will I take the ferry to town?
Amit and I decided to start looking for a new flat about a week ago. Well, I say "Amit and I", but it was really Amit who did all the work by looking up ads and making calls. Last Saturday we had two appointments to look at possible flats. The first one we went to was an absolute dump. A mud yard, right off a major road in an industrial type neighborhood. The place was small and very messy. As we walked away, I told Amit, I just couldn't live there, the place has no "Zen". We'd always feel bad in a dump like that. In between appointments, we went to Devonport, a small upscale costal community. A lot of people dislike the Devonport scene due to it's posh-like nature but I reckon it's a nice sort place to dwell in. I was thinking I wouldn't mind terribly living there. FOr our next appointment we went to Birkenhead, just 5 minutes or so from where we currently live. It was from one sprectrum to the antithesis. The neighborhood was full of nice houses, close to the water and a little park. There were trees and nature and everything felt at peace. I told Amit that I thought he had the wrong address. But eventually we met up with the owner who showed us a nice two bedroom dwelling connected to a house that had been split up in three flats. This place as far as you could get in aesthetics and comfort from the one we'd previously visited, and $5 cheaper a week. The place was quaint but immaculate. It definately had Zen. The owner said, well, what do you think? We told him we liked it. Then he surprised us by saying, well, lets write up a lease now, shall we? So we move in in two weeks and I think it will be a nice place to live. There's a ferry down by the park that goes into the city and back. I checked out the schedule and it even has times of arrival and departure past 11PM. Living a block away from it, I think I'll definately have to ride it in sometime and see how the commute is by ferry. It can't be much slower than the harbour bridge at rush-hour. Well, That's the news for now. Lots of other things happening but I just can't take time to write about them all.
Posted by Benji at 7/18/2006 12:31:00 PM | 2 comments read on
Long bay beach, NZ
Me and Amit drove to long bay beach, about 15-20 minutes drive. It was overall unimpressive but since both had a kind of urge to get out of the house and see the water, I guess it was worthwhile. They might as well have called Dog Beach because I guess it is one of the few beaches where people can bring their dog/s. I'd say more than half the people there had dogs at least. The most interesting part of the trip was exploring the cliffs.
Initially I went to investigate it alone, as Amit seemed hesistant about the idea. But eventually he saw fit to join me as evidenced by this photo he snapped of me with his camera:
Once there he saw the unique vantage point from the cliff's perception and took the chance to take a couple of photos himself. The sun was setting with it's long lasting twighlight, whick takes about an hour here.
There is something unique about the light and the twilight evening dusk in NZ. It looks magical to me for a period of about 15 minutes, when the sun is set but it's not yet dark.
The beach was a bay beach as you might assume from it's name but it was still pretty scenic it's own small way:
There are these wierd trees isn NZ that look like Christmas trees to me, except a lot larger. Anyway, they are perfectly symetrical as shown by this one silhouetted:
Amit looks peerplexed at the idea of the public toilet?
It's kind of funny that over here they call them simply "Toilets", where as it maight come accross as somewhat crude to say to someone in the states, "Can I use your toilet?".
I especially enjoy going to some posh upscale resturant and asking the waiter in my most sophisticated tone, "Pardon, but where is your TOILET?", and it being perfectly acceptable. Really, I've been made fun of for saying "restroom".
On the drive there we stopped by Burger Fuel in Takapuna. I was kind of tired of Asian and Indian food as that is what I've been eating four or five days a week since I got here. Burger Fuel kind of completed my re-initian back to the New Zealand of my memory. I had a Piston Peanut Burger, which has some kinf of peanutbutter sauce. It was delicious. I also ordered Kumara Fries. Kumara is a kind of sweet potato. Delicious as well!
Well, that's pretty much my Sunday. Just been lounging around besides that. Back to work tomorrow. It can be a pretty full-on job witht he tensions of TV deadlines and whatnot, so I like to make the most out of the weekend. All in all New Zealand is perfect for me at the moment. I am really loving it here, just being here and breathing the air and walking the twilight. I hope it's not an offense to say to my family and loved ones, but I've never felt as much alive as when I've been in NZ. Maybe it's a state of mind. But I think it's more. Firstly, I've never met an american that's lived here that didn't want to stay. I went to a party on Sat. night at which two other Americans were present. One of them is already a resident. The other is applying for residency. I wouldn't mind the same. It's a small corner of the world with a good feeling.
Posted by Benji at 7/09/2006 09:23:00 PM | 3 comments read on
