Hot sauce.

May 19, 2009Stories - about travel

I broke my first glass at work last week, a margarita glass with a few drops of strawberry or mango pooled at the bottom of the stem. No big deal, right? As they say, there’s more where that came from. And like every other human being since Adam, I could blame someone else – the … Read More

Jug’s boiled.

May 17, 2009Stories - about travel

“New Zealanders are solid tea drinkers when compared to other countries around the world! Tea consumption per capita in New Zealand is around 1kg – we consume more tea per head of population than Australia or USA.” – Bell Tea Company During my first few days at my office, I noted with increasing confusion a … Read More

The year of no holidays.

May 10, 2009Stories - about travel

Since I’ve been traveling from last August, my time abroad has kept me away from home for several major holidays – Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s, which, coincidentally, is also my dad’s birthday. And as the year goes on, I’m prepared to tick more and more off the list of holidays I will miss – … Read More

The pearl is here.

May 7, 2009Stories - about life

Strange things happen when worlds collide, when the spheres of your life overlap, creating something like a Venn-diagram with its ever-intriguing shaded center. It can be something simple like seeing a friend from school visit you at work, or catching up with a friend you met London in Auckland. But when it happens, you can … Read More

Last runner standing.

May 4, 2009Stories - about travel

A few Saturdays ago, I was upstairs making lunch while my flatmate Kenny talked about how crazy-busy his night job had gotten – bartending at a local Mexican restaurant called the Flying Burrito Brothers. Since I’d arrived in Christchurch, I had been debating finding some part-time work at a restaurant to bring in a little extra … Read More

W.W.B.D.?

April 28, 2009Stories - about travel

Since deciding to come to New Zealand, I’ve been asked several times what my expectations are for my time here. My first reaction was to laugh – expectations? By my second year of college, I’d learned that life is never what I expect it to be, be that better or worse. My time in London was … Read More

Minding my own business (sort of…)

April 19, 2009Stories - about travel

In the same spirit of being in New Zealand which has led me to try Milo and Marmite, I recently picked up Tolkien’s The Hobbit. I’d given it a try maybe ten years ago, but never made it through. So far round two has gone well and even turned up a rather fitting quote: “Now … Read More

Milo, maps, and RST.

April 19, 2009Stories - about travel

I’m just settling down in my new flat to watch Flight of the Conchords with a warm mugfull of Milo – a Kiwi original similar to Ovaltine. I am officially unpacked and it feels great. I wasn’t exactly looking forward to this particular flat – just the idea of getting settled in a place – … Read More