What a trip!

Ok....so this is going to be a massive post. I just got back from an awesome holiday with Margie and Wes in London and even though I took my laptop with me, I didn't update while I was there... Every day was action packed! I have to thank Margie and wes for putting together an awesome itinerary....It if were up to me we probably would've spent 10 days doing a London pub crawl (even though we did this as well!)
I arrived on Thursday 25th Aug. It was a hellish trip. I decided to save money on the ticket and took the cheap option which left from New Jersey and arrived in Bristol (about a 2hr train ride from London). Of course I didn't get any sleep on the plane and when I finally arrived in London, Wes was waiting for me at the wring station. So, an hour later when we finally met up we headed straight for the pub! Not long after....I crashed. So after a quick nap I headed off with Wes to meet Margie after work and we did a bit of a pub crawl home. The following night we went into Soho and saw Les Miserables! Actually the third time I've seen it (Washington DC, Sydney, London) and it was awesome. Margie was bawling the whole way through. We literally had the worst seats in the house, but it was a great night.

The next day we went to the Notting Hill carnival. It was amazing. Literally over a million people dancing and drinking in the streets of Notting Hill. We spent the whole day wondering around, eating and drinking. The perfect day! Later on that night we met up with Jodie (Aussie friend of Margie's) and found an awesome bar/restaurant in Notting Hill and danced the night away!

Monday was my birthday! And another great day. The weather was amazing the whole time I was there! Would you believe that the only day it was really overcast was the day I left! So as it was my birthday, I called the shots and took the crew to the Tate Modern. Spent a bit of time there and also saw the "Globe" theatre which is right next door.
Next day was the "Big Bus Tour" which was an open top, double-deck bus that you can get on and off as often as you like and see all the sights. Another perfect day and we did all the major touristy things around town from the London Tower, Tower Bridge down to Big Ben and Westminster Abbey.
We finally got out of the city the next day and went to Stone Henge.

We left London early in the morning and went straight to Stone Henge. It was great to see it in person. Then off to Bath which is absolutely amazing! Lunch was at some pub which had been there for over 700 years! (The food tasted like it had been there that long as well, but it was a nice location). Then it was off to Stratford Upon Avon to see the birthplace and home of William Shakespeare along with Chamagne and strawberry scones (the highlight for me and Margie).
Next day was around London again and after wondering around the city, we decided to get on the "London Eye" for the most impressive view around.

That night we met up with Wes's friend Fin and had dinner and went to a pub called "The Porterhouse". It was a miracle we didn't get kicked out, suffice to say that we all had a great time and were the last to leave. The next day was hell as we had another all day bus tour and we very nearly pulled the pin and slept in. Fortunately we didn't as it was another beautiful day. We went to Leeds castle, Cantebury and Dover.

Saturday night was Margie and Wes's engagement party, which was a bit of an Aussie fest. There was about 12 of us for dinner at the Butchers Hook in Fulham, and we then went off to a local club for the rest of the night. Yet another great night! The last day was spent just hanging out together and talking about how much we all miss each other and our families back home. Oddly enough, I even missed New York. I've really come to love it over here. Of course I would love to get a job soon, but I'm sure it will all work out.
There's about a million things I missed out on putting in this post as I'm sure no one will read it. But if you want to know more about the trip, check out Margie and Wes's blog at www.wesnmarg.blogspot.com there's a link on my front page. Wes has been far more committed to this cause and posted almost every day I was over there!

New Photo, New Destination!

Finally changed my ridiculous blog photo. Hope this meets the approval of all my critics! I fly off to London tomorrow! Can't wait! Actually I fly from Newark, New Jersey to Bristol. Then I have to get a train to London which takes a few hours. Bit of a pain in the *$# but it I saved a whole lot of cash and got the dates I wanted. In other news, I finally got my social security number! I've started looking for jobs in earnest as the cash supply is running a bit low after a few months of living it up in New York without a job! I've applied for a few already, but I'll wait until I get back from London and Paris before doing much more. Stay tuned for photos with Margie and Wes!!!!!!

Another night with Holly in town! Unfortunately Holly is coming down with a cold, so we didn't quite paint the town red like last time however we had another great meal and as always, it was great to see her again. It may be a few months before she's back in New York so i might have to make the trip over to San Fran. Besides, I still haven't met Mike and Delaney! And Dennie and Carol have been on my case to see them in Arizona.
The countdown has begun for London! I fly in to Bristol on the 24th and meet up with Wes and Marg. Can't wait! At this stage we're thinking about heading down to Spain for a week of lying on the beach and frozen daqueries, but it's all still up in the air. Suffice to say that I'll be with them for 2 weeks! Then it's their turn to come to New York for Christmas.
Also saw a great blues gig last night with Jimmy Vivino (Guitar from Late Night with Conan O'Brien). Then met up with a bunch of new friends at a down and dirty east village bar. I think called "The Dark Room". Needless to say....it's a dark room, but a cool bar to hang out in.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Dad! Have a prawn for me. Wish I could be there, or rather wish you guys could be here! Love and miss you all.

They finally arrived!

Finally the studio lights I bought on ebay arrived. After much drama, and a period where I thought I had been ripped off, they're all here and work perfectly. Now I just have to work out how it all fits together! And what exactly do you do with them? Anyhoo, I've got some new technology to get on top of so I can start doing some real work! I can't wait to get started on my new portraiture series... Stay tuned for photos. Hope they look good! :)
Oh, and I've even got my first "head-shot" victim! A friend of a friend (?) who wants to get into acting and doesn't mind being a guinnea pig while I work all this new stuff out. Fun!

The big night...

Went out last night with Holly and her friend Carrie. Had an absolute ball. We went down to the uber-trendy meat packing district for dinner and ate and drank ourselves silly. I saw all the latest photos of Delaney and Mike and can't wait to visit them in San Fran. Then off to a local bar I think called "the maritime", which was nice but not really our scene. We ended up stumbling into a bar in the East Village in our search for live music and ran amuk to the sounds of a reasonable cover band.
At one point we called Carol and I hope I didn't make too much of an ass of myself beause it was well into the evening by then!

Holly's in town!

Holly, my "god-sister" (if thre is such a title) is in town for a week. Can't wait to see her! Unfortunately she couldn't bring Mike and Delaney this time but we're going to hit the town tomorrow night! I got the Mariko Mori info wrong and the performance is actually tonight, so Holly's coming down to meet me there with a few friends.

Congratulations

So, now that the cat is out of tha bag, I can tell you why I was wearing my super-happy-silly face yesterday. Margie and Wes got engaged. Couldn't be happier for the two of them! Now even moreso I can't wait to see them in London in only a few more weeks!

:)

This is my super-happy-silly face. I can't say why I'm wearing it yet, but I will soon!

More

Hooray! I've been keeping track of an auction on ebay for the last week hoping to score a bunch of studio lighting equipment for a steal.... And I won! Sent the cheque off today, with a bit of luck I won't get screwed. Ebay always scares me a little. So hopefully in the next week I'll be able to get on with my new project! Off to see a performance piece tonight by Mariko Mori (love her work), and then Vince is hosting a dinner party tomorrow night which should be fun.

My house is on fire!

So, my very first night in the new place and there was a fire! The street was closed off, three fire engines & a few police cars, everyone evacuated etc etc. Actually all I could think about was how much money I would make from all my insurance, but it didn't come to that. There was a faulty safety switch in the electrical box and as it is SO BLOODY HOT here, everyone had their a/c on...... and boom, the power was cut off and the box exploded in flames! In truth, the worst part was losing power. It didn't come back on until 2am and it was a very hot night. Over 30C and high humidity. So no one really slept, I just lay on my bed stewing until I could put the a/c back on.

Very Excited!

I just bought my ticket to London! I'm going to be there for 2 weeks from the 24th of August to the 7th of September. I can't wait to see Margie and Wes and celebrate my birthday with them! In other big news, I moved into my new place today (photos to come) and I also won an auction on ebay to buy an entire studio worth of lighting gear. I'll now be able to get on with my next project!
Also found out recently that Zoe is going to be in New York for the month of December and will be celebrating Christmas and New Years with me, Margie and Wes! I hope we have a white Christmas..... I really want to make a snowman.

New Place!

Even though it's been great living where I've been I'm about to move into my new pad. It's awesome... A 2-storey loft right in the middle of Bedford Ave Williamsburg (very cool). My room has 18' ceilings and enough room for a studio, office and a few couches with coffe table. (Needless to say it's quite expensive) I move in on the 20th so I'll post photos when I'm there. I'm sharing with a married couple and one other girl. They're all very nice and we should get along very well.
Also, incase there's a few of you out there who are wondering why I've been so bad at e-mailing I wiped my laptop the first week I was here with everyone's addresses. (also I have a new e-mail address which wasn't really up to date with everyone's details) You can e-mail me through a link on this website so send on!

More stuff

So I haven't done anything wild recently. I'm starting to settle into life here and the initial excitement of arriving in New York is giving way to familiarity and comfort. Although I still get excitied walking down 5th Ave in Manhatten, or even my modest Bedford Ave in Williamsburg, I'm beginning to recognise the neighbours and hopefully I'm starting to look more like a local than a tourist. (I try not to walk around town with a camera around my neck gawking at everything)
I have a new photography project that I'm almost ready to start on. I tend to think about my projects for weeks before implementation. This one is a move away from what I've been doing recently and focusses more on portraiture. I haven't done much of this so I've been spending alot of time researching lighting techniques and what kind of equipment I will need for the shoot.
Only one more week in this sub-let. I'm only moving down the road but I'm still excited to move into a different place and meet more people.

Zoe

Zoe, hopefully you will check out this blog site as I can't find your e-mail! Drop me a line so we can catch up...

me

Hehehe, so until I find a photo of me where I'm not pulling a silly face..... this is it! :)

me
Originally uploaded by Michael Wilton.

Update...

So, I finally got my shit together and put up a bunch of posts. Needless to say that I've been having alot of fun in NYC. Aside from a few quiet moments when I've been a bit homesick everything has been perfect! In a nutshell, this is my life in NYC.... I live in Willamsburg, Brooklyn. As far as I can tell it's the center of the world for artists and people who work in the arts. It's rare to meet someone who has a normal job! (Of course everyone works in a bar, or has some other day job to pay the bills.... which are huge over here!) When you walk down ther street here (Bedford Ave), it seems that there is no one over about 30. Everyone is very young and funky. It's known as hipsterdome. The streets are lined with cafe's, bars, book shops etc. There are so many beautiful people here!
Currently the days are hot. For the last few weeks there has been little reprise from days averaging over 30C. Although you hear a few people complain about the humidity, they all say it's better than the winter! It's amazing how many times I walk down the street here, or in Manhatten, and get the impression I'm in a movie. Particularly now that I have an ipod. It's like I'm walking through a movie and I can hear the soundtrack! It's quite romantic. I try to tell people how exciting this is, and they all say that i will get over it.
I've been trying to get my social security number so I can get a job. Fortunately I saved enough to last for a while, as it's going to take 8 weeks to get! I love beaurocracy.... it's the same the world over. So even though I'm keeping my eye out for work, there's not much I can do about it at the moment. Initially I was keen to get a part-time teaching gig, but as the weeks go on, I'm starting to think that it might be fun to work a few nights in a bar.
One of the hardest things for me has been that I don't know anyone here. Although Colin and Lennie are great and have taken me out a number of times, we sort of have different ideas on the kinds of venues that are fun. (For example, I like there to be atleast one woman in the bar) Then there's Judy, who I have looked forward to seeing for so long, but now she works such incredible hours that her only free night is Saturday, and we've only managed to get together once! So, I find that I have to go to places myself and simply introduce myself to strangers. It makes me feel kind of creepy, but after doing it for a few weeks it's amazing how mant people will take you under their wings! It seems that almost everyone in NYC has the same experience of moving to the city and not knowing anyone. So by the time I get around to saying that I've only just moved here from Australia, I instantly become the novelty for the evening and am introduced to everyone around me.

Art: It's been amazing going to galleries and seeing the latest trends in art. Initially I felt very inadequate. It's funny how I've stumbled my way through exhibitions and commissions in Sydney. Now that I'm here suddenly I feel like I don't know anything! Of course this isn't true, and it's taken a few weeks to get my confidence up. I've now got a great project that I'm about to start and am very excited to get some new work under my belt to take to galleries around town. (For some reason I've decided that I don't like to repeat myself, so I don't really want to show any of the work that I've already done).

4th of July!!!!

Monday was the 4th of July, a normal day for the rest of the world but Americans seem to go nuts on this day! A whole bunch of us went down our street which is right near the water in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. There we found a park perfect for an all day picnic. Fortunately the weather was perfect and we sat on blankets sipping wine and playing cards for hours while the park filled up. Someone had the forsight to go down there early and beat the crowd. And there was a crowd! I was there with my flatmates Colin and Lennie, as well as Jennifer (friend from the neighbourhood) and a bunch of Colins friends. We all had SO much fun, drank way too much, but the show was great.
Here is Colin and myself enjoying beer and sun on the banks of the river with the amazing backdrop of Manhatten! (Before the crowds)

4th of July!!!!
Originally uploaded by Michael Wilton.

As the sun goes down, the wine kicks in....Colin

4th of July!!!!
Originally uploaded by Michael Wilton.

Jennifer, friends with the boys and Vince.

4th of July!!!!
Originally uploaded by Michael Wilton.

The boys and Jennifer

4th of July!!!!
Originally uploaded by Michael Wilton.

A blurry photo of the Brooklyn bridge. I had a bunch of photos of the fireworks, but they were all crap. Believe it or not, this is the best scenic shot of the evening.

4th of July!!!!
Originally uploaded by Michael Wilton.

Hooray I have friends!

Here are some of the people I've collected over the last few weeks...
Starting with me and Judy.

Hooray I have friends!
Originally uploaded by Michael Wilton.

Laura and Judy, flatmates and a whole lot of fun!

Hooray I have friends!
Originally uploaded by Michael Wilton.

Eulas and Anne-Marie, I met Eulas at my local. Had many drinks with him and his girl Meg, both of whom are lots of fun.

Hooray I have friends!
Originally uploaded by Michael Wilton.

Myself and Anne-Marie

Hooray I have friends!
Originally uploaded by Michael Wilton.

My flat mates...

So here they are.... Colin and Lennie. We've had so much fun over the last few weeks! I couldn't have had a better, or a more "New York" introduction to New York.

Hooray I have friends!
Originally uploaded by Michael Wilton.

I'm in New York!

So here are a few photos of Central Park and the Guggenheim Museum. I didn't quite realise how big the park was! I literally spent 3 hours walking through the park on a beutiful summer day, without going back on myself. And there was still so much I didn't see.
I've been spending my days going to galleries all over New York. On this particular day the Guggenheim was closed as they were setting up for the Maplethorpe exhibition which opened the other day.

I'm in New York!
Originally uploaded by Michael Wilton.

I'm in New York!
Originally uploaded by Michael Wilton.

I'm in New York!
Originally uploaded by Michael Wilton.

I'm in New York!
Originally uploaded by Michael Wilton.

Before I left....

Ok, so here is what led up to my departure from Sydney. Lots of drinking and celebrating. In fact, too much. I got quite ill before leaving and had to spend a few days on the couch! I'm sure Mum thought that was great because she got the chance to "mother" me one last time before the big adventure!
After 4+ years at FunkTrust, I never would have thought I'd miss the place.... And I was right! Clearly I will miss the people, but I'm sure that I was getting too old for all that!
I will also miss the guys from work, and the afternoon "Rancho's". It's hard to believe that I was at DHM for over 6 years! (The highlight of which was recently making the cover of the staff newsletter!) So clearly it was time to move on before I got stuck in that vacuum looking forward to my "gold watch".
Of course I will miss my family the most.....

Before I left!
Originally uploaded by Michael Wilton.

Before I left!
Originally uploaded by Michael Wilton.

Before I left!
Originally uploaded by Michael Wilton.

Before I left!
Originally uploaded by Michael Wilton.

Before I left!
Originally uploaded by Michael Wilton.

Before I left!
Originally uploaded by Michael Wilton.

I'm on it!

Ok everyone... thanks for the thousands of e-mails telling me to get off my ass and get my blog up and running... I'm going to spend the day today going through all me digital photos and trying to condense the last few weeks into a single post!