Oaxaca

a five-star hotel in Oaxaca, the Camino Real Oaxaca is close to the center of the city. when i searched, there didn't seem to be many fantastic hotels, but there are many perfectly decent ones. the Camino Real was very nice, although be sure you ask for a room away from restaurant courtyard. it gets very noisy at night. best to ask for a room on the second floor and on the far side of the hotel. converted from a 16th century convent, the hotel is unlike any other in the city. it's labyrinthine inside, with many small, grassy courtyards. the food is fantastic, especially the complementary breakfast buffet every morning. from the mexican hot chocolate to the daily variation in meats and breads, it's a sustaining meal to get you through a good part of the day.

The Church and Regional Museum of Santo Domingo is a can't miss. Truly, a one-of-a-kind museum, also housed in an enormous ex-convent, it has gorgeous vistas and stone courtyards. Every hallway is beautiful and different. This was the best museum we visited in the city. We also spent a half day at Monte Alban, signing up with the hotel for a quick tour. Monte Alban was one of the first cities in the new world, built around 500 BC.

Inspiration

Who doesn't want a place gorgeous enough to be featured on Apartment Therapy. My place is not even close to pretty enough, but I've got the next best thing - I've DINED and ATE CHEESE and PLAYED WITH A BABY at the place featured on Apartment Therapy! Today's featured home is the beautiful flat of my friends, Anne and Alex, and their devilishly handsome baby, Augie. Augs, i'm coveting your stenciled walls.

Anne has a fabulous MCM collection mixed with modern and antique pieces. Eclectic done perfectly right. Each room has space; the art is personal and not too precious. Yay Anne and Alex!

Do Buy:
Korean design

The MoMA store has a new collection of objects designed by Korean designers! Here's their description of their new feature:

Our new product collection highlights products usually found only in South Korea. Products from young, emerging Korean designers have been selected across a range of categories. The selection reflects Korea's cultural interest in color and nature and puts a modern spin on traditional Korean design and crafting.

I for one am in love with the Korean Meal Business Card Holder and the Tea Mug, which has a little notch in it for the dangling string.

Do Buy:
Glory Chen shoes

I stumbled into Glory Chen on Maiden Lane this weekend and wound up buying a beautiful pair of brown pumps. I'll upload a photo later, but for now, I am showcasing this amazing pair of boots - also Glory Chen. They're on sale at www.endless.com for only $198 from $449.95! They're a steal. Her shoes are gorgeously designed and insanely comfortable. Glory Chen store is located at 134 Maiden Lane in San Francisco's Union Square.

Do Read:
The Piano Teacher by Janice Lee

This is one of those first novels that make me despair of ever getting anything serious accomplished before 40 (used to be 30, but i'm learning not to be so hard on myself). Like White Teeth and Interpreter of Maladies, The Piano Teacher immerses the reader in another culture, both familiar and exquisitely foreign. I've had a long fascination for Hong Kong, which Janice Lee has validated with her descriptions of a sultry, sophisticated city, beset by war. This is a book that makes you think of Spielberg's Empire of the Sun, lifting you into the life of the privileged British gentry and their imprisonment in internment camps. But the story is feminine, sensuous and melancholy. The heroines are lovely and lovingly painted, with complexity and empathy.

The story moves briskly and the main characters are beguiling. This is the most interesting novel i've read in months. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.