Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Sleep Interrupted
If you are the person who called me at 1.30 this morning, I would love to meet you. Oh no, I'm sure it won't be dangerous. You only called me in the middle of the night mid week, hung up before it was humanly possible to answer the phone, and then had the cheek to be calling from a private number, so I couldn't even call back and yell incomprehensibly at you. Why would I possibly wish to cause you physical harm?
Monday, January 29, 2007
Stealing people's jobs
I'm not sure anyone even reads my blog anymore *sigh* based on the number of comments. Sheesh, people I left for two weeks, did you even notice I was gone????
However, even if no-one reads my blog but me, I shall continue to write it. Maybe I'll have to start writing my own comments too... (that'd be so sad. Please let me know you're still out there, so I don't resort to such lonely and self-obsessed behaviour).
Anyway, I feel like a bit of a job thief lately (please picture me masked, in a stripey jumper, with a bag labelled 'Loot'. No real reason. It's just funny, that's all...). I have secured the Kidz Bodz Position (yay!). At the end of last year I was advised to give them a call after Europe, as they didn't feel they could replace me while I was away. Yet I received a call a few days ago saying they'd found me a term 2 replacement, and the job was mine! Yay to that, but I am worried that someone who thought they had my job may have had an offer retracted??? Hope not.
Today I started a one week temp assignment with the Minister for Roads and Ports. I arrived to find another receptionist already here. Turned out I was replacing her, and she didn't even know she was leaving. Very awkward. The day has continued to be quite shambolic, with not much direction, but also not much to do but answer sporadic phone calls, wrangle with IT to get my computer and net access working as they should, and try and determine which people I am supposed to let in to the office and which I'm not (I'm still not sure). This is made tougher by the fact that it's a long day- 8.30-6.00pm. However, it is now 5.45, so at least it will end soon, and I can start afresh tomorrow. Plus, I have a mag for tomorrow, hopefully to make the day go faster :) What a crazy, crazy day.
However, even if no-one reads my blog but me, I shall continue to write it. Maybe I'll have to start writing my own comments too... (that'd be so sad. Please let me know you're still out there, so I don't resort to such lonely and self-obsessed behaviour).
Anyway, I feel like a bit of a job thief lately (please picture me masked, in a stripey jumper, with a bag labelled 'Loot'. No real reason. It's just funny, that's all...). I have secured the Kidz Bodz Position (yay!). At the end of last year I was advised to give them a call after Europe, as they didn't feel they could replace me while I was away. Yet I received a call a few days ago saying they'd found me a term 2 replacement, and the job was mine! Yay to that, but I am worried that someone who thought they had my job may have had an offer retracted??? Hope not.
Today I started a one week temp assignment with the Minister for Roads and Ports. I arrived to find another receptionist already here. Turned out I was replacing her, and she didn't even know she was leaving. Very awkward. The day has continued to be quite shambolic, with not much direction, but also not much to do but answer sporadic phone calls, wrangle with IT to get my computer and net access working as they should, and try and determine which people I am supposed to let in to the office and which I'm not (I'm still not sure). This is made tougher by the fact that it's a long day- 8.30-6.00pm. However, it is now 5.45, so at least it will end soon, and I can start afresh tomorrow. Plus, I have a mag for tomorrow, hopefully to make the day go faster :) What a crazy, crazy day.
Friday, January 26, 2007
Sheep and German backpackers
So I'm back, having spent two weeks being alternately rained on and sunburned on that green island across the ditch. I swear there are more German backpackers in New Zealand than there are New Zealanders. I read a stat at a hostel that only 5% of the New Zealand population are human, so at least the sheep are still outnumbering the German backpackers.
Starting in Christchurch, we drove clockwise around the South Island, visiting the following places, to which I have applied ratings out of 5 stars: Christchurch, 2 stars; Oamaru, 3 stars; Dunedin, 3 stars; Te Anau, 4 stars; Milford Sound, 6 stars; Queenstown, 4 stars; Wanaka, 5 stars; Franz Josef (incorporating Fox and Franz Josef glaciers), 5 stars; Hokitika, 3 stars; Nelson, 2 stars; Blenheim, 4 stars; Kaikoura, 5 stars.
I am not going to go into massive detail: I kept a travel diary, but am not sure you need to hear everything; instead, come talk to me for amusing stories and grouchy rants (it'll be great!). I'll just run you through the stand out goods and bads.
Highlights include:
- Fudge tour in Christchurch. Seriously, this was THE best thing we did in C, and we were there three days all up. Great fudge, lots of tastings, interesting to watch, lots of tastings, freebies and discounts. Also lots of tastings, which I enjoyed.
- Some of the buildings are stunning, especially in Dunedin. The railway station is the most amazing I have seen, and the town hall, courts and cathedral are also quite beautiful. Dunedin is a nice city, although disappointingly quiet nightlife. I love that the central street is called the octagon, based on its shape. The cathedral and Town hall buildings in Christchurch were also extremely cool.
- Milford Sound, and the surrounding mountain areas. Utterley amazing. Milford is actually a fiord (body of water carved out by a glacier), about 22km long (I think), sporting waterfalls more than three times higher than Niagara Falls. Due to excellent timing, we also were delighted by heaps of temporary waterfalls streaming down over mountainsides and striated cliffs. Our boat captain enjoyed getting people wet, and steered us under a few waterfalls, which was drenching, but AWESOME! Later, having driven THROUGH the mountain (Homers Tunnel, really cool), checked out lots of far off snow and chased the keas off our car, we climbed Kew Summit (919m, 3 hours round trip. Boy could I feel the kgs melting off. But we shared a block of chocolate on our return home, so no visible effects to my body...) for fantastic views and to check out bogs and tarns. Cool.
- Dinner at the top of Skyline Hill in Queenstown was pretty cool. Amazing views, amazing smoked salmon (ate SO much salmon in NZ), and a hell of a lot of Hokey Pokey Icecream. Not much more to say, really.
- Beer icecream in Wanaka. Wanaka is really nice and relaxed, very peaceful. A holiday town, rather than a tourist town. Loved the pub which recommended beers to complement your meal, and gamely tried the beer icecream, which had a dark, malty/ chocolatey beer as its base. YUM.
- Glaciers. Cool (Ha ha). Franz Josef Glacier in particular was stunning, especially when you learn that the glacier is currently descending at a rate of a metre a day- pretty fast for a river of ice! Following a guided hiking tour, we sneakily went past the recommended stopping point, and got close enough to check out enormous chunks of ice in the river, the huge tunnel mouth from which the meltings of the glacier gush, and to touch the glacier (cold and dirty). So much fun, would love to climb it if I return to NZ.
- Marlborough, oh Marlborough. An awesome afternoon spent driving from one winery to another, drinking a lot of Sauvignon Blanc (the regional speciality), eating fab food, enjoying the pretty scenery, getting briefly lost and carefully choosing the few bottles our alcohol limits allowed us to bring home. Bliss.
- Dinner at the organic restaurant in Kaikoura. Lambs are so cute... and they taste so good. Amazing food, lovely wine, and oh, the desert- pomegranate creme caramel. A very happy meal :)
Lowlights:
- Christchurch was kind of a downer. I'd expected cooler. Oh well.
- Allegedly the Only Castle in NZ, Larnach Castle outside of Dunedin. I know, I know, I wasn't expecting historic architecural mastery in a young country with no land enemies. But I also wasn't expecting my half hour drive through atmospheric mist to culminate in a $20 fee to see a house less impressive than most of the offerings on Glenferrie Rd, in my home suburb. Call that a castle? Bah. Amusingly, Scottish tourists to the Scottish- inspired castle in the Scottish are of New Zealand were heard complaining about the weather...
- Driving five hours to Nelson, only to find our hostel booking had been mucked up, and they didn't have a room for us. Happily another hostel was booked for us, with grand rooms and a cool view, but it just topped off a really ordinary day. And then I couldn't get cake ANYWHERE in Nelson. Maybe Nelson is less crap on a weekday, but I though it was a real bummer :(
- Having our whale watching tour cancelled after we'd all very nicely crushed into the AV room, watched the video, had the speech, and filed onto the bus. Poor sea conditions prevented us from going on the later tour too. Instead we went to a petting zoo, where we hung out with llamas, had donkeys follow us, and met chinchillas who lived in water jugs. That was cool, but not quite the same.
As you can see, the highlights far outweighed the lowlights. A really fun, relaxing trip, and gave me some ideas of things I would love to revisit or do in more detail should I return to New Zealand (white water rafting, sea kayaking, glacier climbing, maybe swim with dolphins).
So, for the record: yes, New Zealand is still there.
Starting in Christchurch, we drove clockwise around the South Island, visiting the following places, to which I have applied ratings out of 5 stars: Christchurch, 2 stars; Oamaru, 3 stars; Dunedin, 3 stars; Te Anau, 4 stars; Milford Sound, 6 stars; Queenstown, 4 stars; Wanaka, 5 stars; Franz Josef (incorporating Fox and Franz Josef glaciers), 5 stars; Hokitika, 3 stars; Nelson, 2 stars; Blenheim, 4 stars; Kaikoura, 5 stars.
I am not going to go into massive detail: I kept a travel diary, but am not sure you need to hear everything; instead, come talk to me for amusing stories and grouchy rants (it'll be great!). I'll just run you through the stand out goods and bads.
Highlights include:
- Fudge tour in Christchurch. Seriously, this was THE best thing we did in C, and we were there three days all up. Great fudge, lots of tastings, interesting to watch, lots of tastings, freebies and discounts. Also lots of tastings, which I enjoyed.
- Some of the buildings are stunning, especially in Dunedin. The railway station is the most amazing I have seen, and the town hall, courts and cathedral are also quite beautiful. Dunedin is a nice city, although disappointingly quiet nightlife. I love that the central street is called the octagon, based on its shape. The cathedral and Town hall buildings in Christchurch were also extremely cool.
- Milford Sound, and the surrounding mountain areas. Utterley amazing. Milford is actually a fiord (body of water carved out by a glacier), about 22km long (I think), sporting waterfalls more than three times higher than Niagara Falls. Due to excellent timing, we also were delighted by heaps of temporary waterfalls streaming down over mountainsides and striated cliffs. Our boat captain enjoyed getting people wet, and steered us under a few waterfalls, which was drenching, but AWESOME! Later, having driven THROUGH the mountain (Homers Tunnel, really cool), checked out lots of far off snow and chased the keas off our car, we climbed Kew Summit (919m, 3 hours round trip. Boy could I feel the kgs melting off. But we shared a block of chocolate on our return home, so no visible effects to my body...) for fantastic views and to check out bogs and tarns. Cool.
- Dinner at the top of Skyline Hill in Queenstown was pretty cool. Amazing views, amazing smoked salmon (ate SO much salmon in NZ), and a hell of a lot of Hokey Pokey Icecream. Not much more to say, really.
- Beer icecream in Wanaka. Wanaka is really nice and relaxed, very peaceful. A holiday town, rather than a tourist town. Loved the pub which recommended beers to complement your meal, and gamely tried the beer icecream, which had a dark, malty/ chocolatey beer as its base. YUM.
- Glaciers. Cool (Ha ha). Franz Josef Glacier in particular was stunning, especially when you learn that the glacier is currently descending at a rate of a metre a day- pretty fast for a river of ice! Following a guided hiking tour, we sneakily went past the recommended stopping point, and got close enough to check out enormous chunks of ice in the river, the huge tunnel mouth from which the meltings of the glacier gush, and to touch the glacier (cold and dirty). So much fun, would love to climb it if I return to NZ.
- Marlborough, oh Marlborough. An awesome afternoon spent driving from one winery to another, drinking a lot of Sauvignon Blanc (the regional speciality), eating fab food, enjoying the pretty scenery, getting briefly lost and carefully choosing the few bottles our alcohol limits allowed us to bring home. Bliss.
- Dinner at the organic restaurant in Kaikoura. Lambs are so cute... and they taste so good. Amazing food, lovely wine, and oh, the desert- pomegranate creme caramel. A very happy meal :)
Lowlights:
- Christchurch was kind of a downer. I'd expected cooler. Oh well.
- Allegedly the Only Castle in NZ, Larnach Castle outside of Dunedin. I know, I know, I wasn't expecting historic architecural mastery in a young country with no land enemies. But I also wasn't expecting my half hour drive through atmospheric mist to culminate in a $20 fee to see a house less impressive than most of the offerings on Glenferrie Rd, in my home suburb. Call that a castle? Bah. Amusingly, Scottish tourists to the Scottish- inspired castle in the Scottish are of New Zealand were heard complaining about the weather...
- Driving five hours to Nelson, only to find our hostel booking had been mucked up, and they didn't have a room for us. Happily another hostel was booked for us, with grand rooms and a cool view, but it just topped off a really ordinary day. And then I couldn't get cake ANYWHERE in Nelson. Maybe Nelson is less crap on a weekday, but I though it was a real bummer :(
- Having our whale watching tour cancelled after we'd all very nicely crushed into the AV room, watched the video, had the speech, and filed onto the bus. Poor sea conditions prevented us from going on the later tour too. Instead we went to a petting zoo, where we hung out with llamas, had donkeys follow us, and met chinchillas who lived in water jugs. That was cool, but not quite the same.
As you can see, the highlights far outweighed the lowlights. A really fun, relaxing trip, and gave me some ideas of things I would love to revisit or do in more detail should I return to New Zealand (white water rafting, sea kayaking, glacier climbing, maybe swim with dolphins).
So, for the record: yes, New Zealand is still there.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
International Galavants Series, 2007: New Zealand
Yay, I fly out to NZ in about 9 hours (Oh god, so much to do!). Nowhere near as terrified as I was when I went to Indonesia. I think this is because:
a) It's not my first overseas trip; I know what customs is like, I know what airoplanes are like, I know I probably won't die from airplane food (probably), I know I'll survive making it to my hostel even though I arrive at midnight. It's nice to know such things.
b) I am going somewhere they speak English; as long as you count saying 'five, sux, sivin' as English. I've worked out that to do the accent you need to smile and not move your lips too much. At least then I sound like Cal Wilson, a Kiwi comedian. So it's a start. With Indonesia, while I speak basic Indonesian (and far better at the end of my trip than I did at the start), it was only basic. Besides, everyone spoke Minang, the local dialect. And while Singapore's official language is English, at street level, plenty of people don't speak English at all, or only at an absolute bare minimum.
c) I have an end date; two weeks, then I am home. There's not twelve long months stretching out before me. I will probably wish it was longer. *sigh* I already wish it was longer. My credit card already wishes it were shorter.
d) I'm not going alone; God this makes a difference (although, really, I probably could have done NZ quite easily on my own). It just means the flight will be less boring, that I'll have someone to actually show cool things I see, that there'll be someone to mind my bag!!! Yeah, travel buddy good.
e) It's New Zealand. I may as well be going to Adelaide (although the conversion rate to SA is not as good). It'll be reasonably familiar, so no need to freak out. Except orcs.
Might get a chance to post while I'm away, but otherwise ~ See you in two weeks!
a) It's not my first overseas trip; I know what customs is like, I know what airoplanes are like, I know I probably won't die from airplane food (probably), I know I'll survive making it to my hostel even though I arrive at midnight. It's nice to know such things.
b) I am going somewhere they speak English; as long as you count saying 'five, sux, sivin' as English. I've worked out that to do the accent you need to smile and not move your lips too much. At least then I sound like Cal Wilson, a Kiwi comedian. So it's a start. With Indonesia, while I speak basic Indonesian (and far better at the end of my trip than I did at the start), it was only basic. Besides, everyone spoke Minang, the local dialect. And while Singapore's official language is English, at street level, plenty of people don't speak English at all, or only at an absolute bare minimum.
c) I have an end date; two weeks, then I am home. There's not twelve long months stretching out before me. I will probably wish it was longer. *sigh* I already wish it was longer. My credit card already wishes it were shorter.
d) I'm not going alone; God this makes a difference (although, really, I probably could have done NZ quite easily on my own). It just means the flight will be less boring, that I'll have someone to actually show cool things I see, that there'll be someone to mind my bag!!! Yeah, travel buddy good.
e) It's New Zealand. I may as well be going to Adelaide (although the conversion rate to SA is not as good). It'll be reasonably familiar, so no need to freak out. Except orcs.
Might get a chance to post while I'm away, but otherwise ~ See you in two weeks!
Friday, January 05, 2007
I don't do resolutions.
Consider this my obligatory New Year's resolutions post. However, I don't do resolutions. I think that if you make a resolution, you leave yourself more open to breaking it, hence the thing you resolve to do is less likely to be an attainable goal, even if it should be attainable.
I make plans. This way, I am already part way to achieving my goals. Happily, my plans were also already underway before New Year's had hit, making them more achievable :)
- Plan #1: Travel lots.
After the failure that was Indonesia, I swore I would travel this year, at least enough that I felt I had not wasted my 12 months travel insurance. Plan underway. I am flying to New Zealand this week (!) and Europe in April (!!). This plan is making me very, very poor, and meaning I have to sacrifice things I'd like to do in Melbourne in order to feel somewhat financially secure. But I am certain it is worth it.
- Plan # 2: Improve general health
Plan underway. I have a swim membership, and of course I'm doing swing dancing when classes come back. We've already got a provate lesson booked to brush up on technique, and then we're moving into the next level :) I am also considering taking up belly dancing again, and I am keen to find out if there are kick boxing classe sin my area. Phew, that's three classes a week, plus swimming! Busy Nomi! I also plan to make more snacks from vegetables (it is SO hard to eat the recommended number of veges a day). I'll talk to my vego friends about this. I am extra inspired to achieve this goal, as it links into the job I have semi-lined up post Europe, teaching healthy lifestyle in primary schools.
- Plan #3: Get back into teaching
Plan vaguely planned out... I have the KidzBodz job fairly well lined up. I'm also going to look into teaching in NT again, for 2008. This follows having received two calls from NT schools enquiring about my 2007 availabilities.
- Plan #4: Learn more
Plan vaguely underway... I know what I want to learn! I plan to do a short course in Spanish pre-Europe (depending on finances), and a wine tasting course post- Europe. I'd also like to do a coffee making course, not that I really plan to become a barista, but I just think it'd be cool to know how to make good coffee.
- Plan #5: Write more
Plan vaguely underway... Thanks to extra inspiration in the form of xmas gifts (a book of travel stories and a travel journal), I plan to write about my forays into the big, wide world. Also, if I get an ABN for the KidzBodz job, I figure I can buy my own laptop and claim it on tax, so I'll be able to more effectively participate in NaNoWriMo this year (rather than tag-teaming with Nick on the computer)
- Plan # 6: Be happy
Plan firmly underway. I figure that any of the above plans will contribute to my general happy state. Yay. That, and lots of chocolate. Yay :) :) :)
I make plans. This way, I am already part way to achieving my goals. Happily, my plans were also already underway before New Year's had hit, making them more achievable :)
- Plan #1: Travel lots.
After the failure that was Indonesia, I swore I would travel this year, at least enough that I felt I had not wasted my 12 months travel insurance. Plan underway. I am flying to New Zealand this week (!) and Europe in April (!!). This plan is making me very, very poor, and meaning I have to sacrifice things I'd like to do in Melbourne in order to feel somewhat financially secure. But I am certain it is worth it.
- Plan # 2: Improve general health
Plan underway. I have a swim membership, and of course I'm doing swing dancing when classes come back. We've already got a provate lesson booked to brush up on technique, and then we're moving into the next level :) I am also considering taking up belly dancing again, and I am keen to find out if there are kick boxing classe sin my area. Phew, that's three classes a week, plus swimming! Busy Nomi! I also plan to make more snacks from vegetables (it is SO hard to eat the recommended number of veges a day). I'll talk to my vego friends about this. I am extra inspired to achieve this goal, as it links into the job I have semi-lined up post Europe, teaching healthy lifestyle in primary schools.
- Plan #3: Get back into teaching
Plan vaguely planned out... I have the KidzBodz job fairly well lined up. I'm also going to look into teaching in NT again, for 2008. This follows having received two calls from NT schools enquiring about my 2007 availabilities.
- Plan #4: Learn more
Plan vaguely underway... I know what I want to learn! I plan to do a short course in Spanish pre-Europe (depending on finances), and a wine tasting course post- Europe. I'd also like to do a coffee making course, not that I really plan to become a barista, but I just think it'd be cool to know how to make good coffee.
- Plan #5: Write more
Plan vaguely underway... Thanks to extra inspiration in the form of xmas gifts (a book of travel stories and a travel journal), I plan to write about my forays into the big, wide world. Also, if I get an ABN for the KidzBodz job, I figure I can buy my own laptop and claim it on tax, so I'll be able to more effectively participate in NaNoWriMo this year (rather than tag-teaming with Nick on the computer)
- Plan # 6: Be happy
Plan firmly underway. I figure that any of the above plans will contribute to my general happy state. Yay. That, and lots of chocolate. Yay :) :) :)
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