Hola

It is Sunday again, and another week has gone by. I can’t believe it. Not only that, tomorrow is Halloween! I am very excited, but it is definitely not the same as being at home. It just so happens that today it is SO HOT outside. I’m definitely not getting the chilly, fall, leaves falling off the trees, Halloween vibe. But that is part of what is cool--I have never experienced Halloween in spring/summer before. 

They are talking about Halloween on the radio, and will play some “scary” movies on tv tonight. Other than that I will be interested to see what happens tomorrow. Halloween is on a Monday, and even if kids do trick or treat, I doubt they will come to a hostel. I guess we’ll see...

Anyway, the past week has been alright...not TOO eventful. Overall, the weather has been beautiful...so I have spent a few lovely afternoons napping and reading outside in the backyard in the sun. 

The problem is, I am out of work. Our “tree training” job was supposed to last a month. Well, we finished too quickly, and the contractor has no more work for us at the moment. The next season for work is “apple thinning” which does not start until November 15. I would REALLY like to have a job before then, but I may have no choice but to wait. 

Since I WAS working, almost everyone else at the hostel was waiting for work--so right when I finished work they ALL got work. They are doing something called “grape debugging” in vineyards (which is kind of in between tree training & apple thinning). So, it is kind of lonely at the hostel until about 5-6 pm. I am there alone with 2-4 other people during the day, depending on the day. 

We read, talk, enjoy the weather if it is good, write emails and letters, and take walks into town. Usually it is pretty nice and peaceful, and then suddenly between 4:30 and 5:30 things get crazy. EVERYONE comes home in droves with whoever their driver is. Bathrooms are ALL occupied, people want to take showers, and the kitchen begins to fill up. The music gets turned on, and the hostel is back in action. I love it when it gets to be about 7 or 8 because people are finally relaxed, took care of their business, and are eating, drinking, talking about their days, and just having a good time. 

Overall, the main news is about the weekend. Today is Jacob’s birthday, tomorrow is Halloween, and the next day is Moritz’s birthday. Therefore, the only thing to do was to have an Argentinian bbq. We wrote a note on the chalkboard that whoever wanted to participate throws 10 bucks in the bowl. With 26 people we had enough to make quite the trip to the store, buy LOTS of meat, buns, salad, and everything. Then Iris made Jacob a huge fruit cake for his birthday. Agustin was “the king of the grill” and barbecued away all night, as the rest of us ate, ate, and ate some more. However, Agustin said we all needed to come to Argentina where he could show us a REAL bbq w/ REAL fire! Afterwards we had cake, and then just sat, drinking and talking for a few hours. 

Since it was going to be Jacob’s birthday in a few hours we decided we should go out to a pub or club or something. Louisa, Hector, and I were the designated drivers. I have to admit, night life in Hastings is not the most impressive thing you have ever seen...so we headed to Napier. We started at a bar where we played pool for a while, and a few people tried Jello shots, which did not look too appealing. Then we were directed to where the “real” party scene was supposed to be. We went to this place called, “The Thirsty Whale.” There were a ton of people, and many were dressed in Halloween costumes. The club closed at 3 am, and we stayed until 3--dancing the whole time. Most of the girls looked totally slutty in their little mini skirt costumes, and I don’t think it was the best club, but at least there were people there---and we all got to have fun together. Compared to all the other people, our little backpacker group looked kind of hilarious...but we didn’t mind. We went to bed at 5 am, and still managed to make it to the beach today!

Pictures soon!