Manhattan survived without me

I was sick with a throat infection the whole time I was in Vancouver and am still ill & quite exhausted. On Wed., my first day back in NY, I worked from the East Village. Slept in late, and enjoyed a bagel, coffee and the Post in Tompkins Square Park. Later I had some sort of yummy vanilla nut crème tea at a relatively new café named B Cup. In the corner deli, I ran into Alberto (owner of Barbone), and he gave me the news of his place: the menu is starting to switch from summer to fall fare, he’s interviewing cooks so the restaurant can be open Mondays, and Michael Stipe and Mario Batali have been twice for dinner. Hopefully Alberto will still give me a table when the masses start clamoring to get in. To properly commemorate my return, I stopped by Satsko for a quick dinner of gyoza. It was like hanging out in my living room. Mike gave me an update. Though I wasn’t drinking sake because I'm taking antibiotics, and I think that bothered him. Ha!

Compare, contrast

Sign in Stanley Park, Vancouver 

Sign in front of an apt. bldg. on East 14th St. in NYC 

A few of my favorite moments from The Couve

Sunset at Furry Creek


Lion's Gate Bridge, as seen from the Seawall


Me & the boys


False Creek Harbor, as seen from the Cambie Bridge

Despite many misgivings about coming to Vancouver for 3 weeks, I find myself a bit sad to leave. Vancouver is a very live-able city, and we’ve managed to have a really nice time here.

It's a wrap, part deux

Me & my art buyer Ali on set in the Park

We shot in Stanley Park today; fought crazy black squirrels and geese to finish print today.

Spotted: Michael Chiklis in the lobby of the Opus.

Had dinner at Cin Cin; we enjoyed the Old World tasting menu with wine pairings. Good way to close out the trip.

Assessment of Vancouver

Positives:

• Compact, walk-able and pedestrian-friendly
• Not much traffic
• On the water
• Good restaurants
• Genuinely nice people
• Very clean city

Drawbacks:

• Weather. Milder than I expected, but it can be very chilly and damp. Therefore incredibly challenging for me.
• Not enough racial diversity. I think I’ve seen fewer than 10 black people in my 3 weeks here, and most were at our TV casting calls.
• Safety. In NY, you’re either in a good neighborhood or you’re not. Here, the scene changes block by block, and the streets are completely deserted in the evenings. Stumbling upon packs of hookers and homeless guys a couple of times taught me to not be alone or on foot at night, something that's never been a question for me in NYC.

Winding down

On Saturday, we shot in Burnaby Village. Sunday was a free day, so I slept in. Walked the sea wall all the way up around Stanley Park. Today was a very sunny day, and lots of people were out exercising and enjoying the day. I'd read that Vanouver had beaches, but it really does (and people hang out there). Stanley Park is actually bigger than NY's Central Park. Much more wooded as well. What seemed to be the Vancouver equivalent of NYC's AIDS walk was happening today. I wound up entering the park near the finish line, and there was a band playing, like Summerstage. Had fish and chips for lunch with a British couple from Bristol by Second Beach. Had dinner with the client, photographer, and producer at Gotham Steakhouse. Good stuff.

Golf is boring, but the views are great

View from tee of 1st hole.

The print shoot started today, and our location was Furry Creek, a golf course about an hour outside the city towards Whistler. A truly visually-stunning course. The creatives and the Client were able to play several holes after we finished shooting, and I was the 4th that rode around in the cart to see the cool scenery. 

View from 14th hole.

2nd time around

Wed. was a very rainy day. I went back to the Punjabi market and bought an outfit for Shani’s wedding reception and a bhangra CD. I also discovered a hole in the sole of my hiking shoe, so I bought another pair downtown. Back at the hotel, I ran into the art buyer and creatives, who’d been out in the rain all day doing a tech scout of the print locations to decide how they want to photograph them. We did some work in the lobby, then went out to dinner with the photographer and his crew. We returned to Cioppino’s. I had the sablefish this time; it is an awesome piece of fish there.

Thursday morning was the pre-production meeting for print, and we looked at wardrobe and props for the shoot. Had chowder for lunch at Rodney’s Oyster House with folks from another NY agency. I did some work, but was also able to get a manicure at Tranquility. This was a cute place; the owner used to manage Spa Belles in NY. For dinner we returned to Tojo’s. I was persuaded to have the omakase (chef’s choice tasting menu) this time. Everything was fresh, but I think my favorite thing was a roll with crab, prawns, scallops wrapped in an egg crepe.

Some quiet time

Tuesday was a relatively free day. My art buyer arrived, so I did some work with her, then looked around some of the shops in Yaletown. Had dinner with Clients at Vij’s. Quite inventive Indian cuisine. Basically they take regional meats and develop dishes with Indian sauces and spices. Pretty good. We shared a bunch of stuff, including mutton kebabs to start, followed by chicken curry and veal medallions.

It's a wrap

On day 3, we went an hour outside the city to find a 10-pin bowling alley. Many places around here are 5-pin, a uniquely Canadian phenomenon.

We were able bowl during the lunch break and after we stopped shooting for the day. Highlight of the day came when a 70-something bowling aficionado called my art director a pansy and challenged him to a bowl-off. She won handily.

The next day, we needed to leave the hotel at 5:30 am to Redwoods golf course, which is an hour outside the city. I must say it was a bit wild to watch the sun rise over a golf course. Unfortunately it rained all day. Fortunately the crew brought in a tent and heater for us. Then we went to shoot at a second location, Granville Island. This is adjacent to Vancouver and is a big tourist area. Though there is a nice public market that’s nicely done with lots of fresh food and flowers. Despite the rain, we got all our footage. And I must say it was nice to be able to eat room service for dinner 2 nights in a row.

Action!

Pics will come soon. I’m having some issues downloading pictures from my camera to my computer.

Friday we started shooting. We did an outdoor scene at Cecil Green Park on the University of British Columbia campus. This location has stunning views of a sound and nearby mountains. Weather was in the 50s and it was chilly/damp, but no rain! To get to this location, we passed through Kitsilano, which apparently used to be a hippie hangout in the 1970s. Now it’s just a cute neighborhood.

Dinner was at Cioppino’s. We were all craving Italian, and this dinner was very much on par with what you’d get in NYC. I had the caprese to start and lobster ravioli.

Saturday morning we filmed at a gym, and in the afternoon we filmed along the harbor. A really pretty day – sunny and in the 60s. Being beside the water was beautiful. For dinner we went to Coast. I had the tiger prawns with chilled watermelon tomato soup to start, and then halibut with risotto for main course. There’s a community table in the center of this restaurant, where the executive chef prepares a tasting menu for the diners seated around him. We did not sit/eat there, but it's a cool touch.

People are procreating

Betsy and Geoff gave birth to Walker on Wed. afternoon. 

Tina and Ed gave birth to Lily Thursday night. 

What to wear

Went to Provence Marinaside for breakfast Wed. with a Client and the boys. Had a bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon. I’ve also spotted a Jewish bagel shop that’s a Vancouver chain. The bagels are done traditionally - boiled then baked. None of the locations are by the hotel, but one is close to the production office. My anxiety has decreased knowing that there are decent bagels to be had in this city.

Spotted: A man I think was Michael Pena outside the Opus while I was waiting for a cab.

Went shopping in East Vancouver. There are lots of boutiques similar to the ones in the East Village and Lower East Side. Much more interesting than any shops I saw in downtown Vancouver. Bought a pair of boots at Umeboshi, and chatted with the store owner Stephanie. I walked about 30 blocks up Main St. into the city’s Indian neighborhood. There’s a “Punjabi market” that spans a few blocks. Several stores with really beautiful saris, lehngas and jewelry. I plan to go back to get some outfits for Shani’s wedding.

Wed. afternoon we had wardrobe at the production company, when the actors come in & get fitted for their clothes for the shoot.

We went out to dinner with the director and the production company to a Belgian restaurant, Chambar. I went for the steak frites and drank Pirrat. Tasty. The front room of the restaurant is pretty cozy and would be good for the winter. Though we were seated in the back (this dining room had vaulted ceilings) so the acoustics were tough for a party of 11 people.

Today, we had another wardrobe session in the morning. It’s rainy & in the 50s; my fleece pull-over made its Vancouver debut. After wardrobe, I came back to the hotel to rest and work.

Tired of eating in fussy restaurants for the past 7 nights, we had dinner at Dix BBQ and Brewery. I did not expect to find myself eating BBQ in Vancouver. I ordered the pulled pork with beans and creamed corn. Meat was good, but the sauce was weird. Everyone agreed; it wasn't just me being a Vandy's snob. The sauce was tomato-based, with coffee, maple syrup and onions (I asked). The blues music & the Red Truck beer were nice.

Pre-production

Yesterday was the pre-pro meeting, where we review everything before the shoot, including shooting boards (the camera angles the director wants to capture) and the props for the various sets. Thankfully, this went pretty well.

Afterwards I walked around the city more, and wandered through the West End. This is a residential section of town. The area I saw is all apt. buildings (some are high-rises), but there’s lots of trees and grass, so it’s very leafy and idyllic. I kept walking and found the gay neighborhood. Davie St. is basically just like 8th Avenue in Chelsea.

For dinner we headed to Brix. Shared lots of starters. The mussels were a highlight; they were tossed with sour cherry, yellow curry, sliced bananas and toasted coconut. I had the cinnamon-seared duck for a main course; it was served with pancetta forked potatoes, and a cracked pepper blueberry demi glace. All of the food was really interesting and of course, tasty.

One of our Clients wanted to do karaoke. So we went to Hollywood North Cabaret, a place the hotel concierge recommended (walked past a hooker on the way there). The building looked pretty shady, but we wound up going in. The karaoke bar was upstairs. It is a lounge atmosphere, with about 30 people. Tinsel lining the bar and the stage. Huge 80s-style mirrors covering the walls. I think we were the only non-Asian folks there. Most songs were not being sung in English, though we did recognize some classic American songs: “My Way” and “I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You.” I sang “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Sweet Caroline” with others. And then I sang "Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)" with one of my clients doing back-up vocals. We were out til 2 am, so this has been the latest night so far. But it was funny stuff, so it was totally worth it.

Some free time

Met with the clients at the Opus Sunday morning to determine the cast and locations for the print ads. Our creative director arrived late Saturday night so I spent Sunday hanging out with him and walking around the city. One neighborhood we visited was Gastown, which used to be the heart of Vancouver. Many of the stores are cheesy tourist shops, but Richard Kidd was a pretty cool boutique. Its bi-level space is an alleyway between two waterfront buildings that’s been enclosed in glass.

Sunday. night had dinner at Glowbal. Lots of satays and a tasting platter of appetizers to start, and then I had the halibut. Highlight of the dinner was Dave singing “Summer Lovin’” in Spanish.

Monday I got a massage at Spruce Body Lab. It was more of a deep tissue/sports massage, basically an hour concentrated on my back. I have been having some issues since the flight out here.

For dinner we went to C. The restaurant is located under the Granville Bridge, so it’s right on a little harbor. The boats are picturesque. Staring up at the bridge reminded me of being in DUMBO in Brooklyn. I had a warm lobster salad (served with candied trout, rhubarb and fennel) to start. The lobster was spicy, and this dish was really good. And then I had sablefish for the main course. Out here, it’s all about the fish! The presentation of food was quite artful here, even more so than West. However the waitstaff created a stiff, stuffy atmosphere which greatly limited the fun factor.

I heart New York

Because so much of my life is centered in Manhattan, it’s very strange to be in a city other than NYC on 9/11, much less a different country. However, the Canadian media has been covering 9/11 comprehensively since I arrived. 9/11 has historical significance, but it’s comforting to know people outside NY (and even the US) do seem to care about what NYC has been going through for the past 5 years.

I wasn’t in the World Trade Center on 9/11, nor did I lose a loved one in the attacks. So in that regard, I’m quite fortunate. However I’d be dishonest if I said that day was not a defining moment in time. 9/11 represents something to everyone, and this is my story.

9/11/01 was a quintessential Indian Summer day in NYC. When I woke up that morning, there was a crispness in the air and I figured it would be one of the last days I could get away without wearing a jacket and one of the last days I could wear open-toed shoes. So I put on a long-sleeve shirt, jeans and strappy heels.

Because I had an important Client call scheduled, I went to work before 8 am (“early”- somewhat odd for advertising). As I was working at the office, I noticed there was a voice-mail on my cell phone (which turned out to be Nora) but I couldn't access it, which was annoying. I got an email from my mom that a plane had hit the WTC, but I figured it was a little commuter jet and kept working. I heard people running through the halls (which is actually not so odd for an advertising agency). Then a co-worker stopped by my desk. She was crying and said that one of the towers collapsed. This seemed like an impossible rumor.

It was almost time for my conference call, so I headed up to the floor where the call was going to take place. At the top of the stairs, I saw people spilling out of a conference room. I pushed my way in to find out what was happening. The TV was tuned to a news channel, I recognized lower Manhattan on the screen, and then watched what was the 2nd tower falling. I was truly horrified.

I went back to my desk. Phone lines were jammed and unusable. CNN.com and other major news sites had crashed. A former co-worker who was in the UK sent me an instant message, and he told me what was being reported in Britain.

I really wanted to get out of midtown, so I started walking home. Soon the heels I was happy to wear that morning began hurting my feet. I stopped in an athletic shoe store to buy sneakers, but the credit card machine wasn't working since the phone lines were down. I went into a nail salon and they gave me some pedicure flip-flops so I could continue walking. I didn’t want to be alone... Somehow I got in touch with Sherri, and we met for lunch then went to a bar for a beer. Scores of people covered in dust were plodding up Third Avenue, having walked all the way uptown from the financial district.

The next day, Wednesday, I stayed at home and watched CNN: confusion. Thursday I went in to the office for a bit: shock. Friday I stayed home again: in a state of disbelief and a little afraid. Bush was in town Friday, and while he was at Ground Zero, fighter planes circled low over Manhattan to ward off another potential attack. That was quite possibly one of the worst sounds/feelings I've ever experienced – my apt. building was rumbling.

Very soon after 9/11, I flew to Italy for vacation and holed up in a farmhouse in Umbria for over a week. This was actually good -- no TV, no newspapers – time to decompress. However there was a lot of reality waiting for me when I returned to NY.

I’ve never seriously considered moving away from NYC. That said, the months (& even years) after 9/11 were an incredibly challenging time, and it was very difficult for me to be in NYC:

1) The heightened security was intense. National Guardsmen with machine guns were all over midtown; bomb-sniffing dogs were omnipresent; I’d usually pass 30 cops on street corners walking from the subway to my apt.; I’d wake up to the sounds of police choppers hovering over the East River; at least one day a week I’d have to walk part of the way to work because of a bomb threat. The kicker came the summer after 9/11 when I went to see the Philharmonic in Central Park. I noticed the seating was arranged differently than in the past, then realized that it was done to create paths for emergency vehicles in the event of a suicide bomber.

2) The city was openly grieving. The Upper East Side, my neighborhood at the time, lost the most people in the attacks. It seemed like every block had a least one makeshift memorial of candles & flowers for someone – a father, a sister, a neighbor who went to work that morning and didn’t come home. For a year after 9/11, the New York Times ran Portraits of Grief, profiles of those who died in the attacks.

3) The Towers were so tall, they served as a beacon. When I’d get off the subway downtown I’d always look to find the towers so I’d know where I was and where I needed to go. After 9/11, I’d become turned around when I visited Greenwich Village or Tribeca. It was sad to suddenly be lost in a city I’d lived in for several years.

The point of this very long blog entry is that 9/11 isn’t contained to a single day. The effects of what happened pervaded my NYC existence for a long time. Some mornings I did not want to get out of bed, but I always managed to keep going. Luckily I had lots of friends and acquaintances in NY who were experiencing the same thing. We got through the bad times together. And now, I love NY more than ever.

On this solemn day, I think about those who lost their lives in the WTC, and I also reflect on the strength of my fellow NYers.

 

Picking the cast

Time to start work. Friday we did "call backs" for 7 hours straight. For the past couple of weeks, the creatives, producer and director have been looking at videotapes of people who came in to audition for the TV spots. They picked the people they wanted to see more of. Call backs are when those actors come in again, and the director asks them to do stuff (dance, ride a bike, etc.) while we watch. This helps us get a better sense of the actors' personality, range, and how they take direction.

Went with Tamira, the guys, and a Client for dinner at Tojo's, a famous Japanese restaurant. The owner, Tojo, invented the California roll in the 70s. The actual restaurant itself is not fancy in appearance, though it does have a patio with a stunning view of the city and the Canadian Rockies. Omakase, where you trust Tojo to whip up a personalized dinner for you, is the most popular choice. However, I was not that brave & just stuck to the basics.

Saturday, we had several more hours of call backs, including a few hours of call backs in Calgary via satellite, which was fairly painful. Though by 7 pm or so, we had picked the cast for TV as well as the locations.

Had a drink in the hotel lobby bar, and then headed out to dinner at West with Tamira, the guys, and 3 Clients. This was a really excellent meal. To start, I had the scallops, which are served in a broth with a pocket of crab ravioli. And I had lamb with olive gnocci for the main course and some sort of mint panna cotta for dessert.

Spotted: Benicio Del Toro smoking a cigar outside West. Apparently he's in town filming a movie with Halle Berry and David Duchovny.

1st day in Vancouver

After going to bed at 3 am Vancouver time, I had delusions of sleeping in. Though I actually woke up around 7:30 am. Basically spent the day laying low, taking it easy after the flight. Was sunny & 70s. Walked around a little, found the nearest drug store and grocery store. Immediately I was struck by the cleanliness of the city and the genuine nicety of its people. Very similar to my impressions of Montreal & Ottawa when Shani & I visited last summer.

The hotel neighborhood, Yaletown, is great. Lots of restaurants and cafes. Visually, it seems most similar to the Meatpacking District in Manhattan. Without the Hummer limos, the Bridge & Tunnel crowd and the obnoxious attitude, of course.

Had dinner at Blue Water Cafe with my producer and creatives. It was still warm enough to sit outside! I'm taking antibiotics for a throat infection so I was nauseous & not really into the food. However, was quite nice to hang out with my co-workers and we had a lot of laughs.

Vancouver has a very relaxed attitude towards marijuana. It's not legal, but cops pretty much ignore it, so many people smoke openly. A smoke shop was next to the restaurant, and we kept smelling pot during dinner. The creatives mentioned blunts. Somehow Tamira had never heard this pot reference, and thought it sounded phallic. So she kept saying, "I want to smoke your blunt!" I think our waiter found us very entertaining.

Hotel sweet hotel

While in Vancouver, we're staying at the Opus Hotel. It is obviously a luxury boutique hotel, but so far it is not coming across as "too cool for school," the way so many other hotels in this category do.

The hotel's rooms fall into one of 5 color schemes. I have a blue room, whose decor is described as "Stylish & Sophisticated. Contemporary and comfortable; sensual and chic; blue foxglove walls; the ‘Armani’ of hotel rooms." Additionally, for each room type, they've created personality profiles. The person who would occupy a blue room is classified as a "pop culture junkie/fashionista who likes a see and be seen scene." Whatever. The blue is a little dark for my tastes, but I anticipate it will be pretty soothing as the shoot wears on. 

The adventure begins

Ran last-minute errands Wed. and packed. Met a Client for dinner at Barbounia off Union Square. All the food was good; I especially like the octopus starter.

Then we headed out to JFK for our 11 pm flight to Vancouver. Even though we were in business class with seats that really recline, they weren't that comfortable and it was hard to actually sleep. The Cathay Pacific service was great - too bad I was trying to sleep & missed out on most of the perks. Landed in Vancouver around 2 am (5 am NY time).

Spotted: Danny Glover at baggage claim when we landed. I guess he was on our flight...

Mixed feelings

So I'm heading out for a ~3-week shoot in Vancouver. Although shoots can be pretty grueling, they are the "fun" part of advertising. I love to travel, but this is a long time to be away from my beloved NYC. I think my previous record for being gone is 2 weeks. Will Vancouver have decent bagels? I've heard there are izakayas in the city, but will they be as inviting as Satsko? Will I be able to watch MTV and Bravo at the hotel? Also, since this is a business trip vs. a vacation, I'm a little less open to new experiences than usual and a bit more concerned with whether there will be Wireless access and my cell phone will work.

Take me to your garden

Monday (Labor Day) was another beautiful day. Monday night I procrastinated packing and went out with Rick. Started with caprinihas in the back garden of Carne Vale, a churrascaria that opened this spring on Ave. B. Had dinner across the street in the back garden of Max. This is such hearty Italian, it's ridiculous. I ordered the rigatoni ragu, and when it arrived, I discovered 2 meatballs and a sausage link in my sauce! Then had a mango margarita in the back garden (detecting a trend?) of Royale.

Last hurrah

It was hard to comprehend the arrival of September and Labor Day weekend. The summer was awesome & I didn't want it to end.

Friday & Saturday were wash-outs due to the remnants of Ernesto passing through. But Sunday was a pretty, sunny day. Ran lots of errands, then got dressed up to meet Robyn & Paul for a drink at the Jade Bar in the recently re-opened Gramercy Park Hotel. The plan was to check this place out before the Hamptons set returned to Manhattan. However, due to the holiday weekend, the crowd was off. There were a few rocker guys there, but the overwhelming majority of patrons were senior citizen tourists from the Midwest. Not a scene worth lingering in, especially when the average price of drinks is ~$15. The hotel decor is being dubbed as "new High Bohemia." Perhaps the bars will be better in the winter, but on this visit they struck me as having too much wood and velveteen, and overall, the hotel made me long for the Delano.

After leaving the hotel, we went to 10 degrees for some wine, cheese, pate and voyeurism. Then onto Satsko for more munchies.

I met up with Howard and Mike late night at a brand new bar on Ave. C called Royale. It's owned by the same folks as my local Cuban joint Cafecito. It's in the former C Note space, though we wouldn't have realized it unless we asked, because they gutted the place and did a ton of work.

Namaste, Mach

Mach's cremation ceremony is taking place tomorrow in Bangkok. The agency where Mach was working when he passed away started a blog, and during this very sad time, it's amazing to see the comments that are being posted. Mach didn't just know people, he deeply affected people. We were blessed to have had him with us for the time we did.

This past week when I listened to my iPod in shuffle mode, a Stevie Nicks song kept cropping up. Perhaps for a reason. Here are a bit of the lyrics:

Walking through the room together

In suspended animation

No one saw us go... No one said goodbye

But in my heart, I leave

Great expectations

That you will find the answers

to your questions

And that life will once more

be a celebration

And that you will be touched by an angel

A hot dog and a beer taste better when they cost $15

Went to the US Open with Robyn Wed. night. Saw Sharapova and Roddick play. The crowd seemed a bit docile, compared to previous years. Always a fun event, though.

Hurricanes in NY

In the Katrina aftermath, I offered my apt. to Eric and Brenda, and at that time I think I told Eric, "Hurricanes don't hit NY." Well, I was wrong. Although quite rare, hurricanes can and do affect the city, according to a direct mail piece I just got from the NYC office of emergency management. Apparently the storm surge from a big hurricane could put parts of the city under 30 feet of water. That sounds like a doomsday movie! However because my apt. is so close to the East River, I'm among the most at risk for flooding and will be the first asked to evacuate.