I'm on a glacier, it's March already, everything looks surreal and this country has officially become The Most Beautiful Country I've Ever Seen.
More when I'm not so busy doing SWEET ASS SHIT.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
New Zealand? More Like Best Zealand
Hiya from Christchurch, quite possibly the youngest, drunkest city in the whole world!
Possibly not, too.
Regardless, IT'S GREAT.
The layout of the city is not so different from Adelaide in South Australia; everything is very close to everything else because it's pretty small but also, pretty absolutely gorgeous.
There are squares and parks everywhere and the botanical gardens are just beautiful.
And I don't even like flowers!
There's a city tram that runs through the center of town (there's a place called Cathedral Square which more or less is the center of town) and on a day like today (Saturday in February), it's almost a shame to use such a convenience.
The weather isn't much cooler than it was in Sydney but it is virtually dry, as in, not humid, and that makes everything that much more tolerable/prefered by those with curly hair.
So far, I've spent my time in New Zealand strolling through the gardens and street fairs and listening to so many street musicians.
Oh and meeting absolutely hilarious characters:
-Iraqi man who told me he was Chinese ("You believe me almost! Because my body is very small! I kid with you!!!!!!") and who had a travel journal of all the friends he's made while living here, and took a picture of me and told me he would call that page "Girl from the United States of New York," and I did not correct him.
-very hairy, skinny guy from San Jose/Santa Barbara who was here on vacation after working for 6 months in Antarctica "doing science." I asked him if he knew where my hostel was and he said he was on his way there but first NEEDED to get a Big Mac, so I accompanied him with a new friend I had made on the plane from Lincolnshire-near-London and we took his picture as he bit into his first Big Mac since 2007.
-then while we were in the Mackers (that's what McDonald's is called in the Southern Hemisphere), two extremely drunk and friendly older gentlemen approached us to ask if we could show them where the line to order was.
Punchline: they were already in line.
Finally, I made it to my hostel and promptly fell asleep.
Of course, this was all after a VERY eventful airport experience.
I was randomly selected to be late for my flight. They made me open every compartment of everything I own, and then they asked me to produce receipts from when I purchased my pear and banana. When I said I didn't get a receipt since it only cost me $1.20, they asked me a minimum of 5 times why I was leaving Australia and if I spoke and undersood English.
But, all in all, I have nothing but good things to say about my experience.
Some travel updates:
As it turns out, I will be here (in NZ) until March 22nd.
(As it also turns out, you can't just go places. You need to have a visa or a ticket of departure. The customer services representatives all over the airport will be happy to reiterate this information ad nauseum.)
Then I fly back to Sydney and fly back out of Sydney on March 24th, to Hong Kong, then from Hong Kong to Istanbul, then from Istanbul to Tel Aviv, where I end my flight on March 25th at 9:40am.
Plans are to be in the motherland, working on a kibbutz and reliving the summer of '07 until about June something.
And then!
And then!
ITALIA!!!
Maybe.
Looks like I'll be meeting up with Meg and Mere (and MiLF and LRN in spirit) sometime in mid to late June and then Bridey in the wee days of July.
How exciting!
I'm really looking forward to this leg of the journey, not just because New Zealand is Middle Earth, but also because I've been traveling for about 3 months now and it's just occurred to me how much me-time that's been. I really love my own company, but it can get a bit much when you're the only one laughing at your jokes and also the only one making jokes at all. Tom's been working in Sydney while I've been galavanting around, and though I've met some great people and had a lot of fun, you (I) forget how necessary it is to have a real friend around sometimes. It's been nice to go back to Sydney and recharge my batteries and reconnect with Tom and the barefoot shower and trustworthy beds, but the fact is that 3 months of traveling by yourself can get very lonely. I had a little breakdown when some of my plans got screwed up so I saw "Up in the Air" and that made everything worse before it got better. The good news is, my breakdown is over and I'm back on the horse, so to speak. I'm excited to be here. I'm excited to see some of the most beautiful things anyone has ever seen. I'm also excited to have a change of pace from Australia; I really love that country but it's also put me through the proverbial wringer and I think it's time to break it off between us.
In sum: I'm in New Zealand! How great is that! SO GREAT.
Possibly not, too.
Regardless, IT'S GREAT.
The layout of the city is not so different from Adelaide in South Australia; everything is very close to everything else because it's pretty small but also, pretty absolutely gorgeous.
There are squares and parks everywhere and the botanical gardens are just beautiful.
And I don't even like flowers!
There's a city tram that runs through the center of town (there's a place called Cathedral Square which more or less is the center of town) and on a day like today (Saturday in February), it's almost a shame to use such a convenience.
The weather isn't much cooler than it was in Sydney but it is virtually dry, as in, not humid, and that makes everything that much more tolerable/prefered by those with curly hair.
So far, I've spent my time in New Zealand strolling through the gardens and street fairs and listening to so many street musicians.
Oh and meeting absolutely hilarious characters:
-Iraqi man who told me he was Chinese ("You believe me almost! Because my body is very small! I kid with you!!!!!!") and who had a travel journal of all the friends he's made while living here, and took a picture of me and told me he would call that page "Girl from the United States of New York," and I did not correct him.
-very hairy, skinny guy from San Jose/Santa Barbara who was here on vacation after working for 6 months in Antarctica "doing science." I asked him if he knew where my hostel was and he said he was on his way there but first NEEDED to get a Big Mac, so I accompanied him with a new friend I had made on the plane from Lincolnshire-near-London and we took his picture as he bit into his first Big Mac since 2007.
-then while we were in the Mackers (that's what McDonald's is called in the Southern Hemisphere), two extremely drunk and friendly older gentlemen approached us to ask if we could show them where the line to order was.
Punchline: they were already in line.
Finally, I made it to my hostel and promptly fell asleep.
Of course, this was all after a VERY eventful airport experience.
I was randomly selected to be late for my flight. They made me open every compartment of everything I own, and then they asked me to produce receipts from when I purchased my pear and banana. When I said I didn't get a receipt since it only cost me $1.20, they asked me a minimum of 5 times why I was leaving Australia and if I spoke and undersood English.
But, all in all, I have nothing but good things to say about my experience.
Some travel updates:
As it turns out, I will be here (in NZ) until March 22nd.
(As it also turns out, you can't just go places. You need to have a visa or a ticket of departure. The customer services representatives all over the airport will be happy to reiterate this information ad nauseum.)
Then I fly back to Sydney and fly back out of Sydney on March 24th, to Hong Kong, then from Hong Kong to Istanbul, then from Istanbul to Tel Aviv, where I end my flight on March 25th at 9:40am.
Plans are to be in the motherland, working on a kibbutz and reliving the summer of '07 until about June something.
And then!
And then!
ITALIA!!!
Maybe.
Looks like I'll be meeting up with Meg and Mere (and MiLF and LRN in spirit) sometime in mid to late June and then Bridey in the wee days of July.
How exciting!
I'm really looking forward to this leg of the journey, not just because New Zealand is Middle Earth, but also because I've been traveling for about 3 months now and it's just occurred to me how much me-time that's been. I really love my own company, but it can get a bit much when you're the only one laughing at your jokes and also the only one making jokes at all. Tom's been working in Sydney while I've been galavanting around, and though I've met some great people and had a lot of fun, you (I) forget how necessary it is to have a real friend around sometimes. It's been nice to go back to Sydney and recharge my batteries and reconnect with Tom and the barefoot shower and trustworthy beds, but the fact is that 3 months of traveling by yourself can get very lonely. I had a little breakdown when some of my plans got screwed up so I saw "Up in the Air" and that made everything worse before it got better. The good news is, my breakdown is over and I'm back on the horse, so to speak. I'm excited to be here. I'm excited to see some of the most beautiful things anyone has ever seen. I'm also excited to have a change of pace from Australia; I really love that country but it's also put me through the proverbial wringer and I think it's time to break it off between us.
In sum: I'm in New Zealand! How great is that! SO GREAT.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Mental Types of Health
In a world with so much uncertainty, it's important to know that there are some things you can hold onto.
Like grudges.
Like grudges.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
You Are Not Enough People!
Okay, now let’s have some fun. Let’s talk about sex. Let’s talk about women. Freud said he didn’t know what women wanted. I know what women want: a whole lot of people to talk to. What do they want to talk about? They want to talk about everything.
What do men want? They want a lot of pals, and they wish people wouldn’t get so mad at them.
Why are so many people getting divorced today? It’s because most of us don’t have extended families anymore. It used to be that when a man and a woman got married, the bride got a lot more people to talk to about everything. The groom got a lot more pals to tell dumb jokes to.
A few Americans, but very few, still have extended families. The Navahos. The Kennedys.
But most of us, if we get married nowadays, are just one more person for the other person. The groom gets one more pal, but it’s a woman. The woman gets one more person to talk to about everything, but it’s a man.
When a couple has an argument nowadays, they may think it’s about money or power or sex or how to raise the kids or whatever. What they’re really saying to each other, though without realizing it, is this: “You are not enough people!”
A husband, a wife and some kids is not a family. It’s a terribly vulnerable survival unit.
* * * * *
I met a man in Nigeria one time, an Ibo who had six hundred relatives he knew quite well. His wife had just had a baby, the best possible news in any extended family.
They were going to take it to meet all its relatives, Ibos of all ages and sizes and shapes. It would even meet other babies, cousins not much older than it was. Everybody who was big enough and steady enough was going to get to hold it, cuddle it, gurgle to it, and say how pretty or handsome it was.
Wouldn’t you have loved to be that baby?
-Kurt Vonnegut
What do men want? They want a lot of pals, and they wish people wouldn’t get so mad at them.
Why are so many people getting divorced today? It’s because most of us don’t have extended families anymore. It used to be that when a man and a woman got married, the bride got a lot more people to talk to about everything. The groom got a lot more pals to tell dumb jokes to.
A few Americans, but very few, still have extended families. The Navahos. The Kennedys.
But most of us, if we get married nowadays, are just one more person for the other person. The groom gets one more pal, but it’s a woman. The woman gets one more person to talk to about everything, but it’s a man.
When a couple has an argument nowadays, they may think it’s about money or power or sex or how to raise the kids or whatever. What they’re really saying to each other, though without realizing it, is this: “You are not enough people!”
A husband, a wife and some kids is not a family. It’s a terribly vulnerable survival unit.
* * * * *
I met a man in Nigeria one time, an Ibo who had six hundred relatives he knew quite well. His wife had just had a baby, the best possible news in any extended family.
They were going to take it to meet all its relatives, Ibos of all ages and sizes and shapes. It would even meet other babies, cousins not much older than it was. Everybody who was big enough and steady enough was going to get to hold it, cuddle it, gurgle to it, and say how pretty or handsome it was.
Wouldn’t you have loved to be that baby?
-Kurt Vonnegut
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Indifferent Cities
(Backstory: "Indifferent Cities" is the new Speechwriters, LLC album and it's essential listening. Make a note.)
It's Friday and it's hot and it's humid and it's February.
I've spent the better half of today wandering around The Rocks and sweating, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Things I've noticed since being back in Sydney again:
-I really like bridges.
-I really don't like humidity.
-I have a street cred surplus.
-I really like the way LeBron James plays basketball.
-I really like "The Big Bang Theory"
Music I can't get enough of:
Tally Hall
Ezra Furman and the Harpoons
The National
Nickel Creek
Cream
The Traveling Wilburys
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
The Foundations
Speechwriters, LLC
If you can't tell, I'm mostly just waiting to go to New Zealand.
It's Friday and it's hot and it's humid and it's February.
I've spent the better half of today wandering around The Rocks and sweating, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Things I've noticed since being back in Sydney again:
-I really like bridges.
-I really don't like humidity.
-I have a street cred surplus.
-I really like the way LeBron James plays basketball.
-I really like "The Big Bang Theory"
Music I can't get enough of:
Tally Hall
Ezra Furman and the Harpoons
The National
Nickel Creek
Cream
The Traveling Wilburys
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
The Foundations
Speechwriters, LLC
If you can't tell, I'm mostly just waiting to go to New Zealand.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Quality Time With Couches
Because Nature's been spending a lot of time raining, I've been spending a lot of time on the couch.
Justin (Tom's cousin) has a movie collection meant for sedentary rainy days, so I can't complain too much. This weekend I watched:
-The Ladykillers
-Oh Brother Where Art Thou?
-Almost Famous
-Beerfest
-Baseketball
-THX 1138
-Star Wars Episodes 2 and 3
-Cool Runnings (this was on TV but still counts)
-Dark Knight
-Batman Begins
-Heat
-Blow
-Big Fish
Overarching verdicts: Almost Famous makes me so happy to be so sad; The Coen Brothers are so good; Katie Holmes is so bad; George Lucas should stick to his Star Wars; Baseketball is still such a good idea.
UPDATE
The weather's improved!
And the Saints won!
And because of the improvement in the weather, I left the apartment and watched the Saints win!
I decided to venture out into the fine city that is Sydney and stumbled upon an adventure.
I didn't exactly mean to watch the Superbowl at a bar at 1pm surrounded by Irish people (and of course a few Germans) but, you know.
These things happen.
I wandered by this one hotel on Pitt Street (sidenote: a lot of the bars are called hotels here, something to do with alcoholism, I'm unclear of the details, the point is: they're not hotels) and there was a mass of people by the door.
Easily 50 people, just huddled around this door.
So, I joined them, because I'm trendy.
Turns out, they were watching the Superbowl.
The bouncer asked me for ID, I told him I wasn't interested in going in, he asked me again, I produced my NJ driver's license and he announced to the bar:
"Got an American!"
And the crowd went wild.
So, in I went and Irish people I met.
One pair of Irish lads, Peter and Matthew (who called themselves "Machu Peters" which threw me back to when I hiked that trail in Peru with another Irishman who called it Machu Peters, too...ah, memories) bought me just so many beers.
Cut to the point: I saw the Saints win! And Porter's run! And Manning's frown. And Brees' adorable baby. And gave a very lean geography lesson to about a dozen international American football fans, who now know that New Jersey is a state and New Orleans is not, and most importantly, New Hampshire is NOT south of Georgia.
It was a great time and I'm so happy the Saints won, even if they aren't the Steelers.
Unrelatedly, I booked my flight to New Zealand and will be leaving on February 19th. Also, my insurance covered my diving accident (remember that?) SO! I'm relieved.
My new plan is to not work, ever again. Specifically before I return back to the States.
Ideally I'd like to spend about a month in NZ and then go to Israel for like 2-3 months and then come back to the US of A.
Maybe even fly through the Left coast?
And then either land in Chicago and stay there for a few months, or go all the way to the Newer Jersey and then double back to Chicago.
Orrrrr, buy a Winnebago and drive to the moon.
Suggestions encouraged; directions ignored.
This was so long and disjointed.
Bye!
Justin (Tom's cousin) has a movie collection meant for sedentary rainy days, so I can't complain too much. This weekend I watched:
-The Ladykillers
-Oh Brother Where Art Thou?
-Almost Famous
-Beerfest
-Baseketball
-THX 1138
-Star Wars Episodes 2 and 3
-Cool Runnings (this was on TV but still counts)
-Dark Knight
-Batman Begins
-Heat
-Blow
-Big Fish
Overarching verdicts: Almost Famous makes me so happy to be so sad; The Coen Brothers are so good; Katie Holmes is so bad; George Lucas should stick to his Star Wars; Baseketball is still such a good idea.
UPDATE
The weather's improved!
And the Saints won!
And because of the improvement in the weather, I left the apartment and watched the Saints win!
I decided to venture out into the fine city that is Sydney and stumbled upon an adventure.
I didn't exactly mean to watch the Superbowl at a bar at 1pm surrounded by Irish people (and of course a few Germans) but, you know.
These things happen.
I wandered by this one hotel on Pitt Street (sidenote: a lot of the bars are called hotels here, something to do with alcoholism, I'm unclear of the details, the point is: they're not hotels) and there was a mass of people by the door.
Easily 50 people, just huddled around this door.
So, I joined them, because I'm trendy.
Turns out, they were watching the Superbowl.
The bouncer asked me for ID, I told him I wasn't interested in going in, he asked me again, I produced my NJ driver's license and he announced to the bar:
"Got an American!"
And the crowd went wild.
So, in I went and Irish people I met.
One pair of Irish lads, Peter and Matthew (who called themselves "Machu Peters" which threw me back to when I hiked that trail in Peru with another Irishman who called it Machu Peters, too...ah, memories) bought me just so many beers.
Cut to the point: I saw the Saints win! And Porter's run! And Manning's frown. And Brees' adorable baby. And gave a very lean geography lesson to about a dozen international American football fans, who now know that New Jersey is a state and New Orleans is not, and most importantly, New Hampshire is NOT south of Georgia.
It was a great time and I'm so happy the Saints won, even if they aren't the Steelers.
Unrelatedly, I booked my flight to New Zealand and will be leaving on February 19th. Also, my insurance covered my diving accident (remember that?) SO! I'm relieved.
My new plan is to not work, ever again. Specifically before I return back to the States.
Ideally I'd like to spend about a month in NZ and then go to Israel for like 2-3 months and then come back to the US of A.
Maybe even fly through the Left coast?
And then either land in Chicago and stay there for a few months, or go all the way to the Newer Jersey and then double back to Chicago.
Orrrrr, buy a Winnebago and drive to the moon.
Suggestions encouraged; directions ignored.
This was so long and disjointed.
Bye!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Left and Leaving
I'm back in Sydney.
The weather is nice if humid and the Aussie teenagers are all back in school.
Thus the general atmosphere is better than it's been.
I'm planning to be here for like...a week or 2?
Then, New Zealand.
(Flights and rooms still unbooked)
What else? They show the Jetsons and the Flinstones here.
Also? I roadtripped with 3 Swedes back to Sydney, by which I mean, I drove a Mercedes campervan from Melbourne to Sydney.
Essentially all by myself.
On the left side of the road.
It was SO MUCH FUN (I had to capitalize it because exclamation points are contrite)
So much has happened in these past 2 months, it almost seems fake.
But I have pictures to prove it!
So it's not fake.
I read "The Hotel New Hampshire" and it was a great idea.
I saw "The Castle" which is an Australian movie, and it was also a great idea. Watch it.
And...
BAM and I may actually be meeting up somewhere in the world at some point.
Observe:
Bridey: let's look into a weekend on an island
a weekend to 5 days
somewhere in the mediterranean
me: yeah, good
Bridey: Yeah
so let's both research cheap greek/turkish islands
me: yeah!
Bridey: and let's aim for early July/late June
me: great
Bridey: I say 5 days
me: i say 3
Bridey: let's say 3-five
me: let's! let's say it!!!
yeah
ok so 4ish
Bridey: good compromise
me: good
Bridey: compromise
me: HUZZA
We make such a good team.
The weather is nice if humid and the Aussie teenagers are all back in school.
Thus the general atmosphere is better than it's been.
I'm planning to be here for like...a week or 2?
Then, New Zealand.
(Flights and rooms still unbooked)
What else? They show the Jetsons and the Flinstones here.
Also? I roadtripped with 3 Swedes back to Sydney, by which I mean, I drove a Mercedes campervan from Melbourne to Sydney.
Essentially all by myself.
On the left side of the road.
It was SO MUCH FUN (I had to capitalize it because exclamation points are contrite)
So much has happened in these past 2 months, it almost seems fake.
But I have pictures to prove it!
So it's not fake.
I read "The Hotel New Hampshire" and it was a great idea.
I saw "The Castle" which is an Australian movie, and it was also a great idea. Watch it.
And...
BAM and I may actually be meeting up somewhere in the world at some point.
Observe:
Bridey: let's look into a weekend on an island
a weekend to 5 days
somewhere in the mediterranean
me: yeah, good
Bridey: Yeah
so let's both research cheap greek/turkish islands
me: yeah!
Bridey: and let's aim for early July/late June
me: great
Bridey: I say 5 days
me: i say 3
Bridey: let's say 3-five
me: let's! let's say it!!!
yeah
ok so 4ish
Bridey: good compromise
me: good
Bridey: compromise
me: HUZZA
We make such a good team.
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