The American, The Norwegian, The Englishman, The Italian and the Australian went up a mountain.... and came back relatively unscathed... last weekend I ventured up north with some friends from work to go skiing at Windham Mountain. Situated in the Catskills Mountain ranges we hired a car, did a grocery shop and drove 3 or so hours to a chalet owned by one of the guys. We spent two days on the slopes (read: two days with my heart in my throat as I hurtled down icy runs), but I think by the end I had made some improvement!... my bruised knee might argue that fact but really it was a lot of fun.
What suprised me though was the 'boringness' of the atmosphere on the mountain... in Australia when you go skiing, the runs are interesting (ie. they go through trees, there's hills and so on), there's music all over the mountain, there's restaraunt huts at the bottom of runs, there's comraderie between the skiers, and there are heaps of little kids in crazy head-dress helmets... but here it was no mucking around, there's a mountain, there's snow on it, there's one restaraunt at the bottom, the runs go straight up and down, the kids there are serious... no mucking around with dress ups... its more of a regular activity. My conclusion was that for the average american up on the mountain, its just what they do as weekend sport, just like they would play tennis or basketball in the summer.. there is nothing exciting about it for them... with so much snow around throughout winter year after year I guess the novelty has just worn off!
Nonetheless, our bunch of multicultural nearly non-Americans, had a great time, jumping off ramps into airbags (not me) sliding down mountains on bottoms (me) and general skiing for 6 hours each day... It was great getting to spend time with my colleagues, people I hardly new... put me out of my comfort zone which i like every now and then... we all got on great, cooked some wonderful meals, mixed it up with the locals and enjoyed the freezing weather!
Looking forward to heading up there again, hopefully before the winter is out... then I might become a real pro!
Friday, February 6, 2009
FuerzaBruta
If you ever get the chance go see it! I recently saw this show, Fuerza Bruta, http://www.fuerzabrutanyc.com, arguably one of the best shows I've ever seen!... I know, I know, that's a big call... maybe its just the first time I've been to a show with that much audience participation, immersiveness and randomness... squashed into a not so large theatre with about 400 others into the dark, the ushers herded you around to different parts of the room like sheep whilst around us performers harnessed to the hilt sprawled around above our heads, swinging from every corner possible, crashing through walls, splashing through a massive glass bottom swimming pool as it lowered to about an inch from our noses, acrobatics, a house sized treadmill, bright lights, sprays from a giant water hose, thousands of pieces of paper blown all over you like snow from the sky, loud music, theatre like I've never seen, who could ask for anything more!
.... very new york.
disclaimer: don't see it if you don't like strobe, getting wet, standing, and the ocassional feeling of claustraphobia. this post does it no justice. go see it!
.... very new york.
disclaimer: don't see it if you don't like strobe, getting wet, standing, and the ocassional feeling of claustraphobia. this post does it no justice. go see it!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Patriotism
.... I think it always happens when you are away from home on a national holiday... in this case it was Australia Day... which for me ended up being Australia 3 Days. Nonetheless I pranced around the streets of NY in my newly ebay purchased Australia vintage tee and ugg boots, and basked in the fact that everyone in this city loves a good Aussie.
The weekend started with a lovely dinner at an Italian restaurant in the village with about 16 aussies and a few wannabe american-aussies... ok it was Italian food but I was in the right company... the evening ended with a few Coopers down the road and was much like any other night out... Sunday my friend Rachel had a Australia Day Barbeque...as best she could she turned her cosy studio apartment into a day at the beach... yes the -4 degrees outside kind of hampered this, but decked out in aussie shorts, bikini and covered in aussie tattoos she had snags, vegemite, tim tams, pavlova, and chocolate crackles!! amazing... i dont think I've had crackles since my 6th birthday party... and they tasted exactly the same... such memories! a taste I don't think any aussie kid can ever forget...
Sunday night, still on the Australia Day Weekend bandwagon I headed out to Williamsburg where Orly had organised a night of Australian singers... sponsored by Coopers we donned Coopers hats, t-shirts and other paraphanalia and hung out listening to a bunch of aussies strut there stuff on the stage...
Monday morning (actual Australia Day) I headed to work having passed by the Tuckshop (an aussie meat pies hole in the wall) only to find they had run out of lamingtons (I know how could this be!) and then arrived at work, slightly under the weather still sporting my aussie tattoos, albeit slightly rubbed off... by this time actually a bit over australia day. Not wanting to do much by this stage, monday night a few friends and i headed to the Sunburnt Cow, an aussie bar near my place... heading in and faced with the horrible smell of stale beer our visited lasted all of 30 seconds before we decided to head to a burger joint down the street, transforming their burgers on the menu into traditional aussie style... what a fitting way to end the celebrations.
Until next year my australians!
The weekend started with a lovely dinner at an Italian restaurant in the village with about 16 aussies and a few wannabe american-aussies... ok it was Italian food but I was in the right company... the evening ended with a few Coopers down the road and was much like any other night out... Sunday my friend Rachel had a Australia Day Barbeque...as best she could she turned her cosy studio apartment into a day at the beach... yes the -4 degrees outside kind of hampered this, but decked out in aussie shorts, bikini and covered in aussie tattoos she had snags, vegemite, tim tams, pavlova, and chocolate crackles!! amazing... i dont think I've had crackles since my 6th birthday party... and they tasted exactly the same... such memories! a taste I don't think any aussie kid can ever forget...
Sunday night, still on the Australia Day Weekend bandwagon I headed out to Williamsburg where Orly had organised a night of Australian singers... sponsored by Coopers we donned Coopers hats, t-shirts and other paraphanalia and hung out listening to a bunch of aussies strut there stuff on the stage...
Monday morning (actual Australia Day) I headed to work having passed by the Tuckshop (an aussie meat pies hole in the wall) only to find they had run out of lamingtons (I know how could this be!) and then arrived at work, slightly under the weather still sporting my aussie tattoos, albeit slightly rubbed off... by this time actually a bit over australia day. Not wanting to do much by this stage, monday night a few friends and i headed to the Sunburnt Cow, an aussie bar near my place... heading in and faced with the horrible smell of stale beer our visited lasted all of 30 seconds before we decided to head to a burger joint down the street, transforming their burgers on the menu into traditional aussie style... what a fitting way to end the celebrations.
Until next year my australians!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
happy new year!
So its 2009. I've only just realised. A few weeks to late but yes, its here and its time to get into gear. I've never had a new years resolution and this year I've got 6. I'm not going to write them here because: a. fear of not completing them all and b. some of them are private, but nonetheless if you want to know, just get in touch... now there's incentive! I've written them down, next I'll plan their roll out... so organised of me!
I'm excited for the next 12 months! Im having an amazing time over here, and there's a world of opportunity at my feet... let's see how far I get!
For all of you, my friends, I wish only the best for you all in the next 12 months, with new jobs, new babies, new wives, new husbands, new friends, new homes, it looks like a great year ahead for all of us.
keep in touch and keep safe,
m xx.
I'm excited for the next 12 months! Im having an amazing time over here, and there's a world of opportunity at my feet... let's see how far I get!
For all of you, my friends, I wish only the best for you all in the next 12 months, with new jobs, new babies, new wives, new husbands, new friends, new homes, it looks like a great year ahead for all of us.
keep in touch and keep safe,
m xx.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
62 days of fun!
So it has finally come to an end... 62 days straight of shopping, partying, drinking, touring, travelling, walking.. ok i've run out of adjectives... but i did have an unreal time with all my visitors over the past 2 months...the feeling i got seeing your familiar faces hike up the stairs to my apartment when you first got here made me sooo excited! I know it sounds cheesy but when your so far away from home, its a great feeling...
I managed to get two weeks holidays whilst trent and amy were here, it was like I got to be on holiday in NY which was awesome! ... not so awesome for my bank account... Despite the weather being freezing, we doned our winter woolies and hiked up and down every street in manhattan (well almost)! Early on in the piece we put together a calendar of all events and places we wanted to go, complete with morning, afternoon and evening slots, and pink post it notes for outings which were 'movable' or 'weather dependant... we sound like such dorks!... all trent's idea.. haha, but it was good, we had a bit of structure, even if we didnt stick to it.. but it made us look forward to things and plan our busy social lives! We managed to pack in heaps...got a taste of the manhattan jewish singles scene in a lavish evening which sprawled across 5 chelsea nightclubs, hummers, stretch limo's, sleazy men, brian, i tell you the night had it all... except class! but we all managed to have a great time... We spent New Years at Bryant Park, saw the sites from Top of The Rock, made our very own nike's... very cool.., meandered through markets, shopped, pub crawled around town, dined at the finest places like johnny rockets, went to christmas parties, channukah parties, listened to friends sing, shopped, saw the kids from the actual school of rock perform, rode mechanical bulls, travelled by horse drawn carriage around central park, drank milkshakes, shopped, saw lady liberty, went to ground zero, saw stomp, cured my shopping addiction with a 10 hour shopping spree at woodbury common, the discount shopping mecca of the world... (after shopping there you'll never want to step foot in a shop again!) Wow we managed to fit in so much and thats just the half of it, all in all i think we all had a great time together...
You're all gone now and it's almost hard to know what to do with myself, live life I guess! Back on the NY rollercoaster that is reality over here... 4 nights of shows, theatres and musicals lined up this week... sounds like a difficult life but someone has to do it...
Amy, good luck in London babe, don't know when I'll see you again next which is weird, but you'll have an unbeleivable time...
So whose up next? my spare bed is waiting!
I managed to get two weeks holidays whilst trent and amy were here, it was like I got to be on holiday in NY which was awesome! ... not so awesome for my bank account... Despite the weather being freezing, we doned our winter woolies and hiked up and down every street in manhattan (well almost)! Early on in the piece we put together a calendar of all events and places we wanted to go, complete with morning, afternoon and evening slots, and pink post it notes for outings which were 'movable' or 'weather dependant... we sound like such dorks!... all trent's idea.. haha, but it was good, we had a bit of structure, even if we didnt stick to it.. but it made us look forward to things and plan our busy social lives! We managed to pack in heaps...got a taste of the manhattan jewish singles scene in a lavish evening which sprawled across 5 chelsea nightclubs, hummers, stretch limo's, sleazy men, brian, i tell you the night had it all... except class! but we all managed to have a great time... We spent New Years at Bryant Park, saw the sites from Top of The Rock, made our very own nike's... very cool.., meandered through markets, shopped, pub crawled around town, dined at the finest places like johnny rockets, went to christmas parties, channukah parties, listened to friends sing, shopped, saw the kids from the actual school of rock perform, rode mechanical bulls, travelled by horse drawn carriage around central park, drank milkshakes, shopped, saw lady liberty, went to ground zero, saw stomp, cured my shopping addiction with a 10 hour shopping spree at woodbury common, the discount shopping mecca of the world... (after shopping there you'll never want to step foot in a shop again!) Wow we managed to fit in so much and thats just the half of it, all in all i think we all had a great time together...
You're all gone now and it's almost hard to know what to do with myself, live life I guess! Back on the NY rollercoaster that is reality over here... 4 nights of shows, theatres and musicals lined up this week... sounds like a difficult life but someone has to do it...
Amy, good luck in London babe, don't know when I'll see you again next which is weird, but you'll have an unbeleivable time...
So whose up next? my spare bed is waiting!
Friday, January 9, 2009
First Snow of the Season
Arghh just realised i havent written for over a month... shame on me! But to my defense, most of you who read my blog have been here preoccupying my time so i should be let off the hook... here's my first story of many from the past month and its about something quite new to me... snow...
Yes its winter in new york, and unlike the 10 - 15 degrees it may get to in sydney, here in new york the temperature over the past month has fluctuated from about 3 degrees to -3 .... a lovely range... ive learnt that rain means a warm day and a blue sky means freezing... strange how that is, but its true. Its amazing how easy you acclimatise to different situations, 3 degrees is kinda warm when your living in -3 most days!
So coming from Sydney where the only snow we see is on a small patch of hill down south and even then it rarely falls from the sky... you could imagine my excitement when the first snow fell in new york this year. It was a saturday night in early december and the social butterfly that i am, i had two arrangements on that night, one not to far from my home and the other on the upper east side. So i left the first party and jumped on the subway heading up town. Due to my mild dislexia i jumped off the train at 72nd street only to realise i was supposed to be at 82nd street. On a normal night this would have been fine, a bit of excercise never goes astray, but as i exited the subway station i felt drops of something on my face, i look up and its snowing! it was really magical... i was alone on the quiet streets of the upper east side, walking as fluffy drops of snow fell all around me.. so how was i supposed to get ten blocks away in the snow... i walked... it was kind of like a little bit of fate... it was such a beautiful time that if i had stayed on the train an extra stop i would have missed! I had no umbrella (not that they really work in the snow as it floats sideways) and no hood on my jacket, but off i trudged past the men selling christmas trees on the side of the road, and the old ladies squabbling back to there majestic upper east side homes, trying to dodge snow falling on their fur coats... it was really one of the nicest nights in the city so far. So I finally got to the second event, totally wet from snow, but having experienced a great feeling getting there.... sadly the next day i had a lovely cough, sneeze and runny nose from getting so wet but it was worth it :)
Yes its winter in new york, and unlike the 10 - 15 degrees it may get to in sydney, here in new york the temperature over the past month has fluctuated from about 3 degrees to -3 .... a lovely range... ive learnt that rain means a warm day and a blue sky means freezing... strange how that is, but its true. Its amazing how easy you acclimatise to different situations, 3 degrees is kinda warm when your living in -3 most days!
So coming from Sydney where the only snow we see is on a small patch of hill down south and even then it rarely falls from the sky... you could imagine my excitement when the first snow fell in new york this year. It was a saturday night in early december and the social butterfly that i am, i had two arrangements on that night, one not to far from my home and the other on the upper east side. So i left the first party and jumped on the subway heading up town. Due to my mild dislexia i jumped off the train at 72nd street only to realise i was supposed to be at 82nd street. On a normal night this would have been fine, a bit of excercise never goes astray, but as i exited the subway station i felt drops of something on my face, i look up and its snowing! it was really magical... i was alone on the quiet streets of the upper east side, walking as fluffy drops of snow fell all around me.. so how was i supposed to get ten blocks away in the snow... i walked... it was kind of like a little bit of fate... it was such a beautiful time that if i had stayed on the train an extra stop i would have missed! I had no umbrella (not that they really work in the snow as it floats sideways) and no hood on my jacket, but off i trudged past the men selling christmas trees on the side of the road, and the old ladies squabbling back to there majestic upper east side homes, trying to dodge snow falling on their fur coats... it was really one of the nicest nights in the city so far. So I finally got to the second event, totally wet from snow, but having experienced a great feeling getting there.... sadly the next day i had a lovely cough, sneeze and runny nose from getting so wet but it was worth it :)
Friday, December 5, 2008
the ugg.
americans are crazy for it... they cant get enough of them...every shoe shop window is full of them...the ugg store has queues stretching around the corner...people stop you in the street... do you know where the Ugg shop is? they find out you're australian and all they ask is 'do you have ugg's there? they talk to you in restaurants and brag about their ugg purse!
they have more ugg here in new york then in all of australia!!!
you can by so much ugg!! ugg wallets. ugg vests. ugg pencils. ugg pens. ugg scarves. ugg mittens. ugg bags. ugg beanies. ugg slippers. ugg boots. ugg massage shoes. ugg flip flops. ugg ear muffs. ugg sweaters. ugg trackies. ugg keyrings. ugg rugs. ugg mobile phone holders. ugg tea cosies. ugg bed throws.
don't they have sheep in this country?! they should make their own.
they have more ugg here in new york then in all of australia!!!
you can by so much ugg!! ugg wallets. ugg vests. ugg pencils. ugg pens. ugg scarves. ugg mittens. ugg bags. ugg beanies. ugg slippers. ugg boots. ugg massage shoes. ugg flip flops. ugg ear muffs. ugg sweaters. ugg trackies. ugg keyrings. ugg rugs. ugg mobile phone holders. ugg tea cosies. ugg bed throws.
don't they have sheep in this country?! they should make their own.
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