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.
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!
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 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.
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!
[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.
- New Zealand does not sell sunscreen with anything less than SPF 30; I'm not even sure there's an ozone here.
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! |
 |
| Red Deer |
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! |
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! |
 |
| Market |
 |
| Nelson Bay Path |
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 |
- 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!
No comments:
Post a Comment