Oh New York

Times Square - where it's better to be over the top

Staten Island Ferry Wharf

A looming city

Empire State

Sunset perfection

Atlas Shrugged - one of my favourite moments

Columbus Circle

Central Park Pouts

Fifth Ave Hugs

Stand Up Comedy NY night of laughs

Flatiron

American Institute of Graphic Art

It's Superman, it's a plane ... oh wait it's just a bird

I recall only several dinner time memories from my childhood quite vividly. One time, I was told that if I didn't finish my mushrooms then I wasn't permitted to watch television. So there I sat, with a pot of mushrooms in front of me growing colder and colder as my mother finished washing the remainder of the night's dishes behind me. Dawson's Creek was playing that night, and although I wasn't a Katie Holmes fan then and still am not to this day, there was something satisfying about being stubborn enough to give up television(!) for making a strong culinary decision.

Another time, I remember sitting at the dinner table alone (it always took me much longer to finish meals because I was obsessed with the concept of chewing, or mastication if you wish) and eating with a yellow Birdie spoon from McDonald's. Now this was no ordinary plastic spoon - I'm sure it would have been dish-washable, it was that sturdy, even though I didn't have a dishwasher to prove this (mental thought for later: to ask dad if dishwashers with their excessive water consumption are more or less evil than microwaves). And I remember trying to bend this spoon so that it would break. I didn't dislike this spoon, so destroying it wasn't an act of anger towards the spoon, however at 7 years of age it may have caused scandal because what would cause Vivian to commit such an act of vandalism to an eating utensil? I remember thinking "Break. BREAK! I just want to see if I can break it." Suffice to say I don't remember what happened to the spoon. It no longer resides in my kitchen. I don't even remember if I actually broke the thing, because it didn't matter. 

Do we sometimes push people, thinking that they'll crack at some point and just be done with? And when they don't weaken, does this frustrate us even more or are we grateful for their strength in our lives? At what point does making a point cross the boundary into foolish? Some people think it's weak to say sorry - they are the ones who do not value apologies and consider such a five-letter word on par with the word kebab. To indirectly quote Michael Scott (circa 2006) I think it's emotionally magnificent.

He said, She said (in Europe)

At one point we got too lazy to jot them all down, but these made me snort as I re-read them:

Syd to Prague via Dubai
"It just looks like Dubbo or some shit" -V

3 m above ground at Prague Castle
"I'm more tired than I am hungry, but more scared than I am tired" -R

Prague to Santorini
"I don't laugh, I leg press" -R

Santorini
"Honestly I don't know anything, I mean I don't know everything" -V

In transit 
"Hopping around in Europe is so fun ay, you just hop around" -R

After one too many gelato cups
"LOL, don't LOL... ROFL!!!" -R
 
Florence
R: "Tss ah!"
V: "Oh what?"
R: "... My wart"

Florence  to Geneva
V: "I can't read this" 
R: "Because it makes you dizzy?" 
V: "No, because it's in Italian"

On a train in Interlaken ... cue Ram stuffing his face 
"It's like souffle but in a chocolate hand carry form" -R

Somewhere in Europe
R: "Oh you know this chick Christina Ricci, she's married to Benji from Good Charlotte"
V: "Um you mean Nicole Richie? Who's married to Joel?"
R: "Yeah probably"

Nice
V: "Don't make your Mohawk spiky"
R: "What? Are you me? Last time I checked you were you!"

At the Louvre, Paris
"Ok... What's interesting?... -R

Life in a Day

At times I become obsessed with the idea of the perfect answer to questions such as "What is your guilty pleasure?" or "What do you fear most?" because I'm afraid that I may answer it wrong and be embarrassed five, ten, twenty years from now. Maybe people who are interviewed on a regular basis have practiced their answers so often that they speak without thinking, but where's the fun in that? I see a beauty in spontaneity, in impulse actions or words. However, I truthfully consider watching re-runs of Gilmore Girls and Friends well-prepared research and practice for the day that I win thousands in cash and prizes on an internationally-televised trivia competition.

I think the thing I fear most is fear itself. I am afraid of terror and chaos and being panic-stricken more than I am afraid of pain. I am afraid of my heart stopping more than my heart breaking, and the kind of fear that refuses the breath of life.

I am learning to appreciate, but I haven't quite yet mastered how to let go and realise the impermanence of this life.

This is an incredible video that Ram linked me to, created by the world. Put it on your to-do-this-week list!

Oui oui!

Sometimes we wait around for something magical, transformational, and inspirational to show up, accompanied by a spectacular show of fireworks and a lot of Madeline-inspired "oohs" and "aahs". A lot of the time, we end up doing things for the wrong reasons. And we stop doing them simply because we derive joy from the common pleasures that come from, for example, hearing my fingers tap solidly into my keyboard, the keyboard that is attached to a PC and not yet a sleek silver Mac. 

Our lives can be filled with outwardly fulfilling things, and a large amount of that can be bought with bags heavy with shiny gold coins (although to be completely honest I would be momentarily overjoyed and highly amused to find that my savings with the bank are actually stored like Harry Potter's, minus interacting with the creepy goblins). And although it's not the holiday season yet, where reflection upon the year gone by is mandatory, sometimes disappointing but hopefully uplifting, I can happily say that for the past year I have been incredibly grateful for my health, my loved ones, the gift of travel, my jobs, my education, a new found enjoyment for tea, and much more.

So I say to you - don't give a flying goldfish about others if you feel stupid or embarrassed doing what you feel is right and what will bring a smile to your face. Whether it's in the present moment or something in the future, regret for what has passed is time wasted. The future is merely a projection, an image where you are holding the paint brush and have complete control. Make it count.

I couldn't resist, seriously I learnt all my French from this show.

Where will our next adventure take us?

This is quite literally another world away ... looking back, I almost can't believe that my eyes had the privilege of seeing what they did!

Magical Santorini, you have my heart!

You can't see the donkey but I promise you it was there

I wish I'd posed properly (or dressed properly) to avoid looking like a duck wearing a sack

The dessert that defeated us (mainly him, though)

Experiencing travel nostalgia/anxiety/yearning

SAHMILE :)

I heard a clever little parable recently which struck a chord with me ...

There was once a little boy whose grandfather told him that there are two wolves which live inside of us. One is called Unhappiness, and the other, Happiness. They are in a constant, daily battle, fighting each other. The little boy asked his grandfather which wolf wins. The grandfather answered "The one you feed".

Our thoughts are not always to be trusted, because we are so good at telling ourselves lies and convincing ourselves to believe misconceptions that are derived from falsified 'truths' around us, and our own insecurities. When driving, we have blind spots; and in life, I believe we do too. If we're lucky enough to have someone looking out for us in the passenger seat, listening to their constructive advice can save us a lot of grief and a lot on our insurance. 


"Let your dreams be bigger than your fears, your actions louder than your words, and your faith stronger than your feelings."

Aaahhh

Omg. Seriously OH MY GOODNESS.

I can't even ... I can't. 

Look what else I conveniently linked for your viewing pleasure and entertainment - I'm sure you'll watch it over and over again (hahaha Neyo) like my sister did probably like 13 times yesterday and another 6 today.

You're welcome :)

And yes I actually discovered how to have the direct link after like 3 years!!

Shake It Up (or shake it out if your name is Florence)

http://mumbrella.com.au/shake-it-up-foundation-re-enacts-symptoms-of-parkinsons-disease-with-coffee-shop-stunt-110001

Nice one guys! :)

Did you wear genes today?

Winter seems to whisper in my ear that it's easy to get bogged down (some unique individuals call this getting heavy boots) and let go of months, even years, of disciplining ourselves to enjoy the positivity and ultimate goodness which waves to us daily. When our days are devoid of sunshine and warmth, it's not hard to see why our moods go down the same slippery dip. Hypocrisy, short tempers and ill-directed thoughts all have a sneaky way of taking over our minds and mouths, and come to think of it I don't think J K Rowling was far fetched in introducing us all to Death Eaters, it's just that our tidal waves of being left in the absence of happiness aren't hiding under dark hoods and effervescent figures. As we grow up everything appears to get more cryptic, disguised under flashy smiles and flashy cars, and the ultimate lessons to be learned almost never take place in a classroom (maybe an IKEA car park, or leaning against the weight of a wall that's been wanting to crumble for years). Joy, if we are lucky, knocks on our door and offers a helping hand; sometimes it plays hide and seek in the strangest of places. We can sit patiently on the lounge, day after day, and wait for that knock; but who's to say that it isn't waiting to be discovered between the pages of a novel on your shelf, or waiting patiently for YOU just around the corner?

"Some people pursue happiness, others create it."

Mitte, Berlin

An attempt at a chronological recount of Berlin ...
Berlin's Gallery District
East Side Gallery, Ostbahnhof
Jewish Museum
Torstrasse
Potsdamer Platz

And some deconstructed sentences -
Lots of doors
Condensed T-shirt art
Ram's inspiration found in a lightbulb
Bullets and Bibles
Garden of Exile
Faces, faces, layers of faces
Tiananmen Square
Mini yet successful shopping haul

Bye bye Europe ...

Day Deux in Paris

The weather in Paris is dealing with some bipolar tendencies as it is still in the process of deciding what season it wants to be a part of. But amongst the heavy rain we managed to take a decent photo or two during the patches of sunlight!

Our itinerary included the beautiful La Basilique du Sacré Coeur de Montmartre, a trip to the Eiffel Tower, and a wonderful meal at Chez Janou which left us paradoxically wanting more and not knowing if we could ever eat again.

A few more hours and then we are off to Berlin! Au revoir!

Paris when it sizzles (or drizzles)

Although the almost six hour train ride was only made bearable by my introduction to NBA Jam and Need for Speed, we arrived to Gare de Lyon with enough energy to wander through The Louvre (which just happens to be around the corner from our hotel) and hang out with Mona, mock some sculptures (much to the dismay and tsk-tsks of elderly art critics), and be amazed by the enormous Wedding Feast at Cana, Saint Mary Magdalene and other unique pieces.

Following our excursion to this maze for adults (you can literally say goodbye to your child forever if you lose them here, it is one of the only places where animal backpack leashes are acceptable in my opinion) we strolled, galloped and pelvic thrusted our way along the banks of the River Seine to board the Bateaux Mouches where we sailed past the Tour Eiffel with perfect timing at 10pm to see it light up with the hyperactivity of a child that lives on a diet of green cordial and red frogs (bringing Christmas to life everyday, of course).

Though the rain left my hands tingling with pins and needles from the cold, our only consolation was that we would get to wear our Florentine leather the next day! We ran through the streets and intersections like children playing tag but constantly missing as we tried in vain to hail a cab. When we did, we asked the driver with limited English to "take us to a nice restaurant, please". And take us he did. All my frog legged dreams came true, alongside the best duck Ram has ever had!

Walking through giant ornate doors has become the norm, and posing with incredible monuments that most individuals aren't fortunate enough to have the means to see in their lifetime makes the experience all the more special and leads me to give greater thanks for the blessings in my life. It's not simply a question of whether or not one has the dream of traveling and exploring, because many with these same dreams do not even know where they'll be living tomorrow or eating to stay alive tonight. In my humble opinion, gratitude is something you can never have too much of.

Oh, and we also saw a seagull with charcoal face paint!