Happy New Year folks!

meesy and jussy
Originally uploaded by awgreen

It's 10.30am on the last day of the year, and I am one of maybe 20 people in the entire office today. Not sure that it will be a very productive day, but hell, if I look back on all that has happened this year then it seems to balance out.

We've had births and deaths in the family, new houses, new countries, new homes, new jobs, new friends...none of which I would have imagined this time last year.

So who know's what 2008 will bring?

If you're reading this then you're probably someone we miss dearly. Happy New Year and stay in touch :)

Back to the big city

diner
Originally uploaded by Meesy

Well Jus and I had a delightful time in out-of-this-world cute Vermont. You can see our photos. The train trip to Albany was a welcome rest, then we hired a car and drove to Tyson to stay at the Echo Lake Inn. Vermont is full of inns and BnBs: the whole state seems to be a tribute to wooden houses painted in pastels, red barns and the most pristine frozen lakes and wintery scapes. Just the antidote to NYC. We skiied for two days - long runs, icy crust but breathtaking views and empty trails - and bought the obligatory Vermont maple syrup. We didn't go to the Ben & Jerry's factory, which was just as well, as the whole four days was a carbaholic's festive dining frenzy.

Very homesick at the moment. Apparently this is the common 'six months in, get me out' blues. I would trade Flemo, Poska and a BBQ with friends and family in a heartbeat for this urban mecca right now.

NY Times vs CNN vs Fairfax readers

Interesting what makes the top 10 most read articles today.

Christmas greetings

Season's tidings from NYC. On Christmas Eve Jus and I will be en route to Vermont. We'll be wired up once we get there in the evening so schedule your Skype messages for Christmas eve night eastern time. We look forward to having a chat!

Happy holidays y'all. (that's recognising Christmas, Kwanzaa and Hannukah, which is the NY way.)

A New York moment

Strange experience today. Was on my way from Dunkin Donuts to the liquor store (ahem) and there was a guy outside the apartment block, covered in sweat, half slumped on the hood of a car, on the verge of passing out. I thought, 'ooh, looks like he's on some harsh drugs' and kept walking. Pedestrians were glancing at him and walking on, giving him wide berth.

I bought my wine and headed back home, and he was still on the car bonnet, his knees buckling and sweat streaming down his forehead. He was holding a bottle of Sunkist and trying to take sips. I gave him a look over and thought he looked in serious trouble -diabetic, heart attack, overdose flitted through my mind - and I decided to ask him if he was OK. I figured if he was tripping out he would just tell me to get lost.

He opened his eyes fleetingly and said, "No, I'm not and nobody will stop. Everyone thinks I'm a drug addict but I've had a seizure."

He mumbled how he was from Florida and had family in the Bronx and had been on the train and had a seizure and was on medication but hadn't had it since he flew from Florida. He was incoherent and kept closing his eyes and lolling forward. I was afraid he was going to collapse. I asked him where he was going, or if I could call someone for him. He fumbled for his phone and managed to open the contacts and pass it to me but he was too confused about who to call.

I asked him if he wanted to go to the hospital or if I should call an ambulance. He was unsure. 'What do you think?' he asked. I thought, well he can't work out who to call, he doesn't have his wits about him enough to instruct a taxi driver and the Bronx is far away, and he certainly couldn't get on the train. He couldn't stand up. I said "Give me your phone and I'll call an ambulance."

So I called 911 and waited with him while the ambulance stormed up 6th Ave. I asked him his name and told him help was on the way and it would be all right. The paramedics came and by this time he was more coherent and could keep his eyes open, and the sweat was gone. He chatted with them about his medication and I said 'good luck Eddie' and left them to it.

Lesson of the story: if you feel like blueberry donuts and red wine, go and get em.

Morality play quiz: how parsimonious are your morals? Someone at work sent me this quiz after I mentioned this incident at work. Tough questions to ask yourself.

This is London

Jus bought a stereo today and we hastily tuned in a bunch of radio stations. We've found that we aren't getting our regular fixes of news and new music without a TV and its current affairs and Rage equivalent.

The first radio station we hunted out though was BBC World Service, just to hear some modulated vowels and not the cheesy call sign jingles that are the staple of US radio. The BBC is a balm. We're going to see if we can stream Rad Nats (tha's Radio National in our household) from the web to the stereo via Bluetooth. Loving the variety of hiphop available though, and the lilting Spanish and Caribbean stations.

Movie Madness

Jus and I went down to our local megaplex last night to see No Country for Old Men, a Coen brothers movie about a Texan who stumbles across $2m from a drug deal gone wrong, the hit man sent to retrieve the dosh, and the sheriff who is overwhelmed by the whole mess. Not sure if I've seen a movie with a higher body count that wasn't about a war. Brilliant though, engrossing, chilling. Impressive right from Kelly Macdonald's (she's about as Scottish as you can get) flawless Texan accent (well at least to my Antipodean ears) to the score, to the relentless ending.

So after that joy-fest Jus and I wandered into the cinema foyer and noticed that I Am Legend was just starting and so we quietly slipped in. (You could spend all day in this cinema going from theatre to theatre without anyone noticing). Quick switch of genres to science fiction, virus-infested zombies and Will Smith being as charismatic as you can be when you're the last dude left on Earth.

I am a massive sci fi fan so it is super annoying (have lost the use of the word 'very' already as you can see) when they move from the sublime to the ridiculous and you can't suspend disbelief because of massive plot flaws. Like if the infected humans/zombies are so crazed how do they have the wits about them to keep zombie dogs? And if the zombies are so hungry why don't they eat the zombie dogs if they're happy to chow down on a raw deer? And if the zombie dogs are so rabid and aggressive why don't they eat the zombie people? And since when can humans leap like monkeys and scoot up poles like bears? They're not supernatural, they're just infected with some virus.

Anyway, after that lollapalooza of special FX transforming our actual neighbourhood into a dangerous wasteland (like the 80s!), absorbed from the front row mind you, I felt strangely vulnerable and paranoid walking home. The image here from the film is the actual cinema where we watched the movie, at Union Square. Jus and I agreed that if some virus ever gets hinted of breaking out in New York we will be on the first Qantas airbus home, because this place would disintegrate like a cookie.

Needles to say I had the craziest dreams: basically both films intertwined and produced a hellish night of Texan landscapes, zombies, killers, manikins and congested city streets.

I do not recommend this film combo as a double feature at the drive-in.

Oh, the headache

We had our work Christmas party last night. So, natch, today I feel disgusting, and keep having flashbacks of stupid dance moves.










The music was brilliant. We had an over zealous DJ who switched tracks every minute but he just kept the hits pumping.

The one benefit (oh there may be more) of living in the US is that they are not afraid to let the RnB and hip hop run wild and they embrace the old school with fervour.

So there was 100 people dancing to Bel Biv Devoe's Poison, Bobby Brown's My Prerogative and MC Hammer, and Britney's Toxic and Beyonce's everything. And I was in the middle thrashing my hair around loving it.

Juj-meister Jussie has been hard at work

Our little home is slowly taking shape. It's still pretty empty but that's what happens when you refuse to schlep to New Jersey to go to Ikea (instead we've bought secondhand Ikea from Craigslist. Now we're talking cheap, baby.)

What this really means is finally we can have people over to dinner and unleash Justin's cooking mastery on all of New York. Five months of dinner on our laps, be gone!

Like a good list?

I visited a blog recently, Filmoculous, where each year the writer collates all the 'top X for 2007' lists that proliferate in November and December. He has years of them. From 'top gay cars' to 'top 10 best hardcover literary fiction' and 'top sci-fi fashion clothing', he has everything covered.

You might find some Christmas present ideas if nothing else.

We're loving the Skype action

Spoke to the whole fam last week on mum's birthday bbq. Is great to be able to see everyone and have a chat!

I remember warmth

F1010007.jpg
Originally uploaded by Meesy

I had to resurrect this photo of me wandering around the Fitzroy River in the Kimberley, delirious with 40c heat, to remind myself, yes, you shall be warm again, you shall be warm again.

share and share alike

You'll be pleased to know that the invasion of US TV commercials in Australia is not entirely one way. There are two types of ads where Australian versions dominate NY tv, sometimes even un-dubbed: anti-smoking and road safety. Yep, Australia has set the benchmark for scary community service ads.

Winter officially starts next week

Luckily the days will also start to get longer next week. It's pitch dark at 4.30pm. Haven't seen the sun since last Sunday.

I think the excess of decorations is in direct correlation with the temperature and light. The colder and darker it gets the more you want to surround yourself with tinsel, shiny baubles and bright lights.

The weather descriptions continue to entertain. The forecast includes summaries like 'wintry mix', 'Snow, sleet and rain, some heavy; colder', and 'Wet snow in the a.m.; cloudy and windy'. Nice.

The New Yorker sold my subscription details

And you should see the crazy junk mail I now get. In a land of excess, as you can imagine, the junk mail knows no bounds.



Sure, I love getting mail from Bebe Neuwirth, but the million charities, crappy coupons and hassling for other subscriptions is turning me into the world's best recycler.

$1 an issue for The New Yorker though. Hard to be cranky for long.

Jus and I are addicted to the cartoon caption contest. We try and enter each week, though its a real test of brevity and lateral thinking. If we're ever a finalist you can be sure I'll be emailing everyone I know and their six month old babies to vote for us.

alvin ailey american dance theatre...

...was fabulous! Saw three pieces, The River, Flowers and Revelations, and they were incredibly diverse performances showcasing Ailey's choreographic talent and the versatility of the company.

I thought my usual musings when I watch professional dancers, "Why didn't I become a dancer? I love to dance. Oh my, their bodies are incredible. Surely that hurts. How do they balance for so long like that? Are they doing that barefoot?" and so on. So much admiration for what they make their bodies do.

You shell out for good seats and this was one of those times when it was worth every penny. Utterly thrilling. Goosebumps material. Standing ovation at the end.

email sign offs

A colleague mentioned this was one blog he visited regularly. I loved this post about email closing lines and what it all means.

She ends "But once in a while, it would be delightful if people applied the same sincerity to the last impressions that we do to first ones. "

I wonder where she would put my oft-used 'Toodles' ?

Winter weekend

This weekend was a powerhouse of activity. We roused ourselves from the tempting rut of eat/sleep/work/couch-based distractions, and got out into the city.

Saturday we went to the National Museum of the American Indian, which had an exhibition on the tribes from the Pacific North West. This was disappointing because we were expecting there to be a permanent exhibition that would give details about the people who lived in Manahatta, as it was called before the Dutch and English moved in. No permanent exhibits however, but an interesting way to kill an hour.


Then we hopped on the free ferry to Staten Island, which skirts the Statue of Liberty and is a pleasant 30 minute cruise. At Staten Island we were hoping to find a pub or some cosy-looking place for a cheap & cheerful lunch before getting back on the ferry, but there was nothing. I was shocked, because thousands of tourists make this ferry trip every week, and when you get off at the other end there is absolutely no lure to explore the place further. Someone needs to open a fish & chip joint, or a gourmet pizza place, a pub, anything, and the hordes would descend for the chance to dine while looking back at the skyscrapers of downtown Manhattan and Lady Liberty. So we did one lap of the crummy foreshore, dominated by a carpark, and returned to Manhattan. Two more boroughs to go then I've atleast been to all of New York City. Staten Island, tick.


Saturday night we stayed in and witnessed another parade stream past our window. This was a Hannukah parade, with cars with lit menorah on their rooves and camper vans blaring music, to celebrate the Festival of Lights. It was loud and short and seemed to be mostly teenagers waving and shouting out the wvan windows as their parents drove along. ("Menorah Mobiles" I've since heard them called.)

All the decorations across town have Xmas trees paired with menorah, and like Halloween, no place is undecorated. Even groovy Webster Hall, a nightclub and band venue where we saw Jose Gonzalez play last night, was decorated with wreaths, holly and stars. (Jose was awesome, BTW. He did a cover of Massive Attack's Teardrops, and Kylie's Put Your Hand on Your Heart, among all his hits. There seemed to be lots of Australians at the gig. Must have been that TV ad. Beautiful stage lighting with just him on a stool.)

Anyway, yesterday we went ice skating in Central Park. I hadn't skated for atleast 15 years and I was feeling quite hesitant about it all. But Jus pressured me onto the ice, and within a few clumsy rounds I felt quite confident that I wasn't going to slice off a finger or crack my coccyx, and all those weekends with dad & Jamie at Mirrabooka ice rink paid off. Its a divine thing to do on a cold day and it was so refreshing to be doing some sport out of doors. I think this could become a regular thing.
















The lakes in Central Park have started to freeze over and ice rescue ladders have been put up near each of them.


Apparently this is the time of year when the most tourists come to New York, which I find mind boggling, because in summer it was out of control. We walked the entire length of the park on Sunday (about 50 blocks) and it was full of tourists, and I didn't feel like a dweeb out on the ice because there were plenty of adult tourists giving it a try too.

The dip situation

Weird, but the US, or NYC atleast, is not having the love affair with dips that Australia is. Walk into Coles at home and there is a whole dip section, with every colour of the rainbow represented in a reliable Black Swan or Chris's Dips or Yumi's selection (I can't believe I can recall all those brands).

Here, there is hummus, and there might be 8 different varieties of hummus, but that's about it. And its expensive. $6 for 250g. And its tucked in a random fridge, usually next to the pasta sauces. Confusion.

This lack of dips is really putting a dint in our evening drinks & nibbles.

The hair

So several weeks ago I trooped off to a hair salon, Devachan, that a woman at work had recommended to me because they specialise in curly hair. Music to my ears.

I prepped by taking in pics of Halle Berry and Rihanna (!!!!), with various hair styles in mind. I thought perhaps I would entertain a straight look, just for the hell of it, because I was incredibly bored with having the same hair style since...forever.

I left the salon with the best hair cut I've ever had. In fact it was the happiest hairdressing experience I have ever had. I was thrilled with how my hair looked. And how does it look? Well pretty much the same as it ever did. But for the right reasons.

So my 'consultant', Richard, quickly dispelled any notion of straightening. I have fine hair,thin hair and basically if it wasn't curly I'd be one of those people constantly trying to create volume and body. My fine hair would come out of the straightening process in bad shape, and probably change colour, get split ends, break or fall out, Richard informed me. I pointed to a gorgeous woman on the other side of the salon with tumbling loose curls down her back, "Can I have hair like that?" Richard pursed his lips, "She has a lot more hair than you honey." "What about that?" "Honey you should just buy a wig and do that on weekends."

Ok, so no straight hair, and maybe, if I treat my hair properly for about a year, then maybe I can relax the curl somewhat and have a looser, longer style, a la Ms Berry. No promises from Richard. By this stage of the appointment I didn't care because I was just enjoying being in a hair salon full of women with curls and waves: Jewish princesses, blondes with kinky manes, afros, Meg Ryan waves, ringlets, spiral curls and everything in between. And all the women were walking around in their robes looking blissed out.

For the first time the hairdresser didn't attempt to comb out or brush my hair. They use their fingers, when your hair is wet and loaded with conditioner, to gently detangle. Hooray! That's how I do it at home, (except with a comb). They suggested I never use a comb again: far less hair comes out or breaks if you avoid the comb. They also skipped the shampoo and suggested I never use shampoo again because its ridiculously stripping and drying, and the conditioner does all the cleaning that your scalp needs. My head was spinning. They smothered my saturated hair in gel - heavy, clear, non-sticky gel specially made for curly styles- and plonked me under the diffusion dryer.

While sitting there I read a book that the salon owner had published, called Curly Girl - The Handbook. The book laments the pressure some women feel to blow dry their waves and curls out of existence, feeling that their curls are unprofessional and unsophisticated and living in a constant state of frizz fear. It goes on to explain how to properly cut and care for curly and wavy hair so that they look their best, and not out of control. Finally, someone who understands! Empowerment of curly/wavy-headed people everywhere! I was elated.

So, I haven't shampooed my hair for weeks, and no I am not plagued with dandruff or stinky. I have tossed out all my shine serums and fibre gums and parked my comb in the back of the cupboard. Now I just detangle with my fingers, add the gel while its still dripping wet and heavy, and the hair is loving it!

I can't recommend the salon enough, or the book. The salon was packed, and I imagine opening a curly hair specialist salon in Melbourne would be solid business proposition. Maybe when I get back...

then Noushy got in on the action

Are you getting the picture, my peeps? Skype is awesome. 12 month olds can use it, its so easy.

And doesn't Anoushka look superb in the beads?

You too can have your face plastered here.

Thanks Cbeecio! You made my day :)

Yay, CC gots the Skype

Get Skype and enjoy chatting with yours truly and the better half, a la CC. Hours of family fun. The hilarity will ensue.
The decision is ultimately with you.

Japanese, snow, prank

but those Japanese game shows really know how to mess with people. Funnnnyyy.

Random imagery

Crocs have been made into boots, so the ugly shoes can continue to be worn in winter!
In Hoboken.
George = double dipping.
The Treats Truck. yummy things, different every day, roaming the city. yay!

It's snowing!

Slept late this Sunday morning and tentatively reached for the iPhone to check the time and weather when I woke up. 10am. -5c.

Crikey! I remembered that it was forecast to snow and so got just enough of my body out of bed to open the venetian blinds to reveal... a sky full of swirling white snow.

Jus was awake and up so fast that the neighbours got an eye full of something spectacular.

Porridge with cinnamon and maple syrup for brekky this morning, then wrapping up in coat, scarf, gloves and hat to do our Christmas shopping.

Celebrity sighting #23

Cameron Diaz, in The Bowery Hotel lobby having a drinkie poo & bite to eat with someone. Jus and I were in there having Friday knock off drinks and spied her as we were leaving. She looked all big eyes and smiles - lovely.