A Bite of the Big Apple

When faced with the decision to sit down and write a blog post or check out the gym in my building's basement, I'll have you all know I most certainly choose the former.  I'm not exercise averse, in fact I've been walking quite a bit the last few weeks, I just have a diehard dedication to updating my readers.  Well that, and I'm pretty damn comfy after a glass of nebbiolo and a belly full of chicken soup and jalapeño cornbread.  I guess you could say I got it good up here in New York City.

in Central Park near the Jacqueline Onassis Reservoir

In the course of a year I've shared a living space with 2 Californians, 3 Southern Italian men, an Iranian Muslim, a French Jew and now a 78 year old retired writer and grandmother of 2.  Makes me smile just thinking about it.  As you all know, I'm currently residing on the UWS (that's how we New Yorkers abbreviate the "upper west side") with my professor's mom, Phyllis.  She is such a hoot!  (And yes, when I'm around her I find myself saying things like what a hoot, oh my lands, and heavens to betsy)  Phyllis may be 78 but she's as sharp as a tack - she volunteers at the Natural History Museum doing research on a 19th century Norwegian explorer and now she's contributed to a book about his life and work!  This aside, she has been so magnanimous as to offer me a place to stay, AND (here comes the best part) a home cooked meal every night that we're both home together.  Ok, that's it, I'm calling my lawyer and drawing up adoption papers.  Can I keep her forever?

Phyllis' cheesy jalapeño cornbread.  I think she likes me.

Night 1 in my new place Phyllis had a chicken roasting in the oven, steamed broccoli and a buttered sweet potato.  Oh my lands, it was amazing.  She showed me her worn cookbooks and countless spices, the fridge was full of fresh fruits and veggies.  We have made a habit of chatting over supper and well into a cup of herbal tea.  Each night she tells me to sleep tight, and sometimes in the morning she has coffee ready when I get up.  Oh, I'm not done yet.  When she learned I have an undying love for Mexican food she told me she'd take me to her favorite little place - we went there on Sunday for brunch, her treat.  To somehow repay her I bought the ingredients for a buttermilk pie as per a dinner conversation one night and we baked it together.  Divine!

view of Central Park on Jan 20

my new neighborhood, a winter wonderland

The place is nice and cozy, I've got my own room and bathroom (can't really remember the last time I had that!) and a living room with windows that open up onto a slice of Central Park.  Part of the dining room table is now my desk, or my office as I like to call it.  This weekend it SNOWED in the city so my view of the park was delightfully serene.  Oh, and did I mention the building is called The Turin?!  How oddly serendipitous, right?

in front of my building, The Turin!

Oh yes, I should probably mention my internship!  When I started a few weeks ago I was thrown straight into the mix, which is probably the best way to learn though simultaneously the most intimidating.  The first hour I was already answering phones and transferring calls for the department.  There are currently 4 interns including me, though 2 of them are leaving at the end of this week as they completed their term.  Interestingly 2 of the other girls are Italian so I have been keeping my language skills polished.  The work includes general office tasks, supporting the specialists in our department which includes Old Master Paintings, Old Master Drawings and 19th Century Art.  Aside from fielding calls from everybody and their mother who claims to own a Rubens and wants it appraised, I have been helping prepare for the big 2-part auction our department is holding this week.

20 Rock, we're in the same building as the Today Show!

The other interns and I have been doing research on artists, artworks, checking and re-checking provenance, forwarding bids, confirming estimates, sending catalogs to important clients, setting up the gallery preview show, photographing and handling the works, etc.  At one point last week I was helping a specialist adjust Netherlandish Art placement in the galleries, including the top-of-the-lot Hans Memling which is estimated to bring in $8 million at auction tomorrow.  But that was nothing compared to the work that was brought in on Friday afternoon - a work by Francis Bacon that is estimated at $30 million for a London auction in February.  I'd like to know the chap that's got $30 million in disposable income to throw down on a piece of contemporary art.  And more importantly whether or not he's single.  Don't judge me, I like flying First Class.

BLOWN away by this experience.  Ha.  (Empire State Building)

I'll be interested to see my first auction now that I've been working behind the scenes.  Things are much different here in the for-profit art world, the capital of the western world for that matter.  All in all it's been a whirlwind first few weeks with lots of exciting changes -  new home, new job, new friends, new experiences, New York, New York!