Sydney's Redemption

So as my last blog related, Sydney was not my favorite after the first day or so. I didn't mention it before but I developed a chest tickle the day after arriving here so I've had an annoying cough for the last week. I blame it on the dirty city air.

But even though I started off not loving Sydney, I'm starting to appreciate some of the opportunities that simply weren't available in Wellington. The beaches are the most obvious perk, I've been to Bondi Beach three times now and have more fun every time I visit. The last time I went the waves were breaking nicely near shore so I tried my hand at body surfing. There were a couple of waves that really threw me around which was actually an enormous amount of fun if a bit tiring. As the afternoon waned Tiffany, Christina, and I ate at Mocean (motion but spelled like ocean...get it?) where we were amazed and satisfied by the happy hour $5 meal deals and the $10 jugs of sangria.

The next big happening in Sydney consisted of taking advantage of the Student Rush Tickets at the Sydney Opera House. I was very excited to see La Traviata becasue I believed that I had played part of it in High school. The specific song I was hoping to hear was "The Anvil Chorus" but I quickly realized that La Traviata was not Il Trovatore, even though they are both by Verdi, soI did not get to hear the song I was hoping for. However, the opera was still a breathtaking experience with amazing costuming, an impeccable pit orchestra, set changes that were of such a drastic proportion I have no clue how they managed it, and beautiful voices. Our seats were in the "premier" section which meant that they usually cost ~$270 but we only paid $55. Charity and I sat together while Steven, Drew, Steven and Jessie sat together.



As we were leaving the Opera House, Jessie suggested we go visit a club that was having a salsa dancing night that was just across the harbor. Steve, Jessie, and I ended up being the only ones to go because a few members of the group didn't have ID. Thanks to a very kind random stranger and Jessie, I learned how to not move like my hips were a board of plywood and picked up the basics of salsa. I'm hoping to make it to a few more of these and maybe even take classes once I'm back in the states. I've always wanted to learn how to salsa and also swing dance.

We got back to Travelodge at 1:30 and I crashed immediately...I knew that I had to be up at 6 the next morning! Why so early? Scuba Certification Class at 8am!

Steven, Charity, Allison, Katherine, and I are getting scuba certified together. We had our first in-water skills training on Friday and it was as awesome as it was tiring. We spent 6 hours learning about our gear and basic scuba skills such as entering the water, buoyancy control, clearing your mask of water while underwater (the overall most-hated skill by the group), sharing air, and the most important concept of never hold your breath! Then around 3pm we immediately went and applied all of this pool learning with an actual dive! Talk about sink or swim! I was so grateful for the swimming lessons I had when I was younger because I think they really helped me be comfortable and proficient in the water so quickly. I absolutely loved the dive!! I felt right at home underwater and I think I could easily find myself addicted to diving. Our dive lasted 30 minutes but I swear it felt like 5. I really need to learn some of the names for what I saw becasue even just offshore I saw some amazing biodiversity...I can't imagine what the Great Barrier Reef is going to be like! I do know that I got to 'pet' a huge Blue Groper (not grouper) that was easily three feet long and 18inches high...though Steven just informed me that once I finish my e-learning module I will discover that the blue groper was actually 33% smaller then this because of something to do with light, water, and how our eye interprets underwater....oh well. We also watched the blue groper uttery demolish a sea urchin...it took him a total of maybe half a second to break open the urchin and eat it...it happened so fast I didn't comprehend what was happening until afterwards.

We returned to Travelodge under the impression we would take a 2 or 3 hour nap and then go out on the town...riiiiight. We did indeed nap from 7-10 pm...but then ended up being still exhausted from hauling our steel air tanks around and then went back to sleep at midnight.

The next day was pretty chill up until evening. We went to Paddy's Market and bought some produce and built up some good karma by helping some friends win tickets to go see Wicked. Then the craziness started...as it was gay mardi gras and the street by our hotel was actually a staging area for the big parade. Needless to say, it was quite an education and I saw so many more man-thongs and leather outfits in those 3 hours then I ever expected to see in my entire life.

Sunday started out slowly. Got up around 8am to eat breakfast and then rather unintentionally went back to sleep until noon. At this point, we went to try and win the daily lottery for tickets to see the musical Wicked. I had won the day before and gave my two tickets to Katherine and in return Katherine came with us to help raise the odds of us winning and she did! So Charity and I went to see Wicked with front row seats. It was superb and hilarious! I'm tempted to go see it again. Other then that, I visited a couple music stores becasue I'm starting to have serious violin withdrawals. I actually had a dream about not being able to play when I got home. Unfortunately, there were no good options at any of the stores I visited though I did find a good used book store and bought Jennifer Fallon's Wolfblade to read at the beach (though I promptly read most of it by the next day...oops).

Today (Monday) has been the first day of real rain and gloominess in Sydney. We visited the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and Museum which was full of scary old relics of medicine, displays of Australian pacemakers and premature infant care. The rain prevented me from going to the Museum of Pathology which was upsetting. Now that I'm done with classes I'll be spending the rest of my day writing my Biomedicine and Culture paper on the pharmakon nature of ADD/ADHD medicines. Fun right?

Things for this week: Uncle Earl concert Wed. night, Johnny Cash show at the Sydney Opera House one night, scuba diving friday, caving trip Saturday?

First Impressions of Sydney

Sydney is the most cosmopolitan city I have ever been to. Maybe I just haven't been to the right areas of Atlanta but I am simply overwhelmed by all that is happening in Sydney. So much to do, so many different types of people to watch...I want to go back to sleepy (compared to Sydney) Wellington. I don't think I'm cut out for this type of city living at all. Hopefully in a few days I'll take this back and love Sydney...I already love it's beaches! But some more details...

Charity, Jay, Tiffany, Sheri, Jordan and I went to the Kings Crossing area of town Friday night. Our guidebook related that this area had good bars and clubs...which it did, but the guidebook forgot to mention that almost all of the bars were charging covers between $10 and $20! I didn't think they even have that good of vibes or dancing. We found one good place for dancing thankfully....and hopefully there aren't any covers on weeknights.

Woke up at 7 the next morning, ate breakfast, and proceeded to walk around the city with Tomas and Sheri. Sydney does not start waking up until 9 am. We wandered around an outdoor market (art, fashion, jewelry) and then headed back to TravelLodge. I took a nap and then went to Bondi Beach with Charity and Jay. I've never been to a beach like this one...such white sand, blue water, and AMAZING waves. People were legit surfing which was really cool to watch. I think I'm going back today...tan here I come!

***Went to Bondi Beach again, this time with Sheri. Had fun, actually got in and played in the waves. Later that night went to Tropfest, the largest short film festival in the world. SO many people...and so many smokers. ick. First day of classes about to start***

Some other generalizations about Australia/Sydney....
1. Lots of people smoking....many more then in Wellington
2. Lots of blondes.
3. Much more ethnically diverse then Wellington.
4. BATS (huge fruit bats and lots of them!)
5. Good public transportation
6. Sunny and Warm :) :) :)

Final Weekend in New Zealand

So this Monday night marks the end of my New Zealand weekends. My joy is somewhat tempered by this knowledge but all good things must come to an end, no? (NO!)

We flew to Christ Church on Thursday afternoon to kick things off. There were 13 of us in our group so one of the vehicles we rented was a 10 person van that I am personally amazed made it through the weekend. It was a diesel manual that belched black exhaust, made the angriest noises, had personal "oh-sh*t" handles, supported several moss patches in the interior, and rattled enough that we took to locking the doors to ensure they stayed closed while the van was in motion. A bit surreal all in all.

We bustled around Christ Church to find dinner and some of us ended up at an Irish pub. I decided to treat myself to a good meal and split a Lamb dish with Charity which was DELECTABLE. I must make sure to eat delicious and tender baby animals more often, especially if they come with mint jus. (sarcasm)

We wandered around Christ Church the next morning for a few hours. We walked along the river and then visited their botanical gardens which were much showier then the Wellington gardens. It had rained the night before and was sunny when we visited so the dew and sunshine on the flowers made for excellent pictures. We took some time to check out a museum which had some really good displays on the Moa; an avian lineage (including a bird that was 3 meters tall!) that went extinct because of human arrival in New Zealand. After that we found a charming little produce market where I promptly spent $5 NZ ($3.50US) on 2 Kg (4.5 lbs) of Nectarines. Best purchase of the weekend. Then, it was time to leave Christ Church and head for the Glaciers!

Along the way top the glaciers, we stopped at Arthurs Pass and hiked up to the Devils Punchbowl, a very nice waterfall. As usual, Steven could not bear to follow the beaten path and forged his own little side trial...I decided stairs were boring and followed him. Continuing the trend, we ignored the suggested viewing platform that was a safe distance from the falls and wrangled our way up the river and rocks. Steven and I got close enough to touch the edge of the small pool created by the falls but could not get any
closer because of the immense amounts of wind and water coming off the falls coupled with very slippery rocks. Maybe not the smartest decision to get so close with conditions so uninviting, but the vibrancy I felt afterward was undeniable.

We made a stop at one scenic outlook which was inhabited by Kea, a very cheeky alpine parrot. It loves to tear the rubber lining off of windows, which we prevented thankfully! I played with one; I hopped and then it would hop. As soon as it realized I was not going to reward it with food, it stopped. I do have a video of this entertaining interaction which may or may not be uploaded.

We arrived at Fox glacier and I promptly crashed despite not having my book bag to prep for bed (I stupidly left it in car that detoured to see Pancake Rocks). I knew that I was going to need my energy and strength for my Glacier adventures the next day!

The next day (never quite) dawned as the thick clouds drizzled away any hopes of seeing the sun. Five of us (Steven, Drew, Jay, Charity, and myself) had upped the ante and decided to go Ice Climbing at Franz Joseph Glacier instead of a half-day hike at Fox Glacier but our nerve seemed to be in vain because of the terrible weather. Too our great surprise, our ice climbing was not canceled while the other groups hike was canceled. I soon contemplated the idea that perhaps the persistence of our head guide was not so admirable, but shifted to the more positive outlook that at least it made it very easy to imagine myself in Antarctica. Pretending to be an Arctic explorer romanticized the fact that I was dripping wet and freezing through 4 layers plus a gor-tex shell. Let's not forget to mention the extreme comfort of my boots that led to 4 sole blisters, 3 side raw spots, 2 areas of shin bruising, and an entire ring of chaffed shin skin. Despite all of this piddling physical discomfort, I had a BLAST!

The glacier was absolutely breath-taking both from beauty and physical exertion. My ice-climbing started out a bit weak as I could not get my technique right and my heels kept coming up and forcing my crampons out of the ice. After 2 abortive tries, something finally clicked and I made it up a face. I attempted one more face, which was twice the height of the previous success and more difficult and forced my way to the top. I say forced because it was definitely a case of willpower of mind over a body that did not want to swing that ice-axe again and again and yet again. It was a bit frustrating to watch the other group members get the hang of ice-climbing faster (they're all rock-climbers) but I'm very proud of my perseverance. I would love to ice-climb again.

I recouped strength by devouring a delicious meat pie (from the same bakery my two breakfast cinnamon crumblie biscuits came from) and off our group headed. As a side note, Charity got hit by a van in reverse at this point. Not serious but rattling. I must also note that embarking on a 9 hour drive at 5 pm after 8 hours of intense physical exertion once again might not have been the smartest decision even with youth on our side. Steven, however, is a beast and made the drive with only the slightest of interventions. I made it to about hour 6 or 7 of the drive and then handed off navigation/keep-Steven-awake duty to Drew. I slept happy knowing we had rid New Zealand of at least one pesky possum. We also viewed a most beautiful sunset over Lake Wanaka.



Woke up the next morning very sore, surprise surprise. The usual muscle suspects were protesting but also, curiously enough, my sternum was ridiculously tender and sore. Walking was a terribly enjoyable endeavor as I attempted to not pop any blisters on the bottom of my feet or piss my knees off any more then they already were. Thankfully, our day consisted of a bus drive and a boat ride with minimal walking.

Sunday consisted of a visit to Milford Sound, which has been judged the world's top top travel destination in an international survey, and is acclaimed as New Zealand's most famous tourist destination. Our bus driver for the 75 miles to the sound, Alan, provided witty commentary and information on the landscape and legends of New Zealand. Fiordland National Park was absolutely stunning; quite possibly the most awe-inspiring landscape I have ever seen. There were hundreds of little waterfalls cascading down every cliff, beautiful mirror lakes, the texture of the mountain sides was exquisitely chiseled, and the forest was native vegetation so a T-rex could have easily come stomping out of its primeval looking shadows. There was an amazing waterfall (aptly titled the Chasm) that had carved out the most wicked formation and cheeseholes into the rock.














As usual, the pictures and my descriptions do none of this any justice.

It was a misty, foggy day so the mountains were looming particularly foreboding-ly which really set the mood. Unfortunately, upon reaching the water the mist turned into a cold rain which somewhat obscured the beauty of the sound and made it hard to stay on the observation deck. We did, however, see a pod of dolphins and two separate colonies of fur seals!


We returned to Te Anau (minus one dumb tourist not of our group who got lost during a bathroom break!) and piled into the car to drive four hours to our next hostel. We made a dinner stop in Queenstown which was bustling right along for a Sunday evening. We ate at Fergburger which is renowned for their burgers and mine was such a delicious burger (with AMERICAN bacon!!!) that I snarfed mine it down (minus top bun) before anyone else finished! Perhaps I should of had the Little Lambie Burger with mint jus, but I was enthralled with the prospect of having American bacon for the first time while here.

A few hours of driving later, we discovered our hostel was literally in the middle of a sheep field. We were so far away from any polluting light so the night sky was undoubtedly and without question the best night sky ever. I didn't even know the night sky could look like it did! I learned about and saw huge swirled areas of cosmic dust! I mentally dubbed the first satellite I located and tracked pulsing its way across the night sky my Valentine (it was Feb. 14th both in NZ and USA). We must have sat out there for an hour just soaking it in and if it hadn't been so cold or the next morning so early, I could have easily sat there for another few hours.

As mentioned above, the next morning came early...as in 5:30 am early. The bright side was that we watched the sun rise as we passed Mount Cook (the tallest peak in New Zealand) which made for gorgeous pictures and we had some time to spend in Christ Church before our flight back to Wellington. Which concludes a most epic weekend.

This is an amazing map of where we went this weekend by the amazing and talented Steven!



As a side note of some significance, I am planning to return to New Zealand upon the conclusion of the Australia portion of the program and possibly stay in New Zealand until as late as May 10th, depending on when my money runs out.

Sevens Rugby Tournament Weekend

Sevens is a huge rugby tournament that is hosted in Wellington. It is also a weekend-long city-wide party that shuts down Courtney Place (The street with all the bars and clubs) from 6pm Saturday to 6am Sunday. It is tradition that you attend the tournament not just in costume, but in group costume. This is what I remember of the weekend.

My weekend really started out by going out on a Wednesday night as is tradition for our group. We first went and watched part of a New Zealand film at the botanical gardens titled "Shark vs. Eagle" which featured one of the guys from Flight of the Concords. New Zealand humor is interesting (and quite British) to say the least. This night ended up excellently (short-term at least) as I found a very good dance partner who was also interesting and down right adorable once we conversed outside the club. Unfortunately the whole leaving-New-Zealand-in-under-two-weeks thing kinda put a damper on the situation.

Our group visited the American Embassy the next morning which was quite the task to stay awake for. It was interesting so I didn't fall asleep and I was ecstatic at being fed real American-style bagels at the little reception afterwards. The walk back to Wier house was killer and then I then promptly day-dreamed away my Ethics class...oops. The rest of Thursday was pretty tame though somehow once again I ended up being out on the town (with a group of friends of course!) until 4am. Even though I can't remember exactly, I can venture a pretty good bet of how the night went. Started off at the Big Kumara (well known student-bar), then went to Maya and the Establishment (dance clubs) or vice versa, and finished off the night with a visit to the Garden Club. That's how predictable our nights out are.

Friday morning we woke up and got dressed in our costumes for Sevens....Sheri, Charity, and I were flamingos! We bought matching hot-pink skirts an tops and made feather ornaments for about $22 NZ ($15US) and found some tickets online for about $35US. We went to the tournament at 1pm and were among the first there. I'm glad we got there early becasue I might have been overwhelmed if I had come to the game later in the day when it was super crazy. Imagine the best Halloween costumes you've ever seen coupled with the craziest sporting event you've ever attended. Multiply it by ten and you start to get an idea of what was going on. I'll post some choice pics later. By the way, both games I saw the USA play...we lost. Our guys weren't even as good looking as the other teams...oh well. Rugby is an amazing game!

The rest of the weekend basically consisted of going out on the town, going to a music festival, visiting an art and crafts market, and recuperating. I definitely filled my quota of partying for the next few weeks but schoolwork did somehow got accomplished along the way.

Weekend Three: Sky Diving, Bunjee Jumping, and Rubbly Bits, Oh My!

This past weekend was quite crazy.

Things started off well on Wednesday night, which has pretty much become the standard 'going out on the town' night for my group. Things only got better in the form of a previous kiwi from the first night out. He was, in fact, not exaggerating when he previously claimed he managed a bar. It turned out to be a gay bar, but that (along with free champagne) turned out to be my favorite part of the night. I befriended a gay Indian Kiwi that is a Solo Cup Dealer. Beer Pong is huge here and since Solo Cups aren't sold anywhere on the North Island there is a huge market for them! I also picked up some NZ slang, some odd facts about NZ in WWII, and some other random odds and ends about NZ. I also discovered that going to bed at 4am means that I do in fact still maintain the capacity to sleep through my alarm clock going off placed at the opposite end of the room, 2 people knocking/shouting at my door and me responding to them, and 2 phone calls made to my room. I woke up unpacked at 7:50 with our bus leaving at 8. Fun ensued.

After spending 5 hours on the bus catching up on the sleep I missed the night before, we arrived in the Taupo Volcanic Region and ski-lifted our way up Tongariro. A storm was moving in, so my friend Steven made me a poncho out of a garbage bag which I forgot to take off in several pictures! Because of the incoming storm and the enormous number of bugs at the top of the mountain, I really couldn't fully concentrate or appreciate the landscape or what Dr. Parker was telling us about all the different lava flows. After narrowly avoiding having to walk all the way back down the mountain as they wanted to close the ski lift because of lightning, we bussed our way into Taupo and our motel. From there we hiked into town and ate at Macdonalds. Food is just so expensive here I can't get over the sticker shock of spending 20-30$ NZ for dinner. Macdonalds runs about $10NZ in comparison, and is soooo much nicer then Madonalds back home.

Woke up Friday morning and discovered that Kiwis simply do not know how to cook eggs. The hotel eggs at breakfast were just as gross as those at Wier House, but I ate a lot anyways to store up energy for all the hiking that was planned. We spent the morning hiking Mount Ngauruhoe (which is the stand in for Mount Doom in the Lord of the Rings movie) and listening to Dr. Parker's lectures on pyroclastic flows and such. We made a drinking game out of his lectures, every time he used the word 'rubbly' we took a shot of water. Needless to say, we stayed very very well hydrated. By the end of the day we were exhausted and returned to our motel. We completed the night by trading massages, ordering pizza, and watching "The Day the Earth Stood Still".

To be finished tomorrow morning....