Thank you all for reading.
Thank you all for your comments and emails.
Thank you all for being with me on this incredible journey.
Thank you to my co-workers, you guys have been AMAZING with your countless emails and blog messages.
Thank you for those who allowed me to do this (you know who you are).
Thank you to my parents (dad won't be thanking me when he sees mom's credit card bill).
Thank you to the Roane's for your excellent hospitality. If you decide to come back, you always have a babysitter in the States.
Thank you to Colella, Cassie, Amy, Amanduh, Elena, and Lisa for your emails and myspace messages. Little notes like that make your day better when you're so far away.
Thank you Mrs. M for your updates! I hope you had a good time in Germany!
I have had the time of my life and each and every one of you has encouraged me and told me to do this. I couldn't have done it without your support and emails. More people have read this blog then I could have ever imagined. Thank you all for joining me on my journey, it has been an amazing ride.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
I have arrived... home
As I sit here at my house typing this and I can't believe this will be my last blog. I feel like I have been gone for ages and home is extremely surreal right now. I will be honest and say that I am not exactly excited to be here. I assumed I'd be like this, but being home is such a strange feeling right now. I haven't slept for two days... March 31st proved to be the longest day of my life as well as the most tiring day of my life.
Fijians have no concept of urgency. They are more laid back then the Kiwis and the Aussies. Thank god my plane left at 10:45pm because it took me 3 hours to get to the damn airport.
Me (4:00pm): The boat will come at 4:30?
Fijian Guy (4:00pm): Yes, boat comes at 4:30.
Me (4:55pm): It's 5pm. Where's the boat?
Fijian Guy (4:55pm): 5 minutes, 5 minutes.
Me (5:15pm): Umm so is the boat coming any time soon?
Fijian Guy: Yes, 5 more minutes.
FINALLY the boat comes. So we take a catamaran to the boat. Then the boat proceeds to stop at 3 other islands on the way to the mainland. Around 6:30 we get to Port Denaru on the mainland. Howard, Lily and I contemplate taking the free shuttle bus that stops ever 5 feet and takes 30 minutes to get to the airport. I look at them and say, screw this, let's get a taxi. We jump into this van from 1962 and take the bumpiest ride that I've ever experienced to the airport.
I check in, then board the plane for the planeride of death. I made myself stay awake the entire time because when I flew into LA it would be day time and I wanted to try to adjust my body to sleeping at the right time. Casino Royale, Happy Feet, and some Russel Crowe movie later I have like 6 hours to go. The rest of my time is spent listening to a screaming 4 year old and praying that I never have children. I think myself and the girl next to me actually contemplated trying to open the emergency exit door and tossing the kid out. The parents didn't even attempt to quiet the child, they just sat there. We land in LA and I am not very happy.
I stay not very happy. I get to the US Airways desk only to find that my flight to Phoenix has been cancelled. I stay calm. I act nice and try to make myself understand that it is not this girl's fault. I meet a guy named Steven who just flew in from Malaysia. He is in the same boat as me. He acts calm and also tries to make to understand that it is not this girl's fault. We get shoved in a corner while some supervisor tries to book us on another flight to Phoenix. 2 hours have now passed. Steven and I are told by the girl that we are booked on Southwest to Phoenix. Now we have to stand back in line and wait for US Air to write us checks for Southwest. Steven and I are starting to get antsy. If we stay in line then our seats on Southwest could be taken by a random walk-up person who is in line at the Southwest counter. We get waited on by the supervisor. Oops, sorry, all seats are booked. I say, hell with Phoenix, can you get me to Philly? No sorry, all flights are booked solid. Earliest I can get out is Monday I'll put you on that flight. I say, I am not staying here until Monday. I ask to fly to Newark. She gives me attitude and says, "It's probably booked solid." I say, "well can you probably get on your computer and check?" I have to ask her twice. I am now becoming not-so-nice. I tell her I am leaving today and she is going to find me a flight and I don't care what she has to do to get me on it.
After much yelling and cursing by both Steven and me because this supervisor, who by no means should have ever been promoted to supervisor, we finally get checks for Southwest because there was a communication problem and we really do have seats-blah-blah-blah-freakin-blah. Steven runs to Southwest to stand in line while I am finishing my paperwork. I meet Steven and completely cut in front of 20-some people pretending to be his wife and no one says a word (whew). Now we have to pray that all the seats aren't booked up before we get there because Southwest is first-come first-serve AKA organized chaos. We wait another 30 minutes in line... we are counting the time and hoping we get seats along with not missing the flight along with cursing US Air under our breath. WE GET SEATS!!!! We check our bags and go to security. The line getting though security stretches longer than the Mississippi River. We sigh and pray we make our flight. Security girl looks at both our boarding passes... WE HAVE TWO QUAD R's!!! Yeah you're going to have to go through the maximum security check. We sigh again and try not to cry. I ask for my film to not go through the x-ray machine and to be handchecked. We go through this air blowing machine. Flip-flops off. Clothes off. Bags searched and rifled through. Little cotton swab squares are brushed all over my belongings and are put into a machine that beeps alot. Film has to be hand checked. Every roll of film has to be taken out of its canister and checked. I have about 40 rolls of film. I try to not cry again. Steven gets through security before me because he's smart and has moved to the digital age. I HAVE to continue to be "artsy" and still use film. Maximum Security check is a blessing in disguise. We get through it faster than the regular security check. We get our first break of the day. We go have a beer.
A fight between a guy sitting in front of me on the plane and the flight attendent breaks out. The flight attendent asks the man to step off the plane to talk. The man refuses. For a minute I thought this guy was going to be a security threat and they weren't going to let the plane even get in the air. Issues are resolved. We get to Phoenix. I get my bag, thank Steven for all his help (because I could not have gotten there without his help) and I go to check in at US Air. I arrive at the desk and people are yelling. Everyone is yelling. Not one person has a smile. My heart drops and I realize that by the looks of this I am not making it home tonight. I wait in line for over an hour. People are raging mad because US Air has overbooked all the flights and they don't have seats, along with cancelling other flights (I feel their pain). I finally make it to the counter. The girl tells me I have no confirmed seat. I stay calm. I act nice and try to make myself understand that it is not this girl's fault. I say I've had these seats since September, how can it not be confirmed? She checks the computer. I have you on a flight out of LA on Monday she says. I look bewildered. I remember back to the supervisor who shouldn't have been a supervisor. I tell her about her putting me on that flight. The IDIOT wasn't supposed to confirm it! I want to yell. She could have possibly caused me to not have a seat. The girl keeps typing. Typing. Typing. Typing. You're in. I rejoice. A man next to me trying to get to Denver slaps me a high-five and he yells well at least someone is getting on a plane tonight. You go girl! The girl is trying to print my baggage stickers. The baggage machine breaks. WHAT ELSE IS GOING TO GO WRONG TODAY??? I have to wait another 10-15 minutes for luggage tickets. Bag gets checked and I'm going home! I don't care if my bag doesn't arrive, I am headed home.
What else is going to go wrong today? Let me tell you... a drunk guy sits behind me on the plane and keeps kicking my seat. I want to throw him out the emergency exit as well as the small child from earlier. He stinks like vodka. The flight attendent actually has to cut him off. He starts snoring. Not like a little snore, but a full blown chainsaw snore. I want to be back in Fiji. I want to be in OZ. I want to be in New Zealand. I want to be anywhere but here. I want to commit suicide the smell is so bad. I don't sleep a wink. I haven't slept since March 31st Fiji time... that was two days ago. I am so tired that I can't even sleep. I arrive in Philadelphia. My bag DOES arrive. I claim it then head to the bathroom. I walk in to a woman standing in pants and no shirt and she is hugging the hand dryer on the wall. I see her boobs... gross, I grimace and get out of there as fast as I can. I walk outside to find Mike waiting for me. I pass a guy in a QVC Q-Force t-shirt. I am tempted to say something to him but I am so cracked out at the moment that I opt not to. By the looks of me he might mistake me for a homeless person begging for change. I'm in the car and on my way home. Back to reality. Back to work. Back to life. It was so much fun being someone else for 3 months. Being a traveler is an addicting life.
Fijians have no concept of urgency. They are more laid back then the Kiwis and the Aussies. Thank god my plane left at 10:45pm because it took me 3 hours to get to the damn airport.
Me (4:00pm): The boat will come at 4:30?
Fijian Guy (4:00pm): Yes, boat comes at 4:30.
Me (4:55pm): It's 5pm. Where's the boat?
Fijian Guy (4:55pm): 5 minutes, 5 minutes.
Me (5:15pm): Umm so is the boat coming any time soon?
Fijian Guy: Yes, 5 more minutes.
FINALLY the boat comes. So we take a catamaran to the boat. Then the boat proceeds to stop at 3 other islands on the way to the mainland. Around 6:30 we get to Port Denaru on the mainland. Howard, Lily and I contemplate taking the free shuttle bus that stops ever 5 feet and takes 30 minutes to get to the airport. I look at them and say, screw this, let's get a taxi. We jump into this van from 1962 and take the bumpiest ride that I've ever experienced to the airport.
I check in, then board the plane for the planeride of death. I made myself stay awake the entire time because when I flew into LA it would be day time and I wanted to try to adjust my body to sleeping at the right time. Casino Royale, Happy Feet, and some Russel Crowe movie later I have like 6 hours to go. The rest of my time is spent listening to a screaming 4 year old and praying that I never have children. I think myself and the girl next to me actually contemplated trying to open the emergency exit door and tossing the kid out. The parents didn't even attempt to quiet the child, they just sat there. We land in LA and I am not very happy.
I stay not very happy. I get to the US Airways desk only to find that my flight to Phoenix has been cancelled. I stay calm. I act nice and try to make myself understand that it is not this girl's fault. I meet a guy named Steven who just flew in from Malaysia. He is in the same boat as me. He acts calm and also tries to make to understand that it is not this girl's fault. We get shoved in a corner while some supervisor tries to book us on another flight to Phoenix. 2 hours have now passed. Steven and I are told by the girl that we are booked on Southwest to Phoenix. Now we have to stand back in line and wait for US Air to write us checks for Southwest. Steven and I are starting to get antsy. If we stay in line then our seats on Southwest could be taken by a random walk-up person who is in line at the Southwest counter. We get waited on by the supervisor. Oops, sorry, all seats are booked. I say, hell with Phoenix, can you get me to Philly? No sorry, all flights are booked solid. Earliest I can get out is Monday I'll put you on that flight. I say, I am not staying here until Monday. I ask to fly to Newark. She gives me attitude and says, "It's probably booked solid." I say, "well can you probably get on your computer and check?" I have to ask her twice. I am now becoming not-so-nice. I tell her I am leaving today and she is going to find me a flight and I don't care what she has to do to get me on it.
After much yelling and cursing by both Steven and me because this supervisor, who by no means should have ever been promoted to supervisor, we finally get checks for Southwest because there was a communication problem and we really do have seats-blah-blah-blah-freakin-blah. Steven runs to Southwest to stand in line while I am finishing my paperwork. I meet Steven and completely cut in front of 20-some people pretending to be his wife and no one says a word (whew). Now we have to pray that all the seats aren't booked up before we get there because Southwest is first-come first-serve AKA organized chaos. We wait another 30 minutes in line... we are counting the time and hoping we get seats along with not missing the flight along with cursing US Air under our breath. WE GET SEATS!!!! We check our bags and go to security. The line getting though security stretches longer than the Mississippi River. We sigh and pray we make our flight. Security girl looks at both our boarding passes... WE HAVE TWO QUAD R's!!! Yeah you're going to have to go through the maximum security check. We sigh again and try not to cry. I ask for my film to not go through the x-ray machine and to be handchecked. We go through this air blowing machine. Flip-flops off. Clothes off. Bags searched and rifled through. Little cotton swab squares are brushed all over my belongings and are put into a machine that beeps alot. Film has to be hand checked. Every roll of film has to be taken out of its canister and checked. I have about 40 rolls of film. I try to not cry again. Steven gets through security before me because he's smart and has moved to the digital age. I HAVE to continue to be "artsy" and still use film. Maximum Security check is a blessing in disguise. We get through it faster than the regular security check. We get our first break of the day. We go have a beer.
A fight between a guy sitting in front of me on the plane and the flight attendent breaks out. The flight attendent asks the man to step off the plane to talk. The man refuses. For a minute I thought this guy was going to be a security threat and they weren't going to let the plane even get in the air. Issues are resolved. We get to Phoenix. I get my bag, thank Steven for all his help (because I could not have gotten there without his help) and I go to check in at US Air. I arrive at the desk and people are yelling. Everyone is yelling. Not one person has a smile. My heart drops and I realize that by the looks of this I am not making it home tonight. I wait in line for over an hour. People are raging mad because US Air has overbooked all the flights and they don't have seats, along with cancelling other flights (I feel their pain). I finally make it to the counter. The girl tells me I have no confirmed seat. I stay calm. I act nice and try to make myself understand that it is not this girl's fault. I say I've had these seats since September, how can it not be confirmed? She checks the computer. I have you on a flight out of LA on Monday she says. I look bewildered. I remember back to the supervisor who shouldn't have been a supervisor. I tell her about her putting me on that flight. The IDIOT wasn't supposed to confirm it! I want to yell. She could have possibly caused me to not have a seat. The girl keeps typing. Typing. Typing. Typing. You're in. I rejoice. A man next to me trying to get to Denver slaps me a high-five and he yells well at least someone is getting on a plane tonight. You go girl! The girl is trying to print my baggage stickers. The baggage machine breaks. WHAT ELSE IS GOING TO GO WRONG TODAY??? I have to wait another 10-15 minutes for luggage tickets. Bag gets checked and I'm going home! I don't care if my bag doesn't arrive, I am headed home.
What else is going to go wrong today? Let me tell you... a drunk guy sits behind me on the plane and keeps kicking my seat. I want to throw him out the emergency exit as well as the small child from earlier. He stinks like vodka. The flight attendent actually has to cut him off. He starts snoring. Not like a little snore, but a full blown chainsaw snore. I want to be back in Fiji. I want to be in OZ. I want to be in New Zealand. I want to be anywhere but here. I want to commit suicide the smell is so bad. I don't sleep a wink. I haven't slept since March 31st Fiji time... that was two days ago. I am so tired that I can't even sleep. I arrive in Philadelphia. My bag DOES arrive. I claim it then head to the bathroom. I walk in to a woman standing in pants and no shirt and she is hugging the hand dryer on the wall. I see her boobs... gross, I grimace and get out of there as fast as I can. I walk outside to find Mike waiting for me. I pass a guy in a QVC Q-Force t-shirt. I am tempted to say something to him but I am so cracked out at the moment that I opt not to. By the looks of me he might mistake me for a homeless person begging for change. I'm in the car and on my way home. Back to reality. Back to work. Back to life. It was so much fun being someone else for 3 months. Being a traveler is an addicting life.
Rest of Fiji
Fiji was a great way to end the trip. After braving the worst boatride ever to the Beachcomber Island (wrote about it in the last blog) I sat on the beach all week and just chilled out. I ending up meeting a guy from England named Rory and hung out with him for a few days. He was an absolute laugh and a half, so he was good company. We also hung out with a girl from Brisbane named Kath. I didn't mesh with her personality very well as she was quite boring and didn't really have much to say. You know when you have awkward silences with people? Yeah Rory and I had awkward silences with Kath every 5 minutes. Rory was so much fun though and he made my week go pretty fast.
Everyone on the island goes swimming after the bar closes (probably not the best idea) and one night he and I were in the water talking about music and playing silly games like "the island game". If you were stuck on an island and could bring one book, one song, and one luxury, what would you bring? I chose, To Kill a Mockingbird, Better Together by Jack Johnson, and Pizza. Rory swayed my luxury choice after he chose Q-tips. That's when we both discovered that we are obsessed with clean ears (random fact about me that you probably don't want to know). At one point we're swimming around and this huge thing swoops over my head... and I'm like Whoa, was that a bird? Rory's like, umm no, actually I think it's quite a large bat! And the thing comes swooping back down at us and is flying around above the water. It quickly went away, but it was just freaky... it was like when we were in Sydney and saw the bats hanging from the trees...GROSS!
On Wednesday I met Sean, my first American in weeks other than my mom. Sean was actually the only American that I hung out with on my entire trip. It was nice to meet up with someone who knew what Reese's Cups, cheesesteaks, and Rita's Waterice are! My last full day in Fiji Sean and I rented ocean kayaks and kayaked around the island and to Treasure Island, an island not too far away. Treasure Island had a baby sea turtle pond and we got to pick up and pet sea turtles.
The last few days at Beachcomber Sean, Rory and I made friends with Tom, Alley, Howard, and Lily some other people in our bunk. Doing Borat impressions and acting like idiots at all times became absolutely necessary. VERY NICE! Our last night there at the bar we had a "bad dancing only" dance party and proceeded to master the can opener, the shopping cart, the fishing pole, the sprinkler, the Borat dance, the Hammer dance, and every other absurd dance move you could possibly think of. Everyone else who wasn't in our bunk thought we were complete idiots, it was hilarious.
If I could have done it again, I wouldn't have made my stay in Fiji as long as I did. It was worth it, and I didn't have to wear shoes for a week, but it was a little long to be on an island that takes 10 minutes to walk around. I kind of got island fever, if there is such a thing. I discovered that snorkeling just wasn't my game so I pretty much read all day and laid on the beach. It can get kind of boring after a while. Minus "Awkward Silence Kath", I had good company for most of the time I was there, so it all worked out in the end.
Everyone on the island goes swimming after the bar closes (probably not the best idea) and one night he and I were in the water talking about music and playing silly games like "the island game". If you were stuck on an island and could bring one book, one song, and one luxury, what would you bring? I chose, To Kill a Mockingbird, Better Together by Jack Johnson, and Pizza. Rory swayed my luxury choice after he chose Q-tips. That's when we both discovered that we are obsessed with clean ears (random fact about me that you probably don't want to know). At one point we're swimming around and this huge thing swoops over my head... and I'm like Whoa, was that a bird? Rory's like, umm no, actually I think it's quite a large bat! And the thing comes swooping back down at us and is flying around above the water. It quickly went away, but it was just freaky... it was like when we were in Sydney and saw the bats hanging from the trees...GROSS!
On Wednesday I met Sean, my first American in weeks other than my mom. Sean was actually the only American that I hung out with on my entire trip. It was nice to meet up with someone who knew what Reese's Cups, cheesesteaks, and Rita's Waterice are! My last full day in Fiji Sean and I rented ocean kayaks and kayaked around the island and to Treasure Island, an island not too far away. Treasure Island had a baby sea turtle pond and we got to pick up and pet sea turtles.
The last few days at Beachcomber Sean, Rory and I made friends with Tom, Alley, Howard, and Lily some other people in our bunk. Doing Borat impressions and acting like idiots at all times became absolutely necessary. VERY NICE! Our last night there at the bar we had a "bad dancing only" dance party and proceeded to master the can opener, the shopping cart, the fishing pole, the sprinkler, the Borat dance, the Hammer dance, and every other absurd dance move you could possibly think of. Everyone else who wasn't in our bunk thought we were complete idiots, it was hilarious.
If I could have done it again, I wouldn't have made my stay in Fiji as long as I did. It was worth it, and I didn't have to wear shoes for a week, but it was a little long to be on an island that takes 10 minutes to walk around. I kind of got island fever, if there is such a thing. I discovered that snorkeling just wasn't my game so I pretty much read all day and laid on the beach. It can get kind of boring after a while. Minus "Awkward Silence Kath", I had good company for most of the time I was there, so it all worked out in the end.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Fiji
I left Oz on the 24th and got into Auckland at 12am and slept overnight in the airport until my flight to Fiji at 11am. I saw my life flash before my eyes on the boat ride getting to my island. all the fijian people are laughing thinking it's a great time and i'm like freakin hell, i hope I dont die. Internet is expensive as hell here, so i cant say much other than it's been raining for two days and it finally cleared today. internet time has run out.... type a little in a few days. I am alive... that's all that matters!
Friday, March 23, 2007
My return home...
As my return home is imminent, I find myself thinking about the following things.......
I will not have to check out at 10am at the retirement community (aka mom n dads) hand in my pillowcase, my sheets, and room key in order to get my $20 deposit back.
I won't wake to the rustling of people packing backpacks at 6am because they were idiots and didn't pack the night before.
I will no longer have to wear flipflops in the shower.
When I go for a shower I dont have to take every item of clothing I´m going to wear with me.
The shower will be the next door down the hallway, not downstairs, along a corridor, or outside.
Real fluffy towels and washcloths, none of this packtowel shammy crap that doesnt even cover half my ass.
I can actually sit on my toilet seat... although I do have an ass of steel from doing the hover for the past 3 months.
I will have to actually tip waitresses and waiters.
I no longer have to creep into my room at stupid-o-clock in the morning and worry about waking anyone.
No more tuna sandwiches, tomato or pumpkin soup, ham-n-cheese, grilled cheese, or pasta with cheese. I will never lay eyes on any of these foods ever again... ever.
Because they don't give out plastic bags, a green canvas Pak-N-Save bag is not necessary to go grocery shopping with anymore.
I no longer need to label my name and check out date on the green canvas Pak-N-Save bag when putting it in the community refrigerator.
Laundry will not cost me $4 to wash and $4 to dry and $1 for crap detergent that I have to get at reception.
Doing laundry will not depend on how many clean pairs of underwear I have left (and that includes bathing suit bottoms)
No longer will I do the sniff test for cleanliness. From now on my clothes will be neatly hanging in my closet ready to wear.
I HAVE to take better care of myself. No more looking like I just got hit by a truck... Oh and how do I apply make-up? I've quite simply forgotten......
Pre-gaming before going out was in college, I am no longer in college, this nonsense has to stop.
No more drinking boxed wine (GOON!) just because it's so freakin cheap.
I can stop doing the constant obbsessive compulsive do I have everything check?
Wallet-CHECK! Cell phone-CHECK! Passport-CHECK! Ipod-CHECK! Camera-CHECK!
When I awake it will just be me, no more random smelly snorers in the bed opposite with their arse hanging out.
I will not pack some guy's underwear in my bag because I picked them up mistaking them for my mesh shorts at 6am... I wonder if that guy has my mesh shorts?
I must actually have to match when I go to work in the morning. Boardshorts are a no no when heading to the office and that red t-shirt that I got for free after skydiving does not match those khaki green shorts. The past three months I have been one huge fashion faux pas!
When I meet someone for the first time it is not obligatory for me to ask them
where they are from, where they have been, and where they are going.
DO NOT, just walk up to a stranger at home and introduce myself. I will no doubt be arrested for being a freak.
When I arrive home do not expect mom to hand me a plate, cup, knife, fork, spoon and towel all for a $5 deposit.
When I go to a bar at home it will not be 80% full of so-and-so@yahoo.com.uk. Will half my address book always end in .uk?
I will finally know where I am sleeping every night.
I no longer have to sleep with everything valuable that I own in my pillowcase.
I can't believe I am actually coming home to reality. I will be a sad little thing on April 1st when Team America's flight arrives into Philadelphia at 6am. *tears*
I will not have to check out at 10am at the retirement community (aka mom n dads) hand in my pillowcase, my sheets, and room key in order to get my $20 deposit back.
I won't wake to the rustling of people packing backpacks at 6am because they were idiots and didn't pack the night before.
I will no longer have to wear flipflops in the shower.
When I go for a shower I dont have to take every item of clothing I´m going to wear with me.
The shower will be the next door down the hallway, not downstairs, along a corridor, or outside.
Real fluffy towels and washcloths, none of this packtowel shammy crap that doesnt even cover half my ass.
I can actually sit on my toilet seat... although I do have an ass of steel from doing the hover for the past 3 months.
I will have to actually tip waitresses and waiters.
I no longer have to creep into my room at stupid-o-clock in the morning and worry about waking anyone.
No more tuna sandwiches, tomato or pumpkin soup, ham-n-cheese, grilled cheese, or pasta with cheese. I will never lay eyes on any of these foods ever again... ever.
Because they don't give out plastic bags, a green canvas Pak-N-Save bag is not necessary to go grocery shopping with anymore.
I no longer need to label my name and check out date on the green canvas Pak-N-Save bag when putting it in the community refrigerator.
Laundry will not cost me $4 to wash and $4 to dry and $1 for crap detergent that I have to get at reception.
Doing laundry will not depend on how many clean pairs of underwear I have left (and that includes bathing suit bottoms)
No longer will I do the sniff test for cleanliness. From now on my clothes will be neatly hanging in my closet ready to wear.
I HAVE to take better care of myself. No more looking like I just got hit by a truck... Oh and how do I apply make-up? I've quite simply forgotten......
Pre-gaming before going out was in college, I am no longer in college, this nonsense has to stop.
No more drinking boxed wine (GOON!) just because it's so freakin cheap.
I can stop doing the constant obbsessive compulsive do I have everything check?
Wallet-CHECK! Cell phone-CHECK! Passport-CHECK! Ipod-CHECK! Camera-CHECK!
When I awake it will just be me, no more random smelly snorers in the bed opposite with their arse hanging out.
I will not pack some guy's underwear in my bag because I picked them up mistaking them for my mesh shorts at 6am... I wonder if that guy has my mesh shorts?
I must actually have to match when I go to work in the morning. Boardshorts are a no no when heading to the office and that red t-shirt that I got for free after skydiving does not match those khaki green shorts. The past three months I have been one huge fashion faux pas!
When I meet someone for the first time it is not obligatory for me to ask them
where they are from, where they have been, and where they are going.
DO NOT, just walk up to a stranger at home and introduce myself. I will no doubt be arrested for being a freak.
When I arrive home do not expect mom to hand me a plate, cup, knife, fork, spoon and towel all for a $5 deposit.
When I go to a bar at home it will not be 80% full of so-and-so@yahoo.com.uk. Will half my address book always end in .uk?
I will finally know where I am sleeping every night.
I no longer have to sleep with everything valuable that I own in my pillowcase.
I can't believe I am actually coming home to reality. I will be a sad little thing on April 1st when Team America's flight arrives into Philadelphia at 6am. *tears*
Byron Bay--Surfers Paradise
I've been on the Gold Coast with Phil since the day mom left for home... if it wasn't hotter than hell I would move here in a heartbeat. The day I left mom at the train station Phil picked me up at the train station and we headed for Byron Bay (two hours south of Brisbane) Byron is this rad little hippie town with wall to wall V-Dubs, burnout surfers, art galleries, head shops and people just lookin to chill out. Our hostel was literally 50m from the beach... it was a little umm rank but whatever, I was in heaven. Byron is the best place to surf in Oz, and I didn't. I still felt like absolute hell and I opted to feel better for the rest of my trip. The beach is gorgeous there though and I thoroughly enjoyed laying on it and reading the rest of Seabiscuit... Who knew jockeys went through that much crap to ride a horse?!
We met up with Sophie and Ann again and hung out with them on the beach. I was definitely bummed for Byron to be the last place that I meet up with Sophie. I have been traveling with her since the first day of the Kiwi Bus in Auckland and she has become this little sister to me. I do hope that we stay in touch. She keeps saying that she wants to come visit me or she'd like to do a semester abroad in the States. I hope that she does... somehow I don't think that this will be the last time I ever see her.
Phil and I stayed two nights in Byron then weheaded back north to Surfers to hang there for the remainder of my trip. Phil's dad lives 15 minutes from Surfers in this really cool house with a huge backyard covered with flower gardens. All the houses here are one floor with a reddish/orange brick exterior orange roofs... like a teracotta roof I guess? (to me they look very Spanish) All the houses have these canals that run in the backyards and everyone has boats that they drive around all through the canals. Phil said there are as many canals as there are streets. Imagine just jumping on your boat and going down the canal to the supermarket!
So Thursday afternoon we came back to Surfers and hung out on the beach. It was really overcast so we were just laying there and talking when this little boy all of 4 starts running around chasing his sister. So we are watching this kid and his sister chase each other and we're laughing having a grand old time when the little brat comes up and kicks sand all over me! I must have looked at Phil with the face of death and he was like, Ok, its cool he won't do it again. Well the little bugger comes back over to do it again and I yelled at him... he ran away to his mom. HAHAHAHAA. Kids + Lauren = No way.
Today Phil took me to Dreamworld, this theme park about 20 minutes away. So we spent the morning shopping (like I need ANOTHER pair of boardshorts?) then we headed up there. We took an unplanned pitstop at Phil's friend Dave's because something happened to his beater car that he's been driving around the past 6 months (this thing reminds me of Jon Sell's red Beretta from like 1988) So he had to fix something then we were off again 20 minutes later to ride rollercoasters and all that stuff. Tonight we're going back to Dave's to watch Boondock Saints in the cinema that he has built into his house. He has this huge projection screen and movie theater chairs and a popcorn machine! You should see this house OH-MY-GOD, It's awesome. My mouth dropped when we walked inside! Anyway, I so I gotta go run and do that:)
I'm not sure if I'll be able to post in Fiji. I am thinking it's a no-go. So this may just be my last post! I will post another blog after this titled, my return home... i've been working on it for a bit... i think it's quite funny. Enjoy.
We met up with Sophie and Ann again and hung out with them on the beach. I was definitely bummed for Byron to be the last place that I meet up with Sophie. I have been traveling with her since the first day of the Kiwi Bus in Auckland and she has become this little sister to me. I do hope that we stay in touch. She keeps saying that she wants to come visit me or she'd like to do a semester abroad in the States. I hope that she does... somehow I don't think that this will be the last time I ever see her.
Phil and I stayed two nights in Byron then weheaded back north to Surfers to hang there for the remainder of my trip. Phil's dad lives 15 minutes from Surfers in this really cool house with a huge backyard covered with flower gardens. All the houses here are one floor with a reddish/orange brick exterior orange roofs... like a teracotta roof I guess? (to me they look very Spanish) All the houses have these canals that run in the backyards and everyone has boats that they drive around all through the canals. Phil said there are as many canals as there are streets. Imagine just jumping on your boat and going down the canal to the supermarket!
So Thursday afternoon we came back to Surfers and hung out on the beach. It was really overcast so we were just laying there and talking when this little boy all of 4 starts running around chasing his sister. So we are watching this kid and his sister chase each other and we're laughing having a grand old time when the little brat comes up and kicks sand all over me! I must have looked at Phil with the face of death and he was like, Ok, its cool he won't do it again. Well the little bugger comes back over to do it again and I yelled at him... he ran away to his mom. HAHAHAHAA. Kids + Lauren = No way.
Today Phil took me to Dreamworld, this theme park about 20 minutes away. So we spent the morning shopping (like I need ANOTHER pair of boardshorts?) then we headed up there. We took an unplanned pitstop at Phil's friend Dave's because something happened to his beater car that he's been driving around the past 6 months (this thing reminds me of Jon Sell's red Beretta from like 1988) So he had to fix something then we were off again 20 minutes later to ride rollercoasters and all that stuff. Tonight we're going back to Dave's to watch Boondock Saints in the cinema that he has built into his house. He has this huge projection screen and movie theater chairs and a popcorn machine! You should see this house OH-MY-GOD, It's awesome. My mouth dropped when we walked inside! Anyway, I so I gotta go run and do that:)
I'm not sure if I'll be able to post in Fiji. I am thinking it's a no-go. So this may just be my last post! I will post another blog after this titled, my return home... i've been working on it for a bit... i think it's quite funny. Enjoy.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Last night in Brisbane
On Monday we took an hour bus trip down to Surfer's Paradise on the Gold Coast. What a place! The beach was awesome, the water was warm, and we had fabulous weather. I can't believe my friend Phil actually lives there. The place is pretty unreal. It's totally touristy, but that's the fun part of it.
On our way home last night I didn't feel too well, so I took some benadryl and hit the sack. I woke up at 4am with a sore throat, an aching body, and covered in sweat. Awesome. I was so happy that my mom was here, she made everything so much better. We found a doctor this morning and I got an antibiotic. Could you believe that the doctor visit cost me $55 and my prescription cost $16? It cost me $71 altogether and that is having no insurance. Could you imagine that happening at home? Highly unlikely. It really puts our healthcare system into perspective.
We took it easy today and just did laundry and packed and I drank lots of green tea (it cleanses the system). Hopefully by tomorrow I'll be feeling alot better for the rest of the trip. There was no way in hell that I was going to go to Fiji in a week being sick.
Having my mom here for the past two weeks has been absolutely awesome. I am so happy that I convinced her to come. We've had such a great time together and it's something that we probably won't ever get the chance to do ever again. She's really made this leg of my trip worthwhile and I had so much fun sightseeing and exploring the cities with her. We're definitely close, but I think this trip brought us alot closer because we've experienced something that was totally different from anything else we've ever done. I'm really happy that she decided to make the trip... I feel like the past 12 days have just flown right by. Thanks Mom.
On our way home last night I didn't feel too well, so I took some benadryl and hit the sack. I woke up at 4am with a sore throat, an aching body, and covered in sweat. Awesome. I was so happy that my mom was here, she made everything so much better. We found a doctor this morning and I got an antibiotic. Could you believe that the doctor visit cost me $55 and my prescription cost $16? It cost me $71 altogether and that is having no insurance. Could you imagine that happening at home? Highly unlikely. It really puts our healthcare system into perspective.
We took it easy today and just did laundry and packed and I drank lots of green tea (it cleanses the system). Hopefully by tomorrow I'll be feeling alot better for the rest of the trip. There was no way in hell that I was going to go to Fiji in a week being sick.
Having my mom here for the past two weeks has been absolutely awesome. I am so happy that I convinced her to come. We've had such a great time together and it's something that we probably won't ever get the chance to do ever again. She's really made this leg of my trip worthwhile and I had so much fun sightseeing and exploring the cities with her. We're definitely close, but I think this trip brought us alot closer because we've experienced something that was totally different from anything else we've ever done. I'm really happy that she decided to make the trip... I feel like the past 12 days have just flown right by. Thanks Mom.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Some Random Pics...
1. Why don't we have signs like this in the US?
2. Me--Paddy--Sophie--Wellington, NZ
3. Ann--Michael--Me--Sophie--Sydney
4. Bondi Beach, Australia
5. Sydney Harbor Bridge
6. Sarah--Me--Sophie--Wellington, NZ
7. My Liverpoolians--Stu--Chris--Ben--Wellington, NZ
8. Ben--Michael--Yohan--Sophie--WEllington, NZ
alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5042877965723483954" />
2. Me--Paddy--Sophie--Wellington, NZ
3. Ann--Michael--Me--Sophie--Sydney
4. Bondi Beach, Australia
5. Sydney Harbor Bridge
6. Sarah--Me--Sophie--Wellington, NZ
7. My Liverpoolians--Stu--Chris--Ben--Wellington, NZ
8. Ben--Michael--Yohan--Sophie--WEllington, NZ
alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5042877965723483954" />
Brisbane... Shmisbin
We arrived in Brisbane yesterday... I forgot what backpacking was like. In New Zealand I had some crazy bus driver dropping me off and picking me up everywhere. Reality slapped me in the face and I had a flashback to Europe when we stepped out of the train station yesterday. Ok so let's go this way up Roma Street. Wait, now we're on George Street. How the hell did we get on George Street? These bags are goddamn heavy and it's hot as hell. Is this the hostel? Oh no that's some other hostel... WHERE THE HELL IS THE HOSTEL?! After 45 minutes and being mistaken for a girl named Carla by a taxi driver, we found the hostel. Thank god it has a pool and air conditioning. Brisbane is hotter then Hades.
We walked around the city yesterday just to see what was in store for the next few days. Well it turns out that there's not really a whole lot in store for us for the next few days. I really dislike it here. In fact, I'd rather be in the New Zealand caving community of Wiatomo with a population of 100 people and one bar then be here. Mike, you were right... Brisbane is a city with a big dirty river. I actually think I like Auckland better. Who would have thought I would yearn to be back in Gotham City?
So Mom took me to get a pedicure yesterday. My feet were so gross and foul that I think I made the woman pass out. They were starting to resemble hobbit feet, all except for the hairy part. I guess that's what I get for walking all over God's creation with bare feet. While watching tv last night we saw an advertisement for a St. Paddy's Day parade. We woke up this morning and went into the city to watch that for a good part of the day. Then we followed the parade throughout the city to the botanical gardens and walked around there for a bit. We stopped at a cafe for some drinks and mom got pooped on by a bird. That was the highlight of my day. She kept saying, "He's going to poop on me, he's going to poop on me." Then he did and she was all pissed off. I love my mom.
We went out to dinner then went to see the movie Notes on Scandal at this awesome movie theater. The building was incredible, I took a few pictures. The movie was good too. We came home tonight and are trying to figure out what to do tomorrow. We have a few options, most of them consist of getting out of Brisbane! To think that I actually looked here to go to college for a semester abroad. I would have jumped off the bridge into the dirty river if I had to do a semester here. Thank goodness I wasn't going to graduate on time and the rents said you either graduate on time or go abroad then pay the rest of tuition yourself (good choice by me). I was also thinking today... for all you QVCers reading, you know when you do the QVC difference class and you get the blue chip and you have to write down your goals on that little card in the little plastic holder? My long term goal was, I will go to Australia. Kind of funny that I'm here. I guess I need a new long term goal!
I also haven't written about the amount of people from the UK that have been like wait a minute, you work for QVC?? You do the normal routine with people when traveling; What's your name? How long are you traveling for? Where have you been? Where are you going next? What do you do? Usually I just say I'm a graphic designer. It really depends on how much time you spend with the person. Everyone who is from the UK who I have traveled with for a significant amount of time knows I work for QVC and just couldn't believe it. I had one girl that I met on the South Island of New Zealand and she was like, Oh-my-God, I need to call my mom and tell her, she'll absolutely die, she has so much stuff from you guys. It's definitely a realization, even across the world on a completely different continent, people know QVC. FYI: We should try importing wool from New Zealand.
Well, I seem to have written enough for now... Brisbane has drained my sense of being able to write a good blog.
We walked around the city yesterday just to see what was in store for the next few days. Well it turns out that there's not really a whole lot in store for us for the next few days. I really dislike it here. In fact, I'd rather be in the New Zealand caving community of Wiatomo with a population of 100 people and one bar then be here. Mike, you were right... Brisbane is a city with a big dirty river. I actually think I like Auckland better. Who would have thought I would yearn to be back in Gotham City?
So Mom took me to get a pedicure yesterday. My feet were so gross and foul that I think I made the woman pass out. They were starting to resemble hobbit feet, all except for the hairy part. I guess that's what I get for walking all over God's creation with bare feet. While watching tv last night we saw an advertisement for a St. Paddy's Day parade. We woke up this morning and went into the city to watch that for a good part of the day. Then we followed the parade throughout the city to the botanical gardens and walked around there for a bit. We stopped at a cafe for some drinks and mom got pooped on by a bird. That was the highlight of my day. She kept saying, "He's going to poop on me, he's going to poop on me." Then he did and she was all pissed off. I love my mom.
We went out to dinner then went to see the movie Notes on Scandal at this awesome movie theater. The building was incredible, I took a few pictures. The movie was good too. We came home tonight and are trying to figure out what to do tomorrow. We have a few options, most of them consist of getting out of Brisbane! To think that I actually looked here to go to college for a semester abroad. I would have jumped off the bridge into the dirty river if I had to do a semester here. Thank goodness I wasn't going to graduate on time and the rents said you either graduate on time or go abroad then pay the rest of tuition yourself (good choice by me). I was also thinking today... for all you QVCers reading, you know when you do the QVC difference class and you get the blue chip and you have to write down your goals on that little card in the little plastic holder? My long term goal was, I will go to Australia. Kind of funny that I'm here. I guess I need a new long term goal!
I also haven't written about the amount of people from the UK that have been like wait a minute, you work for QVC?? You do the normal routine with people when traveling; What's your name? How long are you traveling for? Where have you been? Where are you going next? What do you do? Usually I just say I'm a graphic designer. It really depends on how much time you spend with the person. Everyone who is from the UK who I have traveled with for a significant amount of time knows I work for QVC and just couldn't believe it. I had one girl that I met on the South Island of New Zealand and she was like, Oh-my-God, I need to call my mom and tell her, she'll absolutely die, she has so much stuff from you guys. It's definitely a realization, even across the world on a completely different continent, people know QVC. FYI: We should try importing wool from New Zealand.
Well, I seem to have written enough for now... Brisbane has drained my sense of being able to write a good blog.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Sydney has come to an end..
Tomorrow we leave Sydney and fly up the coast to Brisbane (pronounced Bris-bin). If I had to plan this trip all over again, I would have flown into Melbourne and spent a week, then come to Sydney for a week. I guess you can't plan what you don't know.
Momma Dukes is in Brisbane for about 2 days then she takes the plane-ride of death home on the 19th. The day she leaves I am traveling down to the Gold Coast to meet my friend Phil from New Zealand. I am staying at his house for a night then we area heading to Byron Bay, which is apparently this great and spectacular place. Everyone I have met who has already traveled Oz has said to hit up Byron Bay. I'm not really sure what Phil has planned but I am excited to have someone who already knows the ins and outs of where we're going.
Yesterday Mom and I went to Bondi Beach (sounds like bond-eye) for the day. It was an awesome beach, but she and I both like Manly better. What is funny with the beaches here is that they have shark nets out on the water to prevent sharks from coming into the swimming areas and eating people... actually, I'm not sure that's so funny. Anyway, they had a scare the first day here and called everyone out of the water. They blow this siren and everyone but the surfers clears the water. They actually have helicopters that patrol the waters for sharks... take that New Jersey!
Last night we went for a great dinner on the harbor. Mom had this huge plate of meat (that sounds gross) it came out and we were like oh-my-god how are you going to eat all that... ribs, lamb, sausage, fillet, and kangaroo... hahaha... yeah KANGAROO. Oh my poor little buddy that I punched the other day... yeah I ate one of his friends last night. He/she was quite good. I was sketchy about eating it, but figured, hell when am I going to get the chance to try kangaroo ever again? I didn't like it so much that you're hear about me on the news raiding the kangaroo cage at the Philadelphia Zoo, but it was very tasty. Reminded me a little of venison.
Today we visited Paddy's Market (aka Zerns) again for one last time, then we hit up Manly Beach for the day. We didn't get to go swimming because the currents and the rips were so bad. Here in Oz, when the rips are bad, they are really bad and hardly anyone is in the water. There is a lifeguard constantly on microphone telling people to be careful and stay in between the flags. So we ate dinner down by the beach and now we're going to pack for tomorrow's flight. I hate packing. If there is one thing I will not miss from this trip, it will be packing and unpacking. For me, packing is the equivalent to sitting in rush hour traffic, it sucks. And I can't ever get anything to fit in my bag the way I had it in there before... it feels like I am carrying a dead guy on my back. Thank god mom is taking alot of stuff home for me. Although, I do think her bag will be overweight when she gets to the airport.
Anyway, I've got to run... one quick thing that I forgot to write... Mom met a guy from Constellation Energy in the lift and has been chatting with him all week. Seems as the company here in Oz he is working for is paying him 200,000 a year to live and work here... Hey Grids, time to move the family!
Oh and speaking of... Grids and Mark, my mom almost peed her pants about both your blog comments. Thanks for the laughs!
Momma Dukes is in Brisbane for about 2 days then she takes the plane-ride of death home on the 19th. The day she leaves I am traveling down to the Gold Coast to meet my friend Phil from New Zealand. I am staying at his house for a night then we area heading to Byron Bay, which is apparently this great and spectacular place. Everyone I have met who has already traveled Oz has said to hit up Byron Bay. I'm not really sure what Phil has planned but I am excited to have someone who already knows the ins and outs of where we're going.
Yesterday Mom and I went to Bondi Beach (sounds like bond-eye) for the day. It was an awesome beach, but she and I both like Manly better. What is funny with the beaches here is that they have shark nets out on the water to prevent sharks from coming into the swimming areas and eating people... actually, I'm not sure that's so funny. Anyway, they had a scare the first day here and called everyone out of the water. They blow this siren and everyone but the surfers clears the water. They actually have helicopters that patrol the waters for sharks... take that New Jersey!
Last night we went for a great dinner on the harbor. Mom had this huge plate of meat (that sounds gross) it came out and we were like oh-my-god how are you going to eat all that... ribs, lamb, sausage, fillet, and kangaroo... hahaha... yeah KANGAROO. Oh my poor little buddy that I punched the other day... yeah I ate one of his friends last night. He/she was quite good. I was sketchy about eating it, but figured, hell when am I going to get the chance to try kangaroo ever again? I didn't like it so much that you're hear about me on the news raiding the kangaroo cage at the Philadelphia Zoo, but it was very tasty. Reminded me a little of venison.
Today we visited Paddy's Market (aka Zerns) again for one last time, then we hit up Manly Beach for the day. We didn't get to go swimming because the currents and the rips were so bad. Here in Oz, when the rips are bad, they are really bad and hardly anyone is in the water. There is a lifeguard constantly on microphone telling people to be careful and stay in between the flags. So we ate dinner down by the beach and now we're going to pack for tomorrow's flight. I hate packing. If there is one thing I will not miss from this trip, it will be packing and unpacking. For me, packing is the equivalent to sitting in rush hour traffic, it sucks. And I can't ever get anything to fit in my bag the way I had it in there before... it feels like I am carrying a dead guy on my back. Thank god mom is taking alot of stuff home for me. Although, I do think her bag will be overweight when she gets to the airport.
Anyway, I've got to run... one quick thing that I forgot to write... Mom met a guy from Constellation Energy in the lift and has been chatting with him all week. Seems as the company here in Oz he is working for is paying him 200,000 a year to live and work here... Hey Grids, time to move the family!
Oh and speaking of... Grids and Mark, my mom almost peed her pants about both your blog comments. Thanks for the laughs!
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
The Blue Mountains Bus Trip
Today (Tuesday) we went on a bus trip to the Blue Mountains. We started the day at a wildlife sanctuary, headed to the Blue Mountains, went to a winery and did a wine tasting, and then to end the day, took a river ferry to the Opera House Harbor.
The day started off great at the wildlife sanctuary. First we got our pictures taken with koalas. Koalas are so calm and gentle. For some reason, I always thought they were mean, not sure why though. Did you know that they sleep for 19 hours a day? They eat so many eucalyptis (whoa spelling) leaves that in order for their bodies to break down the toxins from the plants, they have to sleep all that time. Koalas actually don't need water to survive either... random fact of the day!
We walked all around the sanctuary and eventually found ourselves in a caged in petting zoo area with kangaroos. The small kangaroos were very gentle and docile and they were really easy to feed. One was a sneaky little bugger and hung out by the door and kept trying to break free from the cage when people walked in. Anyway, so mom and I are feeding the smaller ones icecream cones with feed inside and we're having a good time along with everyone else. So we're standing there just looking around when this rowdy kangaroo comes up and clings onto my arm and tries to take my camera! I kinda shrug him off, but have to use force because he is quite big. Then he runs over to Mom, jumps on her, tries to steal her purse but decides that humping her side would be much more fun. I was like, "Dude Mom, you just got humped by a kangaroo!!!" So we're making our way back to the end of the caged area and we're feeding a gray kangaroo who was quite nice when the cheeky little humping kangaroo comes back. He jumps on mom and I tell her to hit him so he goes away. He must have understood me... the jerk comes over and starts punching me... I mean totally not kidding, a freakin kangaroo is punching me!!! I am laughing pretty hard and these people are video taping everything. Then the kangaroo starts to lean back on his tale and stand very tall--like way taller than me at this point-- and I'm kind of scared because I'm not sure whether I should stare him down or look away. They don't give out lessons in how to fend off a kangaroo in elementry school you know? So he tries to punch me again and I push him. Then what do you know he starts trying to kick me... so I cock back my fist and I clock him. I punched a kangaroo. I punched a freakin kangaroo in the throat. I startled him and he kinda stumbled because he tripped over his tail, then he bounced away. For a minute it was Team Philadelphia vs. Joe Boxer and I was pretty sure I wasn't going to win. We all ran out of the cage and the people videotaping were hysterical... but they weren't getting picked on by a goddamn kangaroo! We watched the video... Oh-my-God... I could totally end up on America's Funniest Home Videos. So we all turn around to look back in the cage and what do you know, he is standing there staring at me... like let's go at it again! Umm how about my first and last encounter with a kangaroo!!! I now have a fear of petting zoos... I imagine this will be my first and last experience.
Then we headed to the Blue Mountains which we didn't even see because it rained for that portion of the day. We were eating lunch in this little giftshop area and we walk into this one store and what do they have? A The Who's Tommy pinball machine. I seriously almost peed my pants. I was like MOM OH MY GOD I NEED THIS!!! I took a bunch of pictures. It was awesome, I wanted to steal it right then and there. After my giftshop-pinball-machine-meltdown we took a gondola ride from one side of the mountain to the other. The clouds and fog were so thick that we couldn't see two feet ahead of us in the gondola. It was a pretty pointless trip, but whatever. From there we took the world's steepest train down the side of this mountaint then walked for a bit through a rainforest. We reached the bottom then headed back to the top of the mountain on a sky cab (similiar to a gondola but it goes up). We met a real nice older couple on the trip and talked to them for most of the day.
After all that we headed to the Tizzana Winery for a wine tasting (website it kinda hokey http://www.tizzana.com.au). What a fabulous place with SO much history! We tasted mostly merlots (yuck) but they had a very good wine that I ended up purchasing... It's an Ambrose Rose... very yummy! After the winery (don't worry, Mom didn't buy the place out) We took a relaxing water taxi cruise on the river leading into the harbor. I took a bunch of nice shots, but you don't realize how hard it is to take pictures on a boat until you try to fo it!
The water taxi lead us back to the harbor where we took the subway back to the hostel and had dinner at the dirt cheap hole in the wall bar across the street. What a fantastic dinner!
P.S. In case you all forgot... I PUNCHED A KANGAROO!!!
The day started off great at the wildlife sanctuary. First we got our pictures taken with koalas. Koalas are so calm and gentle. For some reason, I always thought they were mean, not sure why though. Did you know that they sleep for 19 hours a day? They eat so many eucalyptis (whoa spelling) leaves that in order for their bodies to break down the toxins from the plants, they have to sleep all that time. Koalas actually don't need water to survive either... random fact of the day!
We walked all around the sanctuary and eventually found ourselves in a caged in petting zoo area with kangaroos. The small kangaroos were very gentle and docile and they were really easy to feed. One was a sneaky little bugger and hung out by the door and kept trying to break free from the cage when people walked in. Anyway, so mom and I are feeding the smaller ones icecream cones with feed inside and we're having a good time along with everyone else. So we're standing there just looking around when this rowdy kangaroo comes up and clings onto my arm and tries to take my camera! I kinda shrug him off, but have to use force because he is quite big. Then he runs over to Mom, jumps on her, tries to steal her purse but decides that humping her side would be much more fun. I was like, "Dude Mom, you just got humped by a kangaroo!!!" So we're making our way back to the end of the caged area and we're feeding a gray kangaroo who was quite nice when the cheeky little humping kangaroo comes back. He jumps on mom and I tell her to hit him so he goes away. He must have understood me... the jerk comes over and starts punching me... I mean totally not kidding, a freakin kangaroo is punching me!!! I am laughing pretty hard and these people are video taping everything. Then the kangaroo starts to lean back on his tale and stand very tall--like way taller than me at this point-- and I'm kind of scared because I'm not sure whether I should stare him down or look away. They don't give out lessons in how to fend off a kangaroo in elementry school you know? So he tries to punch me again and I push him. Then what do you know he starts trying to kick me... so I cock back my fist and I clock him. I punched a kangaroo. I punched a freakin kangaroo in the throat. I startled him and he kinda stumbled because he tripped over his tail, then he bounced away. For a minute it was Team Philadelphia vs. Joe Boxer and I was pretty sure I wasn't going to win. We all ran out of the cage and the people videotaping were hysterical... but they weren't getting picked on by a goddamn kangaroo! We watched the video... Oh-my-God... I could totally end up on America's Funniest Home Videos. So we all turn around to look back in the cage and what do you know, he is standing there staring at me... like let's go at it again! Umm how about my first and last encounter with a kangaroo!!! I now have a fear of petting zoos... I imagine this will be my first and last experience.
Then we headed to the Blue Mountains which we didn't even see because it rained for that portion of the day. We were eating lunch in this little giftshop area and we walk into this one store and what do they have? A The Who's Tommy pinball machine. I seriously almost peed my pants. I was like MOM OH MY GOD I NEED THIS!!! I took a bunch of pictures. It was awesome, I wanted to steal it right then and there. After my giftshop-pinball-machine-meltdown we took a gondola ride from one side of the mountain to the other. The clouds and fog were so thick that we couldn't see two feet ahead of us in the gondola. It was a pretty pointless trip, but whatever. From there we took the world's steepest train down the side of this mountaint then walked for a bit through a rainforest. We reached the bottom then headed back to the top of the mountain on a sky cab (similiar to a gondola but it goes up). We met a real nice older couple on the trip and talked to them for most of the day.
After all that we headed to the Tizzana Winery for a wine tasting (website it kinda hokey http://www.tizzana.com.au). What a fabulous place with SO much history! We tasted mostly merlots (yuck) but they had a very good wine that I ended up purchasing... It's an Ambrose Rose... very yummy! After the winery (don't worry, Mom didn't buy the place out) We took a relaxing water taxi cruise on the river leading into the harbor. I took a bunch of nice shots, but you don't realize how hard it is to take pictures on a boat until you try to fo it!
The water taxi lead us back to the harbor where we took the subway back to the hostel and had dinner at the dirt cheap hole in the wall bar across the street. What a fantastic dinner!
P.S. In case you all forgot... I PUNCHED A KANGAROO!!!
Taronga Zoo
Yesterday we went to Syndey's Taronga Zoo. I think it's the best zoo I've ever been to. It was so easy to navigate and it had such a wide variety of animals and tons of keepers doing shows for the visitors. The facilities were extremely nice and they were quite spacious for the animals.
My favorite part was seeing the giraffes. They had a blind giraffe named Hope who when hungry just lets her tongue hang out of her mouth and drool. There were 3 other giraffes with her in the keeper was feeding them... their tongues were about as long as the guys from KISS. They also had these snow leapords that were absolutely gorgeous. All three cats were younger in age and were bouncing off the walls playing with each other. We saw the tigers right before feeding... they were actually extremely scary and running around their cage in circles (not really a cage, it was quite a big area) I've never seen an animal so intense!
I took a ton of film at the zoo... about 3 rolls or so. I hope I got some good shots. The fun thing about film is that it's like Christmas morning whenever you get the pictures developed. You never really know what you're getting, then you sort through the pics and you're like ahhh check this out!! I have taken so many pictures the past two months. It's been awesome to get back into shooting again. I rarely do it at home on my own time anymore, this trip has definitely made me get back into the routine.
My favorite part was seeing the giraffes. They had a blind giraffe named Hope who when hungry just lets her tongue hang out of her mouth and drool. There were 3 other giraffes with her in the keeper was feeding them... their tongues were about as long as the guys from KISS. They also had these snow leapords that were absolutely gorgeous. All three cats were younger in age and were bouncing off the walls playing with each other. We saw the tigers right before feeding... they were actually extremely scary and running around their cage in circles (not really a cage, it was quite a big area) I've never seen an animal so intense!
I took a ton of film at the zoo... about 3 rolls or so. I hope I got some good shots. The fun thing about film is that it's like Christmas morning whenever you get the pictures developed. You never really know what you're getting, then you sort through the pics and you're like ahhh check this out!! I have taken so many pictures the past two months. It's been awesome to get back into shooting again. I rarely do it at home on my own time anymore, this trip has definitely made me get back into the routine.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
My Mother Has Money Issues
Mom and I have found this fantastic little hole in the wall bar that has dirt cheap alcohol and hella good meals. Our second night in Sydney we eat dinner here and are having a few drinks. So mom gets up to get another round of drinks and she dumps her wallet out onto the bar and goes to the bartender, "I don't know what is what here, take what you need." Now in the States the bartender is going to take more than they should, pay for the drink then pocket the rest. The bartender takes the proper amount and is just laughing at her. So I'm like ok mom, it's time for a lesson in Aussie money... I'm all, This, is a silver octagon, it's 50 cents. This is silver and round, it's 20 cents. This is big and gold, it's a dollar coin. This is tiny and gold, this is a two dollar coin. So she counts the money back to me all wrong and comes up with some ridiculous amount. Now I'm like, LOOK MOM, this is 2 dollars, it's tiny and gold. This, shaped like an octagon, 50 cents. This is not hard.
I felt like how my dad felt trying to teach me how to tell time when I was a kid. The big hand is what Lauren? I dunno dad. The little hand is what Lauren? Umm the minute hand? NO LAUREN. FOR THE MILLIONTH TIME, THE BIG HAND IS THE MINUTE HAND. I'm like, "No Mom, the big silver one is like a quarter only it's 20 cents instead of 25 cents. Tiny and gold. It's a two dollar coin. Tiny. Two dollar. GOT IT?" My mom said it made her think back to the time when she was with Kurt in Germany and she kept calling deutschmarks douchemarks, or the time Mimi was in Italy and she asked for the Italian word for "f____ you" on her pizza instead of formaggio. OOPS!
I felt like how my dad felt trying to teach me how to tell time when I was a kid. The big hand is what Lauren? I dunno dad. The little hand is what Lauren? Umm the minute hand? NO LAUREN. FOR THE MILLIONTH TIME, THE BIG HAND IS THE MINUTE HAND. I'm like, "No Mom, the big silver one is like a quarter only it's 20 cents instead of 25 cents. Tiny and gold. It's a two dollar coin. Tiny. Two dollar. GOT IT?" My mom said it made her think back to the time when she was with Kurt in Germany and she kept calling deutschmarks douchemarks, or the time Mimi was in Italy and she asked for the Italian word for "f____ you" on her pizza instead of formaggio. OOPS!
Sydney Part Deux
We are three days into our trip and it's been awesome. Who would have ever thought that I would be in Australia with my mom? I have wanted to come here since I was a kid and actually being here is such a great feeling. It is everything that I could have ever imagined and I get to experience it with my mom. It'll be something that I will never ever forget.
Sydney is such a fabulous city. At mom's request, we are making the walk to the the harbor a daily routine so we can get our exercise. It is actually quite a hike and takes about an hour to get down there, but it's a good walk and it gives us a chance to really get through the city. Yesterday we went to the botanical gardens that are near the opera house and walked around for quite a while. We were walking through this one rainforest part and Mom exclaims, "Oh wow listen to all the birds singing!" As we come around the path we look up into the trees and we realize that they are not birds singing but incredibly HUGE bats. Like, "I vant to suck your blood" vampire bats. Now I'm not sure if they were vampire bats but one of their wings was at least the length of my arm. These things could have picked up a small child and carried it away. Mom totally freaks out and is like OH-MY-GOD! OH-MY-GOD! Then she quickly walked away for fear that one was going to get tangled up in her hair. Afterwards we took the ferry to Manly Beach for the day. Manly is such a great beach. It's pretty packed, but nothing like the beaches at the deeerty Jers or Delaware. It's pretty cool place and reminds me a little of Santa Monica Beach.
I met up with Sophie last night and my German friend Michael who we were in NZ with. I had no idea that he was going to be here, so it's very cool to see him again. We ended up going to his hostel beforehand and playing king's cup before we went out. I've played kings cup many times on this trip but this time was definitely a new experience. All of Michael's friends are German and they all spoke German and wouldn't really speak English. So Sophie and I just sat there and giggled like school girls the entire time and I kept saying things like nein and weinerschnitzel which, for some reason, they thought was absolutely hilarious. We went out into the city with all the Germans and ended up walking around for an hour trying to find a bar that everyone wanted to go to. At one point Michael goes into McDonalds and we're like ok, so apparently Michael is hungry... not really though. He goes into McDonalds, waits in line, gets up to the register and the girl goes "What can I get you?" And he says, "No I don't want to order food, can you tell me a good bar that I can go to around here?" Only Michael! We finally go back to the stupid backpacker bar that we were going to go into to start with. We wait in line only to get up to the ID checker and have her tell me that we can't get in because we have flipflops on. Sophie and I look at each other and I'm like, dude you have got to be kidding, this is a backpacker bar, who actually owns anything other than flipflops? We turn around and tell the German girls that we all can't get in because we all have flipflops on. They look at us, look at each other, start speaking German then they dig into their purses and they all whip out high heels. Each one of them had a pair. Seriously, who backpacks with highheels? My backpack is so heavy right now, it feels like I have a dead body packed in there. Anyway, so Sophie and I leave and end up at this Irish bar down the street and we meet some locals and hung out with them for the night. They asked me to come back to their house after the bar closed, so I jumped into the cab with them and spent the night at Bondi Beach! I got in this morning and mom is all... well well well it's nice that you got home safe and sound! The best thing about coming home to the hostel in the morning is that I don't have to get out of my car still in my Saturday night oufit, run to my house from my parking space, and wave to all the neighbors who think that I just got an early start on the day...
Retirement Community Neighbor: "Good morning Lauren, you're up early today!"
Me: "Ummm yeah I decided to get a head start on the day in these clothes and I thought that I would go for that matted hair and smudged makeup look *gulp*
Sydney is such a fabulous city. At mom's request, we are making the walk to the the harbor a daily routine so we can get our exercise. It is actually quite a hike and takes about an hour to get down there, but it's a good walk and it gives us a chance to really get through the city. Yesterday we went to the botanical gardens that are near the opera house and walked around for quite a while. We were walking through this one rainforest part and Mom exclaims, "Oh wow listen to all the birds singing!" As we come around the path we look up into the trees and we realize that they are not birds singing but incredibly HUGE bats. Like, "I vant to suck your blood" vampire bats. Now I'm not sure if they were vampire bats but one of their wings was at least the length of my arm. These things could have picked up a small child and carried it away. Mom totally freaks out and is like OH-MY-GOD! OH-MY-GOD! Then she quickly walked away for fear that one was going to get tangled up in her hair. Afterwards we took the ferry to Manly Beach for the day. Manly is such a great beach. It's pretty packed, but nothing like the beaches at the deeerty Jers or Delaware. It's pretty cool place and reminds me a little of Santa Monica Beach.
I met up with Sophie last night and my German friend Michael who we were in NZ with. I had no idea that he was going to be here, so it's very cool to see him again. We ended up going to his hostel beforehand and playing king's cup before we went out. I've played kings cup many times on this trip but this time was definitely a new experience. All of Michael's friends are German and they all spoke German and wouldn't really speak English. So Sophie and I just sat there and giggled like school girls the entire time and I kept saying things like nein and weinerschnitzel which, for some reason, they thought was absolutely hilarious. We went out into the city with all the Germans and ended up walking around for an hour trying to find a bar that everyone wanted to go to. At one point Michael goes into McDonalds and we're like ok, so apparently Michael is hungry... not really though. He goes into McDonalds, waits in line, gets up to the register and the girl goes "What can I get you?" And he says, "No I don't want to order food, can you tell me a good bar that I can go to around here?" Only Michael! We finally go back to the stupid backpacker bar that we were going to go into to start with. We wait in line only to get up to the ID checker and have her tell me that we can't get in because we have flipflops on. Sophie and I look at each other and I'm like, dude you have got to be kidding, this is a backpacker bar, who actually owns anything other than flipflops? We turn around and tell the German girls that we all can't get in because we all have flipflops on. They look at us, look at each other, start speaking German then they dig into their purses and they all whip out high heels. Each one of them had a pair. Seriously, who backpacks with highheels? My backpack is so heavy right now, it feels like I have a dead body packed in there. Anyway, so Sophie and I leave and end up at this Irish bar down the street and we meet some locals and hung out with them for the night. They asked me to come back to their house after the bar closed, so I jumped into the cab with them and spent the night at Bondi Beach! I got in this morning and mom is all... well well well it's nice that you got home safe and sound! The best thing about coming home to the hostel in the morning is that I don't have to get out of my car still in my Saturday night oufit, run to my house from my parking space, and wave to all the neighbors who think that I just got an early start on the day...
Retirement Community Neighbor: "Good morning Lauren, you're up early today!"
Me: "Ummm yeah I decided to get a head start on the day in these clothes and I thought that I would go for that matted hair and smudged makeup look *gulp*
Airport Observations
I read an entry from my journal to my mom and she suggested that I blog it for all of you to read.... this was when I was in Auckland waiting for my flight to Sydney.
March 8th- I'm in AKL waiting for my flight. I board in 20 minutes and I still don't have a freakin gate. In the US I have a gate three weeks before my flight. Airport security is so lax here. In the US the people that work for the airlines are ready to cut your head off if you so much as crack a smile. Even the immigration people here are sweet. Immigration people are supposed to be mean and scary and make you feel like like a grain of salt. They are supposed to make you second guess bringing that pack of gum into the country without declaring it. Not in New Zealand.
Everyone in New Zealand is all, "Oh hi how are you today? Are you excited to travel? How long have you been away for? Did you enjoy your trip?"
Everyone in the US is all, "Has your luggage been with you the entire time? Have you left your luggage alone anywhere? Did anyone give you anything to carry? What are you smiling for? NEXT!
Then they herd you like cattle to the metal detector where they proceed to strip you down to your bra and underwear and inspect the inside of your mouth for possible terrorist germs. New Zealand they're all, "Oh no mate, you don't have to take your trainers off. Nope, no need to take off your fleece we know you're just cold and not trying to conceal a weapon. Oh don't forget your complimentry toiletry case for the plane ride and when you arrive into the next city! Cheers mate!
It's amazing how different our countries really are and how politically correct we are with our lives. This trip has definitely put that into perspective for me.
March 8th- I'm in AKL waiting for my flight. I board in 20 minutes and I still don't have a freakin gate. In the US I have a gate three weeks before my flight. Airport security is so lax here. In the US the people that work for the airlines are ready to cut your head off if you so much as crack a smile. Even the immigration people here are sweet. Immigration people are supposed to be mean and scary and make you feel like like a grain of salt. They are supposed to make you second guess bringing that pack of gum into the country without declaring it. Not in New Zealand.
Everyone in New Zealand is all, "Oh hi how are you today? Are you excited to travel? How long have you been away for? Did you enjoy your trip?"
Everyone in the US is all, "Has your luggage been with you the entire time? Have you left your luggage alone anywhere? Did anyone give you anything to carry? What are you smiling for? NEXT!
Then they herd you like cattle to the metal detector where they proceed to strip you down to your bra and underwear and inspect the inside of your mouth for possible terrorist germs. New Zealand they're all, "Oh no mate, you don't have to take your trainers off. Nope, no need to take off your fleece we know you're just cold and not trying to conceal a weapon. Oh don't forget your complimentry toiletry case for the plane ride and when you arrive into the next city! Cheers mate!
It's amazing how different our countries really are and how politically correct we are with our lives. This trip has definitely put that into perspective for me.
Friday, March 9, 2007
Sydney!
...and we have arrived...
Mama Dukes's bag got lost somewhere between Collegeville and Syndey... we'll blame it on US Airways. Other than the bag incident we both got here in one piece. My nice little 3 hour flight wasn't near as fun as the 15-hour one Mom endured but she's a trooper. And besides, a 15-hour airplane ride is payback for that horrible spinach casserole she used to make us eat when I was in 3rd grade. Dad, you remember? Mom was in night school and you used to feed it to us and tell us it was good for us... then we'd ask you why you weren't eating it and you wouldn't say anything (you thought I forgot about that didn't you?)
The hostel is really nice and superclean. We have our own room that is the size of an apartment in NYC, but hell, we're not spending time in the room other than to sleep so who cares.
Last night we ate in Chinatown... god I love all the asian food here... almost as much as $3 Japanese stores. Then we hit up some cool little betting bar that had some fantastic Belgium Blonde Beer. Today we walked all around the city, I'd say at least 5 miles. We went to the harbor and did an Opera House tour and walked through The Rocks, which is old skool part of Syndey. The buildings are old and painted cool colors, it actually reminds me alot of England. We went to this huge market today called Paddy's (aka Zerns of Australia but much cleaner and more like a mall) and got mom some back-up clothes just in case the suitcase didn't make it today. We also went to this awesome Chinese garden. It had all these beautiful buildings and waterfalls that lead into ponds with Koi fish. It was so peaceful and quiet, I'd pay $6 to get in every day! Tomorrow I think we're going to go to Manly Beach for the day. My friend Sophie that I traveled NZ with arrives tomorrow. I'm real exicted to see her because she's extremely cool and she makes the F-word sound so polite with her little English accent.
We'll write more in a few days... my US cell can text here, so text away if you'd like. The NZ pre-paid phone still has some $$ on it so you can text that as well. Oh, also instead of a 6-hour difference, it's a 9-hour difference (Sydney is 3 hours behind NZ). So if it's:
12pm in Sydney on Friday, March 9
then it's 9pm Thursday, March 8 (for all you Phillysiders)
Mama Dukes's bag got lost somewhere between Collegeville and Syndey... we'll blame it on US Airways. Other than the bag incident we both got here in one piece. My nice little 3 hour flight wasn't near as fun as the 15-hour one Mom endured but she's a trooper. And besides, a 15-hour airplane ride is payback for that horrible spinach casserole she used to make us eat when I was in 3rd grade. Dad, you remember? Mom was in night school and you used to feed it to us and tell us it was good for us... then we'd ask you why you weren't eating it and you wouldn't say anything (you thought I forgot about that didn't you?)
The hostel is really nice and superclean. We have our own room that is the size of an apartment in NYC, but hell, we're not spending time in the room other than to sleep so who cares.
Last night we ate in Chinatown... god I love all the asian food here... almost as much as $3 Japanese stores. Then we hit up some cool little betting bar that had some fantastic Belgium Blonde Beer. Today we walked all around the city, I'd say at least 5 miles. We went to the harbor and did an Opera House tour and walked through The Rocks, which is old skool part of Syndey. The buildings are old and painted cool colors, it actually reminds me alot of England. We went to this huge market today called Paddy's (aka Zerns of Australia but much cleaner and more like a mall) and got mom some back-up clothes just in case the suitcase didn't make it today. We also went to this awesome Chinese garden. It had all these beautiful buildings and waterfalls that lead into ponds with Koi fish. It was so peaceful and quiet, I'd pay $6 to get in every day! Tomorrow I think we're going to go to Manly Beach for the day. My friend Sophie that I traveled NZ with arrives tomorrow. I'm real exicted to see her because she's extremely cool and she makes the F-word sound so polite with her little English accent.
We'll write more in a few days... my US cell can text here, so text away if you'd like. The NZ pre-paid phone still has some $$ on it so you can text that as well. Oh, also instead of a 6-hour difference, it's a 9-hour difference (Sydney is 3 hours behind NZ). So if it's:
12pm in Sydney on Friday, March 9
then it's 9pm Thursday, March 8 (for all you Phillysiders)
Sunday, March 4, 2007
Paihia
I just woke up from a 3 hour nap. I had the biggest idiots in my room last night. They all decided to get wasted and go to bed at 4am then get up at 6:30am for the Cape Reinga day trip. I hope their bus breaks down.
So speaking of Cape Reinga, the northernmost part of NZ, my day trip was pretty cool. We had awesome weather and it was a great way to start off my stay in the bay of Islands. As usual, our bus driver for the trip, Auto, was absolutely mad and I questioned whether or not I should trust my life in his hands. And as usual, I just shrugged my shoulders and stayed on the bus. We stopped at the Kauri forest on the way up and saw these huge trees similiar to the redwoods in CA that, I believe, are now protected so they don't go into extinction. We drove up this crazy little dirt roads to get to a sacred Maori burial ground. This is where the Cape is located and it's where the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean meet. You can actually see where they meet, instead of the waves crashing into the shore and the bottom of the cliff, both oceans' waves crash into each other (it's kind of hard to explain without all my hand movements to show you what I mean). This part of the trip was my favorite, it was absolutely gorgeous... actually, I think the picture that I currently have on my myspace account is a picture of the Cape. After the burial ground we headed to a beach to have lunch and to swim, then we jumped back on the bus and as we were climbing a huge steep hill, it broke down. We jumped on other buses going past and still continued on with the trip. Next we went to these huge sand dunes and went sandboarding. If you've ever been to Jockey's Ridge in the Outerbanks, NC then it's pretty much the same thing. Although I think the dune that we were sandboarding down was alot steeper then the dune at Jockey's Ridge... or maybe I've just gotten old and fat and and I can't run up the dunes like I used to! I just went once down the hill on a boogie board and I got completely covered in sand. It was in parts of my body that I didn't know existed and I absolutely hate sand on me... not as much as I hate mayonnaise, but it's right up there. After a failed attempt to remove all the sand off me, I jumped back on the bus and headed to 90 Mile Beach... the liars, it's actually 64 miles. We went digging for mussels in the sand and cracked them open right there and ate them. One girl looked at me as she was cracking the mussel open and she goes, "Oh no, are these still alive?" and I tell her yes, then the mussel moved in it's shell and she freaked out, threw it into the ocean and goes, "I can't kill it!" The whole time I'm thinking to myself, well it was probably better that you did eat it because now it doesn't have a shell on it's one side and it's going to die anyway, but I just laughed at her instead. We drove down the 64 mile 90 Mile Beach then headed back to Paihia and stopping for fish n' chips on the way home.
The past few days here I've just been laying on the beach and have been pretty useless. My friend Phil that I met in Queenstown got here the other day and it's been cool to have someone else to hang out with. There are also people who I traveled with in Kaikoura so we've been hanging out with them a bit as well. Today Phil and I went on a jet boating trip all through the bays and islands and to this place called "the hole in the rock".
(check it out here: http://goaustralia.about.com/cs/nznorthsights/l/blpicbay5.htm)
It was a pretty rough trip getting out there and we were flying over these huge waves and hitting all these big wakes. We went over one wake and I landed so hard on the seat that my sunglasses flew off my head and one of my flip flops went flying on the deck of the boat. I didn't even realize I lost my sunglasses. Phil looked at me and was like wait, where are your sunglasses? I was all, awww man I lost ANOTHER pair! But luckily they just flew on the deck of the boat and I got them back. I landed so hard on the seat that I whacked my lower back out of line. Awesome. It'll adjust in a day or two but I'm not going to lie, I'm a little sore right now! It was a pretty cool trip, a good way to end New Zealand... no I take that back, a good way to end New Zealand would be going to the $3 Japanese shop again!
I leave Paihia on the 7th (today is the 5th) then I'm in AKL for a night then it's over to OZ to see my mom! I am so excited to get there to see her. I am pretty bummed to be leaving NZ because it's so awesome here and I could definitely settle down into a normal lifestyle here. But, Oz will be a whole other experience in itself, so it's all pretty bittersweet. I actually can't believe I only have a month left... someone is going to be very depressed when they come home!
I may not write until I hit Sydney... so check back around the 9th or 10th to see what mom and I are up to! G'day mates!
NZ Time: Monday, March 5th, 5:25pm
Philly time: Sunday, March 4th, 11:25pm
So speaking of Cape Reinga, the northernmost part of NZ, my day trip was pretty cool. We had awesome weather and it was a great way to start off my stay in the bay of Islands. As usual, our bus driver for the trip, Auto, was absolutely mad and I questioned whether or not I should trust my life in his hands. And as usual, I just shrugged my shoulders and stayed on the bus. We stopped at the Kauri forest on the way up and saw these huge trees similiar to the redwoods in CA that, I believe, are now protected so they don't go into extinction. We drove up this crazy little dirt roads to get to a sacred Maori burial ground. This is where the Cape is located and it's where the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean meet. You can actually see where they meet, instead of the waves crashing into the shore and the bottom of the cliff, both oceans' waves crash into each other (it's kind of hard to explain without all my hand movements to show you what I mean). This part of the trip was my favorite, it was absolutely gorgeous... actually, I think the picture that I currently have on my myspace account is a picture of the Cape. After the burial ground we headed to a beach to have lunch and to swim, then we jumped back on the bus and as we were climbing a huge steep hill, it broke down. We jumped on other buses going past and still continued on with the trip. Next we went to these huge sand dunes and went sandboarding. If you've ever been to Jockey's Ridge in the Outerbanks, NC then it's pretty much the same thing. Although I think the dune that we were sandboarding down was alot steeper then the dune at Jockey's Ridge... or maybe I've just gotten old and fat and and I can't run up the dunes like I used to! I just went once down the hill on a boogie board and I got completely covered in sand. It was in parts of my body that I didn't know existed and I absolutely hate sand on me... not as much as I hate mayonnaise, but it's right up there. After a failed attempt to remove all the sand off me, I jumped back on the bus and headed to 90 Mile Beach... the liars, it's actually 64 miles. We went digging for mussels in the sand and cracked them open right there and ate them. One girl looked at me as she was cracking the mussel open and she goes, "Oh no, are these still alive?" and I tell her yes, then the mussel moved in it's shell and she freaked out, threw it into the ocean and goes, "I can't kill it!" The whole time I'm thinking to myself, well it was probably better that you did eat it because now it doesn't have a shell on it's one side and it's going to die anyway, but I just laughed at her instead. We drove down the 64 mile 90 Mile Beach then headed back to Paihia and stopping for fish n' chips on the way home.
The past few days here I've just been laying on the beach and have been pretty useless. My friend Phil that I met in Queenstown got here the other day and it's been cool to have someone else to hang out with. There are also people who I traveled with in Kaikoura so we've been hanging out with them a bit as well. Today Phil and I went on a jet boating trip all through the bays and islands and to this place called "the hole in the rock".
(check it out here: http://goaustralia.about.com/cs/nznorthsights/l/blpicbay5.htm)
It was a pretty rough trip getting out there and we were flying over these huge waves and hitting all these big wakes. We went over one wake and I landed so hard on the seat that my sunglasses flew off my head and one of my flip flops went flying on the deck of the boat. I didn't even realize I lost my sunglasses. Phil looked at me and was like wait, where are your sunglasses? I was all, awww man I lost ANOTHER pair! But luckily they just flew on the deck of the boat and I got them back. I landed so hard on the seat that I whacked my lower back out of line. Awesome. It'll adjust in a day or two but I'm not going to lie, I'm a little sore right now! It was a pretty cool trip, a good way to end New Zealand... no I take that back, a good way to end New Zealand would be going to the $3 Japanese shop again!
I leave Paihia on the 7th (today is the 5th) then I'm in AKL for a night then it's over to OZ to see my mom! I am so excited to get there to see her. I am pretty bummed to be leaving NZ because it's so awesome here and I could definitely settle down into a normal lifestyle here. But, Oz will be a whole other experience in itself, so it's all pretty bittersweet. I actually can't believe I only have a month left... someone is going to be very depressed when they come home!
I may not write until I hit Sydney... so check back around the 9th or 10th to see what mom and I are up to! G'day mates!
NZ Time: Monday, March 5th, 5:25pm
Philly time: Sunday, March 4th, 11:25pm
Friday, March 2, 2007
New bands I have discovered
I have been making a list of cool music that I have heard down here. My Kiwi friend Jimmy also gave me a few suggestions as well. So if you're a music fan like me, definitely check out the list below... obviously Split Ends and Crowded House are not new bands, but I've never really listened to them before I got here (Richard you'll have to burn me some cds!) Many of the crazy bus drivers here play alot of Kiwi music to get people interested... not sure if they'll be on iTunes or not?
Split Endz
Crowded House
The Datsuns
The D4
Shihad
Steriogram (Yeah Jenny Best!)
Katchafire
Salmonella Dub (awesome!)
The Black Seeds
Fat Freddy's Drop (These guys are everywhere here... awesome roots band)
Supergroove
Bernard Fanning
The Kooks (from the UK, kinda poppy but good stuff)
The View
Split Endz
Crowded House
The Datsuns
The D4
Shihad
Steriogram (Yeah Jenny Best!)
Katchafire
Salmonella Dub (awesome!)
The Black Seeds
Fat Freddy's Drop (These guys are everywhere here... awesome roots band)
Supergroove
Bernard Fanning
The Kooks (from the UK, kinda poppy but good stuff)
The View
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Welly-AKL-Paihia
I left Wellington yesterday and caught a plane to the sunny city of Auckland... that was a joke, Auckland is more like Gotham City from Batman... overcast and rain. I was only there for a night so I decided to go see Blood Diamond in the iMax theater to waste some time. I don't think I will ever look at diamonds the same way again! Did Dicaprio win and Oscar? Because with the accent that he learned for the film, he should have!
On my way to get tickets for the movie yesterday I got a little lost and went up a block too far. But a block too far ended up being the best thing I could have done. I have found by far, the absolute best thing Auckland has to offer, a $3 Japanese store... WHERE EVERYTHING IS $3! It was such a knockoff of the Dollar store, it was awesome. This store had the most random stuff in it, every time I went down another aisle I would start laughing all over again. Japanese tableware, car accessories, body lotion, fake eyelashes, Scooby Doo dish towels, you name it, the $3 Japanese store had it. I am looking at all this stuff and I can't figure out what half of it is because everything is in Japanese... that is when I stumble upon chopsticks. Now it is completely unneccesary for me, the Japanese ambassador of New Zealand, to buy chopsticks. I mean, I am in New Zealand, not Tokyo. Just because there is large abundance of sushi and Thai food here does not mean that I need to buy commemorative chopsticks... but I do anyway. I had to buy something just so I had proof of the $3 Japanese store... WHERE EVERYTHING IS $3!!! I probably won't even be able to use them. They're probably painted with an acrylic paint that has traces of lead in it and I will end up dying after the first use of them at home.
I left for the Bay of Islands bright and early this morning and arrived around lunch. I hope the weather is good all week while I am here and the rain for Gotham City doesn't follow me up here. Tomorrow I am taking a day trip up to Cape Reinga. There is a 90 mile beach up there that the bus drives down and you can actually see where the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea meet. I think there is a lighthouse and I think we are stopping at a Kauri forest (I may have spelled Kauri wrong). The Kauri trees are huge and similiar to the size of the redwoods in California. I have six nights here so I figured a day trip would do me some good. Mike and Debs, so I did decide to go to the cape... good advice on Whangarei though. I blinked and we were already through the town! The best part about Whangarei was me calling my boss and leaving her a voicemail that I had arrived there then seeing a welcome sign that read: WELCOME TO WHANGAREI! WE'RE #1!
That's about it for now though... I'll write in a few days after I do the day trip. Countdown T-minus 7 days until I get to see my mom!
NZ time: Thursday, March 1, 5:34pm
Philly Time: Wednesday, Feb 28, 11:30pm
On my way to get tickets for the movie yesterday I got a little lost and went up a block too far. But a block too far ended up being the best thing I could have done. I have found by far, the absolute best thing Auckland has to offer, a $3 Japanese store... WHERE EVERYTHING IS $3! It was such a knockoff of the Dollar store, it was awesome. This store had the most random stuff in it, every time I went down another aisle I would start laughing all over again. Japanese tableware, car accessories, body lotion, fake eyelashes, Scooby Doo dish towels, you name it, the $3 Japanese store had it. I am looking at all this stuff and I can't figure out what half of it is because everything is in Japanese... that is when I stumble upon chopsticks. Now it is completely unneccesary for me, the Japanese ambassador of New Zealand, to buy chopsticks. I mean, I am in New Zealand, not Tokyo. Just because there is large abundance of sushi and Thai food here does not mean that I need to buy commemorative chopsticks... but I do anyway. I had to buy something just so I had proof of the $3 Japanese store... WHERE EVERYTHING IS $3!!! I probably won't even be able to use them. They're probably painted with an acrylic paint that has traces of lead in it and I will end up dying after the first use of them at home.
I left for the Bay of Islands bright and early this morning and arrived around lunch. I hope the weather is good all week while I am here and the rain for Gotham City doesn't follow me up here. Tomorrow I am taking a day trip up to Cape Reinga. There is a 90 mile beach up there that the bus drives down and you can actually see where the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea meet. I think there is a lighthouse and I think we are stopping at a Kauri forest (I may have spelled Kauri wrong). The Kauri trees are huge and similiar to the size of the redwoods in California. I have six nights here so I figured a day trip would do me some good. Mike and Debs, so I did decide to go to the cape... good advice on Whangarei though. I blinked and we were already through the town! The best part about Whangarei was me calling my boss and leaving her a voicemail that I had arrived there then seeing a welcome sign that read: WELCOME TO WHANGAREI! WE'RE #1!
That's about it for now though... I'll write in a few days after I do the day trip. Countdown T-minus 7 days until I get to see my mom!
NZ time: Thursday, March 1, 5:34pm
Philly Time: Wednesday, Feb 28, 11:30pm
Monday, February 26, 2007
Kaikoura to Wellington
I am currently back in Wellington and staying with Mike, Debs, and Ethan until the 28th. Kaikoura was quite uneventful as the sea was too rough and my whale watching trip was cancelled! BOOOO! I was actually really looking forward to whale watching for some reason... I get there and the guy is all, "Well today's trip is cancelled. How is your schedule for tomorrow?" So I'm thinking, "Oh tomorrow is jam-packed with riding a bus for 2 hours, then jumping onto a ferry for 3 hours and watching enormous Australian men play rugby... I think I just may be able to pencil a whale watch in!" I just basically ran around Kaikoura taking pictures and seeing the city... which consisted of one big street... one big street with a used bookstore! Yes, I picked up yet another book, About a Boy by Nick Hornby (better known as the author of High Fidelity). No wonder my backpack is so damn heavy, I have about 5 books stuffed in it and I am too attached to all of them to give them away. So I did what any person would do, I found another used bookstore today and sold one back... and picked up Tuesdays with Morrie... wait, I thought I was supposed to be getting rid of books?! Actually Tuesdays With Morrie is one of my faves thanks to my Comm 110 professor, Steve Koehn. I figured I'd read it again and cry... again.
Mike picked me up after the ferry ride and I think I had the best night's sleep the entire trip last night. Apparently Ethan was trying to wake me up this morning outside my closed bedroom door... little did he know I now sleep like a rock. Being in a hostel with anywhere from 6-12 people at a time you learn to sleep through bags being packed, snoring, and people having sex (not lying). Thank god someone invented ear plugs.
Today I took the bus into the city and walked around for quite some time. Welly is such a great walking city, it's just bustling with people. It is by far my most favorite city here and I can easily understand why Mike and Debs chose to live here. I hit up the Wellington Art Gallery for a bit then ran into the Te Papa Museum to grab some new photos of a VW bus exhibit they have there on the sculpture deck (the pics I had before were on my MIA digital camera). We went out to dinner at a Malaysian restaurant in town tonight. I haven't had Malaysian before, just Thai, Chinese, and Japanese. It was pretty similiar to Thai... very very good!
Oh and I almost forgot... I spoke to my best friend in the whole wide world right before I got onto the ferry yesterday (Randi that would be you) She just got back from her trip to India this past week. My main question is... Hey Mom and Dad, aren't you guys happy I chose to backpack New Zealand instead of India? ***I can instantly feel my father's mouth dropping to the floor*** Mind you, the same father who when told that Randi was moving to Oregon said, "What is she moving to Oregon for? How is she getting there, by covered wagon" (he then proceeded to laugh at his own joke. I love you dad) Anyway, sorry for the tangent... Randi has decided to run the San Diego Rock-n-Roll Marathon in support of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society again this year (hell, I couldn't drive 26 miles) She raised just over $4000 last year... if you would like to donate to her cause, you can paste this little link right into your browser:
http://www.active.com/donate/tntor/tntorRPetrau1
That's it for now everyone... sorry I'm not falling into anyone's lap or helping out the Japanese tourists for this blog... just give me a few days!
Mike picked me up after the ferry ride and I think I had the best night's sleep the entire trip last night. Apparently Ethan was trying to wake me up this morning outside my closed bedroom door... little did he know I now sleep like a rock. Being in a hostel with anywhere from 6-12 people at a time you learn to sleep through bags being packed, snoring, and people having sex (not lying). Thank god someone invented ear plugs.
Today I took the bus into the city and walked around for quite some time. Welly is such a great walking city, it's just bustling with people. It is by far my most favorite city here and I can easily understand why Mike and Debs chose to live here. I hit up the Wellington Art Gallery for a bit then ran into the Te Papa Museum to grab some new photos of a VW bus exhibit they have there on the sculpture deck (the pics I had before were on my MIA digital camera). We went out to dinner at a Malaysian restaurant in town tonight. I haven't had Malaysian before, just Thai, Chinese, and Japanese. It was pretty similiar to Thai... very very good!
Oh and I almost forgot... I spoke to my best friend in the whole wide world right before I got onto the ferry yesterday (Randi that would be you) She just got back from her trip to India this past week. My main question is... Hey Mom and Dad, aren't you guys happy I chose to backpack New Zealand instead of India? ***I can instantly feel my father's mouth dropping to the floor*** Mind you, the same father who when told that Randi was moving to Oregon said, "What is she moving to Oregon for? How is she getting there, by covered wagon" (he then proceeded to laugh at his own joke. I love you dad) Anyway, sorry for the tangent... Randi has decided to run the San Diego Rock-n-Roll Marathon in support of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society again this year (hell, I couldn't drive 26 miles) She raised just over $4000 last year... if you would like to donate to her cause, you can paste this little link right into your browser:
http://www.active.com/donate/tntor/tntorRPetrau1
That's it for now everyone... sorry I'm not falling into anyone's lap or helping out the Japanese tourists for this blog... just give me a few days!
Friday, February 23, 2007
Last day in Christchurch
It's my last day in Christchurch and of course I would wake up to pouring down rain. I figured I'd make the best out of my last day here and still attempt to see the city. I headed down to the Art Gallery and the Centre of Contemporary Art. The Art Gallery was your typical art museum, it featured many NZ artists and I enjoyed seeing their work. The Contemporary Museum is more my taste. I like anything that is unusual, weird, and would make the average person say, what the hell is that supposed to be? There was a photography exhibit on display that I really enjoyed. it featured photographs about the lives of disabled people...
You can check it out here http://www.ourstories.co.nz/
There was also another guy that I was completely fascinated by, try googling Ian Scott, The Model Series 1996-2004. His collection was rather big for the size of canvas that he painted on. He features one woman per canvas and many of the women are posed in front of famous art. Just as an FYI, these are R rated. The women are pretty much half naked yet painted beautifully, but you may want to have the kiddies leave the room.
After the museum I ran around the city trying to find a bookstore. I went into one and the prices were absurd so I checked my trusty Lonely Planet and found another store down the street that was way cheaper and had a much better selection. So I picked up Dry by Augustus Burroughs, the sequel to Running with Scissors, Nicole Roche, thanks for introducing me to this guy! Hopefully this will last me until I get to Sydney where mom can supply me with more books!
After the great book search I went for an early dinner at the Holy Grail Pub, a recommendation by my friend Matt Smith (you've got to check this place out, www.holygrail.co.nz) It's this old art deco theatre turned into a sports bar with an enormous widescreen television and about 50 other flatscreens covering every sporting event going on right now across the world. It has these big balcony bars and padded bleachers... very cool. I had the pumpkin soup, which I've been eating a ton of over here. They actually sell pumpkin halves in the grocery store here, like how you'd buy a watermelon. I hung out there for a bit but not too long because being at a bar by yourself at 5pm isn't always the most exciting thing in the world. So as I came out of the bar I jumped onto the trolley and rode around the city for yet another trolley tour... it's kinda cool because each trolley driver tells you different facts about the city and they each have their own sense of humor. The guy that I had today was really dry and I like that... I've found that many people here don't understand my sarcasm, mostly the English. They take me very seriously until I tell them that I'm kidding... so funny how that is with different cultures.
Oh, and last night I went to see Letters from Iwo Jima. It was a really good movie but I wonder when Clint Eastwood is going to make a happy film? Everything he directs is so dark and depressing. Oh, if you don't want to read subtitles, don't bother renting.
Did I write that I got my bathing suit back? Heck yeah! I called the guys at Rangitata Rafts and had them drop it off at the hostel reception for me yesterday... too bad they didn't return a digital camera with it!
Alright well I think that sums up my days here at Christchurch... tomorrow morning it's off to Kairkoura to possibly do some whale watching if it doesn't rain. I have a night there then it's back up across the Cook Strait by ferry to Wellington to stay with Mike, Debs, and Ethan for a few days... oh how I dream of a big bed!
You can check it out here http://www.ourstories.co.nz/
There was also another guy that I was completely fascinated by, try googling Ian Scott, The Model Series 1996-2004. His collection was rather big for the size of canvas that he painted on. He features one woman per canvas and many of the women are posed in front of famous art. Just as an FYI, these are R rated. The women are pretty much half naked yet painted beautifully, but you may want to have the kiddies leave the room.
After the museum I ran around the city trying to find a bookstore. I went into one and the prices were absurd so I checked my trusty Lonely Planet and found another store down the street that was way cheaper and had a much better selection. So I picked up Dry by Augustus Burroughs, the sequel to Running with Scissors, Nicole Roche, thanks for introducing me to this guy! Hopefully this will last me until I get to Sydney where mom can supply me with more books!
After the great book search I went for an early dinner at the Holy Grail Pub, a recommendation by my friend Matt Smith (you've got to check this place out, www.holygrail.co.nz) It's this old art deco theatre turned into a sports bar with an enormous widescreen television and about 50 other flatscreens covering every sporting event going on right now across the world. It has these big balcony bars and padded bleachers... very cool. I had the pumpkin soup, which I've been eating a ton of over here. They actually sell pumpkin halves in the grocery store here, like how you'd buy a watermelon. I hung out there for a bit but not too long because being at a bar by yourself at 5pm isn't always the most exciting thing in the world. So as I came out of the bar I jumped onto the trolley and rode around the city for yet another trolley tour... it's kinda cool because each trolley driver tells you different facts about the city and they each have their own sense of humor. The guy that I had today was really dry and I like that... I've found that many people here don't understand my sarcasm, mostly the English. They take me very seriously until I tell them that I'm kidding... so funny how that is with different cultures.
Oh, and last night I went to see Letters from Iwo Jima. It was a really good movie but I wonder when Clint Eastwood is going to make a happy film? Everything he directs is so dark and depressing. Oh, if you don't want to read subtitles, don't bother renting.
Did I write that I got my bathing suit back? Heck yeah! I called the guys at Rangitata Rafts and had them drop it off at the hostel reception for me yesterday... too bad they didn't return a digital camera with it!
Alright well I think that sums up my days here at Christchurch... tomorrow morning it's off to Kairkoura to possibly do some whale watching if it doesn't rain. I have a night there then it's back up across the Cook Strait by ferry to Wellington to stay with Mike, Debs, and Ethan for a few days... oh how I dream of a big bed!
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Christchurch
I woke up today feeling like crap. I've had this nagging cough the past 4-5 days and I think I coughed up a lung on the top bunk last night. I called Mamma Dukes this morning who advised me to take the antibiotic that the doctor gave me before I left, so hopefully that kicks in tomorrow and I won't feel like I'm dying.
I walked around Christchurch all day today. It's a pretty city and has tons of old buildings and great architecture. I've taken quite a few pictures, probably more here then any other city so far. My hostel is located in the middle of Cathedral Square so I'm in the central part of town right next to the church (hence the name Christchurch). I went down to the botanical gardens but it was so damn hot out that I escaped into the Canterbury Museum then I roamed over to the Art Center which has a bunch of small shops, boutiques, and cafes. Then I found myself jumping onto a trolley and riding around the city. I ended back up in Cathedral Square and I watched a ton of street performers (I actually saw a guy juggle a chainsaw and two balls!) and browsed the outdoor markets. I think tomorrow I'm going to hit up Christchurch's Contemporary Art Museum (my cup of tea!). Speaking of tea... I've had two pots today. The tea and coffee here is spectacular, although I do find myself thinking about Dunkin Donuts sometimes. There's a Starbucks on every damn corner, but I won't set foot in one of them at home, so I'm not giving in here (Hail Dunkin Donuts and Wawa!).
After my second pot of tea today I was walking around and walked into Cathedral Square to these two kids who couldn't have been more then 10 years old playing the bagpipes and the drums. Now I've heard the bagpipes at Notre Dame games and on tv and during St. Patty's Day and all that, but I guess I've just never REALLY listened to them being played. These 10 year olds were amazing. Now I don't know a good bagpipe and drum player from a ham sandwhich, but I thought they were brilliant. They had this huge crowd around them and they were playing to collect money to go to some competition. At one point a lady called out to them and I realized that she must have been their mom or teacher or something, and they started playing Amazing Grace, it literally brought tears to my eyes, I couldn't believe it. I am still amazed by how good they sounded... hell I couldn't play the recorder in Mrs. Speca's 3rd grade music class let alone play it now. I sat there and listened to them for a good 30-40 minutes then threw a $5 into their suitcase because I was so impressed. I can only hope the mother/teacher/whatever is going to take a cut of the cash... I think that's something you'd hear on the news in the US!!!
I have read just about 4 books so far over here...
--A Million Little Pieces (it was still good, I don't care if he lied)
--Running with Scissors (a very funny yet strange true story)
--Scar Tissue (Bio of Anthony Kiedis and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, a must read
--Little Girl Lost (almost finished this, it's about two German girls fleeing Hamburg during the war and they're trying to find their mother... Kurt and Margie if you haven't read this, you should, it's very good and an easy read)
Also, some additions to Top Jobs in NZ (I copied and pasted the ones from before)
-Tandem Skydive Jumper/Instructor
-Cave tour guide
-Aqua-taxi boat driver in Abel Tasman Park
-Kiwi Experience bus driver (actually, any type of bus driver, they're all CRAZY!)
-Ocean Kayaking Guide
-Glacier Hiking Guide
-Bungy Jumping Cord Operator
-Steamboat Operator (went on a 100 year old steamboat in Q-town)
-Rafting Guide
-More to come!
I walked around Christchurch all day today. It's a pretty city and has tons of old buildings and great architecture. I've taken quite a few pictures, probably more here then any other city so far. My hostel is located in the middle of Cathedral Square so I'm in the central part of town right next to the church (hence the name Christchurch). I went down to the botanical gardens but it was so damn hot out that I escaped into the Canterbury Museum then I roamed over to the Art Center which has a bunch of small shops, boutiques, and cafes. Then I found myself jumping onto a trolley and riding around the city. I ended back up in Cathedral Square and I watched a ton of street performers (I actually saw a guy juggle a chainsaw and two balls!) and browsed the outdoor markets. I think tomorrow I'm going to hit up Christchurch's Contemporary Art Museum (my cup of tea!). Speaking of tea... I've had two pots today. The tea and coffee here is spectacular, although I do find myself thinking about Dunkin Donuts sometimes. There's a Starbucks on every damn corner, but I won't set foot in one of them at home, so I'm not giving in here (Hail Dunkin Donuts and Wawa!).
After my second pot of tea today I was walking around and walked into Cathedral Square to these two kids who couldn't have been more then 10 years old playing the bagpipes and the drums. Now I've heard the bagpipes at Notre Dame games and on tv and during St. Patty's Day and all that, but I guess I've just never REALLY listened to them being played. These 10 year olds were amazing. Now I don't know a good bagpipe and drum player from a ham sandwhich, but I thought they were brilliant. They had this huge crowd around them and they were playing to collect money to go to some competition. At one point a lady called out to them and I realized that she must have been their mom or teacher or something, and they started playing Amazing Grace, it literally brought tears to my eyes, I couldn't believe it. I am still amazed by how good they sounded... hell I couldn't play the recorder in Mrs. Speca's 3rd grade music class let alone play it now. I sat there and listened to them for a good 30-40 minutes then threw a $5 into their suitcase because I was so impressed. I can only hope the mother/teacher/whatever is going to take a cut of the cash... I think that's something you'd hear on the news in the US!!!
I have read just about 4 books so far over here...
--A Million Little Pieces (it was still good, I don't care if he lied)
--Running with Scissors (a very funny yet strange true story)
--Scar Tissue (Bio of Anthony Kiedis and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, a must read
--Little Girl Lost (almost finished this, it's about two German girls fleeing Hamburg during the war and they're trying to find their mother... Kurt and Margie if you haven't read this, you should, it's very good and an easy read)
Also, some additions to Top Jobs in NZ (I copied and pasted the ones from before)
-Tandem Skydive Jumper/Instructor
-Cave tour guide
-Aqua-taxi boat driver in Abel Tasman Park
-Kiwi Experience bus driver (actually, any type of bus driver, they're all CRAZY!)
-Ocean Kayaking Guide
-Glacier Hiking Guide
-Bungy Jumping Cord Operator
-Steamboat Operator (went on a 100 year old steamboat in Q-town)
-Rafting Guide
-More to come!
Rangitata to Christchurch
I left Q-town yesterday and halfway to Christchurch I got dropped off in Geraldine. A guy from the Rangitata Rafting company picked me up and drove me to their lodge in the middle of NOWHERE! We had about a 25 minute drive to the lodge and the road went from a two lane road to a one lane road and then to a one lane dirt road (so you can get a feel of where NOWHERE is) Out of two tour buses of 50 people, I turned out to be the only person who decided to go rafting, so I was at the lodge pretty much by myself and with some of the rafting guides. I got there and met a guide named Dustin who is from Idaho... did you know that Idaho has incredible rafting there? All this time I thought that they just grew potatoes... who knew. So I chatted with Dustin for a bit, a guide named Cam who was hella cool, and an older couple that was staying at the lodge then pretty much just went to bed because I was so knackered from Q-town.
I woke up today and the guides made me breakfast and I pretty much just hung with them and BS'd until the other buses from Christchurch came in with people. The guys were like this huge family preparing breakfast and lunch for all the rafters... I guess you would be a family if you all lived with each other and worked together 24/7 from September until May. Anyway, so they drove us to the river and we got our rafts and started down river. My guide was Ben (holy hotness ladies!) and he has been working at Rangitata for 17 seasons, so he is pretty much a veteran off the river. It was definitely a great time going through all the different grade rapids and just getting totally soaked. We didn't have anyone fall overboard and we didn't flip unlike some of the other guys, which I think pretty much showed Ben's ability on the water. We stopped once to jump off this big cliff then we all swam down river to another spot where we all stopped to jump off another cliff that was actually way way bigger than the first. So I jump about 40 feet off this cliff and swim to shore... so we're all getting back into the rafts and Cam's raft was in the way of Ben's so he tells me to jump on his raft to get to Ben's. So as I am making to jump from Cam's raft to Ben's raft my foot gets caught on one of the ropes and I fall facefirst right into Ben's crotch. I quickly sat up and was laughing so hard and his mouth was pretty much on the floor of the raft. So I grab his face, give him a huge kiss and say, "Well I hope that was as good for you as it was for me." He pretty much just died right then and there. I was absolutely hysterical and SO embarrassed. He just sat there with his mouth to the floor and was like OH MY GOD! Luckily not too many people saw it happen! Eventually we got back to the lodge and the crew cooked us dinner. We were all on the bus leaving and Ben sees me sitting on one of the seats and comes up to the window of the bus and starts kissing it, so of course I lean over and kiss the window as well... I am STILL laughing.
It took about two hours to get to Christchurch and on the way I realized that I left my bathing suit in the bathroom of the lodge--GUTTED! So Mom, if you're going to the beach, can you get the black bathing suit that's in my room (the top and bottom don't match) and the purple striped one as well? Thanks MUAH!! It's also my mom's birthday today! Well, for me it was yesterday, but hey whatever, so Happy Birthday Mom! I will write about Christchurch in a day or two because it's 8:45pm here and I'm not planning on going out to see the city until tomorrow. So until then!
I woke up today and the guides made me breakfast and I pretty much just hung with them and BS'd until the other buses from Christchurch came in with people. The guys were like this huge family preparing breakfast and lunch for all the rafters... I guess you would be a family if you all lived with each other and worked together 24/7 from September until May. Anyway, so they drove us to the river and we got our rafts and started down river. My guide was Ben (holy hotness ladies!) and he has been working at Rangitata for 17 seasons, so he is pretty much a veteran off the river. It was definitely a great time going through all the different grade rapids and just getting totally soaked. We didn't have anyone fall overboard and we didn't flip unlike some of the other guys, which I think pretty much showed Ben's ability on the water. We stopped once to jump off this big cliff then we all swam down river to another spot where we all stopped to jump off another cliff that was actually way way bigger than the first. So I jump about 40 feet off this cliff and swim to shore... so we're all getting back into the rafts and Cam's raft was in the way of Ben's so he tells me to jump on his raft to get to Ben's. So as I am making to jump from Cam's raft to Ben's raft my foot gets caught on one of the ropes and I fall facefirst right into Ben's crotch. I quickly sat up and was laughing so hard and his mouth was pretty much on the floor of the raft. So I grab his face, give him a huge kiss and say, "Well I hope that was as good for you as it was for me." He pretty much just died right then and there. I was absolutely hysterical and SO embarrassed. He just sat there with his mouth to the floor and was like OH MY GOD! Luckily not too many people saw it happen! Eventually we got back to the lodge and the crew cooked us dinner. We were all on the bus leaving and Ben sees me sitting on one of the seats and comes up to the window of the bus and starts kissing it, so of course I lean over and kiss the window as well... I am STILL laughing.
It took about two hours to get to Christchurch and on the way I realized that I left my bathing suit in the bathroom of the lodge--GUTTED! So Mom, if you're going to the beach, can you get the black bathing suit that's in my room (the top and bottom don't match) and the purple striped one as well? Thanks MUAH!! It's also my mom's birthday today! Well, for me it was yesterday, but hey whatever, so Happy Birthday Mom! I will write about Christchurch in a day or two because it's 8:45pm here and I'm not planning on going out to see the city until tomorrow. So until then!
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Queenstown will be the death of me
I quickly got over being bummed about my camera after Kristen got in the other day, which is good because I was pretty upset. The people she is traveling with are really cool and I've made instant friends with Phil, Steve, and Malue. The day they got in Kristen came and met Dave and I on the beach by the lake for a bit then Kristen and I went to meet up with a guy named CK who bartends at my hostel bar Altitude (where my camera went MIA). Kristen's friends that she lived with in Australia worked with CK when they were on a working visa in NZ. So we meet up with CK at the bar while he's working and he tells us about this horizontal bungy contest that is going on at the bar that night and that we should both enter. Kristen bugs out but of course my competitive streak is always alive and I tell CK not only will I enter the contest, but I will win it...
So for the horizontal bungy contest I had a bungee cord strapped around my waist and I had to run the length of the bar, grab a yard of beer out of this girl's hand. Then I had to run backwards with the beer without spilling it then chug it without pouring the beer all over myself. So there were 5 girls in my group including me and I asked CK (who was the announcer) if he could put me last so I could see my competition. So this beastly girl gets up there first and I'm like hmmm she could be difficult... luckily for me she didn't have Joe Miller for track and field in highschool and she didn't know that you have to get low to the ground and dig while running with a bungy (I knew running track was going to do something for me in the future). The other girls weren't that good either and I look at Kristen, Phil, and Dave and I'm like dude, this is totally in the bag. The one girl was actually so bad that they gave her a bar tab for potentially being the worst contestant ever. So CK calls me up and he's all our next contestant is from the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (a few cheers, alot of boos) then the DJ puts on the national anthem. I politely turned to CK and request the Rocky theme which he graciously had the DJ put on. So not only do I completely kill the contest, I win and beat all the girls.... ANNNNNNND I beat all the guys. I got done and CK and the other people running the contest were like we have never seen someone skull a yard of beer so fast before (thank you Lycoming College). I also set a new women's record of 16.4 seconds. I rule. I bet you're all now wondering, OH-MY-GOD what did she win??? Well, I got to jump the Nevis Highwire AGAIN! Yeaaaay! It's something that I never would have paid for to do again, but hell if it's free, I'm game.
So I just got back from doing that and now I'm all wired and giddy like a schoolgirl. The jump wasn't as nearly as cool as the first one because I knew what to expect, but it's still such a crazy rush that you've never ever felt before. I got pictures of me jumping because my other ones were on my digi camera, I have to go pick them up in a few minutes then I am meeting up with Kristen and everyone to go out. I can't believe how fast my time in Q-town has gone by. I feel like I've been here for 2 days and I'm already at a week. On my way to Christchurch I am stopping off and going whitewater rafting in this place called Geraldine. The trip will cut the trip from Q-town to Christchurch in half (6-7 hour drive) and it's supposed to be a pretty good grade 5 rapid river. Tomorrow or the next day I may go wine tasting but I'm not sure. It's kind of pricey and I already did one tasting in Nelson so it'll depend on if anyone else wants to go with me... other than that, not much is planned. I hope you're all doing well in the FREEZING COLD WEATHER that you're all emailing me about! Yeah it was about 90 degrees here today (no yucky PA humidity either). Alright, it's time to wrap this one up... I will write more soon. Mad love to everyone at home in their snowsuits:)
So for the horizontal bungy contest I had a bungee cord strapped around my waist and I had to run the length of the bar, grab a yard of beer out of this girl's hand. Then I had to run backwards with the beer without spilling it then chug it without pouring the beer all over myself. So there were 5 girls in my group including me and I asked CK (who was the announcer) if he could put me last so I could see my competition. So this beastly girl gets up there first and I'm like hmmm she could be difficult... luckily for me she didn't have Joe Miller for track and field in highschool and she didn't know that you have to get low to the ground and dig while running with a bungy (I knew running track was going to do something for me in the future). The other girls weren't that good either and I look at Kristen, Phil, and Dave and I'm like dude, this is totally in the bag. The one girl was actually so bad that they gave her a bar tab for potentially being the worst contestant ever. So CK calls me up and he's all our next contestant is from the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (a few cheers, alot of boos) then the DJ puts on the national anthem. I politely turned to CK and request the Rocky theme which he graciously had the DJ put on. So not only do I completely kill the contest, I win and beat all the girls.... ANNNNNNND I beat all the guys. I got done and CK and the other people running the contest were like we have never seen someone skull a yard of beer so fast before (thank you Lycoming College). I also set a new women's record of 16.4 seconds. I rule. I bet you're all now wondering, OH-MY-GOD what did she win??? Well, I got to jump the Nevis Highwire AGAIN! Yeaaaay! It's something that I never would have paid for to do again, but hell if it's free, I'm game.
So I just got back from doing that and now I'm all wired and giddy like a schoolgirl. The jump wasn't as nearly as cool as the first one because I knew what to expect, but it's still such a crazy rush that you've never ever felt before. I got pictures of me jumping because my other ones were on my digi camera, I have to go pick them up in a few minutes then I am meeting up with Kristen and everyone to go out. I can't believe how fast my time in Q-town has gone by. I feel like I've been here for 2 days and I'm already at a week. On my way to Christchurch I am stopping off and going whitewater rafting in this place called Geraldine. The trip will cut the trip from Q-town to Christchurch in half (6-7 hour drive) and it's supposed to be a pretty good grade 5 rapid river. Tomorrow or the next day I may go wine tasting but I'm not sure. It's kind of pricey and I already did one tasting in Nelson so it'll depend on if anyone else wants to go with me... other than that, not much is planned. I hope you're all doing well in the FREEZING COLD WEATHER that you're all emailing me about! Yeah it was about 90 degrees here today (no yucky PA humidity either). Alright, it's time to wrap this one up... I will write more soon. Mad love to everyone at home in their snowsuits:)
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Q-town
I've been in Queenstown for a few days now, I actually head out of here for Christchurch on the 20th, today is the 15th. I had a slight setback the other night and my digital camera got ripped off at a bar. I've actually been quite bummed out about it. I lost over 200 pictures... I could care less about the camera you know? So I've been hoping that it would pop up somewhere but I've had no luck and I'm sure it's long gone. Luckily I still have my 35mm camera and I've taken quite a few rolls with that, but it's all been pretty much scenery. All the pictures of the people that I have met and hung out with were on the digital and so was my glacier hike and bungy jump. Luckily alot of the people I have met are going to email my some pictures, but it's just not the same you know? So yesterday consisted of me on a bus going to the Milford Sound through these crazy mountains and being on the phone with my mom about 6 times trying to figure out if I can get an insurance claim, which I can. I had to go to the police station last night to fill out a police report (joy) so hopefully things all work out.
So the Milford Sound... I went on a boat cruise yesterday that was included in the pass I bought from the Kiwi bus. It took about 5 hours to get there, we had tht 2 hour boat cruise, then a 5 hour trip home. Needless to say, I was in no mood to do this and I didn't sleep a wink the night before even though I tried going to bed around 10pm. My friend Dave went with me so it was nice that he was there and I didn't have to do it by myself, but I don't think he really enjoyed it either! The scenery was really great and we saw a bunch of seals and tons of fish in this underwater observatory, but other then that there wasn't much to the trip.
My Canadian friend Kristen that I met in Auckland arrives in Q-town today. I am pretty excited to see her, we've been trying to cross paths for a few weeks now. So as crappy as the past 2 days have been, things are looking up and she is here for the rest of my stay in Q-town. It's nice hanging out with another girl, I feel like all I've met are guys since Sarah and I split. Sometimes you just need a cool chick to chill with... which hasn't been easy because most girls here travel in packs and they're like wolves protecting their kill when trying to make friends... no wonder I never get along with girls!
Happy Valentine's Day to everyone at home (even though it was yesterday for me) and I'd like to say hello and I miss you to my fabulous boyfriend who I have now been dating for a year... like whoa, who would have thought!!!??? Hope you all are dealing with the snow and sleet, I am going to go lay on the beach HA! love you and miss you all.
B-Dev, thanks for you myspace message, tell Aunt Sue and Uncle Rodg hi and Aunt E, Uncle Al, and Nanny, I've been eating so much tuna fish and cereal... get ready for me to raid your kitchen when I get home!!!! XOXO.
So the Milford Sound... I went on a boat cruise yesterday that was included in the pass I bought from the Kiwi bus. It took about 5 hours to get there, we had tht 2 hour boat cruise, then a 5 hour trip home. Needless to say, I was in no mood to do this and I didn't sleep a wink the night before even though I tried going to bed around 10pm. My friend Dave went with me so it was nice that he was there and I didn't have to do it by myself, but I don't think he really enjoyed it either! The scenery was really great and we saw a bunch of seals and tons of fish in this underwater observatory, but other then that there wasn't much to the trip.
My Canadian friend Kristen that I met in Auckland arrives in Q-town today. I am pretty excited to see her, we've been trying to cross paths for a few weeks now. So as crappy as the past 2 days have been, things are looking up and she is here for the rest of my stay in Q-town. It's nice hanging out with another girl, I feel like all I've met are guys since Sarah and I split. Sometimes you just need a cool chick to chill with... which hasn't been easy because most girls here travel in packs and they're like wolves protecting their kill when trying to make friends... no wonder I never get along with girls!
Happy Valentine's Day to everyone at home (even though it was yesterday for me) and I'd like to say hello and I miss you to my fabulous boyfriend who I have now been dating for a year... like whoa, who would have thought!!!??? Hope you all are dealing with the snow and sleet, I am going to go lay on the beach HA! love you and miss you all.
B-Dev, thanks for you myspace message, tell Aunt Sue and Uncle Rodg hi and Aunt E, Uncle Al, and Nanny, I've been eating so much tuna fish and cereal... get ready for me to raid your kitchen when I get home!!!! XOXO.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Queenstown
I arrived in Queenstown about two days ago. On our way here the bus stopped at AJ Hacket's Bungy Jump Center where I decided that it would be a good idea to sign up for the Nevis Highwire and jump 134 meters out of a gondola in the middle of the mountains... what a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. I had no intention of bungy jumping on this trip. I've never even wanted to do it, I've always just wanted to skydive... when in Rome right? It was by far the biggest rush I've ever experienced. I can't even begin to explain how it makes you feel. I had someone take pictures of me while I was getting ready to jump and I look like a little kid on Christmas morning. After I got done jumping the girl was trying to take my legs out of the harness and I my kneecaps were shaking. The whole time I couldn't even watch anyone else jump because I didn't want to get freaked out. I'm not scared of heights or anything, but to throw yourself out of a gondola is a pretty mental thing. I just got to the edge and kept looking out, the guy counted 1-2-3 and I did a swan dive out, I am still shaking thinking about it. I could hardly watch my video after I did it.
So my last day in Wanaka was pretty cool. While I was in the LAX getting my flight here I met this guy Adam from Minnesota who was going to work and travel here. We've been text messaging each other and when he would be arriving in a town I would always be leaving. We finally caught up in Wanaka and went out for lunch and he is here in Queenstown now. It's kinda nice to have a little bit of home here... I mean not that Minnesota is really close to home but you know what I mean. My bunkmates are ok, there is a couple that doesn't really talk and another girl who is kinda odd and she has her crap all over the damn room. I been hanging out with this guy Adam (another Adam) and he's just been super nice and has let me tag along with him and the other guys he is traveling with who are a riot and probably some of the worst dancers I have ever seen. Right when I got into town Adam and his friend Sam asked me if I wanted to go eat dinner with them so we headed to this place called Fergburger which has the biggest hamburgers I have ever eaten. There are seriously as big as my face, not kidding. Sam proceeded to eat the burger in all of 3 bites and I couldn't even bite into the thing. I felt like a cartoon character with the huge sandwich. Every time I went to bite everything would come out the other side of the burger and end up on the table. It took me a could 25 minutes to eat it.
My friend Sophie who I traveled the north island with is also here but is leaving tomorrow. She and I went out last night with all the guys and our other friend Michael and it was just absolute chaos. I also traveled with Michael on the north island but have never mentioned him. He is German and so funny but funny like he isn't trying to be funny it's just his mannerisms and he is so naive about things. Like he just does and says the most random things and we all laugh and he's all in his German accent, Why are you laughing at me, I'm not trying to be funny. We were all in the bar last night and Michael just disappeared. About a half hour later he comes back to the bar and has a huge buldge in his pocket. I point at it and I'm like what the hell is that, and he pulls out a can of Watties spaghetti and meatballs. I'm like Michael why do you have that you're in the bar and he replies, well in case I get hungry I can just snap off the lid and eat right here. At one point we all went back to our rooms to get our IDs because we were going out to another bar. I came down to meet Michael and Sophie and Michael is carrying a box of goon (wine) I'm like, Michael where did you get that, and he replies to me umm I found it in my room, it's mine now and we're going to drink it... so we did. Somewhere in the chaos we gained another guy in the group and we all sat down in the hallway and proceeded to pass the bag around. Then a girl came out and yelled at us so we moved downstairs to the lobby of the hostel and drank there. After we kill the bag we thought that it would be a good time to go out and get food. We end up at this all night mini-mart and of all the things I could choose to eat I get a hotdog on a stick and wedges. Needless to say, we never made it to the other bar which is probably a good thing because it was karaoke night!
I had to get a new pair of flip flops today because the bar we went to doesn't clean the floor. It was so sticky last night that when I picked up my foot I pulled the rubber part that connects to the bottom of the flip flop right through the sole. So those flip flops lasted me a good 4 1/2 weeks in New Zealand. I had to go change into my Old Navy shower shoes and wear them out...niiiice. Oh and that reminds me, no one where's shower shoes in this country, no one. I think myself and my Canadian friend are the only people that wear shoes in the showers...vomit.
Well, I am here in Q-town until the 20th so I'm sure I will have more fantastic stories to tell. I just ran into LA Airport Adam and we're going to go get pizza at Winnies for dinner (thanks Gwenn!!) I will write more about my escapades later.
NZ Time: Monday February 12, 2007, 4:42pm
Philly Time: Sunday February 11, 2007, 10:43pm
So my last day in Wanaka was pretty cool. While I was in the LAX getting my flight here I met this guy Adam from Minnesota who was going to work and travel here. We've been text messaging each other and when he would be arriving in a town I would always be leaving. We finally caught up in Wanaka and went out for lunch and he is here in Queenstown now. It's kinda nice to have a little bit of home here... I mean not that Minnesota is really close to home but you know what I mean. My bunkmates are ok, there is a couple that doesn't really talk and another girl who is kinda odd and she has her crap all over the damn room. I been hanging out with this guy Adam (another Adam) and he's just been super nice and has let me tag along with him and the other guys he is traveling with who are a riot and probably some of the worst dancers I have ever seen. Right when I got into town Adam and his friend Sam asked me if I wanted to go eat dinner with them so we headed to this place called Fergburger which has the biggest hamburgers I have ever eaten. There are seriously as big as my face, not kidding. Sam proceeded to eat the burger in all of 3 bites and I couldn't even bite into the thing. I felt like a cartoon character with the huge sandwich. Every time I went to bite everything would come out the other side of the burger and end up on the table. It took me a could 25 minutes to eat it.
My friend Sophie who I traveled the north island with is also here but is leaving tomorrow. She and I went out last night with all the guys and our other friend Michael and it was just absolute chaos. I also traveled with Michael on the north island but have never mentioned him. He is German and so funny but funny like he isn't trying to be funny it's just his mannerisms and he is so naive about things. Like he just does and says the most random things and we all laugh and he's all in his German accent, Why are you laughing at me, I'm not trying to be funny. We were all in the bar last night and Michael just disappeared. About a half hour later he comes back to the bar and has a huge buldge in his pocket. I point at it and I'm like what the hell is that, and he pulls out a can of Watties spaghetti and meatballs. I'm like Michael why do you have that you're in the bar and he replies, well in case I get hungry I can just snap off the lid and eat right here. At one point we all went back to our rooms to get our IDs because we were going out to another bar. I came down to meet Michael and Sophie and Michael is carrying a box of goon (wine) I'm like, Michael where did you get that, and he replies to me umm I found it in my room, it's mine now and we're going to drink it... so we did. Somewhere in the chaos we gained another guy in the group and we all sat down in the hallway and proceeded to pass the bag around. Then a girl came out and yelled at us so we moved downstairs to the lobby of the hostel and drank there. After we kill the bag we thought that it would be a good time to go out and get food. We end up at this all night mini-mart and of all the things I could choose to eat I get a hotdog on a stick and wedges. Needless to say, we never made it to the other bar which is probably a good thing because it was karaoke night!
I had to get a new pair of flip flops today because the bar we went to doesn't clean the floor. It was so sticky last night that when I picked up my foot I pulled the rubber part that connects to the bottom of the flip flop right through the sole. So those flip flops lasted me a good 4 1/2 weeks in New Zealand. I had to go change into my Old Navy shower shoes and wear them out...niiiice. Oh and that reminds me, no one where's shower shoes in this country, no one. I think myself and my Canadian friend are the only people that wear shoes in the showers...vomit.
Well, I am here in Q-town until the 20th so I'm sure I will have more fantastic stories to tell. I just ran into LA Airport Adam and we're going to go get pizza at Winnies for dinner (thanks Gwenn!!) I will write more about my escapades later.
NZ Time: Monday February 12, 2007, 4:42pm
Philly Time: Sunday February 11, 2007, 10:43pm
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Still rockin Wanaka
It's Thursday here, today has been a pretty chill day. I walked around town for quite a bit and read by the lake. I was out until 3am last night... exactly what I said I wasn't going to do, be out late. Rob, US-Holland, and I met a Kiwi named Dean and he ended up taking us all around town (I make it sound like NYC, Wanaka is like 5 blocks by 5 blocks) We had a real good time and it was nice to hang out with a Kiwi and not someone who is just a traveler. Dean is on holiday here in Wanaka, he really lives in Wellington. As of yesterday Rob and I couldn't get on the Kiwi bus for Saturday because it was booked solid so we were on the waitlist. Dean offered to take us to Queenstown because it's only an hour 1/2 away and he's on holiday. I definitely considered it, but I called the Kiwi office today and I got on the bus so that's good. Mom, you can pick your mouth up off the floor and dad you can stop yelling. It is extremely safe here... the people here are just nicer and willing to go out of their way for you. They are proud of their country and want the people that visit to experience it to the fullest... p.s. bet you all didn't know that hitchhiking is a main form of transportation here.
So US-Holland turned out to be ok... still not a huge fan of her, but she was nice to hang out with for a night. I think I may have run into her at a Grateful Dead concert or in the dance pit the last time I saw Phish. She tried to tell me that when she was hiking in Franz Josef she saw THE tree where pixies came from. She was so sincere about the whole thing, she even whipped out her digital camera and showed me a picture of the tree. It took everything I had to not laugh. I wanted to tell her to stay off the pot she was smoking for a few days but I decided not to... I also opted to tell her that maybe it was a bird that she saw on the tree, but I didn't want to spoil her utter amazement with the pixie tree. I mean seeing the tree where pixies come from... man, that's a story to tell the grandkids. I think US-Holland needs to dock her boat somewhere other than Amsterdam.
Some of you may remember when I was backpacking Europe I had a Japanese girl accuse me of stealing her contacts and her contact case in Belgium (I'm not lying). Well I think I am receiving payback for laughing right in her face. There is a Japanese girl staying in my room for a few days. She is extremely nice, but like the can opener girl, she doesn't really understand English. So I talk to her slow and try to act things out like I'm playing charades-- awesome. It took me five minutes to try to explain to her where the grocery store was. Finally I just drug her out the sliding glass door of our room and pointed at it... I should have thought of that first. I think God wants me to be the Japanese tourist ambassador. My job will be to show them how to use kitchen utensils and point out the nearest grocery store. I think I have found my calling. Also, this has nothing to do with the story I just told, Dean told me last night that I should do stand up comedy, not the first person to suggest it, but it was pretty funny. Are there any job postings at QVC for japanese tourist ambassador/stand up comedian? Jenny and Richard, please let me know and put that down on my PODP.
I'll write in Queenstown... oh and check this out www.google.co.nz
now type in Nevis Highwire!
NZ time: Thursday, February 8, 2007, 4:30pm (Hey, it's Matt Herneisen's birthday)
Philly time: Wednesday, February 7, 2007, 10:30pm (not Matt Herneisen's birthday)
So US-Holland turned out to be ok... still not a huge fan of her, but she was nice to hang out with for a night. I think I may have run into her at a Grateful Dead concert or in the dance pit the last time I saw Phish. She tried to tell me that when she was hiking in Franz Josef she saw THE tree where pixies came from. She was so sincere about the whole thing, she even whipped out her digital camera and showed me a picture of the tree. It took everything I had to not laugh. I wanted to tell her to stay off the pot she was smoking for a few days but I decided not to... I also opted to tell her that maybe it was a bird that she saw on the tree, but I didn't want to spoil her utter amazement with the pixie tree. I mean seeing the tree where pixies come from... man, that's a story to tell the grandkids. I think US-Holland needs to dock her boat somewhere other than Amsterdam.
Some of you may remember when I was backpacking Europe I had a Japanese girl accuse me of stealing her contacts and her contact case in Belgium (I'm not lying). Well I think I am receiving payback for laughing right in her face. There is a Japanese girl staying in my room for a few days. She is extremely nice, but like the can opener girl, she doesn't really understand English. So I talk to her slow and try to act things out like I'm playing charades-- awesome. It took me five minutes to try to explain to her where the grocery store was. Finally I just drug her out the sliding glass door of our room and pointed at it... I should have thought of that first. I think God wants me to be the Japanese tourist ambassador. My job will be to show them how to use kitchen utensils and point out the nearest grocery store. I think I have found my calling. Also, this has nothing to do with the story I just told, Dean told me last night that I should do stand up comedy, not the first person to suggest it, but it was pretty funny. Are there any job postings at QVC for japanese tourist ambassador/stand up comedian? Jenny and Richard, please let me know and put that down on my PODP.
I'll write in Queenstown... oh and check this out www.google.co.nz
now type in Nevis Highwire!
NZ time: Thursday, February 8, 2007, 4:30pm (Hey, it's Matt Herneisen's birthday)
Philly time: Wednesday, February 7, 2007, 10:30pm (not Matt Herneisen's birthday)
Wanaka
Picture a huge crystal blue lake with the biggest snowcapped mountains you can possibly think of out in the distance. That is Wanaka. Oh and it's like 85-90 degrees here. If I tried to compare Wanaka to the Poconos it would be like trying to talk you into eating the old lint covered tic tacs at the bottom of my purse... not a chance in hell.
Yesterday all my friends left me... again (do we see a pattern here?). I freaked out about being by myself and being out of my comfort zone and called my mom who was like, yo get a grip you'll be ok... and of course I calmed down. So after talking to her and to my wonderful boyfriend I went to the lake and chilled... by myself (ha). As quickly as the scary anxious feeling comes, it leaves and I'm ok and laying on the sheet that I stole from the hostel that I am staying at. I ended up meeting some girl who is also from the US but was born in Holland or something... I don't know I didn't really feel like talking to her because I felt like she was trying extremely hard to be cool and talk all surfer like... does the North Sea get waves? Anyway, I just started reading and she got the hint. So I hung out the rest of the day then fell asleep watching Mr. & Mrs. Smith with my new Danish roommates (they would have been much better rommates if they brought some danish) I woke up in the morning and BAM! By myself again... which I am actually beginning to like. I go to sleep at night with people in the room and I wake up by myself. I went and kayaked on the lake today for 2 hours. I went out to this little island and kayaked around it then went all over the lake and came back and just laid on the beach all day (oh the life) So who do I run into? The US-Holland girl (sounds like the name of a ship). We talk a little more and she asks me if I want to meet up for a few beers tonight. I told her I would, so that is my plan as of now, to go out with the US-Holland and have a few beers then go to bed. I think she may think I'm going to be out until 4am with her, she's in for a surprise... hopefully she doesn't put any roofies in my drink and try to take advantage of me (I can't believe I just wrote that). I was talking to a guy at the kayak place today and he told me of a hike with good scenic views that isn't too crazy hard, so I may do that tomorrow morning.
A few of my friends are moving south and are going to catch up with me in a few days so that is something to look forward to. I met a guy named Adam in the LAX airport on the way over here and we exchanged info. He called me today and is a city behind me, we are going to meet up in Queenstown. And since he has been there before he knows the lay of the town and can probably show me some cool stuff which is always good. I also talked to my friend Dave from the UK and Kristen from Canada and we're all going to try to meet up as well... Queenstown should be a good time.
I probably won't write for a few days because I'll still be in Wanaka, so don't fear, I am still alive. I will talk to you all soon... Colella it was nice to talk to you yesterday, it makes me feel like I am at home. Keep sending the emails and the posts! Miss you all.
Yesterday all my friends left me... again (do we see a pattern here?). I freaked out about being by myself and being out of my comfort zone and called my mom who was like, yo get a grip you'll be ok... and of course I calmed down. So after talking to her and to my wonderful boyfriend I went to the lake and chilled... by myself (ha). As quickly as the scary anxious feeling comes, it leaves and I'm ok and laying on the sheet that I stole from the hostel that I am staying at. I ended up meeting some girl who is also from the US but was born in Holland or something... I don't know I didn't really feel like talking to her because I felt like she was trying extremely hard to be cool and talk all surfer like... does the North Sea get waves? Anyway, I just started reading and she got the hint. So I hung out the rest of the day then fell asleep watching Mr. & Mrs. Smith with my new Danish roommates (they would have been much better rommates if they brought some danish) I woke up in the morning and BAM! By myself again... which I am actually beginning to like. I go to sleep at night with people in the room and I wake up by myself. I went and kayaked on the lake today for 2 hours. I went out to this little island and kayaked around it then went all over the lake and came back and just laid on the beach all day (oh the life) So who do I run into? The US-Holland girl (sounds like the name of a ship). We talk a little more and she asks me if I want to meet up for a few beers tonight. I told her I would, so that is my plan as of now, to go out with the US-Holland and have a few beers then go to bed. I think she may think I'm going to be out until 4am with her, she's in for a surprise... hopefully she doesn't put any roofies in my drink and try to take advantage of me (I can't believe I just wrote that). I was talking to a guy at the kayak place today and he told me of a hike with good scenic views that isn't too crazy hard, so I may do that tomorrow morning.
A few of my friends are moving south and are going to catch up with me in a few days so that is something to look forward to. I met a guy named Adam in the LAX airport on the way over here and we exchanged info. He called me today and is a city behind me, we are going to meet up in Queenstown. And since he has been there before he knows the lay of the town and can probably show me some cool stuff which is always good. I also talked to my friend Dave from the UK and Kristen from Canada and we're all going to try to meet up as well... Queenstown should be a good time.
I probably won't write for a few days because I'll still be in Wanaka, so don't fear, I am still alive. I will talk to you all soon... Colella it was nice to talk to you yesterday, it makes me feel like I am at home. Keep sending the emails and the posts! Miss you all.
Saturday, February 3, 2007
Franz Josef
I hiked the Franz Josef Glacier yesterday. It was pretty cool, and the sites were incredible. It wasn't my most favorite thing that i have done here, but how many people do you know that have hiked a glacier? Yeah that's what I thought. I took about 40 pictures... they just won't do this place justice. It is so beautiful here, I can't get over how blue everything is; the sky, the water, the mountains, everything is SO blue and if it's not blue then its green, like Kermit the Frog green. All the plants and trees look like someone colored then with a green highlighter.
So my crew left on the bus this morning, I am staying a day longer because I have so much time until March. My friends Sophie and Thurstan came in on the bus yesterday, so I will be traveling with them on their bus now. Sophie is 19, from the UK, and fresh out of Uni. At times I forget that I am six years older then her but she is hella cool and is alot of fun to hang out with. I met Thurstan on the Tongiraro Crossing in Taupo. He is also very nice and has crazy curly hair. I was kind of bummed to leave Sarah, Ben, and Stu because they have all been so fun, I have never laughed so hard in my life. Ben and I decided that doing the Thriller dance at the bar last nite was a good idea (who knows why) we had the entire bar watching us... check youTube for a video, someone had to take one (now i can't run for office!) I will meet up with Ben and Stu in Queenstown and I will have a night with Sarah in Wanaka.
Ok, so a few of you have sent emails about the comet. I did see the comet in Wellington. Mike, Deb, Ethan and one of their friends and I went out my last night there to see it. Nothing crazy, just a white streak in the sky... it would have been cooler if it was flaming or something but I can't always have what I want you know:)
And now for the absolute BEST highlight of my trip that I forgot to tell you all about in my Wesport blog... I taught a Japanese girl how to use a can opener. We were all making dinner in the kitchen. While I was opening a can of tuna, I made a remark about how much the can opener sucked and it was hard to use. So the Japanese girl comes over and goes, "I try?" and I'm thinking ummm ok I guess she wants to see how much the can opener sucks. So I say sure, she grabs the can and picks up the can opener and is staring at it was absolute amazement. And she's turning it around in her hand and is opening and closing the handles. So now I think to myself, holy shizat this girl doesn't know what a damn can opener is.... so i show her how to clamp it onto the can and twist the twister thinger. and she looks at me with wide eyes and a huge smile and goes OOOOOOH! like she just won a million bucks or something. I didn't even realize what was happening until i started eating. I was like oh-my-god I just taught someone how to use a can opener... RANDOM. The next day we stopped at a cafe on the way to the lake and she asked me what wedges were... so I told her to buy them and get sour cream to put on them... she really enjoyed that, like a kid on Christmas morning. You know, it's amazing what people just don't know. I'm sure I'd be the same way if I went to Japan.
Things that I miss at home:
1. Toilet seat covers (seriously, that is not a joke)
2. Having one faucet at the sink, they have two faucets here, a hot and a cold
3. My down pillows, the pillow here are like sleeping on a stack of newspapers
4. Friends (the tv show) they have the show here, but the voices are at a higher pitch or something, for example, Joey Tribiani sounds like he got kicked in between the legs
5. Ketchup... the stuff here is really sweet
Oh and an FYI, the carrots here are AWESOME. I don't even like carrots and I've been eating them non-stop here. Mom, if we lived in NZ when I was a kid, I would have eaten my veggies! oh and even better, there is an ad running on the tv right now for the Hogan's Heroes box set!
So my crew left on the bus this morning, I am staying a day longer because I have so much time until March. My friends Sophie and Thurstan came in on the bus yesterday, so I will be traveling with them on their bus now. Sophie is 19, from the UK, and fresh out of Uni. At times I forget that I am six years older then her but she is hella cool and is alot of fun to hang out with. I met Thurstan on the Tongiraro Crossing in Taupo. He is also very nice and has crazy curly hair. I was kind of bummed to leave Sarah, Ben, and Stu because they have all been so fun, I have never laughed so hard in my life. Ben and I decided that doing the Thriller dance at the bar last nite was a good idea (who knows why) we had the entire bar watching us... check youTube for a video, someone had to take one (now i can't run for office!) I will meet up with Ben and Stu in Queenstown and I will have a night with Sarah in Wanaka.
Ok, so a few of you have sent emails about the comet. I did see the comet in Wellington. Mike, Deb, Ethan and one of their friends and I went out my last night there to see it. Nothing crazy, just a white streak in the sky... it would have been cooler if it was flaming or something but I can't always have what I want you know:)
And now for the absolute BEST highlight of my trip that I forgot to tell you all about in my Wesport blog... I taught a Japanese girl how to use a can opener. We were all making dinner in the kitchen. While I was opening a can of tuna, I made a remark about how much the can opener sucked and it was hard to use. So the Japanese girl comes over and goes, "I try?" and I'm thinking ummm ok I guess she wants to see how much the can opener sucks. So I say sure, she grabs the can and picks up the can opener and is staring at it was absolute amazement. And she's turning it around in her hand and is opening and closing the handles. So now I think to myself, holy shizat this girl doesn't know what a damn can opener is.... so i show her how to clamp it onto the can and twist the twister thinger. and she looks at me with wide eyes and a huge smile and goes OOOOOOH! like she just won a million bucks or something. I didn't even realize what was happening until i started eating. I was like oh-my-god I just taught someone how to use a can opener... RANDOM. The next day we stopped at a cafe on the way to the lake and she asked me what wedges were... so I told her to buy them and get sour cream to put on them... she really enjoyed that, like a kid on Christmas morning. You know, it's amazing what people just don't know. I'm sure I'd be the same way if I went to Japan.
Things that I miss at home:
1. Toilet seat covers (seriously, that is not a joke)
2. Having one faucet at the sink, they have two faucets here, a hot and a cold
3. My down pillows, the pillow here are like sleeping on a stack of newspapers
4. Friends (the tv show) they have the show here, but the voices are at a higher pitch or something, for example, Joey Tribiani sounds like he got kicked in between the legs
5. Ketchup... the stuff here is really sweet
Oh and an FYI, the carrots here are AWESOME. I don't even like carrots and I've been eating them non-stop here. Mom, if we lived in NZ when I was a kid, I would have eaten my veggies! oh and even better, there is an ad running on the tv right now for the Hogan's Heroes box set!
Friday, February 2, 2007
Lake Mahinapua
After i blogged in Westport i ended up meeting this 45 year old guy in the hostel named Sam. Sam looks like he just stepped out of an 80's hair band. he has this crazy hair and the acid washed jeans and the sleeveless jean jacket... oh the people you meet. well anyway, so i talked to him for a while and it turns out he's been traveling his entire life and has never stayed in one place. he just travels works when he needs money then travels again. He is a musician and i asked if he ever met anyone or played with anyone famous and he proceeds to tell me that he met CHUCK NORRIS and that he was an extra in the movie Renegade. When CN jumps out of the plane, he is the guy that jumps out after him... when i get home i am renting that movie!
So on the way to Lake Mahinapua the bus stopped in Greymouth so we could pick up costumes for the fiesta at the place we were staying at... yeah, who knew there was even a fiesta? the theme was characters from movies, so i ripped off my old dazed and confused costume and was one of the senior girls (for a 3rd time). We get to the hostel which is in the freakin middle of NOWHERE, it's like the move Deliverance only we're at the beach. There is a crazy guy that runs the place named Les and he looks like he walked straight outta Zerns... in fact, i sort of felt like i was at home because the bar reminded me of Zerns (but cleaner). Apparently this place is legendary and that's why they take us there, so it's all in good fun. We all have this huge meal of steak and potatoes etc and then we put on our costumes and the drinking begins DUM DUM DUM DUM (the bartender reminded me of the mother from the Adams Family) so we drink and drink and drink... then we decide that walking down to the lake is a GREAT idea. as we're walking in the dark i'm like hmmm... this is how scary movies start... they bring us to an isolated place, feed us, make us dress up, give us lots of booze, then "take us to the lake" AKA kill us..... obviously i made it and i am still alive, but the thought did cross my mind. i ended up having the time of my life. the new people i met on the bus are hilarious and have dubbed me Team America, even though i am the only American and there is no team. the bar closed down and all the guys start singing god save the queen and all these crazy pub songs which turned into me belting out an abridged version of the star spangled banner. we were all singing and dancing on picnic tables with Andy our new bus driver singing OLE OLE OLE OLE (college flashback) and Johnny Cash's ring of fire. i can honestly say that it was one of the best nights of my life. who would EVER think that being with a bunch of people that i don't know from adam and i'd have the greatest time? definitely not me.
anyway, my time is about out. tomorrow i do glacier hiking then i am here for another nite to just chill... then it's off to Wanaka (rhymes with the jewish holiday) for about 4-5 nights. Keep sending the emails and the blog messages, i can't get enough of them and it's nice to know that you're all thinking about me. oh and i just wanted to give a small shout to my mom and say congrats on your retirement and i can't wait to celebrate when you get to Sydney... and hello to my Dad, i miss you and i have shipped a sheep home for you so you can make sweaters. and Dana, the drivers here would give you a run for your money!!! tell my QVCers i said hello and that i met someone who knows the finn brothers and steriogram!
So on the way to Lake Mahinapua the bus stopped in Greymouth so we could pick up costumes for the fiesta at the place we were staying at... yeah, who knew there was even a fiesta? the theme was characters from movies, so i ripped off my old dazed and confused costume and was one of the senior girls (for a 3rd time). We get to the hostel which is in the freakin middle of NOWHERE, it's like the move Deliverance only we're at the beach. There is a crazy guy that runs the place named Les and he looks like he walked straight outta Zerns... in fact, i sort of felt like i was at home because the bar reminded me of Zerns (but cleaner). Apparently this place is legendary and that's why they take us there, so it's all in good fun. We all have this huge meal of steak and potatoes etc and then we put on our costumes and the drinking begins DUM DUM DUM DUM (the bartender reminded me of the mother from the Adams Family) so we drink and drink and drink... then we decide that walking down to the lake is a GREAT idea. as we're walking in the dark i'm like hmmm... this is how scary movies start... they bring us to an isolated place, feed us, make us dress up, give us lots of booze, then "take us to the lake" AKA kill us..... obviously i made it and i am still alive, but the thought did cross my mind. i ended up having the time of my life. the new people i met on the bus are hilarious and have dubbed me Team America, even though i am the only American and there is no team. the bar closed down and all the guys start singing god save the queen and all these crazy pub songs which turned into me belting out an abridged version of the star spangled banner. we were all singing and dancing on picnic tables with Andy our new bus driver singing OLE OLE OLE OLE (college flashback) and Johnny Cash's ring of fire. i can honestly say that it was one of the best nights of my life. who would EVER think that being with a bunch of people that i don't know from adam and i'd have the greatest time? definitely not me.
anyway, my time is about out. tomorrow i do glacier hiking then i am here for another nite to just chill... then it's off to Wanaka (rhymes with the jewish holiday) for about 4-5 nights. Keep sending the emails and the blog messages, i can't get enough of them and it's nice to know that you're all thinking about me. oh and i just wanted to give a small shout to my mom and say congrats on your retirement and i can't wait to celebrate when you get to Sydney... and hello to my Dad, i miss you and i have shipped a sheep home for you so you can make sweaters. and Dana, the drivers here would give you a run for your money!!! tell my QVCers i said hello and that i met someone who knows the finn brothers and steriogram!
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