There is one month to go...there are still many things to do and places to see. I have plans for some of them and a couple more weekends left to fill.
It's crazy how mixed my feelings are about leaving this place. I have seen and done so many wonderful things here but I have also missed so many wonderful people back home. It is now almost exactly one month from the time I will be back in Canada and I really can't say if I'm excited to go home or wanting to stay here and do more stuff.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Cheese
There has been a lot of articles in the news lately about the Space Cheese which was sent into the upper atmosphere and has now returned safely to earth.
This put me in the mind to talk about cheese. Those of you who know me know that cheese is something that I very much enjoy. There is nothing better than a 6 year-old cheddar cheese from the Bast Cheese Company: crumbly, sharp and hard. Especially on the top of a delectable RITZ cracker. Other cheeses are also wonderful, but that one is definitely my favourite.
Coming to New Zealand, I wondered if I would find a cheese that would stack up, and while I haven't found a 6-year-old cheddar, I have found a reasonable substitute. The Mainland Cheese Company sells a cheese at the Pak'n'Save that they call "Vintage" and they guarantee that it has been aged at least 18 months. While 18 months is no 6 years, this cheese still has good flavour. Occasionally it is even on sale for a good price.
Good on you Mainland Cheese.
PS. I have yet to find the "Superior Aged Vintage" cheddar that their website promises exists.
This put me in the mind to talk about cheese. Those of you who know me know that cheese is something that I very much enjoy. There is nothing better than a 6 year-old cheddar cheese from the Bast Cheese Company: crumbly, sharp and hard. Especially on the top of a delectable RITZ cracker. Other cheeses are also wonderful, but that one is definitely my favourite.
Coming to New Zealand, I wondered if I would find a cheese that would stack up, and while I haven't found a 6-year-old cheddar, I have found a reasonable substitute. The Mainland Cheese Company sells a cheese at the Pak'n'Save that they call "Vintage" and they guarantee that it has been aged at least 18 months. While 18 months is no 6 years, this cheese still has good flavour. Occasionally it is even on sale for a good price.
Good on you Mainland Cheese.
PS. I have yet to find the "Superior Aged Vintage" cheddar that their website promises exists.
Monday, July 27, 2009
From the Mountains to the Sky Act 13: Home from Abel Tasman
On Sunday, we traveled home from Abel Tasman to Christchurch along the route shown in my last post. This was not the most efficient route but it was perhaps the most scenic.
Early in the morning, 'I' and I woke up to see the sun rise over the Tasman Bay. Unfortunately, the clouds were not completely cooperative but it was still quite a nice sunrise. Definitely worth waking up for. This photo doesn't really do it justice, but it was the best I could do.
We set out towards Nelson around 9am, expecting to breakfast in Motueka. Unfortunately, given that it was the winter off season, our chosen restaurant was not open and we journeyed on. Instead, we went to the Morrison St. Cafe in Nelson. It was excellent! I had blueberry pancakes with maple butter and they were great. Definitely the best breakfast I've had in a while.
While in Nelson, we stopped at the modern art deco cathedral for a quick visit. Note the clean lines and extreme height without buttresses. This is still a working cathedral and since it was Sunday morning, a service had just finished. The people there were very welcoming to visitors and very tolerant of our wanderings throughout the church. One of my favourite things was the small children running around the cathedral, just like I ran about my church when I was little. It was a wonderful breath of fresh air that even in this magnificent building, children are still children.
Continuing on from Nelson towards Picton, the roads became very windy. I was driving and it felt like I was in a car on television, the amount that the wheel was turning back and forth. The Queen Charlotte Drive is one of the famous drives in New Zealand and it was very nice. We stopped at many lookouts overlooking the northern sounds and fjords
and took a group picture when we arrived in Picton.
From Picton, we drove onwards towards home, stopping for supper in Blenheim. This was the best meal that I have eaten in New Zealand. It wasn't particularly New Zealandish (I had pasta) but it was slathered in pesto, garlic white wine sauce, and bacon. Very tasty.
From there, it was just a quick (4 hour) trip down the coast back home. We passed back through Kaikoura, site of our very first weekend trip. It was kind of fun to see that landscape again. We arrived home around 8:30, unfortunately too late for church. I had hoped to take the rental car and go but we missed it by 1.5 hours.
Early in the morning, 'I' and I woke up to see the sun rise over the Tasman Bay. Unfortunately, the clouds were not completely cooperative but it was still quite a nice sunrise. Definitely worth waking up for. This photo doesn't really do it justice, but it was the best I could do.
We set out towards Nelson around 9am, expecting to breakfast in Motueka. Unfortunately, given that it was the winter off season, our chosen restaurant was not open and we journeyed on. Instead, we went to the Morrison St. Cafe in Nelson. It was excellent! I had blueberry pancakes with maple butter and they were great. Definitely the best breakfast I've had in a while.
While in Nelson, we stopped at the modern art deco cathedral for a quick visit. Note the clean lines and extreme height without buttresses. This is still a working cathedral and since it was Sunday morning, a service had just finished. The people there were very welcoming to visitors and very tolerant of our wanderings throughout the church. One of my favourite things was the small children running around the cathedral, just like I ran about my church when I was little. It was a wonderful breath of fresh air that even in this magnificent building, children are still children.
Continuing on from Nelson towards Picton, the roads became very windy. I was driving and it felt like I was in a car on television, the amount that the wheel was turning back and forth. The Queen Charlotte Drive is one of the famous drives in New Zealand and it was very nice. We stopped at many lookouts overlooking the northern sounds and fjords
and took a group picture when we arrived in Picton.
From Picton, we drove onwards towards home, stopping for supper in Blenheim. This was the best meal that I have eaten in New Zealand. It wasn't particularly New Zealandish (I had pasta) but it was slathered in pesto, garlic white wine sauce, and bacon. Very tasty.
From there, it was just a quick (4 hour) trip down the coast back home. We passed back through Kaikoura, site of our very first weekend trip. It was kind of fun to see that landscape again. We arrived home around 8:30, unfortunately too late for church. I had hoped to take the rental car and go but we missed it by 1.5 hours.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
From the Mountains to the Sky Act 12: Abel Tasman
This weekend we went on a long trip for the first time in a while (since the Glaciers/car crash adventure). We rented a car (a Toyota Vit, like the Echo), and went for a long drive to Abel Tasman National Park, at the North-Western tip of the South Island. Here is a map of our entire route for the weekend.
View Larger Map
We arrived at our lodgings in Marahau at about 10 o'clock on Friday night. We were staying at Old MacDonald's Farm, an eclectic campground/hostel/cabin arrangement complete with chickens, llamas, cows, and a random assortment of other animals. We had a 4 person cabin to ourselves.
Saturday morning, we woke up early so that we would have as much daylight as possible for a tramp along the Abel Tasman Coastal Track. We caught a Water Taxi from Marahau that took us by boat to Bark Bay from where we planned to walk back to Marahau, about a 25 km hike. We started walking in Bark Bay at 10 am and were hoping to be back in Marahau around 5pm before dark.
Along the way, we crossed over a pedestrian suspension bridge,
and visited Cleopatra's Pool.
Hiking was a big part of the things I wanted to do while in New Zealand and this tramp did not disappoint in the slightest. It is one of the most popular tracks to walk in the country and there is a reason why. The track itself is well-formed and easy to walk and the scenery is gorgeous. Bright blue ocean, lush green forests, sandy beaches, and mountains viewed across the bay make for some spectacular lookouts. Here is a small selection of the many photos we took.
This last photo was taken on a beach about 4 km from Marahau. From this point, we decided it would be clever (it was not) and fun (it definitely was) to walk along the beach instead of along the track back to Marahau. With very little forethought, we also decided it would be a good idea to cut across the bay as the tide was low. Everything started out great and we were having a good time discovering tidal wildlife in small pools. Then we came to the first small river flowing to the sea. This should have been a warning sign. It was easily leaped over, but it was a sign of things to come. By the time we were halfway across the bay, I had removed my shoes, and was now wading through very cold ankle deep water. In one place, a river flowed across the plane and the water came up to my knees. It was not warm. Others in the group did not remove their shoes before attempting to leap some rivers and ended up with soaking wet footgear for the rest of the weekend. Despite this, crossing the tidal plain was an exciting finish to the day.
After supper, 'I' and I headed back out to the pier at Marehau for some stargazing. Since Abel Tasman was very far from any major human settlements (Marehau has a winter population of 80) we had some wonderful darkness to work with. The moon was new and the skies were impeccably clear. We spent an hour or so lying on the pier looking for constellations (not that we knew any from the Southern Hemisphere) and making up our own. It was a glorious finish to the day.
View Larger Map
We arrived at our lodgings in Marahau at about 10 o'clock on Friday night. We were staying at Old MacDonald's Farm, an eclectic campground/hostel/cabin arrangement complete with chickens, llamas, cows, and a random assortment of other animals. We had a 4 person cabin to ourselves.
Saturday morning, we woke up early so that we would have as much daylight as possible for a tramp along the Abel Tasman Coastal Track. We caught a Water Taxi from Marahau that took us by boat to Bark Bay from where we planned to walk back to Marahau, about a 25 km hike. We started walking in Bark Bay at 10 am and were hoping to be back in Marahau around 5pm before dark.
Along the way, we crossed over a pedestrian suspension bridge,
and visited Cleopatra's Pool.
Hiking was a big part of the things I wanted to do while in New Zealand and this tramp did not disappoint in the slightest. It is one of the most popular tracks to walk in the country and there is a reason why. The track itself is well-formed and easy to walk and the scenery is gorgeous. Bright blue ocean, lush green forests, sandy beaches, and mountains viewed across the bay make for some spectacular lookouts. Here is a small selection of the many photos we took.
This last photo was taken on a beach about 4 km from Marahau. From this point, we decided it would be clever (it was not) and fun (it definitely was) to walk along the beach instead of along the track back to Marahau. With very little forethought, we also decided it would be a good idea to cut across the bay as the tide was low. Everything started out great and we were having a good time discovering tidal wildlife in small pools. Then we came to the first small river flowing to the sea. This should have been a warning sign. It was easily leaped over, but it was a sign of things to come. By the time we were halfway across the bay, I had removed my shoes, and was now wading through very cold ankle deep water. In one place, a river flowed across the plane and the water came up to my knees. It was not warm. Others in the group did not remove their shoes before attempting to leap some rivers and ended up with soaking wet footgear for the rest of the weekend. Despite this, crossing the tidal plain was an exciting finish to the day.
After supper, 'I' and I headed back out to the pier at Marehau for some stargazing. Since Abel Tasman was very far from any major human settlements (Marehau has a winter population of 80) we had some wonderful darkness to work with. The moon was new and the skies were impeccably clear. We spent an hour or so lying on the pier looking for constellations (not that we knew any from the Southern Hemisphere) and making up our own. It was a glorious finish to the day.
Friday, July 17, 2009
The West Wing
Over the past 4 days, most of which I spent sick in bed, I have watched the entire 7th and final season of The West Wing. I started watching this show in high school when it was on TV. It was one of the few things that my family could agree to and in fact made time to watch together. At that point, my parents had already been watching for a couple years so I missed the first few seasons. Nevertheless I enjoyed it immensely and it was and remains (in my opinion) the best television show I've seen.
In first year, I got it into my head that I would like to watch the entire show from start to finish so I set out to acquire it. I didn't really want to pay for it (I am a little ashamed of this) so I looked on DC++ to discover that unfortunately, it was not there. It seemed the average university student did not share my love for this show (this didn't surprise, but did disappoint me). Instead, I acquired it through other means. I began watching during Christmas after 1A and I've steadily made progress since. This spring, my project nearly suffered a major setback as I accidentally formatted my hard drive and lost the entire show. Fortunately, by this point the student body had become more enlightened and I was able to easily reacquire the episodes from DC++.
Now, my project is complete and I have watched the entire show. I wouldn't recommend this show to everyone, it isn't filled with action, laughter, or excitement, but I would recommend it to anyone with a penchant for political intrigue.
The West Wing has filled many hours of time that would otherwise have been much less fulfilling. Hopefully I can find something just as stimulating to fill that time now.
In first year, I got it into my head that I would like to watch the entire show from start to finish so I set out to acquire it. I didn't really want to pay for it (I am a little ashamed of this) so I looked on DC++ to discover that unfortunately, it was not there. It seemed the average university student did not share my love for this show (this didn't surprise, but did disappoint me). Instead, I acquired it through other means. I began watching during Christmas after 1A and I've steadily made progress since. This spring, my project nearly suffered a major setback as I accidentally formatted my hard drive and lost the entire show. Fortunately, by this point the student body had become more enlightened and I was able to easily reacquire the episodes from DC++.
Now, my project is complete and I have watched the entire show. I wouldn't recommend this show to everyone, it isn't filled with action, laughter, or excitement, but I would recommend it to anyone with a penchant for political intrigue.
The West Wing has filled many hours of time that would otherwise have been much less fulfilling. Hopefully I can find something just as stimulating to fill that time now.
Cities: The Cat Empire Project
Many of you will know that I am a big fan of "The Cat Empire." A funk/ska/reggae/jazz/groove band from Melbourne Australia. Until recently, I thought that I had all of their albums. How wrong I was.
I was listening to music at work using Grooveshark when I thought 'let's see if there's any Cat Empire up here' and gee there was. And not just the Cat Empire I knew and loved, NEW CAT EMPIRE! An entire new album called "Cities: The Cat Empire Project." Now this was just too hard to believe so I looked it up on Wikipedia. Turns out that this is a limited edition (10000 copies) album release and that it is VERY difficult to find.
So anyways, here's a grooveshark widget to listen to 10/13 songs on the album. Hope you enjoy!
On a very related note. There is a Cat Empire show in Toronto on November 27.
I was listening to music at work using Grooveshark when I thought 'let's see if there's any Cat Empire up here' and gee there was. And not just the Cat Empire I knew and loved, NEW CAT EMPIRE! An entire new album called "Cities: The Cat Empire Project." Now this was just too hard to believe so I looked it up on Wikipedia. Turns out that this is a limited edition (10000 copies) album release and that it is VERY difficult to find.
So anyways, here's a grooveshark widget to listen to 10/13 songs on the album. Hope you enjoy!
On a very related note. There is a Cat Empire show in Toronto on November 27.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
From the Mountains to the Sky Act 11: Back to Mt Hutt
Saturday, we went back to Mt Hutt for some more skiing. This time, the entire lower hill was open along with the triple chair lift up from the bottom. Here is a map if you're interested in that sort of thing.
Once again, the skiing was great, with long runs and (this time) lots of powdery snow to ski through and fall into. It was great fun. Here's a couple pictures from the day.
Once again, the skiing was great, with long runs and (this time) lots of powdery snow to ski through and fall into. It was great fun. Here's a couple pictures from the day.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Sick...
Being sick is boring. I started feeling very ill yesterday morning at work and stayed home sick from work today. I've been cocooned in my bed most of the time drinking ginger ale and dozing in and out of awareness.
Since falling ill, I've watched 10 episodes of The West Wing, read most of the first Harry Potter book, and accomplished very little.
That's all for now.
Since falling ill, I've watched 10 episodes of The West Wing, read most of the first Harry Potter book, and accomplished very little.
That's all for now.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
It's a Minor Thing (Or getting to know some Kiwis)
It has been a while since I posted something to this blog (as my mother so kindly reminded me recently). This has not been because nothing has happened to me, it is just because the events which have occurred have been less easy to write about. It would have been (and is) difficult to write posts that would seem significant individually. Instead, I will write one longer post that includes a variety of events. I would say that most(but not all) of these events fit into the theme of meeting some kiwis.
Starting with last weekend, the most significant thing that happened on Saturday was that I baked a pie. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any shortening at the grocery store so the pastry was made with butter but that seemed to work pretty well. Since we have limited baking equipment, the pie was oval-shaped and baked in a casserole dish. See if you can spot the design that was cut into the top!
On Sunday, I had planned to go to the Jazz Service at the Cathedral in the City Centre but just as I was getting ready to go, I got a call that 'S' had arranged a ride for me to Grace Vineyard (my 'usual' church) which would have been quite difficult to turn down at that point. Going to Grace turned out to be a great thing. After the service, I met a bunch of the members of the youth/young adults group that 'S' leads and we went out to Denny's for food. One of the guys that I met actually had been at the cathedral earlier playing jazz guitar as part of the jazz service. It was a good chance to finally meet and talk to some of the members of the church, something which up to now had been very much lacking. Definitely worthwhile. I still hope to go to a Jazz Service before I leave though.
On Thursday night this past week, we went out bowling with a big group of guys from here in NZ. I knew a couple of them from earlier events (such as 'J's birthday part) and met many more. There were about 17 of us in total who went bowling. It was 10-pin bowling (much better than 5 pin).
After work on Friday, Our boss invited everyone in the group out for a beer with the following email. This was totally out of character for him and very much amused me.
As it was 'M's birthday, 'J', 'I', 'M' and I went to Speight's for this drink. It was quite interesting to talk to the group that showed up. Once again meeting some kiwis.
Friday evening, we headed out to 'S'' house for a party, partly to celebrate 'M's birthday, and mostly as a celebration of one of their friends (whom we had met bowling) departure for Singapore for a term of study. Also, it was the end of a between terms break for Universities here. Although a little awkward, I had a pretty good time at this event and once again met some more people from New Zealand.
The past couple (car-less) weeks have led to some good opportunities for making some new friends and learning some more about people living here in New Zealand.
Starting with last weekend, the most significant thing that happened on Saturday was that I baked a pie. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any shortening at the grocery store so the pastry was made with butter but that seemed to work pretty well. Since we have limited baking equipment, the pie was oval-shaped and baked in a casserole dish. See if you can spot the design that was cut into the top!
On Sunday, I had planned to go to the Jazz Service at the Cathedral in the City Centre but just as I was getting ready to go, I got a call that 'S' had arranged a ride for me to Grace Vineyard (my 'usual' church) which would have been quite difficult to turn down at that point. Going to Grace turned out to be a great thing. After the service, I met a bunch of the members of the youth/young adults group that 'S' leads and we went out to Denny's for food. One of the guys that I met actually had been at the cathedral earlier playing jazz guitar as part of the jazz service. It was a good chance to finally meet and talk to some of the members of the church, something which up to now had been very much lacking. Definitely worthwhile. I still hope to go to a Jazz Service before I leave though.
On Thursday night this past week, we went out bowling with a big group of guys from here in NZ. I knew a couple of them from earlier events (such as 'J's birthday part) and met many more. There were about 17 of us in total who went bowling. It was 10-pin bowling (much better than 5 pin).
After work on Friday, Our boss invited everyone in the group out for a beer with the following email. This was totally out of character for him and very much amused me.
Reasons to go to Speight’s after work for a beer today:
1. The sun came out this week
2. We worked hard all week
3. It is 'M's birthday
4. It is Friday
5. Beer is good
6. Why not?
[Name Removed]
As it was 'M's birthday, 'J', 'I', 'M' and I went to Speight's for this drink. It was quite interesting to talk to the group that showed up. Once again meeting some kiwis.
Friday evening, we headed out to 'S'' house for a party, partly to celebrate 'M's birthday, and mostly as a celebration of one of their friends (whom we had met bowling) departure for Singapore for a term of study. Also, it was the end of a between terms break for Universities here. Although a little awkward, I had a pretty good time at this event and once again met some more people from New Zealand.
The past couple (car-less) weeks have led to some good opportunities for making some new friends and learning some more about people living here in New Zealand.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Midterm Evaluation
So, I had my midterm evaluation at work today (it went well! Hurray!) so that put me in the mood to evaluate my experience here in New Zealand so far in a grand scope. It also surprised me with the realization that my time here is half over. I feel that both I've hardly been here for any time at all and that I've been here for such a long time. This is a very strange feeling.
So far, New Zealand has contained so many unbelievable moments. From the incredible scenery and hiking, jumping out of a plane, and climbing all over a glacier to meeting some wonderful people at work, church, and basketball there have been so many good things to be thankful for while I'm here. Also learning more about what I like to eat
Intermingled with these have been some events which I really would rather had not happened, namely burglaries, car accidents, and less than harmonious landlord-tenant relations. These have been trying experiences but I think that I've taken some important things away from them. And it is experiences like this that have really bound our group together. Some of the strongest bonds of friendship have been forged in these trials.
This has been a wonderful term. I am very grateful for this opportunity.
Blessings upon all of you. I look forward to seeing everyone who reads this blog when I get home.
So far, New Zealand has contained so many unbelievable moments. From the incredible scenery and hiking, jumping out of a plane, and climbing all over a glacier to meeting some wonderful people at work, church, and basketball there have been so many good things to be thankful for while I'm here. Also learning more about what I like to eat
Intermingled with these have been some events which I really would rather had not happened, namely burglaries, car accidents, and less than harmonious landlord-tenant relations. These have been trying experiences but I think that I've taken some important things away from them. And it is experiences like this that have really bound our group together. Some of the strongest bonds of friendship have been forged in these trials.
This has been a wonderful term. I am very grateful for this opportunity.
Blessings upon all of you. I look forward to seeing everyone who reads this blog when I get home.
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