RULE NUMBER 9.

Our street pre-dawn

Snow covered doggy

Central Park

Central Park

Central Park & city

Central Park & city

Central Park

Central Park - friendly NY lady loving the snow

RULE NUMBER 9.

This Title is Supposed to Rhyme...but i cant think of anything.

It's gonna be a long one people...

First things first - apparently people are having trouble commenting on our blog. All you need to do is click on the "comments" part at the bottom of our post. This should then give you a white box to type in. Underneath is a drop down box which allows you to "comment as". If you have an account, you can use this. If not, just choose anonymous. Then click "post comment"....that should do it! If you click anonymous make sure you sign off the post with your name so we know who it is.

Alright, so it's been a little while between posts. Let's do the rundown. This is Gem typing but I'll hand over to Adam a little later. I can't remember exactly what I did on each day but here's some of the highlights over the last week:

I took a walk into the Lower East Side again to take some more snaps with a little bit of fresh snow overnight. After my aunty's suggestion, I found "The Pickle Guys" - a small little hole in the wall shop that sells all sorts of pickled things - pickled olives, garlic, tomatoes, pineapple, mushrooms, carrots, peppers...pickled pickles! The smell was overwhelming but kinda delicious at the same time.

Feeling like another burst of Greenwich Village, I walked in from our apartment(a couple of km's I reckon) and wandered more around the side streets and admired all the cool houses and hidden shops and restaurants. Stopped for lunch at Cafe Reggio (a cute little italian place) and then walked on home. I also stumbled across a sandwich shop/cafe called "Peanut Butter & Co" - yep, everything has peanut butter with it (one for Brian Rule!). They make all these sandwiches...including the Peanut Butter BLT, The Elvis (Peanut Butter, Banana's & Honey grilled sandwich) and the Pregnant Lady (Peanut Butter & Pickles) - no, I didn't go there. BUT I did take note of the address in case I have a craving for something crazy.

A trip to Grand Central Station....beautiful building and just cool to stand back and people watch.

Other great things during the week have been an amazing dinner at Il Bagatto, a breathtaking experience at Central Park and an interesting trip to Coney Island. Over to you Adam....

...thanks Gemma. That was one cheesy introduction but i will play along.

Last Wed night we hit up Il Bagatto ( www.ilbagattonyc.com ) for dinner. This is the place we went to on our first night in NY and spotted a couple of celebs. Anyway, the food is awesome and we decided to graze for a few hours. Twas joy! We shared a serious antipasto platter, a main each of fresh pasta with slow cooked meat sauces (i had braised baby-back ribs and Gem had meat ragu) cooked by the 'mamma' and a dessert each, all for only $105....but wait, there's more. That number also included a nice bottle of pinot grigio and two baskets of freshly baked bread. One of the best tasting meals and most certainly the best value we have seen. For the record, Gem had a small glass of wine and i had the rest :) Sorry to harp on about the food here but meals like that are just awesome....especially coming from Perth!

Thursday morning started off walking out to 19 inches of snow. We knew there was a bit of snow on the horizon so we had always planned to get up before sunrise and head to Central Park to get some snaps. When we awoke to a foot and a half of fresh snow we were beside ourselves.

The train ride uptown to CP was interesting. There was a raggedy black dude with a comb in his hair dancing on the spot and singing what sounded like James Brown in a constant loop...for whole ride. He was clearly off his boobs on something...but he was also having a grand ol time and was loving the attention. He even busted out some robot every now and then - a personal favourite of mine. The funniest thing is watching people get on the train and first see this dude...non-stop awkward moments. You gotta laugh...but it is a little sad...that kind of thing is not an isolated incident.

Central Park at dawn was amazing...like another planet. There were people hiking their way through the snow on cross country skis! We got a bunch of photos and met a bunch of dogs (a few people too) and generally had a cool time wandering around the park together. My wife definitely makes for a sexy snow bunny...a sexy snow bunny with a belly. The schools were all closed and transport was largely down so my course was cancelled for the day...i had planned to go in after the park anyway so i went in and did a half days editing. Gem went onto Times Square after a quick Maccas brekkie together.

Friday - lots of work and then a quiet night in.

Sat was spent shopping in the morning (Soho) before training out to Coney Island to check out the snow covered beach/boardwalk. IT WAS FREEZING! Like, numb, blue fingers and ears freezing. The train ride out is about 45m mins with all of the stops but its a little quicker on the way back. Coney Island has been in a bunch of films and its pretty cool looking. It is however, still a little...ummm...grungy. We saw what clearly looked like a drug transaction within minutes of hitting the street (i know this because of my extensive research watching shows like The Wire and The Shield).....very cool....err...i mean dodgy.

We shared a famous hot dog at Nathan's (the home of NY's hot dog eating competition!!) and then hit the boardwalk for some photos. Aside from a few drunk people and the odd psycho fitness freaks going for a jog we were the only dummies out there...not sure if i mentioned this but it was BLOODY FREEZING. Got some cool takeaway Japanese for din dins that night.

Sunday was spent doing some work (me) and then meeting up near my course to see a flick - True Grit. We are trying to see all of the nominated films before the Oscars...cinemas are also warm. Gem got her usual bag of butter pop corn!! Apparently our baby likes it.

Course wise, all is good. Too much to learn so trying to keep my brain limber by only having beer and wine every other day...see - i am getting wiser with old age. I am kidding of course...its still daily. Still kidding.

Found out our friends Amber and Marcus (mates from Perth, living in Melbs) are meeting us in Cabo San Lucas for a few days after their trip to the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas...this is awesome because i now have some peeps to drink tequila with!!

ok, thats it for now. Missing you'se.

Love Ads and Gem x

P.S More photos in the post below

More photos

East Village radio station

Our local grocery store

On the way to the subway

Just another snowy day

Intersection near home

Fifth Avenue

Grand Central Station

Times Square

Cafe Wha (Bernie!!) - Greenwich Village

Greenwich Village

Bakery treats - Greenwich Village

NYU

Coney Island Boardwalk

Coney Island (snow) Beach

Coney Island rides

Coney Island

Coney Island - Cyclone Gemma @ Cyclone Rollercoaster

Nathan's Famous Hotdogs (& burgers etc) - Coney Island

Adam's amazing affogato at Il Bagatto

The Pickle Guys barrels

The Pickle Guys - all sorts of things pickled

Snow covered basketball courts in Lower East Side

RULE NUMBER 8

John's Pizza - 'The Contradiction'

Gem at John's Pizza

Adam at John's Pizzeria

Butter Lane Bakery - Gem's local cupcake discovery

Local park in East Village

RULE NUMBER 8

Building The Seal Skin

Greetings again friends and family,

its been a while between posts for me...and its been a while between comments from you! Not that we are bothered by the one sided relationship we are having with you all...but just to prove to us that someone is reading these can someone please drop a "hi" into our comments. Coolio.

This will be a long one so hang on tight.

Well, lets pick this thing up on Friday night. Gem and I planned to meet at Bleecker Street Records at about 5:30ish to have a quick browse and then wander down to our fave pizza joint from our last visit - John's Pizza. Given it was the end of the week i was pretty desperate to have a drink so we detoured to The Slaughtered Lamb on the way down for a quick beer by the fire place....sweet.

What can we say about John's Pizza...ummmm...lets just say that it is very tasty and very...very large. We ordered a biggie with half meat-fest and half vegie-fest - i call it 'the contradiction'. Despite eating about 10kg's of pizza we then decided to stroll down Bleecker St with a large ice cream from this boutique joint called Cones. We were getting funny looks strolling down the snow and ice covered street with a cone full of...well coloured snow and ice! To put it in perspective i liken it to those sun desperate poms who hit the beach for the day in Australia...in winter...wearing jeans and jumpers. By the time we got home our insides and outsides were frozen.

Saturday was a bit of a cold one so we decided not to explore too much, instead opting for back to back movies - Black Swan and 127 Hours. We saw the former uptown at Union Square which is near my work. Very cool movie...and i wasnt at all impressed by the erotic bits with those two physically blessed women ;)

We headed closer to home to see 127 Hours. It was a pretty good film and the story is simply amazing. Could i cut my own arm off to save my life? I think i would prefer to have a crack at someone else's arm first. That dude is very inspiring in a disturbing way.

By the time we got home we were hungry again...i think the pizza had passed! We decided on this cool Thai place that delivers great food at a very cheap price - perfect. I ate too much....again.

Sunday was a nothing day - it was simply freezing (-6) outside and the wind chill factor made it somewhere around the -15 mark...WTF? Us Perth people are not built for that kind of weather. We stayed in and chilled out but i managed to make it to the gym to try and work off some serious eating. When you come out of the gym with sweat on your face you can pretty much feel it freezing as you walk into the wind. I felt great after the gym and didnt eat much during the day...so...we decided to pig out again!! This time it was home delivered burgers from Paul's (not a lot of creativity in some of these restaurant names). Biggest burgers i have ever tried to eat...of course i ordered two. Jared Munro will be interested to learn that 'Snakejaw Rule' could only manage one and half of these bad boys! Nevertheless, i felt sick again. The winter seal skin is developing nicely.

Woke up today with only half of last nights burgers still in my system thanks to my rapid fire digestive system. I had a mental hang up about the weekends eat-fest so i hit the gym. Its important i get respect for my pre-work gym session because it was cold....reeeally cold...-15 before adding the wind chill.

ummm...thats the Ads & Gem update. For those who care little about my adventures in the NY workforce (well kinda) feel free to turn off now.

Well, the editing course that i am two weeks into is going very well. I am learning a truck load so far and its about to get serious. i really hope i can retain this knowledge. Last week we ended our two weeks of intensive Final Cut Pro (one of three major editing software platforms used commonly in film and video work) by cutting a film trailer for a film that was screened over here a few years ago. It was called Darklight and it was a real piece of poo...BUT...it had a $2,000,000 budget and some of the footage looked quite cool. It was made by and for the science fiction channel over here. Anyway, due to some familiarity with the software i managed to bang out 3 trailers at different run times to form a kind of campaign. The powers at be were fairly impressed but there are some talented people in this course who produced some equally good work. I was also cutting some other narrative based scenes from another feature made locally a couple of years back. I really dig cutting all of this stuff...fun and challenging.

Friday we screened the trailers and got notes etc... The night before we got free passes to a small industry Q&A with Craig McKay ( http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0570947/ ). This guy is one of the top editors in the game and has worked on about 60 films in a 40 year career....very impressive. Some highlights you might know are: The Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia, The Manchurian Candidate, Copland and one of the biggest ever editing jobs - Warren Beatty's epic film Reds. The latter took 2 years to edit. He has been nominated for 2 Oscars and has won numerous other awards for his work so it was a great experience to be up close and personal with an industry legend. It also gave a good opportunity to hang with a few of the guys from the course...

For the next two weeks we are switching software to AVID MEDIA COMPOSER which will be a challenge for me. 80% of the industry over here uses this platform so its a must have bit of knowledge. We are also switching from drama & sci/fi to comedy editing...we studied The Big Lebowski - one of my all time favourite comedies as a sample of good storytelling. The Dude abides.

other things worth mentioning about NY:

1) i walk a bit over a kilometre each day and ride the train for 3 stops uptown. My ankles and knee are holding up but the cold aint easy and the steps up and down the subway are annoying....aside from that i dig the walk and being out in the elements. i basically just commute to work like a normal New Yorker.

2) People walk REALLY fast over here. Even when i am not in pain and walking at a serious pace i get overtaken by every female on the sidewalk...except my skink like lady. i kind of understand it...fast pace lifestyle and cold weather means walk with purpose. Sometimes i adopt that mentality and picture myself walking like Jason Bourne on my way to a hit...but...generally i put the ipod on and cruise at my own pace.

3) Some people here are seriously crazy...and funny. On thursday i saw a busking dude wearing normal clothes with a Boba Fett helmet on ( http://www.google.com/images?client=safari&rls=en&q=boba+fett&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1280&bih=680 ). He was playing movie themes like Axel F on an accordion. When we were walking down 14th St after seeing the movie on Saturday there was a dude running down the middle of the road screaming profanities at an unknown person. 14th St is a major, busy road!

4) On my way home i walk past the smallest radio station i have ever seen. its basically a shop front - maybe 3m x 2m and its all glass at the front and a mirror at the back. Its very cool and on my usual home journey its hip-hop time so i occasionally stop and check out the vibe amongst the black dudes...it also has the distinct smell of the devil's lettuce so i try to breath deeply as i walk past - passive smoking marijuana cant possibly be a sin ;)

5) my music taste over here has been mixed to say the least. Karnivool, Drones, Mos Def, Kanye West, KDH, The National and a bunch of soundtracks are common threads. Its weird listening to 'small' Aussie bands while walking the streets of NY....i dig it the most.

6) Shopping update: Gemma has been shopping up a storm trying to get lower half stuff before her belly bubble grows too much. i have bought a couple of pairs of Timberland boots - the only boots that work with my glass limbs. I have also dabbled in the bargins with a couple of hoodies and a shirt...I will make a couple more purchases but i think the real shopping will be done by my other 1/3 once she gets some partners in crime.

7) We sad to be missing some key friends events - birthdays and what not - but I am chuffed to be a newly named groomsman for my good friend Sharpy at he and Alison's wedding in April....quick work buddy - looking forward to it.

ummm...ok, thats it.

Next post will be on the weekend so stay safe until then.

Miss you all.

Ads & Gem x

RULE NUMBER 7.

Bleecker Street Records - Fat Cat

Lower East Side

Lower East Side

The Sweet Life Shop - Lower East Side

Lower East Side

Lower East Side

Ben & Jerry's Icecream....so much choice

Hey people,

Rule Number 7.

Preparing for a 'cold snap'

So...I need to think about what's happened the last few days.

Tuesday was one very wet day! After a little snow and mainly rain overnight, there were puddles everywhere in the streets. We got up early to do our gym workout and what usually takes us a 5 minute walk...took 15 minutes. It's a tricky business dodging the slippery, icy parts and then also dodging the ankle deep puddles at every street you try to cross. I was holding onto Adam pretty tight as we made our way there.

Adam went on his way for the day and I got ready to explore and photograph the Lower East Side. Umbrella - check. Camera - check. I was out for about 10 minutes and came home. I decided it wasn't worth the risk of slipping over OR damaging the camera. So that was that! No much else to report on that day :)

Wednesday was a better day and the water/ice had drained away thankfully. Camera in hand, I walked through the Lower East Side area - only 5 minute walk from our apartment. There are some great restaurants and bars around the area but I wouldn't rave about it. I didn't get the feeling I get from places like East Village, Greenwich Village etc. I think it may eventually become gentrified like the villages but it's not quite there yet. I did, however, find the shop "The Sweet Life" which stocks jars of Vegemite ($11.99!!) and Tim Tams ($5.99) - score! Will go back if I get desperate.

Once Adam got home, we wandered up around the corner to have a feed. We'd been wanting to try out the local Irish pub called "Mary O's" and it did not disappoint. A nice, dimly lit, stylish pub with a classy pub menu. Friendly staff too.

Entree consisted of Stuffed Mushrooms and Crab Cakes shared between us. Adam chose the Fish & Chips for the main and I chose Shepherds Pie (BEST I've ever had...sorry Mum!!) All that food came to $40! Total bargain. Mary O's was a great find and we'll definitely be back to try some more of their delights.

Today, a trip to Greenwich Village. Arriving at lunchtime, I wander up and down Bleecker Street. I visited our old friend, the cat at Bleecker Street Records...he was there in his usual spot, all warm and fat. I gave him a quick pat, looked at the records and then decided to walk all the way up to the famous Magnolia Bakery. It was pretty busy so I didn't stick around to purchase any cupcakes...guessing I'll go back there at some stage. Feeling a little peckish I decide to stop for my first purchase of a NY slice of pizza! And it was worth all the $3 that I paid. Bleecker Street Pizza have a famous one - mozzarella, fresh italian sauce and basil. Simple and YUM. Having wandered around Greenwich Village enough, I head on home for the day. Todays bit of entertainment on the train - a man loudly making a speech about how much he loves New York. Then a band started playing, guitar, accordion and all. Just the usual!

Adam is out at a Q&A tonight with the editor of "The Silence Of The Lambs" - great experience for him. He'll write the next blog and update everyone on the course/his adventures.

We're being told to prepare for a 'cold snap' this weekend as the temperature gets down to -4 both Saturday and Sunday (during the day!) It's supposed to snow again soon...which will be nice as the white is starting to disappear and melt away.

Speak to you again soon!

Much love, Gem & Ads xx

RULE NUMBER 6.

Union Square

Ice-cream style clothing truck in Soho

Gem waiting for train

First Street Garden - near our apartment

Paul's Burger Joint in East Village

Hello,

Rule Number 6.

Shopping must stop now (maybe just for a little while....)

It's been a little while so I guess we better catch you up on what we've been doing!

Backtrack to Friday....With Adam feeling better, he returned to his course and started catching up on what he'd missed.

I decided to have a good wander into the East Village and check out some of the restaurants and shops around that area. By the time I stopped at a vintage shop I'd found...I was so hot and puffed out(didn't realise I was walking so fast), I had to take my big jacket and scarf off and catch my breath. Why am I rushing? I guess that's the feeling you get in New York - everything is fast paced and people are on a mission.

Thanks to my kind brother, I had money to spend at Urban Outfitters - a great clothing/accessories/homewares store. This wasn't hard to do and I walked out with more than what I'd planned.

I took note of some good places to return to in the area and made my way back home munching on a muesli bar (I can't always eat cookies and chips...even though it's very tempting!)

Saturday...our first day at the gym! About time too. The rest of the day was pretty chilled until we got ourselves together and trained into Greenwich Village for a drink and feed. We ended up at a spot we'd previously visited - Caliente Cab Mexican. We grabbed a drink at the bar and observed the groups of cougars out for a night on the town. One group of girls even gave Adam a shot! Ha!

Hunger was growing so we moved into the restaurant for some grub...we shared some quesadillas - that was just to start with. Adam went with the sizzling beef fajitas and me, a beef burrito (baked with cheese and onions) with a side of beans, rice and salad. Yep. I was hungry. You'll be glad to know I didn't finish it all! It was an enjoyable night but the only downside was having to shout to each other over the table - way too loud in there. PLUS we had an Eddie Murphy style guy at the table behind us with all sorts of mannerisms and shouting.

It's Martin Luther King Day today so, yesterday we headed off to a service for some awesome Gospel singing. We were not disappointed - it's hard to beat a New York gospel choir and you can't help but feel uplifted afterwards. We had another successful shopping trip for Adam after this and then ended up home late arvo to catch the Golden Globes live.

It's Monday again - can't believe we've been here for nearly 2 weeks already. I met Adam for some lunch at a local cafe...consisting of a toasted panini with a side of crisps (imagine smiths plain chips) and a pickle. Love it! After lunch, I had a wander around Union Square and checked out Whole Foods store. WOW. It's like Fresh Provisions/Herdsman Fresh but about 5 times the size. SO MUCH FOOD and amazing produce. I also spotted another star - Jennifer Carpenter (star of Dexter and was also married to Michael C Hall).

I had a good bit of entertainment on the train ride home with a white rapper guy singing like Jay-Z and also dancing. I think he thought he was black. It's just a normal thing in New York really, no one flinches and I feel like I am starting to become that way too. You see and hear so many things...you become used to it all.

Hope all is well with everyone. I'm now waiting for my love to come home so we can decide on what to have for dinner :)

Love, Gem and Ads xxxx