Kia Ora 2007

Last night we went downtown for the new years festival "First Night, Pacific Bright". New Years here is a very pacificy celebration, I cant think of any other way to describe it. Other than hawaiian for a reference. There were flowers everywhere, strung from the ceiling, in peoples hair. Women had booths in the building stringing flowers together for necklaces and hair halos. There were hula dancers and island music....all very tropical! It was really something else to be among another culture ringing in the new year. JoAnna and I were walking into the building to see what it was all about when we passed a long line up...we checked to see what it was for and it was free face painting...we laughed to each other about how long the line was just for face paint...until one girl turned around and it looked amazing! So of course we did an immediate 180 and got in line. We waited for 45 minutes and then someone came and told us they were going to stop now so we could leave unpainted. Oh well...things like that happen. It wouldve been nice though if they had gone down the line earlier and said look, we're not going to get to you...go have fun somewhere else. So we went upstairs and watched the women flower, and then listened to the island music and watched a fashion show with hula girls showing you how to tie a sarong. After they went through their different ties they called for volunteers from the audience to tie one on themselves. No one volunteered...so the lady started pulling people out of the audience...she grabbed on girl who 'no speak english' and me. So I stood up on the little dance floor and showed them all how I would get ready for bed. Then they made me dance. The MC said that we should go home and wish that we were pacific ancestry. I hope that wasnt a burn on my dancing moves. Because my hips dont lie either! pfft. hahaha...I dont even want to know what I looked like up there! After all that we went in and watched a lady singer, who was apparantly #1 in NZ. It was getting close to countdown so we got a spot in front of the balcany where we had learned from watching the little kids make glow flowers and learn to drum a beat that there would be a parade. It was pretty neat when all the kids came out with the crafts they had made and the drummers added a nice flair. Then a haka or haku or something singer came out with the warrior dancers to bring in the new year. Just like on whale rider...then the sky tower erupted with fireworks and it was 2007. And for you all in NS it was 2007 just an hour ago. I will go home and toast it twice. Today we got our train/bus/ferry passes and tried to find where we both worked. We had no luck with either. I didnt have the exact address for my work building and nobody in tankinin had ever heard of such a place...even the hospital...and one lady said she couldnt believe that they would send us both out into the middle of nowhere. Over all it was a pretty discouraging trip, but I tried to remain optimistic. I will find it. We ran out of time to search for JoAnnas because the busses only run back to the city at 9pm so we wouldve had to be there all day. We came back to the city and instead had supper and went to the sky tower to see if we could go up it. It cost 18$ to ride the elevator up so we declined. We are going to ride the ferry somewhere tonight just to see the city from the water at night. And tomorrow go try and find JoAnnas workplace and tour a winery. I think I pulled a ligament in my foot (one of the calcaneo ones) so now I have a very attractive limp. The first thing I will work on with my clients is fine motor and strength in the fingers as they use massaging my feet as therapeutic activity. Sounds good to me. I had been trying to get the phone to work for three days now and finally got to call home this morning from jo's room...talked to dad for awhile and everyone else was away.

You Gellin?

After three days walking around New Zealand I am so not gellin! I am not sure when my feet will get their chance to recoop, most likely that week before classes start. Mom, if you are reading this, I hope you are prepared to wait on me hand and foot!
Yesterday we were supposed to go to the Zoo but it was raining when we got up, so we figured that wouldnt be a fun way to spend the day. JoAnna had been reading about Newmarket where they had some upscale shopping centres that she wanted to go check out, and I also suggested we check out the outlet shops in Onehunga since that would be a little more in my price range :) We took a zig zaggy route down to the bus stop where we were going to ask how to get to these places. We stopped into a really neat little boutique called Untouched World, New Zealand that had a few things I really wanted but were REALLY expensive. It was pretty depressing haha...we walked around and day dreamed for awhile and then after sighing over the prices decided the outlet mall was a must! We got an all day bus pass and headed out to Onehunga...where I quickly discovered that even outlet prices are not in my price range. After stopping in Newmarket we headed back home to massage our feet and change our shoes before going in search once again, for edible affordable nourishment. We trudged around downtown scouring at the asian food restaurants, and cursing the high prices of the euroupean food...I was getting to the point where it was becoming hard to overcome the urge to lay down on the sidewalk. We finally found an Irish pub where we decided we would order some side dishes. There was a platter on the menu with fries and stuff for 50$ no joke. And a budweiser cost 7.50. However the waiter was an authentic irishman so that took a way a little of the sting. I wanted to record him talking to us. When we walked in the sign above one of the booths said in Gaelic 'A hundred thousand welcomes' and I pointed it out to Jo saying hey my home town motto. And one of the men at the booth asked if I was pointing at his hairline. I explained to him why, and he asked if I was an Irish gal...he said they like the Scottish lassies. Turns out they are all Irish and had just gotten to Auckland and were very happy to find the little pub (as were we!). After supper we got some groceries and lugged them to the bus stop...I had to stop and reattach my arms every once in awhile. This morning we went to the zoo out by Western Springs. The weather today was very feisty, and would change at any little moment from dead hot to cool back to dead hot. I as a result, have a new pink glow...or a red tinge you might call it. I LOVED the zoo. But, hey, I love nature and animals so I was in MY ELEMENT. I think Jo may have been getting a little impatient with all my videos and pictures and silly shananegans. But silly shenanegans is my thing...its to be expected. I will be the next steve erwin. The last thing we did was try to find the elusive Kiwi. We were in the little hut for quite a while trying to capture it in all its glorious essence to show to you all back home. It was a wild adventurous kiwi hunt and I think you will be pleased with our captures. I really need to upload pictures soon. Work starts on wednesday and that will be something I will check out right away. After the zoo as we sat in the bus stop I read an ad about the park behind us saying can you spot the old lava flow in the wetlands...ok...that wasnt something I could pass up. So down we went to the wetlands (Jo walking barefoot in the grass sighing in pleasure at the feeling of anything that wasnt her sandles under her feet) and we found the pond with teh lava flow which was grown over. We sat down there for awhile talking and just taking it all in. It was so beautiful! All the trees and the water, the flowers and the singing birds, the warm sun...a great great way to spend the last day of 2006! So now we are getting ready to go bring in the new year at the free park in the concert! It feels weird to be headed out for teh new year celebration while everyone at home is still sleeping on sunday morning (its 4am in NS) HAPPY NEW YEAR you slow pokes. I will let you all know how wonderful 2007 was while you guys were sittign around waiting for it to make it your way. And you guys can let me know how Dec 28th was...because I lost it somewhere over the pacific...

Auckland the asian capital of NZ

We arrived this morning in NZ, finally. It was a long journey that was not always smooth sailing (and I only have 14 minutes at this online cafe to do it all justice). It involved a lot of standing in cues and a lot of waiting around and a lot of sitting on an airplane. Thats the short version. I will detail it later. We got to our apt and had to sit in the lobby for awhile because apparently business hours are just a suggestion here (something we noticed). We finally trudged up to our room weary and groggy eyed, desperately desiring showers...I turned the key in the lock and pushed open the door...someones shoes were in the front...food on the counter...mess everywhere...I turn to Jo "Um...someone lives here...no wait...yeah someone is in the bedroom" We slowly back up and go back to the lobby. New keys, new room. Up in this room we discover it is quite gross. Jo says unacceptable and tries to call Auckland U to make new arrangements. Phone just beeps at us. Back to lobby. New keys, new room. Trudge up to new room. Walk in...one bed, 2 rooms...back to lobby. New keys, new room. One bedroom door is locked. Back to lobby. Manager opens room. New key. Doesnt work. So we left to go exploring. We went down to some souvenier shops and to a neat little market, then made our way slowly down the main street stopping into shops where our wallets got a little lighter. I chatted up a surf shop guy and got some good tips. He however did not invite Jo and I on his New Years surfing trip. Better luck next time I say. We walked around by the water, picked up about 10lbs of brochures and lost about 5lbs in body fat. We searched for I would say hours for something to eat that wasnt raw fish and finally ate at a food court thing which I am pretty sure I am going to vomit up any minute now. Ugh. I dont recommend it. I think Jo desperately wants to call her mom and complain for awhile but it is 3:30 am back home so we stopped in at an internet cafe instead. 1$ for 30mins. Not too bad. We are going to see if the library has free internet maybe tomorrow. Tomorrow should be great. We are going to go to the Auckland zoo and some other museum the bus station guy recommended. We discovered a great deal on transit passes so our adventures should soon become more widespread. And the surf shop dude has given us ideas on where to go. Mom can I buy a surf board? :) Oh and I love the accents. I have also taken many many pictures and JO obliges every one of my stops to take a pic of somethign I saw on the street...and doesnt tease me when I strike odd poses. I wish I could upload some now. Hopefully once we start work. I am a little worried to charge my video camera in these outlets :S OK so this was the quick update. I made it. I am alive. And every now and again I stop and think: WOW! I am in NZ! Still seems surreal. I am in NZ. :D Too bad about the food...haha...

SNOW!

Fun Week

It is exam week (ish) leaving me with 9 more days in the school environment. When thoughts should be on neurotransmitters and evaluation principles, they are instead on Kiwi’s and hiking packs. My dreams are all about New Zealand, including my day dreams. I just wish exams were over so I wouldn’t have to pretend to think about synapses and randomized control studies. That’s not easy to fake! In other news winter decided to come early just for Jo Anna and myself! Mother Nature knew we were taking a brief hiatus in the other hemisphere and decided it would be nice to give us a little taste of snow before we left. I hope it sticks around for Christmas. Last night was pretty crazy, and I think everyone in Halifax forgot how to drive as soon as they saw white. By evening everything had gotten pretty slick, since all morning it had just been raining before becoming slush rain and eventually snow. It is now just typical snowing out, or from what I can see out the library windows.
What I am really learning at the library:
I love to watch people
Eating rockets then drinking water is gross
Clicking keyboard keys can be both white noise and irksome
It is impossible to remove all the dog hair from your fleece pants…impossible
I have the attention span of a may fly, or an ephemeral attention span if you will…
Tips like ‘if you don’t have time for the entire handout, just read the last page’ should be placed on the first page of the handout, rather than the last…
My intrinsic hand muscles are under-developed resulting in a weak webspace, and therefore I shouldn’t have to take so many study notes…
When the school network goes down…the library clears out
People do not understand what a network is, and will go from computer to computer trying to find one that will let them log in
Have I mentioned I enjoy watching people?