I can't believe we have been living here for almost 6 months. Time has gone by crazy fast! It is time to get down to business and start doing some serious traveling! Today colin and I are making our master game plan for the rest of the year, as we have LOTS to do!
Things with us are going well. It is winter but slowly starting to become spring. it has been a very mild winter. Apart from the wind storms last week and tornado 45 min away from us.. ha everything is well! One of our crappy doors broke in the storm, a huge chunk of wood came off with the lock. And the power at work went in and out so that was a long day!
Colin has steady work for at least the entire month which is good, meaning I don't have to pay for everything :)) and we are getting ready for Thailand! it has really snuck up on us! But am super excited about it, and then before we know it Martha will be here for our south island tour!! so excited!!
We went out with my co-worker Jaime and her partner on Friday night. We went over there for dinner and drinks and yummy cake! We had drinks and then went to go bowling, which is crazy expensive here, go figure NZ expensive!
after that we ended up going to 6 different bars! Time flew! Jaimes best friends family owns a few Wellington bars, so we got free drinks n what not. Before we knew it, it was 3:30am! And ps the bars in NZ don't really close, at least not until like 7am.
one of the many bars we went to had this budha looking thing that we decided to take a photo with... apparently that wasn't ok and they tried to kick us out.. luckily Steve is a cop and knew the people so they let us stay. but I couldn't help thinking that you would have to do WAY more at home to get kicked out. oh well it makes a funny story!
So we finally made it home and slept in until 12pm! Jaime and Steve came back over to do our VERY important Nordstroms order and then Colin and I did our weekly walk to the grocery store and then walk home with our backpacks and reusable bags full (up hills). oh yes and here is a picture of Kitty being silly and sitting like a human
well thats all for now! hopefully I have something more interesting to post next time, before we leave to Thailand!
Anything you thought about going through security at airports (domestic travel) FORGET IT. New Zealand has its own terms, and I didn't get my ID checked once, going to Auckland or back to Wellington.
I was lucky enough to fly up to Auckland for the day to attend a Marketing Managers meeting (how fun!) It was great to see the head NZ office and learn more about the NZ marketing world, everyone was really nice and they even took us out bowling after!
My morning started quite early, but luckily I had a taxi and didn't have to take the bus! I got to the airport, got my boarding passes and just walked all the way though.... shops and eateries are all public. (The main road even runs through the airport drop off point!) You can still greet people at the gate as well. Anyways, I went through some security at my gate. It was like flying cira 1990. I didn't have to take off my shoes, belt, jacket and I could take in food and beverage. Not once did I have to show my I.D and before I knew it I was on the plane and ready to go! The cockpit door can open and shut, and it doesn't take them years to depart from the gate, they just close the door and go.
Air New Zealand totally has their marketing down for the safety as well. on the way up I watched a rugby theamed video, as below:
so I got to Auckland, took my taxi to 277 Newmarket and away I went for meetings. After all the work was done we went to a bowling alley and played some game along with some drinks and food. By the time I was off to the airport I was 2-3 glasses in, and come to find out I was served more wine on the plane! So by the time I got home, Colin told me I smelt like wine.
In the Auckland airport. I went through security (this time with a package of hair products for a campaign we are doing) the security man asked me what was in my package and then just said ok, have fun! how crazy is that! I got to my gate and realized there wasn't food places so I just leisurely went out of security, got some food and then went right back through. Once again my ID was never checked!
The week before my trip to Auckland was Greg's last week with us. We decided to celebrate our flatmate family and go out in Wellington. It was a pretty fun night, and we made it to a few different bars, but then decided it was time for Kebabs and a taxi ride home. the next day we went out to Nelsons families house (who have been so nice to host us for dinner, drinks and movies twice now!)
We went out kayaking for the day and it was beautiful! Went out for around 2 hours, and then headed back to the family's house for an amazing dinner and movies. It was super sad to see Greg leave... especially since we were a little family. But he is off to Auckland and then headed back to the US. We got a new roommate, she is nice and finally starting to talk and come out of here room. At first she was super quite and never came out! But things are getting better now.
On the 4th of July my work was nice enough to have a 4th of July afternoon tea! We all brought red white or blue treats and it was so much fun! I am so lucky to have such a wonderful job!
Cheryl, Nadine, Jaime, Megan and I - 5 people missing, and ironically 2 of them were in the US!
Things I miss:
honey nut cherrios
apple sauce
gram crackers
frozen juices - they don't have them here!
health drinks - like Naked or Odwalla
Kiwi sayings:
gutted - like oh disappointing. - oh gutted!
plasters - bandaids
being precious - being snobby or difficulty.
top up - refil
nutta - crazy person
flesh against the wall - flat against the wall
