Art by Skye Ferrante

Whenever we go to New York City, we spend a lot of time in SoHo, The Village, and Fifth Avenue. We also make a point to visit a few art galleries. You never know what you will find.

It was on one of those adventures of ours that we ran into Skye Ferrante, who is not only a great artist, but also a very charming man. Fortunately, he was present at the art gallery when we were there and was kind enough to chat with us showing his work to us and explaining how he comes up with ideas and how he makes his art pieces. He basically takes a piece of wire and then makes magic happen by molding it into shapes that tell a beautiful story.

What fascinated Lorena and myself, apart from his artistic talent, is his story (he was a ballet dancer). He literally started on the streets of New York selling his art to tourists for amounts that had only two digits. Just to give you an idea, the pieces that we liked from his collection on sale were all in four digits.

What we continue to ask ourselves is How many Skye Ferrantes are selling their art on streets? When will they be discovered?

America Ferrera doll

As you know both Lorena and I are fans of America Ferrera. We admire not only for her acting talents but also, like Jennifer Hudson, what she has accomplished in a very short period of time.

So it was interesting to find out from Elizabeth Seaward, Marketing Director for the Cartoon Doll Emporium, that they have actually designed a doll inspired by her. I sent the link to my niece and this is what she came up with. Interesting, isn't it. I think it is a great website for kids.

Angels in the Dust movie

It seems that there is so much to do in Africa. And we have to do it. Even if it is something small. Many of these people in Africa need help. It isn't always money that they need. Sometimes just what you know and share can help them get out of their misery. Here is the story of one family that left behind everything to make life better in a remote part of South Africa.

War, Dance movie trailer

Could our lives be better? You bet. Do we have problems that are making us miserable? Oh yes. If we look at the dark side of our lives, we will find that there are so many things not right. But if you look around you, there are people undergoing misery that is nothing in comparison to our quest to lose a few more pounds or get to the next step in the corporate ladder or move to a six-bedroom house because 4-bedrooms aren't enough. First place that we can look to for inspiration is Africa. That is what War/Dance movie is all about. Take a look at the trailer.

Gay rights in Japan

In Japan, if you are different, the best thing is to act as if you don't exist. As a gaijin (or foreigner), I learned this lesson early on and it served me well. Because I chose to not stand out, the Japanese left me alone and I can say that I never faced any overt discrimination in Japan.

Gays in Japan do the same, and so do the handicapped. Things are changing somewhat, though. Kanako Otsuji, a lesbian politician, contested an election and the gays and lesbians actually organized a parade in Tokyo. Despite these small improvements, this group of people has a long way to go before they get any recognition in the country, where things don't change fast.

Japanese Elvis fans

Elvis Presley is one person that has universal appeal. And while I know that American music is very popular in Japan (despite the English language challenges of the Japanese), even I was surprised by the number of hardcore fans of The King. I am sure that it will surprise you as much as me that the second largest Elvis fan club is in Japan. These dedicated Japanese Elvis fans do what they can when they are not visiting Graceland.

Kebab rap in Turkey

I know that fast food vendors in Turkey are creative, but I meant to say that in the context of good business strategy. It turns out that all the way from fashion designers to chefs, Turkey has creative people. A kebab chef even has a rap single now. Here is the video:

Cosplay is fun

During our numerous trips to Harajuku, it was a delight to watch Japanese teenagers engage in cosplay (cosupurey is another spelling), which is almost an art form now. The word comes from costume+play and while we practice it in some ways on Halloween, the Japanese cosplay is inspired by anime and manga characters, though Harry Potter lookalikes are popular too. Now these shows and conventions are held all over the world. This is a video report about the convention held in Japan where a French duo was declared the winner for portraying characters from the video game "Final Fantasy." If you happen to visit Tokyo, we recommend that a weekend trip to Harajuku is a great idea. And oh, by the way, cosplay is something couples can do too to spice up their relationship.

How to wear jeans every day?

While we have a closet full of business attire, like most people in the world of media, we love to wear our jeans as often as we can get away with it. In the long run, even if you invest in a very expensive pair of jeans, they still turn out to be the most cost-effective way to be comfortable but still look trendy.

Here are two videos by Ford models (for both men and women) that show how you can wear jeans throughout the day by making slight changes as the day progresses.