Week Three: Doing Things "Right", Work and June "the cat lady"

Kiwi slang of the week: 

cruzy (adjective, pronounced crew- zee):

being relaxed, easy to get on with.

example: (my manager, Janna, has a six month old named Archie) "Oh yeah, Archie is a very cruzy baby, he goes to bed at a regular time".

 

*    *    *

I appreciate infinitely people who stack their own plates, wait patiently for me to use an electronic order taker (it's a mini-till I take with me that is beyond annoying), and ask me how I am. I feast on little compliments I get during the day, these are my life buoys that save me from my massive screw-ups that are all too frequent. Saturdays are a little busy. Today couples brought their children to break glasses, pee on chairs, and generally wreak havoc upon the Mannequin. Normally, I work Wednesday through Sunday, some 8 hour, and quite a few 11 or 12 hour days. 

Ever get the feeling you can't do anything quite right? My coffees are too watery and I have to throw them out several times, I forget cutlery for tables, I don't wait on customers or give them their receipts the exact right ways, I forget orders, or have the customer repeat them five times because I can't understand what they're saying.

I fantasize frequently about taking the coffee machine and throwing it out the front window of the store, yelling maniacally at passers-by in a fake-Kiwi accent, and running home to eat a whole bag of chocolate chip cookies.

In short, it's been a rough week.

*    *    *

I've been manning the bar by myself in the mornings. Thursday morning my first customer was a really hungover 20-something year old. While I was making his flat white, he began philosophizing about life and death, and how we "just die". Needless to say, his coffee was a take-away (a "to go"). 

Last night a 30-something year old man named Charlie came in and ordered a few beers. This was a normal circumstance, that is, until he ordered a double shot of whiskey, and I accidentally gave him a quadruple. Charlie rambled on for two hours (hovering over the bar all the while) about how he'd been to the Ghaza Strip, Egypt, and how his father was ashamed to be from Florida. 

Charlie's accent was so thick that he might as well have been speaking French to me. I had no CLUE what he was mumbling about until I heard a proper noun come up: "Disneyland", "Obama", "Helen Clark". He was escorted out of the bar after two more drinks. Yikes.

*   *   *

I was supposed to have tomorrow off to go to Christchurch with Simon, but we have no way of getting there. Saddened that the trip I had been dreaming of was cancelled, I decided to a) make chocolate chip bars with chocolate and coconut on top (instead of throwing the coffee machine out the front of the coffee shop) and b) give some of these bars to June, the cat lady, across the street.

Tonight I went over with three chocolate bars and knocked on her door. Excited to see me, she invited me in, and we had a chat in front of her heater (summary of this so far: I went over to an old woman's house on a Saturday night because my social life is in need of a boost only an 80-something year old can give it).

Our conversation mainly consisted of June's stories about how she used to live next to a crack den (a place where meth is bought and sold (crack is meth in New Zealand I guess, June gave me the heads up)), gossip about the neighbors, and also June's description of how she is DEATHLY ALLERGIC TO CHOCOLATE. June regaled me with tales of spewing (puking) all over her friends toilet when she only inhaled a bit of chocolate, and then of course she ended up in the hospital. 

She had assumed that the bars I brought over were fruit bars, but luckily I took them away after talking for a little while longer, and a kiss on the cheek. 

Talk about not quite getting things right. I could have literally killed June, the cat lady, with kindness.

*   *   *

Tonight I'm making dinner, having a few glasses of wine, and watching a movie. Tomorrow I work from 11:45 until sometime at night. I've got to run errands on Monday, maybe look for some transportation so that Tuesday I'll do something fun.

Anyway, hope all is well with you, and that you're enjoying your weekends.

Cheers,

Abi

Second Week: Eating Lamb's Liver, Abi Makes a Friend, and Other Stories

The "jaffa race" was on Thursday while I was working. "Jaffa"s are like the American jaw-breakers- hard candy balls. Hundreds of people show up to watch hundreds of jaffas race down Baldwin Street (above). Each jaffa has a number on it, whoever wins gets a prize (I think it's a few hundred dollars at an eatery in Dunedin!). If this seems completely bizarre to you, you're not the only one.

Pictured is the race set-up. Traffic started building at 11 o'clock. Our cafe was slammed at around 12:30 after the race. It was a whirlwind of seating people, taking orders, getting water, and making coffee!

Those tiny red dots are all jaffas. As you can see, this is a major event in Dunedin. I, too, feel a little strange about the intensity of a "jawbreaker race"...

*   *   *

I know I don't have many pictures of the flat up yet, but this is a war memorial that's across the street from the opening of Pentland Street (where I live). This gives you a feel for the architecture and the scenery on North Road, the road I'm directly off.  The hills in the background are much more dramatic (I'll post pictures soon, I promise). I see this every morning while walking to work.

*   *   *

Sarah (pronounced Sear-ah) is a practicing chef in the kitchen of the Mannequin, she's 20 years old and is interesting in graphic design. On Saturday night she invited my out for a few drinks. These few drinks turned into going to a night club and dancing with about 10 of her Kiwi friends to American pop music from about ten years ago. I met a few interesting people, including a member of New Zealand's bowling club, a guy my dad's age named Dobby, who talked to me about being a stay-at-home dad, and his wife's nursing practice. 

After being her "wing man" for a few hours, I left her with an Aussie she had a crush on. It was a fun night. It was great to meet her friends, her dad (he was visiting her from Queenstown), and Sarah herself outside of work. 

The next morning, Janna, my manager, had me try "Lamb's Fry" which is actually lamb's liver. My motto in New Zealand is "try anything", but I'm thinking of re-thinking that motto IMMEDIATELY.

Work has been hard. I've worked a few 10 hour shifts that had me reeling, but I'm happy to have today and tomorrow off to recuperate. Anyone who says that working at a cafe is a no-brainer needs to get a job at one for a week (maybe when the jaffa races are on!). 

*   *   *

Today was my first day volunteering at the Botanic Gardens. My partner is a woman from Beijing named Margaret. Margaret still misses Beijing after a few years of living in New Zealand. Her daughter studies dentistry at Otago (she apparently wants to make dentures, Margaret said), and Margaret "takes care of her life". You can tell she misses home a lot, I told her I missed home too.

Margaret is still learning English, so I asked her to teach me a little Chinese. So far I only know how to say "how are you".  I don't know how to say "good", "bad" or "all right", so I won't know how Margaret's doing even when I ask her, but oh well, it's a start. 

Our main job as volunteers is to fill tiny bags with duck food, so people can feed the fat ducks that live in the Botanic Gardens. Today we filled about 200 bags; I asked the manager about statistics on duck obesity, but she didn't have any. I'll have to get back to you on that. 

*   *   *

Now, a little on how I'm feeling being abroad.

A few weeks before I went to New Zealand everyone I knew asked me "Abi, why are you going back to New Zealand". Some people questioned why I was going again- if I wanted to travel why not go somewhere I hadn't been? Others gave me a knowing wink when I said my boyfriend was a Kiwi. Still more wondered if I was running away from reality- "life after college". 

Yesterday a girl named Victoria (a friend of a friend when I was here) came into the cafe and ordered a coffee. When I told her that I had just come back to Dunedin two weeks before, she said "ahh, you came back for love!". 

In a way, Victoria is right, but not for the reasons she imagines she is. 

First and foremost I've come here because I love the ability to be in control of my own destiny; I love the fact that I'm making it on my own in a foreign country. I have a job! I am making friends! I talk to people on the street! I know the name of that used book store owner! I know that there are 48 houses on North Street between our flat and the center of North East Valley! These are tiny things that give me so much satisfaction, these tiny livelihoods remind me that I am fantastically alive. 

Growing up is a fear for millions of young adults, but I am so thrilled to be in charge of my own life. I am excited (and terrified) to count out my change at the grocery store, to bus tables, and debate if I'd like to buy a bike. It's true that I came here for love: a love of growth, change, a wealth of love for the friends that I have in the states and here, the love I have for Simon, and the love I have for my family (albeit, far away right now), and finally, a love for this new independence that I am cultivating.

Coming back to Dunedin is like re-meeting an old acquaintance that quickly becomes your best friend. It is so different to live and work here, rather than study as an American here. I have met one American since I've been here; daily I am surrounded by Kiwis. It's a completely new experience: something incredibly personal and difficult.

*   *   *

Living in a foreign country is an "adventure", but not because I'm traveling every waking moment, or because I'm "meeting the native people". It's an adventure trying to understand people's accents when they're ordering "fish and chips", or a "long black". It's an adventure meeting June the self-proclaimed "cat lady" across the street, or having a conversation with Claire (the manager at the Botanic Gardens) about nuclear power and New Zealand's attitude towards sustainability. It's an adventure to learn how to properly wash a table, or how to use the electronic cash register, or- whew!- how to make a coffee.

 In this way, all of our lives are adventures, are they not? Even when you do not go abroad, even when you are at "home" being a teacher, a father, a mother, a friend, a grocery-store manager, a social worker, an accountant, unemployed, or a student, every day is an adventure, and being abroad is just a mindset.

These are my adventures this time around, the everyday sort that you have to put your sweat and blood into, and they prove- in many ways- to be more challenging than ones I've had before, but incredibly gratifying at the same time. 

*   *   *

Overall, this week has been a lot of learning to make coffee, trying new things (gross new things), and trying to understand heavy accents. I'll keep you updated in the coming days. Hopefully tomorrow I'll get my IRD number (like a social security number in New Zealand), so I can actually get paid, and maybe I'll get some transportation going soon, so I can travel outside of the North East Valley and Dunedin. Last night Simon and I walked the full two miles into town to see Harry Potter. Because there are so few theaters in Dunedin, the movie was packed and we had to sit in the front row with our necks bent at a 90 degree angle. I'm still laughing about it.

Hope all is well with you, have a good Sunday or Monday!

Cheers, 

Abi

Taiaroa House: Visiting My Host Family

Right now I'm visiting my host family, a family that I met through "Operation Friendship" a year ago. They live on the Otago Penninsula, about 30 minutes out of downtown Dunedin. I took the bus to get here (man, bus fares are high here!): Broad Bay.

My mom's name is Kat, she's an artist, writer and full-time mom. Her daughters are Arihana (17 years old, great at piano, going to art school next year ), Mackenzie (16 years old, great artist, still in high school, but excited to go to art school maybe), and Zach (12, taller than me almost). Gary (Kat's husband) is home sporadically, and is really nice. They have so many pets/animals: Mango the dog, Space Rocket the cat, another cat (nameless by memory right now), two rats, and four chickens (new!).

That's Mango in the backyard with some of the chickens (I think those are George and Ginger). In the background is Kat's beautiful studio, where we all go to draw and paint. I made a map of the North East Valley, I'll post it soon.

This is where Kat paints, she has beautiful paintings (I had a few of her blocks in my dorm room, now they're around my room at home). She's working on a painting of cows that's really nice, she also writes short stories.

The Otago Penninsula is so much more beautiful than pictures can capture, but this picture and the next were taken from Kat's porch. It was a beautiful, clear day today. That's the other side of the Penninsula: Port Chalmers.

A bit of a block with the power lines, but you can see the silhouette of the hills. I took these pictures really quickly with Kat's camera. Now I'm uploading them upstairs on their home computer.

I can hear the sounds of pots and pans, Kat's voice, dinner, from upstairs. Hana's piano playing fills the stairwell, a song from Amelie. It makes me think about my family (hi mom and dad, sam and ryan, miss you guys).

The inside of Kat's house is all art, white planks, beautiful pictures. The road to get here is incredibly curvy and without gates. Their house is like a magic cottage on a beautiful hill, I love visiting them.

This is Mackenzie (Mac) with her rat Moki. I french braided Mac's hair today.

The girls doing a little art in the window, as the sun sets.

Well, thought it might be nice to have a few pictures. Hopefully there will be some of the flat up soon. Have to go help with dinner, it's been a wonderful day. Tomorrow, work starts.

Love to all of you.

Cheers,

Abi

Balclutha for the Weekend, Dinner Parties, Work Times, and People You Meet

a pun: http://www.ketzle.com/frost/

The first frost I've seen in Dunedin today. White is covering the entire front lawn and the roofs of cars and houses. It's a deceptively clear day- meaning that it's frigid outside, but it looks friendly. Dunedin is going to get colder before it gets warmer, but hopefully not too much colder.

This weekend Simon and I visited his parents and his little brother. This is a picture taken by Simon's dad of Simon, Simon's "Mum" Joanna, Simon's older brother Piet, and his little brother Roy when Mum graduated from school for her Vet Tech degree a few months ago (notice that Simon is beardless... scary): 

Most of the time we hung out in front of the fire in their living room watching movies, playing Risk (which Piet refused to play after awhile, convinced that Simon and I had a conspiracy against him), and eating Dutch Donuts (oley-bollen (unsure of the spelling on that one)). Simon's parents are originally from Holland, and Simon moved to New Zealand when he was 8 years old.  They moved to New Zealand to get into dairy farming on the North Island, but now Simon's Mum is a vet tech, and his dad is a truck driver.

I went shopping around Balclutha with Simon's Mum (Joanna), and she bought me some pajamas which I will definitely post on here when I can (they say "I love you" in huge font). Simon and I took a walk on Sunday across the Clutha River. We found some sheep in a paddock, jumped in, and herded them to one side of the river, then the other. We jumped out of the paddock before the farmer got there, but it was fun to be close to New Zealand's populace (Simon calls them "dumb animals"). 

Piet drove us home on Sunday night, and I fell asleep in the car. Yesterday I found out my hours for work (I go in tomorrow to get trained): Wednesday, Friday, Sunday. Yes, my hours are basically right in the middle of the weekend. They're about as convenient as construction on a one-way bridge, but I'm excited for work. I'm going to be volunteering at the Botanic Gardens on Mondays at 10-1. So my days off are Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Strange schedule, but I'm sure I'll adapt, and do day tramping around the area. 

After I found out all this, I went grocery shopping. This seems pretty mundane, but there's a feeling I get every so often when I'm doing these daily things, a feeling of "I'm actually doing this!" that puts a big smile on my face. I'm actually in New Zealand, being responsible, buying kidney beans! How awesome! 

I told Mike at the used book store that I got a job, which he was excited about ("Good on ya! Good on ya!"). I met a woman from Zambia named Linn when I was coming back from getting groceries, and we had a talk about Otago, and her two sisters living with her, and her job at the local hospital. She lives on Allen Street, I hope I see her again. I also met June (she lives across the street), she is an older lady that identifies herself as the "cat lady". Vets send older ladies to her with their cats, so she can take out stitches for free. She predicted the frost this morning with one of the neighborhood cats, Russo, purring around her. I told her I'd have to visit her like Russo does, I think I'm going to make her cookies (what's that recipe, Em? anyone have any good baked good recipes?). 

Last night Alex (one of my flatmates, I'll have a post on them soon, they're both great) had a dinner party. She invited over two people she met at the vege shop where she works: Colleen and Brandon. Colleen is originally from the East Coast, moved to Hong Kong when she was 8, and has been living in New Zealand for a year and a half. Brandon is completely Kiwi, asking me to fake an Australian accent, and then a Kiwi one, and then laughing. We had tacos with diced potatoes, I made Sam's famous guacamole. Alex made carrot cake for dessert, and we all drank Fijian wine. It ended up being an amazing night. In our cramped 8x7 kitchen we fit in six people and there were a ton of laughs. We're going to do it again soon.

I've got to run to my host mom's (Kat) house for the day. I'll post again soon.

Hope all is well with all of you. 

Cheers,

Abi

How to Make a Cappuccino and Why That's Important.

Before I left for New Zealand, I read a little of a children's book I liked when I was younger:

Now in New Zealand I think of this book quite a lot. In "The Light Princess" a princess is cursed by a witch with a lightness not only of being (she floats to the ceiling of all rooms (close the windows!)), but also a lightness of personality (she is perpetually laughing). Strangely enough, sometimes I feel a lot like this in New Zealand. My laugh has turned into this chatter that I set on and off when I am happy and even when I am not. My laugh is not extraordinarily loud, or perpetual, but nonetheless, I do often feel a little like the light princess. You should read the book if you haven't, I think this point might be more sensical that way.

On a slightly less abstract note, this is a New Zealand cappuccino:

This is how you make a cappuccino (considering I can't even spell it, it's quite an accomplishment I can make one) skip to the next dots if you already know all of this:

-Grind coffee beans and put them in a little cup, press the cup down with a tamp (use all your body weight), wipe off excess coffee, put into the espresso machine, get a cup, press the button for one cup. If you've done it right the coffee will come out a carmel color. 

-Here comes the hard part. Pour milk into a pot and stick the milk heater from the espresso machine into the milk. Not too far or you'll get bubbles, not out of the milk or you'll spray yourself in the face (I did this). With your extra hand test the temperature of the milk through the pot, at exactly too hot to touch, stop the milk heater. 

-Pour the foam in first, dole it out with the spoon onto the coffee.

-Then pour the milk without the foam into the center of the cup.

-Then put more foam on top.

-Decorate with chocolate (in some geometrical pattern, luckily I passed geometry).

*   *   *

I went on a trial run today at the Mannequin Cafe. It was insanely busy when I went in, and I just picked it up, started busing tables, cleaning dishes, and learning without asking much. I wear black pants and a black shirt that says "MACS" with an apron. I served one table full of Kiwis and had a real problem the accents (or accInts, as Kiwis would say it), I had to make them point at the menu for the food. Pretty bad. 

Regardless, Janna (the manager) took me aside afterwards, and told me that even though they had another person coming for a trial run, and 100 resumes in their drawer (I think she wanted to let me know that no bullshit would be tolerated), that I'd been hired part-time (29 hours a week), and that I would come sometime next week to get a full coffee training. This coffee training will include making 100 cups of coffee until I've gotten it right. Simon offered to come by and drink all the coffees, but I told him he'd probably be on the ceiling by the time he'd finished. 

So, I've got a job. Which makes me feel a lot less like "the light princess", and a lot more like I actually exist here. I'm touching down in Dunedin, and it feels really nice. 

*   *    *

You may be wondering why I haven't posted a lot of pictures. The answer is that, stupidly, I do not have a battery-charger for Emily's camera. I'm working on this one. When I get one expect pictures of the flat, my neighbor's flats, the cafe, Baldwin Street, and the collie with two different coloured eyes that lives four flats down.

Tonight Piet picks us up to go to Simon's Mum and Dad's house, I'm making my Nana's famous coleslaw (Sam gave me the recipe). I'll update more after this weekend, hopefully about buying a bike or some form of transportation. Hope all is well with you.

Cheers,

Abi

The End of Week One: Jobs, Gardens and Coffee oh my!

In the morning the hills all around the flat are picture-perfect, it doesn't matter if it's bad weather, good weather, mediocre weather, sleet, rain, sunny, always these hills are captivating. It's probably in large part because I'm from the Midwest. There are cats in the flats all around us that fight on our front lawn, scale telephone poles in the morning mist, and chase each other to our doorstep and then down Pentland Street. 

At night- 7 pm- it's as if someone has reached out suddenly and turned off the sun. You're inside reading a book, and then suddenly the windows are painted black. Night comes early this time of year.

It is always cold in the hallway of our flat. I take a shower every other day, not to conserve water (oh no, I'm a token American in that sense), but simply because it's too cold to be without layers. However, a little part of me loves this weather. It feels a little like fall (my favourite season) in the states: getting bundled up and venturing out on my own, puffing along like a steam engine.. Kiwis think this is the coldest winter they've had in twenty years, but it feels like the middle of fall or the beginning of spring to me.

*   *    *

There's good news and there's bad news. 

Bad news: I lied.

Good news: I might have a job.

*    *    *

I've been scouting casually for the entire week I've been here, and thoroughly searching for two days now. I live in a place in Dunedin called the "North East Valley", which is a 30-40 minute walk into downtown Dunedin. There are a few "dairies" (corner stores), vege shops, grocery stores, and cafes here. 

I know the names of quite a few of the people who work there. Mike owns the used book store, and is good for a talk about the Green Bay Packers ("they were meat packers, you know"), the woman at the cafe next door has an easy laugh, Emma at New World (the grocery store) keeps my CV (resume) and tells me she'll call me if there's an opening, Gordon at the "Jumbo Dairy" laughs when I write down my information, asking me if I've ever "done anything like this". Alex, my flat mate, works at the vege shop, I turn in my CV there, and they say there'll be work in four weeks. I smile, buy a cabbage for coleslaw (we're going to Simon's parents tomorrow night) and duck out.

Then there's the Mannequin Cafe. I go in there after the long search and order a Chai Latte. Out of my new found habit I ask if there's any work. The woman behind the register gets the manager, and she shows me the schedule. Here, here and here, with a smile. 

*    *    *

Have you made coffee before?

Yes, a little.  (which honestly isn't that big of a lie, is it? I mean, I have made coffee... just not in a cafe, and it sort of tasted like burned fish). 

Oh, did you work in a cafe?

Um, sort of.  (This is when I wish I had spent half the time I spent Assistant Teaching making hot beverages). 

Okay well we'll have a trial run tomorrow from 12 until 2, all right?

And that's how I sort of have a trial run to get a cafe job. Maybe I didn't have to lie, maybe I could have played it straight. Instead, I'm going to be up for a few hours tonight searching the net for how to work an expresso machine and what a "Long Black" is versus a "Short Black". 

*    *     *

Yesterday I filled out the application to volunteer at the Botanic Gardens in Dunedin. I'll be volunteering there next Friday from 1 until 4 in the afternoon. I'm really hoping the two jobs don't conflict. The gardens are really beautiful, even in the winter, and my job is to give out free duck food! Sweet as!

Simon's is listening to Alicia Keys right now and making a surprise dinner (I'm pretty sure it has something to do with tofu and burrito seasoning...). I'm reading "Crime and Punishment" which my other flatmate Tom gave me to read, so we can discuss it. 

It's been a rough week, I'll be the first to admit it, but things are looking better. Thanks to all of you for your support through email or phone calls, I really appreciate it.  Love to you all.

Cheers,

Abi

My Address (for now at least) and Food

28 Pentland Street

North East Valley, Dunedin 

New Zealand 9010

Tonight Simon and I went to (as promised) Velvet Burger (New Zealand renowned burger place).  After getting uncomfortably full of tofu, beets, aioli, and basil pesto sauce, we left leaning on one another. 

Dunedin was pretty happening up until 6 pm (when everything closes at once), and then the public library was open. You never realize what a mecca of awesomeness a public library is until you're in a foreign country (at least that's true for me). I could read the Otago Times free of charge, check out a book of short stories, and play tic-tac-toe with enormous pillows in the kid's lounge area. I officially have a library card which means spending a lot less money on books. 

Here are some pictures of Velvet Burger to wet your appetite:

This is obviously not me, but the burgers are the size of your (or my) face.  HUGE. We both finished our meals. Impressive. So we deserve:

I ordered the "Animal Rights" burger, Simon ordered a burger not on the menu entitled "Gone Burger" (subtitle: if you finish this someone should slap you a high five! (he finished it)). 

Hope all is well with all of you.

Enjoy your meals,

Abi

The First Week: Dunedin

I made it, after 38 hours of travel time: two seven hour layovers, a quick stopover in Las Vegas, where they sell guns and have slot machines in the airport. It's my fourth day in New Zealand. After three days of waking up at 4 am and going to bed at 7 pm, I'm almost on schedule.

The first morning I was here Simon and I went to St. Claire Beach (Simon had rented a car for 24 hours, so we had it for a while). It's winter here which is a lot like spring in the states. The air smells like sulfur because of all the coal burning in people's houses. New Zealand houses have no central heating which has been a real treat. It's about 30 degrees here which doesn't sound cold, but trust me you lucky Americans, it's pretty frigid after summer. The beach, regardless, was beautiful. There were a few people out walking their dogs, but mostly Simon and I were alone at 6 am. 

This is more St. Kilda beach, both beaches blend into one another. The pictures pretty much speak for themselves, but the footprints that you can see dead ahead are ours (I think).

Thank you to Emily for letting me borrow her camera! All those houses are on the outskirts of Dunedin, this is about 30 minutes from where our flat is. On the other side of that piece of land is Tunnel Beach and a spa with a black sand beach flanking it (Simon snuck in once with his flatmates apparently...). 

My second day, after forcing Simon to sing the AMERICAN national anthem extremely loudly, I took a run to Baldwin Street (the steepest street in the world) which is two blocks from the flat, and then a little run up a huge hill behind the flat. The wildlife is so different here, birds that look like robins with fantails sweep around. I found a paddock with a half dozen sheep and two horses munching in the rain. It's been pretty bad weather, but I've heard this is just the beginning of winter, so here we go! 

Yesterday we visited Simon's "Mum and Dad" in Balclutha, a 45 minute drive away. Piet, Simon's brother, drove us there in his old Mazda. We stayed there all day, eating homemade carrot cake with marzipan icing, watching the neighbor's unload two dead deer from hunting, and sketching pictures with Simon's little brother Roy (he loves to draw dragons). It was a really nice day to be around family and fire. Simon's Mum let me call my Mom and Dad-- it was nice to hear familiar voices.

Today I took a run to the Botanic Gardens (http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/__data/assets/image/0006/24549/bgimagelarge.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/facilities/botanic-garden/find-us&usg=__VN57Pdm0Geo4LHwCJNmvUqglg7A=&h=454&w=454&sz=44&hl=en&start=13&um=1&tbnid=ObpHcAYZ04iqWM:&tbnh=128&tbnw=128&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbotanic%2Bgardens%2Bdunedin%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den-us%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1). 

I saw someone from my Education class last year and said hi, pretending I'd been here the entire time. Even if it never happens again, it made me feel so much more at home in Dunedin. It's going to be a rough couple of weeks adjusting. I've begun the job search (i.e. I have picked up a newspaper and turned to the employment section). 

Overall, I'm getting situated. I think that Simon and I are going to head to Velvet Burger tomorrow, known for their disgustingly large (you guessed it) burgers. Hopefully I can get a Veggie, or just take one for the team, and down a meaty one. Because it's winter, I feel like most people are indoors getting ready for the new semester (coming next Monday) or somewhere warm traveling. We'll see what happens...

Miss you all. Will keep updating.

Cheers,

Abi