Home sweet home....

Howdy all!

I'm back at home after a brilliant holiday.

New York was awesome, as usual, and made even better thanks to the wonderful Ming the Merciless from New York City Daily Photo. He played tour guide to us and showed us all the hip and happening spots in Downtown - his favourite part of NYC.

Our visit to NY wouldn't have been the same without you Ming, so thank you SO SO SO SO much for taking the time to meet up with us - hope I can return the favour one day, when you head to Oz! :o)

That's all for now.

Will update with pics and more travel stories soon.

But for now, I'll leave you with this hilarious billboard we saw at Guadalajara Airport.

Them Mexicans sure know how to keep busy in their own company....hahahahaha!!!

Around the world in 25 days...

Off on holidays.

See you when I return!

Take care.

"Oh, it's to die for".......REALLY???

What could you possibly want THAT much that you would "die" to have????

If you die, you don't actually get what you want anyway, so I don't understand why people say this.

There's a juice bar chain in Australia that has a range of "To Die For" yoghurts on its menu.....even if I was the biggest yoghurt fan on the planet, I'm pretty sure I would prefer to live and eat sorbet instead.

He was staying at a backpackers near mine....

I overheard this sentence in a conversation a few years ago.

Two girls were talking.

I walked past them.

Those words were all I heard.

I can't recall THEIR faces at all, but for some reason, this (part) sentence has stuck in my mind ever since.

No idea why.

But I'm still intrigued by the story that went with it.

One thing on his mind...

So George W. Bush is in Oz for the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) Summit.

Sydney's in high security, lock down mode. Residents have been granted a day off work today (Friday) and apparently traffic is in chaos as a result of major roads and intersections being blocked off.

With 21 world leaders in attendance, including China's President Hu Jintao and Russia's President Vladimir Putin, it's a high profile, international event, which you'd assume is of great significance to the Asia Pacific region.

So you'd expect the leader of the world's most powerful nation to have been adequately briefed on what was going on, and what event he was actually attending.

Enter George W.

"G'day and welcome to the OPEC Summit."

OPEC = Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.

Imagine!

Who would've EVER thought Mr Bush and his administration would have OIL on their minds.

What a joke.

Thanks for coming George W.

Now, please go home!

Bits and pieces...

1. I went to the supermarket at the weekend, and the girl at the checkout had hiccups. She asked me an interesting question....."Do mute people get hiccups?" I didn't have an answer for her.

2. Australian men's magazine Zoo Weekly has just launched a competition. The prize? Win a boob job for your girlfriend!!!!!! WHAT THE HELL?????

3. Two P-Plate (probationary) drivers drove into a tree and a light post near my house on Friday night. 8 people are now in hospital. When I hear stories of accidents involving P-Plate drivers, I've noticed that 9 times out of 10, these P-platers are driving Holden Commodores (with big V8 engines). Perhaps the only way to stop the insanity of losing an increasing number of young people in preventable road accidents, is to ban them from driving this type of car. One of my suggestions is to hand out pre-paid funeral service brochures to everyone who buys a Holden Commodore. Hell - why not offer a discounted funeral package so their friends get a good deal too. Goodness knows they're sure to be some of the passengers.

If you hadn't sensed it, I feel quite strongly about number 3. It makes me sad and angry every time I hear or watch the news and this kind of story appears, which is more often than not lately. The Office of Road Safety can talk about curfews etc all they want, but everything must come back to cause and effect - take away the Holden Commodore (the cause) and the effect will be different.

Finding Facebook....

I've discovered Facebook, and during the past couple weeks, have been spending my precious "blog" hours chatting to long lost friends on that.

Since that time the following has happened:

My sister has officially announced a Nerd Alert on my life.

I've tried on my first wedding dress.....very weird.

My boyfriend turned 33......he also wore the most bizarre jumper/sweater in the entire universe, which for some reason, I had never before encountered in the 8 and a half years we've been together. Where he's been hiding it all this time, I do not know, but I can understand why it was kept well away from broad daylight.

One of my most beautifully gorgeous friends welcomed baby number 3 into the world.

Another of my most beautifully gorgeous friends got engaged.

I picked up a cool black leather satchel I had on lay-by for 2 months.

And I had a cold.

It's amazing how much can happen in such a short time.

World clock.....

A friend emailed this World Clock to me today, but I'm not sure if watching it tick over is intriguing or depressing.

Poodwaddle.com (purveyor of this resource) claims stats were gathered from the World Health Organisation, CIA Factbook, US Census Bureau and other sources.

Check out the World Clock for yourself - http://www.poodwaddle.com/worldclock.swf

(Sorry, a direct link wouldn't work so you'll have to do a bit of a cut and paste job)

Back to the 90s...

I uploaded some old CD's onto my laptop today and noticed that iTunes sorts songs into default categories, one being "90's Music" - I'm pretty sure I didn't set that folder up, so I'm assuming it's a default.

Anyway, it made me remember what I used to play over and over and over again back in my uni days, all great memories.

One of my favourites was an album called Lovelife by UK band Lush. I think they've now disbanded, unfortunately. Have a listen to a bit of Lovelife here.

And then there was Bjork's first major album (I guess you could call it that). Debut was on the top of my 90s list, with Venus as a Boy definitely one of my favourite songs. Bjork's style was so unique at the time, and still is, but I don't think she's ever been able to recapture the magnificence of Debut. What do you think? Have a listen to Bjork's Debut here.

Do you have any 90s favourites?

I have a question....

We got some Chinese home delivery the other night, which led me to thinking......is Chinese food the most popular take away/take out/home delivery in the world?

I ask this, as every time (well 8 outta 10 times) we get take away for dinner, it's Chinese food!

Other cuisines high on my take away list are Thai, Japanese and Indian, so is it actually Asian food as a category that's in fact the most popular take away/take out/home delivery in the world?

And what do people in places like Brazil, Russia, Pakistan and Norway order "to go"?

Hmmmm.....always the important things in life that I ponder isn't it! ;o)

I want it, I need it, I have to have it.....

I went on a little shopping spree last weekend, which was not at all on the agenda for the day.

In fact, before I even entered the shopping centre, I was repeating a little mantra in my head about the actual things I had to do/buy.........and let me tell you, spending 2 hours in one store trying on 36 different items was NOT included.

BUT, I have convinced myself that I bought all the basics I "needed" eg cardigans, singlet tops, t-shirts....plus pieces I just had to have.

Here are just some of the bags and items.....

Is this a female thing? "Desperately needing" this dress, that bag and those shoes, or do males experience it too? And if so, to the same degree?

Or do males just experience this same "desperately needing" feeling upon entering a hardware store, car dealership etc - yes I'm heading down stereotype lane, but you get my drift!

What was the last thing you "desperately needed" to buy?

I have a headache....

I'm going on holidays in October, so I've spent the past week looking up accommodation on the internet......AND IT'S DOING MY HEAD IN!!!

Who would've ever thought there were 3,243,124 websites dedicated to "helping" you find accommodation in New York City?? Well, that might be a slight exaggeration, but you get my drift.

Sometimes, choice isn't the best thing in the world, especially for an indecisive Piscean like me, who also flips out at hotel (guest) reviews that mention words like "mice", "dirty" and "shared bathroom" when describing budget hotels.

Yes - budget hotels.

For those who know me, I'm not a huge fan.....wait a minute....who am I kidding here.....I'm not a fan at all of this type of lodging (give me the Four Seasons any day), but at $400 a night for a 2 - 3 star hotel in New York, I don't have much choice. (Four Seasons would be more like $800 a night at a minimum for those wondering).

And you know what, I still haven't booked anything!

So I called a travel agent to see if I could handball the hard work to her, and she couldn't find me a hotel for less than $500 a night :o(

ENTER LONELY PLANET GUIDE TO NYC.....which lists websites that can organise hosted/unhosted accommodation in studios, apartments etc, for less than/same as the cost of a 1 - 2 star hotel. So there's a separate kitchen, bathroom, bedroom ie room to move.....and no mice!

If you're visiting NYC, check out City Sonnet or Manhattan Lodgings

Now to make a decision between the 10 or so properties I've been sent.

Oh dear - now I have another headache :o(

Lots of green goodness....

Celery, fennel and silverbeet.....talk about a bowl of green goodness!

I loved this display of veggies, which I was preparing to chop up to make a nice big pot of vegetable soup.

The best thing about a pot of soup is that it lasts you days, and as each day passes, the thickness and flavour of the soup just keeps getting better. I'm very lazy when it comes to creating in the kitchen, so one dish that lasts me multiple meals suits me just perfectly!

911...

Do you believe in the philosophy of attracting what you fear most? What about energy flow, that is, if you give something enough energy, you make it happen?

I had a thought the other day.

In the US, the Emergency telephone number is 911.

Imagine the number of people who have used this number over the years. That's countless people giving the number 911 energy right?

Nearly six years ago, two planes smashed into New York's Twin Towers.

The date - September 11.

The equivalent number - 911.

The destruction of the Twin Towers and resulting devastation of the human psyche across the globe was to me, the greatest emergency situation of modern times.

I just thought it bizarre that such a tragedy unfolded on the calendar's numerical representation of the Emergency hotline.

That's all.

Look A Likes....

I went to see the movie Because I Said So the other night (starring Dianne Keaton and Mandy Moore), and it was surprisingly good. I say that because I was expecting the worst, as I've never enjoyed a movie featuring Mandy Moore - not sure if it's her or her characters, but she never fails to get on my nerves. She was however, excellent in this role, playing the part perfectly - big tick to the casting department!

More importantly though was the actor who played her love interest - Gabriel Macht. Extremely easy on the eye, there was a certain familiarity about him. I have been racking my brain trying to figure out why, since seeing the film, and it's just hit me. He reminds me of David Beckham. I think it's the smouldering eyes that look oh so soulful. Hmmmmm........anyway, what do you think? (not that you get the pleasure of looking into either of their eyes in these photos - sorry!)

Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York....

This post is mainly for visitors to Ming the Merciless' New York City Daily Photo blog - http://nyc2dailyphoto.blogspot.com/

Is this MoMA courtyard the same as the courtyard that appears in Ming's post of Sunday May 6?

I would say yes, aside from the absence of the Intersection II sculptures in my photo.

What do you think?

All you need is......

I've had a rough week, and the one thing I've discovered during this time, is that I have THE most amazing and wonderful support network a person could ever wish for.

A network of family and friends who are always there to listen and offer advice, without forcing their opinions on me, and who make it their job to protect me and keep me strong, focused and determined, especially at my weakest moments.

I am truly blessed and grateful for the gift of family and friends.

Whoever believes money makes the world go 'round is wrong.

The correct answer is undoubtedly, love.

And the Number 1 Greatest Movie of all time is..........

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope - 1977; Director: George Lucas

Surprised??

I'm not a Star Wars fan so I wouldn't have picked it.

My pick would have been between The Bourne Identity; The Bourne Supremacy; The Departed; Catch Me If You Can; The Notebook (THE most romantic movie, EVER).

Greatest Movies of All Time...

I recently bought Empire Magazine's Special Collector's Edition....100 Greatest Movies Of All Time. I've listed the Top 10 here.

10. Goodfellas - 1990; Director: Martin Scorcese

9. Amelie - 2001; Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet

8. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back - 1980; Director: Irvin Kershner

7. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - 2003; Director: Peter Jackson

6. Donnie Darko - 2001; Director: Richard Kelly

5. A Clockwork Orange - 1971; Director: Stanley Kubrick

4. Aliens - 1986; Director: James Cameron

3. The Shawshank Redemption - 1994; Director: Frank Darabont

2. Pulp Fiction - 1994; Director: Quentin Tarantino

1. ??????????????????????????????????????????????

Which movie do you think made it as THE greatest of all time?

This little piggy went to market.....

Scrolling through my photo collection the other day, and found this picture which I took in Hong Kong. Can't recall exactly where this was, but have a feeling it was outside a food market in North Point, close to our hotel.

Now, I love bacon, but I don't like to be reminded of where it hails from! Don't think I ate any pork on that entire trip.

And now for my "favourite" women's clothing store in Hong Kong.........

Hmmmmmm.....questionable name don't you think?

Words of wisdom.....

"The mind is like a parachute.....it works much better when it's open."

"The best things in life aren't things."

Words from a couple of bumper stickers I saw today.

The new celebrity must have...

Kate Moss is releasing her own font.

What will they think of next?

Toilet paper embossed with Paris' face??????

T-Shirt Number 1

Saw some funny t-shirts the other day....

Still squirming and cringing....

I left the office to get some lunch yesterday.

As I walked out the gate, whilst fiddling with goodness knows what in my handbag, I felt something squishy under my shoe.

For 3 seconds I thought nothing of it.

Then a switch in my brain triggered a thought process that went along the lines of: "What the HELL was that?"

So then I looked..............................

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!

A DEAD MOUSE/RAT!!!!!!!!!!

Again...............Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can you commit..............Part 2

Thank you to NYC Modelista and Nameless4Now for sharing your tips with me - you both sound like you're on the perfect track to help maintain the world we live in.

As promised, here are more ideas..............

8. Support your local farmer....their fruit, vegies, eggs, milk etc don't need to travel far, so less fuel is needed to transport them.

9. Plant a bamboo fence.....it looks great, and because bamboo grows so quickly, it absorbs more CO2 than a rosebush!

10. Shut off your computer.......a screen saver IS NOT an energy saver.

11. Switch off power points....75% of all household electricty is from standby power to keep electronics eg TVs, DVDs, stereos etc running when they're "off".

12. Think about packaging....do you really need the plastic covers for blank CDs? Do you really need that many napkins? Why not return the unwanted sugar packets to that cafe?

13. Service your car:

• Tuning your engine can improve fuel-mileage by 4%
• Replacing a clogged air filter can boost efficiency 10%
• Keeping tyres properly inflated can improve mileage 3%

The Result: all these efforts combined may reduce the amount of CO2 emitted by your car by 90kg a year.

Here's to committing to making a change..............it really is up to us as individuals.

Can you commit?????

Spent my morning coffee time flicking through the latest issue of Time Magazine, which I was really keen to read for its article on "51 Things We Can Do (to slow global warming)".....because if we don't do it, no-one else is going to do it for us.

Simple as that.

I've picked out some of the easiest changes to make on an individual basis:

1. Change your lightbulbs......to Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFLs) - they're more expensive than standard bulbs but they use 75% less energy and last (years) longer. CFL's are swirly light bulbs that fit into standard sockets.

2. Do smart laundry:

• Wash clothes in warm or cold water instead of hot
• Wash a few big loads instead of lots of small ones
• Use the most efficient machine you can find
• Ditch the dryer and hang your clothes on a line to dry naturally

The Result: Reduce the CO2 created by laundry by up to 90%.

3. Ride the bus....transport accounts for 14% of global greenhouse-gas emissions.

4. Pay your bills online:

• Saves trees
• Reduces fuel consumption

According to a US study, if every US home viewed and paid its bills online, solid waste (paper etc) would be cut by 1.45 billion tons a year, and greenhouse-gas emissions would be curbed by 1.9 million tons a year.

5. Open a window......instead of running the air con.

6. Skip the steak.......the international meat industry generates about 18% of the world's greenhouse-gas emissions. So if you've ever considered vegetarianism, now's the time to give it a try!

7. Just say no to plastic bags.......more than 500 billion plastic bags are distributed annually, and less than 3% are recycled! There are now so many other options, the only trick is remembering to take those options with you on your shopping trips!

I'll post Part 2 tomorrow.................heaps more ideas!

Shanghai Surprise...

Does this photo of Shanghai remind you of sideshow alley? For me, it's the bright lights.

It really is a spectacular city of enormous contrasts.

From remnants of the past (the bikes, the bikes)...


To something so futuristic, it looks just like a movie set...

Have you been to Shanghai? What did you think? Did Flash Gordon come to mind???

Going to the Chapel...

My boyfriend of 8 years proposed on December 26.....so we (or I) now have a wedding to plan.

I AM FREAKING OUT as I don't know where to start.

Maybe if I just find the perfect dress, everything else will fall smoothly into place?

Happy Easter...

Who's more confused - them or us?

When did rehab become "cool"? I always thought alcohol and drug addiction were serious forms of self harm, and that seeking help to overcome them was a very personal matter.

It seems the more addictions you have these days, the more press you get, and the more press you get, the bigger your celebrity status, and the bigger your celebrity status....you get the idea.

And each and every one of us who hands over our $5 note each week to buy our favourite trashy tabloid filled with grainy shots of celebs on the inside (of the rehab centre de jour), is contributing to this vicious cycle of making serious personal health issues, seem "cool and trendy".

Is it any wonder that the world is in the state it's in when we pay more attention to Britney shaving her head, than to the 1000's killed daily in places like Darfur.

What's happened to our perspective?

Memorable Messages

I recently bought this book titled Guerilla Advertising...Unconventional Brand Communication.

Filled with creative international ad campaigns that have enormous impact, I'd thoroughly recommend it to anyone interested in advertising and the originality of the creative spirit.

I've seen it retailing for AUD$75 in a Sydney bookstore, but you can get it from www.amazon.com for US$27 (approx AUD$33 based on today's exchange rate).

Channelling the chef within...

Why do I keep burning my toast lately? It's very annoying >:o(

Cafe # 1...The Wild Fig

So I started my thing, even if it was a day late....oops....and my first stop was The Wild Fig Cafe in Waterman (near North Beach). I love this cafe for its amazing views over the ocean, and generally yummy food. My friend Jen introduced me to it a few years ago, as she just lives up the road, and I'm so glad she did.

On today's menu was toasted wood fired New Norica bread with a side of mushrooms, perfectly complemented by my customary short macchiato. A gastronomic revolution, no, but a fine way to start my day...although the mushies were a bit cold.

Whilst figging it, I got to read the latest drama facing the West Coast Eagles, as well as other worldwide happenings, including Naomi commencing her community service stint in her Christian Louboutin's. See what happens when you throw phones at innocent people! But supermodel or not, stilettos are probably not the most appropriate or comfortable footwear to don when on "hard" labour duty.
But the best thing about reading the paper, was getting back into my car, hearing the radio news, and already knowing the headlines. Aaaaaah the good old days. Loving my "new" thing already!


Definitely something to be said for sacrificing a bit of sleep for some personal time out, whether it be cafe-ing, gyming, meditating, swimming or simply sitting and reading for 15 minutes. For my beautiful friends with kids, this is probably a million times easier said than done, but if you have the chance, try it.

PLUS, I got to work early, missed all the traffic and have been highly productive.

Errrr...speaking of work, I better get back to it!

Starting a thing

I've decided to start a thing. I'm going to make 6am to 8am every weekday MY time. MY time to sort my thoughts and tasks for the day.
A LOT of that time may well be spent sleeping...given winter's on its way... but I'd like to believe I'll make the most of it. If not, someone PLEASE remind me as to why I decided to start a thing!
I used to love starting the day reading the paper at a cafe. Kinda makes you feel on the ball when you're armed with all that "fresh" knowledge. It's been sooooo long since I've done that before work. Am also getting a bit tardy with the punctuality these days, so this may be a good thing for my work ethic too - don't want ma, pa or the boy giving me a warning now!
So tomorrow I will start my thing. Which cafe will it be??

In the beginning....

After reading a friend's blog, as well as others of interest, I thought it was about time to start my own. That and the fact I've been craving a creative outlet for some time now.... I'm feeling a wonderful sense of release (and relief) even as I type this!
HOW WONDERFUL!!
So, please be patient with me as I try to figure out how to use my blogger, and hopefully I'll have some interesting words and pictures to share with you over time.
Look forward to hearing from you :-)