Saturday, March 20, 2004
see what you get from some indecision?
i popped into the local STA TRAVEL branch today and found out that only one seat was available on 3/28, and then the only other day was 4/4, if i wanted to move my flight back. if i didn't change it, i'd be leaving 4/7. i decided to think about it before making the decision, and before i knew it, it was 5pm, the office was closed, and i can't see them until monday. (it's saturday here.) so i decided to bite the bullet and head to the south island, via a NZ$150 ferry, with my car, and take a tiki tour of the s. island. i hope to sea kayak a few days in the national park, and walk on a glacier, maybe visit a friend and some other cool locales. but this isn't what i originally wanted to do. it's probably what's best as i did fork over a lot of money to fly here, who knows when i'll do it again, and do i REALLY want to go and live with my parents again? grass is greener, always, in my head.
currently i'm in wellington, the lord of the rings capital of the world. the world premiere was here and for NZ$195 i can take a tour of the film sites around this city. uhh...no thanks. i think i could manage it by myself.
it is the weekend, and i'm so jaded about going out and drinking alcohol, any amount. i figure, i've spent the last six months essentially staying out late every friday and saturday night. so as this is my vacation, i'm going to relish sitting around, watching tv, reading and writing. it's OK. i'm not 18 and looking to get pissed (drunk) and hook up. not that i really was into it at 18, either.
so in short, here i am stuck on the other side of the world, doing nothing but having several lazy days in a row.
i popped into the local STA TRAVEL branch today and found out that only one seat was available on 3/28, and then the only other day was 4/4, if i wanted to move my flight back. if i didn't change it, i'd be leaving 4/7. i decided to think about it before making the decision, and before i knew it, it was 5pm, the office was closed, and i can't see them until monday. (it's saturday here.) so i decided to bite the bullet and head to the south island, via a NZ$150 ferry, with my car, and take a tiki tour of the s. island. i hope to sea kayak a few days in the national park, and walk on a glacier, maybe visit a friend and some other cool locales. but this isn't what i originally wanted to do. it's probably what's best as i did fork over a lot of money to fly here, who knows when i'll do it again, and do i REALLY want to go and live with my parents again? grass is greener, always, in my head.
currently i'm in wellington, the lord of the rings capital of the world. the world premiere was here and for NZ$195 i can take a tour of the film sites around this city. uhh...no thanks. i think i could manage it by myself.
it is the weekend, and i'm so jaded about going out and drinking alcohol, any amount. i figure, i've spent the last six months essentially staying out late every friday and saturday night. so as this is my vacation, i'm going to relish sitting around, watching tv, reading and writing. it's OK. i'm not 18 and looking to get pissed (drunk) and hook up. not that i really was into it at 18, either.
so in short, here i am stuck on the other side of the world, doing nothing but having several lazy days in a row.
Monday, March 15, 2004
back in the familiar place
i'm in the internet cafe in tauranga that was the center of so much poor judgment. it's weird being back here, where i feel everyone i know hates me. though that's not true because i've been able to catch up with old friends. it's like i never left. and it feels like i never will because of my damn car. it hasn't passed its warrant, or inspection, and i've had to stick around for a few days so i can fix the things that need to be fixed and then get it retested. stupid jackass who did the inspection was so picky! and then today when i went back he wouldn't see my straightaway. oh well. at least i get to check my email.
so after the car gets sorted out, i'm down to napier, art deco capital of new zealand, and hawke's bay, one of the major wine-producing regions. i'm excited to finally GO somewhere, but i'm also really homesick. well, not missing living with my parents and my endless work obligations. i just miss being around people i know. i haven't had much of that in the last several months, what with working all the time and retreating into this solitary existence. so i'm thinking the remedy might be to cut my vacation short and just visit PEOPLE. oh people, how i love people. actually, that's not true. i hate people. i love my friends.
ps i've gotten into boston university and new england school of law. i'm still waiting on my top two choices.
i'm in the internet cafe in tauranga that was the center of so much poor judgment. it's weird being back here, where i feel everyone i know hates me. though that's not true because i've been able to catch up with old friends. it's like i never left. and it feels like i never will because of my damn car. it hasn't passed its warrant, or inspection, and i've had to stick around for a few days so i can fix the things that need to be fixed and then get it retested. stupid jackass who did the inspection was so picky! and then today when i went back he wouldn't see my straightaway. oh well. at least i get to check my email.
so after the car gets sorted out, i'm down to napier, art deco capital of new zealand, and hawke's bay, one of the major wine-producing regions. i'm excited to finally GO somewhere, but i'm also really homesick. well, not missing living with my parents and my endless work obligations. i just miss being around people i know. i haven't had much of that in the last several months, what with working all the time and retreating into this solitary existence. so i'm thinking the remedy might be to cut my vacation short and just visit PEOPLE. oh people, how i love people. actually, that's not true. i hate people. i love my friends.
ps i've gotten into boston university and new england school of law. i'm still waiting on my top two choices.
Saturday, March 06, 2004
if this is paradise, why does it rain so much?
i forgot about you, dear blog. for better or worse. i am here in rarotonga, the edge of the world, the last time zone of the day, the middle of nowhere, a rainy paradise. this is my second fully day on the island and my third rainstorm. it was quaint yesterday when i was on my push bike, touring the island. (it's about 20 miles and my bum hurts a lot.) today, not so cute. but still, it's amazing here.
i'm in avarua, the main town in rarotonga, though if you were on a highway in kentucky, this place would be a blink-of-an-eye village. the mosquitoes are fierce, as is the sun. i'm quite burned even tho' it was thoroughly overcast yesterday. monday, i'm off to aitutaki, what i suspect from pictures to be an even more idyllic place. i love swimming in warm, clear waters, though it's a little freaky to do it by myself. it's not hard to find a lonesome swimming place, and then i worry about sharks and random spiky poisonous creatures. in reality, i don't have much to worry about, but sometimes standing on the beach, thinking about how vast the pacific is and then how small this blot of land is ... well, it's just a little scary.
my voyage to rarotonga was a long one. from newark airport to LA for five days or so, then a 13 hour flight to auckland. then the next day, a four hour flight BACK EAST and over the dateline to the Cook Islands. It was Wednesday then it was Thursday, then I woke up and it was Friday and I hopped back on a plane to Thursday and woke up on Friday again. There really isn't much jet-lag because the hours are so close, but it's just plain weird, damn it.
So ta ta for now.
i forgot about you, dear blog. for better or worse. i am here in rarotonga, the edge of the world, the last time zone of the day, the middle of nowhere, a rainy paradise. this is my second fully day on the island and my third rainstorm. it was quaint yesterday when i was on my push bike, touring the island. (it's about 20 miles and my bum hurts a lot.) today, not so cute. but still, it's amazing here.
i'm in avarua, the main town in rarotonga, though if you were on a highway in kentucky, this place would be a blink-of-an-eye village. the mosquitoes are fierce, as is the sun. i'm quite burned even tho' it was thoroughly overcast yesterday. monday, i'm off to aitutaki, what i suspect from pictures to be an even more idyllic place. i love swimming in warm, clear waters, though it's a little freaky to do it by myself. it's not hard to find a lonesome swimming place, and then i worry about sharks and random spiky poisonous creatures. in reality, i don't have much to worry about, but sometimes standing on the beach, thinking about how vast the pacific is and then how small this blot of land is ... well, it's just a little scary.
my voyage to rarotonga was a long one. from newark airport to LA for five days or so, then a 13 hour flight to auckland. then the next day, a four hour flight BACK EAST and over the dateline to the Cook Islands. It was Wednesday then it was Thursday, then I woke up and it was Friday and I hopped back on a plane to Thursday and woke up on Friday again. There really isn't much jet-lag because the hours are so close, but it's just plain weird, damn it.
So ta ta for now.
Monday, January 26, 2004
i am reading al franken's new book -- lies and the lying liars who tell them -- and i am getting REALLY INFURIATED. i already knew g.w. bush was a hack. his theft of the presidential office was supported by the media, left and right wings of it. and it seems that every time he's in the news, he's on vacation at his ranch in texas. now i'm learning that almost all of his actions after 9/11 were based on recommendations and plans that were basically started during the last days of the clinton administration. and bush's white house tries to blame everything on clinton, as if it were bill who was so damn busy giving tax cuts to rich people and giant companies instead of his own damn skinny big-eared goofy and somewhat stupid self. GRR! oh but i'm sorry, i'm getting this out of a LEFT-WING LIBERAL'S (well researched and documented) BOOK! maybe for the truth i should consult ann coulter...
Wednesday, January 07, 2004
rocks rocks and more rocks
i interned at jpl one summer in college and what did i do? i counted rocks. i didn't just count them, i had to locate all the coordinates of the rocks in these images. countless rocks...and so when i see the new images from the spirit rover, i just think, gee, there's going to be some poor sap who has to count all those!
i interned at jpl one summer in college and what did i do? i counted rocks. i didn't just count them, i had to locate all the coordinates of the rocks in these images. countless rocks...and so when i see the new images from the spirit rover, i just think, gee, there's going to be some poor sap who has to count all those!
Friday, January 02, 2004
Sunday, December 07, 2003
amazing things
today has been a day of learning.
have you heard about the guy whose son has cerebral palsy. now past middle age, the father runs in races and other competitions with his son in tow because he likes the feel of running and competing and particpating. they competed in the ironman this year. can you imagine? the father who puts his body through the toughest challenges out of love for his son.
in the same ironman race, a belgian who once came in 6th in an event was soon after paralyzed in an accident. two years later, he completed the race, well over 100 miles, using his arms only.
have you heard about the christmas truce in world war one, when german and british soldiers put the fighting on hold to play soccer using balls of hay tied with string?
how can this world be so full of amazing stories that we never hear of?
today has been a day of learning.
have you heard about the guy whose son has cerebral palsy. now past middle age, the father runs in races and other competitions with his son in tow because he likes the feel of running and competing and particpating. they competed in the ironman this year. can you imagine? the father who puts his body through the toughest challenges out of love for his son.
in the same ironman race, a belgian who once came in 6th in an event was soon after paralyzed in an accident. two years later, he completed the race, well over 100 miles, using his arms only.
have you heard about the christmas truce in world war one, when german and british soldiers put the fighting on hold to play soccer using balls of hay tied with string?
how can this world be so full of amazing stories that we never hear of?
Wednesday, November 05, 2003
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