Times Square Plan’s Challenge – Lose the Cars, Keep the Grit – NYTimes.com
Well, I’m happy to report that, a day after the stretch of Broadway between 42nd and 47th Streets was closed to cars, the soul of Times Square remains intact. The neon still sparkles. Tourists still wander around bewildered. The whiff of last night’s junk food still hangs in the air.
Love the photo!
I know how to listen to music. I know how to open a bottle of champagne or enjoy a bottle of wine… but, I don’t know a lot about scents. Most of what I know is probably from the book Perfume.
With her permission I am posting this, written by Y., and would like to encourage her to write about scents and calligraphy (check out her Flickr) because I want to learn more about those subjects.
Last night to celebrate an occasion, I opened a new bottle of perfume. Just writing that sounds extravagant, doesn’t it? Never having the nature of a person who needs expensive things, a bottle of pure perfume is certainly special. Carefully breaking the wax seal and the silk cord that fastens around the opening of the perfume bottle is such a ritual, along with taking the time to take in the scent from the stopper. The scent that greets you upon opening the bottle is so much nicer than any atomizer can provide.
The stopper is the key. There is such a difference in the experience of placing a scent on the pulse point rather than spraying. Applying a scent with a stopper and rushing do not mix well. The idea of an atomizer was to make a fragrance convenient, portable, lighter, preserve the fragrance and most importantly, making it less expensive so that it would become more popular. Sometimes a light spritz of a scent is nice and ideal, but not for a classic fragrance. It almost sounds like a good wine, doesn’t it? In an eau de toilette or in an eau de parfum form, essential oils used in a scent are diluted and can translate into a harsher scent. You would think that a pure perfume is stronger, when actually it is softer, longer lasting and you use much less. Swayed by retail trends, maybe we eventually forget what the real essence is like.
Later in the evening a guest mentioned how much he dislikes fragrances. Out comes the perfume bottle that I opened that day. I asked him to close his eyes and removed the stopper from the perfume bottle in order to move it lightly in front of him. His eyes still closed, I detect in the beginning a serious look and then, a smile that told me how different that experience was. It was great. He did not have to say anything.
Scent is such subtle way to communicate. Unspoken. Do you think there is a possibility that a whole generation of of mine/ours (?) will never know the mysteries of scent presented in a very intimate fashion?
Well, she didn’t need to be encouraged much, because here is her new journal.
Today was one of those days that ran away… and is still running. I also ran, back and forth to different appointments, but was able to do some work in the studio.
And last, but not least! An alternate Ottmar Liebert, apparently a Christian Rapper from Uganda, was found on MySpace :-)
Very beautiful Y and yes your photos explode with the scent of detail. Very enjoyable read for the mind.
The loudest sound we sense is not spoken with words. Your styles compliment each other as one. Thank you both for sharing.
Christian Rap? CRap. ;-)
Dave says it best…
Brenda,
Touched by this nice compliment.
Thank you.
8039 views? You better watch out, that’s nearing identity theft levels :) Before you know it you’ll have the Scent of Light shipping out in droves to African churches…….. ;)