Saturday reflections

Undulations of steel reflect the more traditional buildings across 57th Street. This is One57, one of a new series of tall super-thin luxury condo buildings that will be casting shadows half a mile long into Central Park during the already dark months of winter when they lie almost directly between the low winter sun and the park. That the city belongs more and more to the billionaires isn't news, but that doesn't make it any less depressing.

On a happier note, I went to brunch with a group of World Domination Summit veterans, and then to a Christmas concert at the Norwegian Seamen's Church, where a friend of a friend was singing. I hadn't realized that a lot of the songs and almost all of the introductions would be in Norwegian, but it's similar enough to Swedish that I could catch a phrase here and there (easier since it was a Christmas concert and so heaven and angels and stars and trees and Jule came up a lot.) And after polishing off a healthy serving of the very good glogg offered at the door, I was standing and singing in Norwegian along with everyone else.

Dra krakken bortått glaset, så sett vi øss og ser,
og prøve finne leia der julestjerna er,
den blankeste ta alle, hu er så klar og stor

(This may be about sitting by the window and looking for the Christmas star, which is big and clear. Or not.)