Why I love New York

The Jazz Clubs in Harlem, The Brooklyn Bridge, The Squirrels in Central Park, The ability to buy a hotdog from a street vendor at 2 in the morning, The National Comedy Theatre, The shopping in Soho/Nolita/Tribeca, The New Yorken accent, Dylan's Candy Store, The ridiculously large Pizza slices, the colourful innhabitants, the fact that no matter how many art galleries you've seen, there's always a million more out there in the city waiting for you to explore, The basketball games at Madison Square Garden, The insane, drug-fueled taxi drivers, The Wholefood Market, The millions of different TV and Movie locations you recognize around the city (30 rock, Sex and the City, Seinfield, just to name a few...), the urbane culture, the vivacious financial district, Pinkberry, the effortlessly cool locals and the feeling that you're part of something unique, big and new just by being there. Everything is inspiring.

48 minutes

Late night at work and it's deeeeeeeeaaad. We've had 2 customers in the past 3 hours...so I figured I'd give some blog love. Firstly, I LOVE my job, I may have mentioned that earlier...either way, I need to reinforce how much I love my job, I feel extremely grateful for it.

I have some new adventures in the mix which I'm quite excited about..so stay tuned! Don't want to say too much about them yet, rather wait and see how things pan out and then tell my tales.

Super excited for New York...it'll be my first White Christmas and to have it with my family is quite brilliant :)

I love my mum. I mean really love her, she's an absolutely incredible woman, and a total inspiration. She's just so smart and funny and intelligent and you know what? Cool too, I mean I took her to see Zombieland last weekend and most mum's I know would be offended by some of the scenes in that flick, by my mum? No way, she laughed her head off the whole way through. Hearing her laugh makes me laugh, I sound like I'm 5 years old...but I'm not, I just really love my mum and wanted to let the world know. We had a big chat this morning about relationships, love and dating. I learnt that my father dated a girl for 6 years before he met my mum. He was 31 and she was 27, I just can't imagine my dad dating another woman before my mother. Mum's first proper relationship wasn't till she met dad, crazzzy!

Ok reading that back...I sound like the son in the film 'The Castle'...which incidently I watched last week....anyway

I gotta cash up :D

CIAAAAAOO!

The Bright Lights

Is doesn't take long for things to come crashing down.

Relationship = over.

However, no regrets, I learnt a lot from it, especially about myself, which I didn't think I would.

I've now set out to do as much as I can in my lifetime.

New Leaf and new goals. Try everything at least once.

Went to a 'restorative yoga' class on Monday. It's basically like relaxation yoga and although at the time I didn't think it was doing much, I slept like a log that night. So restorative yoga = my new love.

Other things I plan to do in the next few weeks include - an Art class on Sunday, Salsa class on Wednesday, A private tennis lesson, a cooking class and attending a poetry reading. If I don't like it, then I never have to do it again. That's the deal.

I also NEED to get my manual camera fixed, I haven't done any photography in months and I miss it!

Some other bigger goals I want to get on to include getting a part in a play, writing a script, reading a book ( I know, sounds retarded, but I haven't read a book cover to cover in awhile) and picking up guitar again.

I need changes like this is my life to get myself motivated. I'm v. excited for the near future.

Will blog more later, must run to work!

Ciao,

Francesca x

G'dayyy!

Wa wa wee wa, it's been a while since I've blogafied.

Quite a bit to tell..

I have a job! FINALLY! I'm working full time at Mr. Vintage for the Summer, it's a t-shirt business which specializes in NZ designs, loooove it!

I'm currently in Sydney for a couple days with mum and we've done ENDLESS amounts of shopping. It was 41 degrees celcius yesterday, when you stepped out of the air conditioning it felt like you were standing right next to a car exhaust pipe, except it's all over your body and the feeling didn't go away.

We saw the bats fly over the city, which was incredible, these bats were the size of seagulls, I was in awe! It was quite a sight to see them soar over the red dusk sky.

Mum and I realised that the Australian Idol finale was being held at the Sydney Opera House last night, they had an amazing firework display, it was the perfect way to end the balmy summer night.

I've now been in a relationship for 2 months, which for me is amazing. I'm not use to being attached to someone, or being someone's 'something', but I'm enjoying learning new things with the person that I'm with. In the past I've only been able to share intimate things with close friends, but to now being able to share things with someone I'm even closer to is quite exquisite.

I'm currently reading 'The Picture of Dorian Grey' by Oscar Wilde, what a fabulous book! It's so beautiful and poetic, I recommend it to everyone, I wish more writers would write with such detail, it's stupendous.

Next year I have decided to move out of home and move into an apartment with two of my best friends...who have never met one another... one is Andrea, a Texan who I met while on exchange in Austin who is coming to NZ to study in Auckland for the semester and the other Jordan, a New Zealand actor who has decided to give a crack a unversity next year. These two people mean the absolute world to me and I love them both dearly, I'm curious to see if they will become as close with each other as I have with them. They're both very different..

Finally, upon my return to Auckland from Sydney, I plan to start working like a dog and saving like crazy for New York. I'm disgustingly spoilt. I'm going to New York for Christmas and New Years and I couldn't be more excited. The idea of winter, New York and celebrating is just too good to be true. I'm so fortunate and grateful to have such a wonderful life.

I've also decided I want to get more penpals. I already have one from Texas and Croatia and I love knowing what they're up to and what's going on in their lives, but to me, the more the merrier :) I want to have pen pals from all over the world, I love learning about new cultures and the different lives people lead. I am a citizen of the world!

So my search begins...

Sorry if my grammar has been shocking in this post, I'm a little tired with the time difference and what not, I know it's only a 2 hour difference, but it's still taking it's toll!

Adios!

Francesca x

Exams Smismams

I haven't blogged in awhile because I've been stuck pretending to study....
I also have a new job, Harrrahh! I'm working at Mr. Vintage and so far it seems like the best job I've ever had. Awesome people, heaps of things to do and see and great perks. Anyway, I've just started studying for this exam....which is this afternoon and here is one of the poem I am studying for it...for possibly the first time ever...I really like this poem...

Love Song by William Carlos Williams

I lie here thinking of you:—

the stain of love
is upon the world!
Yellow, yellow, yellow
it eats into the leaves,
smears with saffron
the horned branched the lean
heavily
against a smooth purple sky!
There is no light
only a honey-thick stain
that drips from leaf to leaf
and limb to limb
spoiling the colors
of the whole world—

you far off there under
the wine-red selvage of the west!

Taste of Summer

Last couple of weeks have been a bit blah, same rubbish day in and out. However, now with the completion of university classes, I feel a new leaf is in order!

Just two assignments left and 2 exams and then I am absolutely finished for the semester...I want to take this time to get my priorities straight and take control... So I've made a list of goals for this Summer....

1. Go to art class on Sunday's
2. Pick up the camera and continue photography
3. Try 5 new things
4. Shape up for Summer
5. Read as much as possible
6. Learn as much as possbile
7. Travel somewhere new
8. Save money for Europe
9. Gain and perfect a new skill
10. Find someone to explore life with

The Best Kept Secrets of Myspace

Looking for fresh new music to add to your collection? Well after vigorously scouring the World Wide Web for many hours, we’ve found the best of the best on myspace. Check ‘em out, spread the word and enjoy!

Charles O’Malley Martin
Have you been looking to discover a new artist to impress your friends with? Well look no further than Charles O’Malley Martin. Although rather new to the MySpace scene, Charles has an insane talent worth familiarizing yourself with. His ability to combine the genres of acoustic folk with indie and alternative roots is astounding and is definitely worth checking out. It looks like he’ll be the next big thing. http://www.myspace.com/charlesomalleymartin


Diane Birch
This gorgeous starlet has been a favourite amongst Myspace fans for months. With her voice resembling that of Stevie Nicks it’s easy to see why her music is so popular with a variety of different crowds. Having influences such as The Carpenters, Fleetwood Mac, The Beatles and Joni Mitchell has resulted in an eccentric and talented young artist with a very bright future ahead of her. http://www.myspace.com/dianebirch

The Alternate Routes
Definitely one of music’s best kept secrets, The Alternate Routes give you a little bit of everything plus more. Their mix of both classic, alternative rock songs along with more soft, laidback tunes, express the endless amount of talent this band possess. With tracks like “Ordinary” and “The Future’s Nothing New” you can see how these guys have become a myspace favourite. http://www.myspace.com/alternateroutes

Hanan Townshend
New Zealand’s own Hanan Townshend is one talented cat. Hailing from Wellington, Hanan has been kicking it in Austin, Texas in order to further himself as an artist. He has an unbelievably knack at pulling the listener in and lulling them with the soft folk quality of his music. If you like artists such as The Shins and Arcade Fire, than Hanan’s music is for you. http://www.myspace.com/hanantownshend


Mia Carruthers and the Retros
Although a “still-in-the-making” band, Mia and the Retro’s are worth keeping an eye on, from listening to a snippet from their upcoming E.P. it is safe to say that this band has a hopeful future to look forward to. Despite lead singer Mia only being 18, her stunning, pop-friendly voice is sure to blow away even the most cynical mainstream music haters amongst us. http://www.myspace.com/miacarruthers

Ah, sweet Content, where doth thine harbour hold.

Currently just waiting for Jordan to turn up at my house....that boy takes forever, so I figured I'd update my blog whilst I wait.

Had a very good evening last night...I'm not going to go in to detail but it was just one of those moments where everything feels perfect. You know it's better than a dream because it's reality...I hope to have many more moments like it in the future...I liked it alot, it's a new and exciting feeling.

I have the NZ music awards tomorrow night, should be interesting? I'm in the media room backstage by myself, so am going to attempt to make friends while I'm there...see how I go.

REALLY want to finish university for the year, I miss my social life....only a few weeks to go, but still completely over it and at a loss.

Saw the film 500 Days of Summer, was ammmmazing, highly recommend and believe EVERYONE should see it, it's magical!

Not too much else to report really...life is just ticking by but I feel something amazing is on the horizon..let's see shall we?

Francesca.

The catch up

Been awhile since I've written in my little bloggy. Had a pretty crazy week with assignments, work, the usual really...

Was suppose to be volunteering at Air NZ fashion week but it all completely fell through...which is no suprise really, that event is easily the worst organized fashion show in the history of fashion shows....

I turn up...on time...45 minutes before the call time (our head dresser wanted to meet us outside early), of course no one is there when I show up...no one knows what's going on, people are running around like headless chickens shouting inappropriate remarks about patrons. I made an attempt to get in contact with my head dresser...I strolled up to the main desk, pretended like I knew what I was doing and was presented with an all-access pass, so I made my way around the shows and after finding someone who thought they could help me, she informed me to wait around for a bit...which I didn't, I picked up my bags and left...didn't hear anything from them since. I intend to write to the head of the producers of this show and tell them how badly put together it was and how unfair they are to their volunteers. bastards.

Been spending endless amounts of time with Jordan...which has been really nice actually. Trying to make the most of time together before he buggers off to Wellington next year. I hate to think how I'm gonna survive, that boy has become my rock. He truly is a great great friend.

I saw the Pohutakawa tree last night, a play on at the maidment theatre in town. I won't lie...I was bored to tears. Wasn't my cup of tea really and it ran for like 2 and a half hours.

Also realised this week how shocking I am in new situations with new people. I become a nervous, blabbering idiot...which is only futher enhanced when I tell myself to chill out. Working on this.

Crap week ahead...first have to put together data for the nonexistent job I'm doing...which will be a challenge considering this nonexistent job has nonexistent data yet does have existent bosses....hmm...Also babysitting tomorrow which means more $$$ and maybe the ability to pay for my lavish lifestyle (ha!). Also have an assignment due on Friday, which I will no doubt put off till Thursday night....well make that Friday morning....

On the plus side, I am reading a fabulous book by Dawn Porter called "Diaries of an Internet Lover", I think she is fantastic!!! I absolutely adore her and her work, it's so refreshing!! Yay!

Till next time (god knows when that will be...)

Francesca. x

Interest List

Alrighty tighty.

I've decided to list all my interests as of the moment....bascially just so I have my own documented interest list so in 10 years time I can come back to it and cringe at my embarrassing taste.

Movies: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, I Love you Man, Bridget Jones's Diary, Match Point, The Science Of Sleep, Be Kind Rewind, Singin' In The Rain, American Beauty, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Thirteen, Requiem For A Dream, Cruel Intentions, Garden State, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Anchorman, Zoolander.

Music - The Alternate Routes, Death Cab for Cutie, Chili Peppers, James Morrison, Placebo, The Pixies, La Roux, Gossip.

Books - The Bell Jar, The Great Gatsby, Long Hard Road Out of Hell.

TV Shows - Six Feet Under, Sex and the City, It's always Sunny in Philladelphia, Arrested Development, Flight of the Conchords, Summer Heights High, The Soup.

Foods: SUSHI SUSHI SUSHI!

Drinks: Vodka & Cranberry, Diet lemonade minute maid (despite not being able to get it in NZ.

Buddha Pears

YUMMM! Is this what we've come to?

Lovely Jubbly!

zzz...

Been a little while since I last updated my blog.

Was in Dunedin last weekend during Undie 500 and the riots....what a joke that was. Millions of students and cops standing on Castle Street just waiting for something to happen...it's a lot less eventful then it sounds on the news....infact....I slept through most of it and I was only a block away from it all.

The weekend itself was pretty uneventful, just caught up with friends, drunk a lot of alcohol and spent a lot of money. I have definitely readjusted to Auckland living...the sophistication, the culture and the class....I don't care if people mock it, I love it.

Interviewed Lisa Mitchell on Tuesday morning. Lovely girl, easy to chat to. Nothing to interesting to report there really, hope to have the interview up online soon.

Spent most of today catching up with Jordan, some how spent five hours lying in the sun and cleaning a car.... really need to be more active...will start gym tomorrow.......hopefully.

V. exhausted and out of it, will blog more interesting stuff later.

Francesca

No Diggity

Arghh only have a few minutes to post this blog!!!


Back at this Uni this week, completely over it, taking over my life.


Off to Dunedin tonight. Been 10 months since I've seen the boys and girls down there, v. excited.


Interviewing Lisa Mitchell next week, winner of Australian Idol...I think?


Apart from uni I've had a fabulous week thanks to two of my best friends, Tom and Jordan. I love just staying in with friends. I've become such a homebody.


Loving this track at the moment....
No Diggity (Blackstreet cover) - The Klaxons


Must run, yet another class I HAVE to attend, ick.

Deliciously Sunny Afternoon,

I love crisp warm afternoons. Even if I have hideously early morning start, the afternoon seems to make it all better.

I started back at university this morning. My 9am lecture was a joke, our lecturer talked about France for 90% of the time and Media for 10% of the time, a complete timewaster and irrelvent to the course.

Anyway, enough of that. Just want to finish the semester.

Now babysitting my neighbour, an 8 year old girl with the smarts of a 14-year old. She insists we play netball with the hoop that measures up to my shoulder. Sadly, you'd think I'd have to make an effort to be bad and miss the hoop so she could win....I don't. I really am that bad. However, I do find her point system highly amusing, it always seems to work in her favour and changes to suit her. Oh how I miss childhood.

For My Lover, Returning To His Wife

She is all there.

She was melted carefully down for you

and cast up from your childhood,

cast up from your one hundred favorite aggies.



She has always been there, my darling.

She is, in fact, exquisite.

Fireworks in the dull middle of February

and as real as a cast-iron pot.



Let's face it, I have been momentary.

A luxury. A bright red sloop in the harbor.

My hair rising like smoke from the car window.

Littleneck clams out of season.



She is more than that. She is your have to have,

has grown you your practical your tropical growth.

This is not an experiment. She is all harmony.

She sees to oars and oarlocks for the dinghy,



has placed wild flowers at the window at breakfast,

sat by the potter's wheel at midday,

set forth three children under the moon,

three cherubs drawn by Michelangelo,



done this with her legs spread out

in the terrible months in the chapel.

If you glance up, the children are there

like delicate balloons resting on the ceiling.



She has also carried each one down the hall

after supper, their heads privately bent,

two legs protesting, person to person,

her face flushed with a song and their little sleep.



I give you back your heart.

I give you permission --



for the fuse inside her, throbbing

angrily in the dirt, for the bitch in her

and the burying of her wound --

for the burying of her small red wound alive --



for the pale flickering flare under her ribs,

for the drunken sailor who waits in her left pulse,

for the mother's knee, for the stocking,

for the garter belt, for the call --



the curious call

when you will burrow in arms and breasts

and tug at the orange ribbon in her hair

and answer the call, the curious call.



She is so naked and singular

She is the sum of yourself and your dream.

Climb her like a monument, step after step.

She is solid.



As for me, I am a watercolor.

I wash off.

- Anne Sexton 1969

5 addictions of the week.

Wear These....
Vida Cutout Oxford - Urban Outfitters $59.99 (US)

Read This...
Rubbish Boyfriends by Jessie Jones

Watch This....
The Reader - Staring Kate Winslet and Directed by Stephen Daldry

Drink this...
Rose and Lavender Earl Grey Tea

Listen to this....
U2 - Get on your boots (Justice Remix)

Blue with the Flu

It's 12:10pm on a sunny Thursday afternoon and I am sitting indoors with wet hair and shit coffee whilst pretending to do a job that doesn't really exist.

I hate this stage of life where nothing really matters but if you don't make the right decisions you're fucked for the rest of it. I'm so absent-minded, I don't take interest in any of the things presented to me and the things I am interested in are completely unattainable.

Fuck it.

I went to the NZ music award finalist announcements last night. It was full of NZ press as well as radio and TV personalities. My editor was running late so I left standing hopelessly in a large room full of people I don't know but who all seem to know one another. It's funny how comfortable you become standing in a crowded room on your lonesome. At first the self-consciousness kicked in and I felt that everyone was staring at the freak with the constantly topped-up glass of wine standing by herself, but after about 5 minutes I was just over it. Fuckers.

I flirted with the idea of striking up a conversation with someone, but everyone seemed so cold and artificial, I didn't see the benefit. Finally, after what seemed like hours, Dai Henwood, a NZ TV personality, started presenting the nominees. I soon released after the announcements started, that I was standing next to some very drunk members of Fat Freddy's Drop. Their wailing and exaggerated reactions definitely added some amusement to the event. After losing out to two of the awards, the boy's decided to do Vodka shots to celebrate the one award they did win for best producer...despite it being the one award they cared about least.

After the pretty much pointless event, I got together with some good friends to catch up. It has been awhile since I've spent time with these lovely ladies and it was an absolute thrill to just hang out and be the immature girls we are. We discussed everything from clothes to music to boys...to being single....to why we are single...to being sick of being single....to we're single because of the crappy boys out there....to maybe it's us and that's why we're single.....to fuck 'em! I like being single anyway.....to well no actually, i'm sick of being single.

All in all it was a fabulous evening.

Francesca Antonia.

Hello World!

I am a writer.... well...that is a slight exaggeration...I like to think I am a writer.

Reality is, I am a university student studying English and Media Studies...However, English being my poorest subject means I am a terrible speeler, my grammer is horrible, and I can barely formulate a good sentence. This..unfortunately, is one of the many ironies of my life.

I have a gazillion passions... from writing (I think we all know that's a given), movies, theatre, acting, fashion, culture, photography, men, music, listening, talking, reading etc etc. I am pretty much you're 'run of the mill' kinda gal.

I want to expand my world of writing by doing this blog. I want to discuss my everyday world and the things I have learnt and things I want to learn. I want to create challenges and express my thoughts and reflect on my own little world. I want to have documented evidence of my life as of now.

So here I am as of now...
I am 19 (2o in December) and I am currently on my mid-semester break. I am in my second semester of my second year at my 3rd university. First year I went to the South Island of New Zealand and studied at Otago, and at the start of this year I studied on exchange in Austin, Texas. And now, I have come home to Auckland, NZ. I missed it too much. The comfort, the friends and family, the culture, the memories, the security and the lifestyle. Auckland truly is the city for me.....alongside New York and London.

I hate my degree with a passion. I have been forced into this mindless education route that I hold no interest in. I was previously studying communications and marketing which I loved but now..due to transferring, I've had to change to English and Media Studies...which I could potential learn to love if I had lectures who actually intrguied me...which they unfortunately do not.

I have a variety of different jobs. I get bored extremely easily and need something new and fresh constantly. I currently work at Johnson & Johnsons, where I intern and am putting together a market analysis report (despite being highly underqualified). I also look after a little girl after school on Monday's. On the odd occassion I freelance for a few magazines (which I don't get paid for...so it really is FREElancing), for these I write up interviews and write on weird and foreign-to-me topics. I am also currently putting together my own online publication with one of my best friends. We have huge plans for this amazing publication and we can not wait to let the world in on our little secret! Oh! and I recently learnt that I have been chosen as one of the volunteers for NZ Fashion Week, where I will be working backstage with the models. I hope to bring some juicy stories in the near future about that.

Till next time...

Francesca Antonia.