Birthday in New York =)

Friday night me, Sarah, Steph, Emily & Dani went over to Alice and Olivia's place just to chill out for Ali's last night in Westchester. The previous night me & Em were up to 1am with her cutting my hair (love it!) and while we were at Alice's she dyed it (chocolate brown, love it!). It was really nice to just relax and chat all night (another 1am night) with the girls. We all wrote message's in Alice's travel journal and it's crazy that she is gone. She has been here since I first arrived, along with Alissa, and our group isn't the same without them.
Saturday morning I met Em, Dani, Alice, Olivia, Christina, Becki & Alissa for breakfast as the absolute final farewell to the girls. We all shared pancakes and hugs - I definitly had some tears rolling! Afterwards I went back to Em's and Christina waxed her, mine & Dani's eyebrows - turning her bedroom into a beauty salon again lol! Emily & I just chilled for the afternoon, doing some arts & crafts projects of hers and barely keeping our eyes open. I was then suppose to work from about 7 till late, but I ended up only really feeding my youngest then my host dad came home early and took over. Which was nice as Saturday night was kind of like a 2nd birthday (but 1st haha). Uncle John called, and because he doesn't have internet, this was the first I'd talked to him all year. I also had a skype date with Mum which I was so happy about, and even though skype kept messing up (grrrrr) we had a good long chat and I opened the pressies she had sent me. A really cute winter dress, a necklace & some yummy (& quickly eaten) chocolate! I chatted online with Renee, and had a phone call with Brock that night as well; and opened cards from Frannie (who had sent me an early present of german choccies & a german tshirt) and Kristy. I also got lots of messages from my aussie friends as it was my bday in Australia at that time. It was a little sad being away this month, because so much goes on in December. There is my bday and Krystle's (missed her 21st :( ) as well as our annual Christmas bus lights tour with Toni & Matt; plus all the other festivites but at the same time I have wonderful traditions to see here and good friends keeping me sane and happy!

Sunday morning I skyped with Frannie while I got ready and met up with Sarah & Steph at Grand Central. Sarah almost bowled me over when she saw me, screaming happy birthday and running across the terminal! It was a miserable day weather wise - raining all day long was not fun at all, but better then ice pellets that were originally predicted! The first thing we did was go to Macy's which is a Christmas Wonderland! It's the biggest department store in the world (for those living under a rock) and its decked all its halls in bounds of holly and more! We took their famous, old, wooden escalators up to Santaland and the line was ridiculously long but luckily very quick moving. The first part of the line is just in the store but then you go through a giant train and it transports you into Santaland which is the most beautifully decorated Santaland I've ever seen! They had bears everywhere and some audioanimatronics and train sets and backdrops and fake snow and trees everywhere. A minitaure village and Christmas carols playing, a nutcracker and snowman! It was truely magical! Then we got to see Santa! He was a very good Santa and we all asked for Tiffany gifts lol and we took a photo with him. After we purchased the photo we went to look at all the decorations and Christmas items for sale. There were some carolers singing in the Christmas section and lovely decorated trees. It was very nice but of course very expensive and the one thing I could afford & desperatly wanted they didn't have (hopefully next time so I won't say what it is now!) but I did get a Macy's Holiday Mickey Mouse plush =)

After Macy's we got some lunch and then met up with Christina, Olivia & Becki in Times Square so we could see the Princess & the Frog. This is the first Disney hand drawn animation they have done in 5 years and the first princess movie since 1992 and it's also their first black princess. It's set in New Orleans and has a great Jazzy touch to the songs. It was a beautiful story and very well done, great songs, but I definitly don't think it;s up there anywhere close to the last 3 princess movies (Little Mermaid, Beauty&Beast, Aladdin).
After the movie the plan was suppose to be to see the Christmas window displays and the Rockerfella tree but the train was disgusting so we decided to stop by 'The Australian' bar for a drink before heading for dinner. We got a free Tim tam each because it was my birthday, and I had a cosmo before we headed to Hamachi Japanese restaurant for dinner. A couple of my other friends were suppose to join us but couldn't make it. Dani & Emily got snowed/iced into their houses and Jade slipped in all the rain & hurt herself. I was so glad I got to talk to them on the phone though! At the restaurant Steph & I tried a Japanese alcoholic drink called sake and got a bit drunk but not too bad! It was so much fun and such yummy food! Sarah and I shared katsudon & a sushi platter. The restaurant bought out their version of a cake - icecream, deep fried banana & mint leaves, mango - it was really delicious with a little candle on top!

Depsite the hideous rain ti was such a beautiful birthday and I had so much fun. It was so great to share it with some of my closest friends in such an amazing city!