Cart Rage

Almost every time I go to the grocery store I get severe cart rage.  The grocery stores here have a ridiculous set-up; they are essentially a path that every single shopper must take, which causes a lot of congestion.  That on top of the blind/senile seniors, and the morons who just don't know what's going on around them, and there is little one can do but fill up with anger.  I think I'll go for a hike, maybe that will calm me down.

Lots of whatnot

Well I've had a fairly eventful weekend.  Took it easy Saturday and just hung out with the guys; during this time I was invited on a road trip to Queenstown on Easter weekend.  I'm definitely stoked about that, even though it's a while away.  

On Sunday I took the shuttle down to Akaroa, which is a small town nestled in the center of a massive volcano crater about two hours south of Christchurch.  It was without a doubt the most beautiful place I've ever been.  This is the kind of place you dream of retiring to; it's better than paradise.  I first took a little hike on the inner rim, which produced lots of great pictures.  After that I went on a cruise to swim with Hector's Dolphins, the smallest and rarest dolphins in the world.  The swim was great; they provided wet suits and snorkeling gear and we all just floated around by the mouth of the harbor while the dolphins swam all around us and inspected each of us.  They were really playful, as well as sneaky; you wouldn't see anything and all of a sudden three of them would be circling you less than a foot from you.  After swimming will the dolphins, I had a hot shower and wandered around town until the shuttle returned.

That was fun

Just got home this afternoon from a long night of fun.  Went to a sketchy party last night, got pinned as the DD, which was interesting in a standard on the wrong side of the road.  On my way home today I stumbled across the most impress busker act I've ever seen.  It was performed by the The Space Cowboy and the act included no handed sword swallowing and juggling knives and fire on top of a three meter tall unicycle, while blindfolded.  It was one of the few buskers acts I've ever seen that genuinely amazed me, all while being truly funning, not just dumb pun/funny for kids funny.

Lotza fotos

I now have my own Picasa web album; check it out if you like.  In other news, I just found $10 in the dryer lint filter; bonus.

Well that's weird...

I went to the beach today; my first experience with the Pacific Ocean.  The first thing that struck me was that it was...green.  A little weird, but whatever.  It's a twenty minute bus ride to the beach, at least the one I went to.  It really wasn't that different from a beach at home, other than the temperature and the surfers/kite-boarders.  The water wasn't bath temperature or anything (I am fairly close to Antarctica), but it was about as warm as the water ever gets.  There weren't many people at the beach, but it wasn't exactly balmy today (about 20) and for all I know I could have gone to the least popular beach around.  Regardless, it was nice to finally get to see and touch the Pacific.

This one's for you, Dad

(This is above my bed)

Through the dendrites and the axons

I can't sleep.  For me that statement has been the beginning of many thought experiments, emotional breakdowns, solo adventures and realizations.  Right now is no different than the previous insomnia induced experiences I've had, except now I have a blog.

*please excuse the stream of thought style that I'm using right now; my mind is working overtime.

I can't help but wonder who, if anyone, has been reading my blog.  Is my work bookmarked on the top of web browsers?  Who are you, you anonymous group.  Reading my thoughts, walking hand in hand with me as I live, but never showing yourselves.  I wonder if you are reading this, but I can't even mention your name or contact you without opening a proverbial can of worms.  Why is it I think of you at such random times?

I love the sound of the train rumbling along its tracks a few blocks away.

Why are some people so artistically well endowed?  I may have some middling talent in painting or drawing, but I still lack virtually all artistic sense.  I'm not sure how well I can describe this artistic prodigy, as subjective as my definition of them is.  They dress impeccably; constantly pushing the boundaries of fashion, but always remaining indy-cool.  They pull off clothing, hair styles, makeup, and even lifestyles that the bulk of us could never pull off.  All of their photographs have that certain edge, and their writing, even if it is a grammatical and literary mess, draws the reader to a place they only wish they could remain.  I won't attain this, and I can only hope to be close to it throughout my life.

Why do people listen to depressing music, especially when they are in a good mood?  I do it just as much as anyone else does, and I have no clue why.  It's not that I want to feel sad, but those songs just put a feeling in my chest that is oh so bittersweet and I can't resist it.

Stop, right now, and think about the present.  Each second that passes is gone forever, and gone with it is everything that has happened.  You will never live this day again, and when midnight strikes this day will continue to exist only in bits and pieces throughout your memory.  Don't let this through you off or overwhelm you, but keep it in mind as you go about your life.  Don't forget that no matter what, no matter how bad or good things get, time will continue to fall away from us at a steady pace.  Each moment only lasts just that, and is then pushed into the non-existent past as a new and equally as short lived moment takes its place.

Are you reading this?

A message from 17 hours in the future..

Just a message from the future as you all sleep; tomorrow will be a good day.  Oh yes, and by the time you wake up Gerry will be the overlord of the Earth.

Down the drain

One piece of advice one should always adhere to (especially when living on one's own) is that double checking to make sure one has one's keys with them when leaving one's abode is always a good idea.  If I had heeded this advice earlier on, I wouldn't be out the $100 (NZ) that the locksmith charged me.

Ozoneless

I've found out from the local riders why the sun here could cook a steak in the palm of your hand.  Apparently pollution (that they blamed on China and the US) has destroyed the majority of the ozone layer over New Zealand, leaving it extremely exposed to UV rays (the UV index is frequently 12, whereas I've never seen it go over 8 at home).

I've been riding a fair bit lately, and have met most of the scene here (real nice guys).  Most of them are real rippers and I see bangers constantly when I'm riding with them.  The street here is unreal; I'll have to take some pics soon.

I went to the movies the other night to see Cloverfield.  It was a fantastic movie; something with virtually zero cheese-factor, which is nice to see.  One strange aspect of their theatre was that they have assigned seating.  So even though there were plenty of empty seats I "had" to sit next to a couple; kind of odd.

I went grocery shopping today, which is still a novelty to me.  I always seem to forget to get a cart on my way in and am then forced to scavenge for an abandoned one.  I also generally forget that I can only buy as much as I can carry on the bus.

"Addicting" isn't a word

A few random happenings to report.  I went to the movies and it turns out they have assigned seating in their theatres; very strange.  Completely unrelated, I found a bigger/more North American grocery store today.  They still lack somewhat in variety, but it will have to do.  At said grocery store I was able to locate TimTams, a favorite cookie (biscuit) of the Kiwis/Aussies; I must say, they are delicious.  I feel like I had/have more to report, but nothing is coming to mind at the moment...  Anyway, if I think of anything else I'll just edit the post.

How could I have forgotten!  I went to an aquarium to see Kiwi birds.  They are the strangest animals I have ever seen.  In order to see them you much go into an extremely dark room (they're nocturnal), and you aren't allowed to speak (they're very nervous).  Once my eyes adjusted to the dark, I realized that these two football sized freakish looking birds were standing directly in front of me (behind glass, obviously).  They move in a very odd way, not at all like an emu or ostrich.  They are also considerably larger than I thought they were; I assumed they were no bigger than a robin, but as I mentioned they are quite large (chicken size if not bigger).  If you ever get a chance to see one of these in person, take it.

Peeling, eating and cruising

Ahoy!  Another small update from the weird side of the world.  My burn is healing up and is almost done peeling; it certainly doesn't look nice, but I'm glad to get it over with.  Yesterday I went downtown and opened up a bank account with the Bank of New Zealand.  I didn't originally intend to do this, but it makes sense for debit purchases and paying rent.  On my way to the bank I came across a stand selling fresh dark cherries, which I could not pass up (they were delicious).  I also hit up the Botanical Gardens yesterday; they were interesting to see and were filled with lots of things we don't get to see in our part of the world.  I also watched another busker in the square; he was Canadian, but he wasn't much of a busker, if you ask me.  I'm not sure what I'm going to do today (other than pay rent).  Maybe head downtown for a coffee, and I really have no idea what I'm going to do tonight.  We'll see what turns up; bye for now.

Not a drop

Still not much news happening.  My burn is still healing up; it's pretty much past the point of being painful, but it's now falling off me, so I'm keeping it low key for social reasons.  Two things I noticed today; one, it hasn't rained a drop since I got here just over a week ago, and two, they have St. John's Ambulance here, which certainly surprised me.  In the next few days I hope to hit up the Botanical Gardens in Hagley Park and possibly head over to Akaroa for a day or two.  

*I've spoken too soon, not ten minutes after posting this it started to rain.  Also, I just ate my first Kiwi kiwi.*

I'm quite stoked to go riding soon.  There are tons of little nib-jib street spots around, which are my favorite.  Eventually I'll try to collect pics of the best riding spots, just for the bmx readers of the blog.  I'm certainly stoked to ride Washington skate park, which is not far from my place.

On a completely random note, I've been watching quite a few movies in the last few days because of my nasty sun reaction.  Today I noticed that the seagulls here closely resemble, in both appearance and behavior, the seagulls from the movie "Finding Nemo".  Also, I finally got around to watching "Notes on a Scandal" and was extremely pleased by it.  It was strange/disturbing at points, but a great film nonetheless.  Lastly, "Philadelphia" was a great watch and it re-enforced my positive opinion of Tom Hanks as an actor.

That's all for now folks, I hope that things (my experiences>this blog) pick up in the next few days as I become fit for life once again.  I bid you all adieu!

Not much news

I'm still hiding away in my apartment because of my horrible burn.  I'm going  to be forced out to get some food soon, but I'm going to try to wait until later afternoon to do that.  I'd say this is one of the worst burns I've ever had; I'm glad it's contain to a relatively small amount of skin, as having this all over would probably send me to the hospital.  As you can see from the pic, my skin is blistering, hence my reason for hiding inside (both health and social reasons).  I'm hoping in the next day or two it will at least be healed up enough for me to venture out.  I've done some reading and found out that UV rays in the southern hemisphere are far stronger than those in the northern hemisphere, especially in the lower regions (e.g. Christchurch); I've learned my lesson.

I can't wait to get out and ride; there are a few skateparks around town, and at one or two of them look quite good.  Riding will also be a great way to get to know people; nothing brings folks together like little kids bikes.

I've been thinking about planning a "mini vacation" and going down to Queenstown for a few days.  There are a lot of activities going on there that I'd like to try (mountain climbing, bungy-jumping) and it seems like a great spot in general.  Now all I have to do is find a cheap way there and back...

Ouch

I'm rocking a gnarly sunburn after spending my whole day out climbing a volcano; my own stupidity really.  I was hoping to start to tan, and here I am, roasted.  Still haven't met anyone, which sucks ass, but here's hoping.  There's a busker festival starting on the 17th, which I hope will be a good time.  I'm off to shower and try to sooth my deadly burn; later.

Starbucks wins

I'm here at Starbucks right now, and their wireless is far superior to the internet at my apartment; maybe I'll call my provider and see what's up.

Finally

My luggage finally showed up; a massive relief.  I couldn't get through to Chch airport all morning, so I went out there this afternoon and alas, there was my luggage.  The trip back in town sucked (carrying 100lbs of luggage on the bus is not a lot of fun).  Getting a hold of the airport was a bitch, and they couldn't get a hold of me (so they claim) as I don't have a phone, so this afternoon I went out and got a cellphone; I hate myself.  I tried to activate a cell phone given to me by a relative (thanks Melanie), but apparently you can't use Australian cell phones in NZ; how stupid.  I'm back at my apartment now unpacking and whatnot.  I think I'm going to bring my laptop downtown with me later on to see if the internet sucks everywhere in this country, or if I just have incredibly bad luck with it.

I haven't built my bike up yet (that's my next priority, though), but it seems to me that there is virtually no bmx scene here.  None of the bike shops I've gone to (quite a few) have anything to do with bmx, and I've yet to see anyone riding bmx besides a few random people on low end completes.  I'll make my way to the skate park in the next day or two and hopefully meet some compadres there.

I'm not going to lie, it's very lonely here.  I don't interact with people as I don't know anyone, or do anything that requires interaction (school, work).  I'm hoping that as time passes I'll meet some friends, but until then life is certainly very solitary for me.  I'm not saying that I never speak to anyone, I talk to people when I get the chance (bus drivers are great around here), but making small talk is far different from making a good friend, or meeting a girl for that matter.  I sort of  befriended an English couple on the bus back from the airport today, but once again, it was more of a giving directions/where are you from/where are you staying sort of conversation not resulting in anything significant.  I have no idea how people go months on end traveling on their own (e.g. Ryan); it's nice to try new things, but I wouldn't want to do this to an extended degree.  I suppose most people are traveling with some sort of purpose, which leads them to meet people and get to know people in a hurry, whereas I'm more or less here for no reason, which puts me in an odd position.  All that being said, people should download Skype  (http://www.skype.com/intl/en/welcomeback/) as it's an fantastic way to communicate over long distances.  It allows you to chat realtime with people, while simultaneously using a webcam and it's all free!  I'm off now; ciao.

So I've moved into my apartment, not that I have much to move since my luggage is still MIA.  Apparently it's supposed to show tonight, but Air NZ claims to have no knowledge of that.  The weather is still incredibly nice, though my legs/feet are killing me from constantly walking everywhere.  I have also discovered that public transportation sucks; $2.50 for a single bus ride?  Ridiculous.  Another thing that seems a bit off/strange to me is that I need to CALL the phone company in order to hook up a phone; a little back asswards.  I haven't seen any insane animals yet (though the seagulls here are incredibly vicious).  I'm hoping to climb a mountain that I can see from my apartment in the next few days; now to figure out how to get there...  There are a few things I've noticed about this place that I want to write about, so I'll just list them

-the toilets/water drain in the same direction as home (counter clockwise)

-the slang here is a lot different then home, and people use much more slang here.

-people here are extremely nice/polite

-the weather never gets bad

-the internet here sucks; no matter what wifi network I'm in, they're all slow

-seems like everyone smokes

...

So I'm stuck 15,000 kilometers away from home, and I have lost every single thing I own; fuck.

Girls, Girls, Girls, Girls Girls...

I am in love with this place; I never want to come home, and I think that all of you need to get on a plane right now, and come here forever.  This place is beyond perfect.  On top of that the girls here are RIDICULOUS.  They are absolutely everywhere and are incredibly gorgeous; I fall in love every ten feet.  Ryan, Steve, Spenner, Eric, and every other guy I know need to get down here ASAP.

Another day

I've got an apartment!  I move in tomorrow morning; "move in" is a very relative term at the moment, as my luggage still hasn't shown up.  I'm still having a lot of trouble getting my bearings when I walk around the city; I got completely lost on the way to meet my super-intend ant this morning.  Fortunately this place has a great bus system, so for a few dollars I was flying all over town.  I'm glad I'll have my own place tomorrow, as I'll be able to hang out in a bed sheet while I wash the only clothes I have at the moment, as well as shower in peace.  This place is so beautiful and warm, I can't believe it's not more famous/popular.  There are nice parks and canals all over town, which are all surrounded by/full of strange trees.  I'm off to a local bike shop to check it out, then I think I'll go buy some groceries/necessities for my  new place; pics to come tomorrow.

Wow

This is the nicest place I've ever been.  I stayed on the safe side and went to Burger King for food (still paranoid about food poisoning) and went for a stroll around town afterwards.  It's gorgeous here; very quiet, lots of parks/canals with ducks, beautiful weather (about 21 with a nice breeze right now, at 10:30 pm).  I'm not sure why anyone would live anywhere else...  And on a kickass note, I found a McDonalds close by, which means hotcakes for breakfast tomorrow - ooohhhhhh yeah.

Made it

After six flights, 15,000 kilometers, countless delays and a loss of all my luggage (which may or may not be in Sydney Australia), I made it to Christchurch.  So far it seems like the most beautiful, incredible little town I've ever been to, and since I'm going to go eat soon, I hope to know more about it in a short period of time.  I really hope that my luggage turns up soon; it sucks not having a # or address to give the airport at which they can contact me, so I hope I get my apartment in a day or two to sort that out.  In the meantime I'm off to enjoy the freakishly amazing weather, get some food, and buy some deodorant/toothbrush/toothpaste/necessities.  

From the air - Chapter 3

I’m sitting on a flight somewhere over the Tasman Sea, on my way from Sydney to Auckland.  I don’t know what time it is, what time zone I’m in, and I’m not entirely sure of what day it is anymore.  I tried to hook up to the wireless in the Sydney airport, even though I was only there for a short time, but I had no success, so I’m still waiting on posting blogs and emailing.  There have been a few slight glitches in my travels, but nothing serious, just things to do with all the Air Canada cancellations/backup. 

            It was strange to feel humidity for the first time in months when I walked off the plane in Sydney; kind of refreshing.  I should mention that the sixteen-hour flight from Vancouver to Sydney wasn’t nearly as awful as I thought it might be; it went by quite quickly.  I can’t wait to get into Christchurch.  I’m not exactly sure what to do when I get there, as my reservation with the hostel is completely messed, and I’m arriving outside of their check-in hours, but I’m sure I’ll work something out.  I hope you’re all enjoying the freezing cold; when I told the woman at the Air New Zealand check-in desk about the weather we had when I was leaving she asked me why anyone would ever want to live there.

From the air - Chapter 2

            I’m in the middle of the Pacific ocean right now, and I have absolutely no idea what time it is.  I’ve slept a fair bit on this flight, but I’m sure jet-lag will still have its way with me.  It’s still dark out, but I think I can see a bit of a glow on the horizon, so hopefully I’ll be able to watch the sun rise soon.  I think I’ll be in the Sydney airport long enough to post a blog or two, but seeing as I have to work out my Australian visa issues (I don’t have one, that’s the issue) I may be busy.  It “slipped someone’s mind” at Air Canada that I would now need an Australian visa, as they re-routed me through Sydney before I get to Auckland; great work AC.  I’m also rather concerned that my luggage will be nowhere to be found when I get to Christchurch, as it’s been a big rush to get from flight to flight so I doubt my luggage stayed on any of the same plans as me.  

From the air - Chapter 1

I’m somewhere over Canada right now, sitting in first class.  I don’t really know how that happened; I left my flight in Montreal in a full-on sprint and got to the gate for my flight to Vancouver just as they were boarding.  I had no idea how much better first class was then “Economy”; great food, better seats, what seems to be a better movie/tv selection.  The only “downside” would be that I feel quite out of place, not that that is necessarily a bad thing.  The man next to me has Bose headphones that I’m sure are worth more than my entire wardrobe.  The one thing that did strike me as odd about this otherwise upscale seating arrangement was that the stewardess seemed stunned that I had my own headphones when she was passing out the complimentary pairs; who doesn’t bring an ipod/mp3/discman/walkman on an eight hour flight?

I suppose I should mention that I’m writing this in Word for now, and will have to “ctrl-c/ctrl-v” it on to my blog when I next have access to wireless.  It’s kind of odd writing, knowing that what I’m saying should, in a convoluted way, be past tense.  I just realized that I’m also going to have to decide in what order to post all of my “pre-written” bloggings.

I’m off to finish watching “Into the Wild” (which, I should add, is quite good) now; then I must figure out whether or not I’m going to make my flight to Sydney.

Boourns

This fucking sucks; not only were my flights pushed back over a week, but I also got violently ill yesterday.  I suppose it's better that I got sick home instead of half way across the pacific ocean, but I'm pissed off nonetheless.  Murphy's law couldn't possibly ring more true.