The rocky southern shores of Bermuda.

Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises,
Sounds, and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears; and sometime voices,
That, if I then had waked after long sleep,
Will make me sleep again: and then, in dreaming,
The clouds methought would open, and show riches
Ready to drop upon me; that, when I waked,
I cried to dream again.
― William Shakespeare, The Tempest

I wasn’t aware of Ariel or any other spirits singing in my ear during my trip to Bermuda. My experiences were mostly limited to the visual. However, Shakespeare’s portrayal of a magical and beautiful remote island in The Tempest, said to be based on the real-life shipwreck of the Sea Venture on Bermuda in 1609, is certainly not far-fetched. I, for one, was enchanted.

The colors of Bermuda are breathtaking and almost unreal.

I landed in Bermuda under gentler and more pleasant circumstances. A two hour plane journey from NYC, I arrived to blue skies, a calm sea and the subtropical warmth of this isolated island, lost in the Atlantic. My first impulse upon arrival was to jump into the ocean. No matter where you are on Bermuda, referred to by locals as ‘The Island’, its sparkling turquoise-blue waters are a permanent invite to throw yourself in! And Bermuda has it all. The tranquil waters of the northern shores are perfect for those who enjoy a relaxing, bath-like experience while if, like me, you are a fan of diving into waves or body-surfing, then the choppy sea along the southern coast is the place to go. Luckily, nothing in Bermuda is too far apart.

Hamilton is the Capital and the business center of Bermuda.

But first things first. I rented a moped, a must for any visitor who wants to see all of Bermuda’s nooks and crannies. I’d like to say that I sped off with the wind in my hair but, in reality, Bermuda has very strict road rules and wearing a helmet is one of them. I’m all for safety, especially since Bermuda’s roads are often steep and winding, but it did strike me as humerous when the scooter was spluttering to make it up the hill! At any rate, the feeling of liberty was still there, it just happened to be confined to the downhill portions of my trip.

Horseshoe Bay Beach is one of the most popular spots in Bermuda.

Bermuda has many beautiful beaches, particularly those located on the wilder, less built-up southern side of the island. Horseshoe Bay, with its famous pink sandy beach bordered by rocky cliffs, is arguably the most stunning. The pink color of the sand comes from the red shells of foraminifera, which are unicellular amoeba-related organisms that live on the underside of coral reefs. On this particular day, Horseshoe Bay was not only packed with the usual groups of beach-goers but also many burgeoning artists, there to partake in The Annual Bermuda Sand Sculpture Competition. There was an impressive collection of sculptures along the beach including an octopus, a Nikon camera, Angry Birds and Jabba the Hut. The imagination of the sculptors certainly wasn’t lacking.

Sunset over Grotto Bay - Bermuda

A couple of hours later, the sun went down allowing me to experience one of Bermuda’s striking sunsets, the beautiful colors of which were reflected in the serene ocean. Stunning!

Bermuda's Crystal Cave and Fantasy Cave were formed over 30 million years ago.

The next morning, I had the opportunity to share my breakfast with some of Bermuda’s more important characters: the wild chickens that roam freely about the island. These guys are everywhere, protected by law from the local shooting club, and seem especially fond of the luscious, green grass-carpet golf courses that cover the Island. Escaping the chickens, I disappeared below ground into Grotto Bay’s cave, just one of the natural caves showcasing stalagmites and stalactites among pools of crystal-clear water. The advantage of the cave at Grotto Bay is that you can admire these natural formations while swimming in its beautiful, but cold, subterranean pool.

Colorful and beautiful streets of St. George's, Bermuda

Having seen a lot of Bermuda’s natural beauty, I decided to discover the cultural aspects of the Island and made my way to the town of St George, the old capital city and a UNESCO world heritage site. First settled in the 17th century, St George’s small lanes and quaint, colorful houses are well-preserved and reminiscent of centuries past, despite being an inhabited city to this day. The locals are all manners and they greeted me often in passing in their distinctive Bermudian lilt. Being a British overseas territory, some residents still have strong Scottish or English accents, even after 30 years on the Island. I’m still not sure which was more difficult to tune into!

Bermudians relaxing outside "Another World" gift shop.

One of the major delights on the Island is seeing the men in their Bermuda shorts! The professional attire, I found it difficult not to stare at the businessmen in their smart suit shorts, knee-high socks, shirts and ties! Although they look a bit like overgrown schoolboys, the effort some of these men put into their outfits was visible from their matching socks and ties. With the extreme humidity that NYC experiences in the summer, I’m surprised that I haven’t seen more New York men sporting this style.

If by your art, my dearest father, you have
Put the wild waters in this roar, allay them.
― William Shakespeare, The Tempest

After several sunny days on the Island, my last day saw nature’s powers at play and the waters were indeed wild. An hurricane, 600 miles from the shore of Bermuda, was whipping the sea into a frenzy causing huge waves to crash into the cliffs of the Southern coastline. Hopping off my moped to take pictures, I completely underestimated the impact of the breaking waves and became drenched under a shower of sea spray that had reached over the 5 meter high rock. With the sun still shining, I began to dry off on my way to the capital city Hamilton, only to be soaked again by a sudden burst of rain. Stopping at the nearest bus-stop for shelter, dream-like thoughts began to enter my head: perhaps the hurricane would prevent me from leaving the Island! Sadly, this was not to be as, ten minutes later, the sun had returned and by the next day, the forces causing the waters to roar had been allayed. Back in New York, I cried to dream again.

Photos : Guney Cuceloglu

For more photos of Bermuda click: Bermuda Photo Gallery

The statue "Dancers" by Jonathon Borofsky at the Denver Performing Arts Center, aka "Giant Naked Aliens"

Things to Do in Denver When You’re Alive

On my way to a conference in Keystone Colorado, I had the chance to spend a day in the Mile High City of Denver. Knowing nothing about the city, other than it was close to the Rocky Mountains, I asked the hotel receptionist what there was to do in Denver. “Nothing” was his curt reply. Seeing my nonplussed look, he recommended a visit to the REI Flagship store, an outdoors shop, located over the river at the end of Downtown’s 16th Street Pedestrian Mall. Was this all Denver had to offer? Not entirely convinced and with expectations low, I set off in the direction of the river.

Downtown’s 16th Street Pedestrian Mall at dusk. Denver, CO

I started to notice Denver’s public art as I walked down the 16th Street Pedestrian Mall. At first glance, the street is commercial America at its best: a 1.25 mile-long street with every fashion retail outlet and US fast-food chain I’ve ever heard of. The street was still full of snow from the previous day’s massive snowstorm and, with the exception of numerous homeless people, it was disconcertingly empty for a Saturday afternoon. But it was the cold and dreary backdrop that allowed the colorful benches created by Denver artist Sandy Toland to stand out. I had to laugh as I passed by the metallic Rocky mountain sheep lining the road as they reminded me of the conversation I’d had earlier that afternoon with the Iraqi taxi driver. Talking about the rising prices in Iraq, he informed me that these days it costs over $200 for a whole sheep in Iraq whereas they go for around $150 in Colorado. Good to know for the next time I buy a sheep!

Rocky Mountain Sheep along 16th Street Pedestrian Mall. Denver, CO

I made my way to the historic district of Lower Downtown, otherwise known as LoDo, the oldest area of the city. It is the trendy area of Denver with lots of bars and restaurants but is best known for its turn-of-the-century warehouses. Many of the walls of these beautiful brick buildings are still adorned with the company name and wares that were sold there while others display newer advertisements, giant murals or graffiti. The Highlands District is connected to LoDo by three bridges and is definitely worth a visit for its numerous boutiques. In particular, I would definitely recommend a visit to ‘Common Era’, a lovely boutique with unique clothes and cool accessories, founded by New Yorker Debra Mazur. I wish she would come back to NYC and open a store here too!

Graffiti, Denver-style.

It was only when I reached the Highland Bridge and saw ‘National Velvet’, a sculpture designed by John McEnroe (not the tennis player), that I became fully aware of Denver’s public art scene. Unsure of what the artwork was supposed to be, I settled into an armchair in the Tattered Cover Bookstore, a beautiful bookshop located in one of the old warehouses in LoDo, and looked it up on my iPad. From my biomedical scientist point of view, the sculpture looked like a tall pile of internal organs, elongated kidneys mostly. But what I innocently interpreted as kidneys, has been considered a “mound of psychedelic crimson phallic symbols” by some Denver residents. Between this and its overall phallic shape, it seems that ‘National Velvet’ has caused quite an uproar, especially at night when it’s lit up like a Christmas tree!

'National Velvet', a controversial sculpture designed by John McEnroe

With the few hours that I had left, I decided that I wanted to see as many of Denver’s statues as possible. Passing by the convention center, I discovered the giant blue bear who stands peering into the glass building, seemingly curious as to what could be going on inside. On the other side of the center, which has a great view of the mountains, the city’s giant naked aliens were dancing gleefully in the snow. According to a website discussing ‘Denver’s Ugliest Public Art‘, it seems that I may be the only person who actually likes this statue!

Giant Blue Bear at the Denver Convention Center.

Many of Denver’s more bizarre sculptures are located in the Golden Triangle Museum District. This is home to the Denver Art Museum, a jagged titanium building meant to reflect the peaks of the Rockies, that was designed by Daniel Libeskind. An impressive building, the adjacent sculpture called ‘The Big Sweep’, which consists of a giant dustpan with a broom, is slightly less awe-inspiring.

Denver Art Museum, designed by Daniel Libeskind.

A week later, on my return to Denver airport from the mountains, I spotted what had been termed Denver’s Ugliest Public Art Statue #6: the Evil Robo-Horse! Driving by in the bus, I didn’t have much time to form an impression of this huge black horse with red eyes but I was happy to have caught a glimpse of it nonetheless and felt that my journey to Denver was complete.

barking dog, a neighborhood restaurant in the upper east side, nyc.

Winter finally arrives in NYC as snow falls across the city.

Yesterday morning, New Yorkers woke up to a layer of sparkling white covering the city’s streets: the first snow of 2012 had arrived! When it snows in New York, the city slows down and, as we saw last year, is sometimes even brought to a standstill. Not wanting to miss the magical atmosphere of the city under snow, I bundled up and left the apartment by 8 30 am. Even better, it was still snowing!

Not being a morning person, I’m not sure how much hustle and bustle there usually is this early on a Saturday morning. Without a doubt, dog walkers are out and about and that was certainly no different this particular morning. The dogs were in their element, leaping excitedly through the snow, clearly demonstrating that the joys of snow aren’t limited to humans. Several of the dogs even had little snow booties wrapped around their feet to keep them warm and dry. Quite fancy, I have to say, but they are Upper East Side dogs after all.

After buying a latte and a pain au chocolat (so far, the best one I’ve had in NYC) at Juliano’s, I made my way to Central Park. Along the way, I came across a man with two striking Alaskan Klee Kai dogs, which were impossible to walk past without stopping.

bob gallagher, a professional dog walker and two beautiful alaskan klee kais.

Bob Gallagher, a professional dog walker, was very friendly and we chatted for at least 20 minutes about dogs and the dangers of dog walking in NYC. He talked passionately about his job and was eager to have his photo taken with the two beautiful Alaskan Klee Kais. In his own words, “Where would we be without dogs?”

manhattan half-marathon 2012 runners in central park, nyc.

Upon entering the park at 5th Avenue, I spotted a stream of people running in a line. I was quite surprised at the numbers given the weather: does nothing stop New Yorkers from running? I quickly realized that the Manhattan Half-Marathon was taking place and the competitors, most of whom did turn up, were doing a fantastic job of not slipping in the snow. Apart from the race, other hard-core individuals were braving the chill and the snow to accomplish their weekend run. Rather them than me!

Central park was also the common destination for families and groups of kids, who were flocking there with their sledges in tow. I never noticed how hilly Central Park is until I started running there but, for sure, there are some damn good hills for sledging!

With some foresight, the Park authorities had placed protective haystacks in front of benches and fire hydrants lying at the bottom of some of the more popular slopes. Just as well considering the alarming speed at which some of the kids were hurtling down.

New York City is a special place but, when it snows, it really is magical. Here’s to the next snowstorm!

To see more photos click: New York City in Snow
Photographs: Güney Cüceloğlu

The “People’s Playground” at its best: Coney Island on a winter’s day

I realize that bitterly cold weather doesn’t usually entice people to make an outing to the beach but I felt the urge to wrap up warm and take a long, contemplative walk somewhere desolate. Having just returned from Europe, I didn’t want to go too far afield, which is how I ended up making a day trip to New York’s Coney Island.

Coney Island is an Atlantic Ocean beach resort in Southern Brooklyn, a short subway ride away from the city. With its broad sandy beach, boardwalk and amusement parks, previously the largest in the US, Coney Island has been a popular destination for vacationing New Yorkers since the 1830s. In its heyday, the resort was referred to as “The People’s Playground”, the atmosphere of which has been portrayed in the photos of Weegee and paintings of Reginald Marsh.

I like to go to Coney Island because of the sea, the open air, and the crowds—crowds of people in all directions, in all positions, without clothing, moving—like the great compositions of Michelangelo and Rubens. – Reginald Marsh

The crowd of New Yorkers flocking to Coney Island in the summer today is meager in comparison to that depicted by Marsh. Nevertheless, and in contrast to him, it is precisely the crowds that have provoked my dislike of Coney Island. I recently saw the film Two Lovers, with Gwyneth Paltrow and Joaquin Phoenix, which takes place in the neighboring Brighton Beach during winter. There are relatively few scenes at the beach but the mood of the film is one of desolation and solitude. With this in mind, I decided to give it a go in the off-season!

And what a change a season can make! Seagulls have full rein of the beach at this time of year although that’s not to say it’s completely deserted. During my walk to Brighton Beach, I came across the ubiquitous dog-walkers as well as several guys with metal-detectors. Intriguing: what are they looking for and do they actually find anything?

Among the more memorable beach goers that day, was the man running along bare-foot in shorts and t-shirt while another was strolling around in swimming trunks. More than likely, the latter belongs to the Polar Bear Club, that group of hardy swimmers who take to the ocean during winter, most famously on New Year’s Day. It made me cold just looking at him although it did remind me of playing in the sea off the coast of Scotland as a child. Naturally I only ever did this in the summer but it does make me think that perhaps I used to be made of sturdier stuff!

With the dearth of people, the only sounds on the beach was that of the birds, the waves and the wind whistling through the ferris wheel of the empty amusement park, which appeared stuck in motion. With none of the usual summertime distractions, I was able to get lost in my thoughts and capture the serenity of Coney Island in the winter. And thus, I satisfied my winter beach yearning!

“Hellooo, Mister!” is the usual greeting called out to tourists by kids on the streets of Java in Indonesia. I was slightly put out at first, questioning my femininity in the comfortable, baggy boy shorts I had bought for travelling, but soon realized that the title is intended for males and females alike! Away from the streets, in the mountain areas of Sulawesi, yells of “Belanda” echo over the rice terraces. A former Dutch colony, Belanda is the Indonesian word for The Netherlands and was a term used for the Dutch colonists. Nowadays, children in rural regions, who often have no television and are less accustomed to tourists, still use it to call out to any Western foreigner they see.

Here are some shots of Indonesian children on the islands of Java and Sulawesi. One thing is for sure, they do love to pose!

School Kids in Yogyakarta, Java.

I shot these kids as they were leaving their Muhammadiya school in Yogyakarta for the day. Muhammadiya (meaning ‘Followers of Islam’) is an Islamic organization in Indonesia comprising 29 million members and was founded in Yogyakarta. The girls and boys wear matching blue and white uniforms with the addition of the jilbab (the Indonesian term for the hijab or headscarf) for the girls.

More school boys on their bikes.

Muslim boy on his bike in Poso, Central Sulawesi. The boy is wearing a traditional Indonesian Peci, a cap shaped like a truncated cone.

Tana Toraja is the highland area of Southern Sulawesi, which is known for its traditional burial ceremonies and stunning Tongkonan houses. Many of the people in this region are Christian but Animism plays a big role in the funeral rituals of the Torajans.

Children playing in the football fields of Rantepao, the major town of Tana Toraja.

Two boys hanging out on a bridge in Rantepao.

We stayed at this traditional, and electricity-free, village on the first night of a 3-day hike into the mountains of Tana Toraja. After a full day of hiking, we were happy to sit and watch the children play before darkness, and silence, descended on this remote place.

The village girls posing before the stunning traditional Torajan houses.

The boys at play: carting each other around with sticks and a sarong.

An older boy returning to the village with banana leaves. The leaves are used to wrap food in and can be used as plates.

A week ago, we came across Elijah and Manoah hanging out in Union Square, one of their regular meeting spots. With their 80′s retro clothes and high top hairstyles, they immediately stood out from the crowd and Guney had to take their pictures. Elijah and Manoah told us they belong to a group of like-minded individuals known as Tribe NYC, the members of which are recognizable by their retro fashion sense.

We arranged to meet up with seven members of Tribe NYC in Bushwick, Brooklyn, to shoot more photos and to find out more about their lifestyle. As we went to work on the photo-shoot, Tribe NYC turned up the music on the boombox and were clearly having fun as they danced in front of the Bushwick mural.

Tribe NYC was formed in 2009 with the aim of paying homage to the music and fashion of the late 80′s and early 90′s. Composed of 19 young artists, predominantly New York-based, in their late teens and early 20s, they are aspiring dancers, musicians, poets and designers who refer to this period as ‘the best era to hit the world’.

It was a period of hip hop that emphasized African-American social issues, but was also about fun, expression and innovation. The importance of this for Tribe NYC was eloquently revealed by Elijah who said “If you don’t know where you come from, you can’t become who you want to be.”

Tribe NYC members think of each other as family, and meetings involve discussing situations and problems as well as listening and dancing to music and having fun. Essentially, it forms a platform of support for young artists, showing them that it’s possible to succeed despite individual hardships and criticism from the mainstream.

A characteristic fashion accessory of many of the Tribe members is a unique medallion: Mookie wears a self-made wooden ‘Do The Fly Thing’ medallion. Manoah has a Sonic the Hedgehog pendant and Jimmy has a music cassette hanging around his neck. Chelle’s medallion, made of fused plastic beads, bears the Tribe logo of two eyes and a cross for the mouth, representing the group’s ideology of ‘speak no evil’.

Elijah, one of the original members of the group, explained: “We want to avoid negativity. The group is about putting yourself around good people, being humble and, above all, positivity.”

Although the 80s are long gone, Tribe NYC demonstrates that an era can still exist if you want it to and that there is fun in everything – even when considered unconventional by others.

Whole set of pictures can be seen here: Guney’s Flickr

Author: Ilona Gutcher

Two cool guys were hanging around Union Square last saturday and i could not stop myself from approaching and asking permission for taking several pictures.

They were nice enough to accept my offer and here are the results.

Thanks Noah and Eli! for being kind and looking f.ing awesome!

Photos from last night’s Beirut concert at Terminal 5, NYC.

The North Meadow, located north of the great lawn at 97th street, is home to seven state of the art ball fields as well as five softball fields.

As in many team sports, baseball players form a huddle to discuss tactics and strengthen team spirit.

Batter, catcher and umpire line up at the home plate of the baseball diamond waiting for the pitch.

Cheered on by family, friends and passersby, central park baseball players battle against their opponents as well as the blazing sun.

The pitcher initiates the game by throwing the baseball from the pitcher’s mound. Ball speeds can reach over 100 miles per hour (160km/h) depending on the type of pitch.

Baseball players on the bench follow the action of their teammates on the field intently while awaiting their turn to bat.

Baseball players hydrate themselves before returning to the field.

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport that is thought to have evolved in North America from the British game of rounders. The game is played with a wooden or metal bat, a ball and two teams of nine players.

A batter takes position in the batter’s box. The short distance of 60 feet 6 inches (18.4 meters) between the pitcher’s mound and the home plate, in addition to the high ball speeds, requires the batter to be entirely focused on the pitch.

Traditionally, baseball players wear pants that stop just below the knees, known as knee-breeches, together with knee-high socks. Recently, however, it has also become acceptable for players to wear closely-trimmed or loose-fitting full-length pants.

Baseball is a national sport that is taken seriously from a young age. In the US, excelling in baseball, or other sports, can lead to a scholarship to attend college.

Photos: Güney Cüceloğlu
Captions: Ilona Gutcher

Saturday morning I went to Sleepy Hollow to photograph my friends who competed in “Rivertown Runners – Sleepy Hollow 10K” FunRun.

I was very surprised to see the famous “Headless Horseman” riding around, from the 1999 movie “Sleepy Hollow” by Tim Burton.

Here i wanted to share a couple photos of the horseman. To see the complete set of photos from the organization click Sleepy Hollow 10K.

Headless Horseman can be seen everywhere in Sleepy Hollow.