The streets of Wellington, signs

Pics, of late

On the rails, the Overlander (and Mt. Tongariro) into Wellington

Random as radon

Jesse and Lettuce

The cluttered apartment (Aitken at Mulgrave), Wellington

What better reminder than fires in California, diesel soot in Polynesia, and “bugger another” rain in Auckland to enjoy the days while you can?!?

Polynesians in Fiji (especially women) know how to laugh. But that require oxygen. They just need that container of catalytic converters, pronto please.

Indo-Fijians are apparently able businessman, but the lack of clean water can’t be helping the dismal beer and rum they’re turning out.

$2 in Kiwi Lettuce!

I've been reminded that experiencing a place as a tourist, a traveller, and a immigrant will give entirely different perspectives. I think we've had all of the above recently, and variations of each--middle class dodo, hobo, and unwanted unwashed everyone. Yet mostly since entering New Zealand it's been as potential emigres; the hat we've donned. And that has been a newfound profound and confounding new tangle.

Today appears to be the beginning of a stretch of 'fair' weather, the first in over two weeks since we've been here. And being as we are in such a city as Wellington, I aim to takes pictures of this lovely place. Earlier in the week, Beth and I took an afternoon away from the jobsearch and climbed Mt. Victoria(where apparently they filmed many scenes from Lord of the Rings) which is right in the city. We were greeted not by Orcs, per se, but by winds steady around 50+ miles an hour. And a view of the harbor, the straits, etc. It was great!

Now that fair weather has dawned, one of us has been made lame by muscle spasms. In a twist (sorry), it's not J but Beth who has been in bed now for over 15 hours, as well as uncomfortable pain. So our grandiose plans for enjoying ourselves all over town will have to be scaled back. Luckily we remain in a cozy quiet room near the 'beehive' (Parliament, etc) with a kitchenette and all we may want. I am grateful.

Beth will have all the care and sympathy that similar circumstances a dozen or so times a year would bring forth from her hubby. We'll live to bungee another day.

The Wonders of the Tea Hour(s)

Ah, tea time.

I thought it was a quaint, dainty, and annoying thing; an English custom taken on by many of its colonies with excess preciousness. But in fact, I have come to love tea time, and have an understanding of why it has caught on in so many places. Tea occurs twice daily, and most people seem to take both, at 10am and 4pm. Tea consists of three main items: tea or coffee, an indulgent pastry, and sitting. And why the hell not take a break with a big old piece of cake twice a day? I've found that I happen to meander into bakeries most often around these hours anyways, and now find myself among company. These people have built a tradition, basically a twice-a-day party, around what I've thus considered my daily hours of biggest weakness. Faaaantastic.

Consequently, there are coffee shops everywhere, literally stocked full with home-baked, luscious pastries. Even the delis have gorgeous bars, muffins, and cakes. It seems everyone is competing for the best pastries in town, and I am loving it. Nowhere else have I been with so many delicious options everywhere. My favorites so far are a vegan/organic coffeehouse called Cuba 178 (or something like that) on Cuba Street, with amazing cakes towering three layers high, including a great vegan chocolate cake, cheesecakes, and some kind of mystery coconut/passionfruit cake today, and mocha coffee milkshakes (thick shakes hereabouts). I think a milkshake qualifies as tea, don't you? Also, a cozy basement place downtown off Lambton Quay with melt-in-your mouth lemon muffins served with cream and yogurt on the side. It helps that the cafe mochas here taste like hot chocolate with a little coffee drizzled in, so I can actually order some kind of hot drink that I like, rather than just pretend that I'm participating in tea hour by taking the opportunity to wolf down yummy sweets.

New Zealand, At Long Last, 1.11.07

Flying in to New Zealand, Beth got all tearful finally seeing the land below. At last we were here. Conversely, Jesse elected to be concerned. Months and years of plans, hopes and expectations were to be put to the test. Little were we prepared for the struggles that awaited us. After one week in Auckland, we are quite discouraged and wondering how much longer we want to do this. Luckily(?) we take turns being bummed and\or resilient. Auckland is terribly expensive (think NYC or Frisco and then some on some items--gas is near $6 a gallon). Apparently it will be cheaper outside this city--even in Wellington, the capitol. We’ve been applying for jobs, searching for apartments, trying to decide which town to put ourselves in, all while dealing with really pricey edibles; rainy, cool weather; the inability to do any work or trade without a work visa; and an approaching high season.

Uncle Mike’s friend, Warren (a Kiwi) who is here with his family from Mexico, has given us hope in his and his family’s kindness and optimism, and hosted us for a warm dinner one evening.

Yet it's plain we’re simply on our own without anyone to really help and spending, spending our savings on what feels very futile. Dep't of Immigration is close to impregnable; you can’t talk to them by phone because they don’t answer. As yet no one will entertain giving us a job because we don’t have a work permit.

Political and economic news from the States is a worry, as well.

We’re taking the Overlander on the 12 hour voyage across the north island to Wellington over the weekend. Blown by the wind as we are, we hope for things to become clearer, and soon.

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Things we miss: Family and Friends, good beer, exercise, free WIFI, cheap goods, and entertainments

Things that are better here: Air, courtesy, variety of vehicles, korean pancake snacks, tea time, pastries, cafe mochas

Things that are just plain weird: kebabs, pronounced like "babs", not "bobs", everywhere; slightly off takes on sports that we know: netball is women's basketball played in little skirts with a basketball net without a backboard, lower than the usual height we recognize, and cricket; hundreds of varieties of yogurt in the grocery, and not one box or bulk box of granola; palm trees with snowy mountains at 5000 feet; a nation healthier than most parts of the world, that is based on meat and dairy (but the women here don't seem to be as afraid as the thighs as others), magazine covers (think 80's mode "I'm Excited!").