Friday, October 7, 2011
Saturday in Hastings
Hello all!
Things are great in New Zealand. I haven't written much because I am staying in my first hostel/backpacker, and there is no wifi. When I write on the blog or send emails I walk to McDonalds & sit outside and use their free wifi. It is slow, but effective.
The hostel is so great. The first night I was skeptical, but I am having so much fun. I have met people from Germany, Hong Kong, the Cheque Republic, Chile, and the U.S. so far. There have been SO MANY GERMANS. They are everywhere!
My closest friends have become two travelers from Hong Kong, and also 2 girls from Germany. Everyone likes to cook, so we take turns finding recipes, making cakes, scones, and other things. Tonight we are going to try and master making sushi somehow. We rent movies and watch them on weekends. Monday through Wednesday there is a place where the older movies are $1. Almost everyone I have met has been so open and so nice. We all get along great, and the past few nights we have been laughing harder than I have laughed in a month.
They are all hilarious, and between sometimes our accents getting in the way and having no idea what someone is saying, we just laugh all the time. For example, Jacob from Hong Kong, was trying to tell me the places in the U.S. he wants to visit. He tried to tell me "Seattle" for so long that he finally had to write it down for me to understand. Then a guy from Chile arrived last night and asked Jacob if he wanted to go out to the bars and clubs, but Jacob said no because we were all hanging out talking and watching Harry Potter. Jacob comes in and tells us the guy from Chile asked him to go to the "cup." We were like, "Oh cool. Does he have tickets for the world cup?" And Jacob kept saying, "No, not the world cup, the cup...the cup." And we were all like, "the cup?" Finally we figured out he was saying CLUB!
Anyway, Jacob and I got seasonal work. We are tree trimming in an apple orchard for probably the next 3 weeks at least. But we are getting paid, and it is beautiful. However we do stand up ALL day, and it is really tiring. Since we do the same thing for hours it gets boring, and mentally keeping yourself on the ball is difficult. However, we are working with others from Germany and the Cheque Republic who are very interesting. (I posted some pictures of us working).
The locals who work at the farm smoke like I have never seen before. I mean, there is rarely a time when they are NOT smoking, but I guess that is up to them.
There are about 6 or 7 of us who are staying at the hostel for the next month...the people I have become friends with. Others come and go. It is quite interesting :)
I will try and post more pictures later!
Things are great in New Zealand. I haven't written much because I am staying in my first hostel/backpacker, and there is no wifi. When I write on the blog or send emails I walk to McDonalds & sit outside and use their free wifi. It is slow, but effective.
The hostel is so great. The first night I was skeptical, but I am having so much fun. I have met people from Germany, Hong Kong, the Cheque Republic, Chile, and the U.S. so far. There have been SO MANY GERMANS. They are everywhere!
My closest friends have become two travelers from Hong Kong, and also 2 girls from Germany. Everyone likes to cook, so we take turns finding recipes, making cakes, scones, and other things. Tonight we are going to try and master making sushi somehow. We rent movies and watch them on weekends. Monday through Wednesday there is a place where the older movies are $1. Almost everyone I have met has been so open and so nice. We all get along great, and the past few nights we have been laughing harder than I have laughed in a month.
They are all hilarious, and between sometimes our accents getting in the way and having no idea what someone is saying, we just laugh all the time. For example, Jacob from Hong Kong, was trying to tell me the places in the U.S. he wants to visit. He tried to tell me "Seattle" for so long that he finally had to write it down for me to understand. Then a guy from Chile arrived last night and asked Jacob if he wanted to go out to the bars and clubs, but Jacob said no because we were all hanging out talking and watching Harry Potter. Jacob comes in and tells us the guy from Chile asked him to go to the "cup." We were like, "Oh cool. Does he have tickets for the world cup?" And Jacob kept saying, "No, not the world cup, the cup...the cup." And we were all like, "the cup?" Finally we figured out he was saying CLUB!
Anyway, Jacob and I got seasonal work. We are tree trimming in an apple orchard for probably the next 3 weeks at least. But we are getting paid, and it is beautiful. However we do stand up ALL day, and it is really tiring. Since we do the same thing for hours it gets boring, and mentally keeping yourself on the ball is difficult. However, we are working with others from Germany and the Cheque Republic who are very interesting. (I posted some pictures of us working).
The locals who work at the farm smoke like I have never seen before. I mean, there is rarely a time when they are NOT smoking, but I guess that is up to them.
There are about 6 or 7 of us who are staying at the hostel for the next month...the people I have become friends with. Others come and go. It is quite interesting :)
I will try and post more pictures later!
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
A1 Backpacker in Hastings. My new home for awhile..... :)
Well, here I am in Hastings. I was worried that traveling through backpackers was going to be just as lonely as wwoofing in Otaki with Ron. However, I was wrong!
The two German girls who were my roommates for 1 night just weren't that friendly. They talked to me when I asked them questions, but overall kept to themselves. When I came back from my long day out yesterday I found Jacob and Iris cooking away in the kitchen. They are from Hong Kong. Iris has been here over a year now, and Jacob about 4 months. They are amazing. We had dinner together, and after watched the show, Grey's Anatomy together, and also with two OTHER girls from Germany. Everyone is very nice, kind, and wants to make friends. This morning I had breakfast with a guy from Canada. Things are looking so much better.
Jacob and I have been called upon for work. We are under contract for 1 month. I know it is a long time, but they are all so nice and interesting. Other people will come and go in the next month. The hostel is safe, cozy, and as I have explored Hastings it is a very nice town. We all are just traveling and want to meet people :)
I will post pictures of my room soon
Monday, October 3, 2011
In Hastings
I left Wellington in the pouring rain at 2, and I made it to Hastings, New Zealand around 7:15 last night. It was hard saying goodbye to Sacha and Elinor who have been so great the past few weeks. They definitely provided a sense of comfort, which I had to give up when I stepped on the bus.
However, that was probably the most beautiful 5 hour bus ride I have ever been on. I read for a bit, and then looked out the window the rest of the time. It was like being transported into the movie, "Lord of the Rings" and now I understand and see why they filmed it in NZ.
Cindy easily picked me up from the bus stop, and she took me to the backpacker, where I am now booked for 1 week. I had two roommates from Germany, but they left today. Now the room is mine until someone else comes alone. It is comfortable and warm, the bathrooms are clean, and people are nice. It is well set up, but the season is late...so seasonal work doesn't start till mid to late October. The work isn't coming my way, so I probably won't stay longer than a week unless something comes up.
You have to pay for internet, so I am writing this from McDonalds...the only place around w/ free wifi. I don't know how often I will update the blog, we'll see.
That's all for now
However, that was probably the most beautiful 5 hour bus ride I have ever been on. I read for a bit, and then looked out the window the rest of the time. It was like being transported into the movie, "Lord of the Rings" and now I understand and see why they filmed it in NZ.
Cindy easily picked me up from the bus stop, and she took me to the backpacker, where I am now booked for 1 week. I had two roommates from Germany, but they left today. Now the room is mine until someone else comes alone. It is comfortable and warm, the bathrooms are clean, and people are nice. It is well set up, but the season is late...so seasonal work doesn't start till mid to late October. The work isn't coming my way, so I probably won't stay longer than a week unless something comes up.
You have to pay for internet, so I am writing this from McDonalds...the only place around w/ free wifi. I don't know how often I will update the blog, we'll see.
That's all for now
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