Friday, September 30, 2011
Last Weekend in Wellington
Well, I have survived the first three weeks, and I am happy for that every day! Between my visa troubles, traveling for 24 hours across the world for the first time ALONE, and my body being out of whack...I truly thought I should come home after about 4 days. Thankfully, I see now how much I would have regretted it, and how glad I am I took this trip. In the future I am sure I will travel more w/ other people, but I definitely feel this is something I needed to do for myself, & I can't wait to see what else happens in the coming months. There have already been ups and downs, great parts and boring parts, but overall I have already seen unbelievably gorgeous things and met wonderful people. So, it makes me sad to think my Wellington days will soon be ending. However, you never know...I may end up back again by December. We shall see.
As far as the Wellington update goes, timing seems to have worked in my favor coming & going. When I arrived everyone left for India, and when I leave everyone will be coming back! I leave Monday, and they will be back Wednesday morning. So, as far as things working out well...I seemed to slip in and out in the perfect time. The only bad part will be Frances and her recovery. But at least she will be home sooner than expected, and hopefully start to bounce back. She will come back to a wheelchair, and a week from tomorrow is her 21st birthday, so this will be a little different than her planned "21 shots" she was going to do in India. (probably for the better!)
Today was a stunning Saturday with weather to die for. We got up and were out of the house by 8:30. We went to Elinor's gym class, multiple grocery stores for Sacha to restock and me for the hostel, then saw Sacha's grandparents and her cousin who is getting married in China to a woman from China in January, and then we came back and had a picnic lunch. We had broccoli soup outside with toast. Elinor got all our drinks and set up the blankets with her teddies. We were going to go to the zoo, and do other things...but the weather was so beautiful Sacha and I just laid out in the sun while Elinor stripped down in no time to run through a sprinkler we set up. She was quite entertained by it, and it cracked me up how she had her clothes on, the sprinkler was mentioned, and a second later the clothes were coming off and she's running madly around! I have pictures, but maybe not for the blog...
After that we went to the restaurant, "La Boca Loca" to tell Sacha's brother Simon happy birthday since today is his birthday. However, he decided to work a double shift.
Now I am back figuring out how to reorganize and pack again after 3 weeks of having my own space.
Lastly, in NewZealand hostels are called, BACKPACKERS. So, if I start referring to where I am staying as a "backpacker," it is a hostel, and you will know what I mean.
Goodnight
And here is a quick list of different words used in NZ:
Hug = Cuddle
Ketchup = Tomato Sauce
Belly Button = Puku Button (Puku is a Maori word)
Look or take a turn = "have a look" "have a go"
Elevator = Lift
Bathroom = Toilet
Flashlight = Torch
Trash = Rubbish
And many others I can't think of right now
As far as the Wellington update goes, timing seems to have worked in my favor coming & going. When I arrived everyone left for India, and when I leave everyone will be coming back! I leave Monday, and they will be back Wednesday morning. So, as far as things working out well...I seemed to slip in and out in the perfect time. The only bad part will be Frances and her recovery. But at least she will be home sooner than expected, and hopefully start to bounce back. She will come back to a wheelchair, and a week from tomorrow is her 21st birthday, so this will be a little different than her planned "21 shots" she was going to do in India. (probably for the better!)
Today was a stunning Saturday with weather to die for. We got up and were out of the house by 8:30. We went to Elinor's gym class, multiple grocery stores for Sacha to restock and me for the hostel, then saw Sacha's grandparents and her cousin who is getting married in China to a woman from China in January, and then we came back and had a picnic lunch. We had broccoli soup outside with toast. Elinor got all our drinks and set up the blankets with her teddies. We were going to go to the zoo, and do other things...but the weather was so beautiful Sacha and I just laid out in the sun while Elinor stripped down in no time to run through a sprinkler we set up. She was quite entertained by it, and it cracked me up how she had her clothes on, the sprinkler was mentioned, and a second later the clothes were coming off and she's running madly around! I have pictures, but maybe not for the blog...
After that we went to the restaurant, "La Boca Loca" to tell Sacha's brother Simon happy birthday since today is his birthday. However, he decided to work a double shift.
Now I am back figuring out how to reorganize and pack again after 3 weeks of having my own space.
Lastly, in NewZealand hostels are called, BACKPACKERS. So, if I start referring to where I am staying as a "backpacker," it is a hostel, and you will know what I mean.
Goodnight
And here is a quick list of different words used in NZ:
Hug = Cuddle
Ketchup = Tomato Sauce
Belly Button = Puku Button (Puku is a Maori word)
Look or take a turn = "have a look" "have a go"
Elevator = Lift
Bathroom = Toilet
Flashlight = Torch
Trash = Rubbish
And many others I can't think of right now
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Back to the blog
Well, I have not written A LOT for a few days. It is hard to write because I have mostly just been taking REALLY long walks, and exploring. I kind of did the whole Wellington thing, & am trying to save money for the rest of my trip.
Tuesday & Wednesday Elinor was w/ her dad. Today she was back w/ me. We had picnics on the way home from "kindy," she went to her dance class, then she showed me how fast she could run with her stuffed animal pony named Grass, we made popcorn again, and did some exploring outside. I think we uncovered every rock in their backyard, & I feel bad b/c after Elinor gets through searching for whatever it is she is looking for, I don't know how well the plants are surviving. She picks off flowers and leaves from everything she sees so she can smell it, and give to me to take home. She has also given me many thing for Hugo, "your boyfriend," as she calls him. However, most of these things I have thrown back into the wind, and I am pretending I have a stash of flower petals and leaves in my room just for her. Elinor rarely calls me Georgia, she just calls me "friend" in her little NZ accent. It is cute, and I will miss her after I leave.
However, I am ready to go. This has been a great start to my trip. It has been a good way to get used to the time, settle in, & figure out NZ a bit better than I had it figured out on the first day. Now, it is time to move on.
I leave this Monday, October 3 for Hastings, New Zealand. I am skipping my 2nd wwoof host, and heading to a hostel in Hastings. This will definitely be a first for me, so we will see how it goes. I am actually REALLY excited about it!!!!!!
Like I said, other than that I have spent hours walking every day. It seems to continuously surprise me that basically there are mountains everywhere in ALL directions. I mean, I have been here for 2 1/2 weeks, you would think I would have notices, and I did...but somehow every day they seem to be bigger, and I notice more of them, just surrounding the area and the harbor. The atmosphere also changes so much between morning, afternoon, evening, rain, and shine. It can be beautiful, & some of the rain storms make it dark and scary. I seem to notice more how different and fantastic it is, so I am glad I got to stay here for a while.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Just some snippets
Well, I skipped blogging yesterday besides some pictures. We lost an hour with day light savings time over the weekend, and we stayed up later than normal. So, I was tired and hit the sack.
Yesterday was a long day. I got up with Sacha to go to the markets while Einor went with her dad. It is true that people from Wellington will go to the market no matter what the weather is. Yesterday it was COLD and RAINY, but I had the proper shoes this time, and it really didn't bother me at all. We had lunch there. Sacha told me I absolutely had to try the dumplings, even though I wanted to go back to my friend who makes the delicious crepes. However, the dumplings were so delicious I literally could eat them every day. They reminded me of our pot sticker nights back home sometimes.
For dessert I decided to go over to this guys selling churros. I thought why not? No one was over there. You could get a plain churro, a filled churro, a double stuffed churro, and something else. The filling choices were chocolate, caramel, and maybe a combo of both. I got a churro filled with caramel. Well, I'm sorry Costco...but your Churros, and any others after this experience will taste terrible, because THESE WERE SO GOOD! I mean, unbelievable. I could live at this market.
Thank goodness I am leaving Wellington, or every weekend I would go and spend all my money there! Sacha says it is truly some of the best food, if not the best, in Wellington. Many people come from the south island every weekend, and bring their stuff to this market because it is one of the best in NZ. Why is there not one like this in Atlanta???
Then Sacha went to an exercise class, and I was left in the rain at the markets. I strolled for a while longer, before heading towards their national museum, "Te Papa." That is also where we went the day before. I spent the next few hours in there. It wasn't until I was inside that I realized how FREEZING my hands were! It must have been Scotland day in Te Papa and Wellington, because there were so many people in kilts...EVERYWHERE, and playing bagpipes, and Scotland craziness going on. Probably a Scotland rugby match about to occur.
When we got home Sacha promised she would make me a NZ dessert, because I could not leave NZ without trying it. It is called a, Pavlova. It is basically like a giant meringue, with icing, and crumbled chocolate and kiwi fruit on top. It was delicious! This week has been the New Zealand experience for me!
Yesterday was a long day. I got up with Sacha to go to the markets while Einor went with her dad. It is true that people from Wellington will go to the market no matter what the weather is. Yesterday it was COLD and RAINY, but I had the proper shoes this time, and it really didn't bother me at all. We had lunch there. Sacha told me I absolutely had to try the dumplings, even though I wanted to go back to my friend who makes the delicious crepes. However, the dumplings were so delicious I literally could eat them every day. They reminded me of our pot sticker nights back home sometimes.
For dessert I decided to go over to this guys selling churros. I thought why not? No one was over there. You could get a plain churro, a filled churro, a double stuffed churro, and something else. The filling choices were chocolate, caramel, and maybe a combo of both. I got a churro filled with caramel. Well, I'm sorry Costco...but your Churros, and any others after this experience will taste terrible, because THESE WERE SO GOOD! I mean, unbelievable. I could live at this market.
Thank goodness I am leaving Wellington, or every weekend I would go and spend all my money there! Sacha says it is truly some of the best food, if not the best, in Wellington. Many people come from the south island every weekend, and bring their stuff to this market because it is one of the best in NZ. Why is there not one like this in Atlanta???
Then Sacha went to an exercise class, and I was left in the rain at the markets. I strolled for a while longer, before heading towards their national museum, "Te Papa." That is also where we went the day before. I spent the next few hours in there. It wasn't until I was inside that I realized how FREEZING my hands were! It must have been Scotland day in Te Papa and Wellington, because there were so many people in kilts...EVERYWHERE, and playing bagpipes, and Scotland craziness going on. Probably a Scotland rugby match about to occur.
When we got home Sacha promised she would make me a NZ dessert, because I could not leave NZ without trying it. It is called a, Pavlova. It is basically like a giant meringue, with icing, and crumbled chocolate and kiwi fruit on top. It was delicious! This week has been the New Zealand experience for me!
Saturday, September 24, 2011
A Very New Zealand Day
Hello,
Today was a lovely Saturday, with absolutely gorgeous weather! Normally I am layered in scarves, hats, and jackets...but today I only wore one jacket, and even had to take it off for most of the day. It was wonderful!
It is Saturday night here, and it has been a long day. I had some very New Zealand experiences today.
First of all, I have a list of food. I had my first New Zealand kiwi fruit...which was juicy & delicious! For lunch Sacha made a Maori soup. The Maori are the native people, and they have very specific food, traditions, and many of the crazy New Zealand names come from the Maori. Lastly, for dinner Sacha made mussels...which is also a common NZ dish. So, today was the day of common/famous NZ food.
Before all of the cooking happened, Sacha dropped me off at the base of a mountain while she took Elinor to gym class. I hiked Mount Victoria Matairangi. Once you get to the top there is a panoramic of Wellington which was gorgeous. I will post pictures! It was fairly simple to get there, and not a dangerous hike. After a couple hours they picked me up, and we cam home for lunch.
In the afternoon we went to the Botanical Gardens, which I already explored while lost a few days ago. Then we went to Te Papa, which is a really famous museum in Wellington focused on wild life, traditions, and the Maori people. We even got to see some Maori dancing.
Now I am tired, and will go to bed soon. Night :)
Today was a lovely Saturday, with absolutely gorgeous weather! Normally I am layered in scarves, hats, and jackets...but today I only wore one jacket, and even had to take it off for most of the day. It was wonderful!
It is Saturday night here, and it has been a long day. I had some very New Zealand experiences today.
First of all, I have a list of food. I had my first New Zealand kiwi fruit...which was juicy & delicious! For lunch Sacha made a Maori soup. The Maori are the native people, and they have very specific food, traditions, and many of the crazy New Zealand names come from the Maori. Lastly, for dinner Sacha made mussels...which is also a common NZ dish. So, today was the day of common/famous NZ food.
Before all of the cooking happened, Sacha dropped me off at the base of a mountain while she took Elinor to gym class. I hiked Mount Victoria Matairangi. Once you get to the top there is a panoramic of Wellington which was gorgeous. I will post pictures! It was fairly simple to get there, and not a dangerous hike. After a couple hours they picked me up, and we cam home for lunch.
In the afternoon we went to the Botanical Gardens, which I already explored while lost a few days ago. Then we went to Te Papa, which is a really famous museum in Wellington focused on wild life, traditions, and the Maori people. We even got to see some Maori dancing.
Now I am tired, and will go to bed soon. Night :)
Friday, September 23, 2011
A Simple Day
Not a lot to say tonight. It is not quite 7:30, so I have a perfect amount of time to shower, read, and get in bed.
For those of us in New Zealand, tomorrow is the weekend. So, hopefully some fun things will be headed my way!
I picked Elinor up from Kindy today. We play, cook, watch programs, and she LOVES to explore nature.
Coco, the cat, and I have become good friends. She is here now, half purring and half snoring. The sound she is making at the moment is actually quite astonishing, and very difficult to explain.
Lastly, the U.S.A. played Australia in the Rugby World Cup tonight right here in Wellington. The fans are wild. However, I am not sure who won yet, but I am sure I will hear soon.
Night night everyone
For those of us in New Zealand, tomorrow is the weekend. So, hopefully some fun things will be headed my way!
I picked Elinor up from Kindy today. We play, cook, watch programs, and she LOVES to explore nature.
Coco, the cat, and I have become good friends. She is here now, half purring and half snoring. The sound she is making at the moment is actually quite astonishing, and very difficult to explain.
Lastly, the U.S.A. played Australia in the Rugby World Cup tonight right here in Wellington. The fans are wild. However, I am not sure who won yet, but I am sure I will hear soon.
Night night everyone
Thursday, September 22, 2011
The Latest
Well, it is Thursday night, and things are slowing down a bit. With Peter and Carol still in India, I am getting used to the place. However, Wellington is not the biggest of cities, and there is definitely not as much to do as there was in the beginning.
For all that know me well, it may shock you that as I write this it is past my bedtime. Since I've been in NZ I go to bed around 9, and wake up around 6:30 or 7. The time change has completely improved my normal bad habits.
Tonight it is past 9:30 because I was chatting with Sacha about our plans, and also my postage problems. Apparently I fell into a bit of a tourist trap here in Wellington. I walked into a tourist shop because it had the word tourist in the name, and overall, that is what I am. Most of the stuff was junk, but I decided to buy a few postcards since I was there. When I was checking out they asked me if I wanted to buy stamps to go w/ the postcards. I thought that was great, because it saved me a trip to a mail store somewhere. So, when I went to mail a few of the postcards today, it turns out the stamps I bought can only be mailed in very specific post boxes that are rather hard to find. It is very weird. Sacha helped me find out where I could mail them, and she is actually going to try and take them when she goes to work tomorrow. They can't just go through NZ Post. So, we'll see if some of you out there ever receive my postcards that are going through this mysterious box!
Night night. I am headed to bed
For all that know me well, it may shock you that as I write this it is past my bedtime. Since I've been in NZ I go to bed around 9, and wake up around 6:30 or 7. The time change has completely improved my normal bad habits.
Tonight it is past 9:30 because I was chatting with Sacha about our plans, and also my postage problems. Apparently I fell into a bit of a tourist trap here in Wellington. I walked into a tourist shop because it had the word tourist in the name, and overall, that is what I am. Most of the stuff was junk, but I decided to buy a few postcards since I was there. When I was checking out they asked me if I wanted to buy stamps to go w/ the postcards. I thought that was great, because it saved me a trip to a mail store somewhere. So, when I went to mail a few of the postcards today, it turns out the stamps I bought can only be mailed in very specific post boxes that are rather hard to find. It is very weird. Sacha helped me find out where I could mail them, and she is actually going to try and take them when she goes to work tomorrow. They can't just go through NZ Post. So, we'll see if some of you out there ever receive my postcards that are going through this mysterious box!
Night night. I am headed to bed
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