The shuttle to bring me to the airport is coming in exactly one hour.
I'm all packed. I was thinking that, though it seemed like a good idea at the time, I should have brought two suitcases to New Zealand instead of Matthew's shitty old hockey bag. But I ended up shipping another box of books I can't part with and my coffee pot (which I obviously can't part with), which opened a world of possibilities. I'm now glad I only have one shitty hockey bag full of my semester.
Jennifer left this am (ridiculously hungover and the apartment a mess), so Monica and I have been sporadically cleaning all day. We threw away enough food to feed a nestled community, which I feel extremely guilty about. Though it sounds like an excuse, I swear very little of it was mine. I did a very good job eating all my food.
So good a job that my one remaining roommate and I ordered Hell today!!! (You should really actually visit that website; it's fantastic.) Free delivery Tuesday-- hell yes. It was out-of-control delicious.
Yesterday sucked. Ashley, Matt and Mike left in the afternoon, and I did nothing before their departure. I should have packed, but I wallowed and hung out and was on Facebook chat (which I only discovered this week, btw). Then I said goodbye to them, cried, and wallowed for the rest of the day. Then I packed, really poorly, then Michelle and I commiserated, then I had to say goodbye to her, too! It was terrible. I'm surprised I slept so well.
I feel infinitely better today. I think it's because I've already said my hardest goodbyes (besides to this glorious country herself... that might be the hardest, now that I think about it). And I'm all packed. And our room is fairly clean. We haven't vacuumed, and we're not going to. It's the least I can't do for this godforsaken building.
I will miss New Zealand. I will miss Auckland. I will miss the Kiwi accent and slang. I will miss this semester. I am so, eternally, ridiculously grateful for these overwhelming and frightening and beautiful four months.
I can't believe I'm coming home.
PS-- Happy birtday Matthewwwwwwww!!!! My big brother is 22. THAT IS OLD. MATT YOU ARE OLD. For your birthday, you get to pick me up at the airport! Huzzah!!!!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
Photo bandwagon... I fell off.
Here are links to my last two (!!!) photo albums from Auckland:
Kelly Tarlton's
Devonport and Sailing, plus some randoms.
So... they're both kind of lame. The Kelly T's one is good, but Kathy took all the pictures with my camera. And I didn't take ANY photos while I was WWOOFing, besides one of the stream and some really lame ones at the beach... And while I was taking totally lame photos at the beach, sand got into the crevices of my camera and now it's extremely unhappy, so all my pictures from Devonport are blurry. AND THEN I borrowed my roommate's camera to go sailing today, but the battery ran out not long after we set sail, PLUS the lens cover was still partially covering the lens for the few photos I managed to take... Um, massive fail.
So, on that note, enjoy 'em!
Kelly Tarlton's
Devonport and Sailing, plus some randoms.
So... they're both kind of lame. The Kelly T's one is good, but Kathy took all the pictures with my camera. And I didn't take ANY photos while I was WWOOFing, besides one of the stream and some really lame ones at the beach... And while I was taking totally lame photos at the beach, sand got into the crevices of my camera and now it's extremely unhappy, so all my pictures from Devonport are blurry. AND THEN I borrowed my roommate's camera to go sailing today, but the battery ran out not long after we set sail, PLUS the lens cover was still partially covering the lens for the few photos I managed to take... Um, massive fail.
So, on that note, enjoy 'em!
Sunday, November 16, 2008
The Bliss Continues
Friday was an incredible, incredible day. My day began with the fortuitous iTunes shuffle and only improved from there.
I caught the 1:30 ferry to Devonport. I thought that the boats left from Auckland on the 15 and 45, so I was annoyed because I got to the terminal at like, 1:20. But it turns out they leave from Auckland on the hour and the half hour, which was perfect!
I rode over with a woman from my Mag Jo class who was heading to Devonport to meet a friend, and we had a nice chat.
When I deboated, I grabbed a map and asked how to get to Wild and Woolly Yarns, and then made my way up Victoria St, stopping in all the shops that struck my fancy along the way. I bought "Oh, to be a writer, a real writer!" from a secondhand bookshop. It's a collection of the first forty winners of the Bank of New Zealand Katherine Mansfield short story award, NZ's most prestigious short story prize. And it has a fantastic title!
Then I found the heavenly gates... Seriously. I have been searching for yarn in this country for four months. Albeit a small one, the thought of yarn was one of the factors that went into my decision to come to New Zealand. The yarn store was definitely one of the big draws to Devonport for me, too, and THANK GOD I went... it was perfect. THEY WERE HAVING A SALE ON CHUNKY YARNS. WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT I'M IN THE MARKET FOR. So I bought 14 skeins of yarn... all for $3 and $4 each (they usually go for $9+). I literally had butterflies in my stomach in the store. I was so goddamned excited!!! It's beautiful New Zealand wool and I am so, so pleased. Yarn is great.
Then I did a little self-guided walking tour of the adorable port town, along the waterfront, past the yacht club... What a great town!! It occurred to me that I could picture myself living there, but then I realized that was only because it reminds me of New England.
I walked up North Head, a little reserve atop a hill, full of plantlife and an old fortress and as much history as any pace in New Zealand has (i.e., dates back to about 1860). From the summit I had awesome views of Auckland, Rangitoto, and the harbour! I saw approximately one cloud the entire day, and the sun was baaaaking. It was a gorgeous day, which made the view so much better.
I sat at the summit and wrote in my journal and had a zen moment: I was looking out on Rangitoto, which was the first daytrip I took in New Zealand the first weekend I was here. That day I felt excited and nervous... I had four months in this crazy country ahead of me. And on my last weekend here, I sat atop North Head, looking out at Rangitoto, and I realized I have come completely full circle. I have done everything I could have in this country, and it's time for me to come home. Balance, baby.
I walked down North Head and back into town via Cheltenham Beach. It was low tide, so even out pretty far from the shoreline, I was only up to my ankles in the glorious ocean. It was so warm and delightful.
I stopped for a New Zealand's version of an iced coffee-- which is more like dessert than a necessity in a plastic cup-- and caught the 5:15 ferry back to Auckland to meet Kevin and the BU people at Forde's one last time.
Obviously everyone made fun of how excited I was about my yarn, but I think they secretly understand. Then I hung out with Michelle and my roommates-- THE LAST NIGHT THE FOUR OF US WILL BE TOGETHER IN UNILODGE, EVER-- and it was wonderful.
On Saturday I went to Aotea Square for the markets with Michelle, Ning and Jasmine. I finished my souvenier shopping!!!
Then I met up with Meg (who was studying in Wellington) and her friend Laurie for the afternoon! They had just come into Auckland after a bus tour of the North Island. Meg's flight HOME TO BOSTON was yesterday afternoon, but Laurie isn't flying back to Australia until this afternoon, so she stayed with me last night. We had an awesome barbecue in UniLodge and it was a fun night.
Kathy and Bonnie left last night... it was ridiculously sad. Harder than I thought it would be to say goodbye. And not because I won't see them again; I know I will. But their leaving made us all kind of realize that this chapter in our lives is ending. The next time we all get together, we're going to be in completely different places. That's awesome, but a little scary and a little sad!
But I still have two full days. I'm going sailing on the America's Cup boat today!!!! So STOKED for that.
I just love life.
I caught the 1:30 ferry to Devonport. I thought that the boats left from Auckland on the 15 and 45, so I was annoyed because I got to the terminal at like, 1:20. But it turns out they leave from Auckland on the hour and the half hour, which was perfect!
I rode over with a woman from my Mag Jo class who was heading to Devonport to meet a friend, and we had a nice chat.
When I deboated, I grabbed a map and asked how to get to Wild and Woolly Yarns, and then made my way up Victoria St, stopping in all the shops that struck my fancy along the way. I bought "Oh, to be a writer, a real writer!" from a secondhand bookshop. It's a collection of the first forty winners of the Bank of New Zealand Katherine Mansfield short story award, NZ's most prestigious short story prize. And it has a fantastic title!
Then I found the heavenly gates... Seriously. I have been searching for yarn in this country for four months. Albeit a small one, the thought of yarn was one of the factors that went into my decision to come to New Zealand. The yarn store was definitely one of the big draws to Devonport for me, too, and THANK GOD I went... it was perfect. THEY WERE HAVING A SALE ON CHUNKY YARNS. WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT I'M IN THE MARKET FOR. So I bought 14 skeins of yarn... all for $3 and $4 each (they usually go for $9+). I literally had butterflies in my stomach in the store. I was so goddamned excited!!! It's beautiful New Zealand wool and I am so, so pleased. Yarn is great.
Then I did a little self-guided walking tour of the adorable port town, along the waterfront, past the yacht club... What a great town!! It occurred to me that I could picture myself living there, but then I realized that was only because it reminds me of New England.
I walked up North Head, a little reserve atop a hill, full of plantlife and an old fortress and as much history as any pace in New Zealand has (i.e., dates back to about 1860). From the summit I had awesome views of Auckland, Rangitoto, and the harbour! I saw approximately one cloud the entire day, and the sun was baaaaking. It was a gorgeous day, which made the view so much better.
I sat at the summit and wrote in my journal and had a zen moment: I was looking out on Rangitoto, which was the first daytrip I took in New Zealand the first weekend I was here. That day I felt excited and nervous... I had four months in this crazy country ahead of me. And on my last weekend here, I sat atop North Head, looking out at Rangitoto, and I realized I have come completely full circle. I have done everything I could have in this country, and it's time for me to come home. Balance, baby.
I walked down North Head and back into town via Cheltenham Beach. It was low tide, so even out pretty far from the shoreline, I was only up to my ankles in the glorious ocean. It was so warm and delightful.
I stopped for a New Zealand's version of an iced coffee-- which is more like dessert than a necessity in a plastic cup-- and caught the 5:15 ferry back to Auckland to meet Kevin and the BU people at Forde's one last time.
Obviously everyone made fun of how excited I was about my yarn, but I think they secretly understand. Then I hung out with Michelle and my roommates-- THE LAST NIGHT THE FOUR OF US WILL BE TOGETHER IN UNILODGE, EVER-- and it was wonderful.
On Saturday I went to Aotea Square for the markets with Michelle, Ning and Jasmine. I finished my souvenier shopping!!!
Then I met up with Meg (who was studying in Wellington) and her friend Laurie for the afternoon! They had just come into Auckland after a bus tour of the North Island. Meg's flight HOME TO BOSTON was yesterday afternoon, but Laurie isn't flying back to Australia until this afternoon, so she stayed with me last night. We had an awesome barbecue in UniLodge and it was a fun night.
Kathy and Bonnie left last night... it was ridiculously sad. Harder than I thought it would be to say goodbye. And not because I won't see them again; I know I will. But their leaving made us all kind of realize that this chapter in our lives is ending. The next time we all get together, we're going to be in completely different places. That's awesome, but a little scary and a little sad!
But I still have two full days. I'm going sailing on the America's Cup boat today!!!! So STOKED for that.
I just love life.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Aio Wira Highlights
I got back into the city yesterday after six fantastic days at the Aio Wira Centre in Swanson. I really wish I discovered that place earlier in my time in NZ... It was so easy to get to, and it was a place I could definitely spend a few lifetimes.
Most days my tasks were few and my free time was lengthy. On Friday, the same day I got there, a yoga retreat arrived, so for the weekend, my jobs were usually meal prep-related (chopping veggies, the endless sinkful of dishes...). But after that, I pretty much woke up around 9, ate breakfast with unlimited filter coffee at my disposal, then did something like vacuum the rooms, iron some sheets, or wash Di's car (that was actually really fun), and then read, swim in the river, lay in the sun, take naps, drink tea, or sit in half-lotus for the next four to six hours, then helped with dinner, then went in the sauna, then went to bed around 10 pm.
On Saturday night, Di (the woman who runs the centre) took me to a neighbor's house for a New Zealand Elections party (NZ was having an election too?!?! Just kidding; I knew that.), which was really fun for me! Though the election didn't go as well as, say, America's-- National took over Parliament with a conservative ACT and United Future party coaltion, and Labour Prime Minister of nine years (and party leader for 12) Helen Clark was not only replaced as PM by the uncharismatic, boring and idiotic (not to mention conservative) John Key but she also stepped down as party leader-- it was really interesting and fun for me to watch. The neighbors and co. were awesome: they reminded me of a lot of the crunchy families I babysat/sit for, and someone brought fireworks leftover from Guy Fawkes celebrations. I also drank some champagne (even though we weren't really celebrating), and watched as the Green voters surrounding me in the living room got incresingly more drunk and started throwing things at TVOne. It was really fun.
On Sunday, the yoga retreat people left after brunch and Mark, the 23-year old WWOOFer from Indiana who's staying at Aio Wira for his first two months in NZ (which is his first stop on an as-yet-unplanned trip around the world over the next year and a half), and Masha, the 24-year old Ark in the Park intern from Germany who's living at the centre for five months as she researches the area's robin population, and I went to the beach. We went to Bethells Beach (see bus trip entry), which is lovely and choppy and has black sand. It was windy as when we were there, and hot as blazes (not to mention all this god damned UV), and my camera is a little crusty with sand right now, but we had an awesome time. Mark and Masha are fantastic and really helped make my week at Aio Wira less boring!
Other highlights include Sunday's arrival of Jo, Di's cousin, who works as a live-in caretaker of an Auckland Parkinson's sufferer for half the week, and lives at Aio Wira the other half. She is crazy and wonderful.
On Monday, two women on personal retreat arrived, and they were awesome, too. I spent subsequent nights in the sauna with Jo and the two retreaters, which was enlightening and detoxifying! Huzzah!
Mark gave me his well-loved copy of Catch-22, so I've started that. It, too, is enlightening. I love it so far, but I'm confused. I think that's how most people feel about Catch-22.
The came back to Auckland yesterday morning, and then went souvenier shopping downtown with Michelle. I'm so stoked to give souveniers, Jesus Christ.
Then I went to my fiiiinal yoga class at the Loft; it was incredible and I love that place and those people the most in Auckland, seriously. I was mad focused during my practice, even though my teacher Gopesvari (I finally learned how to spell her name!) mixed up the series a little, and I'm bad at shoulder stands. Then dinner was above par, which is quite a statement for a kitchen that constantly outdoes itself, and then Ning and I stayed to make music with some Hare Krishnas, which included chanting the Hare Krishna, which I catch myself reciting in my head sometimes, accompanied by a harmonium, a mirdangam, and finger cymbals. I stayed after talking to the mirdangamist (?), a Dutch girl who moved to Wellington after not finishing her physics degree, and just moved to Auckland last week. She was cool.
I'm going to Devonport today to see the beaches, the views of Auckland from up Mt Victoria and Mount Head, and to buy yarn. I was going to get a much earlier start, but my iTunes has been so good for the last dozen songs, so I'm rooted to my seat. It's on random right now and it's choosing a fantastic mix of angsty, kind of lame music that I loved in high school and haven't listened to since then: Jimmy Eat World, Oasis, Brand New (two different songs!), Panic! at the Disco, Prolonging the Magic-era Cake, Daft Punk... fun.
Okay, well, see you in five days, America; holy shit.
Most days my tasks were few and my free time was lengthy. On Friday, the same day I got there, a yoga retreat arrived, so for the weekend, my jobs were usually meal prep-related (chopping veggies, the endless sinkful of dishes...). But after that, I pretty much woke up around 9, ate breakfast with unlimited filter coffee at my disposal, then did something like vacuum the rooms, iron some sheets, or wash Di's car (that was actually really fun), and then read, swim in the river, lay in the sun, take naps, drink tea, or sit in half-lotus for the next four to six hours, then helped with dinner, then went in the sauna, then went to bed around 10 pm.
On Saturday night, Di (the woman who runs the centre) took me to a neighbor's house for a New Zealand Elections party (NZ was having an election too?!?! Just kidding; I knew that.), which was really fun for me! Though the election didn't go as well as, say, America's-- National took over Parliament with a conservative ACT and United Future party coaltion, and Labour Prime Minister of nine years (and party leader for 12) Helen Clark was not only replaced as PM by the uncharismatic, boring and idiotic (not to mention conservative) John Key but she also stepped down as party leader-- it was really interesting and fun for me to watch. The neighbors and co. were awesome: they reminded me of a lot of the crunchy families I babysat/sit for, and someone brought fireworks leftover from Guy Fawkes celebrations. I also drank some champagne (even though we weren't really celebrating), and watched as the Green voters surrounding me in the living room got incresingly more drunk and started throwing things at TVOne. It was really fun.
On Sunday, the yoga retreat people left after brunch and Mark, the 23-year old WWOOFer from Indiana who's staying at Aio Wira for his first two months in NZ (which is his first stop on an as-yet-unplanned trip around the world over the next year and a half), and Masha, the 24-year old Ark in the Park intern from Germany who's living at the centre for five months as she researches the area's robin population, and I went to the beach. We went to Bethells Beach (see bus trip entry), which is lovely and choppy and has black sand. It was windy as when we were there, and hot as blazes (not to mention all this god damned UV), and my camera is a little crusty with sand right now, but we had an awesome time. Mark and Masha are fantastic and really helped make my week at Aio Wira less boring!
Other highlights include Sunday's arrival of Jo, Di's cousin, who works as a live-in caretaker of an Auckland Parkinson's sufferer for half the week, and lives at Aio Wira the other half. She is crazy and wonderful.
On Monday, two women on personal retreat arrived, and they were awesome, too. I spent subsequent nights in the sauna with Jo and the two retreaters, which was enlightening and detoxifying! Huzzah!
Mark gave me his well-loved copy of Catch-22, so I've started that. It, too, is enlightening. I love it so far, but I'm confused. I think that's how most people feel about Catch-22.
The came back to Auckland yesterday morning, and then went souvenier shopping downtown with Michelle. I'm so stoked to give souveniers, Jesus Christ.
Then I went to my fiiiinal yoga class at the Loft; it was incredible and I love that place and those people the most in Auckland, seriously. I was mad focused during my practice, even though my teacher Gopesvari (I finally learned how to spell her name!) mixed up the series a little, and I'm bad at shoulder stands. Then dinner was above par, which is quite a statement for a kitchen that constantly outdoes itself, and then Ning and I stayed to make music with some Hare Krishnas, which included chanting the Hare Krishna, which I catch myself reciting in my head sometimes, accompanied by a harmonium, a mirdangam, and finger cymbals. I stayed after talking to the mirdangamist (?), a Dutch girl who moved to Wellington after not finishing her physics degree, and just moved to Auckland last week. She was cool.
I'm going to Devonport today to see the beaches, the views of Auckland from up Mt Victoria and Mount Head, and to buy yarn. I was going to get a much earlier start, but my iTunes has been so good for the last dozen songs, so I'm rooted to my seat. It's on random right now and it's choosing a fantastic mix of angsty, kind of lame music that I loved in high school and haven't listened to since then: Jimmy Eat World, Oasis, Brand New (two different songs!), Panic! at the Disco, Prolonging the Magic-era Cake, Daft Punk... fun.
Okay, well, see you in five days, America; holy shit.
Friday, November 7, 2008
WWOOFing today!
I'm leaving for the Aio Wira Retreat Centre in a little over two hours, and I just got an email from another WWOOFing place I tried to go to, many weeks ago. The people at the place had responded to me once, saying, "That might work, what is your time frame?" and I had replied, saying I could come out on November 7, and then they didn't reply.
But I just got an email from them saying, "Can't wait to have you come today!"
Um, no?
Sorry?
Really? Did you think I'd come without having a reply from you? I don't know where you live. I don't know how to get there. I don't have a car.
Sometimes, this country is just a little too "laid back."
Whatever. No skin off my nose, really... I just sent a, "Sorry, I've made other plans!" email, and now I'm leaving the computer for five to seven days (I haven't decided how long I'm staying yet).
So, on that note, see you in five to seven days!
But I just got an email from them saying, "Can't wait to have you come today!"
Um, no?
Sorry?
Really? Did you think I'd come without having a reply from you? I don't know where you live. I don't know how to get there. I don't have a car.
Sometimes, this country is just a little too "laid back."
Whatever. No skin off my nose, really... I just sent a, "Sorry, I've made other plans!" email, and now I'm leaving the computer for five to seven days (I haven't decided how long I'm staying yet).
So, on that note, see you in five to seven days!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
This is the BEST DAY EVER
Um, I just dominated that exam.
I am absolutely high on life right now!!!!!
My week has just been so astoundingly good. Yesterday Kathy, Bonnie and I left for Forde's at, like, 1:30 pm. It was kind of crowded, but that means there were like, 6 people in there. (There usually aren't that many in Forde's.) So, we took seats, I got a $5 Carlsberg, and we settled in to CNN. Oh yeah, I brought my NZ Politics notes with every intention of studying a bit while watching the returns, but I opened the notebook exactly ONE time, and that was to rip a blank sheet out, so that Kathy and I could keep track of the states won. AWESOME.
But seriously, I don't even care. It was so god damned exciting to be in that bar and to watch that history happen. By 4 pm, it was packed. Most of my friends had come down (except those who just left for Fiji... they toooootally missed out), and there were definitely more people than I've ever seen in Forde's before. And the crowd was decidedly not American! Of course, we made up our own UniLodge American contingency, but other than us, there were only a few more Americans. And then tons of Kiwis and expatriates!! And everyone was CHEERING and CELEBRATING as we watched President Barack Obama solidly defeat Senator John McCain.
McCain even went down gracefully. I can barely recognize and identify this feeling of pride I have right now because for the past eight years, I have cringed at the thought of my representation. But I feel like for the first time in eight years, America is on the same page as the rest of the world and I am so excited to see where we go from here! What a ridiculously exciting time to be 20 years old, Jesus Christ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was also AWESOME being in the South Pacific for the election. For one, it was just fucking cool to be in another country for such a big hairy American thing; not to mention the fact that the rest of the world is stoked for Obama, too. But also, I usually have to stay up ridiculously late to watch all the returns come in and go to bed without having a president elect. But we in NZ knew Barack was prez by 6 pm. I spent my entire day in the bar, but I left when it was still light out and America had a new president!
So it was fine that I didn't study at all. Still early.
Upon leaving the bar, Matt and I decided we'd study together later for motivation, so I went back to UniLodge and I studied on my own for an hour, then cooked some delicious pasta and sauteed veggies for dinner. Matt came down, ate with me, and then we promptly did not study at all. My roommates were all around: Kathy's done, so she was just being mean, taunting us with her sitting in a vegetative state. But Jennifer and Monica were both GOING to have a quiet study session with us, until they realized it was their last Wednesday in Auckland, and Wednesday is their favorite night to go out. So they gave up and started drinking and getting ready... It was hopeless, really. I can so easily blame them for our not studying, but let's be honest.
I WAS TOO DAMN EXCITED TO STUDY.
So, there was a veritable party in my apartment until 11 pm, and then I looked over my notes for a solid three minutes, and then I went to bed, setting my alarm for 7 am with the very best of intentions.
I shot out of bed at 7 not to study but to read the New York Times. Sigh. I just can't worry about my questionably important grades when the world is so exciting right now.
So, with a skip in my step and an hour and three minutes of studying behind me, I set off for my last and final academic anything of the first semester of my junior year. AND THEN I KICKED ITS ASS. Seriously. I dominated that exam.
And also, every Massachusetts ballot issue went the way I voted. CONGRATULATIONS DANIELLE GREGOIRE! And more people in Berlin voted to decriminalize marijuana than for Barack Obama. And the Dems have a bamf senate majority.
I am so disgustingly happy right now. I need to, like, run a marathon or something.
I am absolutely high on life right now!!!!!
My week has just been so astoundingly good. Yesterday Kathy, Bonnie and I left for Forde's at, like, 1:30 pm. It was kind of crowded, but that means there were like, 6 people in there. (There usually aren't that many in Forde's.) So, we took seats, I got a $5 Carlsberg, and we settled in to CNN. Oh yeah, I brought my NZ Politics notes with every intention of studying a bit while watching the returns, but I opened the notebook exactly ONE time, and that was to rip a blank sheet out, so that Kathy and I could keep track of the states won. AWESOME.
But seriously, I don't even care. It was so god damned exciting to be in that bar and to watch that history happen. By 4 pm, it was packed. Most of my friends had come down (except those who just left for Fiji... they toooootally missed out), and there were definitely more people than I've ever seen in Forde's before. And the crowd was decidedly not American! Of course, we made up our own UniLodge American contingency, but other than us, there were only a few more Americans. And then tons of Kiwis and expatriates!! And everyone was CHEERING and CELEBRATING as we watched President Barack Obama solidly defeat Senator John McCain.
McCain even went down gracefully. I can barely recognize and identify this feeling of pride I have right now because for the past eight years, I have cringed at the thought of my representation. But I feel like for the first time in eight years, America is on the same page as the rest of the world and I am so excited to see where we go from here! What a ridiculously exciting time to be 20 years old, Jesus Christ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was also AWESOME being in the South Pacific for the election. For one, it was just fucking cool to be in another country for such a big hairy American thing; not to mention the fact that the rest of the world is stoked for Obama, too. But also, I usually have to stay up ridiculously late to watch all the returns come in and go to bed without having a president elect. But we in NZ knew Barack was prez by 6 pm. I spent my entire day in the bar, but I left when it was still light out and America had a new president!
So it was fine that I didn't study at all. Still early.
Upon leaving the bar, Matt and I decided we'd study together later for motivation, so I went back to UniLodge and I studied on my own for an hour, then cooked some delicious pasta and sauteed veggies for dinner. Matt came down, ate with me, and then we promptly did not study at all. My roommates were all around: Kathy's done, so she was just being mean, taunting us with her sitting in a vegetative state. But Jennifer and Monica were both GOING to have a quiet study session with us, until they realized it was their last Wednesday in Auckland, and Wednesday is their favorite night to go out. So they gave up and started drinking and getting ready... It was hopeless, really. I can so easily blame them for our not studying, but let's be honest.
I WAS TOO DAMN EXCITED TO STUDY.
So, there was a veritable party in my apartment until 11 pm, and then I looked over my notes for a solid three minutes, and then I went to bed, setting my alarm for 7 am with the very best of intentions.
I shot out of bed at 7 not to study but to read the New York Times. Sigh. I just can't worry about my questionably important grades when the world is so exciting right now.
So, with a skip in my step and an hour and three minutes of studying behind me, I set off for my last and final academic anything of the first semester of my junior year. AND THEN I KICKED ITS ASS. Seriously. I dominated that exam.
And also, every Massachusetts ballot issue went the way I voted. CONGRATULATIONS DANIELLE GREGOIRE! And more people in Berlin voted to decriminalize marijuana than for Barack Obama. And the Dems have a bamf senate majority.
I am so disgustingly happy right now. I need to, like, run a marathon or something.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
IT'S FINALLY ELECTION DAY!!!!!!!
I'm SO EXCITED. The political bar next door is having a party to watch the returns come in... and I think New Zealand wins, because even thought it's November 5, polls close when it's noon over here, so I don't have to stay up late. Though staying up late to watch the returns is always really fun. But I have an exam tomorrow morning.
Oh yeah, I have an exam tomorrow morning. Damn. I'm way too excited to study.
Oh yeah, I have an exam tomorrow morning. Damn. I'm way too excited to study.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Halloween and the beach? Only in NZ
Hello, world--
Lots to update about in a short amount of time; I have to get ready to meet the BU group for our internship presentations and final dinner tonight!
Friday was Halloween, and it was fun... Forde's Frontbench, the political bar next door to UniLodge, had advertised a huge party with costume contests and prizes, but when we BROUGHT THE PARTY around 9:30 pm, there were like, four un-costumed regulars, and the bartender had no idea what we were talking about when we asked who won the costume contest. Also, a girl went back to UniLodge to get her iPod so that we had some music bumpin'.
...
It was fun, though. We made it fun.
Saturday morning, we hit the road for a fairly hungover trip down the Coromandel Peninsula for our BEACH CRAWL WEEKEND. It was lovely; the weather gods were totally on our side. We went to five beaches. Cathedral Cove, where I swam in the Pacific for the first time, is absolutely the most beautiful beach I've ever seen in real life. So gorgeous. Then we went to Hot Water Beach, which really actually has hot water!! The ocean, of course, is cold, but dotting the shoreline are random springs of boiling salt water. So two hours before or after low tide, people dig their own pools near the hot springs. I love New Zealand.
Most unfortnately, my camera batteries died over the weekend, but I did manage a few pictures. My computer is crawling lately, though, so I'll post them when it lets me, and then I'll link.
Yesterday Ashley, Bonnie, Kathy and I met Amanda at Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World, where Amanda has just finished her internship. So Amanda got us in for free and gave us a fantastic tour of the aquarium! We saw some maaaassive crayfish, various beautiful saltwater fish, huge sea turtles, overwhelmingly large rays, and PENGUINS. In all, an awesomely oceanic day. Thanks Amanda!
I finished my portfolio today and am really excited to present it to my fellow interns tonight, but I'm feeling a little sad that tonight is our farewell dinner!! I think, though, most of us (including our program adviser Kevin) are meeting at Forde's tomorrow to watch CNN and have an Election Day party. Huzzah!
On that note... GET THE VOTE OUT, YA'LL.
Obama 08.
Lots to update about in a short amount of time; I have to get ready to meet the BU group for our internship presentations and final dinner tonight!
Friday was Halloween, and it was fun... Forde's Frontbench, the political bar next door to UniLodge, had advertised a huge party with costume contests and prizes, but when we BROUGHT THE PARTY around 9:30 pm, there were like, four un-costumed regulars, and the bartender had no idea what we were talking about when we asked who won the costume contest. Also, a girl went back to UniLodge to get her iPod so that we had some music bumpin'.
...
It was fun, though. We made it fun.
Saturday morning, we hit the road for a fairly hungover trip down the Coromandel Peninsula for our BEACH CRAWL WEEKEND. It was lovely; the weather gods were totally on our side. We went to five beaches. Cathedral Cove, where I swam in the Pacific for the first time, is absolutely the most beautiful beach I've ever seen in real life. So gorgeous. Then we went to Hot Water Beach, which really actually has hot water!! The ocean, of course, is cold, but dotting the shoreline are random springs of boiling salt water. So two hours before or after low tide, people dig their own pools near the hot springs. I love New Zealand.
Most unfortnately, my camera batteries died over the weekend, but I did manage a few pictures. My computer is crawling lately, though, so I'll post them when it lets me, and then I'll link.
Yesterday Ashley, Bonnie, Kathy and I met Amanda at Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World, where Amanda has just finished her internship. So Amanda got us in for free and gave us a fantastic tour of the aquarium! We saw some maaaassive crayfish, various beautiful saltwater fish, huge sea turtles, overwhelmingly large rays, and PENGUINS. In all, an awesomely oceanic day. Thanks Amanda!
I finished my portfolio today and am really excited to present it to my fellow interns tonight, but I'm feeling a little sad that tonight is our farewell dinner!! I think, though, most of us (including our program adviser Kevin) are meeting at Forde's tomorrow to watch CNN and have an Election Day party. Huzzah!
On that note... GET THE VOTE OUT, YA'LL.
Obama 08.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Thus, my internship concludes...
An hour and 20 minutes left at Rip It Up. Not that I'm counting.
I'm really not counting. Today has been an awesome last day, actually. Around 11 am, the executive assistant called everyone to "morning tea" for my last day!!! Cake at work has been one of the highlights of my semester, so you can imagine how much pride I felt eating it in my honor. Nice people here.
Then I wrote an article about Auckland band Body Corporate. I interviewed the bassist last night; it was okay. He really didn't have much to say about his band? I had to ask a lot of questions, and he kept responding with nothing more than "yeah, ya know?" No, sir, I don't actually know. No one knows. This is why my magazine is writing an article about your band. After I turned off the Dictaphone, though, he went oooon and ooon about how much he loves the US. Me too, man, me too.
(Sidenote: When I told him I'm from Massachusetts, he said, "Oh, ah..." and looked really confused. Then I said, "Um, Boston," and recognition appeared. Why do so few non-Americans not know that Boston is part of Massachusetts? I know Matt experienced this in Ireland. Really. I want to know. Admittedly, my world geography is a little dodgy and admittedly, Boston is kind of a big deal. But... ya know?)
After finishing the Body Corp article, I asked Karl if I could review Ben Folds' new album Way To Normal. I had just cataloged it from the Sony shipment of CDs for review, and Lord knows I need to educate the world on the greatness that is Ben Folds.
His new album is so bamf. I'll let you read the review when it gets published (hopefully Satellite will mail me the December/January issue!), but basically... the man is back. I admit feeling disillusioned by Songs for Silverman, and though Supersunnyspeedgraphic was a step in the right direction, the cleverness and poignancy of songs he crafted with the Five and on Rockin' the Suburbs were still missing. But full-on, the piano rockstar I love so very very much delivers with this new record. He's a creative genius.
So, now I have approximately an hour and seven minutes (still not counting) before I leave this building forevz, in which time I have to develop the courage to deliver my ridiculously lame homemade thank-you notes and Yankee Candle votives to my bosses and coworkers. I feel like a dork. My editor really doesn't seem like the scented candle type, with his tendency to come into the office after me, breath smelling of unbrushed teeth (seriously), but I brought them from home. I figured Massachusetts (that's near Boston, don't you know)-made thank-you gifts would be better than something I bought in their own country.
Sigh.
I'm really not counting. Today has been an awesome last day, actually. Around 11 am, the executive assistant called everyone to "morning tea" for my last day!!! Cake at work has been one of the highlights of my semester, so you can imagine how much pride I felt eating it in my honor. Nice people here.
Then I wrote an article about Auckland band Body Corporate. I interviewed the bassist last night; it was okay. He really didn't have much to say about his band? I had to ask a lot of questions, and he kept responding with nothing more than "yeah, ya know?" No, sir, I don't actually know. No one knows. This is why my magazine is writing an article about your band. After I turned off the Dictaphone, though, he went oooon and ooon about how much he loves the US. Me too, man, me too.
(Sidenote: When I told him I'm from Massachusetts, he said, "Oh, ah..." and looked really confused. Then I said, "Um, Boston," and recognition appeared. Why do so few non-Americans not know that Boston is part of Massachusetts? I know Matt experienced this in Ireland. Really. I want to know. Admittedly, my world geography is a little dodgy and admittedly, Boston is kind of a big deal. But... ya know?)
After finishing the Body Corp article, I asked Karl if I could review Ben Folds' new album Way To Normal. I had just cataloged it from the Sony shipment of CDs for review, and Lord knows I need to educate the world on the greatness that is Ben Folds.
His new album is so bamf. I'll let you read the review when it gets published (hopefully Satellite will mail me the December/January issue!), but basically... the man is back. I admit feeling disillusioned by Songs for Silverman, and though Supersunnyspeedgraphic was a step in the right direction, the cleverness and poignancy of songs he crafted with the Five and on Rockin' the Suburbs were still missing. But full-on, the piano rockstar I love so very very much delivers with this new record. He's a creative genius.
So, now I have approximately an hour and seven minutes (still not counting) before I leave this building forevz, in which time I have to develop the courage to deliver my ridiculously lame homemade thank-you notes and Yankee Candle votives to my bosses and coworkers. I feel like a dork. My editor really doesn't seem like the scented candle type, with his tendency to come into the office after me, breath smelling of unbrushed teeth (seriously), but I brought them from home. I figured Massachusetts (that's near Boston, don't you know)-made thank-you gifts would be better than something I bought in their own country.
Sigh.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
I feel weird.
Tomorrow is my last day at Rip It Up.
Um, weird.
I'm feeling really weird.
I am so looking forward to going home, but at the same time, I'm going to miss this place. What an opportunity I've had; I cannot believe it's almost over. I feel like a lot of my life was leading up to this semester. My mom planted the idea of Junior Year Abroad in my head at a really young age, and mine's almost up.
I feel like I just got here, while at the same time, it's been an eternity.
Regarding my internship, it's been absolutely awesome. A lot of the kids in my program have been less than satisfied with their internships; they've not had enough to do, or aren't doing things they enjoy, or have too much to do so it's over their heads... Mine has been preeeetty damn incredible. Though some days sucked and were boring, on the whole, I've gotten to do some pretty sweet stuff. And I have things to show for it.
I also feel like in the past few weeks, I've just been starting to find my stride here and feel comfortable with some of my coworkers. And now, it's time to go home.
Crazy. Crazy crazy crazy.
I still have three weeks.
Um, weird.
I'm feeling really weird.
I am so looking forward to going home, but at the same time, I'm going to miss this place. What an opportunity I've had; I cannot believe it's almost over. I feel like a lot of my life was leading up to this semester. My mom planted the idea of Junior Year Abroad in my head at a really young age, and mine's almost up.
I feel like I just got here, while at the same time, it's been an eternity.
Regarding my internship, it's been absolutely awesome. A lot of the kids in my program have been less than satisfied with their internships; they've not had enough to do, or aren't doing things they enjoy, or have too much to do so it's over their heads... Mine has been preeeetty damn incredible. Though some days sucked and were boring, on the whole, I've gotten to do some pretty sweet stuff. And I have things to show for it.
I also feel like in the past few weeks, I've just been starting to find my stride here and feel comfortable with some of my coworkers. And now, it's time to go home.
Crazy. Crazy crazy crazy.
I still have three weeks.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
Sulfur City
A wonderful weekend getaway sponsored by Boston University, yet again!
We left Friday morning in two vans with Joe, our resident tour guide from GOOT, and his friend Kath, a guide from Active Earth. No Kevin-- he went to the US for his sister's wedding!
So off we went on 1 South toward Rotorua, a tourist hotspot famous for its geothermal action. We stopped in a town called Tirau for lunch. It's essentially The Place To Stop on your way south to Rotorua, so it's touristy in its own right. Some time ago, the folks of Tirau made a giant dog-shaped building out of corrugated iron for public restrooms, and it all stemmed from there, really. There's cheesey corrugated iron signage all over the place. That's Tirau's claim to fame. Nice cafes, though.
While we were getting back into the vans to head the rest of the way to Rotorua, Kath started talking to this young kid on a bike. Peter/Pierre, 17 years of age, is taking a year off before he starts university in his native French Canadia, and is traveling the North Island of New Zealand on his bike, camping night by night. He was looking weary, and his eyes lit up when he found that we were heading to Rotorua for the weekend in our vans. He was headed there himself, but he had come all the way from the Northland (with stops in between) and had been on his bike since the beginning of October. So... we picked him up. And he spent the rest of the weekend hanging out with us. Awesome.
Our first stop in Rotorua was Zorb Rotorua. What is zorbing, you ask? Why, let me paint you a picture. There are two options: dry zorb or wet zorb. In the dry zorb, which no BU kid chose, they strap you into this giant hamster ball so you look like that classical piece of art that's in a lot of geometry classrooms, and roll you down a hill. To wet zorb, you get into a smaller sphere inside the larger sphere of the hamster ball. Also in the smaller sphere is a little bit of water, so as they roll you (and one or two of your friends, if you want) down the hill, you slosh around bodies and warmish water. And then the zorb ball births you out at the base.
Yeeeeah. It looks exactly as you're imagining.
Three of four zorb balls full of BU kids rolled down the hill as I took photos. Not really for me, but entertaining for sure.
After zorbing we ogled some ancient Maori rock art (they liked to paint wakas), shopped for groceries, then checked into the beautiful Blue Lake Holiday Camp, about 15 minutes outside of the city centre. Joe cooked us a nice NZ barbecue, and then we hung out and went to bed.
We hit the road early Saturday morning to go white water rafting on Kaituna River! It's home to (possibly) the world's largest commercially rafted waterfall at 7 metres (21ish feet). Roooock. It was wicked sweet; I didn't fall out.
After rafting, we walked a short bushwalk called Hongi's Track, at the end of which is a Wishing Tree. According to Maori legend, a young girl hid her infant in a hole in the base of the tree, which protected her from an approaching warrior tribe. Years later, the now-grown aforementioned baby met the love of her life in the area of the same tree. So, now, passersby present the tree with a gift to thank it, and to ask for something, usually good weather and safe travels. We scattered rewarewa around the base and enjoyed the sunshine for the rest of our weekend.
SPEAKING OF BABIES, Ms Peloquin-Dzhgjasdjklflasdhgdsaski and her husband Mr Dzakdhhdgjajatvski welcomed Eve Baudry to their nest on Friday night! Congratulations them.
Back to my weekend on the other side of the planet. After the wishing tree, we hit up some sweet as natural hot springs. We hung around town that afternoon, then Ashley, Ning and I booked an evening cultural experience at Mitai Maori Village. Our evening included a show, a hangi feast, and an after-dark walk through Rainbow Springs Nature Reserve. The show was fantastic: we got to see a traditional powiri (greeting ceremony), followed by some songs and dances, including the poi and the haka, and a weapons demonstration. Then we ate an epic feast cooked for four hours inside the earth. At our table were two young journalists (on named Jackie) who are traveling the world for nine months (they had just come to NZ from South America), and a retired University of Adelaide drama lecturer who used to work at the Saint Michael's Playhouse!! Random?!
The bushwalk was awesome; we saw tons of trout (four different kinds!) swimming in the clearest natural spring I have ever seen in my entire life (left completely untouched by the park staff). We also saw various birds, including three kiwi!! So exciting: the elusive, nocturnal, endangered national bird and symbol of pride of this little country. They're really the stuff of legends; I feel very fortunate to have seen some in a (almost) natural setting.
Sunday was full of steaming, smelly craters. We first stopped at what I can only describe as a huge gurgling mud puddle. It inexplicably reeked of bacon, and the sulfur made it smell like boiled eggs. It was fantastic to watch boil and bubble; what a weird planet this is.
We left the gurgling mud for Waiotapu (which means "sacred waters") Thermal Wonderland, and watched a geyser erupt. I learned, with a surge of pride, that the largest condensed actively thermal area is in the Yellowstone region of the United States. The US has some cool nature, too! Then which we walked around for a couple hours, seeing and smelling ponds, lakes, rocks, mud, and craters caused by different mineral deposits and stuff in the center of the planet. I don't really know; I haven't read A Short History of Nearly Everything yet.
After the Wonderland, we took a 4WD bus ride up Mount Tarawera, and then hiked to the summit. It was definitely one of my like, Top 5 Best Things in New Zealand. I loooove hiking; even when I'm behind everyone else, wheezing, aching, and sweating, I'm so digging it. Hiking is just so cool. I feel so good after a hike. And even though we rode in a badass bus most of the way up the volcanic dome, we still hiked for about two hours.
Our hilarious 67-year old tour guide Terry (who kicked my ass summiting that thing) told us the Maori legends about the mountain, and about it erupting in 1886 and burying three villages. The area is now tapu (sacred) to the Maori, so it's closed to all except those who have a guided 4WD tour (thanks, BU!), so hardly anyone hikes it. Joe, who has seen pretty much every crevice of this country, had only been up once, when he was 15! Definitely off the beaten track. Also, it was a dank hike; since the mountain was formed by a volcanic eruption, it's all this weird, porous rock (think pumice), and a crater we hiked the was all scree, which rock is loose and broken-up rocks, so we were essentially like, skiing down.
The ride down the mountain in the 4WD bus, Terry sang us an Irish drinking song (he taught us the chorus), and then we sang a Maori song I know. He also pulled over every few metres to get off the bus, snap a branch off, and then talk to us about the plant for a solid few minutes. He hongi-ed us all as we got off the bus, too. He was fantastic.
We hit up another geothermal pool and splashed around (but not too much, for fear of amoebic meningitis) for a bit, and then headed back to the camp to have a pizza party. Yumzor.
Some people ran 5.5 kilometres around Blue Lake on Sunday morning; I made it down to cheer them on at the finish line. Then I took a kayak out into the lake for a little reflection, and we were back on the road to Auckland in the afternoon.
I'm going to miss this country.
I'll post a link to photos once I load them.
We left Friday morning in two vans with Joe, our resident tour guide from GOOT, and his friend Kath, a guide from Active Earth. No Kevin-- he went to the US for his sister's wedding!
So off we went on 1 South toward Rotorua, a tourist hotspot famous for its geothermal action. We stopped in a town called Tirau for lunch. It's essentially The Place To Stop on your way south to Rotorua, so it's touristy in its own right. Some time ago, the folks of Tirau made a giant dog-shaped building out of corrugated iron for public restrooms, and it all stemmed from there, really. There's cheesey corrugated iron signage all over the place. That's Tirau's claim to fame. Nice cafes, though.
While we were getting back into the vans to head the rest of the way to Rotorua, Kath started talking to this young kid on a bike. Peter/Pierre, 17 years of age, is taking a year off before he starts university in his native French Canadia, and is traveling the North Island of New Zealand on his bike, camping night by night. He was looking weary, and his eyes lit up when he found that we were heading to Rotorua for the weekend in our vans. He was headed there himself, but he had come all the way from the Northland (with stops in between) and had been on his bike since the beginning of October. So... we picked him up. And he spent the rest of the weekend hanging out with us. Awesome.
Our first stop in Rotorua was Zorb Rotorua. What is zorbing, you ask? Why, let me paint you a picture. There are two options: dry zorb or wet zorb. In the dry zorb, which no BU kid chose, they strap you into this giant hamster ball so you look like that classical piece of art that's in a lot of geometry classrooms, and roll you down a hill. To wet zorb, you get into a smaller sphere inside the larger sphere of the hamster ball. Also in the smaller sphere is a little bit of water, so as they roll you (and one or two of your friends, if you want) down the hill, you slosh around bodies and warmish water. And then the zorb ball births you out at the base.
Yeeeeah. It looks exactly as you're imagining.
Three of four zorb balls full of BU kids rolled down the hill as I took photos. Not really for me, but entertaining for sure.
After zorbing we ogled some ancient Maori rock art (they liked to paint wakas), shopped for groceries, then checked into the beautiful Blue Lake Holiday Camp, about 15 minutes outside of the city centre. Joe cooked us a nice NZ barbecue, and then we hung out and went to bed.
We hit the road early Saturday morning to go white water rafting on Kaituna River! It's home to (possibly) the world's largest commercially rafted waterfall at 7 metres (21ish feet). Roooock. It was wicked sweet; I didn't fall out.
After rafting, we walked a short bushwalk called Hongi's Track, at the end of which is a Wishing Tree. According to Maori legend, a young girl hid her infant in a hole in the base of the tree, which protected her from an approaching warrior tribe. Years later, the now-grown aforementioned baby met the love of her life in the area of the same tree. So, now, passersby present the tree with a gift to thank it, and to ask for something, usually good weather and safe travels. We scattered rewarewa around the base and enjoyed the sunshine for the rest of our weekend.
SPEAKING OF BABIES, Ms Peloquin-Dzhgjasdjklflasdhgdsaski and her husband Mr Dzakdhhdgjajatvski welcomed Eve Baudry to their nest on Friday night! Congratulations them.
Back to my weekend on the other side of the planet. After the wishing tree, we hit up some sweet as natural hot springs. We hung around town that afternoon, then Ashley, Ning and I booked an evening cultural experience at Mitai Maori Village. Our evening included a show, a hangi feast, and an after-dark walk through Rainbow Springs Nature Reserve. The show was fantastic: we got to see a traditional powiri (greeting ceremony), followed by some songs and dances, including the poi and the haka, and a weapons demonstration. Then we ate an epic feast cooked for four hours inside the earth. At our table were two young journalists (on named Jackie) who are traveling the world for nine months (they had just come to NZ from South America), and a retired University of Adelaide drama lecturer who used to work at the Saint Michael's Playhouse!! Random?!
The bushwalk was awesome; we saw tons of trout (four different kinds!) swimming in the clearest natural spring I have ever seen in my entire life (left completely untouched by the park staff). We also saw various birds, including three kiwi!! So exciting: the elusive, nocturnal, endangered national bird and symbol of pride of this little country. They're really the stuff of legends; I feel very fortunate to have seen some in a (almost) natural setting.
Sunday was full of steaming, smelly craters. We first stopped at what I can only describe as a huge gurgling mud puddle. It inexplicably reeked of bacon, and the sulfur made it smell like boiled eggs. It was fantastic to watch boil and bubble; what a weird planet this is.
We left the gurgling mud for Waiotapu (which means "sacred waters") Thermal Wonderland, and watched a geyser erupt. I learned, with a surge of pride, that the largest condensed actively thermal area is in the Yellowstone region of the United States. The US has some cool nature, too! Then which we walked around for a couple hours, seeing and smelling ponds, lakes, rocks, mud, and craters caused by different mineral deposits and stuff in the center of the planet. I don't really know; I haven't read A Short History of Nearly Everything yet.
After the Wonderland, we took a 4WD bus ride up Mount Tarawera, and then hiked to the summit. It was definitely one of my like, Top 5 Best Things in New Zealand. I loooove hiking; even when I'm behind everyone else, wheezing, aching, and sweating, I'm so digging it. Hiking is just so cool. I feel so good after a hike. And even though we rode in a badass bus most of the way up the volcanic dome, we still hiked for about two hours.
Our hilarious 67-year old tour guide Terry (who kicked my ass summiting that thing) told us the Maori legends about the mountain, and about it erupting in 1886 and burying three villages. The area is now tapu (sacred) to the Maori, so it's closed to all except those who have a guided 4WD tour (thanks, BU!), so hardly anyone hikes it. Joe, who has seen pretty much every crevice of this country, had only been up once, when he was 15! Definitely off the beaten track. Also, it was a dank hike; since the mountain was formed by a volcanic eruption, it's all this weird, porous rock (think pumice), and a crater we hiked the was all scree, which rock is loose and broken-up rocks, so we were essentially like, skiing down.
The ride down the mountain in the 4WD bus, Terry sang us an Irish drinking song (he taught us the chorus), and then we sang a Maori song I know. He also pulled over every few metres to get off the bus, snap a branch off, and then talk to us about the plant for a solid few minutes. He hongi-ed us all as we got off the bus, too. He was fantastic.
We hit up another geothermal pool and splashed around (but not too much, for fear of amoebic meningitis) for a bit, and then headed back to the camp to have a pizza party. Yumzor.
Some people ran 5.5 kilometres around Blue Lake on Sunday morning; I made it down to cheer them on at the finish line. Then I took a kayak out into the lake for a little reflection, and we were back on the road to Auckland in the afternoon.
I'm going to miss this country.
I'll post a link to photos once I load them.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Addendum
I forgot to mention the most exciting part of my week! On Monday, I voted in the 2008 Presidential Election!! Though I've voted before in primaries and gubernatorial campaigns, this is (obviously) my first presidential election. And might I add that it's quite an important one!
Being a Massachusettsian, I got to vote for state representative hopeful Danielle Gregoire, too. Since my brother was at one point considering running for her position in this election-- before she talked him out of it-- I have met Ms. Gregoire a few times and helped out a little on her primary campaign this summer, before leaving the country. She's cool. You should vote for her, if she represents your district (that's you, Donna!).
Also, I got to vote to decriminalize marijuana!
It was all-in-all a liberating, exciting experience. I wish I could have stepped into a quiet little booth at the Berlin Town Hall to cast my ballot, but hey. I suppose I'd rather be enjoying the sunshine in Auckland.
Being a Massachusettsian, I got to vote for state representative hopeful Danielle Gregoire, too. Since my brother was at one point considering running for her position in this election-- before she talked him out of it-- I have met Ms. Gregoire a few times and helped out a little on her primary campaign this summer, before leaving the country. She's cool. You should vote for her, if she represents your district (that's you, Donna!).
Also, I got to vote to decriminalize marijuana!
It was all-in-all a liberating, exciting experience. I wish I could have stepped into a quiet little booth at the Berlin Town Hall to cast my ballot, but hey. I suppose I'd rather be enjoying the sunshine in Auckland.
Well, this is boring.
So, things are winding down on all academic fronts here in Auckland. I had my last Magazine Journalism lecture on Monday, thank God. I have my last NZ Politics lecture today, and the last tutorial for both classes tomorrow. Huzzah!!
My Mag Jo feature story is due tomorrow; I finished it yesterday!? It was causing me anxiety, literally, for the past three weeks. It involved so much research and talking to people about a subject I knew nothing about. And since I had been thinking about it/sort of working on it since like, right after the semester break, it's been constantly on my mind, and a constant worry. But, I finished, and I personally think it's as good as it possibly could be, seeing as though I kiiind of half-assed my interviews. But, I'm totally okay with it, because it's fine, and it's done. And tomorrow I will never have to think about it again.
I have a paper due for NZ Politics on Friday... should really start that one.
BUT FRIDAY, I'm DONE!!! I'll actually finish the paper tomorrow (...), because we're heading to Rotorua on Friday. So, Thursday night, I'm DONE!!!!
And then three weeks to chiiiill ooouuuut. Yes. (Save that one pesky Politics exam on November 6.)
In other, even less exciting news for you, I'm sure, I'm currently wearing my hair in a ponytail!!! Albeit a very stubby ponytail, doctored with four bobby pins and a barrette to hold back the hair that just doesn't quite make it... But my hair is up! It's long enough to be OFFICIALLY PONYTAILED!!!
I'm in the throes of trying to figure out my schedule for next semester at SMC. As per usual, classes for my music major are clashing with classes for my journalism major. It's like the scheduling gods don't want me to succeed. This semester, though, the overlaps aren't too atrocious, and due to the funky scheduling I had last spring (by taking only half of Music Theory II), things should work out. I have emails out to a bunch of professors and department heads, so hopefully I'll hear back soon and will be cleared to register.
If all goes according to plan, I will be taking Acoustic Foundations of Music, a physics class that will fulfill my required lab science class; Music Theory II (without the lab, because I took the lab last spring); Writing for Media II, and Global Communications, plus Wind Ensemble and my private French horn lesson. That's only 15 credits, two of which involve nothing more than two hours of playing French horn a week, so I'm debating adding either a music or a general elective. But I'm also debating just having a 15-credit semester? I mean, let's be honest. I haven't really done any work this semester, save these last two weeks. (Music journalism barely counts.) I could use a sort of easy semester to ease myself back into college...
There are three journalism electives offered this spring that sound really interesting, though: Race & Gender in the Media, taught by my favorite professor Traci Griffith; Re-entry Travel Writing, taught by Kim Sultze, who recommended me as a Writing Center coach, who I had for New Media two years ago and who I haven't seen in a year, because she's been on sabbatical; and Topics: Writing Opinion and Commentary, taught by Kelley, who I know nothing about (including first name or gender). But, I have opinions, and I like to make commentary, and I like writing! But I think I should not take journalism elective this spring. This semester has been pretty JO-heavy, with my internship (which counts for my Practicum, a major requirement) and the Magazine Journalism elective. Plus, I need to take Writing for Media II and Global Comm, and that's just too much time in Bergeron already. So, I must back awaaaay from the journalism electives. Sigh.
We'll see. I have a week or so before I actually have to register, and we all know the first few weeks of classes are for shopping anyway.
Um, what else? Happy Birthday, Dizzy Gillespie! (It's his birthday in America... not New Zealand. Weird International Date Line.) Also interesting for those of you who are still celebrating October 21: in 1879, Thomas Edison created the first workable light bulb. You go, Tom! The world would be dark (come nightfall) without you.
My Mag Jo feature story is due tomorrow; I finished it yesterday!? It was causing me anxiety, literally, for the past three weeks. It involved so much research and talking to people about a subject I knew nothing about. And since I had been thinking about it/sort of working on it since like, right after the semester break, it's been constantly on my mind, and a constant worry. But, I finished, and I personally think it's as good as it possibly could be, seeing as though I kiiind of half-assed my interviews. But, I'm totally okay with it, because it's fine, and it's done. And tomorrow I will never have to think about it again.
I have a paper due for NZ Politics on Friday... should really start that one.
BUT FRIDAY, I'm DONE!!! I'll actually finish the paper tomorrow (...), because we're heading to Rotorua on Friday. So, Thursday night, I'm DONE!!!!
And then three weeks to chiiiill ooouuuut. Yes. (Save that one pesky Politics exam on November 6.)
In other, even less exciting news for you, I'm sure, I'm currently wearing my hair in a ponytail!!! Albeit a very stubby ponytail, doctored with four bobby pins and a barrette to hold back the hair that just doesn't quite make it... But my hair is up! It's long enough to be OFFICIALLY PONYTAILED!!!
I'm in the throes of trying to figure out my schedule for next semester at SMC. As per usual, classes for my music major are clashing with classes for my journalism major. It's like the scheduling gods don't want me to succeed. This semester, though, the overlaps aren't too atrocious, and due to the funky scheduling I had last spring (by taking only half of Music Theory II), things should work out. I have emails out to a bunch of professors and department heads, so hopefully I'll hear back soon and will be cleared to register.
If all goes according to plan, I will be taking Acoustic Foundations of Music, a physics class that will fulfill my required lab science class; Music Theory II (without the lab, because I took the lab last spring); Writing for Media II, and Global Communications, plus Wind Ensemble and my private French horn lesson. That's only 15 credits, two of which involve nothing more than two hours of playing French horn a week, so I'm debating adding either a music or a general elective. But I'm also debating just having a 15-credit semester? I mean, let's be honest. I haven't really done any work this semester, save these last two weeks. (Music journalism barely counts.) I could use a sort of easy semester to ease myself back into college...
There are three journalism electives offered this spring that sound really interesting, though: Race & Gender in the Media, taught by my favorite professor Traci Griffith; Re-entry Travel Writing, taught by Kim Sultze, who recommended me as a Writing Center coach, who I had for New Media two years ago and who I haven't seen in a year, because she's been on sabbatical; and Topics: Writing Opinion and Commentary, taught by Kelley, who I know nothing about (including first name or gender). But, I have opinions, and I like to make commentary, and I like writing! But I think I should not take journalism elective this spring. This semester has been pretty JO-heavy, with my internship (which counts for my Practicum, a major requirement) and the Magazine Journalism elective. Plus, I need to take Writing for Media II and Global Comm, and that's just too much time in Bergeron already. So, I must back awaaaay from the journalism electives. Sigh.
We'll see. I have a week or so before I actually have to register, and we all know the first few weeks of classes are for shopping anyway.
Um, what else? Happy Birthday, Dizzy Gillespie! (It's his birthday in America... not New Zealand. Weird International Date Line.) Also interesting for those of you who are still celebrating October 21: in 1879, Thomas Edison created the first workable light bulb. You go, Tom! The world would be dark (come nightfall) without you.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Steam cleaning and WWOOF
UniLodge sent someone to steam clean the entire common area of our apartment, including the couch. All expenses paid by our drunk, pajama-clad friend, of course. So that actually ended up being kind of a blessing in disguise... Yeah, we had to deal with a belligerently drunk girl vomiting in our apartment, but then the carpet got a nice bath. No harm, no foul, really.
I realize I have yet to talk about WWOOF. Willing Workers On Organic Farms is an international networking-type program where people volunteer to stay on someone's property and help around the house, garden, etc. in exchange for lodging and food. It's education-oriented, so while having a sort-of homestay, the volunteer is learning about organic living in some way or another. My friend Meg (see Wellington entry) did it over her semester break, and it sounded amazing so I signed up!
I just confirmed yesterday that I will be working at the Aio Wira Retreat Centre from November 7 to November 14. I'm so excited! Though I don't know what my duties will completely entail, I know I'll be helping out in the vegetarian kitchen, which is great, because I really want to develop my culinary skills. Also, I'll be helping to maintain the footpaths around the centre, which is located in the beautiful Waitakere Ranges, near Bethells Beach (see Bus our of Auckland entry). The centre is situated along the Waitakere Stream, where swimming holes abound.
I don't know much about the centre, except that it is open to anyone needing a bit of a retreat. There's yoga, meditation, a sanctuary, seminars and workshops, as well as the aforementioned vegetarian kitchen and spa and sauna facilities. So... it's pretty much the coolest way to spend my last week in Auckland!
But before my organic respite, another week of classes, two papers, a final exam, and an undetermined number of days left at Rip It Up...
I realize I have yet to talk about WWOOF. Willing Workers On Organic Farms is an international networking-type program where people volunteer to stay on someone's property and help around the house, garden, etc. in exchange for lodging and food. It's education-oriented, so while having a sort-of homestay, the volunteer is learning about organic living in some way or another. My friend Meg (see Wellington entry) did it over her semester break, and it sounded amazing so I signed up!
I just confirmed yesterday that I will be working at the Aio Wira Retreat Centre from November 7 to November 14. I'm so excited! Though I don't know what my duties will completely entail, I know I'll be helping out in the vegetarian kitchen, which is great, because I really want to develop my culinary skills. Also, I'll be helping to maintain the footpaths around the centre, which is located in the beautiful Waitakere Ranges, near Bethells Beach (see Bus our of Auckland entry). The centre is situated along the Waitakere Stream, where swimming holes abound.
I don't know much about the centre, except that it is open to anyone needing a bit of a retreat. There's yoga, meditation, a sanctuary, seminars and workshops, as well as the aforementioned vegetarian kitchen and spa and sauna facilities. So... it's pretty much the coolest way to spend my last week in Auckland!
But before my organic respite, another week of classes, two papers, a final exam, and an undetermined number of days left at Rip It Up...
Friday, October 17, 2008
Um, did that really just happen?
So, imagine this scene, if you will.
It's 11:30 pm. I'm standing in my apartment lounge with my three roommates. One of us is eating dinner, we're all watching the analysis of the US presidential debate on ONE News, we're discussing possible Halloween costumes. You know. A normal Thursday night here in UniLodge.
I head back into my room and I'm about the grab Eclipse and head to bed. Then there's a knock at the door. Well, there's a noise at the door.
"Did you guys just hear a knock or something?" Kathy asks us all. She's finishing up her dinner.
We all kind of make a noise of confirmation, and then simultaneously all get up because we swear we can hear someone trying to unlock our door. Kathy opens the door a crack, holding a half-eaten bowl of potatoes in her free hand, and instantly, a drunk Asian girl pushes through and flops onto our floor.
"Holy shit!"
"Hey, hey!" Kathy taps the blob of girl on our floor. "Hey, this isn't your room. Where's your room? What's your name?"
She moans.
She's deadweight. In our doorway. Immobile, but breathing and occasionally moaning.
My roommates and I are absolutely bewildered. Of course we're laughing.
And then all of a sudden... this random girl vomits in our doorway. It's really more in our living room than in the doorway, actually.
I'm still kind of laughing, but no longer because it's funny. Only because I can't believe this is actually happening.
So, I grab my UniLodge handbook and my roommate calls the after hours security number. A few minutes later, a kindly Maori man comes up to our room, and he obviously has no idea what to do.
No, we don't know her. No, we don't know where she lives. Hm, we actually don't know if she speaks English...
The security guard got her name and room number out of her, and then left her in our doorway to see if she has roommates.
20 minutes later, after the girl has rolled in her own vomit, shakily gotten to her feet, tried to walk into my bedroom, and then sat on our couch in her vomit-covered pajamas, the security guard came back and told us she has no roommates, so he was going back downstairs to call the police. So he left us with her again.
The girl was strong, believe you me, and hard to restrain even if we wanted to touch her pukey PJs. So, against our will, she got up and took a little walk in our hallway. Sort of following her, we tried to warn the occupants behind the door she knocked on to not open it, but our cries went unheard. So, she flopped into the doorway of another unsuspecting fifth floor-er.
Poor Brian... He didn't have to be involved. But this drunk girl promptly passed out. In his doorway. With a vice grip on his leg. He tried talking to her in Korean-- we think she answered him back, but it was pretty incoherent.
At least she didn't vom.
Seriously a half hour later, the security guard came back with four police officers... Poor girl, but she was belligerent.
We made friends with Brian, though. Glad to finally meet the neighbors.
So, now it's 12:46 pm. Our apartment door's open for ventilation, we've Febrezed everything, the fan's blowing... And it still smells like someone else's barf in my apartment.
It's 11:30 pm. I'm standing in my apartment lounge with my three roommates. One of us is eating dinner, we're all watching the analysis of the US presidential debate on ONE News, we're discussing possible Halloween costumes. You know. A normal Thursday night here in UniLodge.
I head back into my room and I'm about the grab Eclipse and head to bed. Then there's a knock at the door. Well, there's a noise at the door.
"Did you guys just hear a knock or something?" Kathy asks us all. She's finishing up her dinner.
We all kind of make a noise of confirmation, and then simultaneously all get up because we swear we can hear someone trying to unlock our door. Kathy opens the door a crack, holding a half-eaten bowl of potatoes in her free hand, and instantly, a drunk Asian girl pushes through and flops onto our floor.
"Holy shit!"
"Hey, hey!" Kathy taps the blob of girl on our floor. "Hey, this isn't your room. Where's your room? What's your name?"
She moans.
She's deadweight. In our doorway. Immobile, but breathing and occasionally moaning.
My roommates and I are absolutely bewildered. Of course we're laughing.
And then all of a sudden... this random girl vomits in our doorway. It's really more in our living room than in the doorway, actually.
I'm still kind of laughing, but no longer because it's funny. Only because I can't believe this is actually happening.
So, I grab my UniLodge handbook and my roommate calls the after hours security number. A few minutes later, a kindly Maori man comes up to our room, and he obviously has no idea what to do.
No, we don't know her. No, we don't know where she lives. Hm, we actually don't know if she speaks English...
The security guard got her name and room number out of her, and then left her in our doorway to see if she has roommates.
20 minutes later, after the girl has rolled in her own vomit, shakily gotten to her feet, tried to walk into my bedroom, and then sat on our couch in her vomit-covered pajamas, the security guard came back and told us she has no roommates, so he was going back downstairs to call the police. So he left us with her again.
The girl was strong, believe you me, and hard to restrain even if we wanted to touch her pukey PJs. So, against our will, she got up and took a little walk in our hallway. Sort of following her, we tried to warn the occupants behind the door she knocked on to not open it, but our cries went unheard. So, she flopped into the doorway of another unsuspecting fifth floor-er.
Poor Brian... He didn't have to be involved. But this drunk girl promptly passed out. In his doorway. With a vice grip on his leg. He tried talking to her in Korean-- we think she answered him back, but it was pretty incoherent.
At least she didn't vom.
Seriously a half hour later, the security guard came back with four police officers... Poor girl, but she was belligerent.
We made friends with Brian, though. Glad to finally meet the neighbors.
So, now it's 12:46 pm. Our apartment door's open for ventilation, we've Febrezed everything, the fan's blowing... And it still smells like someone else's barf in my apartment.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Nearing the end? Really?
I'm officially a published writer. The October/November issue of Rip It Up hit stands on Monday, featuring like, five Jackie Cain bylines. It's very exciting.
Nothing is available online, so you're going to have to wait to flip through one of the copies I bring home. Unless you want to get a subscription.
I'm feeling preeeeetty done with this semester. Only five more days of classes, so that's good. Only one more (albeit huge and soul-sucking) story for magazine journalism, and one exam in November for NZ Political Studies. And then done.
I'm back Stateside in almost exactly five weeks. Is that ridiculous or is it just me?
Nothing is available online, so you're going to have to wait to flip through one of the copies I bring home. Unless you want to get a subscription.
I'm feeling preeeeetty done with this semester. Only five more days of classes, so that's good. Only one more (albeit huge and soul-sucking) story for magazine journalism, and one exam in November for NZ Political Studies. And then done.
I'm back Stateside in almost exactly five weeks. Is that ridiculous or is it just me?
Monday, October 13, 2008
The Capital City!
So, Wellington. First and foremost, I am so glad I went. I almost didn't, because of the plane tickets, but then Jane Cain talked me into it. She is always right. And it's true. Money comes and goes, people.
I flew in on Thursday night and took a cab to my friend Meghan's flat. I lived next door to Meg in our freshman year at Saint Mike's, and she was studying at Victoria University in Wellington this semester. I say "was" because Friday was Meg's last day of classes! Gooo Meg!! (She has a blog, too. You should check it out.)
I was wiped from the music awards, so we stayed in on Thursday night and I met Meg's friends and flatmates. Her flatmate Claire turned 21 at midnight, so we had a toast! Bed by 3 am, you know.
Meg had one class Friday morning, so I slept in a bit and when she got back at 10 am, we headed out toward the Wellington Botanic Garden. Meghan wasn't 100% sure how to get there, so we wandered, which was fine, because it was a beautiful day in the capital city and Lord knows I need the exercise. We stumbled upon the garden about an hour later, and discovered it was stupidly close to her flat... We pretty much circled the city. I got to see more of it that way. :o)
The gardens were beautiful; it's early spring here so we saw tulips in every color and a flock of baby ducks!
After the Garden, we headed toward town via the Parliament complex. I, for one, like the architecture of the controversial Beehive.
We had lunch at Mac's Brewery, the all-natural brewery that makes some of my favorite NZ beers. Unfortunately, they don't give brewery tours, but lunch was so worth it. They have a viewing platform from which you can watch the magic happen, and that was enough for me. And I got to try Sundance, the summer ale!
We walked through the shopping areas in Wellington after lunch. The city is accessible; it's possible to walk from end to end in something like an hour. But... it's so hilly. Meg is obviously in much better shape than I from hiking those hills all semester, and I was definitely huffing and puffing. But it's a great city; much funkier than Auckland, I must say. Also, it has more cafes per capita than New York! I tried four of them in my 48 hours there. Not bad, though I could have done better.
We met Meg's lab partner in the Uni Bar on campus, which was absolutely hoppin' at 5 pm on the last Friday of classes. Then we went back to Meg's flat for dinner. Then, we headed back to the Botanic Garden to go on the glowworm tour!!! Those little friends of mine also make their home in the damp gardens, and it's $5 to walk through after dark with a guide. Luckily, Meg and I were late and for some strange reason, there were legitimately about 60 people on the tour, so we were able to tack on without paying... I would feel guilty if I actually learned anything. Seeing the glowworms again was cool, and Meg hadn't seen them before. But the tour guides were useless; I told Meg about glowworms from what I learned in Waitomo.
After the walk in the park, we headed back to Meg's flat for Claire's 21st birthday celebration!! It was crazy; someone's mom shipped over a package of Solo cups to play beiruit. The Kiwis were really excited about that. The party went late, and then we went out dancing at Boogie Wonderland (seriously). Though I was out til 3 am, and I'm too old for that hour, it was a really fun time and Meg and her friends are fantastic.
When we finally stirred at 11 the next morning, we left to find a supposed farmers' market, which remains elusive. From there, we hiked Mount Victoria, including a swing on the rope halfway up. After the hike, we ate crepes and drank smoothies, mmm. I also bought The Bone People at a used bookshop; perhaps I'll finish it this time.
Hopped on the plane and was back in Auckland Saturday night at 8. What a fantastic weekend!
Tonight was fun, too, in Auckland. It's Amanda's birthday, one of the girls in the BU program. She had a pot luck dinner in her apartment! There was sooo muuuuch gooood fooooood. I made veggie friend rice; it got compliments. Now, I'm essentially in a food coma, so I'm going to bed.
I flew in on Thursday night and took a cab to my friend Meghan's flat. I lived next door to Meg in our freshman year at Saint Mike's, and she was studying at Victoria University in Wellington this semester. I say "was" because Friday was Meg's last day of classes! Gooo Meg!! (She has a blog, too. You should check it out.)
I was wiped from the music awards, so we stayed in on Thursday night and I met Meg's friends and flatmates. Her flatmate Claire turned 21 at midnight, so we had a toast! Bed by 3 am, you know.
Meg had one class Friday morning, so I slept in a bit and when she got back at 10 am, we headed out toward the Wellington Botanic Garden. Meghan wasn't 100% sure how to get there, so we wandered, which was fine, because it was a beautiful day in the capital city and Lord knows I need the exercise. We stumbled upon the garden about an hour later, and discovered it was stupidly close to her flat... We pretty much circled the city. I got to see more of it that way. :o)
The gardens were beautiful; it's early spring here so we saw tulips in every color and a flock of baby ducks!
After the Garden, we headed toward town via the Parliament complex. I, for one, like the architecture of the controversial Beehive.
We had lunch at Mac's Brewery, the all-natural brewery that makes some of my favorite NZ beers. Unfortunately, they don't give brewery tours, but lunch was so worth it. They have a viewing platform from which you can watch the magic happen, and that was enough for me. And I got to try Sundance, the summer ale!
We walked through the shopping areas in Wellington after lunch. The city is accessible; it's possible to walk from end to end in something like an hour. But... it's so hilly. Meg is obviously in much better shape than I from hiking those hills all semester, and I was definitely huffing and puffing. But it's a great city; much funkier than Auckland, I must say. Also, it has more cafes per capita than New York! I tried four of them in my 48 hours there. Not bad, though I could have done better.
We met Meg's lab partner in the Uni Bar on campus, which was absolutely hoppin' at 5 pm on the last Friday of classes. Then we went back to Meg's flat for dinner. Then, we headed back to the Botanic Garden to go on the glowworm tour!!! Those little friends of mine also make their home in the damp gardens, and it's $5 to walk through after dark with a guide. Luckily, Meg and I were late and for some strange reason, there were legitimately about 60 people on the tour, so we were able to tack on without paying... I would feel guilty if I actually learned anything. Seeing the glowworms again was cool, and Meg hadn't seen them before. But the tour guides were useless; I told Meg about glowworms from what I learned in Waitomo.
After the walk in the park, we headed back to Meg's flat for Claire's 21st birthday celebration!! It was crazy; someone's mom shipped over a package of Solo cups to play beiruit. The Kiwis were really excited about that. The party went late, and then we went out dancing at Boogie Wonderland (seriously). Though I was out til 3 am, and I'm too old for that hour, it was a really fun time and Meg and her friends are fantastic.
When we finally stirred at 11 the next morning, we left to find a supposed farmers' market, which remains elusive. From there, we hiked Mount Victoria, including a swing on the rope halfway up. After the hike, we ate crepes and drank smoothies, mmm. I also bought The Bone People at a used bookshop; perhaps I'll finish it this time.
Hopped on the plane and was back in Auckland Saturday night at 8. What a fantastic weekend!
Tonight was fun, too, in Auckland. It's Amanda's birthday, one of the girls in the BU program. She had a pot luck dinner in her apartment! There was sooo muuuuch gooood fooooood. I made veggie friend rice; it got compliments. Now, I'm essentially in a food coma, so I'm going to bed.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
The Music Awards
Wednesday was my red carpet debut at the 2008 Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards!!
It didn't really hit me until I got there how freakin' cool it was going to be. It was open to the public, via $60 general admission tickets. They let the "industry" (that's me!) get seated at their tables before opening to doors to everyone else, by way of a red carpet, and the fans were all lined up alongside it, watching everyone go in. When we were walking in, the MC guy (I don't know who he was) was like, "The Rip It Up crew in the house!!!" and people cheered. It was so exciting.
The opening performance by Tiki Taane was sooo cool, I think especially from the point of view of a non-New Zealander. Tiki is Maori, and it's like, his thing. He performed his newest single "Tangaroa," with 40-odd members of his iwi (tribe) dancing the poi and doing the haka (traditional Maori war dance) in traditional garb on stage with him.
Really disappointingly though, most artists weren't there! With the exception of the artists who actually performed, pretty much no one accepted their award in person. And most had some random crew member accept it on their behalf, so I saw no Finns, which was disappointing.
The Flight of the Conchords at least made acceptance videos for their four awards. Prime Minister Helen Clark presented the International Achievement Award to FotC; that was pretty cool. Also, Michael Franti presented some awards, including the Best Aotearoa Roots album to Tiki Taane. That was cool; he's American and I saw him this summer at Mountain Jam. If you want to see who won everything, read this.
I had SO MUCH FUN with the Satellite Media people, and everyone looked fantastic, and I felt fantastic. And I got a SWEET bag o' loot, including two pairs of thong underwear, a Moro bar, and a pound of coffee! So exciting, free stuff is.
The afterparty was crazy, and I got much free alcohol, which was great. Freaky mimes in drag floated around the arena, performing magic tricks and dancing weirdly in everyone's personal space.
In all, it was just a pretty incredible experience, almost entirely worth the next day's hangover.
See photos here. Also included in that album are pictures from Wellington, which deserves its own entry, which will be written sometime in the near future... definitely after I watch Snakes on A Plane on TV right now.
It didn't really hit me until I got there how freakin' cool it was going to be. It was open to the public, via $60 general admission tickets. They let the "industry" (that's me!) get seated at their tables before opening to doors to everyone else, by way of a red carpet, and the fans were all lined up alongside it, watching everyone go in. When we were walking in, the MC guy (I don't know who he was) was like, "The Rip It Up crew in the house!!!" and people cheered. It was so exciting.
The opening performance by Tiki Taane was sooo cool, I think especially from the point of view of a non-New Zealander. Tiki is Maori, and it's like, his thing. He performed his newest single "Tangaroa," with 40-odd members of his iwi (tribe) dancing the poi and doing the haka (traditional Maori war dance) in traditional garb on stage with him.
Really disappointingly though, most artists weren't there! With the exception of the artists who actually performed, pretty much no one accepted their award in person. And most had some random crew member accept it on their behalf, so I saw no Finns, which was disappointing.
The Flight of the Conchords at least made acceptance videos for their four awards. Prime Minister Helen Clark presented the International Achievement Award to FotC; that was pretty cool. Also, Michael Franti presented some awards, including the Best Aotearoa Roots album to Tiki Taane. That was cool; he's American and I saw him this summer at Mountain Jam. If you want to see who won everything, read this.
I had SO MUCH FUN with the Satellite Media people, and everyone looked fantastic, and I felt fantastic. And I got a SWEET bag o' loot, including two pairs of thong underwear, a Moro bar, and a pound of coffee! So exciting, free stuff is.
The afterparty was crazy, and I got much free alcohol, which was great. Freaky mimes in drag floated around the arena, performing magic tricks and dancing weirdly in everyone's personal space.
In all, it was just a pretty incredible experience, almost entirely worth the next day's hangover.
See photos here. Also included in that album are pictures from Wellington, which deserves its own entry, which will be written sometime in the near future... definitely after I watch Snakes on A Plane on TV right now.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Celebrity Sighting
I just saw Anthony Starr, who plays both Van and Jethro West on Outrageous Fortune, my favorite New Zealand prime time dramedy.
Anthony was sitting at an outdoor table at Conch, a really sweet vinyl shop/cafe across from the Satellite office that I go to like, every day. I think he was doing an interview? He was definitely having a conversation with someone... Which is good, because otherwise, I probably would have harassed him for an autograph for my roommates, who are completely obsessed (like, inappropriately so) with Outrageous. I texted them immediately; Jennifer's already texted me back to tell me she's hyperventilating because she's so jealous.
If you think about it, though, how uncommon can it really be to see the stars of the network television show filmed on location in this city of only 1 million?
Still exciting, though. We made eye contact. I smiled. It was a moment.
Anthony was sitting at an outdoor table at Conch, a really sweet vinyl shop/cafe across from the Satellite office that I go to like, every day. I think he was doing an interview? He was definitely having a conversation with someone... Which is good, because otherwise, I probably would have harassed him for an autograph for my roommates, who are completely obsessed (like, inappropriately so) with Outrageous. I texted them immediately; Jennifer's already texted me back to tell me she's hyperventilating because she's so jealous.
If you think about it, though, how uncommon can it really be to see the stars of the network television show filmed on location in this city of only 1 million?
Still exciting, though. We made eye contact. I smiled. It was a moment.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Weekend Update
Mondaaay.
The weekend was fantastic. On Friday I went to see Wall-E with my friends Ning, Bonnie and Kathy. Ning and Kathy had never seen it and Bonnie and I are obsessed, so it was a fun trip. I saw the film before leaving the US of A, and it just opened on September 18 in NZ. Wall-E is still as mesmerizing, beautifully animated, funny and smart the second time around.
Saturday was boring-ish. I kind of forget what I did; this is how I know it was boring. I remember that I cleaned a bathroom; that was gross. Oh, and then I went to an Oktoberfest party in Parnell with Ashley, Michelle, a Kiwi, a Canadian, and a bunch of Germans and Norwegians. It was a CRAZY party; it was fantastically decorated and there was a pretty bumpin' DJ, pretzels, and spice cake. I was not nearly drunk nor pigtailed enough to enjoy it fully but it was definitely an experience. After a random guy tapped me on the shoulder to tell me his friend "really likes" me, and then proceeding to have an awkward conversation with the German who "really likes" me, and pronouncing "Massachusetts" slowly six or seven times (he still didn't understand), I called a cab and was asleep by midnight. Good night, all around.
I woke up at 6 am on Sunday to leave for Waitomo by 6:30. Yessss. Waitomo is a little town about two and a half hours south of Auckland, so we rented a little Toyota and hit the road as the sun rose. The area is famous for its subterranean caves and subsequent glowworms and most of its economy is built on tourism. We had a 9:45 am guided black water rafting tour that was absolutely incredible! Snappy, our eccentric guide, helped us get suited up in our already damp and remarkably uncomfortable wetsuits, and we headed under ground for some spelunking in Ruakuri Cave. The cave is home to millions of glowworms: little maggots whose luminescent sack of waste at the end of their grub-like bodies illuminate the cave interior like the southern sky. Seriously, as disgusting as they actually, scientifically are, they're aesthetically lovely. And when you're floating 25 metres under them on the tranquil black waters in the pitch darkness, it really is a beautiful thing.
After the moderately boring but free Waitomo Caves Museum, we hit the road back to Auckland and were at UniLodge by 5 pm. A fantastic day trip! See photos, if you're into it.
And then Kathy, Bonnie and I watched five episodes of the Flight of the Conchords. My favorite so far is "Bret Gives Up The Dream," even though it features my two least favorite novelty folk songs. But anyway, it's the one where Bret leaves the band to persue his career of sign-holding, and then rejoins when he realizes Coco (like most girls) prefers guys in bands to professional human billboards.
And today was really a strange day. I set my alarm for 10; I usually wake up before then, but I don't have class until noon so if I can sleep in, I like to let myself. As usual, I woke up before 10, but instead of going back to bed, I decided to check out the tiny workout room in UniLodge?! I didn't want to fight the urge, however strange, so I donned the gym shorts which tooootally fit better before this semester and headed downstrairs. My workout wasn't fantastic-- I was done in less than 40 minutes-- but I worked up a little sweat and am quite proud of myself, I must say.
In between classes, to avoid doing a schoolwork, I vacuumed my entire apartment and made veggie fried rice for the week. Yumzor.
I just got back from the AUT library where I worked on a group project for the past four hours. It actually wasn't as painful as I thought it would be, even though it took four hours. But now it is DONE.
I booked a flight to Wellington today!!!!! I'm going THIS WEEKEND to visit my friend Meghan from SMC. She's studying at Victoria University this semester. I'm so excited to see her and the nation's capital!
How were your weekends?
The weekend was fantastic. On Friday I went to see Wall-E with my friends Ning, Bonnie and Kathy. Ning and Kathy had never seen it and Bonnie and I are obsessed, so it was a fun trip. I saw the film before leaving the US of A, and it just opened on September 18 in NZ. Wall-E is still as mesmerizing, beautifully animated, funny and smart the second time around.
Saturday was boring-ish. I kind of forget what I did; this is how I know it was boring. I remember that I cleaned a bathroom; that was gross. Oh, and then I went to an Oktoberfest party in Parnell with Ashley, Michelle, a Kiwi, a Canadian, and a bunch of Germans and Norwegians. It was a CRAZY party; it was fantastically decorated and there was a pretty bumpin' DJ, pretzels, and spice cake. I was not nearly drunk nor pigtailed enough to enjoy it fully but it was definitely an experience. After a random guy tapped me on the shoulder to tell me his friend "really likes" me, and then proceeding to have an awkward conversation with the German who "really likes" me, and pronouncing "Massachusetts" slowly six or seven times (he still didn't understand), I called a cab and was asleep by midnight. Good night, all around.
I woke up at 6 am on Sunday to leave for Waitomo by 6:30. Yessss. Waitomo is a little town about two and a half hours south of Auckland, so we rented a little Toyota and hit the road as the sun rose. The area is famous for its subterranean caves and subsequent glowworms and most of its economy is built on tourism. We had a 9:45 am guided black water rafting tour that was absolutely incredible! Snappy, our eccentric guide, helped us get suited up in our already damp and remarkably uncomfortable wetsuits, and we headed under ground for some spelunking in Ruakuri Cave. The cave is home to millions of glowworms: little maggots whose luminescent sack of waste at the end of their grub-like bodies illuminate the cave interior like the southern sky. Seriously, as disgusting as they actually, scientifically are, they're aesthetically lovely. And when you're floating 25 metres under them on the tranquil black waters in the pitch darkness, it really is a beautiful thing.
After the moderately boring but free Waitomo Caves Museum, we hit the road back to Auckland and were at UniLodge by 5 pm. A fantastic day trip! See photos, if you're into it.
And then Kathy, Bonnie and I watched five episodes of the Flight of the Conchords. My favorite so far is "Bret Gives Up The Dream," even though it features my two least favorite novelty folk songs. But anyway, it's the one where Bret leaves the band to persue his career of sign-holding, and then rejoins when he realizes Coco (like most girls) prefers guys in bands to professional human billboards.
And today was really a strange day. I set my alarm for 10; I usually wake up before then, but I don't have class until noon so if I can sleep in, I like to let myself. As usual, I woke up before 10, but instead of going back to bed, I decided to check out the tiny workout room in UniLodge?! I didn't want to fight the urge, however strange, so I donned the gym shorts which tooootally fit better before this semester and headed downstrairs. My workout wasn't fantastic-- I was done in less than 40 minutes-- but I worked up a little sweat and am quite proud of myself, I must say.
In between classes, to avoid doing a schoolwork, I vacuumed my entire apartment and made veggie fried rice for the week. Yumzor.
I just got back from the AUT library where I worked on a group project for the past four hours. It actually wasn't as painful as I thought it would be, even though it took four hours. But now it is DONE.
I booked a flight to Wellington today!!!!! I'm going THIS WEEKEND to visit my friend Meghan from SMC. She's studying at Victoria University this semester. I'm so excited to see her and the nation's capital!
How were your weekends?
Saturday, October 4, 2008
RIP Paul Newman
So, I just found out that Paul Newman died last week. I didn't know that. I spend a lot of time catching up on news from the motherland, but that tidbit slipped through, I guess.
I'm sad. I love Paul Newman. But, he was old. Old age is the leading cause of death, as my BU roommate would tell you.
That said, I think I want to have a Paul Newman marathon over winter break. I've only ever seen one of his movies?! And that one movie is Cars, so it only barely counts.
I plan on eating a lot of Newman's Own mango salsa, too. and Newman-O's. Proper homage.
I'm sad. I love Paul Newman. But, he was old. Old age is the leading cause of death, as my BU roommate would tell you.
That said, I think I want to have a Paul Newman marathon over winter break. I've only ever seen one of his movies?! And that one movie is Cars, so it only barely counts.
I plan on eating a lot of Newman's Own mango salsa, too. and Newman-O's. Proper homage.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Unfounded Political Observations from Across an Ocean
So, I just watched the vice presidential debate via live stream on nytimes.com, my favorite website of all time. I really have no grounds on which to make any political judgment, but here are some of my (unabashedly leftwing) thoughts.
I must admit Sarah Palin didn't completely flounder! I was hoping she would, really, for no other reason than Tina Fey getting to make fun of it on SNL. But, she more or less held her ground. I didn't enjoy listening to her, by any means; especially her insistence on including hokey phrases like "God bless [whoever's] heart," and "you betcha." Though Joe Biden did quote his own father, calling himself "champ." That was unnecessary.
That being said, I really feel like Sarah Palin is full of bullshit. Everything she said during the debate seemed contrived to me. She was absolutely putting it on for the American public. She mentions her son in Iraq and her mentally handicapped newborn as if they're campaign ploys. After she mentioned her "diverse family" about six times, each time with a condescending smile (and once with a WINK, for Pete's sake) Biden finally conceded and talked about his own family.
If it's news to anyone, the man is fully aware of the hardships modern American families face today. And when he legitimately choked up-- like, actually swallowed the lump rising in his throat-- I didn't want to punch him. That was real, that was a true moment of emotion. Sarah Palin spews information about her family life and "the issues that come up around the kitchen table" so much that it just goes in one ear and out the other. She is The Hockey Mom, she plays The Hockey Mom. For the sake of her demographic. And it's bullshit.
That said, too, I feel like the debate really centered on John McCain? Not Obama, and not Bush, and not the actual people at the lecterns. It was fine, and informative, but not the most exciting thing I've watched this campaign season.
I must admit Sarah Palin didn't completely flounder! I was hoping she would, really, for no other reason than Tina Fey getting to make fun of it on SNL. But, she more or less held her ground. I didn't enjoy listening to her, by any means; especially her insistence on including hokey phrases like "God bless [whoever's] heart," and "you betcha." Though Joe Biden did quote his own father, calling himself "champ." That was unnecessary.
That being said, I really feel like Sarah Palin is full of bullshit. Everything she said during the debate seemed contrived to me. She was absolutely putting it on for the American public. She mentions her son in Iraq and her mentally handicapped newborn as if they're campaign ploys. After she mentioned her "diverse family" about six times, each time with a condescending smile (and once with a WINK, for Pete's sake) Biden finally conceded and talked about his own family.
If it's news to anyone, the man is fully aware of the hardships modern American families face today. And when he legitimately choked up-- like, actually swallowed the lump rising in his throat-- I didn't want to punch him. That was real, that was a true moment of emotion. Sarah Palin spews information about her family life and "the issues that come up around the kitchen table" so much that it just goes in one ear and out the other. She is The Hockey Mom, she plays The Hockey Mom. For the sake of her demographic. And it's bullshit.
That said, too, I feel like the debate really centered on John McCain? Not Obama, and not Bush, and not the actual people at the lecterns. It was fine, and informative, but not the most exciting thing I've watched this campaign season.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Cooking, Yoga, Music...
My week has been so nice so far, despite the world economy being in shambles. Weird how these things work out.
Monday was fine. The highlight was definitely making chicken Marsala for Ashley, Bonnie and Michelle! The four of us decided that once a week-ish, we'd take turns cooking for a Family Dinner of sorts. So, a few weeks ago, Ashley made superb chicken tacos, Saturday night Michelle made crab stir fry, and then it was my turn. With a package of chicken breasts defrosted and some sliced mushrooms biding their time in my tiny, useless fridge, I decided to make chicken Marsala. But as Marsala is from Italy, and New Zealand has more pride in their wine than I can fathom, I couldn't find any at Liquor Park, and I didn't feel like searching. So, I technically made chicken Chardonnay. It was delicious.
I was a little nervous, because I've never made chicken Marsala (or chicken Chardonnay, for that matter) before, and early on in the adventure, I set off the fire alarm in my apartment (second time in two weeks, I rock). But, it ended up being delicious and my friends are still talking about it. So, I'm stoked. I am REALLY enjoying cooking.
I have so many recipes written on Post-It notes strewn about my apartment; I should really collect them all and write them in one central location. Matty, I wish I had that recipe book you took to Ireland. C'est la vie.
Anyway, yesterday was boring... for various reasons, I was only at work until 1:45 pm, and then I leisurely walked home and leisurely had a nap, then I went to one of the best yoga classes of my young life.
Also exciting: the Loft is hosting some meditation workshops in the upcoming weeks! I'm pretty into the idea of meditation and kind of have trouble with it, so I have high hopes.
Today is Wednesday. I'm at work, then I have a Politics lecture this afternoon, and then some BU girls and I are going to hear the Auckland Philharmonia!!! I miss classical music in my life a lot; I hope I still remember how to hold a French horn when I get home. That said, I'm pretty freakin' STOKED for this evening.
Hope your days are fiiine.
OH, MAN, AND ICING ON THE CAKE, LITERALLY: It's someone's birthday today at Satellite... Just saw the cake. Huzzah, cake at work is one of the best things in the world.
Monday was fine. The highlight was definitely making chicken Marsala for Ashley, Bonnie and Michelle! The four of us decided that once a week-ish, we'd take turns cooking for a Family Dinner of sorts. So, a few weeks ago, Ashley made superb chicken tacos, Saturday night Michelle made crab stir fry, and then it was my turn. With a package of chicken breasts defrosted and some sliced mushrooms biding their time in my tiny, useless fridge, I decided to make chicken Marsala. But as Marsala is from Italy, and New Zealand has more pride in their wine than I can fathom, I couldn't find any at Liquor Park, and I didn't feel like searching. So, I technically made chicken Chardonnay. It was delicious.
I was a little nervous, because I've never made chicken Marsala (or chicken Chardonnay, for that matter) before, and early on in the adventure, I set off the fire alarm in my apartment (second time in two weeks, I rock). But, it ended up being delicious and my friends are still talking about it. So, I'm stoked. I am REALLY enjoying cooking.
I have so many recipes written on Post-It notes strewn about my apartment; I should really collect them all and write them in one central location. Matty, I wish I had that recipe book you took to Ireland. C'est la vie.
Anyway, yesterday was boring... for various reasons, I was only at work until 1:45 pm, and then I leisurely walked home and leisurely had a nap, then I went to one of the best yoga classes of my young life.
Also exciting: the Loft is hosting some meditation workshops in the upcoming weeks! I'm pretty into the idea of meditation and kind of have trouble with it, so I have high hopes.
Today is Wednesday. I'm at work, then I have a Politics lecture this afternoon, and then some BU girls and I are going to hear the Auckland Philharmonia!!! I miss classical music in my life a lot; I hope I still remember how to hold a French horn when I get home. That said, I'm pretty freakin' STOKED for this evening.
Hope your days are fiiine.
OH, MAN, AND ICING ON THE CAKE, LITERALLY: It's someone's birthday today at Satellite... Just saw the cake. Huzzah, cake at work is one of the best things in the world.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Roommate Rant
So, my apartment recently got a$58 bill for overuse of electricity.
Jennifer and Monica paid electricity as part of their all-encompassing bill for study abroad, while my BU roommate and I had to pay $150ish each for electricity shortly after we moved in to this fantastic tin can in the sky. (That was another source of stress altogether.)
But anyway, my apartment as a unit got this $58 bill, so the powers that be split it evenly four ways and I'm expected to pay the $14 or whatever. That's really not that much, and I should probably just buck up and pay it.
But let me vent about it for a minute.
I heard from other people that UniLodge charged them for overuse of electricity as early as August. And by August, I had already noticed the shifty energy use patterns of my roommates.
For one, our tiny, useless fridge doesn't close on its own, but thankfully (...), it chirps obnoxiously when it's been left open for 10 minutes. Though I'm equally as guilty, our fridge is often caught chirping, undoubtedly working overtime to try and cool down our tiny, useless kitchen.
But Jennifer and Monica both continuously leave their bedroom lights on when they leave the apartment. Stuff is still on and running when they go away for the night or even the weekend.
More arrestingly, Monica left her MacBook not only on but open on her desk while she was on her two-week break (which started the week before mine). (Monica at least, though Jennifer actually closed the door to her bedroom, so I can't be sure the status of her laptop. It was probably on. It's usually left open as well.)
Now, when I heard from my first-floor friends that they got a bill for overuse of electricty, I mentioned it to Monica and Jennifer, not accusingly, just as a kind of heads'-up. Both were like, "Oh, that's so retarded!" to which I agreed for the sake of conversation, but then I suggested that maybe we all (*hint*) should watch our energy habits more carefully. Both assured me they don't use too much electricity. I didn't argue, but it's obvious that they do.
So, anyway, I came home from my two-week break a week after they arrived home to not only our electric wall heater turned up to 27 (the highest it will crank up) and our living room window open, but also a $58 apartment-wide electricity bill.
I AM PISSED.
Not to mention the fact that the bill came while I was on vacation? Though under careful scrutinisation, I discovered it's a bill for the month of August. Which then causes a new worry: that we might get one for September.
BUT I SWEAR. I'M REALLY NOT THE ONE WHO IS USING TOO MUCH ELECTRICITY. And in their defenses, I think Jennifer and Monica really do think they're not using too much power... They're just spoiled and are used to using an excessive amount. GRARHHH.
I've tried to talk to them about the bill, too: I've pointed out that I turned the heat off when the window was open (they didn't know the heater was on when they opened the window... Right, so, next time, check). I've also been passive-aggressively turning off their bedroom lights when they're not home. The next step is to close their freaking laptops. Both are on and open to Facebook right now. Neither roommate is home right now.
There. Now, put it in the boat, and watch it saaaail away.
Jennifer and Monica paid electricity as part of their all-encompassing bill for study abroad, while my BU roommate and I had to pay $150ish each for electricity shortly after we moved in to this fantastic tin can in the sky. (That was another source of stress altogether.)
But anyway, my apartment as a unit got this $58 bill, so the powers that be split it evenly four ways and I'm expected to pay the $14 or whatever. That's really not that much, and I should probably just buck up and pay it.
But let me vent about it for a minute.
I heard from other people that UniLodge charged them for overuse of electricity as early as August. And by August, I had already noticed the shifty energy use patterns of my roommates.
For one, our tiny, useless fridge doesn't close on its own, but thankfully (...), it chirps obnoxiously when it's been left open for 10 minutes. Though I'm equally as guilty, our fridge is often caught chirping, undoubtedly working overtime to try and cool down our tiny, useless kitchen.
But Jennifer and Monica both continuously leave their bedroom lights on when they leave the apartment. Stuff is still on and running when they go away for the night or even the weekend.
More arrestingly, Monica left her MacBook not only on but open on her desk while she was on her two-week break (which started the week before mine). (Monica at least, though Jennifer actually closed the door to her bedroom, so I can't be sure the status of her laptop. It was probably on. It's usually left open as well.)
Now, when I heard from my first-floor friends that they got a bill for overuse of electricty, I mentioned it to Monica and Jennifer, not accusingly, just as a kind of heads'-up. Both were like, "Oh, that's so retarded!" to which I agreed for the sake of conversation, but then I suggested that maybe we all (*hint*) should watch our energy habits more carefully. Both assured me they don't use too much electricity. I didn't argue, but it's obvious that they do.
So, anyway, I came home from my two-week break a week after they arrived home to not only our electric wall heater turned up to 27 (the highest it will crank up) and our living room window open, but also a $58 apartment-wide electricity bill.
I AM PISSED.
Not to mention the fact that the bill came while I was on vacation? Though under careful scrutinisation, I discovered it's a bill for the month of August. Which then causes a new worry: that we might get one for September.
BUT I SWEAR. I'M REALLY NOT THE ONE WHO IS USING TOO MUCH ELECTRICITY. And in their defenses, I think Jennifer and Monica really do think they're not using too much power... They're just spoiled and are used to using an excessive amount. GRARHHH.
I've tried to talk to them about the bill, too: I've pointed out that I turned the heat off when the window was open (they didn't know the heater was on when they opened the window... Right, so, next time, check). I've also been passive-aggressively turning off their bedroom lights when they're not home. The next step is to close their freaking laptops. Both are on and open to Facebook right now. Neither roommate is home right now.
There. Now, put it in the boat, and watch it saaaail away.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Update: Beer
It's now 4:34 pm; male staff members have been sipping Heinekens for the past half hour. Have yet to offer one to the intern.
Wildly Unexciting
Today has been mostly, if not totally, uneventful.
Though, while walking to work at 9:20 this morning, I saw two drag queens dancing in the middle of K'Rd... literally in the middle. Between lanes of morning rush-hour traffic. That was entertaining.
A bit further up K'Rd, I saw a woman jogging-- like, consciously going for a jog: gym shorts, iPod strapped to her bicep, the whole deal-- while simultaneously eating a muffin. That, too, was entertaining, and also confusing.
Then I got into work and I found that I couldn't sign on to Satellite Media's wireless network. The network I've been using almost every single day for the past two months? So, this guy Matt tried to fix it, and he realized it was the network's problem, not mine, so he tried to set my computer up with a broadband connection, but that didn't work either. Then he went to a completely unrelated meeting.
I was advised, rather condescendingly, by the executive assistant who is only six months older than me, to just wait for Matt to get out of the completely unrelated meeting, after which he could restart the modem. Apparently no one else in the entirety of Satellite Media has the necessary skills to restart the modem.
So, for the first hour and a half of my time at work today, I read The Restaurant at the End of the Universe. I will be finished with it tonight, which is grand, as it's due tomorrow and the Auckland City Library charges exorbitant late fees, and I have no relations who can zap them.
After I finally got working internet, I had 28 useless emails from the general Saint Mike's community, and that's about all.
Then my editor had me copy and paste (and incidentally, reformat) 59 CD reviews onto one master list. Um, mind-numbing, anyone? He said, and I quote directly, "It's important career building skillz."
Now it's 3:27 pm and I can't help but wonder when someone's going to offer me a beer. Usually the company has started drinking by now on Fridays.
Though, while walking to work at 9:20 this morning, I saw two drag queens dancing in the middle of K'Rd... literally in the middle. Between lanes of morning rush-hour traffic. That was entertaining.
A bit further up K'Rd, I saw a woman jogging-- like, consciously going for a jog: gym shorts, iPod strapped to her bicep, the whole deal-- while simultaneously eating a muffin. That, too, was entertaining, and also confusing.
Then I got into work and I found that I couldn't sign on to Satellite Media's wireless network. The network I've been using almost every single day for the past two months? So, this guy Matt tried to fix it, and he realized it was the network's problem, not mine, so he tried to set my computer up with a broadband connection, but that didn't work either. Then he went to a completely unrelated meeting.
I was advised, rather condescendingly, by the executive assistant who is only six months older than me, to just wait for Matt to get out of the completely unrelated meeting, after which he could restart the modem. Apparently no one else in the entirety of Satellite Media has the necessary skills to restart the modem.
So, for the first hour and a half of my time at work today, I read The Restaurant at the End of the Universe. I will be finished with it tonight, which is grand, as it's due tomorrow and the Auckland City Library charges exorbitant late fees, and I have no relations who can zap them.
After I finally got working internet, I had 28 useless emails from the general Saint Mike's community, and that's about all.
Then my editor had me copy and paste (and incidentally, reformat) 59 CD reviews onto one master list. Um, mind-numbing, anyone? He said, and I quote directly, "It's important career building skillz."
Now it's 3:27 pm and I can't help but wonder when someone's going to offer me a beer. Usually the company has started drinking by now on Fridays.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
The Red Carpet
emma: and the ring, have you destroyed it yet
That was amusing.
In other news, Nikki, the general manager of Satellite Media, just asked me if I am still planning on attending the 2008 Vodafone Music Awards with the company; she was confirming my place at the table.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I will be there! I'm so excited! I mean, it's not like the Grammys or something like that. Average citizens can purchase tickets if they want to go. I can wear jeans if I want, though I could also get "glammed up," Nikki says.
BUT STILL. In this country of only 4.1 million people (and 45 million sheep), of course it won't be on scale with the Grammys. It'll still be freakin' COOL, though.
Tiki Taane is performing and is up for some awards, and I love him. And the Flight of the Conchords are nominated for an award or three, so they will be there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That was amusing.
In other news, Nikki, the general manager of Satellite Media, just asked me if I am still planning on attending the 2008 Vodafone Music Awards with the company; she was confirming my place at the table.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I will be there! I'm so excited! I mean, it's not like the Grammys or something like that. Average citizens can purchase tickets if they want to go. I can wear jeans if I want, though I could also get "glammed up," Nikki says.
BUT STILL. In this country of only 4.1 million people (and 45 million sheep), of course it won't be on scale with the Grammys. It'll still be freakin' COOL, though.
Tiki Taane is performing and is up for some awards, and I love him. And the Flight of the Conchords are nominated for an award or three, so they will be there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Brief Break Highlights
Oh, wow. I'm pretty overwhelmed at the task of updating about my 16-day road trip around the South Island. It was an absolutely epic, once-in-a-lifetime adventure that I can barely begin to sum up. I also have two papers due this week that I've barely thought about, so I should get down to work. But, you're more important.
Two BU girls Ashley and Michelle and I flew into Christchurch on Friday morning, September 5. We picked up our rental car (some kind of Mazda; we never quite figured out its make) and hit the city. We didn't do much; had dinner at our new favorite restaurant Winnie Bagoes, and talked about how excited we were!
We had plans to stay with Kirsten, a Canadian-Kiwi who Ashley met in the airport (?!) on her trip to NZ. The girl and Ashley hit it off and Kirsten said if she ever needed a place to stay in Chch to call her up. So, we did.
Kirsten and her roommates live in a farmhouse in Darfield, which is a very rural suburb about a half hour outside Christchurch. Trying to find the house in the dark without knowing we're actually looking for a 1920s farmhouse-- complete with a dilapidated silo and three sheep (!) in the yard-- was quite a task, but we succeeded, and our trip started off with a bang in rural New Zealand.
Since we arrived in the dark, we didn't realize Kirsten's Canterbury Plains residence had an epic view of the Southern Alps-- our first glimpse of those beauts was in the morning.
First round of photos
From Darfield the next morning, we hit Route 1 and traveled south all the way to Dunedin, home of The Speight's Brewery, Cadbury Chocolates NZ, and the University of Otago. Read: college-girls' PARADISE. Though I didn't find Dunedin to be an especially aesthetically pleasing city, it was tons of fun and had a great atmosphere. Loved it! If I didn't have such a fantastic internship here in Auckland, I think I would have liked to study at Otago. Oh, well. Next time.
Pictures from Dunedin
From Dunedin, we went to the Otago Peninsula for some prime beach-wildlife viewing in the rain. We saw sea lions just lounging on the beach! So cool. They're massive, docile creatures and it was lovely sharing the beach with them. Though we trudged up a dune to the penguin hide, we didn't see any penguins, but that's not surprising, because they're apparently very shy. We did see one albatross (spotted by me!) at the Tairaoa Head Albatross Reserve, which was cool. Huge birds! It was raining while in Otago, though, so that put a little dampness-- I mean, damper on our day. We survived, though.
From Otago, we drove through the Catlins, but it was still raining heavily, so we pretty much viewed the beach scenery from the car. Visited Porpoise Bay but saw neither porpoises nor dolphins. Sigh.
See some photos here.
Then we caught the ferry to Stewart Island, the small island just south of New Zealand's South Island. It's the furthest point south you can go before Antarctica! (When Michelle told her dad that, he then went ahead and told all his friends that his daughter was traveling to Antarctica... No, Mr. R, but close. So close.)
The Foveaux Strait is one of the top three choppiest straits in the world, a crew member told my friends, as I was vomiting into a small paper bag she handed me. I have never been seasick in my entire life. I am a sailor, for chrissakes! It was ridiculous. Having not had a very difficult life thus far, I think seasickness is absolutely the worst feeling in the world. So gross. So, that was fun.
When the hour-long eternity of a ferry ride finally let us off, Stewart Island was a grey little bubble of cold rain. And it stayed that way as long as we were there. To exacerbate the situation, we had to walk outside our bedroom to get not only to the kitchen and lounge, but also to the toilet and showers. Ugh. I was damp and cold for our entire two-day sojourn to Stewart, and nauseous for a good part of it.
We hiked for a day on the island, though, which was great, despite the unrelenting rain. A nice man gave us a ride to the trail (four kilometres away from our hostel) in his utility van that morning (good idea, taking rides from strangers, I know), but unfortunately, after our 6k hike, we had to trek back to the hostel. In the rain. Seriously damp and cold. But worth it, for sure. Helped the nausea pass.
Soggy photos.
After Stewart Island, we began driving up the West Coast toward Queenstown via the Fiordland. Seriously, of all the magnificent natural beauty I saw over these two weeks, the Fiordland took the cake. Mountains and lakes are just so freakin' pretty. As much as I love salt air and crashing waves, I'm a mountain girl at heart.
Pictures that can't possibly do it justice can be seen here.
Queenstown is the adventure capital of the world, so that was fun. It's a mountain town and a tourist haven, offering absolutely any adrenalin rush one can imagine. My friends bungy jumped from a height of 50 metres; I took photos. It's just not my thing. We did have a great hike, though, and we rode horses in Glenorchy, a town just outside of Queenstown, where lots of scenes from Lord of the Rings and the Chronicles of Narnia were filmed! So cool.
I also finally bought Canterbury sheepskin boots; they're the new loves of my life. I really wanted to buy yarn, but of the two yarn stores in Queenstown, the one that was open didn't have what I'm looking for (anything chunky). For a country with such a preposterous number of sheep (45 million), there is a really disappointing yarn selection.
Photos from Queenstown and a few surrounding tiny towns
After a long stint in Queenstown, we headed back to the land without radio reception and skied Treble Cone, a resort in Wanaka. Skiing in New Zealand is so different from any North American skiing I've done! There are no native tress that grow mountainside here, so trails aren't defined that way. I suppose I've never really given thought to how necessary it is to have my trails defined, but Michelle and I definitely had to sidestep up a few slopes we realized were unskiable just a little too late. Also, it's spring here, so the snow was so slushy and heavy-- I definitely felt it in my legs for the next few days! Such an incredible experience; definitely a highlight of the entire trip.
See some nerdy pictures of me in my ski helmet here.
From Wanaka we headed along the coast to a small town called Okarito, which has a permanent population of 30. All of my classes in Auckland are bigger than that. Keri Hulme, author of The Bone People, is a resident! Ash and Michelle wouldn't let me knock on her door, though. Fair enough. Okarito was very relaxing and we had a nice kayak paddle in a lagoon of the wild Tasman Sea; that was another trip highlight.
From Okarito, we went to Punakaiki, a beach town famous for the Pancake Rocks and blowholes. The Pancake Rocks are huge limestone boulders getting eroded by the waves of the Tasman Sea... and are eroding into layers. Science doesn't know exactly why-- there are many theories, all of which sound probable enough to me-- but it sure does look cool. The blowholes happen when high tide waves crash into crevices formed by erosion, causing huge mists of water to blow out. Since we visited on a sunny day, we saw tons of rainbows!
Though it's not confirmed, I think Punakaiki is Te Reo (the Maori language) for pancakes. "Kai" means "food," so it could be... I hope it is. That would please me very much.
We changed our itinerary last minute to incorporate a visit to the Hanmer Springs thermal pools, some natural sulfurous hot pools. Though we stank of boiled eggs for a few hours, it was a fantastic decision.
Final round of photos.
We ended full-circle with dinner at Winnie Bagoes. We were very exhausted and fairly poor. I've been up since 4:30 this morning, to catch my 7 am flight out of Chch. Though I'm overwhelmed with work, I'm kind of glad to be back in Auckland. Kind of.
Two BU girls Ashley and Michelle and I flew into Christchurch on Friday morning, September 5. We picked up our rental car (some kind of Mazda; we never quite figured out its make) and hit the city. We didn't do much; had dinner at our new favorite restaurant Winnie Bagoes, and talked about how excited we were!
We had plans to stay with Kirsten, a Canadian-Kiwi who Ashley met in the airport (?!) on her trip to NZ. The girl and Ashley hit it off and Kirsten said if she ever needed a place to stay in Chch to call her up. So, we did.
Kirsten and her roommates live in a farmhouse in Darfield, which is a very rural suburb about a half hour outside Christchurch. Trying to find the house in the dark without knowing we're actually looking for a 1920s farmhouse-- complete with a dilapidated silo and three sheep (!) in the yard-- was quite a task, but we succeeded, and our trip started off with a bang in rural New Zealand.
Since we arrived in the dark, we didn't realize Kirsten's Canterbury Plains residence had an epic view of the Southern Alps-- our first glimpse of those beauts was in the morning.
First round of photos
From Darfield the next morning, we hit Route 1 and traveled south all the way to Dunedin, home of The Speight's Brewery, Cadbury Chocolates NZ, and the University of Otago. Read: college-girls' PARADISE. Though I didn't find Dunedin to be an especially aesthetically pleasing city, it was tons of fun and had a great atmosphere. Loved it! If I didn't have such a fantastic internship here in Auckland, I think I would have liked to study at Otago. Oh, well. Next time.
Pictures from Dunedin
From Dunedin, we went to the Otago Peninsula for some prime beach-wildlife viewing in the rain. We saw sea lions just lounging on the beach! So cool. They're massive, docile creatures and it was lovely sharing the beach with them. Though we trudged up a dune to the penguin hide, we didn't see any penguins, but that's not surprising, because they're apparently very shy. We did see one albatross (spotted by me!) at the Tairaoa Head Albatross Reserve, which was cool. Huge birds! It was raining while in Otago, though, so that put a little dampness-- I mean, damper on our day. We survived, though.
From Otago, we drove through the Catlins, but it was still raining heavily, so we pretty much viewed the beach scenery from the car. Visited Porpoise Bay but saw neither porpoises nor dolphins. Sigh.
See some photos here.
Then we caught the ferry to Stewart Island, the small island just south of New Zealand's South Island. It's the furthest point south you can go before Antarctica! (When Michelle told her dad that, he then went ahead and told all his friends that his daughter was traveling to Antarctica... No, Mr. R, but close. So close.)
The Foveaux Strait is one of the top three choppiest straits in the world, a crew member told my friends, as I was vomiting into a small paper bag she handed me. I have never been seasick in my entire life. I am a sailor, for chrissakes! It was ridiculous. Having not had a very difficult life thus far, I think seasickness is absolutely the worst feeling in the world. So gross. So, that was fun.
When the hour-long eternity of a ferry ride finally let us off, Stewart Island was a grey little bubble of cold rain. And it stayed that way as long as we were there. To exacerbate the situation, we had to walk outside our bedroom to get not only to the kitchen and lounge, but also to the toilet and showers. Ugh. I was damp and cold for our entire two-day sojourn to Stewart, and nauseous for a good part of it.
We hiked for a day on the island, though, which was great, despite the unrelenting rain. A nice man gave us a ride to the trail (four kilometres away from our hostel) in his utility van that morning (good idea, taking rides from strangers, I know), but unfortunately, after our 6k hike, we had to trek back to the hostel. In the rain. Seriously damp and cold. But worth it, for sure. Helped the nausea pass.
Soggy photos.
After Stewart Island, we began driving up the West Coast toward Queenstown via the Fiordland. Seriously, of all the magnificent natural beauty I saw over these two weeks, the Fiordland took the cake. Mountains and lakes are just so freakin' pretty. As much as I love salt air and crashing waves, I'm a mountain girl at heart.
Pictures that can't possibly do it justice can be seen here.
Queenstown is the adventure capital of the world, so that was fun. It's a mountain town and a tourist haven, offering absolutely any adrenalin rush one can imagine. My friends bungy jumped from a height of 50 metres; I took photos. It's just not my thing. We did have a great hike, though, and we rode horses in Glenorchy, a town just outside of Queenstown, where lots of scenes from Lord of the Rings and the Chronicles of Narnia were filmed! So cool.
I also finally bought Canterbury sheepskin boots; they're the new loves of my life. I really wanted to buy yarn, but of the two yarn stores in Queenstown, the one that was open didn't have what I'm looking for (anything chunky). For a country with such a preposterous number of sheep (45 million), there is a really disappointing yarn selection.
Photos from Queenstown and a few surrounding tiny towns
After a long stint in Queenstown, we headed back to the land without radio reception and skied Treble Cone, a resort in Wanaka. Skiing in New Zealand is so different from any North American skiing I've done! There are no native tress that grow mountainside here, so trails aren't defined that way. I suppose I've never really given thought to how necessary it is to have my trails defined, but Michelle and I definitely had to sidestep up a few slopes we realized were unskiable just a little too late. Also, it's spring here, so the snow was so slushy and heavy-- I definitely felt it in my legs for the next few days! Such an incredible experience; definitely a highlight of the entire trip.
See some nerdy pictures of me in my ski helmet here.
From Wanaka we headed along the coast to a small town called Okarito, which has a permanent population of 30. All of my classes in Auckland are bigger than that. Keri Hulme, author of The Bone People, is a resident! Ash and Michelle wouldn't let me knock on her door, though. Fair enough. Okarito was very relaxing and we had a nice kayak paddle in a lagoon of the wild Tasman Sea; that was another trip highlight.
From Okarito, we went to Punakaiki, a beach town famous for the Pancake Rocks and blowholes. The Pancake Rocks are huge limestone boulders getting eroded by the waves of the Tasman Sea... and are eroding into layers. Science doesn't know exactly why-- there are many theories, all of which sound probable enough to me-- but it sure does look cool. The blowholes happen when high tide waves crash into crevices formed by erosion, causing huge mists of water to blow out. Since we visited on a sunny day, we saw tons of rainbows!
Though it's not confirmed, I think Punakaiki is Te Reo (the Maori language) for pancakes. "Kai" means "food," so it could be... I hope it is. That would please me very much.
We changed our itinerary last minute to incorporate a visit to the Hanmer Springs thermal pools, some natural sulfurous hot pools. Though we stank of boiled eggs for a few hours, it was a fantastic decision.
Final round of photos.
We ended full-circle with dinner at Winnie Bagoes. We were very exhausted and fairly poor. I've been up since 4:30 this morning, to catch my 7 am flight out of Chch. Though I'm overwhelmed with work, I'm kind of glad to be back in Auckland. Kind of.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Bikram yoga is not okay.
I just came from the Tuesday Challenge! astanga yoga class at the Loft, and it was fanastic. I love yoga so much. It just makes me feel so much better about myself.
Also, the Loft follows all sessions with delicious, hearty, eat-til-you're-uncomfortable soulfood. So. Good.
I haven't been to the Loft in a week because last week, I decided to give eastwest Bikram Yoga a try. BIG MISTAKE. Bikram yoga is seriously, like, the exact opposite of what I want out of my yoga class. For those who don't know, the idea behind Bikram yoga is that the heat in the room is turned up to 105 degrees so you don't have to "work as hard," but you still like, burn as much... whatever it is you "burn." Or something.
WHATEVER.
I go to yoga to help focus my mind, body and soul. I like to surround myself with nice, down-to-earth people who know their own limits. I do not wish to be YELLED AT by a fake-looking yuppie who's sweating all over the sticky, 100-degree floor in the trendy, newly built, expensive-looking, faux-Eastern yoga studio. And he was yelling the entire time. Moreover, he was telling us to "PUSH! LOCK YOUR KNEES! IF YOU'RE NOT HURTING, YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG!!!!!" It was unpleasant.
I got two classes for $10 (the price of classes individually), though I'm fairly certain I'm not (read: most definitely not) going again. I left that yoga class more stressed than I was when I walked in. And excessively sweaty.
Most unfortunately, though, the studio is on my way home from work, and I saw the fake-looking yelling man while I was walking home the other day, and he asked me when I was coming in again. I sort of laughed and murmured something while shaking my head, but I think he took that as a "oh, soon, right." Whatever. I hope I don't run into him again.
Anyway, tonight's yoga class was perfect, and then delicious, and I feel good. Huzzah!
We leave Friday for the South Island. SO STOKED!!!
Also, the Loft follows all sessions with delicious, hearty, eat-til-you're-uncomfortable soulfood. So. Good.
I haven't been to the Loft in a week because last week, I decided to give eastwest Bikram Yoga a try. BIG MISTAKE. Bikram yoga is seriously, like, the exact opposite of what I want out of my yoga class. For those who don't know, the idea behind Bikram yoga is that the heat in the room is turned up to 105 degrees so you don't have to "work as hard," but you still like, burn as much... whatever it is you "burn." Or something.
WHATEVER.
I go to yoga to help focus my mind, body and soul. I like to surround myself with nice, down-to-earth people who know their own limits. I do not wish to be YELLED AT by a fake-looking yuppie who's sweating all over the sticky, 100-degree floor in the trendy, newly built, expensive-looking, faux-Eastern yoga studio. And he was yelling the entire time. Moreover, he was telling us to "PUSH! LOCK YOUR KNEES! IF YOU'RE NOT HURTING, YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG!!!!!" It was unpleasant.
I got two classes for $10 (the price of classes individually), though I'm fairly certain I'm not (read: most definitely not) going again. I left that yoga class more stressed than I was when I walked in. And excessively sweaty.
Most unfortunately, though, the studio is on my way home from work, and I saw the fake-looking yelling man while I was walking home the other day, and he asked me when I was coming in again. I sort of laughed and murmured something while shaking my head, but I think he took that as a "oh, soon, right." Whatever. I hope I don't run into him again.
Anyway, tonight's yoga class was perfect, and then delicious, and I feel good. Huzzah!
We leave Friday for the South Island. SO STOKED!!!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Aaand this is why I love this industry.
So, yesterday, I interviewed two members of the Kiwi band Crashpolitic and after a very successful discussion, if I may say so myself, they added me + 1 to the guest list of their CD release party.
I had kind of already decided to go, but I thought I maybe should check with my boss (the editor of Rip It Up) to make sure it's not like, journalistically unethical to take free beer from a band before I publish a story about them. (You know, memories of all that delicious free beer could affect the bias of my story.)
He said, "Yeah, that's totally cool."
And then DJ Sir-Vere, who works for Satellite Media's other publication Back2Basics when he's not dropping rhymes, said, "Yeah, actually, if you get really drunk and spew all over everyone, it gives the magazine a badass reputation."
I had kind of already decided to go, but I thought I maybe should check with my boss (the editor of Rip It Up) to make sure it's not like, journalistically unethical to take free beer from a band before I publish a story about them. (You know, memories of all that delicious free beer could affect the bias of my story.)
He said, "Yeah, that's totally cool."
And then DJ Sir-Vere, who works for Satellite Media's other publication Back2Basics when he's not dropping rhymes, said, "Yeah, actually, if you get really drunk and spew all over everyone, it gives the magazine a badass reputation."
Monday, August 25, 2008
Muffins: Successful
Huzzah, I just produced six banana muffins and five banana nut muffins, from scratch! And they cooked thoroughly in the tiny, weird oven in UniLodge!
The last time I baked with the UniLodge oven, I made oatmeal raisin cookies. The oven is half-sized, so the cookie sheet I had didn't fit, so I fashioned cookie sheets out of tinfoil. Therefore, I could only bake nine cookies at a time, and the heat wasn't conducting properly through the tinfoil, so each batch took about 20 minutes instead of the usual 9-11. I was afraid the cookie sheets weren't the only reason each batch took so long; I thought it might have something to do with the tiny, weird oven, too. But the muffins cooked up evenly, 20 minutes a batch, just like they're supposed to. Hooray! (For some reason, the muffin tin was already in my apartment when I moved in, which is why I decided to make muffins in the first place.)
I was mixing my dry and wet ingredients while this older guy was cooking dinner in the communal kitchen. He watched me for a while and then said, condescendingly, "Hm, muffins, how domestic."
I really, really enjoy baking. Whatever, it's "domestic." Who the frig cares. I can be a strong, independent woman of the 21st century and enjoy baking for no particular reason. I wish people wouldn't give me a hard time for baking. (Everyone who walked by the kitchen while I was making the cookies had some two cents to throw at me.) You like eating muffins, don't you? Do you think muffins spontaneously generate? No. Someone has to bake them. So lay off.
Then, Paul the UniLodge maintenance man (probably my favorite person I've met in Auckland so far) came in and said, "Wow, muffins! Is the oven working?"
And I said, "Um, I don't know? I didn't think to make sure?" I had turned it on to preheat, so I opened it and felt for heat.
It wasn't hot.
I had a pot (because I have no mixing bowls) of muffin batter, and a cold oven.
So, Paul the maintenance man began fiddling with the oven dial while I looked behind it to make sure it was plugged in. It was, but the switch that gives power through the outlet was switched off. So, I switched it on, and the little red light turned on. So, crisis averted, but it was almost really bad.
Anyway, Paul was still fiddling with the dial, the knob of which does not stay on, no matter what. He didn't know what condition the oven was in-- he never uses it, I guess-- but now he does (read: poor), and he said he'll let the front desk know that they should replace it. Yay Paul!!
Anyway, I put the muffins in the freezer so I can bring them on my spring break road trip. Yum!
The last time I baked with the UniLodge oven, I made oatmeal raisin cookies. The oven is half-sized, so the cookie sheet I had didn't fit, so I fashioned cookie sheets out of tinfoil. Therefore, I could only bake nine cookies at a time, and the heat wasn't conducting properly through the tinfoil, so each batch took about 20 minutes instead of the usual 9-11. I was afraid the cookie sheets weren't the only reason each batch took so long; I thought it might have something to do with the tiny, weird oven, too. But the muffins cooked up evenly, 20 minutes a batch, just like they're supposed to. Hooray! (For some reason, the muffin tin was already in my apartment when I moved in, which is why I decided to make muffins in the first place.)
I was mixing my dry and wet ingredients while this older guy was cooking dinner in the communal kitchen. He watched me for a while and then said, condescendingly, "Hm, muffins, how domestic."
I really, really enjoy baking. Whatever, it's "domestic." Who the frig cares. I can be a strong, independent woman of the 21st century and enjoy baking for no particular reason. I wish people wouldn't give me a hard time for baking. (Everyone who walked by the kitchen while I was making the cookies had some two cents to throw at me.) You like eating muffins, don't you? Do you think muffins spontaneously generate? No. Someone has to bake them. So lay off.
Then, Paul the UniLodge maintenance man (probably my favorite person I've met in Auckland so far) came in and said, "Wow, muffins! Is the oven working?"
And I said, "Um, I don't know? I didn't think to make sure?" I had turned it on to preheat, so I opened it and felt for heat.
It wasn't hot.
I had a pot (because I have no mixing bowls) of muffin batter, and a cold oven.
So, Paul the maintenance man began fiddling with the oven dial while I looked behind it to make sure it was plugged in. It was, but the switch that gives power through the outlet was switched off. So, I switched it on, and the little red light turned on. So, crisis averted, but it was almost really bad.
Anyway, Paul was still fiddling with the dial, the knob of which does not stay on, no matter what. He didn't know what condition the oven was in-- he never uses it, I guess-- but now he does (read: poor), and he said he'll let the front desk know that they should replace it. Yay Paul!!
Anyway, I put the muffins in the freezer so I can bring them on my spring break road trip. Yum!
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Also, I made banana pancakes. Big on banana-flavored things today.
So, I wish I had anything of merit to post, but I don't. I'm sorry. I thought being abroad would be exciting moment after exciting moment, but really. All I do is go to work and class.
Yesterday we did go to the Otara Marketplace, though, which was kind of exciting. It was a large parking lot-like area of little tents selling oddities and produce. Most booths sold ridiculous knock-off designer wear (Leva's jeans, anyone?), "Polynesian souveniers," Maori pride shirts, things with marijuana leaves in their decoration, produce and carnival food.
There were some beautiful arts booths, though, and I bought myself a black leather belt that the nice Polynesian fellow cut and sized for me right there! I also bought a little gift for an undisclosed recipient. I also bought potatoes.
Yesterday afternoon, UniLodge hosted us for a barbecue. Even though I had little desire for barbecue food, I definitely want dinner on UniLodge, as this building absolutely nickels and dimes me in every regard. We started the evening with a New Zealand trivia contest, and the one Maori boy in my group and knowledge learned from my Aotearoa New Zealand class helped propel us to the top! We kicked ass. Though in the end, every participant won a package of questionably delicious banoffee-flavored cookies.
The food they served, too, was not what I was expecting: sausage, potato salad, cole slaw, and, inexplicably, buttered bread. I also tried L&P for the first time, which was an interesting experience that I mostly enjoyed.
Today a BU girl and I were going to go to the Erotica Lifestyles Expo (seriously), until I found out it's $25 (or $45 together if we told them we're a couple), which is really just too much to spend on something I'm mildly ashamed to admit I'm actually interested in. (All interest stemming from this preceding event, of course.) Anyway, I wanted to be back in time for KrishnaFest at The Loft anyway... I'm feeling a little spiritually lacking. Then I'm going to bake some banana muffins in the silly little UniLodge oven.
This is my life, seriously.
Oh. I'm interviewing Crashpolitic on Tuesday, for Rip It Up's Ones2Watch section. That's cool, I guess.
Yesterday we did go to the Otara Marketplace, though, which was kind of exciting. It was a large parking lot-like area of little tents selling oddities and produce. Most booths sold ridiculous knock-off designer wear (Leva's jeans, anyone?), "Polynesian souveniers," Maori pride shirts, things with marijuana leaves in their decoration, produce and carnival food.
There were some beautiful arts booths, though, and I bought myself a black leather belt that the nice Polynesian fellow cut and sized for me right there! I also bought a little gift for an undisclosed recipient. I also bought potatoes.
Yesterday afternoon, UniLodge hosted us for a barbecue. Even though I had little desire for barbecue food, I definitely want dinner on UniLodge, as this building absolutely nickels and dimes me in every regard. We started the evening with a New Zealand trivia contest, and the one Maori boy in my group and knowledge learned from my Aotearoa New Zealand class helped propel us to the top! We kicked ass. Though in the end, every participant won a package of questionably delicious banoffee-flavored cookies.
The food they served, too, was not what I was expecting: sausage, potato salad, cole slaw, and, inexplicably, buttered bread. I also tried L&P for the first time, which was an interesting experience that I mostly enjoyed.
Today a BU girl and I were going to go to the Erotica Lifestyles Expo (seriously), until I found out it's $25 (or $45 together if we told them we're a couple), which is really just too much to spend on something I'm mildly ashamed to admit I'm actually interested in. (All interest stemming from this preceding event, of course.) Anyway, I wanted to be back in time for KrishnaFest at The Loft anyway... I'm feeling a little spiritually lacking. Then I'm going to bake some banana muffins in the silly little UniLodge oven.
This is my life, seriously.
Oh. I'm interviewing Crashpolitic on Tuesday, for Rip It Up's Ones2Watch section. That's cool, I guess.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Yeah Monday!
Yesterday was just all-around fantastic. I woke up late (10 am), not because I necessarily needed to, but because I could. It was raining when I woke up, but after only a few minutes, the sky blued up and I opened my window and the beautiful day shone in. I was energized and in an all-around good mood... one of those mornings, you know?
I checked class times at The Loft and planned on going to yoga, so that jazzed me for the rest of the day.
I had the lecture for my Magazine Journalism class at noon. Each lecture is by a different guest, so they're always interesting. Yesterday's was by Suzanne McFadden, a prolific NZ profile and feature writer who had lots of wisdom and experience to pass on.
Then I was back in my apartment to knit and Skype my family, a good way to spend an afternoon.
I had class again at four, which was boring (New Zealand Political Studies), but I have friends in the class so it wasn't so bad.
I headed back to UniLodge and Kevin was in the lobby to give back our Maori tests... I got an A-! Seeing as though I had C-range hopes, that was pleasing.
I left for yoga shortly thereafter, and the class was faaantaaaastic. For $14, I got a 75-minute hatha yoga class, plus all-I-could-eat vegetarian dinner and dessert. Plus, new friends. Definitely going to make that part of my regular routine.
Afterwards, I talked with Michelle and Ashley about our Spring Break plans. I'm glad I hitched on with them; Ashley is so organized and we're going to have a much more rewarding itinerary than if I were to try and plan a trip on my own. Excited about THAT. I'll give more details as they're set in stone.
Now I'm at Rip It Up, getting some background on Nathan King in preparation for interviewing him at 2 pm! I have 900 words to play around with once I talk to him. Talk about good for my portfolio...
I finally finished A Short History Of Paradise, which was quite boring. But for some reason, I felt compelled to finish it. I'm going to the library tonight to grab something else to absorb. Having finished the Bilbrough book, I feel relieved and like I have the literary world at my fingertips.
I should figure out a way to get my headphone hair to subside before I meet NZ rock royalty this afternoon. Hmm...
I checked class times at The Loft and planned on going to yoga, so that jazzed me for the rest of the day.
I had the lecture for my Magazine Journalism class at noon. Each lecture is by a different guest, so they're always interesting. Yesterday's was by Suzanne McFadden, a prolific NZ profile and feature writer who had lots of wisdom and experience to pass on.
Then I was back in my apartment to knit and Skype my family, a good way to spend an afternoon.
I had class again at four, which was boring (New Zealand Political Studies), but I have friends in the class so it wasn't so bad.
I headed back to UniLodge and Kevin was in the lobby to give back our Maori tests... I got an A-! Seeing as though I had C-range hopes, that was pleasing.
I left for yoga shortly thereafter, and the class was faaantaaaastic. For $14, I got a 75-minute hatha yoga class, plus all-I-could-eat vegetarian dinner and dessert. Plus, new friends. Definitely going to make that part of my regular routine.
Afterwards, I talked with Michelle and Ashley about our Spring Break plans. I'm glad I hitched on with them; Ashley is so organized and we're going to have a much more rewarding itinerary than if I were to try and plan a trip on my own. Excited about THAT. I'll give more details as they're set in stone.
Now I'm at Rip It Up, getting some background on Nathan King in preparation for interviewing him at 2 pm! I have 900 words to play around with once I talk to him. Talk about good for my portfolio...
I finally finished A Short History Of Paradise, which was quite boring. But for some reason, I felt compelled to finish it. I'm going to the library tonight to grab something else to absorb. Having finished the Bilbrough book, I feel relieved and like I have the literary world at my fingertips.
I should figure out a way to get my headphone hair to subside before I meet NZ rock royalty this afternoon. Hmm...
Sunday, August 17, 2008
What are baby sheep called?
Yesterday Ashley, Kathy, Bonnie, Kathrynn, Jasmine, Ning and I rented a Previa from one of the car hires on Beach Road and I got behind the wheel and we headed north to SHEEPWORLD.
SheepWorld is about a 50 minute drive up Highway 1, and driving really wasn't so bad. After I realized the parking break was on, it was pretty much smooth sailing. We had to rely on New Zealand radio because no one has one of those connect-your-mp3-player devices, but even that wasn't so bad. I'm secretly a huge fan of Chris Brown and the new Weezer song.
We got to SheepWorld about four minutes after the "eel feeding" was scheduled to begin, but it was cancelled anyway so Kathy's disappointment wasn't the fault of my old-lady driving tendencies. I really wish we got to see the eel feeding, though, because I'm so confused. Eels? At SheepWorld? Why? I would really like a little context there.
We asked the old lady who sold us our tickets whether we could have a group rate for the seven of us, and she said that unfortunately, they only do group rates for groups of 10 or more, but she would give us some bags of feed for the animals! Usually you have to pay a buck for that stuff. So, that was cool. We got to feed all the animals on the grounds. It was like a petting zoo-- there were all these farm animals are kind of penned but kind of just hanging out, and they come up in your face and eat out of your hand... it was fun.
After our little self-guided tour of the grounds, we went into the barn for the sheep & dog show, where this Kiwi shepherd Rob showed us how his two dogs help him round up sheep. It was kind of cool... I kind of felt like the dogs were just running around, but I guess that's what they're there for.
Then Rob had an audience volunteer help herd them into different pens (based on a color stripe on their fleece), and Bonnie was that volunteer! She did a pretty good job. I think she might have a career in shepherding.
Then Rob showed us how to shear a sheep, which looks pretty inhumane. The sheep he was shearing had never had a haircut before and was pretty uncomfortable with it, so that was awkward. I understand that sheep get sheared for the own health, so knowing that helped. And the sheep looked quite nice after his haircut. And there was no blood.
After the shearing, all these five-to-ten day old BABY LAMBS came out and we got to bottle-feed them! Sooo cuuuuuute. I called them "baby sheep" and like, four Kiwis called me out on it. I guess in a country where sheep outnumber people four to one, you should know how to call them at any age.
We hit up the gift store after washing our hands (of course), which is really the reason wanted to go to SheepWorld. Yarn.
They actually didn't have a great selection. I was disappointed. I wanted something chunky, but they only had sportweight, and they didn't have many color selections. I made a purchase, though. I mean, you can never have too much yarn. It's still NZ wool. It's actually quite beautiful, in shades of purple.
I considered some Canterbury boots, too, New Zealand's answer to Uggs. They were beeeaaaauuutiful, but $225 NZD. I just couldn't justify it. I might buy them at a later date, though. They're so gorgeous.
After SheepWorld, we headed south, but stopped a few places on the way home just because we could. We stopped at the New Zealand Honey Centre, which was really a nice place and I would like to officially tour it some day. We also stopped at a beautiful beach because I'm in New Zealand and you can just pull off the road at any given place and dip your toes into the Pacific.
In all, it was a beautiful little day trip. We were going to go to the Auckland Zoo today, but it's gross-raining and no one wants to traipse around the zoo in spitting rain. Gag. So... I'll probably clean the bathrooms in my apartment and go to FoodTown. Such is life.
Photos of farm animals for you to enjoy!
SheepWorld is about a 50 minute drive up Highway 1, and driving really wasn't so bad. After I realized the parking break was on, it was pretty much smooth sailing. We had to rely on New Zealand radio because no one has one of those connect-your-mp3-player devices, but even that wasn't so bad. I'm secretly a huge fan of Chris Brown and the new Weezer song.
We got to SheepWorld about four minutes after the "eel feeding" was scheduled to begin, but it was cancelled anyway so Kathy's disappointment wasn't the fault of my old-lady driving tendencies. I really wish we got to see the eel feeding, though, because I'm so confused. Eels? At SheepWorld? Why? I would really like a little context there.
We asked the old lady who sold us our tickets whether we could have a group rate for the seven of us, and she said that unfortunately, they only do group rates for groups of 10 or more, but she would give us some bags of feed for the animals! Usually you have to pay a buck for that stuff. So, that was cool. We got to feed all the animals on the grounds. It was like a petting zoo-- there were all these farm animals are kind of penned but kind of just hanging out, and they come up in your face and eat out of your hand... it was fun.
After our little self-guided tour of the grounds, we went into the barn for the sheep & dog show, where this Kiwi shepherd Rob showed us how his two dogs help him round up sheep. It was kind of cool... I kind of felt like the dogs were just running around, but I guess that's what they're there for.
Then Rob had an audience volunteer help herd them into different pens (based on a color stripe on their fleece), and Bonnie was that volunteer! She did a pretty good job. I think she might have a career in shepherding.
Then Rob showed us how to shear a sheep, which looks pretty inhumane. The sheep he was shearing had never had a haircut before and was pretty uncomfortable with it, so that was awkward. I understand that sheep get sheared for the own health, so knowing that helped. And the sheep looked quite nice after his haircut. And there was no blood.
After the shearing, all these five-to-ten day old BABY LAMBS came out and we got to bottle-feed them! Sooo cuuuuuute. I called them "baby sheep" and like, four Kiwis called me out on it. I guess in a country where sheep outnumber people four to one, you should know how to call them at any age.
We hit up the gift store after washing our hands (of course), which is really the reason wanted to go to SheepWorld. Yarn.
They actually didn't have a great selection. I was disappointed. I wanted something chunky, but they only had sportweight, and they didn't have many color selections. I made a purchase, though. I mean, you can never have too much yarn. It's still NZ wool. It's actually quite beautiful, in shades of purple.
I considered some Canterbury boots, too, New Zealand's answer to Uggs. They were beeeaaaauuutiful, but $225 NZD. I just couldn't justify it. I might buy them at a later date, though. They're so gorgeous.
After SheepWorld, we headed south, but stopped a few places on the way home just because we could. We stopped at the New Zealand Honey Centre, which was really a nice place and I would like to officially tour it some day. We also stopped at a beautiful beach because I'm in New Zealand and you can just pull off the road at any given place and dip your toes into the Pacific.
In all, it was a beautiful little day trip. We were going to go to the Auckland Zoo today, but it's gross-raining and no one wants to traipse around the zoo in spitting rain. Gag. So... I'll probably clean the bathrooms in my apartment and go to FoodTown. Such is life.
Photos of farm animals for you to enjoy!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
