OTAGO :: KIWIS :: SWEET AS

Ah, this blog this is not going so well. whoops, haven't updated in awhile, my beeeee.

Need to bust out my planner to remember what I've been doing. Yup, I've been that busy. Sike. My adventures are pretty typical, except that I'm in New Zealand. Besides, you know I'm just really forgetful -.-

OWLS!

Went to my first rugby game (couple weeks ago): HIGHLANDERS vs. CHIEFS. It was great! Besides not really knowing what was happening in the game (scrums, forwards, lifting each other up, etc) it was really fun to dress up in sweet ( & free) jumpsuits and wave flags around with fellow skarfies (Otago students - because apparently students wear lots of scarves). It was standing room only & not only was the game very entertaining, the mass amounts of drunken students was very interesting. WE WON! which was supposely an upset too - sweet as bro! The bus ride there & back was filled with singing and chanting. I (actually it was Mimi but I helped, honest!) started a rousing round of "we are the champions, my frieennndddsss". & then we taunted someone into mooning us.

Also, went on a train trip to middlemarch through the "gorge". It was my first train ride (airport subways, and linkrails don't count right?). Not much to say about the ride, but the scenery was B-E-A-U-tiful :) It was a nice little adventure. Some of us were a little under the weather *ahemhungahemoverahem* but it was all good. Uh, middlemarch is the boonies (but pretty!).

CLASSES STARTED. Uh, I haven't been to class for 2 & 1/2 months so why did I pick an 8AM, whhhyyyyy??? And on Mondays, Thursdays & Fridays for that matter. AND it's biochem. AND it's podcast (aka never showing up for lecture) (JK, I do go to lectures, honest! ... most of the time) Goodness gracious. Otherwise, not too bad. I'm taking Preception&Sensation, Epi of Major Health Problems & Maori Society. They're all pretty interesting, especially learning about Maori cultures. Update: Accents are still fun, but have had moments where can't understand a single word, mostly in Maori class.

lame attempt at panorama.
can't catch epicness on camera.

72 slippery steps, I counted

More scenery! Bused, walked, climbed to TUNNEL BEACH. it was so gorgeous. It's a pretty steep walk down (steeper walk up, my calves!) and I swear, Frodo&friends could have been walking on those hills. Its these giant cliffs with a whole expanse of sea beating against them. (I think) the owner of land nearby dug a tunnel through a cliff to reach a beachy area underneath. Unfortunately we were there during high tide but it was still breathtaking to be able to sit on these massive rocks and watch the tides.

It was Russell's 21st birthday, so the flatmates and I went out to a Thai BYO. Why do we not have this in the states, they have it in Canada even!? BYO restaurants allow you to bring in bottleS of wine of your choosing to eat with your meal. You only need to pay a small corkage feel (usually 5 dollars) for each bottle. For 7 people, we brought in 6 bottles. Good stuff (actually the wines were all on the sale, so technically not that good of stuff, but you know what I mean). Oh, apparently Americans are very loud, we do not have indoor voices. Definitely noticeable in the restaurant, or maybe it was because by that time we had finish almost all the wine.

Okay, done. Sorry for the overdose of information. Will try to be more punctual next time (I'm not caught up yet though, continual whoops). Gotta go to class!

If you're reading this, MISS YOU! ;)

it's weird that i'm missing a day in my life, specifically february 19, 2011. darn you international dateline.

when i was wandering around LAX, trying to find my bags/flight, i saw these people sitting on chairs in a huddle, looking bored. and i thought, why do they get chairs and coffee, not fair! next thing i knew, i was in the middle of a movie set. people dress in black with expensive looking equipment, lights, cameras, the works. okay okay, they weren't actually filming right then, but still.

the international flight from LA to auckland was great though. dinner + 2 glasses of wine + 2 gin&tonics and i was out.

so, i'm still trying to get settled in, etc etc. getting final course approval is all done physically, no electronic registration. basically that means, professors sit in a gym/classroom along the wall and you walk up and actually talk to them and try to get them to sign your sheet of paper. feels like middle school during parent-teacher conferences in the gym.

6.3 earthquake in christchurch today. scary stuff. my thoughts go out to all the kiwis involved.

some pictures: