26 November, 2007
· Filed under DJ Report, Technology
11 November, 2007
· Filed under The Real World, Travel
Will I wash away, turning like a stone?
I need a place where I belong.
Call a setting sun to throw me down a rope
And take me to a place called home.
“Home” – Above & Beyond 2006
Jet lag is a wonderful thing. I’ve been up since 5am compiling notes about my recent trip to Kiwiland. Lucky the heaters come on at this time else I’d be freezing my nut. Please note – this post will be rather dry, as my Acer notebook now resides in NZ and I wont be uploading photos today.
Addiction by habit
These are a few things that I found myself eating and drinking most often in NZ:
- Green spirulina, Feijoa and berry smoothies
- Lift Plus
- Cookie Time
- Sakata Rice crackers
- Sushi
Expectations versus reality
I expected the trip to center around my sister’s wedding and supporting my dad’s IT requirements. It was the “heavenly wedding” versus “nightmare wireless-network-all-in-one-printer-scanner-copier” holiday. Plus a whole lot of eating out and driving. Mission completed I say.
Highlights, lowlights, observations
- I forgot to eat the golden kiwifruit my sister bought me
- My most popular feedback was “wow your so tanned” (embrace your inner colour, mofos)
- The house was very busy and I had to bunk with my two sisters; my two auntie’s slept in my old room
- Hamilton is bigger with more traffic and houses, but still inherently similar
- Everyone is pregnant, marriage really is the gateway to propagating the species – enter with caution
- Baby Jessica pooped in the bath and we scooped it out with a Coke cup
- Cat scratches are irritating yet fun – I taught Jessica to say “mau mau”
- Mum’s persistence to hook me up with a dim sum girl rubbed me up the wong way
Travel itinerary
A short listing of what turned out to be “Trip Kiwiana 2007″, (spot the common themes):
- 18/10 Thu: left work early, in search of another world once forgotten, Sushi dinner
- 19/10 Fri: stuck on a plane for 23 hours + 3 hour transit
- 20/10 Sat: 2pm arrival in Auckland – a gay ol’ family affair with slapping and hugging. Sushi lunch, Master House dinner… wrecked
- 21/10 Sun: my favorite pastime – shopping at the Warehouse and Rebel Sport… bored, Ants&Ange dinner – twin filling lasagna, cake
- 22/10 Mon: Labour day – yum char in Auckland with the in-laws, home for BBQ dinner with Ants&Ange, cake
- 23/10 Tue: Sushi appointment with Irene
- 24/10 Wed: dental appointment, shopping for last minute wedding bits, Sushi lunch
- 25/10 Thu: actual dental appointment, wedding site inspection, Nandos and Metropolis for pre-wedding dinner/drinks
- 26/10 Fri: wedding day (!), windy but sunny, reception at Master House, cake
- 27/10 Sat: BBQ at home with family friends, visited Ying and her family massive, cake
- 28/10 Sun: iced chocolate with Jenn, tennis with Ben, auntie’s house for dinner, cake
- 29/10 Mon: attractions – Hamilton lake and Gardens, yum char at Master House and Wintec dinner, cake
- 30/10 Tue: Butter chicken curry for lunch (thanks Mrs P!), checked out the new Ming Express and auntie’s for dinner
- 31/10 Wed: Auckland catchup – ex-work colleagues, friends of friends and friends. Visited New Market Honda, Auckland Hospital, Dom road, Tanuki’s Yakitori, Ken’s Yakitori, Albany (x2) and Hillcrest in the shire
- 01/10 Thu: breakfast at Izzie’s, KFC lunch, Hamilton Museum for dinner, Mum’s birthday cake
- 02/10 Fri: Pattaya for lunch, Ants&Ange dinner, cake
- 03/10 Sat: 7am – Raglan surf with Cleary, Sushi lunch, BBQ at home with guest chefs and friends, cake, $150 fireworks
- 04/10 Sun: English style brunch, lunch at Wedges, Master Kong dinner with Ants&Ange
- 05/10 Mon: Original Thai dinner with Ants&Ange, fireworks
- 06/10 Tue: network scanner is finally working, yum char at Master Kong (gross), saw Alice+Will at the Kong, shopping/preparing for roast with Cals, golf range with Chih, Mum’s birthday cake
- 07/10 Wed: packing, leaving for HK, Sushi lunch
- 08/10 Thu: 6:45am awake in HK, shops not open quite yet… but shopping and eating like crazy all day (hairy crabs)
- 09/10 Fri: back in the UK, home by 8am, unpacked and back to normality, made Sushi for lunch/dinner with KK
- 10/10 Sat: general house cleaning and Tesco shopping
- 11/10 Sun: writing this entry, 9.04am, raining outside, 9.54am completed editing
Where to now?
I had an interesting conversation with Irene whilst I was packing… she picked up on my motivation for “searching for something”. Chih is banging a few buzz words back into my head right now, e.g. “self-actualization” and “Chi” – the name of a refreshing herbal soda drink. As I look at my feet at this very moment, I notice they’ve become very tanned from going bare footed back home. Physically, yes, but mentally, still some distance to travel, yet.
