If you've never experienced Indian classical dance, tomorrow would be a great time to start. The Asia Society will be presenting a lecture/demonstration by Madhavi Mudgal and Leela Samson, two of the foremost exponents of Odissi and Bharatanatyam, respectively. It's a rare opportunity to not only see these legendary artists perform, but also hear them speak about their craft.

October 1st, 2013
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Asia Society
725 Park Avenue, New York, NY

Madhavi Mudgal (left) and Leela Samson (right)

I discovered Szeki, a boutique in the Lower East Side, earlier this year, and continue to be a big fan of their chic, modern, easy-to-wear clothes. I was also charmed by the sprightly creator, Szeki Chan, who spent a solid half hour helping me pick the best pieces for my petite frame.

I love the fluid silhouette and shades of blue in this silk dress.

A simple yet strong piece from Szeki's line of jewelry

I swear, the first time I wore these slouchy, high-waisted pants, I had never received so many complements from so many women in one day!

Me, happy and comfortable in the aforementioned pants, between two devilishly handsome friends.

Please erase the moon's me

I am rarely moved by video art, but this piece, "Did I ? , 2013" by Hiraki Sawa at the Lyon Biennale left a lasting impression. There was a haunting, dreamlike quality to the black and white imagery, the pulse of the soundtrack, and the layering of live action and animation. 

The actual piece is much longer, but this brief clip gives you a sense of the pace and aesthetic.

Reading up on it later, I came to learn the work was inspired by Sawa's friend, who lost his memory and had to re-imagine his life.

Etsy, the online marketplace for all things handmade, can be tough to navigate. You can easily go bleary-eyed combing pages and pages of jewelry for the perfect piece.

Here are some items I either own or covet that I think fit the bill of being beautiful, wearable, affordable, and, happily, handmade by modern-day artisans from Portland, Oregon, to Omaha, Nebraska, to Richmond, Virginia.

Delicate yet distinctive, this necklace from Betsy and Iya has become one of my favorite pieces. 

I love the unusual shape and mix of metals in these brass and pyrite earrings from Elisabeth Space. They are a staple in my jewelry box, and complement practically everything I own. 

These crescent moons of sterling silver are another favorite pair of earrings from Elisabeth Space.

I have my eye on this simple, elegant bracelet from Young Frankk.

A lovely statement piece from Young Frankk.

Outtakes from Bangalore

When I first visited India, I hoped I would experience a sense of reunion and reconnection with the land of my ancestors, who were hauled by the British to work the plantations of Guyana in South America almost two hundred years ago. Of course, in reality, I was an American tourist cloaked in brown skin, as shocked and wide-eyed as any Westerner.

I can still remember my first night in Delhi: stepping over rows of sleeping bodies lined up on the dusty, crumbling pavement, the sizzling of hot oil from a roadside stand, the cars, auto-rickshaws, cows, dogs, and men - so many men! - that  sidled by in the glittering darkness.

Comparing my experience with that of white colleagues and friends, I'm grateful for my ability to blend in, at least superficially. Certainly no one gave me a second look as I wandered around Malleswaram, a suburb of Bangalore, on my latest venture to the motherland. I loved wandering the streets of this neighborhood on my afternoon off from work.

The ubiquitous auto-rickshaw! Both a potential death trap and a relatively efficient form of transportation. Their beeps sound much like the Roadrunner, only times a billion.

A man eager to help me with directions to a sari shop that I never found. 

Betel leaves, which are used to make paan.

Apparently, folding your arms behind your back helps with posture.

This summer, I was introduced to the work of artist, Sam Falls, at Karma gallery in Amagansett, New York. I really enjoy the colors and distorted sense of nostalgia in this series. 

In honor of the big fat Indian wedding I attended this weekend, I thought I would share one of my favorite Bollywood wedding scenes from Yash Chopra's 1989 blockbuster, Chandini. The actress, Shri Devi, was one of my favorites growing up - gorgeous with a glint of mischief in her eyes.

This song also has sentimental value for me, as it was the first song I ever performed on stage. My dance teacher choreographed a watered down version of Shri Devi's moves, and I gave it my all, a chubby eight year old in a fushia chaniya choli. There's a blurry video somewhere in my mother's basement, but I'll spare you that version!

Outtakes from Venice

Venice is an otherworldly place. Even when I was there (just one of the 60,000 tourists that overwhelm the city each day), I could hardly believe the city was real. If you ever have the chance to go, the experience is more than worth the journey.

Technicolor Dreams

Bollywood cinema was a staple of my childhood. At least once a month, my parents would rent the latest four hour long, music and dance filled epic from our local Indian grocery/video store. Often the copies had been dubbed so many times we could barely make out the actors' faces or decipher the English subtitles (not that one really needed them to understand the hyperbolic plot lines).

I haven't watched a Bollywood movie in years, but my nostalgia lives on in this mini collection of posters my boyfriend and I picked up in Delhi a few years ago. I love the bold colors and wonky graphic design.

graphic design. 

I was nineteen on my first trip outside of the US, a newly minted high school graduate tagging along with my worldly older sister to Paris. I can still remember the murky, underwater sensation of arrival after the long flight, the exhilaration at the smallest discoveries, and the indelible feeling that, removed from my routines and rituals, I could see myself and my life more clearly. 

Here are three novels that I feel capture the spirit of travel in all its uncertainty and revelation: 

Jeff in Venice, Death in Varanasi by Geoff Dyer

Outtakes from Lyon

View from the Hotel Villemanzy

Place Bellacour

 Bartholdi Fountain created by Auguste Bartholdi, the same artist who created the Statue of Liberty 

My ridiculous friends posing as a boy band

Me, happy in front of a plate of food!