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2008-04-14T10:39:00.000-07:00

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2008-04-14T10:38:00.001-07:00

So I've been absent for a while do to many many things, but I have been working hard on this Radiohead contest which basically means I would win the chance to not only make the video, but $10,000 as well. A lot of the competition relies on votes - so I need you to go to my video and vote! It does requiring signing up, but that takes a whole 2 minutes AND you don't even get spam email.

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Watch and enjoy!

Ho Ho Ho

2007-12-22T07:32:00.000-08:00

Wow it sure has been a while since I last posted, sometime after Halloween. But since then I have been a very busy girl. Not only has it been the holiday season (Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up on Tuesday) I have been working on a lot of various projects. Two film projects, one starring the gorgeous Isabella Rossellini called Green Porno, which were five short one minute films about insects and their mating habits (these will be going up on the Sundance channel website sometime in the new year) and the second film project was a short film by my friend Pat which I art directed. Both were amazing experiences and are making me so excited about the filmmaking process. Pat's film still has some special effects to be shot however it is already looking so beautiful. I also got started on a paid internship with a company called Little Emperor who are a bunch of guys who wanted to make a cartoon series for kids with China being the central theme (and teaching Chinese). And in under a year they have got 2 episodes finished, an awesome achievement for people who have never done this before. I am fixing up the animation that comes from the Philippines. And finally, yesterday I started a second internship at Frederator Studios. I'm working for a guy called Dan Meth, he creates a series called the Meth Minute 39 which has become super popular on the web. He realy loved what I did yesterday so now I'm painting all his backgrounds for one of the upcoming films. Whilst it's an unpaid internship it is a great experience and I just love being in an animation studio. It's fun being surrounded by geeks again!
We also had Thanksgiving amongst all of that and had a fun time with friends. The parade was great, HUGE balloons and MILLIONS of people. It has also snowed a couple of times (once it was a pretty, romantic snow...the others a horrible mixture of rain and snow which creates a grey slush which is far from romantic) but despite the lack of snow it still remains cold and windy. I'm getting used to the fact that you have to add on dressing time to every departure as it takes a good five minutes just to put all the layers on to head outdoors. Jess has been having fun here, shopping it up and helping me on set with Pat's film. It's great having her here to show around and do touristy stuff with. The first week was little rocky as we both came down with he stomach flu, but now we are both well again we're exploring the city with gusto (I guess).

Thanksgiving Day Parade and FOOOOD!

The art department on Green Porno

Names in snow

My art department on Girl Grooming, with director Pat

Jess wasn't too sure about the Met after this...

Jess and a dog walker in the park and a view of 5th Ave

When on earth is 7 degrees celsius a HIGH? yes another complaint about the cold

2007-11-07T09:49:00.000-08:00

I will get used to the weather, but this is my first time living through a real winter, so I'm afraid the complaints are going to take a while to die out. Fortunately my heating has kicked and is awesome unless someone downstairs is having a fit and starts to beat up the heating system...so far that has only happened once, though it was at 6 in the morning, so I was a bit peeved.

As for life, I've just been going on with things as normally as I can. I'm still working on various freelance jobs and looking for a staff job. However there is a possibility I will be working on creating a web series soon, so thats pretty awesome. I've been going to galleries and eating in cool places, vegetarian restaurants here are simply amazing. There's even a guy down the street, he's a vendor (cooks all food on a trolley) and makes the most delicious vegan indian meals. He has lines of people every day. Some waiting almost an hour for his food. The funniest part is that he needs to have a guy sit in his ute across the road so that it wont get towed...my first trip to the dosa man saw that he was breaking in a new car sitter and was having a couple problems as the kid wasnt sure what exactly he had to do...amusing to me as I had ordered my food in advance...not amusing to the others who were waiting in line. Awesome food though...definitely a must do NYC experience.

And yes, Halloween was upon us last week...and boy was it crazy town here! Especially in the village. The most elaborate costumes could be found on people willing to spend 100s of dollars for one evening. The annual parade went past a few blocks from my home so a friend and I waited a couple hours to see the fanatics do the walk. Some of the 'exhibits' were stunning, large puppets navigating the street, costumed people on stilts and cool scary floats. I've never had a halloween experience quite like this one. After the parade people just filled the city, filtering out to different areas walking around in their costumes. I didn't feel too sorry for the many girls who chose to be "sexy red riding hood" or "sexy alice in wonderland" firstly their costumes were store bought, secondly it was freezing and their own fault not to wear tights. The pics of me are from a party the weekend before Halloween...I also stole some pics off facebook to show!

Everyone tells me this cool weather is nothing..but I'm from Queensland dammit!

2007-10-15T16:07:00.000-07:00

Well the autumn weather has hit the city and I'm feeling the cold! It will be interesting to see how I fair come Christmas. I am however looking forward to it snowing here. I think that will be quite novel.

But enough about the weather. This week has been a fun one. I have been doing a lot of sight seeing with Tracey before she leaves on Wednesday, so we have been uptown to the MOMA, dined all over the town, been to Harlem for a church service, gone skating at Rockefeller centre and scaled the Empire State Building.

Harlem was awesome. Finally I got to see the Shout! trombone band Irene had been telling me about since I met her two years ago. We've tried to see them twice but always arrived too late, so this time we weren't going to miss out. This time we arrived early and sat through a long service which in itself was extremely interesting as church in Harlem is not the same as church in an all girls private school! And then the music started and it was amazing. There were at least 12 trombones, a sousaphone, baritone and about 3 percussionists. The sound these guys achieved was phenomenal. Had I been brought up in a church like that I'd be a very different person where it comes to religious views! A must see for any brass musician.

moma views

skating fun

city views from the 86th floor

A date with lady Liberty

2007-10-09T15:47:00.000-07:00

Well it's about time I blogged about something stereotypically New York. Today Tracey and I made the trip to the Financial District, all the way down the bottom of Manhattan to see the lovely Miss Liberty. It was an unfortunate overcast and windy day however the benefit there was that it deterred most sight-seers and left us with room to move. Feeling peckish, we decided to head through Battery Park past the many men pretending to be the Statue of Liberty for photo opportunities, and into the world of business. And what did we stumble open as we drew close to the statue of the charging bull...a television set. I noticed that there were many director's style chairs with names printed on the back. The first one I see...I have no idea who it is, then scanning across I see "Vincent D'Onofrio". Immediately I look at the guy in the chair (well where else would I look first?) but alas, someone else was sitting in his chair...And then Tracey spots him with an excited squeal from both of us. So I made the use of my zoom lens today and snapped my very first "star spotting" pictures. We watched them film a scene and then headed to TGI Friday's for lunch. Fried food anyone? Vincent, a bite to eat?!

Then off to the Statue of Liberty as she had been patiently waiting for our arrival. Through crossed communications we managed to miss out on Ellis Island (something I recommend everyone see) but got to Liberty Island with plenty of time to spend wandering. Thanks to the wind though, this wasn't exactly enjoyable so we took our photos and left.

I also have realised that most people American perceptions of Australia have been shaped and influenced by that one episode of The Simpsons. Lucky for us, we are simple minded folk.

Battery Park

Cue excited squeals

Bcause you need MORE than one man in a liberty costume

Geeky cool...I couldn't resist

Sometimes you just get lucky

2007-10-02T20:15:00.000-07:00

The last couple weeks I have gotten quite lucky. In my working life of course. Lots has been happening as I find myself meandering through uncharted waters of my new existence here. We finished filming on Saturday after a great week on set, and I have also had many other opportunities fall into my lap. Dog walking prospects, an animation interview and future art department work are all on the table for me.

Moving is quite a scary thing. You uproot yourself to start a completely new life, make completely new friends and commit yourself to gym memberships and newspaper subscriptions. What's even scarier is the feeling that all this has happened and you're actually living in this new life. Today I took my first walk by myself through town in a long time. I started thinking about how nervous and homesick I was when I did similar walks just over 2 months ago. Today's walk was completely different, not only did I have the purpose of buying home wares, but it felt like any other walk one takes in their daily life...it felt normal. And that is one scary feeling. Not a bad scary, a good scary...but scary nonetheless. It is definitely one of those weird feelings.

So when I got home I decided to decorate my apartment...I'm slowly getting the things I need, and some things that just look cool. So I thought I would finally share with you pictures of my apartment (au naturale) and will add some pictures of the area soon.

My hallway...

my front door, apartment A

Living room with new funky space invaders stickers (one of the "just looks cool" addition)

Kitchen area...taken from the couch

Bathroom with more funky cool sticker art

Bedroom...flowers from Richard :p

Living in Manhattan...working in Brooklyn...

2007-09-23T13:37:00.000-07:00

Yes, it seems I am doing things a little backwards at the moment. Today is the first day in the last week that I haven't traveled the 40 minute journey out to Bushwick to work on set. I have been loving this week though. It's been so busy and so tiring, but it's great. I've been making friends with a production designer who does a lot of work here and actually gets paid to be a creative (bonus points there!) as well as learning a lot about the production of set building. It's a lot of fun to see something come out of nothing. We start shooting on Tuesday, so finally it's all coming together.

Apart from working, I've just been living the Manhattan life, but putting a little aussie into it. Last night as I was dead tired from a long day (it was a Saturday night mind you) I popped over the road to the convenience store for a snack. I had my thongs, yoga comfy pants and daggy tshirt on, surrounded by people dressed to the nines for a big night out buying their grog. I was amused as I waited in line with my sprite and black and white cookie. It's a little different when you live in an 'entertainment district' where it's go go go all the time...to me this is just my home now. But the positive side to this area is the fact that there is everything you need within grasp. Laundromat two doors down, hairdresser next to that, two convenience stores within a block, two drug stores and two art supplies stores within two blocks. Not to mention the amount of restaurants just down the next street.

I thought the foodworks across the road in my East Brisbane home was spectacular...this is just too much!

I endeavour to take photos of home and the area after filming this week...so I'll post them up and show you just how lucky I got. Until then, some photos of the set, my work and my new haircut.

This is what started it all...

Filmmaking in brooklyn...

My contribution to some of the set...mmmm cupcakes...and uhh...pugs

Daisy got bangs!

Enormous Buddha's, tiny apartments...it's all about size in New York

2007-09-13T19:03:00.000-07:00

Well I admit to being absent for a lot long than usual from my blog. Apologies all round. I've been a bit sick (for some reason it keeps coming back) and thus have been down and homesick, so I have learnt not to write in this state as it is more negative than anything else. I am on my way to feeling better and joined a gym yesterday so I'm getting more positive about my new life here in NY.

Not much has happened in terms of excitement over the last couple weeks. I went to a fantastic restaurant called Tao with my friends for a going away affair. It had this enormous buddha situated in the back of the restaurant. We managed to get the best table right in front of the buddha which was cool. The food was great as was the company. Throughout the week following I worked on more concept art and storyboards for Sean's short film and started writing a storyline for the music video. I also finally managed to finish my hand-out folio and make it look the way I want it to without costing me a lot. So tomorrow after a production meeting I'm going to start handing them out (and no, it wont be to random people on the street). Last Saturday was Sean's birthday so a few of us went out to dinner and then onto karaoke. We all got sloshed (my grandparents read this, so I'm keeping my language in order) and sang the night away.

This week I have helped prime walls at the set in Brooklyn. As well as meet my superintendent who naturally has some foreign accent and makes weird sarcastic jokes. Tracey and I moved the couches out onto the street so now we have a wonderful futon in the living room. I'll post photos of the apartment up once everything is in order...it's still a huge mess.

Anyway I thought since my daily activity has been fairly mundane, I'd talk about something not many people would think about. Moving to another country. The little things. Australia and United States are first world countries...very similar in terms of way of life, ideals and politics. Most people I know would never consider visiting the US simply because they believe it is the same as home. Yet moving to this country makes me realise there are so many differences. Nothing huge. There's no culture shock like one would get when moving to India or Norway, people here speak the same language (mostly...so many people don't understand me at all) and the people are pretty similar. It is those little things though that make you realise you are no where near your comfort zone. It is the grocery shopping. It takes so long because I don't know the brands or where everything is. Getting new furniture (actually new is easy, most places deliver it is second hand that's difficult) without the use of a car is next to impossible unless you have friends who have a car and aren't in the midst of producing short films. For the record I'm going to be walking down 6th avenue with pieces of my new desk on Saturday.

Just a couple things, but they are things that really make a difference. But it is all getting easier and the weather is suddenly cooler. I've never lived anywhere that you can actually tell the difference in seasons. It's perfect just now...and it's only going to get colder!

Oh for loads more photos, I have been adding them to my facebook page. Just search my name. Very few photos for the blog this week since I haven't been out to take many... promise I'll try harder.

A view from my roof...oh what's that? Just the Empire State Building

A big Buddha and the best table in the house...with a lot of floating rose petals

Sullivan and Bleeker...my street corner (a request from my dad :P)

It's all about history, sex and shakespeare in the city

2007-09-02T07:24:00.000-07:00

It has been a VERY busy week for me this week. I have finished summer by saying a teary goodbye to my good friends after an awesome few days of site seeing, getting tickets to the famed Shakespeare in the park and moving house. I'll write a separate blog on the moving after I've settled i in. But I am writing from my new bed in me very own bedroom in Greenwich Village. Yes, super cool I know.

Well after I left off last time the girls and I had planned a day relaxing and walking around Central Park. So Tracey, Lily and I made our ways up to 103rd to meet the girls. We wandered around and found a nice spot behind the Met to have a picnic lunch (I have recently discovered the joys of "fake steak" strips. Mmm mmmm they are delish! Lily kept guard and despite her constant barking at passing squirrels she made lots of friends with the kids in the park. So we took it easy that day. It was fun to sit in the sun and chat with your girlfriends...I really appreciated the day since there were only two left for me to have them there. That evening I met a new friend of mine who is also new to the city and we explored the west village and west side of Manhattan. There were gorgeous views of Hoboken or Jersey City (not sure which one) across the river. I never expected to come to NYC and find myself walking down a boardwalk along a river and find it to be beautiful. But it was lovely. We then ended up in my new 'hood and went to a cool bar called The Bitter End and saw a number of performances. It was a fun chilled out day altogether.

The next day was a lot more jam-packed than our day in Central Park. Alicia, Tracey and I planned a morning trip to the Museum of Natural History on the Upper West Side. We had a free guided tour (so worth it, anyone who goes should do one) and spent a few hours wandering around checking out the amazing exhibits. I managed to find The Squid and the Whale...an exhibit I had always heard about (and there's a movie named after it) but had never found. Alicia and I had fun making faces for the camera. Her camera had filled up so I became her personal photographer. It was fun to actually have people in my photos! So after a long morning of walking w found lunch at a Starbucks and then made our way to midtown east to meet Courtney and Alaina for the Sex and the City Tour. I was so excited. Plus I had to BS my way to getting extra tickets as they had sold out quickly...but we did it and all five of us managed to hit the bus. The tour takes you to all the different shooting locations of the show and lets you off at some of them to walk around and get a feel for the place. We got given cupcakes, the option to buy the infamous "rabbit" at a reduced price and mini cosmos at the end of the trip. Then it ended and we had to say goodbye. I did very well not to end up in tears...though I was almost there. It was quite sad to realise I wont see Courtney til December, and Alicia til sometime next year. But thats the way it goes. That evening I went to a party with my new friends in midtown. It was a going away party for one of the girls and she made a beautiful video of everyone. Though it made me even sadder as it reminded me of my going away. I was quite emotional that evening and went home a soon as I could.

The next morning I was woken up early by Irene getting ready to line up for tickets for Shakespeare in the Park. Then I remembered I'd told her the night before I would join her. So I dragged myself out of bed. Donned my comfy I HEART NY tshirt and sneakers and picked up Lily and left. We were there to wait until 1 pm when the tickets got handed out. So it was 4 and a half hours of waiting. But it was worth it...the show was amazing. Unfortunately I was so tired I was trying to stay awake. But the production was really awesome (for something you see for free!) the costumes, lighting and the fact that we were in the middle of Central Park just made the evening so special.

The next day I moved...but more on that later! I have a lot of photos to show...

Central Park views

A cool old pier

I loved the Museum of Natural History

Courtney and I with the infamous Rabbit

Mmmmm mmmmmmmm...cupakes

On Carrie's Stoop

A part of the line behind us waiting for Shakespeare tickets

Beware of the crazy people, it is a full moon in a big city!

2007-08-28T19:02:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to write a lot today as I have quite a number of photos to post, plus it is late and I'm exhausted. I have had a few emotional days as well as physically exhausting days. Yesterday I went to Central Park to clear my head with Tracey and Lily. Lily was gorgeous as you could tell she knew that part of town! She moved like a crazy little thing. It was fun. We walked all over the place...Central Park becomes a sort of "woodlands" in one area and a beautiful open lake in another and then a huge lawn for baseball games. It truly is an amazing place. And it was so wonderful to walk a dog through the park...one of my many many dreams fulfilled. Whilst it wasn't my own puppy it was still fun. Last night I finally got to see Courtney, Alicia and Alaina. It was really wonderful, but also quite surreal to see the girls I went to high school with in the Big Apple. It is a bizarre mixture of feelings to see them and feel great, but also know they will only be here for a short few days and then feel sad about that, almost pre-empting their leave. Oh it's a funny thing I'm doing isn't it?!

But anyway, we walked through Times Square, got some yummylicious Tasty D-lite and then finished our trip at Rockefeller Centre, passing by Radio City Music Hall where Hillary Duff was performing a sell-out concerts. Alicia and I tried to get in the background of a filming of some sportscasters however I don't think we succeeded. We also tried to get a lift in one of the many limos back to our respective homes however somehow think that also wouldn't work!

Today we met at the early hour of 10am (YES I have become a New Yorker and stay up late and sleep in late!) to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, which was simply gorgeous...the views were beautiful. Brooklyn Heights is a gorgeous place, very leafy with beautiful brownstone buildings. It did take a while to find a bathroom though! We walked for ages to find somewhere that would allow us to use theirs without sitting down for a meal. However in New York that is very normal...NEVER drink too much if you're heading out for a day trip and not too sure of where you are going, cause you'll be walking with a full bladder for a long time! After managing to find a restroom we walked to DUMBO, Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass, it's a funky industrial area right on the water.

From there we travelled back to Manhattan, walked through SOHO and down to Canal street and Chinatown. Lots of Dolce and Gabanna knock off bags and sunnies. Courtney was a natural at bargaining and loved it! Though there were so many people shopping and so many people trying to make us buy stuff...especially short old asian people with laminated catalogue's of bags they were not allowed to show in store...they would come up to us all secretive and ask if we like. I left with Alicia to take her back uptown as she wasn't feeling the best and found out there was apparently a raid on these illegal bags...crazy things happen when it's a full moon.

So much for not writing a lot! I'm going to add photos and go now...

View of Midtown from Central Park

Little Lily...awwww

Various pics from Central Park

Not sure what, but something was happening around Strawberry Fields!

First at MM's World, then to Hershey's across the road

Radio City Music Hall

Views from the Brooklyn Bridge

Near DUMBO, this was under Brooklyn Bridge...the lighthouse looking place is an ice cream shop! Alicia and Alaina are taking a well deserved rest.

Imagine me, pulling a little dog down the street in the pouring rain

2007-08-26T18:36:00.000-07:00

So it has been a week since my last post. To be honest I haven't been super exciting as I've been working quite hard on some storyboards for the short film "Cupcake". So I've been busy busy busy in the apartment with the air con pumping. Though the beginning of the week was actually quite cool...especially by Queensland standards! Plus it was wet. And this city really cant handle even a small amount of rain. So again we had flooded basements, streets covered in water and me walking (rather dragging) little Lily down the street to do her business. Fun times though!

I am having fun meeting lots of new people, eating at cool new places, and randomly staying out til all hours of the night. I figure when you don't have a job, you can do stuff like that every now and then. I did have a job interview on Thursday for my favourite store to work as a part time retail assistant and am waiting to hear back from that. Just like apartment hunting, getting a job here is extremely competitive. As with American Apparel (which incidentally I was offered full a time position but turned down as I only wanted part time) to get this position I would need to go through two separate interviews. This first one was a group interview and you have to jump in so quickly or you wont be heard, as Americans LOVE to talk! Plus I had to undertake an "online survey" which really was a disguised psychology quiz. All this so I can sell clothes. Good ones though, it is my favourite store after all.

I also went along to a Dapple Cities gig in Brooklyn. The band were great though Tim did give us the wrong time and we only made it to half the gig...but the bar it was in was sweet. Upstairs it had two bocci ball alleys and gorgeous furniture, downstairs it was a groovy quirky performance area with weird random portraits on the walls, a bookcase unit full of crazy items, like a stuffed two-headed chicken, a big foot print and some sort of dinosaur claw. Strange things to find at a bar, but they certainly kept us intrigued.

In one week I move to my new place. It's very exciting. Tonight Courtney, Alicia and Alaina (high school friends) arrived in the city and we are going to have some fun! So my next post should be a lot more interesting a juicy!

Tracey took these of a cool car in our street

The view tonight from the rooftop...The Empire State Building is all done up

You cant get a coffee til 10 in the village...so stay in bed

2007-08-19T17:41:00.000-07:00

The village is a place for creatives. People like me who work into the wee hours of the morning bending to their creative will. So good luck if you happen to find yourself out and about before the early hour of 10am, because there is nothing open. Except maybe the 24 hour supermarket and pizza deli. Well my week has been quite busy and exhausting. Unfortunately I have come down with some sort of chesty cold so have been a little down, but cheery at the same time as I managed to finally find a place to live for the next 5 months. And it is in a wonderful place. It is in Greenwich Village, just a little west from where I am now. One block away is the Wha? Cafe where Jimi Hendrix played his first gig. 2 blocks away is the beautiful Washington Square Park. My place is sandwiched between a vegan cafe and a bong shop. It is a small one bedroom on the ground floor (so no five flights of stairs to scale everyday!) It is lovely.

During the week I have encountered a hoard of Dominican Republicans, it was Dominican Republic Day and there was a massive parade going on down 6th Ave near Times Square. Tracey had just arrived so I thought it would be great to take her out to Times Square for her first day in NYC. I did not, however, know that this parade would be going on as we were greeted by a sea of latinos wearing red white and blue and making a lot of noise. It was incredible. It took us a very long while to navigate the crowds to make our way to Times Square. And once we got there, it wasn't any better as the crowds were just as bad! There are so many good things about visiting New York in the summer however the crowds can be a big con. But if you can handle those, the immense number of free concerts, summer days in the park and trips to Coney Island make up for the people.

We also ended up in an office in Brooklyn, aiming to get a deposit back from a broker I had decided I didn't want to deal with. The office was in an old, run down building with no signage and was barely accessible. I'm so glad I decided not to go with them! It's strange how so many things here can be just a little bit dodgy.

I also realised that I got lucky with the dogsitting gig. I met a lady yesterday who was dogsitting a "wiener" dog and had a dog-stroller to take the dog out daily. Yes you read this correctly, she had to take the dog out in a powder-blue pram. Man am I lucky...Lily just doesn't like to go out in the rain and she loves to bark at the telly.

Dominican Republic Day

Our detour took us to the famous public library...Ghostbusters anyone?

Lily is obsessed with these little beasts...they're so cute

Cool building near Spring St, SOHO

Washington Square Park, just 2 blocks form where I'm going to be living

Brooklyn Bridge, a storm was coming in

Shots in the dark from a walk through the financial district with Dappled Cities Fly (Tim's band)

The subway stations have gorgeous signage and mosaics

Today there was a market along 6th Ave between 14 and 23rd streets...cheap food and stuff. I got a memory foam pillow for 10 bucks!

Coney Island - physically it's not an island but it's definitely a place all on it's own

2007-08-13T21:36:00.000-07:00

I'm going to let my many pictures tell my stories this time. It's 12.30am and I should be getting to bed but I wanted to post a blog. My last few days have been fairly eventful. I have fended off the advances of potential landlords, sung karaoke in the depths of an underground japanese bar, visited the strange and wonderful land of known as Coney Island and finding myself in a rockabilly bar with a mexican tattoo artist from queens. It's been a roller coaster (for a few minutes of the last few days, it literally was a roller coaster).

Coney Island was so cool. It is exactly the way you imagine the place to be should you have seen even the tiniest glimpse on TV. A haven to freak shows and ancient rides, the place is the holiday getaway trip for the whole family. The Cyclone is the famous roller coast there. It's having it's 80th birthday this year so we needed to celebrate it. And it was both the most fun but scariest ride I have ridden ever. I do believe the carriage lifted off the tracks at more than one point. Talk about an adrenalin rush. We also rode the wonder wheel which was bought by a street cleaner in the 1920's who saved up all life savings to buy the wheel for his wife as an anniversary gift. It made the ride so much more special to hear that.

Ok, photo time...more stories later! The first two are from a train station in Brooklyn. The rest are Coney.

If you plan to shop 5th Ave, don't wear your flip flops

2007-08-09T19:11:00.000-07:00

Poor Courtney and I got some interesting looks as we cruised the 5th avenue shopping yesterday. That side of town is a completely other world. Starting at Saks, we moved on through Cartier, Tiffany's (yes, the real one!), Gucci, Versace, and we finished with a visit to Trump Tower. I was hoping that the door man might make an exception and open those middle doors for Courtney and I however it that is reserved for Mister Trump and Mister Trump only. Imagine if that was your job, to be standing (in full uniform - full suit, hat and gloves) and waiting for that moment Donald decides to go into that building, and open the door for him. Crazy I say!

Well I realised I hadn't posted for a while as I have actually been keeping myself busy. So I thought I'd share some of my experiences. I haven't been doing too much sight seeing, with the exception of going out with Courtney yesterday. I have been focusing on my portfolio presentation and looking for an apartment. That and taking care of young Lilly here.

It's definitely a different experience when you start walking a dog. People will stop and say hello and pat the dog. It's a great social thing as when you walk on your own, the only people who stop you in the street are asking for money or something else I'd rather not discuss...neither of which are very appealing! So having Lilly to take to the park is great. Though she's a weird little dog. It's difficult to watch television as anytime an animal is on screen you get ear piercing barks then a lot of stressed pacing around the room.

The city flooded the other night. Basements were filled with water and subways came to a sluggish crawl. All thanks to some tornado. It's strange that such a huge city has very little infrastructure to deal with flooding. I guess it's hard since it's so flat however the city just about stopped. Traffic piled up and the subways got jam packed...if they came at all. That and the lack of information astounded me. But we managed to get where we needed to get and it all worked out fine. Though I noticed today that a few shops and restaurants had to close down for a few days to deal with flooded basements. Restaurants have their kitchens/supply rooms in the basements of buildings so flooding is probably one of the worst things that could happen to them. Actually it's quite cool to see the basements of these places. Along the sidewalks there are these metal trap door-like doors on the ground. These open up for conveyor belts to load food and supplies intot he kitchen/stock rooms.

Anyway I'll leave you with some photos...I have gotten into a bad habit of leaving my camera at home so they're all from my mobile...and mostly all of food. Yes it is all about the lavish food I see here. Plus Trump Tower and and accidental spotting of the Chrysler building.

I'm a dogsitter in New York...

2007-08-05T15:22:00.000-07:00

Right now I can see two little girls lie on the floor in front of me having an afternoon nap. Sake is going home to her mum today as Lilly arrived this afternoon. They're handbag dogs, perfect for New Yorkers who have a certain lifestyle. Lilly barks at dogs on TV, I've never seen that before. For a handbag dog, she's a gutsy little thing. So there I was this afternoon, walking down East 4th Street with two small dogs at my side...well actually one was pulling me in front, the other being dragged from behind. But still, I looked like a New Yorker.

Well, I haven't been doing anything extremely exciting the past couple days. A couple around my age from Sydney stayed a few nights as they are on a band tour throughout the states, so I relished the fact I had company my age to hang out with. It's funny how in these circumstances you bond instantly with others who know what you are going through. Madeline and I got along extremely well as we took a day to wander the city, visit Saks 5th Ave (very swanky!) and go to the Museum of Modern Art. On Friday afternoons the MOMA is free so it is very popular and the lineup is akin to something you would expect at Disneyland. Inside it was just as crazy. To view anything seen as remotely popular meant you had to deal with pushing through a wall of people to get a glimpse. It was funny in case as I went to find A Starry Night (Van Gogh) and naturally this was one of those popular images, yet people crowded around this one and paid absolutely no attention to the other Van Gogh (equally as beautiful). This seemed to be another case where the heat was too much and the masses sought out air con and free activities. Though it was a great thing to do on a Friday evening. I came home and chilled out for a while, getting into some painting. It's good to have the time to get creative.

Yesterday I hung out with the others before they left and then went off to have lunch with the director of some short films I'm hoping to get some art department experience on. It was great to meet a local and chat and people watch. So the great thing is I'll get some storyboarding out of this and some design work plus it's great networking.

New York is THE place for people watching. New Yorkers seem to love it themselves. Restaurants are especially good at catering for this hobby. Large windows or "terrace" settings are very popular in summer. The East Village is particularly great for this. The type of people roaming the streets on the weekend is quite varied. Young kids not having a clue what to do, homeless people saying hello to you as you eat, old ladies with fold-up chairs sitting down on the side walk to have a smoke and watch people herself. It's certainly a happening place to be.

The MOMA was a great space

Art, bikini's and lovers in the park

2007-08-01T16:53:00.000-07:00

Then sun came out in full today. It was a gorgeous day. Hardly a cloud in the sky. So it was a perfect day for me to head to Central Park and work on getting some faint signs of a tan. I also decided it was a good time to make my way up to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. My parents had given me membership to the museum as a gift, so I'm able to go for free as much as I like for the next year. So I hopped on the subway and head to the Upper East Side. A land when numbers are spelt in fancy cursive script on the sides of buildings, and doormen have to suffer in suits, hats and gloves, forever bound to open doors. It's interesting how diverse the districts within Manhattan alone. Unfortunately I couldn't it my camera in my bag, so I will have to make another trip up there for some nice pics. Park Ave shows off some great views of lower Manhattan. I made my way to the Met and discovered that it is still under construction (3 years running now) however it was popular as ever. I believe most of the attraction was the cool air conditioning within. But then I can be an art snob and get frustrated when viewers don't understand the artist and their history. You can tell the "tourists" from the art appreciators. I spent two and a half hours inside the museum and hardly made a dent. The building itself is amazing, so many rooms all moving into other rooms with more delightful treasures. I chose to seek out those I feel at home with, the impressionists and modernists. I turned a corner and there was an orignal Picasso staring me in the face. For me, it's just amazing to see works but great artists right there staring you in the face. Then I found Monet, Degas, Renoir and Van Gogh. Simply breathtaking. I has goosebumps. Though that may well also have to do with that air-con I was talking about before.

Afterwards I got myself a cheese pretzel (mmm mmmmm) and found a sunny spot near a tree in Central Park to eat and get some sun. It did feel a little weird to strip down to my bikini in the middle of the park, but this Gold Coast raised aussie chick did just that. Reading Harry Potter as well of course. Around me were various groupings of people, a man a his cute dog, a group a people sunning themselves and a very loving couple. New Yorkers are certainly not afraid to show their feelings for one another in public. Both good and bad. I guess when you live in such tight quarters, so close to your neighbours, it's something you get used to.

A couple Picasso's

I found about 6 people painting replicas of some great works of art
This guy was the best in my opinion

He definitely drew a crowd!

Monet Waterlillies...sigh

Van Gogh...love seeing his actual brushstrokes

The entrance to the Met

I love the random buildings you see, this one is so tiny compared to the skyscrape next to it

Bikini in the park...when in Rome

The temperature is rising...and I have to don the jeans

2007-07-31T19:17:00.001-07:00

Down to some business the last couple of days. It's been getting warmer, which makes it quite difficult to be wearing jeans all the time to meetings and interviews...will make for great sun tan weather, so bring on the sunbathing in Central park tomorrow! Someone needs a tan.

So I've been meeting and greeting the last two days. Yesterday I met a woman who needs a dog sitter for the month of August. So off I went to the Upper West Side (she's a few blocks down from one Mr Seinfeld) and found myself in an apartment which has it's own elevator. The place was HUGE...I believe it took up the entire floor of the building. So I met with Lilly, a beautiful little terrier who took to me instantly. So I got the job. Happy as Larry I headed home to get out of my jeans and I got a call from someone I had phoned about an apartment.

So after a nap, I headed out for my second appointment for the day. Unfortunately it seemed there was a miscommunication (on their end, not mine I'm sure of it) and I was apparently an hour late. I got really worried thinking I'd missed an important meeting until I sat down and met Rocco. Slick young sales man. He could definitely find me an apartment he said. He had them waiting for me he said. He told me how to act when meeting landlords, treat it like a job interview. Ask questions. Dress nicely. Be the sweet young Daisy that I am and they will feel like they need to have me, he said. It will only cost me $225 he said. I will have to seriously think about it, I said. I noticed when I left everyone who was coming in for meetings were young women. I think I'll be able to do it on my own, but Rocco made a few good points, so it was a nice learning curve. I never realised how competitve the rental market is here. You really have to make the landlord love you, make them feel like they have to give you that apartment. So it's ass-kissing time for me it seems.

Today I had an interview for a sales position at American Apparel. It took me a while to get ready, they are extremely focused on the right look and appearance. But everyone seemed cool and the guy that interviewed me was pretty relaxed and laid back. He even said should I get the job he new animation contacts I could network with...very awesome. So I was on a high as I left and shouted myself lunch at a japanese restaurant nearby. I took my time as I couldn't get into my apartment as Sisterhood 2 was being filmed in my street. Yep, stuff like that happens all the time here. Last year I was bummed to find out I'd be missing Law and Order being filmed on my street as it happened 2 days after we left. It's only a matter of time before they come back, I just know it!

One more thing I have learned walking around the city is that cyclists seem to rule all. You really have to watch out for them. They duck and weave throughout the traffic, glide down the sidewalk and zoom down the wrong side of the roads. The worst part is they're very good about cutting in front of you when you cross the street. It's a little confronting, seeing a bicycle whirl straight towards you, not concerned about you or anyone else. Cars on the other hand do not act against pedestrians. They just let you go on your merry way, even if your not supposed to be crossing. There does seem to be a lot of horn honking, but it's always towards other drivers. So beware of those bike riders!

'twas a lazy day for daisy may

2007-07-29T17:39:00.000-07:00

Today it was rainy and thundery. It was beautiful. I love the rain, you really miss it when you live in a drought. So to have it here is wonderful. Though it does make it mighty tough to go out and face the elements. So what did I do? I stayed inside all day long and became creative. I haven't had a proper day like this in so long. Honestly I don't think I can remember the last time I have had a complete day of doing nothing. So today has been bliss. I did help Irene clean, so I wasn't completely useless! I took to taking arty photos and completing my first illustration in weeks.

So today is as good a time as any to talk about my living circumstances. I am living with my aunt's friend, Irene. She's been here for a long while now and has a two bedroom apartment in the East Village. She's very lucky to have the space to accommodate visitors as space in New York is not only pricey but very hard to come by. Irene has a rent stabilized apartment which means that the super is required to keep her rent at a certain cost, whereas he could probably get 3 times the amount if it were not. I cant remember how long ago the rent stabilization act came in but its a great thing for people like me! The apartment itself is on the fifth floor of a walk up building. Which means if you get down to the street realising you've forgotten your phone you need to go back up those five flights of stairs to get it...then back down again. You learn to remember your stuff! It's worse when your in a hurry. But it's great forced exersize! Whilst it is a two bedroom apartment, it is still fairly cosy. The bathroom is a bath (with shower) wedged in one side and a toilet. No basin. It takes a bit of getting used to brushing your teeth in the kitchen! The kitchen is moderately sized however I was spoilt in my East Brisbane home and am missing the loads of bench and cupboard space. The bedrooms are well sized, especially mine with its loft bed (something I will look at investing in) however I do get to enjoy the roar of traffic and sometimes fairly constant sounding of police and ambulance sirens. Again, you get used to it. It's pretty cool...very different to what you are used to in Australia.

There is also a different vibe when looking ad's for apartment rentals. One of the first ones I found advertised for a female room mate. Now this was before I decided to get my own place, so I looked it up. It said something like "looking for a female (18-mid 20s) room mate who is happy to walk around naked and will receive free rent. Nothing sexual..." Like to see something like that in Brisbane! It didn't even state whether it was a male or female advertising. Now I thought THAT was funny. I'll tell more if I find anything juicy advertised.

the view from a bedroom window

arty views through the kitchen window...lots of apartments to look into!

probably one of my fav self portraits

New York is Dead

2007-07-28T19:53:00.000-07:00

According to someone who felt the need to tell everyone by tagging the entrance to an apartment I went to look at today. I didn't even go in. I found my way to the Williamsburg basement flat extremely easily and as I went to go inside a guy asks, "you here to look at the apartment?" I stop thinking maybe he's the one renting it out..."It's really messy, don't go in." I was a little confused at first then he continued, "it's awful, there's no windows and I saw a used heroine needle by the entrance." There was another guy who'd just come out talking on the phone about how dingy the place was. I didn't need to be convinced any more...I turned around and walked away with the red-headed guy. But instead of running back to my beautiful Manhattan, I walked (the apparent 3 minute walk to the main Williamsburg strip, it was actually 10) to Bedford Ave and checked out the scene. It's very different compared with Manhattan, there's definitely a more laid-back vibe, a more suburban feel. However when I did get back to the East Village, it was strange how much of a relief I felt to be in a place I knew.

Prior to my house hunt, I went on a very long walk. I ended up at 32nd St and Madison...I live on 4th and B so it was a fair hike. I found a lovely park on Madison, heading downtown so I sat and veged out. Then I realised...damn I'm in New York! It just hit me (yes, very slow I know) and I looked up to take a picture of some amazing silver trees in the centre of the park and found the flatiron building. One of New York's prominent landmarks found completely by accident! Yay me.

So lets talk subways now. Some inside information of this most coveted of modes of public transportation. Catching the subway is actually a very easy task, once you know exactly which train you need, what stop you need to get off and what stop is before that...and I've found it's best to do all this without having to look at the map whilst on the subway. That way you will look like a New Yorker. Own that subway. When it is peak hour, the trains are often sardine jam packed tins which require the loss of personal space for the length of your trip. And when it comes to getting off that packed subway, knowing what stop comes before yours you need to square your shoulders, puff out that chest, take one deep breath and push your way to that door til the tip of your nose is just centimetres away. All the while muttering kind apologies and excuse me's. Because if you don't, there's a high chance you'll be zooming off to god knows where...and that, trust me, can be a little stressful. Anything can happen on the subway. You can have crazy people who believe they have found a captivated audience and start telling you their stories; you can find a barbershop quartet singing down the train carriages wishing you a wonderful day; and you can have the homeless person waiting for "their seat". Some people ride the trains for something to do, and they aren't always the homeless ones either.

I also saw something you would only see in New York. As I exited the subway at Houston and Broadway, I found a police officer handcuffing a man and give him a pant down. Just behind them stood three guide book clad tourists watching in excitement. I was waiting for them to take out a camera.

This looks like it could be an interesting place to visit

Madison Square Park...sunbathing in the park something I still can't fathom!

flatiron building looks cool like this

it actually looks like this though

Chinese, Italians, Designers and a man with a message

2007-07-27T18:39:00.000-07:00

Today, I headed out to find some fabric stores as I'm going to make some baby toys for a friend's sisters. Something to keep me occupied so I'm not constantly checking my emails! So I set off for a big walk. I made it to SOHO, the fashion district where designers rule and people who looked like me (ie. sneaker-clad people) would not be allowed entrance to their stores. Stores where individual items of clothing are not allowed to touch each other on the racks. Finger spacing is not just desirable, here it is mandatory! I found out that there is no special story behind the name SOHO, a name which has become THE name of high fashion and style. The district is named as such because of it's position. It is South of Houston St. SO-HO. That is it ( a little anticlimatic I think!). There is also a NOHO (north) however I guess no acclaimed fashion houses moved in here. Anyway, walking down Broadway through SOHO, the most prominent fashion houses are no where to be seen along this strip, however I was on my own mission today, so shall find them some other time. Below Canal St I found "fabric row" a short section of Broadway dedicated mostly to fabric and haberdashery stores. I didnt find this out til after I'd spent most of my money int the first fabric store I found, but it's a lesson learned! Also on my travels in this part of town I found the most amazing newsagency...well I call it a newsagency because it only sold magazines...the most eclectic assortment of magazines Id ever seen. There is a great underground graphics design "movement" which in Brisbane is very hard and expensive, however here it is in full swing, with many 'zines' dedicated to this graphic style and many artists thriving with success.

So I walked on with my purchases and found myself strolling down Canal street through a sea of tourists looking for bargains in the many market stalls that sell everything from I heart NY tshirts to mobile phone chargers to chinese massages. Once I'd managed to navigate the mass of people who constantly stop in the middle of the sidewalk to look at a cheap tshirt, unaware people are walking behind them, I found myself on the edge of Chinatown. And more tourists. Here food is cheap, as are fake gucci sunnies and louis vutton handbags. Gorgeous fruit stalls had been set up along the sidewalks offering pomegranates, coconut drinks and melons whose aromas filled the streets (a great feat considering this is New York). Contrast this with the seafood being sold directly opposite these stalls...it was a festival of smells. To get away from the crowds I took a left turn and found myself in Little Italy. This is a place I've never been to before, so it was a completely new experience (and I was completely lost!) and found an area which was a little more easy going, a place that put food above everything else. I only wish I had more than $5 in my pocket...the menus looked delicious and you could get some pretty good deals at lunch time. Italian men would stand out the front of their restaurants beckoning the passers by to look at their menu first.
Straight through Little Italy I found myself on Spring Street back in SOHO. On my way back to the subway, I found myself thinking about the number of cars (large cars too, no little honda jazz's here) that go through the city and wonder where people keep them. Then I walked past a car park lot...it was quite different to what we have in Brisbane...plus it had an anti-Bush man walk right into my picture. Very New York!

Why is it called Times Square when it's actually based on a triangle?

2007-07-27T17:54:00.000-07:00

Feeling a fair bit better today. Was meant to post last night but I was so tired, and distracted by msn. Yesterday I decided to go to a museum, the International Centre of Photography. There was an amazing exhibition which featured portraits of prominent figures in black history. Gorgeous images of Duke Ellington and Count Bassie, Malcom X and a baseball player whose name I cannot recall, but the image was just spectacular, my favourite of the day. I spent a long time wandering around the museum, savouring the air conditioning. The museum is right around the corner from Times Square so again, I walked through the masses of people clamouring to get photos, bargain for the cheapest t-shirts (here, the famous I heart NY Tshirt can be bought for as low as 7 for 10.99 whereas in SOHO you can only get them 3 for 10...it's all about the know-how!) I found one of my favourite eateries here in Times Square, a place called Pax, where you can get pizza, pizza pies, made to order salads, sandwiches and baked goods. It is good wholesome food at a very affordable price. Too bad they aren't paying me for that perfect advertisement. I journeyed back downtown to find Harry Potter and decided not to be a loner and read it at home, so I jumped back on the subway and found myself in Central Park...miles away from the hustle and bustle of the city, well at least that is the effect you get as soon as your in the middle of the park. New Yorkers really know how to live it up in summer. It's so lovely and green. You don't realise how much the drought has effected Queensland until you see what your missing. Another thing that brought this to my attention was the fountains, they're actually on here! Also as I walk around the East Village in kid's playgrounds there are sprinklers spraying water all over the place. Kids go nuts and run around getting soaked. It's something I realised I hadn't seen in a very long time. Anyway, I realised I'd stayed for a lot longer than intended and headed home. However I managed to take a wrong turn and found myself at Columbus Circle, outside Trump Tower. Not bad to get lost and turn up here...

yes, this is me with a very large pretzel...and yes, the pretzel was making me thirsty

baseball is big here...four games were going at once...think I'll have to get myself along to one sometime

street sellers are everywhere tourists are (which is everywhere basically)

WANTED: rich new york man with money to spend...anyone?

2007-07-25T16:49:00.000-07:00

Too bad I find myself attracted to artists, musicians and paramedics.

This morning I realised how much I have grown accustomed to the island of Manhattan. And how much money it is going to cost me to live here. At 10 am I had an appointment to view an apartment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Having seen a part of Williamsburg I had some expectations of the area. However, not only do the different boroughs of New York City differ greatly from one another, even different areas of the individual districts can be quite different. I hopped off the subway (well actually once you get onto the Williamsburg bridge it becomes an above ground train, so dont know if that is technically a subway) and found myself in a place where I felt like an outsider. All eyes were on me, who was this skinny white girl wandering around the streets? I had arrived early as I didn't know how long it would take me to get to the area so I had about half an hour to kill. I thought, I'll just wander and find a Starbucks to sit and have a coffee. The one time I actually wanted to find a Starbucks, there were none to be found. It took me a few blocks to find a Dunkin' Donut to find sanctuary.

The apartment itself was a whole other experience. I meet the broker, your typical Jewish New York man, and walk into this apartment block. My first reaction was, "I'm going to be stabbed here." So this was already a "HELL NO!" But we went up, and I kept being reminded that this is "pre-renovation" state. Basically it was an apartment falling to pieces. And no matter how good it is going to look in 3 weeks time, it is not going to change the building it is in. So we parted ways and I got back to my safe happy Manhattan as soon as I possibly could. I will venture back to Williamsburg again soon (I'll make myself do it) because that does seem to be the best area for me cost wise as beautiful Manhattan will empty my pockets.

I tripped up to Union Square to have a wander and stumbled upon a farmer's market. It was amazing, the most beautiful cheeses, fruits and vegetables. There were even huge crates filled with ice to sell organic beef, turkey and lamb. The aroma's coming from each stall were intense, and definitely crowd pleasing. So I made the most of this accidental find and bought up big in the vegie department.

Union Square Farmer's Markets

So I came home for lunch with Sake, a funny old pekinese dog Irene is dog sitting, and ended up asleep on the couch for a couple hours. I guess I needed the nap! To cheer me up (have been feeling rather homesick these past few days) I made a trip to Times Square where I let myself be swallowed up by the masses of people that flock to the neon flashing entertainment district. Here you feel extremely comfortable to take as many photos as possible...because that is what everyone else is doing.

My first star spotting!

How can you not like the country who created spray on butter?

2007-07-24T18:34:00.001-07:00

Well the last two days have been pretty laid back here in NYC. Yesterday was rained out so I spent most of my day working on my website and folio to get started in that job hunt I am about to embark on. I also managed to score an appointment to view an apartment in Williamsburg for tomorrow. Talking to the broker, I'm asked "what time did you want to view?" I reply with, "how does 10 suit you?" and in true New yorker style, he replies "10? Are you up that early?!" I forget that here, time runs very differently. Open houses don't actually start til around 6pm.

Here the people are lovely, so polite and courteous on the street. In the stores it's a matter of professional courtesy however generally everyone is very helpful and nice. Walking about the streets even you'll find the friendliest homeless people. It's hard to walk away from someone asking for money when you receive a "I hope you have a beautiful day, ma'm" after you rudely snub them off. However one cant give away all their money to nice people on the street. It's hard but you get tough pretty quickly.

I must be doing something right as I've been getting an increasing number of requests for directions! Unfortunately I don't quite know my own way around most of Manhattan just yet and am always having to reply with an apology and a "so hope you find your way" smile as I walk off to find my own way around. I will have to start exploring many more areas and familiarise myself with all of Manhattan so I may be of some use someday. It's not an unusual sight to see random lost people hugging their map tightly to their chest in the hope that someone will swoop down and save them from the grid.

Oh yes, the spray-on butter...I should probably mention that! Food is always something tat connects you to different worlds. Now, being from Australia you would't think that food would be so different here in the US. It isn't actually THAT different, there is just so many more choices. Just as basic cable comes with about 100 channels (minimum) going to the supermarket takes a lot of time and effort for someone who knows no brands and just wants to soak everything in. I think I was in the way of a lot of people who actually knew what it was they needed. Especially in front of the frozen food aisle where there is two (count them, two!) whole freezers devoted to vegetarian options. I was in awe.

No photos for this post as I haven't really been anywhere to take any! I will write a little more about the apartment I am staying in however, and will dig out some cool rooftop pics I took last summer I was here.

artists bling zoot suits and sun bathers

2007-07-22T18:36:00.000-07:00

Today was to be my day to look around Williamsburg as a prospective home. Irene suggested she and Bronwyn come with me for the walk across the Williamsburg bridge so Bronwyn could see the area and so I wouldn't get lost (I think!). So off we went, walking shoes on. It was lovely walking along the bridge as the view of Manhattan is gorgeous and the breeze was superb. Something I've been needing in this humid weather. Though to be fair, the air has been a little drier this weekend. Williamsburg is the "arty creative" area in Brooklyn, home to musicians, photographers, inspiring actors and artists alike. A bit like where I am now in the Village, just a fair bit cheaper when it comes to paying rent. We wandered around the main drag, looking through many street stalls, which are almost like a mixture of trash and treasure stalls (no garages here, so no garage sales!) and market stalls, with jewellery, artwork and clothing being offered for sale. There was quite a cool vibe in that area. People were out and about wandering with their dogs and chatting over coffees. We stopped for a drink and I did some people watching as Irene and Bronwyn plotted their next move.

Views from the Williamsburg Bridge

Deciding to make the most of their company I followed them up to Harlem to see some brass musicians play in a church and visit the Harlem African markets...plus eat some real wholesome southern food. Unfortunately the church service was over so we missed the music. But that did mean we could go fill our grumbling bellies across the road at the southern buffet where we had choices of pigs feet, fried chicken, stewed salmon, fried whiting, mac and cheese, candied yams and SO much more. It was quite incredible. We stuffed ourselves silly then off to do some shopping. The stores in Harlem are so cheap! And wandering around we got to see all the locals dressed up in their finest clothes for church. Men in some very impressive zoot suits and women in spectacular dresses with matching hats and gloves.

BLING! in Harlem....it's good if it's BIG!

After the markets I bid my farewell and hopped off at 72nd street to explore Central Park and find some dancing skaters I'd been told about. Central Park is an amazing oddity for such a big city. It's smack bang in the middle of uptown Manhattan and sprawls across many acres (cant remember how many exactly). In summer it seems to attract everyone who has any remote access to the park - it is swimming with people. Skaters, cyclists, runners, horse drawn carts, tourists, sun bathers, dog walkers...EVERYONE. It was very cool to be somewhere so populated. I didn't find my dancing skaters this time round as I got side tracked by so many things, including a jazz quartet playing on the side of the road. Then I settled down in one of the "quiet zones" where I fell asleep in the sun...so now I am a tad red. Great place to sit and read, listen to music or just chill...I can see the attraction it has in such a busy city.

A park for the people - Central Park

Tired after all that walking and all that sun, I got the first subway home and collapsed on the couch. It was a good day today.

lazy day with harry

2007-07-21T18:32:00.000-07:00

Feeling a bit homesick today, I decided to get out and see Harry Potter. So I dawdled up to 12th and 3rd to feel at home in hogwarts (yes, geeky potter fan right here). It's Saturday, and a beautiful one at that so New York was out in full bloom. Happy weekenders and their dogs were everywhere soaking up the sun and the good vibes. It was a really cool walk around the East Village. There's loads of cool funky shops around this area. It's a very arty district populated mostly by musicians, artists and generally creative people. And I had to have the REAL new york pizza today. It's so ohhh....just deliciously fresh. Here in New York you have a couple choices of pizza style (which you can buy in full or by the slice...which is ample for lunch) there's the thin crust, the calzone and the pizza pie. 1 down 2 to go.

As I walk through the streets I get daily doses of real life in a big city. The US has a pretty poor welfare system so unfortunately there is a high number of homeless in this city. Down the street I pass many people who live out of trolleys collecting cans and depositing them in vending-style machines to get food vouchers (I think...I don't believe they return money anymore). Today by the park down the road, some people had set up stalls and started cooking on the street. I thought it was a market style venture until I saw the long line of men and women taking their place to get a good feed.

mmmmmmmm....buttered popcorn

New York style pizza and coke

what i could see when eating my pizza

Yoshitomo Nara says it all!
Love her artwork she's pretty popular here...

The food here is way too enticing...I just want to eat eat eat...it's all soooo gooood. Lot's of walks or I'll start to get fat!

Food food food...but who's it for?

2007-07-20T18:37:00.000-07:00

More dog accessory stores today...one looked like a candy store, but for dogs! Then I found these cupcakes I'd told a couple girls about...and had to take a pic of just a portion of the ice cream freezer at the local supermarket...mmmm Ben 'n Jerry's.

Groovy drummer band photos

2007-07-20T18:31:00.000-07:00

These guys were pumping today underground in the 34th st subway station...

Miracles at Chelsea and 34th

2007-07-20T17:59:00.001-07:00

Well after a beautiful pad thai lunch I headed out again, this time beginning in Chelsea, the funky gallery district. The private galleries are a wonderful source of creative inspiration as it's always new artwork, new artists and it's free! The area all these gorgeous galleries are in is quite industrial and doesn't exactly invite you in, but once you get past that you're opened up to a gorgeous world of creativity. Walking back on 23rd I passed Hotel Chelsea, a landmark of the area. It's a beautiful building. On from Chelsea I went on a mission to get a sim card so I will manage to apply for jobs as I'll have a number that doesn't look scary to call (the social security lady freaked when she saw it!). So I headed on up to 34th st to find a miracle. No cell number but loads of people and a groovy drum band in the subway station. I did manage to convince myself I could go on another shopping trip and pop into Gap for some all american clothes. Here in New York people don't seem to notice the heat, or are too conservative to dress accordingly. At home summer is marked by the stripping off of clothes and wearing of bikini's in public. No way would that EVER happen here. Most people are still in jeans!! CRAZY I say. Oooh and I did see a dude today who looked like he was a part of the gang in Back to the Future 2 (the future episode). He was all in black (hair included) tight tshirt, pants and boots with platforms so high I had no idea how he could walk...I'll post my sketch soon.

Morning at social security

2007-07-20T17:44:00.000-07:00

Today I went to the social security office in the East Village to obtain that precious piece of government identification - the social security number. Basically you need one of these to do anything in the states. Home, job, bank accounts you need one for all of these. So now I have to wait 2 weeks til my card comes. I saw the real america in that office yet luckily only had to wait half an hour and the lady was extremely friendly (she'd already had an aussie in for his ssn). Afterwards I took a walk through the east village, rediscovering all that is on offer. There are these gorgeous community gardens scattered through the city, most of them in this area. They are gardens that allow people to bring out their "inner gardener" as it is all apartment living here and no one has one of their own. These pics are of the one just around the corner from me. There's this huge tower made up of random oddities...it's quite beautiful.

Doggie Day Care

2007-07-19T17:05:00.000-07:00

I took a walk this afternoon and stumbled upon the most gorgeous site I think I've ever seen. Doggie day care. In this pet store/daycare/grooming centre were these rooms with large windows that housed dogs who had been left for the day to play with their friends. When you walk up to the window, every dog looks at you. Probably pleading to be taken home, but it was still so cute! I want to work there and play with the puppies.

Take a look at the puppy in the right corner - he's sitting on a slide!! How beautiful...though he didn't really know what to do once he was there. I just wanted to run in and push him down to enjoy...

My walk also took me north to union square all the way up to 23rd st. It was a lot longer than I'd expected so I have some very angry feet. They didn't like my choice of footwear.

Union Square in the full heat of summer

I have learnt a few things today. WALK ON THE RIGHT so you don't run into people; as you go to cross the road, walk as far out into the road without getting hit by cars and power walk as soon as there is a gap in traffic; look up and straight ahead and try and look like a local. Even I could pick the tourists ;p Hopefully others didn't pick me.

I did get a couple books today (one of my missions for the afternoon) Not For Tourists guide to New York City, a dude in the bookstore recommended it and we had a great chat without me realising until he walked off that he didn't actually work there, and the moleskin city guide a "do it yourself" guide.

I'm living near Katz's Deli made famous thanks to Meg Ryan's orgasm scene
in When Harry Met Sally

I was asked to be patient and put my new life on hold

2007-07-19T10:34:00.001-07:00

I woke up at 3am on Wednesday morning. Bob was snoring at the end of the bed oblivious to what was going to happen that day. He was just revelling in the fact he got to have a sleep over at his grandparents' AND sleep inside. Time rolls by and soon there's a knock on the door from dad. I almost told him I wasn't going. Bob and I were happy here, I didn't need New York to be happy. But I knew this definitely wasn't an option so I got up sleepily put Bob outside. I moved slowly and didn't say much. Mum and dad were running around as usual, making sure everything was looked after. I'm usually quite an organised person, but the realisation of this day has thrown me out of kilter…so there was much to be done.

Out the door after a strained goodbye to BOB (all he wanted to do was run out the front gate and visit the cat next door) and we were on our way to the airport. We hit traffic fairly quickly, making me a little late for my early check in (due to trombone). Then it took a good hour to get through the check in line. All the information we'd been given about getting extra allowance as I'm a musician was all BS. One guy had the nerve to suggest I buy an extra ticket in the future as, 'that is what musicians usually do'. Ok, so I'm to pay $3000 for my trombone to fly with me. Better hope it gets free alcohol and a meal. But the issue was resolved and I did not have to endure a flight sitting next to my battered trombone case. It did cost extra to take it so I better bloody use the thing!

Alex and Jess arrive and goodbyes are said as I move down to immigration and my departure gate. Thanks to American security requirements, there are two security checkpoints. One includes a mandatory pat down. I think they WANT to make us feel bad. I swear this is just lip balm…my lips get chapped please let me take it, please. Yep, I choose suck up mode for these situations. The TSA people are all bigger than me so I prefer the innocent act. Seems to work. Though in recent journey's through the states I've always been chosen as the one they want to search. Don't know why.

Anyway back to the trip. Goodbyes were said and I sat in the lounge waiting to board. Receiving and sending last minute text messages. The plane is completely full up. And only once everyone is on and seated do we find out there is a fuel leak in one or the tanks. Two and a half hours later, sitting in the non-air conditioned cabin with 600 odd people and we finally manage to leave Brisbane. I was almost waiting for someone to come on and whisk me away like some romantic gesture to prvent me from leaving…it always happens in the movies at least. But no I got hot, stinky plane cabin with no where to go.

But we did take off and we did make it to LA. Luckily I texted my mum and she organised my connecting flight to be changed. Arriving in LA as a resident is so much different than as a visitor. It's so quick! There was no line for me to wait in, in actual fact I was the one they unclicked that special divider rope for so I could go ahead of the line. Bang Bang Bang and I was in…no questions asked. Finding my bags took more time and patience. But my real test came next.

I had to transfer flights as not only had I missed mine, but I found out it was actually cancelled due to bad weather in New York (not news I wanted to hear) so it was off to the check-in desk. I asked a million different people where to go, all very helpful and I find my first line. I wait. 3 people away from the front of the line a lady yells if anyone was on the cancelled 2 flight. A little cryptic for me, I had to open my mouth and ask what she meant. So she shuffles me out of my comfortable line and points all the way to the other end of the terminal "they're all down there" no matter I had 5 people tell me I was ok here. So I start my new line. There's only two groups in front of me…that's cool I can deal with this. Well apparently the tellers couldn't. The group of girls go up and leave me with 3 asian guys ahead. A typical nasal American woman stood chatting on her cell behind. We wait…and wait…and wait. Now remember, I'm tired, emotional and HATE this airport. So a poor girl got the wrong end of me as after serving the girls, the teller decides to go on lunch, offering no replacement to help us. Now if this was cotton on I'd have to sacrifice my lunch for a while should there be more customers than staff can handle. But apparently here, this is not the case…it's ok, they can miss there flight AGAIN. So she goes away…the girl in the polo gets it again from me. A family at the other teller have been there for almost half an hour. It only seems that out of pure miracle they start to leave. But then so does the teller. Apparently it's time for his break too. The three asian guys don't know what to do. Back to the polo girl for me. It took them 25 minutes to get another teller to help us out – the first one who went on break. And she gets pissed off at the asian guys for insinuating that she shouldn't have gone on her break. Luckily someone else came to help me…that first lady would have gotten a serve…I was that tired and pissed off at all the waiting I'd done, I was ready for a good yell. But no, this lady put me through nice and quickly. She says I'll be boarding at 2.30pm, no chance for the 12.00 I said (knowing it was already 25 to) the reply was, that IS the 12.00…well at least there's some good fortune to come out of all this!

So slowly I get through more security checkpoints. Basically undressing (shoes off, jackets off, pockets searched and emptied) I get through fairly unscathed. At least from this point I could sit and wait…

30 HOURS OF TRAVELLING LATER

Well I now write from the kitchen of Irene's apartment in the east village, Manhattan! I finally made it ;p It's hot and muggy (grey clouds which isn't too inviting) but I'm finally here. I'll be sure to start putting up photos very soon. Hope your all well.

2 weeks to go

2007-07-04T22:42:00.000-07:00

It is official, I am moving to New York. It's mainly been alk up until this week. Booking and paying for the flights didn't even feel real. This week it feels real. I finish up at work next Tuesday, my going away party is tomorrow and my studio is looking rather bare. It is all rather scary and excting. The quote in my tag line above is taken from a book my parents got me to read on the plane, Ticket To Ride. It is about an Australian woman who has won the green card lottery and takes a trip around the US of A on greyhound busses. My journey will be a little different, but I'm sure it will be just as eventful.

New blog

2007-04-30T05:01:00.000-07:00

I've created this blog to document my ramblings once I make my big move to the BIG APPLE. For those who don't know me, I'm a Brisbane girl making a life changing decision to find an animation job in the US. I'll be basing myself in NYC as it is one of my most favourite places and I have friends there. This will mostly be for friends back home to see what my life is up to, document my life living as a New Yorker etc etc...so stayed tuned!