to India in the Summer of 2010.

 

Although I have never been to Egypt, I thought I would make a nod to a trip that I made last fall to Little Egypt in Queens, NYC. Alyssa, Deena, and I ate dinner at an amazing Egyptian restaurant. Notes on the trip are at my former blog: 188 Days to Go.