Ask a New Yorker: I’m with Marea, who is one of our favorite contributors on AANYer . She is Uber in many, many ways.
Ask a New Yorker: What is a Tasmanian Devil?
Marea: It’s a little marsupial creature that’s not very sociable. They don’t even socialize with each other except to mate. They can be pretty nasty. They’re native to Tasmania in particular, they’re interesting.
Ask a New Yorker: Marea’s from Australia. I’ve heard there’s lots of exotic creatures, spiders and things in Australia. Anything in particular that really scares you?
Marea: I don’t like snakes. I hate them. I’m terrified of them. But if I know a snake is non-poisonous I’m fine. I can touch it; hold it, all that sort of thing.
Ask a New Yorker: What is Australia’s greatest export?
Marea: We’ve got so much. Iron ore, wool and…
Ask a New Yorker: Russell Crowe.
Marea: No, he’s from New Zealand. They can have him. He was raised in Australia. We don’t claim him. (laughter)Don’t like him much. He’s a bit of a @$#! head.
Ask a New Yorker: He’s a pretty good actor. There’s not one Russell Crow movie that was watchable?
Marea: Actually there was, it was called The Sum of Us, an Australian movie. He played a gay guy who was coming out. It showed his relationship with his very manly father. It was a very good movie, very touching.
Ask a New Yorker: Besides being a terrific contributor to AANYer, you’re always on the move. Again, very Uberesque with lots of frequent Flier miles. Tell us about your travels?
Marea: Because my husband, Ron, works mostly overseas since 1999, we’ve lived in South Korea, Japan, NYC, and then we’ve been back to South Korea. So we’ve traveled a lot because of that. Last year we traveled to Europe just for a holiday. Because we’re here I travel back to Australia all the time to see my children and grand children.
Ask a New Yorker: You have quite the clan?
Marea: I have four sons and one daughter and two grandchildren. It’s good especially now that they’re all grown up.
Ask a New Yorker: How does this Uber mom stay looking so young and vibrant?
Marea: I don’t know if I’m very fit, very lucky to have good genes. I chose my parents carefully.
Ask a New Yorker: Where can I get a Kangaroo burger in the city?
Marea: Eight Mile Creek does serve Kangaroo, don’t know about the kangaroo burgers. I won’t eat kangaroo. Apparently it tastes very nice. Kangaroo and the Emu are on our coat of arms. It would be like Americans eating the bald eagle. It would be sacrilege.
Ask a New Yorker: Do you know any Australian jokes? Here’s mine…it’s horrible, but… What did one kangaroo say to the other?….Don’t you hate these rainy days when the kids have to play indoors.
Marea: Why did the Koala fall out of the tree?
Ask a New Yorker: You got me.
Marea: Because he was dead. (laughter) Why did the other Koala bear fall out of the tree?….Because it was sitting on the first Koala’s back.
Ask a New Yorker: I like that. Being that we just had a big horse race here in the U.S., I hear this sport is also very popular in Australia.
Marea: Horse racing is very, very popular. It’s an event. Men wear suits. Women always dress up. It’s not really about betting on the horses and the gambling. It’s the whole occasion. So we have the equivalent of the Kentucky Derby; it is the Melbourne Cup. That day is a public holiday in Victoria. They’re in talks in making it a national holiday.
Ask a New Yorker: What’s the next most popular holiday?
Marea: Australia Day, the 26th of January. The other one is Anzac Day on the 25th of April which is like a Veterans Day in the U.S. Every town and every little village in Australia has some sort of ceremony. We even have two ceremonies here in NYC.
Ask a New Yorker: What do you love most about New York?
Marea: I like the pace of life. I like the vibrancy. There is always something to do. The best place in the world to people watch , so many characters in the city. It’s just an amazing place. People are very friendly, interesting to talk to. It’s just a fascinating place. I love it.
Ask a New Yorker: What do you and Ron do on a Friday night?
Marea: Tonight will go to Limerick House down on 23rd just a little west of 6th Ave. It’s an Irish dive bar with a regular clientele with lots of fun people. They put music on the juke box. People get up and dance. I’ve made some very good friends from Limerick House.
Ask a New Yorker: That sounds like an excellent recommendation. Thank you. I’ll leave you with one of my favorite dive bars. It’s called Jimmy’s Corner.
Cheers!!
