Swimming with Eels

I have settled into my new home and trying to find my footing with the new job as a waitress at Ma Mansion in Akaroa. It is quite the change from what I’m use to but I’m really enjoy it. I work for an upscale restaurant on the harbour.

My first day in Akaroa was so beautiful and was also the day of the staff x-mas bbq.  My employers, Rod and Tash, are really warm and welcoming people. The bbq was awkward since I hadn’t really met anyone including my roommate until 10mins beforehand but after a few beers everyone warmed up. Of course the food was amazing and there was so much of it. I felt a bit like a pig since I hadn’t really eaten all day I had 3 servings.

The bbq was at one of the staff houses which is by a creek. During dinner we had guests, two eels came up the stream and the boys felt the need to try and catch and cook them. They were a bit drunk and thought that would make them cool. I was a bit annoyed because the eels weren’t doing anything and we had an overabundance of sausage and steak that we really didn’t need to catch and cook the eels. Luckily they are not really hunters and they failed in their attempts.

My first day of work was terrifying as I’ve never worked in a restaurant and especially a classy one. Ricky one of the duty mangers was great but my first day was crazy busy so no one was really able to take the time to properly show me anything. My second day was hell because Simon another duty manager was harsh with me and didn’t really talk to me most of the day. Then that evening Rod pulled me aside to say if I wasn’t up to speed when we opened back up after x-mas then they would have to let me go. I learnt that Simon doesn’t like me because I’m incompetent in his eyes but if I haven’t been given the tools to succeed what do you expect. Needless to say I went home had a few beers and cried.

I am living in the lodge below my employer’s home and it’s beautiful. Windows for walls in the living room and two of the bed rooms, giant deck space and surrounded by trees. It’s such a great place to live with one exception… my roommate.  I live with this young German fellow by the name of Ben who is nice enough but dirty and he keeps hitting one me.

 When I arrived the place smelt of sour milk because he left milk and blue cheese on the counter for days. I eventually threw it away because it was clear he wasn’t going to do anything about it or even noticed the smell. His hitting me at first was flattering and kind of funny because of his strong accent but now I’m just getting annoyed.

A new boy named Tim just moved in yesterday and he is a returning employee but will only be here for 2 weeks before heading off to Thailand. Even with two roommates it still feels like I live alone since both work 10hrs a day, every day. It’s an interesting place to live since none of us really eat much at home so our fridge is filled with beer. I sometimes wish I lived at the other staff house because that is the party place but then I would have to live with Simon who doesn’t like me and I wouldn’t get much rest.

Yesterday I decided that the best way to put Simon in his place is by proving him wrong and being awesome and I also don’t want to get fired. Luckily he wasn’t there so I got a chance to thrive, just do the job and learn as I went. I did really well and later at home Tim said I did well, he couldn’t tell that I had never been a waitress before. Maybe that was Simon’s intention to make me hate him to prove him wrong. The funny thing is I really liked Simon at the bbq. He’s this funny Scottish man and when he’s drunk I can’t understand him and I just think of Austin Powers.

I’m here for 3 months and at the moment I don’t feel like I will make any good friends and that this is going to be a quiet and lonely 3 months but at the end of it I will have some new skills, a tan and an ass of steel. (My house is up a hill)

Much Love

Sid

Merry Christmas!!!

I just wanted to say MERRY CHRISTMAS to all my friends and family back home. This is a tough Christmas for me this year being so far away. I have to suffer alone drinking beer at lunch o my patio in the scorching sun and having wine for dinner since I don’t have a stove or friends but on the bright side this was my Christmas day.

Much Love

Sid

Falling in Love

I had a whirlwind love affair with Wellington as it was my last stop before the south island.  I was lucky enough to meet a kiwi girl named Brooke in Auckland the week before who was in town for the Foo Fighters concert. We hit it off right away as we are kindred spirits and I would go so far as to say a bosom buddy. (That one’s for you Robyn;) She lives in Wellington and said that we must hangout when I came down. She was even kind enough to invite me to Christmas celebrations but unfortunately I will not be able to get back in time.

Luckily even though it was short notice she had plenty of time to spend with me because she works shift work at the airport and her weekend happened to be over the 2 days I was in town. She picked me up and then gave me the scenic car tour along the coast line. She also gave me the Peter Jackson tour, showing me all his properties and where he lives, filming locations for The Frighteners and we ended at the Weta Cave which is the mini showroom for Weta Workshops who have done all the special effects and digital work for Peter Jackson and his films. I kind of love Mr. Jackson even more at the moment because he has invested so much money back into his hometown and home country. Instead of moving away to Hollywood, he has created quite a film industry and brought work home to NZ. He even invested in a performance theatre in the Wellington core that was sinking because he understands the importance of the arts scene.

I went to the national museum, Te Papa, which has the 200yrs of Wedding fashion exhibit on now from the Victoria & Albert museum in London. It was such a great exhibit and the dresses were stunning. I was even moved to tears seeing Dita Von Teese’s Vivienne Westwood wedding dress. It is such a magnificent piece of art.

Since I said that I was moving to NZ everyone has told me to stay in Wellington as it is the arts centre of NZ. It was so true and I felt very at home there. Immediately upon arrival at my hostel I could feel and see the difference since it was right by the theatre that Peter Jackson invested in. Then I walked down the street and there was another theatre and another and so many posters for upcoming shows. It was so different from Auckland and I loved it!

Oh Wellington… I really love you and want to come back really soon and live in your beauty.

My hostel was interesting because for the first time I stayed in a mixed dorm room. I’ve always felt more comfortable with the thought of staying in all girls dorms but there was a huge price difference so I went for the mixed room. It was funny because I forgot that I had done that and was a bit shocked with I walked into a guy in his boxers sprawled across his bunk. Overall it was a good time, I find men quieter roomies and I think it might be in part that some are uncomfortable rooming with girls as well but it’s cheaper. I’ll keep doing the mixed dorm since its fine and they are not as loud getting ready in the morning. Though I guess I have been lucky because I haven’t experienced someone getting lucky in the same dorm as me while I sleep, but there is always a first time.

Rotoura and Beyond

Oh how the heavens have been weeping…

It has been raining for a week now and while I know I’m lucky that I’m in NZ rain and not Toronto rain, it still isn’t the most wonderful thing.  Most of what I want to do is outdoors and rain makes it hard to do many of those things.

I arrived in Rotorua, home of the geothermal muds, around 8:30pm and the town was dead. It’s a small place and the main downtown area goes to sleep early most nights. If that didn’t freak me out, then my hostel sure did. I stayed at Cactus Jack’s which is a tex-mex themed hostel and is cheap. I arrived and while the guy who runs the place was super friendly though the hostel was also dead quiet. It felt a bit like a horror movie set up and I was just prey for some serial killer.

Of course in the light of day and once I met some of the other guests, it wasn’t bad. Sure I hated having to walk across the courtyard to the washroom but it had a summer camp/commune sort of feel to it.

The rain put a damper on a lot of my plans but on my second day we got a reprieve from the rain. It was only for half the day but it was enough for me to enjoy a walk through the Redwoods which are stunning and inspiring. From the top of one of the hills you can look out and see the downtown area and the mist rising from the geothermal ponds. It was so beautiful and I could have stayed up there for the whole day; but of course the rain returned.

That evening I went to Tamaki Village which is the Maori village where you essential get dinner and a show. I went in part because I want to learn more about the Maori and in part because it is Maori owned and operated. It was really interesting but it lacked depth and that must be due to what they know the general tourist is interested. It was a bit strange when they took us inside to perform some songs and the Haka for us because at that point I really thought I was in a dinner theatre, all it needed was dancing waiters. Once they were done the performers left for the evening and we went to eat our dinner. They cook it in the traditional way, covered in the ground, which gives it this beautiful smoky taste. It was an amazing spread of food and I wanted to just keep eating but my stomach said stop. The thing I regret about the visit is I did forget my camera so I have zero pictures from the evening. On a funny note one of the performers was a kid in Whale Rider and you could tell he was new to the show or he just has the worst rhythmic timing.

While in Rotorua I got a job offer to work down in the south island in Akaroa located 1hr outside of Christchurch.  I will be working as a server in a restaurant, which I’ve never done, on a beach. It’s located on the coast line, so I get to live on the ocean for 3 months. I’m excited but also nervous about being a server. Even though I work in the arts, I have managed to stay clear of the food service industry.

I had planned on being in Taupo for 3 days but with the rain and my need to get to the south island for work, I have cut my stay in Taupo to the one evening which blows but there isn’t much I can do here with the rain. Remember, I am not an experienced outdoors person and I am alone so hiking in the rain is not something I want to do for fear of injury. I’ll be able to go back to Taupo on my way back to Auckland when it is time to leave NZ in June.

Goodbye Taupo and now onwards to Wellington where I will be for a very short 2 days until I catch the ferry across to my bus that will get me to Christchurch. I have been warned that Christchurch is still experience aftershocks a couple of times a week which kind of freaks me out.

XOXO
Sid

Lonely & Lost

Though I’ve only been here for a few days it feels like weeks. I was very lucky to make a true friend within minutes of getting to my hostel. Her name is Jenni and she is from Finland. We immediately become friends hitting the city together.

On my second day in Auckland Jennie took me kayaking which I have never done before and now look forward to the next time that I can. It was scary and I almost capsized and ran into a fisherman’s line. Day one was about mastering going straight and staying upright. Next time I will try to learn how to go backwards and turning around.

Unfortunately, Jennie was at the end of her travels and I at the beginning of mine, so I had to say good-bye. Now I’m sad while I sit here alone in a lonely city. I know I will make more friends but it will always end with a good-bye since we are just travelling through.

It’s only been a couple days but I’m really feeling lost. I think it is because I still don’t know what my next step is or where I’m going. I’ve been a person who has worked my entire life and now that I’m not it is hard for me. I know I will find a job soon but until then this sort of weird in between state is killing me.

While feeling spiritually lost, I have also been physically lost. Yesterday I went to Waiheke Island, 30mins off the coast of Auckland. I was alone and went hiking and while I was walking I was thinking if anything happened to me no one would know since I didn’t tell anyone. Luckily nothing happened but I came out the other side and had no idea where I was. I looked right and then left and decided I would go right because it was downhill. I walked for about an hour until a lady stopped and ask if I wanted some tea. She took me back to her place which was this sort of make shift house out of a large domed shed. We had some tea; she laughed at me getting lost, and then drove me back to the main rode and pointed me in the right direction. Before we parted she gave me her sister’s number and location and said if I was in the area her sister would be more than happy to have a guest.

Once back on the main road and heading in the right direction, another person pulled over and offered me a ride back into town. He was really nice and dropped me off to get food and offered to come back to take me to the ferry as he was also headed for the ferry. However, I didn’t want to hold him up. He also found it hilarious that I managed to get lost. But really how could I not, it was just rolling green hills and no signage nearby.

Now I’m still struggling to figure out where I’m headed but I’m happy that I’ve had a chance to experience some true kiwi hospitality.

-Sid

I've Arrived!

Hey-o,

Welcome to my travel blog, Where’s Saldo? (Sid+ Waldo= Saldo)

As many of you know this is my first overseas trip and man it is a big one. I’ve never been the most cautious person and tend to leap before looking.  This makes my life very exciting and very stressful.  I don’t regret my choice to come for such a long time but as I sit here it all seems too surreal. Maybe once I’ve had more sleep, it might sink in.

My flights were good since I got two seats to myself which meant extra pillows. I was even so lucky as to have the best behaved children I’ve met on the flight. The 8 month old didn’t cry once! I wish I had slept more on my second flight but because I was so tired from the morning and all the errands I had to run, I slept most of my flight to LAX. I had zero trouble going through USA security and customs and I am a firm believer that this is because of my USA birth place. I have a Canadian passport but they see my birthplace and they let me go. Knock on wood, I’ve never had a problem entering or exiting the states.

Flying into LA at night was beautiful because it was a sea of lights as far as the eye could see in every direction. I’ve never seen anything quite like that. Flying into Auckland was also great because the country is so green and lush and as we descended there was this mystical fog that surrounded us.

I still have no idea what I’m going to do and where I’m going to go. I’m chatting with this girl who wants to cycle through NZ for charity. It would be the most physically demanding thing I’ve ever done but a truly amazing thing. Right now I’m only looking as far ahead as tomorrow where I will be heading to Waiheke Island to wander and kayak. (I’ve never been kayaking)

I would like to thank the following people as I am ever grateful to them for helping me get on that plane in some form. Robyn and Emily for being my unending emotional support system and managing my apartment while I’m away, Jenny for generously offering to store my life for 7 months, Allison for helping me move my life into storage,  An for being my wheels- helping move my things and driving me to the airport, Danny for coming to my tech aid, Jason for letting me stay at his place while I was in between Toronto and Auckland, Lauren for taking me on my first MEC trip and offering her support, Marissa for her “How to Survive Long Flights” advice, Nat S. for being my knight in shining armour when my apartment was engulfing me, the Waldos from Waldo Crawl 2011 for the wonderful send off, and to everyone that has given me any advice or listened to my fears. I am so grateful each and every one of you as I couldn’t do it without you.

It’s only the first day but hopefully it will all sink in very soon that this is my home for the next 7 months. Luckily, I’ve already made a couple of friends and look forward to more.

Cheers,

Sid