Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Well shoot

I'm in Aukland New Zealand at the moment and I hadn't anticipated how difficult it was going to be to keep a blog going. Internet being a premium and time of the essence.

13 hour flight, amazingly great flight because I was flighing first class (seriously if you can, do it!) the people who were just inbetween coach and first class must have hated sitting there. We had really cool chairs that converted into beds. Pod flight was fantastic. I read about Darwin and his theory of evolution on Audio book read by the author and started reading The Road. Creepy. I'll have to look for it while I'm here stopping in at the random libraries along our rout.

I had an interesting experience with some people in the Aukland Library - I heard one guy kidding another one and joined in. Had an good chat with a librarian named Chris who really liked my accent. "Very soft" and found it hilarious to hear me say Aukland as AWKland instead of Ookland.

There is too much to talk about at these sporatic intervals. I'll have to figure out a better system.

I was thrilled to see Emily in Vancouver before we left Canada and she'll be happy to make it into another post. Hugs dear!

Saturday, September 12, 2009

4 hours and counting till I leave

Emily, as the comments box required me to sign in to respond to your question, I thought it would be good to make a post dedicated to letting you know... as that was taken care of in the subject line I can move on with my life.

For the past few days I've been madly rushing around trying to get everything done and see people before my journey takes me to the other end of the world. I feel like I'm dying or have some terminal disease. It doesn't help that my brain keeps giving me lovely nightmares that have made sleep sporadic at best and nonexistent at worst.

My days have been full and I think I'm making the attempt to exhaust myself so I'll sleep through the night. Yesterday I mowed my neighbour's lawn for the last time, went for supper with some people I became friends with in Italy, went to another friend's birthday and then went to watch the stars with another friend on the hood of his car with a blanket. I fell asleep a few times watching the twinkling lights. I'm really interested to see the extreme differences between the constellations I'll be able to see. I'll see the Southern Cross for the first time.

With all this capering about I've also had to give up my car, and I'm back to driving the old Astro van that I had back in high school. I hadn't realized how much I had missed it. I know exactly what to do with the massive weight and how to make tight turns even if it's thought to have no turning radius at all. I can drive a brick and I love it. It basically has been summing up my thoughts these past few days before I go. I've just been enjoying my time, driving around town and going through the routines of day to day life with a comfortable nostalgia. Every place and action has at least 5 memories to go with it. Even going to get a sandwich late at night and just knowing where and when I'm going to have a place to sleep... Soon I'm going to be lost and in entirely unfamiliar places... I'm terrified and equally jubilant!

As a side note, I spent tonight with my good friend Christine and thanks to her question I now know that it would in fact be a shorter trip from the earth to the Space Station than it would be from Canada to New Zealand... Not that that says much as they are only ever really ~350 km from the earth at any given time. I don't know why I expected it to be further than that, and even that is pretty impressive seeing as they're straight up. So now I know, and you know and I can get to sleep. Packing done, batteries charged, tickets... tickets... I should go find those tickets. Night!

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Anxiety/Bipolar Packing... screw it... no wait...

I've been packing and repacking everything. This feels like too much and that feels like too little. Where will I store anything I pick up along the way? Do I take along books to read? I've packed 4 books, is that too many?

I still need to make a bed slip so I can sleep well away from bed bugs. Getting attacked by those little guys once in my travels was enough for me.

Thanks to some youtube videos I've been getting good tips and thinking about my pack in a different way.

I've just finished reading Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne and have been thinking how fantastic it would be to pack like Phileas Fogg and only take 2 shirts and some socks in a bag. Then again he wasn't actually experiencing any of the places he was going to. He was just staying on the boats and trains. He wasn't even looking at the places for the most part... I must remember to pace my shutterbug tendencies when I get over there.

I just can't go unprepared...
Still need to read through more of my guide books...

Too many things in various directions.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Packing and preparing mentally

I'm going away soon and I feel both overly prepared and under prepared... I think it has something to do with getting things done but not being able to just go do the things I need to do. Parents. Mentally you think I'll get done this that and the other things... in reality you get pulled off to do three other jobs and then a reprimand for not taking your trip seriously... But who cares right? Oh how I wish I could stop caring.

I feel the urge to simply list off all the items I've set aside for packing to see if I've missed anything. But no, I'm going to take everyone's advice and just do what I need to do and if I forget something then just pick it up there.

Still to do:
Finish packing, read guide books, read emails of advice so I can act on them before leaving, check on restrictions and vaccines that might be needed, mow lawns... I thought I was done with that job???, send a thank you note, buy extra batteries and tech stuff, find my compass, return a whack load (technical term) of books I've borrowed over the year(s).

Best get back to it!

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Saving the sick from the Mormons

I stopped by my friend Ben's house on my way home this afternoon. He was sitting out on his porch and I spotted his hair from the street, yes I was surprised by the volume of it myself. So I parked and walked back to say hi and found him exceedingly happy that I was not an old person coming to bother him. Apparently he is a type of elderly magnet when he is sick, causing those of graduated years to come over and share the same story that they told him the last time he was sick. Too bad none of the stories are in the awesome vein of Princess Bride. We spent a good portion of our time chatting and having many a good laugh. We have essentially the same taste in jokes and he can handle my more macabre humour admirably.

We finished the get together by hunting a squirrel that has been irritating his mother for the past few years. I walked out into her garden and slowly herded it towards and partially up the tree trunk. Then... THWACK! Ben launched one of his heavy boots at the squirrel. Missed... but it was all in good fun. I retrieved his shoe and when I turned to hand it back to him I almost collapsed in laughter. If I could only express how incredibly crazy he looked standing on his porch in his skinny ripped sweatpants, tee-shirt and massive hair that could have made him Wolverine's nephew.

I was still laughing when I spotted some Mormon girls heading across the street to us. I pointed them out and he made a break for the door. I ushered him into his house and told him to go rest. "I'll take care of the mormons."

And this is where I meet two nice girls. I think their names were Sister Darke and Sister Henderson, but I can't be sure about the latter name. Anyways I found out a bit about their lives and where they had been. I wonder if there are any limits to what they can tell people. Can they ever tell someone their first name? We got off to a good start with me sharing the story of our epic hunting that had taken place moments ago. This progressed into the possibilty of a holiday of squirrel hunting, maybe joined to groundhog day? Then the speculation on what seeing or not seeing the shadow really means to Canada as it is always bitterly cold. Turns out they have just been in town for a month each but have experienced our winters elsewhere. North Carolina and Utah... oh yeah -50 must have been great for them. I had a pleasant time and found chatting with them was less question heavy than it has been with other mormons I've met. I now have some mormon lingo and can get them to have some fun with a story of mishearing godhead as goat's head.

They were a good team and seemed like they got along nicely. We talked propaganda, city laws and general rules. I always feel bad for missionaries just trying to go around. So you don't believe them and don't want to listen, so what? Just treat them like human beings and you'll have a good time. After a half hour talk I walked with them to the end of the block and sent them on their way. Maybe I'll see them again when I can use their first names... that whole thing of taking on the name of sister must really mess with their heads.

I called Ben to let him know that his house and even his block were clear. He was surprised at the length I talked to them. I explained that while I might have liked them as people and probably would have talked to them regardless, the more time they spend with me the less time they have on converting those more susceptible. But even with that as a motivation I usually just enjoy mormon discussions in the end, I can be incredibly frank because they're a stranger who wants to talk. Essentially I'm always looking forward to my next chance to chat and ask them questions... when I'm not in a rush for class. Ben gave me a good one for next time, do they pay for their tour here or is it paid for them? I'll let you know the next time they want to stop and talk.

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Oh I forgot the best part!

I bought a traveling towel that is designed to dry fast, but the essential thing is to read the reviews on the back of the package.

"We don't think we've ever seen so much drying power in one piece of fabric, ever." - As reported by SNEWSR

"It seems there's nothing this towel can't do" - Northwest Yachting

Saying bye and hello... yeah I just went cliche on you

Well I've bought my pack and have named it Igor a la Young Frankenstein. It has a detachable day pack so it looks like my bag has a hunched back. I think I love it already. I spent a good portion of yesterday randomly hugging it, and essentially cuddling with it, as I was hanging out and saying goodbye to Emily. She is heading off for schooling in BC... she might be in the air at this moment... I'm not sure.

As for today I planned for my trip a bit and went bowling with a diverse group of friends of Chris one of my friends. I've met most of them before so it was really fun with a nice mix of familiar and new faces. I like how Chris and I know many many people and sort of have a meeting exchange. Eventually our game of "How many people do you know in the room" will be nothing but ties.

I got a chance to chat with the newly married Ric and Andrew which was essentially meeting Ric for the first time (a quick hi 6 years ago doesn't count as meeting someone even in my books) and having a longer conversation with Andrew where I got to know more about what he does in his life. A very interesting short chats, between our turns on the lanes, about the porn industry that I wish could have continued.

My hands have slight blisters on my fingers from whipping the ball. I'm sure it is poor form or something, but it was still lots of fun. The lanes have a way of tracking how fast the ball is thrown. I thought I did rather well with 22km/hr, then I glanced over and saw the blur of a ball, Ric had rocketed that mass at a rate of 44 km/hr. WOW... I questioned if it was physically possible... well obviously it is. But now I'm wondering at what speed a professional bowler would throw. I'm off to ask the internet.

Friday, September 4, 2009

I don't agree with time.

It is silly that I can't customize this to say that this is still Thursday. This still feels like the same day to me even if that pesky hour hand has made a full rotation of the face... well maybe I deem my days to begin and end at 2am. That is usually when I find myself crawling into bed when my eyes won't stay open anymore and that is when I find myself finishing up chats with people. Still this is a decrease since a few years ago of the 4am/5am conversations... sadly a great many of these interesting evenings reside only in my memories as the other participants have been drunk a good deal of the time. I don't even have an issue with people drinking, just don't tell me that you never see me at parties or that I leave so early, when it is me picking you up off the floor and getting you into my car with a bucket to get you home. I guess people don't really question how they get home, they're just amazed that they did.

In any case tonight was a great discussion with a bunch of people who were not under the influences of substances and I was really glad to catch up with them. There were several items of interest and the fact that I can't simply say we talked about this and this and that is a sign of nice diversity in topics. Or maybe I'm too tired to make concise comments... oh alright... backpacking, religion, elementary school/highschool politics/experiences, books and the driving ability of several people out on the road tonight.

One last thing, the moon looks amazing!

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

I think I might be addicted to libraries

I can't walk into a library without leaving with at least a book or two.

Two examples:
1: Yesterday I was returning some books and walked out with a bag just as full as I'd walked in with.

2: Today I was returning two that I finished last night... and I brought six more out of the building.

There is something about having all the books in one place that makes me think I might have the chance of reading them all if I just get faster. I did subsequently finish one on my way home. But I can't really claim that it was thanks to some huge reading speed that I might have. It was shortish, thick, sparing on words and images but was still a little fun to read. The title caught my eye as I was checking out. "If we ever break up this is my book". It inspired me to try out some amusing ideas... some that I don't think the intent was really there to begin with but will none the less hopefully give me a smile in the future.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Heading home on this beautiful day.

Sarah might have said something profoundly interesting this morning when she came in to wake me but I have no memory of anything before being suddenly aware that I was playing Sudoku. I find that in the morning, as I have no inclination to drink coffee, that a number puzzle wakes me up faster. I sat thinking and letting my brain catch up with the time when I heard the rest of the house singing their morning prayers. It was wonderful and comforting. If I were in anyway a believer this house would be perfect for me to spend a year here as a volunteer. As it is, I feel very welcome whenever I make a visit and am very sad when I've left them.

I packed my bag and loaded my car feeling like I was sneaking out. Thankfully the rest of the house joined me shortly in the kitchen. We shared breakfast and a lot of laughs. I said my goodbyes and headed out on my 6 hour drive home. The only things of interest was my lunch on the side of the road where I ate my sandwich looking at some cows who were over at their fence looking at me. One had its hair up in a sort of mohawk and I was pleased to have them as my company.