Stingy bastards

It's playtime, my sister's here. The last time I saw Ditse was four years ago and although we speak a lot it's just not enough to fill the gaps that the years have created. It's absolute heaven to see her again. She arrived here yesterday after a visit to her son in Texas I figured before she gets hijacked in the corner by Inang who loves to do her motherly thing, let me show her around town since it's her first time in New York.

It was a life-saving offer from Nelsie to take us in her car to the city. Ditse was spared of the initiation to the NYC subway system something she must've quietly appreciated given that she has a bad knee. I can't imagine her struggling to get out of the way of insane subway riders running at mach speed sprinting from platform to platform to catch their morning ride. How can I convince my sister that it's okay, it's safe to live here. If you're not used to this it might shorten your life span by several years.

Lunch was at Alice Tully Hall with Judy, Chong and Nelsie. For Ditse it was a crash course on eating out cheapskate style. We didn't want to tip for service so we packed our own lunch and just bought their coffee. It took a while for my sister to get used to the high table and chair all she could do was smile and shake her head. What was I thinking? Is it worth it if my sister gets her hip fractured while trying to man-lift herself to a high counter chair?

"Stingy bastards". That's what we came to see - Bloody Mary and the South Pacific broadway musical. It was a short walk to the Vivian Beaumont Theatre and a hop, skip from the tourist-filled Times Square.

An hour before the show we had plenty of time to enjoy the grass and the sunshine.

Stingy the architects were not. Another welcome green space. The newly-renovated Lincoln Center Plaza includes a sloping green public lawn a picnic spot that forms a pavilion for some posh restaurant below. It adds a dramatic touch to the iconic reflecting pool with its Henry Moore sculptures standing on a basin of water which looks like a thin sheet of glass when viewed from a certain angle.



Enchanting would best describe South Pacific. It's full of memorable songs Ditse and I really enjoyed. "I'm gonna wash that man right outa my hair". I could tell Ditse had a great time.

It didn't seem to faze her but I hope the culture shock does not leave irreparable damage to my dear sister. She came from a quiet home up north in the mountains of Baguio and surrounded by rice terraces and sprawling farms. Green, everything is green in the country.

All I could think of now is how can I help cancel out the noise from the rushing fire trucks and ambulances and the annoying overhead planes of summer (my place sits between JFK and La Guardia airports), so she can quietly rest at the end of our day's tour. I'm sure she won't mind this for a few weeks but won't trade this for her life in the country.

I'm stingy with my pictures this time. It's such a joy to be with Ditse once again and I cherish every second so I'll save all the photos for later.

This dress rocks

Decades ago, it was cow statues displayed all over the city and now it's Sidewalk Catwalk. We call that public art New York style. It is something for anyone who is a slave to fashion. Some 32 custom-built mannequins are on display runway-style down Broadway in the heart of the Fashion District featuring the work of NYC's top fashion designers.

Boxy and bold, splashy padded shoulders are out and well-cut suits are only for the Wall Street folks. So what's your dress uniform?

Here's some of what I think are the quirkiest designs some creative others plain dumb and ridiculous. I reserved the front row seats for you, so be the judge.

This dress rocks, don't you think?

It was designed by two of the aspiring designers from the Parsons School of Design.

Sea shells? I forgot, Manhattan is an island.

Are you kidding, psychedelic body? The 50's are a blur to me.

Nanette Lepore, I'm terribly disappointed in you.

A deflated balloon or a waterlogged giant diaper?

It's flag day Tommy Hilfiger style.

Cutesy but not creative.

Here's Kenneth Cole making a statement. What do you mean?

Further down on Times Square two of the pianos which is part of another art installation Play Me, I'm Yours could be found tied down to hollow blocks. 60 of these pianos decorated individually by local artists are installed in public spaces throughout the five boroughs. New Yorkers and visitors from all over the world are encouraged to play them.

This guest must be feeling like a first-class virtuoso as he plays right smack in the middle of the crossroads of the world. There was a line behind him of people waiting their turn but he wouldn't let go.

And what do we have here? Some dance craze of the 60's it looks like. Help me out, is it the monkey? I can't remember.

And for those who've worn their gaskets into the ground.

You never know what you'll see when you wander the streets of Manhattan. You just have to remember them. This is the trouble with my catch-up blogging, loads of boring pictures. I have to follow my own rule that if it's not written down it didn't happen, gotta take better notes since I have serious recall problem.