locale: Auckland
breakfast: scones with dates (de-lish), really tasty cereal & milk, toasted bagel with banana and honey (the honey here has a completely different and awesome taste)
lunch: chicken salad w/ pistachios, peanuts, just the right amount of vinegar, mandarin oranges, cilantro, and SPINACH! such a delightful, yummy meal courtesy of Tom (yay MIT Alumni Directory!)
hostel: ACB, Fat Camel
people: backpackers galore, especially germans. especially easy to make friends with other independent travelers...because we all don't quite know what we're doing here, and what we're going to do here.
roommates: danish guy, english guy, argentinian guy...all just found travel buddies and are heading off to rotorua and taupo
favorite hangout place: IEP headquarters. awesome lounge, staff, and free internet!
life is good, real good in New Zealand. i want to convince my parents to move here now...and it's only my 4th day here. :o)
Friday, October 19, 2007
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
sweet as...
In New Zealand, everything is 'sweet as'. instead of saying 'cool' or 'awesome', they say sweet as. Not sweet 'ass', but sweet as.
they also say 'hewayew', which is 'how are you?' said incredibly fast and slurred. i almost didn't understand the customs officer when he said that.
i've been having a pretty sweet as day. i made a new friend. i can't for the life of me pronounce his name (and therefore can't remember it), but he's a really cool dude from denmark. he was put in the same room as me at the hostel. the funny thing is that he also lost his luggage on his way to new zealand, so the both of us are living off essentially the clothes that we are wearing, and a toothbrush&toothpaste. it was good bonding time.
this morning i enjoyed a free hot breakfast at a local cafe (compliments of the work and travel program). then i attended orientation at IEP headquarters. while yesterday i was completely overwhelmed by how i'm going to figure everything out, today after orientation, i was super excited about being here. new zealand is such a beautiful country, and i want to go everywhere! will i be able to do everything and go everywhere i want in 1 year? i don't know.
on top of that, kiwis are the nicest people ever. here are my testimonials:
while i was on the bus yesterday, there was a car in front that stopped in the middle of a one way street, backing up the many cars behind it, which in turn blocked the intersection. he was stopped for at least 5 minutes. NO ONE honked. not one peep.
i phoned calling card customer service today. first, i didn't have to be put on hold, at all. second, the guy was so chill, but polite. he said things like 'alright, awesome' (in an english accent), and 'thank you, miss', and took the time to explain everything. he laughed, and joked around: 'how do you spell america?....oh, i'm kidding, kidding'
this country is too funny.
they also say 'hewayew', which is 'how are you?' said incredibly fast and slurred. i almost didn't understand the customs officer when he said that.
i've been having a pretty sweet as day. i made a new friend. i can't for the life of me pronounce his name (and therefore can't remember it), but he's a really cool dude from denmark. he was put in the same room as me at the hostel. the funny thing is that he also lost his luggage on his way to new zealand, so the both of us are living off essentially the clothes that we are wearing, and a toothbrush&toothpaste. it was good bonding time.
this morning i enjoyed a free hot breakfast at a local cafe (compliments of the work and travel program). then i attended orientation at IEP headquarters. while yesterday i was completely overwhelmed by how i'm going to figure everything out, today after orientation, i was super excited about being here. new zealand is such a beautiful country, and i want to go everywhere! will i be able to do everything and go everywhere i want in 1 year? i don't know.
on top of that, kiwis are the nicest people ever. here are my testimonials:
while i was on the bus yesterday, there was a car in front that stopped in the middle of a one way street, backing up the many cars behind it, which in turn blocked the intersection. he was stopped for at least 5 minutes. NO ONE honked. not one peep.
i phoned calling card customer service today. first, i didn't have to be put on hold, at all. second, the guy was so chill, but polite. he said things like 'alright, awesome' (in an english accent), and 'thank you, miss', and took the time to explain everything. he laughed, and joked around: 'how do you spell america?....oh, i'm kidding, kidding'
this country is too funny.
Thursday, October 04, 2007
can i see your ID?
Twice today...twice, i was called a teenager
the first, on the bus, where the 14 year old girl next to me thought i was at most 18, and a freshman in college.
the second, i was almost kicked out of the 'adult' section of the library. the guard walked up to me and said 'you're not allowed to be here.' 'what? why?' 'you're a teenager, you can only be in the teen section over there.' 'i'm not a teenager.' 'how old are you?' '21.' 'can i see your ID?'
-------------------
I’m passing through security yesterday at the airport, trying to gather my stuff to keep the line moving. The security officer approaches me and says, “Do you really like riding bikes?” I was shocked, and a little terrified. “how do you know?” I asked him. “Oh, I saw you reading the cycling magazine on the bus.” Then I recognized him as the guy sitting across from me on the way to the airport. Whew, I almost thought the government was out to get me. He started telling me how he liked to ride his bike when he had free time…most of which I just smiled and nodded.
on another note, i took kriti jain along with the chinese mountaineering club to 'moon watch' for the moon festival. we looked like hobbits.
the first, on the bus, where the 14 year old girl next to me thought i was at most 18, and a freshman in college.
the second, i was almost kicked out of the 'adult' section of the library. the guard walked up to me and said 'you're not allowed to be here.' 'what? why?' 'you're a teenager, you can only be in the teen section over there.' 'i'm not a teenager.' 'how old are you?' '21.' 'can i see your ID?'
-------------------
I’m passing through security yesterday at the airport, trying to gather my stuff to keep the line moving. The security officer approaches me and says, “Do you really like riding bikes?” I was shocked, and a little terrified. “how do you know?” I asked him. “Oh, I saw you reading the cycling magazine on the bus.” Then I recognized him as the guy sitting across from me on the way to the airport. Whew, I almost thought the government was out to get me. He started telling me how he liked to ride his bike when he had free time…most of which I just smiled and nodded.
on another note, i took kriti jain along with the chinese mountaineering club to 'moon watch' for the moon festival. we looked like hobbits.
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