Traveling is beautiful and it opens your heart, mind and soul. It is sometimes liberating, sometimes educating, sometimes healing, and always fun. The curious and the adventurous always like to travel. I am a little bit of both and try to travel whenever I can. There are a lot of things in common between the different people and cultures of the world. One of that is, people’s curiosity about experiencing, connecting, and understanding other people and cultures. When you travel, you get to connect with similar souls from all over the world. Especially these days when the world seems smaller and flatter than ever, all major tourist spots around the World tend to be a melting pot of travelers from all over the World. This is especially true in global cities like New York.
When you visit big cities like New York, the museums there are one of the major attractions. A friend of mine who used to live in New York says the city has enough museums to keep you busy every weekend for a year. While there are many museums, there is only one MET. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, also known as “The MET,” is the largest museum in the US and one of the most visited museums in the world. It has many interesting exhibits and the Egyptian section in the ground level is just amazing. They have almost 26000 artefacts of artistic, historic, and cultural relevance spread over 40 rooms that will leave you feeling like you are in Ancient Egypt. Do not miss the Temple of Dendur in The Sackler Wing which is so serene and spacious.
While the Egyptian wing will leave you speechless, it’s not the only impressive section at the MET. You probably won’t have enough time to cover this museum in a few hours or even a day, but whichever part of it you go through, you won’t be disappointed. The collection of European art is wonderful. I spent quite a bit of time in the Islamic art and the Asian Art sections. Before you go for the visit, make sure you have a plan of action in your mind to cover the sections that is of particular interest to you. The MET is like an Ocean and you want to swim efficiently with a clear sense of direction for the most productive experience. I was lost in the beauty of human creativity and the vastness of human history on display when a MET usher politely tapped on my shoulder to remind me they are closing soon. The fun was over, at least for this visit, and I told myself I should come back soon to cover the other parts of the MET I missed on this day.
Museums are a wonderful experience. While experiencing world renowned art is always soothing to our souls, the journey these museums take us through our shared history is equally intoxicating. While I can totally understand and relate to the appeal of the museum, I couldn’t help but wonder about how these museums come about. These museums are usually run with great care and are attached to serious research, but I still didn’t feel entirely comfortable with the idea that all these artefacts from all over the world are sitting in the MET. Shouldn’t those 26000 Egyptian artefacts be somewhere in Egypt instead of 5th Avenue in New York? There is a little bit of an ugly under-belly to these museums. While some of the items in museums are donated or gifted by kings or nations to other nations, there are aspects of colonization, shady art trade, and even theft connected to these museums. There is something uneasy about the world’s best museums being in the West with a rich colonial past. No wonder you see amazing artefacts from all over the World from Asia to Africa, from South America to Mongolia across the museums in Europe and the US.
Just as I was pondering these serious topics and walking out, I wanted one last picture of myself in front of a beautiful floral arrangement in the lobby of the MET. I found the person closest to me, handed my cell phone, and requested a picture. This person willingly obliged and shot some wonderful pictures for me. I thanked this person and introduced myself. She said her name was Amábyle and that’s how I met the beautiful and talented creator of this site. We connected instantly on the steps of the MET as it was clear we shared a lot of interests including our love for travel and writing. It was easy to talk to her given her friendly personality and charming smile. She is a model, a journalist, and a creative mind, but most of all, she is a global citizen with a love for all that’s good in life and people. And she is a great photographer too as the attached pictures show! Amábyle and I talked for awhile and she immediately asked me to write something for her blog and I took her up on that offer.
That encounter at the Met, where an Indian guy living in the US and a girl from Brazil meet and come up with an idea for this article, is a microcosm of what makes travel great. Traveling opens the door for open-minded and well-meaning people to connect, share experiences, and expand their horizons. So friends, here’s the moral of this article. Pease travel every chance you get and while you are in New York, make sure to visit the MET. You may not meet Amábyle there like I did, but you will come out richer for the experience anyways! Happy New Year and may 2017 bring you all more travels and abundant happiness.
Sem Comentários