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Wednesday, December 16, 2009

ASR at the Weston Designer Show House


Architectural Sculpture & Restoration Inc. (ASR) was one of the 17 design teams chosen to design spaces in Franco Grimaldi’s 22nd Designer Show House. This year’s showcase took place from October 6th to November 8th, 2009 in a 9,000 sq. ft. Georgian and Tuscan mansion located on a three-acre estate in Weston, CT.

Past designer houses have been located in New York City, California, Florida, and Connecticut, but wherever they are, they are ultimately chosen by producer, Franco Grimaldi. Originally known for his grandiose opera singing and theatrical acting on Broadway, for the past 14 years, he has transformed his artistic repertoire to include the celebration of design.

In choosing a show house, being “big” is a requirement for Grimaldi.“I also like when they’re new so we don’t have to go through demolition,” said Grimaldi.

One of the reasons why he decided to get involved in producing show houses, besides having had his own home in Winter Park showcased, is that he wanted to help people. The proceeds of his show houses have helped victims of AIDS, cancer, child abuse, and Alzheimer’s disease, among other causes. This year, admission to the Weston Designer Show House cost $30 per person, and the proceeds went to the Connecticut Humane Society.

In addition to producing show houses, Grimaldi also produces a television series entitled: The Room of Choice© for American Showcase Homes, a subdivision of Talent Resource Centre, LLC.
After receiving a call to participate from Grimaldi, ASR chose to design the rooms, La Salonetta, and Bath, in the Weston house along with partners Siegfried Kropf, from Leinritt Decorators, and Peter Jonas, from Installation Decorator, LLC.

Upon first walking into the room which is now La Salonetta, Euclides Pagan, owner of ASR, said it was nothing but a white room, and that he already knew ahead of time what he wanted to do.


After four weeks of work with a 12-person team, the once vacuous space is now a rich French Renaissance masterpiece painted in blueish-green, and yellow tones, Neo-Classical plaster elements, and a Georgian Roman Acanthus medallion crowning a crystal chandelier. Jonas was in charge of the blood red and gold-colored fabric lining the bottom portion of the walls with a pillow effect. The walls of the Bath room were painted a regal red in Venetian plaster, and a shiny black door was handsomely trimmed with gold. Kropf was responsible for the vibrant colors and various painting techniques.

Even though Jonas and Pagan have worked independently on the same projects for many years, this was the first time in which they personally worked together in conjunction with their teams.

Just as this event allowed many unique designers to work in harmonious unison towards a common good cause, Pagan said, “La Saloneta represents and expresses the richness, craftsmanship and harmony of the Renaissance style period where all the elements in interior decoration come together.”

Monday, November 30, 2009

A THANKSGIVING AFTER THOUGHT


A Thankful Thanksgiving
by Jim Rohn

You may be wondering why I would call this article a Thankful Thanksgiving. Aren’t all Thanksgivings Thankful? Unfortunately, no. As a person who has experienced over 75 Thanksgivings, I recognize that being thankful is something that we have to work at, even on Thanksgiving.

If your home is like most, your Thanksgiving Day will be very busy, with either traveling to where you want to go or preparing your home to have others over for the day. Either way, that can be very hectic and emotionally trying, which doesn’t lend itself to preparing your heart to be reflective and thankful. In fact, Thanksgiving weekend is the most traveled weekend in America. Airports are full, and don’t always provide much room for contemplation of your good fortune.

This means all the more that if we want to be the kind of people who are characterized by thankfulness, then we must make sure that we focus on it, and not just on Thanksgiving Day, but at all times during the year.

Here are a few key words as well as some thoughts that are simple and practical to apply—something you can use right away in your quest for becoming more thankful:

Time. Set aside time regularly to be quiet, to reflect. We live in the fastest-paced time ever. From the moment we awake to the moment we collapse into bed, we have the opportunity to go at full speed and never slow down. If we schedule time every day in which we can be quiet and reflect, we will free our hearts and minds from the tyranny of the urgent and rushed.

Thought. Give thought to the many blessings you have. Living in a consumer culture, most of us are fully aware of what we do not have and how we absolutely must have “it.” But how often do we reflect upon that which we already have? Take some time each day and think of one or two things that you have that you may typically take for granted, and then take a moment and give thanks for those. In fact, I make it a part of my reflection time to review a list of things that I’m thankful for.

Generosity. Be generous toward those with less and not envious of those with more. We tend to look at others who may be wealthier than ourselves and think, “I sure wish I had what he does.” That kind of thinking breeds envy and jealousy rather than contentment. What can we do to break that cycle? I would suggest being generous to those who are less fortunate than yourself. Go to work at a food bank. And not just during the holidays—everybody works there then—but on a regular basis during the year. That will remind you of how good you really have it.

Ask. Ask a friend what they are thankful for. The next time you are at lunch with a friend, ask him or her what they are most thankful for. You will be amazed at the answers you receive and you will create a meaningful bond with your friends as you focus on this powerful question.

Acknowledge. Lastly, tell those you love how thankful you are for having them in your life. So many times we neglect to take the time to craft the words to express to those closest to us what their presence in our lives means to us. Take the opportunity of Thanksgiving Day to write them a note, or sometime during the day put your hand on their shoulder, look them in the eyes and tell them. Let them know what they mean to you, and in return you’ll begin to create the possibility of deeper, richer, more fulfilling relationships with those you love.

Of course, we should do what we can to make the most of the day we call Thanksgiving, but wouldn’t it be a shame if the only time we reflected on our blessings was that one Thursday in November? And the answer is, of course! So let’s do our best to be aware of the many great gifts that we have each and every day of the year. As we do so we will see our hearts soar and our minds will experience more and more peace as we regularly remember and remain aware of our good fortune.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

5 Dating Tips for Busy People


Whether you are a grad student, a busy executive or a divorced mom, it seems as each year goes by more responsibilities are piled on and the faster time flies. You are starting to wonder whether you will ever find love, and your mom doesn't seem to help matters by reminding you that your biological clock is tiiiiccking. Before you cringe at the thought of fitting in another item on your already over-booked schedule, here is a list that you might find handy when it comes to scheduling time for dating.

1. Follow your blissno matter where you are. We know you have free time somewhere in your busy week—the best way to use it is to turn off the tube and get involved in a club or activity group. If you are traveling on business, don't get out of work till late or have to take care of your kids, try to do an activity that you love every day—even if it is for only 30 minutes. Go to a restaurant that makes your favorite cuisine, go to the gym, to the tennis courts or to the library. You never know who you are going to meet while doing your everyday things, and it's an even bigger plus if they're into the same things you are.

2. Go out! Every opportunity for free time that you do have, take advantage of it and get out there! Even if you're tired, go to your new co-worker's birthday party that's on the other side of town. Read at a café rather than in your living room. You never know who you might bump into and have a life-changing conversation with.

3. Consolidate. Choose events where people you might be interested in would also go. For example, let's say you are invited to two events the same night, but you don't have time to go to both. You know one will be rife with artists, and you like dating artists, so choose that one. If you like dating bankers, choose the happy hour in the financial district.

4. Try online dating. You might have tried online dating before and didn't like it, but keep in mind that it has worked for many people! Right timing, as in most cases, is usually the trick. Plus there are a lot more sites than there once were. You can now find one according to your lifestyle. For example, if you are tired of filling out profiles with the same time-consuming questions, there is now ge.la,to, which brings the life-streaming concept—like that of Facebook—into the world of online dating. Users are matched not by their typed responses, but through similar social networks.

5. Sign up with a matchmaker. You might be thinking "WHAT! In this century?" However, matchmakers are not just relics from the past, says Lisa Clampitt, author of Make Me a Match: The 21st Century Guide to Finding and Using a Matchmaker. She explains that in today's fast-paced world, we engage experts to help us complete our tax forms, find homes and to keep our bodies in shape. So why not seek professional guidance from someone with a broad range of experience when it comes to finding our life partners? Maybe she has a point.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

3 Life and Love Lessons from "Modern Family"


We all remember growing up to Growing Pains and Family Ties, but so much has changed since the '80s and '90s. We were in need of a family sitcom that portrays life as we know it today. The new ABC series Modern Family does just that.

The mockumentary comedy (shot in a single-camera, Office style) explores the day-to-day stories of a same-sex couple, Mitchell and Cameron (Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet); a couple with three kids, Phil and Claire (Ty Burrell and Julie Bowen); and a multi-ethnic and generational-gap couple who are in both their second marriage, Jay and Gloria, played by Ed O'Neill (Married...With Children) and Sofia Vergara (Entourage).

How are they all connected? Rough, gruff Jay is father to sensitive Mitchell and multi-tasking mom Claire.

ABC picked up the show for a full season, so it's time to get to know the couples and the life and love lessons we can learn from them.

Lesson One: Trust your partner, even in sticky situations. He/she has your best interest at heart—no matter what.

Sensitive Mitchell and oft-dramatic Cameron complement each other perfectly. In one episode, Mitchell is scared stiff in anticipation of his family's response to adopting a baby girl (the same-sex relationship thing doesn't go over too well with Mitchell's traditional father), Cameron plans a get-together (unbeknownst to Mitchell), at which he presents the baby with arms stretched out above him to the Lion King song, "Circle of Life." (Did we mention he's dramatic?)

Point being, Cameron knew they needed to introduce their new family member and took the initiative to do so. Unsurprisingly, the families come together over the new addition. Problem solved.

Lesson Two: Be yourself. No matter whom you're trying to impress.

Traditional couple Phil and Claire try hard to stay connected to their kids. Phil is especially over-the-top as he tries desperately to talk in teenage lingo to his daughter's BF: "I surf the web, send texts, use LOL... I'm a cool dad. I know all the dances to High School Musical."

Instead of trying to be the cool or perfect parent, be yourself. Your kids will be less embarrassed and confused by your odd behavior, and your spouse will appreciate you more for it. Don't forget, they fell in love with the real you in the first place.

Lesson Three: Support your loved ones, even when it's a challenge.

Middle-aged Jay has a much younger, sexy wife, Gloria, from a small village in Colombia famous for "the murders." Her 11-year-old son, Manny, is a (slightly chunky) born-romantic in love with a 16-year-old girl he writes poetry for. Jay is thoroughly against this putting your-heart-on-your-sleeve mentality, and even offers Manny $50 not to go through with the delivery of his love poems, but Gloria reminds him about the importance of supporting your family no matter what.

Even though Jay isn't in favor of Manny's romantic gesture, in the end, he supports his decision. How does it go over? You won't be shocked to find out that he's denied by his older crush. Good thing he has his parents to lean on for support.

Each of these wildly differing couples brings something to the table, creating a rich, dynamic, supportive environment. Not only are they related, but as Manny says in the song he writes about them, love is what binds them.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

¡Aquí! Opening Reception at the NoMaa Gallery


Thursday evening, was the opening reception of ¡Aqui! (Here) - an exhibition at NoMAA’s newly inaugurated gallery space in Washington Heights.

¡Aqui! (Here) will take place from September 25th - December 30th and exposes works by local artists depicting their creative experiences within neighborhoods in NYC, as well as celebrate Latino arts and cultures uptown. A panel of jurors selected the fifteen artists exhibiting in the show whose work was curated by Rocío Aranda-Alvarado, special projects coordinator at El Museo del Barrio.

I was able to speak briefly to artist, Hector Canonge, about his piece entitled "Intersections." His multi-media project includes neon signs, a map of NYC with bar codes, a scanner, and a projector and screen.

Joking how much of his art deals with food (a passion we have in common). He explained how the bar codes on the map are the locations of food carts around the city. When you click on a bar code, an interview with the person that handles the food card in that particular location appears on the screen. He continued to say how the people (who are mostly immigrants) that work in these carts are "codified" by the actual owners of these carts - a sort of underground mafia that we never see.

Canonge also has another exhibit called "Epistolar" which talks about his family history. This will be going on until September 29th at Peter Fingesten Gallery, Pace University.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Protest Against Chevron in South America Reaches NYC


Last Friday, I went to see the New York theatrical premiere of Crude (2009 Sundance Film Festival) at the IFC Center.

Crude is a documentary which delves into the 17-year-old fight between the Amazonian people of Ecuador and Chevron.

According to Amazon Watch, "While drilling in the Ecuadorian Amazon from 1964-1990, Texaco - which merged with Chevron in 2001 - deliberately dumped more than 18 million gallons of toxic waste water, spilled roughly 17 million gallons of crude oil, and left hazardous waste in hundreds of open pits dug out of the forest floor. To save money, Texaco chose to use environmental practices that were obsolete, did not meet industry standards, and were illegal in Ecuador and the United States. The result was, and continues to be, one of the worst environmental disasters on the planet...Chevron has never cleaned up the mess it inherited, and its oil wastes continue to poison [its people and] the rainforest ecosystem."

Today, the fight continues among not only Ecuadorians, but Colombians as well.

Yesterday, there was a rally for environmental justice outside The Essex House on Central Park South, New York City. President of Colombia, Álvaro Uribe, a representative from Chevron, and other investors were having lunch inside while about 20 people yelled outside that Uribe is allowing genocide.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Meet My Friend in NYC Adventure in Brighton Beach


Despite the predicted rain during this unusually rainy summer in New York, this Sunday, August 2nd, my Facebook group "Meet My Friend in NYC" decided to brave the storm to explore the mostly uncharted area of Brighton Beach, Brooklyn.

The day started out gray and gloomy, and even though many cancelled, I was surprised at the turnout of those who were insistent on going. Honestly, if it weren't for them, I think I would've stayed in bed under the covers. A friend, Chino, picked me up, as well as two of his friends, Sasha and Tito, who were new to me.

As soon as I got in the car, the raindrops started to fall outside, but in no way whatsoever did it dampen the aura of positivity in that car. The rain seemed to get heavier the closer we got to our destination, but we only laughed harder at the irony of the situation.

I remember Tito saying something like, "I'm glad I came out, because if I stayed home, it would've just been a boring Sunday. At least we're trying something new." He seems to like exploring neighborhoods in the rain - as I recognized him from this video in my friend Chino's blog.

As we kept driving towards the beach, and the rain intensified, I received a text from another friend, Tino, confirming that he is coming with two more friends. They met up with us after Chino, Tito, Sasha and I ate lunch.

We had found a $5.99 lunch special at Primorski Restaurant which included, a cabbage salad, soup, entree and coffee or tea while sitting in Chino's car searching for "the best Russian restaurant in Brighton Beach" on our phones. This one seemed exciting to us, because one of the reviews said mafiosos were often seen there - so of course we opted for it. Wet and cold from running about a block in the pouring rain to the air conditioned restaurant, we each ordered our authentic Russian dishes.

Thank goodness we had Sasha with us, who is of Ukrainian origin, to do some translating, because the waitstaff did not know English too well. She reminisced upon seeing large Russian families gathered around the tables with white table clothes. She said that during the holidays growing up, that after eating all the courses similar to the ones at Primorski, they would simply keep starting the process all over again.

About two hours later, we were stuffed, yet we finished eating our shared dessert of cheese blintzes topped with sour cream and sugar on top - the way my mom taught me. We then ventured outside where the rain had finally subsided. It was perfect timing to meet Tino and his friends who had just arrived.

After finding some coffee in a local shop for Tino's friend, Michael, we started walking to towards the beach, bonding as we went along.

By the time we got to the water, everyone was talking to each other and laughing. Looking back, it was quite the spectacle. Tino was taking pictures of everything and anything, Chino was out and about with his video camera, Tito was walking in the water with his shoes off as he debated whether or not to dive in, and then before I knew it, Tino was taking pictures of the inside of his friend Paul's mouth munching on M&M's.

As we kept walking along the beach, we kept goofing around and being ourselves - basically doing whatever striked our fancy. Tino asked a little girl if he could use one of her toys for one of his photo opportunities. She just stared at all of us with a big smile on her face - as if she was in disbelief that an adult would want to use one of her toys.

I felt like I was on the beach with 5-year-olds, but in a good way. The kind of way that nothing mattered but having fun. Who cares if it was raining earlier and the sand was wet? Who cares if the water in Brighton Beach is polluted? - It's still water. Who cares that we don't really know each other? Let's have fun where we are, with what we have, and who we're with.

So, even though this seventh event of "Meet My Friend in NYC" had the potential of being a disaster, in my opinion, and I think the others might agree, it turned out being one of the best.

Perhaps the recipe to a good time is looking at things through the eyes of a 5-year-old. The next time it rains, don't let it spoil your plans. Go out and have fun in the rain, because you never know what you might discover or the friends you'll meet along the way.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

A Tragedy in Queens

Framed photos of Bessy Velásquez are arranged neatly above the television stand in the home where she lived with her two daughters. Her apartment in Fort Greene, Brooklyn remains spotless, just as she liked it.

Velásquez’s daughters, 17-year-old Bessita and 14-year-old Kimberley, still reminisce about how they used to call their mom "Doña Perfecta" because of her obsessive cleaning—a name they got from one of the Spanish-language soap operas they used to watch together.
"She was so headstrong," Bessita said, recalling the mother who raised two teenagers kept the house meticulously clean, worked and who once took classes at New York City College of Technology hoping to run a day care center one day. But after separating from her husband, Carlos Velásquez in 2000, Velasquez stopped going to college and focused full time on working to pay the bills.

Velasquez grew up in a middle-class family in Tegucigalpa, the youngest of five daughters. Her parents ran an inn and sent all five daughters to private Catholic schools. At 17, Velásquez decided to follow her heart to be with her future husband, Carlos, who had already gone to New York. Her sister Danny Lee Arroyo, then 18, also wanted to start fresh after breaking up with a boyfriend in Honduras. Together, the two sisters started a new life in the U.S. Velasquez’s closest sister in age, Arroyo, today 43, says the absence of her sister is still palpable.

"I still try to dial her number," said Arroyo, who lives in Boston. "We would talk over the phone all the time, especially at 4 or 5 a.m. I would keep her company via cell phone."

Arroyo’s last conversation with Velásquez was on Saturday at 5 a.m., the morning before her death. Bessy was working when she called her sister to tell her she was going to a workshop for parents of children who are going to college. Her daughter, Bessita, is graduating from high school in mid-June.

After three months of working at both LaGuardia Airport and Myrtle Car Service, Velásquez decided to dedicate more time to her daughters and work exclusively at the cab company since it was close to her home. With the base a block away, she could frequently check on her daughters or stop by to prepare them dinner.

Her cab, a black Lincoln, was like her second home, with pictures of the two girls and her favorite bachata CDs. From her car, she would call everyone she knew."She'd call me like five times a day,even when I was in class,just to say ‘I love you,’" said Bessita, who would often confide in her mother about school, gossip and boys that she liked.

Once, when the girls went to a Christian summer camp in Pennsylvania, Bessita remembers she opened her journal to write in it, only to find a note from her mother that read: "I love you. I hope you have fun. I'm miserable over here." Then, when Velásquez picked them up a week later—the longest they had ever been away from her—she brought them yellow roses, tinged with orange.

On the eve of the accident, the girls' last conversation with their mother was very much like most they had with her. They were visiting their father in the Bronx, and she was impatient to see them soon.

"When are you going to come back?" Velásquez asked. "Ma, it's only been a day," Kimberley replied.

Before that night, Bessita had only once begged her mother not to go to work. That afternoon four years ago, while driving on the job, a bullet had grazed Velásquez's shoulder when a jealous husband following his wife shot at the cab where both women were riding.

Even though Velásquez didn't have much time on her hands, she made a point of being very involved in other people's lives."She always surprised me," said Edgar León, her boyfriend of eight years. One night, when they were sitting in the car chatting, León casually mentioned he would like to see Albany. Before he knew it they were on the highway. "Where are we going?" he asked her. "To Albany," she responded. "Let's go now. If we think about it, we will never go."

León, a 36-year-old Myrtle cab driver, said that even his family in Ecuador took a liking to Velásquez. "She won the love of my family, without ever meeting them," he said.

"Few people in life can shine with such pleasure," said Dagoberto Marín, the owner of Myrtle Car Service, where Velásquez worked for 12 years.

"Number 125," Velásquez's cab number, received a great number of requests from customers asking specifically for her because they enjoyed her cheerful attitude, said Miriam Marín, the owner’s daughter and manager of Myrtle Car Service.

Velásquez would always go to the cab company's soccer games, and sold water and drinks on the sidelines to make some additional money. And she rejoiced the day their team won the city cab company tournament last October, Dagoberto Marín said.

Soccer was also the subject of the last exchange of messages between Velásquez and her ex-husband Carlos, 65, who she had met in Honduras and later married when they reconnected in New York. On the night before the accident, Velásquez phoned him five times but never got through. She left messages, though.

"The Red Bulls won! The Red Bulls won!" she excitedly told him in her first voice message.. That same Sunday, when the national soccer team of Honduras stunned the heavy favorite Mexico, she left another one. "We will beat Mexico now, and we will go to the World Cup!" she said. .Carlos transferred the messages to tape so that he could listen to them whenever he wants to remember her voice.

Nelly Tamayo, one of Velásquez's close friends, was waiting for a call from her on that Sunday morning. They had planned to meet to attend services at the New York City Church of Christ in Park Slope.

"I waited until 9 a.m. but she never came," Tamayo said. “I never yelled so hard when I found out. I fainted."

Velásquez often went out of her way to bring Tamayo, who is blind, anything she needed, even though Tamayo is able to take care of herself.

On the day of the funeral, a procession of 150 cabs departed from Myrtle Car Service for the Ortiz Funeral Home in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, and the drivers parked in two rows surrounding the entire block. They also raised $2,700, which they gave to the daughters.

The pews at the church were packed as family and friends walked by Velásquez's open casket.It was hard for Velásquez's family to recognize her. "We had to study her hands to make sure it was our sister," Arroyo said.

"It gives me so much grief that a person like this is enjoying his life," Arroyo said of Omar. "He destroyed not only three lives, but three families."

Bessita gets choked up at the thought of her mother not being at her high school graduation in June.

But she has taken on the role of her mother by staying positive and remembering the importance of keeping the family connected. She is unsure whether to accept her upstate college offers or study locally because she doesn't want to leave Kimberley alone.

"She's only 14," Bessita said, while looking at her younger sister with sadness in her eyes.

-Andrés Bermúdez Liévano, Elizabeth Henderson, Kristina Puga

(Published in The Columbia Journalist)

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Jollibee Opens in Queens


I first heard about the opening of the first Filipino fastfood chain on the East Coast, Jollibee, in New York Magazine, during Valentine's day weekend, but I was reminded about it while riding the 7 train this past Saturday evening and seeing three teenage girls holding white plastic bags with the Jollibee logo on them. I asked them where it was located, and one of them replied, "63rd Street." So I got off on the 61st. stop in Woodside and decided to check for myself what the hype was about.

I reached Jollibee at 6:15 p.m. - a site one cannot miss due to the long line around the corner and the glowing red letters spelling Jollibee. Men and women were also crowding around Jollibee's mascot - a giant red bee with a white chef's hat - in front of the establishment and taking photos with it. I got in the line to ask what exactly it was that was so special about this place that's making it the main attraction of "Little Manila" - the strip of Roosevelt Avenue from 63rd - 71st Streets.

The first woman I encountered said she is just visiting from the Philippines, yet she still decides to take a picture in front of Woodside's Jollibee.

Maila Marantal, 37, on the line with her mom, while her two kids waited in the car, drove over 50 minutes from Jersey City taste the famous Chicken Joy. "It's been three years that I didn't taste this, so I had to come," she said. "The sauce, or gravy, is number one in the Phillipines. It really tastes good. They are known for the chicken and the sauce." She continues to go on involuntarily about the peach mango pie, and how it's crispy crust way beats McDonald's apple pie.

At 6:38 p.m. I finally reach the doorway, but am stopped by the guard who is still monitoring the number of people entering, as the space only allows a maximum of 70. The manager, Philippe Garcesto, says that it is now much more bearable than the first two weeks when there was a line since 5 a.m. and closed at 3 a.m.

"Part of me being here is that it's important for me to reconnect to my people," said Garcesto, a 23-year-old art student who moved to NY from the Philippines at age eight. "I wasn't able to do that growing up and now I get to practice Tagalog with the customers. Sometimes it goes over my head, but I just do it."

At 6:45 p.m. I decide to come back to eat since there were no available seats, but I will come back - especially to try some Filipino breakfast of tapas and tocilog which should be available in about two months. As I walked away, there was still a line around the corner.