Tomorrow, at long last, I head out for a trip to the Netherlands (generally) and to the Dutch Princess School (specifically), the immersive language school I have been talking on and on about for the last three years.
Regular newelty readers might recall what would possess me to want to become fluent in Dutch, of all things, [...]
Entries Tagged as 'Urban archipelagos'
Next Stop: Amsterdam
July 2nd, 2010 · No Comments · Blog posts by Lia, Obsessed with the Dutch, Urban archipelagos
Tags:
Shop Talk: Favorite Bookstores, Part VI
June 8th, 2010 · 2 Comments · Blog posts by Lia, Favorite Bookstores, Shop talk, Urban archipelagos
Seattle has a well-earned reputation as a city that loves books. It deserves a great bookstore to match.
Even though the new Elliott Bay isn’t finished yet, it might be just that bookstore.
Take, as evidence, this view from the second story:
It has several elements that remind me of other bookstores I love. Wooden shelves and creaky [...]
Tags:books·bookstores·Japan·Seattle
Spiders, Basque, Kindness, and Cruelty
June 2nd, 2010 · 1 Comment · Blog posts by Lia, Novelty, Recommended sights, Urban archipelagos
Louise Bourgeois died on Monday. That’s her giant spider sculpture pictured above, part of her Maman (a.k.a. “mama”) series. I liked how ominous it looked against the sunset in Bilbao.
In honor of a woman who became famous as an artist late in life, this post is all about making sure you get what you want [...]
South African Township Tours: Cultural Exchange or a Trip to the Human Zoo?
May 27th, 2010 · No Comments · Africa, Blog posts by Betty, Urban archipelagos
When you land at Cape Town’s International Airport, you must travel for miles along a highway where people live in the most despicable of conditions. It doesn’t take a social scientist to realize that tin shacks and no plumbing equal violence and disease. Women and children line the highway watching the cars zoom by. It’s [...]
Tags:Africa·Cape Town·cultural exchange·South Africa·townships
Cities Can Be Magic
May 26th, 2010 · No Comments · Blog posts by Lia, Novelty, Urban archipelagos
I have a deep and abiding love of cities. Some people long for wide open spaces. Not me. There’s nothing better for filling up the novelty-meter than time spent walking a city end to end.
Which is why I love this announcement about freely available pianos sprinkled all over New York City, part of an art [...]
Visiting Marilyn Monroe in L.A.
May 17th, 2010 · No Comments · Blog posts by Lia, Celeb spotting, Recommended sights, Urban archipelagos
Is it creepy to sightsee a cemetery, camera in hand?
I had a blast at Paris’ Cimetière du Père Lachaise (with a great interactive tour here), so it didn’t strike me as weird to bust out the photography when at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery, Marilyn Monroe’s final resting place.
The lipstick traces are fun. They reminded [...]
Tags:Los Angeles·Paris
Tastes Just Like Glitter Mixed with Rock ‘n’ Roll
May 14th, 2010 · No Comments · Blog posts by Lia, Celeb spotting, Novelty, Urban archipelagos
Earlier this week, I was in Los Angeles. I’ve already written about how I love the funky side of L.A., specifically Venice, where the photo above was taken.
But this past trip I was a little obsessed with the glam side of L.A., possibly because I was listening to The Fame Monster most of the time. [...]
Shop Talk: Favorite Bookstores, Part IV
May 4th, 2010 · 1 Comment · Blog posts by Lia, Favorite Bookstores, Recommended sights, Shop talk, Urban archipelagos
What’s a sign of a fantastic bookstore? How about these three elements:
Books piled high on square wooden tables, just calling out to you to browse.
An owner on-site, recommending books with careful consideration.
An enticing front door and window display (and extra points if it’s the perfect shade of red):
Welcome to the Red Wheelbarrow, a little treat [...]
Tags:books·bookstores·Paris
Fail ‘o’ the Day: Sex and the Dhabi
May 3rd, 2010 · 2 Comments · Fail 'o' the Day, Urban archipelagos
Sometimes there’s a fail that’s so spectacular, it needs double the action, double the fun, which is why we’re giving you a fly-on-the-newelty-wall approach with the messiness that is the Sex and the City 2 trailer.
Microwave yourself a 100-calorie popcorn pack, watch the insane trailer for Sex and the City: Because SJP’s Townhouses Don’t Come [...]
Tags:Abu Dhabi·New York City
I ♥ New York
April 19th, 2010 · No Comments · Blog posts by Lia, Novelty, Recommended sights, Transportation bliss, Urban archipelagos
I had a fabulous long-weekend trip to New York. Recently, I overheard some Seattleites discussing how they hated New York–the crowds, the noise, the general dirtiness you feel in your hair and on your shoes at the end of the day.
So here’s my passionate defense of the city as an awesome place for travelers to enjoy, and why [...]
Tags:New York City
