A Day at the Races

Happy New Year, everyone! I write this in the waning hours of 2010 for those of you on the East coast, while here in NZ we have already enjoyed most of New Year's Day. I am happy to inform you that 2011 is quite nice--I think you will enjoy it! While 2010 was the year that brought us to NZ, it was also the year that brought us more drama than we would have liked, and thus, we were happy to bid farewell! Our friend that we met in the hostel our first week in Napier, Stu, was back in town with a lot of old university friends to celebrate. They had rented out a small hall on the banks of the river in a small town called Clive, right next to Hastings, and were camping out for the weekend. He invited us for their big New Year's Eve Barbeque and we were happy to attend!


It was a very relaxed, but fun way to spend the big occasion. Friendly people, laughter, beers, and some steaks on the barbie all added up for a good time! We even had some friendly neighbors next to the camping ground who had their music going, a bonfire roaring and welcomed us to come and join them. I relished in the opportunity to socialize, as it had been quite a while. John even regaled everyone with some Ukulele and guitar. I very much enjoy the Kiwi sense of humor and unrestrained cheerfulness (at least when alcohol is involved :) ). If you have ever seen Flight of the Concords on HBO you get a taste of the dry, New Zealand humor. For some it may seem boring, but they deliver it in such a cleverly casual yet affable manner, it's hard to not at least crack a smile. That is to say, with so many around, it was a fun evening and we were happy to be able to meet new people. 

Our new friends, enjoying some sparklers. (Stu is in the middle with the hat).

A slightly preemptive celebration of the New Year.

Our friend Stu even showed us his impressive skills on his unicycle!

As we entered into the final count down to 2011, we were glad to be in such good company.

Happy New Years! (I will spare you the nausea of a midnight kiss photo--as we didn't take one.)

The next day, to celebrate, it was a day at the races! Neil and Sarah invited John and I to go with them to the annual New Year's Day horse races in town, as the racetrack was literally around the block from where we live. Unfortunately, John had to work until 5 today, so he wasn't able to make it, but I took lots of pictures and video to make up for it!


I had never been to a horse racing event in person, and usually just watched the three Triple Crown races each year on television. It seems in the U.S. those types of events are more for the so-called "bourgeoisie" who like to see and be seen while wearing their best suits or large-brimmed floppy hats and sipping on mint julep--or expensive champagne. And then there's the other half that attend those types of events who just go to socialize and drink for 12 hours straight. I had a friend in college who lived near Baltimore, Maryland and went to the Preakness the year that Big Brown had his fantastic finish in both that race and the Kentucky Derby (only to completely fail in the most spectacular fashion--finishing last at the Belmont). Anyway, I remember the excitement of watching the race on television as he definitively won his second race by at least 5 lengths. When I talked to my friend later about it, as he was actually there, he said he was so drunk that he never saw the race or even knew the outcome until later. . .


However, this particular event was a bit more casual and family friendly--though many women and men were dressed in their Sunday best and enjoying a beer/glass of wine or two. It was a relatively relaxing day, pleasant--punctuated by those 10 seconds of adrenaline and excitement as the horses came down the final stretch--especially when one horse overtook the other in the final seconds! People were also very much interested in the races, as there were 8 in total throughout the day--a flurry of fans placing bets and cheering on their chosen horses. I, myself, am not much of a gambler so I refrained from betting on any horses (especially because I had no idea as to strategy of betting nor did I understand the information provided in the racing guide)--but it was still fun to watch and cheer them on. I particularly liked the colors of the jockey's uniforms--they were bright and pretty! If I had bet at all, it would have been based on which horse names and colors I liked best. :)

A plethora of bright colors makes the spectacle that more fun to watch.

I was able to get some nice photos in lieu of winnings. I brought my nice SLR camera with me, however, right as I turned it on to get some good shots with my telephoto lens as the horses came down the stretch. . .  my battery died. :/ Oh well, I luckily brought my other camera and so I got some decent photos and video. 

Pretty horsey.

Me in front of the parade ring--just before the horses entered onto the track.

With all the horse racing excitement, I think I'll watch the Disney movie about Secretariat. :)


John is still doing fantastic at work--he gets great compliments and tips all the time--and he got a 60 cent raise! I believe John and I are already liking 2011, already! I wish everyone health and happiness (and safety!) as they usher in the New Year!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, everyone! Christmas week has definitely been a good one. We started off on Tuesday with the Christmas Quiz at the Rose and Shamrock. They had a special menu with Christmas ham, special Christmas themed questions, costumes, prizes, and we had our $30 voucher to spend! It was a great evening and our team dominated--we were in the lead almost the whole time! I must say, our combined knowledge proved to be quite a formidable opponent to the other teams. It also has helped in the past quizzes that John and I are American--as a good number of questions have required some knowledge of the  U.S.--mostly pop culture/entertainment, history, and geography. For example, we answered correctly what N.A.S.A stood for, knew the river that carved out the Grand Canyon, knew all the Christmas movies in the movie round as they were all American, and (I) knew that Frosty the Snowman had a BUTTON nose.   Since we also had the British-based knowledge that most of the other questions come from--our team did well. That is, until the very end, when we bombed the music round as they had some obscure artists that we were unfamiliar with, so another team managed to squeak by with 2 more points than us. But, we still got second place again and more vouchers to spend at the next quiz night! It was a festive evening and a good way to start off the week. 


The next two days (well, just one for John--who wanted to enjoy a true day off) were spent at Cardoness doing some quick vineyard work. A little money just in time for the holidays! John and I worked together the first day and then I returned by my lonesome the next to finish up. However, while I was working I got a call from Statistics New Zealand. I had applied for a position for the New Zealand census coming up in February and March and they were offering me an interview! A Job! Yay! So I set one up for the 13th of January--hope it goes well! It would be the perfect opportunity as it's 6 solid weeks of work and ends around the same time as John's waitering job. 


John had to work the dinner shift on Christmas Eve, so after dropping me off at the grocery store to pick up some items (which took a while since, as you can imagine, it was a mad house), I returned home to watch a movie to pass the time. I ended up watching Black Swan, a movie I had really been wanting to see. However, while it was a great movie, it was definitely NOT a warm, fuzzy movie for Christmas. I should have stuck with "Fantasia" or "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." Oh well. 


I spent the rest of the evening making an apple galette to bring to Christmas lunch the next day. It was, once again, my first try at making a dessert pastry from scratch--and despite the fact that the bottom was a bit burnt and the crust was very crumbly--I think it turned out okay!

Looks practically professional, right?

John returned from work that night with a trove of goodies given to him by his boss! Delicious bread, olive oil, crackers, crostinis, wedges of bleu and brie cheese, chocolates, nuts, and a small fruit cake. It was a very nice gift! We enjoyed a few drinks with our roommates until the clock struck 12, and it was officially Christmas, then we bid them goodnight to get a good night's sleep! One of our roommates, however, probably had a bit too much to drink and did not sleep as well since we later heard them get sick in the bathroom--not fun. 

Our tree on Christmas Eve, with our gifts underneath.

The next morning I awoke early to make a special Christmas Chocolate Cafe au Lait recipe that I found online. It included cocoa, milk, cloves, cinnamon, sugar,  a little orange peel, and coffee. I even hand-made whipped cream to go on top! Mixed some sugar and heavy cream, whisked until my wrist hurt, and voila--delicious whipped cream!

Thanks, Emeril Lagasse!

After that, it was time to open our presents. . .

Here are some pictures of us with the rest of our loot!

For a while we then listened to Christmas music (including Disney sing-a-longs) on the computer to get into the Christmas spirit! (As John is used to Iain blasting Christmas music through the house on Christmas morning--he couldn't go without that tradition :) )

We then got ready and headed over to Cardoness or our Christmas lunch. I must say, despite being away from our own families and faced with the unfamiliar weather for this time of year, it was a lovely day and a great way to spend Christmas. When we got over there it was just Neil, Sarah, their daughter Kelly, her son Philip--in town for the holidays, and John and I. We enjoyed a nice glass (or two) of sherry, I watched (in confusion) a few games of backgammon, and we enjoyed some nice Christmas music and the beautiful weather. Sarah and Neil also, very kindly, got us each a small gift--a nice hat for John and a beautiful scarf for myself. We brought over the apple galette, the cheese John got from work, and some crackers to share with everyone. John is also in the process of completing a gift for them in time for the opening of their cellar door (a place where wineries offer wine tastings and sell their wines). 

Christmas dinner was delicious! We started off with Christmas crackers, a tradition. John got soap, but I got a nice wooden fern kitchen magnet. We shared our jokes that came inside them and, of course, wore our paper hats during lunch. We had a gorgeous turkey, cranberry sauce, roasted potatoes and sweet potatoes, carrots, beans, sausage, bread pudding, and gravy. It was fantastic and very filling!

Of course, we also then had to have dessert in which Sarah made a great Christmas pudding with traditional money cooked inside (I got 40 cents in my slice!) with some really good (and quite potent, I must say) brandy ice cream and brandy butter. The good news: my apple galette got the seal of approval! I was very glad. We then enjoyed some coffee until the rest of the crew (Sarah's son Chris, his wife Sonya, and their children: Liam, Chris, and Sunshine) came over to join us (and brought along some Champagne). 

It was such a good christmas. Even though it wasn't our own, it was still family and so there was warmth and love in the house all day long. We were thousands of miles from home, but we both felt welcome. Everyone spent the day enjoying real, quality time with each other. We talked and laughed. We watched the children open their gifts with excitement--including the giant Christmas cracker that John and I brought for them:

The adults even had fun with a game of Trivial Pursuit, and we also enjoyed the beautiful sunshine with games of Petanc and volleyball on the lawn:

You can have the snow--I'll take the sunshine.

It was a happy (and tummy-filling!) day. We wouldn't have had it any other way. 

I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas!

Cooking/Baking Up A Storm

Well, give me an apron and call me Julia Child (but without the height and general robustness). To amuse myself during the past two days I have begun experimenting in the culinary arts to pass the time. After a few attempts, I must say--I'm not half bad. 

My first experiment was something simple. I bought these delicious almond and cherry shortbread cookies from the grocery store. 10 for $5.99--not a bad deal, but I figured it would be even cheaper if I could make them myself. So I looked up a shortbread recipe online, included the other ingredients on the package of cookies I bought, added them in as I saw fit, and voila! Delicious almond shortbread cookies with cherries baked in.

There's A LOT of butter in these, but they are still delicious!

The cookies got the seal of approval from my roommates, who smelled them baking when they walked in the door and noted how delicious they smelled. When they were done, I even gave them a taste test and my cookies passed with flying colors! My one roommate, Lacie, even wanted the recipe. Success!

Pure, yummy goodness.

The next night for dinner I wanted to try Stuffed Tomatoes Provençal--but with my own spin on it (to get rid of the leftover ingredients we had before they went bad). Essentially I mixed beef (cooked) sausages, a few (3) potatoes, onion, garlic, the inside of two tomatoes, inside of half a squash, half a can of diced tomatoes, breadcrumbs, parsley, and some mushrooms in a food processor, and then stuffed it into two tomatoes, halves of a red and yellow bell pepper (called a capsicum here), and the half squash. After a drizzle of salt, pepper, and olive oil--I put them in the oven for 15-20 minutes. They came out delicious and I was quite proud. They reminded me of the stuffed tomatoes my host mother made for me when I studied abroad in France. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of them.

However, I had a good amount of the stuffing mixture left and wasn't sure what to do with it. I decided it would make a good ravioli filling but I didn't have pasta dough--so I decided to make it! Yes, pasta from scratch. It was my first attempt at such a thing, ever, but I think it turned out okay. First I made the dough:

Shhh, it's resting.

Then, since we don't have a pasta machine I had to roll it out with a rolling pin on the counter. Made quite a mess and didn't turn out the neatest, but it worked. I then made the little pouches, cut them into squares, and sealed them with a fork (with the help of an egg wash).

My beautiful in a slightly awkward, but made with love kind-of-way, creation.

One of the better ones--though far from perfect. It's okay--gave them character.

Threw them in a pot of boiling water for 4 minutes, and they came out edible! Tossed on a bit of salt and pepper, drizzle of olive oil, and some grated parmesan cheese--and the final product turned out quite nice (and tasty).

Not bad, eh?

My next attempt will be an apple galette for Christmas Eve. I've already picked out the recipe (in which I will, once again, make the crust from scratch) and I hope it will turn out just as well!

However, I would like to add--this in no way means I'm becoming "domesticated." It just means I know enough that I will never have to starve. :)

Oh, and John's doing well too. He's pretty much a rock star at the restaurant--was the only person to get tips the other day and is getting great reviews from customers!

Look for another update soon!

The Mighty Matai

Well, John is off to work again. This time it's a double shift (11:30 am to 10:00 pm--but mostly likely til' midnight) and he has the same tomorrow, so now I have to find ways to not go crazy alone for TWO whole days! I suspect lots of cookie baking and Christmas arts and crafts to make the room a bit more festive. Unfortunately, there seems to be a bit of a hiring lull right now as most people, I suspect, have done their Christmas hirings. However, hopefully once summer gets into full swing in January there will be plenty of jobs to be had! (Cross your fingers!)  

Anyways, John's had the last two days off and we were hoping to do the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, but the weather just hasn't cooperated--cloudy and rainy for most of this week. However, the forecast says it's supposed to be lovely and sunny on Christmas Day--let's hope! Also, the other day I was gifted with yet another beautiful sunset:

Seem to get a lot of these here.

So, we weren't able to make the 3 hour drive out to Tongariro, but yesterday we were blessed with a brief respite from the cloudy, drizzly dreariness, and so we decided to take advantage of it by going on an impromptu tramp! We chose to go back to the same area where we visited Shine Falls--Boundary Stream Reserve--as there were other, short walking tracks that we had not yet visited. Plus, it's a quick hour-drive away. One of our roommates, Gaupal, had the day off and asked to join us. So the three of us set off for a tiny town in the middle of nowhere called Tutira, where the reserve is located.

We thought it would be a nice, two hour walk, and it was, though there were parts that were much steeper than anticipated! However, it was a nice way to break-in my new (and cheap!) hiking boots I bought for when we do more strenuous tramping (like the Tongariro Crossing). We walked through mostly forest, where we encountered a lot of ferns and a variety of birds (John's favorite things!). Along the way we encountered some nice views:

However, the one thing that attracted me to this particular track was the 800 year-old tree, called a Matai, that was situated on the track. We didn't spot it until the end of the tramp, as there was an informational panel identifying it and giving information about it--and indeed it was huge! Here are some pictures of us standing near the base to give you some perspective:

I'm not sure this picture does it justice, but it's 82 feet tall.

The panel located near the tree gave some fascinating information about it that I will pass on to any who are interested (though I know some of you just like to look at the pictures rather than read my highly praised written entries :P )

The Mighty Matai: Looking at this 800 year-old 25 meter high matai tree, you will understand how this ancient forest once pulsated with life. Dripping from its branches is a forest within a forest. This mighty matai nearly ended up as timber for the Tutira Hall. Luckily it was too big to handle at Manson and Clarke's Mill. This tree survived fires 100 years ago which swept by close enough for it to taste the smoke and feel the heat. It withstood the 1931 earthquake and 1938 flood. It has weathered drought, snow and storms like Cyclone Bola in 1988. This matai has seen species pass to extinction. Moa once trod over its roots and huia rested in its branches. The massive New Zealand Eagle would have sat high on a lookout perch. Little wrens and bats would have sought shelter in its huge limbs. Massive clumps of perching epiphytes with their long sword shaped leaves and drooping stalks of sweet-scented flowers have made their home in its branches. Imagine how many birds have perched, preened and nested here, how many millions of insects have scuttled about in this tree.

To put into perspective, this one tree has been around since 1200 AD. Much longer than anything existing in our own country (EDIT: Ok, so I looked up the oldest trees in the world and there are a few in the U.S in the thousands age range, but still, this tree is older than our country itself). It's amazing and hard to image that long of a life. And who knows how many more years the tree will stand? No thanks to the efforts of John and Gaupal, who "attempted" to push it down:

Needless to say, they did not succeed. 

On our way back to Hastings we encountered a bit of a shower, but the sun was still shining and thus we were greeted by this beautiful rainbow over Napier and Hawke's Bay:

You can see part of a double rainbow if you look close.

I hope everyone is enjoying the holidays! (And if anyone has fantastic cookie and/or pie recipes--I'm not partial--then let me know!)

Elephant Hill

So, John is at his first day/evening of work at Elephant Hill Winery and Restaurant! Here is a picture of him all spiffied up in his uniform:

He's happier than he looks.

Anywho--that has left me, the unemployee, to find ways to amuse myself during the evenings/days when he is gone (until I, cross your fingers, find a job as well--because, let's face it, I'm NOT housewife material). The blog is one of those such ways!

Last night we were invited to the Elephant Hill Christmas Party. It was to be a lovely evening of homemade pizza and free alcohol--and indeed it was! We got all dressed up for the event, only to find upon arrival that it was a more casual affair, and so we were very much overdressed. I told John to call his boss and ask about the dress code beforehand, but he never did, so we definitely stood out! It was fun to dress up though, and here is a picture for your viewing pleasure:

Luckily, I had a sweater to tone down the shininess and make it a bit more casual.

The evening did turn out to be very lovely, though a bit chillier than expected, and it was a great way for John to meet a lot of his co-workers. We mingled a lot and met a lot of very nice people. Nicki, the finance manager, whose husband was very nice and chatty (and also a U2 fan--he went to the concert in Auckland!) and builds kayaks for a living; A dutch couple in which the woman, I believe her name is Kjiersten, works in the restaurant--however the man worked in Athens, GA at the science department at UGA for a year! Craziness!; Rob---John's boss and a very laid back guy who awkwardly mentioned the fact that I, too, applied there for a job in front of some other people but offered the saving caveat that apparently I'm on the short list for future hiring waves--good to know!; Michelle--another of John's co-workers and another manager who was very friendly and offering lots of advice for John's job and others in the area; Susie--a kitchen hand who, along with her chillax-hippie husband, is an artist--they were both very nice and invited us over to their place for a barbeque sometime this summer!; Brittany--one of their viticulturists who is from California so it was nice to meet another American in town; another woman, I forget her name, who worked as a Marketing/PR person in the U.S. for Cirque de Soleil!; and Gunter--the facility manager who travels back and fourth between Germany (where the owners are from) and NZ to manage the business. Fun fact we learned--the winery, as I mentioned, was started by a wealthy German couple who are apparently the third richest Germans in the whole country! We also mingled with several others and they were all very nice and mostly the older crowd. There were some younger kids there our age, but apparently they work in the kitchen and seemed to stick to themselves and so we stuck to mingling with everyone else--and it was equally as pleasant.

In addition to the very friendly people, the food was also amazing (and free)! It was this small pizza truck with a woodfire oven, and the guy used the most delicious, fresh ingredients to make gourmet, flat-bread pizzas from his little truck--they were delicious! And to top it off, for dessert he made belgian waffles with powdered sugar, strawberries, and syrup! The beer and wines available were also great--in addition to the Elephant Hill brand they had some others as well, including a REALLY good one called Imperiale from Austria--I couldn't tell you what type of wine it was, though. Gunter brought it out of his cellar--it was his last bottle as a friend gave him a few several years ago.


Overall we had a really good evening, enjoying the food, wine, company, and beautiful views (I will take some pictures next time I go), and I expect John will really enjoy working there with such great co-workers. 


However, I would like to leave you with some photos of the GORGEOUS sunset we had two nights ago. Enjoy!

(Don't be too jealous :) )

Taking The Plunge

So John and I decided to head back to the local waterfall on Friday to take advantage of the warm weather. This time John decided to jump in--TWICE. Here are the videos of his craziness:

After that, a local Maori guy came around and wasn't going to jump until John coaxed him into it by jumping a second time himself!

Good News

John got a job at a winery restaurant! It's called Elephant Hill, and it's about 15 min away from where we live. He will get 35-50 hours per week at $15/hr--which means he will be making good money! He can have the job until April, as long as they stay busy enough. It's a really nice place and a great job to get, especially on a working holiday! Now we just have to find something decent for myself . . .

Ocean Beach

Last weekend, we decided to take advantage of the nice weather and head to the nearest beach for a nice afternoon jaunt. Our roommates told us that on the way there was a nearby waterfall and swimming hole and we decided to stop there first to check it out. It was a nice little walk along a stream to a small, but pretty waterfall complete with a rope swing! The water was very cold, a bit too cold even for a hot day, but we will definitely have to venture back later in the summer!

The beach proved to be just as nice and the water equally as cold! We didn't stay too long, but apparently a Christmas tradition here is to have a BBQ on the beach and it's also a popular spot for New Year's--so we will definitely be venturing back!

Saturday afternoon we also got a welcome call from Sarah over at Cardoness--they needed some work! So for 2 and a half days we did some more work on their vineyard tucking wires and sweating in the hot summer sun! But it was nice to be productive and make some money after a week of waiting for job opportunities/hunting. We even took a dip in their pool after our second day of work--a great way to cool off! They have been gracious enough to invite us over for Christmas dinner and of course we accepted! It will be nice to spend the occasion with some familiar family friends rather than alone (and the food will be even more amazing!)

Last night we also ventured out to the local pub to meet Neil, Sarah, and their daughter Kelley for Quiz Night (trivia night) that takes place once a month. We didn't do so hot last time and John and I were hoping to contribute more this month. Well it certainly turned out well--second place! With only a team of 5 people! Luckily, there was a large number of American knowledge questions related to presidents, state capitals, institutions, american actors, and even one of the answers was Hulk Hogan (which I was able to provide since I, oddly, knew his real name)! It was a fun night and we won $30 in restaurant vouchers! On the 21st the pub is hosting a special Christmas Quiz Night, complete with a raffle, on the spot prizes, a special menu including glazed ham, and a costume contest! We are planning to go again on that night and celebrate with some drinks using our vouchers! It will be a great way to spend the holidays and we are very excited!

In other news, John has gotten an interview for a waiter position at one of the winery restaurants! It's called Elephant Hill and, luckily, his 5 years of experience working in a diner has come in handy! However, we were finally able to chat with his father Martin on Skype today, and he has a contact in New Zealand for us who previously worked at his company, Clearstream, in Luxembourg! As the summer approaches, we have been told the work will pick up a lot and so hopefully we will both be steadily employed (and fairly paid) soon!

Lately

Update: I forgot to mention--we survived our first earthquake! (As in we slept through it and didn't feel anything.) Earthquakes happen daily in NZ, with an average of 6,000 per year, most of them in early morning, and most of them so small you can't feel them. About 60 km north of here at 4:00 a.m. on Wednesday there was a 3.7 quake--apparently if you were awake and standing you could feel it a bit--but nothing substantial enough to rouse us from our slumber.


Time for another update! We have been doing quite a lot lately. After leaving the apple orchard, the other job we were hoping for with a vineyard contractor fell through. So we have spent the majority of this week job hunting--responding to job posts for temporary work in this area online, as well as simply going out to mostly restaurants and cafes and asking if they are hiring. We have probably applied to about 15 places thus far--so hopefully one of them works out! Some of our roommates who work for a contractor doing orchard and vineyard work started doing apple thinning this week. We told them good luck as it wasn't good money. Well lo' and behold they come home and tell us that they are getting paid DOUBLE the amount we were per tree! This further solidified to us that we were getting ripped off even though the nice man told us otherwise. It's a bit disappointing as he seemed genuine, but if we were getting half of what most people make then we were definitely being taken advantage of and it was good that we moved on. One of our roommates has been nice enough to talk to another contractor he has worked for in the past who hires foreigners other than Indians, and hopefully in one to two weeks the work will pick up and they will take us on. A much better lead than the last one. Until then, the job hunt continues!


Other than job searching, we have been enjoying more New Zealand wine and cuisine. This past Sunday we went to a boutique wine festival at a local winery in support of Chris, who we worked for at Cardoness. Boutique wineries in the area set up booths to advertise their wines, and there were free tastings with deals on purchases of whole bottles. There was also food and music! We took advantage of the free wine tastings and also bought ourselves a nice slice of brie for only $3 from a local company called Te Mata Cheese. It was a lovely afternoon and the location of the event was very quaint. 

Another New Zealand specialty that we have enjoyed once or twice is special New Zealand pizza from a company called "Hell." Have you ever though of putting chicken, cranberry sauce, and camembert cheese on pizza? Or venison pepperoni and hot sauce? How about chicken, apricot sauce, spring onions, pine nuts, rosemary and cream cheese? Well you wouldn't think to, but that's exactly the kind of gourmet pizza that Hell serves and it's delicious! My first experience with them I had a pizza with blue cheese, mushrooms, and caramelized onions. Mmmmm! The other night John and I decided to try out something new on the menu again and we were not disappointed! My pizza had onions, mushrooms, camembert, pineapple, cashews, avocado, and bell pepper. It was amazing! Also, fun fact, in going with the "Hell" and death theme, the cardboard box the pizza comes in can be cut out (it's perforated) and folded into a coffin in which to keep leftovers! Very clever.

They are a local pizza chain with stores in Australia, NZ, and the UK--so if you ever come to visit you must give them a try! (I bet they are  better than the gas station pizza in Alton, NH--Dad). I have also grown addicted to a New Zealand chocolate company called Whittaker's. They sell huge bars in the grocery store with all these different flavorings. If I could I would get a lifetime supply of the Milk Chocolate with Macadamia Nut! I'll definitely have to bring some back with me to the states (though I'm afraid the pizza would not keep very well if I tried to do the same :) )


Other than that we have been getting to know our roommates more, which is nice. The first day one of them (from India) asked us, as he wanted to settle the debate with his friends back home, whether WWF wrestling was real or fake--we assured him that it was fake :) This weekend, they want to talk more about 9/11 with us to separate the fact from fiction that they have heard. It's nice that they are so interested, as their country is just as interesting to us! Another common topic is their shock at how easy it is in the U.S. to have guns! It's nice to walk down streets at night knowing you have a very slim, if any, chance of being shot at--no matter where you are. 


Then, finally, today we went out and bought ourselves a little Christmas tree! There was a huge sale going on at a local store where all Christmas decorations were 50% off and so we thought it would be a good day to go! We got a little fiber optic tree and bought a few decorations to go with it. Also, in keeping the Christmas tradition of John's family we bought a huge Christmas cracker to open at Christmas dinner. Here is a little video of us putting the star on the top of the tree (and it took under 5 minutes to decorate). 

I'm sure it pales in comparison to yours, mother, and it doesn't beat the experience of going out in the snow and picking out/chopping down your own tree that I had with the Mackenzie's--but it brings a little bit of holiday spirit just the same!

As the summer approaches and the weather gets warmer we are hoping to do a little more nature site seeing, which means I will have some beautiful pictures to post soon. Until then, enjoy the cold Northern Hemisphere!

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! Though I am writing this on U.S. Thanksgiving Day as we already celebrated our Thanksgiving last night--in the most traditional fashion we could manage given we are in a country that does not celebrate Thanksgiving (nor do they have canned pumpkin pie filling!) and we had to work all day picking apples.

SO much to update!

Most of the past week has been work, work, work, come home, shower, eat, pass out. Nothing too exciting. Although last week we did head over to Cardoness for Mark and Pam's goodbye dinner--it was lovely, as usual. We also got to meet more of the family as Chris, Neil and Sarah's son, had his wife and children over for the event. We, unfortunately, couldn't stay for a nice game of Petanque as we had free tickets for a Ukulele concert given to us by our flat mate, Lacey, who works at the Hawke's Bay Opera house. 

It was actually quite a fun concert, as we are not particularly ukulele fanatics. They had a guy from L.A., Ukulele Bartt, play as well as a Kiwi band called the Nukes. They were a trio and one of the guys played a "banjolele" (a mix between a banjo and ukulele) giving their music a fun, bluegrass feel.

Unfortunately, I didn't bring my camera, though I wish I had. However, the concert was in the atrium, or courtyard, of the Opera house. There were random tables set up, as it was very relaxed and they had wine and snacks for sale (though we didn't buy any). People even brought their own ukulele's to play along at the end! The concert was all a part of the week-long Hawke's Bay Ukulele Festival. The next day they were trying for the Guinness Book of World Record's for the largest Ukulele jam! Not sure if they achieved it or not, as we didn't attend.

The next night we actually went with another roommate of ours, Nakul, to train at his Indian restaurant. They are going to need extra staff from time to time and Nakul brought us in to train. It was my first experience working in a restaurant, and it was pretty fun (and also, luckily, pretty slow since it was a Sunday night). The whole staff is Indian but all the patrons were Kiwis, so it worked out. 

We have decided to move on from the apple orchard as we simply weren't making enough money on a piece rate (half of the minimum hourly wage) and new opportunities have come up. If we had all the money we needed, we possibly would have stayed just for the experience and sheer character building (as the work is quite physical) because our boss was incredibly nice and he had an adorable yellow lab--but our bank account was beckoning to us to find something more lucrative. Hopefully, on Monday, we will be working for  new contractor who is happy to pay us at an hourly rate doing mostly vineyard work, with some vegetable and fruit work here and there. This new job will actually allow us to save money rather than simply make enough to meet our weekly expenses. 

Though for today, it was back to Cardoness to do some more work in the vineyard--paid this time! It was a long day and we were tuckered out by the end! Luckily, we have tons of Thanksgiving leftovers so we won't have to worry about cooking for the next few days.

We introduced some of our flat mates to the tradition that is Thanksgiving. However, turkey is not a popular poultry item in NZ. You are much more likely to find lamb, beef, and chicken. Thus, we opted for a nice roast chicken as it was cheaper and we actually had the time to cook it! We also had boiled artichoke with a dijon dipping sauce, mashed potatoes (I made those), corn pudding, and bread stuffing. Also, apple pie for dessert! It was quite delicious and while we certainly missed having Thanksgiving back home with our families (and for myself, pumpkin pie), it was nice to celebrate together and bring some of our own traditions (the weather, however, is decidedly late spring rather than the fall foliage that we are used to this time of year).

However, me must say what we are most thankful for right now is the kindness of strangers! So many new people we have met have been willing to go out of their way to help us out and make sure we are looked after. It's a nice feeling since we are so far from home! We spent our post-dinner time hanging out with our flat mates, enjoying a nice bottle of wine we bought, and showing them pictures from America and our travels.

We leave you with this short video of our first (and possibly only) New Zealand Thanksgiving!

Working Hard

Phew! Working in an apple orchard during the New Zealand summer is not easy. For the last two days, so far, we have been doing apple thinning on an orchard where we take extraneous fruit off the tree in order to lighten the weight and make sure all the remaining fruit become well developed. It's a pretty tedious process, involving setting up our own ladders, climbing up and down, and getting up pretty high in order to get all the fruit. Even after our first day, we knew it was going to be a pretty strenuous 6 weeks, and if we manage to make it through to the end, we will both be pretty darn tan! We apply lots of sunblock, however, and we both wear hats to keep our faces shaded, but it is HOT. 


There are two other Czechs and one other Kiwi guy who works with us--we take different rows, though, so we don't interact too much. The owner is a perfectly nice guy and he has an adorable young yellow labrador running around. He likes plastic, which we learned the first day when he chewed the top off our sunscreen and tried to get at the bottle as well. I also noticed, when the owner John discovered our sunscreen bottle, that the plastic water bottle I had brought was nowhere to be found. We found the cap, but never the rest. Oh well, he's such a cute dog you can't really mind.


Our night last night with Mark and Pam was lovely. John and I went early to grab some dinner at the pub where we were meeting. We had a nice time with Mark and Pam, talking about what we both have been doing since we left Cardoness. However, Mark and Pam's last day there is Sunday, so they have invited us over for a barbecue before we go to our Ukulele concert on Saturday night. Weekend plans already!


After that we headed to the movie theater in town to see Harry Potter! It ended up that we got there two hours early, at 10 p.m., but the doors didn't open until 11. There were already three girls sitting outside waiting, so John and I decide to join them. By the time the doors opened, there were quite a few people waiting and the theater ended up being totally full by the time the movie started. There were some extremely enthusiastic fans, as to be expected. People dressed up, brought wands (a.k.a sticks), two guys came running in with suits on house brooms. They catered to the madness by having trivia before the movie as a way to pass the time and practically handed out their "Harry Potter" ice cream they had created for the event as a prize for a correct answer. John and I stuck with hot chocolate and a latte. John was rather amused by the crowd, though of course he said it was "just sad." However, he did not end up sleeping through the movie like he said he would do and instead ended up watching the whole thing and even laughed at the funny bits! He liked it, I know it, though he will insist otherwise. Don't believe him. :)


But we left the theater at 2:30 a.m. (good timing actually, as there were only three previews before the actual movie), and got home and to bed by 3:00 a.m. only to wake up at 7 for work--which has made this quite the long day! We are hoping to adjust to the physical demands of the work soon, and in the meantime keep looking for any work (and we mean ANY work) that will take us indoors!

Work!

We are now gainfully employed! Who knew things would work out this quickly? First a flat room and now a job! We were just relaxing in our room today after doing some much needed laundry when we both got a text at the same time and lo' and behold it was Pick NZ with some work! So we went this evening to check it out. We will be doing apple thinning on an orchard about a 10 min drive away. The guy who runs it is very nice, he has two young daughters, and he says that he expects there will be work until Christmas which is great because that is how long we were planning to stay here. So that is a huge relief. We are also getting payed at a contract rate, basically per tree, so the more and faster we work, the more we earn. Though he says once we get used to the work and get a rhythm going the average is about $15/hr. This is good because we can set our own hours and work for however long we want. Or we can take a day off if we want!

So we're feeling very luck right now and it's quite a relief to know we have some income coming in! If we play our cards right hopefully we will make enough to save up and replenish our funds a bit.

When we got home the girl who rents us the room said she had free tickets for us! She works at the Hawke's Bay Opera house and this Saturday night is a performance of a guy who plays the Ukulele and will be performing in the courtyard of the Opera House. So now we have a nice event to go to this weekend. Tomorrow night we are meeting Mark and Pam for a beer at the pub in Havelock North before going to the midnight premiere of the new Harry Potter! The cinema we are going to is a boutique cinema so there are only three theaters and they don't serve popcorn, but wine and cheese!

It's turning out to be quite a good week! The sunset was correct.