I bought a lot of DVDs today. The trick will be getting any of them back home. ;)
I don't know what's getting into me, with all this shopping! Must be something in the water...
23 April 2007
21 April 2007
Aotearoa 17 - The Bog of Eternal Stench
Feb. 4, 2007: Drive to Rotorua
This morning we woke up early again and drove to Rotorua. It's one of the bigger tourist attractions here. Of course, the whole country is a pretty big tourist attraction :) but this city is well-known for its geothermal activity. The city itself is also a bit bigger than the little towns we've been used to in the South Island and we've driven through on the North Island. You know you're in Rotorua when you can smell the sulfur from all the geothermal activity in the area. Just like being back in Yellowstone! :)
Not much really happened today. On our way into town we stopped at the information site to see what we could do in the area. After we checked in, the Poon's went on a whitewater rafting trip. That would've been awesome but again I'm on a very tight budget. I've been rafting in the States, so I decided to forego this experience in favor of something with a more NZ flavor.
While they were rafting, I just hung out at the Top 10 chillin'. The problem was that, again, I couldn't drive since I didn't have a valid license (it had expired). The city has buses, but they don't run on Sundays. I was pretty much stuck there. There aren't many things to do in the area; everything is too long of a walk away. I wouldn't be able to get there before they closed. :) The weather also didn't look too promising, and I was glad for the time to just chill. I wanted to go to a church service, again, but wouldn't you know the churches were all too far away. So how did I pass the time? Well, first I checked my e-mail, then I had a good, long chat with the receptionist. She's from South Africa, and I think she was in need of a friend. Now I wish I'd gotten her e-mail address or something, so I could keep in touch with her.
I really wished my license hadn't expired, or that I'd thought to renew it online or something. I would really love to stay here for a longer period of time (not just 2 weeks) and have my own mode of transportation, rely on myself to get around, that sort of thing. This place is calling my name!! :) I guess I'll have to find a job so I can be paid to live here. Maybe I can work at a Top 10....
When the Poons got back from rafting - they said it was absolutely AWESOME, and now I wish I'd been able to go with them! :) - we went into town, just to see what was around. On our way in, we had passed what looked like a small park with lots of "steam vents" - the geothermal activity variety. So, we decided to take a closer look at that. It was really neat! There were lots of little pools of boiling water, bubbling mud, and such. There was a small place where you could take off your shoes and soak your feet in naturally hot mineral water. The only problem was the smell, and the fact that it was getting dark by the time we got there. But it was a nice little park, and it was FREE!! :)
The city of Rotorua is on the shores of Lake Rotorua. This lake has a famous love story - the daughter of a chief was in love with a man who most people thought was beneath her. Her father and tribe forbade them to see each other - the man was placed on an island in the middle of the lake, and all canoes were removed so the girl couldn't go to see him. The man would play his flute, and the music would drift over the water to the girl, who only loved him more and more. Eventually, she was so overcome by the music and her love for him, that she tied empty gourds to herself to help her stay afloat, and she swam over 4 km to the island to be with him. Today, their descendants are still living in the area and telling their story. The story is also the basis for a famous Maori song, but I don't know it. :) I just think it's a neat story, and I like the fact that it is a true story, that stories like this still happen in the world.
Yesterday when we drove to Waitomo we noticed how different the terrain is on the North Island vs. the South Island. It is much more flat here in general, and the roads aren't quite as windy up through mountains. We did, however, see some spectacular views of a few volcanoes - in fact, we passed by the volcano that was used as Mount Doom in Lord of the Rings! I had a moment then, thinking of poor Sam carrying Frodo up the last bit of the journey. ;) It really was a spectacular view of the mountain, though!
I told you there are tons of Mimosa trees here....this one was at our Top 10 in Rotorua:
And I thought the tree with the red leaves in front of this Mimosa tree was just stunning!
(Also my pictures have gotten scarcer because I didn't take as many towards the end of the trip - I was worried about the batteries running out. Yes, I know it's a silly excuse)
This morning we woke up early again and drove to Rotorua. It's one of the bigger tourist attractions here. Of course, the whole country is a pretty big tourist attraction :) but this city is well-known for its geothermal activity. The city itself is also a bit bigger than the little towns we've been used to in the South Island and we've driven through on the North Island. You know you're in Rotorua when you can smell the sulfur from all the geothermal activity in the area. Just like being back in Yellowstone! :)
Not much really happened today. On our way into town we stopped at the information site to see what we could do in the area. After we checked in, the Poon's went on a whitewater rafting trip. That would've been awesome but again I'm on a very tight budget. I've been rafting in the States, so I decided to forego this experience in favor of something with a more NZ flavor.
While they were rafting, I just hung out at the Top 10 chillin'. The problem was that, again, I couldn't drive since I didn't have a valid license (it had expired). The city has buses, but they don't run on Sundays. I was pretty much stuck there. There aren't many things to do in the area; everything is too long of a walk away. I wouldn't be able to get there before they closed. :) The weather also didn't look too promising, and I was glad for the time to just chill. I wanted to go to a church service, again, but wouldn't you know the churches were all too far away. So how did I pass the time? Well, first I checked my e-mail, then I had a good, long chat with the receptionist. She's from South Africa, and I think she was in need of a friend. Now I wish I'd gotten her e-mail address or something, so I could keep in touch with her.
I really wished my license hadn't expired, or that I'd thought to renew it online or something. I would really love to stay here for a longer period of time (not just 2 weeks) and have my own mode of transportation, rely on myself to get around, that sort of thing. This place is calling my name!! :) I guess I'll have to find a job so I can be paid to live here. Maybe I can work at a Top 10....
When the Poons got back from rafting - they said it was absolutely AWESOME, and now I wish I'd been able to go with them! :) - we went into town, just to see what was around. On our way in, we had passed what looked like a small park with lots of "steam vents" - the geothermal activity variety. So, we decided to take a closer look at that. It was really neat! There were lots of little pools of boiling water, bubbling mud, and such. There was a small place where you could take off your shoes and soak your feet in naturally hot mineral water. The only problem was the smell, and the fact that it was getting dark by the time we got there. But it was a nice little park, and it was FREE!! :)
The city of Rotorua is on the shores of Lake Rotorua. This lake has a famous love story - the daughter of a chief was in love with a man who most people thought was beneath her. Her father and tribe forbade them to see each other - the man was placed on an island in the middle of the lake, and all canoes were removed so the girl couldn't go to see him. The man would play his flute, and the music would drift over the water to the girl, who only loved him more and more. Eventually, she was so overcome by the music and her love for him, that she tied empty gourds to herself to help her stay afloat, and she swam over 4 km to the island to be with him. Today, their descendants are still living in the area and telling their story. The story is also the basis for a famous Maori song, but I don't know it. :) I just think it's a neat story, and I like the fact that it is a true story, that stories like this still happen in the world.
Yesterday when we drove to Waitomo we noticed how different the terrain is on the North Island vs. the South Island. It is much more flat here in general, and the roads aren't quite as windy up through mountains. We did, however, see some spectacular views of a few volcanoes - in fact, we passed by the volcano that was used as Mount Doom in Lord of the Rings! I had a moment then, thinking of poor Sam carrying Frodo up the last bit of the journey. ;) It really was a spectacular view of the mountain, though!
I told you there are tons of Mimosa trees here....this one was at our Top 10 in Rotorua:
And I thought the tree with the red leaves in front of this Mimosa tree was just stunning!
(Also my pictures have gotten scarcer because I didn't take as many towards the end of the trip - I was worried about the batteries running out. Yes, I know it's a silly excuse)
Red Letter Days
I am usually not a shopper. For some reason, I managed to spend a lot of money today, though. I was hanging out with my new friends, Hillary and Jaimee, and we just poked our heads in a few little shops. I actually bought some things! Wow!! That is really surprising for me, because in general I don't like to go shopping. I guess they just brought out the shopper in me. :)
I got a little tank top that's kind of fun - and good since summer is just around the corner: today was the warmest day we've had so far, and it's just the beginning! My other fun purchase was a skirt. I don't wear skirts very often, but I like to have them. I really like this one - we went into an Indian store, just to look around, of course, and we found this skirt that I just loved. It'll also be great in the summer since it's really light and cool.
We met for a picnic lunch, which was wonderful!! Of course, 3 white girls in the middle of China are pretty noticeable, and we definitely got some attention. After lunch we just hung out for a while, walked around, and eventually made it back to their place. Jaimee took me to a big fabric shop. It was *really* big - with lots of "Chinese" material. I may have to get another "Qipao" made (the traditional Chinese dress).
The most interesting story from the day: we almost witnessed (maybe almost caused?) a traffic accident. We were crossing the street on the way to my house. This white jeep-type vehicle was coming towards us pretty fast, so we stopped in the middle of the street to wait for it to go by. At the same time, a car was crossing the street the same direction that we were. I think the driver must have been looking at the three girls crossing the road instead of the traffic, because he came within inches of hitting the speeding jeep-like thing. The jeep-thing even slowed down considerably, and laid on his horn, but the little car didn't stop until he almost came into contact with the jeep. Crazy!! I'm glad nothing happened....it would've been quite an awkward situation. The drivers probably would've tried to put some blame on us and we'd have to try to explain to the police what went on. And people would've gotten hurt! Anyway, I'm glad everything turned out alright, no one was hurt, and we made it safely across the street. Crossing the street here really is like taking your life into your own hands.
I got a little tank top that's kind of fun - and good since summer is just around the corner: today was the warmest day we've had so far, and it's just the beginning! My other fun purchase was a skirt. I don't wear skirts very often, but I like to have them. I really like this one - we went into an Indian store, just to look around, of course, and we found this skirt that I just loved. It'll also be great in the summer since it's really light and cool.
We met for a picnic lunch, which was wonderful!! Of course, 3 white girls in the middle of China are pretty noticeable, and we definitely got some attention. After lunch we just hung out for a while, walked around, and eventually made it back to their place. Jaimee took me to a big fabric shop. It was *really* big - with lots of "Chinese" material. I may have to get another "Qipao" made (the traditional Chinese dress).
The most interesting story from the day: we almost witnessed (maybe almost caused?) a traffic accident. We were crossing the street on the way to my house. This white jeep-type vehicle was coming towards us pretty fast, so we stopped in the middle of the street to wait for it to go by. At the same time, a car was crossing the street the same direction that we were. I think the driver must have been looking at the three girls crossing the road instead of the traffic, because he came within inches of hitting the speeding jeep-like thing. The jeep-thing even slowed down considerably, and laid on his horn, but the little car didn't stop until he almost came into contact with the jeep. Crazy!! I'm glad nothing happened....it would've been quite an awkward situation. The drivers probably would've tried to put some blame on us and we'd have to try to explain to the police what went on. And people would've gotten hurt! Anyway, I'm glad everything turned out alright, no one was hurt, and we made it safely across the street. Crossing the street here really is like taking your life into your own hands.
18 April 2007
International Sports come to Tai Shan College
For the next 10 days or so my little school is playing host to an international sports event. How cool is that? Little bitty Tai'an has its moment in the spotlight - and how cool that my school got picked over all the others! :) It really is a big deal to be honored with hosting this competition. Okay, so it's not like it's the Olympics, but it's still a big deal!
And the sport of choice? Weightlifting. So now you're probably laughing thinking "oh, that's all", but I will have you know that there are over 200 competitors from many countries in Asia taking part in this venue. It's something like the Asian games or something. Anyway, it's really neat. A lot of students are volunteering to help out in various capacities, especially the English speakers, so several of my students get out of class. What a great experience for them, and for the school! I haven't yet met any of the participants, but I look forward to being able to! :) Fun times!
And the sport of choice? Weightlifting. So now you're probably laughing thinking "oh, that's all", but I will have you know that there are over 200 competitors from many countries in Asia taking part in this venue. It's something like the Asian games or something. Anyway, it's really neat. A lot of students are volunteering to help out in various capacities, especially the English speakers, so several of my students get out of class. What a great experience for them, and for the school! I haven't yet met any of the participants, but I look forward to being able to! :) Fun times!
17 April 2007
Aotearoa 16 - We are all worms, but I do believe that I am a glowworm!
Feb. 3, 2007: Waitomo Caves
We got up EARLY this morning so we could drive up to a place called Waitomo. There are lots of caves there that are famous for their glowworms. TOO COOL!!
I remember when I was a little girl watching the cartoon about the glowworms. I even had a few toys from the show! Ever since then I've always wanted to see the real thing, and now I finally had the chance!
We made it up to the Waitomo caves in time to go "Black Water Tubing" - tubing through a cave. Now, when I first heard about this I was expecting something like going on rapids through a cave, which would be wicked cool! As it turned out, there were no rapids, but it was still a fun little adventure.
We got to the "Legendary Black Water Tubing Co." and got to put on wetsuits. I think that's the first time in my life that I've worn a wetsuit, actually. We got helmets and rubber boots too. :) We looked pretty funny, really. We all hopped in the van and drove off to the cave entrance. Before we went down into the cave we were all given these little innertubes so we could float through the cave. Then we had to practic jumping off a small ledge into our tubes, which was fun. We had to practice because we had to do that very thing in the cave. Basically, you stand with your back to the water and the tube around your backside, and then fall backwards into the water. It was kind of fun, actually! :) In the cave itself we even had to jump backwards over a small waterfall.
There are no lights in the cave. I think that's so cool!! We had lights on our helmets, though. I went to a cave in China last summer, but there were lights all along the way so you never got the feeling that you were really in a cave. When we were in this cave we got to turn off our lights a few times.
When we turned off our lights, though, we got to see.....the GLOWWORMS!!! :) We stopped to enjoy them for a few minutes and talk about them. They gave off enough light that you still didn't feel the oppressive darkness completely. They looked kind of like little stars on the ceiling. It was really cool to see them, even though I would've liked to have no light at all for even just a few seconds.
The glowworms were neat little dudes. They're not really worms - they're actually larvae. Apparently their life cycle goes something like this:
1.) They're born (hatch)
2.) Lay around for 10 months in these little "hammocks", catching food ("fishing" if you will) and eating it
3.) Sleep for 10 days straight
4.) Wake up (as flies)
5.) Have sex for 2 days straight
6.) They Die
Not bad for little bugs, eh? And then all these people pay big bucks to go and study them or just see them. They're famous without even trying or even being useful. It's the simple things in life, you know.....They don't really glow, either. It's our word of the day: bioluminescence. They were neat little dudes at any rate, and I was so excited to be seeing the real thing!
We weren't always floating. To get to the cave you have to climb down this little entrance, and you're still walking on dry ground for a good part of the way. The rubber boots worked wonders - lots of traction, surprisingly! I wasn't worried about slipping.
Towards the end of the trip, we got to play a little game called "find your way out of the cave in the dark." :) We all had to turn off our helmet lights, and try to float down our little stream to the exit of the cave. It was fun!! Of course, when you got closer to the exit it was no big deal because you could see again. Not so much fun when you know where you're going! :) But we had our helmets on so there wasn't any real danger of getting hurt.
Whole trip was about 1 hour - by that time my hands were stiff from paddling through cold water! It took a while for them to thaw out.
After taking off our wet suits and washing/drying off a bit we got to warm up with complimentary soup & bagels back at the company headquarters. The bagel was really good! It's been so long since I've had a good bagel!! :) Also in the HQ was this fun little LOTR statue - I just thought it was so funny!
(Me and Gandalf)
Anyway, I decided that I really like caves. I don't know what it is about them, but I just find them fascinating! I think I actually enjoy that kind of thick darkness that you can actually feel - at least for just a little while. So, Dad, when are we going to go find our caves in the Blue Ridge Mts.? I'm all set! ;)
After we got finished with that and got back to our Top 10, we went to this little museum that was all about the caves. It was small, but fun! We went pretty much at closing time, so we were almost the only people there. I liked that though! We were the only ones in this little theater showing a short documentary about the glowworms. We had our choice of seats and could even lie down if we wanted. :)
Tonight we were just chillin' again. We watched more of the Rugby 7's, along with a lot of the other travellers staying there. One cool clip from the competition - after the Samoan team won, they celebrated by praying and singing a hymn together: "Take it to the Lord in Prayer" (at least that was the tune).
We got up EARLY this morning so we could drive up to a place called Waitomo. There are lots of caves there that are famous for their glowworms. TOO COOL!!
I remember when I was a little girl watching the cartoon about the glowworms. I even had a few toys from the show! Ever since then I've always wanted to see the real thing, and now I finally had the chance!
We made it up to the Waitomo caves in time to go "Black Water Tubing" - tubing through a cave. Now, when I first heard about this I was expecting something like going on rapids through a cave, which would be wicked cool! As it turned out, there were no rapids, but it was still a fun little adventure.
We got to the "Legendary Black Water Tubing Co." and got to put on wetsuits. I think that's the first time in my life that I've worn a wetsuit, actually. We got helmets and rubber boots too. :) We looked pretty funny, really. We all hopped in the van and drove off to the cave entrance. Before we went down into the cave we were all given these little innertubes so we could float through the cave. Then we had to practic jumping off a small ledge into our tubes, which was fun. We had to practice because we had to do that very thing in the cave. Basically, you stand with your back to the water and the tube around your backside, and then fall backwards into the water. It was kind of fun, actually! :) In the cave itself we even had to jump backwards over a small waterfall.
There are no lights in the cave. I think that's so cool!! We had lights on our helmets, though. I went to a cave in China last summer, but there were lights all along the way so you never got the feeling that you were really in a cave. When we were in this cave we got to turn off our lights a few times.
When we turned off our lights, though, we got to see.....the GLOWWORMS!!! :) We stopped to enjoy them for a few minutes and talk about them. They gave off enough light that you still didn't feel the oppressive darkness completely. They looked kind of like little stars on the ceiling. It was really cool to see them, even though I would've liked to have no light at all for even just a few seconds.
The glowworms were neat little dudes. They're not really worms - they're actually larvae. Apparently their life cycle goes something like this:
1.) They're born (hatch)
2.) Lay around for 10 months in these little "hammocks", catching food ("fishing" if you will) and eating it
3.) Sleep for 10 days straight
4.) Wake up (as flies)
5.) Have sex for 2 days straight
6.) They Die
Not bad for little bugs, eh? And then all these people pay big bucks to go and study them or just see them. They're famous without even trying or even being useful. It's the simple things in life, you know.....They don't really glow, either. It's our word of the day: bioluminescence. They were neat little dudes at any rate, and I was so excited to be seeing the real thing!
We weren't always floating. To get to the cave you have to climb down this little entrance, and you're still walking on dry ground for a good part of the way. The rubber boots worked wonders - lots of traction, surprisingly! I wasn't worried about slipping.
Towards the end of the trip, we got to play a little game called "find your way out of the cave in the dark." :) We all had to turn off our helmet lights, and try to float down our little stream to the exit of the cave. It was fun!! Of course, when you got closer to the exit it was no big deal because you could see again. Not so much fun when you know where you're going! :) But we had our helmets on so there wasn't any real danger of getting hurt.
Whole trip was about 1 hour - by that time my hands were stiff from paddling through cold water! It took a while for them to thaw out.
After taking off our wet suits and washing/drying off a bit we got to warm up with complimentary soup & bagels back at the company headquarters. The bagel was really good! It's been so long since I've had a good bagel!! :) Also in the HQ was this fun little LOTR statue - I just thought it was so funny!
(Me and Gandalf)
Anyway, I decided that I really like caves. I don't know what it is about them, but I just find them fascinating! I think I actually enjoy that kind of thick darkness that you can actually feel - at least for just a little while. So, Dad, when are we going to go find our caves in the Blue Ridge Mts.? I'm all set! ;)
After we got finished with that and got back to our Top 10, we went to this little museum that was all about the caves. It was small, but fun! We went pretty much at closing time, so we were almost the only people there. I liked that though! We were the only ones in this little theater showing a short documentary about the glowworms. We had our choice of seats and could even lie down if we wanted. :)
Tonight we were just chillin' again. We watched more of the Rugby 7's, along with a lot of the other travellers staying there. One cool clip from the competition - after the Samoan team won, they celebrated by praying and singing a hymn together: "Take it to the Lord in Prayer" (at least that was the tune).
15 April 2007
Aotearoa 15 - "My Shangri-La beneath the summer moon, I will return again..."
Feb. 2, 2007: Picton to Wellington ferry
Today we said goodbye to the South Island. I loved my time there, and I want to go back already!!
This morning we checked out of Blenheim and drove to Picton, where we basically just got on the ferry. It looked like another nice town to check out, but we didn't stop. The ferry was really fun and huge! We drove the car onto it and then roamed around. It was pretty windy and a bit chilly outside, but I found a nice bench in the back out of the wind where I spent most of my time reading and relaxing. It was really cool! For some of the trip across the Strait you could see both islands, and to the east the Pacific Ocean! It was a really relaxing ride - about 3 hours, and like I've said earlier about motion in general, it made me sleepy. It was a beautiful day, and a fun trip.
...The deck where all the cars/vehicles are parked
...The Pacific Ocean!!
...Farewell to the South Island
...Nice place to relax and enjoy the ride!
...Hello to Wellington!
When we arrived in Wellington it already felt *really* different from the places we'd been in the South Island. That was probably mostly because we'd only been in small towns the whole time. It was weird getting back to a big city. Wellington is the capital of New Zealand, of course, and it's one of the top 3 big cities. It was such a difference! The roads here felt a lot more like the roads I'm used to from back home - just bigger and busier. The "highway" felt a lot more like the highways in the States too. The highway in the South Island was always going through mountains, so it felt more like the mountain roads in NC/TN/SC/VA/KY.
The traffic was especially crazy this weekend because it's the weekend of the international rugby competition - the "7's". Not only did we not know exactly where we were going, but we also had to fight this traffic that we weren't used to, and be extra mindful of pedestrians. On a side note, the people going to this competition REALLY get into it - they go all out and dress up all crazy. I forget all the different costumes we saw, but there were some crazy ones! :) We also saw some people on the ferry who must've been on their way to watch. While we were driving around town we even passed the huge rugby stadium. (looked kinda like a football stadium!) ;)
I decided after this little excursion through the city that I liked the small towns and mountains better. :) Also I found that I liked one grocery store chain - called "Fresh Choice" - better than the one we found here. Funny how that happens, right?
The big thing we did in Wellington was go to the national museum - Te Papa. It was really big!! You could spend a whole day in there, but we only had a few hours. It was really neat, though. It reminded me of the kids' museums in Indianapolis and Louisville.....and that makes me want to go visit them when I get home again. :) Anyway, it had lots of stuff. I thought the Maori exhibits were especially fascinating. There was one display I really loved that had a lot of Maori instruments, and you could listen to excerpts of their sounds. Some of them had a really beautiful, mellow sound!
...Te Papa museum exhibit
There were also some neat exhibits about the first settlers who came to NZ from Europe and their stories. Apparently when they were trying to settle the area the only requirement was a willingness to go! It didn't matter if you were a single young woman, they'd take you! Other exhibits I enjoyed were about wool in NZ. Of course, wool is one of the biggest industries in NZ, so they've become pretty resourceful at using it. :) The exhibits showed some of the process of shearing sheep and making wool fabric, as well as some of the finished products, clothing, etc. The clothing that gets the prize, though: a wedding dress. Yes, there was a wedding dress made out of wool! It didn't look like wool at all, though! There were other fun dresses too, but I wasn't sure if we were allowed to take pictures inside the museum. :)
Eventually we found our place to stay. I say eventually because it was a little out of town and therefore a little hard to find. It was the nicest place we stayed so far, though. It even had a kitchenette inside, and our own bathroom! The Poon's all went out to eat, but I just wanted to stay in and conserve money, which was fine. I didn't starve! ;) Actually, I had fun, because while they were out I looked on T.V. and was able to watch some of the rugby matches going on! I couldn't quite figure everything out, but it was fun to watch! Brutal, aggressive sport it is, but I got hooked! :) I'll have to look more into that too. Add it to my ever-increasing list!
Today we said goodbye to the South Island. I loved my time there, and I want to go back already!!
This morning we checked out of Blenheim and drove to Picton, where we basically just got on the ferry. It looked like another nice town to check out, but we didn't stop. The ferry was really fun and huge! We drove the car onto it and then roamed around. It was pretty windy and a bit chilly outside, but I found a nice bench in the back out of the wind where I spent most of my time reading and relaxing. It was really cool! For some of the trip across the Strait you could see both islands, and to the east the Pacific Ocean! It was a really relaxing ride - about 3 hours, and like I've said earlier about motion in general, it made me sleepy. It was a beautiful day, and a fun trip.
...The deck where all the cars/vehicles are parked
...The Pacific Ocean!!
...Farewell to the South Island
...Nice place to relax and enjoy the ride!
...Hello to Wellington!
When we arrived in Wellington it already felt *really* different from the places we'd been in the South Island. That was probably mostly because we'd only been in small towns the whole time. It was weird getting back to a big city. Wellington is the capital of New Zealand, of course, and it's one of the top 3 big cities. It was such a difference! The roads here felt a lot more like the roads I'm used to from back home - just bigger and busier. The "highway" felt a lot more like the highways in the States too. The highway in the South Island was always going through mountains, so it felt more like the mountain roads in NC/TN/SC/VA/KY.
The traffic was especially crazy this weekend because it's the weekend of the international rugby competition - the "7's". Not only did we not know exactly where we were going, but we also had to fight this traffic that we weren't used to, and be extra mindful of pedestrians. On a side note, the people going to this competition REALLY get into it - they go all out and dress up all crazy. I forget all the different costumes we saw, but there were some crazy ones! :) We also saw some people on the ferry who must've been on their way to watch. While we were driving around town we even passed the huge rugby stadium. (looked kinda like a football stadium!) ;)
I decided after this little excursion through the city that I liked the small towns and mountains better. :) Also I found that I liked one grocery store chain - called "Fresh Choice" - better than the one we found here. Funny how that happens, right?
The big thing we did in Wellington was go to the national museum - Te Papa. It was really big!! You could spend a whole day in there, but we only had a few hours. It was really neat, though. It reminded me of the kids' museums in Indianapolis and Louisville.....and that makes me want to go visit them when I get home again. :) Anyway, it had lots of stuff. I thought the Maori exhibits were especially fascinating. There was one display I really loved that had a lot of Maori instruments, and you could listen to excerpts of their sounds. Some of them had a really beautiful, mellow sound!
...Te Papa museum exhibit
There were also some neat exhibits about the first settlers who came to NZ from Europe and their stories. Apparently when they were trying to settle the area the only requirement was a willingness to go! It didn't matter if you were a single young woman, they'd take you! Other exhibits I enjoyed were about wool in NZ. Of course, wool is one of the biggest industries in NZ, so they've become pretty resourceful at using it. :) The exhibits showed some of the process of shearing sheep and making wool fabric, as well as some of the finished products, clothing, etc. The clothing that gets the prize, though: a wedding dress. Yes, there was a wedding dress made out of wool! It didn't look like wool at all, though! There were other fun dresses too, but I wasn't sure if we were allowed to take pictures inside the museum. :)
Eventually we found our place to stay. I say eventually because it was a little out of town and therefore a little hard to find. It was the nicest place we stayed so far, though. It even had a kitchenette inside, and our own bathroom! The Poon's all went out to eat, but I just wanted to stay in and conserve money, which was fine. I didn't starve! ;) Actually, I had fun, because while they were out I looked on T.V. and was able to watch some of the rugby matches going on! I couldn't quite figure everything out, but it was fun to watch! Brutal, aggressive sport it is, but I got hooked! :) I'll have to look more into that too. Add it to my ever-increasing list!
14 April 2007
Mad cooking skills
For some reason, I have been in a cooking mood recently. Last week for Easter I had some friends over and I cooked lunch for them (using some of my "Thanksgiving" food). I've been trying to practice stir-frying more with some veggies - broccoli once, eggplant once. They turned out okay, but I still need more practice! :)
Yesterday I met with the former Dean of the foreign language Dept. at my school, and she taught me how to make dumplings. If you go to China and don't ever eat dumplings or learn to make them, then you haven't really been to China. This is the stereotypical Chinese food that every Chinese child must learn how to make, that's for sure. I'm going to try to make them myself a few times now that I (kind of) know how, so that when I go home I'll be able to share some of the delights of China with my friends and family. :)
Yesterday I met with the former Dean of the foreign language Dept. at my school, and she taught me how to make dumplings. If you go to China and don't ever eat dumplings or learn to make them, then you haven't really been to China. This is the stereotypical Chinese food that every Chinese child must learn how to make, that's for sure. I'm going to try to make them myself a few times now that I (kind of) know how, so that when I go home I'll be able to share some of the delights of China with my friends and family. :)
It's Official!!
Tickets have been reserved - I will be coming home July 20th!! My plane gets in awfully late though (11:37 p.m.)
I expect to see some people there to pick me up! ;)
I miss you all, and I am getting really excited about coming home!! Love you all!!
I expect to see some people there to pick me up! ;)
I miss you all, and I am getting really excited about coming home!! Love you all!!
Aotearoa 14 - "Oh, the Lord's been good to me...
...and so I thank the Lord for giving me the things I need, the sun and the rain and the apple seed. The Lord's been good to me."
Feb. 1, 2007: to Blenheim
It was rainy this morning. Actually, this whole trip we've been blessed with good weather. While we were going around Abel Tasman we had beautiful, sunny days, which was what we needed for being on the water. I certainly am not complaining about the rain we've had while driving. :)
Today we're in Blenheim. It's pretty much just a stopover point for us. Tomorrow we're traveling a short distance to a city called Picton, where we'll travel to the North Island via the Interislander Ferry. There doesn't seem to be much to do here in Blenheim, but this region is well known for its vineyards and wine production.
After checking in, we just took it easy for a bit and watched some TV. It's so funny to me to be able to watch all these programs in English! We watched some American Idol - which I never watched in the States, but it was kind of fun here. We also chatted with another guy staying at the Top 10 for a while. One of the fun things about this trip has been meeting all these people along the way. He gave us some suggestions for things to do/see in the area.
One thing he suggested was to go to this little chocolate factory in the area, so we decided to check it out. It wasn't very big, but we got to see the workers making the chocolates, and we got some free samples. My favorite was this kind of berry toffee - toffee made using some berry juice, and berries crushed into the coating. I thought it was excellent, but it was a bit rich. I wasn't too crazy about the chocolate-coated ginger, though. Would've liked to buy some chocolates to take home, but they'd probably be gone before I got home home, and I wanted to save my money for other venues. :)
One thing we wanted to try was a short walk to some lagoons. Unfortunately, this walk wasn't very well-known, so we went through a lot of run-around to get there. It was a nice little walk.
This walk was completely unlike any of the others we've done. There were no trees at all - just stubble and short grasses, and wheat eventually.
At the end of the walk (it's a loop track, so I guess it would actually be the middle) you come to the lagoons themselves. In one of the lagoons is the remains of a WWII ship - the S.S. Waverly, which was stranded there in a flood. I think it was just a supply ship, and it wasn't that big. It was kind of interesting, but it was also obvious that not many people hiked this way. The area apparently has a lot of diverse wildlife, though. We saw some beautiful birds, although I forget what kind they were. They were not common, that's for sure. Possibly some herons? There were lots, whatever they were! :)
Feb. 1, 2007: to Blenheim
It was rainy this morning. Actually, this whole trip we've been blessed with good weather. While we were going around Abel Tasman we had beautiful, sunny days, which was what we needed for being on the water. I certainly am not complaining about the rain we've had while driving. :)
Today we're in Blenheim. It's pretty much just a stopover point for us. Tomorrow we're traveling a short distance to a city called Picton, where we'll travel to the North Island via the Interislander Ferry. There doesn't seem to be much to do here in Blenheim, but this region is well known for its vineyards and wine production.
After checking in, we just took it easy for a bit and watched some TV. It's so funny to me to be able to watch all these programs in English! We watched some American Idol - which I never watched in the States, but it was kind of fun here. We also chatted with another guy staying at the Top 10 for a while. One of the fun things about this trip has been meeting all these people along the way. He gave us some suggestions for things to do/see in the area.
One thing he suggested was to go to this little chocolate factory in the area, so we decided to check it out. It wasn't very big, but we got to see the workers making the chocolates, and we got some free samples. My favorite was this kind of berry toffee - toffee made using some berry juice, and berries crushed into the coating. I thought it was excellent, but it was a bit rich. I wasn't too crazy about the chocolate-coated ginger, though. Would've liked to buy some chocolates to take home, but they'd probably be gone before I got home home, and I wanted to save my money for other venues. :)
One thing we wanted to try was a short walk to some lagoons. Unfortunately, this walk wasn't very well-known, so we went through a lot of run-around to get there. It was a nice little walk.
This walk was completely unlike any of the others we've done. There were no trees at all - just stubble and short grasses, and wheat eventually.
At the end of the walk (it's a loop track, so I guess it would actually be the middle) you come to the lagoons themselves. In one of the lagoons is the remains of a WWII ship - the S.S. Waverly, which was stranded there in a flood. I think it was just a supply ship, and it wasn't that big. It was kind of interesting, but it was also obvious that not many people hiked this way. The area apparently has a lot of diverse wildlife, though. We saw some beautiful birds, although I forget what kind they were. They were not common, that's for sure. Possibly some herons? There were lots, whatever they were! :)
13 April 2007
I had to go to China to become a punk...
Those of you who read my Xanga site know that I've gone rebellious and not only jumped out of a plane, but also gotten a tattoo. In fact, I got my tattoo the day before I was picking up my brother Allen (who later got his done at the same place).
Some of you may gasp and mutter "heathen" under your breath (hopefully not), but before I ruin your perception of my innocence and sanity let me show you some pictures and explain a little about the what and why.....
Work in progress:
Finished product:
(May be a little off-center after all....hmmm.....)
Still smiling :)
Okay, so I've spent the past two years (minus a few months) of my life living in China. There have been ups and downs, but overall an unforgettable time of my life. I've always thought about getting a tattoo, but never knew what I really wanted to get (or if I ever would really get one).
What I got was the traditional Chinese character: Yì.
It means "righteousness", "justice" and is used in "adoption"/"adopted". The cool thing about this character is this: there are two parts:
The top part has 3 lines across, with one line down the middle, and two short strokes at the top. It is the same as the character that means "lamb". The bottom part, the more complicated part, is the same as the character that means "I/me". SO, the traditional Chinese character that means "righteousness" and "justice" is "a lamb over me". Pretty cool, huh? And I tend to think it's not purely coincidental.
I wanted to get it here to remind me of my time in China, but more importantly, to always remind myself that my righteousness comes from the Lamb of God and what He did for me - covering me with Himself so that I may approach the throne of God with grace.
Some of you may gasp and mutter "heathen" under your breath (hopefully not), but before I ruin your perception of my innocence and sanity let me show you some pictures and explain a little about the what and why.....
Work in progress:
Finished product:
(May be a little off-center after all....hmmm.....)
Still smiling :)
Okay, so I've spent the past two years (minus a few months) of my life living in China. There have been ups and downs, but overall an unforgettable time of my life. I've always thought about getting a tattoo, but never knew what I really wanted to get (or if I ever would really get one).
What I got was the traditional Chinese character: Yì.
It means "righteousness", "justice" and is used in "adoption"/"adopted". The cool thing about this character is this: there are two parts:
The top part has 3 lines across, with one line down the middle, and two short strokes at the top. It is the same as the character that means "lamb". The bottom part, the more complicated part, is the same as the character that means "I/me". SO, the traditional Chinese character that means "righteousness" and "justice" is "a lamb over me". Pretty cool, huh? And I tend to think it's not purely coincidental.
I wanted to get it here to remind me of my time in China, but more importantly, to always remind myself that my righteousness comes from the Lamb of God and what He did for me - covering me with Himself so that I may approach the throne of God with grace.
12 April 2007
Aotearoa 13 - Walk on the Ocean
Jan. 31, 2007: Abel Tasman/Kayaking
This morning we went to an area called Golden Bay. There's a long strip of land called the "Farewell Spit" that I was interested in seeing. Unfortunately, it turned out to be less than stellar, at least where we went. We didn't have enough time to make it all the way out to the Farewell Spit, and we found out that even if we got to the start of the spit, it was so long that you couldn't see the end of it. Ah well, you live and you learn I guess. I did have fun when we ran into an Austrian tourist biking around the area. He didn't speak much English, so I wanted to try to speak with him in German. The only problem was, when I was trying to think of how to say something in German, I could only remember the Chinese!!! :) (You know you've been in China too long when....)
In the afternoon we went kayaking out in the same area where we were yesterday. That was really neat, but since we'd already seen the area it was kind of repetitive. Not that that was a problem, since we were in one of the most beautiful places in the world! ;) We went with a guide in a small group, which was more expensive, but they recommend that for less experienced kayakers. As it turned out, I bet we could've just rented the kayaks and gone out ourselves. Oh well.
By this time of day the tide was already out, so they had to use a tractor to take our boat out to the water! That was interesting, and kind of fun.
The water was gorgeous, again. I got sunburned, again. I think we saw another seal in the water. The guide told us about some of the wildlife he'd seen while working there, including some sharks I believe. We didn't see any of those though. ;)
This was a nice, relaxing way to enjoy the park. We were going at our own pace, but we also got to stop on one of the beaches to just hang out. While everyone else was sitting around, drying out, I got into the water and swam around a bit. It was great! I haven't been swimming in salt water in a looooooong time, so it was wonderful. Not quite as buoyant as the Dead Sea, but you could still float really easily. It was so calm too, perfect for a nice, leisurely swim.
The kayaks were kind of fun - we had to wear these "skirts" that were waterproof. You put them on and then they fit over the opening in the kayak to prevent water from getting in. If your kayak flips, they come off easily, or so our guide told us. We didn't have a chance to test that out though. ;)
On our way back, we had to walk on the beach in low tide again, but this time we had a fun surprise: STARFISH!! There were TONS of starfish in the small pools of water left behind after the tide. We had some fun playing around with them, picking them up and letting them suction on to our hands, feet, whatever. :) We also found some little crabs that were fun to play with. I picked one up - they're so small that their claws don't hurt, only tickle a little.
Tonight we ate at a nicer restaurant that was still cheap, but the food was better. It was nice to be eating out after making sandwiches all the time. We even got a discount because we had a "Top 10" membership card. That has come in *real* handy on this trip!
This morning we went to an area called Golden Bay. There's a long strip of land called the "Farewell Spit" that I was interested in seeing. Unfortunately, it turned out to be less than stellar, at least where we went. We didn't have enough time to make it all the way out to the Farewell Spit, and we found out that even if we got to the start of the spit, it was so long that you couldn't see the end of it. Ah well, you live and you learn I guess. I did have fun when we ran into an Austrian tourist biking around the area. He didn't speak much English, so I wanted to try to speak with him in German. The only problem was, when I was trying to think of how to say something in German, I could only remember the Chinese!!! :) (You know you've been in China too long when....)
In the afternoon we went kayaking out in the same area where we were yesterday. That was really neat, but since we'd already seen the area it was kind of repetitive. Not that that was a problem, since we were in one of the most beautiful places in the world! ;) We went with a guide in a small group, which was more expensive, but they recommend that for less experienced kayakers. As it turned out, I bet we could've just rented the kayaks and gone out ourselves. Oh well.
By this time of day the tide was already out, so they had to use a tractor to take our boat out to the water! That was interesting, and kind of fun.
The water was gorgeous, again. I got sunburned, again. I think we saw another seal in the water. The guide told us about some of the wildlife he'd seen while working there, including some sharks I believe. We didn't see any of those though. ;)
This was a nice, relaxing way to enjoy the park. We were going at our own pace, but we also got to stop on one of the beaches to just hang out. While everyone else was sitting around, drying out, I got into the water and swam around a bit. It was great! I haven't been swimming in salt water in a looooooong time, so it was wonderful. Not quite as buoyant as the Dead Sea, but you could still float really easily. It was so calm too, perfect for a nice, leisurely swim.
The kayaks were kind of fun - we had to wear these "skirts" that were waterproof. You put them on and then they fit over the opening in the kayak to prevent water from getting in. If your kayak flips, they come off easily, or so our guide told us. We didn't have a chance to test that out though. ;)
On our way back, we had to walk on the beach in low tide again, but this time we had a fun surprise: STARFISH!! There were TONS of starfish in the small pools of water left behind after the tide. We had some fun playing around with them, picking them up and letting them suction on to our hands, feet, whatever. :) We also found some little crabs that were fun to play with. I picked one up - they're so small that their claws don't hurt, only tickle a little.
Tonight we ate at a nicer restaurant that was still cheap, but the food was better. It was nice to be eating out after making sandwiches all the time. We even got a discount because we had a "Top 10" membership card. That has come in *real* handy on this trip!
Aotearoa 12 - "The gentleness of heaven is on the sea"
Jan. 30, 2007: Abel Tasman
The gentleness of heaven is on the sea:
Listen! the mighty Being is awake,
And doth with his eternal motion make
A sound like thunder –everlastingly.
- William Wordsworth
This area of New Zealand is well-known for its beauty. In fact, just about everyone we talked to said that this was one of their favorite places to go, and definitely worth the visit. It really was stunning!
Today we took a water taxi through Abel Tasman National Park (which includes an animal sanctuary - absolutely NO FISHING!). We were then dropped off at the north point of a walking track, which took us back to a pick-up point.
Abel Tasman National Park is at the north part of the South Island, on the strait between the two islands. The water between the islands is salt water, so it's just like being on the sea, without a lot of the danger inherent in that. The water was peaceful and calm, and almost indescribable!
The boat ride was fun but a little chilly. The weather was gorgeous - the sun was shining, there was a nice breeze, and of course we were on the sea, which can't be beat. :) I think I've mentioned before that I just love movement - cars, trains, planes, boats....of course I've only had smooth rides so far.
We got picked up from our Top 10 in Motueka and taken to the nearby town of Kaiteriteri where we got our water taxi. On the way, our driver (who was younger than me) pointed out some interesting things along the way. This area has a lot of fruit production - lots of kiwi, and a kind of fruit called "hops" which is used in beer. On our way back we stopped to check out some of their kiwi & hops farms. Another cool thing we discovered while looking at the fruit - some places have this little stand where they leave bags *full* of fruit for whoever wants them. You just have to leave something like $5, and you can take this huge bag of apples. There's a little box where you can leave the money. I think they had a video camera to inspire people to be more honest, but what a good idea! We all enjoyed the fact that you could just go and get the fruit, and there was no hassle about it. Of course, when you live in a country where the crime rate is so low, it works much better. :)
The ride through the park was excellent. I really can't describe the color of the water, and the pictures don't do it justice. I don't think I've ever been this close to this color water. I was amazed! Along the way, we passed one of the most recognizable features of this area: "Split-Apple Rock". The guide said there were two theories about how it got to be this way. One theory was that millions of years ago, a small bit of water or something got into a crack in the rock, and over time split it open to where it is now. Another theory holds that two Maori chiefs were standing on the rock, and the were arguing so fiercely that the rock split beneath them. "You can believe whichever theory you like," said our guide. :)
Before the area became a national park, the land was actually up for grabs, and several people/families bought property. They build houses and have been living there for quite some time. Today it is not possible to buy any land within the park, but the families who have houses there were not forced to move out. So, there are still some nice houses in the park, which would now cost millions of dollars just based on location. Can you imagine waking up each morning in a place like this? It would be heaven!!
The sand on the beaches in the area is golden because of iron deposits, I think. The sea is turquoise (for whatever reason) and it just goes on forever! Along the way, the taxi dropped off some people at some of the various beaches. At one point we couldn't get too close because there was a sandbar between us and the beach. It reminded me of "A Series of Unfortunate Events" (Book the Last). We also got to see a stingray beneath our boat, which was really cool! I've never seen one in the wild like that!
Other wildlife in the park: there are many places for seal colonies. We passed by a few and got to see more seals. It was fun - a lot of them were playing in the water, some of them were sticking their flippers up in the air to say "hi" to us, and we got to see some Mamas and their babies.
After a nice boat ride we got to our beach to be let off. We had our packed lunch and then walked the track back to our pick-up point. New Zealand has a few "Great Tracks" - long distance, especially beautiful, lots of people want to walk on them, etc. that kind of thing - in addition to all its smaller tracks. Where we were walking was just a small part of one of their Great Tracks. We got to see a lot of hikers who were doing the whole thing, but we just walked on at our own pace. It was really beautiful - going through tropical rain forest/jungle - can't complain about that! Actually, I would love to go back one day and do a whole track. It was incredible to see the rain forest on one side and the gorgeous beaches/water on the other.
When we got back to our pick-up point (one of the many beaches in the park) the tide was out, so we had to actually walk through the water (at low tide) to get to a place that was deep enough for the taxi. That was fun! Before the taxi got there we walked through the area, looking at some of the nice houses, and I also walked around the beach.
When we got back we walked a little around town again. I ate another Kebab (I had one in Wanaka). It was good!! We looked at some of the restaurants and went grocery shopping. I actually found the Baptist Church in town, so I know I could live here. :) It's really small - in an old house - but that's okay! I wished that we could've been here on a Sunday so I could go to a service. That's something I *really* miss in China - being able to go to services Sun. morning.
There are TONS of mimosa trees in this area, and they were all in bloom!! I LOVE it!!
We're trying to get a hotel for this weekend, but the only thing available is more expensive than what we're used to. Apparently there's a huge international rugby competition going on this weekend, so everything's full. Yikes!
The gentleness of heaven is on the sea:
Listen! the mighty Being is awake,
And doth with his eternal motion make
A sound like thunder –everlastingly.
- William Wordsworth
This area of New Zealand is well-known for its beauty. In fact, just about everyone we talked to said that this was one of their favorite places to go, and definitely worth the visit. It really was stunning!
Today we took a water taxi through Abel Tasman National Park (which includes an animal sanctuary - absolutely NO FISHING!). We were then dropped off at the north point of a walking track, which took us back to a pick-up point.
Abel Tasman National Park is at the north part of the South Island, on the strait between the two islands. The water between the islands is salt water, so it's just like being on the sea, without a lot of the danger inherent in that. The water was peaceful and calm, and almost indescribable!
The boat ride was fun but a little chilly. The weather was gorgeous - the sun was shining, there was a nice breeze, and of course we were on the sea, which can't be beat. :) I think I've mentioned before that I just love movement - cars, trains, planes, boats....of course I've only had smooth rides so far.
We got picked up from our Top 10 in Motueka and taken to the nearby town of Kaiteriteri where we got our water taxi. On the way, our driver (who was younger than me) pointed out some interesting things along the way. This area has a lot of fruit production - lots of kiwi, and a kind of fruit called "hops" which is used in beer. On our way back we stopped to check out some of their kiwi & hops farms. Another cool thing we discovered while looking at the fruit - some places have this little stand where they leave bags *full* of fruit for whoever wants them. You just have to leave something like $5, and you can take this huge bag of apples. There's a little box where you can leave the money. I think they had a video camera to inspire people to be more honest, but what a good idea! We all enjoyed the fact that you could just go and get the fruit, and there was no hassle about it. Of course, when you live in a country where the crime rate is so low, it works much better. :)
The ride through the park was excellent. I really can't describe the color of the water, and the pictures don't do it justice. I don't think I've ever been this close to this color water. I was amazed! Along the way, we passed one of the most recognizable features of this area: "Split-Apple Rock". The guide said there were two theories about how it got to be this way. One theory was that millions of years ago, a small bit of water or something got into a crack in the rock, and over time split it open to where it is now. Another theory holds that two Maori chiefs were standing on the rock, and the were arguing so fiercely that the rock split beneath them. "You can believe whichever theory you like," said our guide. :)
Before the area became a national park, the land was actually up for grabs, and several people/families bought property. They build houses and have been living there for quite some time. Today it is not possible to buy any land within the park, but the families who have houses there were not forced to move out. So, there are still some nice houses in the park, which would now cost millions of dollars just based on location. Can you imagine waking up each morning in a place like this? It would be heaven!!
The sand on the beaches in the area is golden because of iron deposits, I think. The sea is turquoise (for whatever reason) and it just goes on forever! Along the way, the taxi dropped off some people at some of the various beaches. At one point we couldn't get too close because there was a sandbar between us and the beach. It reminded me of "A Series of Unfortunate Events" (Book the Last). We also got to see a stingray beneath our boat, which was really cool! I've never seen one in the wild like that!
Other wildlife in the park: there are many places for seal colonies. We passed by a few and got to see more seals. It was fun - a lot of them were playing in the water, some of them were sticking their flippers up in the air to say "hi" to us, and we got to see some Mamas and their babies.
After a nice boat ride we got to our beach to be let off. We had our packed lunch and then walked the track back to our pick-up point. New Zealand has a few "Great Tracks" - long distance, especially beautiful, lots of people want to walk on them, etc. that kind of thing - in addition to all its smaller tracks. Where we were walking was just a small part of one of their Great Tracks. We got to see a lot of hikers who were doing the whole thing, but we just walked on at our own pace. It was really beautiful - going through tropical rain forest/jungle - can't complain about that! Actually, I would love to go back one day and do a whole track. It was incredible to see the rain forest on one side and the gorgeous beaches/water on the other.
When we got back to our pick-up point (one of the many beaches in the park) the tide was out, so we had to actually walk through the water (at low tide) to get to a place that was deep enough for the taxi. That was fun! Before the taxi got there we walked through the area, looking at some of the nice houses, and I also walked around the beach.
When we got back we walked a little around town again. I ate another Kebab (I had one in Wanaka). It was good!! We looked at some of the restaurants and went grocery shopping. I actually found the Baptist Church in town, so I know I could live here. :) It's really small - in an old house - but that's okay! I wished that we could've been here on a Sunday so I could go to a service. That's something I *really* miss in China - being able to go to services Sun. morning.
There are TONS of mimosa trees in this area, and they were all in bloom!! I LOVE it!!
We're trying to get a hotel for this weekend, but the only thing available is more expensive than what we're used to. Apparently there's a huge international rugby competition going on this weekend, so everything's full. Yikes!
09 April 2007
Aotearoa 11 - Passenger
Jan. 29, 2007: Drive to Motueka/Abel Tasman - Pancake Rocks
"I am the Passenger and I ride, and I ride" - Iggy Pop
Today was mostly driving from Franz Josef to Motueka/Abel Tasman, on the north part of the South Island. I never got to drive because I forgot that my license had expired while I was in China. ;) But it was nice to just be in the car and be able to let my mind wander. I thought about all the places I wanted to take my family and friends if I had enough money to bring them here. We passed tons of gorgeous rivers again. It never ceases to amaze me how beautiful and pristine the land is here.
We got to see the sea a lot again, which was awesome. It was raining almost all day, and I thought it was incredible how different the sea looks during a storm. Instead of a gorgeous turquoise blue, it was a gorgeous grey.
On the way we stopped at a place called "Pancake Rocks" where over time the rocks have made an interesting formation, like they've been stacked on top of each other. It was pretty cool, although the rain kept us from staying too long.
We passed through the city of Greymouth, which was a huge change from all the small towns we'd been in up till then. It was just a bigger city, that was all, but it was enough to stir some feeling of culture shock within me.
At one point we were driving parallel with some railroad tracks, which wasn't that interesting until we went over a bridge. The railroad tracks went over the same one-lane narrow bridge. Hmmm.... there just aren't that many roads here (which I like), so you have to share sometimes. It was interesting.
Eventually we got to a town called Motueka. I really liked it! The people there were so friendly, and it was easy to get around! I guess there isn't much to do there, because Steph & I got some cat calls at one point while we were looking around. Nothing new though, having come from China. :) Just some immature guys. It made us laugh though!
"I am the Passenger and I ride, and I ride" - Iggy Pop
Today was mostly driving from Franz Josef to Motueka/Abel Tasman, on the north part of the South Island. I never got to drive because I forgot that my license had expired while I was in China. ;) But it was nice to just be in the car and be able to let my mind wander. I thought about all the places I wanted to take my family and friends if I had enough money to bring them here. We passed tons of gorgeous rivers again. It never ceases to amaze me how beautiful and pristine the land is here.
We got to see the sea a lot again, which was awesome. It was raining almost all day, and I thought it was incredible how different the sea looks during a storm. Instead of a gorgeous turquoise blue, it was a gorgeous grey.
"Break, break, break
On thy cold grey stones, O Sea!
And I would that my tongue could utter
The thoughts that arise in me."
- Tennyson
On thy cold grey stones, O Sea!
And I would that my tongue could utter
The thoughts that arise in me."
- Tennyson
On the way we stopped at a place called "Pancake Rocks" where over time the rocks have made an interesting formation, like they've been stacked on top of each other. It was pretty cool, although the rain kept us from staying too long.
We passed through the city of Greymouth, which was a huge change from all the small towns we'd been in up till then. It was just a bigger city, that was all, but it was enough to stir some feeling of culture shock within me.
At one point we were driving parallel with some railroad tracks, which wasn't that interesting until we went over a bridge. The railroad tracks went over the same one-lane narrow bridge. Hmmm.... there just aren't that many roads here (which I like), so you have to share sometimes. It was interesting.
Eventually we got to a town called Motueka. I really liked it! The people there were so friendly, and it was easy to get around! I guess there isn't much to do there, because Steph & I got some cat calls at one point while we were looking around. Nothing new though, having come from China. :) Just some immature guys. It made us laugh though!
Aotearoa 10 - Small Town
Jan. 28, 2007: Franz Josef Glacier
Today was a nice, relaxing day for me. The Poons left early to go climb on the glacier. Unfortunately, I had a *very* tight budget, and had to choose between that and other activities. You had to have a guide to go on the glacier. It was too dangerous without one. Apparently it's really hard work to be a glacier guide - you have to cut the trail, literally....with an ice pick. When they got back they said it was really neat, lots of fun and definitely worth doing.
While they were away I stayed in the room a while just reading and relaxing. Around lunch time I decided to walk into town. It's so safe here, I wasn't afraid of walking alone in a strange place. I passed the community school, which was a tiny one-room (maybe two?) school house. At any rate, you could tell that they fit several grades into the same room. They say they're always looking for more teachers, though. :)
In town I first found the two local churches. The community here is so small (and probably so few people go to church) that they don't have services every week. So this Sunday, instead of going to church, I only go to see the insides of these churches - one Catholic, and one Anglican. I said a prayer in each, and "played" a little on the small bellows organ. It worked! :) While I was inside the Anglican church it started raining a little, so I left.
I passed a trail on the way back to town, so I decided to see where it led. It was called the "Terrace Walk" and it was nice, but more of what I'd already seen (beech forests). By the time I got back to the trail head it was raining a little more, so I ducked into a book shop. I found this very interesting: there were no Bibles in the whole store. It's okay to sell books that say there is no God, but not okay to sell Bibles? Is there something wrong with this picture or is it just me?
Went next door to a little cafe to get lunch. It was either this café next door to the book store, or walk out of my way to an Indian restaurant. I would've liked the Indian restaurant, but the café was closer and it kept raining.
I tried to wait a little for the rain to die down, but eventually decided I had to just go. I walked home in the rain, which I usually love, but this was a cold rain, which isn't as much fun. Oh well, I still enjoyed it. :) It actually got a lot worse after I was back at our room where it was comfy and warm inside.
I think one of the things that I liked a lot about being in a "western" country was the music selection. I was tired of hearing the same Chinese songs over and over and over again on the radio. It was nice to hear the selection at the grocery stores, even if the music was a little dated. Still classic! (and still sweet music to my ears after only Chinese pop for so long)
Today was a nice, relaxing day for me. The Poons left early to go climb on the glacier. Unfortunately, I had a *very* tight budget, and had to choose between that and other activities. You had to have a guide to go on the glacier. It was too dangerous without one. Apparently it's really hard work to be a glacier guide - you have to cut the trail, literally....with an ice pick. When they got back they said it was really neat, lots of fun and definitely worth doing.
While they were away I stayed in the room a while just reading and relaxing. Around lunch time I decided to walk into town. It's so safe here, I wasn't afraid of walking alone in a strange place. I passed the community school, which was a tiny one-room (maybe two?) school house. At any rate, you could tell that they fit several grades into the same room. They say they're always looking for more teachers, though. :)
In town I first found the two local churches. The community here is so small (and probably so few people go to church) that they don't have services every week. So this Sunday, instead of going to church, I only go to see the insides of these churches - one Catholic, and one Anglican. I said a prayer in each, and "played" a little on the small bellows organ. It worked! :) While I was inside the Anglican church it started raining a little, so I left.
I passed a trail on the way back to town, so I decided to see where it led. It was called the "Terrace Walk" and it was nice, but more of what I'd already seen (beech forests). By the time I got back to the trail head it was raining a little more, so I ducked into a book shop. I found this very interesting: there were no Bibles in the whole store. It's okay to sell books that say there is no God, but not okay to sell Bibles? Is there something wrong with this picture or is it just me?
Went next door to a little cafe to get lunch. It was either this café next door to the book store, or walk out of my way to an Indian restaurant. I would've liked the Indian restaurant, but the café was closer and it kept raining.
I tried to wait a little for the rain to die down, but eventually decided I had to just go. I walked home in the rain, which I usually love, but this was a cold rain, which isn't as much fun. Oh well, I still enjoyed it. :) It actually got a lot worse after I was back at our room where it was comfy and warm inside.
I think one of the things that I liked a lot about being in a "western" country was the music selection. I was tired of hearing the same Chinese songs over and over and over again on the radio. It was nice to hear the selection at the grocery stores, even if the music was a little dated. Still classic! (and still sweet music to my ears after only Chinese pop for so long)
07 April 2007
Blessings
God is good to me. My close friends all went home already, and I guess I've been a little lonely. Okay, well, I've been craving the company of foreigners. I love my Chinese friends dearly, but sometimes it takes more energy to hang out with them. I guess I just wanted some people around who I was better able to relate to. Anyway, God knows what I need!
A few weeks ago one of my Chinese friends came over to my house and said she'd met two new foreign girls who had just come to the city to teach at another school. YAY! So we've met together a few times, and I like them immensely. In fact today is Jaimee's birthday, and last night we had a party at her house. We're planning on getting together each week for dinner to just hang out and relax. I don't think either of them are believers, but they are super friendly and just so much fun to hang out with! This is definitely going to help me get over my recent anti-social tendencies. ;)
Today someone I barely know - a guy - has been sending me lots of text messages, wanting me to help him study his German. Okay that's fine....except I know - no matter how hard he tries to deny it - that he has a hidden agenda. Sometimes these Chinese men can be subtle, but this guy is asking me questions about love, saying he's given up on love and he wants to find a foreign girlfriend, and do I have a boyfriend, and he could introduce me to some Chinese boys and he wants to treat me to dinner in exchange for help with his German. Okay, so I'm really flattered, but really not interested.
The thing is, around here I am called beautiful all the time, and I know that several of these guys are interested in me, but....it's just because I'm white. They say that they want to find a foreign girlfriend because they're so different from Chinese girls, more independent and the like, but the guys are still treating foreign girls as objects, instead of as humans. And as much as I enjoy being called beautiful, it means less when everyone says it, just because you're white.
For Easter I'm having over a foreign family in town. They are believers, and I haven't seen them in a long time. They have three young children, so it should be interesting to hear the pitter patter of little feet in my house. :) I'll be cooking some of my American Thanksgiving (boxed) food, which will be good because it's always more fun to cook for people than for just yourself. It should be a good Easter!
HAPPY EASTER TO YOU ALL!!! :)
A few weeks ago one of my Chinese friends came over to my house and said she'd met two new foreign girls who had just come to the city to teach at another school. YAY! So we've met together a few times, and I like them immensely. In fact today is Jaimee's birthday, and last night we had a party at her house. We're planning on getting together each week for dinner to just hang out and relax. I don't think either of them are believers, but they are super friendly and just so much fun to hang out with! This is definitely going to help me get over my recent anti-social tendencies. ;)
Today someone I barely know - a guy - has been sending me lots of text messages, wanting me to help him study his German. Okay that's fine....except I know - no matter how hard he tries to deny it - that he has a hidden agenda. Sometimes these Chinese men can be subtle, but this guy is asking me questions about love, saying he's given up on love and he wants to find a foreign girlfriend, and do I have a boyfriend, and he could introduce me to some Chinese boys and he wants to treat me to dinner in exchange for help with his German. Okay, so I'm really flattered, but really not interested.
The thing is, around here I am called beautiful all the time, and I know that several of these guys are interested in me, but....it's just because I'm white. They say that they want to find a foreign girlfriend because they're so different from Chinese girls, more independent and the like, but the guys are still treating foreign girls as objects, instead of as humans. And as much as I enjoy being called beautiful, it means less when everyone says it, just because you're white.
For Easter I'm having over a foreign family in town. They are believers, and I haven't seen them in a long time. They have three young children, so it should be interesting to hear the pitter patter of little feet in my house. :) I'll be cooking some of my American Thanksgiving (boxed) food, which will be good because it's always more fun to cook for people than for just yourself. It should be a good Easter!
HAPPY EASTER TO YOU ALL!!! :)
05 April 2007
Aotearoa 9 - Q: Why would anyone jump from a perfectly good airplane?
A: Because the door was open, of course!
Jan. 27, 2007: SKYDIVING Wanaka - Drive to Franz Josef Glacier
Yes, we did it. :) It was AMAZING. INCREDIBLE!!! Indescribable.... I've always wanted to fly - to really fly, mind you, not just in an airplane. We went for the earliest option, which was a slot at 9:00 a.m., and reserved the spot the day before. The weather was perfect - sunny, no clouds, not windy, warm and comfortable....we got to the little airport and waited around a bit, meeting the other jumpers before the place actually opened. The other girls who were jumping at the same time had never been skydiving either.
The first thing they do is show you a short video and try to get you to buy a video of yourself jumping, and of course you have to fill out the release of liability forms and the like, as well as a brief health statement and what altitude you want to be jumping from. We chose 12,000 ft. The highest you can go is 15,000 ft. (more expensive option), and the lowest is 9,000 ft. (which only gives you 30 sec. of freefall). Then they weigh you - to make sure they get you the right size parachute and instructor, I guess - take your money, suit you up, and let you wait around for your turn!
While we were waiting I got the same feeling I remember having before piano recitals. Not so much nervousness as just....anticipation. I was just ready to go!!! Impatient to get going or something. :)
Finally we got to meet our tandem instructors. My instructor was a guy named Eugen from Budapest. He checked my harness to make sure I wasn't going to fall out... "I don't want to lose you" he said. ("I don't want you to lose me either" was my reply) Then we all piled into the little turbine and took off. I kid you not, this was the most comfortable plane ride I've ever taken - no bumps, plenty of leg room, no annoying seat belts.... :) You're practically lying down as you go up. Of course the disadvantage for us shorties is that it was harder to see out of the windows. As we went up my instructor pointed out some of the gorgeous scenery to me - Lake Wanaka, Lake Hawea, Mount Aspiring, and Mount Cook. The scenery really was breathtaking, although I bet it'd be even more so in the winter when the mountains are covered in snow.
You get this little cap with goggles to put on - to keep your head warm and protect your eyes. All the other instructors were stuffing their girls' hair into their caps, but when I asked mine if my hair was okay he said it was fine & he liked it. Awwww. Then when we reach 9,000 ft. the door opens and the first of the jumpers is out! We circle higher a bit longer to reach 12,000 ft. During that time, the rest of us are getting all set up, the instructors making sure that the harnesses are all connected and everything. I'm just thinking "let's GO already!!!" :) Finally the door opens again, and Steph and her instructor go tumbling out. Now it's my turn..... :)
Right before you jump, you sit in the doorway and there's a camera mounted on the wing that takes your picture. When we got to the door - you could *really* feel the wind, although that shouldn't be a surprise since you're flying in a plane at 12,000 ft. and I don't know how many mph - I looked down at the ground below. WOW. Then it really hits that you're about to jump! It looked further away to me than it usually does when I'm flying. So the camera takes the picture, then my instructor leans my head back on his shoulder, we rock back, and....fall out of the plane..........
WOW!!!
You know the feeling you have on roller coasters right after you go up the slow, gradual incline and then immediately fall down the steep side, how your stomach does a flip? Or the feeling you get when you jump off the high dive? Well, imagine that feeling magnified, and you're not sitting, you're falling. Seriously, it's a good experience in how strong gravity is! I remember in those few seconds thinking a few words I usually don't say out loud. :) Or maybe I was just praying, I don't remember. What I do remember is seeing the underside of the airplane, and realizing that I was falling. But after like 2 seconds we stabilized and were just in freefall. It was SPECTACULAR!! Once you stabilize, you really don't feel like you're falling. The wind is rushing around you, but you feel like you're just floating or flying. I don't think I blinked the entire time! I didn't want to miss a thing! It was SO AWESOME!!!!
After about 45 sec. of freefall, the chute opened and we were just floating down. Man, I wish the free fall time could've lasted longer! My instructor said I was gorgeous. (meaning that I did a gorgeous job) Ahhhh, the things people will say when they're being paid! :) But I don't care that he was paid to say it, it still made me feel good! I guess that's one of the perks of tandem skydiving - the instructors are supposed to help you have a good time. The instructor unhooked part of the harness, which made me a little nervous, but I guess that's what they're supposed to do for a smoother landing and better visual path. It was neat to see everything on the ground - there were lots of cows in a nearby field, for example. :) I wish I could've operated the parachute for a bit though. That would've been sweet!
I actually landed before Stephanie, which I thought was odd at first. Later I found out that my instructor (notorious for this, maybe?) did lots of spins (swooping?) with the parachute. I could really feel that from the air - again, a kind of roller coaster feeling. :) I think those spins make you fall faster, hence the reason I landed first.
I always wanted to go skydiving, and I have to say it exceeded my expectations!! This was probably my favorite thing we did on the whole trip, and I definitely want to go skydiving again, maybe even get a license so I can go solo! And between Puzzling World and skydiving, I'd say Wanaka was probably my favorite stop on the whole trip.
(The last 2 pics are courtesy of Stephanie; also she's the one in the flying picture - she had the yellow chute; I had the red chute; that's my instructor in the last pic)
After finishing up, we got in the car and drove to our next stop. On the way we stopped a few times to see some places of interest.
"Blue Pools" = incredible color! (I didn't know that color turquoise blue could be found naturally!) Just an area where two small rivers converge. Great place for fly fishing, because of all the trout (we didn't see any though - wrong season maybe?). Would've been a great place to swim, too! To get there we had to walk on this path through rain forest, and over a suspension bridge which was fun. I didn't realize how much I missed trees!
"Thundercreek Falls" = tall waterfall, that Dad would've loved (I wished you were there to see it with me, Daddy!). Again the gorgeous turquoise blue water. This is really a paradise for waterfall lovers. :) And again getting to the waterfall was half the fun, walking through the beautiful beech tree forests.
We also stopped at another random rushing stream to take some pictures. I love this place!
Eventually our road ended up along the coast. The first view of the sea just took my breath away! I didn't realize how much I loved the sea until I saw it here! I don't think I ever felt this way about the sea back home... We stopped to take a few pictures at an overlook where you could see a beach, but I liked seeing it from the car just as much as from the lookout point. The sea just goes on forever!
We stopped one more time when we got to the terminal face of the Franz Josef Glacier. The glacier is 12.5 km from end to end, and the river flowing from is it milky from all the ground rock. You can't walk on the glacier without a guide - it's too dangerous. You couldn't climb to the top of the glacier from where we were anyway - it was hugely tall!! :) - and you wouldn't want to anyway, since the chances were high of falling and impaling yourself on one of the many jagged pieces of ice. Plus ice breaks, is slippery, and is constantly melting, so you never know what could happen. You could also see how far back the glacier had receded in the past, oh, 100 years, which was fascinating and a little sad.
Eventually we made it to our destination: the small town of Franz Josef, where we checked in and went grocery shopping.
All in all, another good day. :)
Jan. 27, 2007: SKYDIVING Wanaka - Drive to Franz Josef Glacier
Yes, we did it. :) It was AMAZING. INCREDIBLE!!! Indescribable.... I've always wanted to fly - to really fly, mind you, not just in an airplane. We went for the earliest option, which was a slot at 9:00 a.m., and reserved the spot the day before. The weather was perfect - sunny, no clouds, not windy, warm and comfortable....we got to the little airport and waited around a bit, meeting the other jumpers before the place actually opened. The other girls who were jumping at the same time had never been skydiving either.
The first thing they do is show you a short video and try to get you to buy a video of yourself jumping, and of course you have to fill out the release of liability forms and the like, as well as a brief health statement and what altitude you want to be jumping from. We chose 12,000 ft. The highest you can go is 15,000 ft. (more expensive option), and the lowest is 9,000 ft. (which only gives you 30 sec. of freefall). Then they weigh you - to make sure they get you the right size parachute and instructor, I guess - take your money, suit you up, and let you wait around for your turn!
While we were waiting I got the same feeling I remember having before piano recitals. Not so much nervousness as just....anticipation. I was just ready to go!!! Impatient to get going or something. :)
Finally we got to meet our tandem instructors. My instructor was a guy named Eugen from Budapest. He checked my harness to make sure I wasn't going to fall out... "I don't want to lose you" he said. ("I don't want you to lose me either" was my reply) Then we all piled into the little turbine and took off. I kid you not, this was the most comfortable plane ride I've ever taken - no bumps, plenty of leg room, no annoying seat belts.... :) You're practically lying down as you go up. Of course the disadvantage for us shorties is that it was harder to see out of the windows. As we went up my instructor pointed out some of the gorgeous scenery to me - Lake Wanaka, Lake Hawea, Mount Aspiring, and Mount Cook. The scenery really was breathtaking, although I bet it'd be even more so in the winter when the mountains are covered in snow.
You get this little cap with goggles to put on - to keep your head warm and protect your eyes. All the other instructors were stuffing their girls' hair into their caps, but when I asked mine if my hair was okay he said it was fine & he liked it. Awwww. Then when we reach 9,000 ft. the door opens and the first of the jumpers is out! We circle higher a bit longer to reach 12,000 ft. During that time, the rest of us are getting all set up, the instructors making sure that the harnesses are all connected and everything. I'm just thinking "let's GO already!!!" :) Finally the door opens again, and Steph and her instructor go tumbling out. Now it's my turn..... :)
Right before you jump, you sit in the doorway and there's a camera mounted on the wing that takes your picture. When we got to the door - you could *really* feel the wind, although that shouldn't be a surprise since you're flying in a plane at 12,000 ft. and I don't know how many mph - I looked down at the ground below. WOW. Then it really hits that you're about to jump! It looked further away to me than it usually does when I'm flying. So the camera takes the picture, then my instructor leans my head back on his shoulder, we rock back, and....fall out of the plane..........
WOW!!!
You know the feeling you have on roller coasters right after you go up the slow, gradual incline and then immediately fall down the steep side, how your stomach does a flip? Or the feeling you get when you jump off the high dive? Well, imagine that feeling magnified, and you're not sitting, you're falling. Seriously, it's a good experience in how strong gravity is! I remember in those few seconds thinking a few words I usually don't say out loud. :) Or maybe I was just praying, I don't remember. What I do remember is seeing the underside of the airplane, and realizing that I was falling. But after like 2 seconds we stabilized and were just in freefall. It was SPECTACULAR!! Once you stabilize, you really don't feel like you're falling. The wind is rushing around you, but you feel like you're just floating or flying. I don't think I blinked the entire time! I didn't want to miss a thing! It was SO AWESOME!!!!
After about 45 sec. of freefall, the chute opened and we were just floating down. Man, I wish the free fall time could've lasted longer! My instructor said I was gorgeous. (meaning that I did a gorgeous job) Ahhhh, the things people will say when they're being paid! :) But I don't care that he was paid to say it, it still made me feel good! I guess that's one of the perks of tandem skydiving - the instructors are supposed to help you have a good time. The instructor unhooked part of the harness, which made me a little nervous, but I guess that's what they're supposed to do for a smoother landing and better visual path. It was neat to see everything on the ground - there were lots of cows in a nearby field, for example. :) I wish I could've operated the parachute for a bit though. That would've been sweet!
I actually landed before Stephanie, which I thought was odd at first. Later I found out that my instructor (notorious for this, maybe?) did lots of spins (swooping?) with the parachute. I could really feel that from the air - again, a kind of roller coaster feeling. :) I think those spins make you fall faster, hence the reason I landed first.
I always wanted to go skydiving, and I have to say it exceeded my expectations!! This was probably my favorite thing we did on the whole trip, and I definitely want to go skydiving again, maybe even get a license so I can go solo! And between Puzzling World and skydiving, I'd say Wanaka was probably my favorite stop on the whole trip.
(The last 2 pics are courtesy of Stephanie; also she's the one in the flying picture - she had the yellow chute; I had the red chute; that's my instructor in the last pic)
After finishing up, we got in the car and drove to our next stop. On the way we stopped a few times to see some places of interest.
"Blue Pools" = incredible color! (I didn't know that color turquoise blue could be found naturally!) Just an area where two small rivers converge. Great place for fly fishing, because of all the trout (we didn't see any though - wrong season maybe?). Would've been a great place to swim, too! To get there we had to walk on this path through rain forest, and over a suspension bridge which was fun. I didn't realize how much I missed trees!
"Thundercreek Falls" = tall waterfall, that Dad would've loved (I wished you were there to see it with me, Daddy!). Again the gorgeous turquoise blue water. This is really a paradise for waterfall lovers. :) And again getting to the waterfall was half the fun, walking through the beautiful beech tree forests.
We also stopped at another random rushing stream to take some pictures. I love this place!
Eventually our road ended up along the coast. The first view of the sea just took my breath away! I didn't realize how much I loved the sea until I saw it here! I don't think I ever felt this way about the sea back home... We stopped to take a few pictures at an overlook where you could see a beach, but I liked seeing it from the car just as much as from the lookout point. The sea just goes on forever!
We stopped one more time when we got to the terminal face of the Franz Josef Glacier. The glacier is 12.5 km from end to end, and the river flowing from is it milky from all the ground rock. You can't walk on the glacier without a guide - it's too dangerous. You couldn't climb to the top of the glacier from where we were anyway - it was hugely tall!! :) - and you wouldn't want to anyway, since the chances were high of falling and impaling yourself on one of the many jagged pieces of ice. Plus ice breaks, is slippery, and is constantly melting, so you never know what could happen. You could also see how far back the glacier had receded in the past, oh, 100 years, which was fascinating and a little sad.
Eventually we made it to our destination: the small town of Franz Josef, where we checked in and went grocery shopping.
All in all, another good day. :)
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