Good (long) read.
Now I wouldn’t consider myself to be a big reader. I almost didn’t put this category in this blog because it on average takes me about 6 months to complete any normal sized book. Seriously. I’m not really embarrassed by that, because in my mind at least I’m trying, but I felt like some things in literature I do have something valuable to input so I’m thinking if it’s gonna be every six months, it’d better be good. Well I wouldn’t consider this to be earth shattering but….
The day I left London my good friend Simon gave me a departing gift that would keep me occupied for the long journey home. A 1,300 page history of London! By my calculations this should take about 3 years to finish but the more and more I read it, the more intrigued I get, and in turn the more I read. The history of this city is nothing boring and is easily filling the 1-1,300 page gap. From getting conquered in time before Christ by the Saxon’s, to conquering nations of their own….this city has seen it all. 
The book is a series of fictional stories following six families and their decedents through the generations from the cities’ humble beginning to its present day significance. It also features a pub called the George that started as a brewery in the 1100’s and is STILL in use today! I know, I went there. I only wish I could have known the history of the streets I was walking for those two months (some of them built by the Romans, who invented stone roads)
Baraka on Blue-Ray
Hold the phone, you mean to tell me one of the most visually stunning pieces of work ever shot on film is now on Blue-Ray? Hold it indeed!
In a film that features no special effects, no make-up, and no trickery it would seem that Baraka wouldn’t be a top Blue-Ray seller – but this in my mind is precisely what this technology was meant for! When you watch these images in the highest quality we have yet to produce, you will understand why we keep pushing the boundaries of pixel technology! To fully duplicate the stunning quality of the 70mm film used to shoot the film, director Ron Fricke decided to scan the frames at a whopping 8k (8,000+ pixel resolution!) and downgrade to the highest quality we consumers can view the film. Now that will get some attention!
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The Big Update. (originally posted 7/19/07)
Welp, this is the official update to get everyone in the know, so you will know.
First of all, you if you are reading this you’re probably curious as to my where abouts in the last few months and where I am now this very second. Those, my friends, are fairly easy questions to answer, but perhaps a more complex one would be where I WILL be in the next few months. I will make an attempt to clear the perpetual fog that surrounds my future to give you all some idea of what is to come.
At this very second I am at work. Not really working very hard mind you but I at least made it here on time and right now it’s pretty slow. This place is called the Nebraska Television Network (NTV) and I am an assistant producer and photojournalist with hopes of being behind the camera full time. I basically edit, arrange, and cue all the tapes used in the news broadcast and sometimes shoot footage too. Im sitting at the computer in the corner looking at a photo collage of Brad Pitt on some woman’s desk and drinking filtered coffee (like a good caffeinated employee.)
In addition to tape hustling I also work nights at the Developmental Services of Nebraska (DSN) with mostly young adults with developmental disabilities living in group homes in Kearney. My full time status consists of three nights and one morning a week plus a few shifts here and there.
I have also been involved in starting a media production business called Focal Point Media. Myself, along with Mr. Ismael Torres, do all aspects of promotion, marketing, design, and best of all, video production. It’s still all on a small time scale mind you…just for now! Ismael is very motivated and has a good sense of marketing and public relations and I (of course) am the creative genius behind all things digital….go ahead and take my word for it. Since FP Media dived into the frenzy that is the media business in February, we have been busy with projects spanning from various video ventures, to posters, and billboards with an infinite amount of new jobs spawning in the mind of Ismael.
Perhaps the best news I can think of at the moment is that I recently moved BACK with the parents, whom I might add ,invited me to move back into the room that once housed my brother, then me, and now a few years later myself again. I was living close to downtown in a large house made larger with a “entrepreneurial” landlord who is continually adding apartments for more tenants. It was a glorious heap of decks, doors, and unknown planks of cheep 2X4’s sticking out of various parts of the exterior…and I don’t miss it.
The reason for moving is not complicated – I needed to save money.
Saving money, other than working, will be my main objective for the next few months. The world is too big and there are too many things I want to see to stay in one comfortable place. My passion is being out in the wild…the unknown, and not knowing (or caring) where I’ll be sleeping tomorrow.
I still would like to go back to school, I still would like to own my own house and car, and I still would like to pursue a career but at any point in the next 20 years Ill be able to have those luxuries. Right now, my network is on roam.
So there is the update. I will be uploading new pictures and video here soon so come back!
Peace and Love, –Mike
To Sydney and Beyond (originally posted 12/22/06)
Well my year in New Zealand is now a week past and I still am coming to grips with the idea that I’m another country again. Mom and Dad came for my last week and had a near perfect trip. We almost drove around the entire South Island in six days, which is a pretty big deal with dad. Glaciers, mountains, rain forests, wineries, penguins, whales, and too much else to list. I think for all of us, it will give memories that will last forever and I am so glad they took the time and money (lots of money 
to come visit.
Then they were off to Tasmania for another fun in the sun week with Rob and Rita Gunn (more penguins to be seen and wine to be tasted). I shot back up to Wellington for a day to attend Sarah’s wedding. And yes, this IS the same Sarah that came over with me a short year ago! So a long story short she met Devin in February, they started dating immediately, and were inseparable and rarely left each others’ side. Then the came engagement in September, and marriage on the 25th of November. Bing, Bang, Boom. It goes to show that you will never know what is in store for you until you show up and take the chance. Sarah and Devin are perfect for each other and I’m happy that they found each other. Good on ‘em.
As for me, I wasn’t too excited to start all over again and to fight for work and a place to live. I was excited to start a new journey in a completely different environment, plus I had the plane tickets already so why not! I was however in a funk in Wellington and needed a change that would put me in new surroundings with different challenges. After some sad goodbyes in New Zealand and a day layover in a great city called Melbourne, I finally caught up with mom and dad and the Gunns in Hobart on the 27th. The highlights of those few days were a tour of Port Arthur, Australia’s largest convict colonies built in the late 1700’s and seeing, hearing and touching Tasmanian Devils, which contrary to popular belief, are more short sighted than ferocious, and with only 50,000 left in the wild are extremely rare. I’m glad for the chance to have seen both.
So now its a new journey. Beginning in Sydney and however far beyond with enough money to last me only a few weeks and no working visa we will only see what will happen when I show up and take a chance.
Cheers.
Mike
The Next Few Months… (originally posted 10/25/06)
All living things contain a measure of madness that moves them in strange, sometimes inexplicable ways. Without it no species would survive. -Yann Martel “Life of Pi”
Back in Welly for the moment and moving on soon.
Wow it has been a long, long time since I have actually wrote anything up on this. It makes me feel so lazy when I look at this page…well calling it lazy is a bit harsh because I do sometimes update the header picture or very occasionally update with a video, but alas, I have realized I am just not a writer. I have tried to keep a daily journal where I would jot the tid bits down at the end of the day but it turns out to be a bit of jotting once every other month. And I’m always loosing the damn thing.
This sort of reminds me of when two old friends reunite after a long absence and begin to delve into each others lives once again…you and I are, at this moment, doing the same. It is just completely one sided and when everyone (if anyone) will read it, it will be not until the next day or week or month. But in a way, we are now being connected once again.
If you are not my parents or my brother or sister…you may not know a whole lot of what I have been up to this past year. Like I before mentioned, I am not a writer so it is hard for me to write what its like living in another country for a year of my life. Its hard to put down with clarity the strangeness, excitement, beauty, and unfamiliarity’s of this place. There will most likely never be a book published about my travels, only a hand full of pictures and a few tapes worth of video clips that express some of the places and people along the way, but in no way, shape or form will it capture the emotions, thoughts, and even growth of a person. I do feel that New Zealand has changed me. I don’t know if it would have been 
any different if I would have ventured to another place but I don’t care, I like what has happened here.
The Sublime (orginally posted 8/25/06)
- sublime |səˈblīm| |səˌblaɪm| |səˌblʌɪm|
adjective. of such excellence, grandeur, or beauty as to inspire great admiration or awe : Mozart’s sublime piano concertos | [as n. ] ( the sublime) experiences that ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous.
- Sublime landscapes do not introduce us to our inadequacy; rather, to touch on a the crux of their appeal, they allow us to conceive of a familiar inadequacy in a new and more helpful way. Sublime places repeat in grand terms a lesson that ordinary life typically introduces viciously: that the universe is mightier than we are, that we are frail and temporary and have no alternative but to accept limitations on our will; that we must bow to necessities greater than ourselves. – Allan de Botton The Art of Travel
The Good news, The Bad news. (oridinally posted 7/19/06)
Hello everyone, I hope you are enjoying your warm summer and your nice golden tan bodies! I am braving the cold (close to the arctic) winter but with hope that there will someday be warmth again to my extremities and I will be able to play frisbee without gloves.
I will first start with the good news because everyone likes good news. I finally got a job! I work for Maui Rental at the Queenstow
n airport detailing cars, making them nice and clean and smelling great! Its a pretty posh job because I get to drive all the nice cars into town to get petrol and for repairs. That means lots of time to check out the local radio stations for some good kiwi music My first paycheck is this Wednesday and it couldn’t have come soon enough!
The bad news is that I had lost my plane tickets somewhere in the process of moving and after a frantic search, I had to fork out the remainder of my bank account to cover the reprints before my flight became invalid. Then a bad week got worse as I let a friend borrow my car for the day which he was quite nice and put petrol in it but decided to parked it illegally. The next morning (June 30th) it was towed, parked outside of town, and was quickly robbed of all my valuables inside. Anything and everything that could have any value was taken, including things that didn’t have any value to anyone else but me (like my journals, letters, and postcards) BUT THANKFULLY all the really expensive things (my computer, camera etc.) were locked safely in my room!
Well I hope everyone is having a safe and fun summer! I am now in the process of getting a working visa for Australia…and if anyone would like to join me in the OZ tour, no worries mate, there’s always plenty of room!
peace.
Getting some qt in QT (originally posted 6/15/06)
I arrived to my new destination late evening May 12 under the cover of darkness. There was no moon that evening so everything was pitch black except for the road signs telling me how far i had to go (QT is a five hour drive from Christchurch, which is another five hours from the ferry terminal) I didn’t realize how beautiful and rugged this area is until the next morning when i looked out the window. I saw lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables bursting out like the back of a giant prehistoric monster arching its back ready to strike (…yes it’s that dramatic). These mountains are much smaller in scale compared to the Rockies, at a height of only 7,000 meters, but with absolutely no trees and sharp layers of rock gouging out, The Remarkables are one of the most beautiful sights in all of new zealand in my opinion. Much of lord of the rings where shot right here in Queenstown and the surrounding areas and for good reason. Everything is very much untouched. I think i will like it most in a blanket of snow and me on the summit with a board on my feet and a line to ride.
Life here is much slower compared to Wellington. It gives me time. Time to think, watch movies, read, explore the mnts, take pictures, explore my tastes in NZ wine, be bored, and sit in front of the computer. That is what you get when you arrive in a new place with no job, no flat and nowhere to go and everyone to meet.
I spent the first two weeks looking for work and enjoying a bit of time off. I stayed my friend Marina from Vancouver. We had met in Wellington through one of our exchange program pub meetings and kept in touch after she moved knowing I would be soon to follow. Luckily there was room in her apartment so i gratefully took the couch. It is always nice to have a friend to be able to show you around town, but more importantly in my opinion, it invaluable to have someone to be able to enjoy a new experience with (especially in a place a beautiful as this).
Now I have been in Queenstown for nearly a month…still jobless and flatless. You get a gratefulness of the city when you get here and see how hard it is to find a flat or a job in a town of only 9,000. I am currently working for accommodation at a hostel called the discovery lodge. I work 18 hrs a week for a room shared with seven other travelers doing the same thing. i am getting used to dealing with changing beds and cleaning kitchens in return for the ease of not worrying about bills. I am also saving anywhere from $90-150 a week…but you can subtract the gin and tonic’s and multiple games pool from the Altitude bar joined directly to the hostel.
I am still on the hunt for a more proper full time work at a bar or restaurant in town…and my fingers have been crossed so long they are starting to cramp.
New Queenstown, NZ picts (originally posted 5/21/06)
I have updated some pictures of my first week in Queenstown and I must say this place is so 
spectacular that it is easy to take a great photo. The Crown Range road is the only direct rout between QT and Wanaka that cuts through the mountains. Truly beautiful scenery but be careful if you have a rental cuz they DONT insure on this road!
Sit tight and I will give a full update of what Im doing in QT soon! Enjoy the picts
-mike
3rd Installment of the NZ Series! (originally posted 5/21/06)
FINALLY! The Wellington tribute is up for you all! I think its the most entertaining installment so far so I would like some feed back of your thoughts and concerns, fears and wants, joys and sorrows! ….or just give me an honest opinion
The Times Are A Changin… (originally posted 4/30/06)
Hello everyone throughout the world…to all my loving, adoring, admiring fans everywhere. You are all in my mind and on my heart every waking moment and when I’m on the toilet. Let the distance between us never be so far as to forget what has been, what will be, and what is to come….whatever that means. That being said, I have been trying to get reconnected with a number of you for the past few weeks and have had little luck. If you see a Unknown or Unavailable caller, it is most likely me…so ANSWER it! Thanks
For those of you who do screen your calls I’ll give you a short update. For the past 5 or so weeks I have been working pretty hard core and saving money. Firstly, thanks to Kelsi, I have been working at a local cafe called Eva Dixon’s 4-5 shifts a week as server and kitchen hand. Eva’s has a groovy, laid back atmosphere that makes great coffee (they’re drugging me into liking it i swear!) It has to to compete with the army of cafes in Welly which has more per-capita then New York! My second occupation, washing windows for Addie’s Cleaners, has also been a great experience. I get to travel all over the city and suburbs squeegee’ín along the way and keeping window shoppers happy. NO I do not hang from scaffolding on top of skyscrapers…that would for sure be the death of me and most likely a lawsuit! But I do get to use a thirty foot pole that has a brush squirting water all over passers by and myself below. All in all I’m happily working 40-60 hrs. a week! Plus adding on the Temp Center once in a while, whenever they come calling.
Today I bought a ferry ticket to the South Island and another new journey to a new place. I’m pretty sad to be leaving Wellington because I think this is the BEST city in NZ and a must see to anyone visiting. If you ever are so lucky, let me know and Ill give you a list a few pages long of what you need to see. As for now, I am getting ready to move -packing the things I still want to keep moving and trying to sell the things I am tired of moving. I had aspirations of buying a ski pass for the season but quickly had second thoughts when I learned they can run up to $1,200! That hurts anyone’s bank statement…but priorities are priorities and I may have to go without eating for a few months…
Any word on the nutritional value of snow??
Ohh the MADNESS! (originally posted 4/12/06)
March is a month for many things….the migratory birds who have spent the cold winter months in the warmer regions of the world, start to make their way back to their summer homes….my MOTHER’S birthday, which IS on the 24th, and which I was a terrible son and forgot to call her, but soon realized what date it was a week later and promptly called just to say I love her . March is also NCAA basketball madness, where teams battle it out at the end of the season to see who will come out on top….and that brings me to a different madness that the month of March is known for…. March Mustache Madness! Yes all you furry face males and females, its time to grow it and flaunt it! No matter what hemisphere you may be living in, you still will succumb to the madness. So this is for all my boys back home who represented this year!
Pastry chefs get all the chicks C=;^) (originally posted 4/16/06)
The life of a temp here in Wellington always finds something different and new every week. Last week you may have been called to chase down a naked drunk guy in your only nice pair of black slacks, this week you are called to hob-knob with some of the wealthiest people in NZ (by hob-knob of course I mean “serve drinks to”) and next week you will “become” a pastry chef and create master works of sugar, flower, and icing. It’s an easy life when your “boss” at the agency calls you and asks you when and where you would like to work. This life could only be possessed by a backpacker. The easy in, easy out, then see ya later way of working has been about as common for me as eating peanut butter sandwiches on stale bread, and that only occurs on the days that I dont work catering (because then I’ll get well fed) But some weeks are not as comfy. Work is very inconsistent and sometimes will go days without hearing anything. Having that inconsistency teaches me to invest my money wisely and to really think about what is worth spending it on. Gone are the days of vanity and useless consumption, which I dont think I will miss any time soon but can bemore of a comfortortable lifestyle. Everyone wants to be comfortable and not worry about their next meal but if you had to choose between eating lunch and a pair of sunnies what would you do? All in all, I am learning that “he who would travel happily must travel light.” The more you have, the more you have to worry about.
New Cell Piece! (originally posted 2/21/06)
I now own the cheapest, oldest, and the most uncool phone in Wellington…but it works! Now if you feel the need to talk to me about what to do with that nagging coupled partial differential equation you’ve mulling over, just give me a buzz or txt. I get free incoming international calls so you will be the only person charged :^I …but i think txts might be free for you (but you may want to check on that one) Just under the Contact link.
No real news since the last update. Im working pretty regularly now for the temp center and tonight Im bar tending the big UB40 show *sweet as* They said I may even get to even watch some of it! Yay! Im gonna sing my heart out on Red Red Wine. ”red red wine you make me feel so fine, you keep me rockin all of da time”
“”
Alive in Welly (originally posted 2/13/06)
Well well how is life for everyone? Mine has been pretty up and down for the past month and a half. Sorry to everyone for not keeping in touch (but Im not very good at that anyway…as you probably already know by now) So here is a little update on what my life consists of right at this moment.
A few weeks ago I hooked up with a temping agency which specializes in the hosting/serving industry. Since then I have only been able to work only one job since I was still getting situated in my flat and such. But the job I did manage to get was the annual International Sevens Tournament in Wellington’s Westpac Stadium. Sevens is a very quick style of rugby which uses only seven players (instead of the regular 15) playing in two 7 min. quarters (instead of 40) and it reminded me of a weird mix of ultimate frizbee, soccer, and really big guys destroying each other. I was on the pitch security team directly on the field so basically I stood there looking at the crowd for anyone who feels the need the hurl a beer bottle or the urge to hop the barrier and run onto the field (streakers and all) Unfortunately there was none of the such because Kiwi crowds are extremely well behaved, even though they consume more alcohol than I think I have ever even seen in my lifetime. Everyone dresses up in every costume you could imagine and has 
a good time which didn’t give me much to chase after but it did give me something interesting to look at while standing for 21 hrs. in two days.
After the successful weekend, I am now getting more and more jobs through the agency. I am now working at a banquet in the Te Papa this weekend and for the Wellington Opera House catering/serving all of next week. It should be an interesting time and I will get to meet some new people as well (all from the hob-knob artsy, fancy types as well as the lowly, poor travelers like myself).
I am now without a mode of personal transportation as Sarah now has the car and the luxury of moving herself to where she pleases with ease. I am now reduced to the Stagecoach bus transit, a bike, long board, train, or my feet (which I have found out wont get me very far). My world has now shrunk to the size of my neighborhood and the amount I am willing to pay for a bus pass. Im taking it as a good thing because it will reduce the amount of stress (all that it takes to take care of a car…and yes I AM stressed sometimes) as well as some distractions, i.e. an easy way to go spend money and the fact that I can go anywhere at anytime. It forces me to be content where I am and to perhaps crack open a book and expand my mind and perhaps connect with some ideas. So hopefully by the next update you will be impressed my grasp of the English language by the expansion of my mind through reading, YEAH! Take care and thanks for all the comments. Keep them coming! Farewell I miss you all.
TONS OF NEW PICTS *click me*
New Home, New Job, New Video! (originally posted 1/22/06)
Hello everyone! Its been awhile since I have written on this and a lot has happened since. After New Years I came back to Wellington to move my things into my new flat and start in on the hunt for a job (so only 2 of the things mentioned in the above title are true…I don’t actually have a job, yet). The move in was really easy considering I had already been acquainted with my three other flatmates over Christmas. My friend Kelsi from New Hampshire, who is also in the BUNAC program and also a flatmate, knows a lot about the city and generally it’s just the two of us that go out and do the exploring. From running up paved mountains to catch the view to witnessing cross-dressing concerts in the park… we’ve done it all, or are at least in the process of doing so… Wellington is a really great city with a creative scene that spans from fine art galleries to BMX comps to the best in NZ music. There is something going on all the time which is good for someone who has a short attention span. As for now I am scanning the newspapers and then internet for possible jobs and hopefully will get something close to where all the action is downtown.
This weekend Wellington held a free two day event sponsored by Vodafone (mobile phones) called the X-Air featuring some of the best BMX, skate, motox, bands, and street b-ball from all over NZ and Australia. They estimated over 140,000 people lined the streets on Saturday and Sunday, making it the biggest event of its kind in the southern hemisphere. My highlight was the motox best trick between two high rise buildings right in downtown. The back flips where everywhere and luckily I brought the camera (…vid coming soon)
But check out the newest video in my growing collection, and as for now you will just have to wait for the “cross-dressers in the park” footage.
Skunked! (originally posted 1/07/06)
After four days of praying to the cloud and wind gods to stay away, it just wasn’t going to happen. Lake Taupo may be the cheapest place to sky dive in the world but it may also be the hardest to get a clear day. For four days we tried to get booked and for four days we where rejected. We did however get to throw ourselves off the lakeside cliffs (check out the pictures!), so at least we got a rush. Skydiving on New Years, no matter how cool it sounded, just wasn’t going to happen but we will try our luck again within the next month when summer is in full swing.
Bobby has sadly left us to pursue his travels into the South Island. Good luck with everything! It was fun to have you hang with us for a while. Hopefully we can meet up again in the most beautiful city in all of nz and enjoy another “hoppy” beer that will make us “happy”.
New Years on Lake Taupo (originally posted 12/31/05)
Hello everyone! I hope your Christmas was as magical as it could be and you opened your presents with the same wide-eyed enthusiasm as if you were 5 again. I on the other hand, did not receive any presents but my Christmas was still one to remember. Sarah, Bobby, Kelsi, Nick (Kelsi’s flatmate) and I made a very nice chicken dinner with all the fix’ins and a nice Riesling to cool the pallet, we ventured out to the midnight service. We ended up at a catholic church some where down town and even thought none of us are catholic it was the only one open for business. Even though it was a full house (standing room only) they still managed to find all of us seats together…right in front behind the priests! Everyone seemed to be staring at us as we tried to sing in latin…and tried to stay awake. And only an hour and a half later it was all over.
The next day was Boxing Day! Pull out your grills, back up the chilly bins, and don’t forget the cricket stick, its time to head to 
the beach! Kelsi invited us to her work party and so we got to celebrate like the locals. After a bit grilled lamb, touch rugby (still don’t know whats goin on) and a bit more of the Tui (NZ brewed brew) we resided to the beach for a snooze. What a rough day.
Christmas on the beach (originally posted 12/24/05)
I finally felt a bit grounded as we pulled into Wellington two nights ago. Wellington is the southern most city in the northern island and is also the capitol of NZ. There is a lot of history in this city as well as the second largest in population next to Auckland. Sarah, Bobby and I are staying with our friend Kelsi who is from the states and in BUNAC as well. Her flat mates are all very chill and are willing to show us the stuff you cant find in the tour books. The flat is a long two blocks from the beach so getting some sun on Christmas wont be a problem (unless of course the sun doesn’t feel like celebrating with us) Yesterday was our first full experience of Wellington so we decided to go the the national museum. Te Papa (Maori for Our Country) is huge with four floors of three to four different exhibits on each floor. It would take a considerable amount of time to see all of it since we spent a good three hours and I only got through two exhibits.
I am excited to spend Christmas in this city but I do miss my family and would love to spend this time with them. It wont be the same holiday without my family (but there are so many OTHER holidays ~right guys!?) As for us, I think we will go out to a fine dinner at Kelsi’s restaurant where she waits then perhaps to treat ourselves to another NZ tradition -go see King Kong. So this Christmas will be pretty low key and that’s just how I like it and save the grand extravaganza for New Years! 
I just want to thank everyone who has kept in touch with me and I really am thankful you even though I am so bad at keeping in touch on my end. I just wish and hope someday you all will get to experience a place like this and you know I would bring you all along if I could. Have a merry Christmas and a safe New Years!!
Tairua: the highs, the Lowes (originally posted 12/20/05)
From the very north end of NZwe are slowly now making our way down. We stopped in a little hidden town called Tairua and stayed with Andrea and Shot Lowe. They are from Kearney and have been spending the cold, gloomy Nebraska winters in Tairua for the past 15 years. They really treated us like family and had an awesome view of the bay the volcano. We were fighting off the rain to be able to enjoy the beach but the rain here is torrential (to keep the rain forests green) but we still managed to visit the Cathedral Cove and Hot Water Beach (which is much better in the rain) Cathedral Cove was spectacular with a great golden beach and Hot Water Beach is almost too hot to handle. Thermal activity beneath the surface warms the sand to where you can dig a hole, fill it up with sea water and chill in a giant hot tub! At points it was almost too hot and we gladly invited the waves to wash in. The Lowes and Tairua were a great break from hostels and camp sites and we are very thankful for their hospitality.
To the edge and back. (originally posted 12/15/05)
I am finally back in Auckland today from a 5 day excursion to the very northern tip of New Zealand and back. We saw some of the most amazing scenes I have ever seen, snorkeled in a bay of islands, saw the converge of the pacific and Tasman seas, drove on one of the longest beaches in the world, tobogganed down giant sand dunes, and of course, ate some of the best seafood around…and its only been a week!! You cant imagine to scenery here but hopefully you can see just a glimpse of it when i get a chance to post some pictures and videos (by tomorrow i promise)
I have so much stuff to write and so many stories so far but I dont want to make this too wordy and bore you. I think the pictures will speak for themselves. Sara and I met a guy from Michigan named Bobby at orientation and he has been with us so far. It has helped cut costs and he has a pretty decent selection on his ipod. But we rarely need it because it doesnt take very long to drive anywhere here. They say you can travel the entire length of both islands in 28 hrs!
Well I have already made this too long but if you would like to call me my cell receives FREE incoming calls. Its 011 64 210 234 1959…or you can text and that is free for me too. take care.
Safe arrivals and killer jet lag (originally posted 12/9/05)
Sorry for the delay in writing to you all and i appreciate all the messages of concern.
I arrived in NZ around 7:30 am on thursday morning and for the first time in my life am a foreigner. I didnt really feel out of place until a gentleman asked my on the flight where I was coming from and I replied the United States; not Nebraska, or Kearney or Cottonmill Lake, but from America.
The 13 hr. flight was surprising easy to take. The in flight movies where terrible and I only watched them out of lack of a place to go (other than out the window). They were all kids movies and The Dukes of Hazard (Dukes took first in the worst of the worst…yeee-ha!) The food wasnt bad but I probably wouldnt pay for it at a restaurant. Again the window was the other option.
So am now Sarah and I living in a YHA (Youth Hostel Assoc.) in downtown Auckland. The transition was about as seamless as you could ask for. I soon regretted backing so much luggage, hauling 70+ lb. bags up escalators and in long lines but everything came for a reason and will come in handy at some point. We got to our room (which smell reminded me of the high school locker room after a summer football practice…hmm yummy!) but it didnt seem to compare to the jet lag we felt once we put our bags down. The first day in a completely new country takes a while to sink in. We will stay here as long it takes to get a cell phone, bank account and a car. I will let you know my new number asap.
Well thats about it for me now. I will post more later. Take care and I miss you all.
Books I’m reading!!!!!!!!Justice.
Straight outa France, Justice is pretty much dominating my playlisst at the current moment. Their style has been thought of as having some heavy metal influence and combines cut-up slap bass style with a compressed and distorted synth sound. (Could you ask for more?) Naturally as with most creative music, they inspire creative images! The “DVNO” video kills it with all great animation with the old school logos flying in and out and “We Are Your Friends” is something none of you can say you at least haven’t thought of doing to your friends after a night of too much fun!
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….and don’t be afraid no matter where you are to physically get up and dance.