Never Too Old for Shenanigans

The next morning, my flatmate Daiana returned from her 3-week trip to Argentina. Luckily, her niece’s condition had improved during the time she was there, so she was able to come back with some peace of mind. Emma and I went to pick Mia and Greg up from The Coffee Club, where they’d just finished their breakfast. Unfortunately, Mia had gotten a call that our jet boating was cancelled for that afternoon due to rough seas. Even worse, it was Mia and Greg’s only chance to go. Bummer. I went ahead and bought the vouchers off of them though so they at least wouldn’t lose any money. Even without jetboating though, the day turned out to be absolutely superb! I haven't had so many activities and random moments of laughter packed into one day in quite some time. BRILLIANT!

The four of us went to the French Market, then enjoyed a game of mini golf at Lilliput in Parnell. More than the golf, however, we had entirely too much fun taking silly pictures with the fake dinosaur that was planted in the middle of the golf course. Mia and I took an epic photo of us running for our lives from t-rex, which I will add to the end of this blog for your viewing pleasure =). I mean really, you can never be too old for shenanigans. Am I right? Next on the agenda was a trip to The Chocolate Boutique in Parnell for some tasty chocolate drinks. Mia’s ‘drink' was literally just a mug filled with pure melted chocolate. Mmmm mmm good. Afterward, we carried on by going ten-pin bowling in Newmarket…where even more silly photos ensued. =)

The main reason we were able to do so many things in the first place was because Emma had recently bought an entertainment book for Auckland that had loads and loads of coupons for activities and restaurant around the city. So, she was nice enough to let us use all sorts of coupons throughout the day. =) For dinner, we decided to eat at Lonestar, which also happens to be Mia and Greg’s favorite restaurant in New Zealand. To kill some time before it opened for dinner though, we walked around Newmarket, checked out some shops, explored the mall, and took more ridiculous photos with some oversized egg fixtures that were meant to be sidewalk art. I’m not quite sure why we were on such an inappropriate-picture-taking rampage, but it was glorious. =)

Dinner at Lonestar was sooo delicious! I understand why it is Mia and Greg’s favorite, wow! Definitely some of the best food I’ve had in New Zealand. We of course continued our silly photo-taking streak at dinner…fun stuff. We ended the evening with a few games of pool at The Slate Room. Even though I had been there before with my friend Chris, I had never really paid attention to this big robot that stood against one of the walls. As it turns out, the robot is actually a really awesome jukebox that is also FREE! We all had wayyyy too much fun with that robot. Good times, good times. =) Once we were done playing pool, we all walked back to the flat to exchange pictures from the day’s excursions. Then, I walked the lovely Brits back to their hotel and we called it a night.

Mia and Greg were off to England the next day =(. Before heading to the airport though, they came by my work to drop off a bag of random goodies that wouldn’t fit in their luggage, including lots of instant noodles, some men’s shower gel (thanks Greg), an awesome shirt of Mia’s, AND an Archie’s Bunker t-shirt! I was gutted about saying goodbye though. It had been so long since I’d seen them, and then we had such a blast when I did see them again, I just didn’t want them to leave. Still, I couldn’t have asked for a better weekend, and I know it is only a matter of time before I see my Marvelous Mia and Gregarious Greg again….this time in England =)

Cheers,
Ash

The Brits are Back in Town

After getting the fantastic news about my job extension, that following weekend was made even better with the visit of two of my favorite Brits, Mia and Greg! I hadn’t seen them since Sontsa and I last left Napier, which had been almost four months ago by that point. So, I was absolutely thrilled to see them again! Sadly, the ultimate reason they came to Auckland was to fly back home to England, so it was to be the last weekend I would spend with them (in New Zealand at least). I met them in front of the ferry building on Saturday morning, the two of them looking quite swag in their black leather jackets. =) We walked around the harbour and stopped by one of the jet boating offices to make a booking for the next day.

I still had the free jet boating voucher from John, plus Mia and Greg had bought some half price jet boating coupons from one of the New Zealand websites that offers deals. We booked in for Sunday afternoon, then did some more venturing around the city (by some, I actually mean heaps). We explored for a total of almost seven hours! While checking out the yachts by the harbour, we noticed a crowd of people that had gathered a bit further down for some unknown reason. We walked over to see what the excitement was all about and saw that a new pedestrian drawbridge had been built, leading to a whole new section of the harbour that I had never been to before.

Well, before we had a chance to cross the bridge, it inexplicably went up. None of us had seen a boat come by, so we were a bit confused. A few moments later, a tiny remote-controlled sailboat passed by us from the direction of the bridge haha. Mia, Greg and I all looked at each other with bewildered expressions…surely the bridge hadn’t gone up for that fake little boat. The bridge eventually started to go back down, but was apparently interrupted by something and again raised back up. This time, it was for kayakers! Haha. It was quite comical though. We stood there for ages, but the bridge never came back down. So, we decided to take the extended route to get to the area on the other side of that bridge, which was a good 45-minute walk.

Once we got there, it was one of the strangest things I have seen. The place had unexplained crowds of people everywhere. The only thing going on was a concert…that no one was watching. Oh, and the stage was literally right in front of an enormous industrial tank. Other than that, the area had a small green hill with fake grass on it for kids to play on, plus a baffling glass construction that was no more than a multiple-level structure with multiple staircases and an elevator. I guess it could have been for viewing purposes. I mean, after all, those industrial tanks and that sad little green hill were enthralling haha. After our confusing experience there, we exited over the drawbridge (which had surprisingly come down), and were off for some more exploring.

Greg bought a proper rugby shirt for his granddad from the Official Rugby Store near the harbour. Then, we walked up Queen Street, and had a nice dinner at a steakhouse in the Queens Arcade shopping center called the Patio Restaurant. Mia insisted on buying my dinner too—such a sweetheart. =) Afterward, the three of us ventured to Look Sharp, where Greg and I got in trouble for taking pictures of him wearing silly hats, then to Vulcan Lane, High Street, Lorne Avenue, Upper Queen Street, K Road, and finally back to my flat. There, Mia and Greg met Emma and we all hung out for a bit chatting and trying on Emma’s famed afro wig. At Emma’s suggestion, the four of us walked down to Elliott Stables and enjoyed some tasty churros. Yummmm. Emma went back to the flat, and I walked around some more with my Brits before walking them back to their hotel. I ended my evening with a 4-hour Skype with Ricky. =) Splendid day!

Random Auckland Times & Another Job Extension!

The following week marked the beginning of August, which meant I had been living in Auckland for just over two months. Oddly enough, I felt like I had been living in Auckland for a couple of years rather than a couple of months; it had become ‘home’ very quickly. Most of the week was spent just working during the day and blogging at night. However, a few random occurrences are worth mentioning. A somewhat comical incident actually involved the tech guys at work. You see, from the very beginning, the tech guys and I haven’t been the best of friends. When I first got transferred to the Life and Legacy team, it took them almost two whole weeks to get my systems up and running, and trust me…I was not amused.

Well, this time around, I needed my own telephone extension. My boss Karlene sent an email to the tech guys with such a request. However, in her email, she accidentally misspelled my name as “Askley King.” I quickly emailed the tech guys to tell them my name was misspelled; they never responded. When I came in the next day, I saw that my newly-assigned phone had “Askley King” written clearly across the screen. Passive aggressive much? Yes, I would say so. =) They have ignored all requests to correct it. So, now every time someone within AMP calls my extension, they always ask, “Hey….do you know that your name comes up as Askley on the system??” Haha. Moral of the story: Don’t mess with the tech guys.

On Wednesday, some of my team members got the free massages that they had signed up for previously at work. Well, I emailed Carol in reception to inquire if there were still any slots available. Sadly, all were taken. However, Carol called me a little later and said there had been a last-minute cancellation. Score! So, part of my Wednesday afternoon was spent getting a free chair massage at work. Ah yes, living the good life. =) Later that same afternoon, I was sitting at my desk when I all of a sudden noticed that many of my co-workers were crowding around the windows, gawking at something below. Unbeknownst to me, Auckland has a yearly event called the “Boobs on Bikes” parade. As you can imagine, it involves topless men and women riding motorcycles throughout the city. This unusual event apparently started as a demonstration after a couple of women were arrested for baring their chests during a public protest.

Since its dawning in 2003, several attempts have been made to stop the parade but each has failed in court. So, for now, the parade happens at least once every year and even gets police escorts to avoid any problems haha. After work that day, Jess and I hung out with Chris at his flat, and just chatted, enjoyed a glass of wine, and listened to music. Then, we all walked down to Durham Street to meet up with Chris’s girlfriend Louise for dinner. The four of us ate at a really good Japanese restaurant called Renkon, where my chopsticks skills (or lack thereof) were rigorously tested. Luckily, Jess snuck me a fork so I could actually eat my rice meal without it taking a solid week. =)

After dinner, we all walked down Queen Street and went to this arcade that I never even knew existed. It was somewhat hidden, inside of a small shopping center/passageway, and down the stairs. Surprisingly, the place was huge too! Chris suggested playing Dance Dance Revolution. As it turned out, he is apparently one of these people that have played DDR to the point of having absurdly mad skills. Jess and I failed miserably in comparison, though it was fun nonetheless…and a really good workout! Chris, Jess, and Louise fit in some air hockey too before we left. The last stop of the evening involved getting some ice cream at Giapo before we all headed home. Fun night.

On Friday, I emailed my boss Karlene to see whether my temp contract would be ending the following week on August 12th. When I first got transferred on July 1st from the Kiwisaver department to the Life and Legacy department, I was told they would probably only need me for a month. However, a couple of weeks into my new role, Karlene mentioned to me that she’d really like for me to stay until September 30th if possible—she just needed to see if she could get approval from the higher-ups. Well, at the end of the day on Friday, she told me the wonderful news that my job contract had officially been extended until the end of September! I was beyond thrilled!! Immediately after work, I went to a few travel agencies to get quotes for Thailand! Once I got home, I made a budget for the rest of my time in New Zealand, my potential trip to Thailand, and my trip to Australia. Ahhh, the excitement!

Cheers,
Ash

Taupo: Take Two

The next morning, July 30th, I speed-walked down toward the Ferry Building to catch the 8:40 am Naked Bus that I’d booked for Taupo. I had woken up a bit late and in my rush to get there, I even lost my favorite pink knitted beanie. =( On the 4-hour bus ride down, I listened to my music and blogged until I could blog no more. It was strange being back on a bus…hadn’t been on one in ages. It was even stranger, however, being on a bus without Sontsa. Nevertheless, the bus ride went by quickly and I texted Emma once the bus was pulling into Taupo. She picked me up in front of the I-site, and we drove over to the hostel where she and her family were staying. The hostel was no other than the Rainbow Lodge, the same one Sontsa and I had stayed in during our short trip to Taupo months before. =)

Emma lead me to our dorm room so I could drop off my stuff , and lo and behold, it was the same ROOM Sontsa and I had stayed in too! Ohhh, the memories! It felt like just yesterday that Sontsa and I were in that room chatting with our Australian dorm mates. =) This time around, I was sharing the room with Emma and three of her younger cousins. I dropped off my stuff, and Emma and I went to the kitchen where all of her family members were having lunch…and I do mean ALL of her family members (well almost anyway) =). At least 40 people had all come together for her Nana’s 70th birthday—parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and second cousins—all having traveled from different parts of New Zealand for the event. The Ratuki family had the entire hostel to themselves, with the exception of three stray backpackers who no doubt had no idea what they were in for that weekend when they booked to stay there haha.

After snacking on the smorgasbord of food that everyone had brought, we all chilled out in the kitchen/lounge area. The boys played pool while us gals had a bit of a nail-painting party. Emma and a couple of the other girls had brought an array of nail polishes, which mostly consisted of verrry bright and flashy colors. So, by the time all the girls were done painting our nails, we probably looked pretty funny to any outsiders—a massive group of girls aged 10 to 70, all with incredibly loud nails =). Besides that, Nana had brought a big bag of cozy, knitted socks that she’d made for everyone. So, some of the crew rummaged through the bag to find the colors they preferred, and I was lucky enough to get a pair too. Later that afternoon, a big group of us got our bathing suits out and drove down to the Taupo AC Baths and Hot Pools.

The Hot Pools were massive, with a huge indoor leisure pool that linked to an even bigger outdoor leisure pool, along with a lap pool and a kiddie pool. The indoor leisure pool had two hydro slides (which Emma’s little cousins took full advantage of), plus the outside area had a Tarzan swing and a “bombing” zone for the kids to go wild. I mostly hung out with Emma’s aunt Andrea and her uncle Lloyd (who looked remarkably similar to Dustin Hoffman by the way). I kept entertained by watching Emma’s little cousins fling themselves off of the Tarzan swing, participate in cannonball competitions, and leap into the pool, prepared to be caught by their older cousins (whether they were ready for them or not). Right before we left, I helped egg on one of the youngest boys Cooper to conquer the hydro slide. He finally did and naturally loved it.

After our hot pools excursion, we all got changed for dinner. I had forgotten to bring a nice outfit for the occasion, but Emma surprised us all by wearing a dress and hot pink high heels—yowzer! She let me borrow her chic grey pea coat for the evening though, so I didn’t look quite as out of place as I would have if I’d worn my casual fleece jacket =). The whole group walked down to the RSA, where we’d booked in for a buffet dinner. Emma and I sat with her two brothers Scott and James, their wives Amanda and Megan, their little ones, as well as Emma’s cousin Shaun. After stuffing our faces with meat, veg, potatoes, and dessert, it was time to watch the rugby game. An RSA here is comparable to an American Legion back in The States. So, it had a large open space just around the corner from the eating area that was appropriately equipped with a very large screen for watching games.

We each grabbed a chair, a drink from the bar, and took a seat. It wasn’t long before the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team was performing the famed Haka. One of Emma’s family members asked me, “What do you think??” I responded with, “I love it!” =) I must admit that I’ve become a bit of a rugby fan, especially when it comes to the All Blacks. After the RSA, Emma and I set out with her cousins Garreth and Shaun on a mission to enjoy some of Taupo’s nightlife. Well, after walking around the small town for approximately a total of 5 to 10 minutes, we quickly became aware that we WERE the nightlife in Taupo haha. So, back to the hostel we went…where we made our own fun. Emma and Shaun ingeniously turned an innocent game of pickup sticks into a drinking game. Yup, you would have thought they’d been living in hostels for ages haha.

The next morning was quite chilly, with frost covering the ground and snow atop the mountains in the distance. Everyone had breakfast at the hostel, then took tons of group photos before saying goodbye. Emma and I stopped by Huka Falls before leaving town, which was one of the spots Sontsa and I had missed during our previous visit in Taupo. So, I was glad I finally got to see it. On our way back to Auckland, we stopped by Emma’s parents house in Hamilton, had some ice cream, then hit the road again. A Burger King drive-thru later and another small pit-stop for refreshments, we were back home in Auckland. The rest of the day was spent chilling out and posting the blogs I’d written on my bus ride over. =)

Cheers,
Ash