Christmas in Saigon




Saigon isn't as much a photo as it is a soundfile. Got here yesterday, Christmas, and careened straight into the cacophony of a gazillion mopeds whizzing around. Oh, and everyone's really liberal with the honking.

There's a lot more movement here than there is in Hanoi. A city in perpetual motion. Six million people who all seem to be on the streets, all in a hurry to go someplace, all at the same time.

The streets kinda look like Singapore in the 60s. Well, except for the mopeds. Storefronts that are a mess of goods, street-vendors balancing baskets of coconut water, fruits and other edibles on their shoulders. Then, suddenly, in between a row of dusty stores, bursts of cool modernity punctuate the street - Decor stores that look like they came right out of Manhattan, chill clubs. It's like NY's Nolita and Chinatown sharing the same street.

Faves so far: Gaya - for really, really urban, very pricey furniture, clothes and decor; Saigon Kitsch - for, well, what it says, Lost Art, for really cool modern furniture with a retro twist.

View from my hotel room at ANA Hotel

Makes it easier to work late when you get to look out on a view like this. It was strangely peaceful looking out into other office buildings late at night, and a freeway of cars still busily zipping around.

The View: Mori Museum of Art


Went to this place called The View when I was in Japan. It was in Roppongi Hills, in the Mori Tower. All new and very shiny.

Went there on the way to the Mori Art Museum. There happened to be a Sugimoto exhibit here. http://www.mori.art.museum/html/eng/

I've seen some of Sugimoto's stuff in NY but this is the first time there's been an exhibit of this scale. (It's on till Jan 9th in Tokyo and then it goes to the US. It's totally worth catching) His images play around with themes of perception of time and space - you might have seen large B&Ws of what looks like empty cinemas. But it's a movie theatre whose audience has come and gone because he's exposed the film for like...two hours. So much for photography capturing one point in time.

He also had images of sculptures that represent mathematical theories and equations. Really clean, sleek...you might have seen it in the NY Times mag a couple of months ago. I actually saw it on my usual train ride from Tarrytown to Grand Central.

Man do I miss that - the NY Times mag. Soch gave me her copy of the New Yorker last week to help me miss NY less. But, what I do miss is that Hudson line train ride with my Sunday NY Times and my iPod.

Harajuku

Was in Tokyo for a meeting Monday and Tuesday, so hung out in super-trendy Harajuku Sunday afternoon.

Teeming with teens - the vast majority of them so stylishly dressed (short skirts, brightly coloured stockings and boots are so in) I felt like some old dowdy aunt.

Lots of boutiques, pseudo-Italian cafes, Zara, and Gap... (Can't escape the Gap).

For a great description of Harajuku, check out Gwen Stefani's single "Harajuku Girls".