Besides a sweet skydive this past week (in which I thought I should dedicate a full blog post too, haha), I have done a few other things which are definitely worth mentioning! A week of firsts it seems :-)
On Monday, I got my first NZ haircut! I figured going over 5 months without getting this mop cut was quite long enough. The lady who cut my hair was super friendly, chatty, and quite interested in my travels to NZ. Her catch phrase? “Good on you!” I swear, she must have said this nearly 50 times by the time my shampoo and cut was finally complete. She told me that for a backpacker, my hair was in surprisingly good condition. And, I told her that I was quite surprised by that considering I haven’t brushed my hair more than 4 times since I left NZ. In fact, I hadn’t even packed a brush! But, hey, apparently that’s the secret to beautiful locks. Works for me!
And, I am working on substituting my American term “bangs” (why in the world do we call them bangs anyway??) for “fringe,” the Kiwi way. I was looking for a bit of a change with my currant hairstyle, so I decided to try out a fringe again. Fingers tightly crossed that I wouldn’t sorely regret it. But, turns out I like it! So, phew! Fringe is in ;-)
I had the next day off (from BOTH jobs – yay!) so I decided to hike to Huka Falls. I had already been to Huka Falls several weeks ago, but had mountain biked there instead. Thought I’d take a different route :-)
Wednesday was of course the epic skydive day. Wahoo! (See *60 Seconds* for the full story!) :-D
And, I finally left Taupo for the first time in 6 weeks to go to Rotorua to watch my first professional rugby game!! Nz Maoris vs Ireland – I had bought my ticket last week and was super excited to watch the game at the Rotorua stadium!! Gavin, an Ireland native, had come through Taupo and stayed at Blackcurrant for a couple days last week and had told me about the game. Thought it would be pretty sweet to watch the game with someone who has a bit of their heart invested in the opposing team. Although, as it turned out, I cheered for both teams for the first ¾ of the game. Eventually decided to cheer for the Irish with 7 minutes of the game remaining. They were losing 31-28, so I was hoping to give them an extra boost of cheer! ;-)
The game was such fun!! They had a few live performances with NZ singers and even a beatboxer as pre-game entertainment. Good stuff! And, it was so nice having Gavin right beside me for the game because I was able to ask him loads of questions about the plays and such. I think I pretty much understand the basics of rugby now and thoroughly enjoyed watching the game! Quite unlike going to my highschool football games where I spent most of my time with my back to the field, chatting with my friends on the bleachers instead ;-)
Unfortunately, Ireland ended up losing…bummer. And, I was super cold by the time the game ended. My pinky on my right hand had gone numb! So, we went back to the hostel, drank a couple beers, grabbed a bite to eat, and hung out next to the fireplace in the lounge. Ahhh…nice :-) Then, once were were nice and toasty, we went out for a night on the town to celebrate the Maori win at the jam-packed Irish pub. What a fun mini roadtrip out of Taupo. I’d say it was a breath of fresh air, but this is Rotorua we’re talking about…a.k.a “Sulfur City.” Not so fresh but a lovely mix up to the weekend :-)
Saturday, June 19
Wednesday, June 16
60 Seconds
*a.k.a – Anna’s Skydive: With 15,000 ft of Perspective
**a.k.a – That time I jumped out of a plane!!!
What. An. AWESOME. Day.
So much smiling!! Yes, definitely a day of grinning overdose.
I woke up at 8:45am and remember first pleading with my alarm clock in my head, “just a little longer…?” And then all of a sudden, it dawned on me that today was the day. ToDAY was the day that I was going skydiving!! Ever since arriving in New Zealand, I wanted to do a skydive. With every freefall video that I watched in the Blackcurrant DVD lounge, with every backpacker that had come through Taupo with the sole goal of jumping out of a plane, the anticipation had heighten – a LOT. And today, was the day. HOLY MAN was I excited!! And, with that thought alone, I was wide awake.
Lars and Bea (my two work mates at the hostel) got me so psyched up for the jump telling me how awesome it would be and how much I’d love it! I literally couldn’t stop smiling. Haha. I actually felt pretty silly – I mean, I hadn’t even jumped yet, and I was grinning from ear to ear!! My tummy felt like I had butterflies doing gymnastics in there! A mini gymnasium for all their somersaults, cartwheels, and tumbling routines. I was completely giddy.
I planned to do the jump with Leslie and Sophie, both who work at the Funky Green Hostel in Rotorua. The jump was scheduled for 2:00pm so I just hung out around the hostel with my boss Beth and the Taupo Tandem Skydive (TTS) marketing manager Bex who had set up the jump for me! Lars decided to come along too, and we both had our fingers crossed that he could do his solo jump from my plane. How cool would that be?!
Bex gave Lars and I a ride to TTS in her little TTS Cruiser. It was pretty cool to be chauffered to TTS with the main marketing lady! Even better than the van pickup!
Now, I think I forgot to mention that since I am working now at both Blackcurrant and Cybershed, and since we do bookings for Taupo adventure activites (such as skydiving), and because Bex and Beth are amazingly, fantastical women, I was offered this opportunity to skydive for free. No joke! I figured, in that case, that I would be given the actual skydive for free and then I could pay for my freefall video and photos on top of that. But, when we got to the Drop Zone at TTS, Bex informed me that I would be receiving the “Gold Package” – a.k.a. the whole works! Freefall video, Handycam video, Freefall photos, and Exit/ground photos. I couldn’t believe it! What a superb perk of working hospitality in Taupo!
I was still beaming from ear to ear, even as I signed my life away on the “Please don’t sue us if you die” contract. I met my tandem instructor, Andy, who has done so many jumps that he’s stopped keeping track! Andy, a born and bred Kiwi, has the typical “I’m a badass skydiver” look with a scruffy ‘tashe and beard, wind-whipped hair, and heavy, carved earrings. Andy helped me into my jumpsuit (under which I was completely layered up – thermal top and bottom, t-shirt, fleece and jeans – it gets chilly 15,000 ft above the ground!!) and secured my harness. The harness makes you waddle when you walk, but I was way too excited to care about my funny gait. I’m jumping out of a plane!!
Just minutes before we boarded, the solo-jumpers on-call were announce over the intercom and Lars was one of them! So, we were going to be jumping out of the plane together afterall! Super cool beans!!
The little, bright yellow TTS plane can fit 16 passengers. As it was a nearly full plane, I got real up close and cozy with everyone there. With Andy behind me and Mikey, my video guy, in front, I felt like we were three peas in a pod :-)
I was doing everything I could to take in the whole skydiving experience. Even the 20 minute plane ride up gave us a splendid view of Taupo and the surrounding areas. We could see Mt. Taranaki which is all the way over in New Plymouth – nearly 300 km away (about 185 miles!). I learned that skydiving on a clear, winter day offers way better views of the landscape than on a clear, sunny day in the summer. I guess the heat makes everything slightly fuzzy. So, basically, we really couldn’t have asked for a better day. And, although it was -8 degree C (so, about 17 degree F), I didn’t even feel the chill! I think the excitement of everything was an extra layer of warmth on top of my already layered up self.
The plane leveled out at 12,000 ft for a few of the solo jumpers and students to jump out. So, that meant a quick “see ya-BYE!” grin and wave from Lars and then he just disappeared! Simply tipped himself out of the plane and whoosh, POOF! Gone. I don’t think my brain was really able to register the fact that my friend just jumped out of a plane right before my eyes. My brain certainly wasn’t registering that I was about to pitch mySELF out of a plane flying 15,000 ft over Lake Taupo. Yet, I still had a silly grin plastered to my face – that smile wasn’t going anywhere.
Along with enjoying the view on the way up, Andy had secured the two of us together – tight! I had harness digging into my ribs, but that feeling alone helped to reassure me that I wasn’t going anywhere without him.
Before I knew it, the plane had reached 15,000 ft. Since Mikey, Andy, and I were at the front of the plane, we were the first to go. I had zero qualms whatsoever. Andy and I scooted forward and next thing I knew my legs were over the edge of the plane – Mikey was actually outside the plane at this point and the three of us posed for quick exit photo.
This part was surreal. My mind wasn’t processing everything that was happening so things are a bit blurry. If Andy had counted to three and said “JUMP!” I didn’t hear him. For the next 60 seconds, I heard nothing. Did we do flips? Spins? I haven’t a clue. For 60 seconds of freefall, my mind, body, and spirit were in system overload. Each one of my senses were being pummelled with pure, WOW. The one thing I do recall somewhat is seeing Mikey freefalling backwards, just below Andy and I. And I remember thinking, “I so want to try that!!”
The 60 seconds felt like 10. Andy pulled the parashute (and yay, it opened!!), and we were sailing through the sky. At this point, my brainwaves finally got up to speed, and the thrill of what I had just done had a ripple-effect throughout my entire being. I was laughing, catching my breath, and feeling a bit of shock at what I had just experienced. Pretty sure I let a 'Holy Shit' leak out, but turns out they edited that from the final video so I can’t be sure. Haha. But seriously, a 'Holy Shit' doesn’t even give a skydive justice. Holy Shit times 20.
The view as we parasailed was just awesome. I was in complete awe of how far and how much I could see! There still wasn’t a cloud in sight and the lake just sparkled. Andy even let me take control of the parashute handles and take the both of us for a ride! I cranked down on left handle, and we went into a full 380 degree spin. Then straightened out and took us the other direction – got a bit dizzy with all the spinning, but it was fun steering this massive green shute!
Andy brought us in for a smooth landing at the Drop Zone. Knees up, legs out, and we slid in on our bums. The parashute landed gently in a heap in front of us and Andy quickly unhooked my harness from his. What a ride!! I gave Andy a high-five and a huge thank you for an awesome dive. So much fun! And yep – I was still grinning like the Cheshire Cat :-D
Like I said. Quite an awesome day *grin*
**a.k.a – That time I jumped out of a plane!!!
What. An. AWESOME. Day.
So much smiling!! Yes, definitely a day of grinning overdose.
I woke up at 8:45am and remember first pleading with my alarm clock in my head, “just a little longer…?” And then all of a sudden, it dawned on me that today was the day. ToDAY was the day that I was going skydiving!! Ever since arriving in New Zealand, I wanted to do a skydive. With every freefall video that I watched in the Blackcurrant DVD lounge, with every backpacker that had come through Taupo with the sole goal of jumping out of a plane, the anticipation had heighten – a LOT. And today, was the day. HOLY MAN was I excited!! And, with that thought alone, I was wide awake.
Lars and Bea (my two work mates at the hostel) got me so psyched up for the jump telling me how awesome it would be and how much I’d love it! I literally couldn’t stop smiling. Haha. I actually felt pretty silly – I mean, I hadn’t even jumped yet, and I was grinning from ear to ear!! My tummy felt like I had butterflies doing gymnastics in there! A mini gymnasium for all their somersaults, cartwheels, and tumbling routines. I was completely giddy.
I planned to do the jump with Leslie and Sophie, both who work at the Funky Green Hostel in Rotorua. The jump was scheduled for 2:00pm so I just hung out around the hostel with my boss Beth and the Taupo Tandem Skydive (TTS) marketing manager Bex who had set up the jump for me! Lars decided to come along too, and we both had our fingers crossed that he could do his solo jump from my plane. How cool would that be?!
Bex gave Lars and I a ride to TTS in her little TTS Cruiser. It was pretty cool to be chauffered to TTS with the main marketing lady! Even better than the van pickup!
Now, I think I forgot to mention that since I am working now at both Blackcurrant and Cybershed, and since we do bookings for Taupo adventure activites (such as skydiving), and because Bex and Beth are amazingly, fantastical women, I was offered this opportunity to skydive for free. No joke! I figured, in that case, that I would be given the actual skydive for free and then I could pay for my freefall video and photos on top of that. But, when we got to the Drop Zone at TTS, Bex informed me that I would be receiving the “Gold Package” – a.k.a. the whole works! Freefall video, Handycam video, Freefall photos, and Exit/ground photos. I couldn’t believe it! What a superb perk of working hospitality in Taupo!
I was still beaming from ear to ear, even as I signed my life away on the “Please don’t sue us if you die” contract. I met my tandem instructor, Andy, who has done so many jumps that he’s stopped keeping track! Andy, a born and bred Kiwi, has the typical “I’m a badass skydiver” look with a scruffy ‘tashe and beard, wind-whipped hair, and heavy, carved earrings. Andy helped me into my jumpsuit (under which I was completely layered up – thermal top and bottom, t-shirt, fleece and jeans – it gets chilly 15,000 ft above the ground!!) and secured my harness. The harness makes you waddle when you walk, but I was way too excited to care about my funny gait. I’m jumping out of a plane!!
Just minutes before we boarded, the solo-jumpers on-call were announce over the intercom and Lars was one of them! So, we were going to be jumping out of the plane together afterall! Super cool beans!!
The little, bright yellow TTS plane can fit 16 passengers. As it was a nearly full plane, I got real up close and cozy with everyone there. With Andy behind me and Mikey, my video guy, in front, I felt like we were three peas in a pod :-)
I was doing everything I could to take in the whole skydiving experience. Even the 20 minute plane ride up gave us a splendid view of Taupo and the surrounding areas. We could see Mt. Taranaki which is all the way over in New Plymouth – nearly 300 km away (about 185 miles!). I learned that skydiving on a clear, winter day offers way better views of the landscape than on a clear, sunny day in the summer. I guess the heat makes everything slightly fuzzy. So, basically, we really couldn’t have asked for a better day. And, although it was -8 degree C (so, about 17 degree F), I didn’t even feel the chill! I think the excitement of everything was an extra layer of warmth on top of my already layered up self.
The plane leveled out at 12,000 ft for a few of the solo jumpers and students to jump out. So, that meant a quick “see ya-BYE!” grin and wave from Lars and then he just disappeared! Simply tipped himself out of the plane and whoosh, POOF! Gone. I don’t think my brain was really able to register the fact that my friend just jumped out of a plane right before my eyes. My brain certainly wasn’t registering that I was about to pitch mySELF out of a plane flying 15,000 ft over Lake Taupo. Yet, I still had a silly grin plastered to my face – that smile wasn’t going anywhere.
Along with enjoying the view on the way up, Andy had secured the two of us together – tight! I had harness digging into my ribs, but that feeling alone helped to reassure me that I wasn’t going anywhere without him.
Before I knew it, the plane had reached 15,000 ft. Since Mikey, Andy, and I were at the front of the plane, we were the first to go. I had zero qualms whatsoever. Andy and I scooted forward and next thing I knew my legs were over the edge of the plane – Mikey was actually outside the plane at this point and the three of us posed for quick exit photo.
This part was surreal. My mind wasn’t processing everything that was happening so things are a bit blurry. If Andy had counted to three and said “JUMP!” I didn’t hear him. For the next 60 seconds, I heard nothing. Did we do flips? Spins? I haven’t a clue. For 60 seconds of freefall, my mind, body, and spirit were in system overload. Each one of my senses were being pummelled with pure, WOW. The one thing I do recall somewhat is seeing Mikey freefalling backwards, just below Andy and I. And I remember thinking, “I so want to try that!!”
The 60 seconds felt like 10. Andy pulled the parashute (and yay, it opened!!), and we were sailing through the sky. At this point, my brainwaves finally got up to speed, and the thrill of what I had just done had a ripple-effect throughout my entire being. I was laughing, catching my breath, and feeling a bit of shock at what I had just experienced. Pretty sure I let a 'Holy Shit' leak out, but turns out they edited that from the final video so I can’t be sure. Haha. But seriously, a 'Holy Shit' doesn’t even give a skydive justice. Holy Shit times 20.
The view as we parasailed was just awesome. I was in complete awe of how far and how much I could see! There still wasn’t a cloud in sight and the lake just sparkled. Andy even let me take control of the parashute handles and take the both of us for a ride! I cranked down on left handle, and we went into a full 380 degree spin. Then straightened out and took us the other direction – got a bit dizzy with all the spinning, but it was fun steering this massive green shute!
Andy brought us in for a smooth landing at the Drop Zone. Knees up, legs out, and we slid in on our bums. The parashute landed gently in a heap in front of us and Andy quickly unhooked my harness from his. What a ride!! I gave Andy a high-five and a huge thank you for an awesome dive. So much fun! And yep – I was still grinning like the Cheshire Cat :-D
Like I said. Quite an awesome day *grin*
Sunday, June 13
Becoming Kiwi
The other day I found myself saying, “Oh yeah, it’s easy as!” Now, if this doesn’t sound odd to you, it should. “Easy as PIE” – now that’s more of the norm to the American ear, but easy as??? That’s a total Kiwi term. Easy as, sweet as, cold as… I stood there kinda shocked after I heard those two little words pop out of my mouth. It just…happened. Apparently after living in New Zealand for nearly 4 months, the Kiwi phraseology has worn off on me a bit. Funny how that happens. My sister Cate seems to think that my accent sounds different too, but I’m not convinced. I can only imagine what another 8 months will do…!
I had my very last day of cleaning at Blackcurrant Backpackers yesterday morning. Yes!! After two and a half hours of cleaning every morning for the past 5 weeks, I am an expert in:
1.) Cleaning shower drains.
2.) Stripping beds in the “special way” to check for those nasty bedbugs.
(Nothing found yet! Knock on wood…)
3.) Disinfecting sinks and toilets.
4.) Not spraying myself while cleaning IN the shower.
And, lastly…
5.) Bed making. (Big shout out to Mom and Great-Grandma Pierzina for passing down the skills of hospital-corner tucks for top sheets! Beth from Blackcurrant would like me to give you a BIG hug :-) *HUG!*)
So, on Monday, I begin my position as Assistant Manager and, as Beth my boss says, I mostly just have to talk to the newcomers and hangout around the hostel when I’m on duty. Basically, getting paid to do what I do anyways around Blackcurrant! And, like I mentioned in my last post, I get my own room (which has an electric blanket!!) so I am pretty darn happy about that :-D
I’ve been getting some good use out of my gym membership this week too. Went to the group fitness class “BodyCOMBAT” with this crazy, hyper-intense instructor. Holy cow! I was jumping and kicking and punching and sweating. It was awesome! A killer workout. My favorite part of the class was at the end when we were stretching out to “Du Hasst* Mich” (a song from Rammstein, a German band, that means “You Hate Me”), which just happened to be quite fitting as the whole group of women stretched and glared at the instructor for wringing every last ounce of water out of our poor, wretched bodies. I’ll definitely be back :-)
I went to my first cinema in NZ this past week as well! My new friends, Gavin the Irishman and Frake the “Flying” Dutchman asked if I was interested in seeing the movie, “Boy” - a story about an 11 year old Maori boy who has to take on a lot of responsibility for his younger brother and cousins when his Grandmother (who they all live with) goes to attend a funeral for a week and leaves them all at home. The movie is both side-stitchingly funny and also heartrending. Overall, I really enjoyed it! And, the pre-scooped ice cream cones from the concessions were just icing on the cake :-D
I’ve really enjoyed watching New Zealand made films since I’ve arrive here. I’m not sure how many of them are actually available in the states, but there hasn’t been one that I haven’t enjoyed. If you are looking for a good movie, check one of these out:
Sione’s Wedding
Meet best friends Michael, Albert, Stanley and Sefa; the ladies' man, the good boy, the weird one and the party boy. They're staring down the barrel of their thirtieth birthdays, but still act as if they're sixteen; they get drunk, they chase the wrong women and they have a remarkable record of misbehaving and causing chaos at every wedding they attend. But now Michael's younger brother Sione is getting married, and everything is about to change. Sione is their boy, the kid they used to look after, who grew up while they were still partying. And to ensure his big day isn't spoiled by his boys and their idiot antics, Sione has issued an ultimatum; the guys all have to bring dates to the wedding. And not just any dates; real girlfriends, someone they've made a commitment to. They have one month. So just how hard can it be to get a date for your best boy's wedding?
Once Were Warriors
Set in urban Auckland (New Zealand) this movie tells the story of the Heke family. Jake Heke is a violent man who beats his wife frequently when drunk, and yet obviously loves both her and his family. The movie follows a period of several weeks in the family's life showing Jake's frequent outburst of violence and the effect that this has on his family.
*Very graphic movie, but extremely powerful! Highly recommended but only for mature audiences.*
Eagle vs. Shark
Lily, a lonely oddball and fast-food waitress, and her crush, Jarrod, another lonely oddball and video game clerk who has spent the last decade plotting ultimate vengeance on a bully from his high school past, connect at a "dress as your favorite animal" party. She comes as an anemic Shark and he's a fluffy-headed Eagle. It's a match that seems made in outcast heaven, but when Lily decides to risk everything for love, her hopes are nearly dashed.
After a brief fling, Jarrod dumps Lily because he's too busy "training" for his all-important payback mission. But neither of them can anticipate just what kind of grit the steadfastly optimistic Lily will show in her heartbreak. As Jarrod's day of reckoning arrives, and everything hits the fan, Jarrod and Lily will find something that goes beyond romantic fantasies and revenge -- faith in who they are.
Whale Rider
On the east coast of New Zealand, the Whangara people believe their presence there dates back a thousand years or more to a single ancestor, Paikea, who escaped death when his canoe capsized by riding to shore on the back of a whale. From then on, Whangara chiefs, always the first-born, always male, have been considered Paikea's direct descendants. Pai, an 11-year-old girl in a patriarchal New Zealand tribe, believes she is destined to be the new chief. But her grandfather Koro is bound by tradition to pick a male leader. Pai loves Koro more than anyone in the world, but she must fight him and a thousand years of tradition to fulfill her destiny.
And, of course, the infamous Lord of the Rings Trilogy.
Watch. All. Three.
Dear Gabi,
Thanks for the correction on "hast" and "hasst" - my German is definitely rusty!
I had my very last day of cleaning at Blackcurrant Backpackers yesterday morning. Yes!! After two and a half hours of cleaning every morning for the past 5 weeks, I am an expert in:
1.) Cleaning shower drains.
2.) Stripping beds in the “special way” to check for those nasty bedbugs.
(Nothing found yet! Knock on wood…)
3.) Disinfecting sinks and toilets.
4.) Not spraying myself while cleaning IN the shower.
And, lastly…
5.) Bed making. (Big shout out to Mom and Great-Grandma Pierzina for passing down the skills of hospital-corner tucks for top sheets! Beth from Blackcurrant would like me to give you a BIG hug :-) *HUG!*)
So, on Monday, I begin my position as Assistant Manager and, as Beth my boss says, I mostly just have to talk to the newcomers and hangout around the hostel when I’m on duty. Basically, getting paid to do what I do anyways around Blackcurrant! And, like I mentioned in my last post, I get my own room (which has an electric blanket!!) so I am pretty darn happy about that :-D
I’ve been getting some good use out of my gym membership this week too. Went to the group fitness class “BodyCOMBAT” with this crazy, hyper-intense instructor. Holy cow! I was jumping and kicking and punching and sweating. It was awesome! A killer workout. My favorite part of the class was at the end when we were stretching out to “Du Hasst* Mich” (a song from Rammstein, a German band, that means “You Hate Me”), which just happened to be quite fitting as the whole group of women stretched and glared at the instructor for wringing every last ounce of water out of our poor, wretched bodies. I’ll definitely be back :-)
I went to my first cinema in NZ this past week as well! My new friends, Gavin the Irishman and Frake the “Flying” Dutchman asked if I was interested in seeing the movie, “Boy” - a story about an 11 year old Maori boy who has to take on a lot of responsibility for his younger brother and cousins when his Grandmother (who they all live with) goes to attend a funeral for a week and leaves them all at home. The movie is both side-stitchingly funny and also heartrending. Overall, I really enjoyed it! And, the pre-scooped ice cream cones from the concessions were just icing on the cake :-D
I’ve really enjoyed watching New Zealand made films since I’ve arrive here. I’m not sure how many of them are actually available in the states, but there hasn’t been one that I haven’t enjoyed. If you are looking for a good movie, check one of these out:
Sione’s Wedding
Meet best friends Michael, Albert, Stanley and Sefa; the ladies' man, the good boy, the weird one and the party boy. They're staring down the barrel of their thirtieth birthdays, but still act as if they're sixteen; they get drunk, they chase the wrong women and they have a remarkable record of misbehaving and causing chaos at every wedding they attend. But now Michael's younger brother Sione is getting married, and everything is about to change. Sione is their boy, the kid they used to look after, who grew up while they were still partying. And to ensure his big day isn't spoiled by his boys and their idiot antics, Sione has issued an ultimatum; the guys all have to bring dates to the wedding. And not just any dates; real girlfriends, someone they've made a commitment to. They have one month. So just how hard can it be to get a date for your best boy's wedding?
Once Were Warriors
Set in urban Auckland (New Zealand) this movie tells the story of the Heke family. Jake Heke is a violent man who beats his wife frequently when drunk, and yet obviously loves both her and his family. The movie follows a period of several weeks in the family's life showing Jake's frequent outburst of violence and the effect that this has on his family.
*Very graphic movie, but extremely powerful! Highly recommended but only for mature audiences.*
Eagle vs. Shark
Lily, a lonely oddball and fast-food waitress, and her crush, Jarrod, another lonely oddball and video game clerk who has spent the last decade plotting ultimate vengeance on a bully from his high school past, connect at a "dress as your favorite animal" party. She comes as an anemic Shark and he's a fluffy-headed Eagle. It's a match that seems made in outcast heaven, but when Lily decides to risk everything for love, her hopes are nearly dashed.
After a brief fling, Jarrod dumps Lily because he's too busy "training" for his all-important payback mission. But neither of them can anticipate just what kind of grit the steadfastly optimistic Lily will show in her heartbreak. As Jarrod's day of reckoning arrives, and everything hits the fan, Jarrod and Lily will find something that goes beyond romantic fantasies and revenge -- faith in who they are.
Whale Rider
On the east coast of New Zealand, the Whangara people believe their presence there dates back a thousand years or more to a single ancestor, Paikea, who escaped death when his canoe capsized by riding to shore on the back of a whale. From then on, Whangara chiefs, always the first-born, always male, have been considered Paikea's direct descendants. Pai, an 11-year-old girl in a patriarchal New Zealand tribe, believes she is destined to be the new chief. But her grandfather Koro is bound by tradition to pick a male leader. Pai loves Koro more than anyone in the world, but she must fight him and a thousand years of tradition to fulfill her destiny.
And, of course, the infamous Lord of the Rings Trilogy.
Watch. All. Three.
Dear Gabi,
Thanks for the correction on "hast" and "hasst" - my German is definitely rusty!
Wednesday, June 2
Chillin' in Chilly Taupo
Well, the winter has definitely arrived. I sleep in layers:
Layer 1.) long pants and a longsleeved t-shirt
Layer 2.) feather blanket
Layer 3.) duvet #1
Layer 4.) duvet #2
And, to top off my ice cream sundae of coverings, the cherry! A red, hot water bottle that I first use to warm up my toes and once that has been done, I hug it close like a four year old clings to their teddy bear. Only after all of this do I sleep comfortably, cozy and warm. Crazy kiwi’s and their lack of insulation or indoor heating… As I made my oatmeal this morning, I could see my breath in the kitchen! Yep, so go ahead and tell me how you’re having that 80/90 degree weather and the sun is shining bright, but don’t expect me not to get a wee bit jealous! *wink*
Living in Taupo and working, both at the hostel cleaning and at Cybershed, have allowed me to create a bit of a routine. I work just over 40 hours per week at the two places combined, so I keep quite busy. It’s easy to stick around the hostel during the down time, usually during the afternoon between cleaning and work at Cybershed. And, there’s been a bit of a rainy spell here in Taupo for the last week so it’s quite nice to just cozy up under the fuzzy blanket in the DVD lounge and read a book or watch a movie.
A couple weeks ago, I went with one of the other cleaners, Malorie, to Action World! This was literally a world of huge inflatables! The two of us had so much fun and practically had the entire place to ourselves. We swung around on the monkey bars, jumped into the balloon landings, and jump-posed in the air for silly action shots. It was one of the few sunny afternoons we’ve had lately, so it was great to spend it outside jumping around and acting like 8 years olds :-)
Action World is right next to the airport which is where all three of the Taupo Skydiving companies are located. So, I walked over and hung around to watch my friend Lars jump out of a plane! It was so cool to see the divers jump. After a while, I just laid on the ground and watched the plane fly overhead. All of a sudden, you could see a little white dot falling from the plane. Then, POOF! The shoot would open and before you knew it, there were 8-10 colorful parashutes falling from the sky! And the weather was perfect for diving – blue, blue sky and a warm sun. Such a calm and relaxing thing to watch.
It was also fun listening to the jumpers after they landed. The excitement in their voices made it clear that there was still a crapload of adrenaline coarsing through their veins. Just hearing them talk about how amazing the last 7 minutes or so of their life just was makes me that much more pumped to try it out!
Speaking of skydiving, it’s funny how much it’s talked about around the hostel and in Taupo in general. Coming from Raglan where the conversation nearly always turned to surfing, it’s interesting to find that each city has it’s “thing.” I also love learning more about the sport. There are a couple people at my hostel who have either taken the course (Kevin has done nearly 70 jumps already!) or are currently working towards their certificate. They are constantly using terminology that goes straight over my head, so I am consistently asking them questions. It’s fun learning more about the art and technique of skydiving, especially from people who are so enthusiastic about it! I can’t wait to go!!
Last Sunday, Kevin, one of the Blackcurrant long-termers, had the idea to make a Sunday Roast. A great evening of food, laughter, warmth, and wonderful smells. Roasted potatoes, pumpkin, kumara, gravy, mint sauce, yorkshire pudding…wow!! And even a berry pie with ice cream dessert AND dark chocolate mouse made by Malorie. So so so delicious!! It really felt like a family coming together for a big Sunday meal. Ahh, warm fuzzies :-)
And, as of last week, I feel a bit more like an official Taupo community member because…I bought a gym membership! At the local Taupo Events Center fitness suite. It’s about a 20 minute walk from my hostel which isn’t so bad and a perfect thing to do during the cold, rainy winter days in Taupo. The events center is actually a pretty cool place, complete with a huge indoor climbing wall! Just yesterday, it was pissing down rain, so a few of us drove down and, as I worked out in the fitness room, I got to watch my friends climb the rock climbing wall at the same time! I even played on a local volleyball team last Sunday – very impromptu, but it was so much fun getting a chance to play volleyball again! I’m hoping to make it an every Sunday evening thing.
One of the perks of working at Cybershed (and also just living in the close-knit town of Taupo where everybody knows everyone) is getting free stuff! When I had first started at Cybershed, I met Dave, one of the managers at my favorite pub in town, Mulligans, and he offered me a free cruise on the sailboat that he is the skipper for. This past Monday was an absolutely GORGEOUS day – sun and blue sky, one of the few nice days we’ve had in a while - and, because I had the day off, I walked down to the harbor and found Dave to see if he was sailing that afternoon. Turns out there were no other customers, but Dave said he wouldn’t mind going for a sail on the lake anyway. We sailed around Lake Taupo for nearly 2 hours. The mountains were in the backdrop and Mt. Ruapehu had just gotten a fresh covering of snow the night before. It was beautiful! We watched a few sky divers parashute down from the plane – what a perfect day for a skydive. What a perfect day for almost anything outdoors! It was my first time out on the lake as well, and although it wasn’t really that windy, we were still able to put up the sails for a little while. We even had time for hot chocolate and biscuits :-) It was a lovely afternoon on the Lake Taupo. Cheers Dave!
Last Friday marked my one month anniversary of being in Taupo! Gosh, I can’t believe it’s been that long already…it’s gone by so fast! I think especially working at both Cybershed and Blackcurrant for the past 3 weeks have kept things quite busy. And, speaking of working at Blackcurrant, I have accepted an offer from Beth (one of the owners and managers of the hostel) to be a part-time assistant manager for the winter season at the hostel. So, instead of cleaning every morning, I will be working about 3 overnights per week for accommodation (which will be my very own room!) and 4-5 evening shifts. So, I’ll start that job on June 14th and continue until I leave Taupo, I suppose! This also means that I’ll be getting one FULL day off per week between the two jobs so I’m hoping to go skiing a couple times over the winter. Bring on the white fluffy stuff :-9
Layer 1.) long pants and a longsleeved t-shirt
Layer 2.) feather blanket
Layer 3.) duvet #1
Layer 4.) duvet #2
And, to top off my ice cream sundae of coverings, the cherry! A red, hot water bottle that I first use to warm up my toes and once that has been done, I hug it close like a four year old clings to their teddy bear. Only after all of this do I sleep comfortably, cozy and warm. Crazy kiwi’s and their lack of insulation or indoor heating… As I made my oatmeal this morning, I could see my breath in the kitchen! Yep, so go ahead and tell me how you’re having that 80/90 degree weather and the sun is shining bright, but don’t expect me not to get a wee bit jealous! *wink*
Living in Taupo and working, both at the hostel cleaning and at Cybershed, have allowed me to create a bit of a routine. I work just over 40 hours per week at the two places combined, so I keep quite busy. It’s easy to stick around the hostel during the down time, usually during the afternoon between cleaning and work at Cybershed. And, there’s been a bit of a rainy spell here in Taupo for the last week so it’s quite nice to just cozy up under the fuzzy blanket in the DVD lounge and read a book or watch a movie.
A couple weeks ago, I went with one of the other cleaners, Malorie, to Action World! This was literally a world of huge inflatables! The two of us had so much fun and practically had the entire place to ourselves. We swung around on the monkey bars, jumped into the balloon landings, and jump-posed in the air for silly action shots. It was one of the few sunny afternoons we’ve had lately, so it was great to spend it outside jumping around and acting like 8 years olds :-)
Action World is right next to the airport which is where all three of the Taupo Skydiving companies are located. So, I walked over and hung around to watch my friend Lars jump out of a plane! It was so cool to see the divers jump. After a while, I just laid on the ground and watched the plane fly overhead. All of a sudden, you could see a little white dot falling from the plane. Then, POOF! The shoot would open and before you knew it, there were 8-10 colorful parashutes falling from the sky! And the weather was perfect for diving – blue, blue sky and a warm sun. Such a calm and relaxing thing to watch.
It was also fun listening to the jumpers after they landed. The excitement in their voices made it clear that there was still a crapload of adrenaline coarsing through their veins. Just hearing them talk about how amazing the last 7 minutes or so of their life just was makes me that much more pumped to try it out!
Speaking of skydiving, it’s funny how much it’s talked about around the hostel and in Taupo in general. Coming from Raglan where the conversation nearly always turned to surfing, it’s interesting to find that each city has it’s “thing.” I also love learning more about the sport. There are a couple people at my hostel who have either taken the course (Kevin has done nearly 70 jumps already!) or are currently working towards their certificate. They are constantly using terminology that goes straight over my head, so I am consistently asking them questions. It’s fun learning more about the art and technique of skydiving, especially from people who are so enthusiastic about it! I can’t wait to go!!
Last Sunday, Kevin, one of the Blackcurrant long-termers, had the idea to make a Sunday Roast. A great evening of food, laughter, warmth, and wonderful smells. Roasted potatoes, pumpkin, kumara, gravy, mint sauce, yorkshire pudding…wow!! And even a berry pie with ice cream dessert AND dark chocolate mouse made by Malorie. So so so delicious!! It really felt like a family coming together for a big Sunday meal. Ahh, warm fuzzies :-)
And, as of last week, I feel a bit more like an official Taupo community member because…I bought a gym membership! At the local Taupo Events Center fitness suite. It’s about a 20 minute walk from my hostel which isn’t so bad and a perfect thing to do during the cold, rainy winter days in Taupo. The events center is actually a pretty cool place, complete with a huge indoor climbing wall! Just yesterday, it was pissing down rain, so a few of us drove down and, as I worked out in the fitness room, I got to watch my friends climb the rock climbing wall at the same time! I even played on a local volleyball team last Sunday – very impromptu, but it was so much fun getting a chance to play volleyball again! I’m hoping to make it an every Sunday evening thing.
One of the perks of working at Cybershed (and also just living in the close-knit town of Taupo where everybody knows everyone) is getting free stuff! When I had first started at Cybershed, I met Dave, one of the managers at my favorite pub in town, Mulligans, and he offered me a free cruise on the sailboat that he is the skipper for. This past Monday was an absolutely GORGEOUS day – sun and blue sky, one of the few nice days we’ve had in a while - and, because I had the day off, I walked down to the harbor and found Dave to see if he was sailing that afternoon. Turns out there were no other customers, but Dave said he wouldn’t mind going for a sail on the lake anyway. We sailed around Lake Taupo for nearly 2 hours. The mountains were in the backdrop and Mt. Ruapehu had just gotten a fresh covering of snow the night before. It was beautiful! We watched a few sky divers parashute down from the plane – what a perfect day for a skydive. What a perfect day for almost anything outdoors! It was my first time out on the lake as well, and although it wasn’t really that windy, we were still able to put up the sails for a little while. We even had time for hot chocolate and biscuits :-) It was a lovely afternoon on the Lake Taupo. Cheers Dave!
Last Friday marked my one month anniversary of being in Taupo! Gosh, I can’t believe it’s been that long already…it’s gone by so fast! I think especially working at both Cybershed and Blackcurrant for the past 3 weeks have kept things quite busy. And, speaking of working at Blackcurrant, I have accepted an offer from Beth (one of the owners and managers of the hostel) to be a part-time assistant manager for the winter season at the hostel. So, instead of cleaning every morning, I will be working about 3 overnights per week for accommodation (which will be my very own room!) and 4-5 evening shifts. So, I’ll start that job on June 14th and continue until I leave Taupo, I suppose! This also means that I’ll be getting one FULL day off per week between the two jobs so I’m hoping to go skiing a couple times over the winter. Bring on the white fluffy stuff :-9
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