Dazzled and bamboozled at the Met

My friend and SOM classmate Kejia and I enjoyed what was barely a surface-scratching visit this afternoon to the Met, which is freakin' enormous. Kejia is interning this summer at the Guggenheim, so we got in for free. Yay perks! Our first stop was the roof, to look at 5,000 bamboo poles held together by 50 miles of nylon rope, also known as "Doug + Mike Starn on the Roof: Big Bambú," an evolving installation by two artists who are twin brothers. It was nifty -- I hope they were going for "nifty" -- although having experienced the piece before reading the explanation, I must admit I missed the deeper intended meaning. Something about all of us being connected and life being uncertain? Anyway, nifty.

Then, of course, there's all that's inside. My very favorite were the 17th and 18th century furnishings, which I photographed, but I'm not pleased with the outcome. The iPhone, in case you hadn't noticed, doesn't do so great in the dimly lit indoors. Anyway, I'm always drawn to furniture at museums because I like to imagine what life was like when they were used. Probably absolutely horrible for everyone but the family patriarch.

We spent quite a bit of time at the Picasso exhibit, which was more interesting than it sounds because it showed the chronological evolution of his style, starting at age 20. It was fascinating and made me feel like an underachiever who has wasted the best years of his creativity. Some of the works were downright naughty, nothing as much so as the depiction at right of the artist as a young man receiving a special kiss from a bare lady friend.

Before the Met, I had an absolutely amazing brunch at Los Feliz, a taqueria on the Lower East Side, with my friend Kristin. The place just started doing brunch about two weeks ago. I had a chicken casserole dish, which was fantastic, but what really makes the place stand out is an original frozen coffee drink with tequila. Think frappuccino meets frozen margarita. Absolutely sensational, the best of both worlds. Because doesn't it always happen that at brunch you can't decide between a coffee beverage and a cocktail? Now you don't have to!