As my father once stated in his blog, a Dell is truly from hell. I am currently sitting at an Internet kiosk at Heathrow airport in London. Here, the computers are unfortunately Dells, with their special Internet browsers (also from some very deep place). It costs a humongous 2 euros for 20 minutes, and from those 20 minutes 50% are wasted on pages loading, or not loading at all.
The insanely annoying Internet browser, added with about 39 hours of past travelling, I am on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Just 5 minutes ago, I tried to hold my tears, because the bloody computer wouldn't let me open pages, or write comments on facebook. I actually considered smashing the screen with my head.
Thanks to the previously mentioned Qantas cock-up, we did miss our connection from Heathrow to Finland, and got a flight that leaves 16.10. Lovely... more waiting, more traveling and I will be home at about 9pm, so I'm not too happy. Also, I have a cruise tomorrow, we shall see if I ever make it back from that cruise, or if I even get onto it.
Well, the lovely new bff Hell Dell is now clicking 5minutes of time left, so I shall let my mother on it now, to read the kind words I have spelled out in the few past days of traveling. Oh how lovely traveling makes you, so friendly, so loving, so damn wondrously positive about everything the world lays on you.
P.s I just got the information that our combined traveling time will be about 43hours. I believe in God, NOT!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Third time might tell the truth, but the second seals the deal for me
Ah, Slowtrailia, the country down under, where things are not upside down even though the dumb might think so. How ever, things are slow, at least if your flying Qantas.
To get to the point of the story, I will first list all the things that have already happened during our effort to get back home. All these events kind of make me feel like I wasn't meant to leave NZ in the first place.
First of all, we had obviously packed too much. Mum had stuffed her bag with stones (almost half of New Zealand) and ceramics. We also had to take home a lot of my shoes and stuff I bought during my shopping mania yesterday. This over packing, or the weight of it, almost cost us money, but luckily Qantas has a limit of 32kg as maximum weight for a bag, so we were saved by 0,5kg. But this didn't stop us from being troubled by this, since our last flight with Finnair only allows 20kg! Ouch. The other problem was, that the lady at the desk couldn't get our boarding passes for the last flight from Heathrow to Helsinki (GO ENGLAND!) so we will inevitably have to get of the plane, get our bags and check in all over again at Heathrow. Of course we didn't think it would be more than an annoyance, since we would have had about 4 hours to do it.
However all not so good, but not so bad things must come to an end. And in the end, this little hope we had, had to inevitably, run out. This of course, is all thanks to Qantas, the company owned by Slowtrailians. Now, the last time I blogged about Slowtrailia, I mentioned a delay because of engineering problems. Sure the saying goes: lightning never strikes twice in the same place, but I think we all know that's not true.
We had sat on the plane for two hours until they finally decided to just get all the people out and roll the aircraft to be fixed. ''We are so sorry folks, we know it's an annoyance,'' the captain said. Well it is, and frankly I'm a bit annoyed too. How bad nick are these Qantas planes in if they are constantly getting fixed? Why don't they test them before they let people on board? I would probably get home quicker if I sent myself in cargo than flying Qantas. Sure I'm exaggerating again, but that's because I represent the passenger with no patience, and that's a big minority.
So thanks again Qantas, because of you we will probably be late for our flight at Heathrow, because of you I won't get back home in time for my lessons, because of you I will lose my courses at school and because of you I'm going to ''enjoy'' another airport cafe using your 20$ coupon. And now, while I walk a way to calm down, please switch on Kelly Clarksons' hit song: Because of you.
P.s We just got an announcement, that our new departure time is 10pm and with a new aircraft. So goodbye connection in Heathrow. And goodbye Qantas too, since we won't be meeting for a long, long, long time.
To get to the point of the story, I will first list all the things that have already happened during our effort to get back home. All these events kind of make me feel like I wasn't meant to leave NZ in the first place.
First of all, we had obviously packed too much. Mum had stuffed her bag with stones (almost half of New Zealand) and ceramics. We also had to take home a lot of my shoes and stuff I bought during my shopping mania yesterday. This over packing, or the weight of it, almost cost us money, but luckily Qantas has a limit of 32kg as maximum weight for a bag, so we were saved by 0,5kg. But this didn't stop us from being troubled by this, since our last flight with Finnair only allows 20kg! Ouch. The other problem was, that the lady at the desk couldn't get our boarding passes for the last flight from Heathrow to Helsinki (GO ENGLAND!) so we will inevitably have to get of the plane, get our bags and check in all over again at Heathrow. Of course we didn't think it would be more than an annoyance, since we would have had about 4 hours to do it.
However all not so good, but not so bad things must come to an end. And in the end, this little hope we had, had to inevitably, run out. This of course, is all thanks to Qantas, the company owned by Slowtrailians. Now, the last time I blogged about Slowtrailia, I mentioned a delay because of engineering problems. Sure the saying goes: lightning never strikes twice in the same place, but I think we all know that's not true.
We had sat on the plane for two hours until they finally decided to just get all the people out and roll the aircraft to be fixed. ''We are so sorry folks, we know it's an annoyance,'' the captain said. Well it is, and frankly I'm a bit annoyed too. How bad nick are these Qantas planes in if they are constantly getting fixed? Why don't they test them before they let people on board? I would probably get home quicker if I sent myself in cargo than flying Qantas. Sure I'm exaggerating again, but that's because I represent the passenger with no patience, and that's a big minority.
So thanks again Qantas, because of you we will probably be late for our flight at Heathrow, because of you I won't get back home in time for my lessons, because of you I will lose my courses at school and because of you I'm going to ''enjoy'' another airport cafe using your 20$ coupon. And now, while I walk a way to calm down, please switch on Kelly Clarksons' hit song: Because of you.
P.s We just got an announcement, that our new departure time is 10pm and with a new aircraft. So goodbye connection in Heathrow. And goodbye Qantas too, since we won't be meeting for a long, long, long time.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Changes
The weather in New Zealand is weird. You can get a wide range of different weather in just a few days. From heavy rain to burning sunshine, fog and clouds to a clear blue sky. Just like everything else around here, the weather too, is this and that.
Today is the day we leave with my mother. We fly back from the warmth and dampness of NZ to the coldness in Finland. The weather will most surely be cold. Windy but cold, rainy but cold, sunny but cold. A slight difference perhaps.
But the weather isn't whats making me sad to leave, it's the experience. The time here has been one of the best times I've had in a long time. I got to reconnect with just being by myself and my parents, no friends around, so you're bound to get to know yourself all over again. Of course, to the friends back at home, a Tessa who has got back to her roots again, might come as a surprise, if it can be sustained till I'm back in Finland, not wiped away by the tough traveling.
I know how ever, that there are friends who are familiar with the old Tess. Friends who, before getting to know me, listed all the weird things I do, and spied on me in school, to laugh about all by weird habits. These weird habits include, long, creative and hard-to-follow thinking, laughing and prancing around like a wild animal and making funny faces and noises. Also a way of eating food in a certain order and dressing in a particular way.
Often this kind of madhouse side of me only occurs when I'm with my parents, so it will be interesting to see, if any of it will translate to the times I spend with my friends. Often stress eats it away, and what is left is a tight, humorless and insecure Tess, who thinks too much of other people's thoughts than lets it loose. I hope I can sustain this laid back feeling I have now regained, and go back to Finland and finish my school year in a new, brighter spirit.
A vacation needed, a holiday used, and an efficient time of. Mission accomplished.
Today is the day we leave with my mother. We fly back from the warmth and dampness of NZ to the coldness in Finland. The weather will most surely be cold. Windy but cold, rainy but cold, sunny but cold. A slight difference perhaps.
But the weather isn't whats making me sad to leave, it's the experience. The time here has been one of the best times I've had in a long time. I got to reconnect with just being by myself and my parents, no friends around, so you're bound to get to know yourself all over again. Of course, to the friends back at home, a Tessa who has got back to her roots again, might come as a surprise, if it can be sustained till I'm back in Finland, not wiped away by the tough traveling.
I know how ever, that there are friends who are familiar with the old Tess. Friends who, before getting to know me, listed all the weird things I do, and spied on me in school, to laugh about all by weird habits. These weird habits include, long, creative and hard-to-follow thinking, laughing and prancing around like a wild animal and making funny faces and noises. Also a way of eating food in a certain order and dressing in a particular way.
Often this kind of madhouse side of me only occurs when I'm with my parents, so it will be interesting to see, if any of it will translate to the times I spend with my friends. Often stress eats it away, and what is left is a tight, humorless and insecure Tess, who thinks too much of other people's thoughts than lets it loose. I hope I can sustain this laid back feeling I have now regained, and go back to Finland and finish my school year in a new, brighter spirit.
A vacation needed, a holiday used, and an efficient time of. Mission accomplished.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
The Breakfast wars
The world is an unfair place to say the least, but the middle class people, which I am a part of, only suffer from unfairness in rather small spheres. However, when those small unfairnesses occur, people react in different ways. I of course, go berzerk, not in all cases, but at least the following.
This morning, I woke up to a rainy and dull day. Ahead were hours of driving, our switch from Mt Cook village to Arthur's Pass was planned for the day. I consoled my self with the thought of a nice multinational breakfast (one that I had carefully planned the night before), waiting for me in the Alpine Cafe at the Hermitage. After all the compulsory morning hassle, we were up and going, sliding through the Cafe doors into the fantasy world of breakfast delights. Only, it was all too good to be true.
Now in most horror stories there is a villain. This time it was the stupid policies of the Hermitage. When staying at the Hermitage, the cheapest way to live is in a Chalet. Now we of course had stayed in a family motel unit on the first night and then moved into the chalet. So on the first morning, we had the full breakfast with all the treats, but this morning, when we slid through those doors to wonderland, we were denied our bacon and eggs!! In fact we were denied the whole hot food -section, with its American pancakes, miso soup, bacon, fried tomatoes, scrambled eggs and all the other fatty goods (except the Japanese stuff).
I was slightly outraged. I had planned my pancakes, my miso and my scrambled eggs, and I could have none!? Hunger aside, I also felt shameful, as if there was a hierarchy, and I was in the lower class. Now if I'm staying at a hotel that pricey, surely I expect them to have equal rights if anything? It may be an overstatement, but never before have I come across a hotel with a policy like that. Everywhere else breakfast has been free for all customers and their secret doggiebags.
Well, after filling my stomach with the now enforced healthy breakfast of fruit and yogurt, I decided to bash about the hotel in my blog. The stay had been just fine so far, so I felt quite good about finding something to bash about. And the breakfast incident sure made me look at the pompous hotel a bit more closely. Even the lonely planet had called it a bit snobbish to say the least. So I did what any dissatisfied hotel customer would do, and filled in the customer survey, full of nags about the breakfast incident. Then I lied my age to make them take it more seriously, ''I bet that will work.''
So, Hermitage, It is on! I will bring you down, because what ever you do, you DON'T deny Tessa Dean her bacon and eggs!! (or miso soup in this case.)
This morning, I woke up to a rainy and dull day. Ahead were hours of driving, our switch from Mt Cook village to Arthur's Pass was planned for the day. I consoled my self with the thought of a nice multinational breakfast (one that I had carefully planned the night before), waiting for me in the Alpine Cafe at the Hermitage. After all the compulsory morning hassle, we were up and going, sliding through the Cafe doors into the fantasy world of breakfast delights. Only, it was all too good to be true.
Now in most horror stories there is a villain. This time it was the stupid policies of the Hermitage. When staying at the Hermitage, the cheapest way to live is in a Chalet. Now we of course had stayed in a family motel unit on the first night and then moved into the chalet. So on the first morning, we had the full breakfast with all the treats, but this morning, when we slid through those doors to wonderland, we were denied our bacon and eggs!! In fact we were denied the whole hot food -section, with its American pancakes, miso soup, bacon, fried tomatoes, scrambled eggs and all the other fatty goods (except the Japanese stuff).
I was slightly outraged. I had planned my pancakes, my miso and my scrambled eggs, and I could have none!? Hunger aside, I also felt shameful, as if there was a hierarchy, and I was in the lower class. Now if I'm staying at a hotel that pricey, surely I expect them to have equal rights if anything? It may be an overstatement, but never before have I come across a hotel with a policy like that. Everywhere else breakfast has been free for all customers and their secret doggiebags.
Well, after filling my stomach with the now enforced healthy breakfast of fruit and yogurt, I decided to bash about the hotel in my blog. The stay had been just fine so far, so I felt quite good about finding something to bash about. And the breakfast incident sure made me look at the pompous hotel a bit more closely. Even the lonely planet had called it a bit snobbish to say the least. So I did what any dissatisfied hotel customer would do, and filled in the customer survey, full of nags about the breakfast incident. Then I lied my age to make them take it more seriously, ''I bet that will work.''
So, Hermitage, It is on! I will bring you down, because what ever you do, you DON'T deny Tessa Dean her bacon and eggs!! (or miso soup in this case.)
Friday, February 20, 2009
Flying high
Three is a magic number, and for three days (i think), I haven't written anything once again. It is a bit hard to keep track of days when on the road. Well, I must say, not much has happened in the last three days. We did take a nice 4 hour stroll down hooker valley, over a few awesome swing bridges and under the might of Mt Cook. The walk ended at a glacier lake, with floating icebergs, where I used my little muscles to pile some rocks to mark my visit.
Other than that, we truly haven't done much. Today it is raining quite hard, so the time will mostly pass inside some walls. Yesterday it was quite beautiful, we drove through Twizel, stopped at the weird blue lakes on the way here, and took some pretty amazing pictures. I of course am too lazy to start uploading them, not that I knew how to do it anyway.
We are now staying at a chalet, at the Hermitage hotel. I had a great continental breakfast, mixing Japanese miso soup with bacon and fresh tropical fresh fruit. I pride myself in being so multinational. Tomorrow I'm having croissants, eggs and fried tomatoes with good old American pancakes. The night before, we were at a youth hostel in Cromwell, a weird town, since I don't think I saw a soul and the houses looked like matchboxes.
What did we do the day before yesterday.. hmm... Oh yes, we were supposed to drive to Milford sound, one of the most wondrous, and must-see destinations on earth, but mum had to go to the dentist at 11am in Queenstown, so we didn't have enough time left after that to take the drive, so we flew there instead. Yeah.. pretty boring you know, flying in this 6 seat airplane above the mountains and the snowy peaks, taking pictures and enjoying the atmosphere. Landing after 35minutes of flying at a small airfield and taking a cruise at the sounds and then flying back. So common right? So everyday, so used to it etc. Pretty boring day huh? Well, other than that we didn't do much, I just bungee jumped 400meters above Queenstown, surrounded by mountains in the sunset, but everyone has done that right? The bungee was only 47m, but you didn't think about that when leaping of a platform 400m above sea level (Or lake level to be correct).
So, in the end, we haven't done much anything interesting to write about.
Other than that, we truly haven't done much. Today it is raining quite hard, so the time will mostly pass inside some walls. Yesterday it was quite beautiful, we drove through Twizel, stopped at the weird blue lakes on the way here, and took some pretty amazing pictures. I of course am too lazy to start uploading them, not that I knew how to do it anyway.
We are now staying at a chalet, at the Hermitage hotel. I had a great continental breakfast, mixing Japanese miso soup with bacon and fresh tropical fresh fruit. I pride myself in being so multinational. Tomorrow I'm having croissants, eggs and fried tomatoes with good old American pancakes. The night before, we were at a youth hostel in Cromwell, a weird town, since I don't think I saw a soul and the houses looked like matchboxes.
What did we do the day before yesterday.. hmm... Oh yes, we were supposed to drive to Milford sound, one of the most wondrous, and must-see destinations on earth, but mum had to go to the dentist at 11am in Queenstown, so we didn't have enough time left after that to take the drive, so we flew there instead. Yeah.. pretty boring you know, flying in this 6 seat airplane above the mountains and the snowy peaks, taking pictures and enjoying the atmosphere. Landing after 35minutes of flying at a small airfield and taking a cruise at the sounds and then flying back. So common right? So everyday, so used to it etc. Pretty boring day huh? Well, other than that we didn't do much, I just bungee jumped 400meters above Queenstown, surrounded by mountains in the sunset, but everyone has done that right? The bungee was only 47m, but you didn't think about that when leaping of a platform 400m above sea level (Or lake level to be correct).
So, in the end, we haven't done much anything interesting to write about.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Big packing and Ear popping
It has been a while since my last entry, because I have not been able to log on the Internet. Today how ever, its the third day of being on the road and we have reached Fox glacier. A lot has happened, and to keep myself and my possible few readers on track, I shall fill in a few details of the trip so far.
On the 14Th of February we took off on the ferry from Welly to Picton. It was quite an embarrassment, since we had pretty much packed the whole house, leaving only the kitchen sink behind. Trying to trolley all that stuff into the ferry and out of it, was not much fun. I don't think it was fun for dad either, who got two women constantly nagging about his packing methods. Note that I did personally find it funny to have packed the least from us three, being a teenage girl that is.
After getting past the ''small packing error'', we headed towards Nelson, where dads old school friend, from 35 years ago, lived with his family. The house had quite amazing views, and the food was great. So we got a good nights sleep, stomachs full and some nice company. I chatted with the boys, who were my age, so I wasn't completely alone with adults. Also surfing the Internet in Ollie's room until midnight, helped me get over my jet lag.
The next day we had our heads set for a long drive. Stopping in Nelson wasn't the original plan, so we had to catch up if we wanted to save time for later adventures. Leaving around 10am, we drove through the wine country, into the hills and onto the beautiful west coast. Stops along the way made sure we got enough food, rest and pictures. The sun was shining and the heat was on, so it was altogether a very lovely drive. On the coast we stopped to see the bizarre pancake rocks, too weird to explain... And as the sun set, we were hastily driving towards the glaciers and looking for a place to stay before it all closed. There were many vacant campsites on the way, but we didn't really fancy staying in cities like Greymouth, so we drove on, relying on luck. And lucky we were: Just as we thought we were going to turn around and go back to some tent site, dad spotted a wooden sign, Bed and breakfast. So we drove to the house, hoping someone would be home, and that they would be normal people. I must say, it almost makes me believe in destiny, since after all that panicking, we found some very friendly people, in a very nice house, with a very lovely cat.
The night was good, and he breakfast even better, since a lot of it was homemade. We even got an early take-off, and started driving ahead to the glaciers. A few laughs in the gold mining town of Ross and a few more photo-opportunities by dad (every two meters while on the road...). So the driving wasn't too fast, but it got us fairly quickly to Franz Josef glacier, where we took a short stroll to the viewing platform. A further drive, and we reached Fox glacier. Now, we had already seen the Franz Josef up close, so we thought we would just eat a little, and then maybe take a hike in the nearby forests. Of course every family has a person with bright (and expensive) ideas, and today it was mom. After a meal, and an extra hour, we were in an helicopter, taking of to fly around the glacier and the mountains in the surrounding area.
Helicopter flying. Now there's something that I have never tried before, and I must say it was quite surreal. Although my ears still hurt from the pressure of descending, It still was one of the most eye opening, mouth dropping and well, ear popping experiences of my life. Somehow I felt like I was the filmer of Lord of the Rings, seeing the same landscapes by my own eyes. I couldn't believe it. Those glaciers were massive, and the drops in the ice overwhelming. You could see how the rock in the mountains was formed, cracked from the earth as tectonic plates rose and clashed. The huge glacial waterfalls descended into dark icy ravines. Like a dream -good, I must say. Or like flying over a miniature -good. Google earth can't even stand comparison -good!
Well, adrenaline slowed down and ears still locked, here I am: Sitting in the Internet lounge writing about my adventures. It might seem boring just reading what someone has been doing, so, HA HA, I'm here and you're not, so live with it!
On the 14Th of February we took off on the ferry from Welly to Picton. It was quite an embarrassment, since we had pretty much packed the whole house, leaving only the kitchen sink behind. Trying to trolley all that stuff into the ferry and out of it, was not much fun. I don't think it was fun for dad either, who got two women constantly nagging about his packing methods. Note that I did personally find it funny to have packed the least from us three, being a teenage girl that is.
After getting past the ''small packing error'', we headed towards Nelson, where dads old school friend, from 35 years ago, lived with his family. The house had quite amazing views, and the food was great. So we got a good nights sleep, stomachs full and some nice company. I chatted with the boys, who were my age, so I wasn't completely alone with adults. Also surfing the Internet in Ollie's room until midnight, helped me get over my jet lag.
The next day we had our heads set for a long drive. Stopping in Nelson wasn't the original plan, so we had to catch up if we wanted to save time for later adventures. Leaving around 10am, we drove through the wine country, into the hills and onto the beautiful west coast. Stops along the way made sure we got enough food, rest and pictures. The sun was shining and the heat was on, so it was altogether a very lovely drive. On the coast we stopped to see the bizarre pancake rocks, too weird to explain... And as the sun set, we were hastily driving towards the glaciers and looking for a place to stay before it all closed. There were many vacant campsites on the way, but we didn't really fancy staying in cities like Greymouth, so we drove on, relying on luck. And lucky we were: Just as we thought we were going to turn around and go back to some tent site, dad spotted a wooden sign, Bed and breakfast. So we drove to the house, hoping someone would be home, and that they would be normal people. I must say, it almost makes me believe in destiny, since after all that panicking, we found some very friendly people, in a very nice house, with a very lovely cat.
The night was good, and he breakfast even better, since a lot of it was homemade. We even got an early take-off, and started driving ahead to the glaciers. A few laughs in the gold mining town of Ross and a few more photo-opportunities by dad (every two meters while on the road...). So the driving wasn't too fast, but it got us fairly quickly to Franz Josef glacier, where we took a short stroll to the viewing platform. A further drive, and we reached Fox glacier. Now, we had already seen the Franz Josef up close, so we thought we would just eat a little, and then maybe take a hike in the nearby forests. Of course every family has a person with bright (and expensive) ideas, and today it was mom. After a meal, and an extra hour, we were in an helicopter, taking of to fly around the glacier and the mountains in the surrounding area.
Helicopter flying. Now there's something that I have never tried before, and I must say it was quite surreal. Although my ears still hurt from the pressure of descending, It still was one of the most eye opening, mouth dropping and well, ear popping experiences of my life. Somehow I felt like I was the filmer of Lord of the Rings, seeing the same landscapes by my own eyes. I couldn't believe it. Those glaciers were massive, and the drops in the ice overwhelming. You could see how the rock in the mountains was formed, cracked from the earth as tectonic plates rose and clashed. The huge glacial waterfalls descended into dark icy ravines. Like a dream -good, I must say. Or like flying over a miniature -good. Google earth can't even stand comparison -good!
Well, adrenaline slowed down and ears still locked, here I am: Sitting in the Internet lounge writing about my adventures. It might seem boring just reading what someone has been doing, so, HA HA, I'm here and you're not, so live with it!
Friday, February 13, 2009
This-and-thatland.
The first time I came to NZ, I instantly thought they had a funny design of houses. It did not all match the landscape and cities looked like they were a modern version of the wild west with only the framed fronts. Well, a year later and I'm thinking these people really have created their own look by not knowing what look to go for. It truly is a this-and-that land when it comes to pretty much anything from plants or animals to housing and fashion.
Today we visited the center of Wellington. It was hard to spot all the interesting details in the mixture of modern, old and down right bizarre. A building with graffiti and weird color paint might hold inside a comfortable cafe, and something that looks more like artwork gone wrong, is actually a university of design (coincidence? I think not). But in the mix of all this design madness, its hard not to fall in love with Welly and the whole NZ. The people, as far as I've got to know them, have been very polite, and I'm slowly breaking out of my shy Finnish shell. Lots of people actually think about what they wear, something I respect, and the choice of shops in a small city like this is quite amazing, though I might feel different If I'd lived here for some time.
Yes a truly lovely city and country in general. But something is still missing, and that is someone to share all this crazy craziness with. I do miss my friend Krista back home. I know she would appreciate all the comfy cafes that pop out from street corners, and the brilliant public transportation that partly works on electricity! (Although it's hardly brilliant anywhere out of Wellington.) Krista would also love the nature (She was with me last year, so I know this for sure.) And one of the things that makes me most sad, is the fact that I don't have her here now to share all this amount of skate parks (and the fun stuff that comes with it ;-)). Well for a part of her big birthday gift I'm going to make a small promise: Someday we will return with Krista and enjoy it all with time to enjoy it too.
Wow, I'm shaking like crazy right now. I'm torn by the fact that I only have one day to explore the wonders of wellington, and that day is already over. In one day, thanks to some of the wellingtonians, I have gained a lot more confidence, been inspired by their fashion, and been asked to hang out at a bar in a crazy pink dress (not gonna happen though). That crazy dress by the way, is something I bought from a cute little second hand shop held by a sweet short girl with a very loud friend. She was awfully nice, and I actually twirled in a dress in front of a shop keeper for the first time in my life. In respect to the loveliness, I did feel like buying the dress. And listen up Finbos: That's the way to sell something! Don't just annoy the people looking around, be friendly and fun, not just in a professional way.
Oh, there's so much here left for me to see, but tomorrow were hitting the road, and I have the feeling that this won't be the last time I'm going to have this feeling of losing out on something. Two weeks is strictly too little time to explore a place like this. In fact it makes me feel a bit lost, not know what to do in the little time that is given to me. Weird thing actually, because the first time I came, I saw this big billboard advertising the show Lost. That's about the only add I remember from New Zealand, and today as I was walking around Wellington, I suddenly saw an add for the new season of Lost and it instantly caught my attention. Hmm.. maybe the next time I come, the plane will crash and a magnetic field will stop me from leaving the country. However, unlike Jack and his mates, I sure wont be trying to get out ;).
Today we visited the center of Wellington. It was hard to spot all the interesting details in the mixture of modern, old and down right bizarre. A building with graffiti and weird color paint might hold inside a comfortable cafe, and something that looks more like artwork gone wrong, is actually a university of design (coincidence? I think not). But in the mix of all this design madness, its hard not to fall in love with Welly and the whole NZ. The people, as far as I've got to know them, have been very polite, and I'm slowly breaking out of my shy Finnish shell. Lots of people actually think about what they wear, something I respect, and the choice of shops in a small city like this is quite amazing, though I might feel different If I'd lived here for some time.
Yes a truly lovely city and country in general. But something is still missing, and that is someone to share all this crazy craziness with. I do miss my friend Krista back home. I know she would appreciate all the comfy cafes that pop out from street corners, and the brilliant public transportation that partly works on electricity! (Although it's hardly brilliant anywhere out of Wellington.) Krista would also love the nature (She was with me last year, so I know this for sure.) And one of the things that makes me most sad, is the fact that I don't have her here now to share all this amount of skate parks (and the fun stuff that comes with it ;-)). Well for a part of her big birthday gift I'm going to make a small promise: Someday we will return with Krista and enjoy it all with time to enjoy it too.
Wow, I'm shaking like crazy right now. I'm torn by the fact that I only have one day to explore the wonders of wellington, and that day is already over. In one day, thanks to some of the wellingtonians, I have gained a lot more confidence, been inspired by their fashion, and been asked to hang out at a bar in a crazy pink dress (not gonna happen though). That crazy dress by the way, is something I bought from a cute little second hand shop held by a sweet short girl with a very loud friend. She was awfully nice, and I actually twirled in a dress in front of a shop keeper for the first time in my life. In respect to the loveliness, I did feel like buying the dress. And listen up Finbos: That's the way to sell something! Don't just annoy the people looking around, be friendly and fun, not just in a professional way.
Oh, there's so much here left for me to see, but tomorrow were hitting the road, and I have the feeling that this won't be the last time I'm going to have this feeling of losing out on something. Two weeks is strictly too little time to explore a place like this. In fact it makes me feel a bit lost, not know what to do in the little time that is given to me. Weird thing actually, because the first time I came, I saw this big billboard advertising the show Lost. That's about the only add I remember from New Zealand, and today as I was walking around Wellington, I suddenly saw an add for the new season of Lost and it instantly caught my attention. Hmm.. maybe the next time I come, the plane will crash and a magnetic field will stop me from leaving the country. However, unlike Jack and his mates, I sure wont be trying to get out ;).
Thursday, February 12, 2009
In welly with a full belly
After the 34h 10min travel, + the 4 hour delay in Sydney for technical problems, we have now finally reached our destination: Wellington, New Zealand. Although its now already half past seven, because of our delay, and pouring with rain and mist so hard you can't even see out of the window, I'm loving it. The smell of summer rain hit me as soon as I stepped out of the aeroplane at the musky airport with the stone pattern carpet.
It's tough not to go insane by the excitement of being back. Although I miss the fact that I don't have a friend with me, and even more the sad fact of missing one of my best friends 18th birthday, I will have to admit, there's no place I'd rather be.
Enough with all the love and happiness: I am knackered. I have no idea what so ever, what time it is in my head, or whether I should be eating, sleeping or waking up right now. I sure as hell know that I've had my share of flight meals for a lifetime, but the toughest thing is knowing how I'll be able to stay awake until morning. I don't want to miss even a little bit of the time I have here, by sleeping too long. Its like trying to decide what to have at Starbucks before it closes. To make matters worse, my head is quite dizzy and the short-time memory function is out of order.
For these reasons I apologize if my writing is not the best it could be. Maybe after a good nights sleep I will have the time and the energy to correct something and add photos. Unfortunately, I'm not the whiz kid of computers, nor am I the most enthusiastic person to do things that I say I will. Well, what ever happens there are two things I'm certain about: I sure love my dad's keyboard and even though I feel like having swallowed a jumbo jet, I might still love some of dad's prawn curry too. Long time no see ;)
It's tough not to go insane by the excitement of being back. Although I miss the fact that I don't have a friend with me, and even more the sad fact of missing one of my best friends 18th birthday, I will have to admit, there's no place I'd rather be.
Enough with all the love and happiness: I am knackered. I have no idea what so ever, what time it is in my head, or whether I should be eating, sleeping or waking up right now. I sure as hell know that I've had my share of flight meals for a lifetime, but the toughest thing is knowing how I'll be able to stay awake until morning. I don't want to miss even a little bit of the time I have here, by sleeping too long. Its like trying to decide what to have at Starbucks before it closes. To make matters worse, my head is quite dizzy and the short-time memory function is out of order.
For these reasons I apologize if my writing is not the best it could be. Maybe after a good nights sleep I will have the time and the energy to correct something and add photos. Unfortunately, I'm not the whiz kid of computers, nor am I the most enthusiastic person to do things that I say I will. Well, what ever happens there are two things I'm certain about: I sure love my dad's keyboard and even though I feel like having swallowed a jumbo jet, I might still love some of dad's prawn curry too. Long time no see ;)
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Slowtralia
We have now arrived in Sidney, after a grueling 20 hour flight divided by an hours stop for fuel and new passengers in Singapore. Unlike the swift and fast-working internet we selfishly utilized at the Frankfurt airport (outside the Emirates lounge), the free Optus-internet here in Sidney, is something completely different. You cant log in unless you make an account which is in fact, quite impossible to make with
a Finnish phone number, so you are forced to use the computers with the most awful keyboards. I'm not even going to worry about my spelling or marks, because it will just be a waste of time.
The flights have been surprisingly convenient. I especially liked all the free junk we got from Qantas and the food wasn't too bad either. I also got a ''good nights sleep'', three hours of not thinking about being on an aeroplane that is. Well, at least we had a choice of stuff to watch or play on the Qantas demand -program. Must say, I watched the film Australia, and did not like it at all!! It was one of those never ending weepy movies, with five different story lines and a female lead who kept changing her personality. Not that I like Nicole Kidman too much anyway...
Well its about time I let my mother use the keyboard from hell (or Australia) so I'll report back later. (And perhaps correct my spelling too.)
Aye mateys!
a Finnish phone number, so you are forced to use the computers with the most awful keyboards. I'm not even going to worry about my spelling or marks, because it will just be a waste of time.
The flights have been surprisingly convenient. I especially liked all the free junk we got from Qantas and the food wasn't too bad either. I also got a ''good nights sleep'', three hours of not thinking about being on an aeroplane that is. Well, at least we had a choice of stuff to watch or play on the Qantas demand -program. Must say, I watched the film Australia, and did not like it at all!! It was one of those never ending weepy movies, with five different story lines and a female lead who kept changing her personality. Not that I like Nicole Kidman too much anyway...
Well its about time I let my mother use the keyboard from hell (or Australia) so I'll report back later. (And perhaps correct my spelling too.)
Aye mateys!
Monday, February 9, 2009
Packing (in no) heat
If someone was to read my calendar, they would sooner or later notice the numbers counting down on the side of the days. If that person was to follow the numbers, they would notice them ending at the 10th of February with the words: ''feels like today will never come :(.'' That's because some months ago, when we first planned our trip to New Zealand, it felt like forever until I would finally set on my journey there.
However, that very anticipated day is tomorrow. And I am nowhere near done with my packing. And why am I packing? Well, I am going to New Zealand. It's only 25 hours of travelling away (35 if you count the time difference) and one of the flights is about 20 hours long, with a one hour stop in Singapore for fuel. Since I have some major travelling ahead, you would think I'm packing like crazy. Flight socks and a nice flight pillow should ease the flights a bit, with a little help from my dear friend, the iPod. But although dreading the flight, I am not very stressed and to be honest, my thoughts are far from the green grass of New Zealand.
Usually when Tessa Dean takes a trip to the wondrous world of the unknown, she has her suitcases packed two days before leaving and at least ten checklists to make sure everything vital and not-so-vital (my whole closet), has been meticulously folded in the case. This time it is indeed different, and I am more worried about cleaning the house and cutting the nails of my beloved cats, than the insides of my suitcase. I have a feeling, that tomorrow morning will be a rude awakening and sooner or later, I'm forced to start fussing and stressing, perhaps it will get bad enough to ruin the 'stress free packing experience' forever.
Lift off ticking closer and closer, I am glad to inform of my intentions to write about my experiences in New Zealand while touring the south island. I have no idea how many chances for writing will I have, but I will try my hardest to get the greatest parts down, or on screen. Lets hope what ever comes out then, is better, or atleast more intriguing, than the past writing.
Oh and by the way, I actually achieved something the other day! I went wall-climbing. Go Tess! Maybe Someday I won't just be touring New Zealand from below the mountains, but from the top.
However, that very anticipated day is tomorrow. And I am nowhere near done with my packing. And why am I packing? Well, I am going to New Zealand. It's only 25 hours of travelling away (35 if you count the time difference) and one of the flights is about 20 hours long, with a one hour stop in Singapore for fuel. Since I have some major travelling ahead, you would think I'm packing like crazy. Flight socks and a nice flight pillow should ease the flights a bit, with a little help from my dear friend, the iPod. But although dreading the flight, I am not very stressed and to be honest, my thoughts are far from the green grass of New Zealand.
Usually when Tessa Dean takes a trip to the wondrous world of the unknown, she has her suitcases packed two days before leaving and at least ten checklists to make sure everything vital and not-so-vital (my whole closet), has been meticulously folded in the case. This time it is indeed different, and I am more worried about cleaning the house and cutting the nails of my beloved cats, than the insides of my suitcase. I have a feeling, that tomorrow morning will be a rude awakening and sooner or later, I'm forced to start fussing and stressing, perhaps it will get bad enough to ruin the 'stress free packing experience' forever.
Lift off ticking closer and closer, I am glad to inform of my intentions to write about my experiences in New Zealand while touring the south island. I have no idea how many chances for writing will I have, but I will try my hardest to get the greatest parts down, or on screen. Lets hope what ever comes out then, is better, or atleast more intriguing, than the past writing.
Oh and by the way, I actually achieved something the other day! I went wall-climbing. Go Tess! Maybe Someday I won't just be touring New Zealand from below the mountains, but from the top.
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