After a nice conversation with the gentleman seated next to me on the plane, I arrived in Auckland around 3 PM on February 16th. *Happy Birthday, Anna!*
As I write this, I have been in New Zealand for nearly two weeks! Wow, I am falling behind in updates already!! So here is a snapshot of what has been happening since arrival.
Met up with Des and Lois, family friends, at the AKL airport and traveled to their son’s home. We stayed there for 3 days times. Day one: visited Sylvia Park, an amazing, rather huge shopping center! Very modern, clean, and nice. Tried on some boots, enjoyed lunch at Hollywood Express (where they play all American music from Hollywood and such), and then picked up a phone from Dick Smith’s Electronics. I’m now on the Vodafone NZ Network for one year. J I mustn’t forget the three times that we enjoyed tea… just on day one! Regular tea, pomegranate and grape tea, you name it! Even purchased “tea for two” at lunchtime! Tasty and more relaxed than the US style of “go, go, go.” *Happy Birthday Holly!*
Day two: Relaxed for a bit at home, then headed to look around the city. Drove to Devonport, took the ferry across to Auckland Central City, and looked around a bit more. Got a feel for the area, which is nice now that I have to be navigating alone many times! Checked out Britomart, which is the central transport center for the downtown area. Visited their son, David, at his workplace near Queen St. Then headed back after breakfast/lunch/tea! We didn’t have the “chilly bin” (portable cooler), so we went to New World for groceries just before heading home. Found some strange veges… broccolini?! Purple sweet potatoes? But ended up with some super yummy whole grain bread, fresh fruit, and shampoo! Home, cleaned up, and then had evening tea. Then we headed out to help David’s friend move into her new apartment. Location: Parnell. A beautiful place with many old cafes, brick roads, and much more! Even a Chocolate Boutique (where Bill Clinton has visited...)! Walked down the street to find amazing side streets and adorable homes. Wonderful! After that excursion, we headed home and enjoyed a long sleep.
Day three: Highlighted by Mission Bay, wandering about the city, and more! Took the puppy, Chelsea, for a walk! Lovely spaniel of sorts. Learned a bit more about the Kiwi language. J If someone asks you over for tea, it’s not necessarily going to include a cup of tea. Nor does it limit itself to tea alone. It may be dinner included, or may just be for a chat! That aside, we took a nice journey to the Mission Bay area. Very nice day, sunny and all! Saw the city from across the bay, which was also sweet. There is a long strand of beaches surrounding Auckland (a big difference from mid-Missouri!), so we took a look around. Trying to get my bearings by doing so. After a relaxing day of lounging, beaching, and chatting, we enjoyed tea and dinner. Watched the news about Obama and the US Economic Stimulus Plan. The States are always in the news and everyone has questions about my opinion of this and that! Oh! And David loves airplanes and actually has a home theater with plane seats in rows! Wow! After dinner and cleaning up, we headed to a little café downtown somewhere. Drove around for quite a while, including ending up under the Auckland Bridge! There are houses under the bridge; it’s quite strange! Had a tall glass of hot chocolate and then returned home again.
Day four of Auckland: Woke early. Finished packing and headed to my new home! Located in New Lynn, a suburb of Auckland, it took quite some time to travel due to traffic. Arrived around 8:40 and Wendy, my host mother, arrived at 9 AM. Greeted with a hug, moved in, and unpacked! Orientation began at 4 PM, but was picked up around 2:45 to travel to the city. Met a few new friends, began orientation with the other homestays, and then met with the big group of IES kids! Gael, the coordinator of IES here in Auckland, bought us some sparking apple juice: quite nice, really!
Anyway, after our initial meeting and all, we each journeyed home and prepared for our adventure at the Maori marae (meeting place). Headed to Leigh on Friday morning. We were welcomed onto the marae (in pouring rain) in style and then performed the nose-touching greeting. After some introductions, tea, and moving mattresses into the marae, we had a lovely time relaxing, learning a haka (song) and then putting a war dance to the words. One of the girls taught me how to weave a flower, which was pretty sweet. Learned a lot about the history of Maori people, including stories, moko (tattooing), and much more! We were supposed to be snorkeling and doing other outdoor activities, but sadly the rain interrupted our plans… Went to a pub, Sawmill something or another, to listen to a (regae?!) band called “The Ragamuffin Children.” People go barefoot very often, which is sweet! Enjoyed a chai latte, chatted with a few new friends (American, German, and native Kiwis), and tried to resist dancing to the live music!
Finally, on Saturday, the rain let up! We divided into groups and were able to head down the huge hill to the sea. Went fishing with hand reels and then loaded into sea kayaks for a journey in a sheltered cove of sorts! Had a wonderful time!! Found a giant sting ray, ate some kina (sea urchin --- hmmm…), and soaked up the sun for a bit. Then it became overcast again… lunch, weaving, and a final goodbye as we performed our newly learned haka. Headed back to Auckland Uni and settled on spending the evening in the city. Attended Starlight Symphony, which was INCREDIBLE!!!! Loads of music, picnicking, laughing, and then a fireworks and laser show!! Yay! Even took pictures with men in yellow spandex suits! They were ridiculous.
Free day! It’s quite a journey to catch the (correct) bus and get home to New Lynn… A 1.5 hour journey at least! But I successfully read the timetable (with a bit of help) and caught the bus in time on Sunday morning! Attended church with Wendy and the kids, then had lunch at a “Welcome Gathering” of sorts at Mt. Albert Baptist Church. Fun times and nice people. Relaxed for the remainder of the day and just got settled a bit more.
The following morning, international orientation began! Left home at 7:30 AM to arrive at the welcome meeting by 9:30... I believe I took the wrong bus, but still not really sure…
Regardless, the Kiwis do a wicked awesome welcome! Dancing, war songs, and tea! What more can you ask for?! And we even got two different welcomes on different days! Toured the campus (a bit smaller than Mizzou’s campus, but almost 50,000 in the student body!), enjoyed lunch on campus (at Slurp) for the first time, and then headed to a scavenger hunt of the city! When they said “of the city,” I wasn’t exactly expecting a 2.5 hour trek around the world… but that’s what it was! Quite a great time, met new friends, and had many laughs! And to think I didn’t even want to go. Now I know my way around the city a bit more (but definitely a lot yet to learn…).
Orientation week flew by! Thought I might head to Christchurch, but that didn’t work out. Then planned to go camping in Piha, but that didn’t work either due to a lack of transportation and the rainy forecast. L Sad, but it worked out just fine in the end! Hung out in Auckland, got to see the city a bit more, and spent the night at a friend’s dorm two nights in a row! Went to Globe Bar, but was a bit too loud for my liking. Visited Mission Bay once again, which was nice. Learned the ropes of public transportation in a place that’s not the best at city planning… Signed up for Dessert Club and a few more clubs of the sort! Attended Life Group (on two different occasions). Relaxed in the sun and played at the pool with the kids. Orientated myself on campus and such! Signed up for classes and finally got that settled. Now I’m taking Ancient Egypt history! Sweet as! Also visited Lynn Mall and Foodtown with Wendy and Fleur.
And now I’m moving. My current location is too far from Uni and it is not the best idea for me to be walking home alone from the bus stop (usually about 20 minutes walk) especially in the dark. Moving to Remuera Road, which is only 10-15 by bus to the Uni, or about a 45-minute walk. Much closer and should be a positive thing! Everyone is very understanding, which is nice. I’m very grateful for those who have helped me with setting up new accommodations and shifting (it’s not called moving here…). I’m also a bit sad to be leaving because this is a lovely family, but will be visiting for dinner again soon!
Time to go for now! Love and miss you all. From Auckland, XOXO.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Are you taking the chilly bin?
It is snowing at home and I'm headed to the beach in just a bit. :-) Miss the snow!
Regardless, I am preparing to move in a few short hours. Moving from my current home to a location much closer to the Uni. Details to come regarding this decision, but just wanting to let you know that I'm still alive and things have been quite busy of late!
Word of the day: Chilly Bin. A portable cooler, as in "Are you putting the L&P* in the chilly bin when we go to the beach?"
(*L&P is an amazing soda. Lemon and Paoera or something of the sort.)
Much more to come, but hope all is well for you. <3
Regardless, I am preparing to move in a few short hours. Moving from my current home to a location much closer to the Uni. Details to come regarding this decision, but just wanting to let you know that I'm still alive and things have been quite busy of late!
Word of the day: Chilly Bin. A portable cooler, as in "Are you putting the L&P* in the chilly bin when we go to the beach?"
(*L&P is an amazing soda. Lemon and Paoera or something of the sort.)
Much more to come, but hope all is well for you. <3
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Oh, Sydney.
As a forewarning, there is a lot of information to follow regarding my travels to Sydney and about the city. You may not be up for reading it all, and no worries if that is the case!
I regret that it has been so long since I’ve last written. We finally arrived in Sydney… bit by bit! But there had very limited, slow internet service. So here I will recount our lovely journey in Oz.
After our crazy arrival in Los Angeles, the other six girls had “confirmed” their flights directly to Sydney; however, the airline had overbooked the flight. Only one of the girls had a truly confirmed seat to Sydney. How lovely. The other five girls were easily booked onto a flight to Brisbane and then connecting to Sydney. When they arrived in Brisbane, apparently things were a bit hectic and the connection time was not enough. Nonetheless, they missed the next connecting flight and were able to reschedule for the following flight, about an hour or so later. All of this occurred as I was in LA due to the previously cancelled STL to LAX flight. At approximately 10:45 PM, I received a text from another friend who was (not planned, mind you) on the same flight from LAX to SYD that I was scheduled to take… *If you can still follow what I’m saying, then continue reading this paragraph. If not, feel free to skip ahead a bit! J* Anyway, she texted to say that there was a delay and that mechanical issues were occurring on the Boeing 747. Around 12:15 AM, she texted to say that they were finally getting ready to leave (over two hours late)! And come to find out, they had to stop in Hawaii due to concerns with the airplane! Layover in Hawaii for the night/day and then on to SYD about the same time that I was leaving from LA… ridiculous!!
I arrived in Sydney, Australia, at about 7:45 AM (Sydney time) on Valentine’s Day. Had a lovely time at the airport. Very nicely done and quite clean. Customs were simple, though lines were a bit longer than expected. Caught the KST shuttle from SYD airport to WakeUp! Hostel around 8:30 AM. I was very excited to find the shuttle, only after asking a gentleman for directions and having him direct me to his “ol’ mate.” J Enjoyed a lovely ride on the $14 shuttle. Sat by a nice college kid from Germany (and yes, Courtney, I told him about your study abroad adventure to come!) and had an enjoyable conversation. Turns out he was staying at the same hostel and graciously assisted me with my (too much) luggage.
WakeUp! was certainly an experience! A very lovely and clean location. You must have a key card to get to the floor on which your room is located, which is a comfort I do believe. Regardless, it was a bit strange staying in an 8-person dorm-style room occupied by 4 girls and 4 guys. But anyway, more on details to come!
Checked in, got my key-card, and finally was reunited with the other girls! All of my luggage had made the trip successfully, which is not possible to say for a few of my friends… (Don’t be too concerned. All luggage had arrived by 5 AM on departure day, if not earlier.) We had a nice, quick conversation in room 104 and soon departed for a day on the town! Headed straight to Central train station and took the City Train to the Harbour. Enjoyed views of the Harbour Bridge, Opera House, and much, much more! Wonderful! And rainy…
We took the ferry to Taronga Park, where we visited an absolutely incredible zoo!! We even took a gondola of sorts up above the tree tops to arrive at a point higher up the hillside of the zoo. What a view! Kangaroos, koalas, sheep (there is picture number one!), devils, gorillas, Kodiak bears, and even goats!! Then we enjoyed a great seal show. Didn’t get too wet, though we sat near the splash zone. Found our “valentine” presenting part of the show, but we were regrettably not able to meet face-to-face. Hahaha. We then headed to the gondola after getting lunch, relaxing, and seeing many various creatures. (Oh, and they had wild turkeys, hogs, and roosters, too.)
Following our nice day at the zoo, we took the ferry back to the wharf. We visited the Opera House, though tickets were not remaining… unless we desired Premium Seating for over $250 each. We then walked towards the train stations, but stopped at the center to find a street performer. Watched and laughed for a bit, then to WakeUp! Spent a bit of time cleaning up and then decided to dress up for Valentine’s dinner! We had a wonderful time walking (in the pouring rain) to our unknown dinner destination. Ended up finding a nice Thai restaurant. I ordered Pad See Eiw with chicken and flat noodles in a soy sauce. Very tasty. Stopped by a small store near the hostel to grab yoghurt and fruit bars for breakfast. And a bit of chocolate which provided nice entertainment for the rest of the evening! (We later learned that “real men” don’t eat chocolate. At least not if they’re from Holland.) After an enjoyable night out in Sydney, we headed back to the hostel. Three umbrellas for seven of us proved to be a bit of a task at times! J Then to the Side Bar. That is the name of the dance location just below the hostel (and part of WakeUp! as well). We enjoyed some nice conversation, though it was a bit loud. When they say that you “Mix with the World” at the hostel, they really do mean it! It was incredible to just sit and talk with people traveling the world, often without schedule or concern. I was highly delighted to hear stories of travel, home, and more. Sometimes people were a bit too friendly (such as the guy from the north island of New Zealand), but easy to dismiss them as well. Very much enjoyed the evening (and part of a White Russian) and then retired by 11:30 PM or so. It was certainly a long day… flying 14 hours and then touring, walking, and eating all day! What a wonderful first day in Oz!!
Day two in Sydney began around 7:30 AM as we prepared for church. A nice breakfast at the hostel (our yoghurt and mango juice) and then we headed to the Christ Church of St. Laurence next door. It was a beautiful sanctuary and we had a very enjoyable time. A bit different than the services that I am used to back home, but certainly a happy experience. Much singing, open communion, and many new friends! We even met a gentleman who had been stationed at Warrensburg, Missouri, at one time! What a small world, indeed. Tea after the service and then out to listen to an absolutely gorgeous choir as they proceeded down the walk into the 10:30 worship service. Beautiful. Apparently one of the top choirs in all of Sydney. After church we headed back to the hostel to prepare for the rest of the day around the city.
Mid day we headed to the Market City and other market areas. Very busy and full of variety. Clothes, fresh fruit, purses, watches, Uggs (for only $40 or so), and much more. Picked up some fruit and veggies such as grapes, mango, and pears to take for lunch. Then to the city bus. We walked by 7-11 and purchased some cheese and crackers along the way. Also found some “Australian Turkish Delight” covered in chocolate. I must say that I haven’t eaten it all as of yet… a bit odd. Laughed at some random findings at the 7-11, including an Australian “Women’s Weekly” featuring Mrs. Obama as well as “20 Farmers Looking for Love.” Hannah got a kick out of that featured article!
Ticket for the bus was purchased at the 7-11 and then we headed to Bondi Beach (pronounced Bond-eye, NOT Bond-ee). It was still slightly raining, and overcast the entire time. Bummer. Regardless, we were determined to enjoy the beach! There had apparently been a shark attack just off Bondi on Friday… Besides, it was a bit chilly to be swimming! Had a lovely picnic with plenty of fresh fruit, cheese, and crackers. What a great choice!! Observed some of the countless surfers, a Rescue Training Trial, and the intense wave action. Many fun pictures of us jumping and acting silly. Got our pants soaked… Hannah saved me from nearly falling over in the surf as we jumped! The sky was getting darker, we were a bit soaked from the knees down, and it was quite windy. Headed to the toilets to clean up and found a South American Festival. Could only hear the intriguing salsa music, for the festival entrance fee was a bit more than we desired. A few markets were around for the festival with beautiful sundresses, boots, and Cuban music. Had a blast and then headed back to catch the bus to the city.
Arrived in the city and then walked around from the Wharf up to The Rocks and the Harbour Bridge. Ended up enjoying warm corn on a stick with butter and salt. Very “state fair” of them! The Rocks is a wonderful shopping area full of outdoor markets and little alleys (similar to Venetian canals without the excess of water!). Bought some Sour Rainbow licorice and enjoyed conversation with passing marketers. We quickly began to learn that we stand out a bit, even though there are many Caucasian folks around. Next we journeyed to Harbour Bridge and walked up several flights of steps to the level of traffic. Read a bit about the history of the bridge and then walked across. It was certainly a long way down to the water! Took about 20 minutes each way, but Hannah, Rachel, and I lost the other girls as we took pictures for a while. Really loved the view and had a nice time laughing, singing, and such.
After the bridge walk, we decided to find some ice cream or such as we walked back through The Rocks and alleys. Lovely city, Sydney. Mandi even climbed some trees around the Bridge Climb starting location. Found some gelato and settled on a location after searching for the best prices. Tirimisu Gelato was certainly yummy! Bought some red and white wines at one of the shops and decided it would be best to find a “BYO” locale for dinner. Cleaned up back at the hostel and then walked toward Chinatown. Walking toward Darling Harbour, we found a Japanese dining location and thought it fit for our desires. Shared a few soy beans, Teriyaki, and wine. A bit of educational chatting about wine from Jennifer, which was nice! Corking fee of $2 per person, about $5 total for each of us since we shared smaller dishes.
After dinner, we headed back to the hostel and had time to chat with new friends for a bit. Roommates of three of the girls were from Whales and England. They found our accents to be nice, which is quite odd! Also heard about the longest city names in the world, including one in Whales and one in New Zealand. Strange bits of education gained at unexpected times while traveling. How exquisite. Much conversation and then to the Side Bar for a brief time. Had to pack things yet and back by 11:00, a bit later then planned. Finished up by 12:00 AM and then to sleep for a brief time.
Up by 4:50 AM so that we could catch the KST Shuttle that we had called to arrive at 5:55 AM. Too much luggage… much discussion about wash kits, weight limitations, and more amongst our roommates! Humorous, really. Down to the front desk and found the last piece of Rachel’s luggage that had finally arrived! Just in time for our departure. Checked out by bringing our pillow case and key card to the desk and they returned our $20 NZ deposit. Caught the Shuttle on time and headed to various hotels on the hour journey to the Sydney Kingsmith International Airport.
Said quick goodbyes and headed opposite direction of the other six girls. I was to fly on Air New Zealand while they flew Quantas operated by Jet Star or something of the sort. Managed to find Check-In Station J just fine and the nice lady working the desk was able to help me out. She was even kind enough to allow me to go nearly 3 kilos over the weight limit… and thankfully. Received my customs form prior to departing Oz for NZ, completed security in a minute or two (quite simple, really), and headed to Gate 56. Took a break for a muffin and tea, found a nice place to relax, and had plenty of time. Saw the other girls rushing to their gate about 40 minutes after I had arrived at the gate. Security had taken 5 times as long for them, yet their flight was an hour earlier… Luckily they made their flight and were safely on their way.
Chatted with two Canadian guys as we awaited our late-to-depart flight. They were traveling to NZ after spending about 3 months in Australia. While on the plane (which was nice, large, and very clean), enjoyed talking with a gentleman from the Bay of Plenty area in the north island of NZ. Very friendly and loved to hear about the United States. The flight offered music of your choice as well as nearly 20 movies, a map of current location, and much more! All included! Enjoyed some Hokey Pokey ice cream followed by tea for lunch on the ANZ flight. A new one for me, but “quite magical” as they would say here in NZ.
Arrived over the west coast with black sand beaches around 2:40 PM on February 16, New Zealand time. I found it to be a lovely coast and rolling green hills.
More updates to come!! Must say I’m loving NZ so far! Arrived at my homestay location today, February 19th, around 8:40 AM. Getting settled in and will update on my time in Auckland in a while! Much love and blessings to you, friends!
I regret that it has been so long since I’ve last written. We finally arrived in Sydney… bit by bit! But there had very limited, slow internet service. So here I will recount our lovely journey in Oz.
After our crazy arrival in Los Angeles, the other six girls had “confirmed” their flights directly to Sydney; however, the airline had overbooked the flight. Only one of the girls had a truly confirmed seat to Sydney. How lovely. The other five girls were easily booked onto a flight to Brisbane and then connecting to Sydney. When they arrived in Brisbane, apparently things were a bit hectic and the connection time was not enough. Nonetheless, they missed the next connecting flight and were able to reschedule for the following flight, about an hour or so later. All of this occurred as I was in LA due to the previously cancelled STL to LAX flight. At approximately 10:45 PM, I received a text from another friend who was (not planned, mind you) on the same flight from LAX to SYD that I was scheduled to take… *If you can still follow what I’m saying, then continue reading this paragraph. If not, feel free to skip ahead a bit! J* Anyway, she texted to say that there was a delay and that mechanical issues were occurring on the Boeing 747. Around 12:15 AM, she texted to say that they were finally getting ready to leave (over two hours late)! And come to find out, they had to stop in Hawaii due to concerns with the airplane! Layover in Hawaii for the night/day and then on to SYD about the same time that I was leaving from LA… ridiculous!!
I arrived in Sydney, Australia, at about 7:45 AM (Sydney time) on Valentine’s Day. Had a lovely time at the airport. Very nicely done and quite clean. Customs were simple, though lines were a bit longer than expected. Caught the KST shuttle from SYD airport to WakeUp! Hostel around 8:30 AM. I was very excited to find the shuttle, only after asking a gentleman for directions and having him direct me to his “ol’ mate.” J Enjoyed a lovely ride on the $14 shuttle. Sat by a nice college kid from Germany (and yes, Courtney, I told him about your study abroad adventure to come!) and had an enjoyable conversation. Turns out he was staying at the same hostel and graciously assisted me with my (too much) luggage.
WakeUp! was certainly an experience! A very lovely and clean location. You must have a key card to get to the floor on which your room is located, which is a comfort I do believe. Regardless, it was a bit strange staying in an 8-person dorm-style room occupied by 4 girls and 4 guys. But anyway, more on details to come!
Checked in, got my key-card, and finally was reunited with the other girls! All of my luggage had made the trip successfully, which is not possible to say for a few of my friends… (Don’t be too concerned. All luggage had arrived by 5 AM on departure day, if not earlier.) We had a nice, quick conversation in room 104 and soon departed for a day on the town! Headed straight to Central train station and took the City Train to the Harbour. Enjoyed views of the Harbour Bridge, Opera House, and much, much more! Wonderful! And rainy…
We took the ferry to Taronga Park, where we visited an absolutely incredible zoo!! We even took a gondola of sorts up above the tree tops to arrive at a point higher up the hillside of the zoo. What a view! Kangaroos, koalas, sheep (there is picture number one!), devils, gorillas, Kodiak bears, and even goats!! Then we enjoyed a great seal show. Didn’t get too wet, though we sat near the splash zone. Found our “valentine” presenting part of the show, but we were regrettably not able to meet face-to-face. Hahaha. We then headed to the gondola after getting lunch, relaxing, and seeing many various creatures. (Oh, and they had wild turkeys, hogs, and roosters, too.)
Following our nice day at the zoo, we took the ferry back to the wharf. We visited the Opera House, though tickets were not remaining… unless we desired Premium Seating for over $250 each. We then walked towards the train stations, but stopped at the center to find a street performer. Watched and laughed for a bit, then to WakeUp! Spent a bit of time cleaning up and then decided to dress up for Valentine’s dinner! We had a wonderful time walking (in the pouring rain) to our unknown dinner destination. Ended up finding a nice Thai restaurant. I ordered Pad See Eiw with chicken and flat noodles in a soy sauce. Very tasty. Stopped by a small store near the hostel to grab yoghurt and fruit bars for breakfast. And a bit of chocolate which provided nice entertainment for the rest of the evening! (We later learned that “real men” don’t eat chocolate. At least not if they’re from Holland.) After an enjoyable night out in Sydney, we headed back to the hostel. Three umbrellas for seven of us proved to be a bit of a task at times! J Then to the Side Bar. That is the name of the dance location just below the hostel (and part of WakeUp! as well). We enjoyed some nice conversation, though it was a bit loud. When they say that you “Mix with the World” at the hostel, they really do mean it! It was incredible to just sit and talk with people traveling the world, often without schedule or concern. I was highly delighted to hear stories of travel, home, and more. Sometimes people were a bit too friendly (such as the guy from the north island of New Zealand), but easy to dismiss them as well. Very much enjoyed the evening (and part of a White Russian) and then retired by 11:30 PM or so. It was certainly a long day… flying 14 hours and then touring, walking, and eating all day! What a wonderful first day in Oz!!
Day two in Sydney began around 7:30 AM as we prepared for church. A nice breakfast at the hostel (our yoghurt and mango juice) and then we headed to the Christ Church of St. Laurence next door. It was a beautiful sanctuary and we had a very enjoyable time. A bit different than the services that I am used to back home, but certainly a happy experience. Much singing, open communion, and many new friends! We even met a gentleman who had been stationed at Warrensburg, Missouri, at one time! What a small world, indeed. Tea after the service and then out to listen to an absolutely gorgeous choir as they proceeded down the walk into the 10:30 worship service. Beautiful. Apparently one of the top choirs in all of Sydney. After church we headed back to the hostel to prepare for the rest of the day around the city.
Mid day we headed to the Market City and other market areas. Very busy and full of variety. Clothes, fresh fruit, purses, watches, Uggs (for only $40 or so), and much more. Picked up some fruit and veggies such as grapes, mango, and pears to take for lunch. Then to the city bus. We walked by 7-11 and purchased some cheese and crackers along the way. Also found some “Australian Turkish Delight” covered in chocolate. I must say that I haven’t eaten it all as of yet… a bit odd. Laughed at some random findings at the 7-11, including an Australian “Women’s Weekly” featuring Mrs. Obama as well as “20 Farmers Looking for Love.” Hannah got a kick out of that featured article!
Ticket for the bus was purchased at the 7-11 and then we headed to Bondi Beach (pronounced Bond-eye, NOT Bond-ee). It was still slightly raining, and overcast the entire time. Bummer. Regardless, we were determined to enjoy the beach! There had apparently been a shark attack just off Bondi on Friday… Besides, it was a bit chilly to be swimming! Had a lovely picnic with plenty of fresh fruit, cheese, and crackers. What a great choice!! Observed some of the countless surfers, a Rescue Training Trial, and the intense wave action. Many fun pictures of us jumping and acting silly. Got our pants soaked… Hannah saved me from nearly falling over in the surf as we jumped! The sky was getting darker, we were a bit soaked from the knees down, and it was quite windy. Headed to the toilets to clean up and found a South American Festival. Could only hear the intriguing salsa music, for the festival entrance fee was a bit more than we desired. A few markets were around for the festival with beautiful sundresses, boots, and Cuban music. Had a blast and then headed back to catch the bus to the city.
Arrived in the city and then walked around from the Wharf up to The Rocks and the Harbour Bridge. Ended up enjoying warm corn on a stick with butter and salt. Very “state fair” of them! The Rocks is a wonderful shopping area full of outdoor markets and little alleys (similar to Venetian canals without the excess of water!). Bought some Sour Rainbow licorice and enjoyed conversation with passing marketers. We quickly began to learn that we stand out a bit, even though there are many Caucasian folks around. Next we journeyed to Harbour Bridge and walked up several flights of steps to the level of traffic. Read a bit about the history of the bridge and then walked across. It was certainly a long way down to the water! Took about 20 minutes each way, but Hannah, Rachel, and I lost the other girls as we took pictures for a while. Really loved the view and had a nice time laughing, singing, and such.
After the bridge walk, we decided to find some ice cream or such as we walked back through The Rocks and alleys. Lovely city, Sydney. Mandi even climbed some trees around the Bridge Climb starting location. Found some gelato and settled on a location after searching for the best prices. Tirimisu Gelato was certainly yummy! Bought some red and white wines at one of the shops and decided it would be best to find a “BYO” locale for dinner. Cleaned up back at the hostel and then walked toward Chinatown. Walking toward Darling Harbour, we found a Japanese dining location and thought it fit for our desires. Shared a few soy beans, Teriyaki, and wine. A bit of educational chatting about wine from Jennifer, which was nice! Corking fee of $2 per person, about $5 total for each of us since we shared smaller dishes.
After dinner, we headed back to the hostel and had time to chat with new friends for a bit. Roommates of three of the girls were from Whales and England. They found our accents to be nice, which is quite odd! Also heard about the longest city names in the world, including one in Whales and one in New Zealand. Strange bits of education gained at unexpected times while traveling. How exquisite. Much conversation and then to the Side Bar for a brief time. Had to pack things yet and back by 11:00, a bit later then planned. Finished up by 12:00 AM and then to sleep for a brief time.
Up by 4:50 AM so that we could catch the KST Shuttle that we had called to arrive at 5:55 AM. Too much luggage… much discussion about wash kits, weight limitations, and more amongst our roommates! Humorous, really. Down to the front desk and found the last piece of Rachel’s luggage that had finally arrived! Just in time for our departure. Checked out by bringing our pillow case and key card to the desk and they returned our $20 NZ deposit. Caught the Shuttle on time and headed to various hotels on the hour journey to the Sydney Kingsmith International Airport.
Said quick goodbyes and headed opposite direction of the other six girls. I was to fly on Air New Zealand while they flew Quantas operated by Jet Star or something of the sort. Managed to find Check-In Station J just fine and the nice lady working the desk was able to help me out. She was even kind enough to allow me to go nearly 3 kilos over the weight limit… and thankfully. Received my customs form prior to departing Oz for NZ, completed security in a minute or two (quite simple, really), and headed to Gate 56. Took a break for a muffin and tea, found a nice place to relax, and had plenty of time. Saw the other girls rushing to their gate about 40 minutes after I had arrived at the gate. Security had taken 5 times as long for them, yet their flight was an hour earlier… Luckily they made their flight and were safely on their way.
Chatted with two Canadian guys as we awaited our late-to-depart flight. They were traveling to NZ after spending about 3 months in Australia. While on the plane (which was nice, large, and very clean), enjoyed talking with a gentleman from the Bay of Plenty area in the north island of NZ. Very friendly and loved to hear about the United States. The flight offered music of your choice as well as nearly 20 movies, a map of current location, and much more! All included! Enjoyed some Hokey Pokey ice cream followed by tea for lunch on the ANZ flight. A new one for me, but “quite magical” as they would say here in NZ.
Arrived over the west coast with black sand beaches around 2:40 PM on February 16, New Zealand time. I found it to be a lovely coast and rolling green hills.
More updates to come!! Must say I’m loving NZ so far! Arrived at my homestay location today, February 19th, around 8:40 AM. Getting settled in and will update on my time in Auckland in a while! Much love and blessings to you, friends!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
The toilet flushed as I sat down.
The day has been a bit like this title: unexpected, ironic, and not always what you plan.
Flight from STL to LAX was cancelled... caught the next one, two hours later. Had great bonding time with new and old lovely friends! :-) Sat by a gentleman from Egypt on the way to LA. Great conversation and very interesting.
Then... the change in arrival time in LA caused me to not be able to confirm my connecting flight. So (while in STL) we went ahead and changed my LA to Sydney flight to tomorrow... at 10:13 PM. I get to stay in LA for a day with a wonderful family (relatives of one of the girls who is traveling with us!). Upon arriving at the airport in LA, we found out that the other 5 girls have tickets that have not been correctly confirmed for LA to Sydney... they are now on a flight to Brisbane and then on to Sydney. Will arrive around 9 AM on Friday, I believe. Crazy! But one of the girls is confirmed and headed directly to Sydney currently... gracious.
So I'm now at the family's home. We went to Jack in the Box to get a tasty (and gigantic) strawberry banana smoothie! Super fun! :-)
I believe that's all for now. Will fly out tomorrow night, arrive in Sydney on Valentine's Day around 7:50 AM (supposedly), and will have a blast! Let's hope I don't get lost... :-)
Oh, and too bad my brother's not in LA today... He's (ironically) in Missouri visiting me instead. :-( Strange!
G'night, friends!
Flight from STL to LAX was cancelled... caught the next one, two hours later. Had great bonding time with new and old lovely friends! :-) Sat by a gentleman from Egypt on the way to LA. Great conversation and very interesting.
Then... the change in arrival time in LA caused me to not be able to confirm my connecting flight. So (while in STL) we went ahead and changed my LA to Sydney flight to tomorrow... at 10:13 PM. I get to stay in LA for a day with a wonderful family (relatives of one of the girls who is traveling with us!). Upon arriving at the airport in LA, we found out that the other 5 girls have tickets that have not been correctly confirmed for LA to Sydney... they are now on a flight to Brisbane and then on to Sydney. Will arrive around 9 AM on Friday, I believe. Crazy! But one of the girls is confirmed and headed directly to Sydney currently... gracious.
So I'm now at the family's home. We went to Jack in the Box to get a tasty (and gigantic) strawberry banana smoothie! Super fun! :-)
I believe that's all for now. Will fly out tomorrow night, arrive in Sydney on Valentine's Day around 7:50 AM (supposedly), and will have a blast! Let's hope I don't get lost... :-)
Oh, and too bad my brother's not in LA today... He's (ironically) in Missouri visiting me instead. :-( Strange!
G'night, friends!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Headed South!
Leaving on a jet plane today. At 5:05 PM, Central Time, United States of America. Excited, (nearly) packed, and getting tired! Had a wonderful day with my brother in town (so great to visit with him!) and just relaxing... Visited Columbia for lunch with lovely amigos as well! :-)
Phrase for the day:
"Two sammies short of a picnic --- used to describe a person who is 'a bit thick'"
:-)
Phrase for the day:
"Two sammies short of a picnic --- used to describe a person who is 'a bit thick'"
:-)
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Oh, Sweet Missouri
Departing in TRES DIAS!!! How lovely. :-)
Although packing is a bit of a challenge currently, I'm getting (and remaining) very excited. "Don't take too many clothes." That's what I hear. We shall see.
Trying to research things to do in Sydney, but also looking into history and such regarding Auckland. We have the movie "Whale Rider" sitting on the counter here at home. Perhaps should watch it; however, I believe it is in the plans to watch during IES Orientation. (Which, by the way, sounds amazing!!)
I believe that is all for now. Need to choose which book(s) to take for the plane ride.
So soon!
Although packing is a bit of a challenge currently, I'm getting (and remaining) very excited. "Don't take too many clothes." That's what I hear. We shall see.
Trying to research things to do in Sydney, but also looking into history and such regarding Auckland. We have the movie "Whale Rider" sitting on the counter here at home. Perhaps should watch it; however, I believe it is in the plans to watch during IES Orientation. (Which, by the way, sounds amazing!!)
I believe that is all for now. Need to choose which book(s) to take for the plane ride.
So soon!
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
One Week!
I leave in one week. Yes, I'm very excited. Yes, there is a LOT to do before next Wednesday. Yes, I'll miss family and friends.
Right now I'm focusing on the Dental Admission Test, which is tomorrow. I pray that it goes well and that the fever I have currently disappears quickly!
I'm also in the process of packing. Well, beginning to do so. My clothes are in nice stacks all around me... hahaha.
That is all for now. Just wanted to post an update in order to get into the habit of doing so! Have a good one.
Right now I'm focusing on the Dental Admission Test, which is tomorrow. I pray that it goes well and that the fever I have currently disappears quickly!
I'm also in the process of packing. Well, beginning to do so. My clothes are in nice stacks all around me... hahaha.
That is all for now. Just wanted to post an update in order to get into the habit of doing so! Have a good one.
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