Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Riding out Mission : NZ, 2010

So, feeling a bit more settled in, and not just busying with relocation & work matters, and touristy sites, I'm taking more time to reflect & be thoughtful on my situation.

Schedule & near future is a bit of a grey zone : no longer have the familiar routines. There were a few weeks of upheaval with relocation, then a few weeks of training/feeling out the workplace. Now I'm getting close to the holiday, which will be a distinct break, splitting the time into 2months & 5months. Gym workouts are not the same time each day & lunchtime sports have been a bit sporadic. And being a 10-minute walk to work, makes it a bit surreal coming & going. So, will try to be more regulated in the new year. I've been doing a chat w/ Bonnie everyday though.

I am making busy with events & local culture. Not so different from life in Cali - Bonnie & I would go to events often. I would also find places to go & things to do wherever I was - the Peninsula, the Presidio, San Rafael. There's just so much going on here, and most of it really good and exotic. Definitely a big plus to being in Wellington.

Also, slowing down on food consumption : Indulged on NZ delicacies while I was in the hotel, but I've getting less of the novelties & snacks, dining out less (though have had Maylasian and tried the Mexican places). Got some kumara for homecooking, and eaten more kiwifruit & avocados than ever before. Lots of fruit juices at the store - seems more than typical US markets (standard orange, apple, grape, cran, other citrus. Mango, apricot, kiwifruit, feijoa, blackcurrant). Sticking to a vegetarian diet also since those first couple weeks.

Getting lots of physical activity. Between being carless, biking to most markets & shopping, gym membership, lunchtime sports, walking around the city when I go into town, and walking to work (climbing that dang hill every day as part of my commute, and having my desk at the top of the stairs). Summer months ahead mean even more outdoor activity, trekking, and beaches. It is a disadvantage in that it seems wherever I end up it's in haze of perspiration...

Hitting the library a lot. Awesome collection of CDs (especially NZ bands), and a great NZ-centric section. Discovered at their book sale : Paul C Doherty, and English professor who's done a ton of historical fiction: I was pulled in by his mysteries set in Ancient Egypt. He's also written about Rome, medieval Europe, Elizabeth I, Alexander the Great.

Had a Thanksgiving (Day After) chat w/ Bonnie, Nicole, Annie & Steve! It was like a piece of tradition seeing them all onscreen, and got to do a virtual tour of my place.

OK, after all that, a brief laundry list of what I have been up to :

Reunited with some old chaps : Phil Reed showed a martial-arts type short he had been working on for the last couple years, very well-done!

Workplace sponsored a visit to the Zoo to catch the chimp feeding/docent presentation, very fascinating. The New Dowse art museum / cafe night. Thorndon Street Fair, a nice crowd of folks & some awesome arts, crafts, food, shopping.

Movies : Harry Potter 7, part 1: I'm not a big HP fan, but I do appreciate the quality filmmaking & VFX. Narnia 3D: again, quality filmmaking but a bit sugary & watereddown. Megamind 3D : not highly impressed, story was bland (though I did know it from the presentation I got at PDI 3 years ago). The best find : Rare Exports, out of Finland - the best Christmas horror movie ever!

Events : "The Ragged" - a play based on the land-grab & racist imperialism that was the earliest days of Wellington. Very powerful, artsy while still staying on target, and expertly staged and performed. "Christ Almighty" - an irreverant look at the birth of Jesus & the birth of holiday traditions. Mostly annoying and bombastic. Also, went to Roller Derby. Crowd was huge, probably about 1000 people (compared to maybe a couple hundred last time in San Fran). Oddly, everyone seemed to take it a lot more seriously : lot more real officiating. Consequently, game play was slowed considerably and less fun.

And, last but not least, a new body piercing, a double-nape!

Next dispatch from the United States, after the holidays!