Wednesday, August 17, 2011
What I Wear
Auckland had its first snow since 1939 Monday. My breath is visible in my room. When asleep, I am cloaked by my work t-shirt, pants, sweater, jumper and a hat. All of this inside my sleeping bag, fleece throw, and a duvet to top it off. Very few homes in NZ have insulation. But in related news, New Zealand is now number 3 in the world in the Human Development Index. Homes bereft of insulation must equate to longevity!
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
The Life and Times of Ponsonby Terrace
Its been almost 10 months since I first arrived in NZ. I have had the absolute time of my life here. I have not posted for awhile because I have not thought of anything that could be considered witty or clever, so I will write about current activities.
I have been working for the past three weeks after traveling again, this time with my mom. We flew to Wellington and took our time driving up the North Island. Mom got very sick the 4th day of the trip and we spent 5 days in a hotel in Rotorua recovering. She e-mailed me since she got home and said that she has a clean bill of health now. Not exactly what she was planning for her first international vacation, but she had a great time anyway.
I had 2 jobs once I came back to Auckland. I only lasted 2 weeks at one job. I missed my weekends off. I am in a country for only so long, so I need to enjoy any free time I can get. Boat Boys has given me more responsibility, including driving the company car during the week. More responsibility also means more hours. I have learned an incredible amount about boat building in the past 6 months. Its great to have this knowledge to go along with my diesel and diving experience. Jobs I have had since I have been here include, petting zoo wrangler, beef cattle wrangler, party prep person, furniture mover, car cleaner, boat fairer, and construction dude. I do enjoy the boat work the best.
Living in the same place for the past 6 months has been great. I live in Ponsonby, a great neighborhood with many bars and restaurants within minutes walk. I have finally been able to have a stable home life after months of traveling in NZ, and 16 months of living at a boy scout camp. Sea Base was a really cool place that I miss dearly, but it is still a scout camp with severe social limitations.
I have just moved into a new room in the same house that I have been since March. I now have a studio flat behind the house, a lot more privacy. I have never lived in a large city before. Auckland is not super big, but a stark contrast to small town Nebraska and the Florida Keys. I lived in small towns in Nebraska for 7 years and this is a whole different world. I always seem to keep my self busy every night of the week. Salsa classes Monday, rugby training on Tuesday and Thursday, Couchsurfing meetup Wednesday, a concert or hanging out late Friday and Saturday, and a bush walk on Sundays if I'm not working. I will start sailing on the weeknights now that rugby season is over.
On a related matter I am inching closer to the 100 kg(220lb) mark. I have lost about 10kg(22lbs) since the beginning of the year. I have joined a gym, but always seem too busy to use it. I walk everywhere, and always try to have my mind engaged in something constructive. I have also been rockin' the full beard for the past 2 months. Its winter here, helps me stay warm.
New Zealand is such a great place I would have no problem living here long term. Auckland is very multi-cultural, many people here have traveled abroad, and can relate to what I am doing now. People here are incredibly nice and the whole population seems to be on eternal holiday. I sometimes forget when I am when I wake up, but its feeling like home more and more.
There is little racism here. Mixed race marriages are very common. The faces I see in the street are a collage that would make America's "melting pot" look like a tin can. I would like to travel more, most likely to Australia next year, before I forget what other places are like. NZ is a very isolated country by distance, but vary plugged in in this digital age.
I have been working for the past three weeks after traveling again, this time with my mom. We flew to Wellington and took our time driving up the North Island. Mom got very sick the 4th day of the trip and we spent 5 days in a hotel in Rotorua recovering. She e-mailed me since she got home and said that she has a clean bill of health now. Not exactly what she was planning for her first international vacation, but she had a great time anyway.
I had 2 jobs once I came back to Auckland. I only lasted 2 weeks at one job. I missed my weekends off. I am in a country for only so long, so I need to enjoy any free time I can get. Boat Boys has given me more responsibility, including driving the company car during the week. More responsibility also means more hours. I have learned an incredible amount about boat building in the past 6 months. Its great to have this knowledge to go along with my diesel and diving experience. Jobs I have had since I have been here include, petting zoo wrangler, beef cattle wrangler, party prep person, furniture mover, car cleaner, boat fairer, and construction dude. I do enjoy the boat work the best.
Living in the same place for the past 6 months has been great. I live in Ponsonby, a great neighborhood with many bars and restaurants within minutes walk. I have finally been able to have a stable home life after months of traveling in NZ, and 16 months of living at a boy scout camp. Sea Base was a really cool place that I miss dearly, but it is still a scout camp with severe social limitations.
I have just moved into a new room in the same house that I have been since March. I now have a studio flat behind the house, a lot more privacy. I have never lived in a large city before. Auckland is not super big, but a stark contrast to small town Nebraska and the Florida Keys. I lived in small towns in Nebraska for 7 years and this is a whole different world. I always seem to keep my self busy every night of the week. Salsa classes Monday, rugby training on Tuesday and Thursday, Couchsurfing meetup Wednesday, a concert or hanging out late Friday and Saturday, and a bush walk on Sundays if I'm not working. I will start sailing on the weeknights now that rugby season is over.
On a related matter I am inching closer to the 100 kg(220lb) mark. I have lost about 10kg(22lbs) since the beginning of the year. I have joined a gym, but always seem too busy to use it. I walk everywhere, and always try to have my mind engaged in something constructive. I have also been rockin' the full beard for the past 2 months. Its winter here, helps me stay warm.
New Zealand is such a great place I would have no problem living here long term. Auckland is very multi-cultural, many people here have traveled abroad, and can relate to what I am doing now. People here are incredibly nice and the whole population seems to be on eternal holiday. I sometimes forget when I am when I wake up, but its feeling like home more and more.
There is little racism here. Mixed race marriages are very common. The faces I see in the street are a collage that would make America's "melting pot" look like a tin can. I would like to travel more, most likely to Australia next year, before I forget what other places are like. NZ is a very isolated country by distance, but vary plugged in in this digital age.
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