LACASAPARK » Street

Where the Modern and old Barcelona coexists: El Raval, the “It” Barcelona

jaehee — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 10:36:32 +0000

The main lobby of Centre de Cultra Contemporania de Barcelona, El Raval www.cccb.org

Once you are on the Las Ramblas, You are very close to El Raval already. We definitely heard mixed thoughts about El Raval from the locals but Emi and I believe this is the “It” area. Raval has gone through and going through bit of face lift and slow development stage like NY’s Lower East side during the late 90’s. Coming off from the infamous city’s red light district up to the late 80’s, El Raval is going through a re-birth. Thanks to Government’s urban regeneration project and investment of a lot of money to clean up the area to be more modern and safer. We hear that it is still unsafe at night but also you can see the huge potential of this area becoming one of the hippest diverse cultural area in Barcelona.

Currently CCCB is hosting a movies under the star during the month of July and August at their court yard. Super cool… Just missed one the night before…! Check out the website to get their film list. They all sound very interesting, here, couple examples for you: Toby Dammit by Federico Felini (1968) and Banditi a Orgoloso by Vittorio de Seta (1961).

Right down the street from the CCCB, there is also a Museum of Contemporary Art of Barcelona built by Richard Meier ( you can totally tell ) and also the Museum of Miro’ right next to it on this simple and open square called Placa dels Angels.

Beautiful narrow streets of El Raval.

3 dudes.

Carrer de La Riera Baixa, the it street for all the small vintage boutiques in El Raval. There are about 15 one-off kind vintage boutiques and record shops on this single block. It totally reminded me of good old Lower East side of NY like Orchard street…

Maybe this was my favorite one of all. Simply, more selected and better quality.

An awesome larger than life size photo greets you at REBALS! A perfect example of mix of then and now shop. Books, Magazines, Vintages and bit of furniture.

Cool changing room

A flash back from Berlin!!!!

The Goth shops, sneaker store, kick ass modern art museums, cool boutique hotels, cafe’s and small tucked in restaurants.

Go check out El Raval, You will love it!

Trail Mixing: Freshford, England

jaehee — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 17:20:19 +0000

After the tour of Tania’s home, visit her chicks and walk the garden, Now we are heading out to do some good walking and chatting along the fresh river, farm meadow and secret little spots that Tania will lead us. Here we start from a little yet long river near her home.

The scenery along the river looks somehow like posed props arranged by a painter. Everything seems at it’s perfect own spot. Beautiful….!

The one and only pub in Freshford town. Serves Beers and other drinks. Of course sunday roast and Fish and chips as well. The pub is located above the river that runs through the whole town. Outdoor tables and wooden deck is peaceful and lovely. Duckies…

Freshford is a village and civil parish in the Avon valley 6 miles south east of Bath, in the county of Somerset, England. It’s pretty much located about 2 hour train ride from south west of London. Freshford is in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB): an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland that has been specially designated by Countryside Agency on behalf or the United Kingdom government. Freshford is a wealthy yet low key community who cares about their home and land with great pride to keep up the town to be one of the most beautiful countryside in England and you can definitely feel that spirit just by taking a walk around this beautiful town.

Actually the town greatly reminds me of the hills of Tuscany. Never ending smooth blanket like meadow gently covers the mother land just like the curve of a beautiful woman and the rustic yet warm yellow tone of limestone houses are truly the beauty that you can’t easily find. Some houses even sports the signature tree of Italy, Cyprus and the whole scene of Freshford somewhat doesn’t come as a stranger to me.

Every turn is a beauty and the peace! Just 3 of us walking through along the little roads, trees, stones and cows and all….

Picking off plums falling from the tree. Emi gave a good shake to the tree and we are running after them! So sweet and juicy. We picked enough to make a jam out of them.

3 hours of trail mixing in Freshford with Tania. It was a relaxing and beautiful one!

Effetto Venezia: Livorno, Italy

jaehee — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 10:23:56 +0000

I have wondered around Effetto Venezia so many times yet it still does add ‘It’ to good time in Italy for me. I mean the whole night out thing in al fresco under the stars and bumping into friends in Livorno is also something. The canals are really nothing like ones in Venice yet still has ton of charm especially at night time with beautiful lighting and hustle bustle people hanging out eating, drinking and checking out open markets and all. You will see people in traditional costumes strolling around and you will see good old Italian snack carts and Granita ( hand shaved ice with flavored sweet syrup), Cotton candy and whatever that would be. Here come stroll the canals of Livorno and the week long night festival, Effetto Venezia.

Hihi, mommy,, hihi Gael…

Zuchero Filato, Threaded Sugar= the Cotton Candy! You know the Pre packed one is just not the same! I remember the moment that magic happens when the cotton candy man drops a spoonful of sugar into his thing and it disappears then comes to a life as this cloud like or spider net like consistency and you go like ” Wowoooo, look at that!! You know what I mean?!!!

Yeeeeeeeah!

The hand shaved ice with sweet syrup, Granita. It’s very popular summer snack in Italy. yum!

The night goes on till 3:00 in the morning… People are dancing on the street and night market’s packed by people and it’s a beautiful summer night in Livorno…!

Visiting the Sensouji Temple: Asakusa, Tokyo

jaehee — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 01:10:48 +0000

Wow, the last time I was here in Asakusa was 10 years ago with Emiliano. Then I was 10 pounds lighter with big afro and Emi had big mustache and it was our first time to Tokyo together. I decided to re visit the Temple and fun alley filled and lined up with Japan’s traditional snacks, restaurants and souvenir shops! Daniel is off to Tennis match so I’m off to Asakusa on Early Sunday morning, the perfect thing to do before all the shops are open in Tokyo. The temple’s open to public from 6:00 am and the alley is open from 8:00 am.

20 minutes from Shibuya by car or maybe 10 minutes by Subway, The Asakusa is a perfect place to visit if you need a quick fix of good old Tokyo. Ladies with Kimonos are everywhere and also there’s a beautiful temple called ” Sensouji”, which was built 1300 years ago. Two fishermen caught the Kannon statue in their fishing nest in the Sumida River in Tokyo then and this was the genesis of Sensouji temple. Now the temple attracts thousands of people daily.

The perfect scene greets me! Me getting out of the taxi.. Love the driver’s outfit! Below the drivers are waiting to hitch some riders. See the split toe shoes were NOT invented by Martin Margiela! They wear two different heights. One right below the knee and one up to the ankle. The closure is hook and bar. Cool, ha?

The entrance to the Alley. You will walk through all the shops and snacks then it will lead you to the Temple. The fun begins here!

Bean snack shop and Keda Shop. Keda goes up to many hundreds of dollars! I love the last one I am holding. It reminds me of Vivianne Westwood’s Geisha shoe collection with wooden platform.

Kibi-Dango: millet and sticky rice ball with sweet syrup or the black sesame. These are delicious! Below are Mocci with Sweet red bean inside…

Chopsticks and more chopsticks. They are so pretty…

“Osenbe”, the rice crackers. The good thing to come here to buy them is that they are made in the spot and you can taste warm and fresh of everything!

It was early morning, so some of the shops have not opened up yet and the store front is just pretty as Asakusa. You know the “Sakura”, cherry blossom is the flower of Japan.

There are many fan shops on the alley and also side little streets. They go from $10.00 each to hundresds of dollars depends on what’s involved and who made them and so on. You will see many many folks in Japan still use the fans on the street. I mean you need it. How hot is here now?!!!

This is kind of a Japanese waffle maker except that is a more like a cake form with sweet red beans inside. The shape usually comes as gold fish but this looks more like square..!?

Finally made to the entrance to the temple! It was getting packed with visitors!

So, You know what this is? These are the fortunes of visitors! Here I show you what you need to get your fortune read! The first fortune was not fabulous for me so I tried for the second one and the second one wasn’t all that good either, but when I tied my OK fortunes to this metal bar, I realized that I was overcoming my almost misfortune by letting it go from me. I felt much relived and good about it!

This is the fortune box with thousands of small drawers containing millions of fortunes. Pay 100 yen first.

Then grab and shake well this box where contains wood sticks that just look like chopsticks. Each stick has number written on it and you will go to that drawer that matches the same number on the wood stick.

Here me grabbing one stick out of little hole. What’s my fortune number..!!! It’s…. number SIX!!!

Like I said earlier, Don’t get caught up on your fortune. I felt good leaving my fortune tied to this metal bar here. I felt I overcome whatever that was.

Now it’s time to pray and get blessed. Let’s go get some incense.

Praying for everyone and everything. Yes You! For you too! And the smoke of incense will bless you. I inhaled it too! I feel much blessed…

Getting inside of Temple. You know it’s Sunday morning and there are lots of people here. It would have been much more tranquil during the week day, but hey I’m squeezing Asakusa for a good break from on going shopping in steamy Tokyo. The fresco on the ceiling below…

Hustle bustle coming through…!

More praying and wishing and asking for forgiving…. I go for this one too! Either that is at the church or the temple, I think it’s all on the same human behaviors… Interesting… Isn’t it?

Leaving the temple and walking down on a quite street, many things cross my mind. Mom, dad, brother, Emi, Gael, Suzy, Mom in law, Dad in law, Beppe, Dani, Tania, Tamara, grandma, Yoonhee, aunt, uncle, family at work, work, boss, friends, myself and my and our life together… It was a short visit all worth to do. Next time you are in Tokyo, you must visit the temple in Asakusa and the alley to the temple. You will love it for lively old traditional Tokyo and also little time for yourself and your loved ones…

Tokyo Shakes! : Harajuku, Shinjuku, Shibuya!

jaehee — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 08:10:37 +0000

Ahhhh, It has been Sooo hot in Tokyo! My my my! Steamy too. Tokyo seems handling this hot weather just fine with their crazy fashion. I saw a girl with Arm warmer sort of thing too. There are many couples and friends dress alike here with ton of layers. These pink ladies have even fur minis and wigs on! I guess anything is possible in Tokyo…?! Enjoy some eye candies from the streets of Tokyo!

Seoul Story 3: Walking Myung Dong

jaehee — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 17:49:52 +0000

OK, Come with me to walk Myung Dong!!!!!!!

It has been years for me to stroll Myung Dong again. Hustle bustle of million office buildings, clothing shops and all the street vendors you can imagine. It’s the Mecca where Korean consumerism truly breathes. It was then steal cut sweet yam fries in newspaper cones and how many of them I had? Haha! But now I see the sweet yam is replaced by this amusingly fried potato chips on a stick! I find them fascinating. They look quite beautiful to me. ” Ajumma” (: a middle aged married woman usually with couple kids) below overseas her “fried” table. Very typical scene in Korea!

A cute little shop called Silk Button, Everything here is made out of Silk covered buttons! And…cousin Yoonhee.

More street food vendors. Oden on stick, ttuck bocki and more… Ahh nostalgia..! This so reminds me of my junior high’s… And cheap street shoes

Just like Tokyo and HK, sea of signs greets you in Myung dong. Wait until the night . They will all lit neon lights…!

More cheap high street fashion of Seoul. Wow the street is getting really packed!

Forever 21 in Myung dong. Entire just hired greet the customers. Did you know Forever 21 is a Korea brand?

You know Emi and I have been really embracing the good old vinyls these days. It became Emi’s weekend routine to find some great albums, which means good music, good cover or good anything you can imagine. Now I try here in Seoul. I love how this place has this mini stools in various colors and height where you can put down your heavy tush. Haha. I got a few my nostalgic vinyls from my high school years like “Lee Mun Se”, ” Lee Seng Chul” and also one album called ” Thank God it’s Friday!” which comes with fancy 3 vinyls inside from this place right here. tHe shop is located on under passage to Shin Se ghe department store in Myung Dong.

It’s now the time for ‘Shaved Ice=Bing Su’!!! Yoonhee finds this place on the second floor while I was taking the photo of potato chips. Nice and Spacious with delicious Bing Su that comes with Red Mango on top! Yum Yum !!

This was mine. Grapefruit and Tangerine Sorbet over the cool shaved ice and shaved banana and to top it off, red Mango!!

This was Yoonhee’s. Green tea Ice cream over the bed of Shaved ice with toasted Almond, sliced banana soft cubes of Mocci covered with toasted Soy bean flower…and Red Mango Frozen Yogurt. Mega Yum! A hot day? No problem with one of this this!

Pretty much Myung Dong is a big melting pot of everything. People with different point of view, street life, food, shops, finance offices, embassies, coffee shops and so much more. It’s a place to definitely check out if you are in Seoul!!

Seoul Story 2: Garosu Gil

jaehee — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 18:43:36 +0000

After a long day of fitting and all with our vendors in Seoul, Daniel, Amy and I headed out to Garosu Gil in Seoul. Garosu means “Trees that are lined up on the side walk” and Gil means the Street. Garosu Gil is a small area in South side of “Han River” that has many cafes, Restaurants and small boutiques that reminds of Nolita in NY. Bit Young, lively, bohemian and somehow also bit polished.

Here a home style cooking Korean Restaurant, “Modern Bapsang”. You will find many places that are literally residential property transformed into a lovely small businesses in Seoul And I like it for it’s approachable warm attitude. I love the pink wall against the green along the rustic wood paneled passage way. You pass the small alley then you will hit the open yard staging the open door restaurant filled with people dining. It’s very Lovely!

One After another plenty of open door restaurants are lined up along the Garosu here in Garosu Gil. It was a Monday evening but it seemed like it did not matter to anyone here. Hustle an bustle, the night is just not long enough!

A open kitchen Japanese Restaurant.

A sake house.

Sorry I didn’t pay attention to the name of this place, but You can’t miss it! This hugely open rustic modern coffee shop is quite fantastic with a roof top as well. The street becomes the coffee shop and the shop becomes your street.

Here’s another good example of a private residency turned into a lovely Italian restaurant. Every inch between the building has been used up for outdoor space business here in Garosugil.

This little and very much old school ” Oden” house is epitome of bohemian soul of Koreans. Just right amount of space and your perfect friends sitting right next to you chatting and sipping. I find this place superbly designed thinking of your tired soul in mind.

Any Second floor offers just important business opportunities as the ground floor in Seoul. Just like in Tokyo it’s a big metropolitan city that needs endless space for endless ideas.

After bit of wondering, here we sat down and had some street food with a modern twist at ” School Food”. It’s a restaurant where offers all the street food that every Korean had grew up on during the school years. Above pic shows 9 flavor mini kimbap ( korean style maki roll)! Can you see the Squid ink rice maki with spicy squid inside? The rest futures toasted baby anchovies, kimchi, tuna with fresh sesame leaf, bulgogi ( thinly sliced bbqed sirloin) and more. Yummy!

This Ttuck bocki will put your tongue on fire! The #1 street food for all the students in Korea. Rice cake simmered in spicy chili broth with onions, cabbage and oden bits. Water please!!

Here some of cute shops on Garosugil. This shop called ” Happy Lady” had some great soft tops at reasonable price.

If you are visiting Seoul one day, Garisu gil is a place to check out. You will have fun strolling!

Seoul!

NYC. Today

jaehee — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 11:00:32 +0000

” Wake Up!” Flyer at 14 street A line station

A dude on a Harley-ish All Green Bike

Momofuku cook book! ( Get it for you and get it for dad)

The most Handsome lady in Jill Sander ensemble walking most handsome dogs at West Village and the Super Model and her son across the street.

Heavenly drinks at Marlow and Son.

Abramovich at MOMA. ( just ended)

A colorful man on the F train.

” The night life is for you” at Sammy’s Noodle West Village.

A NY kid at Academy Record, East Village

Oh so stylish mom, Mercer hotel, Soho

Hipster filled Sand Box Bar at Clement soto Velez cultural + Educational Center, Lower East Side.

Wine tasting night.

Sweet and Flirty!

jaehee — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 12:03:12 +0000

Good Windows Good Dresses: NYC

jaehee — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 04:01:08 +0000

Anthropology at Chelsea market, NYC, Not my favorite brand ( too cute for me) but not bad skirt Ha?

Bloomingdale’s, Soho, NYC, These are quite good!