a weekend

last weekend i didn't do anything...i left my flat exactly twice, both times to go get ice cream from a shop in my own building...a whole lot of nothing...i still don't know exactly why, but last weekend i just couldn't be bothered to do anything..it happens every now and again..
this weekend was different..i wasn't super busy, but i wasn't so immobile either..i went to contact rugby practice saturday morning..there were only 10 of us there (including the coach, and a korean girl who showed up about an hour late) because of hong kong 7s (the longest running rugby tournament in asia, i think) and cold weather..i'm sure there were other reasons as well..anywho..since there were only 10 of us, we weren't able to do as much as the coach had hoped..it's really hard to work on scrums when you don't have enough people..we ended up playing touch for a little while, on a very much shortened (both length and width) pitch, to force us to work on passing..sometime in the middle of touch, we noticed a whole lot of people taking pictures of us..we continued playing for a bit, then decided to take pictures of them taking pictures of us..as we learned later, it was a photography club that had come to take pictures of us..i wonder what kind of photos they ended up with..
the rest of saturday i didn't do much..i could've, but there wasnt any reason to do so..making it to rugby practice meant this weekend was already better than last weekend..hee hee...
sunday morning i went to church..there is an advantage to having a really early service, and that is that it's over earlier..the weather today was absolutely beautiful..sunny, with blue skies..a perfect day..

after the service, i took the subway to the tombs at uireung..they are the tombs of king gyeongjong and his second queen, queen seonui..he was the 20th king of the joseon dynasty..the long and short of it is that they both died, childless..he was only on the throne for 4 years, and she was only 25 when she died!! these tombs are different in that instead of being next to each other, one is behind the other..apparently this is the feng shui way of arranging tombs.. either way, the mountain was still behind everything..it was disappointing for me to realize that i couldn't really get up and see the tombs..there were ropes around the bottom of the hill, clearly saying "don't go here"...i wanted to get up and see how everything was arranged, but that wasn't an option...it didn't stop me from thinking about ducking under the ropes, as there weren't too many people there, and at one point no one could've seen me if i had ducked under the ropes and climbed up the little hill..but i didn't..i saw a tree which i thought would give me a better view, so i tried climbing it..but climbing a tree in high heels wasn't my forte..i ended up kicking off one of my shoes and making it up the tree.. sadly, i didn't end up with the view i wanted, so i had to go back down without breaking anything..i made it, but just barely..since i didn't get to really see the tombs, the best part of the outing was when two kids came up to me and gave me little snacks..i should've gotten a picture with them, but i wasn't thinking..
as i was leaving the tombs, i realized how badly my feet hurt..OUCH..i guess i can wear high heels for a little while, but not an entire day...ooops...by the time i got back on the subway i was taking really small steps, and trying to figure out the fastest way back to my flat, so i could get there and change shoes..i FINALLY got home, and it was heaven to take off the heels..i still think it's stupid to see korean women hiking in high heels, but now i have a different view of their level of coordination in that they're able to do it in the first place!! plus, when i took off the shoes, i realized i had scraped up my legs and feet a bit while climbing the tree at the tombs...oops...hee hee...i'm sure my legs will feel good as ever tomorrow..ending up with bumps and bruises seems to be the norm for my weekends:)
the rest of the day involved grocery shopping, and a trip to my favourite coffee shop, coffee bean..they have the best chai lattes on the planet, and a chocolate mousse cake to die for..a perfect ending to a weekend:)

settling in

i've continued to be massively in love with my flat, if such a thing is possible...looking out the ceiling to floor length window over the city is amazing...considering the city never completely sleeps, it's really relaxing just to look out and watch...i get to watch the weather, something i've never been able to do before...this isn't always a good thing, as it also means i can see all the smog, and the yellow dust...(we've just entered yellow dust season)...i can see (and usually hear) storms (rain anywho) coming in...and the snow too..
i've been getting to know my neighborhood a bit better...i've found two ice cream stores, a couple theaters, plenty of stalls with street food, lots of convenience stores, and more..there is a starbucks (and at least 4 other coffee chains i've found so far) pretty much next door, several banks, lots of little fuit/veggie stands, etc..
i've adjusted to my "new" school as well..it's been open since 2002, and has been kept in good shape, it doesn't look at all grungy..korean kindergardens differ from american kindergardens in that they are basically little schools..the kids have homework starting as early as two years old!! they're learning to write, both english and korean from 2-3 yrs old...they're doing simple math from 4 yrs old or so..this school is different from my other schools (in addition to not being english immersion) in that they don't encourage me to give very much homework...hardly any at all, actually..this has been a challenge for me because some of the kids could really use the practice at things like forming their letters properly..some of the kids write really well, and some still write letters backward, in all sizes, and not necessarily on a line..at my other two schools, i taught kids who were in their second year of english immersion kindergarten, so they already knew how to write properly..here i've got kids who don't know the sounds each letter makes..i've got kids who think the vowels only make one sound..sometimes i feel like i'm starting all over from scratch..i've got some kids who are so used to not knowing what's going on that they don't even try when we have assignments in class..as soon as i finish giving instructions, they just look at me and say "teacher help".. even though i know they can complete it, they don't even try..one kid in particular starts looking at other student's pages before i finish giving directions..he doesn't yet understand that cheating is not okay..when he says teacher help, he just wants the teacher to tell him the answer, he doesn't want to try at all..it can be really frustrating..on the other hand, some of the kids have been extremely rewarding to teach..one girl is pretty much fluent (her speaking is sometimes a little halting, but her sentences are almost always perfectly constructed) so when she speaks up it's fun..i had two students who started out not recognizing their own (english) written names, but now they can answer some questions, and they understand basic directions..the first day with my 2 yr olds, one of the classes was dead silent, and just stared at me..the other class cried..the first class is still pretty quiet, but they've started to follow me in some of the hand motions, and i've actually heard their voices a few times..(not many, but still, it's progress)..the second class is now all smiles, they sing along with me, and they do the motions..they're almost always a joy..and they have a LONG attention span, it's great..i wonder if i had that kind of attention span when i was that little? probably not..lol..i've got one kid who has a behavioural disorder..i don't know what it is, but he has one..out of all the kids at this school, he's the only one who actually has a behavioural problem..he understands everything i say, and can talk to me about anything..howeva, when i tell him not to do something (which happens at least 10 times in a half hour class) he immediately does it again..i know he understands what i'm telling him, he's very deliberate in doing exactly the opposite of what i tell him to do..he antagonizes the other students in the class, and is rarely quiet..most days i feel as though very little is accomplished in that class because i spend most of the time trying to get the other kids to ignore him and focus on their own work..he is remarkably effective at holding up an entire class..he's been at this school over a year, and no teacher has been able to control him..he's so bad most of the time that even when he's good it doesn't come close to making up for the awfulness..thank goodness i don't have that class all the time! overall, my good/rewarding students FAR outweigh the students who drive me crazy..
this time i feel like i'm learning a little more korean..not a lot, but definitely more than i have previously..part of it is because my school isn't all english, so i hear a whole lot more korean during the day..i think another part of it is because i'm much more comfortable with the language..when i first came here in 2005 it was all new and strange sounding, but now i recognize the sounds and flow, and occasionally even know what's being said!! i practice my reading on the street and when watching tv all the time..(but i still don't read fast enough for that)
i joined the gym, which is a couple blocks down from my building..it's open until midnight during the week, which is super convenient..when i'm busy directly after school i can go to the gym later and not have to worry about rushing..next on my list of things to find in the neighborhood is a jim jil bang, (a sauna)..
i've also gotten back into rugby..i still don't know what i'm doing most of the time, but i'm not a total newbie anymore..i've been able to gain some fitness at the gym (and going out running) so i'm not gasping for breath quite so much..i want to tour with the team, but don't know if i'll be able to afford it..a weekend tour ends up being more expensive than it seems like it should be..i found a web site with a calendar of a bunch of races in korea, and the links to the web sites for those races..i've already entered two half marathons, and i plan to enter many more..a marathon sometime during this year..with all the races i found listed, i could run almost every weekend!! i'd end up with a great collection of race t-shirts and whatnot..i don't go for training runs nearly as much as i should, but i love weekend races..
tomorrow is a theme day at my school..this month the theme is spring picnic..the kids will sing a couple songs, have a "lesson" and play some spring related games..all in all, it's fun..really high energy, but fun..the korean teachers at the school put a lot of effort and time into the decorations..

it's supposed to be the land of the morning calm...

it took 14 hours to fly from atlanta, GA to incheon, south korea...the flight left atlanta late, but still landed earlier than scheduled in incheon..i wonder how often that happens? getting through immigration/customs took almost no time at all, and i quickly found the person who was waiting for me..i had thought it was someone from the school, but it wasn't...it was a taxi they had hired, so there was no conversation to be had..at all..over an hour (an hour and a half?) of total silence...i don't know why, but he turned down the radio, and even turned WAY down the sound on the gps..awkward much? i'm glad i know the city a bit, i was able to watch the signs on the highways and know where we were..the driver took me to a motel where they seemed to know what to do..again, it was fortunate that i've spent time here previously..the taxi driver was somehow able to contact the teacher i was replacing, so she arranged a time to come over later that evening..we ended up chatting for an hour, then she had to go help a friend pack..(i arrived at the time of year when there is a lot of turnover, as the school year starts 1 March)..we also arranged when and where to meet the next morning..
soooo, the next morning i got ready and was waiting at our arranged meeting point, not particularly enjoying the rain..ugh..typical winter weather here, gray skies and chilly..ugh..
getting to school took less than 10 minutes..it's really nice to live so much closer to my school than i did when i last lived in seoul..at my first school, 4 years ago, i could walk to school in 12 minutes..at my second school it took me 35 minutes to walk and take the subway to work..not fun..anywho, my new school is close, YAY!! my first day of work was actually the second to last day of the school year..(it was originally intended that i get to seoul earlier than i did, but all sorts of things were crazy, and the whole process took far longer than expected)..the way the schedule of this school works, thursday is the last regular day of the week..fridays are always "special days"..that means anything from birthday parties to field trips to theme days to just about anything else..so i only had one normal day to observe and figure out how the school works on a regular day..i followed sara to her classes, met some of the kids, and figure out which students i'd have in my own classes..the way the schedule works out, it's basically two hours of teaching, lunch, two hours of teaching, snack, then another hour..i don't eat lunch with the kids, though i do eat the same food..it's korean food, which i like, and is healthy..woo hoo:)..the day went well, there wasn't much to it..
the next day was my frist field trip..we went to the soma art museum, which is in Olympic Park..which just happens to be about a 5 minute drive down the street from the school..(which, i found out a week later, is only a 12 minute run from where i live)..i'm assuming this museum is one that changes it's exhibit every so often, because that day the entire museum was all about robots..from some of the first robots, to popular robots, to contemporary robots, etc..it was fun, and i think the kids liked it..on fridays lunch is longer, as is the afternoon snack..the whole day is much more relaxed..another easy day..after the day ended, sara helped me bring my boxes (i had shipped my things to korea the day before i left bloomington)..
the next day i got up early and went to touch rugby..i had gotten the email not too long after arriving saying that touch was starting up for the new season..touch is much more informal than contact, i'm not sure there is an official coach..it's also often mixed with the guys who play touch..basically, a touch game is started, and people sub in and go out for a couple hours..it's a game with a LOT of running, and i quickly realized i am WAY out of shape..sure, i can run a long way, but i can't do it fast..i was sucking air, badly..(not to mention the AWFUL quality of seoul air)..motivation to get in shape!!
i went home and attempted to sleep..after running around for a couple hours, i was knackered..of course, it didn't happen..so far i hadn't slept through the night, i kept waking up really really really early in the morning, after going to bed at a reasonable hour..waking up at 0300, and staying awake until 2300, then doing it all over again..i kept thinking my body would crash, but it never did..i just slowly slept later and later each morning, and after a week and a half finally slept all the way through the night..that evening (a saturday) i met up with sara and a couple other teachers at a brazilian all you can eat steak restaurant..sara wanted to eat there, and since it was her last weekend, she had every right to do whateva she wanted..i've been to this place before, and i love it..i'm not usually big on all you can eat places, but all you can eat steak is AWESOME..brazilian steak to boot..(sorry if you're vegetarian)..i definitely ate my money's worth..soooooo good..needless to say, by the end of the meal (pretty much non stop eating on my part) i was done eating meat..there were side dishes on the table, but none of us ate large portions of those, why fill up on those when we could eat steak?
sunday was a day of rest..i took the subway to a few areas i used to love, just to see how they've changed..

monday was a holiday..one of korea's two celebrated independence days..since sara was leaving that day, i got to move from the motel into the flat..while still a studio flat, it's soooooooooooo much nicer than anything i've lived in previously..it's on the 12th floor, and i have a view over a good portion of the city..beautiful..or at least as beautiful as any view can be in seoul..it's way bigger than my previous flat, i love it..there is enough storage, room for my bed, a laundry rack, a bookshelf, a small table and two chairs, as well as a small couch..and the bathroom is super nice!! there is a wall between the shower and the rest of the bathroom..to most of you this doesn't sound like anything out of the norm, but here most showers just come out of the wall, and everything in the bathroom gets wet when you take a shower..the building is connected by elevator to the subway station, i don't even have to go outside..across the street is a large grocery store, and the gym is just down the street..a huge department store is also across the street, as is a coldstone creamery..what more could a girl want? life in this flat is going to be good:)

visiting the states

arriving in the states took a couple days..i first flew from munich to london's gatwick airport..spent the night there, then flew from gatwick to charlotte, NC..then from there to washington DC..my flight leaving charlotte was late, but that didn't matter since no one was meeting me in DC..after finally arriving at national airport i took the metro to union station, which is the central station in the city..then i spent the night..needless to say, i didn't sleep well, especially considering i was woken every hour or so by security people checking to see that i had a train ticket..(i understand why they do that, but it would've been really nice to get some sleep!)..i'm getting way too used to spending the night in public transportation areas...lol...
the next morning my train left on time for newport news, VA...the train arrived slightly earlier than it was supposed to, but krista was already there waiting for me..she brought fiona with her, fiona was 7 weeks old!!! sooooo cute, and so small!!! i know i've seen babies that young, but i don't think i'd ever held one, or spent more than a couple minutes with one..fiona is a perfect baby..well, almost perfect..she had no problem accepting me, a total stranger..she doesn't mind being naked when it comes to diaper changing time, she likes baths, the dog doesn't usually bother her, etc..

spending the week with krista and her husband rob was great..previously i hadn't spent much time with rob, it was really good to get a chance to know him..and i hadn't had much time with krista in years..while i was there i also started playing a lot on web pages, looking for job adverts for korea..
my next visit was to another high school friend..i've known don since my last year of high school, we've been through a lot..days hanging out with him and his dog gypsy were fun..he has found a number of great restaurants, yay:)..he was kind enough to drive me all the way up to indiana as each of us were going to spend the holidays in bloomington..it's an 11 hour drive, and gypsy rode on my lap most of the time..she's a happy dog, full of energy, and always willing to give you kisses..(even if you don't want them, lol)..
we arrived in bloomington the evening of 21 december, my first time in my hometown in about a year and a half..i ended up with the house to myself for a few days, as well as having a car to run around doing a few errands..i spent christmas eve and christmas day with mom, awesome to hang out with her again..during the time i was in bloomington we had several opportunities for real quality time, which we both appreciated..new years was quiet for me, which is generally the way i prefer it..i was asleep by 2130, woken up at 2230 by a phone call, then back to sleep by 2300..the next morning i woke up, and bobs your uncle, 2010 had arrived..just before the new year i had interviewed with several schools in korea, received offers from all of them, and accepted one of the offers..since then, i'd been working on what has turned out to be a really long visa process..i got myself fingerprinted, and sent the prints into the indiana state police..somehow, it took them two weeks to get back to me and tell me that i had to do it again, as they hadn't been able to read my prints..ugh..anywho, i finally got things all figured out, and have been sending paperwork every which where, just waiting for each step to be completed..it's more complicated and time consuming this time around..
among the people i got to see while in town were several adults who mean the world to me..(i'll always think of them as "adults" and somehow different from me, even though i know i'm one of them now!)...my old swim coach, (along with her ridiculously hot husband...don't worry, this is a joke that's been going on for yeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaars).. two old bosses, one of whom now lives on 12 acres connecting to a state park, so we hiked for a few hours...one of the chicks i saw in germany..a guy with whom i went to primary school..i didn't get close to seeing everyone i should've, and i was disappointed when i didn't hear back from the girl who had been my best friend in high school..(despite a couple emails and a couple phone calls)...i got to go to indiana university mens and womens basketball games, all of which i loved..i grew up going to those games, and, like all hoosier fans, miss the days when we were really good..so much tradition, so much school pride..anyone who has ever been to an IU game knows what i'm talking about.. ...one of the best games was the day i got to see my old flattie from uni, i hadn't seen her since uni..she has since married, so it was great to finally meet her husband..that day i also got to see my friend scott, i knew him when we both lived in germany..his brother lives in indianapolis, and that weekend his family all got together in indiana, they came down to bloomington to see the game..(he didn't even know it was an IU basketball game, he referred to it as "some sporting event" which made me laugh..i love him anywho)..
one weekend i got to spend with my friend (from uni) kelley, and her boyfriend jon..i hadn't met him previously, but it was easy to see how happy they are together, and that made me happy for her..she hates the town in which they live, and i don't blame her..he's super super smart, so as soon as he finishes school, they plan to move somewhere much cooler..we had tons to catch up on, and i got to meet their new dog..
another fantastic aspect to being in bloomington for a little while was the chance for quality time with my sister..when we were growing up, we didn't get along particularly well..we both recall hitting, slapping, pulling hair, kicking, yelling, crying, etc..since i moved out for uni, we've become close, we've become real friends..i treasure her..one day while we were at a local bakery, having hot chocolate and yummy desserts, the guy working there asked if we were sisters..then he asked if hana was older!!! i don't think that's ever happened..both of us are often told we look younger than we are, but hana is almost always assumed to be quite young..he thought she was 25, people usually guess 21 or so..so how old did he think i am? (we never found out, but the whole episode is still a source of humour:)...since hana and i are rarely in the same place, we don't often get chances to spend time together..
i left bloomington 5 february, and spent the night in a hotel in indianapolis, as a major snowstorm was coming through and no one was sure what the morning would bring..my flight out of indy was over an hour late, due to how long de-icing and whateva else took, which meant i missed the connection in atlanta by just 10 minutes..so i got to hang out for 6 hours..ugh..grandma picked me up when i finally landed in california..the last time i saw grandma in california was 2001, which seems like yonks ago..this visit was fantastic..absolutely fantastic..i got to meet a number of her friends, most of whom are aging more than gracefully.. one of her friends is 95 and still works full time!! grandma and i went to a couple beaches, enjoyed quiet reading time, ate good food, watched the super bowl, watched the bachelor (thanks hana and ann!) and talked about family and travels..all over her house she has family photos, it was neat to see what all of us looked like while growing up..i can't wait to go back and visit her again:)
my next visit was to a friend in clarksville, TN..thankfully, this time my flights were fine, i was on time..he picked me up at the airport in nashville (TN, not IN) and before going back to clarksville we walked through downtown nashville..as many of you know, nashville is known for country music, and on the main downtown street there are lots of country bars..there is a lot going on in nashville, and tons of stuff in the area..i would probably really enjoy living in that area..(though i'm not so sure about how conservative the area is)..i got to meet some of erik's friends and his sister, and had a lot of fun..a great visit, though because it was generally cold we didn't get outside nearly as much as either of us would've liked..i want to go back..i was supposed to leave on an early flight out of nashville on a friday morning, so we got up really early and drove to nashville, only to get there and find out that my flights had been cancelled..due to a forecasted snowstorm, delta had decided to be proactive and cancel a bunch of flights in and out of atlanta..nevermind that there wasn't actually any snow yet..i was supposed to arrive in augusta at 1030, it didn't even start snowing until 1500, there was no need for cancelling me!..so we drove back to clarksville, i checked my email, and found that i had been rebooked for the next day, same times..the extra day in clarksville meant i got to go to a work dinner with erik..it ended up being really long, considerably longer than either of us had expected..the guy being honored was a good speaker, but he did go on and on..(and on and on and on and on)..anywho, the next morning when i woke up, i had another email..yet again, delta had rebooked me..but instead of just going the next day at the same time, they had rebooked me during the afternoon and evening of the next day..that wasn't really acceptable..erik, being the totally awesome guy that he is, volunteered to drive me part of the way, if don would meet up..so that's what we did..drive..thanks to both of them for driving so much for me..
my last days in the states (during this visit anywho) were in augusta, just hanging out with don..finding good restaurants, catching up on this blog, laughing at his ridiculously cute dog, etc..cleaning too! believe it or not, i was a bit of a domestic goddess:)..most nights we stayed in and cooked, which was fun..while home in bloomington i learned a few good salads from my sister, and don's pretty good with meat..i gave serious consideration to dognapping gypsy, but her cage wouldn't fit into my pack..

back to the fatherland part 2

as all of you know, (or should know) i lived in garmisch, germany for nearly three years after i graduated from uni..host of the 1936 winter olympics, garmisch is also part of the munich candidacy for the 2018 winter olympics..town residents have mixed feelings about possibly hosting the ski events of the 2018 olympics..my last visit in 2007 was only 2 nights, not nearly long enough..this time, i was grateful for more days..i took the train from the munich airport, arriving on a BEAUTIFUL clear night..the moon was bright, the snow on the surrounding mountains was glowing..nights like those make me wonder why i ever left..garmisch is an incredibly beautiful town, in the middle of the alps..
my friends jamie and helmut hosted me, they are fantastic people..jamie originally moved there about a month after i first moved there, helmut is originally from garmisch..i was thrilled to be able to spend some time with both of them, they're amazing..before arriving in garmisch i had hoped to do a couple hikes, but after seeing the snow on the mountains, i knew that wouldn't be happening..darnit..
i got to see my cousin bryn a couple times, he works there now..he even has one of the same bosses i did when i worked there! go figure that i end up seeing so many family members while not in the states!..i got to see friends like ron and rhue, who have lives so very different from when i lived there..their lives may be different, but they're clearly so happy, yay!! i got to see my friend bo, who has recently received his italian citizenship, something he's been working toward for years and years..he's a cook, totally awesome..i got to see jill, who recently left afrc, YAHOOOOOO!!!! the company never treated her nearly as well as they should have...not long after she left, her old boss started trying to make nice, as he realized how awesome she is..go figure..
i happened to be in germany during krumpus, my absolutely favorite fest..it takes place in berchtesgaden, 5 + 6 december each year..berchtesgaden is probably best known as being the home of the eagle's nest, hitler's safety spot in bayern..another gorgeous mountain town..the basic premise of the fest is that the krumpus are monsters who come out of the mountains to make the evil leave you..young men (ages 16-28, unmarried) from berchtesgaden dress up at monsters or haystacks with ginormous cowbells on their backs..they move around the town in packs the nights of krumpus..they carry whips, and when the mood strikes them, whip the evil out of anyone near..this isn't a well known fest, but anyone who has ever been has loved it..it's not even well known in germany, mostly only in bayern..
i went to the fest with jenn and donna and yvonne...i know jenn and donna from when i lived in garmisch previously, my recent trip through asia was with donna's sister layna..yvonne was a new friend, but we got along just fine..jenn and yvonne and donna (i think?) are training for the rome marathon, i'm excited for them..when we first arrived in berchtesgaden, we weren't able to get to our hotel because the krumpus parade was winding it's way through the town..howeva, a few minutes later the parade was over, and we were able to check in..while we were out walking through town after getting dinner we ran into other folks who live in garmisch, and i was identified as "bryn's cousin"..shouldn't he be my cousin? hee hee..back in the hotel we bundled up (it was COLD that night) and made our way out again..this year's fest wasn't as fun as in the past, but i still loved it..the packs of krumpus came through the town with their whips, we tried to avoid being whipped..those whips sting!!the girls were drinking gluhwein, i wish i had been able to join in..there were gluhwein stands in several places, they sold sausages and other stuff as well..that stuff sounds really good when you're freezing, even if you're not hungry..jenn and donna brought wine out with them, so they wouldn't have to spend so much during the evening..(this is a german fest, OF COURSE there is drinking involved:)..yvonne and i ended up calling it a night earlier than jenn and donna, and made our way back to the hotel..i know i was so sound asleep when jenn and donna came back that i was completely unaware when they came home..(yeah yeah yeah, i know that's nothing out of the norm)..the next morning we got up and got our fill of the breakfast that was included with our room..needless to say, we (at least me) ate too much, but isn't that the fun of a breakfast buffet? a fast drive, and we were back in garmisch...
my last night in town, i went to dinner with helmut and jamie at their every other monday stammtisch (sp?)..a local restaurant, totally bayerisch..jill, bo, and bo's flatmates cj and cj's wife..cj is originally from calgary, his accent totally reminds me of another calgary friend..eerie how identical they sound..anywho..
the next day i had lunch with cousin bryn and cousin tyra..tyra was making her way back to the states from a semester studying in athens..her way back to the states was as complicated as my way back to my hometown each time i return..not too long after lunch i hopped on the train and made my way back to the munich airport, saying goodbye to one of my favourite places on the planet..

moldova

from warsaw i started the long trip to get to moldova..it's a LOT cheaper to fly to bucharest (the capital of romania) and take a bus or train to chisenau (the capital of moldova) than it is to fly directly to chisenau..(pronounced kishenau)..so i flew into bucharest, then took a bus into the city, to the main train station..i knew there was an overnight bus to chisenau, but finding out where to get that bus wasn't all that easy..i ended up asking at several different information counters, and using a lot of charades..i ended up taking the metro to a certain stop, then hopping on a bus..all the while i was soooo thankful to complete strangers who helped me find my way..the bus dropped me off at a bus "station" where i was able to find the bus i needed..then, because the bus didn't leave for hours, i had to wait..and wait and wait and wait..but i couldn't wait inside the station, as it was being used as a polling station..late november in romania isn't warm!..i was able to spend the last three hours or so waiting on the bus itself..
my overnight bus arrived in chisenau around 0700, at the central bus station..i had an address, but getting a taxi driver who understood wasn't so easy..
i went to moldova to visit my friend natanya, a teacher i knew in korea..she had recently begun teaching at an international school in chisenau, teaching kindergardeners..one of the first things i learned upon arrival is that moldova isn't the same place as moldavia..(i had previously used the names interchangeably)...moldova is the easternmost (and poorest) country in europe..moldavia is the easternmost province in romania..the two countries have a complicated history, and in many ways are just one country..in moldova itself there are two breakaway republics, they essentially function as independent countries..transdniestr has it's own police force, currency and stamps, but isn't recognized at all internationally..it's not an easy border to cross, natanya and i didn't go there at all..the other breakaway republic is a little more recognized and is basically an autonomous area (gaugaza i think it's called?) in moldova..current borders of moldova were only determined when communism fell, in 1989 i think..
since natanya teaches at an international school, she has a great flat..it's far nicer than the average moldovan..though chisenau itself is FAR better off than the rest of the country..the average moldovan makes approximately $200/month..there are lots of russians in chisenau, they're the ones with any real money in moldova..chisenau itself is pretty much bilingual, russian and moldovan..(moldovan as a language is basically a dialect of romanian)..natanya is paid in cash dollars every month, which she then converts at any of the huge number of currency exchange booths all over the city..the exchange rate varies regularly, being paid in dollars means natanya has a steady income..
the day i arrived, natanya had to go to work, so i hung out in the flat during the day..i mostly slept, and let my family know that i had arrived..when natanya came home, we walked through a nearby park (more about that later) and hopped on a tram to a HUGE market..there are several markets in chisenau, i think this was one of the biggest..tons of vegetables, lots of them pickled..lots of fruits..when i say lots i mean great quantities, not great variety..stands and stands and stands of fruits and veggies..bread too..we wound our way through, and then she took me into a dairy building..WOW..cheese and cheese and cheese...butter and butter and butter...and CHOCOLATE BUTTER!!! i had never heard of such a thing but it was fantastic..it looks like a big block of mud, but it's actually fantastic..after the market we walked into the grocery store part of department store #1..in communist days, that's how many stores were named, just by number..this department store is where only the rich folks shop..there are a number of foreign items available, all at high cost of course..for dinner than night natanya cooked me mamaliga (sp?) a typical moldovan meal..different from anything i'd had previously..
one of the days in chisenau i got to go to natanya's school to show the kids a few of the pictures i've taken over the past couple years of traveling..the kids were great fun, some asking some really entertaining questions..some of them talking just because they wanted to talk..lol, kids..the next couple days natanya had to go to work during the days, so i was rather lazy, and walked around the city just a little..i again walked through the park she had showed me, it's only a few blocks from her flat..there are busts upon busts of moldovans, poets i think..at the entrance to the park is a statue of stefan cel mare, one of the few true moldovan heroes..i saw the national church as well, it's beautiful..the national religion is orthodox christian, which uses a different calendar from the christianity we know in the western world..there are no chairs/pews in an orthodox church..the inside of an orthodox church is wonderfully colourful, with lots of gold too..i don't know how worship happens, but i think it goes more than just an hour a week..
during my stay in chisenau i made several repeat trips to the market, as i got hooked on the chocolate butter, and i loved the cheese:)
on thanksgiving thursday natanya hosted a thanksgiving dinner for her coworkers and a few other random guests..it was a potluck dinner of sorts, and go figure, there was only one traditional thanksgiving food on the table..pumpkin pie from scratch, which natanya made...it was fabulous...other foods included chicken prepared in several different ways, apple pie/turnover, several salads, etc..natanya's flat is so awesome that there was plenty of room for all of us to eat, enjoy good conversation, etc..the last guest to show up arrived after many of us had actually finished eating..
pan, the last guest, is a peace corps volunteer...she was late to dinner because she was just coming back from a trip to istanbul..she stayed the night in chisenau because it was too late to take public transport back to the village in which she is living..the next day, pan and i hung out waiting for natanya to come back from work..she works at an international school, which normally works on an american calendar, but her particular school doesn't..so she didn't get thursday and friday off, like most americans do..anywho, after she came home, the three of us rented a car, and started driving to the village where pan lives..it took about four hours to get there, and believe me, the roads in moldova leave something to be desired..remnants of communism i suppose, when roads weren't always kept in great condition because regular people didn't travel around much..the signage on the roads was also awful..you have to know where you're going, cause you'll miss the turnoffs if you don't..thankfully, even though she usually takes the bus, pan knew exactly where we were going..she also knew the rough patches of road, which was helpful..it was sooooooo foggy, at times we couldn't see more than a couple meters in front of the car..if pan hadn't known the roads, and where we needed to turn off, we never would've made it..as we turned off the main highway toward her village we realized exactly how harsh/big some of the potholes in moldova can be..especially when they come out of the fog as a total surprise..we arrived at her house pretty late, but her house mother was still home..pereskova..pereskova's sister was visiting, which was awesome..pereskova loves to talk, and the fact that natanya and i didn't really understand didn't bother her in the least..pan was able to translate and we were offered more food than we could handle..nearly all food is cooked/baked in the soba (i think that's the name?) which is basically an oven in a wall..a wood heated oven..the soba also functions as the household heater..pereskova's bedroom is on one side, pan's bedroom is on the other side..pereskova is what most of you would imagine as a typical russian babushka..scarf over the head and everything..she's 74 or so, (or is it 84?) maybe older..she isn't certain..her older sister is old enough that she actually speaks, understands and reads some russian from her early schooling, in addition to moldovan..both natanya and i had brought sleeping bags with us, and when pereskova saw how we intended to sleep, she insisted on having us sleep on and under really think blankety quilty sort of things..i slept next to the soba, and between that and my sleeping bag i was toasty, despite the freezing temperatures outside..before going to bed pan showed us the outhouse (there is no running water in the house) and the rest of the house..pereskova makes her own wine, she has a vineyard in the yard of the house, pan and natanya both like the wine..apparently people in the village do as well, they stop in at buy it by the glass..in the morning the three of us got up and pan gave us a tour of the village, such that it is..some of the houses are quite colourful, green, blue, purple and yellow..we also saw the graveyard, which was also quite colourful..blue crosses everywhere!! lots of plastic flowers and pictures on the graves too..
around noon the three of us started driving to cahul..cahul is the biggest town in the area, population 60,000 or so..one of the peace corps volunteers lives in cahul, and she wanted to throw a thanksgiving dinner for all the volunteers in the area..before going to the dinner, pan showed us around the town market..every sort of winter clothing was available, most of it used..because it wasn't exactly warm, everyone was bundled up..my feet were so cold, even though i was wearing two pairs of socks..lunch was at a pizza place, most of the volunteers in the area eat there when they are in cahul..anywho, we dropped pan off at the volunteer's flat, then started making our way back to chisenau..when we arrived back in chisenau, we went straight to a grocery store, as natanya wasnted to take advantage of the car to stock up on heavier groceries..hee hee..
since the next day was still the weekend (sunday) we elected to take another day trip..this time to a more northern city..(town)..(cahul is in the far south of moldova)..soroca is in the northeast of the country..it used to be a fortress town, and the fortress still stands..it's small, but pretty nifty..we climbed all over it, looking out over the town from the top..soroca is a town where a number of really well off roma live..they've got some really nice houses, which we wanted to see, but didn't find..we found another small market and walked through that but saw nothing of interest..driving back to chisenau didn't take very long, we returned the car after filling the petrol tank..
the next day, while natanya was at work, i walked around town a bit again and picked up a few items at the market to take with me on the bus..i walked to the bus station with my stuff in the evening, and hopped on a bus back to bucharest..from the main train station i took the bus back to the airport, and started on the first of three flights to my next destination..
a couple notes about moldova..as i mentioned earlier, it's the poorest country in europe..it won't be admitted to the EU anytime in the foreseeable future..back in the days of the USSR, moldova was the vineyard of the country..there are supposed to be several good wines, i wish i had been able to try them..the mindset of the country hasn't changed much since communism fell..customer service hasn't improved beyond what it was during communism...that is, effort isn't always made to get you to buy what they're selling..there is an incredible amount of corruption in the government, i don't think most moldovans think the government has any real interest in the people..the corruption also spreads to the police..twice on our way back to chisenau from our short trips we were pulled over by police, though we knew we hadn't done anything wrong..we figured out the police simply wanted a bribe, but they weren't able to communicate that, so we pretended ignorance, and were let go..i enjoyed moldova, but it certainly doesn't have much tourist infrastructure..the lonely planet section on moldova isn't long, and only covers 5 or 6 towns..i have a feeling most of the information comes from peace corps volunteers..

poland with an educator

i landed in warsaw, where my dad was teaching for the semester at the university of warsaw..he's teaching through the fulbright program..according to the institute for international education, "Established in 1946, the Fulbright Program aims to increase mutual understanding between the peoples of the United States and other countries, through the exchange of persons, knowledge, and skills."...basically, professors from the US go and teach at other universities around the world, while students from the US and other countries do exchanges...
dad picked me up at the airport, and we took the bus into town..(i'll always love any sort of public transportation into a town)..the bus stopped at the university of warsaw, which happens to be almost exactly across the street from the flat in which dad was living..he lived in a studio flat, it was definitely small..(but still bigger than the last flat i lived in in korea!)...
during the days that i was there, dad and i visited two museums...one was dedicated to the warsaw uprising, (1944, not the same uprising as the jewish ghetto uprising, which took place in 1943) which involved the whole city...they fought to free themselves from nazi/german rule, before the russians who were thought to be advancing quickly arrived..(the russians in reality were waiting just outside the city for a while, waiting for the uprising to end one way or another)..the museum seemed huge, but maybe that was just because they had so many exhibits...so much information, so many things to look at..the city itself (what was left of it anywho) was pretty much torn to pieces during the fighting, it's hard to believe anyone lived there..one estimate says that only 64 of 987 buildings were untouched..general estimates say that 180,000 civilians died during the uprising..there is so much packed into this museum, it's almost overwhelming..the other museum we visited used to be a prison..a prison in the former jewish ghetto..it's a much smaller museum, giving information about the people held in that particular prison...many were taken on "day trips" each day, to the headquarters of the secret police, for questioning..they've kept a few cells and there are little plaques that tell who was kept in each cell..out in front of the museum they've kept the original gate to the prison, though it's been ripped in half..there is also a memorial tree out front..it used to be a real tree, but years ago it died, so they built a fake one..there are memorial plaques all around the tree..we walked from that prison/museum through what used to be the jewish ghetto..there is nothing left of the ghetto..none of the walls, gates, etc..there are a couple memorials as to where specific things happened, but that's it..oh, and there is a giant memorial, next to where a museum is being built that will be all about the jews in poland..i was surprised that this museum isn't already in existence, given that prewar warsaw was about 1/3 jewish..the country as a whole was 10% jewish, though the percentage was much higher in metro areas..at this point no one is sure what the museum will be like..anywho...

warsaw managed to stay quite religious over the years, even through the years of communist rule..there are lots of churches, people have been worshipping at them consistently through the years..some are absolutely beautiful, some are just plain old..there are people in the churches pretty much all the time...
since dad was in warsaw to teach, i took the opportunity to do something i've never done previously..watch him teach..i sat in on both of his classes, both having to do with east european media..(one focused on communist media, one on current media)..the classes were taught in english of course, and it was easy to tell which students had better english skills...believe it or not, i took notes during each class:)..(some habits never go away, i suppose)...
one day we walked through the old town, which i believe is mostly authentic..it's a really colourful area of the city, and due to the fabulous weather that day, the photos were fantastic..it's also called the tourist quarter, there are tons of stores selling polish kitsch...
one evening we had dinner with a guy named andrew..andrew is the son of one of dad's east european colleagues who teaches at santa clara university in california..andrew speaks polish, and lives in berlin, working at a foreign correspondent on a freelance basis..he knows poland practically inside and out, which is nifty..(at least for me and dad, who love history and culture and how things change)..we had pierogi (dumplings,) a typical polish food..(though it seems to me that many cultures and countries claim dumplings as a typical food)..another night we had dinner with kasia, who was in warsaw trying to study human trafficking (women, mostly)..she has a huge amount of energy, and was also in the process of applying for graduate programs in the states..i tried to talk her out of ohio state, as i cannot in good conscience recommend that school..(i'm a michigan fan)..that dinner was at a restaurant that was supposed to serve traditional polish food..YUM..i had something that basically amounted to stew, i loved it..we noticed a group having a birthday dinner, it was probably going to be a looooooong night for them..we saw bottles upon bottles being delivered to the table and there were several times when the entire group stood up to take a shot in honour of the birthday boy..lol..
warsaw isn't the city most people think of when they think of poland, most people think of krakow, and auschwitz, the former death camp..but warsaw is rapidly changing, and becoming a fully modern city..i'd recommend it:)

back in the fatherland

after taking a bus from central london, i arrived at stansted airport, ready to spend the night...apparently i wasn't the only one, as there were LOTS of other people all around the building..i ended up putting my stuff down near a guy who had a sleeping pad underneath his body and was covered in a sleeping bag..he was definitely prepared for a night in the airprort!
i didn't sleep much that night, but that's been the norm these days..i have had a lot of trouble adjusting to the time difference..i flew ryanair for the first time, not much to say about that airline..as far as budget airlines go, i like air asia better overall..(and i wish there was something cheaper than southwest in the states)..ryanair flys to frankfurt hahn airport, which isn't anywhere close to the other (larger) frankfurt airport..anywho, my friend mandy picked me up at the airport, and we drove around for a while..it's nice to be on good roads again, (in a nice vehicle,) but go figure, they make me carsick!! argh..we saw rivers and castles and all the lovely german architecture i've missed over the last few years..
and then we got to her flat..it's HUGE!! i got to have my own bedroom:)..mandy had to work one of the days i was there, but the other days we just hung out and got caught up with each other..we know each other from my hometown, so we know a lot of the same people..i learned about the existence of apple tv, and we raided a large german grocery store..she had a snowboarding trip planned for american thanksgiving, so we spent a couple hours in an outdoor store figuring out everything she would need..even though i wasn't buying, it was still fun..
from mandy's little village of schopp i took the trains to stuttgart, and met up with jenn..jenn and i met in australia in 2008, near uluru..she also has a huge flat, in the city..surprisingly, (because trains in germany almost always run on time, down to the minute) one of the trains i took was late leaving, so i was an hour later than expected getting to stuttgart, which has a huge hauptbahnhof...thankfully i had jenn's handy number, and we met up quickly enough..after dropping my stuff off in her flat, we went walking downtown..there is an old schloss, an old church, and other stuff to see in stuttgart..plus, since it was november, the christkindlmarkt had started..even though i couldn't drink the gluhwein, it was still pretty to see..a nice walk..
that evening jenn had a birthday party to attend..the birthday boy was american, but his wife was german, and he threw the party in german tradition..that is, he paid for everything..he had reserved a room at a restaurant and had a buffet set up with lots of yummy food...the evening was fun, and i enjoyed meeting new people, even though i felt a bit odd, since i was a complete stranger to anyone else in the room..the next afternoon we went to the tv tower on the outskirts of stuttgart..the city has a great public transport system, each time we wanted to go anywhere we were able to hop on the s-bahn or the u-bahn...yay!! the tv tower is one of the tallest in europe..i think berlin has a taller tower? anywho, you take the elevator up, to your choice of three levels..one is a cafe, with views all around of the entire area, and the other two are entirely open to the elements..jenn and i had joined up with one of her friends, kristina, and all three of us signed the tower..that evening, the three of us went to the flat of more friends, and i got my first experience playing wii..according to the wii, my fit age is 45..hee hee..i got my butt kicked (in 3 rounds) in boxing, and ended up actually being sore a couple days later! eeek!
jenn had to work the next day, so i wandered around downtown stuttgart again, taking pictures, wandering through shops, watching people, etc..jenn and i cooked dinner that night, fun..the next morning i was up early, to take trains to the airport in frankfurt..(thankfully, these trains ran on time)..when i checked in, i received a "coin" worth 2 euro off anything i wanted to purchase in a duty free store..i ended up not using it, given that things in duty free are still pretty expensive, and there wasn't anything i needed..
the end of germany for a couple weeks......................

my first visit

the UK..a country which i haven't previously visited, at least not that i remember...my dad says that isn't entirely true..he says i spent a night here when i was 4..clearly, i don't remember..so i don't count that..lol..
getting to london wasn't fast, to say the least..it's pretty much on the exact opposite side of the world from new zealand..i flew from auckland to brisbane, coolangatta to kuala lumpur, and KL to london..i finally arrived at my friend brie's flat around midnight, the "same" day i left KL..a measly 14 hour flight, with an 8 hour time difference..i met brie when she and i taught at the same school in korea, she's canadian..once i landed at stansted, i took a bus into the center of the city (liverpool street station for those who know it) and from there took the tube to brie's flat..not surprisingly, the weather as i arrived was crappy..not pouring rain, but definite precipitation..at least it wasn't windy..and not all that chilly..we stayed up a couple hours, getting caught up on each other's lives as well as the lives of the other people we know..i didn't sleep that night, even though i tried..apparently i slept too much on the plane, and my body hasn't been adjusting to the time difference..so i was awake long before anyone else in the flat, but that was okay..
we tried to go to the grocery store to get scones and cream for breakfast, but it was closed..go figure, the biggest grocery store in central london is closed on sunday mornings!! so that plan changed..instead, we took off for some mystery shopping, and then a walk along the thames..i didn't know that the thames is tidal, but now i do..i even got to see a beach..of course, it wasn't exactly the type of weather that made me want to strip down to a bikini and lay out... as we continued walking along, i saw a face that seemed really familiar..another traveler, a woman i had met in nepal, while trekking through the himalayas..nikki is british, but currently lives in chiang mai, thailand..neither one of us knew the other would be in london, we were both surprised..a quick catch up, a quick photo, and we split..brie and i were walking with one of her friends by that point, a girl in the film world..tansy..tansy talks a lot, she's really entertaining..she has fun stories, and has lived in places like cuba and russia..
brie is an awesome cook..she made phad thai, and i stayed awake all the way till 1900..jet lag was horrendous when i got to london..not only did i not sleep my first night in london, but even with falling asleep at 1900, i only slept until just after midnight, then was up all night again..ugh..
brie went to work the next day, i stayed home..i know i should've gone out and seen a few sights, enjoyed london, but i didn't..i didn't do a darn thing but play on the computer and take quick cat naps..after a year of nonstop traveling, i figured it was okay to take a day off and not see anything at all..
the following day brie and i took a day trip to brighton..it's a seaside town, about an hour outside of london..london has a great train system, and the earlier you book tickets, the cheaper they are..brie booked ahead and we only paid 3 pounds each:)..the beach at brighton is a pebble beach, probably not the best for laying out and enjoying sun..it wasn't sunny the day we were there, so that didn't matter..we enjoyed lunch at a lovely restaurant near the beach, and walked along the beach for a while..there is a nifty boardwalk with a bunch of carnival rides, unfortunately none of them were open, due to the time of year..
brighton used to be a seaside getaway for the royal family..king george built the royal pavilion there, back when he was the prince regent..(his dad went crazy while on the throne, so the prince took on ruling duties while still technically a prince)..the pavilion is "interesting" architecturally.. it's built in what they thought was indian architecture..those who designed and built the pavilion had never been to india..the inside is where the prince entertained..a huge dining room, an even bigger kitchen, a music room, several rooms for lounging around..the interior decor is totally over the top, totally flash..chinese in theme in one room, gold gilt in another, etc..it's stunning..there is a free audio tour and while listening it was easy to imagine the life they led back then..since brighton is british, it's easy to find tea shops serving tea and cream and scones and all sorts of yummy stuff..YUM!!
that night i took a late evening bus back to stansted..

nz vol. 4, iss. 4

the three of us (lynne, ann and i) had decided to take a quick road trip up to northland, the area north of auckland in the north island..there is so much beauty up there, and a lot to do activity wise..we ended up getting started a bit late, so by the time we got to the big tree, it was already dark..tane mahuta is the biggest kauri tree in the country..think redwood national park where the trees are so big around it takes lots of people to link arms to get all the way around the tree..tane mahuta is the same..unfortunately, since it was dark and rainy, we didn't get to see much..i should mention at this point that the road was REALLY curvy, so both ann and i were somewhat carsick..we got back in the car, drove north again, to a small village called opononi..we pulled into a motel, and the guy looked at lynne and i a bit funny when we got out of the car and waddled into the reception room..his confusion cleared up when we told him why we were walking so funny..sitting in the car, our muscles weren't able to relax much...dinner that night was basically leftovers of the stuff we had in the chilly bin in the back seat..bagels, rolls, cucumber, and i don't remember what else..opononi is a tiny village on hokianga harbour, which is the place of maori legends..it's beautiful..you can see dunes across the harbour, and we had lovely weather..a camera case had been left behind at tane mahuta, so we drove back..not fun going on the curvy roads again..ugh..by that point, lynne's leg hurt too much for her to walk w/out assistance, so she didn't get out of the car...the camera case wasn't there anymore, so we turned around and drove north again, continuing through opononi to a town that starts with a k (i can't remember what it's called) where we got lunch (more fish and chips for me, YUM) and a cane for lynne..she hated it though..more driving, more driving, and we arrived at cape reinga..it's not quite the northernmost point on the north island, but it's close..there is a lighthouse up there, and a sign pointing in different directions telling how far it is to different locations around the world..i'd been up there previously as well, but the entire area had been redone since, and is much nicer now..the weather was a whole lot nicer too..still super windy, but i'm pretty sure that's the norm up there..i don't think the wind is ever not blowing at cape reinga..one of the coolest spots you can see from the cape is the line where the tasman sea and the pacific ocean collide into each other..on a clear day (like we had) you can see exactly where it happens..you can see the waters creating waves in both directions..i hadn't seen it before, and was thrilled to see it this time..
we got back into the car, (i had been driving all day, and continued to drive for the rest of the time in nz) and drove back down to paihia..paihia is the main town for tourist accomodation in the bay of islands..since we were arriving so late, lynne picked a hotel listed in the gps, and that's where we ended up for the night..two bedrooms, a full size lounge, a full kitchen, and a great view..(though we didn't know about the view until the next morning..too bad we couldn't have stayed there longer, especially because we got the best rate of all the places we stayed..fantastic..
paihia is REALLY close to waitangi, the place where the waitangi treaty was signed in 1840..the treaty is what the crown in the united kingdom used as validation for "ruling" new zealand..there were two copies of the treaty, one in english and one in maori..it's now acknowledged that the maori copy doesn't say the same thing the english treaty does..the maori chiefs who signed the treaty thought they were signing something very different from what they actually signed..the treaties (there are 9 in all i think?) are kept in the national archives in wellington but there are reproductions at the treaty grounds..also on the grounds are the treaty house, a large maori canoe, a marae, etc..there is a large flagpole on the exact location where the treaties were signed..the three of us wanted to walk around, but the entry fee was a lot higher than we expected, (i'd seen it before, so it didn't matter to me whether i saw it again or not) so we had coffee instead..that afternoon we signed ourselves up for a cruise around the bay..it's one of the most popular activities, and well worth it..i think you get to see 9 different points of interest while cruising around..we saw a few dolphins too, they were playing around the boat..soooo cute! there were massive clouds over paihia, but as soon as we headed out, the weather cleared, and we were treated to a lovely afternoon..what a great way to end a road trip..i ended up getting slightly boat sick just after going through the hole in the rock, but that went away soon enough, partially thanks to the ginger beer the girls got for me..(THANK YOU!!)..a four hour drive back to auckland got us back around 2215..
the next morning lynne and i took the train into the center of auckland (ann couldn't come with us, as she had already made plans to go to wellington that day) and got on the ferry to waiheke (sp?) island..it's an island in auckland harbour, well known for the wineries all over the island..we hired scooters and drove around all day..lovely day..we got lost a couple times (the maps weren't great) and both of us tipped over, but the scenery was fantastic (again the theme of great natural beauty all over the country,) and the weather great..we took the ferry back to the city, and met up with amy and ivan for dinner at one of their favourite restaurants..and after that meal, i can understand why..we got there early, and for a while we were the only people there..i wish i could remember the name of the place, i can only remember that i want to go back!! we were all stuffed (and i mean STUFFED) but that didn't stop us from going to mission bay afterward and having ice cream on the beach..a perfect last night in a country i love..
that's it, my last visit to nz for i don't know how long..i will go back sometime, i just dont know when..