Picture of the Week: May 21 - 27th

This week I sat on a coach for 8 hours with three great travelling buddies to get all the way to Niagara Falls in upstate NY. Despite all the queues it was a pretty awesome visit and it's another thing crossed off my NY bucket list... 

Go Googa for my Mooga...

Brooklyn's Prospect Park has so many things going for it...it's bigger, prettier, quieter and cooler than the parks over in the City! Only last weekend it was invaded...by foodie hipsters with empty stomachs and uber-cool clothing. Last weekend was the first ever Great GoogaMooga! 


This festival was a food festival with a side of music and lashings of sunshine! It's a simple formula, invade a park, book some bands, sell restaurant standard food to the masses and ensure free flowing booze. The event has received a lot of criticism in the aftermath...mainly because of the never ending queues for some of the big name restaurants but for little old me, it was a sunny day with music, good food and just enough booze!


In total we ate: Lobster Rolls from Luke's, Duck Hotdogs from Craft, Pulled Pork Sandwich from Dinosaur BBQ, Pastrami Sandwich from Kutsher's Tribeca, 'Tata Tots from Crif Dogs and finally Ice-Cream Sandwiches from Melt Bakery. Washed down with independent beers and wines from Washington State, California, South Africa and France - Get why I loved it yet?!


Here is our GoogaMooga experience in photos...

We arrived to lines from every direction...but the sun was shining and everything smelt so good...

We found a spot to call our own

We opted for Luke's Lobster Rolls but during the hour & a half it took to wait we also devoured a pastrami sandwich from Kustchers Tribeca...finally the lobster arrived...

we then tucked into ice cream sandwiches...

followed by pulled pork

...and a trip to the wine tasting tent

then the sun stayed out, music played and we merrily finished our evening by 10pm.

Picture of the Week: May 14 - 20th

This is my official picture of the week...GoogaMooga! The festival of food, drink, music and sunshine proved once again that there is nowhere in the world like New York City! And was one of my favourite Saturday's for a while! this picture was borrowed from Miss Elly Lacey!

Having said that, this week was so epic there is a second picture of the week...donated once again (unbeknownst to her) by Elly! This weekend was so epic that yes, Sunday was equal in it's crazy New York appeal! We did what all straight single people do on a sunny Sunday...we hit up an all you can drink brunch drag show...the weirdest thing is I'm not even lying!

Picture of the Week # 2 

XOXO

The Co-habitation Question

A big debate rose up from an article in the NY Times several weeks ago about co-habitation and marriage (read the full article here). It suggests that living together before marriage has a negative impact on a marriage. Now I'm not normally one to get all caught up in one of these random slow-news-day debates but this one correlates directly to my own feelings on the subject. So I decided to do a little reflecting on the subject: 

Cohabitation is an interesting phenomena of modern times. Once upon a time if you lived with someone before you were married it was wrong…now the opposite is true. It’s become an expected part of a relationship. Just one stepping stone away from the big one.

When I tell people I don’t want to live with a partner before I’m married I get some extreme reactions. People think I’m insane, hiding something or a religious nut! I’m none of these things (well maybe I'm a bit messy but that's not hidden by not living with someone). I made the decision a long time ago that I wouldn’t move in with a partner until I had a ring on my finger and I continue to think, despite now being one of a minority, that it’s the right thing for me.

Call me crazy but I just don’t want living together be be another stepping stone. I might be an old romantic but I want moving in with someone to mean a life-long commitment. Sharing a home is just as intimate as having a ring on my finger and I want it to be with the right person and not just because it’s cheaper to split the rent. I'm not a car to be test-drove for a period of time. I get that it makes sense but, as this article points out, it tends to lead to couples sliding into life rather than deciding they want to be together. 

Now I'm not saying it can't work. Almost every couple I know, including the best couples I know, lived together first.It's just not for me - and it seems from this article I can't be all wrong.

My expectations of this day may have been ruined by Disney but the way I see it, Snow White didn’t shack up with one of the dwarfs because she’d had a perfectly lovely time living with him and knew they could still get on…she waited it out for her prince…I just don’t buy the cohabitation story that they’re selling.

I’m also not against living with someone. I can’t wait for all the new things that come with settling into a home with someone I’m committed too…I just want to make sure that investment is for life, and if that's a problem they can test run someone else, there are plenty of girls who are more estate-car friendly. 

Picture of the Week - May 6 - 13

This week I escaped the grey skies and confines of New York and jumped on a flight to Jamaica. This is the complete antithesis to the city and I unwound in 90 degrees with sunshine and a frozen margarita in hand. A much needed break from the big city - but on Thursday I was back and hell, it's good to be home!

Picture of the Week - April 30 - May 6

This week was highlighted by a visit from the homeland. Miss Long graced New York City with both her immaculate dress sense and her love of a good cocktail. With mummy Long in for the ride we visited La Birreria on the rooftop of Little Italy, Hill Country BBQ, Fish and The Jane. I love them all and it's even better when sharing them with old friends...Thank you for stopping by, I miss all my lovely friends stuck out in the UK!