A trip into the city for a broadway show yesterday has once again inspired me. I am in awe of the phenomenon that is a Broadway show. "Broadway" is talked about, sung about, movies are made about it...
I have been lucky enough to see 'Wicked', 'Annie', 'Evita', 'Kinky Boots' and 'Pippin' over the last year. Choose my favourite? Impossible.
Each time I go to a show I'm reminded how lucky I am to have this opportunity, how amazing it is to live on the doorstep of what is arguably the worlds greatest city. There is no better way to experience New York than to join the bustling throngs of people navigating Times Square and heading to a broadway show. The theaters are scattered around mid town, some small, some large, all have a personality and a life that is palpable once you are inside.
One of the marvels of Broadway is the anticipation that comes as the curtains rise. Every show I have seen has left me wanting more... The dedication of the casts, the detail of the production, the talent of the musicians and actors, the timing, the colour, the energy....the palpable delight of the audience, everything about it is wonderful.
If you can, at any time of your life, not just see but experience Broadway, then do.
As long as we are here and I am able, I will try to see as many shows as I can.
Lucky me.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Coupon country
America is the land of discounts and bargains. No doubt the coupon culture feeds this nations appetite for the both the basics and the finer things in life at the best prices.
I am not saying this is a bad thing. To the contrary. It's addictive! Today I joined up at the second major wholesale retailer in the USA. I couldn't resist the promise of a bargain. Even my membership was at a discounted rate. How good is that?! What is it about being able to save a dollar at the cash register? I find myself ripping out and storing coupons, combing through them and feeling an odd sense of achievement when I am able to use one. It doesn't have to be much but I feel somehow entitled to every penny I can save.
The skeptics would say the coupon discounts are already built into the bottom line and perhaps they are right. Nevertheless comparing prices between stores and a highly competitive environment yields countless Americans powerless to ignore the lure of the coupon.
So today I saved $24 on my purchases, I may have purchased items that I had a coupon for that I wouldn't have otherwise bought today..... I may be lured back to that store earlier that I need because of new coupons no doubt making their way to my mailbox very soon....
What can I say..... When in Rome...
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
The Fall
So here I am, time has passed, life has changed again, I am back to 'life as usual' after a long summer holiday and a wonderful visit from my mum. So many experiences and memories, too many to record.
The new school year has started for my girls, at a time when we are used to winding down our year, it is only just beginning to wind up. Our biological rhythms must adjust to the opposite of everything we were born into. A shift in mindset must kick in, we are adapting to and taking on not only a new culture but a totally new life.
This time of year is extremely beautiful on the East Coast. It's not difficult to see why the Americans refer to Autumn as "The Fall". In our area, "The Garden State", the bright green leaves all around us fade rapidly into shades of brown, purple, yellow, orange and red.... their brilliance ending in showers of falling leaves and ground carpets of shapes and colours that are quite something to behold. Every day the landscape changes...every day...Falling Falling..until the drone of leaf blowers ends and the cycle of nature absorbs them into the earth and only barrenness remains. It's a stark contrast to the lush summer foliage, an indescribable change, one that I wonder if I will ever get used to.
This is the favourite season of the year for many locals, not for me. The beauty is superseded in my mind by the promise that winter is coming. I don't dislike the winter, I know for sure the cold and snow is something I can appreciate and enjoy. It has its own beauty and magnificence. It certainly is something to be experienced. But I am a Southern Hemisphere girl...I thrive in sunshine and green gardens.....I relish the sounds of the sea and winters that are mild and forgiving.
But I know I need to appreciate each day for the experience... For now I am here. I will sip pumpkin flavoured coffee, decorate my garden with "Mums" (chrysanthemums) and scarecrows, arrange Halloween costumes and Thanksgiving weekend and know in my heart that one day I will be richer for these things.
The new school year has started for my girls, at a time when we are used to winding down our year, it is only just beginning to wind up. Our biological rhythms must adjust to the opposite of everything we were born into. A shift in mindset must kick in, we are adapting to and taking on not only a new culture but a totally new life.
This time of year is extremely beautiful on the East Coast. It's not difficult to see why the Americans refer to Autumn as "The Fall". In our area, "The Garden State", the bright green leaves all around us fade rapidly into shades of brown, purple, yellow, orange and red.... their brilliance ending in showers of falling leaves and ground carpets of shapes and colours that are quite something to behold. Every day the landscape changes...every day...Falling Falling..until the drone of leaf blowers ends and the cycle of nature absorbs them into the earth and only barrenness remains. It's a stark contrast to the lush summer foliage, an indescribable change, one that I wonder if I will ever get used to.
This is the favourite season of the year for many locals, not for me. The beauty is superseded in my mind by the promise that winter is coming. I don't dislike the winter, I know for sure the cold and snow is something I can appreciate and enjoy. It has its own beauty and magnificence. It certainly is something to be experienced. But I am a Southern Hemisphere girl...I thrive in sunshine and green gardens.....I relish the sounds of the sea and winters that are mild and forgiving.
But I know I need to appreciate each day for the experience... For now I am here. I will sip pumpkin flavoured coffee, decorate my garden with "Mums" (chrysanthemums) and scarecrows, arrange Halloween costumes and Thanksgiving weekend and know in my heart that one day I will be richer for these things.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Everything American
Memorial weekend came and went amidst a flurry of flags, parades and ceremonies. I have to confess I had to Google the meaning of the holiday, and once again I learn a little more about American life and history.
The patriotism here is fierce. The sense of national pride is palpable. It first struck me when we were looking for a home. American flags adorns the streets and homes in every neighbourhood. At this time of year the shops are filled with all things red, white and blue...from cupcakes, to napkins, to bouquets of flowers. We spent the day with our neighbours and friends, a lovely day. The kind of day I realise that we are very fortunate. We are fortunate to have this opportunity and to be living in the area we are living. Fortunate that our children are adjusting and thriving in spite of the massive upheaval and fortunate we have people around us already that we can call friends.
But then today the headlines of the Wall Street Journal point out that Australia has once again been named the happiest country on earth. My heart is gripped with a twinge of sadness and in spite of being surrounded by everything American there is no doubt I miss my Australian home....
The patriotism here is fierce. The sense of national pride is palpable. It first struck me when we were looking for a home. American flags adorns the streets and homes in every neighbourhood. At this time of year the shops are filled with all things red, white and blue...from cupcakes, to napkins, to bouquets of flowers. We spent the day with our neighbours and friends, a lovely day. The kind of day I realise that we are very fortunate. We are fortunate to have this opportunity and to be living in the area we are living. Fortunate that our children are adjusting and thriving in spite of the massive upheaval and fortunate we have people around us already that we can call friends.
But then today the headlines of the Wall Street Journal point out that Australia has once again been named the happiest country on earth. My heart is gripped with a twinge of sadness and in spite of being surrounded by everything American there is no doubt I miss my Australian home....
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Reduce Recycle Reuse
Today marks the beginning of a Recycling week at our local elementary school. It's interesting that my perception is that recycling is not something the Americans do very well. Perhaps I am wrong.
We have two large garbage bins, both black that we use for all sorts of trash. In Australia, trash bins are colour coded to encourage correct recycling. I think this works fairly well.
Our community relies on well water, as do may communities in New Jersey. The well water is safe to drink and is regularly tested but it is pretty unpalatable so most people make use of a company delivering spring water in large 5 gallon drums for the home and cases of bottled water for when families are on the run. This generates an enormous amount of plastic bottle waste. In addition I am constantly amazed by the amount of plastic bags used by grocery stores. My shopping is often double bagged at the counter, granted I do need to remember to take my reusable grocery bags each time I shop! Again though my perception is there is little incentive or encouragement for consumers to even bother to make use of reusable grocery bags. I try to take my plastic bags back to the supermarket for recycling but I don't see many people making that effort either. Packaging is another very obvious source of potentially reusable waste. I do wonder if it is worth limiting mini packs of snacks and food to force people to use reusable containers for school lunches and the like. Like most people I would be a little inconvenienced by this but I think this would make a huge difference to landfill and ironically to our wallets too, since we all happily pay extra for these tiny bags of convenience.
Its too easy to become lethargic about recycling, especially when it doesn't seem to be particularly important here. I'll do my best to make a small difference in my own home.
Note to self, check out the figures for the amount of waste generated by an average American household. Its sure to blow my mind.
We have two large garbage bins, both black that we use for all sorts of trash. In Australia, trash bins are colour coded to encourage correct recycling. I think this works fairly well.
Our community relies on well water, as do may communities in New Jersey. The well water is safe to drink and is regularly tested but it is pretty unpalatable so most people make use of a company delivering spring water in large 5 gallon drums for the home and cases of bottled water for when families are on the run. This generates an enormous amount of plastic bottle waste. In addition I am constantly amazed by the amount of plastic bags used by grocery stores. My shopping is often double bagged at the counter, granted I do need to remember to take my reusable grocery bags each time I shop! Again though my perception is there is little incentive or encouragement for consumers to even bother to make use of reusable grocery bags. I try to take my plastic bags back to the supermarket for recycling but I don't see many people making that effort either. Packaging is another very obvious source of potentially reusable waste. I do wonder if it is worth limiting mini packs of snacks and food to force people to use reusable containers for school lunches and the like. Like most people I would be a little inconvenienced by this but I think this would make a huge difference to landfill and ironically to our wallets too, since we all happily pay extra for these tiny bags of convenience.
Its too easy to become lethargic about recycling, especially when it doesn't seem to be particularly important here. I'll do my best to make a small difference in my own home.
Note to self, check out the figures for the amount of waste generated by an average American household. Its sure to blow my mind.
No words
I wonder if a blog is a good idea. It is really just a diary isn't it? And who wants to read the ramblings of my mind? Do I? Today I am back online, I haven't had many words to write lately....or perhaps I've been avoiding writing down my thoughts lest they are offensive.
A psychiatrist, and I've met many in my line of work, once said to me "migration is not natural". This has stuck with me for many years and every now and then I ponder its validity. Is it true? Many animals migrate on a seasonal or cyclical basis...all very natural...all for a distinct purpose. Granted usually the migration is temporary and they often return to their 'home' again until the next season. So what about people? Certainly we migrate for a purpose, the pursuit of money, a different lifestyle, safety, happiness. Some of us return to our homes and others don't. By nature we are much more complex than animals so are our migratory patterns and purposes destined to be a mystery?
Today migration seems very unnatural. As I head out today I will drive on the right side of the road, instead of the left. I will fetch my children from a school where they wear no uniforms and where the majority of children go to and from school on the classic old American school bus. I will talk to parents who are chatting about summer plans, most of which involve summer camps for their children, many are sleep away camps, some children go away for 7-8 weeks over the summer without their parents. I not only don't understand this I am appalled by it. I will take my children to sports that they are unfamiliar with, in a town filled with families and their history...none that we are a part of. I will use dreary grey money to buy products I am not really familiar with, count out nickels and pennies to people who often don't even understand what I am saying even though we speak the same language. This week-end is memorial day...I had to Google it. What is it? Does it mean anything to me?
I am a stranger in a strange land and today I want to keep it that way. I will say no thank you to invitations to play tennis, to have lunch and to go for a walk. To my detriment? Yes. For my survival? Yes. I need to be me in my house with my things, listening to my favourite Australian radio station so I can hear familiar accents and hear about people and places I feel a part of. Until this feeling passes I will ring my Australian friends and my South African family and I will bake South African treats and perhaps have an Aussie BBQ and I will try to forget that I am an alien.
A psychiatrist, and I've met many in my line of work, once said to me "migration is not natural". This has stuck with me for many years and every now and then I ponder its validity. Is it true? Many animals migrate on a seasonal or cyclical basis...all very natural...all for a distinct purpose. Granted usually the migration is temporary and they often return to their 'home' again until the next season. So what about people? Certainly we migrate for a purpose, the pursuit of money, a different lifestyle, safety, happiness. Some of us return to our homes and others don't. By nature we are much more complex than animals so are our migratory patterns and purposes destined to be a mystery?
Today migration seems very unnatural. As I head out today I will drive on the right side of the road, instead of the left. I will fetch my children from a school where they wear no uniforms and where the majority of children go to and from school on the classic old American school bus. I will talk to parents who are chatting about summer plans, most of which involve summer camps for their children, many are sleep away camps, some children go away for 7-8 weeks over the summer without their parents. I not only don't understand this I am appalled by it. I will take my children to sports that they are unfamiliar with, in a town filled with families and their history...none that we are a part of. I will use dreary grey money to buy products I am not really familiar with, count out nickels and pennies to people who often don't even understand what I am saying even though we speak the same language. This week-end is memorial day...I had to Google it. What is it? Does it mean anything to me?
I am a stranger in a strange land and today I want to keep it that way. I will say no thank you to invitations to play tennis, to have lunch and to go for a walk. To my detriment? Yes. For my survival? Yes. I need to be me in my house with my things, listening to my favourite Australian radio station so I can hear familiar accents and hear about people and places I feel a part of. Until this feeling passes I will ring my Australian friends and my South African family and I will bake South African treats and perhaps have an Aussie BBQ and I will try to forget that I am an alien.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Little league
It's a beautiful spring day and I am field side at second grade soft ball. It's 62 degrees. A quick calculation.... Minus 30, divided by 2.... 16 degrees Celsius. It feels warmer than that in the sun. My small child is in her element, friends, a game, lots of giggles. But there's a serious side to this game, it's on the faces of the parents on the sideline, is my kid good enough for the big league one day?
There are 3 Softball pitches at my local park. The games at this age are primarily about fun, and in the beginning everyone wins. There are almost as many coaches (dads) on the pitch as there are players. The amount of parental involvement in kids sport and kids activities in general is something I am not used to. Like most of my experiences here, the differences are not good or bad...they are just different. The teams are kitted out in full uniforms proudly displaying the name of their town. They have all the gear, the mitt, the helmet, the bat... its all or nothing. My daughter loves it. It's a game she's never even seen, played on a small scale in Australia and in some cases in a modified version. I can't help but wonder if softball/baseball has its roots in cricket. A game we know and love in the Southern Hemisphere. A colonial sport that essentially does not exist in the USA. I have tried to explain the game to an american friend, she was bewildered. I wonder if I will ever get used to that feeling of alienation when I try to tell the locals about life back home. Im discovering that it is pointless to do so. Again I sense a cultural rift, I move beyond that, the best recourse is to embrace the new experiences.... When in Rome....
Note to self, research history of baseball. While I'm at it, read the rules of the game.
Friday, May 17, 2013
Back in time
Today I have been in America for 10 months. I have 10 months of material yet unsaid. Perhaps it has simply taken me this long to have the energy to gather my thoughts enough to write about it.
In these ten months my oldest daughter has become a teenager and my youngest has turned 8. I am proud of them. What a huge adjustment they have made, what a massive experience.
We live in New Jersey, home to Jon Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen. Okay, so I couldn't resist that. The so called 'arm pit of New York'. Really? I like New Jersey. The towns are clean, the people are friendly. The culture is interesting. Coming from another English speaking country I never dreamed I would feel quite as alien as I do. We are trying to embrace the different sport, both kids are playing games like basketball and softball instead of cricket and netball... We are trying to understand the desperate desire to win at everything. We are starting to understand how this country, the only so called 'superpower' ticks.
Since we have arrived in NJ we have experienced the biggest Hurricane to ever hit the East Coast, a presidential election, a long snowy winter, a horrific and heartbreaking school shooting in Connecticut, not too far from our town... and we have witnessed the despair of a nation yet again the target of terror at the Boston Bombings. It's been 10 short months....
In these ten months my oldest daughter has become a teenager and my youngest has turned 8. I am proud of them. What a huge adjustment they have made, what a massive experience.
We live in New Jersey, home to Jon Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen. Okay, so I couldn't resist that. The so called 'arm pit of New York'. Really? I like New Jersey. The towns are clean, the people are friendly. The culture is interesting. Coming from another English speaking country I never dreamed I would feel quite as alien as I do. We are trying to embrace the different sport, both kids are playing games like basketball and softball instead of cricket and netball... We are trying to understand the desperate desire to win at everything. We are starting to understand how this country, the only so called 'superpower' ticks.
Since we have arrived in NJ we have experienced the biggest Hurricane to ever hit the East Coast, a presidential election, a long snowy winter, a horrific and heartbreaking school shooting in Connecticut, not too far from our town... and we have witnessed the despair of a nation yet again the target of terror at the Boston Bombings. It's been 10 short months....
Thursday, May 16, 2013
I am a Southern Hemisphere belle. I have made my home in some incredible cities... Cape Town, Auckland and Sydney. Here I am, midlife, starting a new life in the northern hemisphere. I am a stranger in a strange land. I have never felt so alien. Each day I see, try or do something new. How can it be so different? Let us count the ways....
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