Thought of the Day 01/03/2015: Unconditional Love

Recently my Sister sent me a text that succinctly sums up what I consider to epitomize unconditional love:

"Sis. I'm always proud of you. Even when your a control freak with an eating disorder! Look at all you've done. That's pretty spectacular considering what we've come from. I love you!"

I'll leave out what prompted this response from her, but when I read it I instantly teared up. Admittedly, I struggle with the concept of love and anything considered intimate, including physical intimacy. Unconditional love almost completely escapes me, conspicuous entirely by it's scarcity in my life. For me, unconditional love is a feeling I get, a deep knowing that no matter what a person says or does, to me or anyone else, I could never create a resentment against them. I may not agree with or like how they conduct themselves or their everyday lives, but I love them wholly despite my misgivings or their humanly faults. In fact, only two people are encapsulated by my unconditional love, and one of them is my Sister. 

I could go on and on about how our childhood and death of our older Sister shaped the way I feel about my Sister, but suffice it to say that from an extremely young age I have admired her for being the one thing I will never be: relaxed, and without worry. Growing up she never cared what other people thought, nor let our unstable familial relationships work her into the frenzy that they inspired in me. Never verbose and always honest I simply worshipped her, whether she knew it or not. That praise is higher now more than ever as she continues to be the best mother to the best children I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, and I'm absurdly proud to be a member of that family. I love you Sis.

My Sister, best friend and idol.

. 

Thought of the Day 22/02/2015: To The North!

The lovely town of Picton, where the Interislander sets sail.

Harbour view from the deck.

Inter-Island Travels 

I assumed that Kiwi travel between the North and South Islands would be as common as Americans going from one state to another, no biggie. My trip over via the Interislander, however, has me thinking otherwise. The sheer expense of the trip ($176 for Hank and I to cross, one-way at that) is enough to prohibit much transposition. Also, everyone keeps asking me if I’m going on holiday, which must be the common reason South Islanders go to the North Island, and vice versa. There’s also the fact that the S’s haven’t seen much of the North though they’ve been dual citizens for 20+ years. I didn’t think much of it when they told me, but now it does seem a bit odd given their outgoing and adventurous natures. They’re always taking people around the South; perhaps I surmised they simply preferred the South, which is the general rule among all Kiwis. I too will be likely working in the North, but playing in the South. Fingers crossed!

Hank on the boat.

There was a lady coming through the line of cars ready to board asking about bio-hazard potentials, and I instinctively looked down at my bag of apples hoping I could keep them. Instead she was looking for hiking boots and camping/fishing gear that may have come in contact with South Island rivers and lakes, and could therefore be carrying harmful bio-organisms that they attempt to keep out of the North Island. I thought that was pretty neat. When she asked if I was visiting, I told her I was immigrating and going to the North for a job interview. After congratulating me, she wished me luck. It still astounds me how nice people are here.

The Interislander looks like a friggin’ cruise ship, complete with shops, lounges, cafes, and a live band! Apparently, covering ‘Mad World’ is incredibly common for New Zealand bands because this band did it, as well as the band at the brewery Friday night. Both renditions were very similar, merging the calm sadness of the Gary Jules version with the more poppy electric sound of the Tears for Fears version. They also played the Punjabi rap song and it was actually really good! At least part of my exorbitant ticket went towards entertainment.

UPDATE! Ok, I just got the skinny on this situation by chatting with a local from Christchurch who I’ll refer to as M. M also bought me two glasses of wine, which I drank without considering the fact I’d have to drive off the damn boat and find my way North for a 2 hour drive. Definitely not my smartest move. Anyway, besides travel to Wellington, the North Island Port, taking the Interislander is almost unheard of except if the person traveling has to bring their car (like me). Flights from Christchurch to Auckland are only $59; so it may not be that there isn’t much travel, it’s just not by sea, which now makes a lot of sense! The travel is typically restricted to Holidays or business needs and involves flying and renting a car rather than taking the Interislander. He also informed me that this is the roughest and most expensive straight to cross in the world, though thankfully it’s not too rough today.

This was the Tuscan Dream pizza I hovered at a Mediterranean restaurant north of Wellington to kill my ill-advised buzz. Yum!

Oh and get this, while chatting with a Pennsylvanian park ranger on Holiday, I discovered that her parents own a house in Cape Fucking Vincent?!?! Unbelievable! One thing I always realize while traveling is just how small this world really is! [For those of you who don’t know, I went to Cape Vincent Elementary school!]

I Heart Hank Nummer Zwei

I literally can’t lock myself out of this car. At first I found it annoying that the doors automatically unlocked when shut if I had locked them while the doors were open. Now I realize the genius of that plan, and I’m grateful! Especially given the fact that I only have one key, unsurprising for a ’97 car that’s had more than it’s share of owners.

Pet Eels?

The S’s took me to this cool little place in Nelson called the Jester House where they advertised their tame eels; eels that would slither up on the rocks for food one could buy in the shop. We must have gone at a bad time of day for the eels because they were nowhere to be find, but I thought the idea fairly comical and certainly unique. At least until I was driving through Marlborough on my way to Picton and passed a placed that advertised about its celebrity, ‘Eddy the Eel.’ So apparently pet Eels are a thing here, seems a bit creepy to me but I suppose it’s no different than owning a snake or fish.

Hot Pies

This place is obsessed with hot pies, they’re mostly like chicken potpies of meaty varieties like mince (aka hamburger, but usually from multiple animals), steak, beef and cheese, Bacon and egg, chicken and vegetable, etc., but they’re all basically them same components of meat, starchy filling and buttery crust. Needless to say, I may opt out of this societal norm. It reminds me of America’s obsession with frozen burritos, but somehow they seem healthier.

Some other random food facts include:

- There’s no turkey lunchmeat, it’s all ham and salamis of varying quality. This is chicken sometimes, but it’s really expensive.

- Muesli is huge here, as it is in Europe. As an American is just seems weird to eat oats without cooking them first; but this is likely contributed to my newfound regularity, which is a welcomed novelty!

- Skim milk is called Trim milk. I think it sounds more elegant.

Fanny Fact

Here, a Fanny is a vagina. So I was cautioned against saying anything about wearing a fanny pack, because in NZ that’s akin to wearing some sort of sanitary item in the nether regions. Also, females should avoid getting confused at receiving a ‘pat on the fanny.’ I’m really glad M decided to share this information with me!

World Series? Really?!

Apparently the one thing Kiwi’s find hilarious about the US is that they call their annual Baseball tournament the World Series. M boldly asked, “How many fucking countries compete? One I reckon! Wouldn’t you need at least 2 to be considered a World Series?!” then he laughed heartily. Once I thought about it I started laughing too, he was totally right!

Fun Phrases:

- My shout/No need to shout back/Next shout is mine. = I’ll buy this round/There’s no expectation for one to reciprocate the round/I’ll buy the next round. (All in the context of drinking)

- Sweet As! = Cool, Great, Sure; really just a typical reply to say ‘good,’ buy they use it very versatile ways.

- Good on you/him/her. = Good for you/him/her, and can also mean congratulations, etc. 

Random Update

That roadkill was a Possum! We spell ours Opossum but they spell it Possum, and they’re typically red in color. They do have our variety as well, but they call them silver backs. My roadkill intuition is exquisite!

Possum, not Opossum

Thought of the Day 23/02/2015: The Most Amazing Day of My New Life

The easiest way for me to relate this unbelievable day is to do a play-by-play, so here goes.

'The Square', Palmerston North, NZ

0700

I went out for a run to center myself on this important day. Interviews don’t make me nervous, but I’ll openly admit that I was feeling a bit stressed since I couldn’t plan anything past this milestone because all my other decisions would be based off of getting the job. Since pharmaceutical companies never give an offer on the same day as the interview, I spent my run taking in the town and also planning a tour through the North Island while I wait to hear back from this potential company and/or other interview possibilities in Auckland. Meanwhile, my anxiety was mounting as I planned to spend money without knowing when I’ll be able to replenish my funds.

It was a wonderful run. Palmerston North (PN) is truly a charming mid-size city that is kept immaculately clean and has all the social venues and conveniences of a college town. Indeed, it is the 7^th largest city in New Zealand (NZ) and encompasses Massey University, the largest in NZ, as well as Linton Military Camp, also one of the largest of its kind. Perfectly situated in the center of the North Island and an hours drive from beaches, skiing, mountain lakes and waterfalls, PN boasts a beautiful town Square and lengthy river path, tons of quaint shops, free WiFi zones for Spark customers (like me) and comes complete with plenty of Indian and Thai eateries. Hell, even their pubic toilets are charismatic as they play ambient music to ease the evacuation process. I’ve also noticed that the petrol here is considerably cheaper than the rest of NZ. In short, it would be the perfect place to start my new middle-class life.

Towards the end of my run I found a Countdown to buy some yogurt and bananas for my breakfast. I planned to walk back to the hostel from there, but it started raining heavily so I jogged and prolonged my morning exercise. The temperature was warm, however, and made for a delightful skip through the rain.

'The Square', Palmerston North, NZ

1000

After showering, eating, and packing up Hank I headed downtown to enjoy some free WiFi compliments of Spark Mobile, definitely one of the coolest things about my phone plan! Especially considering that they’ve put these free WiFi booths all over the country, including in desolate mountain towns where there are otherwise no signals. Anyway, I Facetimed my Sister and Mother, reiterating my mounting stress regarding the fact that I couldn’t plan where to sleep that night. Assuming I’d have to wait to know the outcome of today’s interview, I tentatively planned to head to Turangi for some good-old fashioned mountain hiking and time-killing. Talking to them really helped me, they always make me laugh and encourage me to get a grip. It seems that everyone has more faith in Summer that I do, haha.

'The Square', Palmerston North, NZ

1100

In-line with all pharmaceutical companies, it is situated in the middle of nowhere. Therefore, I headed to site early to ensure there wouldn’t be any issues. I’d packed a lunch, so I planned to sit in the parking lot, eat and then read until the 1200 interview. Upon seeing that the compound was guarded by a gate, however, I decided to park to an inlet to a field assuming that no one would need access to it. Well, I was wrong. It wasn’t long before a good-looking farm boy came by on a tractor. He came up the car as I was preparing to move, and I apologized explaining that I was waiting to go to an interview. He asked if I was American, so I begrudgingly said yes and explained that I was hoping to immigrate. His reply was ‘Sweet as’ a very typical and diverse phrase in NZ approximately meaning 'cool'. The able farmer then wished me luck and I moved so he could get the tractor into the field. I re-parked just a bit further up the drive to be out of his way, but to my surprise he came back in only a few minutes and asked how much time I had before my interview. I replied that it was at noon, just 15 minutes from then, and he said ok, he had intended to invite me back to his house for some coffee if it had been longer so I wouldn't have to wait in my car. Wow, whether he was just being nice or he thought I was pretty enough to ask to coffee, that little interaction definitely put a smile on my face; fresh positive energy for the interview!

'The Square', Palmerston North, NZ

1400

I came out after a 2-hour interview and tour utterly elated…. I GOT THE JOB!!! Astoundingly, they said they were ‘keen’ on me and drew up a contract right then and there. One of the restrictions of my visa is that I can’t be hired for ‘permanent work’, so they wrote a contract through December, understanding that well before then I’ll secure a long-term work visa and transition to a permanent employee. I won’t disclose numbers, but rest assured I’ll be quite comfortable in my new job as a Quality Control Lab Technician.

As if getting the job wasn’t awesome enough, I next secured a fantastic little studio apartment, complete with a sunny balcony, by some fateful miracle! During the interview I asked the HR rep about finding permanent housing. She gave me the information of a nearby complex, The Mews Apartments, that they had contacted for another hiree who is set to start the same day as me, 02-03-15. They only had one apartment available, however, and the HR Rep wasn't sure if it had already been taken. While driving back I decided to stop in on a whim. The apartment was to be let later that day, but the property manager showed me to space anyway to give me an illustration of what they offered once another apartment became available. I loved it immediately; this particular space was really warm because it got full blast of the afternoon sun, a godsend for me. I’m not sure how it came up, but I spoke of my passion for cleanliness and cleaning so the manager took a liking for me. The next thing I know she said ‘screw it’ she wanted me to live there! She even explained that she thought it was fate, people had been trying to let that apartment all weekend but she had held it for the other employee of this company instead. Now that the other hiree hadn’t responded, she replaced my name with hers and left the denotation. Amazing! I’m moving in on Sunday and I'll be sure to post pictures!

Best of all, when I returned to the same hostel I had stayed at the night before, they gave me free WiFi as a congratulations gift! These people are incredible!! Now, I have to stay in Palmerston North for a couple of days so that I can get a health screening before starting work on Monday. After that, I plan to travel North and explore Lake Taupo and Hobbiton! 

'The Square', Palmerston North, NZ

1700

So I have a job and an apartment, what I need now is …. you guessed it, a gym membership! I spent the next hour walking to two gyms and securing passes so that I can test-drive their equipment, as well as survey the fellow gym-goers, prior to making a decision. Honestly, everyone says that the cost of living in NZ is outrageous, but I find it very reasonable. My monthly expenses include a phone plan, gym membership, rent, internet, groceries and petrol, and though I’ve underestimated my monthly income as well as overestimating the grocery costs, I’m still well on my way to being a middle class Kiwi with money to save! Granted, the groceries are expensive, but I never deny myself quality food; it’s well worth forgoing things like cable, movies and alcohol that I don’t really need anyway. Yet it does confuse me that everything is paid for bi-weekly except for the phone bill; I’ve certainly never paid rent or gym memberships bi-monthly. Even more odd is that they all charge you weekly but only debit the your bank account bi-weekly. It's just strange seeing everything as a weekly price, it makes everything seem so transient. This is especially noteworthy considering that I will be paid monthly, and in the middle of the month at that. I’m very glad I know how to budget like a pro!

'The Square', Palmerston North, NZ

1900

Now I’m back at the hostel having some rice pudding, which was really good considering it was canned, and an apple and thinking “Holy shit, did that really just happen?!” I filled Momma in on my day and she made my life even better by promising to come visit for Christmas; I’m holding you to that old woman! All the while I’m typing away and updating my information on the internet, the other people in my hostel are watching MIB, hahaha. Blessed, that’s the only way to describe it; I’m blessed.

Tomorrow: Go to the library to post blogs, test drive a Spinner and Row Machine at Jett Fitness while surveying for hotties, pick up my IRD card so I don’t get taxed 40% and go to the Visa office to inquire about the next steps for securing a long-term work visa. YAY!

Thought of the Day 21/02/2015: Time to Catch Up!

Here's what's been going on in my mind, and what I've gotten up to, for the last few days:

Memorable Novel Smells
While hiking the Punakaiki trail the smells were so rich and earthy that it made me realize (my autocorrect must have reset to UK English because it wants me to change that to 'realise') I wish smells could be captured and immortalized the way that images can. If I could, I would have certainly bottled the rose garden at the Christchurch botanical gardens, it almost put me to sleep it made me so serene!

Warning: Curve Ahead, Speed Up!
As I discovered on my rather treacherous travels thus far, New Zealand encourages fairly aggressive driving. I couldn't help but notice how many curves were labeled with a speed I would never dare to attempt under the most ideal of driving conditions. In the US, when a curve is labeled as 45, I'm confident I can take it at 55. Here, if the sign says 55, get your ass down to at LEAST 55 or you're going for a ride you may not have bargained for; like through a railing and down a ravine! I consistently would have to speed up to get to those warning limits! Instead, I drive like a Granny, usually maintaining 80km/hr instead of the posted 100 limit, and let people pass me. I want to enjoy New Zealand as an animate being, not by watching cars pass by my roadside grave.

Re:START Irony
I spent everyday in Christchurch at a place called the Re:START mall, so named as the city is rebuilding after the 2013 earthquakes, but didn't think anything about the meaning of its name until yesterday. That's when the appropriateness of my affinity to that place dawned on me. It's literally the place where I went to build my new life. ANZ bank, the post office where I filed for an IRD tax number and registered my car, free WiFi, mass job applications and free bathrooms, it was all there; all my essentials. There will always be a special place in my jaded little heart for that mall!

Roadkill Monotony
I keep seeing the same animal dead in the road. It's unrecognizable but has dark reddish-brown fur, I think? I'm guessing it's the equivalent of a possum in Northern American or an armadillo down South, with similar road IQs because they are right and truly run-over. Therefore, I can't be sure if it's a furry mammal or feathery bird. It might be those Weka birds I kept seeing. I thought the monotony odd because in American one finds a variety of road kill: skunk here, possum there, sporadic racoons, a deer if you're lucky, even the occasional duck! It's never just one dumb animal taking the brunt of the Human's road roaming.

Weka are everywhere on the west coast!

Pertaining to animals here in general, if I had a dollar for everytime I saw some sort of critter and asked 'What the fuck is that?', I'd have a good head start on my NZ funds. Every animal I see is completely novel except for the bumblebees.  Hell, even the cows and sheep look a bit different, with their varying colors, shapes and sizes. The cows especially being noticeably smaller, but since everything is fatter in America, that didn't surprise me, hahaha. I was particularly struck by a field full of what looked like Red Deer, and I later discovered that that's exactly what they're called. Duh! This novelty applies to the flora as well as the fauna. I can tell the plants are a sort of succulent, angiosperm, palm, pine or fern, yet I've just never seen anything particularly like them before!

Red Deer

Little Germany
It's almost as if I did move to Germany since there are so many Germans here! Seriously, I've gotten to practice meine Deutsch while listening to all the Germans speak, and I've even attempted a few phrases to moderate success. Seriously though, at least 99% of the people in every hostel I've been in is German. Double-score!

Nelson and HangingWith the S's
Nelson is the quintessential party/bay area resort town. It reminds me a lot of Alexandria Bay in the summer months. The weather is absolutely incredible, as are the views. I'm not sure I could stay here forever, however, because this trendy way of living doesn't suit me very well. I find the young hipsters at the hostel especially tedious. I'll skip the negativity, but let's just say I wouldn't go back to the 20's social scene if my life depended on it; people are so transparent and superficial in their interactions, and playing stupid is the name of the game. Is it any wonder I was never interested in dating and/or flirting?! Someone in Christchurch replied upon hearing that I was staying at the Paradiso in Nelson, 'I didn't stay there because it seemed too douchie.' They were SPOT ON. Anyway, downtown Nelson is as adorable as it's bay area is beautiful. Definitely a must-see for any beach-loving traveler. As for me, I prefer the mountains and hiking to beaches and swimming, and anything over trendy Gen-Y'ers who listen to 'No Diggity' on one-track repeat.

As I've previously stated, I don't use proper names on my blog. I think it's best to maintain the privacy of others since it's a sensitive issue for some. That being said, my trip to Nelson was set for the express purpose of visiting a couple, Dr. and Mrs. S,  I had met at a friend's wedding in New York last June. I only met them briefly, but we exchanged information and I told them I'd come and see them as soon as I could get everything in order and leave Christchurch with the essential for immigrating (Car, IRD Number and Bank Account), and am eternally thankful I did; they've spent the last 2 days spoiling me rotten!

The view from the S's back deck in Mapua, NZ. The water comes and goes with the tide. It looks like a lake here, but by 5pm it's a muddy field!

The first night I arrived for dinner they took me to Rimu Grove, a local vineyard where their son is the Manager, and we had an awesome tasting as I told them of the trials it took me to finally land in New Zealand. Then we had a lovely home cooked meal and chatted for a long while over Rimu's delicious Sauvignon Blanc (I'm taking a liking to white wine now, it doesn't give me a hangover like its red variety!). I was a bit starved for social interaction, so I'm sure I talked their ears off! Dr. S even gave me a couple of leads on pharma/supplement type jobs around Nelson. I applied to three companies, fingers crossed!

Wait, there's more; their unfailing hospitality certainly didn't stop there. The next day they were kind enough to let me do my laundry, then they drove me around the Tasman National Park area, hitting a beach called Kaiteriteri then hiking a bit by a beautifully clear and deep cave pool near Riwaka. Dinner than night was even more delicious with a wine/onion/mushroom glazed local fish, fresh corn on the cob (literally we stopped on the way home to get it from a vegetable stand, same with the fish from a local market), and tons of fresh greens veggies. We topped off the night with a beer from a local brewery and live music. My gratitude simply knows no bounds. I can only hope to pay it forward once I'm good and settled as a newly minted Kiwi.

Mmmm, beer!

Today, my last day in Nelson, I went downtown to a really neat farmer's market then walked along a pathway to Tahunanui beach. It was a very lengthly but gorgeous walk. Now I'm writing.... After dinner I may go explore a nearby cemetery. Certainly one of my favourites places to explore!

Market

Nelson Bay Path 

[Link to Nelson Pics]

I Love the Sound of My Own Voice
I've been using the Voice Memo App on my iPhone and I've discovered that I crack myself up. At first they were just short memos pertaining to ideas for blog points, such as this; but since there were no radio stations all throughout my mountain and coastal drives, I took to rambling on about random shit. I talk so obsessively I literally don't need anyone else present to have a full-on conversation. I'm not sure how to feel about that. Short aside pertaining to the radio stations. I've only heard two, but they both featured a truly random mix of 90's hits and current New Zealand hits, it's really quite comical because they sound very similar, haha.

Back to the memos, I need to find a better way to organize these memos because I can't tell what they're about or when they occurred. Here's my current list as proof: Hike, 1, 19-02-15 Drive, Blog 2, Nelson 1, 4?, 5? and I Like Boys (seen again below, this one actually made sense to me).

I Like Boys
Regarding my bi-curiosity, I think it's gone. As I passed two healthly-looking, bathing suit clad, soaking wet, males this afternoon along my beach wander, I thought my eyeballs were going to fall out of my head. As we exchanged 'looks', I couldn't help but think 'yeah, I'm straight.' Now, if only I wasn't so utterly hopeless with relationships and intimacy!

More Fun Random Points
- Zucchini in New Zealand are called Courgettes.
- The number of tattoos I have are considered minimal here, rather than having a ton by US standards.
- What we call 'Fiddleheads' in the states (Fern sprouts), are called 'Monkey Tails' here.

Monkey Tail

- New Zealand does not sell sunscreen with anything less than SPF 30; I'm not even sure there's an ozone here.

- There's a type of pear here called Nashi that is wicked sweet and juicy and looks like a Golden Delicious apple. When I googled it, however, I realised it was simply an Asian Pear. The S's bought some and sent me home with half of them!

- There aren't many fat people here, not that I have noticed at least, and they tend to stick out a bit due to this scarcity. Just an un-biased observation, so don't get all pissy on me about calling people fat. I think it's great because I'm not scrawny anymore, I'm completely normal. Best of all, everyone else eats the same exact way that I do, so unless the entire country has an eating disorder, eating unprocessed foods is just the way it is here, no stigma attached!

To The North, and Hopefully to Work!

Tomorrow I head to Picton to take the Interislander across to Wellington for my Job interview in Palmerston North on Monday. Given that it is the only way to get between the islands, I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that it cost a small fortune. Regardless, I hope and pray that the interview goes well; I'm starting to go positively stir crazy! I may just insist on starting work and tell them I'll volunteer until the headcount gets approval! A recruiter called me on Thursday as well, and asked me to stay on the North Island because they thought they'd have some interviews in Auckland for me. So now I get to plan a new adventure romping around the North Island and it's certainly going to involve a stop in Hobbiton!

Thought of the Day 18/02/2015: Sore Thighs and Beautiful Views

Good Morning!

Link to Arthur's Pass Pics

You'll find this posting brief because I'm positively exhausted. Though my thighs were burning pretty good from my tramp yesterday, I started my morning out right with an hour of fairly intense hiking via Arthur's Pass walking trail. I then headed on down the road to reach my next destination, a 3 hour trip to Punakaiki.

I was immediately struck my how quickly the mountain drive turned into a coastal highway sporting rainforest-like foliage. It was absolutely breathtaking! Upon arriving in Punakaiki the hostel receptionist suggested I hike the Punakaiki River Trail, a 2 hour out and back, then see the famed Pancake Rocks in the morning when the blowholes are more active. I took her advice, and so far I'm very glad I did; the walk along the river was positively gorgeous. It was also a lot more level and less strenuous than this morning, but nevertheless, I'm one exhausted girl! Especially considering that once I had come back and had a bite I decided to head out again, this time down to a private beach that the hostel owns. Like everything else, it was also amazingly beautiful!
Link to Punakaiki Pics

The Punakaiki River Trail

The Beach

Three hours of hiking in one day when I haven't tramped in awhile might prove to be more than my thighs had bargained for, haha. Tonight I decided to treat myself to some very expensive internet and much needed posting time. Tomorrow I'll take a rest day and head to Nelson where I'm going to a friend's house for dinner. These friends are the only people I know in New Zealand, and I only met them for a few minutes at a friend's wedding back in New York last June, but I'm very excited to meet them again. I really can't wait to eat some real food! I've been living off of protein bars, spicy thai flavoured canned tuna fish, carrots, apples and pretzels. Today I decided to treat myself to a treat, however, for hiking fuel.

Oddly, even though it's label 'Sugar Bun', it was definitely less sweet than it would've been in the States. I think it's like a scone with raisins and it kind of tasted lemony. Regardless, it was great!

Thought of the Day 17/02/2015: Christchurch to Arthur’s Pass

A cute little avenue in Christchurch

For some reason I thought the skeleton of this building was pretty. For reasons I don't understand there are duck decoys in the water. 

1. Fucking Presidents’ Day

Here it is, the day I finally pay off my car and leave Christchurch to travel through the mountains before arriving in Nelson on Thursday. There was just one errand I needed to run, and for efficiency’s sake, I decided to do so literally; thus I woke up early and jogged the 3.5km to the ATM. Imagine my utter horror when my card was declined….Hell why not, what’s another WTF?! Added to the plethora I’ve already experienced. I immediately contacted my banker to address the issue. My Mom was recruited as well, because if needed she could go and hunt my banker down. Well guess what, it’s fucking Presidents’ Day in America, and the banks were not open. The banker assured they’d do their best, but couldn’t make any promises.

Racking my brain for ways to get $450 in the hour I needed it, I decided to run back to the hostel to get my other card. Though a cash advance on a credit card is phenomenally expensive, I didn’t have much of a choice. Every night I lock my laptop, passport and credit cards in the front pocket of my suitcase. Yet on this already frustrating morning, when I put in the combo I’d set and had been using for years, the lock would not open. I tried again, wiggled it repeatedly, swore at it, had someone else try, and finally broke down completely. The other girl in my room rubbed my back, I explained I knew I was being tested, but I had already faced so much, why the hell was this shit happening again?! I went to have some breakfast and breath, remembering everything I should be thankful for, like the fact that I had options to get the money despite the set back, I had a knife to cut into my suitcase if necessary, and I had a telephone interview with the quality manager at a great pharmaceutical company at 11am, so I couldn’t leave until after that anyway. Breath.

By some miracle the AMAZING PEOPLE at People’s Bank and Trust in McPherson Kansas got my card unlocked with time to spare. I’m not sure what it entailed, but I know for a fact someone dropped what they were doing and went into work on a holiday to ensure I could withdraw the money. My immense gratitude is indescribable with words. All I can say is, use this bank if you need one and are in the area. I have all my accounts with them, and they consistently go above and beyond for their customers! Unfortunately the lock wouldn’t relent so I took a knife to my suitcase, but overall I think everything worked out extremely well. I even got invited to a face-to-face interview, so I’m headed to the North Island from Nelson on Sunday!

2. En Zed

Speaking of potentially working for a company with the letter 'Zee', reminds me of the fact that ‘Zee’ does not exist here; ‘Zed’, and only zed. During my first phone call with HR yesterday, the women kept correcting me when I said ‘En Zee Pee’, and stressed that I would have to break my habit of saying zee. I’m living in En Zed, not En Zee! I bank with A En Zed, not A En Zee. Apparently my immigration status and job eligibility depends upon my ability to let go of a habit that I didn’t even realize I had, haha!

3. From Edoras to Helm’s Deep

It turns out that driving on the left isn’t bad at all, other than the oddities I’ve noted below. I also couldn’t help but observe that today’s drive looked incredibly akin to the scenery from Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers as they traversed the plans of Rohan from Edoras seeking refuge in Helm’s Deep. I don’t care if it makes me a nerd, this is part of the reason I’m here!

Hanging a Wet Left: Every time I think I’m signaling I’m actually just turning on the windshield wipers. Sometimes I remember and execute the task correctly, but most times I just drive with the wipers on awhile until the turn is complete (especially rights!).

Why is every road Route 60? The speed limit signs look like road signs to me for some reason. For awhile I couldn’t figure out why there were some many Route ‘60’s.

Heavy Left Arm: I never realized it, but I typically rest my left elbow on the window while driving. I only noticed it today because I kept lifting my left elbow up and then became sad when there was nothing to rest it on.

 Don’t Flash and Drive: All the evidence I need that one should never try to take pictures while driving are the pictures I took today while driving, haha.

Sheep and Cows EVERYWHERE: The entire drive down State Highway 73, which is the only way to the west coast from Christchurch, a mountainous 2-laner with parts that are gravel, features frequent mountain valleys and pastures filled with cows and sheep. I couldn’t figure out why I found this odd until I thought, ‘how the hell did they get here?’ ‘Did someone truck them in?’ It really only seems odd in comparison with the Rockies, a drive through which definitely does not feature any farms. Perhaps there a difference in altitude I’m not accounting for?

One-Lane Bridges at 100km/hr, Really?! As I said, SH73 is mountainous with all the typical features: 35km/hr hairpins, steep climbs and descents and… one-lane bridges? The first one I came across I thought, ‘is this a thing?’ Apparently yes, it is. I encountered three along this somewhat treacherous route, each flanked with both warning signs from about 400m and speed limits signs of 100km/hr. That’s a bit of a mixed message if you ask me!

Hank the Tank: I already love Hank to bits! It only took around $88 dollars ($66USD) to fill him up from empty, and after 156 kms of steep climbs and running the A/C he isn’t even at 3/4 of a tank yet! This is especially great because I’ve already been warned from the people at the hostel in Punakaiki that I won’t find any petrol (or groceries) north of Greymouth until I reach Nelson.

Devil’s Punch Drunk Love: While taking in the sights, smells and sounds of the breathtaking waterfall I was reminded that the sound somehow makes me feel lonely. It’s also makes me have to take a piss. I don’t find many things romantic, but waterfalls are one of them. These wisps of loneliness derive from my want of a companion with whom to share such a beautiful natural gift, and who understands and reciprocates my love of nature and zeal for travel.

Link to all Arthur's Pass Pics

4. Bees?

Besides being one of the greatest white cards for CardsAgainst Humanity, this pretty much perfectly describes how I feel about New Zealand and evolution. Evolutionary science is profoundly apparent when considering island nations, as Darwin illustrated in his Origin of Species. Everything on New Zealand has evolved completely independent of any other creature found on any other continent. For example, when my Mother asked me if there were elk in NZ I informed her that if there were then elk would have had to evolve twice; there’s a term for that in evolutionary biology, it’s called fucking impossible. Though I thought her questions was a dumb one, as I passed a mountain stream today I thought ‘ooh, maybe I’ll see a bear!’; if there’s aren’t elk, there certainly aren’t any bears, duh! That’s when I asked myself if there were any indigenous mammals at all in NZ, and if so, where the hell did they come from? Finally, on my walk back from The Devil’s Punchbowl I saw a bumblebee and again thought, ‘where the hell did he come from?’ Bees didn’t evolve twice, so was this little dude’s great (x20) granddaddy a stow-away on a ship or something? Were bees brought here for a specific purpose?  Fascinating!

5. Egg-tastic

Eggs taste better here and I think I know why: there’s no such thing as ‘free-range eggs’ in NZ. ALL eggs are brown, come from local farms, and usually have some chicken shit and blood in the yolk to prove their natural origins. The very concept of 'caged' eggs is utterly lost on them. Consequently, their eggs taste better than their bleached, corn-gorged US counterparts.

6. Fluffy Goodness!

While randomly wandering in Christchurch I saw a cookie shop and decided to go in for some free smells. I had a $2 coin and a $20, but didn’t want to break the latter so looked for something cheap. Unfortunately the cookies were $3, but something called a Fluffy was only $1. Curious I asked the women behind the counter about it and her reply got me way more excited than a human has a right to get about anything called a Fluffy. Everyone who knows me well also knows that my favorite thing in the world is foam from a cappuccino; I’m borderline obsessed with it, but since I’m sensitive to caffeine it comes with a price in the form of a panic attack. Imagine my elation when I discovered that a Fluffy was nothing but that very foamy fantastic-ness, caffeine free! They even served it with a small marshmallow and rainbow sprinkles!!!!