Just when I thought I was getting a little bored......
Now I am a pretty sensible girl who generally stays away from all things military and is not overly moved by the site of a uniform. Now that being said......I do have to admit to being really excited when I heard a whole ship of Argentinian sailors just docked in the harbor and would be in wellington for an entire week! Pitter patter went the heart strings!!! Maybe it is a programing thing because the first guy I fell in love with here in Wellington was from Argentina. But whatever the cause, I knew it would be an interesting week :)
At first there was the buzz and excitement but none of the sailor s were spotted about town. then we you'd hear about people seeing them in this place or that but never where I was! I swear they would be in a coffee shop the same day as me but an hour later! Urrgghh! I refused to hang around the dock like some wharf rat but still I really wanted to meet them! Then came the chance! My wonderful LA (littlest Argentinean) told me that on Friday night there was to be a party on the ship with a tour, lots of wine and lots of sailors! Now to convince my female friends to go with me. Now they are lovely girls but not the brave soul I am ......with the exception of Scottish. However, Scottish is in a relationship currently with the male version of herself and reasoned that a ship of South American sailors might not be an appropriate place for her. So, I grabbed some white wine and proceeded to pour some for my non brave friends as I detailed the many virtues of my plan for boarding the ship! A bottle and much later we where ready to go!
As soon as we hit the gang plank there were a group of officers cheering us! Oh my! Maybe I wasn't as brave either! However, we pushed on and soon we were whisked away for a complete tour of the ship! Then we were taken to the officers lounge for some excellent malbec and salsa music! Wow could those officers dance! There was one tall, handsome one that really showed me some excellent salsa moves that I won't forget ;) I have to say that they were also some of the most gentlemanly men I have ever met! A credit to the Argentina Navy! I really enjoyed myself and ended up not saying adios until 6:30 am!!! A great night all around and was very sad to see them sailing off the next day!!
Monday, October 6, 2008
Pirates, Fluro and Togas, OH MY!
How I spend my free time.......
So, being the lazy traveler that I am I have lots of free time. I do work but my work takes up about 24 hours of my whole week with an odd job thrown in every once in a while. How do I fill the remaining hours you might ask.......Well, glad you did! If you can't find me working then you will find me either at a party or preparing for a party. Now these aren't just small quaint get togethers or New Zealand style parties where you grab a couple friends, some weed and a box of wine (yes I said a BOX of wine). These are fun, fancy dress parties that we backpackers and our lovely hosts think up to fill our time!!!
First up in the past couple of weeks was the PIRATE PARTY. Now, why would we have a pirate party? Because it was International Talk like a Pirate Day and it happened to fall on a Friday! I mean do you really need a better excuse? So, off to the 2 Cheap store to find all our ridiculous costume bits and of course lots of crazy make up! Now I find that most people like to dress up and have a bit of silly fun but really lack the motivation or knwo how! That is where I come in!!!! I took a group of South Americans, Germans, and British by the hands and personally helped them assemble all their various fiddley bits! And WOW what a crazy night! It started up in our roomms where we had to all help each get dressed and I actually had a line of people going out my door waiting for me to paint scars, tattoos and piratey facial hair on them! The end results were pretty funny! We ended up down in our beloved bar packed with pirates, good music and free rum punch! That night was out of control. Of course it also introduced me to CK (crazy Kiwi) a fun, handsome but completey insane Kiwi guy that will not stop texting and calling me. I mean I know that I am fun on the dacne floor and a great kisser but really can you fall in love with someone in one night? Apparently for Kiwi guys it is possible! Oh well.......next party!
A couple of days later saw a large group coming into town who decided to have a Retro Fluro party in our beloved bar. Now this was another excuse to break out the paint and really what else was I going to do with my Tuesday night? So, take the internationals by the hand and go to the shop again! And fluro night it is!!! This time we decided that face paint and body paint would be the order of the night. Again I had a line out my door of people waiting to be made up. After about an hour of up pleading we even talked a wonderful Chilean guy into going in just his fluro swim trunks and letting us paint the rest of his body! Imagine! A German, Scottish and American girl hand painting your whole body for about 45 minutes ;) I think he really enjoyed himself!! We ended up having a party upstairs whilst getting ready and nearly didn't make it down to the beloved bar! However, eventually we stumbled down painted and wigged and ready to dance! Whewwww need to rest a week or two before we do that again or we could do togas :)
So, the next week saw us pulling our bed sheets off and getting ready to have an old fashion toga party! Did I say that the beloved bar offered a $50 bar tab for the most creative toga? This prompted the guys into all sorts of crazy behaviour! One completely nuts Brazilian even wanted to go down in a sort of mankini toga that was jsut all sort so wrong! Luckily after pulling myself off the floor from laughing at the site of him.....I was able to talk him out of exposing quite so much of his....well Brazilianess ;) One of our lads (a sort of very tall and well built Orlando Bloom type from England) decided to do sort of female toga look complete with breasts. He came in third and had to keep running away from all the guys grabbing his boobs all night. It was great fun. However, jsut a warning.......wehn you assemble your toga, make sure you can properly move and dance! Had to make a couple of adjustments once I got out onto the dance floor and thought I was going to completely lose my toga at one point but Orlando came to the rescue ;)
So, now the place is quiet once again and thinking about the next fancy dress party......hmmmmm..pj party might be fun......
So, being the lazy traveler that I am I have lots of free time. I do work but my work takes up about 24 hours of my whole week with an odd job thrown in every once in a while. How do I fill the remaining hours you might ask.......Well, glad you did! If you can't find me working then you will find me either at a party or preparing for a party. Now these aren't just small quaint get togethers or New Zealand style parties where you grab a couple friends, some weed and a box of wine (yes I said a BOX of wine). These are fun, fancy dress parties that we backpackers and our lovely hosts think up to fill our time!!!
First up in the past couple of weeks was the PIRATE PARTY. Now, why would we have a pirate party? Because it was International Talk like a Pirate Day and it happened to fall on a Friday! I mean do you really need a better excuse? So, off to the 2 Cheap store to find all our ridiculous costume bits and of course lots of crazy make up! Now I find that most people like to dress up and have a bit of silly fun but really lack the motivation or knwo how! That is where I come in!!!! I took a group of South Americans, Germans, and British by the hands and personally helped them assemble all their various fiddley bits! And WOW what a crazy night! It started up in our roomms where we had to all help each get dressed and I actually had a line of people going out my door waiting for me to paint scars, tattoos and piratey facial hair on them! The end results were pretty funny! We ended up down in our beloved bar packed with pirates, good music and free rum punch! That night was out of control. Of course it also introduced me to CK (crazy Kiwi) a fun, handsome but completey insane Kiwi guy that will not stop texting and calling me. I mean I know that I am fun on the dacne floor and a great kisser but really can you fall in love with someone in one night? Apparently for Kiwi guys it is possible! Oh well.......next party!
A couple of days later saw a large group coming into town who decided to have a Retro Fluro party in our beloved bar. Now this was another excuse to break out the paint and really what else was I going to do with my Tuesday night? So, take the internationals by the hand and go to the shop again! And fluro night it is!!! This time we decided that face paint and body paint would be the order of the night. Again I had a line out my door of people waiting to be made up. After about an hour of up pleading we even talked a wonderful Chilean guy into going in just his fluro swim trunks and letting us paint the rest of his body! Imagine! A German, Scottish and American girl hand painting your whole body for about 45 minutes ;) I think he really enjoyed himself!! We ended up having a party upstairs whilst getting ready and nearly didn't make it down to the beloved bar! However, eventually we stumbled down painted and wigged and ready to dance! Whewwww need to rest a week or two before we do that again or we could do togas :)
So, the next week saw us pulling our bed sheets off and getting ready to have an old fashion toga party! Did I say that the beloved bar offered a $50 bar tab for the most creative toga? This prompted the guys into all sorts of crazy behaviour! One completely nuts Brazilian even wanted to go down in a sort of mankini toga that was jsut all sort so wrong! Luckily after pulling myself off the floor from laughing at the site of him.....I was able to talk him out of exposing quite so much of his....well Brazilianess ;) One of our lads (a sort of very tall and well built Orlando Bloom type from England) decided to do sort of female toga look complete with breasts. He came in third and had to keep running away from all the guys grabbing his boobs all night. It was great fun. However, jsut a warning.......wehn you assemble your toga, make sure you can properly move and dance! Had to make a couple of adjustments once I got out onto the dance floor and thought I was going to completely lose my toga at one point but Orlando came to the rescue ;)
So, now the place is quiet once again and thinking about the next fancy dress party......hmmmmm..pj party might be fun......
Friday, September 5, 2008
The Who, What, When, Where, Why and How of Friends
Okay, I can't even begin to list all the ways travel (even my limited amount) has changed and educated me! I have learned too many lessons to list though I will try and list the best ones! Some of the best lessons have been an education in people form different parts of the world. Here is a sort of who, what , when, where, why and how of making friends during travel!
WHO: South Americans What: in my experience this has been Chile, Argentina and Brazil When:As soon as you can say at least one word in Spanish or Porteguese because this will thrill them to no end! Where: they are EVERYWHERE in NZ! Seriously, this is one of the only countries that they can immigrate to with some sort of ease Why: You can learn Spanish and/or Porteguese, eat amazing food that they will cook and feed you themselves, have FANTASTIC dance partners who really will stay out until the last club closes, and will make you feel good because they will constantly tell you a) they love you b) you are sexy c) you have stolen their hearts! (this is the girls too :) How: Smile at them and make an attempt to bridge language barrier, or just start dancing and watch them gather around Drawbacks: they never slow down and can wear you out fast! Also the whole "I love you" thing gets old because it is them constantly trying to sleep with you which is also exhausting
WHO: The British WHAT: Now this includes the English, the Scottish and the Welsh (technically the people of Northern Ireland as well but never say that to their faces!) WHEN: As soon as your feet touch the tarmac you will be talking to them....simply because you speak English...even if they think you speak it incorrectly WHERE: They are the only group that exceeds the South Americans in number so just toss a stick and whereever that lands there is sure to be a British person! WHY: Great drinking buddies (though beware they will want to go to every English or Irish style pub and might be hesitant to try "funky" places), you will certainly learn news pool skills and be treated to lots of chips (french fries to us Americans :) Funny dance partners if you find the "golden moment" when they are drunk enough to not care but not too drunk to do a face plant on the dance floor! HOW: complain about something around you and they will join in and bond with you really fast or just offer to buy them a pint! Drawbacks: they tend to get REALLY drunk and either want to fight you, spill chips all over the place, piss themselves or get you all kicked out of the pub. Also, they tend to travel in packs and sometimes it is hard to make friends with just one or two
WHO: Irish WHAT: Now we are talking the Republic of Ireland here and nothing to do with the UK WHEN: like the British you will most likely talk to one before you land in the place WHERE: these are the most outgoing of all travelers so just look for a Quebab or Chip shop or pub and you'll find plenty to talk to WHY: just a generally outgoing and happy people (they were voted the most likeable nation in the WHOLE world!) they always have a bottle of spirits (or two) to bring to the party, are loud and just a whole world of fun! HOW: smile and they'll smile back and start a conversation, frown and they will try and cheer you up and start a conversation.....avoid them and they will still most likely try and start a conversation!
Drawbacks: like the British they tend to get quite drunk when they go out! However, not quite as willing to fight despite stereotypes to the contrary! really they just get more happy :)
WHO: Europeans WHAT: talking about the Western European countries not a part of the UK, so really France and Germany is what I have in mind WHEN:These guys tend to be sneaky bastards. Just when you think there are only British, Irish and South Americans around...BLAM! there is a random German guy suddenly inserting himself into your group of friends. No one will know who first talked to him or when he started hanging out with you, it'll jsut happen when you least expect it. WHERE:Look for them in the hostels, on their own, usually huddled over a computer, book or chess board WHY: Nice break from the British and South Americans and just a new perspective for the group. Fun to dance with if you can get them away from the hostel. Great chill out buddies during the day when you just want to veg in the lounge or watch a movie. Also can bring the intellectual quota up a bit and can be quite the hotties!!! HOW: They will find you. Do not approach them or be scorned. They will decide when and if they want to join your group!
Drawbacks: They can be quite harsh on your country. And do not even try and correct them when they over generalize to a ridiculous degree or get facts completely worng. After all, they know 2 people who have been to your country and they will draw all their imformation on that and the movies, forgetting that you actually lived your whole life in the country of question!
WHO: Kiwis and Aussies WHAT: These would be the people of New Zealand and Australia WHEN: Being in this part of the world you'd think that they would be the first people you'd meet. Not so. WHERE: you need to get away from the hostels and touristy places. try smaller towns or more local only hang out spots. WHY: Because why would you go to a country and not try and make friends with the locals? Just seems a bit silly really! they are the blood of a culture, not to mention the fact that they will know all the best places to party! HOW: Now unlike so many areas of the world. They LOVE Americans. So, just start talking in your native accent about how much you love their country and you will soon be swarming with them!
Drawbacks: They are crazy. Sorry, no way to get around it. Most Aussies are loud and crazy. Kiwis are just weird and crazy. Maybe it is the isolation from the rest of the world, or the fact that they were founded by the people Great Britian was trying to get rid of? They are just nuts, man!
Okay, there are a ton of other groups of people out there and who I am sure would make excellent friends. However, these were the main groups I experienced throughout my travels here Down Under. I was fortunate enough to meet some pretty excellent people who I hope to keep in contact with and run into sometime in the future!
WHO: South Americans What: in my experience this has been Chile, Argentina and Brazil When:As soon as you can say at least one word in Spanish or Porteguese because this will thrill them to no end! Where: they are EVERYWHERE in NZ! Seriously, this is one of the only countries that they can immigrate to with some sort of ease Why: You can learn Spanish and/or Porteguese, eat amazing food that they will cook and feed you themselves, have FANTASTIC dance partners who really will stay out until the last club closes, and will make you feel good because they will constantly tell you a) they love you b) you are sexy c) you have stolen their hearts! (this is the girls too :) How: Smile at them and make an attempt to bridge language barrier, or just start dancing and watch them gather around Drawbacks: they never slow down and can wear you out fast! Also the whole "I love you" thing gets old because it is them constantly trying to sleep with you which is also exhausting
WHO: The British WHAT: Now this includes the English, the Scottish and the Welsh (technically the people of Northern Ireland as well but never say that to their faces!) WHEN: As soon as your feet touch the tarmac you will be talking to them....simply because you speak English...even if they think you speak it incorrectly WHERE: They are the only group that exceeds the South Americans in number so just toss a stick and whereever that lands there is sure to be a British person! WHY: Great drinking buddies (though beware they will want to go to every English or Irish style pub and might be hesitant to try "funky" places), you will certainly learn news pool skills and be treated to lots of chips (french fries to us Americans :) Funny dance partners if you find the "golden moment" when they are drunk enough to not care but not too drunk to do a face plant on the dance floor! HOW: complain about something around you and they will join in and bond with you really fast or just offer to buy them a pint! Drawbacks: they tend to get REALLY drunk and either want to fight you, spill chips all over the place, piss themselves or get you all kicked out of the pub. Also, they tend to travel in packs and sometimes it is hard to make friends with just one or two
WHO: Irish WHAT: Now we are talking the Republic of Ireland here and nothing to do with the UK WHEN: like the British you will most likely talk to one before you land in the place WHERE: these are the most outgoing of all travelers so just look for a Quebab or Chip shop or pub and you'll find plenty to talk to WHY: just a generally outgoing and happy people (they were voted the most likeable nation in the WHOLE world!) they always have a bottle of spirits (or two) to bring to the party, are loud and just a whole world of fun! HOW: smile and they'll smile back and start a conversation, frown and they will try and cheer you up and start a conversation.....avoid them and they will still most likely try and start a conversation!
Drawbacks: like the British they tend to get quite drunk when they go out! However, not quite as willing to fight despite stereotypes to the contrary! really they just get more happy :)
WHO: Europeans WHAT: talking about the Western European countries not a part of the UK, so really France and Germany is what I have in mind WHEN:These guys tend to be sneaky bastards. Just when you think there are only British, Irish and South Americans around...BLAM! there is a random German guy suddenly inserting himself into your group of friends. No one will know who first talked to him or when he started hanging out with you, it'll jsut happen when you least expect it. WHERE:Look for them in the hostels, on their own, usually huddled over a computer, book or chess board WHY: Nice break from the British and South Americans and just a new perspective for the group. Fun to dance with if you can get them away from the hostel. Great chill out buddies during the day when you just want to veg in the lounge or watch a movie. Also can bring the intellectual quota up a bit and can be quite the hotties!!! HOW: They will find you. Do not approach them or be scorned. They will decide when and if they want to join your group!
Drawbacks: They can be quite harsh on your country. And do not even try and correct them when they over generalize to a ridiculous degree or get facts completely worng. After all, they know 2 people who have been to your country and they will draw all their imformation on that and the movies, forgetting that you actually lived your whole life in the country of question!
WHO: Kiwis and Aussies WHAT: These would be the people of New Zealand and Australia WHEN: Being in this part of the world you'd think that they would be the first people you'd meet. Not so. WHERE: you need to get away from the hostels and touristy places. try smaller towns or more local only hang out spots. WHY: Because why would you go to a country and not try and make friends with the locals? Just seems a bit silly really! they are the blood of a culture, not to mention the fact that they will know all the best places to party! HOW: Now unlike so many areas of the world. They LOVE Americans. So, just start talking in your native accent about how much you love their country and you will soon be swarming with them!
Drawbacks: They are crazy. Sorry, no way to get around it. Most Aussies are loud and crazy. Kiwis are just weird and crazy. Maybe it is the isolation from the rest of the world, or the fact that they were founded by the people Great Britian was trying to get rid of? They are just nuts, man!
Okay, there are a ton of other groups of people out there and who I am sure would make excellent friends. However, these were the main groups I experienced throughout my travels here Down Under. I was fortunate enough to meet some pretty excellent people who I hope to keep in contact with and run into sometime in the future!
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Surviving the South Island Part 3
EG and I headed to beautiful Milford Sound and entered the Fiordlands! It was breathtaking! Every view was incredible and you felt like you could never see anything as beautiful until you'd turn around and see something else more spectacular! Wow! The road down was a little treacherous so we had to spend the night and take the Milford Sound Cruise on the next morning. Sleeping in the van was a bit weird (you have to assemble the bed and it is a bit dodgy) and the rental company failed to give us window screens or curtains so anyone could look in an see us sleeping! Still a great experience! After our fill of sites we hopped back into the van and headed for Wanaka!
Wanaka turned out to be a sleepy but quaint resort town that catered to the skiing set. We immediately went in search of our hot snowboarding instructor from the weekend! We had insider info that he doubled in the evening as a barman at a local haunt. Sadly, some guys are much cuter in snowboarding gear and goggles than they are in normal clothes. So ended our crush! Hit Treble Cone and unfortunately it hit EG back! She ended up with a broken tailbone and in a country that has never heard of Vicatin! Poor dear was in pain but such a trooper! After a few days in Wanaka we realized we were running out of time and money and had to start heading North again! EG and I decided the only proper way to end the trip would be a repeat visit to Queenstown!
Friday night and we decide the best choice is to do the pub crawl in Queenstown! This is an organized crawl of 6 different bars/clubs throughout the town! Oh man! Started off at Buffalo Club then hit Fraser's and the strongest daiquiris I have EVER tasted! Ended up at Altitude and it was a crazy circus themed party! I mean clowns, stunt people, a bearded lady and even a guy who came in on a motor bike and did a wheelie on the dance floor! It was the craziest party I have EVER been to! The energy in the room was pulsating and EG and I jumped right in and went mental on the dance floor! This endeared us to many of the patrons! We met so many fun people! After awhile we were told the pub crawl was moving onto a bar called Tardis (yes Doctor Who fans there is a bar called Tardis and trust me I got a picture in front of the sign :) so we grabbed our coats to head out the door and what do we discover?! A whole bottle of Famous Grouse is nestled in my coat! It heading with us on the pub crawl! Trust me, we were the hit of the party in every bar we went to :) After a couple more places that kind of blend (or is that blur) together, we ended up at Winnie's. This is a great bar with a massively packed dance floor! Jumped in the fray again and met more lovely souls (including a sexy Welshman that we took to the next place :) Ended our big night out at World Bar (we seem to have a soft spot for it)! Ran into our Aussie roomies' friends from the previous weekend and danced up a storm. I think the alcohol was finally wearing off EG and she was feeling the pain of the tailbone breakage again (or maybe it was all the guys grabbing her bum and picking her up trying to take her away!) by the end of the night. She decided to go for her Plan B (what to do in case her travel buddy is preoccupied with a guy) and swung by Fergburger. She picked up a delight on a bun but was unable to enjoy it because a drunken Irishman kept chasing her! She had to run to the camper and lock the doors! She said she woke up on the bench (didn't bother assembling the bed), frozen with stiff sheets with a Fergburger wrapper and drool stuck to her face! I woke up rested in a big, comfy , warm bed! She had no sympathy for the 2 hour walk of shame I did in miniskirt and highheeled boots! So, both a little worse for wear but happy we started the trek North!
Thus we said our goodbye to the gorgeous South Island and all the wonderful adventures we had! On the ferry crossing North, EG turned to me and said, "Want to drive to Auckland with me and see me off at the airport?" I thought why not?! I had no schedule and didn't want the adventure to be quite over!
Wanaka turned out to be a sleepy but quaint resort town that catered to the skiing set. We immediately went in search of our hot snowboarding instructor from the weekend! We had insider info that he doubled in the evening as a barman at a local haunt. Sadly, some guys are much cuter in snowboarding gear and goggles than they are in normal clothes. So ended our crush! Hit Treble Cone and unfortunately it hit EG back! She ended up with a broken tailbone and in a country that has never heard of Vicatin! Poor dear was in pain but such a trooper! After a few days in Wanaka we realized we were running out of time and money and had to start heading North again! EG and I decided the only proper way to end the trip would be a repeat visit to Queenstown!
Friday night and we decide the best choice is to do the pub crawl in Queenstown! This is an organized crawl of 6 different bars/clubs throughout the town! Oh man! Started off at Buffalo Club then hit Fraser's and the strongest daiquiris I have EVER tasted! Ended up at Altitude and it was a crazy circus themed party! I mean clowns, stunt people, a bearded lady and even a guy who came in on a motor bike and did a wheelie on the dance floor! It was the craziest party I have EVER been to! The energy in the room was pulsating and EG and I jumped right in and went mental on the dance floor! This endeared us to many of the patrons! We met so many fun people! After awhile we were told the pub crawl was moving onto a bar called Tardis (yes Doctor Who fans there is a bar called Tardis and trust me I got a picture in front of the sign :) so we grabbed our coats to head out the door and what do we discover?! A whole bottle of Famous Grouse is nestled in my coat! It heading with us on the pub crawl! Trust me, we were the hit of the party in every bar we went to :) After a couple more places that kind of blend (or is that blur) together, we ended up at Winnie's. This is a great bar with a massively packed dance floor! Jumped in the fray again and met more lovely souls (including a sexy Welshman that we took to the next place :) Ended our big night out at World Bar (we seem to have a soft spot for it)! Ran into our Aussie roomies' friends from the previous weekend and danced up a storm. I think the alcohol was finally wearing off EG and she was feeling the pain of the tailbone breakage again (or maybe it was all the guys grabbing her bum and picking her up trying to take her away!) by the end of the night. She decided to go for her Plan B (what to do in case her travel buddy is preoccupied with a guy) and swung by Fergburger. She picked up a delight on a bun but was unable to enjoy it because a drunken Irishman kept chasing her! She had to run to the camper and lock the doors! She said she woke up on the bench (didn't bother assembling the bed), frozen with stiff sheets with a Fergburger wrapper and drool stuck to her face! I woke up rested in a big, comfy , warm bed! She had no sympathy for the 2 hour walk of shame I did in miniskirt and highheeled boots! So, both a little worse for wear but happy we started the trek North!
Thus we said our goodbye to the gorgeous South Island and all the wonderful adventures we had! On the ferry crossing North, EG turned to me and said, "Want to drive to Auckland with me and see me off at the airport?" I thought why not?! I had no schedule and didn't want the adventure to be quite over!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Surviving South Island Part 2
Heading down the highway to Queenstown! Now, Queenstown is considered the capitol of the South Island! During the summer it is a booming, bustling city of adrenaline junkies who bungy, hurl themselves out of planes and do a momentous amount of other crazy shenanigans! During the Winter (when we are there) it is a booming, bustling city of adrenaline junkies who ski and board. Also known all year round as a great place to party! Bring it on!
We find our hostel (yes we have a camper van but our accommodation was free thanks to some friends) and go out to explore and gather information for the next night. Find out that it doesn't seem as partying as Wellington (at least not proper "let's get dressed up and hit the town" going out) but has many possibilities! That night we turn in fairly early and are awoken equally early by our loud, rude and have to say pretty smelly male roommates! Was barely awake but could make out two male shapes that were not trying to keep quiet as they headed out to snowboard and didn't seem to have consideration for other people! Grrrr!
EG#2 and I decide to spend the day with more exploring and working out how we were going to snowboard (even though neither one of us had ever done this before). At lunch time we decided to try the famous FERGBURGER! Everyone raves that it is the BIGGEST burger ever and many people can not even finish it on their own! It was impressive and made my belly feel twice the size but really was the size of any decent burger in America! The rest of the world just isn't used to that much food :) After we waddled away from Ferg we found a great deal where we could get all our gear and two lessons! Hurrah, maybe I wouldn't break both my legs on the mountain after all!! That night I go to drop off my gear and there are the loud, rude male roommates hanging out in the room........oh, they are rather cute....especially the dark haired one who looks a bit like Sylvester Stallone without the paralysed face and before he was 80 years old! Okay, maybe was a bit harsh in the morning and they deserved another chance.
EG#2 and I decided to hit the town and see what sort of trouble we could stir up! Started at Altitude and then hit a happening place called Buffalo Club! Everything was going nicely, had a great bartender and then a group of Aussies showed up. Now, you'd think that I was used to running into Aussies since I have been in NZ for 6 months. Well, truthfully I had only ran into a few during my stay. However, Queenstown was chock-a-bock full of Aussies and ALL are snowboarders or skiers. These group of lads happened to be boarders and very smug about the whole thing. They had matching jackets!! They had us surrounded against the bar and managed to extract EG#2's number and email because she didn't know what to do! After an hour they were ready to move onto the next bar and expecting us to follow. EG#2 in a flash of brilliance, said we were meeting our guy friend and had to wait around at this bar but would meet up at the next place. It worked! Scary, pushy Aussies left and EG and I waited a few minutes before heading out to our next destination. There we are heading down the street when we see the matching jackets a head of us. Right, duck into a doorway as fast as possible and hope no one turned around! Okay so we head down an alley and take the next street and....DUH! There are the freaking jackets! We dodged and weaved all over Queenstown, ducking into doorways until we stumbled onto Winnie's. After a quick scan to make sure the Aussies were no where in site we joined the fray. The music was awesome and the dance floor was PACKED! We danced until our legs buckled and our backs were drenched with sweat! Off to bed!
We come back to the room to find one roommate in bed and one still out partying! Just after we jump into our pj's we hear a knocking on the door and there is Sylvester who forgot his key! He promptly wakes his mate and we stay up laughing and talking despite the fact that we have to catch a 7:30am shuttle up to the mountain to begin our snowboard adventure. Decided that night that the boys were actually quite funny and witty and maybe was rather harsh and rash in my judgement of them. Ended up going to sleep much too mate but with a smile :) Couldn't wait for the snowboarding adventure!
The next morning we got up (late and rushing as usual) and gear up for our big snowboarding day!! The shuttle (a giant bus driven by a maniac named Ollie) took about 1 and 1/2 hours and went over the scariest mountain roads I have ever witnessed. I literally closed my eyes and prayed that we would not die BEFORE we got to snowboard! Arrived in one piece and sorted out our gear. Then we met Nick our wonderful first instructor of the day! We learned the basics and felt pretty confidant! It was a great morning and I felt like a real snowboarder! Had lunch then hit the slopes for our second lesson of the day. We were desolated to discover Nick ditched us but found consolation in Ross.......ahhhh, Ross, the Northern Monkey! He was gorgeous in his boarding gear with a sort of Viggo Mortieson vibe going on! Yummo! Learned that we didn't have all the basics down (bad, Nick) and had much to learn before being REAL boarders. First off the "floating leaf." This is where you go from side to side down the mountain in a gentle slopey pattern. Yeah, that was the idea. Of course that isn't how I did it. My floating leaf was promptly renamed "the forest fire." I would start great looking to the side and going gently, then the board would turn and swoosh I was hurtling down the mountain fast and not with a clue how to stop! That would result in a spectacular biffing incident where snow would go flying and I would end up on my ass. One time everyone thought I was going to take out the Magic Carpet, but my only response to that is, "that f#%^er came out of nowhere!" While EG #2 flourished under Ross' tutelage (mainly because he kept holding her hands), I think I discouraged him and he just allowed me to continue hurtling down at break neck speeds! At the end of the day, we were both bruised but happy to know that we could board! Very exciting (except the ride home had be squashed against a window with a dirty old man rubbing his thigh against mine and EG getting bashed in the head by the luggage rack coming unhinged). That night was another story!
Found our previously rude but now kindof hot roomies in and ready for more conversation. After more fun banter back and forth we decided to hang out together (part of our bonding happened due to 2 prissy roommates from Bristol, a weirdo from Scotland and a real character from Oz). Hit Altitude again and then mixed it up at World Bar (home of the teapot cocktails). Roomie 1 and EG seemed to hit it off well leaving me with Sly (Sylvester Stallone look alike). Sly was a cutie but not the conversationalist that Roomie 1 was. So, convinced EG that it was dancing time and left the boys drinking. After they had a little more liquid courage, they decided to join us on the floor (must remember to not talk about how bad guys are at dancing when I first meet a guy because it might make them self conscious). Had a great time dancing but EG decided it was time to turn in (think she was freaking out a bit). So left the boys early and confused. (it happens that way was too often)
Next day was more exploring and then decided to have a HUGE night since it was to be our last in Queenstown!! Got major dolled up and hit the town! Started at Altitude for a quickie then went to Minus 5. It is an all ice bar that is slightly cheesy in a really fun and hilarious way! Everything except the floor is carved out of ice (including your cocktail cups). You are given a parka and gloves before entering and warned you can only stay for 1/2 an hour! Our bartender was really funny and mixed some kick ass cocktails. One of the ice sculptures was a gun that doubled as a shot dispenser! Had some great shots out of it! One of them was even free (won't tell you what I did to get the free shot ;) George told us that World Bar was having a roll night where you could roll the dice and if you got a 4, 5, or 6 you got the teapot cocktail free. We ran all the way there! Turns out....EG is awesome at dice and we are so going to Vegas sometime! After 4 free teapots in a row, sharing a teapot with lovely French and Swiss guys and then getting a free one from a guy who was so drunk he was getting thrown out of the bar..........we ran into our roomies! This time I was chattie and on fire (or just really feeling the teapot cocktails). They had 3 friends with them and I decided to name them according to what I thought they should be named! They loved me :) EG hogged roomie 1 for the whole night and I was left to entertain Sly, Keith, Mack and Peter! After more drinks (and EG pulling a number from one of the bartenders who I later found out was a guy she gave a lap dance to in Australia at surf camp) the guys wanted to hit Fergburger (mainly because they are guys). EG continued her rein over roomie 1 and left me again to entertain the 4 others. Which was great because they all ordered food and proceeded to feed me :) Now at this point our two roomies were not our roomies any more because they had upgraded to a private and nicer room! Sly and Roomie 1 kept telling us the virtues of the room and I was given a key :) so we thought we had to at least check it out. I mean we are polite girls after all! So, EG and I ended up sharing a room with our former roomies again! They had tea, hot milo and TV! It was great (except when Roomie 1 and EG got told off for being loud in the bathroom arguing about tea water of all things). So, ended my time in Queenstown snuggled in big strong arms of an Aussie who resembled Sylvester Stallone (again without the paralysed face and 80 years of age!). So, tired and happy we hopped in the van to see scenic Milford Sound!
We find our hostel (yes we have a camper van but our accommodation was free thanks to some friends) and go out to explore and gather information for the next night. Find out that it doesn't seem as partying as Wellington (at least not proper "let's get dressed up and hit the town" going out) but has many possibilities! That night we turn in fairly early and are awoken equally early by our loud, rude and have to say pretty smelly male roommates! Was barely awake but could make out two male shapes that were not trying to keep quiet as they headed out to snowboard and didn't seem to have consideration for other people! Grrrr!
EG#2 and I decide to spend the day with more exploring and working out how we were going to snowboard (even though neither one of us had ever done this before). At lunch time we decided to try the famous FERGBURGER! Everyone raves that it is the BIGGEST burger ever and many people can not even finish it on their own! It was impressive and made my belly feel twice the size but really was the size of any decent burger in America! The rest of the world just isn't used to that much food :) After we waddled away from Ferg we found a great deal where we could get all our gear and two lessons! Hurrah, maybe I wouldn't break both my legs on the mountain after all!! That night I go to drop off my gear and there are the loud, rude male roommates hanging out in the room........oh, they are rather cute....especially the dark haired one who looks a bit like Sylvester Stallone without the paralysed face and before he was 80 years old! Okay, maybe was a bit harsh in the morning and they deserved another chance.
EG#2 and I decided to hit the town and see what sort of trouble we could stir up! Started at Altitude and then hit a happening place called Buffalo Club! Everything was going nicely, had a great bartender and then a group of Aussies showed up. Now, you'd think that I was used to running into Aussies since I have been in NZ for 6 months. Well, truthfully I had only ran into a few during my stay. However, Queenstown was chock-a-bock full of Aussies and ALL are snowboarders or skiers. These group of lads happened to be boarders and very smug about the whole thing. They had matching jackets!! They had us surrounded against the bar and managed to extract EG#2's number and email because she didn't know what to do! After an hour they were ready to move onto the next bar and expecting us to follow. EG#2 in a flash of brilliance, said we were meeting our guy friend and had to wait around at this bar but would meet up at the next place. It worked! Scary, pushy Aussies left and EG and I waited a few minutes before heading out to our next destination. There we are heading down the street when we see the matching jackets a head of us. Right, duck into a doorway as fast as possible and hope no one turned around! Okay so we head down an alley and take the next street and....DUH! There are the freaking jackets! We dodged and weaved all over Queenstown, ducking into doorways until we stumbled onto Winnie's. After a quick scan to make sure the Aussies were no where in site we joined the fray. The music was awesome and the dance floor was PACKED! We danced until our legs buckled and our backs were drenched with sweat! Off to bed!
We come back to the room to find one roommate in bed and one still out partying! Just after we jump into our pj's we hear a knocking on the door and there is Sylvester who forgot his key! He promptly wakes his mate and we stay up laughing and talking despite the fact that we have to catch a 7:30am shuttle up to the mountain to begin our snowboard adventure. Decided that night that the boys were actually quite funny and witty and maybe was rather harsh and rash in my judgement of them. Ended up going to sleep much too mate but with a smile :) Couldn't wait for the snowboarding adventure!
The next morning we got up (late and rushing as usual) and gear up for our big snowboarding day!! The shuttle (a giant bus driven by a maniac named Ollie) took about 1 and 1/2 hours and went over the scariest mountain roads I have ever witnessed. I literally closed my eyes and prayed that we would not die BEFORE we got to snowboard! Arrived in one piece and sorted out our gear. Then we met Nick our wonderful first instructor of the day! We learned the basics and felt pretty confidant! It was a great morning and I felt like a real snowboarder! Had lunch then hit the slopes for our second lesson of the day. We were desolated to discover Nick ditched us but found consolation in Ross.......ahhhh, Ross, the Northern Monkey! He was gorgeous in his boarding gear with a sort of Viggo Mortieson vibe going on! Yummo! Learned that we didn't have all the basics down (bad, Nick) and had much to learn before being REAL boarders. First off the "floating leaf." This is where you go from side to side down the mountain in a gentle slopey pattern. Yeah, that was the idea. Of course that isn't how I did it. My floating leaf was promptly renamed "the forest fire." I would start great looking to the side and going gently, then the board would turn and swoosh I was hurtling down the mountain fast and not with a clue how to stop! That would result in a spectacular biffing incident where snow would go flying and I would end up on my ass. One time everyone thought I was going to take out the Magic Carpet, but my only response to that is, "that f#%^er came out of nowhere!" While EG #2 flourished under Ross' tutelage (mainly because he kept holding her hands), I think I discouraged him and he just allowed me to continue hurtling down at break neck speeds! At the end of the day, we were both bruised but happy to know that we could board! Very exciting (except the ride home had be squashed against a window with a dirty old man rubbing his thigh against mine and EG getting bashed in the head by the luggage rack coming unhinged). That night was another story!
Found our previously rude but now kindof hot roomies in and ready for more conversation. After more fun banter back and forth we decided to hang out together (part of our bonding happened due to 2 prissy roommates from Bristol, a weirdo from Scotland and a real character from Oz). Hit Altitude again and then mixed it up at World Bar (home of the teapot cocktails). Roomie 1 and EG seemed to hit it off well leaving me with Sly (Sylvester Stallone look alike). Sly was a cutie but not the conversationalist that Roomie 1 was. So, convinced EG that it was dancing time and left the boys drinking. After they had a little more liquid courage, they decided to join us on the floor (must remember to not talk about how bad guys are at dancing when I first meet a guy because it might make them self conscious). Had a great time dancing but EG decided it was time to turn in (think she was freaking out a bit). So left the boys early and confused. (it happens that way was too often)
Next day was more exploring and then decided to have a HUGE night since it was to be our last in Queenstown!! Got major dolled up and hit the town! Started at Altitude for a quickie then went to Minus 5. It is an all ice bar that is slightly cheesy in a really fun and hilarious way! Everything except the floor is carved out of ice (including your cocktail cups). You are given a parka and gloves before entering and warned you can only stay for 1/2 an hour! Our bartender was really funny and mixed some kick ass cocktails. One of the ice sculptures was a gun that doubled as a shot dispenser! Had some great shots out of it! One of them was even free (won't tell you what I did to get the free shot ;) George told us that World Bar was having a roll night where you could roll the dice and if you got a 4, 5, or 6 you got the teapot cocktail free. We ran all the way there! Turns out....EG is awesome at dice and we are so going to Vegas sometime! After 4 free teapots in a row, sharing a teapot with lovely French and Swiss guys and then getting a free one from a guy who was so drunk he was getting thrown out of the bar..........we ran into our roomies! This time I was chattie and on fire (or just really feeling the teapot cocktails). They had 3 friends with them and I decided to name them according to what I thought they should be named! They loved me :) EG hogged roomie 1 for the whole night and I was left to entertain Sly, Keith, Mack and Peter! After more drinks (and EG pulling a number from one of the bartenders who I later found out was a guy she gave a lap dance to in Australia at surf camp) the guys wanted to hit Fergburger (mainly because they are guys). EG continued her rein over roomie 1 and left me again to entertain the 4 others. Which was great because they all ordered food and proceeded to feed me :) Now at this point our two roomies were not our roomies any more because they had upgraded to a private and nicer room! Sly and Roomie 1 kept telling us the virtues of the room and I was given a key :) so we thought we had to at least check it out. I mean we are polite girls after all! So, EG and I ended up sharing a room with our former roomies again! They had tea, hot milo and TV! It was great (except when Roomie 1 and EG got told off for being loud in the bathroom arguing about tea water of all things). So, ended my time in Queenstown snuggled in big strong arms of an Aussie who resembled Sylvester Stallone (again without the paralysed face and 80 years of age!). So, tired and happy we hopped in the van to see scenic Milford Sound!
She's a Single Seattlite Surviving South Island
Okay boys and girls we continue on with the saga of V surviving her time in New Zealand. I had to get out of Wellington for a bit due to the crazy nightlife and the shear abundance of beautiful international guys (many of whom I had already snogged). So, EG #2 (English Girl #2) offered to travel around the South Island for a few weeks with me in a camper van! Hurrah! South Island here we come!
Our trip starts with a ferry ride early in the morning (okay it was 9 am but that is really early to us). Being the fun loving and non planning chicks that we are, we quite literally missed the boat. That's right, we got to the dock only to see the ferry sailing off! Did we cry, slump down and whine? No! We checked our bags and booked the 2 pm sailing. Right, day one and we are still stuck in Wellington with almost a whole day to kill!
We started with the most sensible idea....breakfast! But not just breakfast......BREAKFAST (bacon, banana pancakes and salmon eggs Benedict to be exact)! Right, sorted. Now onto killing a whole day. Now, bear in mind that I have had a total of 2 hours sleep due to partying and last minute packing! We decided to go to the art gallery and see Fiona Hall's exhibit! Great, this is so my thing and I was very excited to see her innovative work. The exhibit was phenomenal and I was blown away by her imagination and her socio-political statements through her art. Then we sat on a bench for a minute. I promptly curled up and went into such a deep sleep that I was disorientated when I woke up 15 minutes later and thought I was back at the hostel. Whoops! Okay, started walking around the exhibit again and then there was another much more comfy couch beckoning to me. Sat down and pretended to be watching a tv program on the artist. Woke up 1/2 hour later to EG #2 shaking me awake and two Kiwi women saying "Is she deed?" Had to assure EG#2 that I really do love art and galleries but was just utterly sleep deprived! Had to find a Starbucks then off to the catch our ferry!
The ferry crossing was nice though 3 hours long and dumped us off in the tiny town of Picton. Now, I am told during the summer it is a diving destination and quite booming. I can safely say during the Winter it is dead! We stayed at a weird hostel where the room was so freezing I slept inside my sleeping bag with my coat on all night! Also had a couple bizarre encounters with the locals at night! We were a bit worried we would disappear and end up as someones lampshade. But morning dawned and we were frozen but alive! Right, decided we would hitchhike to Christchurch (a mere 6 hours away and the pick up point of our camper van).
We gathered our belongings, made a sign and stood where we thought people would be heading towards Christchurch. Within 10 minutes a jeep stopped to pick us up! Hurrah! We excitedly threw our stuff into the jeep and hopped up. Our host promptly put the jeep in gear and then informed us she was only going 1/2 hour down the road but to a bigger town where we'd have a better chance of getting a ride to Christchurch. Great! Then she proceeded to speed away as she apologized for the jeep smelling like a brewery because she had been partying all night ! :( EG #2 rather politely asked if our host was still drunk at the moment. She assured us she was sober but continued on asking weird questions and then made several comments about how we would have an easier time than her hitchhiking because we were "nice white girls" (our host was Maori). Luckily we arrived in Blenheim intact and on the main highway to Christchurch. This time we decided to look for non drunk drivers. Again were picked up within 10 minutes this time by a lovely German couple, driven 1/2 way, then taken straight into Christchurch by a funny Kiwi couple. Thus ended our hitchhiking adventure!
Christchurch is considered the most English of all the New Zealand cities. It is built around an absolutely beautiful cathedral! Our hostel was directly across from the Cathedral and just so happened to be where HA (Hot Argentinean from previous blogs) was working! Yeah, this is purely a coincidence if you think the definition of coincidence is that I arranged for us to stay at this particular hostel and emailed back and forth with HA to arrange to meet for cocktails :)
So, EG #2 and I checked in late that night and then went out with our roommate (a lovely Irish fellow with gorgeous eyes) for a bit of merriment. The next morning I woke up early to look ravishing because I knew HA could bump into me at any moment. Finally the meeting took place! Such mixed emotions! Here was HA, a great guy that was shy, sweet, intelligent, well educated, funny and good looking that I had an amazing time with back in Wellington. However, I was still feeling the lingering effects of HI (hot Indian from previous blogs). Very confused! Arranged to meet HA for drinks and then explored Christchurch with EG#2 and meet a lovely older gentleman named George who gave us a wonderful tour of the cathedral filled with interesting little tidbits (like why they kept the swastika symbols up on their mosaic after WW II).
Night falls and we are due to meet HA! Now, I had planned to get ready and look even hotter than he had seen me before, complete with a whole wardrobe change, but in his excitement, HA met us early! GaaaahhH! So, whilst EG#2 left us to go get ready I was alone with HA to try and catch up and get a handle on my feelings. After the first bit of awkwardness, it became the same easy friendship of earlier days (with the aid of drinks, juggling and a paper, rock, scissor tournament). We end up going to another pub and playing several games of pool (which I was good at for the first time in my life)! Then we were met by his friend (who I will refer to as CA). Now it was two guys and two girls, only EG#2 a) is really cute b) has a boyfriend c) found CA to be wholly unattractive and slightly on the creepy side. Of course the boys invited us back to their place for more drinks and partying and me being the good friend that I am, accepted for the both of us :)
After more alcohol, a few spots (don't ask) and lots of CookieTime Cookies, I had to make a decision. Would I go there romantically with HA? Or go back home wondering if there was anything still there? We decided to spend the night, since it was so late. Here was another problem. CA's father was staying so his room was occupied leaving him sleeping on the pull out couch. Now, I saw how he was eyeing EG#2 all night and was concerned for her since I knew it was not reciprocated. Thus I decided both she and I would stay in HA's room for the night. Okay, that was before I realized he had a tiny bed (I swear in Wellington he had a glorious one). EG#2 said, "I'm sleeping on the floor!" Felt bad for a moment but then snuggled and sort of forgot about her. After a few moments she flew up from the floor and announced, "I am not Willy!" (a long story from Wellington that I may tell you at some point) and ran into the living room to curl up on a chair. I swear I was only cuddling and kissing but apparently she got the wrong impression and thought we were going to have sex whilst she lay nearby on the floor! Really! What sort of girl does she think I am?!
So, poor EG#2 spends the night curled up on an armchair with one eye open watching CA as he is trying to convince her to share his bed. She said he kept sitting up and patting the bed, saying, "come on, my clothes are on, just come into my bed." I think she was slightly traumatized by the experience. I, however, slept cuddled in the arms of HA and woke in the morning refreshed but even more confused than previously! Said goodbye to HA, pulled EG#2 out of the fetal position and ran back to the hostel to clear my head. Decided that it was lovely but really needed to get out of Christchurch! Texted HA and told him we were heading to Queenstown and it was lovely to have seen him! Grabbed our camper van and we hit the road!
Our trip starts with a ferry ride early in the morning (okay it was 9 am but that is really early to us). Being the fun loving and non planning chicks that we are, we quite literally missed the boat. That's right, we got to the dock only to see the ferry sailing off! Did we cry, slump down and whine? No! We checked our bags and booked the 2 pm sailing. Right, day one and we are still stuck in Wellington with almost a whole day to kill!
We started with the most sensible idea....breakfast! But not just breakfast......BREAKFAST (bacon, banana pancakes and salmon eggs Benedict to be exact)! Right, sorted. Now onto killing a whole day. Now, bear in mind that I have had a total of 2 hours sleep due to partying and last minute packing! We decided to go to the art gallery and see Fiona Hall's exhibit! Great, this is so my thing and I was very excited to see her innovative work. The exhibit was phenomenal and I was blown away by her imagination and her socio-political statements through her art. Then we sat on a bench for a minute. I promptly curled up and went into such a deep sleep that I was disorientated when I woke up 15 minutes later and thought I was back at the hostel. Whoops! Okay, started walking around the exhibit again and then there was another much more comfy couch beckoning to me. Sat down and pretended to be watching a tv program on the artist. Woke up 1/2 hour later to EG #2 shaking me awake and two Kiwi women saying "Is she deed?" Had to assure EG#2 that I really do love art and galleries but was just utterly sleep deprived! Had to find a Starbucks then off to the catch our ferry!
The ferry crossing was nice though 3 hours long and dumped us off in the tiny town of Picton. Now, I am told during the summer it is a diving destination and quite booming. I can safely say during the Winter it is dead! We stayed at a weird hostel where the room was so freezing I slept inside my sleeping bag with my coat on all night! Also had a couple bizarre encounters with the locals at night! We were a bit worried we would disappear and end up as someones lampshade. But morning dawned and we were frozen but alive! Right, decided we would hitchhike to Christchurch (a mere 6 hours away and the pick up point of our camper van).
We gathered our belongings, made a sign and stood where we thought people would be heading towards Christchurch. Within 10 minutes a jeep stopped to pick us up! Hurrah! We excitedly threw our stuff into the jeep and hopped up. Our host promptly put the jeep in gear and then informed us she was only going 1/2 hour down the road but to a bigger town where we'd have a better chance of getting a ride to Christchurch. Great! Then she proceeded to speed away as she apologized for the jeep smelling like a brewery because she had been partying all night ! :( EG #2 rather politely asked if our host was still drunk at the moment. She assured us she was sober but continued on asking weird questions and then made several comments about how we would have an easier time than her hitchhiking because we were "nice white girls" (our host was Maori). Luckily we arrived in Blenheim intact and on the main highway to Christchurch. This time we decided to look for non drunk drivers. Again were picked up within 10 minutes this time by a lovely German couple, driven 1/2 way, then taken straight into Christchurch by a funny Kiwi couple. Thus ended our hitchhiking adventure!
Christchurch is considered the most English of all the New Zealand cities. It is built around an absolutely beautiful cathedral! Our hostel was directly across from the Cathedral and just so happened to be where HA (Hot Argentinean from previous blogs) was working! Yeah, this is purely a coincidence if you think the definition of coincidence is that I arranged for us to stay at this particular hostel and emailed back and forth with HA to arrange to meet for cocktails :)
So, EG #2 and I checked in late that night and then went out with our roommate (a lovely Irish fellow with gorgeous eyes) for a bit of merriment. The next morning I woke up early to look ravishing because I knew HA could bump into me at any moment. Finally the meeting took place! Such mixed emotions! Here was HA, a great guy that was shy, sweet, intelligent, well educated, funny and good looking that I had an amazing time with back in Wellington. However, I was still feeling the lingering effects of HI (hot Indian from previous blogs). Very confused! Arranged to meet HA for drinks and then explored Christchurch with EG#2 and meet a lovely older gentleman named George who gave us a wonderful tour of the cathedral filled with interesting little tidbits (like why they kept the swastika symbols up on their mosaic after WW II).
Night falls and we are due to meet HA! Now, I had planned to get ready and look even hotter than he had seen me before, complete with a whole wardrobe change, but in his excitement, HA met us early! GaaaahhH! So, whilst EG#2 left us to go get ready I was alone with HA to try and catch up and get a handle on my feelings. After the first bit of awkwardness, it became the same easy friendship of earlier days (with the aid of drinks, juggling and a paper, rock, scissor tournament). We end up going to another pub and playing several games of pool (which I was good at for the first time in my life)! Then we were met by his friend (who I will refer to as CA). Now it was two guys and two girls, only EG#2 a) is really cute b) has a boyfriend c) found CA to be wholly unattractive and slightly on the creepy side. Of course the boys invited us back to their place for more drinks and partying and me being the good friend that I am, accepted for the both of us :)
After more alcohol, a few spots (don't ask) and lots of CookieTime Cookies, I had to make a decision. Would I go there romantically with HA? Or go back home wondering if there was anything still there? We decided to spend the night, since it was so late. Here was another problem. CA's father was staying so his room was occupied leaving him sleeping on the pull out couch. Now, I saw how he was eyeing EG#2 all night and was concerned for her since I knew it was not reciprocated. Thus I decided both she and I would stay in HA's room for the night. Okay, that was before I realized he had a tiny bed (I swear in Wellington he had a glorious one). EG#2 said, "I'm sleeping on the floor!" Felt bad for a moment but then snuggled and sort of forgot about her. After a few moments she flew up from the floor and announced, "I am not Willy!" (a long story from Wellington that I may tell you at some point) and ran into the living room to curl up on a chair. I swear I was only cuddling and kissing but apparently she got the wrong impression and thought we were going to have sex whilst she lay nearby on the floor! Really! What sort of girl does she think I am?!
So, poor EG#2 spends the night curled up on an armchair with one eye open watching CA as he is trying to convince her to share his bed. She said he kept sitting up and patting the bed, saying, "come on, my clothes are on, just come into my bed." I think she was slightly traumatized by the experience. I, however, slept cuddled in the arms of HA and woke in the morning refreshed but even more confused than previously! Said goodbye to HA, pulled EG#2 out of the fetal position and ran back to the hostel to clear my head. Decided that it was lovely but really needed to get out of Christchurch! Texted HA and told him we were heading to Queenstown and it was lovely to have seen him! Grabbed our camper van and we hit the road!
Where the Heart is Part 4
Okay, I know the Wellington posts are long but I lived there for almost 5 months and crammed alot of experiences in those months (not all of which are fit to print :) So, the new phase of my life in Wellington.....that's right, a new guy! You'd think I would learn from first experience and keep things casual and try not to get hung up again. After all, the first thing you learn as a traveller is that you will have to say goodbye to people over and over again! Getting too involved guarantees a broken heart. Still, what is the saying? "It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved?" Or something of that nature. Anyways, farewell party for my Brazilian Buddy included a new guy in my life that I had seen around and admired from a distance. That night changed everything!
Found out he (who will be referred to as HI for hot Indian from now on) was hilarious and a GREAT dancer. Now if you know me at all then you know what this means. If you don't let me explain! Dancing is my ABSOLUTE favorite thing to do in this world (and I am putting it in front of that other thing that everyone says is the best thing in the world)! Guys I like don't have to be great dancers, but if they are..........whhhhhoooooaaaaaa buddy! Instant adoration! Well, let's just say that HI has awesome dance skills! He was smooth, fun and had as much energy as me. Then I learned after the third club of the night he was also SEXY on the dance floor! Well, that did it. I was hooked. HA was forgotten (mind you it had been a week and a Maori since HA left for the South) and long live my love of HI!
We ended getting up to all kind of shenanigans that night and like I said, some were caught on camera! It was an insane night for everyone and will long go down in infamy! The highlight and what made me and HI laugh until our bellies hurt was that Scottish managed to ruin not one but two dresses that night with all the trouble she got into!! After that our relationship was cemented! Our reputations were so similar (no one could ever keep up with us) that it seemed natural for us to start spending all our time together.
It was hot, bright and passionate. But like so many things of that nature, also destined to burn out fast! We had two months of craziness and joy! However, both of us were living in a foreign country with completely different cultural backgrounds and almost opposite world views. Thus it ended but not without some great memories and even better stories to tell ;)
I don't know what I would have done without Scottish during this time. She was there through it all!! She also made me remember the free me again and made me fall in love with Wellington's beauty again (if you haven't realized it by now, Wellington's beauty is guys, hot guys from all over the world). So, I still partied along side HI and had a relationship with him but now there was HB (Hot Brazilian), HE (Hot English) and HC (Hot Chilean) to distract me and remind why I enjoy being me :) Not to mention all the glorious other random hotties in the clubs that danced oh so well and kissed even better ;) I LOVE WELLINGTON!!!! But 'therapy' (as Scottish called HB, HE and HC) didn't work completely and I still was hung up on HI! So, new Englishgirl convinced me to go to the South Island to clear my head and see what everyone was raving about and what I meant to see all those months ago!! Later, I will write about the South Island.....and I promise it will be more limited on the guy front and include more actual beauty (such as mountains, glaciers, fiordlands, and okay, lets face it, a couple more guys).
Found out he (who will be referred to as HI for hot Indian from now on) was hilarious and a GREAT dancer. Now if you know me at all then you know what this means. If you don't let me explain! Dancing is my ABSOLUTE favorite thing to do in this world (and I am putting it in front of that other thing that everyone says is the best thing in the world)! Guys I like don't have to be great dancers, but if they are..........whhhhhoooooaaaaaa buddy! Instant adoration! Well, let's just say that HI has awesome dance skills! He was smooth, fun and had as much energy as me. Then I learned after the third club of the night he was also SEXY on the dance floor! Well, that did it. I was hooked. HA was forgotten (mind you it had been a week and a Maori since HA left for the South) and long live my love of HI!
We ended getting up to all kind of shenanigans that night and like I said, some were caught on camera! It was an insane night for everyone and will long go down in infamy! The highlight and what made me and HI laugh until our bellies hurt was that Scottish managed to ruin not one but two dresses that night with all the trouble she got into!! After that our relationship was cemented! Our reputations were so similar (no one could ever keep up with us) that it seemed natural for us to start spending all our time together.
It was hot, bright and passionate. But like so many things of that nature, also destined to burn out fast! We had two months of craziness and joy! However, both of us were living in a foreign country with completely different cultural backgrounds and almost opposite world views. Thus it ended but not without some great memories and even better stories to tell ;)
I don't know what I would have done without Scottish during this time. She was there through it all!! She also made me remember the free me again and made me fall in love with Wellington's beauty again (if you haven't realized it by now, Wellington's beauty is guys, hot guys from all over the world). So, I still partied along side HI and had a relationship with him but now there was HB (Hot Brazilian), HE (Hot English) and HC (Hot Chilean) to distract me and remind why I enjoy being me :) Not to mention all the glorious other random hotties in the clubs that danced oh so well and kissed even better ;) I LOVE WELLINGTON!!!! But 'therapy' (as Scottish called HB, HE and HC) didn't work completely and I still was hung up on HI! So, new Englishgirl convinced me to go to the South Island to clear my head and see what everyone was raving about and what I meant to see all those months ago!! Later, I will write about the South Island.....and I promise it will be more limited on the guy front and include more actual beauty (such as mountains, glaciers, fiordlands, and okay, lets face it, a couple more guys).
Where the heart is Part 3
Okay on with the Wellington Saga! At this point in our tale I have been living in Wellington for 2 months and some change. I changed my plane ticket home and decided to see where my relationships would take me! Well, lots happened! First and most importantly at the time, HA decided to move to the South Island! Yes, I am thinking I am in love and enjoying learning so many interesting things about his life in Argentina and his family when his roommate makes the decision for both of them (they have an online business together as well) that they have to leave Wellington for a place 10 hours away! Wow! However, I now am the crazy American girl in Wellington and have decided I am young, free and should be enjoying all the beauty around me (especially if they were tall, dark and Maori :).
I decided to go out every night and be a free spirit. It was AWESOME! Sadly this is when CC #1's time was also coming to an end. So Scottish and I gave her a big send off (so big she missed her bus the next day and had to leave a day later than planned) and consoled ourselves with more dancing! I felt like ME again. Fun, loud, and dancing so hard that my perfectly straight hair ended up drenched and curly by the end of the night! Scottish and I had some really INSANE nights that are in Legend books somewhere! One of these nights was a good bye party for our long time Brazilian friend who was heading home! He was a really important part of my Wellington experience and who helped me loads in understanding South American culture. The night of his going away party was purely the stuff of legends (and some was unfortunately caught on camera....) and ushered in the next part of my Wellington life.........
I decided to go out every night and be a free spirit. It was AWESOME! Sadly this is when CC #1's time was also coming to an end. So Scottish and I gave her a big send off (so big she missed her bus the next day and had to leave a day later than planned) and consoled ourselves with more dancing! I felt like ME again. Fun, loud, and dancing so hard that my perfectly straight hair ended up drenched and curly by the end of the night! Scottish and I had some really INSANE nights that are in Legend books somewhere! One of these nights was a good bye party for our long time Brazilian friend who was heading home! He was a really important part of my Wellington experience and who helped me loads in understanding South American culture. The night of his going away party was purely the stuff of legends (and some was unfortunately caught on camera....
Where the Heart is Part 2
My first day in Wellington I am put to work in an 8 story hostel in housekeeping! Right away my manager decides I will be efficient and a fast learner. He puts me in the care of another Argentinean worker (his second in command) and thus without realizing it, changes forever my New Zealand adventure and my future plans!
This Argentinean (who I will refer to H.A. for 'hot argentinean") was really nice, a bit quiet but immediately worked at putting me at ease and making me feel like a part of the team. He apologized for his English, introduced every member of the team with a little funny side note about them and showed me how to make a proper bed. His Bambi lashes and quirky little smile tugged immediately at my heart strings. Oh no! He joked around with me and tried to teach me a few words in Spanish as we worked. On our break he again tried to make me feel at ease and asked about my life in the US. I discovered that most of the workers were from South America (Argentina and Brazil) and that I would be listening to many conversations in Spanish from now on!
HA continued to be nice to me and I learned to make friends with the people I was living and working with everyday. My first official friend was a crazy Dutch girl who was only 18 but so confident and hilarious I thought of her as my age! She introduced me to the Wellington night life and showed me where all the best hang out spots were! She left me after a week but with a healthy start. I eventually excepted an invitation over to HA's house for a party for a former worker and was thrown into even more friendships. That was the party that confirmed my attraction to HA and made me determined to pursue him. However, I managed to get the reputation as being very quiet and to myself and they all thought I abstained from alcohol!!! (I know this is odd but I was trying really hard to be a super good girl for some reason).
Over the next week I realized I was going to stay longer than 2 weeks and would most likely stay one or two months! I made so many friends! Then the next party happened! I not only showed I can be loud, vivacious and a consumer of alcohol but also a pretty big flirt! There are many pics of me laughing and hanging on HA that night! Turns out he had a crush on me from the beginning and was over joyed to find I felt the same! YEAH! Thus starts the first of my Wellington love stories!
For a glorious month and a half I had a great relationship with HA! I realized I was going to have to stay in Wellington because there was no way I could go back to the US now. Plus, I met some REALLY incredible women! Had a cool Englishgirl who saw me through the 1st phase of my HA obsession but left me soon after the start. However, she was replaced by crazy Canadian #1 and the love of my life Scottish!
CC #1 and Scottish are two of the best going out buddies a girl could ask for and party like no others! They are MANIACS on the dance floor and always good listeners! Even though I am sure I was boring talking about the same boy all the time! We had some insane nights out, dancing until dawn (I mean this literally) and earning a reputation quite different from my previous one in Wellington! Now we were the CRAZY girls that you never knew what they would do next.......
This Argentinean (who I will refer to H.A. for 'hot argentinean") was really nice, a bit quiet but immediately worked at putting me at ease and making me feel like a part of the team. He apologized for his English, introduced every member of the team with a little funny side note about them and showed me how to make a proper bed. His Bambi lashes and quirky little smile tugged immediately at my heart strings. Oh no! He joked around with me and tried to teach me a few words in Spanish as we worked. On our break he again tried to make me feel at ease and asked about my life in the US. I discovered that most of the workers were from South America (Argentina and Brazil) and that I would be listening to many conversations in Spanish from now on!
HA continued to be nice to me and I learned to make friends with the people I was living and working with everyday. My first official friend was a crazy Dutch girl who was only 18 but so confident and hilarious I thought of her as my age! She introduced me to the Wellington night life and showed me where all the best hang out spots were! She left me after a week but with a healthy start. I eventually excepted an invitation over to HA's house for a party for a former worker and was thrown into even more friendships. That was the party that confirmed my attraction to HA and made me determined to pursue him. However, I managed to get the reputation as being very quiet and to myself and they all thought I abstained from alcohol!!! (I know this is odd but I was trying really hard to be a super good girl for some reason).
Over the next week I realized I was going to stay longer than 2 weeks and would most likely stay one or two months! I made so many friends! Then the next party happened! I not only showed I can be loud, vivacious and a consumer of alcohol but also a pretty big flirt! There are many pics of me laughing and hanging on HA that night! Turns out he had a crush on me from the beginning and was over joyed to find I felt the same! YEAH! Thus starts the first of my Wellington love stories!
For a glorious month and a half I had a great relationship with HA! I realized I was going to have to stay in Wellington because there was no way I could go back to the US now. Plus, I met some REALLY incredible women! Had a cool Englishgirl who saw me through the 1st phase of my HA obsession but left me soon after the start. However, she was replaced by crazy Canadian #1 and the love of my life Scottish!
CC #1 and Scottish are two of the best going out buddies a girl could ask for and party like no others! They are MANIACS on the dance floor and always good listeners! Even though I am sure I was boring talking about the same boy all the time! We had some insane nights out, dancing until dawn (I mean this literally) and earning a reputation quite different from my previous one in Wellington! Now we were the CRAZY girls that you never knew what they would do next.......
Wellington : Where the Heart Is!
After a longgggggggggg bus journey from the East Coast, I arrived tired and hungry to Wellington. It was night and the backpacker looked dodgy but I figured it was temporary and was too tired to care. After a very uneventful night of sleep, I decided to try another part of the city and backpacker. Surely I remembered there was a Base in Wellington (a sister hostel to the place I stayed in Auckland). Also I had heard about a colorful section of town called "Cuba Street." I packed up, slung it all on my back and trekked across town!
Not only do I find the Base hostel, but a whole city filled with eclectic people and crazy places to shop and go out! This was the character that Auckland was missing. People with mohawks and dyed hair! Pubs, clubs, and weird little resturants that served everything you could think of! YEAH! I was reminded of a smaller version of San Fran or the weird parts of Seattle! The Base immediately felt like home and even were offering a free place to stay in return for a few hours of work a day! I met the housekeeping manager, Hernan (my first encounter with the vast Argentenean and South American population in New Zealand) and told him I could work for two weeks before I headed to the South Island. He said, "Start right now and you have a free place to stay tonight!" Thus started my new phase! Housekeeping!!!!!!
Not only do I find the Base hostel, but a whole city filled with eclectic people and crazy places to shop and go out! This was the character that Auckland was missing. People with mohawks and dyed hair! Pubs, clubs, and weird little resturants that served everything you could think of! YEAH! I was reminded of a smaller version of San Fran or the weird parts of Seattle! The Base immediately felt like home and even were offering a free place to stay in return for a few hours of work a day! I met the housekeeping manager, Hernan (my first encounter with the vast Argentenean and South American population in New Zealand) and told him I could work for two weeks before I headed to the South Island. He said, "Start right now and you have a free place to stay tonight!" Thus started my new phase! Housekeeping!!!!!!
Napier, the Art Deco City by the Sea
Okay, I wrote a weepingly beautiful opus to my days in Napier with Pulitzer potential all over it! Unfortunately, as I went to post it, the Internet went down! Aaaaah! So now you will all have to suffer through a not so eloquent version! Sorry, but that is life :(
I arrived in Napier ready for some culture and company after my seclusion on the farm. Napier is a quaint city, bustling with tourists and more cafes than you can shake a stick at (or at least more than you can sit and sip lattes at without having to go to the bathroom every 2 minutes). The Art Deco buildings give it a retro feel while the beach and sea make it seem very resorty. I pretended I was in England (like in Brighton or Bath) during the 20's and "taking the waters" for curative effects. Now I am sure I am way off on the real experience of Bath and Brighton but I am just going from what I see in BBC productions :)
My host in Napier was an incredible artist who so strongly reminded me of my mother that it was a little eery at times! She lived right on the beach and across from some really great New Zealand wineries! Everyday I took her dog Boo to the beach to walk, play and watch the surfers! Many afternoons I visited the wineries for free tastings and chilling out. Easter Sunday was spent at Kim Crawford sipping their viognier and listening to local dj's playing reggae. (Side note time! New Zealanders think they are Jamaician! They have dreds, listen to reggae, skateboard, have a real laid back approach to life and smoke LOTS of weed. Not kidding! They smoke more weed per capita than ANY other country in the WORLD!) It was a great "cruisey" afternoon (cruisey is a favorite New Zealand word that reflects their approach to everything. This can be so relaxing and nice until you need something done or just start reverting to your normal uptight, I-have-to get-this-done-pronto American self, then it is down right annoying!)
I had such a great relaxing and reflective time in Napier but had one AMAZING night! Get your mind out of the gutter! I am talking about a night filled with great wine, food and interesting people! My host is friends with an incredible, big hearted Italian chef trapped in the body of an Englishman! His parents were Italian immigrants and if you can get past his accent you see nothing but Italy in every aspect! We were greeted (on a Saturday night where he closed the restaurant except for us few) with glasses of Moet champagne that he had obtained in New York in the 80's and was paid for by a wasted Joan Collins! After nibbles we were treated to course after course of gorgeous and delicate Italian food with a really strongly made Sangria. Dinner ended with an oogle worthy chocolate dessert that I really wanted to make love to but there were just too many people about! During the whole dinner we had reggae music (this is New Zealand after all), great conversation, and interesting characters! A really wonderful night that left my belly very full, my heart incrediblely delighted and my head a little hung over!
After two relaxing and reflective weeks, I knew the South was beckoning to me and it was time to move on. I booked a long bus journey to Wellington (the nation's capitol) which is the Southern most city of the North Island and ferry terminal to take me South! My plan was to stay two weeks and then explore all the South Island before heading back to the US. Read the next several blogs to see how plans change and where I am now...........
I arrived in Napier ready for some culture and company after my seclusion on the farm. Napier is a quaint city, bustling with tourists and more cafes than you can shake a stick at (or at least more than you can sit and sip lattes at without having to go to the bathroom every 2 minutes). The Art Deco buildings give it a retro feel while the beach and sea make it seem very resorty. I pretended I was in England (like in Brighton or Bath) during the 20's and "taking the waters" for curative effects. Now I am sure I am way off on the real experience of Bath and Brighton but I am just going from what I see in BBC productions :)
My host in Napier was an incredible artist who so strongly reminded me of my mother that it was a little eery at times! She lived right on the beach and across from some really great New Zealand wineries! Everyday I took her dog Boo to the beach to walk, play and watch the surfers! Many afternoons I visited the wineries for free tastings and chilling out. Easter Sunday was spent at Kim Crawford sipping their viognier and listening to local dj's playing reggae. (Side note time! New Zealanders think they are Jamaician! They have dreds, listen to reggae, skateboard, have a real laid back approach to life and smoke LOTS of weed. Not kidding! They smoke more weed per capita than ANY other country in the WORLD!) It was a great "cruisey" afternoon (cruisey is a favorite New Zealand word that reflects their approach to everything. This can be so relaxing and nice until you need something done or just start reverting to your normal uptight, I-have-to get-this-done-pronto American self, then it is down right annoying!)
I had such a great relaxing and reflective time in Napier but had one AMAZING night! Get your mind out of the gutter! I am talking about a night filled with great wine, food and interesting people! My host is friends with an incredible, big hearted Italian chef trapped in the body of an Englishman! His parents were Italian immigrants and if you can get past his accent you see nothing but Italy in every aspect! We were greeted (on a Saturday night where he closed the restaurant except for us few) with glasses of Moet champagne that he had obtained in New York in the 80's and was paid for by a wasted Joan Collins! After nibbles we were treated to course after course of gorgeous and delicate Italian food with a really strongly made Sangria. Dinner ended with an oogle worthy chocolate dessert that I really wanted to make love to but there were just too many people about! During the whole dinner we had reggae music (this is New Zealand after all), great conversation, and interesting characters! A really wonderful night that left my belly very full, my heart incrediblely delighted and my head a little hung over!
After two relaxing and reflective weeks, I knew the South was beckoning to me and it was time to move on. I booked a long bus journey to Wellington (the nation's capitol) which is the Southern most city of the North Island and ferry terminal to take me South! My plan was to stay two weeks and then explore all the South Island before heading back to the US. Read the next several blogs to see how plans change and where I am now...........
Back in Blogging Action!
Okay, sorry for the BIIIIGGGG stretch in the blogs. I was far too merry and busy to be bothered! :) Now I am stuck in a restort town with a total of 3 bars to choose from and WAAAAYYY too many young people who think that because they are boarders and skiiers they are the height of coolness!
Last time I wrote I was leaving the horse farm and heading to the beach, wineries and Napier (a city that after a HUGE earthquke was rebuilt during the Art Deco era and has because quite the tourist destination!) So, I will start my next blog with a recap of Napier and then continue on with the recounting of tales from Wellington (where I was supposed to stop over for 2 weeks and ended up staying for 4 months and falling in love numerous times!). Ciao! xxxx
Last time I wrote I was leaving the horse farm and heading to the beach, wineries and Napier (a city that after a HUGE earthquke was rebuilt during the Art Deco era and has because quite the tourist destination!) So, I will start my next blog with a recap of Napier and then continue on with the recounting of tales from Wellington (where I was supposed to stop over for 2 weeks and ended up staying for 4 months and falling in love numerous times!). Ciao! xxxx
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Lessons from the Farm
What I learned while living on a horse farm.......
1) Olive oil "costs the Earth and isn't good to cook with because it taints everything." (According to Maureen the "lady of the house" even though she had about 6 bottles of various kinds and I used it secretly and she praised my cooking every day :)
2) Table Salt is "no good and will make your food go off." (also according to Maureen who was quite a character)
3) Baby horses sometimes need help coming out and it is a wonderful but very messy experience.
4) Don't wear flip flops around horses because they step on your feet sometimes.
5) Chuckies are really chickens and a "chuckhouse" is the chicken coop (this caused a lot of confusion between us because she wanted me to prepare the chuck for dinner and I am seeing a chicken, mince and squid in the fridge and not knowing what the chuck is)
6) "Colonial Goose" has nothing to do with a goose or fowl in any form (it is lamb stuffed and rolled up like a roast and put on the grill and let me tell you they have found a zillion ways to do lamb here. I would sound like Bubba from Forest Gump if I said all the ways. Curried lamb, lamb sausages, lamb meatballs.......)
7) Don't ever turn your back on a feisty horse looking for attention because you might be bitten in the bum ( the horse I named Johnny because I thought he was the Johnny Depp of the male horses, femmy but really handsome, did this on a number of occasions!)
8) Farm life is great for a little while but eventually starts feeling a bit like a nunnery! Move on after two weeks!
1) Olive oil "costs the Earth and isn't good to cook with because it taints everything." (According to Maureen the "lady of the house" even though she had about 6 bottles of various kinds and I used it secretly and she praised my cooking every day :)
2) Table Salt is "no good and will make your food go off." (also according to Maureen who was quite a character)
3) Baby horses sometimes need help coming out and it is a wonderful but very messy experience.
4) Don't wear flip flops around horses because they step on your feet sometimes.
5) Chuckies are really chickens and a "chuckhouse" is the chicken coop (this caused a lot of confusion between us because she wanted me to prepare the chuck for dinner and I am seeing a chicken, mince and squid in the fridge and not knowing what the chuck is)
6) "Colonial Goose" has nothing to do with a goose or fowl in any form (it is lamb stuffed and rolled up like a roast and put on the grill and let me tell you they have found a zillion ways to do lamb here. I would sound like Bubba from Forest Gump if I said all the ways. Curried lamb, lamb sausages, lamb meatballs.......)
7) Don't ever turn your back on a feisty horse looking for attention because you might be bitten in the bum ( the horse I named Johnny because I thought he was the Johnny Depp of the male horses, femmy but really handsome, did this on a number of occasions!)
8) Farm life is great for a little while but eventually starts feeling a bit like a nunnery! Move on after two weeks!
Sunday, February 24, 2008
The British Are Invading
Today started the International Boating Conference or something of that nature and the sun came out! Which means the downtown is completely transformed from the weekend rain and crazy partying. The city is teaming with boaters, business people and a freakin ton of British.
Apparently the British love the boating, which is understandable since they are a tiny Island who conquered a large part of the world on the strength of their navy. I am learning as much about their culture as I am about New Zealand's (which of course a large part of NZ culture is British).
1)the British say "feck" as much as the New Zealanders and Aussie's and is most likely the origin of that.
2) if it wasn't for the great accents I would find them just as loud and crude as Americans because well, they are
3)you can tell the British from the Aussies and Kiwis by the tan. Kiwis are golden, Aussies are golden with some definite burnt tones while the British are either burnt or paler than me!
4)the British can say some really funny things (and the bonus is I understand them) I was in Victoria park (because everything here has either a Maori name or one referencing Queen Victoria) sitting on a tree when I hear a very loud British accent behind me say,"Ear, that's Queen Victoria....I can tell it's Queen Victoria because look at that ASS." Now I would have been offended but I was sitting at that very moment on the tree facing the back of a statue of Queen Victoria. I was there drawing it for my sketch journal just so I could title it "Victoria's Behind."
5) They love the beer.....a lot! Now I already knew this but I have never seen so many packed pubs during the day as I have today! I was behind one guy when he turns to his companion, wipes the sweat off his brow and says, "We've been walking for bleating forever, how far away did they say the next pub was?" The friend replied "two blocks."
Apparently the British love the boating, which is understandable since they are a tiny Island who conquered a large part of the world on the strength of their navy. I am learning as much about their culture as I am about New Zealand's (which of course a large part of NZ culture is British).
1)the British say "feck" as much as the New Zealanders and Aussie's and is most likely the origin of that.
2) if it wasn't for the great accents I would find them just as loud and crude as Americans because well, they are
3)you can tell the British from the Aussies and Kiwis by the tan. Kiwis are golden, Aussies are golden with some definite burnt tones while the British are either burnt or paler than me!
4)the British can say some really funny things (and the bonus is I understand them) I was in Victoria park (because everything here has either a Maori name or one referencing Queen Victoria) sitting on a tree when I hear a very loud British accent behind me say,"Ear, that's Queen Victoria....I can tell it's Queen Victoria because look at that ASS." Now I would have been offended but I was sitting at that very moment on the tree facing the back of a statue of Queen Victoria. I was there drawing it for my sketch journal just so I could title it "Victoria's Behind."
5) They love the beer.....a lot! Now I already knew this but I have never seen so many packed pubs during the day as I have today! I was behind one guy when he turns to his companion, wipes the sweat off his brow and says, "We've been walking for bleating forever, how far away did they say the next pub was?" The friend replied "two blocks."
Rules I have learned thus far
Only been here roughly four days and already I have a number of rules to take with me on the rest of my travels
1)"feck" is the most acceptable word in the language...followed closely by "fecking." I was sitting watching the boats for an hour and observed many passer byers. Noticed that every single New Zealand male (and to be fair Aussie as well) was saying this word whilst talking to their companion or mobile. Not always in an angry way, but just constantly using it to pepper their speech with some emphasis. I also observed that people of other nationalities were not using this word as they passes by (and believe me...I can say it in over 20 languages so I would have noticed if they said it :) )
2) Don't start the night at a club! Go to a pub or bar (really suggest one with live music that isn't too loud) first and meet people. This is very important! At a club you are going to only find very loud music with machismo guys looking to grope you and not even bothering to ask your name much less your permission. At a local pub or bar you can enjoy more locals who will actual talk to you and tell you a bit about themselves. This is much more pleasant experience and guarantees a better quality time. Now, don't despair if you wanted to go dancing. They stay out ALL NIGHT here....you may start at a pub, get to know someone until 3am and then go out dancing with him! This is the best of all worlds since now you know the guy fairly well, he has ascertained your permission for groping, and more importantly will actual know and possibly remember your name the next day.
3)a bloke is a bloke......yes, guys from different countries seem to have particular tastes that make you think they are safe to hang out with.....Asian men go for Asian women, German men into blond New Zealand or Aussie babes, American men into both previous categories, and the Brits and the Irish are into....BEER. However, that does not mean you are safe. They are still guys and some things are universal....guys just want to get laid!
4)Beware guys are waaayyy hotter with accents! I know, you are saying "duh." But until everything around you is spoken in a million different accents, you just don't know. The problem is now you are interested in guys you wouldn't glance a second time at in the US. So, I have a solution. Stuff cotton balls in your ears, dress the guy in baggy jeans and a free t-shirt that advertises some random product and is 2 sizes too big.....okay is he still hot or does he look like every other guy wondering around middle America?
5)Beware guys are waaayyy hotter with accents and a bloke is a bloke.....okay I said these before but you really need to pay attention to these two rules. These are not socially awkward American (especially Seattle) guys who will take months to work up the courage to ask you out and then botch any attempt at being sexy. These are cultured, accented, foreign guys who are so freaking good at seduction one minute you are chatting about books and the next you are sharing a twin bed.
6) That being said....guys are still better to hang out with than girls. Apparently another universal truth is that women (unless they are your friends) are bitches to other women. Yes, in every culture you are still competition (even in a country with more men than women) and will be treated with suspicion.
1)"feck" is the most acceptable word in the language...followed closely by "fecking." I was sitting watching the boats for an hour and observed many passer byers. Noticed that every single New Zealand male (and to be fair Aussie as well) was saying this word whilst talking to their companion or mobile. Not always in an angry way, but just constantly using it to pepper their speech with some emphasis. I also observed that people of other nationalities were not using this word as they passes by (and believe me...I can say it in over 20 languages so I would have noticed if they said it :) )
2) Don't start the night at a club! Go to a pub or bar (really suggest one with live music that isn't too loud) first and meet people. This is very important! At a club you are going to only find very loud music with machismo guys looking to grope you and not even bothering to ask your name much less your permission. At a local pub or bar you can enjoy more locals who will actual talk to you and tell you a bit about themselves. This is much more pleasant experience and guarantees a better quality time. Now, don't despair if you wanted to go dancing. They stay out ALL NIGHT here....you may start at a pub, get to know someone until 3am and then go out dancing with him! This is the best of all worlds since now you know the guy fairly well, he has ascertained your permission for groping, and more importantly will actual know and possibly remember your name the next day.
3)a bloke is a bloke......yes, guys from different countries seem to have particular tastes that make you think they are safe to hang out with.....Asian men go for Asian women, German men into blond New Zealand or Aussie babes, American men into both previous categories, and the Brits and the Irish are into....BEER. However, that does not mean you are safe. They are still guys and some things are universal....guys just want to get laid!
4)Beware guys are waaayyy hotter with accents! I know, you are saying "duh." But until everything around you is spoken in a million different accents, you just don't know. The problem is now you are interested in guys you wouldn't glance a second time at in the US. So, I have a solution. Stuff cotton balls in your ears, dress the guy in baggy jeans and a free t-shirt that advertises some random product and is 2 sizes too big.....okay is he still hot or does he look like every other guy wondering around middle America?
5)Beware guys are waaayyy hotter with accents and a bloke is a bloke.....okay I said these before but you really need to pay attention to these two rules. These are not socially awkward American (especially Seattle) guys who will take months to work up the courage to ask you out and then botch any attempt at being sexy. These are cultured, accented, foreign guys who are so freaking good at seduction one minute you are chatting about books and the next you are sharing a twin bed.
6) That being said....guys are still better to hang out with than girls. Apparently another universal truth is that women (unless they are your friends) are bitches to other women. Yes, in every culture you are still competition (even in a country with more men than women) and will be treated with suspicion.
Auckland is the new Seattle
Arrived in Auckland late Thursday night Feb.22. So far it has drizzled, rained and down poured! Am I in Seattle once again?! That's not all they have in common though.
1)Rain (as I have mentioned)
2)large Asian immigrant population (yes I can get as much Thai and sushi as I want, YEAH!)
3)Both places celebrate the Native culture every where you turn
4)Both are small for a "big city"
5)Both are port cities
6)Crime isn't as evident
7)Very clean for a large population living together
Okay so each of these similarities have something slightly off so you can tell them apart....
1) How the locals deal with the rain....in Seattle you can tell locals from tourists by the rain gear. tourists carry umbrellas with a look of either glee (yes, I'm in Seattle and it really does rain all the time) or annoyance on their faces. The locals pull the hood up of their jackets with a look of resignation on their faces. So, being a girl from Seattle I of course do not use an umbrella during the rain here and pull up my hood looking around smugly at the tourists with their umbrellas. Then I see how the locals are reacting. Nothing. I'm talking no umbrella, no hood , just bare heads being exposed to the rain looking for all the world that it is sunny outside. This behaviour occurred even during a downpour! These people are hardcore!
2)while there is a large Asian population and food joints all over the place...I have yet to find a single Teriyaki joint which are on every corner in Seattle. Apparently, Auckland's answer to the lack of Teriyaki places is to put up a kebab place every 5 steps.
3)the Native culture here is Maori (kind of Pacific Islander meets Native American) and you see its evidence in every street name, many harbors and town names, and various symbols, tattooes and carvings everywhere you turn. However, unlike Seattle the actual Maori people are still part of the population. Just go to a night club and every bouncer is Maori. The Maori male is known for his large, intimidating size so they are regularly employed as bouncers, security guards and crowd control
4)Auckland is much smaller. This is the largest city in the entire country and it has 1.2 million people!
Everything else is pretty much the same!
1)Rain (as I have mentioned)
2)large Asian immigrant population (yes I can get as much Thai and sushi as I want, YEAH!)
3)Both places celebrate the Native culture every where you turn
4)Both are small for a "big city"
5)Both are port cities
6)Crime isn't as evident
7)Very clean for a large population living together
Okay so each of these similarities have something slightly off so you can tell them apart....
1) How the locals deal with the rain....in Seattle you can tell locals from tourists by the rain gear. tourists carry umbrellas with a look of either glee (yes, I'm in Seattle and it really does rain all the time) or annoyance on their faces. The locals pull the hood up of their jackets with a look of resignation on their faces. So, being a girl from Seattle I of course do not use an umbrella during the rain here and pull up my hood looking around smugly at the tourists with their umbrellas. Then I see how the locals are reacting. Nothing. I'm talking no umbrella, no hood , just bare heads being exposed to the rain looking for all the world that it is sunny outside. This behaviour occurred even during a downpour! These people are hardcore!
2)while there is a large Asian population and food joints all over the place...I have yet to find a single Teriyaki joint which are on every corner in Seattle. Apparently, Auckland's answer to the lack of Teriyaki places is to put up a kebab place every 5 steps.
3)the Native culture here is Maori (kind of Pacific Islander meets Native American) and you see its evidence in every street name, many harbors and town names, and various symbols, tattooes and carvings everywhere you turn. However, unlike Seattle the actual Maori people are still part of the population. Just go to a night club and every bouncer is Maori. The Maori male is known for his large, intimidating size so they are regularly employed as bouncers, security guards and crowd control
4)Auckland is much smaller. This is the largest city in the entire country and it has 1.2 million people!
Everything else is pretty much the same!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)