Recap: Kusama, Clyde's & the Colada Shop

Covering the Kusama exhibit at Hirshhorn for SS was a serious perk for real.  You guys have no idea how excited I was to finally experience "Infinity Mirrors" in person.  After seeing pic after pic of its epicness on instagram, my expectations were set ridiculously high.  Well, I'm happy to tell you all that it lived up to its hype.  Lines were ri-DIC-ulously long when Sung and I got there, but luckily we had press passes so we didn't have to wait.

The mirror rooms were seriously amazing, but the wait for each one? Not so much. On top of that, each group (set or 2-3 peeps) only got 25 seconds or so inside to enjoy the art [insert sad face here] so it was kind of a bummer. Oh how I envy the art critic who was given private access to it all!  You're supposed to "contemplate your existence" while you immerse yourself in Kusama's genius, but I found it hard to do so in less than a minute, ha. Plus, Sung and I were scrambling to shoot pics inside so it was kind of a sh*tshow - I don't mean it in a bad way though.  If only I had extra time on my parking meter (laughs weakly) - I would've totally stood in line a second time! 

My fave exhibits were The Aftermath of Obliteration of Eternity (pictured directly above) and The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away.  The former juxtaposed the endless void of black space with the "golden" lanterns of toro nagashi - a ceremony in which paper lanterns guide spirits back to their final resting places after obon festivals - and the latter had hundreds of hanging LED lights flickering in different rhythmic patterns to "suspend both space and time."  Both were hellllla trippy in the best way possible!

This was the final "room" of the exhibit, and it was a white living area plastered with colorful circle stickers. To my delight, the space even had an upright piano!  This was the most interactive section of Kusama's "Infinity Mirrors" because everyone got the chance to "participate" by sticking 7-8 dots wherever.  

By the time we got out, Sung and I were starving so we drove over to Clyde's (the location at Gallery Place) to get our lunch on.  We started with a hummus app and split it between the two of us.  It was ok, but nothing to write home about!  I honestly liked the complimentary bread better because it came out piping hot, and let's be real, what's better than fresh carbs straight out of the oven?  Nothing, that's what!

Moving onto entrees!  Sung was going to get trout pasta but changed his mind last minute and went with a French Dip sandwich instead.  I didn't get to try it, but he told me it was pretty good.  I got the pork schnitzel, and it came with potatoes and shredded greens.  The meat was beautifully cooked, but it needed more seasoning IMO.  I found it to be somewhat bland, even with the accompanying sauce. The potatoes were yummy though!

After lunch, we wanted to grab coffee, but we couldn't find parking in Georgetown so we ended up going...all the way to the Colada Shop in Sterling, VA.  I think it was like a 35-40 minute drive? We decided to go there because we thought it was fairly close to Tyson's Corner, but we totally miscalculated.  No worries though because hanging with Sung's always a good time - he's like one of the 4-5 people I enjoy spending time with (BAHAHA) so it was fun!  Plus, I got to try Cuban coffee for the first time, and you all know how I feel about trying new things [enter big smile].

I ordered the iced café con leche (made with a shot of café Cubano poured over ice and milk), and it was to-die-for yum - quite possibly, the best coffee drank I've ever had!  If you live nearby, definitely give this place a shot.  They have several locations in the DMV so there's probably one near you. Sung's a serious coffee aficionado, and even HE enjoyed their offerings. 

FYI: You can choose the level of sweetness you want: Miami Sweet, Half Sweet, or sin azúcar.  We were still stuffed from lunch so we passed on noms, but I definitely want to come back and try their food.  Everything sounds freakin' yum!  They sell pastelitos (Caribbean style pastries filled with tropical flavors), empanadas (cuban style savory turnovers), croquetas, sandwiches, and more! Anywho, that's it for today guys!  I hope you enjoyed reading all about my adventures.  Until next time, frands.