So we woke this morning to see this scene...nothing to worry about though. It was an old building that was being renovated and the construction had been deemed uninhabitable for some time. 

Me, Daren and Scott in the studio just about set to start reading.

these boots were made for walkin', rollerblading, bicycling, runnin'

Interesting...no wonder these are endangered. Australia keeps giving them away!! 

This was in an enclosure within the Brooklyn Botanical gardens. There were large numbers of Australian trees. We both got homesick but loved seeing the familiar flora. 

Prospect Park

Prospect Park & Brooklyn

I think it's fair to say Spring is finally here. We spent Saturday walking through Brooklyn: the Brooklyn Botanical gardens and then Prospect Park...sunshine on the skin and as you can see we weren't alone. It was great. BBQ's happening, dogs splashing in dedicated dog ponds. The wonderful thing after a winter as cold and harsh as that we have just endured is that you get to experience nature with a childlike sense of awe. 

Okay, so we were heading out to have a glass of wine this pleasant spring evening and the whole damn sidewalk was blocked off by the papparazzi, here for the tribeca film festival. Adrian brody and moby were two who did the camera flash shuffle. We hesitated here only momentarily before deciding that the purchase of a nice bottle of red consumed within the confines of home was a better option. 

it's the bubbles of nothing that make it really something

cool mural on the top right

random shots

watership down

Martini's

So the cocktail hour is big in NY. Through a series of random tasting experiments I have been able to determine one or two things about the Martini. Hitherto not overly familiar with the Martini I have since learnt that it can be made using either gin or vodka, and commonly with just the slightest touch of Vermouth, literally a drop the size of one's fingernail. I have sampled both the gin and vodka variety and prefer the gin. I have also determined through a lengthy process of sampling and experimentation that I prefer a dirty martini. That is, a martini with the splash of olive brine included in the mix. So my order would be a gin martini, dry and dirty. It should come with olives, at least two or three, but in some establishments it pays to ask. However, having said all of that I must say the range of difference between that same aforementioned preferred type of martini, varies dramatically. Also should you feel compelled to make one of these at home, please note that gin is easily bruised, it should be gently rotated no more than twice in the cocktail shaker, as opposed to vodka which can be treated with a little less care. 

Overheard in NY

So being the natural eavesdropper that I am I have decided to post snippets of conversations I have overheard while here. The first was when I was walking through Central Park on sunday afternoon. Two young women were walking in front of me:

1: And I hate him for it! I was always the needy one! So now he's doing what I taught him...Now he's the needy one. I used to be the needy one! AND he's using the tricks I taught him to manipulate me!!! I hate him so much!

2: So when's the wedding?

And then walking by Brooklyn Bridge station back to our place. Two guys wearing lots of bling, low ridin' jeans etc etc: 

1: Man, you ain't ever gonna see me work. I just ain't gonna do it. 

2: Workin's for losers!

central park starts to come alive

Spring

So where is this spring that everyone keeps talking about...We had a shock of spring weather, it has to be admitted, over the weekend. On Friday night NY unfurled itself onto the pavement, with diners spilling out over tables and bottles of wine passed around and trees blossoming and skies pure blue..I wore a T-shirt walking down the street! And then on Monday....it snowed!!!! not much at all, just a few flakes which melted quickly. But snow nonetheless. 

We went to eat at a restaurant on friday night, the waiter, a withering sycophant, tried to charge us double what we paid for a bottle of wine. His service disproportionately placed throughout the endeavor was also dependent on who he was serving, his preference being drunk college girls or equally intoxicated 'cougars'. The manager, a gentle man of kindly disposition, when he became aware that all was not well, approached our table and after a short yet detailed discussion we were able to rectify both bill and our spirits.  

Karaoke - sing or be sung to

Okay....my gripe for today....Karaoke bars. Just because one enters a karaoke bar does that mean one has to sing? I put it to you that the answer is no. Is not a karaoke bar just a bar when it's all sung and done? And if one is not inclined to sing and there are plenty of other people singing, and one is happy enough to be sung to and celebrate the singing of others...WHY must one passively endure the gentle remonstrations from a designer stubble boy band lookalike barman saying: 'hey man, you know, we're all cool here, just sing man, sing...' you know what pal: go check your hair again and get out of my face. I would have thought that clientele, whether singing or not, would be appreciated, particularly in a den of iniquity like this ramshackle shanty you call a bar. Thus, I put it to you, learned colleagues, that if one enters a karaoke bar, while it may be custom to sing, there is no obligation by any member of the party, to engage in singing. And further I submit that indeed there is no provision to forcefully, through passively cloaked argument or otherwise, entreat a paying customer to engage in the act of singing. However, if one finds oneself painted into the veritable corner, may I suggest choosing a song slow of pace and maudlin of sentiment such as the work of Hank Williams...I believe you'll be left alone from then on to sit quietly imbibing and enjoying the singing of others. 

Maider & Igor visit NY from the Basque Country!!!! 

Here's a gripe for you...CRAIGSLIST!!!! In particular the employment pages...What a load of tosh!!! Okay, now I have purchased things off craigslist as have several people I know. And been happy with the result. I have also rented accommodation from Craigslist and was happy with the choice of Barcelona apartamento BUT....their employment wanted ads are total rubbish. The jobs advertised lead you to dead ends, dodgy websites and businesses that might seem okay at first reading and then turn out to be jobs for 'adult service industry'...and I don't mean being a waiter!!! Charlatans, miscreants!!!

Being there in Harlem...

someone's watching

nothing unusual about a helicopter hovering above all day...

Brooklyn Bridge at night

Okay, so here I am living in new York City.  Beyond the sirens and the gunk on the sidewalks and the slow crawl the seasons have toward Spring and a few other gripes I'll post along the way, this blog will be used to post general comments both positive and negative about life in the Big Apple. 

First will be the process that I went on to get my recent J1 visa...excuse the formal tone of the piece, it was originally intended for a piece in a newspaper column...

Recently I have gained entry to live and work in the US under the J1 visa. Had I not completed a Masters degree in the last twelve months I would not be eligible for such a visa. You can apply for a J1 within 12 months of graduation. An organisation in Sydney called Student Placement Australia will, for a fee of around $1500, help you through the process and act as your work sponsor while you are in the US and provide all paperwork to expediate the process.

Trawling through US consulate and visa requirement sites can be both frustrating and nerve-racking. Particularly when, as I found, one is trying to organise said visa, consulate interview and any supplementary paperwork from out of Australia. I was in NY as a tourist for 3 months when I was doing this. My partner, an Australian who lives and works in NYC, and I decided that we would return to Australia in February to enable me to go for the J1 visa and her to renew her E3 visa...

The only thing hanging over my head was a DUI (Driving under the influence) incident some nine years ago, which caused this process such a great deal more anxiety and stress then it ordinarily would have. Something worth mentioning is that a single drink driving conviction is not considered to be a crime of moral turpitude. This means essentially that you are not of an immoral character, you have not committed fraud or murder - the law recognises that you made a stupid mistake once and agrees not to hold it against you.

So what do you do if you have had a drink driving conviction recorded against you? Firstly, fill in the Supplementary Form on the US Consulate site concerning DUI convictions.

The other thing that I did was set about obtaining a Police Clearance Certificate. You have to provide them with a set of fingerprints. And when you are trying to do this from overseas it can be very difficult. There are two ways to do this. If you are within Australia contact your state police. If you are in the US you need to get fingerprint sheets to send back to the Aust. federal Police. Biometrics or fingerprint scanning are not as of yet used for this process. There are two sets of fingerprint sheets, green and blue. I spent a frustrating few days going to every agency I could think of including the FBI, trying to obtain fingerprint sheets. The NYPD have sheets but I was told to provide my own. I finally found them in a small rundown shop downtown on Broadway advertising passport photos, fingerprints etc.  Some NYPD precincts such as the First Precinct will do your fingerprints on certain days. Check online. Also you must have a US postal money order made out to the NYPD for the sum of fifteen dollars. So, now armed with my money order and finger print sheets (take spare copies!!) I went to the NYPD 1st Precinct only to be told that they did not do it. I knew otherwise. I knew they were wrong. I had phoned twice to make sure that it could be done on this particular day. Sometimes as was this case, people just don't want to help. This is when you learn to be patient and polite and courteous. Finally the young officer took me to get my prints done. He was a rookie and nervous about not doing the job correctly. He took the fingerprints to his supervisor only to be told that they had not been done correctly. Luckily I had a spare set of sheets. The rookie also brought a set of fingerprint sheets the NYPD use. So I was able to get two sets of fingerprint sheets, blue and green sheets made. By this time the police officer and I had become mates and he didn't bother charging me for the service. I was up $15!!!

I then had to get an International money order made out to the Australian Federal Police, to send with the fingerprints for the service of providing the certificate. I think it cost over US$100...You can get this done by most leading banks. I used Chase Manhatten bank on W34th Street, right beside Madison Square garden. I organised the clearance certificate to be sent to an address in Sydney, to coincide with both my arrival back home in Australia and my visa interview at the US consulate. I sent it special post via FedEx...another US$50...

Naturally, when we returned home to Sydney the Police Clearance Certificate had not arrived, even though the Federal Police website advises that it takes 3 weeks, (we sent it 4 and half weeks beforehand). This meant I had to cancel my interview at the US consulate and reschedule it. Phoning the Federal Police I found out that the certificate would not be sent out until another week. (5 weeks!)Being home for only 2 and a half weeks meant that time was limited. The only other visa interview opportunity was five days before we were scheduled to return to the US. 

The day the certificate was supposed to arrive came and went, as did the next and the next. It was by far the most frustrating experience of this ordeal, made worse by the attitude of some of the federal police call centre personal. On one particular occasion after waiting on hold for three quarters of an hour I was answered by a giggling male who told me that he and his co-worker were laughing about a joke they were sharing. My subsequent tone made the smile disappear from his face quick smart. I wanted to make a more concerted effort to formally complain about that but I guess in one way this is it. So, yet again they told me the certificate was in the mail. This did me little good as my interview was first thing the following morning. I had my supplementary formfrom the US consulate website outlining the conviction, but would this be enough? 

It turned out it was. The interview went well. It was friendly and informal. I was more nervous than need be. They asked about the certificate and I said it was in the mail. My wonderful partner had extracted an email from the Federal police certifying that I had applied for said certificate and that is was being processed, so I was able to produce that if called upon. But, beyond questioning me once about the drink driving offence, that was it. When I heard the interviewer say 'I have decided to grant you a visa' I almost fell over and cried. My passport stamped with my beautiful J1 visa arrived less than twenty four hours before we flew back out of Australia....

So what have I learned...be prepared more than well in advance; create a calendar of a things to do list, get every document you can and then some, for J1 go through an organisation such as Student Placement Australia and rely on them...after all you're paying a fee. Finally take heed from the people who have been there and done it - when we say 'don't let it overwhelm you', or 'one things at a time' have faith that our experience counts for something. You can do it. Just pay attention and look smart. 

Was it worth it? I'm living in New York City with the woman I love and tonight I start working....legally. (although they havent yet asked for my visa...)

A footnote to this...the first day I was back in NY I ran into the police officer who did my fingerprinting at the 1st Precinct and shook hands like old mates and had a chat. When he went to walk away he said, 'see you 'round the neighbourhood!' I felt like a New Yorker!

The Late Night Gripe