Whirl Wind

Sorry to all you who live vicariously through this blog for not updating. Lots of little things to do.
Lets back track a few days. I did a mountain type hike with Candy on Monday, then went and saw the fireworks in the harbor. Loads of people were there. Monday was also my last night in Hong Kong, and after the fireworks I went to meet up with the So's at a friend of there's place. Very posh place. Early that week Candy had shown me some local listings for apartments and stuff, and one was 55million HK $. And that was the building where I ended up having my last dinner. So a very nice place. The people were really nice too. Wendy and Denis, who were originally from Calgary and who are moving back this summer, Justin from Seattle who is doing a year in Hong Kong for work, and the rest I won't try to spell in case I get it wrong. But there were people from Adelaide Australia, Malaysia, and England. So a very diverse group, and I was the only one who didn't understand most of the conversations.
Tuesday morning, Candy, Thomas and I went to a sport type club (members only of course) where we had lunch and then watched a Lion Dance. I have video of both the fireworks and Lion Dance that I will try to upload along with photos, this weekend. I just keep either forgetting my camera, or camera cord to upload them. So continuing my journey, I flew out of Hong Kong Tuesday afternoon. Once again I got a seat change (I don't know if I mentioned that I ended up having an aisle seat on the way to Hong Kong, but I did) so I wound up with another aisle seat, and once again did not sleep. I watched Bourne Legacy, Hope Springs, Looper, and Bourne Identity. So all in all I have caught up on some great movies on these flights.
Arrived in Auckland and took a shuttle into town with some nice people. A kiwi couple, and a couple from the States. Very nice people. Got to the hostel and checked in. I have extended my stay at Ponsonby Backpackers until Tuesday, when I leave on the Moe Stray tour. But since I have been here I have set up my bank account, got a cell for emergency's, got my IRD card set up (and it will be mailed to where I am basically ending my tour), figured out wiring money today, and yeah just the small stuff. Grocery shopped, which wasn't fun. Food is expensive, but I did get some apples, bananas, and some bread to start off with. The hostel has fridges and a kitchen where you can make your own food up. Very handy.
I got in touch with friends of my cousins who live in Christchurch, and will hopefully meet up with them for a few days when I finish my tour, and then head a little farther south to Dunedin to meet up with a friend of my mom's.
It has been hard for me coming from Canada where free wifi is basically everywhere, to Hong Kong where I had free access to it at the place I stayed, to here in New Zealand, where you have to pay for it everywhere except for the library I have found. You can get like 30mins or something along those lines from some places if you purchase like a drink or food from them. So I feel like you people back at home, you got to realize how freaking lucky you are with the wifi and texting and all that new gadgetry. I really am glad now that I didn't bring my laptop. It would have just been a massive weight on my back that I wouldn't be able to use.
Now, I am going to truth out a bit. I really didn't think I would miss home, but I am. I think it's Honey that I miss the most, and my own bed. The comfort of the known, versus the unknown. I am way out of my comfort zone, but am glad that people are really nice and speak english. It also got better after I met Janette. A woman who has been travelling for over a year now all throughout south east asia and australia and everywhere it seems really. She was really cool. She left today though to continue her travels. Another girl, Yoko from Japan, is staying for the next couple days and seems like a really nice girl, kind of quiet and shy like me.
I really haven't done much since I got to Auckland other than the boring stuff like the bank and such. But there is to be a big PRIDE Parade tomorrow along Ponsonby road, so that should be fun. I might visit the museum or walk along the harbor in the next few days as well. I don't know. Anything is possible and I should just keep an open mind right?
"Good heavens, people."-Mr. Bennett 'Pride and Prejudice' Kiera Knightly version