tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12269499144540726312024-02-08T15:23:48.821-05:00Welcome to Noise IslandOne American's Ewe-mongous AdventureAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02629377300904654409noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226949914454072631.post-28418973751362888342010-08-14T16:03:00.004-04:002010-08-14T16:07:11.028-04:00Reflections of New Zealand<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Hello all,</span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">For those of you still reading, I salute you. This will be my last post on this blog, and I must again apologize for taking so long in writing this. It's taken a while to sort out my thoughts, and what with trying to enjoy the last bits of summer in Traverse City, I haven't had a ton of time to sit down and process everything. It's been over a month since I returned from New Zealand, and I miss it more and more each day. It seems totally surreal to me that only a month ago I was on the other side of the world, living on my own in a complete paradise. I only just got home, and already I can't wait to go back. I hope that it's sooner rather than later.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">One of the biggest differences that I keep telling people between the US and NZ is the level of stress associated with everyday life. In New Zealand, the "no worries" attitude is everywhere, and everyone just has a good time. Over here, it seems like every second of my day is consumed by stress, trying to get one thing done after another, with no time to spare to just ENJOY life. For me, that has been the hardest part about being home, and it makes me long for the simpler days of my time in New Zealand.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">It's wonderful to be back home and see all of the people I left behind, but now I have a whole new set of friends to miss in the people that I met while over there. I am excited to start my senior year of school soon, and I am hoping that not TOO much has changed in my time away. I know I certainly changed while I was over there, and it has been quite an adjustment for me easing back into my old life while wearing a new outlook.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Now I'm just rambling, and I had hoped that this final post would be so much more deep and thoughtful, but I guess it's hard to really put into words how I am feeling. I left a piece of my soul in New Zealand, and I hope someday I can return to that place and feel whole again. Until then, I will enjoy my life here to the best of my abilities, and try to spread the positivity that I absorbed while in New Zealand to everyone around me.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">To all those who read this blog, though it was incredibly infrequent and disjointed, I thank you. I hope it was enjoyable to travel along with me :-)</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">To all of my friends that I met while in the Land of the Long White Cloud, I miss you terribly, and I promise you I will see you all again before too long.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">To Aotearoa itself, you captured my spirit, and helped me find my way. I am forever indebted to you. I will see you again. I promise.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">That's all for now.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Much love to you all,</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Connor</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2047621&id=1267320093&l=497b6fdb51"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Night Patrol</span></span></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2047636&id=1267320093&l=ac90594501"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Reflections of Auckland</span></span></a></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226949914454072631.post-91827225974306792952010-07-09T12:47:00.025-04:002010-07-31T13:55:59.049-04:00The All Blacks: New Zealand's Superheroes<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><em style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><p class="MsoNoSpacing"></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height:200%"></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height:150%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:150%"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Hi Gang,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">If there was one thing I was told I should do while in New Zealand, it was see a rugby match featuring the Kiwi all-star team, the All Blacks. And boy, was that an understatement. As soon as my last final was finished, I hopped in a van with 7 of my mates and headed down to the town of Hamilton, where the All Blacks would be facing off against Wales in a test match later that evening. The ride down was pretty ridiculous, as I was driving the whole way and everyone else was partaking in a certain...erm...activity. If you have ever seen college students at any type of sporting event, you can probably guess why Sober Sweeney was the only one fit to drive.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Anyway, blatant violations of open-alcohol policies aside, we had a blast all the way down. We saw a double rainbow at one point, which was gorgeous. When we got to the game, things were crazy. There were SO many people there, and it was pretty clear who was the favorite to win. There were painted faces, NZ flags, and All Blacks regalia everywhere. The game began with the All Blacks' traditional Haka, a Māori war dance meant to intimidate their opponents. If it were me out there, it certainly would have worked. These massive men were terrifying, and I would not have wanted to be on the Welsh team one bit. I have never been to a professional sporting match before, let alone a rugby game, and the excitement in the air was feverish. The game was tons of fun to watch, and the AB's stomped Wales as predicted, but the most fun part of the experience for me was just spending time with this group of people I had grown to care about so much over the past 5 months. It was our last hurrah as a group, and I couldn't have imagined a better way to spend it my night.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Stay tuned for the conclusion of my blog in the following post. Till next time!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">-Connor<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2045684&id=1267320093&l=3731cd6a98"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The All Blacks: New Zealand's Superheroes</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></o:p></p><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:150%"><span style="line-height: 150%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></o:p></p><p></p><p></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p></span></span></span></em></span></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226949914454072631.post-78960007860819636032010-07-09T12:45:00.007-04:002010-07-31T13:51:20.680-04:00Coming full circle<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; color: rgb(51, 204, 255); ">Hi folks,</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">As our time in New Zealand neared an end, my mates and I found ourselves feeling nostalgic and reminiscing about our first impressions of this beautiful country. We recalled that our first week had been spent in the town of Rotorua, and there had been a few activities that we weren't able to do during our time there, yet still wanted to. Feeling spontaneous, four of us rented a car and drove down to Rotorua for a Saturday getaway. Upon arriving at our destination, we prepared for our first activity of the day: ZORBing. For the unfamiliar, ZORBing involves being placed in a giant hamster ball-like sphere filled with warm water, and then rolling down a large hill. Sounds awesome, right? Well, it WAS. It was the most action-packed bath I have ever taken. It's hard to describe the feeling of being inside a ZORB ball, except to say that I now know what fruit feels like as it's being blended into a smoothie.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/TFRibVocAUI/AAAAAAAAAHE/97-W6rr3tPc/s400/DSC_9481.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500129266728960322" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px; " /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;color:#0000EE;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">After ZORBing, we got some lunch, and then headed down to Lake Rotorua for the next exciting activity: Jet Boating. Imagine being on a speedboat, but that boat is strapped to a race car, and there's about 15 people in the boat. That's sort of what it was like. We put on splash jackets and hopped in the boat, and the second we were away from the dock, our guide hit the gas and took us speeding away on the ride of our lives. Every time our guide would turn sharply, one side of the boat would get splashed with a huge, sulfury wave. Yum. The ride was punctuated by fun facts about the lake and the island in the middle of it, and overall, it was just a wonderful, fun experience. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">After jet boating, we strolled into Rotorua for some souvenir shopping, and then drove home once we had emptied our wallets thoroughly. It was a wonderful day spent with great friends, and one I will remember for a long time. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">More to come soon!</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">-Connor</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2044993&id=1267320093&l=437142c9e0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">ZORBing: Not Just for Rodents!</span></span></span></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><br /></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226949914454072631.post-77089578738264793632010-06-20T20:13:00.032-04:002010-07-29T13:16:46.228-04:00South Island Tales<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/TE86md6nbuI/AAAAAAAAAG8/FqzywEyV8YM/s1600/IMG_0262.JPG"></a><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ok, ok. I know. I am terrible at this blog. Seriously. But here's a long one to make up for it!</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">***</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Classes at the University of Auckland ended the first week of June, and with nothing but exams to look forward to, I needed an escape. My friend Haylee and I decided to fly down to the South Island for a week of adventures to get away from the big city for a little while before having to return to take finals. What follows is an account of our trip...</span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><u><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">DAY I</span></span></span></b></u></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We left Auckland at 9:30 AM on Monday, June 7th and flew into the city of Christchurch. After picking up our rental car (which we named "Elizabeth," as it was the Queen's birthday the day we got it), we headed into town. This was my first time being in the city, and we had all day to drive to our next destination, so we decided to explore for a while before heading out. We headed to the city's namesake, the ChristChurch Cathedral, and took a look inside. It was a gorgeous old cathedral, and the artwork and architecture was simply breathtaking. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/TEXsnzRdg_I/AAAAAAAAAF8/9zYLEmBYxDI/s400/IMG_3211.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496059088798057458" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We climbed a long flight of stairs to the cathedral tower, and headed outside to get a look at the city. It was ridiculously windy up there, but the view of Christchurch was excellent! After we left the cathedral, we stopped in the square to watch a couple of men playing on a giant chessboard. Of course we couldn't just stand by and watch, so we decided to get involved.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/TEXtECC3MqI/AAAAAAAAAGE/DZEd_AKpwr4/s400/IMG_3273.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496059573799695010" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">After a quick lunch, we hopped in the car and headed north, toward the seaside city of Kaikoura, famous for its whale-watching tours (which we were scheduled for the following day). Along the way we stopped to get some fresh air along the coast, and saw some beautiful scenery. We made it to Kaikoura just before dark, and we were able to find a nifty hostel to stay in for the night. After checking in, we headed next door for a delicious dinner of fish and chips, a Kiwi standard. After dinner we went back to the hostel and watched a really old, incredibly low-quality VHS of </span></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade</span></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> before heading to bed for an early sleep. Not a bad way to spend the evening. :-)</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><u><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">DAY II</span></span></span></b></u></div><div><u><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></b></u></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We rolled out of bed early in the morning and went to a cafe down the street for a quick breakfast. We then headed to the whale watch center to confirm that our adventure was still on for the day.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It wasn't.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The whale watch had been cancelled due to "rough seas." We were majorly bummed, but at least we got a full refund! Determined not to let the bad news get us down, we decided to hop in the car and get ahead of schedule by driving to Punakaiki several hours earlier than we had planned. The drive there was around 5 hours, but it was gorgeous...well...mostly. When we got into the mountains it started to snow...hard. I thought I had left snow behind when I came here, but apparently not. Anywho, we made it through the snow, and as soon as we were out of it, it was sunny and 70 degrees again. And I thought MICHIGAN had erratic weather.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Speaking of driving, I forgot to mention: I DROVE on this trip. A lot. On the LEFT side of the road. It was difficult at first to adjust, but I eventually got used to it. Of course, I'll probably have to re-learn how to drive in America now, so T.C. folks, stay clear of me on the road for the first few weeks. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We made it to Punakaiki right at sunset, and we hopped out of the car and raced to see the famed "pancake rocks" and blowholes. These rocks were a natural land formation that looked like, well, stacks of pancakes. There were holes in the rock face where the waves would crash and shoot up into the air. It was awesome, and really a beautiful way to watch the sun set. We continued along to a town called Greymouth, where we quickly found a nice little hostel for the night. We grabbed a quick bite and made small talk with some Australians who were also staying there. We went to bed around 9 PM, feeling thoroughly pooped from our long day.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">DAY III</span></span></span></u></b></div><div><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></u></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We woke up early, but since we essentially had an extra day on our hands (due to the whale watch cancellation), we weren't sure what to do. We decided to head south, and along the way, we came across a little place called Shantytown. It turns out it was an old gold mining town from way back in the day which had been restored into an authentic historical experience. We spent the day there panning for gold, taking old-timey pictures in costumes, and riding on old steam train. I felt like a six-year-old, but I had the time of my life. After Shantytown, we headed to a place called Woods Creek, and took a beautiful 45 minute walk through the forest. I have never seen a forest so naturally gorgeous. I kept saying it looked like an enchanted forest, and I half expected pixies to pop out at every turn. Along the walk, we went into some old mining caves and even got a chance to see some glowworms up close in their natural habitat. Very cool. After Woods Creek, we drove further south to Fox Glacier for the night and headed to bed around 8 PM. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">DAY IV</span></span></span></u></b></div><div><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></u></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We had some time to kill in the morning before our glacier hike, so we drive a little way to Lake Matheson and decided to do a walk around the lake. It was breathtakingly beautiful, and the weather was just perfect. After our walk, we stopped in at the cafe next to the lake, and had the most delicious potato wedges I have ever eaten. Honestly. They were so, so good. As we were heading back to Fox, we saw a gorgeous rainbow, the perfect cherry on top of a lovely morning. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/TE8sORqvlnI/AAAAAAAAAGM/IEfINXpwiLM/s400/IMG_3888.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498662293815137906" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We checked in at the glacier hike headquarters and got all our gear on, and then it was off to Fox Glacier. When we arrived there, I was in awe. The glacier was MASSIVE. I mean that thing was HUUUUUGE. We hiked up into the woods next to the glacer, and after 45 minutes or so, we reached a point where we were able to walk onto the surface. We got alpenstocks (walking sticks) and put on our crampons (basically like cleats) and headed onto the glacier. The first thing I noticed was how BLUE it was. It was gorgeous out there. We hiked for quite a while, and it eventually started to rain. My camera got wet, and when it started taking foggy pictures, I thought for certain it was a goner. However, when we got back to the car, I put it on the heater, and it was soon back to normal. Close call.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/TE8tHNaZsII/AAAAAAAAAGU/SPp9PjO4yoU/s1600/IMG_4116.JPG"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/TE8tHNaZsII/AAAAAAAAAGU/SPp9PjO4yoU/s400/IMG_4116.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498663271925395586" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">After the glacier, we headed south again. It became apparent that we were almost out of gas, and there wasn't another gas station for miles. We had no choice but to pull into a small town on the side of the road, and, upon finding out that all of their accommodations were full for the night, we were forced to sleep in our tiny little car. Needless to say, it was not the most comfortable night of our trip.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><u><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">DAY V</span></span></span></b></u></div><div><u><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></b></u></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The following morning we woke up early and drove on fumes to the town's gas station. Unfortunately, it didn't open until 8:00 AM, so we had to sit and wait for a while. When it finally did open, they told us there had been a power outage all along the West coast, and they wouldn't be able to pump any gas. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Great.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">By a stroke of luck, the power was back on within the hour, and we hightailed it out of there. After driving for most of the day, we finally made it to the Catlins, a beautiful region toward the bottom of the South Island that featured many natural landmarks, such as caves and waterfalls. We headed toward the Cathedral Caves first, but when we arrived,we found they were closed for the day. I wasn't aware that you could "close" a cave, but apparently you can. Anyway, we headed to our next destination, the Purakaunui Falls, which we found after a short hike through yet another lovely forest. The falls themselves were very pretty, and it was nice to finally get out of the car for a bit. After the falls, we headed to our final bit of scenery for the day, Nugget Point. This area was named for the "nugget-like" rocks that jutted out into the ocean at the end of a long peninsula. At the top of Nugget Point there was an old lighthouse, which looked awesome against the setting sun. The view from the end of the point was astounding, unlike anything I've ever seen. There was nothing but ocean for miles and miles, and I felt so small and insignificant when faced with such a massive expanse of water. Truly a humbling experience, and not one I will ever forget.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/TE824IB1ylI/AAAAAAAAAGc/txKumP3Ss-s/s400/IMG_4341.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498674007898442322" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">After Nugget Point, Haylee and I headed to the city of Dunedin to stay with my friend Liz for the night. We went to a cool little pub and Haylee bought me my birthday dinner that she had promised me exactly 2 months prior (Friday was the 11th). A very relaxing end to a very long day.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">DAY VI</span></span></span></u></b></div><div><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></u></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We woke up early in the morning and, after a quick breakfast, we headed about 15 minutes outside of Dunedin to a little place called Tunnel Beach. As the legend goes, a man carved a tunnel in the rocks by himself so that his wife and daughter would have access to a private beach. We followed a long trail through pastures of sheep all the way down to a rocky area near the ocean, and headed down into the tunnel. The beach itself was amazing. It was completely secluded, and it looked as though no one had ever set foot there. The water was crystal clear, and as the sun was still rising, the way the early morning light was cast on everything was breathtaking. We ran around down there for a while, got (unintentionally) soaking wet, and then headed back up through the tunnel.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/TE84nvKNcYI/AAAAAAAAAGs/t_sCUgqqnRo/s400/IMG_4597.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498675925368009090" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">On our way back up, we noticed that a large rock jutting out into the ocean looked just like Pride Rock from </span></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Lion King</span></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. Obviously we did the only thing we could do: bundled up our coats like a baby Simba and struck Rafiki-like poses atop it.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/TE84Ih2oidI/AAAAAAAAAGk/WOO7ydia778/s1600/IMG_4613.JPG"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/TE84Ih2oidI/AAAAAAAAAGk/WOO7ydia778/s400/IMG_4613.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498675389220293074" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">After Tunnel Beach, we drove to Lake Tekapo, famous for its beautiful blue water. I have never seen water that shade of blue, and it was an amazing feeling. Standing there beneath mountains staring out over the bluest water I have ever seen, I felt so small, and so ALIVE. Granted, it was freezing cold and the wind was wailing, but it was still an incredibly invigorating experience.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/TE85dVXAV-I/AAAAAAAAAG0/JbZA7TaO_L4/s1600/IMG_0025.JPG"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/TE85dVXAV-I/AAAAAAAAAG0/JbZA7TaO_L4/s400/IMG_0025.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498676846155290594" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We headed to the skiing village of Methven for the night, and ate a delicious meal at the Blue Pub (which the man who ran the hostel recommended over the Brown Pub. Those were the actual names. Awesome). After dinner we watched </span></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Bruce Almighty</span></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> and then went to bed.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">DAY VII</span></span></span></u></b></div><div><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></u></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Haylee and I awoke on Sunday to a heavy snowfall. Our car was completely covered in snow, and we started to worry about how we were going to get to Mt. Hutt, our skiing destination for the day, but we decided to chance it and not worry about snow tires. Luckily, the people at Mt. Hutt anticipate idiots like us, and they have snow tires available for rental on the way up the mountain. Thank goodness they REQURE them, cuase there is now way I would have made it up without them. I had no idea this would be the most nerve-wracking and stressful driving of my life. The path up the mountain was barely big enough for ONE car, let alone two-way traffic. One either side of me, there was a steep drop of, oh, a couple HUNDRED feet or so. No big deal. And did I mention the road was covered with snow and ice? And it was snowing HEAVILY the whole time I was driving? And the drive was about 45 MINUTES!!?? </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Yeah.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So, after cheating death for nearly an hour, we FINALLY made it to the ski resort located on top of Mt. Hutt. After getting our lift passes and gear, we were ready to hit the slopes! Well...the bunny hill. Did I mention that this was my first time skiing in about 6 years? And Haylee's first time EVER? We decided to take it slow starting out, but after a few runs down the bunny hill, we were ready for the big time! We hopped on a chairlift and headed to the top of the mountain, basking in the beautiful sunlight and freshly falling snow. It was a gorgeous day out, and the hills were perfect for skiing on. We stayed for 4 hours or so, and had a great time enjoying the fresh mountain air and the fantastic hills. After we were finished skiing, we had another terrifying drive back down the mountain. We finally made it out, and hit the road for Christchurch, our final destination of the trip. We rolled into Christchurch pretty late, got some dinner, and headed to bed. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/TE86md6nbuI/AAAAAAAAAG8/FqzywEyV8YM/s1600/IMG_0262.JPG"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/TE86md6nbuI/AAAAAAAAAG8/FqzywEyV8YM/s400/IMG_0262.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498678102582587106" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><div style="text-align: center; "><u><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></b></u></div><div style="text-align: left;"><u><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">DAY VIII</span></span></span></b></u></div></div><div><u><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></b></u></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We had to wake up pretty early to check out of the hostel, so we went across the street and ate at the ChristChurch Cathedral cafe. We didn't have much else to do, so we decided to just go to the airport and wait around for our afternoon flight. At the airport, we went up on the roof and watched a few planes take off. Boredom was setting in, and with hours to go, we thought we were done for. Luckily, we discovered several of our friends at the gate who were also returning from the South Island to Auckland, so we passed the time sharing stories of our adventures. Our flight was delayed several times, but we finally were able to board and headed back to Auckland late in the evening. It was a wonderful trip, and a great way to have one last thrilling adventure before my time in New Zealand was up. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">That's all for now, and I promise, the conclusion of this blog will come soon. Thanks for sticking with me. :-)</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Love,</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Connor</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2044489&id=1267320093&l=bb55a1a91e"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">South Island Tales, Day I: Goin' to the Chapel</span></span></span></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2044507&id=1267320093&l=d0298f7d62"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">South Island Tales, Day II: A Whale of a Tale (well, almost)</span></span></span></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2044514&id=1267320093&l=64f927e56d"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">South Island Tales, Day III: There's Gold in Them Hills!</span></span></span></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2044592&id=1267320093&l=7e6b983e5d"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">South Island Tales, Day IV: Kickin' Ice</span></span></span></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2044603&id=1267320093&l=df7e8bc33f"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">South Island Tales, Day V: The Catlins in Town</span></span></span></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2044603&id=1267320093&l=df7e8bc33f"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">South Island Tales, Day VI: Water, Water, Everywhere!</span></span></span></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2044621&id=1267320093&l=50e9051ceb"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">South Island Tales, Day VII: Mountin' the Hutt</span></span></span></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2044694&id=1267320093&l=85a53b92e6"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">South Island Tales, Day VIII: Homeward Bound</span></span></span></a></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226949914454072631.post-68133669224359731472010-06-18T07:48:00.010-04:002010-06-20T20:09:52.763-04:00Canyoning: Wet n' Wild<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Hello everyone!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Once again, I MUST apologize that it has been so long since my last post. The reason this time is that I have been out having all sorts of adventures, and haven't been near a computer for very long lately. I promise I will write SEVERAL blogs in the next few days to bring you all up to speed on what I have been doing down under. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">To start off, a couple of weeks ago, a few friends and I got up VERY early one Saturday morning to go canyoning. For those not familiar with this particular activity, canyoning is a mix of abseiling (rappelling) down waterfalls and traversing through rivers. Anywho, we hopped in a van with our guides and drove to a shed in the middle of nowhere where we all put on wetsuits and water shoes. We hopped back in the van and drove a little longer, till we got to the start point. We headed down to the river and stopped briefly for a quick lesson on abseiling. Immediately after this, it was time for the first jump, which was FREEZING. We jumped off a ledge into a huge pool of water beneath, and if we weren't awake already, that certainly did the job. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/TB6saqzmT3I/AAAAAAAAAF0/57riTlDeue8/s400/P6050067.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485010970351128434" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">WEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">We continued down the river, jumping off a few more ledges and generally freezing our butts off, but having a heck of a time in the process. Our first big abseil down a waterfall was pretty scary for me, due to me ever-present fear of heights, but I managed pretty well. We broke for lunch afterward, and got a chance to see Albert, an eel who lives in a pool beneath the first big waterfall. After lunch, we had more jumps and abseils, and one cool rock that we slid down headfirst...BACKWARDS. By the end we were all very wet and cold, but it was an awesome experience, and a great way to spend the day. I would highly recommend canyoning to anyone looking for a little adventure to spice up their life. :-)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Stay tuned for an epic blog covering my eight-day trip to the South Island!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">-Connor</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2044419&id=1267320093&l=b7064d88c6"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Canyoning: Wet n' Wild</span></span></a></div><div><br /></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226949914454072631.post-26134227104072213102010-05-28T07:32:00.005-04:002010-05-28T08:18:54.288-04:00Rain, Rain, Go Away<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Hello all,</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">It's been almost 20 days since my last post, and I apologize to those of you that think I died or got abducted. I said I would write again when I did something worth writing about, but the truth is, I haven't done a whole lot lately. May has been kind of a bad month for me. Not that anything particularly bad has happened, just not a whole lot has gone on. First of all, the weather's been quite gloomy, and I kid you not, it's rained every day for almost 3 weeks. This has prevented much of the travel and outside activities that filled my early months here, and I have been spending a lot of time just sitting in my apartment. I have also been kind of sick on and off, which is probably a combination of the weather, homesickness, and my less-than-excellent diet. Now, some of you may say "you're in New Zealand! You should be living it up, having a ball!" and I would agree with you, I should be. The truth is, I may have let my homesickness get the best of me for the past few weeks, and seeing pictures of everyone back home enjoying the beautiful summer weather and all their free time kind of makes me wish I could be there with them. I guess you never really know how much you will miss the people who matter most to you until you are uprooted from your life and whisked away to the other side of the globe. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Anyway, with a month and a week (35 days) left to go in New Zealand, I have resolved to make the most of the rest of my time here, cause I am sure that you folks don't want to read any more of these lame, melancholy blogs posts. :-) </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">This coming week is my last week of classes, and then immediately afterward my friend Haylee and I are going to the South Island for a week of adventures. The projected activities include whale-watching, lots of beautiful natural sights, and climbing a glacier. It should be a very enjoyable breath of fresh air for me. After that I have exams, and then the whole gang will be capping off exam week with a trip to see a professional rugby game! </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">All in all, I have absolutely loved my time here, but I think one more month will just about do it for me. Thank you all for reading, and I promise my next post will be far less dreary. I can't wait to see you all and tell you firsthand about my adventures in Kiwi Land. :-)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Till next time!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">-Connor</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">P.S. I finally got out of the apartment tonight and went to see the musical <i>Avenue Q</i> with my friends Mallory and Haylee. If you haven't seen this show, I cannot recommend it enough. Absolutely hilarious. :-)</span></span></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226949914454072631.post-23268668530175562452010-05-09T05:34:00.010-04:002010-05-11T15:53:54.407-04:00Week 13: The Windy City<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><em style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">No, not THAT Windy City, The one to which I refer is Wellington, capital of New Zealand. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I took a trip there last weekend to see Regina Spektor in concert, but before we got to that, I spent a couple of days just seeing the sights. I went with my friend Alana (a fellow AustraLearn student studying in Hamilton), and we stayed with her friend Carly, a Kiwi she had met at camp back in the States the summer before. It was wonderful having our very own tour guide to take us all around the beautiful city of Wellington. On Saturday, Carly took us on a little tour of downtown Wellington, after which we visited the Te Papa museum and took in some of the history and culture of New Zealand. It was a really cool museum, with an exhibit on marine life that I really loved. Afterward, Alana and I went to see the movie "Boy," a New Zealand film about a young Māori boy growing up in New Zealand. It was a very funny and well done film, and surprisingly, I got most of the humor (even though I was warned ahead of time that it might be too "kiwi" for me to understand). </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The next day we went to the Wellington Zoo, and we had a blast! There were so many cool animals that I had never seen before, like kangaroos, emus, and dingoes. It was a load of fun, and a great way to spend the day. I definitely felt like a little kid again. :-)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">After the zoo, we met up with my friend Colin (whom I spent a good potion of Fall break with on the South Island), and he took us up a big hill to see the "Trippy Tree." Now, I'll admit, I was a bit skeptical at first because Colin talked this tree up a lot. But when we got there, we discovered it really was as cool as he had claimed. The root structure of the tree was so strong that you could climb all the way up to the canopy and sit on top of the branches at the top. From that height, we could see all of Wellington, and it was a lovely sight indeed.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The following day, we headed to the cable car which took us up to the Carter Observatory, high above Wellington. We spent the day learning about space, and took in a very cool video presentation. That evening Alana and I went to the Wellington Opera House for the Regina Spektor Concert. She put on an excellent show, and I had a great time. Tuesday morning I took a 12 hour bus ride back to Auckland, and here I am!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">More to come when I get out and do something worth writing about!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I love and miss you all,</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">-Connor</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Newest Facebook Albums:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2041504&id=1267320093&l=79fdc64635"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><b>Hooray for Wellywood!</b></span></a></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2041532&id=1267320093&l=fce7b165b8"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>Zoopernatural</b></span></span></a></span></div></span></span></span></em></span></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226949914454072631.post-86276746982916751532010-04-29T06:36:00.033-04:002010-07-29T13:19:18.247-04:00Week 11: Hero Wor-Ship<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Hi gang!</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">I am so sorry I haven't been keeping up with this very well. I have fallen into the halfway-through-the-semester slump, and I had to shake myself out of it and remind myself I am in NEW ZEALAND. That having been said, I have done quote a few interesting things lately. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Last Saturday, my friend Mallory and I went to see a comedy show featuring one of my comedic idols, Rhys Darby. If you're not familiar with the name, you may know him as the bumbling but lovable manager Murray Hewitt on the HBO show "Flight of the Conchords," about the eponymous Kiwi folk-comedy duo. The show that he was doing was a live version of a local New Zealand podcast, "The Cryptid Factor," which is hosted by Rhys and journalist David Farrier. The show centers around cryptozoology, the study of strange and/or mythical creatures. I have been listening to the podcast since I got here, so I was very excited to see how they did the show live. It was hilarious. Rhys and David are both natural comedians (though really, most Kiwis are. I just love their sense of humor), and the other people involved with the show, specifically their producer (a man known as "Buttons"), were equally comical. At one point a mobile number flashed on a screen, and the audience was asked to text in questions for them pertaining to cryptids or cryptozoology. I was the first one to send in a question, and Buttons asked it aloud for Rhys and David to answer. I felt pretty cool being involved with the show like that.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">After the show was over, Mallory and I decided to wait around to see if Rhys would come out to take pictures. We waited for a bit after most people had left, and it wasn't looking good. Just then, Rhys came out to talk to a couple of women who he obviously knew. We felt incredibly awkward just standing there, and almost decided to leave, but with my hero standing not more than two feet from me, I was determined to meet him. He finished his conversation with the women and turned to go. I called out "Hey Rhys!" and he turned around.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">"Erm...great show! Loved it! Do you...um...have any t-shirts I could buy?"</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">That was my best excuse for hunting down this poor man. I am not generally one to get all starry-eyed in the presence of a celebrity, but I honestly could believe that this guy who had made me laugh so much was right there in front of me. However, instead of looking annoyed or dismissive, Rhys lit up with a great big smile. He motioned for Mallory and I to come back into the auditorium, and he told David that we wanted a t-shirt. Everyone in the crew got really excited, and Rhys and David were beaming. They were genuinely excited that anyone would want a t-shirt of their little podcast (which they assume no one actually listens to), so much so that they never even considered putting out a merchandise table or anything like that. I bought the shirt and made small talk with Rhys and David, and then they graciously posed for a photo with both me and Mallory. They were two of the nicest guys I have ever met, and incredibly genuine. It made me happy that here was a guy who was incredibly popular among people my age, and he was so humble that he probably doesn't even realize it. As we were leaving, we heard a voice call out to us. It was their producer, Buttons, asking if we wanted a picture with him too. And by asking, I mean he stood there until we came back and took a photo with him. I guess he wanted in on the fun too. :-) They were all wonderful guys, and it was one of the best experiences of my life. They say you should never meet your heroes for fear of disappointment, but in this case, that just wasn't true. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/S9l2sHnhMtI/AAAAAAAAAFk/WPpHXa-hJb0/s400/IMG_2020.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465530123121930962" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Me, Rhys, and David after the show</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Side note: I asked a total of four questions during the show, but only one was read. About an hour after the show had ended, I was sitting in my flat, when I got a text message on my phone. It was from Buttons, apologizing for not having read my other texts during the show, and saying that his phone had been acting up and he hadn't received them till after the show. The fact that he would do something so courteous when he had no obligation or reason to whatsoever really gave my faith in the good of humanity a huge boost. :-)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Sunday morning I woke up early and headed out with a bunch of my friends to go for a boat ride. We rode the ferry to Bayswater to meet John and Ankelien McIntosh, some old friends of my grandparents. My grandpa taught for a year in New Zealand back in the 1960s, and John was one of his students. They have remained in contact since then, and John was very excited to meet me. John and his wife were wonderful, and very welcoming and hospitable toward us. We set out for Motuihe Island, and it was a beautiful day. We had lunch on the boat, and then took the dinghy in to explore the island for a bit. We headed back in the late afternoon, and we finally got enough wind to put the sails up. All in all, a very relaxing and fun day at sea. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/S9l47AGNUBI/AAAAAAAAAFs/KNhEiB_67JQ/s400/IMG_2324.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465532577824460818" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Me with John and Ankelien McIntosh in front of the </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Katariana</span></span></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Last night, I went to see John Mayer in concert, again at the Vector Arena in downtown Auckland. It was a fantastic show, and I'll give you a brief rundown here:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Setlist:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">1. Belief</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">2. Crossroads (Robert Johnson cover)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">3. Waiting on the World To Change</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">4. All We Ever Do Is Say Goodbye</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">5. Perfectly Lonely</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">6. No Such Thing - Bigger Than My Body (Medley)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">7. The Heart of Life</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">8. Who Says</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">9. Heartbreak Warfare</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">10. Friends, Lovers or Nothing</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">11. Almost Paradise (Love Theme from 'Footloose') - Half of My Heart - Dreams (Fleetwood Mac cover)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">12. Why Georgia</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">13. Vultures</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">14. Gravity</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Song Count Per Album:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Room for Squares - 2</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Heavier Things - 1</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Continuum - 5</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Battle Studies - 7</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Mayer is a natural showman, and he engaged the audience several times by playing with the lyrics of his songs (at one point he changed the line in "Who Says" from "...it's been a long night in Austin too..." to "...in Auckland too..."). The man has an excellent voice, but the real star of the show is his guitar. I honestly believe that Mayer is one of the best living guitar players in the world, and he certainly showcased his talents last night. Almost every song began with his just improving a few bars on the guitar before launching into the familiar melody. A few of the songs became showcases for his solos, expanding from a normal 3 minute runtime to a 10+ minute extravaganza. His band was exceptional as well, and in light of Mayer's recent public woes, you could tell that he has made a concerted effort to get back to his music and stay out of the spotlight. All in all, a fantastic show, and one I would see again and again. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/S9l0eIfNDAI/AAAAAAAAAFc/FEAa-Ym9U0w/s320/IMG_2411.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465527683814067202" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">John Mayer, doing what he does best</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">That's about it for now. I am off to Wellington this weekend, so I will blog again next week.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Till next time!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">-Connor</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">This week's photo albums:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2040338&id=1267320093&l=cb04c940da"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><b>The Cryptid Factor: Live!</b></span></span></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2040542&id=1267320093&l=185837a7f3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><b>Poseidon, Look at Me!</b></span></span></a></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226949914454072631.post-50119065150557034872010-04-18T09:51:00.013-04:002010-04-18T10:56:52.019-04:00The hills are alive with the smell of Meusli<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 204, 255); font-family:'trebuchet ms';">So, I have put this off long enough. It’s time to get down to business. Two weeks ago I embarked on my two-week fall (yes fall) break from uni. Here is a recollection of my adventures:</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><b>Queenstown<span><span></span></span></b><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255); font-family:'trebuchet ms';">On Saturday I flew into the little town of Queenstown, located on the South Island. I was all set to meet up with my friend Jenny (also from Albion) who studies at the University of Otago in Dunedin when I realized that I had no way of getting in touch with her. I caught a cab into town and managed to remember the name of the hostel we were staying at, and as luck would have it, Jenny and her friends walked out of the hostel exactly when my cab pulled up outside it. We got all checked in, and then went to explore the town for a bit. Queenstown is a beautiful city. It is located in a large valley surrounded by mountains on all sides, and the scenery is breathtaking. After hanging downtown for a bit, we met up with some more of the Otago gang, and we all went to a place called Fergburger for dinner. The burgers there were the size of my face, and oh so delicious.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">The following day, we hiked up a small mountain on the edge of Queenstown. I rode the gondola back down, and the view was amazing. Later that afternoon, several of us headed out to the Nevis canyon to do the famed 134 metre bungy jump. I signed up for this on a whim, and didn’t realize what I was actually doing until I was hanging in a small cage from a cable several hundred metres above a tiny river. Yeah. Not the smartest idea after all. But, there I was, strapped in and ready to go. I couldn’t quit then, or I’d look like a fool in front of everyone. With a huge scream, I jumped headfirst off the platform, and for the next few seconds, I was flying. It was by far the scariest and most intense thing I have ever done, but I am glad I did it. I am slowly getting past this fear of heights I’ve had for so long, and I plan to continue pushing myself to fight it whenever I can.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/S8sUj2KHkUI/AAAAAAAAAEY/qhRvkvKiUpA/s320/AJHB_AJHN_2010_04_04_C2063_1993.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461481579182788930" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 215px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;">I regret nothiiiinnnngggggg!!!!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;">After the bungy we<span><span></span></span> headed for a campground outside of town a little ways. Our friend Tim drove us there that night, but in the morning, Jenny, Liz, and I had to hitchhike back into town. This was my first time ever hitchhiking, and it was less than successful. It’s something I would never do back in the States, but here it is seen as perfectly acceptable, and if often encouraged by the locals. We hiked about 6 miles until FINALLY getting picked up by a nice young guy only a mile or so outside of Queenstown. The rest of the day we just relaxed, and went to bed early at a local hostel.</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><b>Te Anau/Lake Manapouri</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Tuesday morning the three of us got up nice and early and caught a bus to the town of Te Anau. From there, we had a 20 km hitchhike to the tiny town of Manapouri. We hiked for about 2.5 hrs, and we were finally picked up by a very nice guy who chatted with us the rest of the way there. When we got to the town, we had lunch, and then went to the kayak rental place to take the boats we had booked out for the remainder of the day. Unfortunately, our booking hadn’t been processed in time, so we were unable to go out until the next day. We found a lovely, rustic old campground to stay at for the night, and settled down for another early sleep.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">We got up bright and early the next day and set out on Lake Manapouri for a gorgeous day of kayaking. The weather was sensational, and the scenery was equally excellent. We stopped at a small beach around noon for lunch and to stretch our legs a bit. After lunch, we kayaked around a small island on the lake, and then headed back to shore. We had a great time on the lake, but we were exhausted by the end of the day. I always forget how much energy a day’s worth of sun can take out of you. When we got back to town, we were less than excited for the journey ahead of us. Remember that 20 km hike into town from the day before? Well, in order to make our bus the following morning, we had to hike all the way BACK to Te Anau that night. Luckily, we hadn’t got five minutes out of town when a van pulled up and two nice young guys offered us a ride all the way to Te Anau. Needless to say, we were very relieved. We settled into a nice little campground for the night, and got a chance to shower and relax for a bit. We went to bed around 8 PM (this was a common theme on the trip, the earliest I have gone to bed in YEARS) and Jenny and I got up early the next morning to catch our bus to Dunedin.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/S8sV4WSWzKI/AAAAAAAAAEg/kQmIwzUK3RA/s400/IMG_1725.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461483030916287650" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></span></span></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">B-E-A-Utiful</span></span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><b>Dunedin</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">After Jenny and I arrived in Dunedin, she gave me a tour of the University of Otago campus, which is where she is going to school this semester. It was a beautiful campus, and the city of Dunedin is unique in that there is a very good mix of nature and city life (an example being the natural river running right through the Otago Uni campus). It was a pretty sharp contrast to the Auckland Uni campus, which has a very urban feel to it. We ended the day with a walk through Dunedin’s beautiful botanical gardens, and then headed back to Jenny’s place for yet another early sleep. The next day we slept in (finally!) and around noon, we headed downtown, and visited the local flea market for a bit. We met a woman there who was selling jewelry, and she told us a story about one necklace in particular about how she was hitchhiking and ended up at the home of an old drunk Irishman who had carved the pendant by hand. It was a wonderful story, though I am not sure how much truth there was to it. :-) After the flea market, we headed over to the Cadbury Chocolate Factory for a tour of the facilities. It was really interesting seeing the inner workings of a chocolate factory (especially the huge chocolate waterfall—no joke), and we also got a bunch of free chocolate at the end of the tour. After the tour, we made a last-minute decision to try and hike to Baldwin Street before I had to make my bus to the airport that afternoon. When we did finally get to Baldwin, we saw why it holds the title of the World’s Steepest Street. The thing is ridiculous. I don’t understand how anyone could possibly drive up that thing in anything other than a tank. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/S8sYNvUEpqI/AAAAAAAAAEo/zLggEUmOFYM/s400/IMG_1840.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461485597434881698" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></span></span></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">That's a pretty steep hill...</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 204, 255); font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 204, 255); font-family:'trebuchet ms';">After a quick picture, we were off again, and I made it to my bus stop just in time. Unfortunately, when I arrived, I was told that my bus didn’t exist. Uhhh…what? You mean the bus I bought a $20 ticket for online? THAT bus? Doesn’t…EXIST? Not sure WHAT happened there, but regardless, I was forced to catch a cab to the airport, which cost me quite a bit more than the bus ticket. At least I made my flight on time.</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><b>Auckland</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">I arrived back in Auckland later that night (Friday), and hit the hay, as I was exhausted from all my adventures. The following night, I went to see James Taylor and Carole King in concert down at the Vector Arena (the reason I came back a week before break was over). The concert was amazing, and James in particular was in top form. The man sounds as good, if not better than he did thirty years ago. He was an incredible performer, and he laughed and joked with the crowd throughout the show. All in all, it was a very enjoyable concert, and one I have been looking forward to for a long time. :-)<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/S8sZMwOHL0I/AAAAAAAAAEw/3x6lBB-GqTI/s320/IMG_1904.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461486680010075970" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The man himself, doin' what he does best</span></span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">That’s all for now! Oh, I suppose there was one more event that occurred last week. Sunday the 11</span></span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">th</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"> was my 21</span></span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">st</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"> birthday. I spent it alone in my apartment, but it was enjoyable nonetheless, and I was thankful for the quiet alternative to MOST people’s 21</span></span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">st</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"> birthdays back home. ;-)<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Till next time!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">-Connor</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">P.S. Once again, here are the links to my newest Facebook photo albums:</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2039046&id=1267320093&l=13f31e25c3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><b>B.U.N.G.Y.</b></span></span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2039055&id=1267320093&l=cba23eeef1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><b>"The hills are alive with the smell of Meusli"</b></span></span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2039073&id=1267320093&l=7f4e442587"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><b>Canoe Dig It?</b></span></span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2039085&id=1267320093&l=330881ff22"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><b>Doin' Eden</b></span></span></a></p>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226949914454072631.post-81092202499386816032010-03-28T08:54:00.006-04:002010-03-28T09:08:35.171-04:00Kiwi 101<p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="text-align: left;line-height: 150%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Hey gang!</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="text-align: left;line-height: 150%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; font-size: small; color: rgb(51, 204, 255); ">After a relaxing weekend, I am looking forward to being active again during my fall break, which starts next weekend, and lasts for two weeks. I am sure I will have plenty to talk about and tons of pictures after that, but for now, I thought I would take this time to do something I haven’t really done yet with this blog. New Zealand is very much like the United States in many aspects, but in others it is very different. First, I’ll share with you all some of the common phrases used in NZ:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;line-height: 150%; "><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“Sweet as”</span></span></span></b></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;line-height: 150%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Kiwis add the word “as” to the end of pretty much anything they say, and when I first got here, I found myself saying “Sweet as…what? Cool as…what?” The answer is nothing. Just “as” whatever you want it to be. The most common version of this phrase is “sweet as,” which is basically Kiwi for “cool,” and you will hear it hundreds of times on any given day, because everything here is, well, sweet as. :-)<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;line-height: 150%; "><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“Bro” and “Mate”</span></span></span></b></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;line-height: 150%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Everyone here is your brother, even the women. The Kiwis are both an extremely friendly and extremely laid-back people, so everyone here is just “Bro.” Also, if you’re not someone’s “bro,” you’re their “mate.” Which makes me wonder…is the process of “</span></span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">friending</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">” someone on </span></span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Facebook</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> called “mating” in NZ? </span></span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Hmm</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">…<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;line-height: 150%; "><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“No worries”</span></span></span></b></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;line-height: 150%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I haven’t seen a New </span></span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Zealander</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> worry about anything the entire time I have been here. They are the most laid-back and relaxed people I have ever met, and frankly, it is a refreshing change of pace from the fast-paced, high-stress world of the US. Lose your keys? No worries. Get in a fender-bender? No worries. Honestly, they just do not get upset about anything. Probably because they realize that life is for living, and nothing is worth getting that upset over. I think we could all do to take a page from New Zealand’s book. Along this same line is the phrase “she’ll be alright.” As in "hey bro! Your boat is sinking!" "Oh, she'll be alright." <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;line-height: 150%; "><o:p><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“Zed”</span></span></span></b></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;line-height: 150%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The New Zealand alphabet ends not with the letter ‘Z,’ but the letter ‘Zed.’ To me, this is hilarious, especially when you apply it back to some common American things. For example, some popular American musicians would be Jay-Zed and Zed Zed Top. If you wanted to relax, you might sit in a La-Zed-Boy recliner. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;line-height: 150%; "><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Some other US/NZ words:</span></span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;line-height: 150%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Chips – Fries<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;line-height: 150%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Fizzy drink – Soda pop<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;line-height: 150%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Flat – Apartment<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;line-height: 150%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Knackered – Exhausted<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;line-height: 150%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Lift – Elevator<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;line-height: 150%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Mobile – Cell phone<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;line-height: 150%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Petrol station – Gas station<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;line-height: 150%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Pissed – Intoxicated<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;line-height: 150%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="text-align: left;line-height: 150%; "><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Queue – Line <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p><p></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;line-height: 150%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Sandals – Thongs or </span></span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Jandals</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> (Japanese sandals)<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;line-height: 150%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Swimsuit – Togs<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;line-height: 150%; "><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Vege</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> - Vegetable<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;line-height: 150%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Whinge – Complain<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;line-height: 150%; "><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The one word I have found that will elicit a lot of laughter and/or strange looks if used is the word “root.” Back in the States, if you cheer on a team, you root for them. Over here, if you root for a team, you must REALLY love them, because in New Zealand, to “root” means to have sex.</span></span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;line-height: 150%; "><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">You can imagine the looks I got the first time I asked a restaurant if they had any root beer. Oops.</span></span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;line-height: 150%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I have mentioned how laid back the people here are, and with that, comes a LOT of understatement. Kiwis don’t get really excited about anything except rugby games (during which they go NUTS). Most of New Zealand’s humour is based on understating things, and often the deadpan manner in which a joke or story is told is funnier than the actual tale itself. Kiwis love to “take the piss” out of you (make fun of you), and if they do, it’s a sign that they like you. If you react badly to being made fun of, they will jump at the opportunity to continue to take the piss out of you until you finally lighten up a bit. :-)</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;line-height: 150%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Also, Kiwis tend to have pretty foul mouths. Swearing just isn't considered that big of a deal over here. Their TV is completely uncensored, and I have seen advertisements downtown with words on them in big bold letters that would make a sailor blush. One advertisement I saw that was promoting a service in which one did not have to wait in line simply proclaimed "F*** Queues!"</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;line-height: 150%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I have consistently been surprised at how well I am treated as a foreigner here. Kiwis LOVE Americans, and they want to know all about the US, which is very different than the reactions I have gotten in some of the other countries I have been to (I’m looking at you, France). They can tell by my accent that I am from the States, but it is not usually the accent they were expecting, as they seem to think everyone from the US either sounds like they are from the South or from the East Coast (thanks a lot, Texas and New York).</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;line-height: 150%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Food here is similar to the US, but I have found a few distinct differences. One of the most noticeable ones is that Kiwis don’t use any preservatives or artificial ingredients in their food, at least from what I have seen. This means that even the unhealthy food is better for you than American food, but at the same time, with no preservatives, food goes bad really quickly if not stored properly. This health-conscious attitude may be the reason I haven’t seen a single overweight Kiwi the whole time I have been here. Seriously, this whole country is skinny. Another difference is that there is no ketchup, and Kiwis instead cover their fries in tomato paste. Weird.</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;line-height: 150%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">One of the best parts of this whole trip for me has been embracing the Kiwi mantra of “give it a go.” Basically, the people here will do pretty anything, and you are always encouraged to try something, even if you are scared or think you won’t like it. This semester for me has been about expanding my horizons, and anyone who has followed my blog can certainly see that I have been doing just that. Another great thing is that the people here are incredibly friendly, and any stranger on the street will say hello or ask you how your day is going, just because they are genuinely interested in the welfare of their fellow human beings. It is very refreshing, especially having seen how people are treated in some of the larger cities in the US. I wish that the people back home were this polite all the time.</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;line-height: 150%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this little glance into the Kiwi lifestyle. Next weekend I am off to the South Island for a week, and I will update soon after that! See you all then!</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;line-height: 150%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Much love,</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;line-height: 150%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">-Connor</span></span></span><o:p></o:p></p>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226949914454072631.post-31337126131734480732010-03-22T08:11:00.014-04:002010-04-18T10:57:24.867-04:00There and Back Again<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 204, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Hello friends,</span></span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">This past weekend was one of the most physically, mentally, and emotionally taxing of my entire life. I did things I never expected or wanted to do, and I pushed my body to its breaking point. It was a harrowing couple of days, but I had experiences that I will remember for as long as I live. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">FRIDAY</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">After classes were done for the day, a bunch of us rented a car and drove to the town of </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Tarangi</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, where we stayed the night at a local campsite (we did this two nights without paying, but no one ever said anything, so it must not have been a big deal). We just kind of hung out for a bit, and then headed to bed. It was interesting riding on the left side of the road, but our drivers got the hang of it after a while.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">SATURDAY</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">We woke up early to try to catch the bus to Mount </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Ngauruhoe</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, but it had already left. Forced to change our plans at the last minute, we decided to do what anyone would do in our position: go skydiving. We drove to the nearby town of </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Taupo</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, and passed the time by visiting the beautiful </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Huka</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> Falls park. Around 2:00 PM, six of us headed to </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Taupo</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> Tandem Skydiving and prepared to jump out of a plane from 15,000 ft. in the air. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Now, as many of you know, I have had a deathly fear of heights for most of my life. I mean, I have turned down roller coasters cause they were too high for me. So you may ask, what was I thinking jumping out of a plane? The answer? I </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">wasn</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">’t thinking. When I came to New Zealand, I decided that I was going to let go of all of my inhibitions, and welcome any opportunity with open arms. Now, that’s not saying I </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">wasn</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">’t nervous as the plane was ascending and my instructor strapped himself to me. Are you KIDDING me?<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I was scared out of my mind.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Did I let that stop me? Hell no.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I was the last one out of the plane. After watching five of my friends plummet to their certain doom, it was my turn. My instructor asked if I was ready, and before I could reply, he shoved us out of the plane. For a moment, I </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">didn</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">’t have a single thought in my head. Then, it hit me. I think I may have sounded something like this:<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">“</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">AUUUUUUUGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I was flying. I </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">couldn</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">’t believe it. It was without a doubt the biggest adrenaline rush of my entire life. I was in free-fall for a full minute, and when my instructor finally pulled our parachute, I was instantly snapped back into reality. We floated leisurely down the rest of the way back to Earth, chatting the whole way down. After a perfect landing, I re-joined the rest of my comrades, and we screamed in celebration. It truly was the scariest and most exciting experience of my life. I would do it again in a heartbeat, and it was the first significant step in conquering my fear of heights.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/S6dfWVBFnAI/AAAAAAAAADw/eZXXPcINAf0/s320/IMG_7396.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451430711158742018" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Me realizing I am no longer in the plane</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">SUNDAY</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Sunday morning we got up even EARLIER than we had on Saturday and caught the 6:00 AM bus to Mount </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Ngauruhoe</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> AKA Mount Doom (it is the mountain that was used as Mount Doom in the Lord of the Rings films). The bus driver told us that the forecast was for strong winds and bad weather, and that after he left us, whatever happened to us should we decide to climb the mountain was “between you and God.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Perfect.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/S6dfWyOD5iI/AAAAAAAAAD4/SksKhDjxKNs/s320/IMG_0947.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451430718997784098" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">At the base of Mount Doom, ready for the longest trek of my life</span></span></span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 204, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 204, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The nine of us set out around 7:00 AM toward Mount Doom, with the intent to climb. And climb we certainly did. Like a merry band of hobbits, we scrambled up the rocky face of the mountain with no gear whatsoever, but a fire in our hearts. After about an hour and a half or so we reached the top of Mount Doom, and our spirits soared. The view was incredible, and we could look down into the volcanic crater that formed the cone of Mount Doom. Simply amazing. I never in my life thought that I could one day call myself a mountain climber.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 204, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/S6dfXbMtdeI/AAAAAAAAAEA/R7TNqRll9Gk/s320/IMG_1125.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451430729997972962" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Mount Doom, in all its glory</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The rest of the 19.4 km walk was equally beautiful. We passed by several thermal lakes that were heated by underground vents, and travelled up and down a few more smaller mountains. After we finished the hike, we drove back to Auckland for a good night’s sleep.</span></span></span></span></div> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">All in all, it was one of the most challenging and most amazing weekends of my life, and I am so glad that I pushed myself to be stronger than my fears. It’s times like these that I am incredibly thankful for all the opportunities I have been afforded in my life. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I love you all, and I will write again soon. :-)</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> -Connor</span></span></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">P.S. Here are the links to this week's </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Facebook</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"> photo albums:</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2037515&id=1267320093&l=d57eb9f783"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><b>Miscellaneous NZ</b></span></span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2034846&id=1267320093&l=1c17e56eb6"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><b>The World According to Stuart</b></span></span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2037491&id=1267320093&l=aeaca5a59f"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><b>Huka Falls</b></span></span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2037440&id=1267320093&l=ef977b4547"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><b>15,000 Ft. and Falling</b></span></span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2037502&id=1267320093&l=c991df7584"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><b>Doom Patrol or There and Back Again</b></span></span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Enjoy!</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226949914454072631.post-87101598138890592532010-03-18T06:50:00.009-04:002010-04-18T10:56:23.159-04:00...Special News Bulletin...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Hey gang,</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I recently came to the realization that not all of the people who read my blog necessarily have a Facebook, and therefore you are being deprived of all of my pictures (minus the few I post here). Luckily, Facebook allows you to view whole albums, even if you are not on the site yourself, so here are the links to all of the pictures I have posted thus far:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2034404&id=1267320093&l=80fb2f6828"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><b>Welcome to Noise Island</b></span></span></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2034423&id=1267320093&l=6108df5c1c"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><b>Whitewater Rafting: Sweet As!</b></span></span></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2034682&id=1267320093&l=ca4a33e892"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><b>Getting LOST in New Zealand</b></span></span></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2035092&id=1267320093&l=6c7a58f300"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><b>Sunshine Wishes and Kiwi Dreams</b></span></span></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">In the future, I will post the links every time I take new pictures. :-)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Cheers!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Connor</span></span></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226949914454072631.post-44940908877627810822010-03-14T06:39:00.013-04:002010-03-22T06:28:36.898-04:00Pucker up!<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/S6dFzyOSaaI/AAAAAAAAADo/PSJRA8nJ8Pk/s1600-h/IMG_1191.JPG"></a><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 204, 255); font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Hello all,</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">It's almost midnight on a Sunday night, and I don't feel like reading my Latin chapter, which means it's time for a nonsensical blog!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">I like lemonade. A lot. Since I arrived in New Zealand, I have found many different types of lemonade available for my drinking pleasure. Here I will chronicle my thoughts on each one, and how they rank against one another. This post will be updated periodically whenever I find a new brand of lemonade, but right now, here are the candidates:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Lemonade</span></span></u></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Allganics Organic Lemonade</span></span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/S5zCHN6ZygI/AAAAAAAAACw/ebp1UWlsc5Q/s320/IMG_0825.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448443078460951042" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">One of the first lemonades I tasted in NZ. It was good, but a bit too sweet for my taste. I tend to prefer lemonades that are more tart than sweet. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Rating: 2 out of 5</span></span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Schweppes Traditional Lemonade</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/S5zDQGNlJiI/AAAAAAAAAC4/UI20kJqoqqE/s320/IMG_0812.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448444330524354082" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">I would definitely consider Schweppes to be my go-to drink when I am in the mood for a nice traditional lemonade. It has just the right mix of carbonation and lemon flavor, and it makes for a very refreshing drink, especially on a hot day.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Rating: 4 out of 5</span></span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Frank Sparkling Zesty Lemonade</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/S5zGSegsSWI/AAAAAAAAADA/wPQakpQUuNI/s320/IMG_0813.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448447669941586274" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Not my favorite of the bunch. It was tolerable, but it was a bit too "zesty" for my taste. I can't quite pinpoint the reason, but the flavor just seemed a bit off to me. Probably wouldn't have this again unless nothing else was available.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Rating: 1 out of 5</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Phoenix Organic Lemonade</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/S5zGTXI1IQI/AAAAAAAAADQ/xMkpSn_zudw/s320/IMG_0819.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448447685142323458" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">A mediocre brand. Not terrible, but certainly not the best I have tried.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Rating: 3 out of 5</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;"><b>Fizzarchi Sparkling Lemon</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-weight: normal; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/S6dFzyOSaaI/AAAAAAAAADo/PSJRA8nJ8Pk/s320/IMG_1191.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451402629912619426" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-weight: normal; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-weight: normal; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">At first sip, it is very tasty, but it left a bad sort of aftertaste and really dried out my mouth. Overall, a decent flavor, but the after-effects left something to be desired.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><b>Rating: 2 out of 5</b></span></span></div></span></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">***</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Lemonade +</span></span></u></div><div style="text-align: center;"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></u></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">The Original L&P: Lemon & Paeroa</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/S5zGTXI1IQI/AAAAAAAAADQ/xMkpSn_zudw/s1600-h/IMG_0819.JPG"></a></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/S5zGS9OipEI/AAAAAAAAADI/k-axzca4ZOk/s1600-h/IMG_0818.JPG"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/S5zGS9OipEI/AAAAAAAAADI/k-axzca4ZOk/s320/IMG_0818.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448447678186955842" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">This drink is an interesting combination of lemon juice and mineral water from the town of Paeroa. It is only made in New Zealand, which makes it a bit of a novelty. Overall, not bad tasting, except when it gets flat, at which point it just tastes like sugar water.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Rating: 3 out of 5</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">deepspring lemon + lime + orange fruit drink</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/S5zKv1CFQeI/AAAAAAAAADg/2SjhBWnpZ4g/s320/IMG_0820.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448452572249932258" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></span></span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></span></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">This is the holy grail of New Zealand lemonades. The combination of lemon and lime is delicious enough, but then someone had the audacity to throw orange flavoring in the mix as well, and the results were phenomenal. I will be hard pressed to find a drink as tasty as this one in NZ, and I will be very sad when it is no longer readily available to me after I leave. </span></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;"><b>Rating: 5 out of 5</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;"><b>***</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;">That's all for now! I will update periodically as I find more brands to try.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;">Toodles!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;">-Connor</span></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226949914454072631.post-21506164603936224332010-03-11T09:49:00.008-05:002010-03-28T07:14:21.420-04:00Backstreet's Back, Alright?<div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Welcome to my comprehensive review of the Backstreet Boys concert I attended at the Vector Arena in Auckland, New Zealand on Thursday, March 11<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">th</span>, 2010. Feel free to skip this entire post if you have no interest whatsoever in this band. :-)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">***</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Setlist</span>:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">1. Everybody (Backstreet's Back)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">2. We've Got It <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Goin</span>' On</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">3. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">PDA</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">4. Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">5. As Long as You Love Me</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">6. This Is Us</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">7. Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">8. All I Have to Give</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">9. She's a Dream</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">10. I'll Never Break Your Heart</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">11. The Call</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">12. The One</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">13. Bigger (included a sample of "True" by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Spandau</span> Ballet)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">14. Shape of My Heart</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">15. More Than That</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">16. Undone</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">17. Incomplete</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">18. Larger Than Life</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">19. All of Your Life (You Need Love)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">20. Bye Bye Love</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">21. I Want It That Way</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">22. Encore: Straight Through My Heart</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Song Count Per Album:</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Backstreet Boys - 6</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Millennium</span> - 4</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Black & Blue - 3</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Never Gone - 1</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Unbreakable - 0</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">This Is Us - 8</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">***</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">My friend <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Haylee</span> and I set out for the show around 6:00 PM, as the tickets said the doors opened at 6:30. About halfway to the arena, we just happened to come across a fellow named Alex who is in the Greek class that I dropped a few days ago, and whom I had only met in passing. He remembered me, though (I mean, come on, who WOULDN'T), and he was eager to help us get to our destination. Turns out he lives right down the street from the Vector Arena, so he showed us a shortcut and sent us on our way. It was most fortunate, especially because it was raining, and neither of us had thought to bring an umbrella.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">We arrived at the arena to find a massive crowd of people, all standing in the pouring rain, waiting for the doors to open. If anyone thinks that this group isn't popular anymore, they are dead wrong. Shortly after arriving (around 6:20 PM), we were informed that the doors would now be opening at 7:00 PM. Great. That meant another 40 minutes of standing and soaking in the rain. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Haylee</span> and I amused ourselves by making ugly faces (one of my favorite pastimes), and commenting loudly on how <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">disgusting</span> we found the women who were smoking behind us (three cigarettes in 30 minutes is a LITTLE excessive, people).</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">When the doors FINALLY opened, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Haylee</span> and I ran <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">upstairs</span>, where we found another set of closed doors, and were forced to wait another 15 minutes before we could be seated. We eventually reached our seats, and around 7:30, the opening act came onstage. He was a local fella named J. Williams, and while he had some decent singing skills, he was not nearly as good as any of the people he was very clearly imitating (Chris Brown, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Akon</span>, etc). I felt that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">BSB</span> could have found someone a little more polished to open for them, but I give them props for supporting a Kiwi act, and, clearly, the locals in the crowd really dug this guy, cause they went NUTS when he came onstage. Plus, he had a dance crew, which is always cool to see.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Around 8:45, a giant countdown clock appeared on a projection screen onstage, and we knew it was time. The Boys made their entrance in a cloud of smoke, and launched right into an excellent rendition of one of their first hits, "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)." They sounded fantastic, and they only appear to have gotten better and more skilled with age. The show continued with a mix of old hits and new songs, and they just got better and better with each one. Some highlights were "Shape of my Heart," "Show Me The Meaning of Being Lonely," and the eternal crowd-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">pleaser</span>, "Larger Than Life." The staging consisted of a DJ who provided the backup beats and music, several female dancers, and the Boys themselves, who moved about the stage and at different points sat on stools or chairs.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">One interesting and entertaining thing that I enjoyed about the show was that during the costume changes, the audience wasn't just left to sit in darkness, but rather were treated to a video of each of the boys featuring them spliced into a popular film. They were as follows:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">-The Fast and the Furious (Howie)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">-Fight Club (A.J.)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">-Enchanted (Brian)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">-The Matrix (Nick)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Nick had a fantastic line in his segment, which I believe went like this:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Morpheus: You've felt it your entire life, that there's something wrong with the world. You don't know what it is, but it's there, like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad. It is this feeling that has brought you to me. Do you know what I'm talking about?</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Nick: N*Sync?</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Maybe I'm the only one who laughed out loud at that, but I can always appreciate a little friendly rivalry between boy-bands. :-)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">The boys finished the show with "I Want It That Way," arguably their most popular song (As A.J. said, they saved the best for last). They left the stage, and returned shortly for an encore song, "Straight Through My Heart," the catchy hit single off of their newest album. After they took their final bow, the show was over, and I was left deeply satisfied.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">All in all, it was an excellent show. I got to hear all of their hit songs, plus a few of my favorites that I was not expecting but was pleasantly surprised to hear. If I had to find any fault with the show, it would be that they only played one song from "Never Gone," which I personally consider to be their finest work, and a really excellent example of adult contemporary pop. However, the album didn't do that well when it first came out, and a lot of people complained that it strayed from their more dance-pop sound, so I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">s'pose</span> I understand their reasoning.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">I would gladly see <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">BSB</span> in concert again, and I think that anyone who has written them off because they aren't "hip" anymore should take a another listen, cause I feel like their music holds up surprisingly well even now, and the bottom line is that these guys have true talent. They didn't <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">lip sync</span> a single song, and they sounded incredible, which is more than you can say for a good percentage of the acts out there today (especially considering that A.) they have had to rearrange every song into four parts ever since <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">their</span> fifth member, Kevin, left the band back in 2006, and B.) these guys are all in their mid-30s. That's pretty impressive to me).</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">If you made it this far, thanks for reading, and I promise I will get back to regular updates on New Zealand soon.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Much love,</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Connor</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/S5kHjQ9llGI/AAAAAAAAACo/5gxDTxpg1w8/s1600-h/IMG_0788.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/S5kHjQ9llGI/AAAAAAAAACo/5gxDTxpg1w8/s320/IMG_0788.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447393526711424098" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;">The Backstreet Boys:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;">A.J., Brian, Nick, and Howie</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226949914454072631.post-58997899590735873972010-03-07T07:16:00.007-05:002010-03-28T07:21:19.724-04:00Week 3: Uni-Verse<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">These titles are getting bad already.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">This week my endless break finally came to a screeching halt, and I began taking classes at the University of Auckland. Here are my classes and what I thought of them (so far):<br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><b>ENGLISH 109 - Drama on Stage and Screen</b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;">Should be a fun class, and pretty self-explanatory. We read plays, we watch movies. We compare the two. Might be a little beneath my skill level, given all the theater classes I've taken in the past, but I could do with an easy class or two, so I'm not complaining. :-)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><b>MARINE 202 - Principles of Marine Science</b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;">Thank goodness I spent all those years in my youth playing "The Magic School Bus Explores the Ocean" on my computer. This class should be lots of fun, especially because we get to go on a field trip later on in the semester. I haven't been on a field trip since I don't know when, so I am definitely looking forward to it!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;"><b>GREEK 100 - Introduction to Ancient Greek</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;">This class was very interesting, and the prof was cool, but it was just not for me. I decided to switch it out for Intro Latin for a few reasons. It was difficult and tedious having to translate the Greek letters first into English ones, and then translating those words into their English meanings. I figure that Latin will be more fun because it uses the English alphabet, and still has a few uses in the modern world, whereas Ancient Greek, while cool to know and speak, has very few modern uses outside of Classical Studies. We'll see if I like Latin any better...</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;"><b>FTVMS 100 - Media Studies</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;">Another class that will be fairly easy, but also informative and entertaining. This course focuses on the way information is presented in different media formats, such as TV, print, radio, and the Internet. The big thing about this class that I am not used to is that there are about 500 people in the class. It is held once a week for two hours in a giant auditorium, and the prof stands down at the front with a microphone. It's a really strange experience for someone who is used to an average class size of twenty people or so. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;">Another thing I am not used to is having a different prof lecturing each class period. My classes back home always have one set professor, but here it seems like there are at least 3 for each class, and sometimes even as many as six rotating professors (not including guest lecturers and the like). This makes it a little difficult to settle into a routine, but I am sure I will catch on quickly. Uni classes also have tutorials, which are optional (but HEAVILY encouraged, so basically required) study sessions that happen once a week. Hopefully I will find this helpful in studying for my classes, since I tend to be a bit lax on studying on my own when someone isn't telling me to get my work done.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;">On Saturday, a group of us took a ferry to the town of Devonport, which was nice, until we got rained out and had to head home. Other than that, not much adventure for me this week. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;">Stay tuned for a special report following next Thursday's Backstreet Boys concert. And for those of you who will choose to mock me for going to this concert and finally fulfilling the dreams of my 12-year-old self, you clearly are in denial. We all lived through the '90s folks; some of us have just chosen to embrace it, while others simply pretend that the entire decade never happened. I pity those joyless souls who have forgotten already the gleeful and mindless bubblegum pop of yesterday...</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;">I'll write again soon, "As Long as You Love Me," </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;">;-)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;">-Connor</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:medium;"><a name="TopOfPage"></a></span></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226949914454072631.post-4359560695894236682010-03-01T01:11:00.018-05:002010-03-28T07:20:55.186-04:00Week 2: Electric Boogaloo<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 204, 255); font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Hello all!</span></div><div><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255); font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />Well, week two in New Zealand wasn't as eventf</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255); font-family:trebuchet ms;">ul as week one, but it was nice to just lay back a</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255); font-family:trebuchet ms;">nd relax a bit. We started the week with a trip to the beach, which was great, minus the horrible sunburn. I guess I shouldn't complain though, cause the weather here is BEAUTIFUL. ALL THE TIME. It's great. :-)</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255); font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br /><b>SUNDAY</b><br /><br />A bunch of us took a ferry to Mount Rangitoto, which is a small island off the cost of Auckland. It was a long, arduous hike to the very top, and I was exhausted by the time I got there, but Man, was it worth it! The view from the summit of Mo</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255); font-family:trebuchet ms;">unt Rangitoto was incredible, and I could see all of Auckland and the surrounding area in crystal clear detail. A truly breathtaking experience.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center; font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; color: rgb(51, 204, 255); "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/S4tvTsS2kVI/AAAAAAAAACI/02dGE2Z8tCg/s1600-h/IMG_0238.JPG"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/S4tvTsS2kVI/AAAAAAAAACI/02dGE2Z8tCg/s320/IMG_0238.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443566958705807698" border="0" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a>Another gorgeous view...this place is full of 'em.<br /><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255); font-family:trebuchet ms;"><b>MONDAY</b></span><b> </b><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255); font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br />Orientation. Kinda boring, and a waste of time (in my opinion). After orientation, we hiked the coast-to-coast walkway, all the way out to the Tasman Sea. On the way there we hiked up Mount Eden again, and got yelled at for climbing halfway down the crater, apparently ignoring the not-well-posted signs forbidding it. </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255); font-family:trebuchet ms;">Oops. </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255); font-family:trebuchet ms;">We then walked to a place called One Tree Hill, which, surprisingly, was not crawling with sexually promiscuous teenagers, as the show would have you believe. After that we continued walking until we reached the Tasman Sea, which we were not able to jump into, which severely furthered my fatigue. All was made well, however, with a spot of Hokey Pokey ice cream and a bus ride home. The whole hike was something like 10 miles, and I was beat by the end of it. If there's one thing this trip has done for me it's forcing me to exercise. :-)</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255); font-family:trebuchet ms;"><b>TUESDAY</b><br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255); font-family:trebuchet ms;">Everyone went to the beach, while I rested and watched LOST. Everybody deserves a break now and then, eh?</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255); "><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br /><b>WEDNESDAY</b><br /><br />A group of us got up at the crack of dawn and headed down to the Sky Tower to meet our </span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255); font-family:trebuchet ms;">guide. We then traveled to a place called Piha Beach about 40 minutes out of Auckland for a fun-filled day of SURFING! Now, mind you, I am not at all athletic, and I had never once surfed before, so I was prepared for a challenge. After a 15-minute lesson, it was time to hit the water. The hardest part was timing the wave correctly and knowing when it was time to jump up on the board. Once I got that down, I actually got a couple of pretty smooth runs in. All in all, the weather was great, the waves were gnarly, and it was an awesome day; something I will definitely do again. :-)<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/S4t498AuPVI/AAAAAAAAACQ/7XiJ0IcafpY/s1600-h/IMG_0304.JPG"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/S4t498AuPVI/AAAAAAAAACQ/7XiJ0IcafpY/s320/IMG_0304.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443577580083887442" border="0" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255); font-family:trebuchet ms;">Killer waves, brah!</span><br /></div><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255); font-family:trebuchet ms;"><b>THURSDAY/FRIDAY</b><br /><br />I can't remember what I did Thursday or Friday. Must not have been very exciting.<br /><br /><b>SATURDAY</b><br /><br />The gang left early in the morning for Motutapu Island, ready to camp out for the night. I, being the genius I am, didn't bring any food or camping gear. Talk about roughing it. I had a great day just hanging on the beach, looking for shells, and climbing all over big rocks, but by the end of it, I was tired and hungry, so I wimped out and took the ferry back home. Good thing I did though, cause the next morning, a tsunami hit New Zealand. Of course, when I say "hit," I mean a wave smaller than the ones I surfed leisurely strolled into Auckland Harbor. My heart goes out to those places that actually WERE affected by it, but the "tsunami" that hit us was not worth all the hype.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/S4zjD5zj6VI/AAAAAAAAACg/FLJC9VX28Gc/s1600-h/motutapu"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 53px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/S4zjD5zj6VI/AAAAAAAAACg/FLJC9VX28Gc/s320/motutapu" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443975705780283730" /></a><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 204, 255); font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Panoramic shot of the bay at Motutapu. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;">Thanks to Joline for helping me make this. :-)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 204, 255); font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><b>SUNDAY</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255); font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />Another lazy day hanging around the apartment. Didn't do much, but I figured I deserved one last break before school started on Monday, right?<br /><br />That's all for now! I'll update again this week to let you know how my first week of Uni went!<br /><br />Cheers!<br /><br />-Connor</span></div></div></div></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226949914454072631.post-30185353656862505382010-02-19T00:24:00.022-05:002010-03-28T07:19:57.753-04:00First Week: Recap<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">What a week!</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">SUNDAY</span></span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The morning was spent driving to the beautiful town of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Rotorua</span> (known to the locals as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Roto</span>-Vegas, probably due to the vast amount of activities available there). We arrived around midday at Kiwi <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Paka</span>, the hostel where we stayed all week. This place was <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">excell</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">ent</span>. Very small and cozy, and it had a thermal pool right next to the bar, which was constantly kept at a very hot temperature, which basically made it a giant hot tub. After we had lunch, it was time for us to learn the "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Haka</span>," a traditional Maori dance that is performed often, especially at ceremonies or in celebration. The particular <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Haka</span> we learned was the one that is performed before each game by the All Blacks, New <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Zealand's</span> premiere rugby team (and, as we were repeatedly told but the locals, the greatest rugby team in</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> the universe). After we learned the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Haka</span>, we stripped down to our boxers and put on pelts and war paint, and they filmed us doing the dance. I have a copy of the video, and I will ensure that it is never seen by anyone. ;-)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">MONDAY</span></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);font-family:'trebuchet ms';">We traveled to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Kaitiaki</span> Adventures in the morning for a day of whitewater rafting down the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Kaituna</span> River. I have been rafting once before in West Virginia, so I was excited to go again, and not the least bit nervous. One thing that was different about this particular rafting trip was that along the way we went over <b>3</b> waterfalls, which was something I had never done before. The last waterfall we rode over was 7 Metres (approx 21 ft.) high. One thing that I thought was kind of n</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/S4IdjkcvCfI/AAAAAAAAABw/9GJKLeUmr3Y/s1600-h/DSC_0051.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/S4IdjkcvCfI/AAAAAAAAABw/9GJKLeUmr3Y/s320/DSC_0051.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440943796733807090" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);font-family:'trebuchet ms';">eat was how much of the trip dealt with the culture of the Maori people. The guide said a prayer to the river gods before we set out, and all along the way he discussed different points along the river that had a special significance to the Maori people. The rapids were <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">excellen</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);font-family:'trebuchet ms';">t, and there was even one that we rode without the raft! All of us hopped out of the raft, swam toward the rapid, and got sucked under the water, only to be popped out the other side. It was intense, but excellent. We also did a lot of surfing, which is where you paddle toward the rapid from the opposite side and then basically just get sprayed with massive amounts of water over and over. It was awesome. After rafting we headed back to K</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">iwi</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Paka</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">lou</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">nged</span> around the pool for the remainder of the evening. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">TUESDAY</span></span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Tuesday morning a group of us headed over to the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Rotorua</span> Boys High School for our community day. We were greeted by a traditional Maori welcoming ceremony, which was very intense and fun to watch. We spent the morning helping the boys with their studies and administering reading tests to them. After lunch, we got a tour of the school, which was AMAZING. The school has so many opportunities for its students, it's no won</span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/S4IfyCYPyKI/AAAAAAAAAB4/4iwBwzSN7uU/s1600-h/IMG_0144.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/S4IfyCYPyKI/AAAAAAAAAB4/4iwBwzSN7uU/s320/IMG_0144.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440946244309469346" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">der</span> they have kids come from all around to attend it. After we left the school, we had a bit of break time, and then it was time to head to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Tamaki</span> Village for a traditional Maori feast or "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">han</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">gi</span>."</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> The </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">entertainment was excellent, as was the food (I tried a mussel for the first t</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">im</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">e after much peer pressure. Big mistake.), and the village was absolutely gorgeous. For</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> anyone that has seen the movie Avatar, not only did James Cameron base much of the story on the struggles and traditions of the Maori people, but the scenery of Pandora is real, and</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> I saw it in this village. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Truly a breathtaking experience.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><b>WEDNESDAY</b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">We headed out early in the morning for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">Waitomo</span>, and after getting into our wetsuits and helmets, we headed down a very tight crevice into the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">Waitomo</span> caves. I have never been caving before, and am not a HUGE fan of tight spaces, but I decided to just let myself enjoy it, and what a day it was! First we traveled through a glowworm cavern with ceilings lit completely by these tiny larvae, which was beautiful. after that we crawled in completely darkness though some tiny muddy spaces, until we came out on a large lake-like cavern. Here we hopped on some inner tubes and went for a leisurely float down Aria Cavern, named so because we spent the whole time singing at the top of our lungs (it had great acoustics!). I led the expedition for most of the second half, and I had a great time talking with our guide Logan about the history of the caves and what his job entailed. All in all, it was a most excellent adventure, and I am glad that I didn't let my hesitations get the best of me, cause I really would have missed out.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><b>THURSDAY</b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">We left in the morning for Auckland and arrived back in the city about midday. It was extremely humid, though I suppose I shouldn't complain, as the weather is lovely here. We got all checked into our rooms, and then a few of us headed out on the town for the remainder of the day. We caught a movie in the evening, and then headed back and went to bed. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><b>FRIDAY</b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Another day of just kind of walking around the city not doing much of anything. Orientation starts on Monday, so that should be interesting. We might head to the beach tomorrow, but for now, I am heading to bed. I love and miss you all! I hope all is well, and I'll write again soon! :-)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">-Connor</span></span></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226949914454072631.post-30858318581231107822010-02-12T15:35:00.014-05:002010-03-28T07:18:21.247-04:00Kia Ora from Aotearoa!<div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);">(Hello from New Zealand!)</span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);">Just a little Maori lingo for you there. As you can probably tell, this means I've made it to Auckland safe and sound. After a pretty gruelling 30 some hours of travel, I arrived in Auckland around 5:30 AM New Zealand time. After getting our luggage, my tour group left the airport and hopped on a bus, where we were greeted by Forbes, our group leader, and Stu, our bus driver. He's full of hilarious little sayings, such as "We're off, like a herd of turtles, marauding through a field of peanut butter!" Just a little taste of Kiwi humour for you there. It happens to be right up my alley, so I have been laughing my head off constantly. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);">The city itself is beautiful. We took a bus tour up to Mount Eden, which is known as a dormant volcano, as none of the volcanoes are technically <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">inactiv</span></span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);">e. The view looking out over the city was just marvel</span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">ous</span>, and pictures will follow as soon as I can upload them. After the tour, we checked into out hostel where the group stayed <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">fo</span></span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);">r the first night of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">orie</span></span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">ntation</span> week. We headed out in the afternoon to do so</span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);">me shopping, and then turned in early to get a good <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">nig</span></span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">ht's</span> sleep. More to come!</span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);">-Connor<br /><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/S4IgyPUBIwI/AAAAAAAAACA/bJZYOlru8QI/s1600-h/IMG_0011.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/S4IgyPUBIwI/AAAAAAAAACA/bJZYOlru8QI/s320/IMG_0011.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440947347293020930" border="0" /></a><span style=" color: rgb(51, 204, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;">The view from atop Mount Eden. Definitely a fitting name.</span><br /></div></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226949914454072631.post-85905447062752697822010-02-10T23:52:00.005-05:002010-02-19T08:50:24.204-05:00I'm Off!<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Hey Gang, </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Just wanted to check in before I fly out tomorrow morning, cause I may not have internet access for a few days once I am in Auckland. I fly out at the crack of dawn tomorrow (Thursday) from Traverse City to Detroit, then to LAX, and finally the wonderful 13 hour flight to Auckland. I will arrive there around 5 AM on Saturday, yet it will still be Friday here, which means I will be flying into the FUTURE. Pretty cool. :-)</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Anyway, thanks to those who are following me, and invite anyone who may know me. I'll check back in once things get settled over there. I love you all, and thanks for all of your support! See you in a few days!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">-Connor</span></span></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226949914454072631.post-60829119320889634142010-02-07T15:02:00.001-05:002010-02-19T08:48:51.319-05:00Preppin' for the Zeez<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 204, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Hey Gang,</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I've never written one of these blog type deals before, so bear with me. I am currently sitting in my bed in Traverse City, MI, bored out of my mind and putting off packing for my trip that is rapidly approaching. What's that? Didn't know I was leaving? Well, let me just bring you up to speed then.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">In four days I will be taking off for New Zealand (the University of Auckland to be precise) and I will be studying there for the next five months. This will be the furthest I've ever been away from home, and It's kind of a big step for me. I am excited and looking forward to a change of scenery (right now it's 63 degrees outside in Auckland), yet I am also a little nervous. Hopefully all of my fears will be calmed when I actually get there, but for right now I remain cautiously excited.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I'm not sure what to expect from New Zealand, but I am going into this with an open mind and lots of high hopes. Not sure what else to say at this point, so I'll leave you for now. I'll be posting periodic updates to this blog, so stay tuned for further adventures if that's your thing. Or you can just have no contact with me for 5 months and then hear the entire story all in one sitting when I get back. Your choice.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Anyway, I should go pack (but I won't). I'll write again soon!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">-Connor</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">P.S. I'm going whitewater rafting in NZ next Monday. Can't wait. :-D</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/S28gc3GefFI/AAAAAAAAAAU/xkB52egGt2s/s1600-h/150603.jpg"><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_x6YvX2DnRB8/S28gc3GefFI/AAAAAAAAAAU/xkB52egGt2s/s320/150603.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435598955459017810" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">This is my excited face.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CCFF;"><br /></span></span></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1