Reality could at times
be terribly unreal.

Haruki Murakami 

SAN JUAN ON THE THAMES

Live theater is probably the art form that brings
people the closest to a life experience other
than their own. Unlike a book, which requires people
to imagine what they are reading, and film, which lacks
a sense of immediacy, theater thrusts the spectator smack
in the midst of a life situation to fully experience it from
beginning to end. All in one sitting.

New York and London are famous theater meccas
and the opportunity to see fine productions in both
these cities is certainly the highlight of any trip. But if
a trip to London is not on your radar anytime soon,
there is still a way to see fine British productions and it's
through a British National Theater project in which plays
are filmed and subsequently shown in movie houses
across the world.

Almost like the real thing, if not quite.

National Theater Live is showing in San Juan thanks
to Caribbean Cinemas, a chain of movie theaters, including
Fine Arts Cinema in Hato Rey and Miramar (which is where
the plays are shown).

So far this year, the lineup of productions has included
Skylight, Of Mice and Men, and The Audience, which
received such an enthusiastic reception by San Juan
audiences that it was shown on two consecutive Sundays.
This excellent production, featuring Helen Mirren as Queen
Elizabeth II, takes a look at the queen and her interactions with
the prime ministers serving during her reign.

Next on the list is Behind the Beautiful Forevers, a play
about India written by David Hare and based on the
eponymous book by Elizabeth Boo.

 It will be shown this Sunday, August 23.

There is only one showing of the play and it begins at noon.
Tickets are available online or you can purchase them directly
at the ticket office.

Upcoming productions are: A View from the Bridge, Sept. 13;
The Hard Problem, Sept. 27; Man and Superman, Oct. 11
(featuring Ralph Fiennes); Everyman, Nov. 1 (featuring
Chiwetel Ejiofor); and completing the cycle, Hamlet on
Dec. 6. Benedict Cumberbatch takes on the title role of the
Danish Prince.

FINE ARTS CINEMA,  #654 PONCE DE LEON AVE.
STOP 11, MIRAMAR  TEL. 787.721.4288
Tickets: $16.


A SIMPLE TIP

This fabulous
bench idea is
 a winner.
It pairs
cement blocks
 with wood
beams to create
a smart, modern
design that will
enhance any
patio area. You
can make the
bench as long
or short as
you want by
varying the
length of the
beams. The
final touch:
colorful
cushions
give the
bench a pop
of color and
comfortable
seating.




FREE BOOKS ON LOIZA STREET

They keep saying that books -- the ones printed on sheets of
paper -- are dead and yet, you're likely to find them in the least
expected places.

Like the hanging shelves recently put up on the wall of an
abandoned building on Ponce de León Ave., near Stop 20.

More recently, another set of shelving went up, this time

near the corner of Loiza St. and Parque St. The young people
behind the endeavor used colorful bins and paint to create a
very attractive nook that invites passersby to stop and take a look.

The books on display span old and new titles but anyone
is sure to find something worth reading. So if you happen
to be in the area, bring a book, take a book.

It can be contagious.

Photography by Denise Blasor

Our lives are always
in someone else's hands.


James Salter

Copyright  ©2015 By Lorraine Blasor, all rights reserved☂

HAPPY ST. VALENTINE'S DAY

...but love don't make things nice -
 it ruins everything. It breaks your heart.
 It makes things a mess.
We aren't here to make things perfect.
The snowflakes are perfect.
The stars are perfect. Not us. Not us!
 We are here to ruin ourselves and
 to break our hearts and
 love the wrong people and die.
The storybooks are bullshit.

John Patrick Shanley
"Moonstruck"

Art by Lorraine Blasor

ALL WAYS  OF SAVING

San Juan -- Balancing a budget is a constant juggling
act for most consumers so saving a few dollars here
and there can help build a nest egg for more expensive
purchases.

All Ways 99 is a variety store well worth checking out
for its bargains.

A chain with locations in and outside San Juan, All Ways
carries a wide lineup of inexpensive household goods. In
keeping with the name of the chain, most though not all
things are priced at 99 cents.

Here you will find personal hygiene and hair products,
tools for the home and garden, office supplies like tape,
notebooks and pens, school supplies, home cleaning
products, decorations like frames and glass vases, party
favors and gift wrapping paper, even remaindered books.

Another way of saving money on your shopping is buying
in bulk. At Freshmart food stores, for example, a section
devoted to unpackaged loose goods allows you to stock up
on such necessities as rice, organic oatmeal, granola,
nuts, spices, red and green lentils, and plenty more.

Foods bought this way are more economical AND
you don't have to dispose of cans or plastic packaging,
Definitely a win win solution for buyer and the
environment.

Make sure to sign up for Freshmart's reward card
which, depending on how much you buy, can give
you a nice little saving on the final price of purchase.

ALL WAYS 99              FRESHMART  787.776.7465
2015 Loiza Street           locations in Aguadilla, Caguas,
260 Fortaleza Street      Carolina, Guaynabo, Condado
                                         and Hato Rey.  
                                            

One's mind once stretched by a new idea,
never regains its original dimensions.

Oliver Wendell Holmes


Photography by Carl Blasor

SPANISH BOOKS GALORE

The wonderful La Tertulia bookstore in Old San Juan has
a new location, a light and airy space on Calle Cruz that
is welcoming and attractive and much larger than its
former base on nearby Tetuan Street.

The bookstore occupies a large retail area lined with
magnificent wood shelves packed with gleaming new
new books. More books are to be found on top of tables set
around the store. One table, which is round and green,
invites the visitor to sit down and consider more closely
the book selections eyed for a possible purchase.

Most of the books available at La Tertulia are in Spanish,
with a few special English titles thrown into the mix like
an edition of short stories by renowned Dominican
writer Junot Diaz and the novel "All That Is" by the superb
prose stylist James Salter. If you haven't read either author,
you're in for a treat.
   
LA TERTULIA, 251 Cruz Street
787.724.8200

Existence is not a problem to be solved,
it is a mystery to be lived.

Osho

Photography by Denise Blasor

COPYRIGHT © 2015 by Lorraine Blasor all rights reserved右

                      PUTTANESCA 

Photography by Lorelei Albanese

SAN JUAN -  Who knew you could find a New York-style pizza
restaurant in, of all places, San Juan! Puttanesca Trattoria would
be perfectly at home in Greenwich Village, or the East Village.
Instead, it inhabits a small corner in a seedy part of town, across
from a 24-hour Walgreens and neighboring Walmart store,
offering comfort food and a funky ambience imbued with the
spirit of that favorite movie classic that is The Godfather.

On an otherwise quiet Sunday night, the place was lively and noisy
as families with children and couples on dates enjoyed their pizzas
while a few diners waited around at the entrance for a table to clear.

At the bar -- well lighted to allow for a maximum view of a multitude
of spirits in a rainbow of colored bottles -- waiters went about filling
orders and the cook spun his pie crusts in the air prior to consigning
them to the brick oven. On the night we visited, a broadcast of a
soccer game in Italy was playing on the giant overhead TV screen:
battling it out on the field were Livorno versus Rome.

©Puttanesca Trattoria Facebook Page

Puttanesca offers a selection of pizzas with all kinds of toppings,
aperitifs such as chicken wings and mini croquettes, entrées like
cheese calzone and lasagna bolognese. The desserts lineup:
cheesecake, tiramisu, house lemon tart, triple chocolate cake.

But if you come here the centerpiece is, of course, the pizza,
which is quite good. The pie crust has just the right thickness,
the cheese is plentiful, the toppings varied enough to please
everybody, and the portions generous. Maybe the crust
could have used a little more time in the oven and the service
could have been faster, but the place is so enjoyable that neither
the pizza's lack of perfection nor the slow service seemed to
matter much.

This is definitely the kind of restaurant to enjoy with friends on
a night when a conventional dinner just won't do and all you
want is the comfort of sinking your teeth into that delicious sea
of cheese and tomato sauce swimming atop a crust of baked
pizza dough. This place is gregarious, the waiters are
accommodating, and the prices easy on the pocketbook. Plus
the beverages include an eclectic selection of beers, with brands
from many different countries.

All in all, this is a place you will definitely want to return to.

PUTTANESCA TRATTORIA
1207 Fernandez Juncos Ave. 
787.723.6666
Open for lunch, dinner, coffee & drinks
Check Facebook page for hours of operation

Photography by Denise Blasor

"We're all stopped short by wonder some time."
New Zealand artist Len Lye

IN THE KITCHEN: easy does it!

This recipe, which a former San Juan reporter turned yoga
instructor likes to prepare for her children, is simple
as pie and makes a perfectly delicious sweet treat.

All you need is mashed dates and shredded coconut and
almonds. For lack of a food processor, a food chopper
was used to mash the dates with very fine results. Divide
the resulting paste into little balls that you then roll into
the mixture of almonds and coconuts (Bob's Red Mills
distributes an unsweetened shredded dry coconut that is
very good.)

The result? Small spheres of delectable wonder to pop
into your mouth as dessert. It takes about two dates and
a spoonful each of shredded coconut and almonds to
make up one of these little balls of raw, tasty goodness.



A SIMPLE TIP: Allium scallions

With their thin, elongated shape and multiple 

stalks, scallions are a bit exotic looking. Yet they
belong to the onion family. Growing this lovely
plant with many culinary virtues is a breeze:

Next time you buy a bag of scallions at your 

neighborhood supermarket, cut off the ends 

and place in a jar filled with water.  Make sure

to change water regularly to ensure healthy roots

and allow plant to grow out. That's about it!

BOOKS, BOOKS, BOOKS

LOS ANGELES:  Books

are an endangered
species, of sorts, but not
at The Last Bookstore,
the "literary emporium"
located in downtown L.A.

If you are mad about
reading, here you'll find
a selection of more than
100,000 books priced at
$1 dollar, each. And
that's only the mezzanine
level.

Plenty of more books
occupy the ground floor
of the 10,000-square-foot
locale, along with a
taxidermy-style Wooly
Mammoth, a record
shop and a coffee
bar. The brainchild of
Josh Spencer, who
started it out of a
downtown loft, The Last Bookstore is now the largest
independent bookstore in California and hosts regular
literary and musical events. Definitely a must see.

The Last Bookstore 
453 S. Spring St. downtown L.A.
(at 5th and Spring St.) 213.488.0599
lastbookstorela.com

Photography by Denise Blasor

Words are power. 
And a book is full of words.
Be careful what power you get from it.

Yoko Ono

© 2013 Lorraine Blasor all rights reserved

LIFE UNDER GLASS

Courtesy of Bulbarium Co.

The presence of lighting in every day life is never as fully

appreciated as on a day when a major outage knocks out the

power grid to thrust you into darkness until the next morning, as

happened earlier this week in San Juan. It's a moment that invites 

a reappraisal of the simple beauty of the lightbulb.

The incandescent lightbulb, which is on its way out as it gets

displaced by more efficient alternatives, is a wondrous artifact. 

Its component parts seem almost too modest to produce

the miracle of light yet there you have it: two wispy vertical 

metal wires enclosed inside a glass shell channel electricity 

toward the top horizontal filament, heating it just enough for

it to glow with light. 

Once the filament burns out, the bulb has run its course. But as

with so many things being repurposed these days, even light-

bulbs can claim a new life. Javier Garrote takes spent bulbs

and turns them into miniature vivariums filled with plants

that grow within the safe enclosure of the glass globe to 

give pleasure to plant lovers and beholders alike.

Garrote is an unlikely creator of delicate still lives. This 32-year 

old Puerto Rican musician is a member of the band Los Vigilantes, 

which he colorfully describes "as if a loud Punk Rock band from the 

1980s were abusing the Beach Boys." The group today kicks 

off a grand tour that will take them to Texas, Portland ( Oregon), 

Mexico, Chicago, Montreal, Toronto and Atlanta.

When he's not playing base and singing with the band or doing

other things, Garrote is at work on his miniature plant worlds. 

"It's a way to contain nature," he said in describing the appeal 

of his enterprise, felicitously named The Bulbarium Co. Collecting

used lightbulbs and roaming city neighborhoods in search of

plants to create the vivariums is the easy part. The miniature 

gardens he fashions with the help of tweezers and chopsticks 

consist of moss and small plants such as bromeliads, hardy and

colorful plants that can get by with limited moisture and

are therefore ideal for the sheltered life of a globe.

The process itself of preparing each lightbulb is time consuming 

and exacting but Garrote seems to have patience to spare. 

It entails carefully uncapping the ceramic insulator 

(the screw cap),  removing the vertical supply wires 

and top filament, and cleaning the interior of the globe

so as to remove its toxic interior coat. 

A fan of taxidermy, Garrote also creates vivariums that

feature spiders and other critters inside glass jars. His

bulbariums are available at Concalma in Old San Juan and

at Electroschock, a Rio Piedras thrift store that he runs

with three friends. You can also place orders through

his Facebook page. Prices:  $15 and $25.

Concalma,  207 San Francisco St., old San Juan

Electroshock, 1003 Ponce de León Ave., Río Piedras

A SIMPLE TIP -- If there are no libraries in your 

neighborhood, consider a convenient way to save on book

purchases: team up with several friends to share the cost of

buying one book for each member of the group. Then you

can take turns reading each book and at the end everyone

gets to keep the one they liked best.

Artwork by Ashleigh Brilliant

Money can't buy happiness.
But it can make you awfully comfortable
while you're being miserable.

Clare Booth

☛ EYE ON PRODUCTS

As most pet owners are all too painfully aware, feeding cats, 

or dogs, is getting more and more expensive so it pays to

take advantage of sales when they come by (not often

enough!). Currently at SuperMax De Diego, a Friskies 

promotion gives you 5 cans for $3, or 60 cents per

can compared with the regular price of 79 cents per 

can. A definite break. Through March 12.   

Queen of the Night by Denise Blasor

I am shouting but you don't answer--
One day you'll look for me and I'll be gone from this world.
Landai, a two-line poem by Zarmina,
Afghani poet who set herself on fire.
                                                            

Copyright  © 2013 Lorraine Blasor All Rights Reserved✍

New SJ bookstore, museum tango, and sauerkraut feast

Logo for Editorial Agentes Cataliticos 

The Stop 22 area in San Juan is fast becoming the "it" place to hang out, thanks to its mix of new and established businesses centered on FAB: food, art and books. The latest entry, a bookstore named Libros AC Barra & Bistro, is actually the second bookstore to open in the neighborhood which is home to the superb Museum of Art of Puerto Rico and the glass enclosed Ciudadela residential complex, one of San Juan's most exciting examples of urban architecture.

Located across the street from Ciudadela, Libros AC picks up on the transparency motif with glass windows that allow outsiders to look in and insiders to look out onto Ponce de León Avenue, one of San Juan's busies thoroughfares. The sleek, modern store is actually two places in one: a bookshop on one side and bar/bistro on the other. The side with the books features a large semi-circular shelving unit filled with an eclectic mix of books, mostly Spanish titles with a few English-language books thrown in. There are books on art, poetry, politics, fiction, non-fiction. There are books by Puerto Rican authors, dictionaries, and  children's books. One children's book that might catch your attention is "El Monstruo más divertido del Caribe," by author José Rabelo (Publicaciones Gaviota). This monster story is sure to delight anyone, young or old, with its very surprising twists.

There are mystery books, including two intriguing titles: "El Ojo de Jade" (The Eye of Jade) by Chinese author Diane Wei Liang concerning a female detective's search for an antique lost during China's Cultural Revolution; and, "Critica de la Razon Criminal" by Michael Gregorio in which the two main characters, a magistrate named Hanno Stiffeniis and his mentor, the philosopher Immanuel Kant, investigate a string of murders in the town of Lotting, Poland. (Gregorio is actually the pseudonym for Michael G. Jacob and Daniela De Gregorio, two scholars who teach in Spoleto, Italy.)

There are poetry books and classics by all the usual suspects:  Jorge Borges, John Le Carre, J.M. Coetzee, Truman Capote, Umberto Eco, Ken Follett, Philip Roth. Scattered around the center of the store are wheeled wood carts used to display more books; they are like book islands enticing the visitor to stop and look. And when you have had your fill of books, all you have to do is step next door to the bistro whose standout feature is a pillar all wrapped up in bold-type pages from the novel Don Quijote. The bistro space is trendy and smart, a perfect place to idle away some free time, whether alone or in good company. The menu offers salads, sandwiches and hamburgers, lunch specials, a few à la carte selections, a few desserts. Prices are moderate.

The entrepreneurial duo behind Libros AC, Ruben Ramos and Samuel
Medina, run a publishing house, by the same name. They say their aim is to create a recognized reference point for San Juan, something akin to City Lights, the famous bookstore synonymous with San Francisco.

The other neighborhood bookstore is Cronopios, located on De Diego Ave., close to the Museum of Art of Puerto Rico. This is a small bookstore with a limited book selection but pleasant and homey: there's even a sofa for people to sit down, almost as if you were in a friend's living room. Since it also doubles as a cafe, there is a small open kitchen offering coffee, refreshments and food.

If you are looking to satisfy a hungry appetite, De Diego Ave. has plenty of options to choose from, from grand dining to more casual eating. The lineup includes Mumbay, a newly opened restaurant serving Indian food; Hacienda San Pedro, for coffee and snacks; Rigoletto, for excellent pizza; and the chic Bistro de Paris, one of San Juan's finest dining places. Pricey, yet it offers affordable lunch choices starting from $15.

Last but not least, De Diego Avenue is the "yellow brick road" leading to the Museum of Art of Puerto Rico (MAPR). Based in a former hospital, this is a museum well worth a visit at any time of the week, though Wednesday afternoon is especially convenient. That's because anyone gets in free. MAPR's excellent collection spans the entire period of art making on the island, from the 16th century to the present. The best thing about the museum is that its galleries are comfortable and never too crowded for one to enjoy a work of art up close.


Libros AC
1510 Ave. Ponce de Leon
between Stops 22 and 23
787.998.5130
Hours 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Thursday
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday and Sat

Cronopios
De Diego Ave.

Museum of Art of Puerto Rico (MAPR)
299 De Diego Ave.   787.977.6277

Photography by Denise Blasor

One should either be a work of art,
or wear a work of art.

Oscar Wilde

 MUSEUM TANGO

Tango, calligraphy, book design, digital photography and stained glass making are among the courses to be offered at The Museum of Art of Puerto Rico as part of the institution's ongoing workshop program. Taught by professionals, the courses run from Oct. 16 to Dec. 22 at a cost ranging from $100 for a digital photography class to $190 for a class in advanced painting. For those who want to tango, sign up early as enrollment is limited. Classes run from Nov. 7 to Dec. 5: Monday and Wednesday nights, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

There are courses also for the younger set ( 3 to 10 years of age). Subjects include papier maché, creative writing, painting, drawing. One class open to all children is "Talleres de duendes," a creative workshop inspired by Christmas.

Find additional information at www.mapr.org. Museum members get a $10 to $15 discount on classes.

To enroll, go to talleres@mapr.org or call 787.977.4423 or 787.977.6277 ext. 2283 or 2267.

Photography by Juliette Blasor

"But if I'd ever experienced the uplift
that an artist feels when he's creating, I think
I'd have scorned my material environment and
all that goes with it, and I'd have taken wing and
soared away into the sky."

The Seagull by Anton Chekhov

LIVING FOOD

The best sauerkraut on local supermarket shelves?

Gundelsheim's Barrel Sauerkraut, without a doubt. You can find it at
Supermax De Diego and it's tops, with just the right level of acidity and
assertive flavor. Gundelsheim uses only two ingredients for this product
made in Germany: cabbage and salt (a tad high at 430 mg but that's what
drives the process of fermentation!). Sauerkraut, by the way, is an
ancient food, believed to have been introduced in Europe by no less than
Genghis Khan!

Fermented foods are very healthy as they are rich in enzymes which help
with digestion and absorption. That is why they are called living foods,
because they are not cooked, thus preserving those all important enzymes!

Other fermented foods: miso, tempeh, kefir, kombucha.

©  2012 Lorraine Blasor All Rights Reserved✍