November 30, 2009

I BOUGHT A CAR!! and his name is Steve...

So i bought a car today. it's a Honda Integra hatchback. the back seats fold down and there is loads of room. someone seems to be looking out for me out there, because this seems to be the perfect thing. i bought it from two extremely nice, father figure type mechanics. i bought a different car i was interested in into the garage to have them check it out, and they basically said that car was garbage. so needless to say i didn't buy it. the next day one of the mechanics called me to tell me that they had just bought this car off of a couple of travelers. it needed a new water pump, but other then that it was in extremely good shape. so i went and test drove it. they replaced the water pump, cam belt, changed the oil, looked over the breaks, tires, and everything else on the car and granted it a brand new warrant of fitness (every car in NZ has to pass a new WOF every 6 months, this means that the car is in good running condition and no work needs to be done on it). i should be able to tour the country without any problems, and when i'm done with it i'll hopefully be able to get most if not all of my money back.

The name steve happened to come to me in a dream. i dreamt i was telling someone that i named my car steve because it was incredibly dependable, yet very generic...just like any steve i've ever met. funny huh. so it was inevitable.

all in all a good day. now i can get out of the city and enjoy the countryside. i'll have other things to write about besides the good food i've been eating :)

In this picture i tried to show that the steering column and everything else is on opposite side, but its hard to see...eek!! scary.

November 24th

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!! (it's your birthday in the states today...yesterday here)

So today is my dad's birthday, and thanksgiving is in a couple of days, then it's Christmas already!! it's extremely odd seeing Christmas decorations everywhere when it's sunny and warm. i think because they don't have thanksgiving here, Christmas celebrations start about a month earlier. the huge Christmas parade is on November 28th...how crazy is that! In honor of thanksgiving and everything that i am thankful for, my flatmates and i are preparing a feast. my flatties from Canada missed their thanksgiving, which was in late October, so we're joining our efforts tomorrow for one giant celebration. fingers crossed that it'll be edible.

Yesterday i went to the Auckland city art museum. it's in a beautiful building, but has a surprisingly small collection. it's was a good experience, and also a free one. being surrounded by art for even just a little bit makes me feel like i could be in a museum back in Minneapolis. and for even more of a taste of home, i went to Starbucks after (every Starbucks looks and feels exactly the same).

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone i love back home. i am so thankful for you and the support i've received.

November 19th

So it seems that we are surrounded by wildlife in our little house on Great North road. these are the neighbors chickens that wander about, and we have bugs/flys galore. the newest addition to our happy family happens to be some mice. they come alive at the most inopportune times, like night. but as long as you keep your door closed, with something stuffed under it starting at about 5pm, they should really bother you....whomp whomp.

nothing much is really new. just enjoying my time here. i'm still focused on the job search, although it's much more difficult then i expected. there aren't many positions available at the moment. oh well, time spent not working isn't the worst thing in the world :) i'm also searching for a car at the moment. it'll be nice to be able to get out of the city and enjoy the country side (especially if i wasn't tied down to a job). i'll keep you posted though.

it's fun to be more familiar with the city these days. i've started discovering some of the lesser known hot spots. like the best sushi in the city, or this woman who frys Korean pancakes that are filled with yummy stuff. she and her husband hardly speak English, and the pancakes are so so bad for you. but they are absolutely to die for! and isn't she cute?

November 12th

This last week has been about learning and appreciating life in the slow lane. i am finding so much enjoyment in waking up and making a healthy homemade breakfast from scratch, reading a bit of my book, playing my (new) guitar, washing clothes and hanging them to dry outside and going for walks around the lake by my house. it feels so relaxing and even productive.


Yesterday i got a new 3/4 guitar, i figured i needed a little extra project while i'm here. and music is never a bad idea. although...i'm more terrible then i thought i would be...lots and lots of practice needed.


The other night a couple of my flat mates and i tried our hands at making homemade sushi. it was a success! take a look for yourself. and it tasted even better then it looked.

November 10th

I have new flat mates!! Along with Briar and Hannah (who are the pre-existing flat mates) I now live with Hugh and Sarah. They are a couple from Novascosha, Canada, who are also here on a working holiday visa. They arrived here in NZ about a month before I did, and have been doing a bit of traveling/camping/hostel living in the mean time. They are both really great and it’s nice to know people who are in a similar situation to my own. It’s extremely easy to relate to one another.

This means that I have moved from my awesome huge room, into a smaller not quite as awesome room. It’s still a great room, but doesn’t exactly have the character that the first room did. On the flip side, I’m saving about $60 per week with the smaller room…I think I got the better deal.

Sarah and Hugh also really enjoy cooking and good food- I knew we’d get along from the start. One of the first nights they moved in we mastered the art of steaming muscles (see picture above) and tonight we will conquer homemade sushi. The fresh seafood here is out of this world, I can’t get enough of it.

Other than that, I’ve been continuing the job search, exploring my surroundings, doing lots of cooking and reading, relaxing and enjoying the beautiful weather. I gotta say it’s really strange to see Christmas decorations everywhere when you’re sweating just standing outside.

November 7th

Birthday Breakfast for Briar! Wednesday was Briar's 20th birthday, so we decided to trek up the hill to a really great little cafe in Grey Lynn called Occam. it has amazing coffe and pretty gourmet food. this is a picture of my cinnamon marscapone (sp? you all know i can't spell...) cheese french toast with fresh blackberries and chai....so yummy. i could spend a ridiculous amount of money on food here.

more later.

November 3rd

Chicken flavored potato chips anyone?

Or how about calling granola- muslie, or a sweatshirt- a jumper… those are just a few of the abnormalities that I’ve experienced here. Everyday I’m learning so much more about what it mean to be a kiwi. I’m even sometimes starting to sound like one.

Yesterday I journeyed over to Pt. Chev.- the next neighborhood over-on my way to the coast. but the time I got through the town it started to rain. I decided that the coast would be no fun in the rain. So I found my new favorite (granted I haven’t frequented too many) coffee shop/deli. It was called The Muddy Pie. And if you don’t know what I pie from NZ is, well it’s gross. But lots of people love them and grew up on them. They are like meat or cheese filled croissants type things filled with jelly like goop. Yuck.

Today I will begin (casually of course) my great job search. And where it ends? Nobody knows. I’m pretty much willing to do just about anything. My largest struggle at the moment would be the allocation of my time. I came from a life where I was always busy running around. Now I have nothing that I have to do, no one that I have to see, and nowhere that I have to go. On one hand it’s nice, on the other I don’t quite know how to handle it. My head is screaming, “get a job! Bring in income!” but the rest of me is saying, “enjoy your time, you can work for the rest of your life.”

So we shall see. Also, here’s a picture of me, just so you know I’m alive and well.