It's a Small World

Hey long time no see, Blog. I have a lot of catching up to do, don't I.

My time in New Zealand is quickly coming to and end and it's scary. I've never been more aware that time is flying.

* * *

So I was getting a coffee at the Uni bookstore cafe last week when James Taylor's "Sweet Baby James" came on. I listened to the lyrics "the first of December was covered in snow, and so was the turnpike from Stockbridge to Boston," and thought of how crazy it is that I'm on the other side of the planet and still hearing about my hometown on the radio. Well that's a stretch... 45 minutes from my hometown. My home state. When you're on the other side of the world, though, anyone from the States feels like a neighbor. Before I used to feel like someone from Vermont or Maine lived far away from me. Texas, California, forget it. Now I hear someone talking about Oregon and I have this weird sense that I can relate because I'm from "near there."

Speaking of craziness and hometowns on the other side of the planet, I met someone from WESTFIELD at the bar on Saturday night. We just vaguely recognized each other but we both ran track together in high school and knew all the same people. CRAZY STUFF. He is studying abroad at a different University in Wellington.

* * *

-Watched some rugby with Boo
-Went out to eat and BYO with a bunch of Kiwis
-Spent some time at Verve cafe
-Handed in a paper I slaved over
-Was sick in bed with a fever and aches for two days
-Went to the Botanic Gardens last night with Boo to stargaze, play on the playground, and see the view of the city at night. All awesome.

FOOD UPDATE:

New Zealand Lamb Shish-kebab from Abrakebabra!

Bomb as Breakfast with VT Maple Sugar candy leaf included!
Thanks again Auntie Sherry, Uncle Kevin, Courtney and Hilary!

Steak in bed?

* * *

Well after three and a half months in New Zealand it's become a reflex to look right first when crossing a street. I came around and started loving "flat whites." Walking on the left side of the sidewalk seemed natural since the second week I've been here, when people stop me for directions I can help them to just about anywhere, and I now know how to figure out a bus schedule. I only have two weeks and a day left and it's starting to get real. Like when Sophie and I had a deliberation regarding what to do about the toilet paper situation since our third useless roommate hasn't bought it in months and still will not, I just said "whatever I'll just suck it up and get a 12 pack that should last until I leave." AHHHHH things are lasting until I leave now.

I'm definitely making the most of these last two weeks! Lots and lots to do!!!

Shout out to Grandma! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

Down Under and Under the Weather

Sorry for the lack of updates recently. I've been sick the past few days.

I have a few good stories to tell! It's late though, so I'll update tomorrow! Stay posted!

Bill Manhire

I was doing my class reading a few weeks ago, which consisted of a bunch of Bill Manhire poems, and opened my book and read:

MILKY WAY BAR

I live at the edge of the universe,
like everybody else. Sometimes I think
congratulations are in order:
I look out at the stars
and my eye merely blinks a little,
my voice settles for a sigh.

Immediately I recognized part of this from one of the various quote-stones scattered around the harbor. This was very exciting; a full circle experience.

Photo cred: Colin Sorensen

As if that didn't make me excited enough, I just got back from class where we actually had Bill Manhire as a guest lecturer!!! So exciting!!! He is basically a New Zealand celebrity! Well maybe through my eyes he is. What he definitely is is the most well known living New Zealand poet. There are articles about how most of the students that were in his creative writing workshop he taught here at Victoria University went on to become successful authors, too. (Which makes me super pumped that I got into a Vic creative writing workshop)

I'm so lucky to have the opportunity in my New Zealand Literature class to hear lectures from writers like Bill Manhire! My creative writing teacher is a New Zealand author, too! (I've mentioned that before, sorry if I'm getting redundant) Super pumped. This makes me very happy with my course selection.

So yes, the lecture was very interesting. He read some of his poems and explained them, and although I am usually too frustrated with or unsure of poetry that I don't particularly like it, he explained his poem "Visiting Mr Shackleton" before reading it and I think I now have a favorite poem.

I guess in Antarctica there are huts left over from explorers from waaay back in the day that are still preserved exactly how they were when the explorers were there, cans of food on the wall, trash and all. You can go visit these huts and there are visitor books you can write a comment in. He explained how usually when you come across these books they have one column for your name, one for your address, and one for your comment, and you usually try to write something sensitive and thoughtful, but it usually just ends up being banal... and occasionally someone will mix up the columns and write their address in the comment column.
That being said here is my new favorite poem:

VISITING MR SHACKLETON

Cool! Wow! Beautiful! Awesome!
Like going back in time.
Amazing! Historic! Finally
I am truly blessed.

Wow! History! Fantastic!
Wonderfully kept.
Shackleton's the man!
Like going back in time.

Wow! Cool! Historic! Yo!
Awesome! Privileged. Unreal!
And Thank you, God. And Happy
Birthday, Dad. And Thailand.

* * *

So this is something I have not recently noticed, but I have never mentioned. Everyone in Wellington wears black. Black black black black, maybe some dark green. Today in my tutorial, out of about 15 people, four of the girls were wearing the same black on black converse sneakers, and the rest of them were wearing some other sort of black shoes. A woman in my creative writing class explained this in one of her pieces by saying "In Wellington we wear black; it's just what we do."

I thought I'd probably blend in here in New Zealand as far as fashion went. I didn't think it'd be much different from the States... but it is. Someone can pick me out as an American, or at least a foreigner, before I even open my mouth and confirm it with my accent. Wellingtonians do not really wear jeans, and definitely not light wash jeans, and DEFINITELY not a sweatshirt.

My Favorite Beach

I guess it's called Breakers Bay, or Dorset Point. I kind of liked it better when I didn't know it's name and I just called it "my favorite beach."

I pretty spontaneously hopped on bus 11 today and went there. "Get my sister a paua shell" is on my list of things to do before I leave New Zealand and I figured today was a good day to cross that one off.

I was sitting at the beach on a nice grassy hill, taking millions of pictures, just snapping away, when a man walking his dog yelled over from below the hill, "It's a great memory, but it won't do it justice." I could not agree more.

So while you're looking at my pictures, somehow try to imagine that it actually is even more beautiful in real life.

Look at all my pictures by clicking here!!!

Wine Night

* * *

I finally bought some New Zealand fashions today: aladin pants. Very much my style. Definitely good travel-wear, too. Light, comfortable, fashionable. lots of pockets.

I wore them to the Paramount where Sara, Alexis and I saw the "mockumentary" Catfish. The theatre was awesome. It was really small and had COUCHES! Very very comfy. I took my shoes off and felt right at home. I plan on seeing more movies there. Catfish was really good. I liked it a lot. Check it out.

That's Saturday :)

*EDIT: I'm not sure if Catfish was a "mockumenary" after all... I hope it wasn't. I guess they claim it's a real documentary but people don't believe it. Meh.

Regrets ... ?

Well, I had complete confidence that I could move my flight up and still leave New Zealand with no regrets, but it turns out that will not be the case.

My creative writing professor is having our class over his house for dinner and drinks for the end of the semester. It's essentially a party for handing in our portfolios. I was so looking forward to this. Being in a class with only 13 other people where every week you have to read something personal aloud that you've written really creates a bond... plus the people are just cool to begin with. Also being invited over a professor and an accomplished writer's house is something I've never experienced, and might never again! Well, might never... ever. My flight is scheduled to blast off twelve hours before that party.

I'm so bummed :( :( :( :( :(
That would have been a great send-off if it was just a DAY earlier.. or if my flight was just a DAY later. Especially because this class is one of my favorite things about studying abroad here in New Zealand.

Damn it.

* * *

Let me throw in a bunch of pics to lighten the mood and change the subject.

It was Emma's turn to present her portfolio in class this morning.

She wrote hours a day on a spontaneous, four-month trip around South America in 2009, Jack Kerouac style. The whole trip was inspired by "On The Road" in fact. Now she's typing up all her hand written journals and organizing them into a book. During her critique she revealed that she kept a journal simultaneously with the book writing. I said I'd rather have read the journal. Not that what she wrote wasn't great. It was.

She gave herself a pseudonym, like Kerouac did for himself and his friends in his book. She admitted she was doing it just to imitate Kerouac, but she also said "I felt like a character during that time anyway, though." Harry, my professor, said a little something about how it is nice to be able to travel and kind of "be someone else" for awhile. Then he remembered "we actually have three travelers in our class right now, I'd be interested to see how they feel about that" and I piped up and said I had actually been thinking about it the other day and feel like I'm pretty much the exact same way I always am. Everyone laughed and once the laughter died down I heard one feeble "I think that's good though" which was from the classmate I admire the most so I appreciated it extra.

The thing is though, that's the truth. My time here in New Zealand is winding down and the other day I was wondering if I might have missed an opportunity to put on another pair of shoes for awhile. Act like someone else and have no one be the wiser. Even though that does sound like a lot of fun, and I did have a big opportunity to pull it off, being in a country on the other side of the world where I didn't know a soul to begin with, how can I regret being myself.

I think I'm lucky to be 21 and "know who I am" more or less. I know I'm young and I'm going to grow and change and look back and think I didn't know what I was talking about, but for now, I'm happy being the me I am. I am experiencing New Zealand without an alter-ego lens and I'm happy about it. I do the things I do. I say the things I say. That's me.

I guess I still have time to go all "dissociative disorder" on everyone and conjure up another personality, but I don't think I will.

Migraine Auras

Okay... disclaimer:
I don't have a migraine. I haven't had a migraine in at least a year or two...
also:
This is not really about New Zealand whatsoever.

I will tie it in to my New Zealand blog by saying in my Cross Cultural Psych class I am taking here in New Zealand, we were talking about altered states of consciousness and migraines the other day, and my teacher showed a video of a "migraine aura" ... something I have experienced a few times in my life and never have been able to properly articulate. Finally! A video to explain! Genius!

It was just very exciting to see it and think "omgomgomg this is what I have been trying to explain for years!"

When I get a migraine (which is super rare, I've probably had five tops) I "go blind" in one eye. I always just say I go blind, because I don't know how else to explain it. Apparently it's a "migraine aura." The video shows it in color, but when it happens to me it's just black and white, and it doesn't stop half way, it continues to fill my entire vision until one whole eye is blind.

Anyway click here to see it!!!
Woooo migraines.

Weird

I wore my winter coat yesterday, on May 18th, and a few months ago I was tanning on the beach in the middle of February.

Weird.
At least it has still been sunny!!

One Glorious Month Left in Aotearoa

Today was just such a great day.

Since it was so nice out and I didn't have class until 4:00pm, I wandered around and ended up at Te Papa for lunch: Veggie frittata, salad, and a hazelnut latte. Te Papa is one of few places in Wellington (and probably all of NZ) that serves my beloved hazelnut FLAVORED latte.

After lunch I strolled over to my usual spot at Oriental bay and hung out there for awhile. It was just so nice out. It was not too hot and not too cold, and there was the kind of wind that made my hair look better instead of worse. I brought my journal and a book and I could have just sat there all day, but around 2:30 I got up and headed for the cable car to get to class. In class (cross cultural psych) we had an uncharacteristically interesting lecture.

I feel like the stars just aligned today.

...or maybe it was the hugely massive enormous FULL MOON I saw over Mt. Victoria on the way home from class!!!!!! So glad I had my camera!!!

Now I am indulging in two of my favorite New Zealand commodities: pineapple lumps and wine. I might go to the cool old law library on Pipitea campus to work on my creative writing portfolio soon...

The weather is supposed to be great all week. Many more days like today!
I love life in New Zealand!!!

Look at more of my pictures from today by clicking here.

I love this photo. Bizarre.

3 Months in New Zealand

Today marks the day that I've been in New Zealand for exactly three months! I'd say time flies but it actually does seem like it's been awhile since I arrived. Wellington feels like home now.

Yesterday after my beloved creative writing class, and after our (now usual) trip to Verve cafe, Alexis, Sara and I headed over to Cuba street to see "Late Night Laughs," part of the NZ Comedy Festival that's going on. We got there super early and the man at the door told us to come back in a half hour. We went and got beers at Hotel Bristol and when we came back, he told is it was sold out. Ugh!! I was really bummed. Luckily there are tons of comedy shows going on for the festival so we're just going to go to another one next weekend... and get our tickets in advance.

So since the comedy show was a bust, we decided to go to a cool but expensive bar that was recommended to Sara by someone she met on her travels over break. It was a really nice place and the drinks were delicious. After that we ended up at Boogie Wonderland to dance to some 70s music on light-up tiles, and then to Establishment to dance to some more recent music, without light-up tiles. It was a really good night!

The wind sounded like a freight train last night. At some points it was shaking the walls, which is odd in this sturdy apartment building I'm in. I'm usually not a light sleeper but it kept waking me up, and keeping me up. I tried to get work done at the library today but I was just so tired and not feeling that well and just went home and accomplished nothing. Not a very productive day at all. Hopefully I've gained enough energy by being lazy all day that I can work on school work all night. Wooo crazy Saturday!!!

Creative Writing

I just got back from getting coffee with my creative writing professor in the campus bookstore cafe. We talked for an hour and fifteen minutes about my portfolio and how to expand it, and what was good, and how to make it better, ect. He is a really talented published writer with tons of good advice, so I am honored to have had the opportunity to do that! I can't believe how well I lucked out with this creative writing class I've been taking. I have a lot of inspiration after that meeting, too! Lots of work to do!

It started raining on my way back from campus which made deciding over walking to the harbor, walking to the grocery store, or staying in and making dinner a lot easier.

Speaking of rain, the forecast I mentioned a few posts back about it raining Monday-Monday has been pretty much totally wrong. It didn't rain on Tuesday at all, and it's Wednesday and it just started raining now, at almost 5:00pm... it's been gloomy, but I don't even mind. Lately, any weather besides rain is fine with me, and these past two gloomy-but-dry days have definitely lifted my spirits.

Katy Perry

I got the wind back in my sails quick!

I spent the first half of the day hanging out in Verve, a really cool cafe that offers FREE INTERNET. Free anything is rare in New Zealand, and not only is the internet in Verve free, but it's fast too. Incredible. AND they have outlets to plug in my computer, which is necessary. They played an entire Ryan Adams CD while I was there and I was absolutely loving life. After it was done they popped in Sufjan Stevens, another great choice. I think I'm going to spend more time there.

Tried my first "flat white" while I was there. It's about time. I've been avoiding weird New Zealand coffee but I finally decided I needed to see what the difference was between a flat white and a latte. I found out that there is none. (Not unless you believe there is a difference between macrofoam and microfoam)

I got a bowl of fries with aioli and tomato sauce, too. Their aioli did not impress me though, I must say. So far Fergburger still has the best aioli I've come across.

I left Verve and took the cable car up to class at 3:30. After my 50 minute lecture I basically ran home and Alexis Sara and I set out to sneak into the Katy Perry concert. It proved to be harder than expected. When we realized we wouldn't be able to sneak in a back door, we waited around for some scalpers to see what the going rates would be, but didn't see any. I guess no one wanted to part with their precious Katy Perry tickets. Sara gave up and walked home and Alexis and I went to American-themed restaurant/bar "Chicago" to create plan B over a beer. Little did we know, inside the bar something incredible was occuring: the Red Sox game was on. Strangest/coolest experience of the day. Even Alexis, a Yankees fan, was excited to see it on. That is either a testament to how long it's been since we've seen an American sport on TV, or to how crappy of a Yankees fan Alexis really is. We watched innings 8-11 and headed back out to give the Katy Perry show another go.

We couldn't get in but we did find a balcony-type area behind the arena with a door that you could hear through pretty well, and we camped out there and enjoyed the concert for free. Sara came back and we all had a good time. Once during the show a man opened the door and came out to answer a cell phone call. I saw inside and there were plenty of open seats. We asked if he would let us in but he wouldn't. In retrospect we should have pulled him out, ran in, and shut the door behind us. We would have been ON the stage. We're too polite I guess.

After the show we waited to see Katy make her exit, and she did, in a SUV with totally tinted out windows. We were all pretty unimpressed. There was only about 40 people out back waiting for her, all spread out, just chilling. It's not like she was in danger of causing a riot or anything. The least she could have done was roll the window down and wave.

Anyway, we walked away feeling satisfied. We didn't get in but we experienced enough of the concert to enjoy it. AND we didn't have to fork over hundreds of dollars for it like other people did.

Tomorrow Sara and I plan to actually purchase some tickets for a concert for a band called Cut Copy that's happening at the end of May. I've really never heard of the band, but Sara played me a few songs and I can tell it will be a fun show. I'm really excited, actually.

Until next time! Cheers.

Rainy Welly

Wow I live here.

Well, the weather that everyone has always warned me about is finally here. Rain rain rain rain rain. It was nice on Sunday but of course I was locked up in my room finishing a book for my NZ Lit class. It's gettin' me a little down. I just checked the weather and it says rain until next Monday. Ugh.

I'm trying to be optimistic, but when it's raining every day it's just kinda hard to be inspired to do fun New Zealand things, and then I waste precious days being bummy. I think I'm just in a rut. We went out on Saturday and I was really excited to finally be out in Wellington again, but when we got out to the clubs it just wasn't much fun. We tried our best to have a good time but mad creeps were swarming.

We've been planning for weeks to some how sneak into the Katy Perry concert that's going on tomorrow night, but I just have no wind in my sails right now.

The fact that my iPod got broken and my nose ring had to be taken out probably aren't helping my mood either. I'm already trying to mentally prepare myself for the 42 hour journey home sans iPod. I guess I can use the $55 headphones I splurged on for this trip as an fashion accessory :/

I know I shouldn't be complaining. I'm in New Zealand and it's awesome. I'm just being honest, though.

I need to plan something exciting to get me back on track.

RIP Nose Ring

Goodbye dear nose ring friend. You'll be greatly missed. Maybe one day you will be re-pierced again, but until then, rest in peace.

:( :( :( :( :(

Quick Update

I feel like I haven't been writing in this enough lately so here's a quick update before I head out:

Last night we went to the Hurricanes vs Blues rugby game and it was a lot of fun. The stadium was pretty empty, but I guess that's how it usually is. New Zealand is a tiny country I'm not surprised they can't even fill a stadium. I'm guessing it fills up for the All Blacks though.

Look at the beautiful scrum.

The Wellington Hurricanes lost but we still had a good time. After the game we wanted fish and chips and ran around like crazy people trying to get a cab before the places closed but we ended up just cutting our losses. It was good to save some money at least.

I just made dinner (splurged on parmesan cheese yumyumyumyum) and now I'm going to get ready, get weird, and go out with Alexis. We haven't been out in Wellington in what feels like forever so I'm excited about it. Should be a good time ;)

P.S. Time is ticking away towards my flight home and it's getting scary! I will be excited to get home and see my pup Winston who just turned 11 on Friday, though. ELEVEN. I can't believe it. Happy birthday to Win!

Hermit Week in NZ

I have nothing exciting to report on unfortunately!

I have to present my portfolio on Friday in my creative writing class so I've been pretty much working on that non-stop. It's been rainy and crappy so I guess I'm okay with being stuck in my room like a hermit.

Friday I have tickets to see the Wellington Hurricanes rugby match against the Blues! I'm so excited to see some real live rugby! Can't wait!

Here's another picture of Queenstown that I don't think I've posted yet. Beautiful. Cheers.

Beach Trip

Yesterday was a hilariously heavenly beautiful beautiful beautiful day at the New Zealand beach. The best day. The sun was warm, the water was cold and clear, the hills were towering over us and there were dogs having so so much fun. I didn't bring my camera but I won't forget it.

I really just felt like I was IN New Zealand, which, even after three months here, is hard to get my head around sometimes.

This is an older photo but it was this beach: