Apr 2006

(I wrote this first part yesterday, when I arrived)
I'm in christchurch!
got here at about 2 in the afternoon. I don't think they do the daylight savings time thing here... or maybe it's a different date.. I don't know.. so I'm still 18 hours ahead of Alberta time.. even though I crossed 3 timezones and DST set us two hours closer before I left Sydney.
I allllmost missed my flight to Nz. I must have turned off my alarm (had only slept 2.5 hours beforehand) woke up and it was 6:30. half hour past when I wanted to be up by... my wakup call (chrysi) had slept in too... I was only woken up by my roomie who thought I had already left because I had everyhing of mine in my room, set out ready to go.. so he was checkjing to see if I left. I snapped awake and was out of the door in less than 3 minutes. missed my bus, the next bus (20min later) had a mechanical problem and could go anyhwere, the next bus hit a car pulling out and got held up (another 20 minutes) I got to the airpot 1h20m before my flight departed. big check-in line (I was second last at final call for check-in) and then a huuuge line at customs. I got to the termianl and waited 5 minutes because the flight was a little late. Ironically enough, I was 3rd or 4th person to walk onto the plane... anyhow.. that worked out...
It's Bloody beautiful here... the leaves are changing colours, it's actually fairly warm (22c today) and the people are really friendly... people giving me directions.. already been invited out to dinner by an elderly lady I met outside of the airport and roadf on the bus with.. aschool teacher. has seen the world. was rich and lost her wealth when she married a young fijian boy after her husband left and he took her money and so forth. I found a wicked hostel in an old style building for cheap. Met a british guy and we've been hanging out, he's on the computer next to me.. Interesting experiances in transport too... got sniffed out by the canine unit (the dog was looking for veggies, not drugs), got a random passport check (had to wait in some little rooma and such) and had my tent cleaned by the ag-quarintine... you know...
but yeah. so far I love it. beautiful city, friendly people, good vibes. I'm gonna like it here! my hostel is right in between the art gallery, the art museum, a climbing wall and the botanical gardens. I think I'm set for a couple of days... and the hostel room has it's own balcony. and it's almost half the price of a Sydney hostel.
(ok - it's day two now, at night)
Went out last night with the boys... just hung out in the park.. with the british guy and a couple of germans. had some beers and talked it up. good times. Got woken up this moring by the guy from the hostel saying that I had to get up. I was like "I'm checking in again" he tells me that my bed is taken already and they're full... eugh. so I got up and checked into the YMCA, 1 block away. nice facility. really good showers, nice bunks, lockups and clean rooms. they've got a gym and a climbing wqall that are reasonably priced. Think I'm going to do the climbing wall tomarrow with Nick.
Spent the day today shopping for climbing gear. found a nice harness for less than $100, marked down from $160. Think I'm going to pick it up... even though I can tell I'm going to blow a few times that getting myself set to clim and abseil... but I really want to get into it here. met some good peope today.. climbers that gavbe me lots of reccomendations. got some gear books, business cards and reccomendations.
Wandered about a little bit of the botanical gardens today. beautiful here... all of the fall colours are coming out here really nice. some of the trees starting to drop their leaves and such. Looks very similar to mirror lake in camrose.. but a nicer city surrounding it and replace the lake with a nice shallow river swiming with ducks and some kind of weird birds that make me laugh when I see them. was a little cooler today, and a fair bit cooler tonight. got some nice fish and chips today... read about a lateral thinker, Edward de Bono and his 6 thinking hats (that one is actually a note for me...copied off my arm.. the felt tip marker I wrote it in is fading fast)
But yeah.. this place is much more similar to canada than it is to Australia.. so far as what I have seen... the tree life and most of the birds are more simalr to back home... the people are much different but are really nice. The pay phones here are really weird. the don't take money. they take smart cards and cost 70 cents per call. so I need two calling cards to dial home... and the dial tone is really weird... really high pitched actually makes my head hurt a little... very bizzare. Still don't have my celphone hooked up. have to find that shop that deals in sims. would be a good thing to have with me... but I'm not paying an arm and a leg for it because it's not 1000% neccesary at this point. would just be nice.
I like the archetecture in Christchurch. I am definetly looking forward to getting around this country... lots to see... lots of crazy extream sports here. the kiwis are crazy about it. lots of wool products.. sheep rugs, merino everyhting.... kiw-fruit chocolate (I'm sick off the half a bar that has left the package and made it's way into my mouth as I've been typing)
what else to say about my initial impressions? I like it. there is a distictly different energy about this place. it's definetly got a certain zing that australia didn't have... the people are aware but relaxed... and I can sense a certain technologial presence.. might just be the blue neon and high power LED lights and environmental awareness or somehting.. but I think these Kiwis are on to somehting.. I'll have to report my future findings.
shite.. that's abit of an entry. I'll leave you with that for now.. and I'll write again as things unravel (or reravel) here!
oh - and perfect timing. they close in 10 minutes... suppose it's just about time.. 2am!
ok. write again soon!

ok guys. To whomever figured I was going to be stuck in Sydney forever: I'm leaving in the morning! in 6 hours or so, as a matter of fact.
Flying into Christchurch.
Been really enjoying myself here, much more than anticipated... kind of sad to go... but the journey must go on!
Life here has consisted of spending as much time with Chrysi as possible... She had her birthday party a couple of weeks ago.. we rented big hotel suite. 9 people crashed on almost every sleepable surface in the place... worked out really well. Good times with Chrysia and Laura. eating pizza in the rain and other such fun. Life has been very real lately. Have thourally enjoyed my time here.. and Chrysi.. I'm really gonna miss her... She is travelling to Greece for about a year, leaves on the 11th of April.
Been hanging out with Brandon and his housemates every day or every other day. Good times with Brandon. We're experts at doing nothing in particular. Quite fun, really. (We're planning on meeting up in Thailand!)
What else to say? been growing all the time... experiancing heaps of new things... eating really good food (really good kabab tonight!)
and I'm bloody exausted. I've got to finalize all of my packing here and touch my head to the pillow before I have to be up and going again!
Love you guys heaps... hope everyhitng is well.. and you'll be hearing from me plenty more with much more exciting news and photos and things..
oh and I've got a bunch of Sydney photos to post of here yet... soon!