ok, I know I just voiced that I don't really like blogging that much, but I wanted to say some more.
There is a saying here that NZ is same same, but different. It couldn't be more accurate. There is a very distinct kiwi culture that I haven't totally got a grasp on, but seems to be a mix of american and european with a touch of the 90s. I'll update you when I have it down pat. I say 90s because they are way behind us here. for orientation I had to go to each department and get my classes approved and stand on 8 lines all day just to get a student id card. They don't have any central heating and although it is 60 plus degress I am cold in my room. I am forced to learn how to text because the cardinal sin is calling someone...it costs lots of money.
besides all that good stuff, I have learned some good kiwi terms. in fact, being here is kind of like learning a second language. We discovered yesterday that it is nearly impossible to understand a group of drunk kiwis.
anyways, seeing as it appears I will still be blogging I guess I should just dedicate it to passing on some great terms.
Kia Ora: hello, how are how, have a good day, goodbye. yes, all of those...you can imagine my amazement when a bus driver of ours said it in 54 languages.
togs: swimming suit
gumboots: rain boots
nackered: tired
pissed: drunk
sweet as: a better way of saying sweet....they throw 'as' or 'ay' on the end of lot of random shit
anyways, many more to come
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
update
Ok, so I've decided I don't really like blogging at all, but for those of you I forgot to e mail and actually care what I am doing here is a list that some of you have already seen.
New Zealand is fucking awesome
a) before leaving, snow shoed through the sierra nevadas and drank sierra nevada pale ale
b) zorbed. basically rolled down a luge like course while in a ball which was inside a bigger balls, splashed around in water while being shot down the hill and bounced every which way and had now idea where I was till it ended...fucking crazy.
c) made good american friends and realized the impossibility of not hanging out with americans while studying abroad. I enjoy them, and want to keep hanging out but also know I want to meet more kiwis. maybe I can do both, have yet to find out. I live right by travis (friend from high school)...he is literally in my backyard...but its ok, we have a good friend group.
d) Caved. This included a 60 rappell into the cave and then some hiking through the cave with 3 more rappells down waterfalls, some climbing up huge walls and army crawling through spaces I didn't know I could fit. probably the best experience so far and near the top in my life.
e) partied until 4:30 am the last night of orientation and discovered that everyone learned the name 'party dan' when I walked on the bus in the morning and was welcomed with an overwhelming 'PARTY DAN!!'
f) learned the haka...very cool.
END OF THE SHIT SHOW THAT IS AMERICAN/CANADIAN ORIENTATION
g) met a guy while walking on campus today who happened to be from mn but lives here. he is a member of the club that meets every wed and fri in what we would consider 'library mall' to smoke. while busy talking to him I lost my tour group, so I figured out how to do the class sign up and id shit myself and ended up beating everyone in my group. I have his number and was offered some free and fun tours...might do it. he's a major hippie.
h) made connections that will make my hilldale awesome if I get it.
WHAT I FAILED TO SAY IN MY E MAIL
I met a girl...too bad she has a boyfriend, this could get very very complicated. shit
New Zealand is fucking awesome
a) before leaving, snow shoed through the sierra nevadas and drank sierra nevada pale ale
b) zorbed. basically rolled down a luge like course while in a ball which was inside a bigger balls, splashed around in water while being shot down the hill and bounced every which way and had now idea where I was till it ended...fucking crazy.
c) made good american friends and realized the impossibility of not hanging out with americans while studying abroad. I enjoy them, and want to keep hanging out but also know I want to meet more kiwis. maybe I can do both, have yet to find out. I live right by travis (friend from high school)...he is literally in my backyard...but its ok, we have a good friend group.
d) Caved. This included a 60 rappell into the cave and then some hiking through the cave with 3 more rappells down waterfalls, some climbing up huge walls and army crawling through spaces I didn't know I could fit. probably the best experience so far and near the top in my life.
e) partied until 4:30 am the last night of orientation and discovered that everyone learned the name 'party dan' when I walked on the bus in the morning and was welcomed with an overwhelming 'PARTY DAN!!'
f) learned the haka...very cool.
END OF THE SHIT SHOW THAT IS AMERICAN/CANADIAN ORIENTATION
g) met a guy while walking on campus today who happened to be from mn but lives here. he is a member of the club that meets every wed and fri in what we would consider 'library mall' to smoke. while busy talking to him I lost my tour group, so I figured out how to do the class sign up and id shit myself and ended up beating everyone in my group. I have his number and was offered some free and fun tours...might do it. he's a major hippie.
h) made connections that will make my hilldale awesome if I get it.
WHAT I FAILED TO SAY IN MY E MAIL
I met a girl...too bad she has a boyfriend, this could get very very complicated. shit
Monday, February 16, 2009
Blessed are we the travelers
Let me preface this by reminding everyone that I suck at spelling and truthfully don't give a rats ass...but thank you for the corrections, it's always good to learn from your mistakes.
So I'll try to make this short, but I could probably go on forever about the long weekend I just had. I spent the last 4 days in Sequoia National Park, located in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Which was fitting because my brother and I just happened to bring a twelve pack of Sierra Nevada pale ale.
Basically we spent the weekend at 7,000 ft, snow shoeing through some of the biggest trees in the world and getting some great mountain views. I could go into all the emotional introspective shit, but I don't think many people actually want to hear about that. Let's just say I spent the weekend thinking a lot about our insignificance, how lucky I am to get these opportunities, and what we can do to use all these opportunities we've been blessed with.
In conclusion, it was an incredible week in California. A combination of the beach, mountains that remind me of the polar express and Need For Speed Mountain Pass, and trees that actually make me wish I was a tree, is going to be hard to beat. That being said, I am leaving tomorrow for New Zealand and hope the adventure continues.
I am missing all my friends, hope you are all having incredible travels or simply an adventure in Madison.
So I'll try to make this short, but I could probably go on forever about the long weekend I just had. I spent the last 4 days in Sequoia National Park, located in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Which was fitting because my brother and I just happened to bring a twelve pack of Sierra Nevada pale ale.
Basically we spent the weekend at 7,000 ft, snow shoeing through some of the biggest trees in the world and getting some great mountain views. I could go into all the emotional introspective shit, but I don't think many people actually want to hear about that. Let's just say I spent the weekend thinking a lot about our insignificance, how lucky I am to get these opportunities, and what we can do to use all these opportunities we've been blessed with.
In conclusion, it was an incredible week in California. A combination of the beach, mountains that remind me of the polar express and Need For Speed Mountain Pass, and trees that actually make me wish I was a tree, is going to be hard to beat. That being said, I am leaving tomorrow for New Zealand and hope the adventure continues.
I am missing all my friends, hope you are all having incredible travels or simply an adventure in Madison.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
A different world
No, I´m not speaking of Aotearoa (known as New Zealand to you colonials). Side note: I can call you colonials and not be a hypocrit because I wrote a grant to study the NZ indigenous culture. You power hungry (choice word). Anyways, I´m talking about San Diego. I woke up blurry eyed yesterday morning in abnormally cold, wet, far from attractive, god I would feel dumb if I foolishly tattooed this state on my left shoulder blade, Minnesota only to find that a quick car ride, rub down from a security guard and shaky plane trip can land you in a place that makes you feel foolish for spending 18,000 dollars to go to some island in the middle of nowhere.
Enough with my regrets for not doing the more than well funded oceanography program at UCSD and back to my title. Here they have something called the ocean, it looks something like lake menona and mendota combined, without the pollution, and a little bit more water. oh, and GRASS!! Sure its fed with destructive fertilizers that we will soon find out our perpetuating the absurd increase in Autism, but who the hell cares, its beautiful. Here people wear winter coats just like at home, with a little twist though. They wear the coats to stay "comfortably warm"...I think its a foreign phrase. I thought the purpose of wearing a coat was to avoid hypothermia, frost bite, and a painful death. Clearly I was wrong...I recieved many curious looks for assuming shorts and a t-shirt were appropriate attire for a 60 degree day on the beach. Ive learned my lesson, no more "cultural fuck ups" as kevin likes to call them, today Im wearing pants and a fleese.
In all seriousness though, SD is great. I think weather and landscape like this breeds a healthy lifestyle, assuming you can avoid the lazy, spoiled, rich kid mentality (there are more fat children here than anywhere Ive ever seen). In short, because I am getting sick of typing on my sister in laws german keyboard, I purpose that our entire friend group transfer to UCSD and get tattoos of california on our left shoulder blades (sorry Brooks). I need to go do some more exploring.
Enough with my regrets for not doing the more than well funded oceanography program at UCSD and back to my title. Here they have something called the ocean, it looks something like lake menona and mendota combined, without the pollution, and a little bit more water. oh, and GRASS!! Sure its fed with destructive fertilizers that we will soon find out our perpetuating the absurd increase in Autism, but who the hell cares, its beautiful. Here people wear winter coats just like at home, with a little twist though. They wear the coats to stay "comfortably warm"...I think its a foreign phrase. I thought the purpose of wearing a coat was to avoid hypothermia, frost bite, and a painful death. Clearly I was wrong...I recieved many curious looks for assuming shorts and a t-shirt were appropriate attire for a 60 degree day on the beach. Ive learned my lesson, no more "cultural fuck ups" as kevin likes to call them, today Im wearing pants and a fleese.
In all seriousness though, SD is great. I think weather and landscape like this breeds a healthy lifestyle, assuming you can avoid the lazy, spoiled, rich kid mentality (there are more fat children here than anywhere Ive ever seen). In short, because I am getting sick of typing on my sister in laws german keyboard, I purpose that our entire friend group transfer to UCSD and get tattoos of california on our left shoulder blades (sorry Brooks). I need to go do some more exploring.
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