A Very Thai New Year

Happy New Year from Bangkok!

Last night was a very interesting way to ring in 2010. We spent most of the day by the pool in our hotel. It was an awesome way to beat the 90 degree and 90% Bangkok heat. And work on my tan before I head back to cold, wintery California.

Next on the agenda- New Year's Eve plans/Shaun's birthday. It's shocking how many Berkeley people you run into on the road. For instance, our friends from Berkeley/TKE were in town. So we made plans to meet up. I was stoked to see familiar faces after 3 months with strangers. We caught a cab across town to their hotel. After much haggling with the receptionist (who mistook us for hookers because we were trying to get up into our friends' room), we gathered our friends and tagged along with them to dinner.

Upon their hotel concierge's recommendation, we ate at a concept restaurant called Cabbages and Condoms. It's a restaurant that brings awareness to HIV, AIDs, and sexual awareness in general. Really good food and entertaining decor. Like condom santa. I won't go into any more details but I will say that I had trouble finding my money in my purse the rest of the night because of the free condoms floating around.

After dinner is when the chaos began. NYE always ends up being some sort of adventure, no matter where I am. There were 7 of us in total so we had to split up to take cabs to RCA, a district/street with a fairly large NYE party. Kevin, Shin, Shaun and I got into one cab, and the others said they would follow after dropping some stuff back at their hotel. However, by the time we got to RCA, we realized that a lack of cell phones and organization was going to be a problem. RCA is not a centralized area, there were multiple entrances into the outside music venue, and cabs were dropping people off at various locations around RCA. We waited for the other 3 guys for about an hour before giving up and trying to head to a club called Funky.

Funky, or so we thought, was located in Patpong aka the red light district of Bangkok. It was just about the last place we expected to end up at for NYE. But we only had about an hour til midnight so we gave up on finding Funky and hunkered down at a bar with live music, some go go dancers, and ample dance space. It was fun! Definitely a very Bangkok kind of new year. It was completely unplanned and included a lot of twists and turns but if there is one thing that I've learned in the last 3 months, it is that plans change and you just have to go with it. Less stress=more fun.

And lastly, HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHAUN!!!

Quick Recap

Ok so I realized that I haven't updated this in a few days. So here's what happened.

I woke up to rain on the tree house in Vang Vieng a few days ago. I must say, it was one of the coolest experiences ever. All you could hear was pounding rain on the roof and there I was, in a tree house, on a bunk under a mosquito net in Laos. It was awesome.

We left Vang Vieng on a "VIP" bus headed towards the capital, Vientiane. I use the term VIP loosely because, well, it was one of the jankiest buses I've ever been on. The ceilings were caving in, there was no ventilation, and it was just kinda gross. Didn't work properly either because about an hour into it, the bus blew a tire and 50 tourists were caught sitting on the side of the road next to a remote village. It was kind of entertaining actually. Shaun and I have had a ridiculous amount of luck with our transportation so it was only time before something went wrong.

To entertain ourselves while we waited 2 hours for another bus, Shaun, Pedro, Danny and I (our friends that we met on the slow boat and stayed with in Vang Vieng), bought some "Latino color" chips. I had no idea what Latino chips tasted like or why there was a picture of a Mexican with a blue tongue but we soon found out. Only in Laos would they sell potato chips that turn your tongue blue. Being the 10 year olds that we are, this kept us entertained until the next bus came. We'll call the next bus "The Mosquito Trap". It not only caught the mosquitos within the bus, but it trapped us with about 100 new friends. The next 2 hours were spent swatting mosquitos against the window or listening to the thumping on the windows as everyone else smacked them. My window was covered with the buggers by the time we got to Vientiane. It was a trophy of sorts.

Finding a suitable guesthouse at 8pm in Vientiane in high season isn't exactly a walk in the park. Most of the places recommended were full and we ended up at a questionable guesthouse in the boonies. Our bathroom had no sink or windows. Case and point. Needless to say, Shaun and I got out of there at 7am the next morning to make other arrangements. We had originally planned on staying in Vientiane through the New Year, but Shaun suggested we go back to Bangkok for a few days. The beauty of not having plans...you can always change your plans. We then booked an overnight train to Bangkok and spent the rest of the day eating in a wonderful French Vientiane bakery. It was glorious and expensive but a great little splurge.

Overnight train- Getting to the train was a bit of an adventure in itself. First we had to tuk tuk to the train station. Then take a 15 minute train ride over the Laos/Thai border, then board the train. Shaun had never done a train ride before so she was like a kid on Christmas. No, she was happier than we were on Christmas. That doesn't say much though as we were both sick on Christmas.

Anywho, the train cars were pretty cool and much more comfortable than my last overnight train experience in Europe. Sans the bathroom. The bathroom was gross. My last train experience involved 8 people in a tiny cabin and beds the size of coffins. There were various coping mechanisms involved in that trip, but I will say, there were no tears shed on my train last night. We got into Bangkok around 6am this morning. It's only noon now, but I feel like I've been up forever.

I'm pretty relieved that that was the last long leg of transportation of my trip. Those legs can be somewhat stressful. The next few days will be spent relaxing and enjoying the city before I head home on the 3rd.

A revelation of sorts

When I left LA in October, I was searching for a lot of things. I was looking for a passion in life, a career, a sense of adventure, independence, for culture, for people, for something that I don't even know how to describe. I was searching for something.

In the past week, I met a guy named Gary. Gary is 23 and from England. He left home at 17, studied mechanical engineering for two years and then decided to sell all his belongings and leave the country. He has been on the road for 2 years and has never been homesick. When I asked Gary if it was strange to pick up and move all the time, he shrugged and said "Same life, different place".

I could never do what Gary does. Because it seems that he jumps from country to country searching for something that he might never find. He has no ties to home. He owns only the things on his back. He isn't grounded at all. But the backpacking world is full of Garys. And I don't think I'm a Gary.

The point of my story is this: When I left LA three months ago, I was looking for something that I couldn't find. The things that I was searching for, I already have. I already had the sense of adventure, a passion for life, a love for my family and friends, and the tools to figure out a career when I am ready. I have seen so many cool things in the East and in the Pacific, but I miss the sunsets of the West. The salty ocean breezes of the Pacific and eucalyptus trees of the Santa Monica Canyon. I left my heart in California with my family and my friends. And so i think it is time to close this chapter of my traveling life. Time to pack my backpack and head back to the West, leaving behind the tuk tuks, the slow boats, the temples, and the monks. And the bug spray.

I'll be back in LA a little earlier than expected. But I'm very excited to come home and sleep in my fluffy bed. And eat tacos!!!!!!

Happy Boxing Day

Happy Boxing Day! Not that anyone does anything for Boxing Day. Especially in Laos. But Shaun and I took our first adventure "tubing".

Vang Vieng is known for its tubing. People go to the river and along the sides of the banks are rope swings, zip lines, decks, and bars. And you take an intertube and float down the river all day long. It makes for a super lazy day but ridiculously fun. Can't say much other than....ridiculously fun.

I'm really enjoying the hostel I'm staying at. Most of the places to stay in Laos are guesthouses with single rooms but I'm staying in a tree house with 20 other people. The people are from everywhere and all looking to make friends. Instant group to hang out with. Shaun and I have another few days here til we head to Vientiane for the New Year and then her birthday! Yay!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone. I haven't written in a few days because, well, I felt like I was in bed for most of it. You didn't miss much. I checked out the Laos health care system. Not too shabby. The doctors were nice, service was 5 times faster than Alta Bates in Berkeley (which doesn't say much), and I got lots of medications with Lao written all over it, all of which I cannot read and identify only by their colored packets.

We were put onto a very bumpy bus ride yesterday for Vang Vieng. A smaller town known for its tubing. Shaun wasn''t feeling very well so I went out with the rest of my hostel to their Christmas Eve dinner. Everyone else was really drunk for their day out on the river, so that was an interesting experience being sober. I made friends with a group of 4 Aussie boys so it was ok.

I woke up this morning to..yup...roosters. For the 20th day in a row. Each morning when I get woken up, I wish that I could go outside and punt the rooster so I can have another couple hours of sleep. That requires me getting out of bed first. Too much work. So I got myself out of my mosquito net and bunk. Oh yeah, my new hostel is a tree house. A full blown, 3 story tree house. the patio area has hammocks and looks out onto Lao mountains and the river. It's beautiful.

So I skyped my family, became horribly jealous of all the wonderful food they were about to sit down to, and am now sitting around on Christmas writing this entry. i think that we're going tubing down the river today.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas. Christmas always makes me all mushy so I will say that I love all my family and friends and I have a wonderful new appreciation for all the things i have at home. Merry Christmas.

On the upside, it wasn't food poisoning

On the downside, I think I have the flu. And a nasty case of it. I've been in bed for the last 2 days. I'm slowly weaning myself onto solid foods. It's a process. From what I've heard, Luang Prabang is beautiful. Not that I've seen any of it, but I hope I might catch a day of exploration before we leave on Christmas Eve's day.

I miss home a lot. I can't tell you how many times in the last few days that I've wanted to book that flight.

Surviving the slow boat

Just recovering from my first case of food poisoning. At first I was afraid it was malaria, but it passed so I think we're all good. Man, being sick on the road is terrible. All I could think of was wanting to be in my soft bed at home. The beds here are very hard and nobody can take care of a sick person better than your mother.

So Shaun and I took the overnight bus from Pai to the Thai border on Friday night. We arrived around 3am, to which we were popped into a guesthouse for another 5 hours of sleep. At 8am, we were stuck into a truck to the immigration "office". I could barely stand with my backpack in line because I was feeling so sick. At that point, I hadn't really eaten anything in about a day. We spent the next hour or so going through immigration at the Thai border and the Laos border, which was a terribly inefficient process that I won't even bore you with.

Then we hopped on the slow boat. The slow boat is a long boat with sets of benches on either side. The benches are wooden. They hurt to sit on. Luckily for us, the aisle between the benches was about 7 feet wide so as soon as we left the pier, anyone under the age of 30 was sprawled out in the aisle- sleeping, playing cards, playing the guitar, etc. Great way to meet friends. Not that I was in any condition to do anything other than sleep and go through cycles of chills. We did that for about 6 hours and reached our stopping point for the night just after sunset.

Today was the same- except they put us on a different boat. More people, smaller boat, foot and a half aisle. Today was mostly spend fighting for a 2x2 area of space to put your feet. Not the most comfortable boat ride of my life. The scenery was beautiful though. Absolutely stunning. Lush green river valley, dark brown rocks the filter into sandy beaches on the river. I didn't get as many pictures as I'd like, but I think I'll be able to keep the mental images of children running down the sand beaches with the forests in the background for awhile.

Im exhausted. I'm seriously considering going to bed at 7pm right now just because I'm so tired.

Ugh

I tried to upload a few videos but after 30 minutes of waiting, I think I have given up. On another note, I think I have the first case of food poisoning on my trip. Like everyone predicted, when you are sick while on the road, all you want to do is jump the first plane home. I currently have hot/cold chills. So I go from very very hot one minute to freezing the next. Wish me luck that it'll pass quickly!

Pai

Pai is a little hippie town in Northern Thailand. We used it as a pit stop on our way over to Laos. It has a population of only a few thousand but it's a great little stop.

Yesterday Shaun and I went over to the river and found a great little deck bar on the water. We watched the sun set. We drank a Chang. I put on another 1/2 inch of Deet. I can see how people come to Pai and some never leave. It was like paradise. Not precisely my paradise, because that would include the beach and the smell of salt, but definitely somebody's paradise.

I went mosquito hunting in our tiny bungalow last night. There were probably 10 of them floating around and if I had left them, i could have had at least 10 times that many bites in the morning. I told her I felt like Harry Potter trying to catch a snitch while I searched for all those little buggers.

Laos tomorrow. 2 full days on a bus/boat. I'll probably write again when I get into Luang Prabang.

Hope everyone is getting all their Christmas shopping done, baking Christmas cookies, and getting ready for snowboard season. Wish I could be there. My poor little board is going to get neglected this year. I'll be spending New Years in a shorts and a t-shirt somewhere in Laos.

I'm extremely tired today. I have no idea why but I might be able to attribute it to the school next door to our bungalow. The children are learning to play music. Very badly. They aren't even learning the same song at the same time so it is an orchestra of ....noise. I'm planning on staying out of the bungalow today and maybe finding a nice outdoor cafe or patio to read. And maybe get that $3 massage that I've been waiting for since I returned from my trek.

Fish spa

I don't usually write in my blog twice in a day. Frankly, I think you all have better things to do than keep tabs on me twice a day and I like to think I'm getting out enough to not be sitting at a computer all day. BUT, this is worth it.

After our wonderful cooking class ended today, Shaun and I went to the used bookstore to stock up on books for Pai. Fairly uneventful. However, on the way back, we passed a shop with fish tanks and a sign advertising for a fish spa. For $5, you can put your feet into the tanks, and the fish exfoliate the dead skin from your feet. They are literally eating your skin. My feet have taken a beating after long days of walking in sandals and trekking, so I figured I could indulge in a fish spa.

Getting your feet cleaned by fish is comparable to having your feet fall asleep. It feels like pins and needles most of the time, with the exception of when a fish decides to swim between your toes and then it just tickles. We took a load off for 15 minutes while the fish were hard at work. And now, I have wonderfully soft feet! My feet are still a little tingly too, which is a result of all the increased blood flow.

That is all. Goodnight.

It's always a good night if it ends in a Journey singalong

Shaun and I decided to try out the nightlife in Chiang Mai last night. It was great. We grabbed our new friends, Joanna and Fiona, our Welsh pals from our trek and headed out to Music St, which is close to our guest house. It's basically 8 different bars set up in a parking lot with a communal beer garden. Lots of music, especially live music.

Step 1: Play 7-11-Doubles with a live reggae band in the background. Drink some Changs. Check.

Step 2: Migrate to a karaoke bar and sing Michael Jackson. Check.

Step 3: Relocate to the beer garden and hang out with a 6 year old Thai kid trying to sell us flowers. Get hustled by said 6 year old. Haha when I say hustled I mean we played with him for a long time, I gave him 5 baht and he didn't sell me a flower. Check.

Step 4: Make friends with the Thai DJ who doesn't speak much English. Meet his American girlfriend, who owns the bar. Somehow manage to make my own playlist on his DJ equipment. Check.

Step 5: Sing Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" at the top of our lungs while Thais and other foreigners look on. Check.

Step 6: Wake up this morning only to take an all day cooking class. We're spending all day shopping for food, cooking, and eating said food. I've already made hot and sour prawn soup, Chiang Mai curry, and Pad Thai. Our teacher is hilarious. He's like a hyped up anime character. He talks a million miles a minute and often sounds like he's singing because he emphasizes his words in a really weird way. His energy level could only be matched by Ping. This guy is the Thai version of Ping. He cracks me up. We also learned how to make coconut milk and cream by hand. It involves soaking coconut in warm water and "massaging and squeezing". Mr. Visutt must have repeated that phrase 15 times to make sure we didn't forget.

So all in all, Chiang Mai is awesome. We're going to Pai tomorrow to chill by the river and then sometime in the next 2 weeks, we'll make it over to Laos for Christmas, New Years, and Shaun's birthday. No plans and no hurry though.

A 2 Night, 2 Bear Trek

I survived a trek through the Thailand jungle! How many people can say that? Not being much of a camper/hiker, I was pretty impressed with Shaun and myself. Some highlights of trekking include:

-Staying in native huts with only mattresses (I use that term loosely), mosquito nets, and a tin roof.
-Going on a 4 hour trek uphill. At some points, I swear the hill was vertical so it was more like rock climbing. I didn't want to be the slowest/most unathletic one so I felt like I was jogging most of the way.
-Falling. I fell while hiking 3 times. The worst time, I slid on my butt down a wet hill. Thank goodness the tree broke my fall otherwise I might have slid another 40 feet. However, I did get the worst "wilderness wedgie". Haha. Sorry, I think that term is kinda funny. I also slipped 3 times more than everyone else. We later attributed this to my lack of hiking boots. Who knew hiking boots could be important on a hike?
-Riding an elephant. Elephants are truly magical animals. They are massive. We got to feed them orange peels and ride them for an hour.
-Campfire/Christmas party in a village. The small village we stayed at threw a Christmas party (even though it was only the 12th). I was surprised that the village was Christian considering that 95% of the population in Thailand is Buddhist. But they sang Christmas songs and even read the Christmas story (in Thai). We also played games around the campfire in which the loser had to drink Thai whiskey/moonshine and a child drew pictures on your face with charcoal. I made sure not to lose. Haha.
-Bamboo rafting. We stood on a bamboo raft for 4 hours yesterday and drifted through the jungle and down the rapids. When we hit the rocks, i thought our tiny raft was going to break apart. I also wish we had gotten a picture of 6 tourists standing in a line on a bamboo raft.
-My first bucket shower. Ok, maybe this wasn't a highlight but it was definitely the first bucket shower that I've had in Thailand. Or ever. The tin shed was outside. A hose was hooked up and filtered into an empty gas barrel. Then you take a scoop of freezing cold water and throw it over your head. I say throw because the shock is less painful if the water is thrown. The alternative to the shower was to not shower but after 2 days of hiking, I wasn't feeling all that clean/like a person anymore.
-My shower when I got back to our hotel. Quite possibly the best shower I've ever taken. Lukewarm water, limited shower pressure, but it had running water and it didn't come from a bucket. I scrubbed myself clean. It was wonderful.

And that sums up my trekking adventure. My mosquito bite count is now somewhere around 40. My whole body aches. And I'm a little bit sore. We're going to take it easy for a few days- check out the local music scene near our hostel, take a cooking class. And then we'll head up to uber chill/hammock land, Pai, in a few days.

Thanks to Ping, Megs, D, Jessie, Nikki, and Brad for emailing me while I was gone. It's always awesome to hear from peeps back home (or in NZ). Seriously, it makes my day :)

Pics: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2567134&id=1222862&l=6fbeb0f982

Gone Trekking

Going on a trek for a few days, so you won't hear from me. I don't know how much of a trekking/camping kind of girl I am, but I'm going to plop myself into the jungles of Thailand and find out. We're going with a tour company. Should be interesting. There will be elephants and bamboo rafts and waterfalls involved.

I've noticed a change since I left home. Mostly it's in my wardrobe. I've invested in a pair of light cotton pants that are neither flattering nor expensive. I've started to dress for function rather than appearance. It's funny. I didn't think I would see the day when I look like a mismatched and somewhat frumpled backpacker. I don't plan on making it a habit when I get back to the States but until then, I'll be comfortable and blending in with the backpacker crowd!

PS Shaun and I have discovered that there is more than one type of snob. Most people think of snobs as people with money who live in "posh" neighborhoods (as our British roomies would describe). However, there are backpacker snobs. The kind of snobs that turn their noses up at technology and tour buses, and extra comforts of home like warm showers. I am definitely not one of them but there sure are a lot of those on the roads of Thailand.

Happy Kid

I'm a happy kid these days. Despite the 40 million mosquito bites I have, I'm absolutely in love with this country. The people are wonderful, the country is beautiful, and there is something magical about being here. I love absorbing the culture and learning new things everyday. Like how to navigate the streets of Chiang Mai. Or reading in the day bed at our guesthouse. No doubt it can be horribly stressful sometimes, but all in all, Chiang Mai has definitely broken into my top 5 cities in the world. Along with Thun/Switzerland, Stockholm/Sweden, San Francisco/CA, and Timaru/New Zealand. It's funny that many of these cities aren't the biggest cities or the flashiest cities, but they hold very strong and happy memories of traveling or meeting wonderful people.

Funny things about Thailand that I've noticed- street lights have giant timers in Bangkok. Meals average about $2. The school next door to our hostel has a PA system and the instructor teaches the children the Hoki Poki, and the Macarena (sp?) all day. The music in restaurants includes American songs by Pit Bull, but often the lyrics are sung by a random Thai person (in English). And Tiger Balm...man, that stuff is amazing for mosquito bites. It has menthol in it so it's very cooling.

We just booked our hotel for the Full Moon Party at the end of Jan. The end of Jan and first week of Feb are going to be spent on the beaches of Thailand- scuba diving, snorkeling, and mellowing on the beach. It'll be a lovely continuation of my 9 month summer :)

Biking in Chiang Mai

Biking in Chiang Mai is taking your life into your own hands. But I will say, it is an AWESOME way to explore the city. Once we got over the pure shock of having to navigate the streets and motorbikes, it was amazing. We went to the used bookstore, the famous Chiang Mai night market, a bar or two, and to temples around the city.

Shaun and I are going on a trek on Friday! It's a 3 day camping expedition, so you won't hear from me. I hope I don't get more mosquito bites. I probably will. I invested in a pair of ugly light weight cotton pants today in hopes of deterring mosquitos. I'm a real backpacker with no fashion sense now :)

Pics

Here are pics. In them, I wear a fanny pack. DEET and Tiger Balm are my new best friends, as Thailand has a lot of mosquitos that seem to like me.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2567134&id=1222862&l=6fbeb0f982

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2567134&id=1222862&l=6fbeb0f982

A typical Bangkok 24 hours

-Touring around temples in a tuk tuk
-Going into tailor and gem shops in Bangkok
-Getting eaten alive by mosquitos
-Stumbling upon a night market. Bargaining down a t-shirt from 350 baht to 200 baht accidently.
-Red light district. Haha. Don't worry, Mom, we were careful and didn't wander into any scary places.
-Floating market- a sea of tourists and knick knacks. Bargaining a woman from 100 baht for 50 tiny tiny bananas to 20 baht. Accidently. Apparently I'm getting good at this bargaining stuff. Enough to make my grandmother very very proud.
-Cobra show. A dude caught a snake with his mouth, a mongoose almost destroyed the cobras head, and when a snake got swung around the charmer's head, i spilled water all over Shaun trying to duck for cover.
-Eating pad thai, fried rice, mangos, and bananas for the last 4 meals.
-I keep thinking I'm spending a lot of money here. I blow through 100 baht bills really quickly. Until I realize that 100 baht is $2.50. I buy my meals for $3 each. Gotta love Thailand.

In the last 2 days in Thailand, I think I like it. The traffic is a little scary, as well as crossing the street. But Bangkok is absolutely beautiful at night. Twinkling lights everywhere.

Hopping on an overnight bus to Chiang Mai tonight. Prepared to be covered in DEET for the next 9 weeks. Whooo

Tuk Tuk

Made it to Thailand in one piece.

Today Shaun and I decided to explore Bangkok via tuk tuk, a 3 wheeled, open vehicle. It was...interesting. First off, Thais are super friendly. They all want to talk to you, all the time. So after we left our hostel and started walking down the street, a man came up to us and started talking to us. Turns out he was a police officer who was very eager to chat and give us tips about the city. He ended up hailing us a tuk tuk, negotiating a good price (a mere 20 baht an hour, which is 50 cents), and all of a sudden we had a personal driver for the morning.

Then we started wandering the city, seeing huge golden Buddhas, marble temples, and other sights of Bangkok. We also discovered that tuk tuk drivers run a scam with gem stores and tailor "fashion" shops. In celebration of the King's birthday, many stores were having sales and if tuk tuk drivers took tourists to the stores, the drivers would get coupons for free gas. Shaun and I decided to cut a deal with our driver. In return for him taking us to all the temples, all over the city, we would go into a few shops and browse. Then the driver got his free gas coupons, and Shaun and I got a 4 hour personal driver around the city. It was interesting. I'm exhausted. Bangkok is pretty warm and riding in a tuk tuk all afternoon is exhausting. Pun intended. The pollution from the cars, trucks, and tuk tuks is ridiculous.

I need a nap. Floating market tomorrow and Chiang Mai and trekking (read: hiking and camping...hahaha), the day after.

Peace Out Oz

Tomorrow we leave for Thailand. Yay! Some highlights from the last month:

-9 minute pie in a pan at our apartment
-Glee nights with wine
-Elf with our British roommates
-Pub trivia at Argy Bargy- too bad we don't know more about Aussie sports. Playing Aussie trivia with 2 Americans, a Brit, and 2 Germans...not so successful.
-Introduction of Dubstep music/dancing to pop music with Raj and Chris on Fitzroy St
-St Kilda Beach with Chris and Chris
-24 hour Souvlaki in the city
-Friday Happy Hour at Rooftop/Section 8
-Great Ocean Road Tour
-72 hour tour of Sydney. Joseph (my host) tried to feed me every 10 minutes. Literally. Chinese hospitality includes feeding people. Grandparents try to feed people. Chinese grandparents tried to feed me everything in Australia.
- 2 Tram tickets in Melbourne. And getting out of both. I now pay for the tram because there's no way I'll get lucky the third time.

The Sydney vs Melbourne debate

Since I've arrived in Oz, I've realized that there is a rivalry between Melbourne and Sydney. People who like Sydney say that Melbourne is boring and there is nothing to see. People in Melbourne say Sydney is full of snobs and tourists and is overpriced.

Here is what I say:
Melbourne is a lot like San Francisco. Major city but not huge, lots of people, lots of culture and fun quirky little neighborhoods. Sydney is like LA- huge metropolitan area, major stores and restaurants, tons and tons of tourists.

Which do I like better?
Well, I suppose they are different. I liked Sydney's beaches, and the Opera House and the Bridge. It's the glamorous face of Australia. But I feel like Melbourne is a little more personal, a little funkier, and a little more soul.

I"m excited to get back to Melbourne tomorrow to hang out with my roommates and take in my last 24 hours of Western culture before leaving for Thailand. Then it's on to the land of Pad Thai, grungy busses, and cheap everything!

Sydney Sights

Harbour Bridge...check.

Sydney Opera House...check.

Manly Beach...check.

I have a zillion pictures of all of them but can't seem to upload them. So..you'll have to wait. And seeing as how I've heard the internet connections in Thailand are super slow...you might have to wait 2 months. No worries though, if you watched the Sydney Olympics or have seen Finding Nemo, it looks exactly like that. Disney animators are just that good.

Sydney

I'm in Sydney! I made it!

My grandmother's friends have so graciously invited me into their home and are acting as my tourguides for my 3 day tour of Sydney. Being 26 year residents here, they know more than I and have wasted no time driving me to the different sights.

Today- Bondi Beach and Watson's Bay. Surf's up, bro. It was a little windy so there were minimal surfers but I did get to see the famous Bondi Beach, which was pretty sweet.

Tomorrow- the Opera House, the Bridge, and possibly a ferry ride? Who knows!?

Great Ocean Road

Yesterday I went to visit the Great Ocean Road, the Oz equivalent to PCH. I went on a tourbus with 20 other people. These are a few things I wrote about

11:00am
14 hours on tour! Sitting on the bus now. Pretty awkward. Nobody knows each other. The tourguide, Peter, looks like a cross between a billy goat and Gene Wilder in Charlie and the Chocolate factory.

3:00pm
I always forget that the best parts of traveling are meeting people, getting out of the city, and absorbing the culture. The coast is beautiful. Dark rocks dot the surf. And the trees next to the ocean are almost as beautiful as New Zealand. So glad I got out of the city.

3:55
Koalas!!!!! I saw koalas. They look like furry turds in the trees when they sleep. But one was eating and it was adorable.

5:05
Just went on a rainforest and eucalyptus walk. I was chased through the rainforest by the sound of bugs. The smell of the eucalyptus reminds me of my backyard. There are four people on my bus from San Francisco. It makes me happy. I also made friends with a Dutch girl and an English guy. They are traveling alone too.

7:01
London bridge. A limestone rock formation that is shaped like a bridge. It collapsed a few years ago. Can't seem to get Fergie's song "London bridge" out of my head.

8:25
Twelve Apostles at sunset. I ran up and down the viewing points to get pictures before the sun goes down. I have also taught Mandy and Dan how to take self potraits with only one hand. It's quite a useful skill I picked up in college.

1am
Just got home. Had to take a cab home from the drop off stop. Cab driver was Greek, Canadian, and Aussie. Told me stories about LA in the 80s with drugs and prostitutes. It was kind of weird. Lasted for about 25 minutes. The drive from Fitzroy to my apartment is 10. It took me the extra 15 minutes to get my change while he kept talking.

Pics: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2563875&id=1222862&l=63af73d60d

Sydney tomorrow! Get ready for 50 Finding Nemo quotes

Tram police

Melbourne has a very extensive system of trams. It networks the suburbs to the city and is pretty handy for those carless folks like me. However, the trams are fairly expensive, especially when you take them everywhere at all hours of the day.

Our friend Ping had told us that you can often hop on and off the tram without paying the tram fee. The penalty for getting caught without a ticket is over $100. Do you see where I am going with this story?

Last week Shaun and I were taking a tram home from the city when an Indian gentleman and lady cam over to us and demanded to see our tickets. They separated us and started questioning us about where we lived, if we knew each other etc etc. The tram rent-a-cop was pretty aggressive and wanted to know why my ticket wasn't validated (you're supposed to punch the ticket when you get on the tram).

Now I don't condone lying, especially to a very important foreign tram cop, but I was not about to pay a week's worth of rent to the Aussie government. Sorry. So I played the stupid American card, claiming I had just gotten to Melbourne, was staying in a hostel, and didn't know how to use the tram system. And after doing my best "valley girl" impression and tearing up a bit, he let me off the hook.

I don't exactly feel good about this tactic of playing into American stereotypes. Did it work? Yes. it's just a perk of having a foreign accent.

42 Wallaby Way

I haven't felt like myself in almost two weeks. I haven't been able to pinpoint the problem but it is almost like I'm underwater. Actually, it might be the intense pollen levels in the air. For someone without severe allergies, my itchy eyes and sneezing are pretty bad. But also the amount of stress involved with my consistently changing living situation, job situation, the holidays, and making friends has made me feel like I'm underwater and can't catch my breath. Kind of like those cliche emo songs we all used to sing in middle school. So after much discussion, Shaun and I have decided to switch up our travel plans. We wouldn't be true backpackers if we didn't at some point in the trip and there is no time like the present. So Thailand, here we come. 4 weeks earlier than expected.

To tell you the truth, I'm a little nervous about going. Not only am I not mentally prepared, but I need to go buy tropical strength Deet so I don't attract mosquitos 3 cities away.

I hope this is the right decision. But $5 guesthouse and 80 cent beers can't be all bad, right?

I'm going to the Great Ocean Road and Sydney this week. Sydney will be a 3 day marathon of Finding Nemo quotes. I have a smile on my face just thinking about it :)

I will never again take a potato peeler for granted

Thanksgiving in Australia. Yeah, it's like Halloween in New Zealand. People think we're kinda nutty and our traditions are strange.

Yesterday began with a trip to my new workplace, only to be turned away because someone had forgotten to tell me that they rescheduled orientation. Ordinarily, not a big deal. It became a big deal when I got stuck in a flash thunderstorm in heels in a skirt. Not so good.

Shaun and I decided to cook a Thanksgiving dinner as traditionally as we could, without an oven or proper pots/pans. So we made mashed potatoes, yams with marshmallows, pumpkin pie, and a rotesserie chicken. I peeled potatoes and yams for about an hour and a half. Pretty difficult with a dull IKEA knife. So never again will I take for granted having a potato peeler in my kitchen. But our two British roommates really enjoyed our American concoctions of yams and marshmallows and pies made of pumpkin. Points for us!

One holiday without my family, one to go. The thing I learned from yesterday is that as awesome as Thanksgiving with new friends in a foreign country is, Thanksgiving isn't the same without family.

Modge Podge of Melbourne

The last few days have been a random assortment of events.

Shaun and I found a pub trivia night at a local bar. The trivia was much easier than the Berkeley version at Beckett's. We didn't need 5 other sorority girls on our team to whip out their Blackberries to try to compete with the groups of competing grad students. However, our little team of 2 Americans and 3 Germans were not very good at Australia sports trivia. Go figure.

Yesterday I walked around Melbourne with the goal of finding the coolest Christmas decorations. The Crown Casino was the clear winner with a huge Christmas display complete with a moving statue/elf/Santa show. It was reminiscent of the show at the Forum Shops in Caesar's Palace in Vegas. Except I might not have nightmares about this show for the next 5 years like the Caesar's show.

Today is Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving. Already it seems strange that I'm not at home watching my grandma stuff a turkey at 10am. Today I have orientation for work and for that, I am sad that today is not a national holiday. But mostly sad that I won't be with my family tomorrow to celebrate. Shaun and I are recreating our own version of Thanksgiving with a roasted chicken from the supermarket, a frozen pumpkin pie (because our oven doesn't work), and a new episode of Glee (which is our newest guilty pleasure).

To those back home- I am thankful for each and every one of you. I am thankful for a supportive and loving family. I'm thankful for good health, the opportunity to take this trip and embrace new cultures and people, for my education (Go Bears!), and the best group of friends I could ever have asked for. Love you all!!!!

Do the Math

10 roommates, 1 toilet, 1 shower.

This math doesn't exactly add up, right? Only in the world of backpacking sharehouses.

We've had 6 new roommates move in this week. We're now up to 2 English, 2 Germans, 2 Americans, 1 Irish, and 3 Scots. And there's a rumor that 4 more are moving in soon? Insane....


Today I read that Berkeley won the Big Game! Whooo! We've got the Axe! Reading about the game on the DailyCal website isn't anywhere near as exciting as rooting for my Bears in person, but I do feel an enormous sense of pride for my school. Cal is even on the news here, with the strikes against the UC Regents and fee hikes. And almost everyone I've met here knows about Berkeley. Usually the response is "Oh, I've heard of that school. That's a really good uni". The Chancellor used to always boast that Berkeley is the greatest public university in the world. And I couldn't be more proud to be a Bear this week. Go Bears!!

This article sums up why Cal is better than Stanford. If you didn't know it already :http://www.dailycal.org/article/107541/cannon_fodder

Rain rain, go away. Come again...never

It's raining here. Not an LA, November kind of sprinkle/hazy mist in the morning, but a torrential downpour reminiscent of the fall of 2005 in Berkeley when it rained for 70-odd days straight. For those of you who were there and lived with me in Clark Kerr, you remember the rain. It was a lot.

I don't mind the rain usually but today it makes me homesick. We're going on week 7 and I knew this point would come. It's about the same time that I got really homesick in Europe last summer. But then I got to go home whereas here, I'm barely at the halfway mark.

So I think I'll just go ahead and make the list of all the things that make me homesick and get it out of my system:
Sunday brunches with my family at the beach
Friday lunches with the bulldozing crew
Late night movies with my little brother
Shocktop/margaritas with Jessica and Megan
BTC with Jessie and crew
IM Softball (Go Gold!)
My tivo
Thanksgiving with my family- I don't have an oven in my apartment so Thanksgiving this year is probably going to be very disappointing
Cooking with my mama
My phone- to call all the people I love in Berkeley, San Fran, San Diego (now DC), and Santa Barbara
My Cal clothes/Cal football (Big Game is today....GO BEARS!)

The holidays are going to be especially rough without our friends and family. I've been avoiding most shopping centers because they make me kind of sad. But maybe I'll go get a Charlie Brown christmas tree, rent the original Home Alone movie, and curl up on the couch with my roommates.

Miss you all back home a lot. Send me e-mails, I'd love to hear what you've been up to. xo

:)

Just when you think there is no hope in the job market, something good happens. Today I got hired by Flair Talent. I have a job!!!! I'm going to be working in their promotions department selling fragrances at department stores. I'm super super stoked.

What I was originally going to write about today is about Australian television. The programming in Australia...not so good. Better than New Zealand (but unfortunately without All-Black's games), but it is the commercials that are really...memorable? Here are some examples:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0FULHGwPkw

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfThpHGtDfY

The first clip cracks me up and reminds me of Megan. The second is just kind of scary, but really impactful.

I think I also need to invest in a bug roller. Like a lint roller for your clothes, but one that will take all the bugs off you. Australia has a ridiculous amount of bugs- flies, gnats, tiny brown bugs that fall from the trees. They're everywhere! And it's a bit embarrassing when you show up anywhere with a collection of bugs on your shirt. Like at an interview. Just something to consider as a Christmas present to myself...

Job or bust....or not

Today I came to a conclusion. If I don't find a job in the next week, I'm going to stop trying. Mostly because I feel like I'm wasting my time in this country by roaming the streets with a stack of resumes in my hand instead of soaking everything in. It's not the end of the world, right?

Today we went to the beach with the roommies. It was 95 degrees. I worked my tan a little bit, but not enough to turn into a lobster for my interviews tomorrow. It was definitely no BABC, but more of a Venice. Young people, and a lot of hipsters. When I tried to explain the term "hipster" to my Aussie friends, they said that everyone dresses like that. I live in the land of hipsters.

9 minute pie in a pan

Yesterday, Shaun tried to make a pie. Until we realized that the oven doesn't work. Both Lennart, our roommate, and the next door neighbor tried to get it to work, even sticking their heads into the oven. So the pie was put into the broiler, until it started burning after about 5 minutes. So then the pie was put into a frying pan and onto the stove. It was quite the sight. All things considered- the pie/peach flavored mush actually tasted pretty good. Perhaps when our oven starts working, we'll have a pie that looks like a pie too.


...still unemployed....resorted to a telemarketing interview today. I was asked for a second round interview but I think I'll try my luck elsewhere. Wish me luck!! I need it...

Umemployment isn't limited to one country

I was unemployed in the States post-college. And I'm unemployed now.

Sad? Yes.

But now that I have my own place in Melbourne, I get to cook my own meals, read books from the library, sleep in a bunk bed (much like college) and hang out with my roommates. There are 2 Brits, 3 Germans, and the two Americans. We were joking that we're going to start a war in our apartment but naturally, Shaun and I would win.

And for your enjoyment, another quote of the day from Alan.
-"I once heard a girl fart. It was strange. And it didn't even smell like roses!"

Quote of the Day

"We don't celebrate Thanksgiving...I'm Jewish"- Alan

The holiday season has already begun in Melbourne. With Thanksgiving soon approaching, Shaun and I have begun planning our orphan Thanksgiving. We invited our British roommates and new Aussie friends to partake, but much like Halloween in New Zealand, they didn't quite understand the meaning of Thanksgiving. We had to explain: only Americans would come up with an entire holiday for eating. As you can read, Alan did not understand that Thanksgiving was not a religious holiday. He thought it was just like Christmas.

Shaun and I have been busy arranging our new place, cleaning it from floor to ceiling, and looking for jobs. And trying to make friends. We went to the Myers Christmas Parade, the equivalent of the Macy's Day parade. It was almost 90 today so the Christmas carols about snow and hot chocolate seemed strange.

I don't have internet at my new house so contacting me could get tricky. I'll check my e-mail once a day, at best. But if you need to get a hold of me, call my cell phone. Cheers!

I'm not homeless

I'm not homeless. This is a good thing. You might think this is a strange thing to be thankful for, considering I graduated with a degree from Berkeley and am a fairly resourceful person. But I was one day away from being homeless in a foreign country.

We booked our hostel in Melbourne for 3 days. This gave us 3 days to explore the city, find a suitable neighborhood, and find a place to live. Ideally, Shaun and I were looking for a sharehouse to meet more people and make the smooth adjustment into living in a new city.

In this intense hunt for housing, we found a lot of dumps. I lived in Berkeley for 4 years... I know the definition of a dump. And these were all dumps. There were dirty sharehouses with 20 people, houses at the end of narrow alleys and warehouses, and houses with 35 year old Irish men who didn't seem to like us very much.

And then after 2 hours of being lost in streets and on trams in the blistering 90 degree heat, we found a gem. Our new home is in the suburb of St. Kilda, in a lovely neighborhood of nice houses and schools. It's a tram ride away from the beach and restaurants (who will hopefully hire us). Shaun and I were so excited to finally find a place that we smiled like stupid schoolgirls all night long. We get to move in tomorrow too. Whooo!!!!!!

Job hunting and exploring our new district tomorrow. Happy hour with new friends tomorrow and the Christmas parade on Saturday. I'm so excited to get my new life started in Melbourne!! Cheers!

PS. I also had a baller salad today. I only say this because it is the first awesome salad that I've had since I left. Apparently California is one of the few places in the world to have good salad. In other news, tonight was "Latin night" at our hostel. My margarita....no bueno. To be expected though, right?

I made it to Oz

Last night we slept in the Auckland airport. It wasn't exactly the most glamorous experience that I've had on my trip, but as Shaun likes to put it, "It was an adventure".

One thing that I did notice in my 26 hour stint there was that Kiwis get things done by way of guilt. For instance, before a plane leaves, a voice in the airport will state the names of the passengers who still need to board the plane. The message goes "Attention John Doe, please report to gate 6 immediately. Your plane is ready for departure and all the passengers onboard are waiting. For you". If that doesn't get you running onto an airplane, I don't know what will.

We have made it to Melbourne in one piece. It's pretty warm here. It's 35 degrees C which meant absolutely nothing to me. To put it in California terms, you need your flip flops, a tank top, and shorts. And nothing else. Finally I can stop wearing my black fleece and jeans everyday. It should make for more interesting pictures. As much as I love my black fleece, it's a bit tired. Wearing it everyday for the last 32 days can do that.

We're going househunting tomorrow. Wish me luck, I'm going to need it.

Many thanks to New Zealand

Yesterday we said goodbye to Timaru, our temporary home for the last few weeks. And while I'm sad to be leaving New Zealand, I think I'm more sad to say goodbye to the people we've met. 

If you know me well, you know that I'm not very good with goodbyes. I either get overly emotional or aloof. Sorry. That's just the way I tend to deal with them. I prefer to think of them as "See you later" instead of a "goodbye" because then I'm not so sad. 

So to the people we met while here, thanks. There's Ping- our tourguide, our networker, the man with an endless number of contacts and ideas, who is always so excited to listen to our thoughts and jokes. He also offered a good laugh and a silly nickname for any occassion. And Ata- the former fisher(wo)man and fearless bar manager. Ata doesn't put up with crap from anyone. Then there's Kelly, Amy, and Mel who were always in the bar with a smile. Ruben- our very tall, very goofy bartender. Ruben had some stellar dance moves.  Tom and Andre, the Germans, with their enthusiastic "All RIGHT!". Kieran and Mindy- who took us out to the beach to shoot fireworks, went to the race track, and kept up with us in our drinking games. Adam- who introduced us to the best apple cider ever. Sunny- the head of security, who looked like a tough guy but is really a teddy bear with a mohawk. And all the rugby kids who gave us the best night of dancing in our time in New Zealand. 

We had a blast and it wouldn't have been the same without you. Drop us a line if you're ever in the States. We'll be happy to return the favor. 

In other news, we're spending our last night in New Zealand in the Auckland airport. 25 hours here. We're at...3. Yay us. 

The Kieran Chamberlain/Kiwi Urban Dictionary

Our Kiwi friend Kieran likes to teach us new Kiwi phrases. Half the time, we don't exactly know what he is talking about, but he is gladly willing to teach us new words that help us blend in with the other New Zealanders.

1. Stubby-(n) a beer. Or a pair of shorts.
Ex: Kieran likes to drink stubbies in his stubbies.

2. Buggey smugglers- (n) tightey whiteys.
Ex: Old Kiwi men wear buggey smugglers.

3. Bingo wings- (n) the underarm flab that jiggles when old women win a game of "Bingo"
Ex: If you eat too many chips, you'll grow a pair of bingo wings.

4. Ginger- (n)- Prounounced (g ng er), with a hard "g". A redhead.
Ex: Ali Apple is a ginger.

5. Sweet as- (?)- cool, awesome. Usually used as a response to something.
Ex: Hows' the party? Response: Sweet as.

6. Bogon- (n)a guy who wears acid wash jeans, a 80s mullet, drives a trans am.
Ex: Kieran wants to be a rich bogon when he grows up.

In addition to the phrases that Kieran teaches us, he has also been working on speaking with an American accent. He usually ends up sounding like a flamboyant gay man. I've been working on my Kiwi accent as well. So far, I've almost mastered the term "fish and chips". Kiwis love their fish and chips. But it's pronounced "fush and chups". And if you end most sentences with eh?, you tend to blend in a bit more.

A celebration of failed terrorists

Seriously, Kiwis have the weirdest holidays. Last night, November 5th, our Kiwi friends Kieran, Mindy, and Jamal took us out to the Timaru beach to celebrate Guy Fawkes Night. For those not up on their British history, Guy Fawkes worked with a group of terrorists in the 1600s to blow up the Houses of Parliament. But he failed. So naturally, the Kiwis decided to create an entire unofficial holiday to celebrate this failed attempt. It was like a psuedo 4th of July here.

I can't say that the fireworks display was anything close to a BABC display but it was still fun. We taught the Kiwis how to look dumb while watching fireworks (Mouths open, stare at the sky and do a lot of "oooo"s, and "ahhhh"s). We also ran around with sparklers like small children.

The next few days in Timaru are going to be fairly hectic. We have plans to go skeet shooting, golfing, visit our friend's farm, and go up to Christchurch for a night.

4 days to Australia....

Oh and yesterday I found Mexican-ish food. We gave it a C+. Definitely no Tito's but it'll do for now.

Revenge on Mt. Cook

I'm kind of tired, so apologies for the short post.

Yesterday we hopped on a 12 hour bus-cruise-bus from Queenstown to Milford Sound. That meant a 5 hour bus ride there, a 2 hour cruise, and another 5 hour bus ride home. It was a long day.

We got on the bus and starting driving on the most dangerous road in New Zealand. It took 20 years to build the winding road through the fjordland. Shaun and I had considered driving the road ourselves but we soon found that the $160 bus ride saved us from driving in the rain. 5 hours, some motion sickness and claustrophobia, and a few picture stops later, we arrived at the Milford Sound.

The Sound is the most famous tourist attraction in the world. Our guide told us that recently, it is a finalist for the new "Seven Natural Wonders of the World". We couldn't have gotten any luckier with the weather. Take that Mt. Cook. The rain just stopped as we hopped on our cruise. The waterfalls on the side on the fjord usually run for about 2 hours after it rains. It rains 187 days of the year at the Sound. As we started out into the Sound, the weather cleared and we got some sunshine, some amazing waterfalls (that only lasted for 2 hours before they disappeared), snowcapped mountains, sea lions, and wind. The wind and rain saved us from the notorious sandflies. We had heard horror stories about the sandsflies and despite being armed with my 40% deet, I had been terrified. I always get eaten alive by whatever native bug is within 40 miles of me.

I'm a bit too tired to come up with more descriptive adjectives of the Milford Sound, but it was truly incredible. It makes you feel very insignificant in the midst of a natural wonder that took thousands of years to create. I'd post all 100 pictures that I took yesterday, but honestly, they would probably all look the same to you and doesn't do the place justice.

We're driving back to Timaru today. Working very hard on trying to find a place to live in Melbourne. 5 days. Yay. As much as I have love New Zealand, I am ready to find a job and friends in Aussie.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2542775&id=1222862&l=90a7c57542

A Kiwi Halloween

Halloween. It was a long day.

We started the morning by carving pumpkins. Armed in our orange Tui overalls (which are surprisingly comfortable, but a little bright), we went outside of the bar and carved our tiny green pumpkins on the sidewalk. People stared. I suppose two 23-year olds carving pumpkins in orange overalls might look a little strange considering they don't really celebrate Halloween here, and nobody knows what a jack o' lantern is. The 5 year old that was sitting with us thought we were crazy.

After decorating the bar with streamers and cobwebs for about 4 hours, Shaun and I decided to drive to Waimate for "Wacky Race Day", a charity event in which grown men and women dress up as horses and race around an obstacle course. We got lost along the way and I had to ask directions to "Wacky Race Day". The guy at the gas station thought I was nuts that I was trying to find my way to such an event. It probably did sound a bit odd.

When we got there, we found a group of people dressed up like the Kentucky Derby- big hats, tweed jackets and top hats, pinstripe suits. Apparently even if the people are racing, people dress up for the races. We met up with our friend Jock and Adam and watched them run around, pushing other grown men out of the way to win. You could bet on the different "horses" and Shaun and I even won 34 dollars of funny money.

Timaru- the party we threw at the bar was a huge success! Shaun and I dressed up as cowgirls, which we thought was very appropriate for our American holiday. Most people don't dress up here but a lot of people came out for the holiday. It was advertised in the newspaper and on the radio as the Halloween party at the No. 8 Wired, hosted by the California girls. We're somewhat like local celebrities in Timaru, which is a blessing and a curse. People just tend to stare at us a lot.

Anyways, today is our day of rest. Happy birthday Stephen!

I won't have internet for the next few days because we're going to the Milford Sound tomorrow. Back on Friday.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2550544&id=1222862&l=fb7e0fdad4

Attempt to climb mountain: FAIL

Today we drove 2.5 hours to Mt. Cook. It's supposed to be an awesome lookout over glaciers and glacier lakes and snow capped mountains. Unfortunately for us, we forgot to check the weather report before we left this morning.

20 minutes outside of Mt. Cook, it started raining. And wind started blowing. And the pretty snow capped mountains started blowing snow onto our little car.

Fail.

In other news, Shaun and I are starting to get sick. No bueno. Nothing but hot tea, sleep, and soup for the next 3 days before our Halloween party. I will NOT be sick for Halloween.

Planning is going well- we're making huge progress with the guest list, still designing drink specials, and decorations have been budgeted and planned.

Nap time for me. Go lakers.

Bringing Halloween to New Zealand

They don't really celebrate Halloween in New Zealand. Well, only in the last 6 years, which means that we still have to explain why people dress up or decorate houses and window displays. Most people also think that costumes have to be scary or you have to dress up like a pumpkin. Shaun and I are dressing up as cowgirls- hats, guns, and boots. It's pretty American of us and we think it will go over pretty well.

Our only job while staying at the No.8 Wired Hotel in Timaru is to throw a Halloween party. We're bringing "true American culture" to New Zealand. So if Ping wants a Halloween party, he's going to get a pretty awesome Halloween party.

This week we've been planning music playlists, drink specials, costumes, costume contests, fliers, and networking our butts off with everyone we've met (or haven't met) in Timaru. We're determined to make this party huge. He picked the right girls for this job because this is pretty much everything we ever did in the sorority. And working for Fox in their event department doesn't hurt either.

Today we suited up in some bright orange overalls and fliered around Timaru. Coupled with the fact that everyone stares at us already (because Timaru doesn't have girls, much less girls our age, we're American, and we were wearing bright orange overalls), I think we generated some good buzz about our event.


Yesterday we visited the Moeraki boulders. These are spherical rocks that are randomly on the Eastern coast of NZ. They look like eggs that dropped down from an alien spaceship. They're pretty strange looking. I"m not sure how to describe them any other way. Here are pictures so you can see for yourself:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2542775&id=1222862&l=90a7c57542

Rubgy rugby and more rugby

People in New Zealand take their rugby really seriously. Maybe even more seriously than American football. Ping wanted us to have a "true kiwi experience" so he sent us on the fan bus to the semi-finals of the local rugby league. It was Mid-Canterbury vs South Canterbury. Original names, right?

We hopped on the bus to Ashburton, which is about an hour north of Timaru. The bus was full of older men, armed with a boxes of beers, beer bongs, and face paint. It was like a fraternity for old men. We were 4 of 6 girls on the entire bus. And we were sober, which made the whole situation that much funnier.

When we arrived at the game, we watched 80 minutes of bone crushing play. You can actually hear the bones crushing when they make impact. Rugby makes American football look like child's play. Americans use helmets and pads, and New Zealanders use their muscles and their heads. The final score was 17-16, with the local team (the one that Ping is a sponsor for, hence the free tickets and bus ride), losing the game and ending their season.

Post game, we had been told that we were going to go for a pub crawl. The older men on the bus were pretty drunk and getting more drunk by the minute. Turns out that the players were going with us on the pub crawl. 2 pubs in, one of the managers for the rugby team says that the boys want us to hang out with them on their bus. We were growing tired of the older men's songs about Yogi Bear, so we hopped on the other bus and found ourselves with the same scenario, but a younger crowd. I can't really explain all the funny things that happened on the bus, but there were a lot of funny songs, conversations with coaches, managers, and players, and chants of USA on the bus.

The night ended back in Timaru at a few more bars. So. much. dancing. The boys that stuck with us the whole night were dancing machines and definitely gave us a run for our money. There was also another rugby team in town so the whole place was taken over by boys in matching shirts, mullets, and ties. Overall, it was the best day/night we've had, and we have hopefully recruited more people to come to our Halloween party that we are throwing at 8 Wired next Saturday.

In reference to my previous post, we ate Mexican food the other day. On the same "Mexican" menu, was lasagna, fish and chips, and pasta. Enough said.

Will someone please send me a burrito?

In the last few weeks that I've been gone, I've discovered a trend. No matter where we are, or when we've just eaten, we talk about Mexican food everyday. Everyday. Burritos, tacos, salsa and chips, guacomole...everyday. Shaun and I talk about Chipotle particularly often, because, well, there is no better food for a hangover than Chipotle.

I realize that I won't get another real burrito for 4 months. I have kinda come to terms with that. Until then, we'll have to settle for subpar "South of the Border" type restaurants.

I started planning my drive home from the airport on February 10th. I have no idea what time my flight gets in, but we are going straight to Tito's tacos in Culver City. And if I still haven't had my fill of Mexican food, maybe a stop to Chipotle in Marina Del Rey.

Never take Mexican food for granted. You'll crave it that much more when your next burrito won't be for another 4 months.

Here's the link to pictures from Queenstown.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2542775&id=1222862&l=90a7c57542

Field trip to Queenstown

Back in Timaru from our 2 day trek to Queenstown. For those not familiar with NZ geography, Queenstown is about 4 hours south of Timaru aka 4 hours through hills of sheep and cows. There are 40 million sheep in NZ and 4.3 million people. Just a little factoid for those who were curious.

Tom and Andre drove down with us in our little station wagon. The radio didn't work, so we sang along to my iPod and its tiny tiny speakers. Upon arriving, we started the endless quest of teaching the German boys every game we know. They don't play many games so there are many to teach. Smoke or fire, King's, 7-11- doubles, spuds, zoo, hearts, gin, the works. Then upon Ping's suggestion, we went to a burger joint in the middle of town. They serve burgers the size of my head. That says a lot, seeing as I have a fairly large head. Haha.

Post dinner, we went to Minus 5, an ice bar. It was -7 C. Even I was cold in the huge jacket and gloves and I have a tendency to run warm. The bar was pretty cool (no pun intended) and we definitely had a ball posing with the frozen chairs and statues.

Yesterday, the boys suggested we take a hike to the peak. Katie, Shaun and I aren't much of hikers, and especially not in our jeans and tennis shoes. With a little encouragement, we began our adventure on the trail through the woods. Andre and Tom kept saying "We already passed the hardest part." And "We're almost there". I think the hike might have been a little easier if I were as tall as they are (Both are about 6"4") but we made it to the top eventually. I'm pretty sore today but Advil is doing the trick.

Tomorrow, Tom and Andre are going to make us German Apple Strudel and we're going to teach them to make s'mores. Our tutorial will be the camp out scene from "The Sandlot" (naturally). If you're not sure what scene I'm talking about, type "Sandlot s'more" into Youtube and you'll know exactly how to make a s'more. "Some more what?" Hahah I love that movie.

Hope everyone back home is staying healthy. I heard the flu is raging in CA. Much love from the other side of the Pacific xo.

Timaru at last!

After a week in a half in the car, we've finally reached Timaru. Timaru is a port city about 2 hours south of Christchurch. When I last left you, we were in Renwick. We had crossed into the South Island, over the Cook Strait, and traded in trusty Vernin for a new and improved Sunny. She has automatic windows, and automatic locks. Snazzy, yes?

When we got to Timaru, we were introduced to Ping, Katie's friend's friend. He runs the No 8 Wired Hotel and graciously allowed us to stay there for free. He also hyped us up to the whole town, so everyone knew that we were coming. When he met me, he said I looked familiar and then said I looked like Tila Tequila, a trashy, tattoo covered reality star from the States. Lol. When asked if we were related, I said we were probably as closely related as he and I am. Or Shaun and I.

Ping took the liberty of introducing to everyone who worked in the hotel, including two young German chefs by the names of Tom and Andre. We hung out with them at the bar and yesterday, we all went to the Timaru Motorway together. No 8 Wired hotel was sponsoring the event, so we sat in the box, inside from the cold and pouring rain. Then, Ping's friend Kevin (who I think ran the event), came and got us and let us ride in the cars with the drivers!!!! We got to wear goofy helmets and jumpsuits and everything! I took pictures just for you, Uncle Darryl and Auntie Mari. I now completely understand why Brian loves driving so much. It was a ridiculous adrenaline rush.

Today is a laundry day and a day of rest before we head to Queenstown with Tom and Andre. I finally ran out of pants, so I was walking around Timaru in shorts this morning. I looked pretty goofy considering it's about 55 degrees out. Ping said that I might as well have been wearing a sign that said "I'm American. Rob me." Don't worry Mom, he was kidding.

Here's the link to the photos that I've posted. Silly blogger wants to take another hour to load them from the library. Here they are!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2542775&id=1222862&l=90a7c57542

Marlborough wine country

LOVE wine country here. We were planning on biking to the different wineries today, but it's been raining cats and dogs. So we drove.

The wineries specialize in white wines (with the cold weather and all). We went to 3 wineries and 1 brewery. 19 wines, 5 beers, and 2 ciders for $7. Pretty good value. And considering we spent 5 hours in a car and 3 hours on a ferry from the North Island to the South island yesterday, I think we have all enjoyed staying in the same hostel for more than one night and relaxing.

Timaru tomorrow. 8 hour drive...From what I hear, they are eagerly awaiting our arrival. Katie's friend, Ping, bought us tickets to the local car race (which is the town activity for Sunday) and even offered to get us into the local newspaper. Haha.

More pictures soon. xo

Rotorua smells like rotton eggs. The entire city smells like it. Today we visitied the source, the sulphur lakes. We saw a geyser and waterfalls and different colored lakes. And they all smelled like rotton eggs. Pretty sweet at first, but the smell gets old after awhile. The quote of the day "ew...that's gross"

Last night we saw kiwis too. Cute little buggers. We couldn't take pictures of them in the dark because they have very poor eyesight and the flash would blind them. Too bad. 

Driving to Wellington tomorrow and crossing Cook's Strait tomorrow to Picton. South Island, here we come. 

Here are a few photos from the "Thermal Wonderland". Not too many, because I"mj a genius and brought the wrong camera charger to New Zealand. Waiting for my momma to mail me the right one from LA :)

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2542775&id=1222862&l=90a7c57542

Pictures thus far

These are out of order. Sorry, it took me 25 minutes to upload these few pictures. To see them all, I think you can click here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2542775&id=1222862&l=90a7c57542

This is me in a 4 inch wetsuit before going into the Waitomo Caves to see glow worms. Glow worms are maggots with shiny poo that are on the ceilings of caves. The glow is a chemical reaction in their kidneys. Think of it like tiny twinkle stars on the top of a cave. I found that being a college student helps with treking through water in the bottom of the cave. High knees people. Like when you walk around a frat house so your feet don't stick or slide. High knees.

This is the view from outside of Bob's house in Russell, in the North part of the North Island. This was what I woke up to the first morning there. Good morning, Bay of Islands.

This is me and my backpack(s) in the rain. I still wear flip flops in the rain.

This was after 12 hours in the airport. Flight attempt number two. Besides my haggard appearance, check out my compression socks! They helped me avoid swelling in my ankles. Shaun said only 65 year olds wear them, but hahaha, her ankles swelled and mine didn't.

New Zealand roads can make you carsick

New Zealand has the most ridiculous landscapes. In a span of 6 hours, you can drive from the Cape, with 40 mph winds overlooking blue waters and rocks, then to 90 mile beach with sand dunes 10 stories tall. Do you know how hard it is to climb a sand dune 10 stories tall? It's hard. It's a lot of sand. And getting to the top looks a lot like the landscape out of Aladdin. Just imagine that the sand dune is like the scene out of "The Mummy" and you'll get what I mean.

Drive another hour and you get to beaches the color of apricots, sparkling with white shells. Eat some hoki poki ice cream (it's like butterscotch).

Then drive 4 hours over grassy hills of sheep and cows.

Take another hour to drive over a mountain. Covered in tropical fauna. You have no time to look at fauna because you are driving the car like you drive through Mr. Toad's Wild Ride at Disneyland. It will make you sick, even if you are the one driving.

Be sure to fill up your gas tank when you see a gas station. You might not see another one for another hour and a half. A good bet is if you see a McDonald's, you will find a gas station.

Glow worm caves tomorrow. It's tubing, in a cave, with a cieling covered in fungus gnats. Did I mention I'm mildly claustrophobic and scared of the dark? Oh, and I don't like bugs much. Hahaha I'm looking forward to it. It will be fun.

I'll post pictures when I get on a computer that isn't a step faster than 90s dial-up internet.

Kiwi Hospitality

Yesterday Bob's girlfriend invited us over to her place for breakfast. She runs a hostel just off the ferry landing on Russell. She brought us in as one of her own and gave us great local tips for hikes and tours.

We hiked up to the top of one of the points on her suggestion. It had a beach with crashing blue
water on stunning cliffs. It was postcard perfect. Later in the evening, Andrea invited us over for a true kiwi meal of lamb, salad with garden raised spinich and other local veggies.
I can see now why people say New Zealanders are some of the nicest in the world. They go out of the way to ensure the comfort of visiters. And compared to the cold, impersonal hostels, I definitely see the appeal of couchsurfing and finding locals to show you the sites.

We are off to the tip top of the North Island today in trusty "Vernon", our snazzy Toyota corolla from the mid 90s. Stops are planned for Hoki poki ice cream along apricot sand beaches,white sand beaches, and the cape!

Transportation is a funny thing.

Transportation is a funny thing. Yesterday we tried to take the bus out of Auckland. We were sitting at the stop, with our 50 lb backpacks on our backs. In the rain. Then an old lady asks us if we needed help. Turns out we must have looked fairly silly sitting there when the buses have been on strike for the last 3 months.

We picked up our rental car soon after that. It began our roadtrip in new Zealand. Driving on the left side of the road is quite difficult, for those who haven't tried it. My shining moment was any time that I tried to turn on my turn signal, instead violently turning on the windshield wipers.
We are currently staying with a family friend of shaun's, who owns a huge house on the north island. He has 270 degree views of the Bay of Islands with its green mountains, sailboat dotted bays, and rainbows. Think Jurassic park and Hawaii but better.

The people in nz are so friendly. Bob has given us great accomodations and he and his girlfriend humor us with ourmany questions. Like "what is the roadkill on the side of the road?" (answer: possums. You should hit them because the are a foreign species and have no predators) and "what is marmite?" ( answer: a yeast spread made in nz. It's an aquired taste)
We are roadtripping more tomorrow to the northern tip. Then off to glow worm caving and black water rafting. :)

Why you should not like pelicans

My 12 hour flight to Auckland, New Zealand was supposed to be an uneventful flight. Until a pelican decided that it wanted to fly into the engine and weather radar. As many people on the plane said, at least it wasn't a goose. Geese fly in larger groups. So yes, on the upside, at least only one pelican ruined my flight, not an entire group of geese. The woman who consumed 4 bottles of wine next to me might have ruined my flight as well.

My 12 hour flight turned into a 28 hour adventure. New Zealand is pretty cool. So far I've seen the inside of a cab (Note: unless you want to drive the car, you should not try to get into the front right seat), the inside of a hostel dorm room with 8 other people, the inside of a hostel shower (don't worry Mom, I didn't touch anything), and the inside of this internet cafe which slightly resembles a dungeon.

We're driving to the north tip of the North Island today. I've heard that we need to be wary of driving on the correct side of the road, running over bunnies, and not getting too lost.

Keep the emails coming, they make me happy :)

The Night before Christmas

...and by Christmas, I mean my flight to New Zealand.

When I booked this trip in July with my 2 other friends, it seemed so far away that it was unreal. We planned, and planned, and planned some more. And somehow, October 6 crept up so fast that I'm still scrambling. I'm trying to fit every article of clothing I own into a backpack half the size of me. Trust me, it's not working. My best friend, Jessica, even drove up from San Diego to help me. 4 sweaters, 2 pairs of shoes, 2 shorts, a few shirts, and 2 hair appliances down, I'm a little closer to fitting it all in my bag.

So to those that I have not/ will not have a chance to talk to before my flight- I love you, I'll miss you, and I send you the best of luck for the next 5 months. And don't give up on the Bears...it can't possibly be worse than the 2007 season. Go Bears!

xo-Christina

Countdown

13 days, 23 hours, 1 minute, 30 seconds til I leave for New Zealand.

Stoked!