Uh-nother Uhp-date

So, I've been pretty quiet over here on the blawg. It's not for a lack of things to clickity-clack type about. It's partly due to the fact that I had been moving around the country quite a bit, partly due to my inability to write anything remotely coherent, and largely due to laziness.

Mostly, though, I'm going to go right ahead and place a hefty slice of blame pie on the internet's plate. In the race that is the internet, New Zealand is the tortoise that gets stuck on a patch of grass, falls soundly asleep and is disqualified. We're talking slower than dial-up. And then you're a lucky little rubber duck--count your blessings, thrice--if the page actually loads. Yesterday I overheard someone mention that she has personally experienced better internet in developing countries and... I fully believe that there was no hyperbole going on there, Travel Scout's* honor. After grumbling about this to my friend Amanda I received this gem in reply:

I don't mind all that much but it makes blogging a little dicey because most days I don't feel like sitting around for an hour and a half waiting for pictures to upload. As of this week my internet situation improved dramatically. 

After leaving Auckland I traveled around much of the South Island for a whirlwind few weeks. My Plan B (after not staying in Auckland) was to make it all the way back north, meet up with my friend Julia in the Northlands for a little while, head back down to Auckland to visit some friends before heading back to the States.

This country likes to have a good hearty laugh at anyone who dares to make plans. I got to Wellington and liked it. Really liked it. Julia had been talking about looking for work in Wellington and after a few unnecessarily stressed out chats--thank you, Julia, for talking me off alllll of the ledges--we decided to change our plans and meet up and look for work and a place to live in "the coolest little capital in the world."

Long story not quite as long, Julia and I found an apartment and have been applying for jobs like mad. Well, Julia started her job today! I'm still searching, though, so.......... any good thoughts, positive vibes, prayers, crossed digits and/or leads on Welly jobs are welcome and appreciated, please and thank you.

This is Julia:

first dinner in our apartment. fancy.

Life is pretty sweet. We've been enjoying not living out of a suitcase or having to worry about our food going missing or being woken up by loud roommates. It's also been wonderful to be able to sit on a couch and read a book without a steady stream of strangers walking past.  We've been settling into our new home here and exploring this city--okay, fine, we've been spending a lot of time at the library (books! movies! free wifi!). But we have a list of things we want to do and experience once we start making money! Most of them revolve around food.

Fun little side-note: our apartment building was built to withstand some pretty strong earthquakes, which means that it was designed to move around. This also means that it feels like we're on a boat or a really large rocking chair on days when Windy Welly is particularly deserving of its moniker. It's fine as long as I don't think about it too much.

 Our view. Hi Welly.

I know

New Zealand has some ugly sunsets.

 

mmmm let's title this "Delirium in Party Hats"

We are a couple of normal little ducklings.

Eat a cider donut for me,
Cheryl

*Kathleen, Julia & I are starting up Travel Scouts. We work on a system of badges and demerits. Earn a badge for successfully navigating a new bus system, surviving a snoring pants-less hostel roommate, snooping out free wifi, and more! Just beware that you don't earn yourself a demerit by holding loud, loud, very loud conversations while your roommates are sleeping, not washing your hands after using the restroom (!! I used to think those "employees must wash hands before returning to work" signs in restrooms were a bit excessive because who over the age of five doesn't? A horrifying number of fully-grown adult humans, I've discovered), or pissing off the locals.