Easter Parade

I have to admit, I'd never been to the Easter Day Parade before today. I figured it would be much like Manhattan's famous Thanksgiving Day parade—complete with floats and claustrophobic crowds all vying for a piece of the action. But for the first time in months, the sun was shining and my friend, New York milliner Anthony Maxwell, promised a leisurely day in the sunshine with friends. How could I resist?

Instead of oversized balloons of Disney characters, 5th Avenue took a trip down memory lane as hundreds gathered in their Sunday best to stroll down the avenue showcasing the ultimate in Easter bonnet style.

From the sweet to the surreal, it was a gorgeous day full of friendly faces and photo ops. If you didn't catch it this year, I highly recommend you work on your outfit and wow the crowds this time next year. Be warned: the competition is fierce.

Sesame Street: Me Lost Me Cookie at the Disco

Okay, as the trend tropic on twitter today was #CookieMonster, I couldn't help but go back in time to one of my favorite tracks of the '80s. Too funny. Particularly appropriate for Thanksgiving me thinks!

London: Life lessons

It was two days after the whole laptop debacle. In a work-induced stupor I had left my life (otherwise known as my aging PC) in the back seat of a New York taxi, complete with my monthly receipts — bound for an expense report — and all my notes on a new magazine I was working on. The depths of my despair was debilitating to say the least. It's hard to explain but put it this way, it made me seriously ponder how many laptop-left-in-taxi induced suicides there were per year.

The next day I was due to board a plane to London. Would the laptop show?

Very long story short, the answer is yes. Having had the credit card receipt in hand, the taxi depot were able to track down the driver who promptly returned my treasures an hour before I was due to leave for the airport. I'm not sure which was worse, the faint-worthy relief of having found it or the exhausting trauma of the past 24 hours thinking it might never show. Either way the ramifications, both good and bad, were tantamount to a slight case of Post Traumatic Stress syndrome.

In made me realize though — as did others who went home immediately and backed up their computers — that some instances in life, a single moment in time, as trivial as they may seem to others, can be life changing. Realizing for instance that working yourself into an early grave makes time fly by all too fast, carrying thirteen bags at the one time doesn't do you any favors and most importantly, that there is always time, can make you see the world a little more clearly.

Regardless of how busy you are, there is always time to stop and take a breath. There is always time to enjoy the moment. And today's to-do list is only tomorrow's kitty litter.

And so, life goes on. You board the plane to London and soon find yourself sitting in a private box at the Royal Albert Hall listening to the Australian Youth Orchestra, with your own butler providing champagne and bite-sized morsels of tender, tasty treats. And you think, thank goodness you hadn't taken the jumping-off-the Brooklyn Bridge option, I'm going to enjoy each and every moment of this. And then of course, you close your eyes to savor the stunning sounds and fall off the seat having finally succumbed to sleep deprivation. Still, it was worth it.

St. Vincent: The view from Grenadine House

Movie: Hachiko, A Dog’s Tale

Based on a true story, this feel-good, tear-jerker will have you running for the Kleenex. Produced and starring Richard Gere, this little indie film proved a hit at the inaugural Aruba International Film Festival. Gere was there to introduce the film himself as ambassador of this year’s event and with true, heart felt sincerity gave a humble overview of the film's plot.
The storyline revolves around the disarmingly cute, Hachiko, an Akita puppy found abandoned at the train station by Professor Parker Wilson (played by Richard Gere). After finding no owner, the Wilson family takes the Japanese pure bred into their homes and hearts. Over the years Hachiko and Wilson become inseparable showing the kind of unconditional love only an animal can provide. Without giving away the story’s pivotal moment, it’s needless to say this movie personifies the kind of unconditional love, loyalty and compassion seldom found in mankind.

Whether you're a dog lover or not, Hachiko, A Dog's Tale is well worth a watch. Along the lines of The Notebook my only advice is to be ready to wail.

Despite dignatries, media personalities and celebraties present at the opening night screening, there was not a dry eye in the house. An occasion stiffled snort even managed to escape from the well dressed.

Aruba: Aboard the Mi Dushi

Under the gorgeous Aruban sky, the Mi Dushi set sail for crystal blue waters with a crew of suntanned staff and a ship full of enthusiastic holiday makers on board. The first stop: Antilla Shipwreck.

Admittedly, I'm not the first to dive into open ocean (thanks, to my Australian heritage which includes a healthy respect for things that eat you) however, after much reassurance I dove in and swam out to the decades old shipwreck—a WWII remnant with a rich history, even richer marine life. In rough waters, myself and my crew (fellow journalists Shira Levine and Jessica Herman), stuck together to battle the waves. It was the most exercise I've done in years!

Next stop was much calmer and in fact, I stayed in the water longer than ever, possibly because of the company, possibly because of the little fishies on show in the warm, crystal clear water temperature. From there it was lunch and cocktails as we sailed through the bluest water, Bob Marley playing in the background, the sun warming us from the inside out.

After several other adventurous endevours (I did a tandum, rope swing, back flip into the ocean!) we headed back to shore.

For someone who has become so blaze about the tropics this was, in all honesty, the most fun I've had in years. If you head to Aruba, jump on board the Mi Dushi, you won't be disappointed.

Aruba: It all started with lunch...

It was several months ago that I first met Aruba’s Minister of Tourism, Otmar E. Oduber. Over a delicious lunch of scrumptious seafood and farm fresh salads, I experienced first hand the newly appointed Ministers passion and boundless energy for transforming Aruba.

A plan that included showcasing everything this Island paradise had to offer; the friendly locals, the laid back lifestyle and the tropical climate mixed with cultural and culinary events that would see visitors return year after year. Through his formal speech and more interestingly, over an informal meal I was able to catch a glimpse of the innovative and ambitious initiatives he had envisaged for the island he so loves.

Apart from world class music festivals, the first Aruba International Film Festival was an event he was proud to announce at that day’s luncheon. As I said a tentative yes to attending, it was somewhat surreal to find myself among the palm trees seated with other international journalists to see the many days, months and years of planning come to fruition with great success.