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nata likes long walks along the beach...italian food...and sad sack music
Previous Posts
In the presence of a Legend in a magical place!
The Aroma of a good coffee...
SURPRISE, SURPRISE...
Touch Down...Melbourne
And so begins the journey...
VIVA ITALIA!!!!
And here we go.....
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October 2006
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In the presence of a Legend in a magical place!
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Wednesday, October 11, 2006
10/11/2006 12:19:00 pm |
Last Monday I caught the tube to work with the same enthusiam i feel every other Monday morning. Needless to explain.. not the best of moods. Sitting on an over-crowded and noisy train I did what most commuters do to escape from the realities of the week ahead - i read the free daily newspaper. THANK GOD I DID!! I was suddenly consumed with an excitment that made even the weirdest of commuters concerned. There, printed in black and white were the details of one of the greatest singers (i'm only responsible for my opinions!) in the world today.. John Legend ( www.johnlegend.com) !! He was in London and singing that night! I was amazed and appalled that i had no prior knowledge of his one off show. At this point of the morning, my sole aim was get to work as quickly as possible and score tickets. There was no way this man was going to work his stuff on stage and me no be there to bare witness!!
I ran in to work so excited that the entire office new of the concert within minutes! It took me about an hour to remember that I STILL DIDN'T HAVE A TICKET!! And so the frantic calls began. After an hour of redialing and horrendous hold music i managed to score the LAST ticket.
So here i was.. 7.30 on a dreary and cold Monday night.. sitting in the glorious Royal Albert Hall ( www.royalalberthall.com ), waiting for the boy to come on! And then he did! He sounded soulful and sexy. He was moving around that stage like a sexy cat trying to seduce all those before him. He belted out all the great hits from his debut album as well as giving us a beautiful introduction of future hits from his second album.
John Legend fans are aware of the friends he has in the music industry and how he always manages to organise these frinds to "join" him on stage. So the whispers could be heard around the theatre - If anyone was to give a special appearance, who would it be? That question was answered half way into the show... Kayne West!! Just when you thought one of the most crowd-pleasing songs was coming to an end... out runs Mr Kayne West for a bit of spotlight!! The roar that escaped the theatre simply could not be explained!! It appeared that as quickly as Kayne ran out, he left the stage once again.
The concert was soul enriching and special. To sit there (sometimes standing, dancing..) and listen to a man signing from the heart with a talented voice that is as powerful as it is pure was a beautiful experience i will not forget in a hurry.
Next expedition for me... the B-B0y Championships! (for those from my era.. this translates to the UK Breakdancing Competition! ) You can only imagine.. stay tuned. :)
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The Aroma of a good coffee...
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Monday, September 25, 2006
9/25/2006 12:42:00 pm |
Returning to London after my month back in Oz, i was feeling a little home sick. What have been memories for so long became the realities of daily life - even if it was for a few short weeks. The unguarded laughter of family and friends; the familiarity of friendships whose company requires no conversation; the continuous smells of Italian food simmering on the kitchen stove; waking up to a new morning with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee fogging the air - these are small things that I miss in London. The simple things that this vibrant city is missing for me.
In an attempt to sooth my home sickness, I wanted to sit in a cafe and enjoy a great double esspresso. The only place to have a serious coffee in London is Bar Italia in Soho! For future travellers to this great city Bar Italia MUST be on your list; whilst for all the locals here in London who haven't had the opportunity to go - make the time. You can be forgiven if you feel like you're sitting in a cafe in Piazza Navona in Rome, for that is the atmosphere that is on offer. The baristas are all middle aged men who rant and rave in a few Italian dilects whilst the female waiteresses spend most of their shifts shouting coffee orders in the aim that the distracted baristas hear them. This is not a cafe which superficially dictates a particular client. On any given day or night, you can find yourself sitting outside next to a table a young enthusiasts with no concern for their noise level, or beside the bar reading your paper with the sounds of the undying coffee machine going stong. You'll see little old Italian men reading the Globo newspaper as well as couples hiding themselves in one of the many corners being lovingly inspired by the sweet sounds of Eros Ramazotti :)
I have to say that for me, this cafe is up there as the places to be. Being in the heart of Soho - my favourate pocket of London - it is one of the few places i can go to relax and enjoy the warmth company of friends or sit there with an iPod drinking the beauty that is esspresso and people watching. It may not be my mum's kitchen but it comes close.
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SURPRISE, SURPRISE...
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Tuesday, August 15, 2006
8/15/2006 12:39:00 pm |
One of the most gratifying moments of my trip home was the surprise i gave my parents. After i was picked up from the airport, my aim was to go back the my brother's house and beautify myself before seeing my parents. As everything else in my life.. nothing goes as planned! I was relaxing with my brothers when we got the news that by coincidence, half of my extended family was going to my parents house for some reason or another... just my luck. This news sprung us all into to contingency plan mode!!! Sacrificed was my shower, hour of rest and make-up application. We had to move and execute the surprise before my parents' entire family congregated around our kitchen table.
Thus begun our afternoon. We looked like pathetic extras in a Mission Impossible film. A convoy of cars were used to eliminate any suspicion. Joey and I were in his car; Sam, March and baby were in theirs and Han rocked up in her car. In all these situations, timing in crucial. Han got to my parents' house first, only to be questioned on the reason for her good mood. Sam & co followed a casual ten minutes later to discover my father standing in the front yard having a predictably lengthy conversation with his neighbour! Knowing that Joey and I were about to arrive, Sammy started his frantic phone calls that would ensure our delay. So while Sammy was attempting to desperately, yet inconspicuously have my dad join my mum in the house, Joey and I looked like two would be house bugulars casing our next targets - both of us on phones rolling ever-so-slowly around the neighbouring streets.
After what felt like an entirnity, we go the code green fron Sam.. all players were in position - entrance: Good to go!!
I stood outside for a few moments listening to the much missed everyday conversation coming from my mum's kitchen. It felt like i was never away! The gorgeous smells of home cooked meals found me instantly and i couldn't help smiling - the anticipation was starting to make me anxious. After getting the signal from team leader Sammy, i walked into my parents house for the first time in almost 2 years. My dad sitting closest to the door stared at me with a shocking lack of recognition, whilst my mum couldn't stop yelling my name. After a few minutes i had to offer my dad confirmation that it was me to shake him out of his shock. And then came the tears... followed by "What are you doing here?", followed by more tears. I can't even tell you how long we were standing there hugging and crying.. what i can say is that it was really sweet - the wait was all worthwhile.
Marcella was on hand for some classic photo opportunities (thanks March x), and my little brother stepped into chef mode and fired up lunch. Watch this spot for photos xx
The afternoon was consumed with questions, astonishments, laughter, food, family.. and yep.. more tears.
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Touch Down...Melbourne
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Friday, August 11, 2006
8/11/2006 05:41:00 am |
Having stopped over in Auckland for re-fuelling (and more shopping :) ) I fastened my seat belt for the last leg of my trip.. HOME!! I arrived in Melbourne at 10.30 Sunday morning. Considering i hadn't slept for a few days... it could have been midnight in outerspace - i wouldn't have known otherwise! I bought another bottle of alcohol after i was informed of Australia's increased allowance into the country, some cigarettes for my boy and through customs i went.
One of my biggest apprehensions of returning home after so long was my little girl's reaction the moment she saw me! I had no idea what to expect; what words, if any, was she going to say?? The moment i walked through those arrival doors, i searched the many faces until i found the ones i was so longing to see! My brother Joey was there with my sister-in-law (to be) Hanako and my big brother Sammy was standing beside my heavily pregnant sister-in-law Marcella. As much as i longed to see their smiles and teary eyes, the only person who captured my attention was my baby girl Montana. Sammy was holding her up high ensuring she wouldn't miss a moment of action. I heard him whisper in her ear "Who's that??" He put her down over the railing and she ran into my arms. She reached her arms around my neck, stroked my face and kissed me. In that moment, i felt as if i was never away from her. It was the sweetest moment of my life as she stared at me, smiled and said she loved me "too much". I couldn't stop hugging her and asking questions. My tears turned into laughter when Montana fired her only question to me... "Zia, where are Tana's presents??" Yep.. good to be home!
My boys were great; Sammy sporting a goate and Joey parading around in a freshly cut mohawk. Sammy being his impatient self couldn't wait to get to the car; Han couldn't stop going on about how much i had changed; Joey was searching for the quickest exist which would allow him to have a smoke.. not relising that we all had to wait for the pregnant March to return from the bathroom before moving out. Uh Huh.. nothing had changed!
Next stop... Seeing my parents.. they had better be home!!
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And so begins the journey...
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Wednesday, August 02, 2006
8/02/2006 06:28:00 am |
OK.. so when I booked my flight home, I kept telling myself that the 27 hour flight time was inconsequential due to the people whom I was going to see at Melbourne airport! As much as I cherish my family... 27 hours in an oversized capsule with wings was hard!! I flew out of Heathrow on Friday morning, scheduling to arrive in Melbourne on Sunday!!! As a result of flying through the States I had extra luggage weight allowance.... 60 KILOS!!! WHOO HOO!! For those of you who know me and my shopping habits.. this news was one of the first blessings I was to encounter on my trip. So there I was.. 2 large suitcases with a combined weight of 52 Kilos.. lucky I was only going home for a month huh.. can you imagine if I was moving back!!?? I'd need a container on a ship! Holding my breathe and keeping the check-in attendant amused in the fear that this joy of luggage allowance was a sad joke, my bags were scanned in and I was on my way! First stop... yep.. DUTY FREE!! Walking through the illuminated heaven-like shops I stocked up on every girls favourate things.. perfume, make-up, chocolates, alcohol and cigarettes. Man.. my trip was no sorted.. all the essentials! My first airline was Virgin which was transporting me to L.A. where I had a 9 hour stop over to look forward to!! Never been one to stay quiet for any length of time, i started chatting to the girl beside me. Her name was Jennifer and she was a Santa Monica local. Not wanting me to sit in LAX for the afternoon, she offered to show me around Santa Monica... so I was sorted! We were picked up at the airport and jet-setted to her place to dump our bags. She lived in a gorgeous apartment which was surrounded by palm trees, overlooking the ocean. If that wasn't indulgent enough.. she also had a swimming pool.. ahh the struggles of life one must live!! After a while we jumped in the car and headed off to Santa Monica promenade. It was so surreal! The ocean was gorgeous and inviting. The weather was pushing 30 degrees - the sun was shinning and life in that moment was peaceful. I was looking around and I thought I was getting flashbacks of cliché American movies - bikini-clad ladies roller-blading down the strip; guys thinking they were stars congregating around their cars; kids sitting on park benches eating the good 'ol fashion American hotdog; women in designer sunnies walking purposefully down the strip with designer shopping bags adorning both arms! Safe to say.. I was no longer in Kansas!! Not fulfilled with my airport purchases.. I continued to spend! Among those who enjoyed my visit were the Apple store and Victoria's Secret - again more essentials :)
I was blown away by the many street performers and the talents they offered. The most mesmerizing show was a group of acrobatic tumblers. They had a strength and flexibility that left my amazed.. their looks didn't disappoint either.. :) !! Before I knew it, we were applauding them for almost an hour. Jennifer and I contributed to their retirement fund, bought their greatest hits and continued on our day. At this point, Jen and I knew we needed re-fuelling so I asked her to take me to lunch.. somewhere "American"... and so we headed to Johnny Rockets! We were given a table outside on the promenade where the smell of foods long forgotten in my diet consumed the air. Jen insisted on ordering for me, ensuring that I would have an American meal. To my horror and immediate regret she begins our order with a large serving of chilli cheese fries - My ass increased in size as the waiter was scribbling down this request. Not feeling guilty enough... we continued with the original American burger (when translated meant 'the works'!!), and completed our session with the biggest serving of a malt shake! All I can say is.... GOLD!! I ate with gusto knowing that it was a meal I wouldn't indulge again for a long while.
After dinner, we had a much needed digestive walk around the promenade, a bit more shopping and headed back to the car. Jen and I headed back to LAX all the while trying to stay awake!! I think we were both past our bedtimes! We exchanged numbers and said our goodbyes. I collected all my shopping bags and headed towards the terminal for the next leg of my trip. Auckland here I come....
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VIVA ITALIA!!!!
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Sunday, July 09, 2006
7/09/2006 11:32:00 pm |
"When the moon hits your eyes..." as sang many a times by good 'ol Deano..i think the moon he was referring to were the pints smacked down by us all whilst we watched Italy go up against France in the World Cup Final .. now That's Amore!! My fellow inhabitants headed down to Del Ponte Bar.. what will, in my opinion, come to be known as one of the most impassioned Italian bars north of London. On offer was chilled Magners for the ladies, frosted beers for the lads, sambuca shots for yours truely, comfortable leater seats (which was greatly appreciated considering extra time plus penalties!!) and not to forget the almost TOO CHEAP perfectly baked wood oven pizzas (guys how cheap were they again....?? :)
However what could not have been pre-ordered was the atmosphere that consumed the bar!! I have to admit that i was a little saddened by being away from Melbourne for this glorious and gratifyning match.. I can imagine with a huge smile on my face the state of Carlton and Lygon Street! Streets closed down to traffic by police who prayed for an Italian victory; restaurant and cafe owners licking their lips in the anticipation of grand profits made... and the people! Fabulous Italians cheering with a passion that is worldly known.
Back in north London.... I headed down to Del Ponte with the intention of enjoying myself and the game.. imagining i was back home wth my boys and girls, never expecting to enter a bar with the same intense passion that would have electrified Lygon Street! There were Italians everywhere!! Patrons ambitiously began the early evening sitting civilized on reserved tables and lounges.. ohhh how this setting changed with every minute of football played. Middle aged men were chanting for the entire match.. i'm sure that is a record somewhere!! Ladies were hanging off bannisters coursing the referees as only Italian women can; all the while bar staff doing the fabulous job of clearing away what were many empty pint and shot glasses trying to stay out of the way of short-fused italians in fear of missing a second of play.
My favourate supporter was a middle aged man we'll call Bruno for the purpose of description. Now Bruno was like one of those uncles you hope would never drink at a wedding.. you all know the one! The uncle whose voice had the ability to drown out a fog horn over the span of a huge ocean. Now Bruno knew PASSION (especially after what i imagine were a couple of pints.. gallons that is!). Bruno's evening of "support" began with singing along to the Italian national anthem.. and if i had to guess is still singing it as i type this post!! He was the uncle who made sure that all people present knew not only who was playing .. but who was fated to win! He had the power of the chant even Eddie McGuire would pay for... and for someone as loud as i am...you guys can only imagine my admiration!!! Bruno was great.. he was relied upon for his choice of words and commentry on decisions made during the match.. even if some time publicly inappropriate (maybe he thought that nobody else in the bar understood Italian.. RIGHT!)
During the course of the match, we were joined by my work colleague Raffaella, her man and a girlfriend. I was so thrilled that Raffe joined for she too was an Italian Melbournian from Tullamarine!!! Not to scare you uys at home.. but i think there's another Nata in this world! Nothing like another Tulla buddy to sit, cheer and curse with - if nothing else we helped eachother reharsh all our Italian swear words - mum you would have been proud! Thanks Raffe :) We both cheered on for the boys in blue always making comparissons to the atmosphere back home.
People in the bar were watching the match with the apprehension of a possible loss due to the even score board. However, when Mr. Dal Piero, in the sexy way only he knows, ran onto that field.. i knew that magic was going to happen. Eventhough i question the man's (bad!!) choice of hairstyle (or lack ther of!) i knew that a victory was in the bag.
When that penalty found its way to the back of the net and victory (more importantly for my fellow Italians, ensuring our BRAGGING RIGHTS), the bar errupted into what could only be described as Christmas Eve dinner at my gradmother's house. For those of you who know me, can understand, appreciate and cringe at this comparison, and for those of you for whch this comparisson makes no sense... i'll explain it in one word..... LOUD!!! The cheers, screams and tearful cries were so loud that the people who were stomping their chairs on the ground in excitment were having little impact!
So there i was at the end of the night... lying in bed trying to sleep. But instead of mentally preparing myself for the Monday morning grind.. i was being serendaded to sleep by the ongoing tunes of car horns wondering why i couldn't stop my room from spinning.
So all in all, when that an important ball finds a net and a nation celebrates for a week... now "That's Amore!"
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And here we go.....
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7/09/2006 03:54:00 pm |
Hiya all,
With my flawless ability of procrastination finally acknowledged, i've created my blog page.. or what will come to be recocognised as the place for me to air my attitude-fuelled opinions, detail my endless conquests and bragg about places travelled. The beauty of this site is that due to the lack of what can most times be head-drumming human interaction one is subjectd to on a daily basis, there will be no energy lost or passion wasted on arguments, for i'll be the only person talking, therefore i'll always be right!! GOLD!!! :) For those of you who know me.. you all know how agreeable i am when i'm right!! So if nothing else.. this blogg could prove to be therapeutic.
It will be my aim to eventually backlog details of all my travels and experiences for you guys.. but lets be honest... it's taken me 18 months to even create this page!!! I may be ambitious.. but i may lack the conviction :)
For the guys and girls back home whom i have embarrassingly neglected in all forms of communication, this is a brief listing of places travelled and events experienced: Sleeping in the Sahara Desert.. just me and a few camels beneath the milky way :); walking through the snow covered streets of Sweden on Christmas morning; Skilled enough to score an aquaintance on New Years Eve despite being in a Gay club; Drinkng perfectly brewed, nonna-inspired espresso in Rome cafes; Consuming sinfully mouth-watering chocolate crepes whilst sitting beneath a magically illuminated Eiffel Tower.
I must be fair to those around me when i offer this disclaimer.... To all people in my life - friends, family, lovers, work colleagues, and any others fortunate enough to be in my company for any period of time... if i have my camera and photos are taken... they WILL appear on this blog (especially if I look fabulous!!). So let it be known to all that if you are are drunk enough to demand a photo taken, it will be posted for the entire world to see! Ahh.. i can imagine a few people squirming as i type.. :) GOLD!! Bring on the sessions of sambuca shots i say!!
But enough of the serious stuff...
I'll be continuing my postings shortly as my Italian Blues head to the World Cup Finals!! What bragging to be made.....
Until next time... Viva Italia!!
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