we are currently on our last east coast trip and have been having a blast staying with our friend brad in storrs, connecticut. after this we will be headed home for good! there will be plenty of pictures of this trip to come, but for now i wanted to share some pictures of the national cathedral in washington, dc. i loved visiting this beautiful place. we sat in on an evening mass and really got to take the whole experience in.
in case you missed the first half of this travel guide, you can find it here.
The Garden is located on the east side of the Old City. It is a short walk from the Temple Mount. There is a beautiful church there called the Church of Nations. They have made a well-kept garden for the public which displays Olive trees that are said to be over 2,000 years old. They have since been grafted with new young branches which create a bright youthful feeling to the ancient, melancholy, ominous trucks. The catch with this garden is that you cannot walk amongst the trees, there are about 8-10 trees unfenced in the area next to the church. However, if you can make a reservation to go into the private gardens where you may walk amongst the trees and have time to yourself in that sacred place.
Located just outside of Zion’s Gate in the Armenian, it is said to be the resting place (one of the claimed resting places) of Jesus’ mother Mary. The Church is beautiful and very large, there is a staircase on the back left side of the Nave. It leads down to the burial place of the Mother Mary.
Located in the Armenian Quarter of the Old City, you have to look up the times when they hold services. It was an amazing experience to be there during their services. The inside of this church will give you neck pain due to never wanting to put your head back down. From the domes of the church are dozens of lamps, lights, and decorations all with different colors and shapes. When attending a service make sure females have head scarves (they are good to carry everyday here, you never know when you will need it). Also, be reverent and respectful, I had my legs crossed as I was sitting down and one of the clergy men told me it was disrespectful and that I needed to uncross them.
This is located just south of Dung Gate in the even older city of Jerusalem, called the City of David. There is a tunnel that is about 6-12 feet tall (varying in height through the whole tunnel), 4 feet wide, and about a little more than a quarter mile long. It is an ancient tunnel that moved the water from a spring on the east side of the city down to the south west side of the city which ended in the pool of Siloam (where Christ healed the blind man by making mud with his spit and having him wash in the pool). There is water that still runs through the tunnel and it is about 2-3 feet deep at the deepest part of the tunnel. This was an awesome experience, some reviews I’ve read about it say not to do it because it’s wet and cold, but I thought the water was not bad at all and the experience was awesome. Make sure to have the right footwear for water, a headlamp and swimwear.
This is the best way to see the Old City and the land round about Jerusalem. The entrance is at Damascus Gate, when you are outside the city looking at Damascus Gate you will walk to the right down stairs then under the road leading into the city and you will find a man in a little office. It cost about $5 after the exchange (around 16 shekels). You then can walk on the top of the Old City Walls and circumambulate the whole City. The views are spectacular. It would be a good activity to do the first few days in the city to help your orientation.
ok, we couldn't help ourselves. we had to include a couple more.
The Shuk is in Western Jerusalem. It is a huge outdoor market that has all kinds of local produce, spices, meats, pastries, etc. It is a fun place to shop and get wonderful food.
If you know much about the conflict of the Holy Land you will appreciate the conspicuousness of the occupation that exists on the East (Palestinian) side of Jerusalem. The dichotomy between east and west Jerusalem is sad and unjust. The Separation wall at many parts has graffiti messages written in English, meaning to reach the English speaking countries. They are powerful and resemble the many faces of grief, struggle, and injustice. There are pictures and words whose depiction rang from hate and maliciousness, hope, love, and desperation. Also, you can always get a good football (soccer) game in with local Palestinian kids on the East side, which I highly recommend.
Though I stuck to the city of Jerusalem, there are so many other sights in the city, but I also highly suggest other points of interest in the country, namely:
You can read about my experiences there in more detail here.
last week i shared gifts for little girls, and i figured i should try and find things for little boys as well. because most likely i will have a boy or two or three, and i'm going the have to do something with them. (growing up with all girls makes little boys seem not as fun, but i've heard they're great!). i actually had a pretty easy time finding things for the little guys!
1. itty bitty hoodie ($26.95) for the days when he's feeling casual but still wants to party.
2. checkered trousers ($29.90) to dress up his hoodie.
3. leather converse ($36.95) to make him to coolest kid in school.
4. indoor tent ($99) for all of his playtime adventures.
5. train set ($46) just because it's pretty adorable.
6. Damien Hirst ABC's ($16.20) the most famous contemporary artist is making kids books. ah-mazing.
somehow i could not make this wish list with all of the items under $100. pathetic/hypocritical right? while all the items i have included on the previous lists are things that i would buy, these are the things that i really want and would indulge in.
1. leather shift dress ($90) i am in love with this dress. enough said.
2. rebecca minkoff quilted purse ($295) i have decided that i want my next purse to be red. and i think this is it.
3. tumblers ($8/each) these cups have been on my list for years. i want every color really.
4. plane tickets- to anywhere. next year we really want to go to japan, san francisco, seattle and portland. oh, and chicago and paris and london. really, we want to go anywhere.
5. sequin pants ($68) or anything with sequins.
6. Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 ($499) i want to replace my kit lens with a new walk around one. i have read really good reviews of this one. and it's much cheaper than the canon ones.
7. leopard fur coat ($145) ever since i saw this over on a little dash of darling i have been dying for it.
8. toulouse-lautrec canvas ($150) you can never have enough art, right?
9. duvet cover ($119) i think it's time for new bedding. i'm imaging this duvet cover with some bright sheets, and mismatched throw pillows.
The following images depict actual settings. The photographic subjects are representing themselves.
This is the opening line to Daniela Rossell’s photographic book, Ricas Y Famosas (2002). This book is a collection of disturbing photographs of Mexico’s elite. While Rossell follows a strong tradition of Mexican photography, she differs by showing the upper classes, rather than the poverty stricken. What is most interesting about her images is that the women dress and pose themselves. Rossell goes to their lavish and opulent houses, and creates voyeuristic images of the ‘rich and famous’ women of Mexico.
Rossell is not an outsider to these women. Her father was a member of the PRI (the ruling political party for over 70 years in Mexico, up until the 90’s), and many of the women she photographs were members of her family and their social circles. This gives her a unique vantage point into these women’s lives. On the one hand, she sees that they represent the pitfalls of Mexican society. However, she also has empathy for the women, because she understands that they are somewhat trapped in their roles.
The women who are in the photographs were originally pleased with the ways they were presented. They were wearing their favorite clothes and were in their favorite places of their houses - much like many of the photos women take. When the book was released and showed her many pictures side by side, it caused a lot of negative press. The cumulative effect of the photographs was detrimental, and changed the meaning of the photos. The women were called the ‘poster girls for corruption.’ Eventually, they came to dislike the photos and were embarrassed by what they had once adored. They felt they had overexposed their lives.
“The women figure out from magazines and television what they think a photographer should snap, and they start performing….They really want to look American…and they go to a lot of work to accomplish that. It’s a kind of hell. There’s so much unhappiness among the people who supposedly have everything.”
This week I got to do my very first gallery talk at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, and we had a really great discussion about Rossell’s works. The photographs present many fascinating talking points for viewers to ponder and discuss. What I find most intriguing about Rossell’s viewpoints are her thoughts on femininity. She is interested in portraying images that are in ‘feminine spaces,’ namely the home. But why are these spaces determined to be feminine? Were they created by women? For women? What ways should women seek to portray themselves and what is empowering women? Where do we find our role models? From tv and magazines? (Rossell’s series was actually named after a popular telenovela.) Rossell questions the progress of feminism and tries to show that maybe we haven’t come as far as we thought.
While Rossell’s work is not something you would want to hang in your house, I feel like her pictures present questions that every woman should ask herself. How am I portraying myself to others? What are my motives in presenting myself in this way? Who and what are my role models, and am I living up to my full potential? I think it is important for women to look from the outside in and reevaluate where we place our value. While the holiday season can be inundated with materiality, we must remember that things will not make us happy like people will.
{ps. You can watch interviews with Rossell about Ricas y Famosas from the SFMOMA here and here.}
