So this week has been kind of on the lame side. It's been really rainy and gross outside. Plus, I've had papers and research to get done. Blahh... Fortunately, my research is watching LOST so it's not the worst thing in the world. Also, the library at the University is so legit. It's 11 stories high and has a spectacular view so I can't complain about doing work too much.
Good news is, I am officially on a 2 week break! WOO WOO! My IES program is going to Rarotanga in the Cook Islands for a week starting tomorrow morning at like 5:30 am. And then immediately after that Courtney, Cathy, and I are going to road trip it around the North Island in a camper van for a week. So basically, it should be a really fun time.
I should be packing for this. But instead, I have been talking to everyone and their mother from home. It's always awesome to talk to people though. Makes me miss my friends and family. It'd be cool if they could just be here with me experiencing everything that I am experiencing. I know that you guys would love it.
Oh, and because my camera broke, I went and bought a new camera yesterday. Kind of ridiculous, but I had to do it. You just can't be in New Zealand without a camera. So, I'm sure I will have heaps of stories and pictures to share when I return from this epic 2 week trip.
But for now, all I have is stories of hanging out and my lifestyle of constant procrastination.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Is this real, or am I dreaming?
I don't even know where to begin with this weekend. The entire thing was absolutely extraordinary. I feel like I say these extreme things a lot and I know I tend to be an extreme person. But seriously. Everything that I describe doesn't even come close to comparing to the real thing. I literally don't understand how, but it keeps getting better and better.
It all began on Thursday, as usual. You people would be proud of me, I actually did the responsible thing and skipped out on snowboarding and went to class. Mainly because I had to meet with some professors about my upcoming papers. And I needed to figure out my bank issues. This turned out to be a much better idea since the weather was pretty bad and the people who ended up going paid the normal price but only got to snowboard for like an hour. Also, I got to talk to some of my favorite people from home on the phone. Super weird since I rarely talk on the phone here. Either way, productive all around.
Later on in the day,
we hung out with Courtney's flatmate and her friends for a while and thought about heading into town and then decided against it in order to go for a bonfire on the beach. Definitely made the better choice. We ended up going to this small beach called Taylors Mistake. I probably would have never even heard of this place if I had not gone to the beach that night. It was great. We got to sit around a bonfire, listen to music, run near the freezing cold water, look up at the stars (or lighthouse haha), etc. etc. The drive there had some crazy windy roads and you could see the lights of Christchurch from the road. Once again, beautiful. All in all, a really great night. Also, my camera randomly broke. So all the pictures I have, I have stolen from other people. Pretty depressing scenario. Hopefully I can get it fixed soon. A camera is probably the worst thing to be broken in New Zealand, let me tell you.
This great night was only to be proceeded a wonderful next couple days. Beginning with an epic car ride to Nelson. It's about a 6 hour drive there... so we rented a car and began our ROAD TRIP! I feel like it goes without saying that the ride there was spectacular. We were literally riding in between these giant hills. It felt like we were in Lord of the Rings or something. The landscapes never cease to amaze.
This ride was no exception. Oh, and the most exciting part of the ride, I got to drive on the wrong side of the road! Yes, my friends, they let me drive. Driving in the States is going to seem mediocre at best when compared to this driving experience. It was definitely weird to get used to at first, but it was so cool. I felt too legit to quit while driving here. And especially driving in the middle of all of this incredible scenery with a great song playing. That moment could not have been better.
Upon arrival in Nelson, we realized we were starving. So we went to McDonalds. That's right guys, I had McDonalds in New Zealand and normally I hate McDonalds, but this one was not too bad.
Then we checked into the youth hostel which was actually pretty legit. The beds were really comfortable. After some hilarious conversation about Chucky, Alice in Wonderland, and creepy Friday the 13th texts, we decided to check out the town of Nelson at night, which ended up being pretty lame and desolate except for this one place that had some really awesome live music playing. And that place ended up being awesome. Overall, a really great day followed by a really great night.
The next day we all woke up and checked out the town of Nelson during the day. The place was hoppin. There was this really great farmer's market going on that we checked out.
They had some delicious apples and some of the best jam I've ever tasted. So after getting acquainted with the town, we got in the car and rode to our destination of Abel Tasman National Park. What a ride! It was excellent to have some amazing music playing, beautiful scenery all around, and the windows rolled all the way down. A time that I'll never forget, for sure.
Once we got to Abel Tasman,
we parked the car and were on our way for the hike, which was 4 hours and a little over 7 miles long. It was a foggy day and, I must say, it was still completely stunning. It felt like we were in King Kong or something. We had a beautiful view of some amazing mountains as we walked along the coastline and saw some beautiful beaches. Then we would hike more inland and be inside of a rain forest. There were heaps of little waterfalls throughout the entire hike. Seriously, this hike was extraordinary.
But nothing can compare to getting to the top of this mountain. I was literally speechless when we got there because of the landscape. And every little bit that we walked it just got better and better. I wish pictures or words could do this place justice, but it just can't.
The sun was just starting to set and the sky was astounding. Let me just say, it was a beautiful place to rest. Looking onto that landscape, I think we could all feel that this moment and this place was so much bigger than us. And it was a really wonderful feeling. I don't think it can be topped.
Walking down the mountain to the huts we were staying was surprising. The hut was a lot different than expected. There were two long boards with mattresses side by side all across them. As in, you could potentially be sleeping next to a stranger - very very odd. Also, there was no electricity and we didn't discover the drinking water until the next day. But it was right on the beach so there is really no need to complain.
The beach was beautiful. We all sat and ate our dinner of PB&J's, put our feet in the freezing cold Pacific Ocean, stared at the sky turning all these different colors, and were just happy to be exactly where we were. We all stayed on the beach once it got dark and listened to music, danced around, did whatever. Unfortunately, we didn't get to look at the stars because the night was so cloudy.
Either way, a couple of us decided that we were going to sleep outside on the beach. Excellent idea, if I do say so myself. So Lindsay, Shona, Max, and I headed outside with our sleeping bags. It was completely pitch black because even the moon was hidden behind the clouds. So, on our way to find the perfect spot Max was like, "Look, the sand is lighting up." I was thinking that he might have been a little crazy, but it was true. When we dragged our feet across the sand, there were all these little sparks that would light up. So we all just started dragging our feet around and staring at the ground, laughing and having absolutely no idea what we were looking at but enjoying every minute of it.
We laid our sleeping bags on the beach and listened to the ocean as we drifted to sleep. And then, we felt the raindrops. As we made the sad decision to move indoors we stared at the ocean. And we were all thinking the same thing, but Max voiced it. He was like, "Okay, am I crazy or are the waves lighting up?" And they were. We decided to throw some rocks and logs in the water and when we did the ripples would light up too. I wish we could have captured that moment, but I'm kind of glad we couldn't. I feel like it was too awesome to be captured. We were all basically astounded at the ocean lighting up in a way that we had never seen before. And we all knew there was some logical explanation to it all. But just for that moment, just for that night, we decided that this was the first time that anybody had seen this and it wouldn't ever happen again. Surreal, my friends. That is the only way I could describe that night.
The rest of the evening was significantly less peaceful. Mainly because out of nowhere in the middle of the night, the fire alarm went off waking everybody in the hut up. Probably one of the worst ways to wake up, but makes for a hilarious story. The next day, we got up and got ready to hike the 7 miles back. It was a stunningly clear day and the hike back felt like a completely different hike. Everything that we saw the day before, we saw in a different light today because the fog was gone. Some parts of the trail were even more beautiful in the fog, which I was surprised by.
We decided to take a short path off the trail to eat our lunch the beach. So worth it. The break was much needed and the view was gorgeous. Sometimes I forget how crazy my life is and that I am living here. It blows my mind, literally. So we decided to head back to the trail, but soon realized that we didn't think about the changing tides and it was now high tide. Our walkway to get back to the trail was now under water. So we improvised and tested our skills by climbing around on the rocks. I led the way, of course. Just kidding. But seriously. The rest of the hike was gorgeous. And it was amazing to finally get to the end of it all. A great feeling of accomplishment.
The drive back to Christchurch was also gorgeous. I was so tired that all I wanted to do was nap, but the astounding sights forced me to stay awake. It was worth it, for sure. But by the time I got home, I was exhausted. And I had a paper due the next day. So instead of working on it, I chose to ignore it and hope it went away.
The next morning, I realized that had failed so I spent a couple hours working on it and turned it in. Hopefully it didn't turn out too bad.
I realize that this thing is pretty much a book, but seriously, what a perfect weekend.
It all began on Thursday, as usual. You people would be proud of me, I actually did the responsible thing and skipped out on snowboarding and went to class. Mainly because I had to meet with some professors about my upcoming papers. And I needed to figure out my bank issues. This turned out to be a much better idea since the weather was pretty bad and the people who ended up going paid the normal price but only got to snowboard for like an hour. Also, I got to talk to some of my favorite people from home on the phone. Super weird since I rarely talk on the phone here. Either way, productive all around.
Later on in the day,
we hung out with Courtney's flatmate and her friends for a while and thought about heading into town and then decided against it in order to go for a bonfire on the beach. Definitely made the better choice. We ended up going to this small beach called Taylors Mistake. I probably would have never even heard of this place if I had not gone to the beach that night. It was great. We got to sit around a bonfire, listen to music, run near the freezing cold water, look up at the stars (or lighthouse haha), etc. etc. The drive there had some crazy windy roads and you could see the lights of Christchurch from the road. Once again, beautiful. All in all, a really great night. Also, my camera randomly broke. So all the pictures I have, I have stolen from other people. Pretty depressing scenario. Hopefully I can get it fixed soon. A camera is probably the worst thing to be broken in New Zealand, let me tell you. This great night was only to be proceeded a wonderful next couple days. Beginning with an epic car ride to Nelson. It's about a 6 hour drive there... so we rented a car and began our ROAD TRIP! I feel like it goes without saying that the ride there was spectacular. We were literally riding in between these giant hills. It felt like we were in Lord of the Rings or something. The landscapes never cease to amaze.
This ride was no exception. Oh, and the most exciting part of the ride, I got to drive on the wrong side of the road! Yes, my friends, they let me drive. Driving in the States is going to seem mediocre at best when compared to this driving experience. It was definitely weird to get used to at first, but it was so cool. I felt too legit to quit while driving here. And especially driving in the middle of all of this incredible scenery with a great song playing. That moment could not have been better. Upon arrival in Nelson, we realized we were starving. So we went to McDonalds. That's right guys, I had McDonalds in New Zealand and normally I hate McDonalds, but this one was not too bad.
Then we checked into the youth hostel which was actually pretty legit. The beds were really comfortable. After some hilarious conversation about Chucky, Alice in Wonderland, and creepy Friday the 13th texts, we decided to check out the town of Nelson at night, which ended up being pretty lame and desolate except for this one place that had some really awesome live music playing. And that place ended up being awesome. Overall, a really great day followed by a really great night.The next day we all woke up and checked out the town of Nelson during the day. The place was hoppin. There was this really great farmer's market going on that we checked out.
They had some delicious apples and some of the best jam I've ever tasted. So after getting acquainted with the town, we got in the car and rode to our destination of Abel Tasman National Park. What a ride! It was excellent to have some amazing music playing, beautiful scenery all around, and the windows rolled all the way down. A time that I'll never forget, for sure.Once we got to Abel Tasman,
we parked the car and were on our way for the hike, which was 4 hours and a little over 7 miles long. It was a foggy day and, I must say, it was still completely stunning. It felt like we were in King Kong or something. We had a beautiful view of some amazing mountains as we walked along the coastline and saw some beautiful beaches. Then we would hike more inland and be inside of a rain forest. There were heaps of little waterfalls throughout the entire hike. Seriously, this hike was extraordinary.
But nothing can compare to getting to the top of this mountain. I was literally speechless when we got there because of the landscape. And every little bit that we walked it just got better and better. I wish pictures or words could do this place justice, but it just can't.
The sun was just starting to set and the sky was astounding. Let me just say, it was a beautiful place to rest. Looking onto that landscape, I think we could all feel that this moment and this place was so much bigger than us. And it was a really wonderful feeling. I don't think it can be topped.
Walking down the mountain to the huts we were staying was surprising. The hut was a lot different than expected. There were two long boards with mattresses side by side all across them. As in, you could potentially be sleeping next to a stranger - very very odd. Also, there was no electricity and we didn't discover the drinking water until the next day. But it was right on the beach so there is really no need to complain.
The beach was beautiful. We all sat and ate our dinner of PB&J's, put our feet in the freezing cold Pacific Ocean, stared at the sky turning all these different colors, and were just happy to be exactly where we were. We all stayed on the beach once it got dark and listened to music, danced around, did whatever. Unfortunately, we didn't get to look at the stars because the night was so cloudy.
Either way, a couple of us decided that we were going to sleep outside on the beach. Excellent idea, if I do say so myself. So Lindsay, Shona, Max, and I headed outside with our sleeping bags. It was completely pitch black because even the moon was hidden behind the clouds. So, on our way to find the perfect spot Max was like, "Look, the sand is lighting up." I was thinking that he might have been a little crazy, but it was true. When we dragged our feet across the sand, there were all these little sparks that would light up. So we all just started dragging our feet around and staring at the ground, laughing and having absolutely no idea what we were looking at but enjoying every minute of it.
We laid our sleeping bags on the beach and listened to the ocean as we drifted to sleep. And then, we felt the raindrops. As we made the sad decision to move indoors we stared at the ocean. And we were all thinking the same thing, but Max voiced it. He was like, "Okay, am I crazy or are the waves lighting up?" And they were. We decided to throw some rocks and logs in the water and when we did the ripples would light up too. I wish we could have captured that moment, but I'm kind of glad we couldn't. I feel like it was too awesome to be captured. We were all basically astounded at the ocean lighting up in a way that we had never seen before. And we all knew there was some logical explanation to it all. But just for that moment, just for that night, we decided that this was the first time that anybody had seen this and it wouldn't ever happen again. Surreal, my friends. That is the only way I could describe that night.
The rest of the evening was significantly less peaceful. Mainly because out of nowhere in the middle of the night, the fire alarm went off waking everybody in the hut up. Probably one of the worst ways to wake up, but makes for a hilarious story. The next day, we got up and got ready to hike the 7 miles back. It was a stunningly clear day and the hike back felt like a completely different hike. Everything that we saw the day before, we saw in a different light today because the fog was gone. Some parts of the trail were even more beautiful in the fog, which I was surprised by.
We decided to take a short path off the trail to eat our lunch the beach. So worth it. The break was much needed and the view was gorgeous. Sometimes I forget how crazy my life is and that I am living here. It blows my mind, literally. So we decided to head back to the trail, but soon realized that we didn't think about the changing tides and it was now high tide. Our walkway to get back to the trail was now under water. So we improvised and tested our skills by climbing around on the rocks. I led the way, of course. Just kidding. But seriously. The rest of the hike was gorgeous. And it was amazing to finally get to the end of it all. A great feeling of accomplishment. The drive back to Christchurch was also gorgeous. I was so tired that all I wanted to do was nap, but the astounding sights forced me to stay awake. It was worth it, for sure. But by the time I got home, I was exhausted. And I had a paper due the next day. So instead of working on it, I chose to ignore it and hope it went away.
The next morning, I realized that had failed so I spent a couple hours working on it and turned it in. Hopefully it didn't turn out too bad.I realize that this thing is pretty much a book, but seriously, what a perfect weekend.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
I mean, really?!
So it turns out that I have had the wrong social security number memorized for, at the very least, 5 years. Every important document that I've filled out, I have used the incorrect social security number.
How does that even happen?! Who is that ridiculous?!
I'll tell you who, this kid.
How does that even happen?! Who is that ridiculous?!
I'll tell you who, this kid.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Fail.
I have yet to really do any schoolwork while being here. I mean, can you blame me?! I'm in New Zealand. Plus, unlike Wofford, most classes do not take attendance and most professors couldn't care less if you are there or not. And everything that I could possibly need for class is put on the slideshows that they post online. So really, why would I be slaving away at my studies? It is far easier here to slack off than in the States.
Nonetheless, at the beginning of this week, I made a vow to begin taking my studies seriously - I was going to attend every lecture and begin my essays so that I wouldn't have to worry about them later. (Side note, let me just say that my longest paper is 5 pages long and people are acting like that is a big deal -- seriously?! I could crank that out in like 2 hours.)
Well, that was the vow that I made. And that vow has EPICALLY failed. I have somehow managed to sleep in till 9:30 for my 9 o'clock class for two days in a row. Because it is a 30 minute walk to the University, this has caused me to miss my class that is happening right now. Oh, and I have yet to begin my essays.
All of this to say, I'm pretty sure I fail at life.
Nonetheless, at the beginning of this week, I made a vow to begin taking my studies seriously - I was going to attend every lecture and begin my essays so that I wouldn't have to worry about them later. (Side note, let me just say that my longest paper is 5 pages long and people are acting like that is a big deal -- seriously?! I could crank that out in like 2 hours.)
Well, that was the vow that I made. And that vow has EPICALLY failed. I have somehow managed to sleep in till 9:30 for my 9 o'clock class for two days in a row. Because it is a 30 minute walk to the University, this has caused me to miss my class that is happening right now. Oh, and I have yet to begin my essays.
All of this to say, I'm pretty sure I fail at life.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
"I've been waiting all month for this..."
Yet again, the weekend does not fail to amaze.
Weekends around here begin on Thursday because most people have no Friday classes. I also only have one class on Thursday that begins at 9 am and lasts an hour. Seeing as I have a half an hour walk to the University, most Thursdays I just can't justify getting out of my warm bed to walk a total of an hour (there and back) in the cold and spend 50 minutes in class. So, as usual I missed my Thursday class and instead took a 'me' day.
So I hopped on the bus to the city
and picked up a hat for the All Blacks game and then caught a bus to Sumner and spent the day reading, writing, listening, and contemplating life while sitting on these huge bouldered rocks and overlooking the ocean. If that's not the perfect day, I don't know what is. I mean, this was my view. And the picture doesn't even come close to doing it justice.
Once it started to get dark, I headed back home and went to a potluck dinner that a bunch of my friends had put together. After that we all headed to Eunice(my IES program director)'s
house to hang out and eat some more, as always. So much eating. The best part of this evening was when Eunice volunteered to bring some of us home and decided to bring us to see Christchurch at night. I thought this was just going to be a drive by experience and nothing too exciting. I was incorrect. Once we drove up this big hill we got out and walked out to see the lights of Christchurch. It was absolutely beautiful. Not only that, but the stars were incredible from where we were. Overall, a wonderful day. Only made better by having a girl's night and watching Persuasion in Shona's room.
That night me and Cathy stayed at Courtney's because we had an early morning (as in, we woke up at 5:30 am, I believe) so that we could take a train to Kaikoura. As most of you know all too well, the early morning thing is never an easy thing for me but somehow we made it on time. This is surprising because the night before me, Cathy, and Courtney had some issues - too much talking and laughing, not enough sleeping. But trust me, this early morning was so worth it. What a perfect day.
It began with some impromptu dancing on the train, all to separate songs on our separate ipods. I feel as though people were judging. Followed by the sun rise.
Um, spectacular doesn't cover it. And the views only got more incredible as the day progressed. There was a viewing area on the train where you could step outside-ish and see all around. It was freezing but more than worth it. On one side was the Pacific Ocean. On the other side, mountains. Absolutely incredible. The day only continued to get better and better once we got to Kaikoura. I mean seriously, this was only the train ride and it was astounding. The sights of Kaikoura were absolutely mind-blowing.
We started off in Kaikoura by getting some coffee to get us going then we stopped in some shops and had some lunch.
Then came the fun stuff, we headed out to walk around the coastline for a while -- stopping to take pictures and climb on things and to just sit and soak up our astounding surroundings the entire way. We all were amazed by the scenery here. I wish so badly that you people at home could understand. It was like staring at a picture, it did not seem real at all. I don't know how anybody could stand where we were standing and not be blown away. 
And the weather was perfect. We could not have picked a better day to go. The whole day was even better because it was such a girls trip. The walk back to town was full of conversations about relationships and all of that girly stuff. So much bonding. AND it was topped off with delicious ice cream. The train ride home ended with a beautiful sunset and then a much needed nap while listening to Ray LaMontagne. Another absolutely perfect day.
And then Saturday began with a bang. This was the day of the much-anticipated All-Blacks rugby game.
This game was a big deal because it was against Australia (aka their main rivals). So, naturally, the entire day had to be legendary (think Spring Weekend here). All of us were completely decked out in all black an face tatoos/designs in order to support the All-Blacks. The game began at 7:30 so we left at 5:30. You'd think that'd be plenty of time. Apparently everyone in Christchurch was going to this game though because it took quite a long time to get there.
Once we got there and finally got our tickets me and Shona ran to our seats (completely unnecessarily, by the way). Let me just say, we got some of the cheapest tickets so we thought that we'd be in the nosebleed sections. We were incorrect. We were literally 2 rows up from the field. I still don't understand how we got such amazing seats. But hey, I'm not complaining.
The game began with the famous Haka, which is a traditional Maori dance that is performed by the All-Black players and is meant to intimidate the other team. It's pretty much awesome to see in person. The game was really great, especially since the rain held off and it wasn't as cold as expected. However, we were all pretty surprised by how tame it was compared to most sporting events in America. I was expecting a rowdy crowd and it really wasn't too rowdy. In fact, one of my friends got in trouble for trying to start the wave -- a little absurd if you ask me. Either way, it was a great game: the All- Blacks won and our seats were far closer than any of us expected.
Sunday was a day of delicious pancakes, rest, and catching up on homework. Mainly because it was far too disgusting to do anything outside.
So with that, another epic weekend passes and another week of school begins.
Weekends around here begin on Thursday because most people have no Friday classes. I also only have one class on Thursday that begins at 9 am and lasts an hour. Seeing as I have a half an hour walk to the University, most Thursdays I just can't justify getting out of my warm bed to walk a total of an hour (there and back) in the cold and spend 50 minutes in class. So, as usual I missed my Thursday class and instead took a 'me' day.
So I hopped on the bus to the city
and picked up a hat for the All Blacks game and then caught a bus to Sumner and spent the day reading, writing, listening, and contemplating life while sitting on these huge bouldered rocks and overlooking the ocean. If that's not the perfect day, I don't know what is. I mean, this was my view. And the picture doesn't even come close to doing it justice.Once it started to get dark, I headed back home and went to a potluck dinner that a bunch of my friends had put together. After that we all headed to Eunice(my IES program director)'s
house to hang out and eat some more, as always. So much eating. The best part of this evening was when Eunice volunteered to bring some of us home and decided to bring us to see Christchurch at night. I thought this was just going to be a drive by experience and nothing too exciting. I was incorrect. Once we drove up this big hill we got out and walked out to see the lights of Christchurch. It was absolutely beautiful. Not only that, but the stars were incredible from where we were. Overall, a wonderful day. Only made better by having a girl's night and watching Persuasion in Shona's room. That night me and Cathy stayed at Courtney's because we had an early morning (as in, we woke up at 5:30 am, I believe) so that we could take a train to Kaikoura. As most of you know all too well, the early morning thing is never an easy thing for me but somehow we made it on time. This is surprising because the night before me, Cathy, and Courtney had some issues - too much talking and laughing, not enough sleeping. But trust me, this early morning was so worth it. What a perfect day.
It began with some impromptu dancing on the train, all to separate songs on our separate ipods. I feel as though people were judging. Followed by the sun rise.
Um, spectacular doesn't cover it. And the views only got more incredible as the day progressed. There was a viewing area on the train where you could step outside-ish and see all around. It was freezing but more than worth it. On one side was the Pacific Ocean. On the other side, mountains. Absolutely incredible. The day only continued to get better and better once we got to Kaikoura. I mean seriously, this was only the train ride and it was astounding. The sights of Kaikoura were absolutely mind-blowing.We started off in Kaikoura by getting some coffee to get us going then we stopped in some shops and had some lunch.
Then came the fun stuff, we headed out to walk around the coastline for a while -- stopping to take pictures and climb on things and to just sit and soak up our astounding surroundings the entire way. We all were amazed by the scenery here. I wish so badly that you people at home could understand. It was like staring at a picture, it did not seem real at all. I don't know how anybody could stand where we were standing and not be blown away. 
And the weather was perfect. We could not have picked a better day to go. The whole day was even better because it was such a girls trip. The walk back to town was full of conversations about relationships and all of that girly stuff. So much bonding. AND it was topped off with delicious ice cream. The train ride home ended with a beautiful sunset and then a much needed nap while listening to Ray LaMontagne. Another absolutely perfect day. And then Saturday began with a bang. This was the day of the much-anticipated All-Blacks rugby game.
This game was a big deal because it was against Australia (aka their main rivals). So, naturally, the entire day had to be legendary (think Spring Weekend here). All of us were completely decked out in all black an face tatoos/designs in order to support the All-Blacks. The game began at 7:30 so we left at 5:30. You'd think that'd be plenty of time. Apparently everyone in Christchurch was going to this game though because it took quite a long time to get there. Once we got there and finally got our tickets me and Shona ran to our seats (completely unnecessarily, by the way). Let me just say, we got some of the cheapest tickets so we thought that we'd be in the nosebleed sections. We were incorrect. We were literally 2 rows up from the field. I still don't understand how we got such amazing seats. But hey, I'm not complaining.
The game began with the famous Haka, which is a traditional Maori dance that is performed by the All-Black players and is meant to intimidate the other team. It's pretty much awesome to see in person. The game was really great, especially since the rain held off and it wasn't as cold as expected. However, we were all pretty surprised by how tame it was compared to most sporting events in America. I was expecting a rowdy crowd and it really wasn't too rowdy. In fact, one of my friends got in trouble for trying to start the wave -- a little absurd if you ask me. Either way, it was a great game: the All- Blacks won and our seats were far closer than any of us expected.Sunday was a day of delicious pancakes, rest, and catching up on homework. Mainly because it was far too disgusting to do anything outside.
So with that, another epic weekend passes and another week of school begins.
Friday, August 6, 2010
The Sister is Preggers.
Okay okay, so I'm going to try to get better about this blogging thing. I suppose I can start with where I left off - the most epic day ever. No, but seriously, it was legendary.
It was Wednesday afternoon for me so Tuesday evening for you guys at home and I had a skype date with my wonderful sister. I was so excited because we hadn't talked in a long time and, as most of you know, I am lost without her. My sister is pretty much my other half.
So, when I get online she tells me that she can't figure out skype (typical) and so I'm going to have to call them because "everyone wants to hear my voice". And all I'm thinking is how expensive it is to call internationally. So I just tell her to fix skype. So I try to describe how to get it working and she's just not figuring it out.
So finally I just end up caving and call the house. When I call, Holly tells me that she's holding a baby. As if that's a big deal or something. When is she not holding children? (She always hogs them.) So I just continue to ramble about how she needs to fix skype so that we can talk because my phone is going to cut out soon. And she's like "did you even hear me?! I'm having a baby! I'm pregnant!" Finally, it registers. And I freaked out. And continued to freak out all day long.
It was the first time that I've wanted to go home since I've been here -- just for a day so I could hug my little pregnant sister! What I want to understand is why Holly always does the cool things when I'm NOWHERE TO BE FOUND. (She got engaged while I was in Washington DC). Not cool. But oh well, it'll be even greater to come home to her little pregnant belly. And now every shop that I go into I look at all the baby stuff. This kid is going to be decked out in New Zealand gear.
The day just continued to get more and more legendary as it progressed, but I will save those stories for a later date. I mean, I sent a text to the States in a frenzied mindset because of how legendary this day was (shout out KEEZ GORILLA -- that means you Allie).
Needless to say, I didn't get much done that day. I was too stunned by how crazy life is.
It was Wednesday afternoon for me so Tuesday evening for you guys at home and I had a skype date with my wonderful sister. I was so excited because we hadn't talked in a long time and, as most of you know, I am lost without her. My sister is pretty much my other half.
So, when I get online she tells me that she can't figure out skype (typical) and so I'm going to have to call them because "everyone wants to hear my voice". And all I'm thinking is how expensive it is to call internationally. So I just tell her to fix skype. So I try to describe how to get it working and she's just not figuring it out.
So finally I just end up caving and call the house. When I call, Holly tells me that she's holding a baby. As if that's a big deal or something. When is she not holding children? (She always hogs them.) So I just continue to ramble about how she needs to fix skype so that we can talk because my phone is going to cut out soon. And she's like "did you even hear me?! I'm having a baby! I'm pregnant!" Finally, it registers. And I freaked out. And continued to freak out all day long.
It was the first time that I've wanted to go home since I've been here -- just for a day so I could hug my little pregnant sister! What I want to understand is why Holly always does the cool things when I'm NOWHERE TO BE FOUND. (She got engaged while I was in Washington DC). Not cool. But oh well, it'll be even greater to come home to her little pregnant belly. And now every shop that I go into I look at all the baby stuff. This kid is going to be decked out in New Zealand gear.
The day just continued to get more and more legendary as it progressed, but I will save those stories for a later date. I mean, I sent a text to the States in a frenzied mindset because of how legendary this day was (shout out KEEZ GORILLA -- that means you Allie).
Needless to say, I didn't get much done that day. I was too stunned by how crazy life is.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Catching Up..
So, I clearly epically failed on the blogging thing for the first month. But here's a recap of what I've been doing:
I slept the majority of my flight here, of course. Is anyone surprised?!
I waited until the plane ride to read my AWESOME letter from Brooke. (Thanks for that Brooke, I loved it!).
I met all of the people in my IES program and we went on a scavenger hunt through the campus and then on one through the city. It was great because it gave us a chance to see the place that we were going to be spending the next couple months.
That weekend we went to Springfield and stayed at Smiley's which was a really great youth hostel. We spent the day in Castle Hill and it was BEAUTIFUL.
It is this place amidst the Southern Alps. Apparently it's really great for climbing because they have all of these crazy huge boulders everywhere. The ride up there alone was stunning. It was a great introduction to New Zealand. I was speechless and kind of giddy with excitement. Yes, I am aware how stupid that phrase just sounded, but I have no other way to describe it.
Oh, and where we were was close to where Narnia was filmed, no big deal.
The next day we toured a sheep farm and the whole time I just kept thinking about Simone and her obsession with sheep. We got to feed them and I sheered a sheep. Some people chased them. It was pretty legit, but really really cold. Also, the views were stunning, as always. We also went on a jet boat ride while at this sheep farm. Which I wasn't too excited about, but wow. It was awesome. And not as cold as expected. We went through all these massive canyons and all of this crazy stuff. I'm telling you, my descriptions and pictures don't even come close to how beautiful everything is.
The next day, I accidentally got on the wrong bus because I'm an idiot. But it ended up being great because I ended up at New Brighton Beach and had a really great 'me' day.
I read on the beach and just walked around. It was once again, really pretty. It has this awesome pier with great views of the mountains.
Then began the first week of classes. I, of course, missed my only class on the first day because I am a moron. But, I made it to all my other classes that week. I ended up dropping a class because I was taking far too many credits and, let's be honest, I'm here to travel not to learn. They also had a clubs day the first week so I signed up for some clubs such as the Kayaking Club (yes, I'm learning to Kayak) and the Tramping Club (which is what they call Hiking). So that was pretty cool. Oh, we also went to this pretty sweet Kiwi Habitat on one of the nights of the first week. It was legit.
The weekend after that was pretty sweet. We saw more of the town, went to the beach, I learned that I can play harmonica with the best of them, I had many weird encounters with Xun, etc. etc. I can't really remember that far back so I'm sorry for my lack of details. For those of you who don't know, Xun is a Chinese foreign exchange student who also lives at my home stay. He's not the best at speaking English and he always tries to talk to me about movies. He also always sings very loudly from his room and I can hear him and it is HILARIOUS.
The second week of school began and I realized that I should probably buy my books. Yes, I hadn't yet bought my books. So I bought like two of them. Hopefully that will suffice for the semester. We'll see. We also checked out this place that had an open mic night. It had some great vibes. My friend Lindsay may be playing there in the near future. I started my ritual of getting out of classes and then picking a bus and getting on it and seeing where it goes. I always pass something that looks legit and I get off and check the area out. It's been a great way to see lots of things and kind of be a part of the culture.
The next weekend was EPIC. On Friday, we got up and went to the beach and went surfing. Yes, my friends, it is the middle of winter here but we still did it. The whole way there we were like "wait, what are we doing?"
because it was seriously one of the worst days we could have picked. It was raining and the waves were completely ridiculous. But, nevertheless, we pressed on and I'm so glad. Of course we had wet suits and stuff, but those didn't help as much as you'd think. Either way, it was awesome and I got up on the board a couple times and we're totally going back because it was only $25. Probably because nobody is stupid enough to surf in the winter.
The next day we got up super early and went snowboarding. Surfing and snowboarding one day apart? Why yes, of course.
New Zealand is just awesome like that. It was my first time snowboarding so it took me a while to get up, but by the end of the day I was shredding. Okay, that's a lie. But I did VASTLY improve and I am REALLY excited to go again. Oh, and once again, the Southern Alps were STUNNING. Pictures can't capture the beauty.
Then the next day we spent the day in Diamond Harbour. It was such a cute little town and had the cutest little coffee place. And it was beautiful, once again. Anyone who tells you that New Zealand is one of the prettiest places in the world isn't lying. I am constantly amazed by it all.
The next week was pretty awesome. By now I had settled into the fact that this place is my home for the next couple months and this isn't just a vacation or something. I found some really awesome spots on campus to read and chill out. We watched Inception and OH MY WORD my mind was blown. We literally sat in the theater for a while after just trying to figure it out. Crazy movie. Loved it. There was a whole lot of hanging out and impromptu shopping trips amidst everyday life.
This brings me up to last weekend, Finally! It was great, we went to Sumner Beach for the first time and it was awesome. I climbed some of the rocks and felt pretty legit. I decided to start refusing to use stairs. Just kidding. But seriously. It was a great day. The next day we spent the day in town and went to the art gallery. I really really liked one of the exhibits in particular.
There was this other one that was just super weird and the whole time me and Courtney were really confused.
The next day we went to Hanmer Springs - this was my favorite day this weekend. The bus ride up there was incredible - tons of rolling hills and snowcapped mountains. Once again, stunning. Once we got there we decided to hike around, we thought we were going to be doing an easy hike but you never know what's really going to happen and we ended up doing this pretty legit hike and ended up on this awesome mound where we could see everything!! Once again, beautiful.
Then we went back down and found this really pretty stream where we had a great view of the mountains when we looked up. Oh, and there was this rainbow that popped out of nowhere. Oh my word, just a surreal experience all around. Then we went back and got in the hot springs. This was great because it had started raining and was freezing cold outside. The hot springs were so so relaxing. I never wanted to get out. But of course, we had to.
So this week I realized I've been here for a month already! It flew by so quickly! I can't even believe it. In some ways I feel like I've been here forever and in some ways I feel like I just got here. The whole experience is honestly surreal. But I'm loving it!
Okay, if you have endured all of that you deserve an award of some sort.
I slept the majority of my flight here, of course. Is anyone surprised?!
I waited until the plane ride to read my AWESOME letter from Brooke. (Thanks for that Brooke, I loved it!). I met all of the people in my IES program and we went on a scavenger hunt through the campus and then on one through the city. It was great because it gave us a chance to see the place that we were going to be spending the next couple months.
That weekend we went to Springfield and stayed at Smiley's which was a really great youth hostel. We spent the day in Castle Hill and it was BEAUTIFUL.
It is this place amidst the Southern Alps. Apparently it's really great for climbing because they have all of these crazy huge boulders everywhere. The ride up there alone was stunning. It was a great introduction to New Zealand. I was speechless and kind of giddy with excitement. Yes, I am aware how stupid that phrase just sounded, but I have no other way to describe it.
Oh, and where we were was close to where Narnia was filmed, no big deal. The next day we toured a sheep farm and the whole time I just kept thinking about Simone and her obsession with sheep. We got to feed them and I sheered a sheep. Some people chased them. It was pretty legit, but really really cold. Also, the views were stunning, as always. We also went on a jet boat ride while at this sheep farm. Which I wasn't too excited about, but wow. It was awesome. And not as cold as expected. We went through all these massive canyons and all of this crazy stuff. I'm telling you, my descriptions and pictures don't even come close to how beautiful everything is.
The next day, I accidentally got on the wrong bus because I'm an idiot. But it ended up being great because I ended up at New Brighton Beach and had a really great 'me' day.
I read on the beach and just walked around. It was once again, really pretty. It has this awesome pier with great views of the mountains.Then began the first week of classes. I, of course, missed my only class on the first day because I am a moron. But, I made it to all my other classes that week. I ended up dropping a class because I was taking far too many credits and, let's be honest, I'm here to travel not to learn. They also had a clubs day the first week so I signed up for some clubs such as the Kayaking Club (yes, I'm learning to Kayak) and the Tramping Club (which is what they call Hiking). So that was pretty cool. Oh, we also went to this pretty sweet Kiwi Habitat on one of the nights of the first week. It was legit.
The weekend after that was pretty sweet. We saw more of the town, went to the beach, I learned that I can play harmonica with the best of them, I had many weird encounters with Xun, etc. etc. I can't really remember that far back so I'm sorry for my lack of details. For those of you who don't know, Xun is a Chinese foreign exchange student who also lives at my home stay. He's not the best at speaking English and he always tries to talk to me about movies. He also always sings very loudly from his room and I can hear him and it is HILARIOUS.
The second week of school began and I realized that I should probably buy my books. Yes, I hadn't yet bought my books. So I bought like two of them. Hopefully that will suffice for the semester. We'll see. We also checked out this place that had an open mic night. It had some great vibes. My friend Lindsay may be playing there in the near future. I started my ritual of getting out of classes and then picking a bus and getting on it and seeing where it goes. I always pass something that looks legit and I get off and check the area out. It's been a great way to see lots of things and kind of be a part of the culture.
The next weekend was EPIC. On Friday, we got up and went to the beach and went surfing. Yes, my friends, it is the middle of winter here but we still did it. The whole way there we were like "wait, what are we doing?"
because it was seriously one of the worst days we could have picked. It was raining and the waves were completely ridiculous. But, nevertheless, we pressed on and I'm so glad. Of course we had wet suits and stuff, but those didn't help as much as you'd think. Either way, it was awesome and I got up on the board a couple times and we're totally going back because it was only $25. Probably because nobody is stupid enough to surf in the winter.
The next day we got up super early and went snowboarding. Surfing and snowboarding one day apart? Why yes, of course.
New Zealand is just awesome like that. It was my first time snowboarding so it took me a while to get up, but by the end of the day I was shredding. Okay, that's a lie. But I did VASTLY improve and I am REALLY excited to go again. Oh, and once again, the Southern Alps were STUNNING. Pictures can't capture the beauty.
Then the next day we spent the day in Diamond Harbour. It was such a cute little town and had the cutest little coffee place. And it was beautiful, once again. Anyone who tells you that New Zealand is one of the prettiest places in the world isn't lying. I am constantly amazed by it all.
The next week was pretty awesome. By now I had settled into the fact that this place is my home for the next couple months and this isn't just a vacation or something. I found some really awesome spots on campus to read and chill out. We watched Inception and OH MY WORD my mind was blown. We literally sat in the theater for a while after just trying to figure it out. Crazy movie. Loved it. There was a whole lot of hanging out and impromptu shopping trips amidst everyday life.
This brings me up to last weekend, Finally! It was great, we went to Sumner Beach for the first time and it was awesome. I climbed some of the rocks and felt pretty legit. I decided to start refusing to use stairs. Just kidding. But seriously. It was a great day. The next day we spent the day in town and went to the art gallery. I really really liked one of the exhibits in particular.
There was this other one that was just super weird and the whole time me and Courtney were really confused.
The next day we went to Hanmer Springs - this was my favorite day this weekend. The bus ride up there was incredible - tons of rolling hills and snowcapped mountains. Once again, stunning. Once we got there we decided to hike around, we thought we were going to be doing an easy hike but you never know what's really going to happen and we ended up doing this pretty legit hike and ended up on this awesome mound where we could see everything!! Once again, beautiful.
Then we went back down and found this really pretty stream where we had a great view of the mountains when we looked up. Oh, and there was this rainbow that popped out of nowhere. Oh my word, just a surreal experience all around. Then we went back and got in the hot springs. This was great because it had started raining and was freezing cold outside. The hot springs were so so relaxing. I never wanted to get out. But of course, we had to.
So this week I realized I've been here for a month already! It flew by so quickly! I can't even believe it. In some ways I feel like I've been here forever and in some ways I feel like I just got here. The whole experience is honestly surreal. But I'm loving it!
Okay, if you have endured all of that you deserve an award of some sort.
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