Last night I was whisked away to Spain. I was in a small theatre, listening to flamenco guitar.
Just kidding, I wasn't actually in Spain, but at the Institut Cervantes in New York. I went to see Antonio Rey, renowned flamenco guitarist from Madrid, who was there as part of the Flamenco Festival of NYC.
When Antonio would chat with us between songs, I would hang on every word. He explained why his latest album is called "Flamenco sin Fronteras" (Flamenco without Borders) - because flamenco doesn't just belong to Spain. It belongs to the world. When he played his guitar, I would marvel at the sound coming from such a beautiful and simple-looking instrument. He started with some solo tunes, and was then joined onstage by two other guitarists, and I felt that that was when his music truly came alive.
When the flamenco dancer came out, I got goosebumps. While some of her movements were grandiose, like the pose she's in here, others were softer, more subtle, yet very powerful. The wave of the wrist, the click of the heel, the rock of the hip. Amazing.
After the show, my friend Lorraine and I walked across town for a late dinner (9pm, because we were now on Spanish time!) of Japanese BBQ close to Times Square. When I heard "irasshaimase" - the honorific greeting of the customer at every establishment in Japan - upon entering the restaurant, I felt at home. Yakiniku is one of my favorite foodie experiences of all time. I would climb mountains for Kalbi. 😍 Which is why, by the time this photo was taken, the kalbi was long gone and we were on to the filet mignon. 😂
The service was great and the food was fantastic at
Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ . I didn't feel that the meal would be complete without an authentic splash of hot sake. Mmm!
It was an evening that encompassed transcendental experiences from two different cultures on two very different continents. Gotta love NYC. The best part? I was home and on the couch watching Netflix 25 minutes later. ❤️
This sounds amazing!
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