ladakiwis

Canadian Reunion!

2006-04-06T17:20:00.000+12:00

Hello Everyone!

Sorry it has taken us so long to blog lately....a lot has changed for us in the last few weeks! We are having fun catching up with friends & family!

We ended up surprising our families a day early...it was great fun strolling in when no one was expecting to see us! I came home to find my cat Beebs has doubled his size! I think he probably missed me and turned to emotional eating..hahaha...My dad says he looks like a turnip with legs! haha!

It has been an adjustment being back in the land of the cold! I keep hearing everyone say how nice it has been here lately....I on the other hand still maintain it is cold-as!

Danielle & I are living with our parents, so it is super strange not seeing each other all the time....but I am here in Saint John for a week for a visit and then D & I are off to Fredericton for a week...then I am sure reality will strike as we need to get back into the work force! hahaha!

It is in some ways like the twilight zone after being away....I have had two friends have babies while I was away. It just goes to show you can hear the stories and talk to people....but seeing is believing!! Suddenly our lunches are now a party of 5, haha! They are both so cute & so much fun....but for now I am glad to be able to hand them back after enjoying a visit! Hahaha!

Well hope you all have a great Easter....we are looking forward to a family holiday!

Cheers!

Laura

Thailand Pictures!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-04-05T12:09:00.000+12:00

http://community.webshots.com/album/549049225iGrNUo

Here they are!

:)

Canada...sweet Canada

2006-03-21T10:28:00.000+12:00

Well....we are both back in North America. It's quite an interesting time, lots of various things to get used to...

For instance, driving. Very strange.

The weather is rather chilly....

However, it is great to be back, and we are having a wonderful time catching up with our families....

We are missing each other a little bit, and are making plans to see each other soon.

Thanks to all the readers! We will get our Thailand pictures up soon!

Take Care
D&L

Will this be our last post?! So sad...

2006-03-14T02:21:00.000+13:00

Well, i think I did get a parasite, the LONELY PLANET says that 50-60% of travellers to Thailand gets one, and it comes from many things, so who knows. I'm pissed off because there are so many great noodle places to eat here, and what did I have for lunch?!?!?! Dry Toast with a slice of cheese...YUM YUM.

Today, it was 37degrees, which is 97!!!!!!!!!!!! Not including humidity. We decided to take a trip to the Grand Palace Temple. It was amazing, and I can't even begin to explain it....

From the Grand Palace, we took a tuk-tuk to one of the biggest malls I'm sure i'll ever be in. It was INSANE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Though I kissed the ground when we arrived, as we (of course) got lucky enough to land a tuk-tuk driver from hell. There were about 15 "close-calls" on our journey to the mall....Driving here is like a game of "Frogger" You just weave in and out, trying to get there before the fella next to you...

Lo and I just keep saying, "How in the hell could you ever explain to anyone what it's like here?"
We are having a great time, and are feeling strange about going "home"....and that it's not to New Zealand. It still feels like we are on Holiday or something....

Take Care
D&L

Bangkok Belly

2006-03-12T02:20:00.000+13:00

Hey All!
We arrived in Bangkok yesterday i believe...though I have no idea what day it is...i've lost all track of time and dates.
The city of Bangkok homes 10 Million people. 10 MILLION! It's impossible to discribe. Last night we decided to take a walk downtown, it's the most humid and hot place...we witnessed 4 children begging for money...countless mangy dogs....a female vendor who had a major breakdown calling us, 'cheap' and started a clapping riot amongst the other vendors on the block (we won't be going back there) To top it all off...i was walking away from a vendor and nearly came out of my SKIN of the sight of an ELEPHANT in front of me, right on a busy street....with it's OWNER asking 100BHAT to feed it. I started asking questions, 'where does he go at night?' 'isn't he scared?' However, the guy didn't speak english very well, and I was so utterly distgusted....At the end of the day, I ask, ' ARE THERE NOT ANY ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS IN THAILAND?!?!?!?!?'

Aside from that, I wish that we could have stayed a bit longer in Phuket. The markets were heaps better, and the vendors were more friendly...for sure.

I have a little case of 'Bangkok Belly' I was sooooooo careful with what I was eating in Phuket, and thought that I had built up a tolerance for the difference in food/drink. I was wrong. I still can't figure out what caused it, however, I suspect it may have been the 'Tazo Iced Tea' at Starbucks last night. Damn Ice. I crave Timmy Ho's on a daily basis...soon soon!

Catch u later Guys!

Loving Phuket

2006-03-06T02:28:00.000+13:00

We are having a great time in Phuket. We can rent a beach lounge chair with 2 umbrellas for 50Bhat, which is about $1.50. They come and move the umbrellas away from the sun, and will also bring you an iced cold water or coke. It's insane. We usually get to the beach about 10am, plunk ourselves down, and then VENDORS come and try to get us to buy stuff. We have fallen in love with the "Watermelon Man" as we've named him. He brings fresh watermelon, pineapple, mango, whatever you want, and slices it in front of you. It's just crazy. It's really hard to handle....hahaha. Eating fresh fruit on a tropical beach. Very tough to take.

You barter here for stuff, so it's pretty funny. If you see something you like, the vendor will punch a number into the calculator, and show you. And you barter from there. It's pretty funny. I got my Dad a Titleist Golf Shirt today for $6

It's really freaking hot here....

97% of the women on the beach wear bikinis...no matter what SIZE or SHAPE you are, nor AGE. It's quite a riot....some of those women are only wearing the bottoms....regardless of shape or size. So...We are definitely the minority with our full suits... no complaints here! haha!

Men wear speedos...all men. It's very funny....(but some of them string....not so funny)

I LOVE THAILAND!

See you all soon!

WE ARE IN BANGKOK!

2006-03-03T15:34:00.000+13:00

We made it!!!

We took off from Christchurch at 10am and arrived in Bangkok at 5am. UGH. The flight from Auckland to Thailand, was VERY shakey....quite bumpy, and a few times we had to put our seatbelts on. I confided in my old friend, Ativan to get me through....

Nevertheless, we arrived. The fella who we had arranged to drive us to our hotel was a bit pissed cuz we were running late, but whatever.

Lo and I crashed as soon as we hit the pillow...and now we are at the Airport to catch our flight to Phuket.

It is SOOOOO hot and humid here, I can't get over it really. It's insane. Thank God for air-conditioning....

So, we will check in later in the weekend...

I reckon a massage is in order this afternoon....good plan

Cheers
D&L

OUR LAST ROAD TRIP

2006-02-28T10:17:00.000+13:00

Here is the website for our last pictures in New Zealand....*sniff* ENJOY!

http://community.webshots.com/album/548069090JKlTVd/0

3 Days...

2006-02-27T10:02:00.000+13:00

Hello All...

We had an enjoyable trip to the Glaciers this weekend. We left after work, on Friday, heading to Hokitika to spend the night. We did not anticipate the LONG drive due to the winding roads....and didn't end up getting into Hokitika until almost 11pm. It's the Jade Capital of the world, and we each bought a wee token to take back with us. Ames and I got a ring, and Lois splurged on a lovely Jade necklace...

Since Lo likes to be on a schedule...we were up and out the door by 7:20am. It was a 2.5hr drive to the glaciers and we were there in heaps of time. It was a wee trek to the glacier...and it was lovely. It's like a mouthful of snow really...we've got heaps of pictures, and are downloading them 2nite...so look for 'em 2moro.

We had a long drive back to Christchurch, and we were pretty weary...

I discovered L&P on the weekend. This is a soda-pop they make here, unique to New Zealand. I don't really try new things, and the brown bottle really turned me off, thus the reason I didn't try it over the past 11 months...(I'm such a stinker really) Anyways, i said that I was going to try it, just so I can say that I did. So...I did, and I liked it. I am so pissed that I didn't try it AGES ago...so now i'm trying to drink all the L&P that I can before I leave. Hahahaha. It's called...Lemon&Paeora. (Paeora is the place in NZ where it was originated. POP of 4000--it's in the North Island)

Here is the link, if you wanna buy some. It's YUM!

http://productsfromnz.com/browse_1595

Anyways...tip of the day..Don't be afraid to try new things. I know my Momsy told me that before....hehe.

So, we have 3 days in NZ. We can't believe it. It hasn't hit us yet really. We are both very sad to leave, we had just a WONDERFUL trip over here, and we both wouldn't change it for anything.

My Momsy said to me the other day, "You and Lo must have gotten a lot closer." And, to be honest we didn't. We were the closest two friends could ever be before we left for this trip......I think we know each other better than we know ourselves.

I reckon, that I will miss seeing Lois everyday more than NZ altogether. I've grown so accustomed to spending my days with her, that I will feel a little emptiness when she's not around. I'm a little sad about us separating, but I know it will all pan out....

*sob*....i'll end my teary moment...hehe

Take Care
Keep ya posted on the pics

D

9 Days...so sad

2006-02-21T13:19:00.000+13:00

Well, just so that you are up-to-date with all of our stuff...we leave New Zealand in 9 days. It is unreal. I remember when I got off the plane in Auckland, I said to myself, "Man, I am so glad that I do not have to step foot on an airplane for a year." Ugh, so..my anxiety is full on, at the moment. Yea for Ativan!

Lo, Ames and I are taking a trip to the Glaciers this weekend. Apparently, according to Maori Legend, the Franz Josef Glacier came to be because a girl lost her lover after he fell while climbing at the local peaks, and that her flood of tears eventually froze into a glacier.

We will take heaps of pics, and get them on before we leave for Bangkok.

Had a strange dream about Thailand last night...odd.

Anyways...hope all is well.

See you soon...haha
Laters

Black Tueday?!?!

2006-02-14T09:04:00.000+13:00

Good Morning All!

This morning on our usual walk to work we noticed a crowd gathered in the local park. As we approached we saw a helicopter flying overhead and the middle of the park was barricaded…strange occurrence at 8am! We stood there and finally figured out what was happening…..it is Valentine’s Day… (How could we forget Black Tuesday?!) To celebrate this joyous occasion, the local radio station decided to give away a diamond to someone in the crowd….but there was a catch...you had to work for it! The helicopter dropped thousands of marshmellows all over the grass….one marshmellow contained the diamond….talk about a needle in a haystack!! People were scurrying everywhere….some people eating the marshmellows as they looked….gathering them all up in hats and buckets. We had a look….but to no avail…we had to go to work! So we are awaiting the news to see who found the Valentine Surprise!!

Well time is quickly counting down here in Christchurch….only 16 days to go before we head to Thailand!! It is so hard to believe that a year can pass SO quickly!

See you all soon!

Laura
&
Max

Have we told you we sell insurance?

2006-02-09T12:16:00.000+13:00

I think we may have forgot to mention our new part-time jobs...

We work for ERIC JAMES & ASSOCIATES, who are Insurance Brokers in Christchurch.

We work from 6-830pm on Weekdays, plus Saturdays.

We call people straight out of the White Pages, saying the following:

Moi- Hi, my name is Danielle calling from Eric James & Associates- how is your night going?

Mr. X- Who the hell is Eric James & Associates?

Moi- Well...Eric James & Associates represent 7 of the major Insurance Companies in New Zealand

Mr. X- I'm not interested

Moi- Oh, Mr. X, i am NOT trying to sell you anything, just trying to let you in on an free service we are offering in YOUR area at the moment....We are offering absoultely FREE comparison quotes on your current insurance coverages...

Mr.X- I'm not interested

Moi- Listen Mr. X, It would be wise of you to take advantage of this NO OBLIGATION, FREE offer! Why don't I pencil you in for an appointment with one of our advisors for next week?

Mr. X- Don't pencil me in for anything, I am not interested.

Moi- You aren't interested in saving money on your insurance? We've been able to save some of our clients up to 50% on their current medical insurance policies...why wouldn't you want to take advantage of this FREE, NO OBLIGATION offer?

It is so embarassing. I think I may write the council as well, to advise that Elderly people, should have a special phone book. There is nothing worse than getting an elderly woman who says, "Gosh Dear, I just can't hear ya...I'll have to get the other phone." Then you WAIT for 5 minutes until she manages to get to the other room, with thoughts of just hanging up, until she comes on the other line and says, "Okay Dear, go ahead..."

Lois and I have contemplated putting a picture of THAILAND in our wee cubicle to remain committed to earning extra money....

Lois, in fact is doing quite well....so well I suspect that she is actually making her quotas! (8 sales a week) You should hear her really...it's quite amusing. Myself, I am not so die-hard, i've only made 1 sale in 2 weeks...everyday i expect (and look forward) to getting sacked. Hahaha...but for whatever reason, they are keeping me 'round.

That's all the news here....

Chat soon
Cheers
D

NZ Celebrations....

2006-02-03T16:07:00.000+13:00

Well we have a lot of celebrating to do here in NZ!

First off it is Friday..TGIF…so of course everyone is always excited for the weekend! But it is no ordinary Friday….It is KIWIANA DAY here at work, so we are celebrating NZ patriotism with all the great things NZ has to offer! Our team had a very kiwi day…fish & chips for lunch, everyone is sporting their favourite pair of jandals (thong sandals for all you Canadian readers), and rumour has some people may even show up to the post-work party in their fashionable STUBBIES….a.k.a…KIWI SHORT-SHORTS, HAHA! We are having drinks & nibbles (eg. mini kebabs consisting of the following: piece of pineapple, mini onion, and a piece of cheese...well of course that is not an odd combination!) after work and as a group will decide who will win the title as the BEST KIWIANA OUTFIT!! Haha….what more could we ask for?!?!?! WELL....as an added bonus it is a LONG weekend; as we have Monday off for Waitangi Day! It was such a treat to find out last week that we have a paid holiday approaching….it is one of the benefits to being a foreigner…yippee…surprise you have the day off!

The History behind 'Waitangi Day'….
It is a National Holiday celebrating the Treaty of Waitangi, which was signed in 1840 between Maori and the British Crown. I am sure you all know where this story is headed….The colonists ventured here to settle in New Zealand, however the Maori people had already settled in the area. The Maori people were lead to believe that signing the treaty would enforce their rights….however the Colonists from Britain had other plans…and ended up confiscating the land and exploiting the Maori people. Sound familiar?!? Just history repeating itself only involving a different native people living in a different place!

Well on another note….I had always admired the fact that NZ students in both public & private schools are required to wear full uniforms to school. I always had thought that this may help decrease the discrimination and segregation that goes on in schools based on what the “cool” kids are wearing…and the snobbery that victimizes the children whose parents can not afford to buy their children the “cool” & “fashionable” clothes that EVERY CHILD is meant to have. Well we discovered a scary twist to this theory this morning when we arrived at work and began to listen to our co-workers story of going out yesterday to buy her daughter’s school uniform. School is back in session after the summer break…so time to get out the uniforms again. Well come to find out these school uniforms are RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE!! Our co-worker had to spend over $500 to get her daughter equipped for another year at school. First the school jersey…$80, shoes $120, a standard blouse $60, sports uniform $100….and the kilt a whopping $120!! And please don’t forget the little items like school socks, ties…etc!! Our jaws still on the floor…asked what happens to the children who could not afford these ghastly priced uniforms?? Well…THEY HAVE TO PAY IN INSTALLMENTS…can you believe that!! It just goes to show how even though the argument for uniforms is to end all of this needless money spent on the newest fad or brand name sneakers…and yet in the end it is the uniform companies that are filling their pockets!!! How dodgy is that?!?!

We had a team meeting at work today to hear the good news concerning Telecom's latest quarterly results....Telecom is pretty much a monopoly in NZ...especially if you look at corporate customer market. Telecom made over 300 million dollars this quarter alone...even keeping in mind that our Australian subsidiary had a major blow-out and lost mega bucks this quarter! Telecom has now managed to buy out the Southern Cable Company...which was partnering in the initiative to lay a cable that connects Australia, NZ, Hawaii and America. This cable was put in place to allow for a much quicker and easier method of data transfer between these countries.
Well the government must love our employer...as Telecom pays over 1 MILLION dollars PER DAY in TAXES!! I can't even fathom that! We are SO working for the MAN...

Well we are off to enjoy our long weekend….fingers crossed for some beach weather!

Ta Ta!

Laura

Moral of This Story....Always Take a Second Look!

2006-01-27T16:17:00.000+13:00

Hello All!

Have you ever gone in a store and thought you saw something you thought you really wanted.... but decided to wait and then when you went back the next time to buy the item...you thought to yourself, “What the hell was I thinking…I wanted that?!?!?”

Well case in point with the travel agent guy I met a few months ago. The first time I went to STA Travel to book our tickets back in December...I thought he was kinda cute and very nice. Well I still remain he is a very nice guy...however when I first met him he was looking a little rough around the edges...not heaps, but I did notice… but thought maybe he was having an off day or maybe he was running late for work that morning….it happens to us all eh! haha.

Since then I have thought about hanging out with him....and hence the reason I went in there today to give him my number! Yes you read that correctly! I would never do this normally, but he seemed really cool and I really like to talk about travel…and what better dinner conversation could there be?!?!?! He has been to South Africa, Malaysia, Singapore, and so many other places I am interested in ….so who better to chat with about that!

When I went in today and he was working. He actually had remembered my name when I sat down...strange indeed....not many people recall 'Crandlemire' off the top of their head eh!?! One may even say it was a sign...... You think? Heehehe

Well further to my first impression of this guy....today when I sat with him to sort our flights…It was unavoidable but to notice his smell and the unwashed hair..etc...I mean I am not a shallow person and looks are not the 'end-all-be-all' to me AT ALL ....however cleanliness is appreciated...and as I said his lack there of was gleamingly obvious. So I guess the first day we met was not the exception to the norm I had previously thought....but today was even worse than the before!

I even had picked up his business card wrote my mobile number on the back and then sat there while we chatted and then.....I could foresee that I didn't wanted to put myself in that situation.....would I be the one to have to tell him to shower prior coming to work....or even coming to pick me up??? I mean don't even shower daily...if for some reason you do not deem it necessary …but frequently enough that your travel customers don't wonder and go elsewhere....so needless to say the card ended up in my pocket not on his desk.....

Am I being too harsh?? Well maybe my standards are too high.......hmmmmm........
I'll risk it! :o) hahaha

Phew.... that was a close one, eh!

Malaria? Cholera? Diptheria?

2006-01-27T09:08:00.000+13:00

We got our vaccinations last night. It was a scary experience, especially since I’ve been reading the brochure they gave us entitled, “Going Overseas? Get the facts about avoiding health risks.”

The thing is, I am the most paranoid individual on the face of the earth. You know how they say that when Doctors/Nurses are in training, and start reading up on all sorts of illnesses, they believe they have them? That’s me. So, here I am….thinking that I am going to catch Yellow Fever in Thailand, on my vacation.

DEFINITION OF CHOLERA
- Cholera can cause RAPID dehydration which, if severe and untreated, can lead to DEATH within a few HOURS.
- It may be present in Africa, ASIA, and Central/South America.
- It is spread by eating contaminated food or water.

THIS does not sound good….I want NO part in developing CHOLERA. Dehydration is the only symptom? What If I’m hungover? Will I know the difference? Is there a difference? I may just need to be mildly intoxicated throughout our adventure to rest my nerves.

HOW TO AVOID PREVENTABLE INFECTIONS OVERSEAS….(actual TIPS in this brochure)

* Avoid Mosquito bites (Ummm…is that possible? It’s going to be 300 Degrees…am I gonna want to wear long trousers and a long sleeved shirt?)
* Avoid outdoor activities between dusk & dawn (Isn’t that when all the FUN happens?)
* Do not brush your teeth with tap water…
* Keep your mouth closed in the shower…
* You can contract RABIES (viral infection of the BRAIN) from even a LICK of an infected Animal…(no petting of the mangy dogs)

Anyways….i just need to relax. Bring my hand santitizer….and get a drink (with no ice cubes…or water…hehe)

Chow

On the countdown....

2006-01-24T13:26:00.000+13:00

I can't believe it is JANUARY! It's insane!
It seems like yesterday we arrived in New Zealand, and now we are making plans to head home.
It's a little sad, because we have grown accostomed to this, Kiwi Lifestyle, and fancy it! :)

Christchurch, is SLOWLY getting warmer. We haven't had a decent beach day yet, it seems it is nice in the morning, then cloudy all afternoon. It's a little frustrating....however, we should blame Global Warming, or blame us rather for causing the Global Warming...tisk tisk. (but I will spare you my pollution rant)

This past weekend we spent with our flatmate, Ames. We got a wee bit tipsy on Saturday night, and Friday for that matter, all in good fun....

We are looking for another job. We applied to be Mushroom Harvesters, which fell thru. We thought this weekend we would be picking grapes at a local winery, but due to weather issues, it has been postponed to next weekend.
It gets a little sticky now, as our visas run out in early March, employers aren't too keen to hire us.

We are planning our Thailand adventure at the moment....will let you know all the details!

Just wanted you to know that the weather is not too flash HERE either, though I assume most of you guys would trade with us! :)

Cheers
Danielle

What to do now?

2006-01-13T15:55:00.000+13:00

Greetings Fellow Canucks!

How goes the winter? Sorry...just a bit of a chuckle that you all are experiencing the dreaded Canadian temperatures! Well we are still (im)patiently waiting for the warm weather to come here to stay...we have only had a few beach-worthy days so far...but we are lucky, as we could be home in our igloos.

You may be aware of our daily struggle - seeking new websites to surf and constantly trying to invent other such work pastimes as we attempt to fill our days here at Telecom. Well we have hit it big - as we have recently discovered that we have a flash, digital picture program on our computers. We have put this new tool to work for us - as we have edited, cropped, and coloured all of our NZ pictures....yippee, the ultimate time-waster! So we have even managed to afford time to compile the best of the oldies...yes ... black and whites! Have a peek at our favourites...
http://community.webshots.com/album/542366689JqSKcm

Many thanks go out to all of our MSN buddies...who do their part to get us through the daily grind until we reach our 5pm shutdown! (I may be exaggerating a bit here...our jobs could certainly be worse, but I believe our IQs may be in jeopardy!)

Cheers,

Cran (a.k.a Hobbs, Lo, Lois, Lobee....you get the idea...who knew Laura was so hard to pronounce! haha)

Moment of silence....well more than a moment

2006-01-12T11:47:00.000+13:00

Ugh, I am sad to say that our radio/tape player has fried in the New Zealand sun.

We have been told before that the New Zealand sun is a, "burning sun." It's true, even when you are out, you can literally feel it burning your skin. Kiwis have the highest rate of skin cancer...

We left our little music box in the car, only to come back to find it warped. It no longer plays those sweet Jack Johnson songs. I betcha Midge will be happy not to hear us bellow out Bob Marley's, "I shot the Sherrif" anymore. Oh, it doesn't seem so long ago that Lois and I were stepping back to our High School Days, listening to Gun's & Roses', "November Rain." Hahaha...actually, I won't be sad to see that tape go.

What to do now? Must we actually speak?!?! Scary....

Chow

The Conquering of the Midge...

2006-01-10T09:23:00.000+13:00

Well folks, you will be pleased to learn that I took Midge out all by myself last night. Yup, it’s true. To make a long story, short…I decided to give myself a wee haircut on the weekend, and ended up with bangs. Anyways…I needed a few Velcro rollers for my new ‘do.

I told Lo and Amy to watch their cell phones, and that I would txt them if I got into any trouble.

Off I went….

I was pretty nervous, and very careful with Mr.Clutch. I had a wee moment at one of the stoplights, but I didn’t stall. I think I spotted a youngin’ pointing and laughing at me, but I couldn’t be sure I was far too focused on shifting.

I got all the way to K-Mart, with basically no problems, only to discover K-Mart didn’t sell Velcro Rollers. :)

Ta~Ta

Holiday Adventures

2006-01-05T16:16:00.000+13:00

We both decided to write different parts of the blog…hope it is not too confusing for Ewes (a bit of NZ sheep humour, haha)!

Here are the pictures from our Holiday trips http://community.webshots.com/album/536907786lArnGS

As you know, we did some MAJOR travelling over the Holidays. We had heaps of time off work, and definitely took advantage. Midge was just as pumped about seeing the South Island – and she endured many miles …again!

Our first night of camping was in Fairlie – everything was going great….then a hurricane wind came out of no where…we had to secure our tent to the car hitch and a fellow camper offered to park his boat in front of the tent to block some of the wind. It was a scene straight out of the Wizard of Oz, only I was searching for “LoLo” not “ToTo.” The wind was so bad that we couldn’t fall asleep, so we bolted to the campgrounds TV Room for cover. Inside, we met the camp owner, who was quite sympathetic, and gave us MATRESSES to sleep on for the night. What a treat. Ah…sweet shelter.

We got up in the morning, and drove to Wanaka where Lo took the plunge.
After skydiving we were off to Puzzle World to enjoy some optical illusions (http://www.puzzlingworld.co.nz/illusionrooms.html), holograms and brain teasers!

As we were heading into Queenstown – the big-resort town of the South Island - I asked Lo, “What campground did you book tonight?” Lo replied, “I thought you booked the campground?!” We were definitely in a pickle. It was New Years Eve, and EVERYTHING was booked….except for the giant RUGBY field in the town’s centre. We got set up in one of the last few spots in the “family’ section…which turned out to be on a knoll under an apple tree!! Haha – great spot eh? …but at least it wasn’t windy. The town had fireworks for New Year’s Eve, so that was nice – our first time that we would ever want to stand outside for New Years Eve!

In the morning we had a fun JET BOAT adventure booked, just as we were pulling up, so was the fire brigade. The boat caught on fire. Probably a sign, don’t you reckon? So we decided to take in the Queenstown Gondola (http://www.skyline.co.nz/queenstown/gondola/). It had some spectacular views from the top. Those of you who are Lord of the Rings fans, may recognise the mountains in some of our pictures. At the top of the Gondola there is a huge twin-track LUGE…very fun! We ended buying more passes to zip down the track again and again!

We were then off to Milford Sound, which is in the Fiordlands on the West Coast. We stopped in the one-sheep town of Mossburn – being in a good mood due to the New Year – Danielle & I decided that maybe we should give back to the nice little community of Mossburn, so we spotted a couple of nice police officers, and decided to give them a hefty donation… to give back to the community of course…NOT because I was going 70 km/hr in a 50 zone nor because D did not have her seatbelt on, haha!! Who gives tickets out on the Holidays?

Here is the link the Milford Sound pictures...
http://community.webshots.com/album/536951463ExdZPq

Onward to Milford Sound – but minding the speed limits, and secured in the vehicle! D’s jaw was dropped for pretty much the entire drive into the Sound. I, of course was paying attention to the goat path, or so called road, we were driving on. The mountains are unbelievable, and I know the pictures don’t do them justice. They blasted a BIG hole right through the MIDDLE OF A MOUNTAIN, and put a road through it. Once we arrived it was pouring rain and thankfully we were able to get one of the last rooms at the lodge – there is only one place to stay in Milford Sounds– so we were lucky, as I am sure we would have drown in our tent! The lodge runs off a generator – so no room for negotiation - lights out at 11pm…and back on again at 6am!

Milford has the largest amount of rainfall in the Southern Hemisphere – averaging between 6-9 METRES of rain per year!! In 1983 they reported 1 metre of rainfall in a 24 hour period!! Milford also has a tremendous amount of earthquakes – on average one earthquake per day! Normally the earthquakes are minimal; however in the past they have had significant quakes measuring into the 7’s on the Richter scale.

We had a great view of the area the next morning when we went on the Red Boat Cruise as we explored the 15km passage to the Tasman Sea (http://www.fiordland.org.nz/Explore-Fiordland/Image-Gallery/Milford-Sound.asp)
It was a rough day on the open sea and Danielle was getting a little green …glad to have her feet back on land! The landscape looked vastly different on our journey back from the Sounds – as the creeks and streams we had seen on the way in had now turned into rivers! As a result of all the rain, waterfalls were falling from the mountains…there were heaps and heaps of them - very pretty.

We made the 5 hr journey back to Queenstown and then on to Cromwell for our last night of tenting. Cromwell is well known for fruit growing – but was a mining town in the gold rush era. Well tenting on flat ground was great…although it proved to be a very chilly night!! Very chilly indeed, and Danielle reminded me that she was cold all night long! Haha!

Tuesday we made the return trip to our home in Christchurch – we had certainly seen a lot of country as we made Midge endure over 2000 km of mountain track – but we all enjoyed the journey! On the way back, Laura DARED to start planning our next trip for the following weekend….I just gave her a glare…I think I’ll take a wee hiatus from camping for awhile.

Take Care All!

Much love,

D & L

Flying High!

2006-01-04T14:14:00.000+13:00

Happy New Year Everyone!

The weather finally agreed and it was time to go skydiving – the perfect way to ‘Ring in the New Year’! It was a great sunny day at Lake Wanaka which is situated at the base of the Southern Alps, and has breathtaking views of Mount Aspiring, Mount Cook, glaciers, rivers, lakes and the surrounded by Mount Aspiring National Park. It was a fantastic experience!

Two others divers went up in the plane – plus the instructors. A while after take-off it seemed as if we were well above land– I asked my instructor, Greg, if we were almost at our desired altitude – he laughed and pointed to the metre - we were only at 2000 ft!! I was in awe as we still had 10 000 ft to go!! YIKES! I was ready to get out then!

At 9000 ft the transparent door opened and the first guy (and his instructor) jumped out, his girlfriend was a terrified as she began to scream and tried to change her mind – however once up the only way down is the door!! Haha. After they exited we climbed to 12 000 ft where I was ready to go! It seemed as if we had been in that tiny little plane for hours! There had been a lot of nervous laughter since take-off but it was all too real as I got up to the glass door and could see everything! Mt. Cook was peeking through the clouds – it was 160 km away but we had a great view!

Greg opened the hatch…and we back flipped out of the plane and began to freefall at
200km/hr …falling 180 feet per second! It was incredible! What a way to see the South Island! Free-falling was amazing…it was hard to catch your breath as it was very cold – and we were falling so rapidly! Thankfully the parachute opened and we drifted to the ground and landed – I was pleased to be the last skydiver of 2005!

What an experience! I loved every minute of it...well in hind-sight it all seems like great FUN! haha! Have a look at some of the pictures from the flight/jump - http://community.webshots.com/album/535978919kgiZwM

Hope you all had a Happy New Year!

Cheers,

Laura & Danielle

So Long Peeps

2005-12-30T10:59:00.000+13:00

Lo and I are heading out today to Queenstown.

Weather looks promising, fingers crossed.

About skydiving....She is booked to go 2moro. I don't know how Lo is feeling about this adventure as I am getting the "i dont want to talk about it" repsonse.

Heard you guys in the Maritimes got a wee bit of snow...hahaha...I got a wee sunburn.

Talk to you next week

Cheers
D

Yee-Haw!

2005-12-28T08:52:00.000+13:00

Well, as you all know we went camping for Christmas this year. Our tent was very confusing to put up, and the other patrons in the park got a great giggle watching us trying to.... Aside from the fact that we nearly froze to death, it was a good time....aside from the rain. Haha.

We spent our first night in Timaru, then got up in the morning and drove to Dunedin. Hobbs and I both really fell in love with Dunedin, it's a University town, with a p.o.p of 121,000. It is the home of Speights Brewery. ( http://www.speights.co.nz/static.php?p=heritage ) We took part in a tour of the brewery, and got to taste test the 6 different varieites they make.

Dunedin is also home to the Cadbury Chocolate Factory. ( http://www.cadbury.co.nz/cadburyworld/visit.html ) We got to go on a tour of "Cadbury World," which was great. Scrummy....

We then drove to Oamaru, on Christmas Eve to see the Penguin Colonies come ashore. They were SOOOO cute. This is their site. ( http://www.penguins.co.nz/aveva.htm ) They have "Penguin Crossing" sings posted everywhere, Hobbs and I thought they were just for decoration......until one jetted in front our car. Hahaha. They are the height of a 30cm ruler.

We settled down for a long winters nap in Oamaru, to be woken up by RAIN drops on our tent. We checked the weather, and to our dissappointment....rain would be falling for the next 2 days. We decided to head home....

Yesterday...we drove to Waimate (WHY-MATE-IE) for the 50th Annual RODEO! Hahaha...it was quite a hoot. Heaps of people were there, and we got some great pics. Hobbs was on the lookout for a COWBOY....no such luck :(

After the Rodeo, we went to a Wallaby Park. Wallabies are a smaller version of Kangaroos. They were so cute, and tame. They ate right out of your hands, and we even got to cuddle a baby wallaby. Now, i'm usually not a fan of zoos, or animals being tied up, etc, etc. HOWEVER...the owner has pretty much dedicated her whole life to raising these cuties, and she takes really good care of them.....not that I TOTALLY agree with it. This is the Waimate website.... http://www.waimatedc.govt.nz/Waimate/AboutWaimate/

Back at work today, for 3 days. On Friday we are off again to Queenstown, for some tramping, camping, and skydiving. WHOO HOO!

Hope you all had a great Holiday
We got some great pics, and will put them up after Queenstown.

Chow
D & L

Ho Ho Ho...

2005-12-23T09:00:00.000+13:00

Merry Christmas from New Zealand!

Well, you we all be pleased to know that Kiwi radio stations also play, “Grandma got run over by a reindeer.” So sad, we thought we would have escaped it this year.

We were packing for our trip last night, but took a break to watch, “Six Feet Under.” (Do you guys watch that over in Canada? It’s great!) Anyways, our little flatmate, Amy, came into the lounge with Christmas goodies for us. It was so sweet. She is one of those “Martha Stewart” type people, minus the attitude. :) I was very touched by the gesture as I’ve been a little (just a tiny) bit sad about being away for Christmas. I blame this on my Mother…

So, we are off camping tonight! So funny to think that we will be camping for the Holidays. I am a bit concerned about being warm overnight, as it isn’t full-on summer here yet. I don’t know if we told you, but when we arrived in Christchurch…Laura and I decided to rid ourselves of our excess baggage. I mean, really….the whole point of “backpacking” is to have 1 backpack…not 3….each. In the midst of our cleanse, we biffed all our winter clothes….but who knew we’d be camping for Christmas? I’m sure we’ll be okay…I kept my woolly New Zealand Sweater…Lo is on her own. tee-hee.

We had a work “do” last night. (Hahaha…that’s what they call an office party here) It was nice…lots of wine and treats. Our boss gave us each a bottle of champagne for Christmas…we’ll have to crack them open on Christmas to drown our sorrows. Haha.

Well…we will be back in touch after the Holidays….thanks for everyone’s cards! We just love getting mail! :)

Merry Christmas!

Cheers
D&L

Shifted...

2005-12-19T08:40:00.000+13:00

Well we shifted on the weekend to our new pad. We are living in a very nice home in a suburb called Riccarton. It's a 10 min drive outside of the city. We are living with 3 other girls. 2 of the gilrs (Amy & Leah) are Legal Secretaries, and sisters. The other Amy...(who we have become quite chummy with) is a Librarian.

The people who own the house (Shirley..who is from Texas...and her husband Paul) drop in all the time, which is nice. It's kinda like we have parents...hehe. We live on a very quiet street, and have a big, huge lawn. (Which Hobbs is pumped to play frisbee on...)

What amazes me about the Kiwi's is how they do laundry. I've been a witness to this odd behaviour since Wellington, and it continues in Christchurch. Whether there is a clothesline, or a dryer...i find that kiwis will wash their clothes, and then hang them on an indoor rack to dry. I just don't get it. In our new house, Laura and I did laundry and hung it outside on the clothesline, while the other girls hung theirs on a rack...in the living room. Bizarre.

I don't know if I mentioned that Midge doesn't have a radio...
At first Hobbs and I didn't think it was a big deal. However, spending everyday for 9months with someone, you kinda run out of things to say...
The silence was killing us.
So, we went to the store and bought a tape player/radio. TAPES!!!!!!!! It's so funny. Last week I was contemplating buying an IPod, and now i'm buying Tapes! I didn't even know they still made them. Apparently they do, and I scored the new Jack Johnson...tape.
Anyways...it's nice to sing again.

I can't believe that Christmas is this weekend. We have 4 days off for Christmas, and an additional 4 days off for New Years. We are going to drive to Dunedin and travel 'round there for a bit, then Hobbs has decided to skydive in Queenstown....and convinced me to get in a helicopter. (Ativan anyone?)

Yes, you read that right....Lobee is going to skydive. This is her email address if you want to talk some sense into her. laura.crandlemire2@telecom.co.nz

Work is going well. We have HEAPS of time to surf the net...and email. (hint hint) Thinking of that, i'm going to quit blogging now...and will catch up with you folks later.

Happy Holidays

Damn Midge...

2005-12-10T09:43:00.000+13:00

Well...I'm trying to learn how to drive Midge. I thought it was going to be easy. Now, i'm usually a quitter, I can admit that, but I am determined to drive this car!!!! I just have to learn, I can't look down when I'm shifting, I have to keep my eyes on the road! Haha....

Last night, I tried to give it an honest effort...then...i get into 3rd gear, and slow down to 20k/hr. Hehehe...

It's a lot to take in...i have to concentrate on driving on the other side of the road, and shifting with my left hand...the brake...the clutch?!?!?! Why don't we all just drive automatics.

Currently...my problem is stopping and going. Hahaha...I hate stopsigns. I can't seem to get a smooth movement from the stopsign...Lois says I'm letting the clutch out too slow...

Lois is a very good teacher though. She's FULL of positive reinforcement! It's the calming things she says to me..."Relax Mackin, Relax Mackin, Relax Mackin.....you're doing good Mackin...."
Then...when I accidently ended up on a busy street last night, I freaked! Then Lois moves on to the scare tactics..."MACKIN!!!! YOu can't just SIT HERE...MOVE...GO!!!!.....GO MACKIN!!!....LOOK AT THE ROAD!!!!!!!!!!"

Anywho...I'm going to get back on it today...wish me luck! Lobee says that we didn't buy a standard so that she could drive it all the time...but she's just such a pro star at it!!!

We found a new place to live! We're moving there in a week....our current home is a big dodgy...so, we thought we'd move....again. Hehe. We'll take pics soon!

Later Gators

Back to reality...

2005-12-05T17:49:00.000+13:00

Sunday was HOT HOT HOT in Christchurch. Laura and I hopped in Midge, and set off to the beach! It was awesome! There were a heap of surfers there, so the waves were wicked! Very nice...

We started our new jobs today at Telecom. It's a bit hard to get used to, as we have had 2 1/2 weeks off. Especially for me, as I haven't worked with other adults for quite some time. Having to put my makeup on was quite a switch....I miss my little Nikhil! Anyways...it is pretty full-on, there is lots of stuff to know about mobile phones...Laura and I aren't really "technology savvy." Mobile phones are a fashion statement here, you have to have the BEST ONE...Kiwis are constantly upgrading their phone to the "newest technology." Upgrading is our role at Telecom...should be interesting.

Our fridge was on the blink this week, so most of our food spoiled. SO...we went to the grocery store yesterday and bought a whole heap of FROZEN goods that we could live off of this week. (Our freezer still works) We got home today...and someone had LEFT THE FREEZER DOOR OPEN!!! Now all of our FROZEN food is spoiled. AGH!! Oh well..

Cheerio!

Midge...

2005-12-01T18:51:00.000+13:00

Well..we have big news! We got a new form of transport...Midge. The '85 White Ford Telstar. Hahaha...she's a beast, we love her though.

Midge was born and raised in New Zealand, and has brought happiness to 11 different families. Hahaha.

Midge is entering into her "golden" years, thus she was cheap...but not trashy. Hahaha.

We reckon that Midge can show us the rest of the South Island before we head home.

I, myself, haven't been FORMALLY introduced to Midge, as I can't drive a standard....yet. PRAY FOR ME. (and Midge)

Pictures to follow....buckle your seatbelts.

Cheers
Danielle

Home Sweet Home

2005-11-30T06:01:00.000+13:00

Hey There...

Just a "friendly reminder" that our pics are up.... http://community.webshots.com/user/crananddan

We have a house...and a job. How sweet!?
We are living about a 20min walk out of the city, in "Linwood."
We are sharing a house and everything is included in our rent...even Internet!
Rent is a whole lot cheaper here, and we are paying $110 LESS a week than we did in Wellington!
We got jobs at the National Telephone Company here, Telecom. Laura worked for them in Wellington, and she did such a great job, that they hired her again, and me! We start on Monday.

Christchurch is great. It's summer, and it's great to be outside! I don't know if I mentioned it before, but it's super super flat here. In Wellington, there were hills ALL OVER THE PLACE. So, it's quite different here. Everything is a bit more spread out.

It's Wednesday in New Zealand. Lo is still asleep...and i'm wide awake. So...I'm just going to go and hang out the washing...and see what the day brings!

Take Care All

Still on the lookout....

2005-11-24T10:55:00.000+13:00

Well, We just had a peek at this "ALTERNATIVE BACKPACKERS" for long term accomodation. Hehehe...It's $15/night for the first week...then goes to $10/night if you stay long term. We'd be living with a bunch of "artists," one of them apparently was inspired by the bathroom sink, which has now been replaced with a big rock. Humm...the fella who owns the house showed me his room...(apparently the best room in the house) He said the top bunk is free, If I was interested.

We are going to see another flat now, it would be a sublet. The occupant is travelling overseas, so...cross your fingers!!!

It's ONLY 11degrees here and WET!!!! I'm not impressed, I quite enjoyed the 30degree weather while we were on vacation. Where is the sun?!?

Upper Class Backpackers, are we?

2005-11-23T20:35:00.000+13:00

Well...I have discovered (my red-headed mate may disagree) that we are UPPER CLASS BACKPACKERS. There are things in backpacker accomodation that we must have, things like, an en-suite....cable...and a phone, all along with comfy-smooshy beds, and clean, crisp sheets. Hehehe...is that too much to ask?

We forgot what a pain it is to find employment and long-term lodging....that we must live out of a backpack, with no where to hang your hat. However, we must not get discouraged...we need to trudge onward!!!

We looked at a place today living with 3 vegetarian boys...humm. we of course we fibbed, and agreed..."damn meat-eaters!' hahaha...even though the night before we feasted on Lamb steaks. Hehe. Anywho, they had an stellar flat, and PLENTY of bathhouses in the area. We're still thinking it over....Laura may be thinking of a career change. Hehe.

We checked out another place this afternoon, and rather than the landlord meeting us at the door, her flies did. 'Nuf said.

SPIRITS UP! hopefully next time we write...we'll be in our new digs.

laters!
-D

Our new home...Christchurch.

2005-11-21T20:07:00.000+13:00

We certainly lucked out in the Weather department for our travels. The first day was a bit overcast (which you'll see from the pics) but, every day after was 30C!!! Hot and Sunny....very pleasant indeed. The ferry ride was interesting. IT was pretty rough, so we had to hold on to the railings quite a bit....yikes. We did get a glimpse of dolphins playing in the waves though...hehe.

This time we took pictures of our hostels, for you guys to get a peek into what it's like.

Heaps of people told us that the South Island is much nicer than the North, and they were right on. It is amazing. We couldn't get over the Mountains, alongside the Pacific. Insane....

We hiked, and biked, and everything in between. The wine tour by bike was a RIOT! Hahahaha...after each wine tasting, it was harder and harder to get the bike going!!! Hahaha. At the end of the tour, you got a double whammy...wine and shots! Mmmmm....Butterscotch...yum yum. Roll me home Jeeves! It's been my favorite activity so far...

We also got to pick cherries! I've never seen cherry trees before, so it was pretty fun.

I am really going to miss the beaches here, they are amazing....the white sand...just can't get enough.

We went on a coastal trek, and watched the seals come ashore...got about 3 ft away from 1. Very neat!

We saw this cute little farmer sheering his sheep, and he invited us to watch him. Very funny....quite a lot of work involved!

Well, we have 2 albums up and running, and will get the 3rd up 2moro.

Have a look, and let us know what you think!

Take Care Guys!

http://community.webshots.com/myphotos

Did you know we share 95% of our genes with Chimps?

2005-11-13T16:02:00.000+13:00

Hey Guys...

Well, Friday was my last day with my little man, Nikhil. I decided to take him to the TE PAPA Museum (http://www.tepapa.govt.nz/Tepapa/) He loves it there, cuz I let him run wild, well...crawl wild.

So, as we were making our rounds, I notice some 'olds' who were sporting Poppies on their shirts. I checked my phone, and it was indeed Nov 11. Humm...I looked a bit closer and they had CANADIAN FLAGS on TOO!!! So...I decided to meet as many as I could. I"ve been on the search for a MARITIMER, rather than the plain 'ol Ontario visitor. (Sorry guys...) So, I met probaby 6-7 couples, all from Ontario...who were probably thinking..." This poor lost soul, dragged her little Indian baby from Canada to travel around New Zealand.." Haha. They were on a trip for Aus and Nz...but would be home in time for the Holidays...*sob*

Well...I didn't keep up my promise of pics guys. We leave in 3 days for the South Island, and I'm CERTAIN my little PHOTO SAVVY travel companion will take HEAPS of pics, and we will get them up for you ASAP.

Speaking of my little Red Headed Friend...she's a maniac. Laura is so organized that she has started packing last week. She can't wait to pack. This morning she got right out of bed, and started packing her PILLOWS! I said, "Lois, you have 2 more nights to sleep on those...."
I like to be a last minute packer....one, who doens't have to think twice...get 'er done, and get out. I'm certain that Lois will pack, and re-pack 15 times before we leave on Wednesday...She reminds me of Monica, off friends. Maybe I'll give her a treat, and let her pack for me...hehe. Early Christmas present...

Well...We heard that you are able to see Dolphins from the Ferry to the SOuth Island, so we are looking forward to that. :) Will let you know how we make out..

Ta Ta

We got sacked (ring a bell?)

2005-11-08T11:46:00.000+13:00

Hello All!

Well...I had all this stuff to tell you, now that I am sitting here, I can't remember any of it!

Did we tell you that we got a 2nd job? Hahaha. Selling Funeral Insurance? We started about a week ago...and haven't sold one cover yet. Our boss came to us last night, and advised us that THURSDAY would be our last day. Hahaha...all the others get to stay a wee bit longer, as they are "star sellers." Shoot for the stars? Umm..No.

We are getting rather excited about moving to Christchurch. We've decided that we are going to flat again, rather than live on our own. We are just going to be more selective this time 'round...

We hit the town on Saturday night for GUY FAWKES day. Apparently back in 1605 or 1608 this fella decided that he didn't like the way that the government was running things (him being Catholic and all) and plotted to blow up Parliment. He rounded up his mates, and headed off with a bunch of gun powder, but never made it. He was arrested, and burned at the stake, or hung or something. Anywho...the CELEBRATE this day here...with MAJOR fireworks. Everyone buys a heap of fireworks, and just goes nutty! The City had a big fireworks display, which was really amazing, they must have spent a fortune.

WEeather is WICKED! It is getting warmer and warmer every day. Today it's almost 27 degrees!!! YIPEEE! I was chatting with my bus driver this morning, and he says that it's OFFICALLY summer weather in January...but i'll take this!

So...I plan on snapping a few photos this weekend of Wellington, and we will put them on, before we head off to the South Island.

Hope all is well.

Later!
-D

Yup...we're OKAY just LAZY!

2005-11-04T14:42:00.000+13:00

Hello All.

It is I...Danielle.

No, we are still quite alive, and still in New Zealand. We only have 1 more week in Wellington, and then we are heading to Christchurch. We have a 5 day trip planned, which include, a saling adventure, a sand adventure...a brewery tour, and my FAV...a WINE TOUR. This is no ordinary wine tour...you are given a BIKE...and a CELL PHONE. You drive from winery to winery...and when you are NO longer able to ride your bike, you call, and someone comes and picks you up. How better to spend $35?!?!? Hahaha

Sorry for being so slack in regards to the blog. We promise to put on HEAPS of pictures of our adventure to Christchurch.

Umm...I had heaps more to say, but I have baby Nikhil with me today, and he's getting anxious. So, I must leave.

Talk to you all later

New Zealandisms!

2005-10-13T17:04:00.000+13:00

Hello Everyone!

Well things are going well in the windy city of Wellington! It's a great city with a population of only 205, 000! Time is counting down until we move again - November 16th - we will board the ferry for our 3 hr journey to the South Island. We are excited; I have heard that the South Island is twice the North (Cheers Becky!) - hard to believe, as we have been super impressed with the places we have been so far!

Well just an update on the differences in NZ!

-Since there's no snow at Xmas time, everyone has huge BBQs - that will take some getting used to (or will it! haha) ...Christmas on the beach!
-NZers do NOT tip for service - not at restaurants, hairdressers, cabs, etc. (However, service staff earn a higher salary than at home).
-Prices of items include TAX - we LOVE this, no more guessing at the counter- it is what it is! So convenient!
-Burgers come complete with beetroot and pineapple - Who ever heard of that one! haha
-Medications that may require a prescription in Canada are easily available over-the-counter - like the Morning After Pill, Tylenol 3 with Codeine, and I am sure plenty of others.
-Party Pills are sold at every corner store (even at the hotdog venders outside the clubs!). These "party pills" are basically a mild form of the drug Speed!! Can you imagine!?!
-Police are very short staffed - taxis are sometimes sent to 111 emergency calls (yes it's 111 here!) I would hope the Taxi drivers get paid well to provide emergency services - strange indeed!!
-Movies take an extra 3-4 months longer to come to theatres in NZ! Like the film Cinderella Man - it was coming out at home when we were leaving and was just released here at the end of Sept! So email us if there are any movies we should see or avoid - as I am sure you will all see them before us! haha
-We get TV shows here that were so bad they were taken off the air in Canada!
-We are also sometimes a season behind in some other shows - like Desperate Housewives! Aghhh ... we already know what happens! haha. Danielle is still upset that Oprah has been taken off the air!
-NZ Idol does not nearly compare to American/Canadian Idol - NZers may not be known for their singing abilities, haha...but we are much much smaller! However, a few weeks ago we won 4 Gold metals in the World Rowing Championships - not bad for a country with less than 4 million people, eh!
-Netball is popular here - it is like basketball, but you are not allowed to bounce the ball!!
-Absolutely EVERYONE owns a mobile (cell) phone!! Text messaging is super popular - way more so than actually calling someone!
-Rugby is bigger than life - The All Blacks (national rugby team) are loved and watched by everyone!
-Do not mess with 'tea time' - most important time of the day!! haha.

More Kiwi expressions:
-Children call their parents "the olds" :-)
-Stroppy means rude/snobby - usually used to describe a female
-Got spots? haha, meaning acne/pimples!
-Ta! means thank you
-Uni ... university
-Fortnightly ... every two weeks (bi-weekly)
-Heaps ... a lot

Well that is about all for now - we are getting a kick out of the differences from home!! Just in case you were wondering Labour did win the election - so the female Prime Minister, Helen Clark, is in for her third term in a row! Go Girl! haha.

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving - which is not celebrated here in NZ! Labour Day is coming up here on October 24th ....we are looking forward to the day off work!

Take Care Everyone & Keep in Touch!

Laura

October 1st

2005-10-01T18:30:00.000+12:00

Hello All!

Well October is here already! Yikes - It doesn't seem like we have been gone that long, although we miss you guys very much :-) Well today was another windy day in Wellington - even though the sun was out still pretty chilly!

I went exploring into Newtown - a small suburb outside of Wellington and also home to the Wellington Zoo! There were so many cool animals - most I had never seen before - enjoy the pictures!

http://community.webshots.com/user/crananddan

There is a Twilight Cave - where it is almost totally dark and after about ten minutes your eyes start to focus and you can see the animals that live in the dark. There were two lizards - sorry I forget their proper name, but they are the closest things to dinosaurs that still live today. There was also a kiwi bird - but few people actually get to see it because it hardly moves and you have no idea where to begin looking for it in the dark bushes. The guide said some tourists have stayed in this nocturnal room for long periods of time searching for it and still find nothing. So I wasn't surprised not to see the little guy! There were also Wild Dogs - I couldn't get a good picture of them, but they look very similar to hyenas - like 'Ed' and his gang in the Lion King movie! Big dogs with floppy ears and spots :-) haha.

Well I had a good time at the zoo - that is all for today!

A big hello to Danielle's mom & sister, as they both have birthdays in October - Happy Birthday Elizabeth & Katherine! Wish we were there to watch ya blow out your candles - have some cake for us too :-)

Well hope all is well with everyone - Take Care!

- Laura

Checking in...

2005-09-25T14:11:00.000+12:00

Well...it's Sunday here in our Windy Wellington.

Very nice day, bit breezy...but, we can feel the warmth...hahaha...as you guys move into the cold stuff!!! Haha..

Things are good. We are out and about, strolling the streets...We caught Gwen Stefani's latest video "COOL" the other night, and the background at the end of the video looks exactly like New Zealand. So, if you guys get a peek...you can see what sort of land is amongst us here!

Hope all is well with you folks!

Take Care
D & L

2005-09-17T17:21:00.000+12:00

Hi ya!

Well we have been enjoying Wellington - we have had some great sunny days lately - so all is well! Our friend Dave came to stay with us for five days - so we took in some sights while he was here. We had all worked together in Auckland and he is on his way to the South Island. We are finally updating the pictures - so you can see what Wellington is like!

The election is being held today - on a SATURDAY - kinda strange eh, no time off work to vote - not that we could have voted anyway! So here is the scoop on NZ politics - the current Prime Minister - Helen Clark stands a very good chance of winning her 3rd straight election, though many people do not support her party's controversial decision to legalize prostitution in 2003. The Labour Party is promising if elected students will no longer have to pay interest on student loans, as long as they continue to live in NZ - they are trying to reduce the "brain-drain" by encouraging graduates to stay in NZ and win a few votes in the process - sound good fellow student loan borrowers? Maybe Canada should implement this as well! Meanwhile the opposition - Don Brash and his National Party have tried to appeal to voters as well by promising to lower gas prices by 5 cents a litre for the next 3 months - gas prices here have been on the rise as well - $1.56/L !

Well when Dave was here for a visit we went on the Cable Car that goes up a nearby mountain - you can see the whole city, and we went to the Botanical Gardens as well. The park has very nice walking trails and we strolled around for the afternoon, taking in the Beehive and Parliament Buildings on the way back to the city. On Sunday we went to the City Art Gallery and the Wellington Sea Museum - both had interesting things to see! There were some things on display about the Lord of the Rings – since it was filmed here - there is even Pippin’s prosthetic hobbit foot on display at the Museum!

There are some things in Wellington that remind me of NB! You will see the pictures - but we found a little taste of home - Moosehead beer is imported to NZ! haha. And I took a picture of the "Woodstock" florist; I pass it everyday on my way to work - my family lives near Woodstock too! Miss you all!

We are enjoying our jobs as well - which is a great change from Auckland! Danielle has some great pictures of the cute little baby! He is a handful :) I am enjoying the Friday afternoons at Telecom - everyone stops work early for a little chat and the company supplies some nibbles and wine/beer - can't beat that! My manager asked me to stay with Telecom until January but we are not planning to stay that long. We are in Wellington for a good time - not a long time! haha. We have heard that the South Island so pretty, so we are looking forward to spending the summer there - so we are planning to leave here around the beginning of November.

Some more NZ expressions:
snog = to kiss
Ta = thanks
Mutton dressed as lamb! = Cougars (older woman who think they are 20! haha)

Well that is all the news for now. Hope all is well with everyone at home! Don't forget to check out the pictures
http://community.webshots.com/user/crananddan

Take Care,

Laura

Hello Canada!

2005-08-30T16:57:00.000+12:00

Well things are going fine here…sunny weather is coming -- Gotta love it! It is our turn for summer!

Danielle and I had a great weekend! We have been going to the gym that is literally across the street from our apartment—super convenient. It’s great! When we joined we received heaps of free classes and one-on-one training. We went to a Stott’s Pilates class on Saturday. It was great fun until the next day when did not dare to laugh cause we were so sore!

Sunday we went to the fruit and veggie market down the street…heaps cheaper than the supermarkets here! We had a relaxing day … I decided that I would be proactive and defrost our mini fridge, because every time we opened the freezer compartment it would squeak…like nails on a chalkboard…it drove us nuts! So I was half done…took another stab at the ice and then I heard a hissing noise…I had punctured a hole in the freezer! What to do now??? I popped to the shop and got some duct tape…no luck! I had punctured the gas pipe…I guess duct tape doesn't fix everything!! Well when in doubt...call your parents…damn the time difference, ha ha! My dad did not seem too spry to receive his 4am phone call…but I appreciated the help all the same!! The question remained--are we going to perish from exposure to the gas escaping from the fridge?? So we decided to tossed the fridge on the deck and text the property manager about the mishap. What was meant to be a relaxing day quickly turned stressful, as we worried if we would have to pay to have the fridge replaced. Well all is well…we went home yesterday and there was a new fridge in our apartment. Yippee! Got outta that one!

Well not much else is happening today…work as usual. Danielle is enjoying her time being a Nanny. She reckons that she will be really attached to the little guy at the end of her 3 month term.

Well all for now... hope things are going well with everyone!

Cheers,

Laura

Hi Ya!

2005-08-21T18:39:00.000+12:00

Hello everyone! Things here are still going well. We are both busy with work--Danielle brought the baby into the city last week, so I finally got to meet him....what a cutie!! She is getting along with the family very well...just like a second mom! haha.

Well a bit of history about New Zealand...they were the first country to allow women to vote!! Gotta love that...Good on them! Where were we?? Their current FEMALE Prime Minister is on her way to being elected for another term. What are the chances that we would be here during an election year? haha.

Well Danielle despite her love for lambs...has fallen victim to their tasty chops! Lamb is everywhere here and she is loving it! (I have even tried it a couple of times...yummy!) We are enjoying the weekly markets as well. There is a big market on the weekends down the street from our apartment...so we are getting a great bargain on fruits & veggies! Which is great...since produce is really expensive in the grocery stores.

Well we heard from one of our friends, Kathryn from Auckland...she has moved here as well, so we are going to catch up with her this week.

Two of the people in the HR department left on Friday. So I am offically taking one of their roles tomorrow. I am glad to be done training and anxious to get into it! Sink or swim...haha...I will let you know how it's going...

Well not much news to report...we are enjoying Wellington and it keeps warming up here, as it is starting to cool off there! It is our turn for the nice weather :)

Take Care All...keep in touch!

Cheers,
Laura

A Lazy Saturday Afternoon...

2005-08-14T09:09:00.000+12:00

Well after chasing Baby Nikhil around all week, I reckon I deserve a lazy Saturday! Hahaha...i got peed on...puked on, spit on...whew. I forgot how hard it is to look after a child...maybe it's cuz i'm quite a bit older! This Baby thing is for the birds...Excellent source of birth control let me tell ya!

I am sharing my Nanny responsibilities with Nikhil's grandmother. She is from Bombay. In India they call the Grandmothers, "AJI"...I call her Nana. She's a cutie. She's 71 and has a long, long grey braid. She wears the traditional Sari, and is a BIG help to me. We're a team! She made me lunch this week...Basmati Rice and Lentils...very spicy..loved it! The great thing about living here, is all of the exposure to different cultures, and food. It's so yummy... You'd never find a Turkish Restaurant (for example) in Saint John, but here, there are ALL over the place! It's so great! So, Nana tells me stories about what life is like back in Bombay. She still has a house there, and visits quite often. She is living with Nikhil's parents at the moment. I told her that Nikhil is so lucky to have his Nana living so close. I know I LOVED having Nanny Healy living next door to me while I was growing up....

As much as I don't like getting up early. I am enjoying my hour long bus ride to Karori (their suburb) in the mornings. It is nice...I have a wee walk, well...not so wee...but picturisque none-the-less, up the side of a mountain. hehe. It's so funny, because in N.B, you'd never see mountains like they have here in Wellington. They build houses on the side of these MASSIVE hills...it's crazy!

I don't know if we mentioned it before....but we are able to drink water right from the tap here in New Zealand! For Laura, this is not a big deal...but for me, I've just gotten accustomed to drinking from the Brita Filter. It's just wonderful to fill your cup, and not be fearful of the brownish tinge, or the rank odour.

Well...Laura is sitting next to me...salivating. Hahaha. She's hungie! Hehe. I reckon, we will stop and get a Kebab before we head home. It's a big Turkish pita..with either Chicken, Lamb or breaded Vegetables. Then...they put some yoghurt sauce and chili sauce inside. Very scrump....

Yes, yes...we are now lamb eaters! Hahaha. I swore while on our last trip, when I saw how cute the little sheep were, I wasn't going to eat them. But...we had a lamb samosa. It was wicked. Hahaha...baaa.

Take Care Y'all...

Hi Ya!

2005-08-05T13:15:00.000+12:00

Hello All!

Hope things are going well in your corner of the world! Well things are going well here...we have accepted that we actually have to work AGAIN! Haha. It took a while to get back in the swing of things...like no longer being able to sleep in until 10am...back to setting that pesky alarm clock! Well I am enjoying my time at Telecom...the training seems to be going well. Telecom has over 7000 employees in NZ, so keeping track of hiring and terminations is quite a task!
My boss actually lived in Gagetown for 2 years, which is really cool--small world! She asked me the other day how much I miss Kraft Dinner and Raisin Bran! Can't get the good stuff here, haha!

Danielle is having a great time with little Nick! He loves to be outside, so he & Danielle go for their daily walks....only one drawback....they live on top of a mountain, so she has to be careful--or could be a runaway stroller! haha. The baby's grandmother lives with the family, so she is great company for Danielle as well.

We are enjoying having our own apartment....no worries about cleaning up after others--It's great! We live pretty close to the city center which is nice as well.

Well I have to get back to work, hope all is well!

Cheers,
Laura

WINDY in Wellington!

2005-07-31T16:51:00.000+12:00

Hey All!

Lobee and I took the train into Porirua today! It's a 'burb about 20 mins out of Wellington. It's where one would find a KMART...haha. Had to pick up some household items...i.e. lightbulbs, hair product, etc. Quite busy...

We got off the train, and the wind nearly blew us away! Wellington is compared to Chicago in the USA...quite windy. Bit chilly, as well. HOWEVER...the end is near! We are in our last month of Winter...and i'm pumped for Spring...BRING ON THE SUN!

Wellington is so great, you can walk anywhere! It's perfect! I'm quite enjoying it! The streets are pretty quiet today...the dark clouds are overhead...i suspect we may be caught in the rain before we get home!

By the way..PORIRUA...I've heard it pronounced various ways...i know i'm not saying it properly. It's either PIE-RURA, or PIR-RURA....i think it may be the first one. Its funny, i had to get a ticket, and you have to say where you are going, obviously. So, i just mumble the first part, and add on the "RURA" haha.

Well..we are off!
Toodles!

Yes, Yes, we have a job now...ugh!

2005-07-29T22:23:00.000+12:00

Hey There All...

YES, we are now employed! Hahaha. I got a job as a NANNY, to a 9month old little boy. Very cute. Hours are great, little bit of a commute, but I have the weekends FREE! Wicked....

Lois got a job at Telecom (The main telephone company in NZ) She'll be working on the poles...hahahhaa. No No...she'll be a HUMAN RESOURCE ADMINISTRATOR! Excellent indeed, she's supa excited! Kudos Lois!

Lo had to go shopping (any of you who know Lois...know this is NOT a fun task...decision making ability..nil. Since, i'm her sole friend, i had to tag along...hahaha.) Nah...wasn't too too bad. She scored some new duds...my little corporate pumpkin! I on the other hand...i'll be in my glory! SCRUBS and JANDALS!

Hope all is well with you guys...
I keep trying to take pictures of our new pad, but it's ALWAYS messy...damn Lois! Hahahaha.

Take Care

The Trip Continues....

2005-07-26T12:06:00.000+12:00

July 13th....Continues :)
After my Zorbing adventure, we hit the highway until we got to the Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland...the egg smell was the worst at the wonderland! haha. This is the site of the largest area of surface thermal activity. This hydro-thermal system is about 18 sq. km covered with craters, boiling pools of mud and steaming water! Beneath the ground is a system of streams heated by magma from earlier volcanic eruptions. The water is very hot...reaching 300 degress celsius...therefore the water absorbs minerals from the rocks, which produces the steam at the surface of the water. The color of the water depends on the minerals--sulphur, iron oxide, manganese, carbon, and others that I have never heard of :) There were 25 different pools and lakes through out the park--the bright green waters and bubbling mud were very cool--see science can be fun afterall! haha.

As Danielle drove to our next destination, Taupo (population 21, 000), I had a chance to read up on the fun things we should do. I found myself dialing the number and making an appointment to Sky Dive 12, 000 ft the next morning at 10am! I read the blurb in our travel guide about Taupo having the cheapest skydiving in the world! I don't know if you should be shopping around for the cheapest price for jumping out of a plane, but that was the most interesting thing listed in our travel book for the area! haha. We ended up staying at the Rainbow Lodge Retreat--sauna, movie & games rooms--very nice place!

July 14th...
We drove to the Airport and I sat waiting for my appointment to jump--white-knuckled! I started to think that this wasn't the brightest move I could have made, but I was super excited! But to our disappointment the weather won out again, and it was too overcast and windy to do the jump. Well next time eh! We left Taupo and drove another 4 hrs, arriving at our new home-- Wellington! It's the capital city of NZ--population 205, 500--it's a few degrees colder that Auckland, but has a more laid back atmosphere.

We split the next week between two backpackers in the city until we found an apartment. Well this was our first great adventure in NZ--and we had a GREAT time!! The scenery was incredible--the rolling hills, cliffs and mountains--and on all of them there were some sheep and cows! We believe now that we are sharing this country with 34 million sheep!

Driving was a bit nerve-racking at times, as we drove up numerous mountain sides on these narrow, whindy roads--on the other side of the road! But it was worth it, the views were so great and we had a blast! Hope you enjoy the pictures--I couldn't take enough snapshots--I was told that I was going camera-crazy by my travel buddy! By the way, Danielle changes my name daily incase you were confused--Lois, Lo....pretty much anything starting with "L"...you know it's about me! haha!

That is all for now....take care everyone, keep in-touch!

Cheers,
Laura

The Scoop on Our Trip....

2005-07-24T17:26:00.000+12:00

Hello All!

Well here is the update of our trip...finally:) Well we left AHEAD of schedule...which is something new for us!

July 7th...
We were planning on leaving on a Friday, because on Thursday I was supposed to jump off the Sky Tower, but due to bad weather that was cancelled, so we left Auckland a.s.ap. heading north. We had rented a Mazda car (driver's side on the right)! The first day we got as far as Leigh, and decided to stay at the Leigh Sawmill Backpackers (www.sawmillcafe.co.nz), which was decorated...of course you guessed it...with sawblades, logs, etc....but had the best pizza around! Quite rustic...but a nice place.

July 8th...
We headed to Pakiri Beach, it's a 9km white sandy beach with loads of sand dunes-very popular with the surfers...great waves! We drove to Kaitaia--stopping a National Park along the way, again just to visit yet another great beach! However, swimming is not permitted there, due to the severe currents. Once in Kaitaia, we ended up at the nicest place we would stay on the entire trip...the Endless Summer Lodge (www.endlesssummer.co.nz) It is a very nice place for a home with beachfront and the mountains behind the property...population only 1000, so there is loads of land if anyone is interested!

July 9th...
We left Kaitaia on our Sand Safari Adventure! (wwwsandsafaris.co.nz) The tour bus took us & eight others 120km to the far north. Our first stop was at the Gumdigger Park--a maze of trails around old gumdigging sites, where gum had been extracted between the 1870s and 1920s. This gum was used in products such as varnish and linoleum. The diggers used to wear these high boots...that is where "gumrubbers" originated. We headed to Cape Reinga next to see where the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean meet. In stormy weather waves reach 10m high! It was really neat to see the two different colour waters crashing into each other. This is the closest point to Vancouver in NZ! The Maori (NZ natives) legend believe that this is where the dead depart the earth.

Next we went to the Te Paki Stream--where rental vehicles are prohibited due to the chance of sinking! There we sand dunes as big as mountains...and we stopped for a little sand tobogganing, it was great fun, except for the sand in your teeth! Then we headed to 90 Mile Beach...this long beach is just like a highway and is even patrolled by police! We drove along the beach at 100km/hr admiring the views--only stopping to see WILD horses that were grazing along the sand. We all landed back in Kaitaia and we left for Whangarei and crashed at the Punga B&B.

July 10th...
We went on a boat trip around Goat Island to see the caves, fish & sea urchines! The Glass Bottom Boat (www.glassbottomboat.co.nz) allowed us to see everything that was in the water... great invention! We even got to see a Blue Penguin, the smallest of the penguin family! The guide told us the strangest thing that ever happened on his boat--a killer whale came into the harbour, swam under the boat and looked right at all the passengers through the glass bottom! Danielle also had fun on shore...feeding all the ducks...they're friends forever!

We headed back to Auckland, as I planned to make the big jump while we passed through, but now the Sky Jump was booked up for the next 2 days! Aghhh! So we kept going...driving along the narrow and whindy goat path until we reached the mountains of Coromandel. Gold mining was discovered here in 1852 and the population grew to over 10, 000 as opposed to the 1620 people who live there now. We stayed at the Lion's Den--a sixties style house with an African theme--very cool spot! We met a Pharmacist from Germany, she gave us some great tips about traveling in Thailand!

July 11th...
We boarded the Driving Creek Train that took us on an hour long ride into the mountains, through tunnels and stopping at the "Eye-Full" tower, where you could look out from the mountains to the town below--awesome views! We landed in Thames and stopped in at the Butterfly & Orchid Gardens--it has over 400 butterflies! We hit the road again driving until dark and stayed at Juno Hall in the hills of Waitomo. They have a tennis court in the middle of a paddock (pasture)...with their pet pig as an onlooker! haha.

July 12th...
We went into Waitomo to visit the Glowworm Caves. The place is named Wai (water) and Tomo(hole) because of the numerous shafts in the land that drop abruptly into an underground cave system and streams. There are over 300 caves in the area! Many unsuspecting cows & sheep have met their demise by falling through these shafts--thankfully we got a tour guide!

We drove through the hills until we came to the entrance of the caves. We all put on our helmets and started into the cave...we could not see a thing--not even your own hand infront of your face! Then we all got into the raft with the help of the guide's light. As we floated down the river there were millions of these tiny green lights on the ceiling--glowworms! The guide explained that they are actually tiny maggots that adventually turn into flies! They didn't think that "glow maggots" would attract as many tourists! The glowworms were so cool! The tiny lights combined and gave off enough light to see inside the cave--the light is caused from the maggots burning off their waste products! When we returned to the spot where we entered the cave our eyes had adjusted to the light and now we could make out figures in the cave--and we could even see a few glowworms that we could not see before--very cool!

The next larger cave was 3km away--the Aranui Cave. Since there is no river running through, there are no glowworms--but there are thousands of tiny stalacties hanging from the ceiling, which create thousands of colorful formations--very cool! There are many shafts in the cave where you could see the light from the ground above. We saw the remains of goats, possums, cows, and even a moa (prehistoric bird similar to an ostrich) that had died in the cave--some fell through the shafts and others went into the cave and got lost in the darkness.

Then we drove to Rotorua, nicknamed Sulphur City, which has the most thermal activity in NZ--bubbling mud pools, hot springs, thermal pools--all creating a rotten egg smell thoughout the city! We went to the Rainbow Springs Nature Park when we arrived--where there are thousands of rainbow trout that spawn there and the stream empties into a nearby river, so they can leave whenever they want! The park is also home to the famous Kiwi bird--but they are noctural and only come out at night--so they were sleeping when we were there! We crashed at the Kiwi Paka YHA that night...it's a huge backpacker hostel that used to be a motel.

July 13th...
We spent the morning relaxing at the Polynesian Spa! People of the area swear about the medicinal and age defying properties of the thermal waters. The natural thermal water in the different pools ranges from 36-43 degrees--very nice morning despite the egg smell! We were warned not to wear any silver jewellry, as it instantly turns black upon contact with the water. What a fabulous way to start the day!

My favouite NZ invention has to be ZORBING! It is a huge plastic ball with a smaller ball in the center--jump in the smaller ball, add some water, and roll along the zig-zag path down the hill--as you roll around and get soaked! I had so much fun--laughing hysterically the whole time!

More adventures to come....the internet shop is closing!

No worries guys...

2005-07-19T18:11:00.000+12:00

Your trip update is a comin'....honestly we've just been TOO busy looking for employment. (HAR HAR....)

It's a work in progress, as we've just experienced so much on our little road trip.

Things are good. We are still crashing at the hostel. (Rosemere Backpackers) http://www.backpackerswellington.co.nz/
Lo and I are staying in the twin room...when you read about the "CLEAN" aspect of the hostel...they are not backing that up ALL the way. Haha. However...still...cleaner than the apartment we went to look at yesterday.

Chow

Our Trip in a nutshell...

2005-07-16T18:53:00.000+12:00

Hello All...

The horror we went through to get these pictures on....BEYOND BELIEF i swear...so, PLEASE enjoy them...haha.

http://community.webshots.com/user/crananddan

Will give you an overview of our trip in a day or two. Check back.

Chow

WE HAVE LANDED, again!

2005-07-14T16:03:00.000+12:00

Well folks, we are here, in Wellington.
We had a brillant trip, heaps of pictures and stories to tell.
Right now, we are trying to find somewhere to live....as soon as we get that sorted, we will upload those pics.

Hope everything is well with all of you.
No problems, as yet (knock on wood) with driving on the other side of the road. Actually, I think I may have an adjustment getting used to driving in N.B again...haha.

Allright...check back with you soon
Toodles

Happy Canada Day!

2005-07-05T16:46:00.000+12:00

Hello Everyone!

Happy Belated Canada Day!! Hope you all had a great celebration without us! haha. Someone had hung a huge Canadian flag from the Harbour Bridge going into the city... so I guess there must be at least one other Canadian here!

Well the countdown continues...only 2 more days in Takapuna! We are going to pick up our rental car on Thursday and will be off early Friday morning. Danielle and I are actually running ahead of schedule (for once) as we are already packed and ready to go! I am scheduled to fall 650 feet on Thursday! So I will have to be sure and post the pictures of my plunge off the Sky Tower! Still trying to convince Danielle she is going to miss out, but she doesn't seem convinced!

Danielle is busy posting the new pictures, so be sure to see us in our blue lab coats! http://community.webshots.com/user/crananddan We both miss our 5am wake up time to head to the factory.

Well we will have lots to report and many more pictures to share, once we get back from our adventure....til then, take care and talk to you all later!

Cheers,
Laura & Danielle

Chow to the Factory Life

2005-07-03T11:32:00.000+12:00

Our career at the Factory is over. We left on Friday, good run of it though. We are going to miss all the girls! Jenny and Sophie took us out for lunch to say good-bye.

So, now we have 4 more days left at ACNEILSON, and we can hit the road. Yipee!!! We called about renting campervans, but all they had were standards. Humm...that would have been cute...trying to learn how to drive a standard, on the other side of the road. So, we got a car instead. Hahaha.

We have some pictures, and we will post them early this week.

Hope all is well with you.

Take Care
Danielle

The getting-sacked situation...

2005-06-27T16:52:00.000+12:00

Well..here is the tale, of how 2 Canadian Girls got sacked from the Factory....(and lived to tell about it)

As you may have read from our previous post, we are working in top-down-management environment.

Here is the deal. Our shift began on Monday morning, at 7am. We weren't sure where to go, so we called a cab. $28.00 and 10minutes later, we arrived at ASSA ABLOY, our new employer.

(At ASSA ABLOY we manufacture door handles, hinges, door knobs and sliding doors for home use. Laura is responsible for packaging latches, and I'm responsible for putting all those little screws into little plastic bags.)

So, we arrive on time. We decide that tomorrow we are going to take a bus, obviously $28 is a rip. So, by the time we get home from our 2nd job, it's 11:30pm. The bus station is closed, so we are unsure of what time the bus is due to arrive to take us to ASSA ABLOY.

It's Tuesday...we get up, and make our way down to the bus stop. We wait, and wait and wait. It finally comes at 6:45am. We get to work at 7:15am. Our supervisor, MICHELLE chews us out a little. We apologize, we didn't have any idea what time the bus came, we assured her we would work it out that afternoon. WELL...it turned out that was the ONLY bus heading to ASSO ABLOY in the morning. What are we to do? Humm....bus costs $2.60 or cab for $28. Tough one.

So, we trudge out again the next day and arrive at 7:15am. Nothing said from above.

Again, the next day we arrive at 7:15am. However, we brought with us signs to post in the lunch rooms, of us wanting to carpool in the mornings.

FRIDAY morning arrives, and so do we at 7:15am. Our supervisor Michelle advises us, "I'm not sure how much longer I can keep you on here with you arriving 15mins late for work everyday." Mind you, we didn't know "too much longer" was hours. hehehe.

So...the day progresses. Michelle comes to me, and says, "I'm sorry, I have to let you go." So, I say (knowing that we just need this job for 1 more week) "Let us have another week to find alternate transportation."
She replies,"I'll go and talk to Andrew (her boss) about it. (as a side note- ANDREW lives right down the street from us)

So..Michelle went to speak to Andrew...and we were still going to get sacked.

So, as we were waiting for the bus to go home. We had a thought, "Who does this Andrew character think he is?!!" So...we marched our ass back in there and went to SEEK OUT, Mr. Andrew...

We found him, lurking in the dark corners of ASSA ABLOY... We told him that if he gave us a WEEK (still coming in at 7:15am) we were going to look for a car. (HAHA) We told him that he was being very unresonable, considering we have a legitimate excuse for arriving tardy. The truth is, I think Mr. Asso Andrew is a little bit of a pansy, and didn't like confrontation from two well-esteemed Canadian girls.

SO...he gave us our jobs back. However, at the end of our conversation, he throws in THIS..."I know you two realize that I live in Takapuna. It would just look very badly, if I were to transport MY staff to work."

The thing that really BITES me...is that he probably passes Laura and I walking our 30min stroll at 6am to the bus, in his car. To yet then,SACK US, rather than have two BLUE SMOCKED FACTORY WORKERS be SEEN driving with the MANAGER! UGH! Spare me.

Whew...what a vent!

Even little JENNY stood up for us! What a sweetie. Love the factory!

We are bringing the camera tomorrow. There is a man who works at ASSA ABLOY, who looks EXACTLY like my Dad. It's insane. You know how they say that your twin is out there somewhere? Well, I found my Dad's...he's in New Zealand. He's name is JOHN, and everytime I walk by him, he says, "Hello Daughter." He's funny. So, I will FOR SURE, get a picture of him.

Will chat to you all soon.
Take Care
-D

Just a minute to check in...

2005-06-26T15:39:00.000+12:00

Well..humm. I have exactly 7 mins to catch you all up.

1) We got sacked from our factory job on Friday afternoon. No worries, being the smart-get-it-yourself gals we are...we got our jobs back...for another week! Haha. I will fill you all in on the horror story a little later...

2) Went to the ICE BAR in Auckland last night with our mate, Kathryn. It's called the MINUS 5 bar, and you have to wear booties, and a big fluffy jacket to get inside!! Once inside, the bartender makes drinks, which you guzzle from ICE CUPS! Very cool...took some pics.

3) Laura and Kathryn also decided to take a little risk, and hopped on a BUNGEE ride in the middle of Auckland City last night. I (being the responisble one) waited down on land. It sends you flying up in the air at 200kms!!! YIKES! They are still alive to tell the tale!!!

4) The big RUGBY game was last night. Our NZ ALL BLACKS won 21-3!!! They were playing against the LIONS (From Ireland/England) Good Good Game!! I am (not sooo much Laura) so into the game, i love it!! We wanted to catch a real game, but then found out tickets were $300. So...not in the budget! On the tele it is!!

12 days to go before we hit the open road!!!

Hope all is well
Talk to you soon!!
We'll be here 5 months pretty soon...CRAZY!

-Danielle

Maybe Karl Marx was onto something....

2005-06-22T18:19:00.000+12:00

Well...I have to say...the office dynamics of the FACTORY are really getting on my nerves. I get to see FIRST HAND all that I studied at University...

We work in this big factory, and upstairs are the 9-5people, we'll call them the bourgeoisie. Now, downstairs is where you would find us, the 7-3:45 people, or the proletariat.

You can tell us apart by the fact that the PROLETARIANS are made to wear BIG UGLY BLUE SMOCKS...while the BOURGEOISIE are dressed in typical office fashion. We all have lunch together at high noon. I've been studying the interactions between the two groups over the past 3 days, and have concluded that there isn't any sort of interaction going on. There are 2 tables in the tea-room, one for us, and one for them. We sit within an ARMS length of one another. For instance, today, I crossed in front of a Bourgeoisie, and said, "oh excuse me." Not only did she NOT MOVE...she didn't acknowledge the fact that I had spoken.

The sad thing is we are the minorty in the factory. The majority of the other proletarians who we work with, are immigrants into the Country. When we first started, I was asked 3-4 times if I was going to be working upstairs (with the BOURGEOISIE..like hell!)

I was working with this chap the other day, who had his MASTERS in Mechanical Engineering, and yet...we're assembling door latches. Humm...he's from India.

One of my favorite girls is JENNY, she's from China. She's got a University Education, and has worked in the factory for 7 years. In 7 years, she's never had a promotion....isn't she deserving of one?? One would think....

I reckon the thing which bothers me the most is NOT the fact that we are working in a factory...it's the fact that others are looking down on us for such. It is disrespectful. Truth be told, I am having the best time at work. We are learning so so so much our fellow employees. It's great! It's like the United Nations in there! Laura and I both really enjoy hearing stories about their experiences in their home countries...I really enjoy the days there.

It's just embarassing really to see how other humans treat one another....like the tea room. Get a grip! Would you SERIOUSLY not speak to another HUMAN because they are wearing an UGLY BLUE SMOCK!!!!! I mean, come on! We are all just people....

WHEW....thanks for the rant guys. Dr. Chalmers if you are reading this...I GET IT NOW!!!! Haha.

Other than the above...things are good.

Talk to you soon
-Danielle

Life as Door-knobs...

2005-06-20T17:39:00.000+12:00

Well hello Peeps!

We got through our second day...some (Lois) dragging more than others.
I, myself quite enjoyed the day, Laura is a little sore, and crabby as a result. Hehe.

You know when you buy something from Kents or wherever, and there are ALL those spare parts and pieces in little baggies for you to figure out how to put together?? Well, I was responsible for putting all the bits in the bags 2day. It was fun, everyone is really friendly, and we get to wear this sweet as blue smock. Haha.

We found out today that we have to be at work on FRIDAYS at 5am. Yup. So, really...we only have to do that shift 3x's...not too bad..eh Laura?!?! Haha.

I think maybe the factory life is for me...lovin' it.

Allright, well we are now off to our night-time job now, so we will catch you later.

Cheers
Danielle

Hello Y'All!

2005-06-16T18:03:00.000+12:00

Well we have had an interesting few days....we are looking for another job, so we can work our tails off over the next 3 weeks before we leave Auckland behind and head for the open road! So today we went for testing at Kelly Services...we are apparently very well suited to work in a door knob factory! haha...I knew this was our calling all along! Oh...I almost forgot...it's not only door knobs...but we will be assembling window latches as well...righty'o! So Richard if you are reading this.... I need a gleaming reference to assure my position at the factory!! We are actually looking forward to a change of pace from harrassing people on the phone! So hopefully we will hearing back from them and start next week. We are going to stick it out at AC Neilsen too, so you may not hear from us too much over the next few weeks!

Well all is a buzz at the house as well. The kitten made a run for it....ran away looking for a proper home! Glenn doesn't seem to worried....but where ever he is he is certainly better off! We are hoping that someone took him in....and he has not met his demise by a tyre ('tire' for you Canucks!) Cause cars don't stop for people...so a kitten wouldn't be cause to slow down! The owner has started to do some work to the house, so the handy-man of course started in my room...so Danielle and I are back having to sharing her room....oh what fun! haha....not too bad!

Well we will keep you all posted on the adventures of factory life!

Cheers,

Laura & Danielle

HELLO CANADA!

2005-06-14T16:43:00.000+12:00

Just a REALLY quick note to catch you up.

Laura and I leave in 26 days.

We are actively looking for another job, so we can work as much as we can before we leave. We have a job interview on Thursday...where we would work at a door handle factory. hehe.

I had an interview today at a PAINT THE EARTH store. Very cool, SO up my alley! It's a place where you go in and paint ceramics, and then we fire it and stuff. Too fun. Keep your fingers crossed!

Hope everything is well with all of you
Talk Soon
Cheers

Job Interview!

2005-06-09T09:48:00.000+12:00

Laura and I are in the City today for a job interview! We are applying with a temp-agency, in hopes to get some additional hours before we peel outta Auckland. Only 29 more days!! yipee!!

We gave our notice yesterday...I am thinknig about trading in my electric blanket for a heater...any thoughts? Haha...it was nippy last night here..brrr!

Well, we have to run our appt is in 10 mins

Hope you liked the pics

Talk to you soon
-Danielle

Happy Birthday to the Queen

2005-06-07T13:58:00.001+12:00

Well..today is Monday June 6th. It's the Queen's Birthday, and celebrated TODAY in New Zealand. Yippee. This means we missed out on work today. NEXT Monday is the Queen's Birthday in Australia, which means we miss out on ANOTHER day at work. How many birthdays does she need? Our friend Dave, who is from the U.K. told us that THEY don't even CELEBRATE it in Britain!

Laura and I had a LONG week at work....56hrs long. They've got extra jobs, so we are taking advantage for sure! Sweet as... haha.

Did we tell you we bought electric blankets? They are SUPER sweet as...very toasty.

We are getting very excited about going on a little trip to the North Island. We are going to book our campervan this week...goodbye to Takapuna...hello open road! We sort of forget how mobile we really are, i mean...all of our stuff fits into a backpack...it's not like we have to move the couch. haha.

Anyways, we posted some new pics, when we visited the Museum... http://community.webshots.com/user/crananddan

Have Fun
Take Care
Cheers
D & L

Cloudy day in the City...

2005-05-29T17:59:00.000+12:00

Laura and I have today off, so we hopped the bus into the city to go to the Auckland Museum...

On the way there, we stopped and sat with the Ducks in the park....very cute.....Guys were playing rugby in the park...it was a very relaxing afternoon. We took some pictures, and will post them ASAP! :)

GOOD ON YOU, is the new saying this week. Kinda like, "good for you," but they mean it. Ha. Ha. It's kinda corky, we like it.

Our time in Auckland is getting shorter. We are here for 3 more weeks! We decided on renting a campervan, and heading up to tour the North Island for a week or so. Can you IMAGINE...us driving on the OTHER side of the road? No worries Ma & Pa...:) (Added insurance, of course!)

Laura's time to jump off the sky-tower is soon approaching...http://www.skyjump.co.nz/ Check that out! I get butterflies WALKING past the skytower, let alone falling off the top. YIKES. Good on her...haha.

Hope all is well...

Chow!
-D & L

Rubbish!

2005-05-25T12:10:00.000+12:00

Garbage is called RUBBISH here. Our SUPER nosy landlord called us last night to REMIND us that the RUBBISH needs to be thrown out. IT'S RUBBISH DAY! Just a FRIENDLY REMINDER....hahaha...

All is well. Wattie, the kitten, on top of the eye infection, now has fleas. Yes, it's true. So, all of us avoid him, which isn't fair, it's not his fault that he has fleas.

There seems to be a shortage of work at AC NEILSON. So, we're going to see if maybe we can get another job. We are very lucky that there are so many job-opportunities here. So, who knows what we will be doing next...

Just on our way home from the gym. Good workout.

Hope all is well.

Take Care
D & L

Hey Canada

2005-05-23T12:25:00.000+12:00

Well..how are ya?

Did you have a chance to look at our pictures as yet?

We just got back from the gym, and stopped into the LIBRARY for a few seconds of FREE Internet. Very nice.

Highlight of of the day? Watermelons are on sale. Don't laugh, this is a good thing. They are SO SO SO good here, and only $2.25/each. Now, they aren't as big as the ones at home, but they are 10x's better. Yum. Yum.

Word of the day? Tyres. Yup. They spell TIRES, with a "Y"...very strange indeed.

So, we are on our way home.

Hope you are having a good day.

Talk to you soon
D & L

Hi Ya!

2005-05-21T19:38:00.000+12:00

Well it is all to true...winter is coming in a hurry....and that means more rain! This week it rained for 3 days in a row...glad we got those umbrellas. Ooops, Danielle's umbrella did not make it out of the rainstorm....good thing the Warehouse has a money back guarantee!

We are enjoying meeting new people. Some people who go to our gym have family that lives in Canada, or they have been there themselves. So we are having a good time swapping stories. One guy went to DAL university and has a brother living in Fred'ton.

Work............
Well it's going! I was speaking to an Australian business owner the other day regarding his business taxes....I asked his occupation--roofer--or so I thought. He started talking about kangaroos...I was a bit confused, so I asked him to explain....turns out he is not a "roofer" but a "roo-shooter"--He shoots kangaroos for dog food!! I gasped and hoped he was joking--sadly he wasn't, he owns a kangaroo killing business. They are so cute, I couldn't believe it!

80's Are Back!?!.......
Not that I should be giving out fashion advice, I know this.....but we have constantly noticed that women here wear very BAD shoes....80's rewind! Granted we are not on the cutting edge of fashion, but sequins and flower patterns on your heels are not back in style...are they? haha. Bad shoes to no shoes....many people do not wear shoes at all....they go everywhere barefoot! We heard about a teacher who came here from Europe...she was very surprised when a lot of her students came to school without shoes! Most of the schools have a standard school uniform, which we think is a good idea to prevent some students feeling left out or picked on becuase they are not wearing the 'cool' clothes....probably saving their parents a fortune too!

Missing Medicare.........
Danielle had injured her leg, so we went to the medical clinic down the street from our flat. It was so strange not whipping out the Medicare card. Well all is ok, but she does have a pulled muscle...so hoping that heals shortly. After seeing the doctor I was on my way out the door, when Danielle reminded me that she had to wait and PAY for the visit....oops I forgot that part! Lucky we both have travel insurance!

We have a new addition to the house....a cute little fur-iend, Wattie--Glenn got a 6 week old kitten! So we volunteered to watch him during the day when Glenn is at work! So nice to have a pet back in our lives :)
Well I am at risk of being defeated...by the cold--I suggested we should get a mini-heater! I am whinning about the cold...and we are CANADIAN...coming from -40 degrees, I should be happy about the fall temperatures here! Haven't thrown in the towel just yet....no heater yet. It's like we are camping having no heat in the house--maybe we need a little heater to take the dampness out of the air?

We went to the Human Rights Film Festival here this week. It was really great--we went to 2 different films, one about sweatshops in the U.S. and one concerning the huge supply of weapons from the U.S. to some of the poorest countries in the world. Eighty percent of the weapons exported throughout the world are going to Non-democratic countries--dictators that are committing crimes and killing their own people. As U.S. weapons companies sell more weapons abroad, the Bush government then has an excuse to increase the military budget by a few more billion dollars of their tax payers money for research & development to create new weapons to overpower the ones they are selling abroad. They now are creating an F-22 fighterplane--to overtake the F-18, which they have already sold abroad. It is crazy--they sell the weapons to these countries and then turn around and send in troops to "govern" the killing that is going in that country due to the weapons. This all goes on just to fill the deep billion dollar pockets of the weapon companies in the U.S., unfortunately it is the innocent adults and children who are paying the price. Ugghh...Sorry about the rant--it is just very frustrating--why is this permitted to continue?

Well Danielle is busy adding pictures to the website...so enjoy! http://community.webshots.com/user/crananddan
Hope all is well, have a great weekend!

Ta Ta
-Laura & D

We have PICTURES

2005-05-20T12:27:00.000+12:00

Yes, I understand that we have been a tad slack in the picure department. We are back on track. We have a whole bunch of pics to upload, but we forgot to bring the attachment cord today. Sorry. Check back on Monday or Tuesday though...should be all good.

Just in town for an hour or so. Just had a Chai Latte at a local coffee shop in downtown Auckland. The streets are really busy now at this time of day, it's fun to see everyone rushing home...after a long workday. Our workday doesn't start for another 1.5hrs...so..we're not in too much of a rush. :)

Hope that things are well...again, check back early next week to see the pics.

Did we tell you guys that one of our flat-mates brought home a Kitty? His name is WATTIE, and he is 6 weeks old. I fear for his future...so at the time being, we are taking very good care of him. He needs a course in self-defense to put up with the boys at home.

Take care & Talk to you soon.

-Danielle & Lo

Word of the Week...

2005-05-16T17:38:00.000+12:00

There are just some odd words here in New Zealand. Some...we've adapted, and laugh whenever we say them out loud. Here are just a few...

NAPPIES: (Pampers.) This is funny...even on the tele, they say this. Very amusing.

TELE: (t.v.) New Zealand is very influenced by Britian, so a lot of the terms are adopted from the U.K.

GIVE IT A MISS: This is my ALL TIME fav! I use this ALL the time. This means, "NAH, I don't wanna bother" I just LOVE this.

WHIFFY: Smelly.

JANDALS: Sandals. Hahaha...love it.

EASY: Gotta LOVE this...almost more than "give it a miss." This is just a filler word to be used wherever you can stick it in. It's such a fun little word to say. In 1 day, we witnessed a 60+ man and a 3yr old boy use this term. Too funny.

HI YA: I like this. Friendly-like. To be used the same as, Hi...just a little added bonus at the end. :)

MINCE: Ugh. This is what they call Ground Beef or Hamburger. It sickens me really. Just not a good word.

Hey Guys

2005-05-16T13:12:00.000+12:00

Just a quick little blog.

We are going to the HUMAN RIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL here in
Auckland this week. Quite a few shows to take in...a few on CHILD LABOUR in the Textile Industry. (WALMART quite a contributer...hint hint)
One of the films we are going to see is a family who is living METERS away from 60,000 TANKS of TOXIC WASTE in Sydney. Crazy.

Hope all is well.

Talk to you soon

Long time no chat! ....

2005-05-09T20:06:00.000+12:00

Hello again!

Well sorry we have been a bit slack in updating our website....but all is fine here in the NZ. We have not been doing anything out of the ordinary...work and going to the gym. Fall is certainly in the air, as the leaves are falling from the trees. It tends to rain here almost daily, but the rain never seems to last long...better rain than the white stuff!

We have been hanging out with a woman from work, which is great to have somewhere to visit. We went to her house last night after work for dinner...she has a heat at her house, so we love to visit! On the way home a kitty stopped to say hello and started to follow us. After 2 blocks, we were starting to worry that we may have picked up a new pet, and since it was late we really couldn't start knocking on doors to find the owner. Thankfully, our furry friend eventually stopped and headed home!

Another faltmate moved out of the house today, so we are down to the 4 guys now. Not much news there, nothing has been blown up for a while...almost normal living conditions other than the constant dissapearance of our milk supply. There has been one new addition to the household though...our landlord dropped off her old computer for all of us to use...only one problem, she did not leave the correct password for the internet. But it was super nice of her and we are excited about getting that up and running!

Well we are off to see a movie tonight, as it is finally our day off. Hope everything is well with everyone. Happy Mother's Day to all those great mom's we know and love!

Cheers,
Laura & Danielle

KIA ORA BLOG READERS!

2005-04-25T19:37:00.000+12:00

Hello....

Well...life in the 'burbs...what can we say? Everything shuts down at 6pm. Is there life in Takapuna after midnight? We've yet to find evidence of such....

It's ANZAC DAY here in New Zealand...which I think is relative to our Remembance Day...

How did Laura and I put in our day off from TELEMARKETING!? Well...we crashed on the couch, with our new sleeping bags, and watched, "The Wizard of Oz." However, our afternoon was cut short a little, when the BOYS woke up...as stimulating as it is to listen to grunts & belches...we had to get outta there. So here we are...

We walked down to the movies, and are headed to see MISS CONGENIALITY...movies take AWHILE to get here....and they have ASSIGNED SEATING!?! Isn't that bonkers??

Anyways...we best get on our way...OH...Laura and I are going to implement the WORD OF THE WEEK.....

This week, the word is "CRUMBS" (Crum-ss..haha)
Has been heard replacing such words as "damn" or "cripes"....quite funny....also rather funny when hearing a 90+ female saying it....(while in the midst of our VERY important job...)

Have a good one...
D & L

We still kickin'

2005-04-23T10:16:00.000+12:00

Hey Guys..

Just a quick little note (like i have 5 mins left....)
Nothing much new.

Weather is VERY strange...it's freezing one minute....POURING rain the next, and then the sun is out, and it's HOT!??!?! We have been on the search for a resonable priced umbrella...NO LUCK....until then we are in Mother Nature's hands....scary.

We have some news, but we will blog about it later...when we have more time.
Overslept for work today....haha.

Hope all is well with everyone....

Chow
-Danielle

Turning Colder....

2005-04-12T15:59:00.000+12:00

Hi all!

Well Danielle and I came into Auckland today to do some more looking around, lots new to see everytime we come...since there is 1.2 million people in the city! Plus, we found a bargain on sleeping bags, which are super small! We are pleased about that since it is starting to cool off here, especially at night...burr, not quite -30 that we left at home, but the month of great weather was such a tease now that we are heading into winter here in a few weeks.

Danielle and I are starting our own version of Big Brother NZ!...who will we vote out of the house this week...stay tuned...depends who keeps drinking all my milk!! haha. No really they are cool people though, we have really enjoyed talking to them, they ask us a lot about Canada since none of them had been there. We were talking about Basketball the other day, cause the season here will be starting soon on TV. We totally assumed that the NBA would be aired here, but it isn't since they have their own national team here.

We went to the beach last week, we finally have some beach pictures to show youl. Danielle is busy working on her tan, and I am hoping to become off-white, haha! But not to worry we are wearing our sunscreen...NZ has the worse Ozone problem in the world, it seems that it is thanks to all the polution that drifts here from North America.

Well it seems evertime we go to the supermarket we find something to joke about! Like cheese...there is no orange cheese here, even cheddar cheese is white! ... Makes me wonder what we Canadians are putting in our cheese...that's a question for you dad! Also the sauces on things are quite different...even mayo & mustard! Ketchup (or tomato sauce as it is always called here) is not really available, but we found out that some places use it for pizza sauce...don't think we will try that one!

We were in the city last week and wanted to go into the Sky Tower Casino to look around, but the bouncer wouldn't let us in because we had on flipflops....strict no beachwear policy... so we will have to plan ahead next time!! We thought it was funny, we went to the cinema in Takapuna and the seats are assigned, after you buy the tickets the usher shows you to your seats!

For those of you who keep asking...yes I kinda did meet some one at work...Milo. Very nice! The European girls that we met at work are leaving next week to go home! Gonna miss them...they are so like us...travel buds!

Well we posted some new pictures of Takapuna Beach...enjoy!

http://community.webshots.com/user/crananddan

Keep the emails coming, love to hear from you all!

Have a good day,

Laura

Eggs Anyone?

2005-04-03T20:11:00.000+12:00

Hello All...

Came home the other night to find our "evicted" flatemate had blown up about 300 eggs in the microwave (along with a can of RAID, and AXE body spray) EGGS EVERYWHERE! For some reason, his immaturity found this amusing, while he prided himself in saying..."Haha...look...the microwave door flies open when they bust...hehe." We were less then impressed. The microwave is no longer in use...and looks like one BIG scrambled egg...(and smells worse)

From that flatemate to our other flatemate...
Her name is Flora...and she's from Fiji. Laura and I both agree that 4 D North would be welcoming her with OPEN ARMS....she's admittable. (for sure) She's a nurse...in her late 40's. She's TOTALLY uncomprehendable...and she belongs to the piglet colony, along with the rest. She got a view of my music note tattoo, and she told Laura and I that tattoos were a sign of the Devil, and we'd be going to hell....

Aside from the stories above, and the fact that we're buying groceries for the entire house...things are good!

Work is going good...we've been able to pick up some extra shifts, so that's helpful. We met our EUROPEAN EQUIVALENT....these 2 really cool girls from England. They worked together, and started off on an adventure, just like us. They are at the tail end of theirs though. So, they are giving us lots of advice, and things. We all work the same shifts, so that's good....

Hope things are well with all of you.
Haven't been able to post pictures yet...won't be going into town until early next week...worky worky! :)

Cheerio
-Danielle

Did you think we forgot about cha's?

2005-03-26T18:44:00.000+12:00

Well...it's blogtime!
We have NEW PICTURES! Check them out! http://community.webshots.com/user/crananddan

Laura and I ventured into the city today. Went and got lunch at the Victoria Street Market, and then went to Victoria Park, across the street. We dined, and snoozed for the afternoon. (You'll get a first hand look at the snooze part when you see the pictures...SURPRISE CRANNY!!)

So...when we woke up...by a soccer ball. (Damn Youngsters!) We made our way up here, to our little Internet Shop. The little man who runs it, says he misses us. Ahhh...so sweet. We told him we moved to Takapuna Beach, but we miss him lots too..(Considering Internet is TWICE as much out there in the Burbs)

Laura and I strolled down to Good Friday Service at the Church. It was PACKED, and of course it is a million degrees. So, i peer over at my best friend to find that all the colour has drained from her face, and it appeared as though she may pass out. (What a way to introduce ourselves to the Parish...) Anywho...she had a sip of water, and fanned herself for a bit, and things were good. Thank God. Hehe.

The way of life in New Zealand is a tad backward i have to say....for instance Food. Since we live with piglets, it may be just their way, however EGGS are just left out in the open. NOT IN THE FRIDGE! Even in the stores....they are just OUT.(Our roomates leave them in the cupboard) Strange.

Our little men that we live with, or boys....have been helping themselves to our groceries...and toilet paper. The other night, we came home to find Glenn (our flatmate) drinking our milk. What do you say?! GET THE HELL AWAY FROM OUR COW JUICE.....YOU ROTTEN PIGLET! Haha...We let it go...but Laura's been working on her "drop-kick" for next time. (That'll learn 'em)

Anyways...have a good week you guys, and email. We love to get mail!
AND, if you want to send us REAL mail (hint hint) Our address is:

307 Lake Road
ROOM 3
Takapuna
Auckland, New Zealand

I guess they don't have postal codes here, it "all gets worked out at the post office."

Take Care
Love
Danielle & Lobee

Mothers to Be....

2005-03-19T18:23:00.000+13:00

Well we have been in our new place a day now...so far so good, well now it is anyway....yesterday when we moved in the place was in a scary state! There were dishes everywhere in the kitchen, all dirty of course... and food that had been left out a while by the look of it! We just couldn't understand it, the place is beautiful, all stainless steel appliances, dishwasher...etc. and the place was a dump! So we decided to clean up a bit after we got there, put dishes in the washer, swept, and took out the garbage, which must have been there a while...cause the flies had made themselves at home there too! But no harm...we felt much more comfortable there after. So when we got to work we were telling our trainer that we are living in a house of piggies...he just laughed and said you are living in a flat, did you expect that it would be clean? haha. After he told us some stories about the "typical" cleaning habits of some roommates, we didn't think that ours were so bad...better than the norm possibly (which is a bit scary)! So we decided that we would become the mothers of the house...and just clean up...we can't stand it looking... or more importantly...smelling that bad again, so we will just be good "moms" and clean it to keep the peace!

Our roommates are cool people though...a nurse, doctor, a few younger guys...everyone is really nice, there are 7 of us all together, so we are looking forward to getting to know them all. The nurse is from Fiji, so we can't wait to talk to her, as Danielle and I hope to vacation there maybe for Christmas!

Well the job training finished last night, and we had our first shift doing research today...not too bad of a job....we keep telling each other it is just a means to an ends, so we can travel more! So I am sure that will help carry us through the shifts! We will have to post a picture of Fiji at our desks! The people at work are cool...our trainer Dan had some great stories about NZ....such as all the fun little insects we may encounter here, he said not to worry...nothing over 4 inches! And not to worry nothing poisonous unless you go to Australia...he commented even the people are poisonous there! There is quite a rivalry between the Kiwis and the Aussies; reminds me of home and the Americans.

Well hope to have some pictures to post soon from Takapuna Beach and the house...

Hope all is well,

Laura

Job and Apartment....Gotta love KARMA!

2005-03-17T23:03:00.000+13:00

Yes, folks you heard right....we have an apartment now! YIPEE! We will be sending you pictures very soon, as it is KICKASS! We are living in a Big house within WALKING distance of the BEACH! Oh yes...the beach. (However now that we are employed we don't have time to go to the beach) Anywho...it's wonderful everything included (power, phone...etc) for $115/week. (for each of us) It's only going to be a 15min walk to work (ALSO by the beach...and yes i am rubbing it in)

So...being that it is St. Patrick's Day...Laura and I bought a 6-pack, and plan to guzzle 'em back on the way back to OUR LAST NIGHT IN THE HOSTEL!!!! I wanna hear a BIG CHEER from ALL of you!

So, we are moving to a place where I do not believe there are any Internet Cafe's...which really sucks because we just got a month membership here. So, we'll be writing on a weekly basis now...however, we will get the pictures up ASAP of our new digs. AHHHHH! So exciting! We love the town...it's called TAKAPUNA BEACH...pronounced (TAK*A*POOH*NA) and it's only a 15min bus ride to Downtown Auckland.

So...things are good. We were a bit nervy yesterday when we looked at another apartment, and thought it may have been our only option. We were going to share with a Chinese fellow...very sticky about his things...had a big DEADBOLT on his bedroom door, and was not prepared to let us use his dishes. Anyways...on the way out, we saw a dead cockroach on the floor, and decided....NOT THE PLACE FOR US........This place is so much better. Laura and I will be sharing a room...no biggie. The Real Estate Agent asked us point blank, "Are you 2 Lesbians?" Haha....she was afraid that we may have a "lovers scrap," we assured here that it may not be a "lovers scrap", however we have been known to have a tiff here and there. Hehe.

Anyways...off to beer.

Happy St Patricks Day
Cheers!
Danielle

Employed...

2005-03-15T18:11:00.001+13:00

Well a lot has gone on since our last update...we decided that we had to finally break down and look for a job...but it wasn't to bad, we went for an interview on Monday and we are both now working for a Market Research firm in Takapuna (which is a 15min bus ride outside of Auckland). The beach is right outside our office building...check out the pictures! So Danielle & I am working the same shifts, which is great! We start training tomorrow (Wednesday), so we are a little bummed out that we don't have all day to roam about the city now :)

We are trying to get an apt in Takapuna, so we can walk to work. We were out there today, and found a great place, were are going to view it on Thursday, so keep your fingers crossed we will get it, cause there are some others that are also interested. We really like it there, and can't wait to move ... it is a beautiful spot, and there is a market there selling fruits & veggies really cheap...$0.65 for a mango...couldn't be a better spot!

Danielle & I got a little lost last night...so we were 2 hours later getting home, but we visited new parts of the city...we should have got pedometers....we haven't stopped walking since we arrived! But it is so much better to explore by foot!

So hopefully we will be moving again on Thursday...

Check back soon!

Miss you all!

Laura

Employed...

2005-03-15T18:11:00.000+13:00

PICTURES FINALLY

2005-03-14T10:40:00.000+13:00

After 2.5 LONG hours in the Internet Cafe...we have pictures. Good Lord, we didn't think it would EVER happen...but here is the address. There are 2 albums, 1 has 24 pictures, and the other only has 2. So...take a peek. http://community.webshots.com/user/crananddan

So...we had our first night in our new digs last night. We are sharing a room with 3 boys. All smelly. It smells like a locker-room. Very stinky. So stinky in fact, we left our soap dish open to the air, in hopes that the soothing smell of DOVE would override the boy-stench. Either way...things are good. Good snooze. Just waiting for a fellow-female to join the group.

Laura and I went to the bathroom this morning got aquainted with the Belgium woman, washing her toes in the sink...we waited until she was done, then brushed our teeth. Mmmmm...

The other day as we were walking to the bus stop, Laura exclaimed,"too bad...we didn't meet anyone today..." Just then, as if it were an act of God...a little dirty man without teeth came and sat next to us...he was a hoot. Very intoxicated, but full of stories about Auckland. Good times.

Other than that, nothing much going on. We had tea and toast at a little outdoor cafe this morning....and we may stroll down to the park to have a little cat nap later on this afternoon.

Meeting with a local Backpacker group tomorrow morning in hopes of getting employment....(so sad...we quite like being bums)

Enjoy the pics
Ta Ta
-Danielle

Moved Again!

2005-03-12T18:01:00.000+13:00

Hello Canada!

Well we started off our day moving to our new hostel...we packed up everything and left our hostel before 10am. It has become all too apparent that we have packed too much stuff, as we started to lug our packs and begin our hour bus ride into the city...but we made it and set up at our new diggs in the city.

Our new hostel has some interesting ways of cutting corners, as we quickly discovered that there is no soap in the washroom...luckily we have that one covered, however the bedding is a different story! We have no blankets on the beds, so we have discovered a new use for a beach towel...good thing it is warm here!

Well today was a great day! We went on a little excursion to Davenport, which is a 15 min ferry ride across the water from Auckland. It is a very quiet and tranquil little place...kinda reminded us of St. Andrews...very touristy with so many little shops and cafes. We walked on the beach, dipped our toes in the Pacific Ocean and then fell asleep in the park...very tough day! It is very beautiful there, and a nice break from the city. And we could not get over the fact the cars stopped for us to cross the street...very different from weaving through the city traffic!

We have to laugh at the number of times that we have been asked for directions, we just laugh with a blank look and say we's Canadians and have no idea...even though everyone comments that we look like we are from the UK.

Well til the next update from down under.....

Laura

Friday Afternoon- Looking for a bed.

2005-03-11T16:55:00.000+13:00

Hey Guys.
It's Friday Afternoon 5pm...

Well....right now we are living out by the airport, which is a 45 minute bus ride into town.

So, Laura and I decided to try to find alternate accomodation. So...we ventured into town and to find "ELIZABETH STREET" where we read there was a rooming house. So....we found it. UGH! They didn't have any availability, and the caretaker didn't have any toenails.... so...maybe it was a sign.

HOWEVER....we found this very nice hostel around the corner. It's in a very nice area, reminds us of MANAWAGONISH RD a little. So, we are sharing an 8 bed-mixed (haha) dorm room. So...until we find a HOME-STAY or something else, this is where we will be. This is the website if you want to take a look http://www.ponsonby-backpackers.co.nz They have a nice kitchen area, and backyard, and people our own age to chat with. We will be a 15 minute walk to the downtown area...not too shabby.

Umm. Other than that...this is it. Traffic is CRAZY here. (NZ government does not believe in crosswalks) You literally must walk in the middle of the road to get to the other side, and HOPE that someone will stop. SERIOUSLY! Sometimes you'll make it 3 lanes across, and have to stand in the middle and wait until the next 3 lanes are free. IT'S INSANE! To make things worse...they drive on the opposite side...it's REALLY messing us up. Could NEVER, EVER, EVER drive here....public transit it is. :)

Weather here is AWESOME. Warm and sunny.... Do we miss shoes?...ah..no. Everyone is a sandal wearer....we so fit in. :)

Uncle Phil, i got your comment, I just need your email address. Send me a liner at bubbakiwi@hotmail.com

We have pics, and we will post them ASAP. (EXCELLENT tip Rosemary...hehe..they are too cute here....with the accents to boot)

Allrighty...Check back with you later
Chow
Cran and Dan

WE HAVE LANDED

2005-03-11T11:01:00.000+13:00

Yes....we are here. Now that we are here.....what are we to do with ourselves?

Instead of spending 9 hours in LAX, we decided to be RISQUE, and hop in a cab to downtown Hollywood. Yup...we saw all the stars on the sidewalk, and took a bus tour of the stars homes...invasive yes...but what do we care?

(We took pictures, however since we took this little adventure downtown, we didn't have time to learn how to properly use the camera...so we will post the pics as soon as we have learn how)

The 3rd and final flight was not too shabby. We slept most of the way. When we arrived...the little hostel man picked us up, but our rooms were not ready.....so we went for a stroll down to the local cafe for breakfast. On the way there i saw a sign which read..."HOUND ROLLS 3 for $9".....now being the humanitarian that i am...i was a tad concerned that these "ROLLS" contained "HOUND".....so i ventured into the store, and to my relief...they are actually ROLLS for your HOUND. Soo...interesting way to name DOG FOOD, but whatever!

So, now we are heading on the bus into town to see what's shaking. Laura is just getting out of the shower, and i still have to do my crazy hair...oh what the humidity can do for a fluffy fro.

It's 2pm here on Thursday.

Love you all
Kisses and Huggies

Danielle & Laura

We leave tomorrow!

2005-03-08T02:51:00.000+13:00

Hey All...

It's 9:52am, on MONDAY.....we take off tomorrow.

Tomorrow, (at this time) we will be flying to LAX.

I have to admit i am a tad nervous about this big adventure. I spoke to Laura last night, and she seems to be a bit more calm. Humm....

Anywho...this is our website. Lo and I will be posting our thoughts on here from time to time, and when we finally figure out how to use our new digital camera, will be posting pictures as well. (We will most likely master the camera during our 9hr layover in LAX...something to do..)

So check back, and we will write when we land in Auckland....

Love Ya's
Kisses

-Danielle and Laura