I was shocked to find out that there have been 23 hijackings and attempted seizures off the Somali coast since mid-March. (Intern. Maritime Bureau)   When Vivienne Westwood created her critically acclaimed pirates collection, I doubt this is what she had in mind.   Weren't pirates characters from big Hollywood action movies, with gorgeous movie stars swashbuckling about in Keith Richard's makeup?   I don't know, maybe I have been sleeping under an art rock, but I thought this was worth blogging about.
 

Somali pirates have launched what the International Maritime Bureau calls the biggest surge of piracy on modern record, attacking more than 60 vessels this year off Somalia and in the adjoining Gulf of Aden. The Gulf of Aden, which connects the Indian Ocean to the Suez Canal, is the main shipping route between Asia and the Middle East to Europe.     For the first time, they attacked a passenger ship carrying 302 civilians, mostly British and American. 

"The southern coastline is among the most dangerous in the world," said Mr Mwangura. These criminals have not only stolen valuable cargo, they are now taking hostages.

I hate to be a fatalist, but no where is safe. .

Washington post article

You know those Greeks and their yachts, well this is nautical art on a whole other level.   Based on a WW1 camouflage pattern, art genius Jeff Koons created this yacht for billionaire art collector Dakis Joannou.    Architect Ivana Porfiri created the angular facade.   The boat was christened "GUILTY" after a text painting by Sarah Morris.  (see her feature on our site)  Insane and incredible isn't it?


Yacht name: Guilty
Length: 114 ft • 35 m
Year: 2008
Builder: near Rome
Exterior art: Jeff Koons
Design: Ivana Porfiri
Owner: Dakis Joannou

Photos: A • Rhodes • 1 July 2008
Photo: Aeolos • Faliro marina • 13 July 2008

Back in the day I enjoyed the pleasures of Mary Jane to unwind.   Now I go to the country and just smell Herbs.  I love to cook with them, scent my home with them and just be around them. Herbs make me feel good.    Growing herbs is easy and they are pretty low maintenance.   I'm Italien so ofcourse I love cooking with Basil.    Rosemary is great to scent the house and rooms with and Lemon Balm is an amazing pick me up.    Put it on your dashboard (you can do this with any herb) and it scents your car.     Here is the Herb Garden at the Ojai Valley Inn.   Its amazing to walk through this garden and just smell the sensory delights.

It is a custom in Japan to bring beautiful fruits as a hostess gift.   I really could not believe it until I saw luxury fruit shops in all the train stations in Tokyo.    Fruits that were so perfect you didn't want to touch them, let alone eat them.       They were a still life painters wet dream.    Prices range from twenty bucks for a perfect set of grapes to $1000 for a stunning watermelon.   A really gorgeous orange will set you back 5 bucks.    (It tastes really good)    By the way, these melons are about $150 bucks.    Luckily, chocolates are acceptible.  If you love food you have to check out the food court at high end department store ISETAN.   It blows away Harrods in London and is the closest you will ever get to food Heaven.

The world of pageantry is a terrifying spectacle.    The younger it gets the more disturbing.    But for every Jon Benet Ramsey and the stage mother out there pushing her to compete there is now a light at the end of the tunnel.   The Miss Landmine Angola pageant was created by artist Morten Traavik to empower and instill female pride. This body of work also brings much attention to a serious subject in a progressive African nation.    The portraits of these amazing survivers are touching and beautiful. 

The viewer is drawn into the self confidence and dignity of the woman, only after close examination does one see a leg missing.    The saturated, stately photography is so elegant and contemporary.  Portraiture is by Gorm K Gaare.    I love these.
  (All credits follow images at bottom)

You know some days you just want to check out.   Turn off the iphone, i chat, AIM, cell phone, email, pda, email whatever.     Well, when I travel I like to zone out.    I don't want to be a slave to technology every day of my life.  All day, all night, at the gym.   So here I am wandering aimlessly in the airport when low and behold the advertising flat screen flashes in front of my eyes.   I'm forced to look.   Much like the digital giants that we once called billboards are replacing outdoor marquis on crowded thrufares. 
 
It's unbelievable. Its progress, its here to stay.    Atleast they don't have cameras on every corner like they do in London.    I'm not sure how I feel about that.

They have been here off and on for twenty years.   Taking over Yoyogi park on Sunday afternoons to dance, posture and have fun.    How can you not love them.  Rock and roll baby.

Laforet in Harajuko is a shoppers paradise.    If anyone is old enough they may remember the legendary Hyper Hyper in London.    In the eighties I would head over there and check out Pam Hogg and the other cool designers like Body Map and whatever else appeared in the Face magazine.    Laforet isnt quite as cool as that, but it is one stop shopping if you are heading to Tokyo and only have one day.   Hundreds of designers under one roof including book stores and accessories.   I love it.    It's also a youth-street culture paradise.    The cutest little fashionista kids all work there redefining and creating new trends daily.

You will notice "Sars chic" all over Tokyo as well. People get totally dressed up and do full hair and makeup and then throw a mask over their face.    After being sick 3 times this winter I'm doing the same.


   


Just ignore that the Gap flagship Tokyo store is accross the street.    There goes the neighborhood.    I think that's exactly what I thought when the Gap appeared on St Marks place and 2nd Ave.   There went the East village.    Well, Harajuko was the east village of Tokyo.   (read Tiffany Godoy's Style Deficit Disorder for a complete guide.)  In the Gap's defense though, they have set up a high end salon in the store for a more upscale collection.   Its beautifully designed and features dense wooden planks on the floor and a zebra rug with knoll seating. very elegant.   Patrick Robinson is the creative director there now and he is actually doing nice stuff, affordable too. 

Anyway,   I love the kids there, I love the choices and the local japanese designers you can buy here.    Unfortunately, most pieces are one size only, so if you aren't small, things wont fit.   However, the accessories are amazing and the jewelry is fab.     I love walking around the "goth-lolita" floor. 

Kiddyland is another must see.    Thousands of toys and licensed items, things you haven't seen in years in America.    Millions of lunch boxes, pokemons, snoopys, barbies.   If it is licensed and based on a cartoon and cute-they sell it here.    It's insane, and packed all the time.

It was one of those gorgeous spring days in Tokyo.   The cherry blossums were starting to come out, and so were the kids. I headed over to Yoyogi Park to take some photos. Yoyogi is one of the largest parks in Tokyo, located adjacent to Harajuku Station and Meiji Shrine in Shibuya. It is peaceful, beautiful and on a sunday afternoon,  the place to see young Tokyo.

What I love about Japan is that the people are so refined and regal, they care about their cities and the elegance of nature. Notice these teens brought an ashtray to the park instead of using the ground. They also sell ashtray necklaces that people use to stub out their butts so they dont have to litter the streets. It's sad that teens smoke--yes, but at least they don't litter and smoke.

This gentleman didn't quite get the "youth culture" thing but you gotta love that he's out there just reliving it.

Planet Earth - the journey continues

"Experience Earth as never before with groundbreaking footage of our planet and its wildlife." Some of the most electrifying footage ever of nature, animals and the environment I have ever seen.      The detail is incredible.    It almost looks like it was shot with a 70 mm lens.   Imagine an 8x10 photograph set to motion.


For adults and children alike this is impossible to miss.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programmes/planetearth/