tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39572875799605448352024-03-13T10:53:58.359+10:00Life's a Journeyeveryday travels of an ordinary girlJuleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11327682757892935780noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957287579960544835.post-40220041399397409592010-10-11T07:37:00.001+10:002010-10-11T07:52:49.279+10:00To market, to market... to market...<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">What a day! Great weather lifts the spirits. At the moment, I’m sitting in my bedroom feeling inspired… Generally inspired. Inspired to cook and dance and travel (among other wonderfully creative things) and I think it’s all due to a bit of “fresh air and sunshine”.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">This morning (after a respectable Sunday lie-in) Justin, Alanya, and I headed to East Finchley’s High Road to explore the French market.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">I get the impression it takes place a few times a year.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">It’s not very big, but there are plenty of samples and we came home laden with cheeses, bread, and jams (raspberry and rhubarb).</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">After dropping the goodies off, we set off in the opposite direction in search of a farmers market.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">The market itself was small, but I tasted a ginger cider (delicious) and bought myself a King Cheddar cheese toastie and fresh apple and raspberry juice for lunch. The greatest discovery, however, was the grounds in which the markets were held. Avenue House is surrounded by beautiful gardens and something of a forest walk. If I hadn’t known better, I would have thought we were a good few hours out of London exploring the grounds of a grand old manor… Or something. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">The weather, as I mentioned, was incredible. Unseasonably warm and not a cloud in the sky. We sat on the grass, in the sunshine, drinking tea… All this with the added beauty of scattered autumn leaves.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">Feeling the day was not yet over (well, it was only 1:30 in the afternoon), we decided to continue with the market theme and caught the tube to Liverpool Street and walked to Brick Lane. The atmosphere there was infectious. Food, antiques, vintage clothing… We explored and indulged in vegan peanut butter and chocolate cupcakes. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">I feel that I’ll be making a few trips to Brick Lane during my time here. And on those occasions I will make sure that I get my cash out <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">before </i>arriving at Liverpool Street station. The lines for the ATMs are insane, beyond insane. Littered with hipsters. And although I had experienced that 5 years ago on my first visit to Spitalfields Market (also in the area and absolutely worth a visit… or ten), I had forgotten. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">After a few hours we made our way back to the station and then set off home. I’m now waiting for Josh to get home from work so that he, Justin, and I can indulge in French cheeses and bread. I hope he hurries back; I’m feeling quite hungry!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrpsZ0Bt9A3pEXHoCpatRE7hkdm5fZIildgFGNhHpRyX-LhBtFiA7liHxUqSDH-MPZ11GrsI9Vn3sToME7nqZuXA4bijoDn44g3pYvnkQsgPyLdco9unTdnHNuwgO6g7EOk84ldMynL30/s1600/IMG_1834.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrpsZ0Bt9A3pEXHoCpatRE7hkdm5fZIildgFGNhHpRyX-LhBtFiA7liHxUqSDH-MPZ11GrsI9Vn3sToME7nqZuXA4bijoDn44g3pYvnkQsgPyLdco9unTdnHNuwgO6g7EOk84ldMynL30/s200/IMG_1834.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">Sunshine-induced positivity and love, Jules xx<o:p></o:p></span></div>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11327682757892935780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957287579960544835.post-35008946041224960092010-10-09T06:22:00.001+10:002010-10-09T07:56:34.760+10:00London calling...<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">Back to blogging! Apologies for my hiatus, it’s been quite a month (and a bit), but I’m here sitting in my very own bedroom in East Finchley, North London and ready to write again. Let me give you a brief run down of my last two days in New York before we carry on...</span></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"></span>Our last two days comprised of an awful lot of walking, shopping, and eating.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">We saw </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Next To Normal </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">with Marin Mazzie. What an incredible show. Such an emotional experience.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">I wouldn’t have complained if there’d been one scene in the second act to give me a brief respite from sobbing (also allowing me to wipe the mascara off my cheeks), but it’s a small criticism.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></div></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">On our last day we went to MoMA and to the top of the Rockefeller Centre. You can get a combined pass and it’s well worth it! We had been warned off scaling the Empire State Building on more than one occasion due to cost and crowds, and besides, if you go to the top of the Empire State Building you can’t see the Empire State Building… And it’s a fairly impressive view!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">I had my last dinner at our local Thai restaurant and spent the evening cramming things into my suitcase and chatting with Josh. After little-to-no sleep, I jumped a 4am cab to the airport, bid a fond farewell to the city of New York, and made my way to London (via Chicago). <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">Just briefly, avoid flying <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">American Airlines </i>where possible.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">That said, I made it to London safe and sound. The next month was a blur of job hunting, auditions, dinners, drinks, house hunting, a terrible cough, Christmas carols, bad hair days, good hair days, markets, shopping at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Primark</i>, and general revelry!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">And now here I am. In our house (although part of first floor is still a building site) and employed to teach six singing classes (although they’re all on one day, so a couple of days working elsewhere wouldn’t be bad for my sanity! Anyway, I’m working on it). <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">I have seen Caroline O’Connor’s cabaret -<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Showgirl Within</i>, the 25<sup>th</sup> Anniversary concert of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Les Miserables </i>at the O2 Arena, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Deathtrap</i>. All of these, for their own reasons, rate with some of my favourite theatrical experiences. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Les Mis </i>in particular. I still can’t quite believe that I was there. They were spontaneous musical theatre tears, the likes of which, I’ve never known.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">So, I’m here. London is my home for the time being. So far my days have ranged from intensely frustrating, to some of the best ever… Real life. Stay tuned for semi-regular updates of life in this city.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">Sending some (long overdue) love back to you at home, Jules xx</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">PS. I promise, there will be pictures as soon as I have faster Internet! </span></div>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11327682757892935780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957287579960544835.post-51470623361115100822010-08-30T14:39:00.001+10:002010-08-30T14:39:35.330+10:00That place just over the Brooklyn Bridge...<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Having a quiet night in after an emotional, theatrical experience… more about that in my next post, though. You may have noticed that my blogs are becoming shorter. This holiday is wrapping up, and while I’ll be sad to leave, I’m ready for my next adventure. Still, not getting ahead of myself, so here’s a little about Saturday.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">The day began with brunch in Williamsburg, still one of my favourite places in New York (even after considerable exploration). We ate at a café called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fabiane’s</i> and I had incredible baked eggs with spinach and hollandaise and an amazingly light baguette. </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We spent about two hours perusing boutiques and the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Artists & Fleas Markets</i>, which were pretty awesome. No purchases were made, which is fortunate for my purse and luggage weight limit. I could have emptied and filled these respectively.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXWMO_RzTmsqsGL0gjSAR3IM4XvHmv-4He4I3x6KeIIuj0Y54Jtpw1rT08maQFaVPLpBq5lxEOeMOArzQrMe1wa7jWgEo7AocyF26h8W_Cn-yg8otf8-kvcGw3UlS6NwqugLLtwuAOYcw/s1600/IMG_1650.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXWMO_RzTmsqsGL0gjSAR3IM4XvHmv-4He4I3x6KeIIuj0Y54Jtpw1rT08maQFaVPLpBq5lxEOeMOArzQrMe1wa7jWgEo7AocyF26h8W_Cn-yg8otf8-kvcGw3UlS6NwqugLLtwuAOYcw/s200/IMG_1650.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The plan was to make our way to Brooklyn Bridge Park and walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. Unfortunately the C train was running on the F train line (this was completely unsigned, by the way) and we ended up in Manhattan instead of Brooklyn. We emerged from the subway station into the light, and with the help of Google maps and the remarkably handy iPhone compass found the bridge we were looking for… <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The day was oppressively hot, the sun burned and the air offered no relief. Not even a hint of breeze. Looking up at the bridge, we mentally prepared to cross it… At one point, Josh suggested walking half way over and then back, as we needed to make our way to midtown after the trek. We glared into the sun covered bridge and then past it to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pier 17</i>. Due to the subway error we’d had to walk quite a distance so we decided just stop there for a brief moment to have a drink and replenish ourselves before carrying on.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Pier 17 </span></i><span style="font-family: Arial;">seems like it was lifted from the Gold Coast in 1991 and transported to New York to serve forever as a reminder of all things tacky.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFt_oX3fLp5ZdWpxgO0fjhymruaxEa6VV-MCi5ic_aJUFRuCgKWtZp8yHu0VF016cm9TvEm3mn2YPp7Y6qTgxWeQBS0gRQIXzEyrMPu8ZcUuajZzaMXQa3u0NAnQK3RsMkWSbU2rSqvrA/s1600/IMG_1655.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFt_oX3fLp5ZdWpxgO0fjhymruaxEa6VV-MCi5ic_aJUFRuCgKWtZp8yHu0VF016cm9TvEm3mn2YPp7Y6qTgxWeQBS0gRQIXzEyrMPu8ZcUuajZzaMXQa3u0NAnQK3RsMkWSbU2rSqvrA/s200/IMG_1655.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">However, entering the air conditioned building provided instant relief and all thoughts of making the cross evaporated as we sat on the balcony a restaurant eating burgers and looking out at an excellent view of the Brooklyn Bridge. We could see from where we were that there was not a patch of shade on the beast and the sun was, quite frankly, vile.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Decision made, lunch eaten, Christmas store perused, we wandered up through Seaport (which was buzzing with life) and caught the subway to Times Square where we bought our tickets to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Next to Normal </i>(for Sunday evening). The next hour or so was spent purchasing touristy things like ‘I (heart) NY’ t-shirts and Yankees caps and attempting to get rush tickets for a Saturday evening show… We couldn't get tickets to anything and took it as a sign to save our money and take our tired, sundrenched bodies home.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We spent the rest of the night reading and writing, not a bad way to end the day.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Boundless love emanating from the red couch, Jules xx<o:p></o:p></span></div>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11327682757892935780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957287579960544835.post-5053134767594792042010-08-29T15:02:00.000+10:002010-08-29T15:02:42.556+10:00In a New York state of mind...<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Friday… This is when I started thinking about where I was three weeks ago, when I was just getting ready to leave Brisbane. It’s amazing how much can change in three weeks. Thoughts, feelings, attitudes, beliefs, opinions… Teeth. I guess, when one second can change everything, a period of three weeks actually consists of 1 814 400 potentially life-changing moments. That said, a lot of things stay the same too.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">I started to feel, as I moved towards my last weekend in New York, that even though it feels like I’ve been here for a minute, it also feels like I’ve been away from home for… Well, to prevent myself from sounding even more over-dramatic, I’ll just say… A really long time.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">And that’s more than enough musing on the passage of time.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpj950RTgPRzsxMdFk7fAfOJGxyW_nNS9kLzqrzBrHtf4WUIV1PhXSm5csCAS6HRSHrFHWPd_Eh54MgFZHZ0ykYZ4txgtqrIw7eQ61nrZEb7VUHXeUfjywgzG7BiGtVPuazZR83keATnY/s1600/IMG_1537.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpj950RTgPRzsxMdFk7fAfOJGxyW_nNS9kLzqrzBrHtf4WUIV1PhXSm5csCAS6HRSHrFHWPd_Eh54MgFZHZ0ykYZ4txgtqrIw7eQ61nrZEb7VUHXeUfjywgzG7BiGtVPuazZR83keATnY/s200/IMG_1537.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">On Friday, we continued our (brief) tradition of eating breakfast at home. First stop was Bryant Park where we went to have a look around the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">New York Public Library</i>. Mostly, we wandered aimlessly for a while, until we found out that the original toys that inspired A.A Milne’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Winnie the Pooh </i>stories were on display in the children’s centre. So we took the time to visit Pooh Bear and his pals.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We made our way down 5<sup>th</sup> pausing at a few stores (including another <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Barnes & Noble</i>… Obsessed with books). We were on our way to Central Park when we decided we should buy ourselves some <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pret </i>sandwiches and have a picnic. And that’s exactly what we did. We found a pretty, shady spot overlooking <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bethesda </i>and sat eating our lunch and reading our new books. Perfection.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3k8DSl2UWU9OyWL_61dcQ3KRVOLrNB_XUDw5AdQBUKJhG5yWRcVSCP2POjW47lqC6zG3jSrnxCI1e7nUu8eEyh8JrHW8Z9YP3KkXiYDqv6_Vxk2POjBRKxK5zFcpe-clpwxuRgdnC8bI/s1600/IMG_1590.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3k8DSl2UWU9OyWL_61dcQ3KRVOLrNB_XUDw5AdQBUKJhG5yWRcVSCP2POjW47lqC6zG3jSrnxCI1e7nUu8eEyh8JrHW8Z9YP3KkXiYDqv6_Vxk2POjBRKxK5zFcpe-clpwxuRgdnC8bI/s200/IMG_1590.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We set off to explore, wandering past the boathouse, and down to a body of water where people sail their model boats. We saw part of an episode of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Curb Your Enthusiasm </i>being shot and stopped to look at statues of Hans Christen Anderson and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Alice in Wonderland</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Exiting the park we bough soft-serve from an ice-cream truck. I had sprinkles and Josh had choc-dipped. We ate these on the steps of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Met</i> so we could feel like we were in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gossip Girl.</i> (Yes, it was very important that we did this). Onward up <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Museum Mile </i>we found <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Guggenheim</i> and then went back in to view a really beautiful part of the park, which I found out (again, post-visit) is the <i>Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Resevoir</i>. We stood for a while overlooking the massive expanse of water as the sun went down over the buildings on the opposite side of the park. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4HwvX20eCawvV5-Fs1Qyk38zOW9cD4smOWhthM1YxFYo9rEofOBoSscOywcat0B_PhZwaKzztrdnNDGk64nfrNAXXAcvKLQ0SVwAFAN0M3dU88m1ENJQC7ld-XDPlg3g8C1kHbdYoE8c/s1600/IMG_1606.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4HwvX20eCawvV5-Fs1Qyk38zOW9cD4smOWhthM1YxFYo9rEofOBoSscOywcat0B_PhZwaKzztrdnNDGk64nfrNAXXAcvKLQ0SVwAFAN0M3dU88m1ENJQC7ld-XDPlg3g8C1kHbdYoE8c/s200/IMG_1606.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">Feeling it was time to rest, we caught the subway from Lexington back to Bryant Park. We sat for a while and then went to have a few drinks at an open-air bar in the southwest corner of the park, aptly named, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Southwest Porch</i>. The wine was less than perfect, but the atmosphere absolutely made up for it. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">After having my ID checked by a bartender much younger than myself (a good laugh was had), Joshie and I found ourselves a swinging seat, the kind you might find on a front porch… Hence the name of the place. So we sat with our drinks, compulsively swinging, and catching a glimpse of our future… (Apparently, in the future, we’re sitting on the porch swing together and I’m testing Josh on musical theatre trivia).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWhyphenhyphentNFeJR8mH7oNam8NBrMhZHXnAtL9Alzy1DW1U_CNQ3oBXPF_-bx8LSh3X1Fy3ivQk-HOwqYsJ3Q9lYfZS8EXW4Js4hEqBJee7aOTHIlBkkviatjk_lWI-GqEx1O_JheZYhJsmjO2M/s1600/IMG_1630.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWhyphenhyphentNFeJR8mH7oNam8NBrMhZHXnAtL9Alzy1DW1U_CNQ3oBXPF_-bx8LSh3X1Fy3ivQk-HOwqYsJ3Q9lYfZS8EXW4Js4hEqBJee7aOTHIlBkkviatjk_lWI-GqEx1O_JheZYhJsmjO2M/s200/IMG_1630.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Not realising how late it had become (around 10pm), we went to Times Square to take some pictures of the lights and have some dinner. We ate at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Junior’s </i>where we both started falling asleep at the table. So, once again promising to eat less tomorrow, we fell onto the subway attached to one iPod and made our way home.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Lots of love, Jules xx<o:p></o:p></span></div>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11327682757892935780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957287579960544835.post-32758435112396673432010-08-29T13:47:00.000+10:002010-08-29T13:47:48.728+10:00You're my Coney Island baby...<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">It’s Saturday night and I’m sitting on the red couch wearing my new Yankees cap. It’s excellent. It might be my new writing cap. Now, where were we? Thursday…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">Thursday morning was exciting and joyous, my external hard drive arrived safely from Australia and I was able to set up my pretty new laptop. The sky was blue, summer had returned, and the day was off to a good start.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We had breakfast at home and headed off on the epic journey to Coney Island. You would think two people who recently travelled from Australia to the US could survive a train journey of less than two hours without feeling the need to call it epic, but it’s surprising how quickly you adjust to not needing to travel far to find your entertainment. Anyway, after a lengthy wait at the station before our destination we finally arrived and exited our subway carriage to air that smelled like a mix of the ocean, rubbish, and public swimming pool.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The seaside carnival atmosphere is really concentrated to about two blocks and a pier, but it is crammed in there so tightly and with so much enthusiasm it feels like its own little solar system.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq4EJ2J76YgDgxPN9397Zfzy2ywL6FNIApdR7aNiGvb9G0YKenzCCQ13yf2Eoe7JV2tZVWTGlhfaExEIo0cQoRUKciv-NNvyCQM82-LhG0KG8ivJA3Mppu44JTMTf9BGbmSKpGFRD3W_w/s1600/IMG_1448.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq4EJ2J76YgDgxPN9397Zfzy2ywL6FNIApdR7aNiGvb9G0YKenzCCQ13yf2Eoe7JV2tZVWTGlhfaExEIo0cQoRUKciv-NNvyCQM82-LhG0KG8ivJA3Mppu44JTMTf9BGbmSKpGFRD3W_w/s200/IMG_1448.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">First stop? <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nathan’s Famous</i>. Some post-visit research has told me that this is the home of a famous, annual hotdog-eating contest. This year’s winner ate 54 hotdogs and buns in 10 minutes. That sounds horrific. All that aside, this place seems to have earned the “famous” part of their name, having been a Coney Island institution since 1916.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Josh and I ate cheese and bacon dogs, medium (or enormous, depends how you choose to look at it) lemonades, and shared chilli cheese fries. They, unfortunately, list the calories next to the items on the menu board. Let’s just say we were both somewhat disgusted with ourselves, but not so much as to miss out on this atmospheric culinary experience.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">After lunch (and having made the decision not to eat again for at least the next 24 hours), we went for a walk along the pier. Here the air smelt of the sea and only that. The sun was hot, but as we walked further out over the water a slight breeze rose. We sat and took it all in, looking at the numerous locals fishing and throwing about nets for catching shellfish. The water was glittering, it was in actual fact, a perfect day. However, gazing from an expanse of ocean to the shoreline, the lure of the carnival atmosphere was too strong to resist.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis_RakDCPsOn37ZcMZmcewFgpfJmpOb00JoUSnTjqycB85X6BVyyVeYUmHL4-OM068iknNwfH-TIIZl0l_cDkbthEfcD6WG9xC_IgrD_hhzKM24Vhxcok3n5adNEOrtUiq0kyk6agkkI4/s1600/IMG_1477.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis_RakDCPsOn37ZcMZmcewFgpfJmpOb00JoUSnTjqycB85X6BVyyVeYUmHL4-OM068iknNwfH-TIIZl0l_cDkbthEfcD6WG9xC_IgrD_hhzKM24Vhxcok3n5adNEOrtUiq0kyk6agkkI4/s200/IMG_1477.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We had promised ourselves rides on the ferris wheel and the famous <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cyclone </i>rollercoaster. And that’s exactly what happened next. The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wonder Wheel</i>, which opened in 1920,<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>is a ferris wheel that has carriages that swing in and out as the wheel goes around. It was scarier than I expected. We squealed a bit and gripped at the cage around us… All in all a reasonable adrenalin rush!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">After the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wonder Wheel </i>we wandered around <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Luna Park </i>and ate some fairy floss (or, cotton candy, in this instance). Coney Island is home to two amusement parks, the one where the wheel is and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Luna Park</i>. They are each about half a block in size. The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cyclone </i>is an attraction all by itself and not a part of either park.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Now, this rollercoaster is classic. It opened in 1927 and runs yearly from May to September. It looks like the kind of rollercoaster you see in cartoons and books. It’s so old and rickety and that’s kind of what makes it scary. That and the constant run of steep drops. The rollercoaster is set on a narrow block and it kind of feels like you’re wound up on the first incline and then unravelled for a few violent minutes. We exited with exclamations of “Wow, ouch!” but we also agreed that it was totally worth it!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY7HexEVyfqcXTZyWwGLZIQiu19IibFZsZIqCMfgwXpX0Gj7R4hh7LF1CkkvvmhyphenhyphenQMTFWsGhsTXJNWXUesq_QJYsbRclYqVb7Yd0sbmCVelRpU7nqOvPtoPuGvPiC9CojISe29FYYGdMs/s1600/IMG_1511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY7HexEVyfqcXTZyWwGLZIQiu19IibFZsZIqCMfgwXpX0Gj7R4hh7LF1CkkvvmhyphenhyphenQMTFWsGhsTXJNWXUesq_QJYsbRclYqVb7Yd0sbmCVelRpU7nqOvPtoPuGvPiC9CojISe29FYYGdMs/s200/IMG_1511.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">So we took some time to sit by on the boardwalk to let our heads settle again. To one side we looked out upon a typical American beach scene, to the other we could watch as people on the boardwalk ambled by. One guy came past sporting an interesting accessory… There, casually draped around his neck, was a massive snake. A real one. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">After soaking up the afternoon sun for a while, we decided to head home, that we’d probably had enough excitement for one day. We rode our train back towards midtown, but when we got to Union Square, decided we should get off to have a look. Neither of us had seen it yet. So we wandered around the park with the intention of making our way home immediately after. This brief stop turned into an extended exploration of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Barnes & Noble</i>… It is always dangerous for this duo to enter a bookstore.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We perused the shelves on all four floors of the store and emerged some hours later, having met up with Mikey as well. Now, you may remember that earlier in this blog I said we had sworn off food for at least 24 hours. Not so, apparently. Josh, Mikey, and I made our way to Times Square and had an exceptionally touristy meal at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">TGI Friday’s</i>. What were we thinking? When I move to London next week, I’m going on a diet of only miso soup… Too much American food! (Not seriously though, no need to email me your thoughts on this one).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">By now, it was about getting cold, so I decided I would make my way home. The boys carried on exploring and I paused at the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">MAC </i>store in Times Square to pick up some more make-up. It’s just so affordable! The assistant who was showing me the new range, put a garish shade of plum on my lips that totally clashed with my “I’ve been cavorting around an amusement park all day” ensemble, so I purchased some eye shadows and nail polish and took the subway back to Woodside.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Needless to say, I had a well-earned shower and slept very well.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Wish you were (all) here…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Love, Jules xx<o:p></o:p></span></div>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11327682757892935780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957287579960544835.post-48644184703961033482010-08-28T15:11:00.002+10:002010-08-28T15:21:37.301+10:00And Lady Liberty...<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">It’s Friday night and Josh and I just got home from a pretty massive day. He’s playing a game on his iPhone and I’m going to tell you all about Wednesday.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ZqBVnbmkFyYm4ykaNgMWpy5L-BtmrdDq0Tz_ygASNjCRhSqoPazKr_bpHp98u3CcPXhp6ACEA1t8FUavkoHY3LIg8GQhVwTYbdw2NlI1nnwBYcK6-ZPXiwVYeT-0vwv2VfWu8r7S5DY/s1600/IMG_1380.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ZqBVnbmkFyYm4ykaNgMWpy5L-BtmrdDq0Tz_ygASNjCRhSqoPazKr_bpHp98u3CcPXhp6ACEA1t8FUavkoHY3LIg8GQhVwTYbdw2NlI1nnwBYcK6-ZPXiwVYeT-0vwv2VfWu8r7S5DY/s200/IMG_1380.jpg" width="150" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">In an effort to save money we had breakfast at home before heading out. Now, the problem with having breakfast at home is that once we get to wherever we’re going we’re hungry again, kind of negating the original breakfast. Anyway… It was cold and drizzly again so I dropped into <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">H&M</i> to buy a (purple) hoodie (the cardigan I brought with me wasn’t really cutting it) and then we ate again. </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">So by now I was cosy and warm (and full of lunch) and ready to get on with the day. We got on what we thought was an express train downtown. While it bore the little red diamond of the express train we soon found out that it definitely was not an express train. In fact, it was the strangest subway journey I’ve been on yet. Very slow. With lots of stops. Nothing particularly unusual I guess, but my experience with the subway has been largely incident free so this was mildly unsettling.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">You’ll be pleased, but most likely unsurprised, to know that we reached our destination safely.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We purchased tickets and passed through a fairly extensive security check before boarding a boat that would take us to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhrHV5e183K7kgb9xInzgcZHbjHXbu2mLjVleh0fBFXXR9WCNTQbArXr0aizIGbE929UAmxQsVpzhRekIdiDlAXgbCs_RJSH-jDmxs5CkY4eR46uF2JIZDCzjm1Zv-cdNpXrVA-XqBWwI/s1600/IMG_1412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhrHV5e183K7kgb9xInzgcZHbjHXbu2mLjVleh0fBFXXR9WCNTQbArXr0aizIGbE929UAmxQsVpzhRekIdiDlAXgbCs_RJSH-jDmxs5CkY4eR46uF2JIZDCzjm1Zv-cdNpXrVA-XqBWwI/s200/IMG_1412.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Our first stop was Liberty Island, where we spent approximately 30 minutes walking around and taking photos to prove that we were there. She’s big, she’s impressive, and she’s surrounded by tourists. The grounds are nicely kept… And we learnt some interesting things about structure and design. We found it an fascinating juxtaposition that a statue depicting liberty was placed on top of defensive military base, Fort Wood. While it is no longer operational, there was a time (prior to 1944) when Liberty Island was both military base and vision of peace and hope.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">So, after perusing and mocking products in the gift shop (while waiting for our boat) we caught the ferry to Ellis Island.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Our first stop was Cinema 1 where we watched a movie about immigrants and the process of immigration at Ellis Island. It was interesting and moving and it really sets the scene as you walk out into the museum.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">In the restoration of the building they have left some of the damages made to tiles and walls unchanged. It really gives the place an eerie feel and you become aware that you’re walking the steps of the people who came to New York so many years ago. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">There was an excellent exhibition of photography taken while the building was left to decay between the years of being operational and being restored to it’s current state and there were awesome examples of graffiti left by immigrants who were kept overnight. Through all of the halls of information and artefacts I couldn’t help but pause to read every excerpt of any personal account I could find. I really found the whole experience very interesting.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDnwJ7JdlvIQ7i7vesVUXbZJEXJnGIlr6GXR-TcRGApUianRtnVOnfxxsmtKO7ibextfLLLJ2e4SwK5Tl61lHVW6jc4ioLlUWPYKjYd9POHOsgVB_MSZ0GwqQXqypfJj8GjBa9WYR1An0/s1600/IMG_1437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDnwJ7JdlvIQ7i7vesVUXbZJEXJnGIlr6GXR-TcRGApUianRtnVOnfxxsmtKO7ibextfLLLJ2e4SwK5Tl61lHVW6jc4ioLlUWPYKjYd9POHOsgVB_MSZ0GwqQXqypfJj8GjBa9WYR1An0/s200/IMG_1437.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">At 6pm the security guards came around to tell people the museum was closing. I’ve never been asked to leave a museum before. We had to leave through a back staircase. Interesting. Josh and I decided that it would be quite easy to hide and stay on the island overnight if you wanted to… But why would you want to? It’s ghostly enough when it’s full of people during the day. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Keeping this in mind, we boarded our boat to go back to Manhattan and I spent the trip watching different groups of people take photographs of each other. I often wonder how many people in the world have me in the background of their holiday pictures. Think about it. It’s an interesting thought to ponder over, particularly with a bit of imagination!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We caught the subway home, had some of our local Thai, and did a bit of web-based job-hunting before bed.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Speaking of bed, that’s where I’m headed now.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Love from here to where you are… Jules xx<o:p></o:p></span></div>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11327682757892935780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957287579960544835.post-42022415305919857642010-08-25T14:50:00.001+10:002010-08-25T14:50:27.182+10:00Have you been inside the museum? We should go...<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">It’s about 11:30 on Tuesday night, Josh is reading my book on the couch and I’m sitting on the bed with his computer. We’re listening to music.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I was woken up this morning at some unknown hour, possibly around 4am by a phone call from London. My lovely friend Laura quickly realised I was in New York, not Australia and promised to call me back at a more reasonable hour. She called at around 9:30am and the good news is, I have somewhere to stay for my first month in London. That’s a relief, seeing as this time next week, I’ll be there.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNcv_piToHQmqJqCuAxy1YcjOJaVz0n3a73rYZpVVAiCQ_zfozZXajY8EH6XmE5sS2BjNFfPx2N47qcwaLieGtTU6khfvzgO-FhT4aZuIIF9AsKeJ_8wJ60nllCcqCsMEiWazvraT9RPU/s1600/IMG_1355.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNcv_piToHQmqJqCuAxy1YcjOJaVz0n3a73rYZpVVAiCQ_zfozZXajY8EH6XmE5sS2BjNFfPx2N47qcwaLieGtTU6khfvzgO-FhT4aZuIIF9AsKeJ_8wJ60nllCcqCsMEiWazvraT9RPU/s200/IMG_1355.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">So after that piece of good news, Josh and I got up and assessed the weather. The autumn winds of yesterday looked like hanging around so we came up with a rainy day itinerary, got ready, and went to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Aubergine </i>for breakfast.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Our mission for the day was to hit the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">American Museum of Natural History</i>, including the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rose Centre for Earth and Space</i>. When you get off the subway at 81<sup>st</sup> Street you walk straight into the lower ground entrance. The suggested adult ticket price is $16, but we decided to pay $10 each… Weird and a little awkward to tell them you don’t want to pay the full price, but we’re on a budget so it was worth it.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We spent a while in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rose Centre </i>learning about space and meteorites and finding out what our weight would be if we lived on the Moon or Mars or Halley’s Comet. We walked along a timeline that ran for 3billion years. Space was tiring, so after conquering the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hall of Planet Earth</i> we went in search of the rest of the museum through a series of hallways, cafes, and the endless stream of gift shops.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7GJLXmvpYupybuodjD6S5ZHGdmAxyrwA-sEgoVnyd-27SmtvrE9qgqZNVX8QiQtqISA4qCZTT7oNyQ1L88D3yjVpp_dg9ArUV2MX1VwpBBHoZTs1Y4JNHWVM1xU5xhV-EVaKzz5WM6J0/s1600/IMG_1350.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7GJLXmvpYupybuodjD6S5ZHGdmAxyrwA-sEgoVnyd-27SmtvrE9qgqZNVX8QiQtqISA4qCZTT7oNyQ1L88D3yjVpp_dg9ArUV2MX1VwpBBHoZTs1Y4JNHWVM1xU5xhV-EVaKzz5WM6J0/s200/IMG_1350.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We were enlightened on theories of evolution; genetics and gems; minerals and mammals from Africa, Asia, and North America. We spent a lot of time looking at sea creatures and marvelling at the giant whale suspended from the ceiling… Still not sure what’s keeping it up there. That was slightly disconcerting. We walked through a model rainforest and looked at the world’s biggest tree stump. Finally, we made our way to the top floor to meet the dinosaurs.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The museum swallowed us whole and kept us entertained for a good 4-5 hours. It’s such a remarkable building. Unfortunately, the entrance hall was under construction. I imagine it’s a very impressive room. We chose to focus of seeing the animals today, but looking back at the map, we didn’t actually miss too much (just through our meandering). Of course, it’s the kind of museum you could visit again and again if you really wanted to absorb every detail. So much learning.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Afterwards, sitting in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Theodore Roosevelt Park </i>we made a decision to see another show, so we caught the subway 39 blocks south and bought $27 rush tickets to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Little Night Music </i>with Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch. So much excitement.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We had dinner at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Chipotle</i>, yes it’s a fast food chain, but I can’t believe I only discovered it today. Basically, you purchase a burrito and then they pile any Mexican themed food item onto it, wrap it up in alfoil and hand it to you in a little basket. I had chicken, rice with lime, black beans, mild salsa, sour cream, and cheese. It was so delicious I nearly fainted with delight. I need more. I could eat another now… I’m making myself hungry. I’ll move on.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Sitting on the steps of the Hilton Theatre (it’s unoccupied until <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Spiderman – The Musical </i>goes up) we shared a ridiculous creation from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cold Stone, </i>which is pretty much just like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cold Rock</i>. We had cake batter flavoured ice cream with sprinkles, brownies, and fudge mixed in. I told you it was ridiculous. And delicious. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">In the theatre we climbed the stairs towards the very top, to seating they clearly just decided to cram in around the follow-spot operators. Still, I can’t complain, aside from a little (mocked) vertigo and some concern for Josh’s centre of gravity with regard to the low railing, they were perfectly good seats.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTebVbj6Issm9ZRRuRtdGyPCXUgo06noZ8mb-h6BB07Wm30MHO2zwygtsy17SBqIj-2KWNCx_9SN6JPaUXVV6hqUV4rZu41vOdZASIiPbkFB6h82OwTiLohHPQ2-BcWUB-TP7TKYH3iKc/s1600/IMG_1377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTebVbj6Issm9ZRRuRtdGyPCXUgo06noZ8mb-h6BB07Wm30MHO2zwygtsy17SBqIj-2KWNCx_9SN6JPaUXVV6hqUV4rZu41vOdZASIiPbkFB6h82OwTiLohHPQ2-BcWUB-TP7TKYH3iKc/s200/IMG_1377.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I absolutely loved this production. It was so beautiful. Everything about it. Elaine Stritch was incredible and hilarious and Bernadette Peters was perfectly idiosyncratic (and therefore excellent)… Everyone, everything was perfect. Gush, gush, gush. Aside from the fact that I want to play every female role in that show, it was just… I don’t know. I’m back in that awe struck place. I loved it so much that I can’t articulate my view. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">It was both musically and visually beautiful with such clever characterisation. I cried for half of the second act. This time they were a mix of spontaneous musical theatre tears and tears of emotion… And I may also have cried due to the beauty of the closing image. I’m spending half of my trip sitting in theatres crying. I'm ok with that.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I was left in a daze afterwards, the last time I felt this way was after seeing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Parade </i>at The Donmar in 2007. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">And here I am, basking in the afterglow of an amazing theatrical experience.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">While it’s nice to sleep in comfort with a quilt and listen to the wind outside, I’m hoping summer returns before I leave New York next week. I know all too well that I’m heading to the land of eternal winter (at least that’s what it feels like) and I’d like one more hit of sunshine… Please?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Love, Jules xx<o:p></o:p></span></div>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11327682757892935780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957287579960544835.post-62521724996955800192010-08-24T15:08:00.001+10:002010-08-24T15:08:58.713+10:00Give my regards to Broadway, remember me to Herald Square...<!--StartFragment--> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">When we woke up on Sunday Justin was already gone, Josh and I both slept through his departure. Now, Sunday was meant to be all about Coney Island, but the weather was looking less than perfect for a day of riding rollercoasters and eating junk food so we made a new plan.<o:p></o:p></span></div><!--EndFragment--> <div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">This plan involved getting to the West Village for brunch, which given subway issues wasn’t easy, but it was achievable. We found a café on Cornelia Street, simply named <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cornelia Street Café</i> with a pre fixe brunch menu. So we sat and had a leisurely brunch of chocolate bread, blueberry muffin, tea/coffee, mimosas and eggs Florentine (for me) and an omelette for Joshie. It was so enjoyable. I love breakfast so much!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I popped into an <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">American Apparel </i>store to look for a dress I already own in a different colour, I found it in green, but when we went to leave we found that it was absolutely pouring with rain. We were trapped in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">American Apparel </i>for about 20 minutes… Josh was slowly going crazy. Finally is slowed down a little and we made a dash from awning to awning for about 5 blocks before we hit Broadway and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Crate & Barrel</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZHlkaTVsVanHBS73IClFtW8kCAvcn66pqG0gGOx2YI9Tgy8a8dc5PnymDY8gvmeWyAvp9Dlx_rnX1c0K68nhwi6H-WRMWwc520IU5gr_Q0zvvZujdTQn69qk7crL608Xw1n1jYPVPl-8/s1600/IMG_1309.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZHlkaTVsVanHBS73IClFtW8kCAvcn66pqG0gGOx2YI9Tgy8a8dc5PnymDY8gvmeWyAvp9Dlx_rnX1c0K68nhwi6H-WRMWwc520IU5gr_Q0zvvZujdTQn69qk7crL608Xw1n1jYPVPl-8/s200/IMG_1309.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">Josh and I explored the furniture department for ages and picked our favourite pieces. We then continued on a retail tour of Broadway, ducking into shops when the weather worsened. I looked a bit of a tragic, rain-soaked mess, but at least I wasn’t wearing a poncho.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ImZ3qn7ifn1h1ntN_RFFqVKCxAQDg5PVbjqgDcN-GDvtNuxd3GMBT15Xgm0k7APln2Of3IXOkjnxot0KBl02nJ4YY3p2PqrZWeHon92jPdRZRuXmH8_NpGTnGv3lNxqFeiZ97Krpy8M/s1600/IMG_1316.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ImZ3qn7ifn1h1ntN_RFFqVKCxAQDg5PVbjqgDcN-GDvtNuxd3GMBT15Xgm0k7APln2Of3IXOkjnxot0KBl02nJ4YY3p2PqrZWeHon92jPdRZRuXmH8_NpGTnGv3lNxqFeiZ97Krpy8M/s200/IMG_1316.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Our day carried on much the same as that. We went to Herald Square and Macy’s (which is pretty average) and walked to Times Square where we explored the massive <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Toys R Us </i>(which is super fun) and then on to have some dinner.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Now, dinner was somewhat special. We had dinner at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ellen’s Stardust Diner </i>(which features in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Battery’s Down</i>); it’s a classic 1950s style American diner and the staff sing. Not just shows at 7 and 10pm, it’s a constant stream of entertainment. And they sing everything from Katie Perry to Frank Sinatra to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Javert’s Suicide </i>from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Les Mis</i>. We stayed there for a good 2 hours, maybe more eating our diner food, enjoying the interactive entertainment, and soaking up the atmosphere. The place was full of people. The food is expensive, but the experience makes it worth the cost.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Dragging ourselves away during a particularly rousing rendition of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Disco Inferno</i> we went in search of somewhere to sit and have a few (cheaper) drinks. The next 4-5 hours belong to an Irish pub, some beer, and Sean the Irish singer (who threw in a rendition of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Wild Colonial Boy </i>just for us). A day that looked like going nowhere ended up being massive, we made it home at about half past three this morning…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUbpnoLsUl8KoOqCOLUSM9yV7EyGhMumYo5cE4NMbhqNHzorzBZoBoQeaR8PPFwp8V9SyVAtvkYVwPUz_SARFn4hE8V1UDO_qmYud9l2T4RnDIq-A9jtNyCnAk6dJZyP0eiHEFNndKaxw/s1600/IMG_1325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUbpnoLsUl8KoOqCOLUSM9yV7EyGhMumYo5cE4NMbhqNHzorzBZoBoQeaR8PPFwp8V9SyVAtvkYVwPUz_SARFn4hE8V1UDO_qmYud9l2T4RnDIq-A9jtNyCnAk6dJZyP0eiHEFNndKaxw/s200/IMG_1325.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Which is why I’ll tell you about today in this blog as well… We slept in (and in and in and in), dragged ourselves to the West Village for Mexican food from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tortilla Flats </i>(the sparkliest Mexican restaurant in the world, I’m sure). It’s almost entirely lit by fairy lights, glittery streamers hang from the ceiling, and lots of pictures of faces are printed onto paper and coloured in with even more glitter. It was kind of awesome. And the burrito was so incredible, just what we needed! <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq2pdZ9Ok32aNq5OA4AHWYejiETvpJ3jr0ieHN5lMXcLQMyWPFGzPg6Qjwsgpo3dpGua7Efms-VIamKFuy50YE4y1g_cKFTwJVji0tQG4jnlF0rvGkRcgYsdZ6IUy-wGngPkhB_hfO2mo/s1600/IMG_1328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq2pdZ9Ok32aNq5OA4AHWYejiETvpJ3jr0ieHN5lMXcLQMyWPFGzPg6Qjwsgpo3dpGua7Efms-VIamKFuy50YE4y1g_cKFTwJVji0tQG4jnlF0rvGkRcgYsdZ6IUy-wGngPkhB_hfO2mo/s200/IMG_1328.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We walked away, past a model on a photo shoot, and up along The High Line, which is like something you might see in Brisbane. It’s a pedestrian overpass that winds through the arches of buildings past an excellent collection of architecture (old and new) and all landscaped. It’s pretty cool, but as we walked along it was like autumn came suddenly and with full fervour. The wind buffeted and the drizzle started… All of a sudden my jeans and t-shirt weren’t enough to keep me warm. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Joshie stayed out to play and I headed home to the warmth where I’ve been for the last few hours, writing, enjoying the warmth of the red couch, and listening to the premature autumn winds outside.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Thinking about home and the future… With love, Jules xx<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">PS. Joshie came home.</span></div>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11327682757892935780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957287579960544835.post-9034759700115304872010-08-24T13:10:00.001+10:002010-08-24T13:26:46.137+10:00The Battery's down...<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Just so you’re aware, I spent most of Saturday checking election results on the ABC website on my phone, an activity that was both frustrating and ultimately unsatisfying…. So that’s the last time I’m mentioning the election.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I woke up with a massive craving for breakfast food (good timing, I suppose), so I rallied the boys and headed to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Aubergine</i>. Fruit salad and a sesame bagel quelled the desperation and I was ready to face the day. This was Justin’s last day in NYC, so we decided to get about and see a few things.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZCLsfb552uUjmCkanR2iUX1fQQFM_lXeeD86eHAVZh5uF1CIuLiZe_pU42oGSBmNFZgJGbij7YxQB6DcsV_bJJyqBM9G_kBNsvrigZYPFF7cFK3JDaOd_Rwq2bvw7Hyh5-Xc5gTabt_g/s1600/IMG_1234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZCLsfb552uUjmCkanR2iUX1fQQFM_lXeeD86eHAVZh5uF1CIuLiZe_pU42oGSBmNFZgJGbij7YxQB6DcsV_bJJyqBM9G_kBNsvrigZYPFF7cFK3JDaOd_Rwq2bvw7Hyh5-Xc5gTabt_g/s200/IMG_1234.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">We caught the subway all the way downtown and got onto the Staten Island Ferry. Standing and looking over the side we had decent views of Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. It was nice to be out on the water watching the boats. Our ferry was called John F. Kennedy and when we arrived at Staten Island we turned around and got right back on to JFK to complete the second leg of our journey. We did consider staying on Staten Island, but given the choice, I’d take Manhattan… We all would. And so we did.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Back on the exciting island (and seriously contemplating heading to Ellis Island in my final week) we stopped for lunch at the Battery Park Beer Garden, which was a BBQ, a tarpaulin, and a refrigerator. Here, I had my first New York City hotdog with ketchup and mustard… And it did not disappoint. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Refreshed and feeling more energetic we wandered through Battery Park looking at various war memorials. As we walked a man brushed past me and muttered something that sounded like “sunglasses”. Surely he wasn’t offering to sell me counterfeit or stolen goods, was he? However, a few moments later when I was propositioned again, this time with “Handbags?” I realised I was being targeted. No, I did not want counterfeit or stolen goods, it would be detrimental to an industry I respect, fear, and admire. The fashion industry. Back off pedlars.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn3FXfJpERKAA9A1E1JbYvYoNJgG-QCP7o5FG9rKakVPK8TXrIxQR9RaTDG2r8QIh9VdNkn3f0nTSoWavdE06hs_7V1vs9B_U_a6XuMtjqgyzGUj7rB2GgnEOGmGI6x_J0FdnWW5vg9no/s1600/IMG_1278.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn3FXfJpERKAA9A1E1JbYvYoNJgG-QCP7o5FG9rKakVPK8TXrIxQR9RaTDG2r8QIh9VdNkn3f0nTSoWavdE06hs_7V1vs9B_U_a6XuMtjqgyzGUj7rB2GgnEOGmGI6x_J0FdnWW5vg9no/s200/IMG_1278.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">A little taken aback, my attention was soon taken by a certain tour guide. He was earnestly relaying information to his group regarding a certain sculpture in the park. It's called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Sphere </i>and it used to sit at the base of the two towers in the World Trade Centre. When the attacks occurred, the towers actually fell on top of the sculpture (that symbolises peace through world trade). It now stands in Battery Park behind an eternal flame. It has been left in its damaged state. Mind blowing.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We got back on the subway and headed uptown to the death place of John Lennon, well the approximate death place of John Lennon; The Dakota Hotel has no sign. We listened to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Imagine </i>on Justin’s iPod as we reboarded the subway to make our way even further uptown.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02VBa7NfyEyPaAYwwkp49WzP-TPy-QqJugCuFwMs7nuX9sdsB5cgONaiVo_U6xF43EXDxA7QFiVxSpOp1MAGcjTLTD3Qkp7ESqr1q_H9S6Il8hr1MrZSPuJBgH2XqkOAP8uGALzMmkgM/s1600/IMG_1284.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02VBa7NfyEyPaAYwwkp49WzP-TPy-QqJugCuFwMs7nuX9sdsB5cgONaiVo_U6xF43EXDxA7QFiVxSpOp1MAGcjTLTD3Qkp7ESqr1q_H9S6Il8hr1MrZSPuJBgH2XqkOAP8uGALzMmkgM/s200/IMG_1284.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Next tourist stop was Tom’s Restaurant. The diner from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Seinfeld</i>. Photos taken, we went inside to the most pleasant customer service experience in history. Our waitress was absolutely lovely and helpful and attentive. On her recommendation we chose epic malted shakes and fries, a combination that made us deathly full, but also really quite satisfied.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Last stop for the day was the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Apple </i>store again, this time to buy my new laptop. Pleasingly, the staff were as efficient and friendly as they were the day before. The whole process was over in less than 20 minutes and we started home so Justin could pack and get a decent night’s sleep before his flight. This was somewhat interrupted by a friendly (and lengthy) catch-up with our host, Sarah and four-year-old Chester who was keen to say goodbye to Justin the Pirate before he departed on his Pirate Ship the following morning.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Almost up to date, loads of love… Jules xx<o:p></o:p></span></div>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11327682757892935780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957287579960544835.post-73869213435534575542010-08-24T12:21:00.000+10:002010-08-24T12:21:37.635+10:00Come to the Life Cafe after Maureen's show...<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Josh is out, I’m sitting and feeling entirely encapsulated by the red couch, listening to Jamie Cullum. Things are pretty good. Time to catch up on some blogging…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Last Friday.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><span style="font-family: Arial;">The day began in a less than satisfactory way, while I awoke feeling motivated and keen to tackle the Brooklyn Bridge, my motivation soon waned when I realised my laptop was refusing to turn on. Nothing kills the mood like a broken computer. The devastating possibility that you might lose precious photos and documents (not to mention the cast recording of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">American Idiot </i>I downloaded from iTunes the night before). The day was not off to a good start. I made an appointment with a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mac </i>“genius” at the 5<sup>th</sup> Avenue store for 7:40pm and tried to get on with my holiday.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Josh, Justin, and I were waiting (as a favour to our host) for new tenants to arrive so we sat in our room eating cheese, bread, and grapes, which was not at all unpleasant.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">New Canadian tenants checked in, old German tenant checked out we were free to roam. We went to the East Village for coffee at Ost Cafe on the corner of Avenue A and 12<sup>th</sup>. The day was stupidly hot, so when Mikey arrived to meet us, we went in search of a café with a garden so we could sit and have an extended lunch… It was really all the day was good for. Sitting. And eating. And not being in direct sunlight.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSXS3LCXpIYlqurF8usZ9iprYuwjBNQSj5lvMdZw1ytLtUVwGygDAgO7dGhTIIPZ0D9SGkZqLyYZgXgDvYb3cD2wlGfQSJ_Y_-p8r3iUpi-rHowxzdsu4bYvsYq8MBnNcW__GID0GhR2A/s1600/IMG_1134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSXS3LCXpIYlqurF8usZ9iprYuwjBNQSj5lvMdZw1ytLtUVwGygDAgO7dGhTIIPZ0D9SGkZqLyYZgXgDvYb3cD2wlGfQSJ_Y_-p8r3iUpi-rHowxzdsu4bYvsYq8MBnNcW__GID0GhR2A/s200/IMG_1134.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">On Avenue B we happened to walk past the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Life Café</i> of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">RENT </i>fame. You know, “come to the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Life Café</i> after Maureen’s show” and frenzied calls of “wine and beer.” That one. So we went in and as a total bonus it also had a shady garden area out the back. The staff there are friendly, the food comes in enormous portions and is really great (sweet potato chips a big winner), and the atmosphere is totally relaxed and perfect for a hazy summer afternoon. And Benny did not come to bother us, not even a little bit.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">With a few hours to kill before my appointment with the genius and all the energy of sweaty, tired people we decided the only thing to do with ourselves was to go and sit in Central Park. We found a shady spot (that became sunny and then returned to shady again) and sat watching people and absorbing New York. I wandered off on my own for a while to take some photos. Central Park is one of the most amazing places in the world. I’ve explored parks in other cities (most notably, London), but this is more than a park. It’s a snapshot of what New York would be if it weren’t a thriving metropolis. It’s wild, beautiful, and even a little frightening.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEgcgT5tlXRaMAoHdgCAdFj0m-7ZrFmb3P7x_lERHETuT-XAnsjpSLWpf2R2ehXWxoDRpwh_mK00KQJwiymlMefreSbroReUtpNyORIntvvzr_LVsjWzpr8TMzcecBMbdiDiALj9duUeE/s1600/IMG_1154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEgcgT5tlXRaMAoHdgCAdFj0m-7ZrFmb3P7x_lERHETuT-XAnsjpSLWpf2R2ehXWxoDRpwh_mK00KQJwiymlMefreSbroReUtpNyORIntvvzr_LVsjWzpr8TMzcecBMbdiDiALj9duUeE/s200/IMG_1154.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I walked across that bridge that features in about a million movies, took some awesome photos with the playful afternoon sun, and went back to sit and watch personal trainers whip their charges into shape. So many people, Central Park is a true hub of diversity. I think you could legitimately visit New York for a month and sit in one spot day after day just observing and not feel like you didn’t have a fulfilling experience. Maybe I’ll do that one-day… There might be a book in it.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4wDH74sqmuVNv5jp7G7WMpUXnjxGy5f3_VV-7MqnkaC0SM2GndOJQIkSrCmnW9GcFIUOz6taINBOS3YqmH30ucqDkoNxUoCqoiosRwvvRRj-ZwT8T7Hs3gLXs5wAC7bbl6i5GrBRtbvE/s1600/IMG_1146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4wDH74sqmuVNv5jp7G7WMpUXnjxGy5f3_VV-7MqnkaC0SM2GndOJQIkSrCmnW9GcFIUOz6taINBOS3YqmH30ucqDkoNxUoCqoiosRwvvRRj-ZwT8T7Hs3gLXs5wAC7bbl6i5GrBRtbvE/s200/IMG_1146.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">And finally it was time for my appointment with the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mac </i>genius. The 5<sup>th</sup> Avenue <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Apple </i>store is the most organised glass cube in history and being open 24/7, I suppose they have to be. They have so many procedures in place and amazingly, as the team members tap away on their iPads, everything seems to fall into place.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Now, I was hoping for a bit of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">taptaptaptap </i>“oh yeah, this is what’s wrong… let me just… there all done” and to walk away with my baby completely fine. Unfortunately, my genius hooked my laptop up to some kind of computer life support system, did the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">taptaptaptap</i> and pointed to the screen, “see that?” I nodded. “That means there’s no way to make it work. It’s dead.” Dead? Sadly, I packed my computer away, ambled through the crowds and exited the glass cube.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I decided at this point, to make my way back to Queens and left the boys to go on to dinner. I spent the rest of the evening arranging for my mum to send over the back-up I did before I left home and reloading photos onto Justin’s computer so I could put them on my external hard drive.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">After a few hours (and making the decision to buy a new laptop the next day), I was feeling better. It wouldn’t be a travel adventure without some kind of minor drama, and this one was pretty manageable.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">From the keys of Josh’s laptop with love, Jules xx <o:p></o:p></span></div>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11327682757892935780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957287579960544835.post-52985062696191070132010-08-24T04:21:00.001+10:002010-08-24T09:54:44.280+10:00You can always go downtown...<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Justin is in San Fran and Josh and I are still in bed after a rather late night, it’s rainy and I have absolutely no inclination to get out of bed for a while, so I thought I’d write. Now where were we? Thursday.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">On Wednesday night we made the decision to stop wasting our mornings and to get up before midday, so at about 9:30 we got out of bed, gathered our washing and went to the local Laundromat. If you’re a regular reader, you’ll already know that while we waited for our washing we had breakfast at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Aubergine </i>and I wrote a blog. Then we headed home to put our clean clothes away and get on with our exploration of the city.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUcblR41tNPmR6X5f6AGrY68rHkK-HddlSEkQOASxIMuSTPJPOU6hljHBDWoK4CcwkWSUebhOR9eVhDYVg6tsA5TTmnHluhQkafz1E_Ug-3e8_u9reHzVnkztC5Q0q5c1OPOmYhvQMsm0/s1600/IMG_1077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUcblR41tNPmR6X5f6AGrY68rHkK-HddlSEkQOASxIMuSTPJPOU6hljHBDWoK4CcwkWSUebhOR9eVhDYVg6tsA5TTmnHluhQkafz1E_Ug-3e8_u9reHzVnkztC5Q0q5c1OPOmYhvQMsm0/s200/IMG_1077.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">A quick stop in midtown to buy tickets to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">American Idiot </i>and we jumped on a subway downtown. We wandered up Broadway and onto Wall Street, which is quite impressive, but not as long as I expected. We turned into Broad Street, past the New York stock exchange (an imposing display of Americana) and went in search of the fabled “Wall Street McDonald’s”. A McDonald’s restaurant rumoured to have table service and a grand piano. Some Googling and wandering proved to us that this McDonald’s no longer exists, so we had <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pret </i>instead.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We continued down Wall Street towards the water where we spotted the Brooklyn Bridge and then made our way back up, across Broadway and towards the World Trade Centre site. Right now, it’s a building site that doesn’t really stir a great amount of the emotion, but the preview site gives you some idea of what the eventual effect will be. While we were in the visitors centre I started reading some poetry from a book called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bikeman </i>by Thomas Flynn, a journalist who was present at the site on the day of the attacks. It gave me goosebumps. If you get a chance to read some, I strongly recommend it; it is a totally unique account.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We walked past the building site amid hordes of inner-city business-types and I guess you can’t help but wonder what it would have been like with all the panic and fear. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDoo5tUTde7neZUiSw1XFCeeRTNUfdDs0QvPnyvWTZ3zlht8D-b3J2n_QidUel7FBlahuQgmHfVBpzJn4l9FI9eFWS9YfEz9Yf7_qp8KN6UmR7REdTft560NdhxT83RV_ZdgJdhCq1yj0/s1600/IMG_1089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDoo5tUTde7neZUiSw1XFCeeRTNUfdDs0QvPnyvWTZ3zlht8D-b3J2n_QidUel7FBlahuQgmHfVBpzJn4l9FI9eFWS9YfEz9Yf7_qp8KN6UmR7REdTft560NdhxT83RV_ZdgJdhCq1yj0/s200/IMG_1089.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Our next stop was the World Financial Centre<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>a building that allows you to view Ground Zero on one side and shop at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gap </i>on the other. It’s quite a spectacle of a building on the inside, all marble and glass domes and giant palm trees. We bought shakes from a gelato shop on the ground floor and sat in the sun by the water for a while.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Intelligently… or not, we decided to head back to midtown at 5pm, just when there is a mass exodus of work-weary people from the business district. It was an interesting subway experience, well mostly unpleasant, but also great for a bit of eavesdropping.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Safely back in Times Square I hit <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">MAC</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Walgreens</i> to replace my make-up, all of which seemed to run out at once. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">MAC</i> is so cheap here, $14 mascara, that is an absolute miracle. My cheaper <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cover Girl </i>foundation however, is about the same price at home, so that was less exciting.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Then after about an hour sitting in a somewhat grimy, touristy café, Justin went home and Josh and I went to see <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">American Idiot</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5k9MTj454pPilG44JFjHBmFMfsavNv3GMm6MbCMewUUHJ4s2x2lG1Gba4Bssj-VlQ6xKFK_APV0lG7WiXJrprvNjezg2OGcbDECqYJhDNjqKa-9oiXGQxwXb-cSKfd75dfF3LtHmY-uc/s1600/IMG_1122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5k9MTj454pPilG44JFjHBmFMfsavNv3GMm6MbCMewUUHJ4s2x2lG1Gba4Bssj-VlQ6xKFK_APV0lG7WiXJrprvNjezg2OGcbDECqYJhDNjqKa-9oiXGQxwXb-cSKfd75dfF3LtHmY-uc/s200/IMG_1122.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">90 minute show, no interval, constant energy. This show was absolutely brilliant, thus far the best thing I have seen on Broadway. Ok, so the message is pretty much, “make whatever choice you like you’ll screw it up and end up back in your hometown anyway”, but this is one of the most unique and incredible pieces of theatre (and example of storytelling) I have ever seen. And the lighting was amazing. And the finale… was actually one of the coolest things I have ever seen. I don’t want to give it away, but if you choose to try and find it on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">YouTube</i>, I can’t stop you. See this show (if you can), this one made me cry with actual emotion, not just spontaneous musical theatre tears and it left me totally buzzed.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">And then, as at the end of each day, we made our way back to our tiny room for fun and silliness before bed.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Miss you all lots today… Love, Jules xx<o:p></o:p></span></div>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11327682757892935780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957287579960544835.post-54416479382986091522010-08-22T14:47:00.001+10:002010-08-22T14:52:22.320+10:00NYC. What is it about you?<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I’m sitting in the dark. It’s a little before midnight and Justin leaves early tomorrow morning to go back to San Fran for one more week so I said he could turn the light off to get some sleep. I’m going to tell you about Wednesday.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">We left the apartment and headed west in search of breakfast. We found some on the corner of 7<sup>th</sup> and Waverly Place at a diner with no name. No, really. I looked everywhere and all I could find was a flashing neon sign that said “restaurant”. Helpful. Anyway, this “restaurant” had the most extensive breakfast menu I have ever seen. I went with French toast and bacon. And it was incredible.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">After a brief stop at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Urban Outfitters </i>we continued down Waverly to find Washington Square Park. It’s so pretty and full of equally pretty people, mostly student-types from NYU. It was a particularly warm day, sunny, and with a really chilled holiday vibe. New York, at least, this part of New York was smiling lazily. We stopped to look at the fountain and take some pictures and while we sat and soaked up some sun I decided to put my feet in the cool water… Now, let’s get one thing straight. People swim in fountains in New York and from what I’ve heard; this phenomenon is something you can view all over the USA. They really do. An interesting cultural difference.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrJEnQY4S_Nc9uMncv16BKDfzgjS3b8k-pmboy8w98HVKul8kvtL3psoYyYlsaVDoygRuobWjfgnN7Kcnk_3FE4doWMCNVPE1LZNcDIkV8S2PnTf63SpAhAydWmLLX5muoV_k4ar9asds/s1600/IMG_1040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrJEnQY4S_Nc9uMncv16BKDfzgjS3b8k-pmboy8w98HVKul8kvtL3psoYyYlsaVDoygRuobWjfgnN7Kcnk_3FE4doWMCNVPE1LZNcDIkV8S2PnTf63SpAhAydWmLLX5muoV_k4ar9asds/s200/IMG_1040.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Anyway, I was watching these kids play and thought, “Just for a second, to cool off a bit…” So I walked down the steps and took a step… So. Nice. My body temperature may have lowered instantly. “Just a little deeper, maybe.” So I took another step… Seconds later, I’m sitting fully clothed, legs akimbo, waist deep in water… Josh was laughing. I was laughing. It’s possible that other people were laughing. This being a hot, sunny day and all, the place was packed. I gathered myself up and got out of the fountain.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Hilarious. Possibly the single funniest event in my personal travel history. I removed my soaking leggings and sat in the sun to let my (thankfully, thin-but-not-see-through) dress dry.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKoWAenZ9tcSSOZdLY1WpSN8GVz6dOI-zL40kvBhGNpfKL420nRo__exjteyDAJJlpEmwnPuDdyKt4N7sFR6K3IKCTGJVe08EqJ12UObe1NIigrg7ac48SjjWZeL9XCn5L2j-xa-1dVPQ/s1600/IMG_1066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKoWAenZ9tcSSOZdLY1WpSN8GVz6dOI-zL40kvBhGNpfKL420nRo__exjteyDAJJlpEmwnPuDdyKt4N7sFR6K3IKCTGJVe08EqJ12UObe1NIigrg7ac48SjjWZeL9XCn5L2j-xa-1dVPQ/s200/IMG_1066.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Still snickering (and damp) we walked through NYU on our way to the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">New Museum </i>where I perused a wall full of wishes printed on ribbons and selected on to keep. The idea is to tie it around your wrist and when the ribbon wears out and falls off, the wish will come true. Mine is lime green and says ‘I wish wishes came true’. I figure this leaves it open for what I want to wish for when it eventually falls off. Another favourite of mine was, ‘I wish to remain curious’ and also, ‘I wish I had a turtle and that there were no wars’. You may notice that this is the second wish-related activity I’ve taken part in on my trip to NYC, (third if you count falling in the fountain, that’s got to be better than throwing in a penny). I guess everyone needs wishes. Can’t hurt, right?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_2R-3hiet4tfvF8IVu_GMRq-NwjKgkovEFi2eeH0fBkjZ-lQc8sBDYoDldNm7gUxWrlltf2gqIPcMoQXOwV878-2k5ReJV0Dx4fBHrQ89_NCEWQgcEcn7BRVZA-XahQFZTHNHbzqnBcc/s1600/IMG_1047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_2R-3hiet4tfvF8IVu_GMRq-NwjKgkovEFi2eeH0fBkjZ-lQc8sBDYoDldNm7gUxWrlltf2gqIPcMoQXOwV878-2k5ReJV0Dx4fBHrQ89_NCEWQgcEcn7BRVZA-XahQFZTHNHbzqnBcc/s200/IMG_1047.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Anyway, the design of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">New Museum </i>building is so creative. It’s supposed to have the aesthetic of a New York City trash can and it’s designed to have completely different looks dependant on whether the day is sunny or overcast. Very cool.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhF1snZTVGdBYyyYMkypU-SDmOPm4hIjI5IdyeVqZpFfwwGVWS2VPMRcrfPYLssksidKo_9ylk1j542pF9VnUjtofVmQMKQ2GmmZw7nEVzj6CGrea0P8GPBA9kWR1WpXuLrz8vEYFvXEI/s1600/IMG_1057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhF1snZTVGdBYyyYMkypU-SDmOPm4hIjI5IdyeVqZpFfwwGVWS2VPMRcrfPYLssksidKo_9ylk1j542pF9VnUjtofVmQMKQ2GmmZw7nEVzj6CGrea0P8GPBA9kWR1WpXuLrz8vEYFvXEI/s200/IMG_1057.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">And then we walked a lot. Prince Street (cute boutiques), Bleeker Street (more cupcakes), the Meat Packing District (where we saw Diane von Furstenberg’s glass ceilinged bedroom… from the street), past the bar that inspired <i>Coyote Ugly</i>, and then the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Chelsea Food Markets</i>…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Chelsea Food Markets. </span></i><span style="font-family: Arial;">Sigh. So amazing. Cheese, bread, chocolate, seafood, cakes, spices… Raw warehouse, original architecture with a little more… polish. A well, you know the kind with water. Artwork. And books. This place is amazing! Bliss.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We met up with Mikey before heading to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Whole Foods </i>in the East Village. I could gush about <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Whole Foods </i>for a good… oh, I don’t know, at least 20 minutes. (Apparently I’ve become quite emotional about groceries). We picked up some cheeses, baguettes, and (from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bowery and Wine</i>) a bottle of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Beaujolais</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Then it was on to Jake and James’s teeny apartment for cheese, bread, drinks, and of course clams. James prepared them with ale, fresh mixed herbs and garlic and they were absolutely incredible. Of course, the place being so small, pretty much all kitchen, and crammed with six fully-grown (some quite large) adults it was becoming quite warm. And if you can’t stand the heat… Well, you know what to do.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">So we went to a bar called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Elsa </i>where we drank some more wine, met some of James’s American friends, talked about life, dreamt about the future, and made some plans for artistic fulfilment. And it was getting late…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">James suggested the four of us (Josh, Justin, Mikey, and I) share a taxi back to Queens, as it would be safer and not too expensive. So I did it. I hailed my first New York City cab and asked him if he’d go to Queens. He did. So much power! I don’t know that I’ve ever felt more powerful in all of my life! And as we drove across the Queensboro Bridge looking out at the New York City lights, I couldn’t help but think that life was turning out to be a pretty awesome adventure.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">(In case you’re wondering, the cab ride from the East Village to Woodside in Queens will set you back about $17).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">One of my all-time favourite days.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Sending all of the love of a woman who falls into fountains hails cabs in New York City… Jules xx<o:p></o:p></span></div>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11327682757892935780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957287579960544835.post-40309143663909239962010-08-20T13:28:00.000+10:002010-08-20T13:28:23.149+10:00It's lovely going to the zoo... (?)<!--StartFragment--> <div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Grande"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I’m sitting in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Aubergine Café.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>I have just finished eating breakfast with the boys and they’ve run across to the Laundromat to see if our washing is ready to be put into the dryer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s about a quarter past 11.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a miracle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re awake and functioning before midday, in fact, we were awake and functioning before 10.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Simply amazing.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><!--EndFragment--> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">Now as I sit here listening to Vivaldi’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Spring</i>, feeling very serene, I’ll tell you all about Tuesday.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">If you read my blog about Monday you may feel, as I did, that Tuesday would be something of a write-off. And to some degree it was, but we still managed to cram in some tourist activity.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDp9KU4j9jZN3CUTr5c4uHJH1Kic1KICYT9QzrJx-GGlByj9gh6tgD3qTYNGpl3IKGlAHFA_fnLex9Dk4je0HcUpoZ3tiObwo7bPgQ-PypwJ_HK3EyfZahq9ONRvPl3cO9Q5N5DHW-Cwo/s1600/IMG_1028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDp9KU4j9jZN3CUTr5c4uHJH1Kic1KICYT9QzrJx-GGlByj9gh6tgD3qTYNGpl3IKGlAHFA_fnLex9Dk4je0HcUpoZ3tiObwo7bPgQ-PypwJ_HK3EyfZahq9ONRvPl3cO9Q5N5DHW-Cwo/s200/IMG_1028.JPG" width="200" /></a><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">We started the… uh… afternoon with breakfast and caught the train to Grand Central Station. We walked down Madison Avenue and across to 5th towards Central Park. We went went into Trump Tower again, this time in search of a public bathroom. The place is a labyrinth. Everything is mirrored and the escalators and… Look. I was pretty tired, but I’m still baffled as to why any building not specifically designed to be a carnivalesque “funhouse” would need to be so confusing.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">We carried on towards the park.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">When we got to Central Park, we found ourselves heading towards the zoo and with an entry fee of only $12 we thought, “Why not? Spontaneous zoo trip.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiF8KC-TsOuSf7rfGmSlVG9hy1qbakaNoK3qbYhGN1mAj9bxb8sxQc70N1Okjqvn-ttuFeyNqyC4LAnbv3r8gCJWU9Id83jMOwVZqNLnXKpKQ2CmFPIQM0jQBx-IYCxILoaLxGdn_H344/s1600/IMG_1017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiF8KC-TsOuSf7rfGmSlVG9hy1qbakaNoK3qbYhGN1mAj9bxb8sxQc70N1Okjqvn-ttuFeyNqyC4LAnbv3r8gCJWU9Id83jMOwVZqNLnXKpKQ2CmFPIQM0jQBx-IYCxILoaLxGdn_H344/s200/IMG_1017.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">We saw </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">sea lions, penguins, puffins, one lonely snow leopard, snow monkeys having a family argument, lots of turtles, and abundance tropical birds, lemurs, and a toucan.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We did not see polar bears or red pandas, and while we searched the tropical enclosure, we could not find the sloth. We did discover that Josh is actually a snake charmer as he guided a python around its enclosure… Not to worry, they remained safely on opposite sides of the glass.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">While I enjoyed the snow monkeys (and their uncommonly modern, spacious enclosure), Central Park Zoo is mostly sad. The animals, when visible, don’t look happy or particularly well looked after.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiJAU6-QJlkED2RdySWID4YO1kWsbvvmv4VP-7Pv5mHi7kaaolA4s5yx5dBObee2WJF95ELmkKCHoi4oL1Xau_0jCbBqnEJ_piOcxY-5WMUu753XfogSrBgpripsrdaFoQmNUAELilyFo/s1600/IMG_1023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiJAU6-QJlkED2RdySWID4YO1kWsbvvmv4VP-7Pv5mHi7kaaolA4s5yx5dBObee2WJF95ELmkKCHoi4oL1Xau_0jCbBqnEJ_piOcxY-5WMUu753XfogSrBgpripsrdaFoQmNUAELilyFo/s200/IMG_1023.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">So, after an uninspiring visit to the children’s zoo we went to lie in the shade in Central Park and rest our weary heads. (A note to travellers everywhere… Avoid the pre-packaged snow cones in Central Park. They are bitterly disappointing). Still, it was lovely to lie in the shade of the trees, a gentle breeze blowing and time to rest the eyes and feet.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">After an hour or so, we decided to head home for a nap, and after some vague and tired subway hopping and backtracking we fell onto the bed in our room.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The evening consisted of (more) Thai food… (yes, it’s kind of an obsession), and watching <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory </i>and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Alice in Wonderland </i>on Justin’s computer.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">And it looks like our washing is nearly done. On with the day!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Love, Jules xx<o:p></o:p></span></div>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11327682757892935780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957287579960544835.post-66845207330931704672010-08-18T14:45:00.000+10:002010-08-18T14:45:28.488+10:00My time of day...<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg69hCXx5NMfAzCk2xbu6Jl0GIEa0qSqzdRHQDXQKmwO0ZTIx601SJvm_TRmN_w79cszt251NPQoeq5YhOT3ca28TkWqJ0Pd7MUssv2JhQKrAeZPpSNYsrgQrD3dBJ5TxoM4zKUJEWhQX0/s1600/IMG_0964.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg69hCXx5NMfAzCk2xbu6Jl0GIEa0qSqzdRHQDXQKmwO0ZTIx601SJvm_TRmN_w79cszt251NPQoeq5YhOT3ca28TkWqJ0Pd7MUssv2JhQKrAeZPpSNYsrgQrD3dBJ5TxoM4zKUJEWhQX0/s200/IMG_0964.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">I’m not sure if I should be letting myself write these blogs when I’m so incredibly tired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyway, if I tell you about Monday you’ll understand why and maybe you’ll forgive me if my writing is imperfect!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Enough self-deprecation, that’s not what you’re here for.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Josh, Justin, and I went on an exploratory journey to Williamsburg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I. Love. Williamsburg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is my favourite place so far.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has a real village to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Walking down Bedford Avenue, we stopped for breakfast at Café Verb (I liked the grammatical theme of the place).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had an enormous latte, that I was unable to drink and another “everything” bagel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, upon closer inspection, I think I’ve worked out that an “everything” bagel is seasoned with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and little crisps of garlic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In any case, it was delicious and absolutely smothered in cream cheese.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The best.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnlaPLMAXGto2i_dhy90HjI_uSup7rwPKpBy7Pu3C33bQ9kWezFUWjtZlDv64VmGRjnpeTPG876-TUAiNrM4WrTz6pYrV1Tma25axTWfd1I_IM-RiFgc2WvJE1_Xw_FONdptbewTnM0uI/s1600/IMG_0987.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnlaPLMAXGto2i_dhy90HjI_uSup7rwPKpBy7Pu3C33bQ9kWezFUWjtZlDv64VmGRjnpeTPG876-TUAiNrM4WrTz6pYrV1Tma25axTWfd1I_IM-RiFgc2WvJE1_Xw_FONdptbewTnM0uI/s200/IMG_0987.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">I looked at some “sumptuous” (according to the sign) lingerie and we quickly covered Bedford Avenue before turning left towards the river.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stumbled into a park, nothing special, but with something resembling the world’s tiniest beach and an awesome view of Manhattan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we all turned our backs to the city to have our photo taken, we noticed some playground equipment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course we ventured over to play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There in the middle of an industrial area was a tiny garden with flowers and bridges and sprung balance platforms and a wooden train.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We played for a while and when we were starting to get sweaty, we decided to move on.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Heading back to Bedford Avenue, I stopped to look in a few boutiques.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried on the most incredible gold </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">tunic top, on sale, but unfortunately too large.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I dragged the boys into a shoe shop, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Shoe Market </i>where I found myself a pair of brown leather brogues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Photos to come, promise!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are great.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Lust for shoes sated, we sated a more traditional hunger… Hunger for food… With giant pizza.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quintessential New York, right? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a slice with tomato, mozzarella, and basil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was almost too heavy to lift.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Josh finished it for me, but I can cross that off my list of things to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eat pizza in New York. Check.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPtUd10V52oWLX8uPrcN28aTEFCx4rjHQkaci9tg8xSlZ-M_omZnhENPL_GJhsKah9nn4hucG2wc1uIZwSP3vkcWAsYaeFbquu_uLTt5RAmEHEOxbiomQ45fi0YQkW8Z9GWgNVjmYpaY/s1600/IMG_1009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPtUd10V52oWLX8uPrcN28aTEFCx4rjHQkaci9tg8xSlZ-M_omZnhENPL_GJhsKah9nn4hucG2wc1uIZwSP3vkcWAsYaeFbquu_uLTt5RAmEHEOxbiomQ45fi0YQkW8Z9GWgNVjmYpaY/s200/IMG_1009.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">We stopped at an amazing cheese shop and trawled through some vintage clothes before heading home (via the Williamsburg bridge) in an afternoon thunderstorm.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">I needed a bit of a break before heading out again in the evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was one event I was really looking forward to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And be warned, because it the coming paragraphs I may completely out-geek myself in a musical theatre fan kind of way.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Josh and I, again, made our way to Times Square and walked to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The West Bank Café </i>and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Laurie Beechman Theatre </i>(which is inside the café) to see <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Joe Iconis Rock and Roll Jamboree. </i>This was on of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The music was incredible and the performances were so far beyond amazing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was more joy on that stage than I have ever seen before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The crowded room was full of tables and kazoos and energy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You could tell this was an audience that really wanted to be there.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Do yourself a favour, get on YouTube and find </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Grande"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Katrina Rose Dideriksen, you won’t be disappointed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What an amazing talent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Krysta Rodriguez (who I mentioned in my previous post) and Joseph Tam (who made me cry in my living room in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Every Little Step…</i> Paul’s monologue from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Chorus Line</i>, so freaking good) and, of course, Joe Iconis himself… I mean, this thing was seriously hot. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anthony Rapp was the special guest; he was pretty much sitting next to me and his song was so great.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Grande"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I struggle to be articulate when describing this event, because I was so impressed and, honestly? A little star-struck.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Grande"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">After the show we had some drinks, carried on to another bar, and before we knew it, it was 3am and we were walking through a deserted Times Square.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that is an experience worth having.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What must surely be the busiest place in the world, empty, bar the odd stop-out and street cleaner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt like Sky Marsterson singing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">My Time of Day </i>in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Guys and Dolls</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Grande"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Getting home was a lengthy process, as there were part closures on our line, but we made it and after a shower I fell into bed at about 5am… Explaining my current fatigue.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Grande"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">But... I wouldn’t swap yesterday for a week’s worth of energy!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Grande"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Love, of course… Jules xx<o:p></o:p></span></div><!--EndFragment-->Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11327682757892935780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957287579960544835.post-18264719513651483312010-08-18T13:18:00.000+10:002010-08-18T13:18:55.682+10:00When you're an Addams...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"> <!--StartFragment--> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">It’s Tuesday night and three sleepy travellers are staying in and watching <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory</i> on Justin’s computer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, while Charlie searches for his golden ticket, let me take you back to Sunday…<o:p></o:p></span></div><!--EndFragment--> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0xRTDx79YftCeMEIx3gt_dL7zPxKXmsQWsX5SILXE4WH2R_d75Umthfd54HAkkiuP8eR1Ru1OVXBF5rpTAD8UI0u95OKnRNOwElrZZU1gXHOn1KRF2OAEHxDjvyU4VjQRsvJSnvYSDFU/s1600/IMG_0940.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0xRTDx79YftCeMEIx3gt_dL7zPxKXmsQWsX5SILXE4WH2R_d75Umthfd54HAkkiuP8eR1Ru1OVXBF5rpTAD8UI0u95OKnRNOwElrZZU1gXHOn1KRF2OAEHxDjvyU4VjQRsvJSnvYSDFU/s200/IMG_0940.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Josh and I made our (seemingly) daily journey into Times Square and bought our tickets to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Addams Family</i>. With a few hours to spare we went to find food and on our way stumbled across <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">La Duca Shoes, </i>now this might not mean much, but these are seriously famous dance shoes. And they are beautiful. Soft leather, suede soles… My favourite were the lace-up boots. Incredible. If you’ve seen <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Every Little Step </i>the documentary on auditioning for the most recent Broadway revival of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Chorus Line</i>, it features in that. This was an exciting and unexpected tourist stop for me! Ok, I’ll stop fawning over the shoes now.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We found a burger place and stopped for lunch. You may notice I’m eating a lot of burgers… In Josh’s words, they’re real food here. And they’re cheap. So we sat for a while having lunch and discussing our own creative pursuits before some general ambling. With some time to spare, we sat on the red <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">TKTS </i>stairs in Times Square and soaked up the atmosphere.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">A bit before 3pm we took our seats in the mezzanine of the (freezing cold) theatre. As the overture played, I experienced one of the strangest audience moments of my life so far… The classic <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Addams Family </i>theme played and almost everyone in the theatre clicked or clapped at the appropriate moment. I can’t say I was one of them. Organic. Anyway, curtain up on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Addams Family</i>. From time to time, musical theatre gives me spontaneous tears. They take me by surprise, they’re not exactly emotional, and they’re not even brought on by my favourite moments in theatre. The opening beats of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Good Morning Baltimore</i> in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hairspray</i>, the entrance of the chorus girls in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I Want To Be A Producer </i>in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Producers</i>… And when Nathan Lane walked downstage at the beginning of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Addams Family</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh07f40TTDjmnZHhfBv0F5tGBBRuUlEwfE4AuKlRsaOI3oebNkm8hXxz29JcwsYc4Iv5zAEwrBskKq5p-W74FI9Oj4P1_SZoWSMOoX2AFoLsFWIZ1nJFPN5tn8cDse37vV8YjwpzCB-ARY/s1600/IMG_0942.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh07f40TTDjmnZHhfBv0F5tGBBRuUlEwfE4AuKlRsaOI3oebNkm8hXxz29JcwsYc4Iv5zAEwrBskKq5p-W74FI9Oj4P1_SZoWSMOoX2AFoLsFWIZ1nJFPN5tn8cDse37vV8YjwpzCB-ARY/s200/IMG_0942.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">With the exception of the curtain (I’m not even kidding, it was very impressive) and a couple of decent one liners (“that stuff can turn Mary Poppins into Medea”), that was the peak of my enjoyment. The music was reminiscent of Lippa’s earlier work, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Wild Party, </i>in parts, but the songs seemed to come from nowhere. There was too much music and not enough all at once. Wednesday Addams (Krysta Rodriguez) was good, Bebe Neuwirth’s speaking voice makes me want to weep with joy, and… No, that’s it. That’s all the good bits. It’s a spectacle, but it’s not a good show. Amazing cast, though. I enjoyed the excerpt in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fame’s </i>senior musical better than the Broadway show. I’m serious.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">At least my Broadway experience can only improve.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">After the show, we stalked the stage door hoping to see Bebe Neuwirth. We didn’t, but we had a brief conversation with Carollee Carmello and that was kind of awesome. She’s so nice, I almost feel bad doing terrible imitations of her singing the role of Lucille in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Parade</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"></i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We walked up to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lindy’s </i>for famous New York baked cheesecake. The slices were enormous and had a flavour unlike any other cheesecake I’ve ever eaten. It was… cheesier, less sweet, and with a light aftertaste of lemon. Light and creamy and so filling. It nearly beat me, but with Josh’s encouragement I managed to finish my enormous slice of famous, overpriced cheesecake.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUmB167Ur_P64iqiD7gKTlLRIhXt8X9PhNvae1aMBY4MMRWsWF3G2aN3utFctiruZLqrYGcoBQO-YdwTwz_gkvKz9iojINFYLPA9w1la5AQbIbWBCEDEPGWYRaXFQxv3s6FddOPv_C_WY/s1600/IMG_0958.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUmB167Ur_P64iqiD7gKTlLRIhXt8X9PhNvae1aMBY4MMRWsWF3G2aN3utFctiruZLqrYGcoBQO-YdwTwz_gkvKz9iojINFYLPA9w1la5AQbIbWBCEDEPGWYRaXFQxv3s6FddOPv_C_WY/s200/IMG_0958.JPG" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">We went into the Times Square visitor’s centre to make a wish. You write your wish on a small square of coloured tissue paper (mine was purple), then you put it in a box and they pin it on the wall for you. The wishes will then be included in the confetti released over Times Square at midnight on new year’s eve.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">By this time it was raining quite heavily and getting a bit cold so we went into the subway and headed home. Joshie ended up staying out, so I had Nasi Goreng from our local Thai restaurant and had a quiet night in with Justin.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Well, that took a while. Willy Wonka is giving the factory to Charlie, gotta love a happy ending.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Missing everyone. Heaps.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Love and millions of rainbow wishes… Jules xx<o:p></o:p></span></div>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11327682757892935780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957287579960544835.post-86014163287643615102010-08-16T14:04:00.002+10:002010-08-17T02:10:08.773+10:00Be it ever so humble...<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Woodside, Queens is the name of the suburb we’re staying in, although, our host assures us we’re technically in Sunnyside. Apparently, this makes a difference.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">We found our room on a website called AirBnB. It seemed clean, accessible, and best of all cheap. According to the man inspecting my documents as I came in through customs, he’d prefer to stay in a hotel. I nodded politely for fear of being strip-searched and mentally crossed my fingers that everything would turn out ok.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">It did. It’s fine. In fact I find it quite comfortable, although I’m sure it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We’re staying with a somewhat awkward couple, Sarah and her husband Charlie. They are artists who design t-shirts and they have two children (Chester who is 4 and a 9 month old baby girl whose name I don’t know). Chester thinks Justin is a pirate. He is cheeky and cute. The family is renting out their rooms (and living in one room altogether themselves) before they move to a house in Philadelphia in a month or so.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">There are six adults living in this house… And one bathroom. That said, the shower is always free when I want it, so I can’t complain.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAyFWCwCFfwwln53Nh2dlkXCv2QBwXD1dIST7Mb9WSIZNasFZaUxYNIMx33R6_Wux86Zp_5nfMAIJ6Qc30ByWWyZqOC-EeHjeo9Hhmg4C1KYWXiqD2fuaWHrjbLupKrOUDO9mcGthI4UQ/s1600/IMG_0900.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAyFWCwCFfwwln53Nh2dlkXCv2QBwXD1dIST7Mb9WSIZNasFZaUxYNIMx33R6_Wux86Zp_5nfMAIJ6Qc30ByWWyZqOC-EeHjeo9Hhmg4C1KYWXiqD2fuaWHrjbLupKrOUDO9mcGthI4UQ/s200/IMG_0900.JPG" width="200" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Let me take you on a tour… Once on the fourth floor you unlock the door and walk into a narrow hallway. Looking straight ahead you see a curtained off area, the family lives here. Hang your key on the wall and turn left down another narrow hall; you might notice a bunny in a cage on the floor beside you and shelves of screen-printing templates. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIQjVyPGjsSJugllYb8Irmkj0jj0G5V2oo2G5l-jGKiUA1jKgs-viiCJ2EtMVF4cig4cN0HllJ9X5C68-31VbL5cV6TCEzX0g2zyHYn2tOAXHt1-qx94jOAzcH2G3arillDdc5bldOI6w/s1600/IMG_0905.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIQjVyPGjsSJugllYb8Irmkj0jj0G5V2oo2G5l-jGKiUA1jKgs-viiCJ2EtMVF4cig4cN0HllJ9X5C68-31VbL5cV6TCEzX0g2zyHYn2tOAXHt1-qx94jOAzcH2G3arillDdc5bldOI6w/s200/IMG_0905.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">At the end of the hall is a door. Inside is a double bed (a little too soft) with polka-dot sheets, a red striped couch, some white shelves, a pedestal fan, and a vintage looking wardrobe. On the back wall hangs a union flag. (The British flag… Did you know it’s only a union jack when it’s on a ship? Fun fact). We have a place for everything (and everything in it’s place). <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">At night, Justin takes the four cushions of the couch to create a bed on the floor. He places a quilt underneath so they don’t slip around and a quilt on top. He seems to like it. We keep the windows open (even if there are a few summer flies) and have a little garden view… Kind of. We have a tree. It’s fresh and airy. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Out of our door and immediately to the left is the bathroom, which is old, but thankfully clean and functional. The cold tap is the hot tap and the latch on the door is… a little quirky. In any case, the water pressure is good and that’s what really matters.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVU8G87c3WgYi_ve9iFk5WYfC7HuSFM0d1L6VmBwx20mW1P3rATB4VzO7eL95GyNcUAVXIVCIpfT1pdOCgTlM85r2Cpcq0aXB5cXVKiOpzw0eYBc2tqyY-Y1mcxL72X6OG3nAkrAhP0WY/s1600/IMG_0907.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVU8G87c3WgYi_ve9iFk5WYfC7HuSFM0d1L6VmBwx20mW1P3rATB4VzO7eL95GyNcUAVXIVCIpfT1pdOCgTlM85r2Cpcq0aXB5cXVKiOpzw0eYBc2tqyY-Y1mcxL72X6OG3nAkrAhP0WY/s200/IMG_0907.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Back to the end of the hall left and sharp left you’ll find the kitchen. I’ve been into it once (tonight) and I couldn’t tell you much about it.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">So that’s our place. I hope I haven’t painted too negative a picture… It has its foibles, but I quite like it anyway.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Thanks for stopping by!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJAGWSzmJW3DlzqwW3DRDKFxOlFAKpil9gYNKzoMGyLIG9_q2h6lc7MsdkXgIz9Sr3QdZazYza1VHZqb0473XPH6DoFBvl3WhPKrVNOZ-YNPlf6hwifnrD7zi6bw4B4oT4TOVkrOmhyeA/s1600/IMG_0908.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJAGWSzmJW3DlzqwW3DRDKFxOlFAKpil9gYNKzoMGyLIG9_q2h6lc7MsdkXgIz9Sr3QdZazYza1VHZqb0473XPH6DoFBvl3WhPKrVNOZ-YNPlf6hwifnrD7zi6bw4B4oT4TOVkrOmhyeA/s200/IMG_0908.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Love, Jules xx<o:p></o:p></span></div>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11327682757892935780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957287579960544835.post-56166452724988181042010-08-16T11:58:00.000+10:002010-08-16T11:58:54.472+10:00So much to do in New York...<!--StartFragment--> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">It’s Sunday evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joshie is out and Justin and I are just chilling in our room trying to recoup energy for the week ahead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, I’m going to tell you about Saturday… Not much happened on Saturday, here, let me tell you about Saturday.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><!--EndFragment--> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">We slept in. Josh (in an amazing twist) was awake and showered first. Justin and I slept in until about midday, raising sleepy eyebrows at Josh’s perky “Morning!” </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The boys headed to the local café for breakfast, while I opted to stay in and write. I had Josh bring me back a bagel with cream cheese. Sesame seed this time. So good. I may be developing a dangerous addiction.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Some Mariah Carey Christmas tunes and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">YouTube</i> vids of Kristen Chenoweth later, we went into Times Square to buy tickets to the 6:00pm session <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Scott Pilgrim. </i>Good movie, see it. Last week, at home, I went to see <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Inception </i>with Kaitlin at Garden City and we had <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Malteasers </i>and popcorn. This week, (at a maze of a Cineplex with 25 cinemas), my movie snacks of choice were peanut butter <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">M&Ms</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Twizzlers</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">After the movie, we had dinner at<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> L’Allegria</i> on the corner of 43<sup>rd</sup> and 8<sup>th</sup>. The cute, presumably, owner of the restaurant showed us the “Very Very Special Menu”, which he designed specifically for the poor economy. All pasta $10. I had linguini Bolognese and we shared a pretty good bottle of Pinot Noir.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvHIgGd7V68vm5W6H2AXc6gS3gfZK1c1FQGIuOymedkZsdZ27mXHZB7NNQMLMI0iTkP9QeNmmTVQsA6BuyDVKiepyrh0B4UO1x4ATsIeNE57igb2AXBnseA-IywFVs-Y7fGBJzuvUuD5g/s1600/IMG_0922.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvHIgGd7V68vm5W6H2AXc6gS3gfZK1c1FQGIuOymedkZsdZ27mXHZB7NNQMLMI0iTkP9QeNmmTVQsA6BuyDVKiepyrh0B4UO1x4ATsIeNE57igb2AXBnseA-IywFVs-Y7fGBJzuvUuD5g/s200/IMG_0922.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">After dinner we walked along the Hudson… It had a unique vibe. To the right, lights glistened on the water and boats full of celebratory revellers cruised past. To the left, homeless people sleeping on park benches. One part of me wanted to breathe deeply and sigh happily the way I might on a moonlit beach walk at home, mostly though, I just felt a bit sad. We walked to Chelsea Pier. The blue and green pylons reminded me of Underwater World at Mooloolaba, but bigger and with more sports, (ice skating, gymnasium, driving rage, ten pin bowling, skate park), and no aquarium. We kept on into the West Village before finding a subway station and heading home.<o:p></o:p></span></div></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Stay tuned for more…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Love, Jules xx<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11327682757892935780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957287579960544835.post-80141088661453583352010-08-16T01:34:00.004+10:002010-08-16T01:50:47.640+10:00Do do do, do do DO do...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">We’re only 22 minutes into Sunday, but I thought I’d start writing this blog while I wait for the boys to get ready for bed. Now. Where was I? We’re up to Friday. Friday the 13<sup>th</sup>.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDVHZEz3eGzkraJG1MXjqDRNVkk7tTCgZOQoHDAHlYEfQUAnzb7p4eu9o4LMhvI5SszK0nXmJ6xKrNlsnQNjDG2BF3Tc5EU-lzR6RlOLtlz6zDiUkg1kU0YG-iGOSZ2ApjvftpiBLF408/s1600/IMG_0863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDVHZEz3eGzkraJG1MXjqDRNVkk7tTCgZOQoHDAHlYEfQUAnzb7p4eu9o4LMhvI5SszK0nXmJ6xKrNlsnQNjDG2BF3Tc5EU-lzR6RlOLtlz6zDiUkg1kU0YG-iGOSZ2ApjvftpiBLF408/s200/IMG_0863.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I was up at 8am to shower and get ready to head into Manhattan (on 5<sup>th</sup>, between 58<sup>th</sup> and 59<sup>th</sup>) with Josh for the highly anticipated <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sex and the City </i>tour.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">After a coffee (for Josh) and an “everything” bagel with cream cheese (for me… I’m still trying to work out exactly what an “everything” bagel is, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wikipedia</i> proved somewhat useless in this case), anyway, we lined up at the fountain across from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Plaza Hotel</i> and waited patiently to be shepherded onto the bus. Our tour guide’s name was Lindsay and she was pretty great at her job.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The tour ran for about three hours, a lot of the sights we saw from the bus, but we also stopped a few times, and they showed clips from the show to put things into context. First stop was the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pleasure Chest </i>where Charlotte bought the rabbit, then <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Buddakan </i>the restaurant where Carrie and Big had their rehearsal dinner in the first movie. The interior of the restaurant was really quite impressive. A mix of classic decadence, Asian influences, and modern design… Incongruous, yes, but it works. The restaurant was also right next the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Chelsea Food Markets, </i>something I’m definitely keen to go back and explore in the next few weeks.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifl6QmkvbMAoFFFzavbSjpGQphwDlR9lyCDjk27tSEq5g5oW21jRWiUaou3pM_VuL6ZTTpiCXpyqLX6D1x1w7m_cZLDXI4L7mt-3VS8SdWItVrbGtZpzKYuakOSXOcsnmWcmKV4yGYr_A/s1600/IMG_0839.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifl6QmkvbMAoFFFzavbSjpGQphwDlR9lyCDjk27tSEq5g5oW21jRWiUaou3pM_VuL6ZTTpiCXpyqLX6D1x1w7m_cZLDXI4L7mt-3VS8SdWItVrbGtZpzKYuakOSXOcsnmWcmKV4yGYr_A/s200/IMG_0839.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We drove through Chelsea, into the Meat Packing District, and stopped on Bleeker Street for cupcakes from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Magnolia Bakery</i>. Best icing ever! Josh happened to know where Carrie’s stoop was, just off Bleeker, so we went for a “sneaky stoop snoop” to get some photos. It’s lucky we did, because the bus didn’t stop there, nor did our tour guide mention anything… I guess there may have been complaints from locals. Anyway, we saw it. Lucky!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Down Bleeker, through to SoHo, our next stop was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">O’Neil’s </i>or as it’s known in the show, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Scout</i>, where we drank a token cosmo (probably weak, but enough to give me a bit of a buzz). Then it was back onto the bus to finish up the tour, which ended at the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">HBO Store</i>… Of course.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Josh and I (after briefly perusing the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">True Blood </i>merchandise) wandered off on a mission to find, 1. Lunch. And 2. Hipster glasses for Josh. We found both. Lunch at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Prêt </i>again. Yes, twice in one week, but I can’t even begin to explain to you the greatness of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Prêt </i>pre-packaged sandwich. And then <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">H&M</i> came through with $6 hipster glasses. So we went home… There was a party to go to and I needed to get changed.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Changed and refreshed (me), we got the subway to SoHo and waited on a corner for our companions, Mikey (Josh’s new New York friend from Ireland) and Justin. Approaching the venue, a design studio called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">SVW</i>, it looked very much like a group of people having a brief drink while still working. So we loitered outside for a while… Let me briefly explain our extraneous link to this party…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">At some point before heading overseas Justin briefly toyed with the idea of doing a weeklong graphic design course in New York. While he didn’t end up participating, someone outside of the immediate circle sent him an invitation to their closing party.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">So, we built up the courage to go inside and made our way to the free beer, wine, and cheese. We weren’t entirely sure if we were permitted to be at this party, so we hid behind a pole for a while, cautiously drinking our share of the bar. Anyway, we soon realised that there were others like us and started to relax.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">There was a blackboard covered in words that the students had come up with or overheard during their course and while one guy, uh, “mixed beats?” another rapped using the words on the board. That was pretty cool. And there were free buttons (or badges) and people making stickers…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We left the party at 11pm, a party that was meant to run from 6-8pm. I’d call that a success. We had midnight burgers at a café in Times Square, all bright lights and amusing conversation.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3H0R4EQIFd1puNwJxS5H9TujoqGKMJ_MYfcswO8OK3jwKP-VZ1BVGMjwS_XOqv-gBVDd1w24PNrNZBRWyvxH1kLC6yx3fIsrZ3EaRnrRBRP6nSSo7I4n95gDaqHUydi5PTUXrq8qCQ9o/s1600/IMG_0895.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3H0R4EQIFd1puNwJxS5H9TujoqGKMJ_MYfcswO8OK3jwKP-VZ1BVGMjwS_XOqv-gBVDd1w24PNrNZBRWyvxH1kLC6yx3fIsrZ3EaRnrRBRP6nSSo7I4n95gDaqHUydi5PTUXrq8qCQ9o/s200/IMG_0895.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">And then we headed home… As we walked to the platform for the 7 train at 42<sup>nd</sup> Street station, I saw a sign overhead that said “SO TIRED” and that was exactly how I felt… So naturally, I took a photo of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Home, desperately-required shower, some Josh silliness, bed… <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Love, Jules xx<o:p></o:p></span></div>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11327682757892935780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957287579960544835.post-35622483300914599422010-08-15T04:18:00.000+10:002010-08-15T04:18:47.758+10:00It's turkey lurkey time...<!--StartFragment--> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">It’s about midday on Saturday; I’m sitting on the bed in our room with Josh and Justin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is music playing and Josh is expressing his desire for coffee…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now Justin is packing away his couch-bed and dancing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This room is never dull.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will write a post all about the apartment later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For now? Thursday…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><!--EndFragment--> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">The boys got home in the wee hours of Thursday morning, so as you can imagine, the day began quite slowly. I managed, finally, to sort out my phone, a process that required me to update software on both my phone and laptop and some tricky and possibly less-than-legal unlocking of iPhone things. Anyway. It’s done now. At last my right arm is complete again.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1GIq1As6guViMCOdnIGGyf6rc_iawaDSE_bb42tbodu3eZICeIAtRSt31xPfrIZsw-vGbuIYPBEQApC9i4yLUAasxkqDl0G_wd1nW0pRJ8CmBgdYtR9p3Mr6bkhCijTd0iJ71ha89-XY/s1600/IMG_0814.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1GIq1As6guViMCOdnIGGyf6rc_iawaDSE_bb42tbodu3eZICeIAtRSt31xPfrIZsw-vGbuIYPBEQApC9i4yLUAasxkqDl0G_wd1nW0pRJ8CmBgdYtR9p3Mr6bkhCijTd0iJ71ha89-XY/s200/IMG_0814.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">So, in the light drizzly rain, we all sorted ourselves out and went to James and Jake’s apartment in the East Village. The five of us wandered down to have lunch at the famous <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Katz’s Deli</i>, the most intense food-related experience of my life. Seriously. You walk in and are given a small card to hand over when you order. Imagine a counter stretching as far as you can see, crowds at least three people deep all the way along, and confident regulars yelling their orders. There are sections of counter for ordering different things including one section</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">specifically for egg creams. The floor was covered in sawdust, although I’m not sure if it was there when we arrived, I think it may have happened while we were there. This is the deli in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">When Harry Met Sally</i>, if you know the one I’m talking about. After eating, you take your card to the counter (now conveniently showing how much you owe) and pay for what you ate. I guess it’s quite a good system. It’s overwhelming and crazy, but an experience worth having.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We left and dropped in at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sugar </i>where I purchased a brownie that was pretty much just cookie dough, excellent. James and Justin stocked up on coffee and we went back to the apartment so Josh and Justin could do their tax while I caught James up on a few months of Brisbane news.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx91DIEMke-8jQ9wiMylc808QDtAq_P4oC3GUEwUvBjTsvYwiuwGC0yC3K_EmYfVlYUeH672ndnedDdJhNepuOwNxILGAvKfZ_y2tWdNbeCX3EC-YYEqYKV7CzgW6uaFLmPAMATduij3I/s1600/IMG_0807.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx91DIEMke-8jQ9wiMylc808QDtAq_P4oC3GUEwUvBjTsvYwiuwGC0yC3K_EmYfVlYUeH672ndnedDdJhNepuOwNxILGAvKfZ_y2tWdNbeCX3EC-YYEqYKV7CzgW6uaFLmPAMATduij3I/s200/IMG_0807.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">Tax complete and estimates received, our group of five decided to see if there were tickets available for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Promises, Promises</i>. Five student tickets later, (the most amazing thing here, it varies, but you can get multiple student-priced tickets on one student card), we found ourselves at an Argentinean restaurant, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Chimichurri Grill</i>, on 43<sup>rd</sup> and 9<sup>th</sup>. Clams in white wine and garlic sauce and polenta chips with blue cheese sauce… The food was good, but overpriced and the service was… Average, but not so terrible as to ruin your evening. From here we went to a bar attached to a Japanese restaurant called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bann</i>, threw back a drink (in my case, a brain-freeze-inducing strawberry daiquiri) and made our way to the theatre.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6TCsEOmK4Mn0PYM2pBcyq7a7EX502AyXOopNPcdHVJUpkrvVM7I26-raUTG9PvSCi0k9HRkaNiRt_TvL-ubOwPMtUkHNlwQX7F7FUTM0wR91sTrmtYW0c1yd-zoN8042es8T2yNLSDzs/s1600/IMG_0816.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6TCsEOmK4Mn0PYM2pBcyq7a7EX502AyXOopNPcdHVJUpkrvVM7I26-raUTG9PvSCi0k9HRkaNiRt_TvL-ubOwPMtUkHNlwQX7F7FUTM0wR91sTrmtYW0c1yd-zoN8042es8T2yNLSDzs/s200/IMG_0816.JPG" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">I have to admit, I was worried. I had not heard one good thing about this show, my first ever Broadway show. We were seated in the very back row of the massive theatre, but my view was still clear, even if the actors were teensy-tiny (especially Kristen Chenoweth, who is teensy-tiny in any case). Still, it was a good production of an average show. The choreography was super-kitsch (my favourite), although not always faultlessly executed, and the music is, well, I’m sorry Burt Bacharach, but it’s flawed. I did, however, enjoy myself. It was fun. And now I’ve seen Sean Hayes, Kristen Chenoweth, and the show-stealing Katie Finneran live… Not a bad thing to take away from an evening of theatre! And if the sign of a good musical is walking away humming showtunes (although, this is entirely debatable), then our excessive renditions of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Turkey Lurkey </i>would have you believe it was truly fabulous. Or would they?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">While the night looked set to continue, a combination of fatigue and dirty feet saw us going our separate ways and heading home for the evening.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I have to admit, I sometimes get a little homesick as I’m going to sleep… New York doesn’t make me homesick, but not yet having a return ticket from London sometimes plays on my mind. Missing everyone heaps! <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Love in bucket-loads… JC xx<o:p></o:p></span></div>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11327682757892935780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957287579960544835.post-33380671561496299222010-08-12T15:10:00.002+10:002010-08-12T15:15:59.175+10:00We'll have Manhattan... (Part II)<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Today (Wednesday) was similar to yesterday. Another day of wandering around the city, familiarising myself with things and making mental lists of sights to revisit in the next three weeks.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">I woke up a bit later than yesterday, relief. The jet lag must be easing! Ate a homemade breakfast of (contraband) Vegemite and avocado toast and caught the subway with Joshie. We go off the train at Grand Central so I could go to the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Aveda</i> store to get something to fix my weather-confused hair. Crisis averted.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW0_pVJWsyBbecY1UAR1OaNoAowtd0Q06YLOGSZ7sbuNrDHHTis7c4azyZDVfZ-vj8uIcTmni3jr9VKxdFQo8c0-7xLuxQegXS_GrXDKxEHKrQOZz-nFKhjdN04EjQvu1NG1larHHiWCA/s1600/IMG_0754.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW0_pVJWsyBbecY1UAR1OaNoAowtd0Q06YLOGSZ7sbuNrDHHTis7c4azyZDVfZ-vj8uIcTmni3jr9VKxdFQo8c0-7xLuxQegXS_GrXDKxEHKrQOZz-nFKhjdN04EjQvu1NG1larHHiWCA/s200/IMG_0754.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">From there, we walked… To Times Square (via, uh, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pop Tarts World</i>), past a whole bunch of theatres, into the visitors centre (where we marvelled at the abundance of terrible and seemingly unrelated-to-NY merchandise offered to tourists), to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">M&M World</i>, and the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hershey’s </i>store where we scored free <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Twizzlers</i>. We went on an epic walk to find something for lunch, which ended up being some kind of business district Greek café. Replenished, Josh and I continued on briefly stopping in the underwhelming foyer of Trump Tower and then back to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">FAO Schwartz </i>to say hello to the Whatnots again.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We found <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bloomingdales</i> on 59th and Lexington, rode the escalators up and down and sampled some new <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Chanel </i>perfumes. And then, as our minds began to snap and the ridiculous conversation started to loom, we quickly scanned Victoria’s Secret before finding a spot to sit in Central Park.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy2stWRr-t1ty_WnipFGF6MUzjd0HhlXrPeNtdVc3-BpDtohCoOBbOn8WSHBVF83Zxyxfm_cUXEqwIxSjbD8zdbjN2rSjHzD6jBdkAMsVCigSuA56SPsPOJtcoz1J5BR_NXsLTUwm_BdI/s1600/IMG_0771.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy2stWRr-t1ty_WnipFGF6MUzjd0HhlXrPeNtdVc3-BpDtohCoOBbOn8WSHBVF83Zxyxfm_cUXEqwIxSjbD8zdbjN2rSjHzD6jBdkAMsVCigSuA56SPsPOJtcoz1J5BR_NXsLTUwm_BdI/s200/IMG_0771.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The Bethesda fountain is really very impressive and backed by people rowing and the picturesque Boathouse, it really is a tranquil oasis in a busy city. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still terribly busy and packed with tourists, but somehow exquisite and relaxing at the same time. Under the arches a man with the cleanest voice was singing backed by a violin, a cello, and a chorus of children. The music was so haunting and beautiful. Magic.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje2n4aKMtyfalUeRy0w_4ir_5gI4omzOSlXfmjLlwbMhD28hlkpAnQDjjCXCAaXyxfk6iyg2BlmPLCCItKfr5EL9sXr7tFUA64Njdrzfs7zIbl4E0hVv9-Dx8d1Suyq1Er0QRsDBhNwB4/s1600/IMG_0791.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje2n4aKMtyfalUeRy0w_4ir_5gI4omzOSlXfmjLlwbMhD28hlkpAnQDjjCXCAaXyxfk6iyg2BlmPLCCItKfr5EL9sXr7tFUA64Njdrzfs7zIbl4E0hVv9-Dx8d1Suyq1Er0QRsDBhNwB4/s200/IMG_0791.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">So we made our way home, walking through the park enjoying the summer warmth, noting that autumn was starting to nudge the city by throwing in a few yellowed leaves as if to say “Hey Summer, my turn now.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Returning to the apartment we washed the excessive dirt from our feet and went out for dinner at a local restaurant <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Thai Malay Café.</i> Seriously awesome! Possibly the most amazing yellow curry I have ever had. And this in a restaurant that only has four tables.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">And here I am… Alone, relaxed, and beyond happy. More adventures tomorrow!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Love, JC xx<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11327682757892935780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957287579960544835.post-34921696984156384642010-08-12T14:13:00.002+10:002010-08-12T14:27:43.857+10:00We'll have Manhattan...<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I’m sitting on the couch in our room in the occasional breeze of an oscillating pedestal fan. Warm air, cool air, warm air, cool air. It’s such an amazing feeling. You know what it feels like here? The weather is warm and humid and there’s a light breeze and it feels like summer is hugging you all the time. Summer can hug me anytime. This is great. Summer clearly turns me into a fuzzyheaded romantic… I think we’re in love.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">So, I’m sitting here thoroughly enjoying the temperature and the breeze, listening to music on my own. The boys have decided to hit up a few bars in the East Village tonight, but still being a little jet lagged, I’ve opted out… Just this once.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">So… Yesterday.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Tuesday began with “deluxe” waffles from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Aubergine Café</i>, which is about 2 blocks from where we’re staying. Fuelled by this mountain of sugar we made our way to the nearest station, I bought myself a monthly MetroCard, and the three of us hopped a train into Manhattan.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">And so began my basic overview of the island. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMXeGc0PavPhoKlSnTwp1LCjQth0JEBpAIKwlAnXaeoeT2inRCahDYcE8WUMCUXWFzqP9Ye2D0RnHO8tNRPQtzVMskKRbGgbQE7kLVthb0fO09Y7N2x2liqhmZn4_KB59zDq7A96G76uM/s1600/IMG_0677.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMXeGc0PavPhoKlSnTwp1LCjQth0JEBpAIKwlAnXaeoeT2inRCahDYcE8WUMCUXWFzqP9Ye2D0RnHO8tNRPQtzVMskKRbGgbQE7kLVthb0fO09Y7N2x2liqhmZn4_KB59zDq7A96G76uM/s200/IMG_0677.JPG" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">We got off the train at Times Square, which has to be seen to be believed. It is the most comprehensive hub of consumerism. From here we walked towards Central Park and skimmed the edge of this as we turned towards 5<sup>th</sup> Avenue. We hit <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">FAO Schwartz</i>, the famous toy store with the big piano. There are so many things I could mention, but mostly I just want to tell you that you can make your own Muppet there. Yes, I already knew this, but I was not prepared for the excellence that is a Whatnot. Want one. Still, after hugging the giant plush puppies goodbye we dragged ourselves away and continued</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">on, when <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tiffany & Co</i> came into sight.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZegc7gh5HyTDfgKaQTZvjK8w4p4cwO29kyllO7Dm5-palie3-tvhOAYolRgqyxiksSSdcuUYDyMQdOexqahMPVgxNgafZn-BwdKELB2PWhRs4NMulEbosmbRa7udUCt5J6EJzy29_rok/s1600/IMG_0710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZegc7gh5HyTDfgKaQTZvjK8w4p4cwO29kyllO7Dm5-palie3-tvhOAYolRgqyxiksSSdcuUYDyMQdOexqahMPVgxNgafZn-BwdKELB2PWhRs4NMulEbosmbRa7udUCt5J6EJzy29_rok/s200/IMG_0710.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I stood in awe for a brief minute… It’s an impressive building, ok? And in we went. I need to point out that we had an amazing experience with the staff. Everyone was very helpful and keen to make sure we saw the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tiffany</i> diamond. (It’s really pretty and sparkly and yellow, by the way). On the third floor I found what I was looking for and built myself a necklace from three separate pieces… Dog tag chain, “Please return to…” heart, and a classic vintage-look key. It’s so pretty. On the way down to ground level in the elevator, the operator stopped at “Level 2, diamonds… Woo.” (Yes, he said woo). Anyway, I decided it might be a bit dangerous to leave the safety of the elevator, breathed deeply, and continued on down to exit in the pleasant haze of someone who has looked at (and bought) pretty things.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The retail experiences coming thick and fast, we made our way to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Abercrombie & Fitch</i>, a store the boys were keen to get back to, and I soon found out why! A velvet rope leads to the door, which is surrounded by at least four very attractive boys in red flannel shirts and jeans; behind them an even hotter boy without a shirt is available for photos. Inside smelt like… well, like sexy man, to be frank. And the male staff indoors managed to keep up with those on the door. Get it? Throw in loud music and the ambience of an upscale nightclub… Well. There’s not much more to say.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">And so we walked, taking in sights such as the Rockefeller Centre, Grand Central Station, and Bryant Park where we kind of crashed. We sat and people watched and listened to public piano, before deciding to go to the East Village for a couple of drinks and dinner.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_wnXHmX_iMBY2fbd-hd_tABygnZ6dkG-nwQ8Wh8qjRXCELx3zoP1t6OUynovrGxT9pAMnJ0-ZXUNmtoK6Jg9HihmlcrstxQdyTM3vvJ3OohP0A3YXVL5XBEejTAvTGAhu40qWw2YNXq0/s1600/IMG_0743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_wnXHmX_iMBY2fbd-hd_tABygnZ6dkG-nwQ8Wh8qjRXCELx3zoP1t6OUynovrGxT9pAMnJ0-ZXUNmtoK6Jg9HihmlcrstxQdyTM3vvJ3OohP0A3YXVL5XBEejTAvTGAhu40qWw2YNXq0/s200/IMG_0743.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We stopped at an 80s inspired dive called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Library</i>. Clearly a “local” hangout, it was dark and a little dirty with what was obviously spontaneous and welcomed graffiti on the interior walls. The walls were lined with books and at the end of the room was a screen playing 80s classics. While we were there, I caught the end of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Lost Boys </i>and the beginning of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Dark Crystal. </i>They also had a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ms Pac-Man</i> machine. I entered with caution; I left feeling all nostalgic for the 1980s.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">For dinner, we stopped at a great vegetarian restaurant called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kate’s Joint </i>on Avenue B. The waiter was somewhat amusingly surly, the food was pretty great, and I managed to eat my bodyweight in shared sides and a super vegie burger.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Stopping only to get Baskin Robbins we made our way home. Sore feet, tired head, totally pumped!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Looks like I’m going to have to write these one day at a time… So much to say.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Loads and loads of love…JC xx<o:p></o:p></span></div></span>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11327682757892935780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957287579960544835.post-81185926039897689542010-08-10T22:30:00.002+10:002010-08-10T22:39:17.772+10:00Start spreading the news...<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I’m awake. It’s 7am on my first full day in New York and I’ve been awake for an hour. Jet lag. So, as I’m the only one up in our tiny room for three and according to Josh, he won’t rise until at least 11, I’ll tell you a bit about the journey here.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Monday 9<sup>th</sup> August 2010 was a four-city day. I started my day at 3:45am waking in order to get to the airport for my 6:30am flight to Sydney. After an especially amusing check-in with a comical man resembling Richard Attenborough, I waved goodbye to my parents and headed on my way. Let me tell you something, I’m an incredibly intolerant passenger on any form of public transport. I pick my least favourite travel companions early in the trip and focus any of my frustration on them until I reach my final destination, at which point, I let go of my anger… Mostly.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">On the BNE-SYD leg of my journey, the object of my anger was one Sleepy McElbows sitting next to me. Thankfully, the flight is short and we soon parted ways. I was barely into the terminal when she was replaced by a man who chose to queue to my right instead of behind me, muttering to himself in some kind of European language. Again, this was short-lived as I soon lost him in the crowd.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I made my way through all the necessary checkpoints and waited calmly at my gate. SYD-LAX passed in the usual blur of long-haul travel. Read, sit, sleep, eat, watch assorted TV shows and films (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Date Night, I Love You Too, Valentine’s Day, Modern Family, The Simpsons, Talking About Your Generation…</i> In case you were wondering), stare at other people’s TV screens watching soundless films (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Clash of the Titans</i>), sit, sleep, eat. It’s rare that I ever watch anything decent on flights. I once watched <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bratz-The Movie </i>and several episodes of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lizzie McGuire. </i>For some reason, I prefer to use the time to watch that which I would never usually view. I think I like to know I can guiltlessly fall asleep in the middle of things.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">About two and a half hours out of LAX I had the horrifying thought that I couldn’t remember packing my hairbrush or make-up. Yes, I was on my way to the USA, a developed country that would allow me to purchase anything I desired (with regard to cosmetics), but that process would require me going out in New York, one of the most stylish cities in the world without the aid of make-up or a hairbrush. Absolute terror. I thought about this with mild (or extreme, whatever) panic in my heart for the rest of the flight before a call home allayed my fears and let me breathe again. The make-up was in my suitcase. The hairbrush, I then found, was placed conveniently in my handbag. Good to know that my semi-conscious, 4am, non-morning person brain was well aware of my vanity.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Apart from taking a brief moment to eat something beef-themed, I slept from LAX-JFK making the flight seem mercilessly short and I was soon touching down in my fourth, and final, city for the day. I walked out into a humid, somewhat overcast afternoon and breathed in fresh (for an airport in a polluted city), unrecycled air. It smelt like summer and I felt instantly happy!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Driving through the ‘burbs, I spotted my share of “typical” American scenes. First, a bunch of kids on a basketball court and we’d driven no further than half a block before I spotted another group on a baseball diamond. Driving past a white house I saw a man watering his hanging plants with a spray bottle. His son crept up behind the fence with two water pistols in tow, but Dad got in first with his spray bottle sending his son running and giggling. Seriously, it was a scene from a cute 1980s sitcom. This country delivers.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I made it to our apartment in Woodside, Queens where a very beardy Josh was waiting for me outside our apartment building. I am staying with Josh and Justin and our room is tiny, but airy and pleasant. After a desperately needed shower we wandered off to find dinner, settling on a small Indian place. The food was good, spicy and full of flavour, a welcome change after Qantas cuisine. We were the only customers and all of the staff stood by and watched us eat, a somewhat confronting experience, but none of us cared as we literally devoured the entire meal. After a bit of a wander to familiarise ourselves (well, me really, the boys explored during the day) with Woodside we headed home and I fell into bed. Never has bed felt so… delicious.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Looking forwards to today’s adventures when the boys wake up!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Missing everyone heaps. Sending mountains of love… JC xx<o:p></o:p></span></div>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11327682757892935780noreply@blogger.com0