Well, are you?

Are you looking forward to anything?  I'm not looking forward to a single thing - not a single thing.

VENT

I just tried to set up an auction on ebay EIGHT TIMES and every single time the form I had to fill out froze/refreshed/disappeared.  My advice to you, ebay, is to fix your fucking forms.  I'm not even going to bother now.

Maybe it's not all over?

Obama won the election; maybe the world isn't over just yet... though it may be coming.  I'm quite prepared to live in the woods and eat carrots and blueberries if need be.  

Things really are more tempting when they're off limits; at least it seems like they are.  Maybe instead of being 'more tempting' one's temptation just grows because it can't be released.  I'm not looking for a psychological answer (unless it's neurological, and it'll be some time - if ever - before that happens).  Regardless of the cause of this effect, it's insanity inducing and makes my heart rate double even when it's something relatively simple...

If you're feeling down or stressed out, go look at some demotivational posters; they win.

I guess we'll see on Tuesday

http://www.iftheworldcouldvote.com/

So stupid...

I like to complain and point out faults/holes in everything.  

That being said, Gail Shea becoming the minister of Fisheries and Oceans is ridiculous.  I've heard the argument that this is great because she 'grew up in a fishing family'.  Oh really?  Wow... that... doesn't matter?  How about someone who is an expert in oceanography, marine biology or even something like the economics of the fishing industry.  All of the cabinet members are just people, not specialized in anything.  I surmise that the reason there aren't highly educated specialists in politics is because highly educated people are too smart to fall into the peanut gallery that is our 'democratic system'.  

In a semi-related story, it seems barely anyone knows what's wrong with the American/Canadian/some European economies.  The problem wasn't mismanagement, or ludicrous salaries (though those are related to the problem): the problem is capitalism.  I'll freely admit that before this economic downturn I didn't pay attention to, nor know anything about economics.  Since this issue is all over the place I've been reading up (and we talk about it constantly in my radical philosophy class).  The more I read, the more I see that capitalism, the way we use the term, is doomed to fail.  Ever increasing productivity (and therefore profit) without ever increasing wages to follow suite causes people to borrow (from the people who are making the excess profit, at that).  These top few make more and more, the rest make the same, or slightly less while their debt grows and grows; doesn't take a PhD in economics to see that this is going to fail.  The problem lies in the workers not having a say in the companies they are a part of; obviously the fate of the worker is not a high priority with the omni-evil board of directors.  The answer is communism; Google does it, many other silicon valley giants do it, hell, my brother's business (silverorange) does it and all these examples show the success of such a system.  

Another cause of this teetering of this poorly engineered giant is the freedom given to the banks; the banks don't have a 100% reserve requirement for the loans they give out... are you fucking kidding me?

This will literally make you lol

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMOdPT7VzQE&eurl=http://subrosabrand.blogspot.com/

Are you jockin' me!?

Pants, jeans... I just want a pair that fits me, is fairly slim, and is stretchy; 30x36 is hard to come by.

Now this is what I'm talking about

Check it

Marx is not a scientist

So far this semester much of my time has been spent debating and trying to define what exactly science is.  This seems like a simple question at a glance, but the more one thinks about it, the more complicated the question at hand becomes.  After some practice the identification of pseudo-scientific theories becomes more simple, and more interesting.  It wasn't long into one of my classes that both Freud and Marx were thrown into the pit-which-is-not-science (I know that they both have many theories, and this is a gross generalization, but it fits them for the most part).  One of the biggest issues with the theories of the aforementioned is that they are (for the most part) non-falsifiable.  This means that no matter what observations are made, or theories created, they cannot disprove the statements of the theories in question.  This may seem as a strong point, but it really shows that the theories say nothing at all.  A Marxist can open any newspaper at any given time through history and find countless examples to 'verify' Marxist theory; the same can be said for a neo-Freudian.  I can't find the actual quote at the moment, but Emile Cioran once wrote something along the lines of: Something written for everyone, can say nothing.  This applies well in this situation; these non-falsifiable theories just point out things that are obvious throughout the world.  If I were to create a theory stating that the sun will set a length of time after it rises I would be 100% correct, but I wouldn't be saying anything; as one of my profs would say, it's true, but uninteresting.  If a theory can absorb and digest any concern thrown at it, or cannot conceivably be disproven (arguable with these cases) than it is not a scientific theory at all.  Something I was recently reading stated that Einstein's theory of relativity is a genuine scientific theory because it can be disproved (if one was to propel an object at a rate higher than that of light, which the LHC has shown to be impossible, therefore backing Einstein's theory).  Also, measurements taken during the 1919 solar eclipse showed that mass does in fact distort space(time).  In summary, theories that allow for everything, prove nothing. 

There are many more reasons for my accusations towards Marx (e.g. his colossal misunderstanding/generalizing of human behavior), but I don't really feel like going in to that at the moment.

DO IT

Everyone needs to go see Bill Mahar's new movie "Religulous" - fantastic flick.  Funny as hell, with a great message.

Fuck frugal

Don't be cheap; people hate cheap people.

Where the hell is my male birth control pill/patch/injection/implant?  It's 2008 and we're using outdated methods of birth control (other than the pill).  I've been doing some reading and it seems the biggest issue with the male pill is whether or not men are interested in it... ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!?!!?  I'll be the first in line, and I think I can say without any worry that all my friends would follow suite.  Most guys my age don't want kids (at our age) just  as much as women our age don't, if not more so.  Frankly I don't want kids period, but don't really want to get a vasectomy (I could change my mind at some point) so a pill/injection/whatever would be FANTASTIC.  Not only would you would not have to worry about the female taking the pill, but you'd now have a second line of defense - goodbye unwanted pregnancy.  Pharmacutical companies, I'm looking at you (call me).

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=PH6xCT2aTSo&eurl=http://www.houseofcassette.com/lifestyle/2008/09/24/street-art-inflatable-bag-monsters/

Why Scandinavia rocks

Not many people know how killer Scandinavian countries are. I've never been to Europe, let alone northern Europe, but from what I read, those countries really kick ass. From their forward thinking governments, to their unbelievable beautiful settings and large average incomes. When I say that they have forward thinking governments, this is what I mean:

"The same relaxed attitude toward public safety that we experienced yesterday with road construction carried on to the grand waterfall Gullfoss: the idea seems to be that if you are an idiot, you probably deserve to die, and they’re not going to stand in your way. Which means that you have complete and total access to the waterfall, and can walk right up to its edge:"

This is a quote from Peter Rukavina's blog (http://ruk.ca/article/4987) referring to access to a large waterfall in Iceland. That is EXACTLY how 'safety' of this sort should be treated. In North America, there would be armed guards, three fences, and more than enough shit to ruin the entire experience. Not only do they allow a completely intimate experience at the falls, but they increase their average IQ while at it; beautiful.

Things I recommend

-Google image search (or regular search) beautiful/amazing photos.  You'll see a lot of amazing things.  I've found there are innumerable amazing photos/landscapes of Iceland.

-Go to New Zealand.  I haven't really been many places, but this place is incredible.  While you're there, spend as much time mountain climbing ('tramping') in the mountains/rain forest as possible.

-Don't spread yourself too thin.  I think it's better to do too little, than too much.  If you have free time, read a book.

-Read some Aldous Huxley - he's an incredible writer, and will provoke thoughts you'd never considered possible

-Find out what you believe.  Your principles are quite possibly the most important part of 'you' - take lots of time to read, think, and ask questions about what you believe.  I know so many people who tell me they don't think about 'that kind of stuff' - they ought to, it's all you really have.

-Don't fake anything, plain and simple.  This also means not being vague in what you say - say what you mean, and mean what you say (cliche, but think about it, and do it).

Good enough isn't good enough

     I hate when things are 'good enough'.  Most of my friends are quite aware how much I hate when things aren't just so.  Things on my bike have to be 100% perfect for me to enjoy myself when riding it.  My clothes fit 'good enough', but not the way I want them to fit, and it drives me fucking insane.  I guess my point with this little rant is do things right, or fuck off.

Next complaint about life...

     I have no money.  Now I realize that the most common answer to this is 'get a job', but I think it's a little more complicated than that (for me, at least).  I hate work, and when I say this, I mean I hate work more than any other person ever has.  I would be perfectly content never working a day in my life.  This mindset is completely foreign to my parents generation, and even many in my own.  I guess I could stand work if I felt I was doing something of worth; something that will change things.

     That reminds me that I'm trying different ways of making money at the moment.  Right now my soul is for sale on ebay - http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=220282876608 - check it out.  I think if this sale goes decently (over $50?) I might put my conscience up next, or perhaps my morals.  If I get around to it I'm going to put a few of my paintings up there too; can't hurt.  Eric suggested that he and I take up organized crime, which really isn't that bad of an idea. 

*walk into generic business*

Eric: Want to buy our insurance?

Secretary: Insurance for what?

*I hit the nearest person in the head with a crowbar*

Eric: Insurance that Pat doesn't do that to you or your family.  Little Timmy is in grade two now, isn't he?

See?  We win.  Easy as that.

There's no point to this post

...

Boom

http://explosm.net/comics/393/

Sweaty fools

Dance like there's nobody watching. Those are some of my dad's favorite words, and I must say I don't fall far from the tree in this respect. Over the last few weekends I've been a dancin' fool on several occasions (twice at Windom Earle shows, and at Skratch Bastid last night). There are few things in life as fun as getting together with your amigos and busting stupid moves in a big sweaty crowd. House parties are good for this, but some bars aren't bad either. Baba's is pretty loose and will let you get freaky with your shirt off, which is nice as it gets hot in there. One thing that's not too cool about these festivi are the drunken idiots that just get in the way/break things, and the people who don't like getting other peoples' sweat all over them, and getting bumped into. If you're going to get into a situation like this (especially a Windom Earle show) expect to get drenched with sweat; not only yours, but that of the people around you too. And about the bumping into people, I don't like getting smashed by moshing idiots (people only mosh because they can't dance, FYI) anymore than anyone else, but if you're in a crowd of dancing people, expect to get bumped into sometimes, and get your feet stepped on a fair bit. What I'm really saying is, if you can't stand the heat, get off the dance floor.

Ok

I need to straighten something out for some people 'out there'.  When you get an email or Facebook message saying that if 15,000,000 people join a group, or forward this gas prices will lower, or some kid will get a new kidney, or you'll get an ipod in the mail.  If you believe any of these, you deserve to get attacked by an awe-wielding kid on a bus.  I have no idea why anyone would believe any of these; why the hell would any of these things come about, especially from any of these pointless online activities?  Gas companies aren't going to lower gas prices because 13498573589475934758943498673495450376235 people joined some Facebook group; why would they?  We're all going to continue to buy gas, and it's not like they think the public enjoys 'high' gas prices; they know we are cheap.  Bill Gates will not mail you a dollar for every person you forward this email to; he doesn't care about you, and chances are, if you're on of the people that believes those emails, no one at all cares about you.

Beyond me

The creative abilities that some people have are astonishing to me.  I'd like to know what makes one person genuinely more creative than another.  This is what caused my curiosity in the subject.

In unrelated news, these images are incredible.

Well that's more than dandy

Watch this and love it for all it's worth

Damn it

I'm sure most of you will think this is ridiculous, but going to New Zealand was a bad choice.  It was an amazing experience, and I got to see some incredible things and meet some great people.  But in the grande scheme of things I screwed myself over by going.  Before leaving I had one of the best jobs a student could get; they now refuse to take me back.  None of the other places I've applied bothered to do so much as let me know I didn't get the job (thanks UPEI, I hate you).  Now I'm unemployed, don't even have enough money to buy deodorant, and haven't even started to pay back my debt.  I'm guessing this is one of those things I look back on with fond memories, but for now, I'm less than stoked.

Read

http://nymag.com/health/features/46213/

Look carefully at this image

Nobody cares where you get your undergrad

I had a more than spicy 24 hours.  It all started with Eric asking me if I wanted to accompany him to Halifax; being unemployed, I agreed.  We left Charlottetown at about 8am yesterday (May 15th),  and had an uneventful drive to Halifax.  It was soon after we got to Hali that I found out there was no purpose for our trip; after some walking around I bought a pair of shoes to replace my La Coste's that are completely worn out, and Eric bought a freewheel for his Spot.  Greg, Eric and I then made our way from bar to bar, eating and whatnot for the rest of the day.  Later that evening we wandered all the way from Eric's sister's place to downtown Hali (a good half out walk); my not-yet-formed-to-my-feet shoes were killing me, and Greg had somehow managed to ruin his ankle earlier in the day.  We made our way to Tribecca around 10ish, as there was no cover, and there was some sort of grad festivities going on there for King's.  We later found out that this shindig was invite only, but that didn't seem to matter a whole lot.  We danced harder than most people would think possible with a graduating class we've never met before for hours on end, leaving us completely soaked with sweat.  After this we meandered a half hour back to Eric's car (me in sock feet), hopped into the Mazda, and drove the 3 hoursish back to Ch'town.  I've now been up for more than 24 hours, and have a devil drink (RedBull) induced headache.  I'm going to try to go to bed, as confused about the time as I am.

A business proposition with social ramifications

It seems that Charlottetown has no cafes, of any sort, open beyond 7pmish (and that's pushing it).  I would thoroughly enjoy a year-round venue similar to Cafe Diem (or Cafe Diem itself) that was open until midnight or later, seven days a week.  I suppose that's kind of a lot to ask of a town the size of our own.  Timothy's is the closest thing to my dream coffee shop; perhaps the new ownership of Cafe Diem will give me a late night haunt.

Monkey body

I'll quite happily fight anyone if they agree to get me custom made jeans if I beat them.  Any takers?

Not quite misanthropic

I'll start off by saying that isn't a shot at my friends or family; this isn't directed towards you.  

Apathetic, misanthropic, unsympathetic; all of these could probably be used to describe me.  I don't know why it is, but the more I think about it, the more it seems like I have trouble caring about people.  I really don't know why this is, and to a certain degree I wish it wasn't so.   It's possible that it has something to do with my past, or maybe I'm just different than the rest.  It's not only that I have little or no sympathy for the poor across the world whom are living in third world conditions, these feels (or lack thereof) seem to be making their way into my everyday life.  This could have something to do with my  recent thoughts about marriage; I've been thinking that perhaps I'm not 'cut out' for relationships because of this lack of care.  Maybe someone can change me, or perhaps it's only a phase; you tell me.

One a different note, I think I'm dying or something; I'm regularly sleeping 13+ hours a night.  I'll just attribute this to jet-lag for now and hope I revert to my normal 8.5 hours a night.

Fast interweb

Finally, fast internet; what a wonderful thing.  My body is incredibly confused; I've gone through 10+ time zones, and I keep sleeping in small stints.  I think I've been awake for about 30 hours, but I really can't be sure of that anymore.  Last 'night' only lasted about 4 hours as I was in a plane moving eastwards at about 1000km/h, which was really odd.  I'm now chilling in the Montreal airport, am completely delirious, and am waiting for BK to stop serving breakfast.

Time travel

I'm sitting in the Vancouver airport right now, looking out onto the snowy mountains.  It took me a while to realize this, but I took two flights to get to Vancouver (which totaled about 19 hours of flying) and I  (technically) arrived here in Canada before I even left New Zealand.  It's strange to think that I jumped back an entire day when I crossed that invisible line resting in the Pacific.  I suppose we just use 'time' to measure things, so I never actually moved in time, as it's a constant that plods along at one second per second.  In the last four days or so I've had about 8 hours of sleep, but I'm not feeling all that tired for some reason; I'm thinking that when I go to bed at home I will sleep like a log for some time.  It's good to be back in Canada, though I miss NZ.  Robbie helped me move out of my flat, let me stay at his place for the night and drove me to the airport; very good dude.  Look for the guy 3ing crazy stuff at Washington park if you're ever in Christchurch.  Less than 24 hours until I'm home...

Keep your guard up

Last night I was a tv program that reminded me how the media can twist things to present a certain distorted view of things to the viewer.  The BBC reporter interviewing Philip Zimbardo (of the Stanford prison experiment) grabbed hold of Zimbardo's words and was attaching them to false conclusions and trying to mold his words into something completely  different.  The reporter was trying to somehow place blame for the humiliation/torture that took place at the Abu Ghraib prison.  No matter what Zimbardo said the reporter would try to twist his words; So these soldiers shouldn't be accountable for their actions?  So should you be accountable for their actions?  Is it the fault of the military?  As someone who has spent some time studying Zimbardo's work, it is extremely clear to me that he did nothing but present information about how institutions, roles and situations can affect anyone's behavior.  To the average viewer who may not be familiar with Zimbardo's experiments the reporter was certainly making it seem like Zimbardo somehow created a blue-print for the U.S. military to follow if they wanted their soldiers to behave in these 'unacceptable' ways.  He was trying to paint Zimbardo as some sort of evil genius who was in cahoots with the U.S. gov, while trying to create zombies lacking any sort of conscience.  Zimbardo is a scientist; simply trying to find out the truth, and present it to the world.  Take what you see on the news with a barrel of salt; you may be witnessing some major information manipulation.

Just a little different

What I plan/want to do with my life is a topic that comes up often when I meet new people.  For the last few weeks I was wondering what do I want to do with my life?  I knew that I wanted to do something 'useful' (something that pushes society forward/aids society's evolution), which was drawing me away from becoming a professor, and edging me closer to pursuing a career in law.  I was getting behind this idea more and more until out of nowhere (seemingly) I realized that being a professor (of philosophy, at that) could be an extremely 'useful' career.  I would be in a position to potentially open up the minds of thousands of young (and not-so-young) men and women.  It wasn't until I took first year critical thinking class with Neb Kujundzic that 'things' became clear to me.  I suddenly realized that I had been looking at things all wrong; what I thought were logical thought processes were actually pitiful bursts of 'logic diarrhea'.  Things began to fall into place; the fog that had been covering my eyes, unbeknownst to me, was lifted.  Philosophy can teach you an entirely different way of thinking, which is difficult to explain, but I know I've experienced it, and so have others (Steve, for example).  I could (potentially) help to open the eyes of my future students the way mine were prompted by my professors.  It turns out, that the profession I was headed towards all along is 'useful' beyond what I have dreamed.

Damn it

I've just found out that I probably won't be able to return to my student job with Veteran's Affairs Canada when I get home because of bureaucratic issues (not quite fulfilling their requirements; haven't gone to school since December).  Finding this out is a huge downer, but there doesn't seem to be much I can do.  If anyone is looking for an employee, I'll be home two weeks from today.

In less depressing news, I went to Abel Tasman National Park yesterday and saw Wainui Falls, which were incredibly beautiful.  The rain forests here are far more tropical than those down south, and are a completely different experience because of this.  To get there I had to walk for about three hours, stopping along the way to check out some of the beaches in Ligar Bay (there aren't any ligars there...).  I did get picked up by one guy on the way there, which was nice, and on my way back I got a drive almost the entire way from a Czech guy that barely spoke any english.

I had back to Christchurch tomorrow to ride and chill out for the rest of my time in NZ; if only I didn't have finding a job on my mind...

Hoi

I'm in Kaikoura at the moment, and am enjoying it so far.  Today I went whale watching and was treated to a show by two Sperm Whales, about 300 Dusky Dolphins, and a Fur Seal colony.  I met a girl from England right before the boat boarded, so I had a friend to share the day with.  This place is full of unreal views, and tonight while I was strolling along I got to see something I'd never seen before...A REAL LIVE HEDGEHOG!  He was waddling down the sidewalk not too far from my hostel.  I've seen a few dead ones here, but this was my first live one; what strange little animals.  I'm very stoked to head to Abel Tasman on Saturday; hoping to do some swimming on white beaches in crystal clear water.

Woah...

Somehow I managed to forget to post about my excursion to Doubtful Sound, which is incredible, as it was quite possibly the most amazing place on the face of the earth.

Let me start off by saying the Fiordland itself is an epic place, virtually beyond description.  One has to experience it in order to understand how unimaginably beautiful it is.  To get to Doubtful Sound from Queenstown I had to take a bus, then transfer to another bus, then take a boat across Lake Manapouri to the hydro power station at the other side.  From there I took another bus over Wilmot pass and down to Deep Cove.  I boarded the boat there and began my day journey around Doubtful Sound.  It was a sunny day, which is extremely rare as seven out of ten days in Fiordland are rainy.  The place is amazing; from the black water, to the snow peaked cliffs.  Near the opening to the Tasman Sea there is a massive island known as Secretary Island.  It is a reserve that represents how New Zealand was before any human beings had stepped foot here (even the natives).  The Island is covered in thousand year old trees, and indigenous birds such as the kiwi and takahe.  Conservationists have removed all introduced pests such as possums, stoats, and deer in order to create an environment that reflects how New Zealand once was. 

 Another remarkable part of the cruise was when we went down into Hall's Arm (a branch off of the fiord, or fjord) and they turned the engine of the boat off.  Everyone stood silent and there was utter stillness and silence over the sound, except for bird calls and waterfalls.  It immediately reminded me of a night last November in Fort Amherst during which I experience silence (outdoors) like I have never experienced before.  I can't wait until this fall/winter to try to replicate the experience.

If you have any interest to immerse yourself in the extremely dense and beautiful temperate rain forest of New Zealand, and to experience views like no others, I cannot recommend more strongly that you go to Doubtful Sound.

Good times

Ahoy,

It's been a minute since I've updated, but I've been busy/lazy.  My last few days in Queenstown were great; I spent most of the time bumming around with Helen and Cassie, two English girls that I met at the hostel.  We went out on Wednesday night and hit up The World Bar; it was a great time.  I think I danced with ten different countries...  The bus ride back to Chch was long, and uncomfortable, but I made it in one piece.  A friend of mine, Sam, is opening a bmx/skate shop here in Chch on Tuesday, so I headed over there right after I got back from Queenstown and helped (a tiny bit) with painting.  The place looks great, and is going to be awesome for the bmx community to have.  Yesterday I just chilled.  I finished all the books I have with me, so I hit up Borders (NZ version of Chapters/Indigo/Barnes&Noble) and did a little book shopping.  I know libraries are great for casual reading, but I find that I really like to own the books I'm reading.  Not only will I have them down the line if I feel like referencing them or reading them again, but I also have the option of reading them at my own pace; whether that be all in two days, or over a period of years.  I picked up another Nietzsche flick, and A Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.  I've been meaning to read more Huxley, but somehow managed to flip-flop around it for some time now. 

I'm going to head out riding soon, I believe, then perhaps find myself a cafe in which I can sip a cap and read.  Cheers people; three weeks and I'm home.

Takahe

Long day today, but great nonetheless.  I was up long before the sun to catch a bus to Te Anau.  I waited around there for a while before I took a catamaran through lake Te Anau to the glow worm caves.  I didn't get any pics of the cave (no photography or videos allowed), but it was incredible.  Once you make your way along the small walkway (hunching over quite a bit at the beginning - only about a meter high), you're in a place that looks fake because it's so amazing.  Water is rushing beneath you, and a few lights light up the cave here and there.  The further you go along, the more tiny glowing dots you notice on the 'ceiling' of the cave.  Once you pass a thunderously loud water fall there is no talking allow.  Everyone (well, a group of six) silently makes their way on to a tiny 'boat' and then all lights are turned out.  The guide then pulls the boat through the water using a rope attached to the cave wall; at this point it's completely black - you can't even see your hand in front of your face).  Once you make it around a bend and your eyes begin to adjust, you are treated to thousands upon thousands of tiny glowing dots on the cave walls and ceiling.  As the water is almost perfectly still, and there is virtually no sound it's like moving under a night sky that is only a meter or two away at most.  The worms glow reflects off the still water (thought it's still pitch black) and gives a sensation beyond words.  The day was long, filled with old people and sleeping on an uncomfortable bus, but it was worth it for that 10 minutes beneath those lights.  They were without a doubt one of the most amazing  natural things I've ever witnessed.

More fun

I just got back from bungy jumping 134 meters into a gorge; it was unreal.  My blog isn't liking myattempts to upload pics, but check my picasa, once again.  I've come to the conclusion that all European girls are absolutely gorgeous, and this place is crawling with them.  To the guys, if you want a job dealing with hot girls in their twenties all day, work as a bungy jump operator.  3/4 of the group of 20 I went with was made up of gorgeous European girls.

"A picture is worth a thousand words"

Well, I'd post a picture, but my blog is not cooperating.  Check my picasa.

UNREAL!

Go skydiving right NOW!  I just got back from plummeting 15,000 feet at about 200 km/h, and it was the most amazing think I've ever done.  The 15,000 ft jump is the highest you're allowed to do without certification; I got to free fall for an entire minute.  The view from 3 miles above Queenstown is amazing; I could see forever.  There will be photos coming in about 5 hours; so, so good.  The feeling it gives you is completely indescribable. 

I've arrived

I just arrived in Queenstown after a 6.5 hour drive from Christchurch.  I managed to snap a few photos along the way, and nap for a while as well.  This place is bumping; I didn't expect it to be nearly as large, or as busy as it is.  The area is beautiful, and it's no wonder they call the mountains around here "The Remarkables".  I'm going to explore, but there will be plenty of updates throughout the week.  

Cheahhhhhh booiiiiiiiiii

This is life, now with the best daily comics on the planet!  Check 'em all the time folks.

That's a hell of a proposition

I just finished watching 'Green Street Hooligans'; great flick.  'Silent Hill', not so much.

Lately I've had my nose stuck in a book more than usual.  I finished up another Nietzsche piece last week, and am about to finish up 'The Problem With Being Born' by E.M. Cioran.  I think many readers would probably find his work more than a little edgy; his main 'thesis' (the book isn't really written in a normal format) is that the worst thing to ever happen to any person was being born.  He theorizes that life is a relatively brief ostracism of sorts from the eternal bliss of non-existence (that which comes before one's birth, and after one's death).  He does give reason for why people don't commit suicide en masse, but I don't really feel like getting too deep into it all.

I'm super stoked for my upcoming jaunt to Queenstown.  Mountain climbing, fiordland, sky diving, bungee jumping; it's got it all.  

What to read next?

A book under belt

The store I work for is now open, which is a little lame.  Now there are swarms of customers, more rushing, and a uniform.  My work pants are very MC Hammer/parachute style, minus the 80's color scheme.  I had completely forgotten that this weekend is Easter (if I didn't work, I'm sure it would have passed without my knowing it); this means four day weekend, sweet.  

I don't have great people skills.  

From time to time I happen to meet some great people, but I suck at starting conversation, and at small talk.  I want to work on this, but it just seems beyond me.  I got to completely skip all the BS when I met Scott (Hamilton Peters) in Arthur's Pass.  I was sitting alone at The Wobbly Kea, and he asked if he could join me.  It turned out that he was also in philosophy (Masters in it from U of Chicago), and that he was one of the nicest, smartest people around.  Great guy all around.  He even likes Nietzsche, and gave me his favorite book, which he thinks I'll love.  Have a good summer in Alaska, Scott.

I'm booked to leave for Queenstown next Saturday for a week; I'd like to spend more time than that there, and most likely will.  I'm all about mountain climbing down there, as well as a few more 'extreme' things.  Speaking (writing?) of mountain climbing, I found that I had the best cell reception of my entire trip (to this point) from the top of Mt. Bealey in Arthur's Pass.  I called the 'rents from up there, and not only was the delay quite minimal, but the reception was clear as a bell.

People here say "How are you going?", which I suppose is a combination of the 'North American' phrases "How are you doing?" and "How is it going?".  I found that I said it today without even thinking about it; freaky.  I also frequently say 'rubbish' instead of 'garbage', and 'nicked' (sp?) or 'pinched' instead of 'stole/stolen'.

For reasons beyond me, the above photo (taken above the tree line on Mt. Bealey) gives me a strange, bad feeling, and freaks me out in general, but I'm fascinated by it at the same time.  What do you think?

Another day, another mountain

Hello all.  I got up fairly early today (9am) and made my way up Mt Bealey.  It's almost exactly the same height as Avalanche Peak, but considerably more difficult to climb, and I didn't see a single person the whole day.  The hike went great, and I saw (therefore took pictures of) some incredible views.  On the way up it was a little cloudy, but once I passed the low peak it open up and gave great 360* views.  I also had great cell reception up at the peak, so I gave Mom and Dad a call from 6000 feet up.  The descent was insane, as you easily gain momentum going down such a steep area; it took me less than half the time to get down than it did to get to the top.  At a few points I was borderline sprinting down, as it was almost easier than trying to slow myself down.  It takes a lot of concentration to run down a steep rocky/rooty area and use your hands to support yourself on vines/trees along the way. Check Picasa for pics.

I found out today that the height of the mountains doesn't include the 920m (about 3000) feet above sea level that Arthur's Pass sits at.  I'm not sure if all mountains are measured to the base, or if their heights are usually in relation to sea level.  

I head back to Chch tomorrow for two more weeks of work, then it's nothing but travel until I'm home.

Made for a hell of a story...

Yesterday while hiking I reached Avalanche Peak, and then decided to head across a ridge to Mt Rolleston (there are pics of both on my Picasa).  I made it about 7/8 of the way across to the ridge when I reached a section that I couldn't pass.  I then headed down the mountain from where I was stopped.  After a short while I found that I reached cliffs, and couldn't go any further; this forced me start heading across the cliff tops looking for a way down.  After about four hours of searching, I was exhausted, cut up a little from all the sharp shale (the loose shale is called scree, and is pretty much impossible to climb up), and was stuck in a small area a few hundred feet from the top of the ridge.  It had become too steep to continue on, and too steep to go down or up.  Because of the loose shale I couldn't even go back where I came from.  I was completely stuck on a cliff far away from everything.  I sat on a small ridge and started yelling for help; I could see a few people in the distance on the Avalanche Peak, and after about a half hour of yelling, I could tell they had heard me, and were scrambling for help.  In the meantime I inched my way around until I got a tiny bit of cell reception and managed to call 111 (their 911).  They operator took all my location info, and then informed me that search and rescue would send out a chopper immediately.  The Chch police then called me and told me the chopper was on it's way, and to hold tight.  I bundled up, as I was far far above the tree line, and since I had stopped hiking I was cooling down quickly.  I was stuck on the ledge for about two hours in total, and freezing by the time the chopper showed up.  I waved around a yellow bag I had to get their attention and within minutes I was throwing my backpack to them and climbing up the strut and into the chopper.  On the ground the local search and rescue team was waiting (expecting potential injuries, hypothermia, etc).  They took me into their headquarters and took my info for the police report, made me a hot coffee and bundled me up.  After a while they took me back to my hostel, and I thanked them all repeatedly.  I'm fine now, but it was more than a little scary being stuck up there.  It turns out two people without backpacks ran from the peak to the village and informed them about the same time I got through to 111.  They used my info, as well as what the people on the peak had told me about my last known location on the ridge (they couldn't see me from where I was yelling) to find me.  All is well, and I've more than learned my lesson about deviating from marked tracks.

Scott Hamilton Peters is the bees knees

I've met loads of killer people in Arthur's Pass.  One guy, with the gnarliest beard ever, came and sat down with me last night at the local bar.  It turns out he has his Masters in philosophy, and we talked for hours.  Unreal French girl in the hostel, too.

I hiked all day today, and there are pics on Picasa to prove it.  Good story coming tomorrow too... (dealing with today's hike)

Good eatings

I'm not sure if we have these at home, but Nashi pears are one of the best things to ever happen to my mouth.  They are massive, juicy, don't bruise easily, and taste fantastic.  I'm going to have to look around on PEI to see if any of the uber grocery stores sell them.

In about two hours I'm leaving for Arthur's Pass to hike for the next five days.  I'm really stoked, as nothing makes for beautiful scenery the way mountains do.  I'll be staying in the YHA hostel there, and should have access to the internet to update you all on my goings-on, but I'm not 100% on that.  Expect some sweet pictures.

Tra lala

I'm not in a bad mood or anything, but I'm going to rant anyway. 

I just got home from work, and experienced one of the worst bus rides I've had.  I've had this particular driver before, and she's not exactly a pro at what she does.  She brakes and accelerates like she's in some sort of death race, and shifts significantly worse than I do (that's saying something).  I've witnessed people actually fall down while riding the bus with her driving; she has no clue what she's doing.

I watched a show last night about a morbidly obese man (I only have five channels).  This man was 39 years old and weighed about 760 lbs.  At the very beginning I felt neutral towards him, but this quickly descended into hatred.  The guy was taken to a special facility where they 'treat' people who are morbidly obese.  On the first day he was already demanding hamburgers and eating countless chocolate bars from his 'stash'.  It absolutely disgusts me to see anyone who is overweight eat a hamburger, let alone a guy of this size.  And I haven't eaten a chocolate bar in...months, and I'm probably borderline underweight.  This guy had let himself get like this, and it seems to me that he barely deserves to live.  Why should someone who gets themselves into a situation like that (very slowly, too, mind you) in which they become a massive (no pun intended) burden on the medical system.  Yeah, I hurt myself riding sometimes, and I know that it is dangerous, but it's nothing like letting yourself slowly become so overweight that you can't walk.

Lastly - and I'll make this fairly short - people who love animals more than people.  Why are people offended at the thought of eating animals which are commonly household pets?  They're no different than pigs and cows.  And finally, no animal, no matter how 'special' they may seem to their owner, is even close to being as important as a human being.  If you donate $$$ to the Humane Society, but none to charities, re-think your life.

That was interesting

I didn't know what to do today, so out of the blue I decided to go hiking in the Port Hills again.  I took the bus to Lyttelton, walked on the Summit Road for a bit, then just head up.  It was steep at first, then got steeper, and steeper, to the point that some parts were past vertical.  Needless to say, it was pretty scary, but fun at the same time.  It was the first time I'd ever gone hiking/mountain climbing and known that if I slipped and fell backwards, that was it for me.  There were some great views once I got to the top, which got me more stoked for my trip to Arthur's Pass this Friday.  Check my picasa for pics.

Blah

Random business going on.

For the last twenty four hours or so I've lost my sense of balance.  It feels like I'm all over the place, all wobbly and whatnot.  Very strange, and very annoying.

My left ankle has got to go.  It's coming up on the first anniversary of me ruining it at the lovely Charlottetown park.  It healed up to....90%ish of it's 'full capacity' after about six months or so, but it's not felt any better since then.  It's not like it's ruining my life by any means, it's just quite annoying.  It randomly pops, clicks, and locks depending on what position it's in and what I've been doing.  If even remotely tweaked from side to side, or if it experiences a bit of a jar from riding (doesn't take much), it quickly decides it hates me and swells up like a blister on a lumberjacks hand.  I've pretty much given up all hope of regaining my full range of movement in it, as if I try to stretch it beyond where it wants to go, it just aggravates it further.  I want  a new one, ASAP.

The weather here has been strange lately.  Since the summer here was so dry, all the foliage had either died, or stopped growing entirely.  If you can recall, my photos of the Port Hills show plenty of golden 'grass', but not a green blade in sight.  Now that fall here has begun it's been raining more frequently and the local foliage is growing again, and the hills are becoming more green by the day.  It feels like spring, sort of.

The people at work call break time 'smoke-o', which is just plain funny.

I think that's all for now...I'll edit/post again if anything else should pop into my head.

Product promotion

Bit of a product review today.

If you have an ipod, or just use Apple's earbuds, these things will improve your headphones ten fold.  Griffin EarJams are worth their weight in gold, to make use of a cliche.  I've been using them for quite some time now...I'd say nine months or so, yet I didn't truly notice how much I like them until yesterday.  I had originally heard about them through the product reviews on silverorange's site; Dennis had reviewed them and raved about them.  I hated the way my Apple earbuds constantly fell out and just didn't fit in my ear particularly well.  The EarJams come with three different sized soft rubber attachments that clip on to Apple earbuds.  I use the biggest size, and they fit my ear perfectly, leaving them securely in there despite all sorts of mishaps (dropping ipod, cord getting caught on belt, etc.).  Not only do they increase the security of the earbud fit and feel, they also vastly increase sound quality as well as volume.  I didn't notice the latter until yesterday when one of the rubber bits had gone missing and I was in a rush so I was forced to wear the naked earbuds; they suck.  The sound was awful, the didn't fit my ears at all, they let in heaps of background noise, and my ipod's volume had to be turned up far higher in order to hear the music in a high noise environment (walking down a busy street, on the bus).  One of the rubber pieces had developed a habit of falling off the earbud attachment over the last few days, hence it going missing.  I found it in the hall outside my flat later last night, which means I didn't have to purchase another set of these wonders; there is no way I could listen to my ipod without them now.  A dab of super-glue where the rubber bit 'snaps' onto the earbud attachment and I'm all set once again.  I can't speak (or write) highly enough of EarJams; they're not exactly cheap, but when the amount they improve the usability of my ipod is taken into consideration they are more than worth their price.  If you don't like the way your Apple earbuds fit, or want to vastly increase the quality of the sound of your ipod/mp3 player grab a set of these.  

If anyone is curious, I ordered mine through the Little Mac Shoppe on Victoria Row, and they only took a week or so to come in.  Not only were 'they' easy to deal with, but the girl working there (whom I did not recognize) knew who I was enough to not need to ask my name for the order; how's that for uber/creepy customer service?

99.9%

Bad mood tonight.  I just got home from the lamest excuse for 'going out' that I've ever experienced.  I suppose some people like to go to bars and not do much, but if I'm going to 'go out' there has to be either a good conversation/discussion going on, or some sweet dancing.  Neither happened tonight, so I'm less than pleased.  As I stood in Sol Square tonight, I started to think about a topic that encroaches on my thoughts quite often; I hated the vast majority of people.  I don't hate everyone, and I can have a good time with lots of different types of people.  But to find someone who I can thoroughly enjoy being with more than fifty percent of the time is an almost impossible task for me.  I think this is due to my strange mixture in personality/preferences; I like to make stupid jokes, goof around, go dancing all night, and ride my little kids bike, but I also like to read, talk to people about topics that I enjoy (philosophy, humanism, sociological goings on, etc), and most important of all, I like to learn.  This means that I don't really fit in with the crowd that just wants to have 'fun' all the time (their definition of fun; i.e. goofing around), but nor do I fit in with the 'nerdier' crowd who would prefer to spend all of their time on the academic aspects of life.  It's a combination between the two that is difficult to find.

The stars were out, too

Good night all around; I didn't do much.  Groceries after work, shower, eating, internet, went downtown, met the guys whom were out riding, drank a cappecino and read Nietzsche at the Honey Pot Cafe.  Warm evening, stars were out, and I wore a new shirt.  The new pic up top was taken while chilling under a eucalyptus grove next to a skate park on a day which was too hot to speak of.  Road trip this weekend.

I didn't know that was actually her name

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSIbfzK2spg&eurl=http://ruk.ca/

This is awesome; that's talent.  I didn't know until yesterday that her name was Imogen Heap; I figured that was a 'group name'.  I went on a mini road trip today; check Picasa for photographic audience.

Lily Allen

I've been listening to "Alfie" by Lily Allen all day, and I love it.  Great day of riding today; lots of sweet street spots were had.  I was a little sore in the left ankle/foot area as I was hit by a car yesterday (the first time in my cycling career).  The hit wasn't too bad; a car just came flying out of a driveway and smoked me.  The car was a little scratched up, but the woman had run over my ankle/foot area, and she was in the wrong, so I just used some choice words and went on my way.  More riding tomorrow; possibly a day trip of hitting up parks all around the area.  Check out my Picasa for pics of some spots/riding; I'll keep updating as I can remember and/or be bothered.

Be stoked

http://gawker.com/5003144/where-the-wild-things-are-looking-as-strong-as-expected?autoplay=true

If only

I really wish I had been able to meet Carl Sagan.  The man was a genius, and had a very clear and logical way of thinking; massive respect for him.

A few people I hope I never meet are Bill O'Reilly and Ann Coulter; read up and hate them with me.  These people are the antithesis of Carl Sagan and the like; they certainly aren't alone in this category, but they are quite loud, which raises my hatred for them. If one of the readers of this blog provide me with solid evidence of he/she causing physical/mental harm to either of these people, I'll send you $20; you'd deserve it.

Nine in the afternoon

It drives me insane when people like/don't like a band/singer/group because of who they are, how popular/unpopular they are, and what 'group' of people listen to them.  Listen to whatever the hell you want; music is supposed to be enjoyed, so if you enjoy something - regardless of who makes it- listen to it.  It's that simple.  I have everything from Celine Dion to Slayer to Elliott Smith to The Mars Volta to FallOut Boy to Ashley Simpson to Panic! At The Disco on my ipod, and I like all of them; it doesn't matter who they are; it's what they create.

$13.50 an hour, yo

I just got home from my first real day of work.  The job is alright, pretty much what I expected and virtually identical to what I did for a period during the set-up of the 'new' Home Hardware Charlottetown.  The people I work with are alright; not from the highest echelons of society (not that I am either, nor is there anything inherently wrong with that), but nice people.  It's decent money, and it only lasts about four weeks so I have no real complaints.  Strange to work again after 6 weeks-ish of doing whatever I want.  I LOVE doing whatever I want without a single worry/care.

It'll never fill up

Not much to report; riding lots with a new guy in town, Jack.  He's pulling the same deal as me; he's come from England (Guernsey, to be precise, which is a small island in the English Channel) to spend some time in a warm place.  He's a great guy, and keen to ride/travel all the time.  I start work in about eight hours, so I should go to bed, alas, I can't see that happening.

Loose as

New Zealand is ridiculous.  There are heaps of 24/7 liquor stores, prostitution is legal (the whore houses even have to pay taxes), there are 'party buses' all over the place (essentially moving parties complete with bars and DJs), and there are 'pill stores' all over the place (basically legalized drugs).

I hope this guy gets AIDS

http://youtube.com/watch?v=kBeB81PPlng

Slugs can't grow arms

The last two days I've been working, and it's really sucked.  The job I'm doing now (putting together/up those scrolling advertisements on the sides of fields at sporting events) is over tomorrow, so it's not horrible, I suppose.  It's a lot of physical labour, and it's about twelve hours a day.  On top of this my boss is one of the dumbest close-minded people I've ever met.  He firmly believes that I (and anyone else who does this) am gay because I wear my pants low.  He also believes that evolution is a farce because "slugs can't just climb out of the water and grow arms".  He then proceeded to butcher the theory of evolution further; I would have tried to explain it to him, but it would have been futile.  Oh well, because of all this I get to see a pro rugby game for free tomorrow.  

On Monday I start my 'real' job; putting the finishing touches on a soon to open grocery store.  It's quite a straightforward job, it pays $13.50 NZ an hour (about $10.60 CAN), and it's only for four weeks.  I'm looking forward to being back in the $scrilla$.

Other that those, not much is new.  The weather is eternally nice, I ride all the time, the bmx guys are great, life is good.  I got a few new bmx parts, which are working fantastically; I also found one of the best street spots I've ever seen (I'll get pics for you, guys).  I'm exhausted from work, so I'm going to watch TV for a bit before I hit the ol'  dusty trail.  Hope you're all enjoying your hellish weather.

Oh yeah, one more thing; what's with my appetite?  For the last three weeks or so I've been eating like I did while I was still growing.  I'm easily killing $100-150 a week in groceries.

Closer

This movie simultaneously fascinates and disgusts me.

Disrespect

I was just lying in bed, and I could hear a few (drunken) people stumbling  home from a Saturday night out as I thought about how little respect I have for so many people.  I'm not really sure where it came from, but I have virtually no respect for so many people; I would go as far as saying that I loathe them.  It is almost all comes down to knowledge and education.  I know that I am not, nor will I ever be, the smartest person, but when confronted with people who have very little knowledge about the world, and subjects which seem to me should be common knowledge I have no patience.  Last night at a friends apartment the topic of the creation/existence of the Universe came up.  While normally I love conversations of this type, it was only a matter of moments before I spaced out, completely giving up on anything worthwhile coming from the discussion.  People were spouting out theories that didn't make any sense, were hypocritical and just plain ran in the face of all scientific theories.  I know there is quite limited knowledge about the Universe's creation (or even if it was ever created at all - see the cyclical expanding-collapsing theories), but I think it should be common knowledge that in the face of potentially viable theories using all existing information, it is beyond reasonable doubt to disagree with said theories without some kind of alternate evidence/viable theory.  I'm not saying that people shouldn't look for alternate possibilities in almost all circumstances, but to disagree without reason is beyond reasonable doubt.  What I'm trying to say with this side-story is that I find it almost impossible to take someone seriously in any area when they don't know what they're talking about when spewing out seemingly 'proven' ideas or when they lack general knowledge.  I see so many of people like this and I view them as a complete waste of space/time/money and a burden on the world.  

This brings me to not seeing people as equals.  I think it's completely unreasonable to believe that all people are equal, or should be treated equally.  It's absurd to believe that every single member of a species is equal with its 6.5ish billion counterparts.  That completely flies in the face of evolutionary theory.  And to go along with this, I don't believe that everyone should be treated equally.  I'm not saying cage certain people up and treat them like animals (animals are an entirely different story...), but to accept all peoples' opinions as equal is ridiculous, dangerous, and counter productive.  For example, accepting each citizen's vote as equal to one another makes no sense.  If one person votes for the first name on the ballot, and another votes using their discretion about the policies of each candidate, is it not absurd to consider these two votes as equal?  

I could go on and on about these topics, among others, but I'm going to try to get to sleep now.

Well I don't really know about that

I just got home from seeing "Juno", which had been bringing in great reviews from almost everyone I know who's seen it.  I don't see what all the fuss is about; I didn't really like it at all.  It had many features that I don't really like; teenagers, their problems, high school, and children.  I already went through high school, it sucked, I don't want to relive it vicariously through strange actors.  Ellen Page, the main actress had been built up a lot, but her character was about as feminine as a testicle.  To each their own, though.

...

No matter how much I post about them, I can't get across to you how incredible the girls down here are.  I just saw a girl on the bus and I stopped breathing for a solid ten minutes; absolutely RIDICULOUS!

A few notes

I love cereal; I really don't know what I'd do without it.  Sometimes I like to sleep covered in cereal boxes.

I still can't get over the girls down here.  They're everywhere, and they're gorgeous.  I had to carry my jaw around in my shopping cart at the grocery store yesterday; ridiculous.

School has just started down here, which means that the buses are crowded in the mornings and afternoons.  That small downside is definitely outweighed by the now empty skate park and getting to see all the kids in their uniforms.  All schools here have uniforms, and most of these are pretty funny to see.  They often incorporate a very gaudy blazer over a dress shirt, but my  favorite part is that they all have to wear shorts with socks pulled up to their knees; fantastic.  

I have a question for those of you reading this: can you look at my Picasa photos without having a Gmail account?  And if you can't, that's really lame on Google's part.

RoAdTRiP!!!!!

Well, not really, more of a day trip.  Yesterday I went with a few of the guys to Reefton to ride their ridiculously large skate park.  It was about a three hour drive each way, which was probably my favorite part, as we drove directly into/through the Southern Alps.  We spent a good hour and a half to two hours driving through the thickest rain forest imaginable, all while weaving through an awe inspiring mountain range.  The drive was incredible, and not even all that scary even though New Zealand has no use for guard rails, even on the dodgiest of roads.  We arrived in the tiny town of Reefton around 12:30pm and road on and off for hours.  The heat was ridiculous, so I decided to take a dip in the semi dried up river that flows next to the skate park.  Some of you might recall a certain video of Dave Osato taking a swim in a river which he declared to be "freezing", this was the very same river.  Unreal day all around, and it's gotten me even more stoked to travel around and hike through the mountains.

Late caffeine

I don't know why there are so few coffee shops open past nine-ish.  I always like/want to go out for coffee anytime from 10pm-3am, but finding somewhere to cater to my needs isn't easy.  I know I'm not the only one who thinks a business of this sort would be a good idea; more than once I've been searching around town (Charlottetown) with a group of friends looking for somewhere to sit, talk, and have a coffee late on a summers night.  Why do they all close so early?  It took me half an hour to find somewhere to get a coffee last night, and it wasn't even 10pm.

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.