On the Upswing

Good news all! So things (other than our accomodations) have improved. This city is hard not to make first impressions with, but we have done a lot more exploring and have found some comfort. I was out exploring this morning for other places to stay, checking hotels for monthly rates, etc, but nothing cheaper that about $750/week for hotels. I guess we will wait until AUT opens on Wednesday (the university) and will enquire about the residences then. Until then, no worries! We are being very careful.

It is now Sunday morning here and I am out at the internet cafe by myself (Melissa is still sleeeeping) :o). It is 9:00 am. Yesterday we bought a day bus pass and went to visit 2 towns about 30 minutes outside of Auckland City. We were planning on going to the zoo but it started to pour in the morning so we changed plans. The sun came out as soon as we got in the bus and stayed beautiful the entire day. We first went to a town called Onehunga (Pronounced "One-Unga"). We went here because they are the outlet shopping capital in all of New Zealand. Needless to say we spent too much (but all on gifts for you guys of course...). Kathryn, I bought you the best gift ever! :o) This town was really cute and very heavy culturally with the Maori. It was a very nice and much needed change from downtown Auckland. The locals are just so friendly and very very interesting. There were so many market shops too, bakeries and alot of NZ made products. Then we were off to New Market, the posh shopping capital of NZ. This was also fun, as surf clothing shops are by far the majority. Melissa is in heaven. :o). This place was nice too, but a lot more expensive, but they did have a store that I knew! Esprit! I bought a handbag. So far 2 new handbags, Esprit and Billabong. After coming back to the city we explored the waterfront, again outside the central part of the city. When what to our wondering eyes should appear but a place called "Danny Dolan's". We stopped on the street, looked at it for a few minutes, just praying that its food was edible, and wouldn't cost us a weeks salary. We found it! Our place! I ordered a graden salad and fresh veggies and it only cost me $9.00. And it was like art on a plate. We ate soooooooo slow to savor this new experience called "eating". :o). Then we asked some of the restaurant staff about other edible places, and they pointed us down the waterfront to about 5 other "our kind of restaurants". But although the food is normal, the price is OUTLANDISH. Can not even get a salad for less than $25.00 or a pasta dish for $30.00. Danny Dolans may get sick of us! So at least that was a nice end to the day, eating and finding a whole new world that we fit into here in the Auckland city itself. We got groceries last night, which (sigh of relief) were normal prices compared to home and very good selection of wordly food. We dislocated our shoulders carrying it back to the apartment but well worth it.

Today, we are off to the Auckland Zoo as it is a beautiful day! Very hot, I'd say 26 degrees at 9:00 in the morning! Then tonight for New Years Eve, we are going to an outdoor concert down on the waterfront and a fireworks show.

Note 1: I have mailed people some things, with the return address on it. PLease don't send me anythng to that address, because A) I don't know if we are staying there and B) there are no locked mailboxes at our apartments, just big piles that anyone can root through. I am going to get the office mailing address for me at the Hospital when I start this week so if you want to mail me a letter or anything, it can go safely there. I will write you when I get the address.

Note 2: Thanks for the emails from a few of you. It really means a lot when you are this far away and is very very much appreciated.

Tid Bits I have learned:
1. Melissa is already getting an accent, after 3 days! (I think she was practicing at home before we came) :o) The only thing that I say now is "No worries" instead of your welcome.
2.Garbage is called "rubbish", Melissa wanted to take a picture of the trash can with this on it, but I told her you can not take home a picture of a garbage can.
3. Some people don't think they have to give you change when you pay for something. We aren't sure if they just don't have really small change here, or they just dont give you change.
4. Pedestraians do not walk in the crosswalks with the traffic. There is a buzzer that goes off and all traffic stops and the pedestrians attack the intersections (crossing diagonally, etc). It looks so funny, we took videos which hopefully we will post soon). I will be able to start posting pictures next week wehn we can use the computers at the hospital, until then, just believe me that NZ is breathtaking and so beautiful, utterly undescribable (and this is only the city). Next weekend we will start our long weekend trips to the beaches and towns across the North Island
5. Yogourt is called Yoghurt
6. Rugby rules this city. There are countdown in the 200 millions of seconds everywhere until the next world cup (next fall...)