So How's This for Coming Outta Left Field?

New, legally appropriate measures of hazing have evolved, apparently. While certainly better than the kind of hazing that used to occur, it is nonetheless a shock to learn of the new methods. Particularly in the form of your lovely fiance coming home and announcing, with some trepidation, that he has been volun-told by his rugby team to enter an upcoming Mr. Universe contest. This contest includes, but will not be limited to, a drinking contest, a pick-up line contest, an eveningwear contest, and of course, a swimsuit competition.

Eventually, the hysterical laughter subsided. We will be prepping for this ahead of time -- I mean, how cool would it be if he won!? -- but in the meantime, I thought you might get a chuckle out of this. I know I sure did. ;-)

The Webcam is Now Functional

...Just thought I would get the word out. While it will be a bit tricky to work in terms of the time difference, it would be splendid to talk to you all. In fact, the reception is both clearer and less lagged than the telephone, not to mention cheaper.

However, since this is a video medium, and that it will likely be morning for me, I reserve the right to take a minute to de-scary-ify myself first.
;-)

Feeling Accomplished

So, I just finished my first presentation for work. Granted, it was only for a half-dozen people or so, but it was well-received despite being first thing on a Monday morning. (Personally, I have a hard time receiving anything well on a Monday morning, unless it's more sleep!) ;-) I think I even answered the questions intelligently, which is definitely a good feeling. Hooray!
Also, it turns out that in the duathlon I ran last weekend, I placed fairly decently (about average). Meaning, I ran 5k and biked 10 in 68 minutes. Who would have thought it? But seriously, there is to be no worries about me becoming a health-nut. ;-) I just do these things so I can eat more Tim Tams (which are DELICIOUS cookies sold only in Oz and NZ).

Of a less good note is that the "professional" pictures from the duathlon didnt turn out so well. Who would have thought that people dont look very attractive while exherting themselves to within an inch of their lives? Needless to say, I was far too concerned with things like persuading one foot to go in front of the other to notice the evil cameramen lurking around the corner to take unflattering pictures of me. Damn paparazzi. Boo, I say! Luckily, Dave took a few before and after, when I was in a state of not being dead. Not to say that those are much more flattering, especially given my unfortunate placing of the race number, but still less bad.

If there is one thing that can pick a tired girl up after running a duathlon....

...it's remembering that Lent is over, so a good, cold brew is on the menu for relaxation! Bonus, eh?

Wrinkles and Leather Pants?

In most circumstances, sixty-plus year-old men publicly bemoaning their lack of "girly action" would be socially frowned upon, if not met with legal action. Last night, instead, this situation was met with unbridled applause from over 30, 000 Kiwis, for they had paid good money to hear these very sentiments from these very men. Dave and I were there, and what a great time it was... I now much better understand why The Stones are still as big as they are.

We only decided to go yesterday, as the impending event only really grabbed our attention then. Both of us work within earshot of the stadium, so the workday that day included much testing noise and window rattling, and workmates pretending not to notice it. We figured we would grab dinner wherever we could, then head back in time to see if we could get our hands on any cheap-ish tix. Every restaurant in a 3-mile radius was positively packed, but luckily Dave thought to try this hidden gem of a restaurant, the Katipo Cafe, which we frequent for Sunday breakfasts. Sure enough, it was open and still had some room, the latter probably being due to its' being largely invisible from the streetfront.

The meal was fabulous, but there was a sinister (and delicious) twist -- their french-fry dipping sauce bears an uncanny resemblance to the patented, ultra-secret Helgason-Caesar salad recipe. I might have berated them for stealing the family recipe, if I could have possibly kept my mouth fry-and-dip-free for long enough to do so. ;-)

We then secured some tickets to the show. While they were higher on our price scale than what could be called "cheap", the seats were killer. Or, more specifically, the tickets allowed us access to a section of the floor that made sneakily slinking to better and better spots a rather simple matter. Stealth was still required, though, since security was tirelessly ensuring that anyone being where they shouldnt were quickly replaced to their former spots, or at least farther away. But Dave and I went uncaught, as no one ever suspects the Canadians.

We arrived during the opening act, which was Calgary's own Nickelback. They played very well, and more importantly, displayed a grateful humility that, aside from cementing their status as Canadians, endeared them to the crowd even further. The audience remained reserved, however, until The Stones arrived -- after that, it was madness all around.

They went through the hits, mostly, and the highlight of the show (for us) was when a section of the stage travelled way out into the audience, giving the rest of us on the floor a close view (30 feet away, I'd guess) of the band for a song or three. Very cool. Other than that, there were videoscreens and pyrotechnics galore, and the encore (featuring the essentials, "You Can't Always Get What You Want", "Painted Black", and then "Satisfaction" as the finale) was ended with a fabulous fireworks show.

All in all, very much worth the price of admission -- The Rolling Stones rock!

More Dam Pictures

Here be the before and after, as well as a neat shot down the creek. Lovely, eh?

Weekend in a Volcano

Well, not in a volcano, exactly... We went to Taupo, which is a large lake covering what is known to be a rather large volcano. It is NZ's biggest lake, and its major claim to fame are the monster rainbow trout found in it.

The 6.5-hour bus ride there meant that we arrived late Friday night (2am Saturday morning, to be exact). Our hostel was lovely, and fairly inexpensive. What was neat about it was that it was one of the few hostels I have ever visited that had ALL ages of guests, even a few families. Saturday's weather was stunning, and just like summer.

It was just what I needed after the long grey days in Wellington. Dave took the opportunity to go skydiving, but I decided to save all death-risk-y activities until my second excursion out of Wellington. So, I caught up with the sunshine and read a good chunk of my amazing new book, "American Gods".

Sunday, we were not so lucky with the weather. Too bad we'd planned all our activities for that day, and it was our only full day left in town. So, rainjackets fastened on, we braved the elements to see Taupo's sights.

1) Craters of the Moon.
Not nearly as cheesy as it sounds, it is a super-awesome sight to behold. Magma heats the underground water, causing big craters to gush steam at all hours.

It was like a movie set. In fact, Dave and I enjoyed doing a two-person Lord of the Rings re-enactment. Here is a picture of us, trying to look like we're on some kind of quest. Clearly, with my comparatively feminine looks, I was Frodo. Good thing that my ring is considerably less evil.


2) Next, we moved on to the dam opening. Most of NZs' electricity is obtained through natural means, and this dam is a great example of it. Three times daily, it releases built-up water into the neighbouring stream. The results are most dramatic. Adding to the sense of alien beauty is the profusion of black swans in the bay. They are beautiful creatures, and I have not ever seen them outside of a zoo. It is said that their wings are strong enough to fracture the leg of a large human male. Luckily, Dave had me there to defend him. ;-)

3) Huka Falls. By this time we are totally drenched, with the notable exceptions of two dry spots beneath each knee. Apparently, that is just how hardcore we are walking. The falls are marvellous, and we hike in the nearby rainforest awhile to look at the neat birds and plants. There was one bird I couldnt really identify, but from its showy, erratic flying pattern, she seemed to be distracting us from a nest. Funny, you travel halfway around the world, and birds still act like they do in St. Adolphe.

4) Taupo Hot Springs. A perfect destination for a day of being cold and soggy. The whole days' stresses melted away in the lovely hot pools which we so greatly needed. Especially since even the insides of our backpack got soaked... I have discovered a whole new level of discomfort, and it is putting on a sopping wet, cold bathing suit in a cold changing room. But again, nothing the hot springs didnt remedy right quick.

Then home we went, exhausted and adventured-out, where we treated ourselves to a rebelliously un-cultural meal of Burger King, and a night at the movies. We saw a cute movie called Sione's Wedding, a NZ comedy which I highly recommend. But, thats enough for now! :-)

Good News!

The movers are arriving at 11 AM tomorrow to deliver our stuff! Thank goodness... sleeping on an air mattress is only fun for the *first* month. ;-) And though it has been hard to wear the same five sweaters over, and over, and over for the past three months, I have been (mostly) successful at resisting the alternative, which of course would be a major shopping spree. But now all my clothes will be joining me here, which is exciting me to no end. It's like Christmas!

...

(Oh yeah, and there's also furniture coming.) I guess that's good too.

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

So, it started raining on Sunday and hasnt stopped yet. There isnt even any soul-restoring sunny spells... just an endless, wet grey. Even indoors is wet. You put on your clothes in the morning, and even they're wet, too. This is really messing with my prairie blood!


...Yes, I am depressed. This rain stuff is way lame. On my walks home, I keep expecting to see some beardy guy building an ark.

The good news is that this is our first completely useless weekend, and we intend to relish it. There will be much wearing of sweatpants, movie watching, uselessness and general slobbishness... after the full weekends we've had, this will be bliss.

Plus, it means we dont have to travel outdoors. Excellent. ;-)

Meet Matthew

Forgive the quality of the pic, but this was the best I could get before he dashed off. And man, when they're not being completely still, these things are FAST!

Will post better picture if I can get one.

Pictures, as Promised

Dave at the international sailing competition.



"Huh?! Since when is SAS cool enough to have its own sailboat?!"



Dave's post-first-day-of-work celebratory drinks!



The Yann Arthus Bertrand "World from Above" exhibit... "Hey, Dave -- Balance on Hawaii!"



Spreading NZ awareness of 'Toba!

Who's Got Internet Connection...? We Do!!!

And not a moment too soon. :-D For the first time in a month and a half, I am sitting in front of an internet-connected Madison, playing my own music and posting for those I love. I even have a nice cup of tea here. Life is good.

Also, our stuff is due to arrive in the country today. While this does not mean we get it today, it's nice to know its nearby. One Canuck couple we recently befriended found that their stuff had been shipped here... via Italy! (Uhm, mover-guys, you're going the wrong way!)

Speaking of Canucks, Dave and I bumped into a 'Pegger during St. Patty's festivities last night! He's a Renfrew & Grosvenor Heights-ian (which, for the non-Peggers, is really close to where I lived for 10 years)... what are the odds of meeting him here, now? Anyhoo, St. Pats was a blast, even without booze. We went out with Nathalie and Brian (Canucks, too) and some people they know, and had a great time dancing to a cover band in a popular pub here. The weird thing is, I never thought I would miss hearing Tragically Hip or Great Big Sea in situations like that... but man, I really do! When Daves' guitar arrives, we already have plans to spread the gospel of Canadian music. ;-)

So, our plan today is to find a veggie market that allegedly opens on Saturdays nearby. Then we have to watch a couple of movies that need to be returned today. Also, we have tickets to see DJ Spooky tonight, which will be fun. So, itll be a full day.

Well, take care, and give my love to the Northern Hemisphere!

News as of Late

So, after Telecom making us wait a week and a half, as of today we now have an active phone line. Our own internet connection may also be up and running shortly, which I am far too excited about. No more net cafes with creepy smelly gamers surrounding me! Hooray! (Yes, apparently no matter how far away you go, gamers are still creepy and smelly. Luckily this does not seem to be the case for statisticians.) ;-) Anyhoo, the phone number will be (+64 40) 470 - 7775, I think. Will edit the above once I know for sure.

Other than that, the only news is that I have signed up for a biathlon. No, this is not to be used as evidence as any of the following:
a) Karla has been replaced with a Karla-resembling robot
b) Karla has been brainwashed by aliens
..or worst of all,
c) Karla is becoming one of those annoying health-nuts.

Allow me to pre-emptively dispel any and all of these conclusions, and instead assure you that it's a really wussed-down biathlon (3.5k, 10k on a bike, then 1.5k) where you get a cool shirt for participating. Plus, it's sponsored by Special K, which for most of my childhood I believed was a cereal named solely to proclaim my greatness to the cereal-consuming masses. (Hey, I was 5.) ;-) So here are the details...

Go Girl Biathlon Site

Wish me luck! In the meantime, it's time to enjoy having a phone that works. Hooray!!!

Blissful Blasphemy

So Dave and I went for breakfast this morning, and I ordered pancakes. This in itself was not unusual -- what WAS unusual was how it was served. Three pancakes were stacked clubhouse-style, with two layers between them. One was of fresh sliced bananas, the other of bacon. Surely this went against all laws of God and man.

But, dear lord, was it DELICIOUS. Try it sometime... it is so wrong, and so right at the very same time. Mmmmm...

Meet the New Lair

After having procured the keys, we now have full access to our new home. Dave and I have been scrubbing the place down, and it's amazing what difference it makes already. The walls and windows are much better, and the kitchen ceiling has even changed colour. Well, half of it has -- there is still a fair bit of cleaning to be done, and the kitchen in particular could still benefit from a coat of paint.

Daves' job has been to evict the spiders, then to hunt us a couch. Strangely, there seems to be a lot of blue couches on the second-hand market right now. As luck would have it, this goes well with the art-deco style of the flat itself. Filling the place with plants will be a lot of fun, as there is a ton of light in the place. Not a lot of direct light, mind you, but quite a bit of ambient light. Plants are very happy here.

Speaking of plants, the hibiscus in the backyard is a monster. I have never known a hibiscus to be so hardy as to hold its own against weed strangulation from all angles, but this one does it with enough leftover energy to blossom like there's no tomorrow. I look forward to taking better care of it, not to mention the other neglected plants in the yard. In doing some rudimentary deadheading, I was startled to find some weird-mutant-New-Zealand-grasshopper-thing perched on my hand. Upon closer examination, I saw him extend his two very distinctive front legs, which had been curled beneath him beforehand. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Matthew, the praying mantis living in my yard.

(I'm still stunned I'm living somewhere where a praying mantis can live in one's yard.)

What's even funnier is that, in my recounting of this story, a colleage of mine stopped me before I mentioned the bug was a mantis to say, "Oh, so you've met the prehistoric mutant grasshoppers, then?" I then said no, it turned out to be a mantis... but apparently, in all seriousness, I have prehistoric mutant grasshoppers to look forward to as well. Will keep you posted how that goes.

Other than that, Im still getting used to working in a new environment. I only know the names of about 15 people there, but the good news is that that is about a third of the people there. The survey workings in and of themselves are getting less mysterious, and I hope I will be able to contribute soon. What is encouraging is that it seems very common for people to have new-employee-itis, and thus are very understanding to others with the very same condition. In fact, this high degree of movement among the nations' working populace partially explains the booming job market, which in turn explains the significant number of immigrants drawn here. At a team meeting (7 people), I sat down to notice that the co-op student was the only Kiwi at the table. Today I even met someone from a country that I had not even heard of -- that certainly doesnt happen everyday! Then I got to hear about how Tuvalu is making royalties off websites that end with .tv (instead of .com, etc) because that is their country's official web domain. You really do learn new things every day. :-)

Week One

Statistics New Zealand... the green frontier. No really, the building is six stories of emerald green glass situated on the newly-developed Harbour Quays (pronounced, "Keys", apparently). I almost feel as though I should be skipping to work each day in glittery red shoes with a motley crew of semi-human companions. Well, theres no shoes, but the cicadas are almost big enough to fill the latter requirement.

Stats New Zealand is a neat environment, as well. They allow themselves acronyms that are actually fun. For example, I met someone from the department of SOUL. My division, until recently, was known as SMASH. That's pretty cool, if you ask me. Somehow, I seem to have lucked out with a sweet desk location. View-wise, I have bright turquoise ocean and some rolling green hills from 10:00 to 3:00 (or, for my math-crew, from (3 pi/4) to 2pi). It totally rules, and yes, I seem to be managing to do all the reading despite it. ;-) Work itself is going to be busy... apparently, I will be responsible for a Disability survey, developing an Injury survey, and being a fallback person for a General Social survey. Eep. Luckily, the people there seem really nice, so hopefully I can ease in to the general pace with some help.

Since last week, there are only two other things to report. One, the Rugby Sevens (a special tournament held yearly) is taking place this weekend, and I never have seen anything like it. That has nothing to do with the sport, mind you -- what happens is that groups of people dress up in themes or identically, and then go to the game. Last night Dave and I sat on a bar patio overlooking the crowd and spotted a myriad of Marilyns, a group of Waldos (as in, "Where's"), some barnyard animals, Bravehearts, traffic lights, tribal men, Hooter-girl drag queens, KISS, construction workers, girls in towel wraps, several Supermen, fairies of both genders, Flintsones, men in womens underclothes, Duffmen, and a ton of nurses and policewomen. This is totally incredible, and Dave and I will be partying it up tonight in our Canada gear.

News item two is that Dave found us a great flat. It is tremendously spacious (probably over 1000 sqft) with gleaming red hardwood floors, its own beautiful garden where hibiscus grow like weeds, crown mouldings on high ceilings, and a view which is not done justice by the term "breathtaking". The trade-off is that it needs a good cleaning and polishing, the kitchen is nothing special, and the curb value is nearly negative. Truthfully, Dave had completely written it off when he walked by it the first time. But we were both turned completely around when we saw what a treasure it is. So we signed the lease today, and will have posession Friday next week, by which time some minor flaws will be fixed, and we will be able to start cleaning and furniture-finding. Pictures will come then.

In the meantime, here is a picture of me on top of one of Wellington's hills, overlooking the harbour. This view is a little like the one we have at our new place. Enjoy!

Arrival

We finally got here! Wellington is stunning, and even more than I hoped it would be. It's about 25 degrees with a bright sun and a soft, cool breeze... the very best of Winnipeg's July days.

The people are very friendly, and I have fallen in love with the stores here. Example: I went to a high-end shoe store and admired the merchandise, only to find that the DISPLAY shoes were all size 9 or bigger! Here I've been, having spent most of my vulnerable adolescence being made to feel freakish by size 6 display shoes... I mean, who wears size 6, anyways? Oh no, NZ welcomes the podially enhanced, and I love them for it. ;-)

The place we are staying at is a suite, and while small, is clean and has very friendly staff. It also has all the major appliances, which will help in Dave and my mutual endeavour to accomplish the following:

1) Not eat at restaurants too much (Cash Conservation)
2) Not eat at restaurants too much (Anti-Fatness goal), and most importantly,
3) Rid our room of the awful airplane-travelling stench currently pervading the room, thanks to our respective plane outfits now festering on the room floor.

I promise, pictures will follow once I figure out how to get Madison connected to the net. For those of you who dont know, Madison is my sexy, smart, and wholly wonderful non-human travelling companion, otherwise known as a laptop. (I needed to qualify non-human there, as Dave might get jealous.) ;-)

So no worries, mom and dad -- this whole post just confirms that Dave and I are, in fact, alive... we're even still getting along. ;-) This bodes well. Love you, looking forward to hearing from you!

Random Thought...

...If food from the sea (like scallops and tuna) is called seafood, is food from lakes (like pickerel and jackfish) called lakefood? Hmm...

--Karla

Winnipeg Plug #427

FUSION GRILL on Academy: Great spot specializing in organic food prepared in a semi-exotic cuisine. Also, lunch for three people, including wine and taxes, came to $42. I had a bison and wild boar burger that was delicious, as was dads seafood paella, but his scallops were a little overdone. Then again, it's the prairies! If you want perfect seafood, go a few hundred miles that-a-way.


....


(Does that-a-way lead to a coast? I dont care, just go that-a-way so I dont have to listen to whining about imperfect seafood!!!) ;-)

--Karla

THE DRESS

While residing in Winnipeg, I decided a wise thing to start doing was shopping for THE DRESS. It didnt take me long to discover that I had no talent whatsoever for picking dresses that looked half-decent on me. Luckily, the saleswomen didnt have this same problem, as they found me several very lovely gowns. But above and beyond all the others, we found **the one**... and it is stunning. So, the most time-consuming thing to arrange and obtain has just been taken care of. Three cheers for that!

And of course, no Winnipeg experience is complete without my dad bumping into someone he knows. Now, keeping in mind that a shopping outing for a wedding dress is a MOI-centred experience, one might think that this might be the one time dad wouldnt know someone. Well! We get to the store with THE DRESS, and dad gets a big hug from a man who turns out to be the store owner! (And yes, they knew each other... its not that the owner randomly hugs people... I think....) Seriously, I just cant take my dad anywhere. ;-)

--Karla

Got the Visa!

As of Friday, last week, I finally got my working visa! Yes folks, it is real, it is beautiful, and best of all, it is in my hands!! I can almost hear the "Hallelujah" music. Now I can board the flight to Wellington sans incident... I hope. I really should stop speaking too soon! heh heh

The visit in Winnipeg has been very restful thus far, with lots of family time. There was one small bout of badness, but a valuable lesson was learned: Don't eat sushi from prairie towns where the average townsperson considers a Tiramisu to be a highly exotic dish. ;-)

But in all seriousness, I really miss my prairie people. Theyre so sensible. Evidence: as a society, they have managed to stave off the INSANE prices associated with the wedding industry, as I have become uncomfortably familiar with. Seriously, what other people could effectively stave off an ubiquitous, insidious industry whose annual worth is more than the combined salaries of the entire populace? If only making a multi-billion-dollar industry one's bitch was always this attainable. I love Winnipeg.

But enough about wedding planning -- life is very, very good. I just got my MA3 promotion, which I am thrilled about! It's just as well that I wasnt at StatCan when I got the news, as I began jumping about and shrieking like a lunatic when I heard. That same day, I also got carded at the liquor store for the first time in years. But for the (no longer Progressive) Conservative lead in polls, life could not be better.

Then again, a Harper Canada might be somewhat easier to leave behind for these months to come... :-/

--Karla