A Not so Merry Christmas

I knew all year that it was my turn to do the Christmas / New Year swing on the vessel. There were a few hopeful windows that glimmered throughout the second half of the year that would have kept me at home. A vessel transit, bad weather and some time spent in the St. Johns office all dangled the carrot in front of me but my boss offshore had the final say in putting me on a flight to Norway the week before Christmas.

Unbeknownst to me, the girl had arranged my present before I left in the form of a vicious stomach bug that had me stuck on the floor of the hotel for a couple of days. Thankfully it occurred the day after my travel and the boat was delayed sufficiently to allow the worst to pass.

I eventually made it on board and the whole crew dug in to wait on the weather. If we had of been offshore working like expected, the Christmas may have passed a bit quicker but being stuck in port with nothing to do really bites the big one.

Eventually that Christmas night I dragged a few of the crew downtown for some well deserved pints - and when I say downtown I mean a small quaint watering hole that services the likes of a Norwegian country town. Never the less we had our share and headed back to the boat.

The weather was howling (wind up to 100 knots) by the time we arrived back and we ascended the gangway. A few minutes after we had arrived the boat got blown off the quayside and the gangway ended up hanging into the water. This created a problem for the remaining guys who hadn't been on the ride home in the first bus, who now had to go find a hotel to stay the night.

By the next morning we had secured the gangway and were keeping station by running 4 of our thrusters. The guys rejoined the vessel and were looking much worse then we had anticipated. Unfortunately for me I had gotten in the first bus and missed the unplanned activities...

The New Board

Possibly trying to relive the days of my youth I purchased a new board to cruise the streets of NYC. It is quite a good ride - smooth, stable and a nice turning circle.

Unfortunately my body does not respond to the steely coordination of my teen years and I wasn't the most graceful of travellers through the streets. I did however maintain my dignity by remaining on the board.

Although the next day my muscles let me know the age I was gaining with some excessive soreness to areas I hadn't even known existed.

I ventured down to a local funiture store this morning to pick up a nice bench seat we had decided to purchase on the weekend. Figuring I would be able to skate both there and home with the added difficulty I was soon proven wrong with my lack of coordination.

A nice old lady stopped my dead in the street and begged me to walk the rest of the way, ensuring I wouldn't "damage the lovely antique chair."

It's safe to say I made it home a little later than expected but the chair was in one piece.

Barista in training

The girl bought me a fabulous coffee machine for my b'day. Luckily it has a beginners setting for me to start on. The dual wall filter means no adjusting the coffee bean grind size, pressures or timing. It's push the button and go. This is very good as my first few attempts at using the standard filter have been rather unsuccessful, not undrinkable mind you, just very inconsistent. Now I am making 2 or 3 espressos each day it shouldn't take me too long to perfect the art.

Don't leave me hanging!

How could I not re-post this classic shot of the Gelfling? Kitted out in his Kobe suit waiting for the sharks to come and high five him...

Making your way in the world today...

The parentals were over visiting so the girl and I decided to take them to Boston for the weekend. It was quite a good trip where we saw the majority of the sites along the "Freedom Trail". Essentially this is a walk around Boston taking in all of the sites that had been involved with the US separating from England. The pride in these "Patriots" certainly demonstrates the countries passion for the US involvement in the past wars, and puts a bit of an explanation on why the US have the largest military budget in the world - by a long margin.

But putting aside these uninteresting facets of the city, there is also a lot more to be admired. The glorious harbour has been redeveloped into an exceptional attraction, as well as the Boston Garden (home to the Celtics and Bruins) which borders its edge.

The biggest excitement for me was visiting the bar, formerly known as the Bull & Finch, which now is named Cheers. I have fond memories of growing up with the show and although the humour was frequently above my maturity level, I had certainly appreciated the comical timings and subtlety from the actors portraying the humour. Looking at the episodes now it certainly has aged well.

After being seated in the back room and glancing over the menu, the Norm burger caught my attention. This was one of those burgers that was too big to fit into your mouth and then topped off with the fries, onion rings etc. Soon as our gathering had seen this on the menu, they all questioned whether I would be stepping up to the challenge. Not wanting to disappoint my fans I gracefully accepted. It's safe to say I gave the burger a good run for its money but the second it was placed in front of me it had me beat.

Another NYC Movie

I commenced my morning jog today and ran into an unusual scene for me (but certainly not an unusual scene for NYC) a block down the street. The road was littered with trucks, cameras and people setting up to film a movie. They were filming a man (who I didn't recognise) walking along the street as I ran passed (hopefully scoring myself a cameo).

When I returned they had moved closer to our apartment outside the PATH station (train that goes under the river to Jersey). After completing my jog I wandered back down to find out that the movie was called "Gods Behaving Badly," starring Christopher Walken, Sharon Stone and Alicia Silverstone.
I spoke to one of the many randoms trying to make themselves look important on set and found out Alicia Silverstone would be in the scene. I hung around as long as I could to catch a glimpse before the serious looking cop politely asked me to move along. My sense of humour abandoned me when I saw the automatic weapon he was carrying.

Rugby World Cup - All over again!

Four years ago, the big worm and I embarked on a pilgrimage to France to follow the Rugby World Cup. It was 2 months of adventure and excitement that gave us memories we'll have forever. It was the first time I met the girl - a random bar in Montpelier where she captured my heart. Four years on and the girl and I are living together here in NYC.

Although the US has a team in the World Cup it doesn't seem as though the country has much time for it. It has a lot to do with the time difference I'm sure, but when has the IRB had any interest to capture newer markets at the expense of serving the core nations interests.

The major theme of France 2007 was the random places we found ourselves integrating with the locals and fellow rugby fans, usually into the small hours of the morning. With the exception of our location, NZ 2011 was no different. The games, served to us on a big screen via satellite, were shown in various bars in which rugby fans flocked to.

Getting home to bed after the sun comes up is another recurring them, although surfacing after lunch is more of a struggle 4 years later.

New Orleans - Jambalaya, Jazz and an Airboat Ride!

We drove into New Orleans along a highway raised up out of the swamp. It was exciting to be travelling over the murky waste at such a high speed. It was easy to see how the area can be subjected to devastating flooding.

My knowledge of the city was limited to films and news clippings which gave a certain aspect of what to expect. On arrival we were unprepared for the immense ambiance and vibe the city was emanating.

The first night I was introduced the local delicacy, Jambalaya. The taste explosion was a rare treat. A mixture of sorts that somehow fitted together. Perhaps the southern version of the Spanish Paella? It was something that instantly made it to my top 10 dishes.

The streets are lined with musicians. Particularly good ones. All playing their own unique style of a southern favourite - Jazz. The jam sessions became less structured as the night wore on as random locals joined in the performance.

Towards the end of our stay the girl arranged us a local tour in an airboat. I was in high spirits to be traversing the swampy canals that once set the scene to the bond movie, Live and Let Die. Unfortunately there was no sign of Solitaire - my second favourite bond girl. But the speed of the craft complimented the relaxing spectacle that nature provided.

Elvis has left the building

A trip to Memphis would not be complete without visiting the home of the King. A little outside of the city you will find an attraction to rival Disneyland that honours one of the founders of rock and roll, his former residence, Graceland.

The memorabilia here is astounding. From his private jet (the Lisa Marie), the numerous jumpsuits (worn throughout his comeback tour), and the 3 television sets in his basement (it is said he heard that President Johnson watched 3 at once to keep up with the news) there is not a place that will not gather interest.

After the tour the tacky amusement park feeling has vanished and you get the eerie sensation of knowing the man a little more intimately than you would have expected.

Memphis - The home of rock and roll

Our third stop on the road trip was Memphis, Tennessee. All I can say is wow! What a city. The searing 40 degree heat energizes the various establishments into a diversified eclectic mayhem, thrusting you into a laid back vibe that is eclipsed only by the pulse of the city itself. Each of the bars feed off this energy to sustain the vibe so an empty bar always feels like a friendly packed house - not that you will find any of the places empty.

We stayed at a lowly rated hotel off Beale St but to us it was a welcoming homestead. The food here has a Southern feel although with it's own individual tweaks. I recommend trying out the ribs although the girl will tell you she had the best fried chicken she has ever tasted. Every bar is lined with memorabilia from the most famous rock star to some lowly sportsmen.

The Martin Luther memorial was a window into a sad, but vital piece of US history. I would like to put it into the conspiracy theory vault, however I believe the assassination did more for his desperate cause then any amount of preaching would have brought.

We left this city with our eyes, ears and minds opened to the cultural understanding one town can offer.

Random Road signs

The "Main Street of America"...



Next to the City of Oz... (next to the "Emerald City" for those non-movie trivia buffs)



I leave the gun in the truck then shall I...



I was thinking of hitting that guy, lucky I saw the sign...

St. Louis - not a hell of a lot to see

In St. Louis there's a giant, impressive arch that towers over the city. The delicacy here is fried Ravioli.

Once you've seen the monument and sampled the food be sure to move on to the next city.

Might I suggest Tulsa, Oklahoma?

Fondue-liscious

While in Chicago we decided to try a restaurant that had all the benefits of cooking your own food. Apparently fondue was all the rage in the 70's and I can see why. I preferred the dessert spread where we dipped the strawberries in steaming hot chocolate but that doesn't take away anything from the rest of it.

The funniest thing was the couple behind us who had just gotten married - celebrating on their own in a comfy booth.

Respect to the GOAT

You may remember from a previous Blog we were rather into basketball as kids so on our trip to Chicago it was essential I went and paid my respect to the greatest of all time. He certainly was not my favourite player (I never like to root for the best) but he certainly has a highlight reel second to none.

I got a guy...

Ever since the proposal I have been asked about deciding on the purchase. It was one of those things I had wanted to do on my own, so with much trepidation, a set of guidelines and wad of cash I headed into New York's famed "Diamond District" (note: by "wad of cash" I mean a card but for the stories sake I had to throw it in).

Making my way along the various shops it was apparent that these guys had a silver tongue and really wanted me to part with my money. After much wandering and deliberation I found a small stall in one of the arcades with a young Jewish lad who was there with his heavily pregnant wife. It didn't really seem that his collection of engagement rings was all that large but never the less we struck up a conversation anyway. After letting him know I really had no idea about the purchase except a vague idea of what the girl had wanted he began his tutorial about the differences.

Fairly soon I was a master with diamond qualities and had a better idea of what I was purchasing. He showed me a number of rings and I selected the one I thought would most suit the girl. After this we tried 3 or 4 different rocks to see how they looked in the setting. It wasn't long before we had put together the perfect ring which in itself began the game of cat and mouse.

I knew the man was buying both the ring and diamond at a wholesale price much less than any other store could get - this is how the diamond district works. They can all buy in bulk to get an amazing selection for you. A few times he went to his "storeroom" to find another diamond but I was fairly sure he was grabbing this off a fellow dealer.

He gave me a great price and reduced it further when I pushed him on it. Soon after I told him that this was definitely the ring I wanted but would like to think about it over a bite to eat. His faced dropped slightly and told me he didn't want to lose my custom. He even said if we complete the deal he will buy me lunch. He asked me what price I wanted to pay. I looked him in the eye and asked him for his absolute best price that he would go no lower on. If liked what I heard we had a deal - if not I was walking.

To my surprise he came back with a very reasonable price that was way lower than what I expected. We shook hands and the deal was done. Even with the tax added I was completely happy with the way the haggle had turned out.

So from now on if anyone asks me about diamonds I respond with: I got a guy - go see my Jew!

A short trip up the Empire State

On a random Thursday night, I dragged the girl up to the top of the Empire State Building under the guise of watching a magnificent sunset and to spot our apartment. We did a lap through the crowd that was gathering before I steered her to the quietest location I could find.

I dropped on one knee, asked the question and she really had no choice but to accept.

We now can look out at the building from our apartment to reminds us both of the happiness this moment brought us.

It's safe to say we are both over joyed - but not as happy as Tamara (the hippo) was!

Celeb Spot #3

On our way to meet one of the girls friends for dinner, we noticed a very cool and casual looking individual walking down 6th street, cloaked in a baseball cap and headphones. After a double take the girl gave a little whisper in my ear, "Edward Norton!" Upon a second look, it shocked me to see that the very famous individual had blended in so seamlessly. He crossed the road and bopped his way down 6th Avenue without another person noticing him.

Wait, I buy a beer and you give me a free pizza?

So the cuz and CM were over and we happened upon a bar in the East Village that gives you a free pizza for lunch with every beer purchase. Safe to say we ate very well and walked out of there a tad intoxicated...

Celeb Spot #2

Well this one was a cracker. Walking along Bleecker (a block away from the apartment we just signed a lease to) I noticed a familiar looking face walking towards us. The girl inattentive as ever received a quick squeeze around her hand – our signal to stop the jabbering and pay attention.

As the familiar face walked past us I could feel the excitement emanating from the girl. She began to tremble and was utterly speechless. Low and behold Sarah Jessica Parker had just done a walk by, one block from our new apartment. The girl spun around to survey the outfit, which she could recite with precision on request from everyone who has asked her since (as opposed to the guys question for me: “hot?” - “Yeah you’d go there.”)

I think this is number one for the girl and apart from a George Michael sighting probably won’t be topped for the next little while.

The One with a New Home

Now it is official - we are residents of NYC. We have a fabulous apartment on the corner of Christopher and Bleecker streets. Our doormen are pretty cool and the view is fantastic - check out the photo!

Ben Stiller: Not just funny in movies

The girl grabbed us tickets to a show she thought I might like starring Ben Stiller. He has pretty much been in every single decent comedy for the past decade and a half so we were quite interested to see how his acting translated onto the stage. The play was entitled “House of the blue leaves” and also starred Edie Falco (mother in the Sopranos who I disliked for that very reason).

As it turned out the play was a tongue in cheek comedy where Ben Stiller portrayed the main character quite well. My biggest surprise however was Edie Falco who played some deranged wife, on the edge of insanity, rather convincingly.
We realised one of the perks of living in NYC was the two block walk to the theatre. Dinner was at a steakhouse on the way home so our total journey time for the evening was around 5 minutes.

Need a place to live? Stalk buildings...

The real estate market in NYC is cutthroat. Most places that are for rent require you to have a broker who takes a 1-2 month "commission" for finding you a place to live. We used a couple of brokers while we were here but it became pretty apparent that these brokers do not have access to all the available apartments. In order to put in an application form you have to pay a fee. Essentially you are down at least 10 grand just to rent an apartment.

We were getting a little frustrated from the lack of understanding of what we wanted from our brokers. Walking through the village one morning, we stumbled across a street fair. Thinking it was a very cool area, the girl decided to take matters into her own hands and cold call on an apartment block. Inside she approached the doorman. Surprisingly to me the guy was rather helpful and told us his place was full of condos (no rentals) but directed us to a couple of others that rented along the street.

Trudging into the second one we were told there was one available and the doorman happily gave us the key to head up and inspect it. We walked in and found a great view. The flat itself is a little cosy but perfect for the 2 of us. We got the details of the real estate and put in an offer the following week. Having found it ourselves we happily saved paying the brokers fee.

This proved how sometimes it pays to be a crazy stalker chick to save a couple of bucks...

Characters - where everybody knows your name?

Growing up as the generation of television kids it is a fair assessment I had a well earned butt groove wedged into the couch in front of the television. Featuring regularly throughout the entertainment was the US sitcoms. One of the regular locations would be a bar (where everyone knows your name). So it may come to you as no surprise that within our first week of being in NYC we have one such bar – Characters. Characters is an Irish bar, open until 4am every night, that serves rather delicious pub grub, talented bartenders and helpful waitresses. And to not keep you in suspense, yes they know our names.

I think it was the second time we went in there when they welcomed us as one of their own. They know what we drink and are ever so quick on the refill. Not to mention the free rounds that get included. Our favourite bar tender is called Sean. He is very Irish and looks after us very well. In fact the girl thinks I have a man-crush on him (whatever that means). But you’ve got to have respect for a guy who pours your drinks, throws in the occasional freebie and can slyly liquor up your girl....

UPDATE: The bartender has now memorised my offshore schedule so he knows when I should be away and returning. This leads to a few more freebies (of some top shelf scotch) thrown in during the week leading up to departure.

Let’s go Knicks (an analysis of my childhood psyche developing through to an age described only as less of childhood)!

Growing up in my house I was exposed to basketball (mainly through older sibling influence) since my younger years. Not only did we have epic games of 1 on 1, around the world and the trash talking horse, but we also spent an unhealthy amount of time glued to the TV watching the likes of Jordan* and pals blazing a trail though the fastest growing sport for teenage kids in the nineties. Not sure why we got into it though as the parentals appear to be vertically challenged (in spite of my awesome ability to grow into a respectable height) which should have really translated to myself.

We watched over and over many countless hours of electrifying acrobatics. Drawn to the spectacle like a moth to a flame . Usually I was rooting for the underdog team. Not that I wasn’t impressed by the greatness of the champions, it was more the fact I set myself a challenge of rooting for the impossibly inadequate. Whether or not this is a reflection on my own personal life is debatable, although I will leave that up to you to ponder.

If there was ever a team in all sports that I despised it was the New York Knicks. I don’t know why this was. I could always see a team of (mostly) untalented players overachieving at every turn. Observers were always surprised when they fell short at the last hurdle, but at this stage I was astonished they had made it this far. Through the next decade the obsession of dislike had boiled down to a minimum due to the fact that a terrible GM had constructed an awful team that would never be able to overachieve again. You don’t like picking on an enemy when they are down, especially one that had developed into such retarded-ness as this.

In the summer of 2010, the Knicks made some significant moves. Previously creating enough salary cap space to sign some big name players, and following it up with the signing of an actual big name player. A few more additions were added and a strong squad was made. Don’t get me wrong this team would only be challenging for a playoff berth however it would be done with a bunch of lower key members, creating a team that was greater than the sum of its parts. This became a relief to me and to explain the reason I’ll have to step back a few years.

Over a decade ago I was leaving the city I had grown up with (and will probably always call home) to experience the world. The best way to do this was live in different places for a couple of years and enamour myself in the culture. Thus far the journey had taken me through Tasmania, Perth, (a brief stint in Malaysia), London and NYC. In all these places I had decided to adopt the local team to support. Rest assured I will always barrack for my roots but I am a firm believer in supporting the local teams of a newly adopted city (Tasmania Tigers, Western Force, West Coast Eagles, Chelsea). This leads me to my current city and to uphold the principles I vowed to keep a decade ago, my support would now need to lay squarely on the New York Knicks. I have often thought to myself if the childhood Ben could see me now, what would he say? Sellout? Bandwagon? I’m quite sure he would say these and many more. The difference is that I have the last decade of adventures on my side which has refined me into the person I am today. I look forward to future Ben taking the same opportunity for examination on current Ben and surmising his past thoughts for reflection.

*Anyone needing me to explain this Jordan reference in detail should probably invent some form of time travelling device, go back to the nineties, pull their former self brain out of the sand and tell them to pay attention to sports.

Celeb spot #1

Don’t know the dudes name but Mr Big from Sex and the City was outside our apartment today. The girl was flabbergasted (she also saw Ted Danson 2 days ago). He was quite literally casually dressed and probably mistaken for a tourist by the majority of guys (that didn’t have a girl next to them ogling him).

Live from NYC

First of all - many apologies for the time it has taken to update the posts. I have had the stories well and truly hot off the press but had to wait until I had some time to work on the quality banner. Let me know what you think of it anyway. I have decided to stop ripping off the Friends line “the one with the...” in order to get directly to the point (but mainly not to sound too dated). Ironically we are now living on the same block as the friends apartment. Moving forward I’m going to try to demonstrate a more mature and sharpened use of my writing skills. It’s going to be legen......
wait for it.....
dary!

Without further ado here is the release of the build up of posts:

The Last One....

The girl and I have decided to end our time in London and head for the brighter lights of the big apple. Coming soon the Wombles take Manhattan...

The One with the Farewell

Our final send off in London