behind the scenes and after hours

...at the museum?

The London HQ of wonder | wander | women works at a quirky little wonderland of a museum called the Wellcome Collection. This museum of science and medicine is funded by the Wellcome Trust, founded by pharmaceutical entrepreneur Sir Henry Wellcome in 1938. There are several floors of exhibitions, plus a museum shop and an organic cafe.

The Wellcome Collection is famous for its odd and wide-ranging displays of (mostly medicine-related) artefacts from all over the world, most of them personally chosen by Sir Henry. Over time the museum grew enough to exhibit limited shows that tickle scientific curiosity, such as the body's relationship to death and the science of sleeping and dreaming. All of these shows are completely free to the public, as is the library and its gorgeous reading room on the first floor.

season's greetings

Greetings and blessings this holiday season...

...from us and ours at wonder | wander | women ...

...to you and yours.

Peace on Earth - goodwill to all our relations

flame in my heart
internal eternal flicker
living breathing fumes
kindled passion pureed
in the fire of my soul

furnace of my desire
internal eternal inferno
living breathing fervor
fevered fury ablaze
in my core and being

Charles Lahti: Cebu Exhibit at 856 G Gallery

With half of #wonderwanderwomen already back in the Philippines for the holidays, we opted to reblog  the latest post written for Kate's Paperie and Charles Lahti Studio. 

Congratulations Charles! Catch his exhibit in Cebu - it's ongoing til Dec 18! At 856 G Gallery. 

Once again we take great pleasure in presenting the work of beloved family, friend and resident artist at Kate’s Paperie - Charles Lahti . His numerous fans and followers are familiar with his exuberant handmade silkscreens and limited edition prints. 

Read the full blog here. http://katespaperie188.blogspot.com/2014/12/charles-lahti-his-cebu-exhibit-at-856-g.html 

The City and the River

One of our favourite publishers is Thames and Hudson, which is dedicated to providing intriguing and affordable art books for the international market. It's named after the two famous rivers that anchor two of the most famous cities in the world - two cities that make a huge part of our world.

Turning Point, Hoboken NJ

If ever there was an ideal place for brunch, it is at Turning Point.

Serving breakfast, brunch and lunch every day of the week, their specialty is serving everything fresh and from scratch.

At their Hoboken, New Jersey venue there is the added treat of a grand view of the Hudson River and New York City across the water.

american football in london

One warm Saturday on September 27, London closed off Regent Street - one of its busiest high-end shopping districts - to host a celebration for its American residents and visitors. 

NFL on Regent Street marked the start of the International Series Games of 2014, broadcasting the first game of the series, which was the Oakland Raiders hosting the Miami Dolphins.

The streets were splashed with the logos and faces of the six participating teams: aside from the Raiders and Dolphins, there were booths for the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Dallas Cowboys, the Atlanta Falcons and the Detroit Lions.

The Ghost of Halloween Past

Here in the US, Halloween is the harbinger of our year end holidays.

Crime scene tape was very popular this year. 

It heralds when the fall nip in the air starts to chill - leaves turn and fall away - layers thicken and we start to cover up.

Japan Matsuri 2014

At the end of September London was lucky enough to still have a nice warm day for one of the big cultural events of the year. My Japanese-American friend and I attended the Japan Matsuri in Trafalgar Square.

There were stalls lining the grounds selling irresistible-smelling trays of ramen, takoyaki, okonomiyaki and nabe (all of which we tried), aside from other staples like sushi, onigiri, donburi and tempura, and desserts like kakigoori. Other stalls sold Japanese prints, kitchen crockery, souvenirs, and even kimono.

The festival officially started with a thunderous performance of Taiko drumming.

an evening in NYC with George R. R. Martin

Who hasn't heard of Game of Thrones by now? Who is not hooked on the HBO TV series? Do you live under a rock? 

The stage is set at 92Y.

Not us! We are die hard fans of both the books and the series. Yes, there's more than one! 

sharing London, part 2

This week the wonder | wander | women read an interview with travel writer Pico Iyer on Pure Life Experiences, a travel magazine. Pico Iyer lives in Nara, one of the most beautiful cities in Japan, and grew up in Santa Barbara, California, where his mother still lives.

He says:

"When I’m at my desk or traipsing off to the health-club or paying my bills, I often sleepwalk through my life, barely aware of the beauties around me.  

"As soon as a friend visits me in either place, I’m newly attentive to what’s wondrous about my hometowns, and newly excited about them. And the minute I’m in a place I think of as foreign, I start watching everything around me, so that even the smallest details become something curious and fascinating."

NYC - a beautiful life!

For those of us who grew up with the songs of Carole King, watching the musical Beautiful is an immersion back to the days we first heard each of these anthems. 

Stephen Sondheim Theater Marquee

sharing London, part 1

This month the wonder | wander | women have been unusually blessed with a steady stream of visitors! Our London contingent has had three different guests in as many weeks, and it's fun to go back to my first years here.

View of the Thames from the upper-floor cafe of the Tate Modern

A Roman Holiday

Roman View from the top of the Spanish Steps

Ancient and modern, timeless and current - all cohabit in the central capital of Italy, Rome. 

Beginning our ascent up the Spanish Steps

Whether drawn here by its history and heritage, its art and architecture, its views and vistas, its food and fashion – Rome will seduce you. 

Autumn Equinox 2014 - skies above us

NBC News Image

We have come to that time of year when we care more about weather watching and the daily reports.

Living in a part of the world subject to four seasons has its perks and perils.

Florence: let there be art!

In our last post on Florence, we talked about the city itself, its architecture, features and the beautiful statues in the piazzas. It was amazing to see the churches and museums, but we were also privileged to go inside and see the incredible work that went into Florentine interiors.

Saints flanking the altar at San Miniato

Gorgeous medieval paintings decorating the Cardinal of Portugal Chapel

Restorers were actually doing on-site work in the Basilica di Santa Croce. On one hand the chancel was no longer very photogenic, but we were fascinated by the work and wished we could have a closer look.

birthday at the Barbican

It was a warm, sunny Sunday, the day before my birthday, and my friend J had the perfect present: tickets to the Digital Revolution exhibit at the Barbican Centre.  

The Barbican Centre is a stunning modernist complex split into several levels, with a cafe, a library, an exhibition space and several theatres. A lot of the free space was given to the Digital Revolution exhibit, with video game spaces, shops, and kinetic installations that responded to touch like these motion-sensitive robots.

Minimaforms' installation Petting Zoo

Florence: at the feet of the Masters

We have been saving Florence because it was the most beautiful of the places we visited. We were completely overwhelmed by the craft and care that had gone into every part of this Renaissance city. We already know we will have to post another blog for more details on church interiors and gardens.

Even before we arrived in the city proper, a long avenue of well-kept shrubs and walls of vertically growing greenery advertised the Florentine's dedication to beautiful environments.

belated birthday celebration in Chinatown, NYC

For yet another belated birthday celebration, my best friend and I chose to celebrate in Chinatown. The New York metropolitan area is home to nine of the oldest Chinatowns and Manhattan's has got the highest population of Chinese residents in the Western Hemisphere. 

The firehouse [Old Engine Company 31] at 87 Lafayette Street
is now Downtown Community TV. 

Il Borro, Tuscany: pastoral symphony

Il Borro Entrance - San Giustino Valdarno, Arezzo, Tuscany (Italy)  

The wonder | wander | women base in Tuscany was Il Borro, a beautiful resort that is part of the Ferragamo estate. (Yes, that Ferragamo.) The family had restored the original houses of a medieval village, turning them into resort villas with modern amenities.

View of the villas from up the road.

belated birthday celebrations in NYC

For my [very belated] birthday celebration my sister and I chose dinner and a show in New York City.

Our early dinner or merienda cena was at Épicerie Boulud - Chef Daniel Boulud’s eat-in and take-out market on Manhattan’s Upper West Side at Broadway and 64th Street. Since it was a glorious day, we changed our indoor reservations and opted for an outdoor table under their sidewalk parasols. 

Siena: get medieval

Last spring, this mother-daughter artist duo were handed the most incredible opportunity: to visit that famous hub of the Renaissance, Italy! In May we flew out to Tuscany with our family.

I was coming from London and Mom from New Jersey. It was her first time in Europe and we were so excited to spend this holiday together!

A view of the medieval district from the modern side,
featuring the Torre del Mangia.

Our first tourist visit was to the medieval centre of Siena, a city famous for its patron saint Catherine and for the artists who created the rich brown pigment that bears its name.

quiet time, green spaces too

One half of us is back in London and the Wonder Wander Women are missing each other! 

When we are in one place we always manage to find some quiet time to spend together, but once us time is over and we go back to our separate routines it's not as easy to keep doing. 

quiet time, green spaces

One half of us is back in London, and the Wonder Wander Women are missing each other!

When we are in one place we always manage to find some quiet time to spend together, but once 'us time' is over and we go back to our daily routine it's sometimes hard to remember to give ourselves a little space.

Here are some of the places we visit for a little peace of mind.

flipping out in Little Manila - Jersey City NJ

For those of you who have been following us for a while now and have read our regular stream of posts on New York City NY and Union City NJ, it's become obvious that these neighborhoods are our regular Stateside haunts.

But with Mahala visiting my little barrio for the first time, we decided to widen our range and reach. One day we agreed to meet a writer friend of ours in Jersey City for lunch and coffee.

We used to meet in Hoboken but with all the detours from the viaduct under construction, we decided to meet in her neck of the woods instead.

Although we had a wonderful buffet lunch in an East Indian restaurant neither of us had ever eaten at [Rasoi] - it turned out that the true treat for us was the Filipino [Pinoy] community in her neighborhood.

Edgewater NJ - then and now

Memorial Day weekend found us at The Colony in Edgewater, New Jersey - a borough located along the west bank of the Hudson River in Bergen County.

It was once called Burdette's Landing where ferries transported agricultural produce from New Jersey across to New York.

wonder | wander | world blog launch

We share our excitement and eagerness at the launch of our latest inspiration blog,

wonder | wander | world

It too is an extension of who Mahala and I are and what we aim to accomplish through our output.

Happy trails to all!

http://woaworld.blogspot.com/2014/06/inspiration-file-doors.html

NYC: my corner of the sky

We took three days in New York City as, no matter how easy it is living close by, there's nothing that beats falling asleep and waking up in the city that goes on and on and on. . . .We loved most taking full advantage of some of the best theatres and museums in the world.

Tripping Around Westchester, NY

Westchester County is one of the more popular areas of New York State, but I have to confess I didn't know much about it before Mom and I were invited up there by some friends. Blame it on too much TV - I watched Sleepy Hollow and X-Men First Class - both set in Westchester, but as with so many media depictions of real places - not too accurate.

So what is the real Westchester like?