Saturday evening was Alice and Alissa's farewell party. These two girls were the first ones to befriend me here in New York and we have been good friends ever since. They have been here for 2 years,and I have known them for most of my year here, so them leaving was very sad for me, them, and all of us Aussie girls.
When I woke up Saturday morning it was the first snow of this season, such a beautiful treat. We drove over to Alice's host home in the snow, everything coloured in a blanket of snow. At the party there was finger food, a beautiful fire roaring and all our friends were there (except unfortunately Jade who couldn't make it). We started the night off with lots of photo taking and chatting, then we had a celebration of Alice and Alissa. Emily and I wrote a poem for the girls, we gave them a calender as a gift, and then we watched a slideshow I had made for them. The girls were strong and didn't cry; until the night progressed and we had tears of laughter. We all got pretty drunk and played a game of 'I've never' which was a funny introduction to our two new aussies - Olivia and Becky who have replaced Alice and Alissa.
A wonderful night with a sad purpose - the girls will leave this Saturday (a week after the party).
Sunday, Sarah and I ventured into the city on a very cold day. We got takeaway brunch from a place called 'Alice's tea party' and I had the yummiest scone I've ever had (raspberry and lime) which we ate next to the MET (Metropolitan Museum of Art). Then we caught a cab to Bloomingdales and had alook at their famous Christmas windows and the Christmas department inside. Afterwards we walked to 'Dylan's Candy Bar' a famous store owned by the daughter of designer Ralph Lauren. We picked out a few yummy treats before trying to get a seat at a famous cafe 'Serendipity's' but the wait was 2 and a half hours long which didn't exactly appeal to us. So instead we had lunch at boring old subways haha then walked over to 5th avenue to do some shopping at H&M. We dawdled around 5th ave and Times SQ until 6.30pm when we rocked up to see 'The Lion King' on Broadway. It was fantastic! Not as good as Wicked, but next in line after that!! The opening scene of 'Circle of Life' had a sun rising in the background, masks, costumes, people on stilts as giraffees...it was breathtaking. Another great scene was the stampede - also Mufasa's ghost which had the stage black and fairy lights lighting up Mufasa's face. It was so fantastic and omg I just loved it! It went for about 3 hours and by the we were both exhausted and headed home to bed!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
My SECOND Lovely Little Holiday
So from 26th Nov to 1st Dec I was on holidays. As an aupair we get 2 paid hols a year, my first was when I went to Niagara etc and this holiday I decided to stay in New York. Monday and Tuesday I stayed in the house, Monday was my cleaning/sorting/practice packing day and Tuesday I blissfully stayed in bed allllll day!
Wednesday I spent the day in the city by myself. I decided to start at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) which normally costs $20 to get in, but my host dad knows someone who works there so I got in for free. They had a Tim Burton exhibit so I checked that out as well as some other paintings, sculptures and photos. The Tim Burtone exhibit was awesome, I loved seeing all his work together and all the characters & ideas he had created but have not yet come to the screen. After the morning at MoMA, I walked around the area and had some lunch.
Then at 2pm I had tickets to see the 'Radio City Hall Rockettes Christmas Spectacular' which is a famous New York Christmas show thats been playing for years and is a big tradition. It was a huge theatre with the biggest chandelier I've ever seen in the lobby, and 3 mezzazines (balconies) inside, with a great big stage. The Rockettes are dancers and they performed '12 days of Christmas' purely by tapping it out and not singing until the last line! It was amazing they did movements to go with each number and tapped it so beautifully. They also told different Christmas songs, did different Christmas songs and Christmas dances. Another great dance was they all dressed up as toy soldiers and fell over in a huge line - it was fantasic!
It was cold and rainy when I came out of the theatre but I headed up to the Upper West Side to watch them blow up the balloons for the Thanksgiving parade the next day. I arrived an hour and a half after they started but they were unfortunately already all blown up and it was a bit of a waste of time!
That night I didn't go to sleep at all because I had to take a 5.20am train back into the city! I met the other girls at the station at about 6am and we headed back over to the Upper West Side about 76th street just a few blocks after the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade would start. By the time we had arrived (detouring to get breakfast & coffee, coffee, coffee) it was around 7am and we got a fantastic spot right on the corner, about 3 people in from the sidewalk. WHen the parade FINALLY started at 9am, it was well worth the wait =) It was amazing they had dancers, marching bands, cheerleaders, jumpropers and random walkers...plus lots of floats. Castles, M&M theatre world, central park, sesame street...with different celebs on them Cyndi Lauper, Gloria Gaynor, Boys like Girls, Miss America. Plus of course the giant balloons! Dora, Horton, Buzz, Santa, Spongebob oh they were so huge and so awesome! They finished with Santa and it was definitly one of my top 5 New York moments and everything I'd hoped =).
I got home around 1pm and had a little nap before Thanksgiving dinner which we had at about 5pm. It was all my host family, one of their cousins & uncle plus a family from around the corner. We had a huge giant turkey, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, green beans, corn and all the cliche televised Thanksgiving food! It was delicious and we barely had room for the pumpkin pie, chocolate cake and ice cream for dessert. It was a beautiful meal and we had some great conversations and it was a really lovely holiday.
The next day (Friday if you lost count) I had a very early birthday present! My host mom took me and my host girl to Harlem's famous Apollo theatre where a special performance of 'Dreamgirls' was playing. We saw the matinee and it was spectacular - especially Effie's 'I'm not going' which gave me goosebumps!Then we went to a soul food restaurant 'Sylvia's' and I had the most delicious meal - catfish, yams and garlic potatoes mmmmmmm.
Saturday was a big day in the city for sarah, Steph and I we took some tour buses around the city. One downtown then one night tour, which was great to see all the lights of the city (we viewed it from Brooklyn). In between these two tours we had lunch at a quite little tavern, and had a few drinks. It was a really nice day but very long and tiring.
Sunday was my last day of holidays - rest day until dinner that night at our fav restaurant the Cheesecake Factory for Christina's birthday. It was such a fun celebration with alot of the girls there - me, Sarah, Steph, Christina, Emily, Dani, Emma, Alice and Olivia.
HOlidays over, and back to work (blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah) bright and earlyish Monday morning =)
Wednesday I spent the day in the city by myself. I decided to start at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) which normally costs $20 to get in, but my host dad knows someone who works there so I got in for free. They had a Tim Burton exhibit so I checked that out as well as some other paintings, sculptures and photos. The Tim Burtone exhibit was awesome, I loved seeing all his work together and all the characters & ideas he had created but have not yet come to the screen. After the morning at MoMA, I walked around the area and had some lunch.
Then at 2pm I had tickets to see the 'Radio City Hall Rockettes Christmas Spectacular' which is a famous New York Christmas show thats been playing for years and is a big tradition. It was a huge theatre with the biggest chandelier I've ever seen in the lobby, and 3 mezzazines (balconies) inside, with a great big stage. The Rockettes are dancers and they performed '12 days of Christmas' purely by tapping it out and not singing until the last line! It was amazing they did movements to go with each number and tapped it so beautifully. They also told different Christmas songs, did different Christmas songs and Christmas dances. Another great dance was they all dressed up as toy soldiers and fell over in a huge line - it was fantasic!
It was cold and rainy when I came out of the theatre but I headed up to the Upper West Side to watch them blow up the balloons for the Thanksgiving parade the next day. I arrived an hour and a half after they started but they were unfortunately already all blown up and it was a bit of a waste of time!
That night I didn't go to sleep at all because I had to take a 5.20am train back into the city! I met the other girls at the station at about 6am and we headed back over to the Upper West Side about 76th street just a few blocks after the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade would start. By the time we had arrived (detouring to get breakfast & coffee, coffee, coffee) it was around 7am and we got a fantastic spot right on the corner, about 3 people in from the sidewalk. WHen the parade FINALLY started at 9am, it was well worth the wait =) It was amazing they had dancers, marching bands, cheerleaders, jumpropers and random walkers...plus lots of floats. Castles, M&M theatre world, central park, sesame street...with different celebs on them Cyndi Lauper, Gloria Gaynor, Boys like Girls, Miss America. Plus of course the giant balloons! Dora, Horton, Buzz, Santa, Spongebob oh they were so huge and so awesome! They finished with Santa and it was definitly one of my top 5 New York moments and everything I'd hoped =).
I got home around 1pm and had a little nap before Thanksgiving dinner which we had at about 5pm. It was all my host family, one of their cousins & uncle plus a family from around the corner. We had a huge giant turkey, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, green beans, corn and all the cliche televised Thanksgiving food! It was delicious and we barely had room for the pumpkin pie, chocolate cake and ice cream for dessert. It was a beautiful meal and we had some great conversations and it was a really lovely holiday.
The next day (Friday if you lost count) I had a very early birthday present! My host mom took me and my host girl to Harlem's famous Apollo theatre where a special performance of 'Dreamgirls' was playing. We saw the matinee and it was spectacular - especially Effie's 'I'm not going' which gave me goosebumps!Then we went to a soul food restaurant 'Sylvia's' and I had the most delicious meal - catfish, yams and garlic potatoes mmmmmmm.
Saturday was a big day in the city for sarah, Steph and I we took some tour buses around the city. One downtown then one night tour, which was great to see all the lights of the city (we viewed it from Brooklyn). In between these two tours we had lunch at a quite little tavern, and had a few drinks. It was a really nice day but very long and tiring.
Sunday was my last day of holidays - rest day until dinner that night at our fav restaurant the Cheesecake Factory for Christina's birthday. It was such a fun celebration with alot of the girls there - me, Sarah, Steph, Christina, Emily, Dani, Emma, Alice and Olivia.
HOlidays over, and back to work (blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah) bright and earlyish Monday morning =)
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Our "Nothing" Weekend
In order to be able to afford a big weekend for Thanksgiving (this upcoming weekend), Sarah, Steph and I decided that the weekend just come we would have a "nothing" weekend where we tried to do/spend as little as possible. Friday night after I finished work, I was officially on holidays =) We had no plans for that night, but Saturday Kate and Christina came over to watch some movies at my place, as my hosties were out of town. Kate and I got pizza for dinner and then Sarah, Steph and I went to see the new Twilight movie. It was quite good but not the huge hype that everyone goes on about!
Sunday afternoon Sarah Steph and I had lunch at my place, then went shopping for a bit before we met all t he other girls (Alissa, Alice, Jade, Christina, Emily, Dani, Emma nad the new girl Olivia) for dinner at Applebees. After dinner those girls went to see Twilight, we continued shopping and then had a nice and easy night!
19 days till my birthday
31 days till Christmas
40 days till my big holiday
YAY
Sunday afternoon Sarah Steph and I had lunch at my place, then went shopping for a bit before we met all t he other girls (Alissa, Alice, Jade, Christina, Emily, Dani, Emma nad the new girl Olivia) for dinner at Applebees. After dinner those girls went to see Twilight, we continued shopping and then had a nice and easy night!
19 days till my birthday
31 days till Christmas
40 days till my big holiday
YAY
We went everywhere man...
So after the kind of low key/hurt back weekend (lol), Sarah, Steph & I had another big Sunday in my favourite city =) We started off in the village with Magnolia Cupcakes and a walk around the neighbourhood. The girls wanted gumboots from Marc Jacobs but there were none left so we walked over to Washington Square Park stopping at the famous Grey's Papaya Hotdogs on the way for lunch. After we took a few photos in the park, listening to some music and saw a few NYU buildings; we caught a cab over to Chinatown. We elbowed our way thru the crazy crowds looking for bargains - perfumes, scarves, jewellery, last minute souvinears. When we grew tired of Chinatown we took another cab back uptown to 5th avenue. All 3 of us had seen Tiffany & Co but today we took the chance to walk in Audrey Hepburn shoe's and explored the inside. It is 5 floors of jewellery and lovely pretty things! I would love to get a charm from their before I go, and while $100ish per charm isn't too much for jewellery, esp Tiffany but being on an aupoor wage isn't so easy hehe! But if I don't get one now, I can always buy it later.
We also went to a few other stores - the NBA store for the girls to get jerseys and the Disney store for me to get a sweatshirt =) Instead of I heart NY, its I mickey ears NY hehe. its so cute! I love it!
Then we named them and got little bear birth certificates! Mine bear is Gotham, Steph's is Chocolate and Sarah's is Winston! Definitly a special afternoon =)
Our last stop was dinner in Little India - mmm butterchicken yum yum.
We also went to a few other stores - the NBA store for the girls to get jerseys and the Disney store for me to get a sweatshirt =) Instead of I heart NY, its I mickey ears NY hehe. its so cute! I love it!
Then we named them and got little bear birth certificates! Mine bear is Gotham, Steph's is Chocolate and Sarah's is Winston! Definitly a special afternoon =)
Our last stop was dinner in Little India - mmm butterchicken yum yum.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
She'll be coming round 5th ave when she comes...yeehaw
The day after Halloween, Sarah, Steph and I went for a horse and carriage ride in the city. The park was closed because of the Marathon, so we went down 5th instead, but it was still lots of fun and definitly one of those 'NEw York moments' you have to do!
Then we had lunch at the Australian, shopped on 5th, then went back to White Plains for lunch at OUtback Steakhouse. Definitly an aussie new york day!
The following weekend I hurt my back, so didn't do much, just went shoppin on Saturday in Conneticut with Christina, Dani, Em and Alice.
Then we had lunch at the Australian, shopped on 5th, then went back to White Plains for lunch at OUtback Steakhouse. Definitly an aussie new york day!
The following weekend I hurt my back, so didn't do much, just went shoppin on Saturday in Conneticut with Christina, Dani, Em and Alice.
Double double toil and trouble
Halloween was fantastic! I was so excited in the lead up to experience my first Halloween, and all the kids were in disbelief that we didn't celebrate this back home!
The day before Halloween, I went with my host mom to watch the kids at their school parade. Each grade marched out in costume, and I would say about 50% had store bought and 50% home made. There were a dozen 'Dorothys' and what seemed like an infinity of superheros and starwars characters; but also some really unique costumes like an i-pod, a cupcake, dice. My favourite though was a girl dressed in purple, with a painted purple face, who was carrying a clear umbrella with purple streamers hanging from it. She was a jellyfish and she looked amazing! My kids kept changing their minds right up until the night before. My youngest boy, 5, went as a ninja. My oldest boy, 9 went as a gangster and my girl, 9, went as a crazed jungle woman. She looked the best! I leant her my leopard print dress and then we painted her face brown and green so it looked dirty and then teased her hair to the maximum and put leaves and twigs in it. After the parade, each class hads a party and I went between the twin's classrooms looking at their projects, meeting their teachers and friends. It was really interesting and lots of fun.
The night before, my host parents went to a halloween party so I told the kids we would have our own party, just the four of us. We carved pumpkins (well they just drew the faces, I carved them out) which was messy and fun and tiring all at once. Then we got some of the halloween candy they recieved in class and made halloween cupcakes. We danced to spooky music, ate party food and scared each other. It was a long night and we had so much fun.
The afternoon of Halloween I helped the kids get dressed. My oldest boy was now being a zombie soccor player and the youngest a zombie astronaught (?!?!) and my girl was still a jungle woman. We put fake cobwebs all over the already set up Halloween directions on the porch; then lit up our pumpkins. We started by going to a haunted house on our street, set up by one of my kid's friends. Then we all went trick or treating together, knocking on each house and seeing if the people inside were dressed up, and what kind of pumpkins they had carved. There wasn't just faces I saw other things carved like words or objects. I had a blast and it was really special to spend it with my host family.
After trick or treating, me, Emily, Christina and Danyale went into the city. We were suppose to watch the parade in the village but it was raining so instead we went to 'The Australian' bar and had a drink, danced for a bit, then came home.
It was a great night but I'm glad we don't have this holiday back home!
The day before Halloween, I went with my host mom to watch the kids at their school parade. Each grade marched out in costume, and I would say about 50% had store bought and 50% home made. There were a dozen 'Dorothys' and what seemed like an infinity of superheros and starwars characters; but also some really unique costumes like an i-pod, a cupcake, dice. My favourite though was a girl dressed in purple, with a painted purple face, who was carrying a clear umbrella with purple streamers hanging from it. She was a jellyfish and she looked amazing! My kids kept changing their minds right up until the night before. My youngest boy, 5, went as a ninja. My oldest boy, 9 went as a gangster and my girl, 9, went as a crazed jungle woman. She looked the best! I leant her my leopard print dress and then we painted her face brown and green so it looked dirty and then teased her hair to the maximum and put leaves and twigs in it. After the parade, each class hads a party and I went between the twin's classrooms looking at their projects, meeting their teachers and friends. It was really interesting and lots of fun.
The night before, my host parents went to a halloween party so I told the kids we would have our own party, just the four of us. We carved pumpkins (well they just drew the faces, I carved them out) which was messy and fun and tiring all at once. Then we got some of the halloween candy they recieved in class and made halloween cupcakes. We danced to spooky music, ate party food and scared each other. It was a long night and we had so much fun.
The afternoon of Halloween I helped the kids get dressed. My oldest boy was now being a zombie soccor player and the youngest a zombie astronaught (?!?!) and my girl was still a jungle woman. We put fake cobwebs all over the already set up Halloween directions on the porch; then lit up our pumpkins. We started by going to a haunted house on our street, set up by one of my kid's friends. Then we all went trick or treating together, knocking on each house and seeing if the people inside were dressed up, and what kind of pumpkins they had carved. There wasn't just faces I saw other things carved like words or objects. I had a blast and it was really special to spend it with my host family.
After trick or treating, me, Emily, Christina and Danyale went into the city. We were suppose to watch the parade in the village but it was raining so instead we went to 'The Australian' bar and had a drink, danced for a bit, then came home.
It was a great night but I'm glad we don't have this holiday back home!
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