polaroids Archives - Sivan Askayo Blog

72 Hours in Tokyo

February 12, 2012

Living only 5 minutes walk from Harajuku train station, and luckily only 4 minutes away from Starbucks. Walking back and forth along Omotesando every day and finding some really cute boutiques in the alleys near by. Prada building in Aoyama, Comme des Garcons near by and Tod’s building by Toyo Ito. 2 Silver light coats, 2 grey heat-tech undershirts in Uniqlo Shibuya. The massive crowds in Shibuya and miraculously not getting lost in Shibuya train station. Special Tea seminar in Ippodo Tea place in Ginza. Not understanding a word, but enjoying myself to the fullest. Meeting a friend at the Meiji Jingu Harajuku Shrine, just to realize there is a religious ceremony going on. Throwing few coins to ask for a good luck, writing my wishes on a special paper and buying two lucky charms. Sushi for breakfast, Soba noodle soup for Dinner, snacking mochi all the time. Visiting a store for Kimonos only, Window shopping in Ginza. Stationary made of Japanese special paper after looking for the certain store for hours. Harajuku Girls, Harajuku Girls Malls, Harajuku Girls Culture. A must! Having a behind the scenes and a private tour at HP France company; The trendiest clothing company in Tokyo. Meeting new people and turning them into friends. Fish soup, sticky rice, mint chocolate and sweet crepes. Looking up all the time just to be amazed by the beautiful architecture. JR line, Shinjuku station, Quico boutique and tons of beauty salons. Walking in a city of 13 million people and experiencing serendipity quite often. Sleeping only 4 hours a night, just because there is so much to see. Feel like in the movie ‘Lost in Translation’ so many times during the day but still, always finding my way back. Seeing so many places, so many people and squeezing so many great experiences and surprises into 72 hours….Priceless!

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My Life in Polaroids

8½ in Venice

September 26, 2011

One solo Espresso in the middle of the day, followed by a chocolate ice cream. crowded Piazza San Marco with thousands of tourists and thousands of doves. walking along the colorful streets and hopping the old balconies will not crumble and fall. St. Marks Basilica, watching the people going for a Sunday Mass, watching the people coming out of a Sunday Mass. Lunch outdoors, the sound of rattling plates and glasses. Ponte dei Sospiri, 4 hand made postcards printed on a fine art paper. Visiting a hand made mask store and having a hard time to leave. Cafe Florian, alla carrettiera Pasta, Formaggio di pecora o capra a pasta pressato, Provola Capizzi and Ricotta Romana. Taking the Gondola instead of a Subway, The Grand Canal instead of the Grand Central in New York. watching the preparations to the Venice Biennale and thinking about the Carnival on February. Walking a lot along the streets and never going back to the same place. Having a photographer friend as a private tour guide, taking so many colorful laundry shots in so many angles and directions, watching the sun goes down and the gold reflection on the water, just before we leave the city. doing all of this for only 81/2 hours in Venice…and still feel there is so much to do and see….Priceless!

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My Life in Polaroids

Florence: A Roof with a View

September 23, 2011

Drinking Italian coffee first thing in the morning, Running up the hills of Florence just to see the city waking up soaked in a morning dew, Piazzale Michelangelo, cutting lines in Galleria Uffizi, the old Synagogue in Via Farini. Temptation to have a snack at the Tripe and Lampredotto food vendors. Santa Croce’s busy courtyard. The Towers of the Donati, the Academia at Via Ricasoli, only 4 euros to see the Masterpiece of David. Sneaking photos of David when the museum guard turns around.
Yellow Buildings, Green Blinds, Red Wine and Blue Cheese. Ricotta Cheese and Figs for Lunch. Chocolate and Ice cream for Dinner.
Gucci, Pucci, Salvatore Fergamanno, Gianfranco Ferre and Sergio Rossi. Via de Tornabuoni, Money and Beauty exhibit, Men in suits riding their Bikes. Socks at Emillio Cavalini, Coffee cream at Caffe Scudieri, another round of chocolate ice cream. Piazza San Lorenzo Markets, Piazza Del Repubblica, Palazzo Pitti. The Birth of Venus, the Primavera, Neptune statue in full glory. Narrow cobblestone alleys, Santo Spirito vibrant restaurants, watching the rooftops of Florence every morning. Coffee for two at the mythological Cafe Gilli, watching the sunset over Ponte Vecchio and drinking water from Fontana dello Sprone. Saturday afternoon stroll in Giardino di Boboli. Jazz music under the trees, Climbing 412 stairs up the tower of the Duomo for the sake of taking pictures. Feeding pigeons in San Marco square, walking everyday in Via Maffia, shooting tons of pictures and doing La Dolce Vita….Priceless!

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Window or Aisle?

Back to Tel Aviv for a Minute

May 20, 2011

One shot of espresso and the rest is extra foam. 4 times a day. sliced lebanese vegetable salad, Neve Tzedek, Dalal cafe, Suzanna for lunch. Rotschild Boulevard, Montifiori Boutique hotel, Breakfast club, Pomelo. Salty cookies of Abadi. Beta cafe, The Carmel Market, Lulu cafe in Basel street on a Friday afternoon. The outdoor half Olympic pool at the Tel Aviv university. Little black dress, Abu Gosh’s humus, Jaffa flea market. A note and a prayer at the Wailing wall. Black high heels shoes of Shoemaker. Florentine, Alenby 99. Braserie, Leonardo hotel, cafe-cafe, c-cafe, Siatra sea and sun. The corner cafe in Masrik square. Tea with mint, tea without mint, Meyumana dance show, printing big sized prints for my gallery show ‘Next Stop Manhattan’. Breakfast at the seaport, Dinner at the seaport. Vanilia ice cream in Yehuda Maccabi street. A show in the Kamery theater, Mom’s dinners on a Friday night. Dad’s cooking on Saturday’s lunches. Noya’s Moroccan Fish, Body lotion of Laline, 3 books for the price of 1. One master card to pay for it all.and be back to Tel Aviv, even just for a minute…Priceless.

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Six Days in Paris

May 20, 2011

Visiting Serge Gainsbourg at Montparnasse old cemetery, eating baguette and French cheese on a bench in Jardin du Luxembourg, the Pantheon, Odeon, The Sorbonne. Chocolate Nutella, Picard frozen food, Diptyque perfume at 34 Bulevard Saint Germain. Running along the seine river, waking up to the sound of bells of the Notre Dame, standing in a long line to get into the Notre Dame. White blue stripped shirt, Taking the Metro instead of the Subway, Climbing to the Montmartre in a late afternoon and watching the sun goes down. Chocolate bliss at Un Dimanche a Paris, Chocolats rive gauche and at Maison Larnicol. Manet exhibit at Musees d’Orsay, Claude Monet village at Giverny, cafe de Flore at St Germain des Pres, getting lost in the little streets of St. Germain des Pres. Eiffel Tower after midnight. Patisserie, Brasserie, standing in line on a Sunday morning outside the local Boulangerie. The mythological store Laduree. Rue de Rivoli, Jardin des Tuileries, designing stores such as Colette and Merci. La Defense. Beautiful boutiques at Rue St. Honore, Lunch at Printemps rooftop, Macarons at Hugo and Victor, Maison de Victor Hugo, Gallery Lafayette shoe searching. Walking around Musee de Louvre, Jewish restaurant at Le Marais. Pink doors at Fauchon, Butter cake in Poilane bakery. Getting the last pair of Pretty Ballerina shoes, getting chocolate ice cream at Ile de la Cite, buying so many soaps of Le Petit Marseillais, Watching the new Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris” while being in Paris and doing all the above with a charming French Photographer….Priceless!

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Buenos Aires Graffiti Joint

May 14, 2011

Drinking ice cold Havana’s coffee with dulce de leche alfajores 2 times a day, taking the subte instead of the subway, walking the streets of Palermo SoHo and not the streets of SoHo New York, Evita Peron museum, Colon Theater, Muma’s sugary cupcakes, Casa Rosada, walking the streets of palermo Hollywood and hoping to see a famous movie star, Antique market in San Telmo, Brunch in San Telmo and cold beer in Caminito, La Boca. Witnessing the wild crowds coming out of a Futball game after their team won, Bar 6 at Armenia street, stopping at every coffee place or a store in Nicaragua street, streets with names of countries in Latin America. Over looking the city from Palacio Barolo just before the sun goes down, convincing the concierge at the Moreno Hotel to let me take pictures from the private rooftop.
Recoleta. Recoleta cemetery. and Recoleta again the next day. Walking in the area of San Martin and San Nicolas and feels like in Paris, Plaza de Mayo, Libros del Pasaje, best book store in Palermo. Fresh squeeze orange juice almost every day, watching the locals dance Tango and Milonga along the river, hoping there will be a beach, and not just a river, yummy cheese and chocolate at Cucina Paradiso, Helena trendy Bar Resto, crossing the bridge of Puente de la Mujer toward Puerto Madero, 7pm drinks at Faina Hotel (is a must) candle light dinner at Artemisia, kissing a last kiss at the cutest cafe El Ultimo Beso, joining the tour of Graffiti Mundo and see the most beautiful Graffiti wall after I thought I have seen it all. Taking a boat around Tigre, buying a floral summer dress and getting the kick of walking in shorts on February…priceless!

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Window or Aisle?

Fall Weekend in Amsterdam

April 24, 2010

Waking up every morning to the sound of bells of the Westerkerk Church, running along the canals, catching up with the local bikers, shopping for jeans in G-star, getting a sexy lingerie and knee socks instead. Flower Market, Noordermarket and Albert Cuyp Market. Waiting in a long line in front of Vleminckx Sausmeesters just to taste the best French Fries in the world. Dutch Mayonnaise, Dutch pancakes, Dutch waffles and fatty cholesterol Dutch Cheese. Seeing Anne Frank House from my bedroom window and wondering about the History of Europe. Four colorful postcards at Van Goch museum, nine Zwitsal baby lotion that will last for a year. Dam Square instead of Times Square and Leidseplein instead of the Theater District. Midnight strolls in Jordaan neighborhood, drinking beer with Flemish locals peeping into other people’s apartments. Puccini Bomboni Dark chocolate. Yummy ice cream made of dutch sheep milk. Peep Shows, Sex live shows and traffic jams in the Red Light District. Hermitage museum in the afternoon, followed by a long visit at the Foam photography museum, both accompanied by a cute local photographer. Buying cappuccinos with extra foam at the Coffee Company and visiting coffee shops, but not for coffee.
Shopping and strolling De Negen Straatjes, nine streets area and not finding what I want, but finding my own pair of bicycles among thousands of others….Priceless.