In Which I Hold Off on the Past and Focus on the Most Recent

It has been one month and seven days since my last blog post.
To those that have been waiting patiently for more glorious unfoldings: I apologize.
To those that saw this coming: yeah.

Suffice to say that I am very bad of keeping journals of any sort, even ones in cyberspace. For those curious enough to keep up with the blog and the recordings of my antics via Facebook, I am going to compile a slideshow-scrapbook hybrid of sorts.

You've probably been wondering where I've been. What could have kept me from spilling my guts on this well-thought-out blog?? Well, I can only answer that with one word: fire.
I joined Massey's Fire Club during their clubfest at the beginning of the semester, but only after midsemester break did I begin to regularly attend meetings. It is there that I have discovered the best Kiwi experience, because my friends, where there is fire there are nerds, and where there are nerds there are games. It seems like the second half of my semester here has been the real time; before, I was just a tourist. I went out to the bars with the other foreigners, I traveled with them, I stayed on campus mostly. After getting back from South Island, it's been nonstop action.

WARNING: Nerdgasm approaching. Proceed with caution. Nerdspeak translation unavailable at this time. For inquiries, email or Facebook me.

Most accurate picture for Eladrin
Ranger I could find

I have played Dungeons and Dragons. Don't say you didn't see that coming eventually. :P I have a character now, and thanks to some lucky rolls I'm a darned strong one too! 4th edition version, for those interested, and I am an Eladrin Ranger wielding double scimitars. I play with Steven, Rory, Renee, and Ty, and though we haven't played in a couple weeks, I'm definitely taking my character back to the states!

Puerto Rico

I have discovered the addiction that is Puerto Rico. For those unfamiliar, it is a board game that is like a mutation of Settlers of Catan. However, Puerto Rico is to Catan just as a bicycle is to a motorcycle. It's much more complicated and takes a certain level of skill to master. Steven likes it so much that if he goes to Jordan and Rory's house we will end up playing it at some point that night.

I have eaten durian. On Steven's birthday, we all gathered at Jordan and Rory's house for a few rounds of--you guessed it--Puerto Rico. It was just days after the Moon Festival, and Jordan bought mooncakes and durian to share at the party. Durian is a fruit that is exclusive to Asia. It is large and spiny (think a violent-looking pineapple without the green stuff). The flesh inside smells like rotting meat and has the texture of pureed chicken. Some people love it, most hate it. Steven, Liz, Jordan, and Steph couldn't get enough of it. I preferred the mooncakes, myself. I first heard of durian when I read The Camel's Nose for biology last semester. It stuck out in my mind because of it's repulsive smell, and when Jordan first offered it I immediately said no. After a while I gave in and tried it, and it tasted just like I thought it would. The real question is, would I have liked it if I hadn't heard about it beforehand?

I have learned how to spin fire! My early years spent sparring in Alison's backyard with staves came through for me at last. Below are a few pictures from the bonfire on Himitangi beach, where we spent the day surfing and boogie boarding and the evening burning.

Before boogie boarding

After boogie boarding

On top of the dunes at sunset

Panorama taken by Liz Holmgren

Me in the middle of a self-spun fireball!
Sustained photography at it's finest. :)

Me doing a variation on the 'Prayer'

That's all from this end of the world. Now it's back to studying for finals!! 

PS: Happy Halloween, everyone. :)

South Island in the Back of a Hatchpack (p.2)

Day 3 (August 23rd), was perhaps the worst day for me. It was raining all night, and though we stayed dry inside the tent, as soon as it came time to break camp everything got soaked. It came to my attention that I am a camping snob. As soon as it rains, I'm out. So it was with soaking shoes and dampened spirits (at least on my part) that we made our way to the Pancake Rocks in Punakaiki. They were pretty spectacular, but the weather hadn't improved so I was keen to get the pictures taken and get back to the car.

As we made our way to Greymouth, the sun came out, and like magic I was back into the road-tripping mood. We stopped at a Fresh Choice parking lot to dry out our stuff. The tent was laid out over the car, and jackets were hung wherever there was room. My trusty low-top Converse all-stars (double tongue and double laces) were still dripping, so I laid them out next to the hatchback. Then, Kiwi-style (barefoot), I walked into Fresh Choice with Andrew and Tessa for taco supplies. Steven watched the car. Since the Warehouse (New Zealand version of Walmart-Sam's Club) was across the way, I decided to purchase some jandals to wear while the chucks dried out. By the time I was out, the hatchback was packed once more and Andrew was pulling out of the parking lot. I jumped in and off we went to Noah's Ark, my favorite backpackers of the trip. We were greeted by an enormous yellow labrador, and each of the rooms was themed with a different animal. Steven and I chose to tent out in the cozy backyard while Andrew and Tessa opted for the rooms. Nothing like hot tubbing beneath the stars to remedy the morning's horrid rain!


Day 4 (August 24th) was very pleasant. The destination was Franz Joseph, and we made a couple photo stops along the way. 

One spot in particular was a gorge, the name of which escapes me except for the fact that it started with an H. The blue you see in the picture is the exact hue of the water. Absolutely gorgeous! 





Spirits were much improved. One curiosity was that my shoes had disappeared into the boot/trunk, so I had to tramp around in jandals. Once arriving in Franz Joseph, we checked in to Monroe Backpackers before heading towards Fox Glacier to meet up with Andrew's friend Tom, who would be our host in Christchurch. 

Upon arriving at the trail to Lake Matheson, I came to realize that the reason why I couldn't find my trusty low-top Converse all-star double tongue double lace shoes was because they were back at the Fresh Choice parking lot...in Greymouth. This resulted in me wearing jandals and socks for the remainder of the trip. Surprisingly, they survived the whole thing.


Day 5 (August 25th) was filled with some chance meetings and good entertainment. The day started off looking sunny and bright, and my plan was to find shoes. Andrew and Steven drove off to Gillespie's Beach near Fox Glacier shortly after breakfast, and Tessa went on a tour of the Franz Joseph glacier, leaving me to explore Franz Joseph on my own. As some might not know, when left to my own devices I end up doing one of two things: nothing, or something that in retrospect might not have been the smartest decision. 
I began by walking around town. I discovered three things: 
1) Franz Joseph does not sell shoes. Anywhere.
2) Franz Joseph has a lot of tourist places.
3) Franz Joseph is a pretty quiet town on a sunny day. Save for one particular group of kayak tour guides.
I found them tossing a rugby ball in the street. After some classic Kiwi conversation/flirtation, they let me join in their game. I discovered I was pretty good at kicking the ball. As my confidence grew, my focus strayed from the sloping asphalt. As I ran for one particularly high throw, I discovered I was running into the asphalt instead of across it. Needless to say, the dime-sized scar on my palm is a pleasant reminder of that time. After a while the guys decided it was time for lunch, so I headed back to the backpackers to find my tube of Neosporin and a bigger bandaid. First adventure of the day complete!

My next phase came after lunch. I decided that, shoes or jandals, I was going to see this glacier everyone kept talking about. So I grabbed a map from the lobby and headed off. 20 minutes later I reached the bridge that crossed the glacial river (I took my time. Walking in socks and jandals takes some getting used to). 40 minutes after that I reached the first trail. If my map-reading was correct--and in solitary situations it usually is--the trail would take me past something called "Peter's Pool" and end at the carpark. Excellent! So off I went. Peter's Pool was definitely worth it; if my camera had better batteries I would have taken many more pictures. Once at the carpark, I found the trail to the lookout of the glacier. I discovered that the best way to walk uphill in jandals was going backwards. 

By the time I returned, it was around 4:40pm. Off I hobbled (the jandals weren't the best support) to the bridge, missing the sun by about 10 minutes. I chose that point to take a breather. I noticed a guy taking pictures of the mountain, which still had some sunset on it, so I decided to take one as well. He offered me a ride back to town, and I gratefully accepted. I discovered his name was Brad, he was from Indiana and was studying environmental science at Purdue. In addition, he was staying at Monroe's as well! What a coincidence. We invited him to dinner and he and Tessa hit it off right away. We ended the night by heading out to the Blue Ice bar, where a man named Turtle showed us how to poledance. In all, a very satisfactory day. 

In Which a Mid-Semester Break Road Trip Occurred

After a long hiatus in the South Island for mid-semester break, I have returned to Palmerston North. Shortly after our return, a giant earthquake shook Christchurch, but that’s another story. Here is the road trip story.

In Which I Tour the South Island in the Back of a Toyota Corolla Hatchback

The legendary hatchback

The first thing I learned about planning a two-week road trip was that no matter how much we planned in advance, the plans would change. The second thing I learned was that a two-week road trip is a quick way to suck your wallet dry, even when attempting to be frugal.  The third thing I learned was that cramming four people, packs, a tent, a ‘chilly bin’ (cooler), and plenty of eggs into a tiny car and driving hundreds of kilometres to take hundreds of pictures is one of the best experiences I have had here so far.

The ferry

Day One (August 21^st) started out early. Not bright and early, because not even the sun was up yet. Just early. We drove down to Wellington and made the 10:25am ferry. A pleasant part of the day was watching the sunrise over the hills. Another fun realization was this was my second ferry ride ever (the first being the ferry to San Francisco, which I soon realized didn’t count for much). 

Welcome to Picton!

Upon arriving in Picton, we took to the road, and a very winding road it was. It was worse than a sine curve! Luckily no one got carsick. 

Our first night was spent on a fun little campground near Abel Tasman beach. Dinner was definitely the highlight of the night. Steak with fried onions, potatoes, kumara (sweet potatoes), and carrots! First night in a tent since Girl Scouts! The sleeping bag didn’t do its job very well, but I had enough layers on to get through the night.

Fun side story: At around 4am I had an insane urge to go to the bathroom. It was a 75 meter walk across a flat campground, with no other campers except us in the area. Upon my return, I see a figure standing just outside the realm of my flashlight beam. I’m very close to the tent, but I freeze when I realize the figure is headed straight for me. To add to my terror, it starts to run. I’m ready to scream bloody murder when I realize that it’s Steven. Needless to say, I gave him a piece of my mind. Why was he out of the tent at such an hour, you might ask? The same reason I was.

Abel Tasman Beach

Day Two (August 22^nd) began with pancakes and a nice hot shower. After packing up, we walked out on the golden sands of Abel Tasman Beach. It was absolutely gorgeous, and we were there during low tide so there were plenty of shell-filled tide pools. I collected quite a few empty shells for necklaces. Some crazy guys decided it was a good time for a swim. :P Weather couldn’t have been better! 

Bit chilly for a swim?

The drive to our next destination—Westpoint—proved a bit rainy. After struggling to find a place to spend the night, we settled on a paddock—for free!—thanks to the owners of the Star Tavern. It was a bit muddy rolling in, and the hatchback needed some assistance, but we got everything set up just before the rain came in. We ate dinner then went over to have some drinks as a thank you to the barkeep. I made two friends; technically 3, if you count Duke the border collie. Olivia (7 in September), and Sam (who is 4 and likes Crunchy and princess dresses). It’s hard to trade stories with people who are three feet tall, so we just talked about school. It was an awesome tavern, and judging by the bills on the ceiling we weren’t the only Americans to pass through. Would have been great to hear some of their stories, but as it was Sunday night I think they were keen to close early. 

A Brief Update

Hello everyone! I had a marvelous time during mid-semester break road-tripping with Andrew (UK), Steven, and Tessa, but due to the time-consuming assignments I left until I got back, I keep running out of time to post the epic journey. This is a friendly thank you for keeping up (for all...four? five posts?) and I will get the trip up shortly!

-B

preview: the south island had beaches. with shells.

WARNING: Homesick Confession #1. Proceed with caution.

The time for mid-semester break is upon us. Some part of me figures this is the perfect time to feel the first real pangs of homesickness. Why, you may ask? Well, right now, on the other side of the world, many of my closest friends are having their first day back on campus in the form of marching band camp. I cannot help but nostalgically recall the alternately pouring rain and sweltering sunshine on the field, but those days of extreme humidity and wet muddy feet have been replaced by what is here: 40-ish degree, breezy weather with indecisive sunshine and skittish rain. It's not really a comparison (okay, it is), but I think the difference is the atmosphere of a fresh year isn't in New Zealand, it's back home. My fellow classmates are going through the second semester phase, where all they want is spring break and summer, but for some reason I don't feel that. All I want is one day where I can stand in humid Iowa August heat, sweating in shorts and a t-shirt, and know that a huge buffet-style dinner waits just on the other side of campus. This may sound like complaining, but it's really just a shout-out to home. 

...I just called college home. {pause}

Moving right along: Hey, home. Being apart from you has made me appreciate and value you so much more than before. This adventure is going great, and I'm learning a lot of new things and making a ton of memories that will stick with me forever, but right at this moment, all I'm thinking about is you. 

All right, scratching the mushy pseudo-confession. I'm calling college home?! What is this? What I'm really trying to say is that I can't wait to see the friends I left back in the U.S.  

Some of you may be thinking at this point, "Dude, she's got her boyfriend down there, right? What's to miss?" Well, you're right. I don't have to miss my boyfriend because he's right here. But that doesn't mean that I don't miss all the wonderful people who are moving back into dorms, or moving into apartments for the first time, or even going to college for the first time (my brother included)! I'm a great fan of adventure, and I'm excited to see this through. I'm hoping my friends back home are having a good time, and are making lots of fresh memories. However, I also hope that when I come back, we'll be able to continue where we left off. :)