The Music of Angels

Honestly, I was just going to the greenmarket. Sunday afternoon was colder than I’d thought, with that is-it-raining-or-not precipitation. And O, hey, there’s that Cathedral, the one where the dragon and the princess battled it out in that Disney movie…

We stopped in. Dark, quiet, still. With a stained glass window that’s over 40 ft. tall, and space you could easily fit a football field in, St. John the Divine Cathedra

The Rose Window

l inspires awe. It should–it’s the largest in the world. The world. Construction began in 1892, but wasn’t fully completed until 2001. We were ready to be fully amazed–and on our way– when the choir practicing in the front began to fill the heights with soaring, haunting, magical-can’t-begin-to-describe-it cadences. Each symphony of voice melded into the next, until the resounding finish was reached. And just as I was about to whisper to my boyfriend, “That’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard,” the conductor spoke. “Eh!” he cried, “What was that?” 

Their continued practice was our gain. Measure by measure the piece was supremely perfected. Sunday afternoons, 3pm. Find your own wanderlust choir.

Lessons from TurkFest ‘08

On a whim, I wandered to the NY Turkish Festival in Central Park today. Lessons learned:

1. Should you ever try Turkish coffee, do not drink the cup empty …you will end up with a mouthful of coffee grains, which settle on the bottom. It’s served with little gummy/sugary confections called “Turkish delight,” which are delish.

2. Turkish oil wrestling is a very odd sport. The Turkish are avid supporters of it — just as the Spanish are of bull fights. The men come out on the field with glistening torsos, to the delight of the women onlookers. But then, to win the match, they must stick their hand down their opponent’s pants!! I kid you not! See my quick video for a demo.

3. A performance of marionettes, those puppets with the strings, draws a crowd like you wouldn’t believe.