So I haven't updated this in sometime. But I guess it is because I was living a bogus adult boring life, and not really doing anything.
Whelp now I have done something. I went to England for 2 weeks to visit friends, and had a great time. It was a well earned and much needed rest. I am not going to tell all, but will leave some links to some albums I have made of the photos I took.
Harry Potter was amazing and I had a great time there: https://goo.gl/photos/WTZ6RhWFMqTjpb5Z6
Before that, I spent the day with my friend Laura from high school and some of her friends exploring Camden Locks: https://goo.gl/photos/Aq4iHvLhkFjkHAd17
I spent a few days in Bath just exploring: https://goo.gl/photos/U2yEPasnZUUpruMH8
Had a fun time making bad jokes while visiting Windsor Castle with my friend Holly: https://goo.gl/photos/63Gpvuz8GUtcdRkj8
And all in all had some wonderful new experiences: https://goo.gl/photos/63Gpvuz8GUtcdRkj8
Until next time, cheerio!
"Well, nobody's perfect." - Osgood Some Like It Hot
Saturday, 16 April 2016
Sunday, 19 July 2015
First Week
I won't get into specifics for obvious reasons, but my first week at my new job is over. And I embraced the weekend like a kid does. A little bit of junk food, a lot of watching twitch, and some gaming, plus super late nights. It was a glorious weekend but also probably not the best way to spend my time.
So work was not super rough. The first day my desk hadn't been set up so I job shadowed another person in my team. She was nice and after a few hours of watching and taking notes, I was given the chance to try out the systems. I took it slow, and asked questions, and got the hang of it after a while. By the end of the day I had a few systems set up on my computer and was able to continue the work at my own desk. My cubicle neighbour is now my go to for all my questions, and each day I have been bugging her less and less. I think I am doing alright, and will be interested to hear what my boss has to say when she does her performance review with me.
So all in all, I am glad to be working again, even if the work is repetitive I know I will still try and do my best to make the company proud of hiring me.
"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return." - Christian Moulin Rouge!
So work was not super rough. The first day my desk hadn't been set up so I job shadowed another person in my team. She was nice and after a few hours of watching and taking notes, I was given the chance to try out the systems. I took it slow, and asked questions, and got the hang of it after a while. By the end of the day I had a few systems set up on my computer and was able to continue the work at my own desk. My cubicle neighbour is now my go to for all my questions, and each day I have been bugging her less and less. I think I am doing alright, and will be interested to hear what my boss has to say when she does her performance review with me.
So all in all, I am glad to be working again, even if the work is repetitive I know I will still try and do my best to make the company proud of hiring me.
"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return." - Christian Moulin Rouge!
Saturday, 11 July 2015
Nerves of Steel?
As some of you know, I no longer am working at Michaels. With my back being what it is, I decided that it would be the best to leave and pursue a job/career where I couldn't potentially make it worse.
So I applied to a mortgage company for back office work. And got it. So I start this coming week and am a bundle of nerves. This past week, I have basically wanted to get on a sleeping pattern and get into a schedule that would be beneficial for the new office job. Unfortunately, my mind set was more like that this was the last week of summer break before school starts up. So I was up late every night watching movies or playing games, yet I would still wake up when my alarm would go off, but sometimes hit snooze way too much. I did do my laundry and get that in order for next week. It is just so weird to be going from something I did for so long to something brand new. I am excited and scared and ready to learn. Fingers crossed I don't flub up too badly.
"You already know the ending to this story. You can only draw it so many ways." - Henry Carver Push
So I applied to a mortgage company for back office work. And got it. So I start this coming week and am a bundle of nerves. This past week, I have basically wanted to get on a sleeping pattern and get into a schedule that would be beneficial for the new office job. Unfortunately, my mind set was more like that this was the last week of summer break before school starts up. So I was up late every night watching movies or playing games, yet I would still wake up when my alarm would go off, but sometimes hit snooze way too much. I did do my laundry and get that in order for next week. It is just so weird to be going from something I did for so long to something brand new. I am excited and scared and ready to learn. Fingers crossed I don't flub up too badly.
"You already know the ending to this story. You can only draw it so many ways." - Henry Carver Push
Sunday, 28 June 2015
Writing
I was thinking that I have talked a bit about the children's book I have been writing, but nothing really in depth about it. This post will hopefully shed a little more light on it.
With my back issues I haven't been able to work since January, and being stuck in a house for most of that time got me thinking. I have always wanted to pursue a career in writing, but have never been able to finish any of the novels I have started. So I got to thinking that I should try something on a less epic scale; I can build up to the ability that J.K. Rowling or John Green has; I don't have to be them now, but it will be the goal line in the future that I strive towards.
Now I am not saying a children's book is simple. It's not. You have to come up with a story that has a morale or lesson to it, that can be told in simple enough words and terms that children will be able to read it. But you don't want to make it limited by the terminology either; that would cause it to not be able to reach a larger audience in people of all ages. You need to find something that means a lot to you and then figure out how to use abstract characters to bring that concept to life.
You also need to think about the style of artwork you want. Do you want something bright and simple flowing, or a little more realistic and detailed. Or do you go with a mix of the two. Then there is the choice, do I try to illustrate it myself or do I find an artist to work with. If you go with an artist, you will still want to do simple mock ups of the kind of imagery that you want to use.
Once you figure out the kind of story and kind of images you want, then it comes to putting it all together. Draft after draft. You start out with the simple sketches and rough words in your story board and make them a bit bigger, a bit more polished. Then the draft where it is closer to the finished size you want, and then add in the colour to the pictures. Trying different colour schemes or placements for the images. Then printing a copy. That is when you get excited but also a little disappointed (in my experience). Everyone always says you are your own worst critic. And I believe that. I saw my book printed and all I could see were the flaws. That is when I decided to try harder.
For me, I wrote and illustrated my book. I got input from others along the way, but the final product on the page is all my own doing. No one else to push blame on. So instead of coming up with an excuse and do what is easy, I worked on the writing, and then redrew and altered each page slightly. It was hard. The way I sit to draw doesn't help my back, but I will do what I need to to make my dream happen. Now the final stage that I have to do is the colouring.
But here. A look at the cover before I colour it.
I know I may never be successful in the is career path, but I know one thing for sure. I want to give my nieces and nephews books that have meaning. I want to show them that trying for a dream is not silly, as long as you know it will be hard and are willing to face each obstacle as they come, you will achieve your dream. Maybe not the way you were hoping or expecting, but definitely in a way that means something.
" It ain't about how hard you're hit, it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!" - Rocky Rocky Balboa
With my back issues I haven't been able to work since January, and being stuck in a house for most of that time got me thinking. I have always wanted to pursue a career in writing, but have never been able to finish any of the novels I have started. So I got to thinking that I should try something on a less epic scale; I can build up to the ability that J.K. Rowling or John Green has; I don't have to be them now, but it will be the goal line in the future that I strive towards.
Now I am not saying a children's book is simple. It's not. You have to come up with a story that has a morale or lesson to it, that can be told in simple enough words and terms that children will be able to read it. But you don't want to make it limited by the terminology either; that would cause it to not be able to reach a larger audience in people of all ages. You need to find something that means a lot to you and then figure out how to use abstract characters to bring that concept to life.
You also need to think about the style of artwork you want. Do you want something bright and simple flowing, or a little more realistic and detailed. Or do you go with a mix of the two. Then there is the choice, do I try to illustrate it myself or do I find an artist to work with. If you go with an artist, you will still want to do simple mock ups of the kind of imagery that you want to use.
Once you figure out the kind of story and kind of images you want, then it comes to putting it all together. Draft after draft. You start out with the simple sketches and rough words in your story board and make them a bit bigger, a bit more polished. Then the draft where it is closer to the finished size you want, and then add in the colour to the pictures. Trying different colour schemes or placements for the images. Then printing a copy. That is when you get excited but also a little disappointed (in my experience). Everyone always says you are your own worst critic. And I believe that. I saw my book printed and all I could see were the flaws. That is when I decided to try harder.
For me, I wrote and illustrated my book. I got input from others along the way, but the final product on the page is all my own doing. No one else to push blame on. So instead of coming up with an excuse and do what is easy, I worked on the writing, and then redrew and altered each page slightly. It was hard. The way I sit to draw doesn't help my back, but I will do what I need to to make my dream happen. Now the final stage that I have to do is the colouring.
But here. A look at the cover before I colour it.
I know I may never be successful in the is career path, but I know one thing for sure. I want to give my nieces and nephews books that have meaning. I want to show them that trying for a dream is not silly, as long as you know it will be hard and are willing to face each obstacle as they come, you will achieve your dream. Maybe not the way you were hoping or expecting, but definitely in a way that means something.
" It ain't about how hard you're hit, it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!" - Rocky Rocky Balboa
Thursday, 25 June 2015
On the Mend and around the Bend
So all those promises of documenting my recovery kind of fell through. But I think I am where I am meant to be now.
It took a long time to get to here, but I think it has been worth it. I have been off work since New Years and a lot of that time was spent doing absolutely nothing. I slept on a floor for two months in my living room, and then moved to the floor in my bed room and finally back into my own bed. Little steps, and a lot of pain (and pain killers) later, and I can finally see the path in the woods again. I am not out of the woods yet, and there may be some more obstacles thrown at me, but I am learning not to bend and break from the changes thrown at me. I may be the same to some extent but I have also changed over the past six months. Who wouldn't? I learned a lot about myself, things both good and bad. I loved being able to help my sister Martha while she took part and ran head first into one of the dreams she has been working towards her entire life. She did amazing as the Commander of her crew, and I enjoyed the random favours and tasks they asked me for. I might not have been able to fulfill all of them, but I did my best. I am both sad and glad that I have my Saturday's back to myself. I mean staying up late isn't all that it's cracked up to be. But even more that getting to sleep normal hours, I am overly excited to see Martha again in a few weeks for the first time in nearly 10 months (by the time she comes here). So proud of her and so honoured to be able to call her my sister and friend.
Not working, and only having doctor appointments to really keep me busy, I got a lot of time on my hands. So obviously I spent a lot of it on the computer, and in doing so, discovered some amazing motivational Twitch streamers. I know some of you will think watching someone play a video game for a living is ridiculous, but it has been some peoples dreams for a long time. Seeing someone risk a good paying job to pursue something like playing video games to make a living and support a family, does seem almost ludicrous. But giving up on your dream, and being miserable is just as insane. So to see someone with so much heart and positiveness in the face of so much potential negative backlash, is truly inspirational. I don't think I would have ever finished my book if it hadn't been for them and there mantra of if you believe and dream it, you can achieve it. And I still have things I want to alter with my book, but heck! I have never finished a story before like this. And my sister Susan did the amazing thing of printing a couple copies of it in actual book form! It is the most amazing feeling to see my name on the cover of the little book, and to see my words and drawings in a form that my nieces and nephews can hold and enjoy. I may not want to be a mom, but I would like to be an out of this world aunt.
And I guess the final topic I should touch on is work. So I never did get to return to work, but I think it may be for the best. I would have wanted to push myself as hard as I did in the past, and that would have been a whole lot of bad news. I officially handed in my resignation at the beginning of this month, and have started looking for other forms of employment that is more suited to my new reality. It was a hard decision to make, since I have been through so much with my work family. But I know it is for the best for my health, and for my future.
I won't make promises this time of updating in any specific time frame, but I will finish with another quote that I rediscovered recently and love wholeheartedly.
"We've done the impossible, and that makes us mighty." Malcolm Reynolds Firefly
It took a long time to get to here, but I think it has been worth it. I have been off work since New Years and a lot of that time was spent doing absolutely nothing. I slept on a floor for two months in my living room, and then moved to the floor in my bed room and finally back into my own bed. Little steps, and a lot of pain (and pain killers) later, and I can finally see the path in the woods again. I am not out of the woods yet, and there may be some more obstacles thrown at me, but I am learning not to bend and break from the changes thrown at me. I may be the same to some extent but I have also changed over the past six months. Who wouldn't? I learned a lot about myself, things both good and bad. I loved being able to help my sister Martha while she took part and ran head first into one of the dreams she has been working towards her entire life. She did amazing as the Commander of her crew, and I enjoyed the random favours and tasks they asked me for. I might not have been able to fulfill all of them, but I did my best. I am both sad and glad that I have my Saturday's back to myself. I mean staying up late isn't all that it's cracked up to be. But even more that getting to sleep normal hours, I am overly excited to see Martha again in a few weeks for the first time in nearly 10 months (by the time she comes here). So proud of her and so honoured to be able to call her my sister and friend.
Not working, and only having doctor appointments to really keep me busy, I got a lot of time on my hands. So obviously I spent a lot of it on the computer, and in doing so, discovered some amazing motivational Twitch streamers. I know some of you will think watching someone play a video game for a living is ridiculous, but it has been some peoples dreams for a long time. Seeing someone risk a good paying job to pursue something like playing video games to make a living and support a family, does seem almost ludicrous. But giving up on your dream, and being miserable is just as insane. So to see someone with so much heart and positiveness in the face of so much potential negative backlash, is truly inspirational. I don't think I would have ever finished my book if it hadn't been for them and there mantra of if you believe and dream it, you can achieve it. And I still have things I want to alter with my book, but heck! I have never finished a story before like this. And my sister Susan did the amazing thing of printing a couple copies of it in actual book form! It is the most amazing feeling to see my name on the cover of the little book, and to see my words and drawings in a form that my nieces and nephews can hold and enjoy. I may not want to be a mom, but I would like to be an out of this world aunt.
And I guess the final topic I should touch on is work. So I never did get to return to work, but I think it may be for the best. I would have wanted to push myself as hard as I did in the past, and that would have been a whole lot of bad news. I officially handed in my resignation at the beginning of this month, and have started looking for other forms of employment that is more suited to my new reality. It was a hard decision to make, since I have been through so much with my work family. But I know it is for the best for my health, and for my future.
I won't make promises this time of updating in any specific time frame, but I will finish with another quote that I rediscovered recently and love wholeheartedly.
"We've done the impossible, and that makes us mighty." Malcolm Reynolds Firefly
Saturday, 21 March 2015
Keeping busy
The past week or so I have been keeping in good spirits and doing what I can to get better. So daily exercises and stretches have progressed a little more, which is great. I feel a bit stronger every day, although I still have pain in my hip and leg from the bulges pushing on nerves. But it will get there. I just have to keep believing, as nearly everyone in my life keeps reminding me. I like the reminders, because it is really easy to fall into a downward slump. They keep me going when I feel like I will never get better. And they make me laugh when I want to cry. So thank you to the people who care enough to tell me what I need to hear and not always what I want to hear.
In other news, I have finished both the story board, and the first rough draft of my children's book and have the first page of the second draft done. I also got one of my nephews to read the rough draft. He is nearly 12 (one week until his birthday) and this past week had March break. I got him for a day to help me run errands (he carried everything for me). So he read it, with only a little difficulty due to my penmanship (I am blaming the pencil smudging), and actually liked it. He also thinks that his little sister would love it! So positive feed back already has really boosted my attitude towards writing and drawing this book. It would be awesome to have it published one day, but even if I only end up finishing it and making a couple copies for family or friends, I think it will be worth it.
"Boy, I got vision, and the rest of the world wears bifocals." Butch Cassidy Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
In other news, I have finished both the story board, and the first rough draft of my children's book and have the first page of the second draft done. I also got one of my nephews to read the rough draft. He is nearly 12 (one week until his birthday) and this past week had March break. I got him for a day to help me run errands (he carried everything for me). So he read it, with only a little difficulty due to my penmanship (I am blaming the pencil smudging), and actually liked it. He also thinks that his little sister would love it! So positive feed back already has really boosted my attitude towards writing and drawing this book. It would be awesome to have it published one day, but even if I only end up finishing it and making a couple copies for family or friends, I think it will be worth it.
"Boy, I got vision, and the rest of the world wears bifocals." Butch Cassidy Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Friday, 13 March 2015
And So It Continues
Physio and now physical rehab are starting to be my new norms. Last week was the first week with the physical rehab, and it pushed me to a point I hadn't been in a long time. I was glad for being pushed, but also worried about the pain that could come with it. But I am starting to deal with my mental weakness, while strengthening my physical weakness. Bought a couple tools to help with the process. A larger exercise ball to work on the core stabilization techniques, and strength training bands to work on the hips, legs, and core as well. I like the ball exercises. They seem simple and easy at first, but I feel it after the first few minutes pass. Which is good. It means that my body is still working and trying to improve. The squats are probably the hardest part for me. Since I grew up being a goalie for quite a few years (like a decade), my body has a predisposition to move in certain ways. My rehab coach I guess you would call him pointed out the flaws in how I was squatting today. He told me the way I was doing them made me look like a goalie, which I told him I was. He said that explained a lot then, and told me I would have to focus just that much more to do them properly.
Other than the exercises I do, I have a lot of free time on my hands right now. I spend it mostly listening to music, watching movies/TV shows, or just browsing the internet. BUT I decided since I have started to physically and mentally feel better, I would do something to help continue that good progress. So I started to draw one of the children's books that I have wanted to make for a long time. I am going to collaborate with one of my friends who I think is very talented with drawing and colouring to help me polish up the images and figure out a colour scheme to go with. I only started it yesterday, but I am happy with how I have progressed with it. Who knows, one day maybe my niece and nephews will have an aunt that writes stories that they read in school. That would be really cool. But that is also getting way a head of myself. First I have to finish the story.
"Weakness compels strength. Betrayal begets blood. This is the law of the Nine Clans." - Ozunu Ninja Assassin
Other than the exercises I do, I have a lot of free time on my hands right now. I spend it mostly listening to music, watching movies/TV shows, or just browsing the internet. BUT I decided since I have started to physically and mentally feel better, I would do something to help continue that good progress. So I started to draw one of the children's books that I have wanted to make for a long time. I am going to collaborate with one of my friends who I think is very talented with drawing and colouring to help me polish up the images and figure out a colour scheme to go with. I only started it yesterday, but I am happy with how I have progressed with it. Who knows, one day maybe my niece and nephews will have an aunt that writes stories that they read in school. That would be really cool. But that is also getting way a head of myself. First I have to finish the story.
"Weakness compels strength. Betrayal begets blood. This is the law of the Nine Clans." - Ozunu Ninja Assassin
Sunday, 8 March 2015
Healing?
I have heard people say the phrases like 'No Pain No Gain' and 'Feel The Burn' when talking about working out and getting healthy. But then there is also two types of pain. The pain of tired muscles from a good work out, and the flip side is the pain of hurting your body from pushing too far. That is always the pain you want to avoid, but sometimes it's hard to tell the difference between the two. I had physio of Friday, and then a physical therapy appointment right after. So going from two months of very limited movements, and then to an hour of physical strain was quite a lot for me. And my body is telling me so. This morning after getting up and rinsing my face, my left side from my waist down kind of collapsed on itself. No real harm done. Icing it now, but it was scary seeing myself in the mirror nearly collapsing into the counter/sink, and see the fear in my own eyes.
So what do I learn from this? I learn that I need to take things a lot slower. I still have to push myself, but also have to listen to my body more. Maybe I shouldn't have sat in certain ways the day before, or made sure my leg was propped up better while I slept, or a whole slew of other little things. Literally every move I make now has to be thought out before I even make it or I could easily get worse again. Thankfully I trust fully in the people I am working with to get my strength back. But it will take time, which is the biggest pill to swallow. I'm not the patient type, so it is frustrating that my body won't heal fast. Just breath right?
"Death smiles at us all, but all a man can do is smile back." - Marcus Aurelius
So what do I learn from this? I learn that I need to take things a lot slower. I still have to push myself, but also have to listen to my body more. Maybe I shouldn't have sat in certain ways the day before, or made sure my leg was propped up better while I slept, or a whole slew of other little things. Literally every move I make now has to be thought out before I even make it or I could easily get worse again. Thankfully I trust fully in the people I am working with to get my strength back. But it will take time, which is the biggest pill to swallow. I'm not the patient type, so it is frustrating that my body won't heal fast. Just breath right?
"Death smiles at us all, but all a man can do is smile back." - Marcus Aurelius
Tuesday, 3 March 2015
Back...
...Pain.
For those of you who follow my blog, but don't know me personally, I will catch you up on what my has been going on the past eight months or so.
Last summer I spent a month out west visiting my sister. While there, I ended up causing myself back issues. Being stubborn and thinking it would get better on its own, I didn't take time off from work, and I only went to my doctor about two months after it initially happened. Fast forward a month or two later, I had my first MRI which showed herniation on three of my lower discs. Christmas season at work ramps up, and my back grows steadily worse. I decide to take time off after Christmas to let my back get better. Within the first week I take off, my back worsens to the extent I end up in the emergency room twice in one day. First time was for the pain and spasming. The second time was the same, but I ended up going into a bit of shock from the pain, loss of hearing, blurred vision, hyperventilating. Thankfully my mom was there to catch me and get me back on the couch where I had just stood up from. Paramedics arrived and I got my first (and hopefully only) ride in an ambulance. A month or so after that, second MRI is taken, and shows that my slight herniation's are no longer just slight. Using a walker for a month or so, and a cane the past few weeks, I have started to make progress in the right direction. I have a back brace, but have been advised to only use it in situations like driving (which I have now been doing for the past two weeks to and from all my doctor and physio appointments), or lifting (which I can't attempt yet). As my physiotherapist says, I am progressing as slow as molasses, but it's still miles better then where I started.
So that is the basic gist of what has been happening in my life. My one sister thought it might be a good idea that I chronicle my journey of healing. I think it's a good idea, although I am kind of embarrassed to disclose things like how much weight or inches I lose while trying to get healthy in all aspects of my life. We will see how comfortable I am with it as time goes on.
My next post will probably be over the weekend, and I will discuss more about the exercises and stretches that I have been given to try and strengthen my core/back.
With that I will leave you with a quote from a movie I have watched this past week.
"If something should happen... maybe I never said this enough. I love all of you." Russell Hammond Almost Famous
For those of you who follow my blog, but don't know me personally, I will catch you up on what my has been going on the past eight months or so.
Last summer I spent a month out west visiting my sister. While there, I ended up causing myself back issues. Being stubborn and thinking it would get better on its own, I didn't take time off from work, and I only went to my doctor about two months after it initially happened. Fast forward a month or two later, I had my first MRI which showed herniation on three of my lower discs. Christmas season at work ramps up, and my back grows steadily worse. I decide to take time off after Christmas to let my back get better. Within the first week I take off, my back worsens to the extent I end up in the emergency room twice in one day. First time was for the pain and spasming. The second time was the same, but I ended up going into a bit of shock from the pain, loss of hearing, blurred vision, hyperventilating. Thankfully my mom was there to catch me and get me back on the couch where I had just stood up from. Paramedics arrived and I got my first (and hopefully only) ride in an ambulance. A month or so after that, second MRI is taken, and shows that my slight herniation's are no longer just slight. Using a walker for a month or so, and a cane the past few weeks, I have started to make progress in the right direction. I have a back brace, but have been advised to only use it in situations like driving (which I have now been doing for the past two weeks to and from all my doctor and physio appointments), or lifting (which I can't attempt yet). As my physiotherapist says, I am progressing as slow as molasses, but it's still miles better then where I started.
So that is the basic gist of what has been happening in my life. My one sister thought it might be a good idea that I chronicle my journey of healing. I think it's a good idea, although I am kind of embarrassed to disclose things like how much weight or inches I lose while trying to get healthy in all aspects of my life. We will see how comfortable I am with it as time goes on.
My next post will probably be over the weekend, and I will discuss more about the exercises and stretches that I have been given to try and strengthen my core/back.
With that I will leave you with a quote from a movie I have watched this past week.
"If something should happen... maybe I never said this enough. I love all of you." Russell Hammond Almost Famous
Friday, 20 June 2014
An Ode to Youtube...
...Well more specifically two channels (but also many others as well).
GameGrumps and the Rooster Teeth family I want to say thank you.
I started following GameGrumps from the get go. I had known about JonTron and Egoraptor and saw they were collaborating for a new channel and I watched every video they released. It was actually through them that I came upon Rooster Teeth and the Achievement Hunter crew. I know, I was late to the game with that one. But not long after I started watching the many Let’s Plays they were all making, my dad died.
Okay, time to back track a little bit. Like many people my age, 23, Youtube has been a main stay in our lives for quite some time. Some probably started off with Homestarrunner or websites like FunnyJunk. Since growing up sucks, Youtube was the perfect place to turn to see people from all over the world being just as awkward or confused or as lonely as you were feeling. It was also a place where people like the Vlogbrothers (John and Hank Green) showed that even though there is suck in the world, you can combat it together by every little act of awesome you preformed. Youtube was a place of hope, new ideas, fun, laughter, sadness, anger, and every other daily human emotion. People like Charlieissocoollike, Michael Aranda, the Fine Brothers, Freddie Wong, the Five Awesome Girls (which then became every version of the Five Awesome -insert name here-) were all talking about things that mattered to them, or making music, or amazing CG video’s. They were all amazing in there own way. And to me, on the other side of the screen, those video’s became like cherished friends. Being awkward sucks, and seeing how these people turned their quirks into their best assets really made me feel hopeful.
Now back to present day.
It has been roughly a year since my dad died. When I found out, I was having a carefree adventure in New Zealand on a working holiday. I had gone skydiving the day before, and was just thrilled with how life was going. But that single phone call from my sister still echo’s throughout me. The simple phrase “I’m sorry. His heart wasn’t strong enough.” still brings me to tears (crying as I type). Something inside of me broke, and I didn’t eat (or really sleep) until I got back to Canada three days later. I didn’t think I would ever be able to laugh again, or even smile. But, like during many other difficult times in my life, I shut myself down and turned to Youtube. I know not the best choice, but after he died, I realized that my dad had been my best friend, and that I would never have him there again to teach me about anything ever again. He was the best man I have ever known and I am lucky to have had him as my dad. And I am not saying that my friends weren’t there to support me, they were, and I will always be grateful to them for being my friends. But there was and still is something that I don’t think I will ever be able to express, which somehow the (sometimes crude) humour of the gaming channels just touched. The first few days after coming home were the hardest and I couldn’t sleep, so I went on GameGrumps and had a Sonic ’06 binge watching spree. Some how, with the laughter and carefree voices of Arin and Jon in the background, I finally found sleep. In the following months, every video that came out I cherished because it was a safe place to listen, no one judged me and with Danny’s introduction it was like getting a new friend that was willing to express himself fully which amazed me. The Minecraft series that the Achievement Hunters came out with, were a similar safe place. Each time Gavin gave his little strangle of a cry scream when he was dying (or did something stupid like fall down a hole), or when Ray would jump from block to block calling ‘Parkour’ or ‘YOLO’ (and yes, even the fake jerk off in the corners were funny), or when Jack would go off and build a house and basically be like 'fuck it, I play by my own rules', each time I watched them it got a little bit easier to smile and the smile lasted a little bit longer. Michaels laugh and epic battle cry ('Mogar is ready!'), and Geoff’s frustration and ridiculous house, and Ryan’s sadistic killing sprees and weird animal attraction, all made it seem like everything was going to be all right.
So yes this is an ode to Youtube, but more importantly it is a thank you to every Youtuber out there. I know I am not the only one who thinks these things about you, and you should realize that what you do does matter to a huge amount of people world wide. I know my family doesn’t really understand why I love watching your sometimes silly or ridiculous videos, but that’s okay. They each have there own outlet where they can find laughter, and this is mine. So in the words of the Vlogbrothers, I want to remind all of you to D.F.T.B.A.
GameGrumps and the Rooster Teeth family I want to say thank you.
I started following GameGrumps from the get go. I had known about JonTron and Egoraptor and saw they were collaborating for a new channel and I watched every video they released. It was actually through them that I came upon Rooster Teeth and the Achievement Hunter crew. I know, I was late to the game with that one. But not long after I started watching the many Let’s Plays they were all making, my dad died.
Okay, time to back track a little bit. Like many people my age, 23, Youtube has been a main stay in our lives for quite some time. Some probably started off with Homestarrunner or websites like FunnyJunk. Since growing up sucks, Youtube was the perfect place to turn to see people from all over the world being just as awkward or confused or as lonely as you were feeling. It was also a place where people like the Vlogbrothers (John and Hank Green) showed that even though there is suck in the world, you can combat it together by every little act of awesome you preformed. Youtube was a place of hope, new ideas, fun, laughter, sadness, anger, and every other daily human emotion. People like Charlieissocoollike, Michael Aranda, the Fine Brothers, Freddie Wong, the Five Awesome Girls (which then became every version of the Five Awesome -insert name here-) were all talking about things that mattered to them, or making music, or amazing CG video’s. They were all amazing in there own way. And to me, on the other side of the screen, those video’s became like cherished friends. Being awkward sucks, and seeing how these people turned their quirks into their best assets really made me feel hopeful.
Now back to present day.
It has been roughly a year since my dad died. When I found out, I was having a carefree adventure in New Zealand on a working holiday. I had gone skydiving the day before, and was just thrilled with how life was going. But that single phone call from my sister still echo’s throughout me. The simple phrase “I’m sorry. His heart wasn’t strong enough.” still brings me to tears (crying as I type). Something inside of me broke, and I didn’t eat (or really sleep) until I got back to Canada three days later. I didn’t think I would ever be able to laugh again, or even smile. But, like during many other difficult times in my life, I shut myself down and turned to Youtube. I know not the best choice, but after he died, I realized that my dad had been my best friend, and that I would never have him there again to teach me about anything ever again. He was the best man I have ever known and I am lucky to have had him as my dad. And I am not saying that my friends weren’t there to support me, they were, and I will always be grateful to them for being my friends. But there was and still is something that I don’t think I will ever be able to express, which somehow the (sometimes crude) humour of the gaming channels just touched. The first few days after coming home were the hardest and I couldn’t sleep, so I went on GameGrumps and had a Sonic ’06 binge watching spree. Some how, with the laughter and carefree voices of Arin and Jon in the background, I finally found sleep. In the following months, every video that came out I cherished because it was a safe place to listen, no one judged me and with Danny’s introduction it was like getting a new friend that was willing to express himself fully which amazed me. The Minecraft series that the Achievement Hunters came out with, were a similar safe place. Each time Gavin gave his little strangle of a cry scream when he was dying (or did something stupid like fall down a hole), or when Ray would jump from block to block calling ‘Parkour’ or ‘YOLO’ (and yes, even the fake jerk off in the corners were funny), or when Jack would go off and build a house and basically be like 'fuck it, I play by my own rules', each time I watched them it got a little bit easier to smile and the smile lasted a little bit longer. Michaels laugh and epic battle cry ('Mogar is ready!'), and Geoff’s frustration and ridiculous house, and Ryan’s sadistic killing sprees and weird animal attraction, all made it seem like everything was going to be all right.
So yes this is an ode to Youtube, but more importantly it is a thank you to every Youtuber out there. I know I am not the only one who thinks these things about you, and you should realize that what you do does matter to a huge amount of people world wide. I know my family doesn’t really understand why I love watching your sometimes silly or ridiculous videos, but that’s okay. They each have there own outlet where they can find laughter, and this is mine. So in the words of the Vlogbrothers, I want to remind all of you to D.F.T.B.A.
Thursday, 23 January 2014
Just keep swimming
Just keep going.
That's all I have been able to focus on really for the past seven months.
That and hoping every day I wake up and reality changes.
With the death of my father back in July, my reality is now and forever altered.
Every day is a struggle, but I know it is for everyone in my family. I was yanked out of my 'happy go lucky' travel adventure, to the harsh reality that life is unpredictable and never fair. Work has become my only life, and I am getting tired of feeling sorry for myself and not doing anything about it. So following once again in my older sister's foot steps, I have decided that I am going to start blogging and writing again. It will at least make me accountable for continuing to live, even if it is only small things to begin with. I need to find joy in life again, and productive ways to express myself.
So I will just end this with a thank you to everyone for the support over the last year, and with a little hope that it get's better.
"Dory: Hey, Mr. Grumpy Gills. When life gets you down you know what you've gotta do?
Marlin: I don’t want to know.
Dory: [singing] Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. What do we do? We swim, swim." - 'Finding Nemo' Ellen DeGeneres and Albert Brooks
That's all I have been able to focus on really for the past seven months.
That and hoping every day I wake up and reality changes.
With the death of my father back in July, my reality is now and forever altered.
Every day is a struggle, but I know it is for everyone in my family. I was yanked out of my 'happy go lucky' travel adventure, to the harsh reality that life is unpredictable and never fair. Work has become my only life, and I am getting tired of feeling sorry for myself and not doing anything about it. So following once again in my older sister's foot steps, I have decided that I am going to start blogging and writing again. It will at least make me accountable for continuing to live, even if it is only small things to begin with. I need to find joy in life again, and productive ways to express myself.
So I will just end this with a thank you to everyone for the support over the last year, and with a little hope that it get's better.
"Dory: Hey, Mr. Grumpy Gills. When life gets you down you know what you've gotta do?
Marlin: I don’t want to know.
Dory: [singing] Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. What do we do? We swim, swim." - 'Finding Nemo' Ellen DeGeneres and Albert Brooks
Sunday, 23 June 2013
Oh Sunny Days
Yeah not really. The first few days in Sydney were actually quite nice. But yeah, the past few have been excessively wet and rainy.
Day 1: I arrived and Martha met me at the airport. We took a bus into the city. I got to see where she lived, and we went exploring. Walked around UNSW campus and I met like two dozen people who Martha is either friends with or worked/studied with while she has been in Oz. Walked down to Coogee beach and wrote a happy fathers day message in the sand for our dad (Happy Dad Day again dad). Did a little bit of grocery shopping and made Yael and Andy dinner. Early night to bed (8:30pm) since I had been up for getting close to 20hours. Then the day of why both Martha and I were in Sydney arrived. GRADUATION DAY! It was a great day. People *coughJohnElhamcough* thought it was a cold day, but I thought it was awesome. Met like another 2-3 dozen of Martha's friends and got the giggles in the middle of the ceremony. Oh funny names. It was a good day though, and lots more proper laughs followed. Australia played Iraq in the qualifiers for the Men's FIFA World Cup, and won in the last minutes of the game. So everyone was super stoked about the grad and the win.
And the excitement and fun just continued throughout the rest of the week.
Zoo day! Martha, Yael, Tom, Anna, and John showed me around and got to see a few new things there. We went to the Tasmanian devil feeding which was cool. While at the feeding we learned that the tassie devil is quickly dying off due to a really rare cancer. They have started a breeding program to make sure they have a good gene pool to draw from to continue the existence of the tassie and also to help find a way to make a cure. Currently the cancer is 100% fatal. We also went to the bird show which was probably the most amazing thing about the zoo trip. The abilities and training that they have nurtured and developed was spectacular. We also saw the seal show which was more informative and less tricks but still very neat. And to top it off, while we walked past the male elephant section, the keepers were playing with the one elephant. It was setting up a soccer ball and kicking it, and drop kicking a rugby ball. It was a very awe inspiring day, but also very sombering. To think that human's have destroyed so much nature that some animals only know the life of a cage since there are so few left, let's just say by the end of the day I was feeling very reflective. After the zoo, they introduced me to a hot chocolate place that I doubt could be equaled anywhere other than maybe somewhere in Europe. Max Brenners. Yael, Martha, and I have decided that Max Brenners should replace Starbucks in Canada, and Tim Hortons should replace Starbucks in Australia. It is an out of this world choco experience. After the amazing drink you would think the rest of the trip would be a flop right?
Wrong!
Art museum. Very randomly set up, but super interesting pieces. And I of course pulled a blonde moment. We were looking at some china from China that is like 600 years old, and I thought "Wow, these are really beautiful, they should be in a museum" which made me start laughing to myself, since right after thinking that I was like "Um, they are." Martha asked what was so funny, so I told her and we both had a good laugh at my moment. That day was also Martha's birthday! So dinner out with a bunch of her friends and a really good dumpling place, and a cake/roll thing that Yael and I made back at their house. Friday was our "down day". Which saw us eat lunch with more new people for me, and then we headed over to the family that Martha used to babysit/house sit for. Then back home to have another yummy dinner of kangaroo, which I have now had basically everyday being here. Saturday was another exciting day. I went swimming for the first time in the ocean at Clovelly. John, Martha and I then walked in the rain to Bondi beach. It was a wet day, and when I had my warm shower after walking around for 5 hours my hands felt like they were burning. Guess it was colder than I wanted to admit, at least the air was, the water was warmish. That night I got to meet a couple girls from Martha's soccer team. Very nice people. And the third Alex I have met on this trip. We had some good Chinese food, and then probably the coolest desert ever. Liquid nitrogen gelato! I had the strawberry blonde geisha (green tea gelato with flirty strawberry bits - their description), Martha got the we are the champions (maple and smoked bacon), Nat got popcorn, and Alex got dark chocolate and sea salt. We have come to the conclusion that mine was the best, and Martha's was overpowered by the bacon.
SUNDAY! Started with an awesome pancake brekkie made by Yael, and the maple syrup provided by our neighbours in Waterloo. Then off to a Persian wedding luncheon for Elham and Iman. Elham looked beautiful, but we had to dash. After a half hour with them, we hopped on to the bus and headed for the Sydney Opera House to see Peter and the wolf performed by the symphony featuring the Aussie icon Dame Edna. It was great music and a funny performance by the Dame. After that we hopped onto another bus, and headed to Maroubra junction to get our GoT on. Alex (another Alex) and Sarah had us over to meet their little Henry, and play Game of Thrones the board game. I chose to play as the Strak's and kept saying 'Winter is coming'. It was a lot of fun. Martha won. But it was fun. John showed up for dessert and gave us a ride home. I have found that all of Martha's friends are super nice.
Last day! Yael, Martha and I went out to Maroubra beach - also known in local terminology as the bra - where we watched surfers do their thing, while enjoying a simple but good breakfast. Came back, started writing this blog, then left to grab a cuppa at Max Brenners with soccer girls. Alex and Ro, very cool people and yummy hot chocolate. Came back home again, packed, and now the blog is updated!
"Don't shoot! Seriously, I don't even like working here. They are so weird!"- Mandarin guard 'Iron Man 3'
Day 1: I arrived and Martha met me at the airport. We took a bus into the city. I got to see where she lived, and we went exploring. Walked around UNSW campus and I met like two dozen people who Martha is either friends with or worked/studied with while she has been in Oz. Walked down to Coogee beach and wrote a happy fathers day message in the sand for our dad (Happy Dad Day again dad). Did a little bit of grocery shopping and made Yael and Andy dinner. Early night to bed (8:30pm) since I had been up for getting close to 20hours. Then the day of why both Martha and I were in Sydney arrived. GRADUATION DAY! It was a great day. People *coughJohnElhamcough* thought it was a cold day, but I thought it was awesome. Met like another 2-3 dozen of Martha's friends and got the giggles in the middle of the ceremony. Oh funny names. It was a good day though, and lots more proper laughs followed. Australia played Iraq in the qualifiers for the Men's FIFA World Cup, and won in the last minutes of the game. So everyone was super stoked about the grad and the win.
And the excitement and fun just continued throughout the rest of the week.
Zoo day! Martha, Yael, Tom, Anna, and John showed me around and got to see a few new things there. We went to the Tasmanian devil feeding which was cool. While at the feeding we learned that the tassie devil is quickly dying off due to a really rare cancer. They have started a breeding program to make sure they have a good gene pool to draw from to continue the existence of the tassie and also to help find a way to make a cure. Currently the cancer is 100% fatal. We also went to the bird show which was probably the most amazing thing about the zoo trip. The abilities and training that they have nurtured and developed was spectacular. We also saw the seal show which was more informative and less tricks but still very neat. And to top it off, while we walked past the male elephant section, the keepers were playing with the one elephant. It was setting up a soccer ball and kicking it, and drop kicking a rugby ball. It was a very awe inspiring day, but also very sombering. To think that human's have destroyed so much nature that some animals only know the life of a cage since there are so few left, let's just say by the end of the day I was feeling very reflective. After the zoo, they introduced me to a hot chocolate place that I doubt could be equaled anywhere other than maybe somewhere in Europe. Max Brenners. Yael, Martha, and I have decided that Max Brenners should replace Starbucks in Canada, and Tim Hortons should replace Starbucks in Australia. It is an out of this world choco experience. After the amazing drink you would think the rest of the trip would be a flop right?
Wrong!
Art museum. Very randomly set up, but super interesting pieces. And I of course pulled a blonde moment. We were looking at some china from China that is like 600 years old, and I thought "Wow, these are really beautiful, they should be in a museum" which made me start laughing to myself, since right after thinking that I was like "Um, they are." Martha asked what was so funny, so I told her and we both had a good laugh at my moment. That day was also Martha's birthday! So dinner out with a bunch of her friends and a really good dumpling place, and a cake/roll thing that Yael and I made back at their house. Friday was our "down day". Which saw us eat lunch with more new people for me, and then we headed over to the family that Martha used to babysit/house sit for. Then back home to have another yummy dinner of kangaroo, which I have now had basically everyday being here. Saturday was another exciting day. I went swimming for the first time in the ocean at Clovelly. John, Martha and I then walked in the rain to Bondi beach. It was a wet day, and when I had my warm shower after walking around for 5 hours my hands felt like they were burning. Guess it was colder than I wanted to admit, at least the air was, the water was warmish. That night I got to meet a couple girls from Martha's soccer team. Very nice people. And the third Alex I have met on this trip. We had some good Chinese food, and then probably the coolest desert ever. Liquid nitrogen gelato! I had the strawberry blonde geisha (green tea gelato with flirty strawberry bits - their description), Martha got the we are the champions (maple and smoked bacon), Nat got popcorn, and Alex got dark chocolate and sea salt. We have come to the conclusion that mine was the best, and Martha's was overpowered by the bacon.
SUNDAY! Started with an awesome pancake brekkie made by Yael, and the maple syrup provided by our neighbours in Waterloo. Then off to a Persian wedding luncheon for Elham and Iman. Elham looked beautiful, but we had to dash. After a half hour with them, we hopped on to the bus and headed for the Sydney Opera House to see Peter and the wolf performed by the symphony featuring the Aussie icon Dame Edna. It was great music and a funny performance by the Dame. After that we hopped onto another bus, and headed to Maroubra junction to get our GoT on. Alex (another Alex) and Sarah had us over to meet their little Henry, and play Game of Thrones the board game. I chose to play as the Strak's and kept saying 'Winter is coming'. It was a lot of fun. Martha won. But it was fun. John showed up for dessert and gave us a ride home. I have found that all of Martha's friends are super nice.
Last day! Yael, Martha and I went out to Maroubra beach - also known in local terminology as the bra - where we watched surfers do their thing, while enjoying a simple but good breakfast. Came back, started writing this blog, then left to grab a cuppa at Max Brenners with soccer girls. Alex and Ro, very cool people and yummy hot chocolate. Came back home again, packed, and now the blog is updated!
"Don't shoot! Seriously, I don't even like working here. They are so weird!"- Mandarin guard 'Iron Man 3'
Thursday, 13 June 2013
I'm Back!
I have been given instructions from a very important person that my blog was in need of an update, so here it goes.
I am back in Christchurch right now, but this time I am not ill! So the visit has already started on the right foot. I am staying with the same fabulous family from my last visit and yes Mom I am trying to help around the house with little things like dishes and folding laundry. p.s. Mom the kids love the shirts :)
I just reread my last post, so the following little tales should all be new.
Queenstown - it was definitely a lifestyle change from Kinloch. Since it is a tourist town everything is expensive, and extreme, so in my down time I was quite boring. I read a lot, and hung out with a few friends I made. I went to some meditation nights, and watched saw some movies. 'Star Trek' I went to the midnight opening showing of, and by golly was it good. Also saw 'Idenity Theif' which was okay, and 'Iron Man 3' which I absolutely loved. Pepper Potts kicked some ass, and a woman kicking ass is always a plus in my books. So that was Queenstown in a nut shell. Well, okay, not quite. Fat Badgers and World Bar went up in flames. I had a cold at the time so had spent the day in bed, and didn't know about it until my friend Holly texted me if I was okay. And if anyone is confused, Fat Badgers was a pizza place below World Bar and is where the fire started which caused them both to go up in smoke. My stay in Queenstown last 5 weeks, and then I moved back out into the middle of nowhere.
Glenorchy/Kinloch - Next on the list of "What to Do" was working on a farm between Glenorchy and Kinloch. I don't actually know which town/village it falls into, but does it really matter when you are travelling to make these small little definitions? nope. So I worked on a cow farm for Al's friend Thomas. It was different once again to either of the other jobs. The first day I was there it was time for the cows to be scanned. Now this isn't a dairy farm, it's a beef farm with a lot of female cows who need to get preggers so the calfs can be sold. So scanning the cows was to check if they were preggers or not. And most were. I think only a handful or so weren't, and thats out of nearly 300 cows, so good job bulls lol. I also painted a hallway and a mudroom while I was there. Helped feed the chucks and cows, and clean out the chuck houses. Planted the spring bulbs, and helped sort out some stuff from a spare room and the garage. I really enjoyed it. Thomas and Karen also had a dog, which I love! Her name is Xena and she is a mouse killer, not quite as cool as a warrior princess, but still a very cool dog. I left the farm this past Tuesday, and rejoined Stray Bus. Once again I had another driver. This time it was Spoons. He was covering for another driver who had hurt their arm, so he didn't have a mic to talk to us about the places we passed. But it was okay. Most of us just slept on the bus. So I saw Mt. Cook again. This time I went for a walk and got back before it was dark. Others had gone on a longer walk, and ended up having to use their cell phones and one persons flash light to make their ways back. The next day we went to Lake Tekapo where a bunch of us went ice skating. It was a lot of fun, and I realised two things; 1-I need to get my skates at home sharpened, and 2-I skate like how people ski lol. That night we stayed in Rangitata, and watched some episodes of 'Flight of the Concords' and then since most of us had never seen it, Spoons had us watch 'Top Gun' which yes has a great soundtrack, but no is not that great of a movie. Now I am in Christchurch, and just relaxing for a few days before my next big adventure. I am on my way to Oz...do I follow the yellow brick road?
"Glad to meet you kid, you're a real horses ass."- Henry Gondorf 'The Sting'
I am back in Christchurch right now, but this time I am not ill! So the visit has already started on the right foot. I am staying with the same fabulous family from my last visit and yes Mom I am trying to help around the house with little things like dishes and folding laundry. p.s. Mom the kids love the shirts :)
I just reread my last post, so the following little tales should all be new.
Queenstown - it was definitely a lifestyle change from Kinloch. Since it is a tourist town everything is expensive, and extreme, so in my down time I was quite boring. I read a lot, and hung out with a few friends I made. I went to some meditation nights, and watched saw some movies. 'Star Trek' I went to the midnight opening showing of, and by golly was it good. Also saw 'Idenity Theif' which was okay, and 'Iron Man 3' which I absolutely loved. Pepper Potts kicked some ass, and a woman kicking ass is always a plus in my books. So that was Queenstown in a nut shell. Well, okay, not quite. Fat Badgers and World Bar went up in flames. I had a cold at the time so had spent the day in bed, and didn't know about it until my friend Holly texted me if I was okay. And if anyone is confused, Fat Badgers was a pizza place below World Bar and is where the fire started which caused them both to go up in smoke. My stay in Queenstown last 5 weeks, and then I moved back out into the middle of nowhere.
Glenorchy/Kinloch - Next on the list of "What to Do" was working on a farm between Glenorchy and Kinloch. I don't actually know which town/village it falls into, but does it really matter when you are travelling to make these small little definitions? nope. So I worked on a cow farm for Al's friend Thomas. It was different once again to either of the other jobs. The first day I was there it was time for the cows to be scanned. Now this isn't a dairy farm, it's a beef farm with a lot of female cows who need to get preggers so the calfs can be sold. So scanning the cows was to check if they were preggers or not. And most were. I think only a handful or so weren't, and thats out of nearly 300 cows, so good job bulls lol. I also painted a hallway and a mudroom while I was there. Helped feed the chucks and cows, and clean out the chuck houses. Planted the spring bulbs, and helped sort out some stuff from a spare room and the garage. I really enjoyed it. Thomas and Karen also had a dog, which I love! Her name is Xena and she is a mouse killer, not quite as cool as a warrior princess, but still a very cool dog. I left the farm this past Tuesday, and rejoined Stray Bus. Once again I had another driver. This time it was Spoons. He was covering for another driver who had hurt their arm, so he didn't have a mic to talk to us about the places we passed. But it was okay. Most of us just slept on the bus. So I saw Mt. Cook again. This time I went for a walk and got back before it was dark. Others had gone on a longer walk, and ended up having to use their cell phones and one persons flash light to make their ways back. The next day we went to Lake Tekapo where a bunch of us went ice skating. It was a lot of fun, and I realised two things; 1-I need to get my skates at home sharpened, and 2-I skate like how people ski lol. That night we stayed in Rangitata, and watched some episodes of 'Flight of the Concords' and then since most of us had never seen it, Spoons had us watch 'Top Gun' which yes has a great soundtrack, but no is not that great of a movie. Now I am in Christchurch, and just relaxing for a few days before my next big adventure. I am on my way to Oz...do I follow the yellow brick road?
"Glad to meet you kid, you're a real horses ass."- Henry Gondorf 'The Sting'
Thursday, 9 May 2013
Life continues!
Okay once again haven't posted in a really long time. And this time I am not going to apologize :D
Since the last time I posted I have been to Dunedin and stayed at Hogwartz. A very good hostel and I recommend it to people if they ever are in need of one in Dunedin. I also stayed with my mom's friend there in her cute little house, with her and her significant other. They were wonderful hosts, and vegan. So guess who ate vegan for a week? ME! It was really good food, and I think I will be trying out some recipes when I get back to Canada where the cost of food isn't as crazy.
After Dunedin I moved to Kinloch and lived in a converted bus for a month. And it has been the best month I think yet. I loved having a fire at night to keep me warm, and living in the middle of nowhere basically. Working in Kinloch I learned a bit about car's, and mechanic work, but mostly just how much brute force goes into country living. The first day I chopped wood for 2 hrs straight basically, and got some pretty good blisters on both hands. I also washed out a killing hut. Other things I did over my month in Kinloch, learned how to drive a digger (the big yellow caterpillar kind of things) and use it to move logs and such. Went deer hunting, but didn't get anything. Got good at removing seats from vans and at putting them back in. Pulled a lot of weeds, and cut trees down to size. Decluttered movies on a rainy day. Jumped in the lake on April 20th with some snow already on the peaks of the mountains. Had some pretty epic fires that kept burning for a couple days - all very safe of course. Took an engine out of a car, and have now gotten used to having oil and dirt almost always under my nails. I also knitted a little ghost doll toy thing. It didn't turn out all that good, but it was fast and easy to make. I am going to have to try it again eventually. I think my nephews would like it.
So that was Kinloch. I have since moved to Queenstown. I have been here just under 2 weeks now, and it has had some extremes. I am working in a bike rental shop, and since it is fall, it has been raining on and off and getting colder. So not a lot of people wanting to rent bikes. But I have been making a few friends, and been able to focus a little bit on what comes next. Which is AUSTRALIA! My sister's graduation is next month and I am going to fly to Sydney to attend her grad, and then a few days later it is her birthday so we shall celebrate in style! I am super excited to be able to go to her grad and witness her accepting something she has most definitely earned and more so deserves. So proud of my big sister.
And that's life in a nut shell right now. Oh I forgot to mention I got to shoot a shotgun and a .22 rifle. So I guess I should really say that's life in a shotgun shell.
"No life, without wife"- Bride and Prejudice
Since the last time I posted I have been to Dunedin and stayed at Hogwartz. A very good hostel and I recommend it to people if they ever are in need of one in Dunedin. I also stayed with my mom's friend there in her cute little house, with her and her significant other. They were wonderful hosts, and vegan. So guess who ate vegan for a week? ME! It was really good food, and I think I will be trying out some recipes when I get back to Canada where the cost of food isn't as crazy.
After Dunedin I moved to Kinloch and lived in a converted bus for a month. And it has been the best month I think yet. I loved having a fire at night to keep me warm, and living in the middle of nowhere basically. Working in Kinloch I learned a bit about car's, and mechanic work, but mostly just how much brute force goes into country living. The first day I chopped wood for 2 hrs straight basically, and got some pretty good blisters on both hands. I also washed out a killing hut. Other things I did over my month in Kinloch, learned how to drive a digger (the big yellow caterpillar kind of things) and use it to move logs and such. Went deer hunting, but didn't get anything. Got good at removing seats from vans and at putting them back in. Pulled a lot of weeds, and cut trees down to size. Decluttered movies on a rainy day. Jumped in the lake on April 20th with some snow already on the peaks of the mountains. Had some pretty epic fires that kept burning for a couple days - all very safe of course. Took an engine out of a car, and have now gotten used to having oil and dirt almost always under my nails. I also knitted a little ghost doll toy thing. It didn't turn out all that good, but it was fast and easy to make. I am going to have to try it again eventually. I think my nephews would like it.
So that was Kinloch. I have since moved to Queenstown. I have been here just under 2 weeks now, and it has had some extremes. I am working in a bike rental shop, and since it is fall, it has been raining on and off and getting colder. So not a lot of people wanting to rent bikes. But I have been making a few friends, and been able to focus a little bit on what comes next. Which is AUSTRALIA! My sister's graduation is next month and I am going to fly to Sydney to attend her grad, and then a few days later it is her birthday so we shall celebrate in style! I am super excited to be able to go to her grad and witness her accepting something she has most definitely earned and more so deserves. So proud of my big sister.
And that's life in a nut shell right now. Oh I forgot to mention I got to shoot a shotgun and a .22 rifle. So I guess I should really say that's life in a shotgun shell.
"No life, without wife"- Bride and Prejudice
Monday, 1 April 2013
Apologies
I should start with saying sorry I haven't posted a blog in almost a month. It was bad manners for me to make it seem as if I didn't want you all knowing what I have been up too. So a recap of the end of my Stray journey. I think the last time I posted was when I was in Invercargill. Well the place we stayed was called Tuatara and was quite nice. The cafe that was part of it gave discounts to people who stayed at the hostel so I bought breakfast there and Thrift shop was playing. Made me so happy to hear that song since it made me feel like Martha was there with me a bit. So we left late that day and went to a bluff area and saw roughly a dozen sea lions which was pretty cool. Then it was back to Queenstown. Altitude the Base hostel bar where I had previously sung karaoke was having a backlight UV paint type night. It was pretty funny seeing how painted people were getting and yes I had some put on my face as well. No pictures though. Lots of people who had hopped off the bus previously were now in Queenstown so it was cool seeing people that you didn't think you would see again.
Next stop, Aoraki or in other words Mount Cook. It was a nice place. I started getting a fever here so didn't do much other then watch a video about how Aoraki and the mountains got there names. Aoraki is also known as cloud piercer. Headed out next to Rangitata. I went horse back riding here. And I thought the horse I got had the perfect name. Bobby. Lol. For those of you reading this who don't really know me or my family my brother is named Bobby. So I just thought it was fitting how little things along my trip have connected me back to my family. The ride was really nice. Our guide picked wild black berries for us and so we had a bit of a treat on our ride. The place we stayed was really nice. Rustic cabin type place. I was still not feeling great with a fever and stuff. We had a good group meal that night and watched some movies.
Christchurch up next and my last stop with Stray. I stayed with friends of my moms cousin in Christchurch, but before I met them I napped in the semi famous gardens in the central area of town. It was good, but it didn't help me get better. After the first night with Jill and Lucy (yes we have the same name) I got worse. My fever just kept going up. It eventually hit around the 40'C mark when I started to puke. My head was also pounding and my ears hurt like crazy. Went to the doctors the next day and as I thought I had ear infections in both ears and as she put it a touch of the flu. I puked a couple more times that day and didn't get any better even with the prescriptions she gave me. So the next day, it was time to go to the clinic. This clinic was probably the nicest hospital doctor type place I have ever been too. I got blood work done, and had to have an IV drip since I was crazy dehydrated. They also gave me really good anti nauseant medication. And what ever they did it worked. I barely had a headache, my temperature was back to normal, I ate for the first time in 3 days, my ears still hurt but I had antibiotics for that. It was amazing to feel like I wasn't burning to a crisp slowly. I didn't do much the rest of the week. Just wanted to get my strength back and not rush my body. I did some small walks and tried to help out as much as possible at Jill and Lucys. They were two of the nicest people I have met. And there family is just so nice as well. There friends Paul and Jane were headed down to Dunedin on the friday and let me tag along with them. They were also super nice and even dropped me off at my hostel in Dunedin.
Dunedin. I started out staying at Hogwartz. It was a cool hostel. I didn't do much. Just started looking for jobs and writing. On Tuesday I hung out at the library all day and then got picked up by my moms friend Clarissa. I an currently staying with her and her boyfriend. They are really nice people and are vegan, so I have been eating vegan for the past week basically. That first night I went with Clarissa to her Maori class. It was cool. I applied for a bunch of different work opportunities the next day and that night finally met Marcelo her boyfriend. He is very nice and interesting. We talked about a lot of different topics while they made vegan blue cheese buffalo wing pizza. So instead of blue cheese it was tofu and some spices and stuff. And instead of buffalo wings it was cauliflower with wheat stuff and BBQ sauce. Also home made crust. It was really good. They went away for Easter weekend so I got to be home alone for a few days which I basically read and chilled out over. Yesterday they took me to Sandfly beach. It was a nice place. Big sand dunes and the ocean. Saw a couple of sea lions there as well. Now I am just waiting for responses to my applications for work. So that is basically my last month in a nut shell.
"Attitude reflects leadership, captain."- Julius 'Remember the Titans'
Next stop, Aoraki or in other words Mount Cook. It was a nice place. I started getting a fever here so didn't do much other then watch a video about how Aoraki and the mountains got there names. Aoraki is also known as cloud piercer. Headed out next to Rangitata. I went horse back riding here. And I thought the horse I got had the perfect name. Bobby. Lol. For those of you reading this who don't really know me or my family my brother is named Bobby. So I just thought it was fitting how little things along my trip have connected me back to my family. The ride was really nice. Our guide picked wild black berries for us and so we had a bit of a treat on our ride. The place we stayed was really nice. Rustic cabin type place. I was still not feeling great with a fever and stuff. We had a good group meal that night and watched some movies.
Christchurch up next and my last stop with Stray. I stayed with friends of my moms cousin in Christchurch, but before I met them I napped in the semi famous gardens in the central area of town. It was good, but it didn't help me get better. After the first night with Jill and Lucy (yes we have the same name) I got worse. My fever just kept going up. It eventually hit around the 40'C mark when I started to puke. My head was also pounding and my ears hurt like crazy. Went to the doctors the next day and as I thought I had ear infections in both ears and as she put it a touch of the flu. I puked a couple more times that day and didn't get any better even with the prescriptions she gave me. So the next day, it was time to go to the clinic. This clinic was probably the nicest hospital doctor type place I have ever been too. I got blood work done, and had to have an IV drip since I was crazy dehydrated. They also gave me really good anti nauseant medication. And what ever they did it worked. I barely had a headache, my temperature was back to normal, I ate for the first time in 3 days, my ears still hurt but I had antibiotics for that. It was amazing to feel like I wasn't burning to a crisp slowly. I didn't do much the rest of the week. Just wanted to get my strength back and not rush my body. I did some small walks and tried to help out as much as possible at Jill and Lucys. They were two of the nicest people I have met. And there family is just so nice as well. There friends Paul and Jane were headed down to Dunedin on the friday and let me tag along with them. They were also super nice and even dropped me off at my hostel in Dunedin.
Dunedin. I started out staying at Hogwartz. It was a cool hostel. I didn't do much. Just started looking for jobs and writing. On Tuesday I hung out at the library all day and then got picked up by my moms friend Clarissa. I an currently staying with her and her boyfriend. They are really nice people and are vegan, so I have been eating vegan for the past week basically. That first night I went with Clarissa to her Maori class. It was cool. I applied for a bunch of different work opportunities the next day and that night finally met Marcelo her boyfriend. He is very nice and interesting. We talked about a lot of different topics while they made vegan blue cheese buffalo wing pizza. So instead of blue cheese it was tofu and some spices and stuff. And instead of buffalo wings it was cauliflower with wheat stuff and BBQ sauce. Also home made crust. It was really good. They went away for Easter weekend so I got to be home alone for a few days which I basically read and chilled out over. Yesterday they took me to Sandfly beach. It was a nice place. Big sand dunes and the ocean. Saw a couple of sea lions there as well. Now I am just waiting for responses to my applications for work. So that is basically my last month in a nut shell.
"Attitude reflects leadership, captain."- Julius 'Remember the Titans'
Thursday, 7 March 2013
South Island
My last post was from the blue bridge ferry. This time it's from Tuatara Backpackers in Invercargill. So once again an unlikely place for free wifi.
Let's recap from after the ferry ride. We got off in Picton and got another bus. This one didn't have air con or a proper sound system and the windshields were very cracked along the one edge. We had two bus loads though since there were about 65 of us. So a new driver! I am not sure if I have mentioned my driver. Ms P aka Ms Perfect. The drivers get there names from their trainer when they do the loop of the islands. Ms P did a perfect loop hence her name. She was pretty cool. Easy going and really likes regee. So I had her for the entire north island and then from Picton to Abel Tasman, which was our first stop on the south island. Abel Tasman was a cool place. I didn't do any of the activities here but still had a good time. We glamped here. Which in other terms is glamourous camping. So basically we slept on regular beds but in tents. Which has obviously made this my fave place to stay. It was called The Barn for anyone who plans to visit Abel Tasman or those who just want to google where I stayed. We were there for two nights and I had the best sleeps so far. We had a birthday party for one of the girls from England which saw me making the outdoor fire for the night. Ended watching LOTR 1&2 instead of joining the party. Too many sandflies for my liking.
New bus driver time! His name was Aerial. The story for his name shall not be revealed. I felt bad for him since not even ten minutes after we left driving up the side of the mountain our bus breaks down. Turns out we just didn't have any clutch fluid so he couldn't shift into the proper gears. So after about an hour we got it fixed and were on the road again heading for Blackball. Blackball is an old mining town. We stopped at the pancake rocks which are called that due to the way they have eroded over the years. My camera was dead unfortunately since they didn't really have that many outlets in Abel Tasman. Blackball was a lot of more fun then I was expecting. There was a costume contest and a story competition to go along with it. And then there was a game of sexual positions. Guess which one I won. The rest of the night Phil the bar keep and partial owner let me basically play dj and pick the music that was played. Yay!
Next stop Franz Josef. We drove a lot that day. So I didn't do too much when we got there. But we stayed two nights, so I did the free glacier walk. Basically you walk an hour out of town to the carpark where you do about a twenty minute walk to the glacier. You can't get overly close since there are rock slides and stuff happening all the time. It was a nice walk. On the way back though it started to rain so I needed a hot shower when I got back to warm up. We went to Wanaka next which was awesome. Very relaxing for me. I didn't stay with the rest of my bus group but in a different hostel. Turns out it had like 5-6 other Canadians there so really nice. AJ from London and Steve from Ottawa/Calgary were the two that helped me pick a hostel for Queenstown and with info on places they liked the best so far in New Zealand. We three went swimming in Lake Wanaka. It was so nice. That night we watched 'the life of Brian' so a good night all in all.
Queenstown. What can I say other than it was a place of firsts. Monday night I did karaoke for the first time. Sang Tiny Dancer by Elton John. People seemed to like it. I was actually recognized the next two days in Queenstown and called tiny dancer. Pretty cool feeling. I didn't win since they just drew names from a girls shirt. But I think I will have to definitely do it again. Tuesday I did the ledge swing. Omfg so just mind blowingly beautiful. I have posted the video of Facebook so those of you I have on Facebook should be able to view it. Wednesday night I went to the Altitude bar again (where I sang karaoke) and played in their nightly pool game for getting your bar tab paid for by them. I didn't win but was signed up as tiny dancer by the dj from the previous night when I told him my name. My friend Amanda on the bus who is from Canada, showed up later that night and told me she reemed out the dj for not judging the karaoke on talent which would have made me the winner. I think some of the friends I have made will last. And are the kind of friends everyone should have at least one of.
Yesterday we went to Milford sound and did a cruise type thing around the fiords. Saw some seals. And it was very pretty. We stayed in Gunns Camp last night. In cabins from the 1930's which was pretty cool. We had a fire going the minute we got into the little three room hut. And it kept it toasty. Holly my friend I have made from Surrey, didn't know how to play go fish or crazy eights so Amanda and I taught her. The power shut off around ten ish since the camp is run on generators. So we finished our card games by headlamp light. Today we are Invercargilland tomorrow we head back up to Queenstown. So a very busy little tour. But it's almost time for me to get a job and I kind of can't wait to have money going back in to my bank account and not just out of it.
"Spam I hate spam"-Monty python flying circus
Let's recap from after the ferry ride. We got off in Picton and got another bus. This one didn't have air con or a proper sound system and the windshields were very cracked along the one edge. We had two bus loads though since there were about 65 of us. So a new driver! I am not sure if I have mentioned my driver. Ms P aka Ms Perfect. The drivers get there names from their trainer when they do the loop of the islands. Ms P did a perfect loop hence her name. She was pretty cool. Easy going and really likes regee. So I had her for the entire north island and then from Picton to Abel Tasman, which was our first stop on the south island. Abel Tasman was a cool place. I didn't do any of the activities here but still had a good time. We glamped here. Which in other terms is glamourous camping. So basically we slept on regular beds but in tents. Which has obviously made this my fave place to stay. It was called The Barn for anyone who plans to visit Abel Tasman or those who just want to google where I stayed. We were there for two nights and I had the best sleeps so far. We had a birthday party for one of the girls from England which saw me making the outdoor fire for the night. Ended watching LOTR 1&2 instead of joining the party. Too many sandflies for my liking.
New bus driver time! His name was Aerial. The story for his name shall not be revealed. I felt bad for him since not even ten minutes after we left driving up the side of the mountain our bus breaks down. Turns out we just didn't have any clutch fluid so he couldn't shift into the proper gears. So after about an hour we got it fixed and were on the road again heading for Blackball. Blackball is an old mining town. We stopped at the pancake rocks which are called that due to the way they have eroded over the years. My camera was dead unfortunately since they didn't really have that many outlets in Abel Tasman. Blackball was a lot of more fun then I was expecting. There was a costume contest and a story competition to go along with it. And then there was a game of sexual positions. Guess which one I won. The rest of the night Phil the bar keep and partial owner let me basically play dj and pick the music that was played. Yay!
Next stop Franz Josef. We drove a lot that day. So I didn't do too much when we got there. But we stayed two nights, so I did the free glacier walk. Basically you walk an hour out of town to the carpark where you do about a twenty minute walk to the glacier. You can't get overly close since there are rock slides and stuff happening all the time. It was a nice walk. On the way back though it started to rain so I needed a hot shower when I got back to warm up. We went to Wanaka next which was awesome. Very relaxing for me. I didn't stay with the rest of my bus group but in a different hostel. Turns out it had like 5-6 other Canadians there so really nice. AJ from London and Steve from Ottawa/Calgary were the two that helped me pick a hostel for Queenstown and with info on places they liked the best so far in New Zealand. We three went swimming in Lake Wanaka. It was so nice. That night we watched 'the life of Brian' so a good night all in all.
Queenstown. What can I say other than it was a place of firsts. Monday night I did karaoke for the first time. Sang Tiny Dancer by Elton John. People seemed to like it. I was actually recognized the next two days in Queenstown and called tiny dancer. Pretty cool feeling. I didn't win since they just drew names from a girls shirt. But I think I will have to definitely do it again. Tuesday I did the ledge swing. Omfg so just mind blowingly beautiful. I have posted the video of Facebook so those of you I have on Facebook should be able to view it. Wednesday night I went to the Altitude bar again (where I sang karaoke) and played in their nightly pool game for getting your bar tab paid for by them. I didn't win but was signed up as tiny dancer by the dj from the previous night when I told him my name. My friend Amanda on the bus who is from Canada, showed up later that night and told me she reemed out the dj for not judging the karaoke on talent which would have made me the winner. I think some of the friends I have made will last. And are the kind of friends everyone should have at least one of.
Yesterday we went to Milford sound and did a cruise type thing around the fiords. Saw some seals. And it was very pretty. We stayed in Gunns Camp last night. In cabins from the 1930's which was pretty cool. We had a fire going the minute we got into the little three room hut. And it kept it toasty. Holly my friend I have made from Surrey, didn't know how to play go fish or crazy eights so Amanda and I taught her. The power shut off around ten ish since the camp is run on generators. So we finished our card games by headlamp light. Today we are Invercargilland tomorrow we head back up to Queenstown. So a very busy little tour. But it's almost time for me to get a job and I kind of can't wait to have money going back in to my bank account and not just out of it.
"Spam I hate spam"-Monty python flying circus
Monday, 25 February 2013
A-Stray
As I think I have mentioned before Internet access for free is extremely rare here in New Zealand. But luckily the ferry has free wifi of all places.
I shall now try to summarize my past week of travels.
We started in Hahei. It was a nice beach town. I didn't swim in the ocean. Only rolled my pant legs up and got my legs wet. It was so hot and sunny and I kept thinking of the movie 'Goonies'. I don't know why. I just did. We had a group BBQ that night and I made potato salad for everyone. They seemed to enjoy it. The next day we headed to Raglan. It was kind of in the bush where we stayed. Very pretty place. All green and like a camp. They had glow worms along there drive living in the thick underbrush. Very cool to see at night.
The next day we headed out again. This time to Waitomo. That is where we went blackwater tubing. Fun day. The guides we had in the caves told us they had gps. But it doesn't stand for what you think. It stands for glowworm positioning system. The reason for that is that the ceiling of the cave was covered with glowworms. So where they were you knew where the water travelled. Sam our one guide kept on telling us if we feel anything touching our legs or backs it was just the eels. People were actually scared which I found funny. That night we stayed at a Mourea which is a Maori meeting house. They welcomed us in a traditional ceremony and later taught us all the haka. Very fun.
We went to Rotorua and Taupo the following day. Basically didn't do anything. Hung out with Holly, a girl I have become friends with from Surrey England. Her brothers friend was in Taupo as well so we hung out with him. And I made pancakes from memory and they were okay. They didn't have maple syrup but we did have caramel topping for them.
So the next place was Whakahoro, but pronounced fukawhoreo. Wh makes a 'f'sound in Maori. This was probably the highlight of my trip so far. We stayed at a place called Blue Duck Lodge. So beautiful there that I cried during hike I did when I reached one of the look out points. Niels, a guy on the bus from Denmark, ran the hike trail that took me 3hrs and he did it in 43 minutes. Didn't beat the record of 35 mintues though. I got the meal option there for dinner which was goat curry. If you have time you should google Blue Duck Lodge and take a look at what it does. A very impressive place.
After that we headed to Tongariro National Park. Almost everyone did the mountain hike up mount Tongariro. I didn't but I will try to do a winter crossing in August. Instead of the hike, the few of us who stayed behind washed the bus which was actually pretty fun. I also read 'digital fortress' by Dan Brown (da Vinci code author). It was a pretty good book. I have caught a cold now. Not too bad of one yet so when we were in Wellington yesterday I didn't do anything. Slept alright but had a super early start today. Actually writing this post on the Bluebridge ferry on my way to the south island. So today is going to be pretty boring since it's just traveling by boat and then by bus to our destination. But tomorrow is a day off from traveling. We are staying in Abel Tasman tonight and tomorrow. Should be pretty. It's another national park.
That's about all I can think of for what I have been up to. Looking forward to not being on the bus at all tomorrow. Oh and I called this post 'a-stray' since the bus tour I am on is Stray.
"hey you guys!"-sloth 'goonies'
I shall now try to summarize my past week of travels.
We started in Hahei. It was a nice beach town. I didn't swim in the ocean. Only rolled my pant legs up and got my legs wet. It was so hot and sunny and I kept thinking of the movie 'Goonies'. I don't know why. I just did. We had a group BBQ that night and I made potato salad for everyone. They seemed to enjoy it. The next day we headed to Raglan. It was kind of in the bush where we stayed. Very pretty place. All green and like a camp. They had glow worms along there drive living in the thick underbrush. Very cool to see at night.
The next day we headed out again. This time to Waitomo. That is where we went blackwater tubing. Fun day. The guides we had in the caves told us they had gps. But it doesn't stand for what you think. It stands for glowworm positioning system. The reason for that is that the ceiling of the cave was covered with glowworms. So where they were you knew where the water travelled. Sam our one guide kept on telling us if we feel anything touching our legs or backs it was just the eels. People were actually scared which I found funny. That night we stayed at a Mourea which is a Maori meeting house. They welcomed us in a traditional ceremony and later taught us all the haka. Very fun.
We went to Rotorua and Taupo the following day. Basically didn't do anything. Hung out with Holly, a girl I have become friends with from Surrey England. Her brothers friend was in Taupo as well so we hung out with him. And I made pancakes from memory and they were okay. They didn't have maple syrup but we did have caramel topping for them.
So the next place was Whakahoro, but pronounced fukawhoreo. Wh makes a 'f'sound in Maori. This was probably the highlight of my trip so far. We stayed at a place called Blue Duck Lodge. So beautiful there that I cried during hike I did when I reached one of the look out points. Niels, a guy on the bus from Denmark, ran the hike trail that took me 3hrs and he did it in 43 minutes. Didn't beat the record of 35 mintues though. I got the meal option there for dinner which was goat curry. If you have time you should google Blue Duck Lodge and take a look at what it does. A very impressive place.
After that we headed to Tongariro National Park. Almost everyone did the mountain hike up mount Tongariro. I didn't but I will try to do a winter crossing in August. Instead of the hike, the few of us who stayed behind washed the bus which was actually pretty fun. I also read 'digital fortress' by Dan Brown (da Vinci code author). It was a pretty good book. I have caught a cold now. Not too bad of one yet so when we were in Wellington yesterday I didn't do anything. Slept alright but had a super early start today. Actually writing this post on the Bluebridge ferry on my way to the south island. So today is going to be pretty boring since it's just traveling by boat and then by bus to our destination. But tomorrow is a day off from traveling. We are staying in Abel Tasman tonight and tomorrow. Should be pretty. It's another national park.
That's about all I can think of for what I have been up to. Looking forward to not being on the bus at all tomorrow. Oh and I called this post 'a-stray' since the bus tour I am on is Stray.
"hey you guys!"-sloth 'goonies'
Thursday, 14 February 2013
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
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
Saturday, 9 February 2013
New Year!
Been in Hong Kong for a few days now and I think it's beautiful. The only place I have been in the world that is both a mountain and an island, and it literally blows my mind thinking about all the buildings and roads literally carved out of rock.
On Friday I went with Candy to the wet market and the lunar flower market and it was extraordinary. So many people in such a limited amount of space and they make it function. The flower market had not only flowers but food toys and even things like mops and steamers. Very cool place.
Yesterday we went for dim sum and it was amazing. I even ate the tofu, which wasn't anything like the tofu back home. It was really good. Thomas then went with me to the Peak where they have this mountain tram that takes you up. At the top there are a lot of things to do. You can walk the peak trail, shop, go to one of the restaurant, or they also have a Mme Tussauds wax museum. I really wanted to see the wax museum so Thomas agreed to go with me through it. It was really cool and I have tonnes of pictures from it. They had an Obama figure :D
After that we walked the peak a bit but I got distracted by some dogs..... So when we met up with Conrad we rewalked part of it so I saw Victoria harbor. Then he drove around the island a bit and showed me some of he others sites. Omg the roads are curvy. It was like going on a roller coaster. By the end of the hour drive I was feeling a bit queasy. And I should have kept it to myself. I told Thomas on the elovator ride up and he told his brothers. Victor and James found it amusing, very amusing.
I then helped make wontons. It was fun. They became part of what we ended up cooking during the hot pot dinner that they hosted. I met some of there church friends and cousins. It was fun. A big family dinner. I didn't eat much since I was still full from dim sum and my stomach was still a bit wonky from the drive.
It was fun watching after the meal had been finished how the boys went off and watched futball and the parents went into the other room and started singing and playing guitar. The one girl who came, Jessica, actually lives in Melbourne and goes to uni there. She was pretty cool and we talked a lot of the night. I still find it cool that they almost have British accents :)
Today I went for a walk near there house on this trail that a lot of people were jogging. I walked for about 2.5hrs and saw a dragon dance while over looking a square, and even the Manulife building :)
It had wonderful views but it's been very cloudy, so hard to see anything to far away.
"are you not entertained?!"- Maximus 'Gladiator'
On Friday I went with Candy to the wet market and the lunar flower market and it was extraordinary. So many people in such a limited amount of space and they make it function. The flower market had not only flowers but food toys and even things like mops and steamers. Very cool place.
Yesterday we went for dim sum and it was amazing. I even ate the tofu, which wasn't anything like the tofu back home. It was really good. Thomas then went with me to the Peak where they have this mountain tram that takes you up. At the top there are a lot of things to do. You can walk the peak trail, shop, go to one of the restaurant, or they also have a Mme Tussauds wax museum. I really wanted to see the wax museum so Thomas agreed to go with me through it. It was really cool and I have tonnes of pictures from it. They had an Obama figure :D
After that we walked the peak a bit but I got distracted by some dogs..... So when we met up with Conrad we rewalked part of it so I saw Victoria harbor. Then he drove around the island a bit and showed me some of he others sites. Omg the roads are curvy. It was like going on a roller coaster. By the end of the hour drive I was feeling a bit queasy. And I should have kept it to myself. I told Thomas on the elovator ride up and he told his brothers. Victor and James found it amusing, very amusing.
I then helped make wontons. It was fun. They became part of what we ended up cooking during the hot pot dinner that they hosted. I met some of there church friends and cousins. It was fun. A big family dinner. I didn't eat much since I was still full from dim sum and my stomach was still a bit wonky from the drive.
It was fun watching after the meal had been finished how the boys went off and watched futball and the parents went into the other room and started singing and playing guitar. The one girl who came, Jessica, actually lives in Melbourne and goes to uni there. She was pretty cool and we talked a lot of the night. I still find it cool that they almost have British accents :)
Today I went for a walk near there house on this trail that a lot of people were jogging. I walked for about 2.5hrs and saw a dragon dance while over looking a square, and even the Manulife building :)
It had wonderful views but it's been very cloudy, so hard to see anything to far away.
"are you not entertained?!"- Maximus 'Gladiator'
Friday, 8 February 2013
Hong Kong
The flight to Hong Kong was long and I watched like 7 movies I think.
I didn't sleep on the flight at all and yes mom I got up and walked around every so often. I actually ended up with an aisle seat so had to get up a lot just to let the others out.
I like the So's place. Conrad and James have colds so James was at home when I got here. I had a shower and a nap and then the other boys got home from school. I went with Thomas into Causeway bay area, and wandered for a bit by myself. Thomas had piano lessons so he went to that.
When I got back and every one but Victor was home, he had drama lessons, we had a nice family style meal.
When Victor did come home we has an in-depth discussion about pokemon with Thomas. Today Candy is taking me with her to the market.
"live long and prosper"- Spock 'star trek'
I didn't sleep on the flight at all and yes mom I got up and walked around every so often. I actually ended up with an aisle seat so had to get up a lot just to let the others out.
I like the So's place. Conrad and James have colds so James was at home when I got here. I had a shower and a nap and then the other boys got home from school. I went with Thomas into Causeway bay area, and wandered for a bit by myself. Thomas had piano lessons so he went to that.
When I got back and every one but Victor was home, he had drama lessons, we had a nice family style meal.
When Victor did come home we has an in-depth discussion about pokemon with Thomas. Today Candy is taking me with her to the market.
"live long and prosper"- Spock 'star trek'
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