Some Pretty Pictures

While normally I would post these to my photo blog, Pinhole Adventures, I thought I'd just post some here too. Be sure to click on them so you can see them a little larger.

The Bay of Islands: Day One

If I have to be completely honest, I feel like I’m on one long, extended vacation. A well deserved one at that; in my opinion at least. Our group from Loyola has already been on one major excursion to the Bay of Islands. This trip ended up being so exciting that I couldn’t possibly fit everything into one entry. So we’ll start at its beginning- Day One.

The day started out with a grueling 8:45 wake-up time to get underway, a morning hour that is rarely seen by any college student. So with half-open eyes and bobbling heads we boarded our bus to head up north, or as the native Maori (Mar-ree) people say, we headed down north- this is because New Zealand’s north island is shaped like a fish, with its tail being the most northern point of the island.

About four hours after leaving Auckland we arrived in Paihia, a small town in the Bay of Islands where our hostel was located. For lunch we ate at a place which as far as I could tell was called “Awesome Pizza, Seafood, & Steak”. Maybe not the most original name, but certainly accurate. The pizza was delicious and was not your typical pepperoni and cheese. Some were decorated with shrimp, pineapple, and a variety of other not-so-standard toppings. At one point I guessed that the chef was just throwing stuff on trying to keep up with our piranha-like feeding frenzy. My personal favorite was a pie that was topped with chunks of lamb (something like 5 lambs for every person in NZ), red peppers, cheese, pineapple, and barbecue sauce. Yummy.

The main activity of the day was a high speed boat trip called the Mack Attack, and while I don’t approve of lame gimmicky names, it proved to be adrenaline pumping. While cruising at speeds up to 90kmh and hitting giant swells that sent us a foot off our seats, we made our way up to the “Hole in the Rock”, which is one of the many tiny islands in the bay, but has been carved out by wind and wave.

Decked out in our wet gear.

We made our wave through the hole only after our skipper told us that recently a 42 ton piece of rock fell from the ceiling into the ocean. No big deal, we could only be pulverized like an egg being crushed by a cinder block if such an incident were to occur at the very moment of our passage. The air inside the hole was so thick and musky that when I stuck out my tongue I could taste the salt. The color of the water was that of indigo, and if I didn’t know any better, I would assume somebody had taken a blue light to the ocean floor and pointed straight up to create its calming glow that I was afraid would disappear if I blinked.

We made our way back to the docks with our rain jackets and rain pants soaked in salt from the giant waves we hit. Luckily I sat in the very front, so I got the biggest bumps without getting too drenched. I did however have more salt on my face than a bag of potato chips. Gross, I know.

To end our day we headed back to the hostel, and to top it off, we found a bar with a $2.50 pints. I don’t think the day could have gotten any better.

Our skipper with the "Hole in the Rock" in the background. Also known as Perry Island, named by Cpt. Cook.

A Quick Intro

It’s always tough for me to describe myself. I always end up going off on how cool I am, and more often than less, it ends up getting pretty narcissistic. But I’m going to do my best to describe myself, my goals, and my experiences in the most un-biased fashion possible. With that said- I’m kind of a big deal.

I think the main reason I chose to study abroad in Auckland is not because I want have a semester on the beach (although an added benefit), but because New Zealand seems like it’s a country that see thing’s clearly. They are in fact No.2 on the Global Peace Index, right behind No.1 Norway. Of course they have their problems just like anyone else, but I feel that even in the few days that I’ve been here, there is a different “hum” to the country than the states. It’s a sound that is less intruding and more soothing.

Someone from New York City would never survive here, everything you do is done with the slow motion button pressed down. New Zealanders are generally more patient and relaxed. I’ve discovered that it’s normal to sit at a red light for 4 to 5 minutes, an idea that would send any American driver up the wall.

Maybe this will be one of the greatest lessons I’ll learn in this whole experience, to slow down, relax, and enjoy life a little more. It seems that Kiwis are experts in this field and know how to have a good time.

Traveling to NZ

Hello everyone, I've made it.

After forgetting part of my power cord for the computer I was lucky enough to find a replacement at a store. I knew as I was packing I would forget something and it would only be a matter of time before I found out. Since I finished packing about 15 minutes before I was suppose to leave for my flight, I didn't quite have ample enough time to realize what I'd forgotten.

While I haven't had the chance to truly sit down and write a "real" entry, these photos will have to suffice for the moment. Also, note the poll to the right side of the blog. You need to vote for your favorite blog title, and then I'll pick the most popular one. I originally had planned on a sophisticated system of entry submission, primaries, delegates, superdelegates, and magnanomous-super-delgagates. But that would just give you, the reader, far too much say in this process. So we're doing it the old-fashioned way. Voting closes February 26th GMT+12.

My Plane.

Me waiting at San Fransisco airport.We rode the "AirTrain" in circles around the airport since we were bored of waiting.

Our group at the airport in Auckland.
Winnie the Pooh admiring the view from his 18th floor room. (more from him later on)