The events in Tunisia set off a domino effect in the Middle East and North Africa, with many populations rising en-masse to either depose decades of dictatorship or petition the existing government for increased freedoms. 2011 is going to be a major year in the history of the region, hopefully a time that historians will point to as the beginning of an age of greater freedom, understanding, prosperity and peace.
I think historians will also use this juncture to draw some conclusions and comparisons about ways to establish a new government. On the one hand we have organic popular uprisings, on the other hand we have government change enacted by a external force in the case of Iraq. While the legitimacy of each may be less of a question, the effectiveness of each strategy will be playing out for the next few decades. And while this is far from a perfect scientific experiment, it should provide compelling arguments in favor or against military occupation and overthrow of dictatorial regimes.
I won't pretend that I don't think one will prove better than the other, but regardless of my own biases this year could be quite the petri dish for how to lay the foundations of a modern functioning democracy. In Iraq we have a military occupation and slow withdrawl while encouraging a democratic process and advising its growth. In some countries like Morocco this process might be slower. The petitioning for greater freedoms now without a total overhaul of the government could potentially begin a longer, slower and less chaotic process from one government to a democracy. Morocco is known however as already being a bit more liberal than other countries in North Africa, partially due to its close proximity and ties to Europe, so they could be starting slightly further ahead than other countries. And in Egypt we will see a complete overhaul induced by a popular protest until an autocratic authority stepped down, ceding power to a well respected military until such time as free and fair elections can be held.
Will they alter or replace their constitutions? What freedoms will be guaranteed? Will the new government first seek to govern or to define the new supreme law of the land? What role will religion play in formation of government law and policy? Will minorities be protected? Many fascinating questions await answering, and we shall see what comes of it all. It is heartening to know that most people agree that whatever comes next, it will almost certainly be a step forward for humanity.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
There's no such thing as "my" time.
This time last year I was living at my parents house and slowly discovering that there were no jobs in architecture out there. This year, I'm starting a couple new volunteer positions. This time last year, I was killing time by playing W.o.W. and streaming TV shows. This year I'm still reading more books, actually taking a class! This time last year I was alone on valentines day. This year, I'll still be alone on v-day, but I won't be single :)
It's a welcome change that this year is off to a better start than last year. I'm doing some significant volunteering now, with two new major commitments. First, I'm leading a project to design a Nutritional Rehabilitation Center for a hospital in Malawi through Architects Without Borders. I have a design team of 4 people underneath me, and it's an interesting experience leading my first real project. But I am embracing the challenge and excited to call myself the "Project Champion," (that's AWB's title, not mine).
The other major commitment just came together a couple days ago. There is a local community development non-profit called Portland Community Reinvestment Initiatives (PCRI), and they specialize in rehabing or renovating existing homes, duplexes and small complexes in the poorer parts of Portland and providing financial planning assistance to make it easier for minorities and people with lower incomes to own homes. I'll be helping out as a project management assistant, which will involve checking on current projects, working with the city, doing paperwork regarding funding, preparing scopes of work, among other things. This isn't third-world development, but it is development and I think it will be great experience in dealing with governments and non-profit processes and understanding residential architecture.
I'm very stoked to get busy with these opportunities. Who knows, maybe one of them will eventually lead to a real employed position?!
But I would be remiss if I didn't mention my wonderful girlfriend, who has made the start of this year a very special one. Even though she's in St. Louis finishing school, we are keeping in touch quite well and coping with the long distance relationship. She is a great and godly woman who not only respects and cares about me, but also challenges me to be a leader and caring boyfriend that's deserving of such a great gift from God. Neither of us is pretending to know what God has in store for our relationship, how long it will last or where it might take us, we're just both very grateful for "us," and enjoying the time we have.
So it's off to the races and off to volunteering this year, and not off to other countries. The cupboard isn't bare, but it's certainly devoid of travel funds right now. But I am rather fond of Portland, so I really can't complain.
It's a welcome change that this year is off to a better start than last year. I'm doing some significant volunteering now, with two new major commitments. First, I'm leading a project to design a Nutritional Rehabilitation Center for a hospital in Malawi through Architects Without Borders. I have a design team of 4 people underneath me, and it's an interesting experience leading my first real project. But I am embracing the challenge and excited to call myself the "Project Champion," (that's AWB's title, not mine).
The other major commitment just came together a couple days ago. There is a local community development non-profit called Portland Community Reinvestment Initiatives (PCRI), and they specialize in rehabing or renovating existing homes, duplexes and small complexes in the poorer parts of Portland and providing financial planning assistance to make it easier for minorities and people with lower incomes to own homes. I'll be helping out as a project management assistant, which will involve checking on current projects, working with the city, doing paperwork regarding funding, preparing scopes of work, among other things. This isn't third-world development, but it is development and I think it will be great experience in dealing with governments and non-profit processes and understanding residential architecture.
I'm very stoked to get busy with these opportunities. Who knows, maybe one of them will eventually lead to a real employed position?!
But I would be remiss if I didn't mention my wonderful girlfriend, who has made the start of this year a very special one. Even though she's in St. Louis finishing school, we are keeping in touch quite well and coping with the long distance relationship. She is a great and godly woman who not only respects and cares about me, but also challenges me to be a leader and caring boyfriend that's deserving of such a great gift from God. Neither of us is pretending to know what God has in store for our relationship, how long it will last or where it might take us, we're just both very grateful for "us," and enjoying the time we have.
So it's off to the races and off to volunteering this year, and not off to other countries. The cupboard isn't bare, but it's certainly devoid of travel funds right now. But I am rather fond of Portland, so I really can't complain.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Tony's District
So I recently made a trip across the country, from Portland to Washington D.C. I did most of this in the car with my good friend Brad, but technically did fly the Portland to Boise portion. But I've driven enough roads between Boise and Portland to count that as done anyway. Nothing too much to note about the trip itself, Wyoming looked looked pretty much like eastern Colorado, which looked similar but not as flat as Kansas, which had many similarities with southern Illinois and Indiana. Kentucky might have been a better change of scenery, as would have West Virginia, if it hadn't been the middle of winter so the hills were covered in naked trees.
DC was cold. I made trips to a few places I hadn't seen on my last visit, including the National Art Gallery (fantastic exhibits) and Arlington National Cemetery. Also got to meet a few men my age at the house I crashed in. Some good guys it seemed, all very smart, many with ambitions to make it a lot further into washington than just being staffers.
I doubt I could make myself fit in there with all the suits and ties and formalities and constant hand shaking. At least, not without some changes in how I define "myself." Everyone here is networking with other people, and they always ask you what you do for work and who you work for, like they're sizing you up for how useful a friend you might be. That's not to say there aren't genuinely nice, real people here (I met them too) but that seemed to be the atmosphere that hangs in everyone's social interactions.
Everyone at least except a guy I met named Tony. I don't know if he was homeless or jobless or anything, but he was just sitting outside the National Gallery and spoke to me as I was passing, so I stopped to talk to him and he said he was hungry. But before he even started asking me anything, he thanked me as soon as I stopped and looked him in the eye - which I guess meant no one really ever paid attention to him. But we went to a place nearby for a bite to eat, which was actually really convenient because I was looking for somewhere to eat and there are not restaurants anywhere on the mall it seems. He told me to go order him something and that he would wait for me at a table in the back, I guess he felt too embarrassed to go wait in line with me. So as I made my way to the counter the doubt came, along with the obvious opportunity to just leave without him seeing me and go on my way to do what I wanted to do. But I was hungry, and I had told Tony I would buy him a meal, and I like to think I'm a man of my word so I resolved to eat anyway. We sat there for maybe half an hour or more talking and eating, with Tony doing most of the talking. He says he's seen all sorts of famous people here, Denzel Washington and Jay-Z and Richard Pryor. And we got to talking about how common some names are, and we talked for 5 minutes easily while we thought of really common names. He figured the most common are John, Dave, and Katie. Patrick was up there but didn't make the top five.
I told Tony that I was going to see the Museum of Natural History soon, since it closes at 5pm and it was already passing 3 o'clock. He said he'd been there many times and would give me a special tour in appreciation for the meal. So we went over there and he started showing me stuff, always the oldest thing or the biggest thing or the weirdest animal. He was really funny actually, and he knew his stuff. He wanted to show me the first men using fire to cook - an exhibit that reminded him of his first time camping and roasting marshmallows. He said, "I thought it was a really Indian thing to do man." We didn't find it, but we did stumble upon a movie showing deep ocean exploration. It took maybe 10-12 minutes, and when it was over and the lights came on I looked at Tony and he was fast asleep! I tried gently to wake him, but he didn't stir, so I sat and debated how long to wait for him. He came around a few minutes later on his own, and said he was gonna keep napping for a bit. So I said I'd just keep exploring the museum and try to run into him later. I figured he must not have been getting much good sleep if he takes naps in the theater. And I didn't find him afterwards sadly, but he made things very interesting.
Hanging out with Tony brought several things to my mind. There were a couple times where I kept telling myself, "As you have done unto the least of these, you have done unto me," just to make myself stay around and not just buy a meal and then leave. I doubt now that he enjoyed the sandwich as much as my company. It also made me realize how much I struggled just trying to relate to him at times, either just understanding his speech or finding things to talk about with him. I like to think that I'm a nice guy and can get on well with just about anyone, but with Tony I really had to struggle to come up with things to talk about or find ways to enter into the conversation he started. It makes me think I should try and spend more time with homeless and hungry back in Portland, since I obviously lacked the social skills to relate to people below (and I hate to say it this way) my social class. I didn't like my instincts around him, to try and just appease him and then get out without making a connection, without treating him like a real person. I mean, I'm proud that I did stick around and do that, but I almost did it as if under protest rather than out of a genuine loving manner, and if I'm honest with myself I can definitely do better. I know God humbles people in encounters like this to be more thankful for what we have, I never expected him to use this to point out that what I thought was a strength of mine really wasn't that strong at all.
DC was cold. I made trips to a few places I hadn't seen on my last visit, including the National Art Gallery (fantastic exhibits) and Arlington National Cemetery. Also got to meet a few men my age at the house I crashed in. Some good guys it seemed, all very smart, many with ambitions to make it a lot further into washington than just being staffers.
I doubt I could make myself fit in there with all the suits and ties and formalities and constant hand shaking. At least, not without some changes in how I define "myself." Everyone here is networking with other people, and they always ask you what you do for work and who you work for, like they're sizing you up for how useful a friend you might be. That's not to say there aren't genuinely nice, real people here (I met them too) but that seemed to be the atmosphere that hangs in everyone's social interactions.
Everyone at least except a guy I met named Tony. I don't know if he was homeless or jobless or anything, but he was just sitting outside the National Gallery and spoke to me as I was passing, so I stopped to talk to him and he said he was hungry. But before he even started asking me anything, he thanked me as soon as I stopped and looked him in the eye - which I guess meant no one really ever paid attention to him. But we went to a place nearby for a bite to eat, which was actually really convenient because I was looking for somewhere to eat and there are not restaurants anywhere on the mall it seems. He told me to go order him something and that he would wait for me at a table in the back, I guess he felt too embarrassed to go wait in line with me. So as I made my way to the counter the doubt came, along with the obvious opportunity to just leave without him seeing me and go on my way to do what I wanted to do. But I was hungry, and I had told Tony I would buy him a meal, and I like to think I'm a man of my word so I resolved to eat anyway. We sat there for maybe half an hour or more talking and eating, with Tony doing most of the talking. He says he's seen all sorts of famous people here, Denzel Washington and Jay-Z and Richard Pryor. And we got to talking about how common some names are, and we talked for 5 minutes easily while we thought of really common names. He figured the most common are John, Dave, and Katie. Patrick was up there but didn't make the top five.
I told Tony that I was going to see the Museum of Natural History soon, since it closes at 5pm and it was already passing 3 o'clock. He said he'd been there many times and would give me a special tour in appreciation for the meal. So we went over there and he started showing me stuff, always the oldest thing or the biggest thing or the weirdest animal. He was really funny actually, and he knew his stuff. He wanted to show me the first men using fire to cook - an exhibit that reminded him of his first time camping and roasting marshmallows. He said, "I thought it was a really Indian thing to do man." We didn't find it, but we did stumble upon a movie showing deep ocean exploration. It took maybe 10-12 minutes, and when it was over and the lights came on I looked at Tony and he was fast asleep! I tried gently to wake him, but he didn't stir, so I sat and debated how long to wait for him. He came around a few minutes later on his own, and said he was gonna keep napping for a bit. So I said I'd just keep exploring the museum and try to run into him later. I figured he must not have been getting much good sleep if he takes naps in the theater. And I didn't find him afterwards sadly, but he made things very interesting.
Hanging out with Tony brought several things to my mind. There were a couple times where I kept telling myself, "As you have done unto the least of these, you have done unto me," just to make myself stay around and not just buy a meal and then leave. I doubt now that he enjoyed the sandwich as much as my company. It also made me realize how much I struggled just trying to relate to him at times, either just understanding his speech or finding things to talk about with him. I like to think that I'm a nice guy and can get on well with just about anyone, but with Tony I really had to struggle to come up with things to talk about or find ways to enter into the conversation he started. It makes me think I should try and spend more time with homeless and hungry back in Portland, since I obviously lacked the social skills to relate to people below (and I hate to say it this way) my social class. I didn't like my instincts around him, to try and just appease him and then get out without making a connection, without treating him like a real person. I mean, I'm proud that I did stick around and do that, but I almost did it as if under protest rather than out of a genuine loving manner, and if I'm honest with myself I can definitely do better. I know God humbles people in encounters like this to be more thankful for what we have, I never expected him to use this to point out that what I thought was a strength of mine really wasn't that strong at all.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
New Zealand Part 9
I've decided to post some journal entries from my travels in New Zealand for the benefit of those who won't get see the pictures or talk with me about it. Mind you, this is not a narrative meant to explain everything about New Zealand and my time there, only a reproduction of what I thought was worth putting into my own journal. Enjoy, post any questions as comments and I'll respond as soon as I can.
November 13th, the Blue Mountains
After being picked up at the hostal the tour bus picked up a few final passengers and went to our first stop in the Olympic Park. We didn't see much more than the 110,000 seat stadium. I found out there that our bus driver has been to Portland a few times while driving a bus for a band that toured up and down the west coast! After that we visited an aboriginal rock carving - turns out the aboriginals are treated probably as bad if some worse as the Native Americans were treated.
So the reason they are called the Blue Mountains is that the eucalyptus trees in the area create an excess amount of oil, and it evaporates of their leaves and hangs low in the atmosphere, creating a blue-ish haze. So nice sights to see in the mountains and on the ferry ride back in. Rode the steepest rail train in the world - 52 degrees! I'd compare it to northern Arizona for a similar landscape.
November 14th and 15th - Sydney
Made a nice end to my trip by meeting up with a couple of old architecture friends from the University of Idaho. This was their last stop on a 2 week tour of Oz. I hadn't seen K in years, since graduation! We met in hyde park and then I took them on a quick night tour of the harbor and the rocks. We found a cool Portuguese restaurant and had a nice dinner and some drinks. It was some of the tastiest food I've had this whole trip, but to be fair I hadn't tried any of the local Thai places yet.
We ended up grabbing a bottle of wine on the way back to their hostal and stayed up til like 3am catching up and talking about travels. I finally made the walk back to my place by 3:30 - a mere two hours before I was supposed to be woken up by my alarm.
Of course I slept through it.
And missed my flight.
So I booked one for the next morning (fortunately I had a spare day in my schedule so I wasn't going to miss my big flight back to LA) and decided to stick it out in the airport for the night for 2 reasons: first that I didn't want to miss my early flight again and secondly that it was raining really hard out - the first time I'd seen real rain on my entire vacation. I felt lucky to have fantastic weather all the times it mattered.
Staying in the airport also made it easy to use up all my Australian money, since nothing is cheap in the airport. Made some good conversation with a dutch girl after they locked up the airport. We talked about bicycling in particular, since her country is awesome for cycling and Portland is the best city for it in the states. (I've noticed that abroad it's always called "the states," and sometimes "America," but rarely ever "the U.S.) Dutch people have been a lot of fun to meet on this trip, by far my favorite nationality to meet here.
Spent the night sleeping (and it's a stretch to call it sleeping) and then following day (the 16th) flying back to Portland. I left sydney airport at 6:30am local time, and after a layover in Auckland, arrived in LAX at 6:30am the same day. I swear you have to take a time machine to travel down under.
November 13th, the Blue Mountains
After being picked up at the hostal the tour bus picked up a few final passengers and went to our first stop in the Olympic Park. We didn't see much more than the 110,000 seat stadium. I found out there that our bus driver has been to Portland a few times while driving a bus for a band that toured up and down the west coast! After that we visited an aboriginal rock carving - turns out the aboriginals are treated probably as bad if some worse as the Native Americans were treated.
So the reason they are called the Blue Mountains is that the eucalyptus trees in the area create an excess amount of oil, and it evaporates of their leaves and hangs low in the atmosphere, creating a blue-ish haze. So nice sights to see in the mountains and on the ferry ride back in. Rode the steepest rail train in the world - 52 degrees! I'd compare it to northern Arizona for a similar landscape.
November 14th and 15th - Sydney
Made a nice end to my trip by meeting up with a couple of old architecture friends from the University of Idaho. This was their last stop on a 2 week tour of Oz. I hadn't seen K in years, since graduation! We met in hyde park and then I took them on a quick night tour of the harbor and the rocks. We found a cool Portuguese restaurant and had a nice dinner and some drinks. It was some of the tastiest food I've had this whole trip, but to be fair I hadn't tried any of the local Thai places yet.
We ended up grabbing a bottle of wine on the way back to their hostal and stayed up til like 3am catching up and talking about travels. I finally made the walk back to my place by 3:30 - a mere two hours before I was supposed to be woken up by my alarm.
Of course I slept through it.
And missed my flight.
So I booked one for the next morning (fortunately I had a spare day in my schedule so I wasn't going to miss my big flight back to LA) and decided to stick it out in the airport for the night for 2 reasons: first that I didn't want to miss my early flight again and secondly that it was raining really hard out - the first time I'd seen real rain on my entire vacation. I felt lucky to have fantastic weather all the times it mattered.
Staying in the airport also made it easy to use up all my Australian money, since nothing is cheap in the airport. Made some good conversation with a dutch girl after they locked up the airport. We talked about bicycling in particular, since her country is awesome for cycling and Portland is the best city for it in the states. (I've noticed that abroad it's always called "the states," and sometimes "America," but rarely ever "the U.S.) Dutch people have been a lot of fun to meet on this trip, by far my favorite nationality to meet here.
Spent the night sleeping (and it's a stretch to call it sleeping) and then following day (the 16th) flying back to Portland. I left sydney airport at 6:30am local time, and after a layover in Auckland, arrived in LAX at 6:30am the same day. I swear you have to take a time machine to travel down under.
New Zealand Part 8
I've decided to post some journal entries from my travels in New Zealand for the benefit of those who won't get see the pictures or talk with me about it. Mind you, this is not a narrative meant to explain everything about New Zealand and my time there, only a reproduction of what I thought was worth putting into my own journal. Enjoy, post any questions as comments and I'll respond as soon as I can.
November 12th, Taronga Zoo
Slept very soundly last night, probably because I wore my ear plugs! The street noise and louder German roommates could definitely put a dent in my sleep. I might try it again tonight, but I'm worried I won't hear my alarm tomorrow morning if I do... tough call.
I made my trip to the zoo today. I couldn't believe the regular adult ticket is $43.00! I bought a zoo pass from the ferry terminal, saved myself $10.00 by getting it all in one.
Turns out today was an unusual day to visit , apparently every elementary school in Sydney decided this would be a great day for a field trip! It was a lot of work just to move around sometimes, I heard there were going to be 1500 students there that day.
The seal show was quality, but brief. Maybe if you go to all 3 shows you see different tricks? The rest is pretty much standard zoo - a high standard - but nothing really worth writing much about. Animals I hadn't seen before: Siberian Tiger, Kangaroos, Wallabies, Koala, and Tasmanian Devil (awesome!).
Thoughts on Sydney: It was a bit revealing to find out Sydney has a lot of brothels. I had noticed many adult venues on Darlinghurst street, but the paper said there are over 270 in the Sydney area and that surprised most people, even those who are in the industry. Also, much like New Zealand, there isn't too much "culture" for tourists. At least not the culture I think of when I remember traveling Europe. But it does seem to be a big spot for drinking and partying! Most people at the hostal are here to do some drinking - I expect for scenery more people go to Cairns or Brisbane.
Which makes Sydney not the best city for me. It is tempting to go out to the bars, but it is way too expensive to drink here and I don't have an interest in getting drunk. The party scene and party people just don't really fit my values, I'd rather enjoy a evening with friends or take in some great hikes or art museums. It's almost a shame I came here for 4 days instead of heading up to the Great Barrier Reef, but I did want to see the architecture and say that I've been here. Maybe there will be a next time, and then I'll know I can probably just bypass Sydney.
November 12th, Taronga Zoo
Slept very soundly last night, probably because I wore my ear plugs! The street noise and louder German roommates could definitely put a dent in my sleep. I might try it again tonight, but I'm worried I won't hear my alarm tomorrow morning if I do... tough call.
I made my trip to the zoo today. I couldn't believe the regular adult ticket is $43.00! I bought a zoo pass from the ferry terminal, saved myself $10.00 by getting it all in one.
Turns out today was an unusual day to visit , apparently every elementary school in Sydney decided this would be a great day for a field trip! It was a lot of work just to move around sometimes, I heard there were going to be 1500 students there that day.
The seal show was quality, but brief. Maybe if you go to all 3 shows you see different tricks? The rest is pretty much standard zoo - a high standard - but nothing really worth writing much about. Animals I hadn't seen before: Siberian Tiger, Kangaroos, Wallabies, Koala, and Tasmanian Devil (awesome!).
Thoughts on Sydney: It was a bit revealing to find out Sydney has a lot of brothels. I had noticed many adult venues on Darlinghurst street, but the paper said there are over 270 in the Sydney area and that surprised most people, even those who are in the industry. Also, much like New Zealand, there isn't too much "culture" for tourists. At least not the culture I think of when I remember traveling Europe. But it does seem to be a big spot for drinking and partying! Most people at the hostal are here to do some drinking - I expect for scenery more people go to Cairns or Brisbane.
Which makes Sydney not the best city for me. It is tempting to go out to the bars, but it is way too expensive to drink here and I don't have an interest in getting drunk. The party scene and party people just don't really fit my values, I'd rather enjoy a evening with friends or take in some great hikes or art museums. It's almost a shame I came here for 4 days instead of heading up to the Great Barrier Reef, but I did want to see the architecture and say that I've been here. Maybe there will be a next time, and then I'll know I can probably just bypass Sydney.
Monday, December 13, 2010
New Zealand Part 7
I've decided to post some journal entries from my travels in New Zealand for the benefit of those who won't get see the pictures or talk with me about it. Mind you, this is not a narrative meant to explain everything about New Zealand and my time there, only a reproduction of what I thought was worth putting into my own journal. Enjoy, post any questions as comments and I'll respond as soon as I can.
November 10th, Christchurch and Sydney
The center of Christchurch is very small and walkable. That said, I didn't really do much. The Cantebury Museum was fantastic however! Donations for entry, and loads of good Maori and Antarctic exhibits, plus some good bits on local wild life. I didn't go into the Kiwi house though. It costs nz$18.00 just to see them in real life isn't worth it. I settled for the stuffed ones in the museum.
FYI- you have to purchase and Australia visa before you fly there! No purchase on arrival - very odd.
Had a nice shuttle ride to the airport with a very amiable driver. We talk about the difference between the north and south islands. He's originally from Auckland, and thinks that some of the people in Christchurch have it a bit easy. I mention it seems that Christchurch is a very good town for cycling. "Of course it's a great town for cycling," says my driver, "It's flat! Many people cycle here because it's easy, in Auckland though we have hills, real hills, and people still ride there. Auckland cyclists are real cyclists." Made me smile.
Emirates Airlines is a real cush way to travel. Great seats and in-flight entertainment and the food was very nice for in-flight stuff. Also interesting was the fact that the flight announcements were in both English and Arabic, and the staff on-board spoke a total of 8 different languages fluently!
Found my shuttle driver for my complimentary ride to my hostel in town, and then went to find some quick take-away food for dinner.
November 11th, Sydney
Started finding my way around the city today. Visited the Opera House, the Rocks, Harbor Bridge, Hyde Park and botanical gardens. I was going to climb the harbor bridge but it costs $200! I've spent enough on this trip already, I think I'd rather pay to see a performance at the opera house instead.
I walked into St. Mary's Cathedral and noticed they were filming a Christmas special that evening. I decided to go. It was pleasant, Christmas cheer this early brings a smile to my face. But they sing some of their hymns/carols the wrong! The tunes were very different, so even the songs that I knew I couldn't sing along with. But at least the call and response parts were easy. But the fun part is I'm going to be on ABC in Australia on Christmas eve at 7:00pm - maybe my big television break? :)
November 10th, Christchurch and Sydney
The center of Christchurch is very small and walkable. That said, I didn't really do much. The Cantebury Museum was fantastic however! Donations for entry, and loads of good Maori and Antarctic exhibits, plus some good bits on local wild life. I didn't go into the Kiwi house though. It costs nz$18.00 just to see them in real life isn't worth it. I settled for the stuffed ones in the museum.
FYI- you have to purchase and Australia visa before you fly there! No purchase on arrival - very odd.
Had a nice shuttle ride to the airport with a very amiable driver. We talk about the difference between the north and south islands. He's originally from Auckland, and thinks that some of the people in Christchurch have it a bit easy. I mention it seems that Christchurch is a very good town for cycling. "Of course it's a great town for cycling," says my driver, "It's flat! Many people cycle here because it's easy, in Auckland though we have hills, real hills, and people still ride there. Auckland cyclists are real cyclists." Made me smile.
Emirates Airlines is a real cush way to travel. Great seats and in-flight entertainment and the food was very nice for in-flight stuff. Also interesting was the fact that the flight announcements were in both English and Arabic, and the staff on-board spoke a total of 8 different languages fluently!
Found my shuttle driver for my complimentary ride to my hostel in town, and then went to find some quick take-away food for dinner.
November 11th, Sydney
Started finding my way around the city today. Visited the Opera House, the Rocks, Harbor Bridge, Hyde Park and botanical gardens. I was going to climb the harbor bridge but it costs $200! I've spent enough on this trip already, I think I'd rather pay to see a performance at the opera house instead.
I walked into St. Mary's Cathedral and noticed they were filming a Christmas special that evening. I decided to go. It was pleasant, Christmas cheer this early brings a smile to my face. But they sing some of their hymns/carols the wrong! The tunes were very different, so even the songs that I knew I couldn't sing along with. But at least the call and response parts were easy. But the fun part is I'm going to be on ABC in Australia on Christmas eve at 7:00pm - maybe my big television break? :)
Saturday, December 11, 2010
New Zealand Part 6
I've decided to post some journal entries from my travels in New Zealand for the benefit of those who won't get see the pictures or talk with me about it. Mind you, this is not a narrative meant to explain everything about New Zealand and my time there, only a reproduction of what I thought was worth putting into my own journal. Enjoy, post any questions as comments and I'll respond as soon as I can.
November 7th, Queenstown - Te Anau
Had a lazy morning, only one thing left on our schedule: eating at Fergburger for lunch. We watched a little TV and I followed the Ducks game online (53-16 over the Huskies!) and did our final packing.
Anna ordered the "Little Bambi," burger - a venison burger - while I had the "Little Lambi." I'd never had mint jelly on a burger before, but it was sure tasty!
After lunch was time for Anna to head to the airport. And though one might easily imagine a long worded goodbye, her bus was already waiting when we got to the station so it was a quick hug and well wishes for a safe journey home.
And I was traveling solo once more.
My bus was only one hour later, and took me to the Lakefront Backpackers Hostel in Te Anau. The name says it all, it really is right on the lakefront and my room shares a massive common porch with a great view and soft couches.
Te Anau is a tiny town, really not much more than a stopover or staging point for treks into Milford or Doubtful Sounds.
November 8th, Milford Sound
Made a quick sausage & egg breakfast before being picked up by the tour bus at 7:30am. It was myself and 5 pensioners on holiday. Not my ideal group, but friendly. We made several stops along the way in and out of Milford for photos, nature walks, and rest stops.
The cruise was definitely the highlight, although the descent along Milford Road was spectacular as well. It started off as an overcast day with a very low cloud level obscuring all the peaks in the Milford Fjord. Technically it's a fjord and not a sound because a sound is carved by water, like Puget Sound, and fjords are carved by ice. But fjord had not yet been adopted into the English language when Milford Sound was named, and so the misnomer sticks.
The 2-hour scenic cruise was nice. (I think they avoid 3-hour tours for good luck) Saw some penguins, seals, and birds. On the return towards Milford the clouds finally broke and I saw what all the fuss was about. It is very dramatic scenery! Waterfalls and sheer cliffs abound.
I was surprised how small it was. I'm kicking myself a bit for not doing the kayaking trip here, but then again the weather was lousy and waves were a bit big for kayaks... oh well. I must have taken 100 photos or more, with many duplicates. There will be some cutting and editing to do when I get back.
Arrived back in Te Anau to see my room, which last night I had to myself, now had two new occupants. One I haven't met yet and the other is a girl from Seattle. The more you travel, the smaller the world gets.
November 9th, Te Anau - Christchurch
Rode two shuttle from TA to CC, and all said and done I got on the first at 9:30am and got off the last at 9:30pm. Long Day. But apparently atomic shuttles does have some really nice vans, this one was brilliant, not more than a year old at most. Guess they keep all the new ones on the east coast!
November 7th, Queenstown - Te Anau
Had a lazy morning, only one thing left on our schedule: eating at Fergburger for lunch. We watched a little TV and I followed the Ducks game online (53-16 over the Huskies!) and did our final packing.
Anna ordered the "Little Bambi," burger - a venison burger - while I had the "Little Lambi." I'd never had mint jelly on a burger before, but it was sure tasty!
After lunch was time for Anna to head to the airport. And though one might easily imagine a long worded goodbye, her bus was already waiting when we got to the station so it was a quick hug and well wishes for a safe journey home.
And I was traveling solo once more.
My bus was only one hour later, and took me to the Lakefront Backpackers Hostel in Te Anau. The name says it all, it really is right on the lakefront and my room shares a massive common porch with a great view and soft couches.
Te Anau is a tiny town, really not much more than a stopover or staging point for treks into Milford or Doubtful Sounds.
November 8th, Milford Sound
Made a quick sausage & egg breakfast before being picked up by the tour bus at 7:30am. It was myself and 5 pensioners on holiday. Not my ideal group, but friendly. We made several stops along the way in and out of Milford for photos, nature walks, and rest stops.
The cruise was definitely the highlight, although the descent along Milford Road was spectacular as well. It started off as an overcast day with a very low cloud level obscuring all the peaks in the Milford Fjord. Technically it's a fjord and not a sound because a sound is carved by water, like Puget Sound, and fjords are carved by ice. But fjord had not yet been adopted into the English language when Milford Sound was named, and so the misnomer sticks.
The 2-hour scenic cruise was nice. (I think they avoid 3-hour tours for good luck) Saw some penguins, seals, and birds. On the return towards Milford the clouds finally broke and I saw what all the fuss was about. It is very dramatic scenery! Waterfalls and sheer cliffs abound.
I was surprised how small it was. I'm kicking myself a bit for not doing the kayaking trip here, but then again the weather was lousy and waves were a bit big for kayaks... oh well. I must have taken 100 photos or more, with many duplicates. There will be some cutting and editing to do when I get back.
Arrived back in Te Anau to see my room, which last night I had to myself, now had two new occupants. One I haven't met yet and the other is a girl from Seattle. The more you travel, the smaller the world gets.
November 9th, Te Anau - Christchurch
Rode two shuttle from TA to CC, and all said and done I got on the first at 9:30am and got off the last at 9:30pm. Long Day. But apparently atomic shuttles does have some really nice vans, this one was brilliant, not more than a year old at most. Guess they keep all the new ones on the east coast!
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