There's Aliens Out There!

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Couch Surfing!!

The next best/adventurous idea next to hitchhiking! I wanted to share with my fellow travelers a fantastic new web site I found. It is: www.couchsurfing.com. It is a great place where you can arrange to stay on someones couch while you are traveling at not cost. Well like any of these things, you need to use discretion- each member has a profile, and can be verified. There is feedback on the sites, but if it's a cold night and a tent wont cut it- It's an idea! It's really popular here in New Zealand, I've met some great people who have done it! So check out the sight and see what you think. It's a world wide thing! In fact I there are TONS of Bozemanites that are already on board!

Slacklining on a Beautiful day in Palmy

There is this great rope tower in the park made like the Eiffel Tower, we're about two stories above ground, so when you hang by your toes, it's really a rush!

I wasn't joking about the hanging by your toes!

Love the poofy pants! When you fall it's like a parachute! 

I like to call this move, the Boxing Kangaroo. ( I was trying to go for an alligator, but that didn't work).

This is where you balance on your hands, and wrap your legs around to the rope and stand up. It's pretty impressive, Andy makes it look a lot easier than it really is!

This is Jackson, he is the leader of the Alpine Club- in charge of getting people out and about in the bush!

Rink and Ryan Climbing up the tower.

Oops, we broke a slackline. How you ask? Well lets just say, you should really put padding between the rope and the bark. It was new when we started and it nearly  broke in two places!

 

We had a fantastic day. The weather was perfect, the sun was shining, and the ground was muddy. Just perfect for crazy landings. 

We had four slacklines set up! Two longer ones, one short one made from a rachet- Great for beginners, and one made of climbing rope- this was the hardest. If you haven't seen this sport before- YouTube it! There are some highly skilled slackliners out there!

Trevor you would be proud of me!! I've gotten a little better, and can sucessfully turn around and keep walking!

Have you ever sat on a slackline and tried to bounce up off your butt? Hehe- it didn't work- but boy was it sure fun to watch. 

I had a fantastic day in the sun. It's so good to get out and just relax in the park. 

Oh by the way, hehe, this is what early winter looks like!

Boom Boom went the party- Good Music and Good Fire Action

I had a really great 21st! Julia made her famous Jungle Juice, Great Music- THANKS MIKE, Lots of balloons, and we had a fire show- THANKS POONCHI! Well the fire wasn't intentional, but definitely entertaining. The BBQ we had was leaking propane in all the wrong areas. 

Good thing our dinner wasn't on there.

After about 5 tries, and some great pictures, we gave up on it and decided to use the stove instead...

 

To my surprise, that was even more entertaining! One of the guys that lived there assured us that it was OK to use it like that, the food wasn't burning. Well the food we brought wasn't burning. "Don't worry about it, it does that." That's what I was told by one of the guys that lived there! Stoves don't just do that! 

maybe guys shouldn't cook.

Well it worked out, and no food was burned in the process. Let me rephrase... none of the food we intentionally cooked that night was burned.

What can I say, it's dark at a party. I guess this is what it looked like for some people. To your surprise or maybe disappointment there are no awful drunken pictures or videos of me. I was well behaved for a 21st, especially considering I got free drinks all night.

A night out on the town

My friend Mike organized out potluck at a this place downtown called Bar Mode. The owner let us use the industrialized kitchen to cook our food, and the band took over the stage. I got to eat a gourmet meal with live music, and all I had to bring was celery sticks with peanut butter. Gotta love it!

Nothin' better than listening to a live band- Who you Actually Know!! I have some friends that like to meet up and jam, I don't know how many there are actually. They have bongos, electric guitars and bass, keyboard, drums, a singer, and turn tables to scratch with it. I'll tell you what, they are a fun group to listen to.

What a beautiful Juke Box! Don't see these around very often- and it has a Great Selection too! Van Halen, Eagles, Blondie... and all the best!

Part of the reason I love New Zealand so much, is because there is so much to do- ANY  NIGHT OF THE WEEK!! Every wednesday I meet up with a bunch of friends and have a potluck dinner. Well this week we actually had three this week, but on Wednesday in particular, Mike set us up with a place downtown where he and his band played, and we were able to use the industrial kitchen to create a masterpiece dinner. Actually each time the meals have gotten better. Foods all over, Indian, Pakistan, German... one night we had calamari too! I know I didn't spell that right... 

Ears of corn  : )

Aw darn, I can't remember her name, but she was awesome! I find it incredible how mixed the culture is here. I met a girl today from Holland who has a bit of a german accent, but throws in the Kiwi slang. She also speaks spanish. I've come to realize that when I try to speak other languages I have a bit of a spanish accent. hehe!

 

bongos Bongos bongos!! This is Dan, he thinks he's king of the world, but we love him anyways. Just don't take his hat. Uh oh, I think someone has his hat. oooooo....

A cool guy pasting up posters. hehe He's gluing them on, I think thats cool. (you can tell I'm from a small town). 

Another Sweet Surf Trip

This time I made sure to get another picture of surfing. Don't you love how I just seem to pose with the board? You wouldn't believe it, but it's getting cold on this little island. Well I'm actually having to wear two wet suits. I found out very soon though that the outer, warmer layer actually had a broken zipper. Oops! So the whole time I had water flushing through my suite. I would paddle as hard as I could to catch a wave, but the arms would fill with water and slow me down. I felt like a blimp! When I stepped out of the ocean, it was like I deflated- the water rushed out my pant leg and I instantly got smaller. Hmm... well I still love it!

These were my surf buddies for the day, Phillip from Germany, and Brandon from...   Hawaii. 

  This is Phil, he's a great guy! Taught me a thing or two about Germans... they are always prepared... This guy has Everything!! Would cook a gourmet meal on a campfire in the middle of nowhere! And I also learned to never be late with Germans. They will leave you. Not a minute late. No joke!  ( I don't know why this is underlined).

This is Brandon, he's another great guy! Spent some time in Hawaii surfing, and is totally into wildlife conservation. Particularly big cats like tigers and leopards. He's in the vet program, and hopes to own a large cat reserve in the future.

 
Did I mention it was cold?

Buckets and Buckets of Water

The rain here in New Zealand is absolutely incredible! As wet as it gets here, I'm convinced that the next closest thing would be a fish underwater.

Buckets of water pour down from the sky, and the sound of the rain falling becomes like the static on a TV as it is cranked up and commands your attention.

So often I find myself interrupted in conversation or during sleep by it's demanding will. I find it so incredible, that I have to open the window in my room and pop my hand out to feel just how hard it is coming down. I don't recall that even the Amazon rained this much!

If you thought the weather in Montana changes quickly, boy you're in for a shock. No kidding, five minutes or less for the change. It'll be bright blue in 1/2 the sky, and the guy next to you is getting rained on. Then, the woman behind five steps is caught up in fog and can't see her hand in front of her face!

I LOVE IT!!  (As long as I brought my umbrella)

ps. I've gone through 3 umbrellas already and need yet another. 

I wish I had a classic photo of myself as I stand in the rain getting poured on... holding an umbrella... that the wind has blown inside out and is filling with water. This has happened to me more than once. As I hold the thing, it really makes me wonder, "What is the point of one of these?"

Don't give up hope just yet! I've been really busy- gotta make up my school work to cover the 21st party, but I have lots to share with you soon!!

Bridge Swinging Video

Hey, Guess what, I finally figured out how to downsize my video! Here's my "big jump"

sorry bout the camera shake- home video- no tripod

I made sure the camera man is ready with a big thumbs up... the view of the sky is Ryan giving me a thumbs up back.

I only wish I would have done flips, I chickened out. Next time! Apparently the record number of flips is over thirty for this jump. I'd love to see that.

You know you really can't see how high that bridge is! It's around 60 feet up. I love how I am ready to jump and grab on last minute... HAHAHA...

Double 21st Birthday Extravaganza!

Look Mommy I did it all by myself!! Yay! Actually I really am proud of the invitation I made. Now that I officially have a place to have the party, they are going to the printers today! I am SOOO excited! Well I'd tell you all about my plans, but I might incriminate myself. : )

Its going to be SO MUCH FUN!! Yeah! We've got a DJ, and maybe even a live band. You know what I love about NZ? It is standard for everyone to BYO (bring your own). So I'm throwing a party, and everyone is bringing food and drinks them!! Yes!! Score!! I guess that means I better put on one heck of a party!

Feijowa Nut! (Actually they don't have nuts, but tasty seeds)

Atawhai Villagers

Not everyone showed up for the village photo, actually I think around 75 people live here! Regardless- group photo! This is my international family, coming from: Pakistan, Germany, Canada, USA, Brazil and New Zealand. (If you didn't catch on- this is the little community I live with).

Did I mention we like to Party? Julia (the girl one in from the left) and I are going to have a HUGE birthday party May 9th. We've hired a DJ, and might even have a live band! Some of the German girls are making homemade cakes! YAY!!

This last weekend I went on the Tongariro Crossing, it is a beautiful hike, one of the best in New Zealand, that goes up and between volcanos, passes by Emerald Lakes, and offers the chance to climb to the top of "Mount Doom" (Lord of the Rings). We actaually did climb to the rim of the volcano, where we had a great picnic of power bars, sandwiches, and a special New Zealand fruit, Feijowas! 

I absolutely love this fruit! You can never have just one. The Feijowa season is just ending now, they growing like crazy for two weeks. Though they were very expensive in the stores (about $8 per pound) both my flatmate and a friend in town have trees and a seamlessly unlimited supply. Over the last week we've been consuming a garbage bag full, and I'm sad that they are almost gone. This fruit you can' t compare to any other, Rheyda says they are similar to a guava, but you eat it like a kiwi. They are unique and unlike anything I've ever had! Love EM!!!

The hike was stunning. We left Palmerston North at 3:50 AM SHARP (GERMANS are on time- and if you aren't they'll leave!!). When we arrived at the Taupo area, the sunrise lit up the sky in a rainbow of color, highlighting the peaks we were about to climb. It was exciting to see frost, it was O Degrees Celcius when we started, a perfect starting temperature for our long hike! 

A New Zealand Traffic Jam. Though you'd never see much of a Traffic Jam on the Roads here, the trailways can be packed on a holiday. There were likely over two hundred people who did the crossing. Did I mention the Weather was Perfect! Often the area gets so cloudy you can't see 5ft in front of you. It was so clear Friday that you could actually see Mt. Ruapehu which is over 150K away. It was incredible!

As all you outdoor pros know, you gotta wear good shoes for a 10 hour hike. Oops. I forgot mine in Montana... No need to show a pic of my feet, but I'll just say that I found it hard to walk straight/normal for about two days. Totally worth it though (the crossing, not the shoe mistake)!

The Lady and the Cigarette Butts

Hey everyone, just wanted to type a quick message and say All is Well! I've been extraordinarily busy with assignments lately, so I've tried to not have too much fun. It's been difficult. A little bit of dancing and playing pool this last Saturday, and I'm not sure if I mentioned the old army bunker I got to explore. Pretty sweet! Also I got a "NEW2ME" Bike. It's this great rusty old pink thing that belongs to the 60's. I'll have to post a photo! With the opportunities I now have because of this bike, I couldn't help but bond to it!

I Really Need your help. You probably already know this about me, but I can be a space case, and have a tendency to loose or forget things. With that said, since I have been in New Zealand, I have lost everything of value by now. Luckily most things have returned, but on the other hand, I am apparently beginning round #2. So far so good, I just need to find my house key. Please if you have any ideas on how to fix this I would REALLY APPRECIATE IT!

Well I keep it short and sweet- Midterms. Here is a story I wanted to share with you:

________________________________

The Lady and The Cigarette Butts

I was at the bus stop today and I watched a woman as she dawdled around picking up smoshed cigarettes off the ground. I was really curious, and thinking she might have been cleaning them up. Nonchalantly, she filled her pockets, and sat down on bench beside me. She pulled out a small piece of paper, and one by one carefully poured their contents onto this paper. After about six, she licked the end, rolled it up, and stuck it in her mouth.

Take it for what it's worth. She was not poorly dressed, did not look unusual in any way, just an average woman addicted to nicotine. I suppose that I just wanted to show you someone else's perspective.

___________________________________________


Ps. I'm starting to get a little homesick.

Gettin in the Groove

Hello Everyone! 

Sorry about the delay in blogs. Been keeping busy with school lately and dealing with the credit card issues, but that should all be over soon. 

I've been catching up with a few people personally, so for ease I stole some of this from those e-mails... Sorry for the repeats Trev!

I spent the last two days out playing in the ocean- I'm starting to get the hang of surfing, I can just barely stand up, and can certainly ride a wave in kneeling- so I am really excited about that!

    Oh man I love to surf. I'm definitely learning, but I've had to start with a short board rather than a long board (which is much easier). By the time I finally take a break after catching waves for 4 hours, I walk on the shore panting out of breath, and drop like I'm dead. All I can think about though is catching another wave. And let me tell you, I sure got my share of salt the past couple of days, I can still taste it!  I probably won't have many pictures to share since a beach has death writtin all over it for my camera.

So I've borrowed some images from google... so you could have a look.

The town that slightly shows to the right is Castle Point, the the further of the two bays you see in the back ground is where I go surfing- it all sand and is perfect for anyone from beginners to semi-experts. 

Here is the cove from the ridge that leads to castle rock. You can see a good sized wave in this photo, but they can actually break around 35 ft high between the two furthest rocks. A little much for my level of expertice, but closer to the left I can catch waves closer to 4ft.

Did I mention the fish they catch there are GIGANTIC! There are charter boats that come and go all day long, and they are consistently catching some monsters.

Hehe, oh and actaually while I was surfing I somehow managed to step on one. It Freaked me out!

I've been playing cards a lot lately- Tons of rummy, some Texas Hold-em, Hearts, etc. I've also taught a lot of card games too including Egyptian Rat Screw, and spoons. You wouldn't believe how much these guys ABSOLUTELY LOVE TO PLAY SPOONS! Wow! And surprisingly no one else had ever played?

    I've also been learning to play cricket with the Pakistanis. It's a lot like baseball, but so far I couldn't really tell you the differences because everything is spoken in another language. It's very possible that they are just making it all up...

I love how easy it is to meet people from all over the world- Zambia, Pakistan, Canada, Philippines, Germany, Malasia, Figi, Jamaca, I could go on for awhile!  I can't believe how much I am learning about the world! Speaking of which have you ever heard of a movie called Zeitgeist? Though it talks a lot about the philosophy behind religion and control in part one, it has so much to do with the power and influence of the American people. It's really an eye-opener! The one I watched was german made, but was spoken in english. It's probably only available online.

     I am in absolute heaven here! And you know the area I live is a whole community of international travelers, most of which will be going in June when new students will come move in. It's overwhelming, and Exciting! I really hope I can stay and finish school here, it's a much better learning enviornment : ) ... and the classes are alright too.

     I can't wait to go to the SOUTH ISLAND! I plan on going in Nov. When school is out. Otherwise I might not come back and finish. I've had to add some great toys to my camping collection including a sweet stove I got on sale that folds up to the size of a pocket knife! I'd really like to get my hands on a traveling hammock.

    You know there are three things that I REALLY MISS! My tripod, the grocery stores back home, and MY CAR! I'm buying a new tripod online, and coping with groceries, but this car thing I have to figure out. I might buy one with a friend who'll be staying longer than me. We will see.

 My next mission is puttin' on a party. I once thought I might be alone for my 21st, so instead I'm decided to have an enormous party! Actually it's a double birthday, and we've already got a DJ lined up! I'm just settling the details about where we are going to have it, and getting ready to print out flyers! Wish me Luck!

Cheers

LESSONS ABOUT LOOSING CREDIT CARDS

Layin' low is a good way to go.

 So I vaguely mentioned that I lost my purse, I didn't say that I spent four days turning up all my furniture (and the neighbors) looking for the stupid thing. I pouted, threw a fit, and finally gave in to cancel the credit cards and renew everything... 

Well after much of it is said and done, my purse has finally turned up! It was left at a friends (who swears it wasn't there...). Well I don't have to go through the hassle of getting my driver's license again, but the reason I post this is that I want you to all know how important it is to have all your credit card numbers and the phones #'s to call (to cancel them) written down. I know the internet is a great resource, but when it comes down to it, Have them written and somewhere safe! Its worth it! It may save you 7 hours of overseas phone calls! Oh and some of the companies DO have international lines that you can call free- if you know how to correctly dial them- so have those numbers at hand.

I also you to know that many local banks and credit card companies cannot ship the cards overseas. So also keep a separate card for emergency since it may be awhile before you can replace a lost one. 

 I thought I mind as well share my lesson. I really hope this doesn't happen to any of you! 

Taking it Easy...

Nothing too interesting going on lately. Been busy working on assignments and hassling with a lost purse. I want to recommend to you all, keep a copy of your credit card numbers and the overseas contacts to cancel and renew them. If you don't it will be a much bigger hassle! Other than that I am settling in well, finally getting into a routine. 

I Really Miss the grocery stores back home! It's hard to say exactly what the differences are, the food is much better here, but they really lack in variety. Ben and Jerry's just cant be matched by the favorite vanilla with sugar clumps here. I don't understand it. Oh and Ketchup! Man, I was never had ketchup often back home, but they eat "tomato sause" with everything! EWW it's really sugary! But I did happen to find Heinz, and life has been good ever since! Weather is beautiful and the Sun is shining! Just takin' it easy!

Greetings from Napier and a New Zealand Outhouse!

So, I went on yet another road trip to Napier. Ten Pakistani guys (1 girl), 1 German, and Myself all loaded into a 12 passenger van at 6:30 in the morning. 

Boy do the pakistanis come prepared! They had made up unique sandwiches for the trip which looked like a potato cake and later on we had one of their chicken curry dishes. Their food was so hot my face looked like a tomato and tears stream down my face as I ate it. I can't say I am a fan of spicy foods, but it was fantastic!

 

The beaches in Napier are pebble which is hard to walk on barefoot, but nothing was going to keep these guys from the sea. Before I knew it we were all diving into the ocean fully clothed. The problem is that I think only a couple of them can actually swim.

...

We all survived.

 

Fahim and I are trying to learn German from Bernd, and one of the best parts of the trip had to do with the two of us trying to practice the German accent by repeating everything that came out of Bernd's mouth- you know the game- Copy Cat. Well it works, but it doesn't make the German guy happy. 

I have to say the International part of things has been very interesting. Although there are many American Exchange students, I pride myself on being the only one in a group of friends- I didn't come here to hang out with Americans... Well I get teased a lot for being such, but we've all acquired certain stereotypes. 

We have our little "international disputes", when I am leader of somthing they say- typical american trying to boss everyone around... Due to where I come from I happen to take on the role of the "typical" stupid and ignorant American who has too much money and power to know any different- look at our president they say. 

We joke around a lot, the German's drink and complain too much while the Pakistanis and simply from a whole other planet, but you know after awhile it does get to you. The people I spend time with know that these hollywood themes are not the full truth about America, actually you may be surprised that most of them are more educated about the USA than majority of Americans. You know, It is incredible how much you learn when spending so much time with these highly intellectual people. I was surprised to learn that most of them are working on their post grads and some of them are already veterinarians and doctors. How cool is that!

What better way to end this blog than with an Outhouse! This one is for you Mom! Oh and I don't know how many people you can fit in an outhouse, I wanted to make sure you could still see the hole, you know shit happens.

Greetings from a New Zealand Outhouse!

SHEEP, BAAAH!!

Did I mention all the sheep in New Zealand! THEY ARE EVERYWHERE! I am certainly going to watch Lord of the Rings again, just to look for sheep. I don't know how they could have possibly filmed the whole movie and not overlooked a few.

Castle Point

 This is Steve (Kiwi) and Ivi (German) as we are climbing around the sea cliffs towards a cave at Castle Point. We spent the day surfing in the beautiful blue waters of the cove, and spent the night down the road just off of the beach. We lit a little camp fire and played cards into the night by the light of my head lamp. As we crawled into our sleeping bags and rolled over to say good night, I looked at my watch, only to realize it was 8pm!

  This is the hike across the beach to the light house, which was apparently the last man operated light house in New Zealand.

  

This was one of my favorite finds, it reads home of the lost souls. Need I say more, the monument itself says it all.

This beautiful ocean scape was only fifteen feet from where we slept. The waves were monstrous, I kept dreaming I would be swept up by the sea.

  

This incredible sight is Castle Rock, and the view from above. The bay you are looking at in the first photo is where some of the best surfing takes place. I only hope it isn't a popular place for sharks!

Takin' a rest after a long hike to the top of the world.