December 15
Picture this: clear blue water in front of you, mountains in the distance, a couple of palm trees next to you and heaps of sand underneath your bum... Welcome to Mission Bay beach! Mission Bay is only 10 minutes away from Auckland and I was there last Thursday. I don't like hostels (really?!), but I do like the fun and cheap trips they organize! It cost me only $2 to spend an afternoon at Mission Bay and that was including lunch and transport. Sweet as!
So far, my trip to Mission Bay has been the only trip I've made since my arrival in Auckland nearly two weeks ago. I spent last week viewing 10 rooms - only to come to the conclusion that I'm much better off at the B&B I've stayed at since December 5. New Zealand is big and has a lot of space with only 4 million people in a country as big as the United Kingdom, but for some reason, the apartments in Auckland are extremely small. Most of the rooms I saw last week didn't even have windows! The apartments are mainly designed for students, but people who work live there as well. It's very common to share the bathroom and kitchen, sometimes with as many as 10 people. A lot of the rooms gave me the feeling of being in a prison. I need space! My room at the B&B isn't extremely big, but at least, I have a window (no view, unfortunately, but hey, you can't have it all... ) and I can also use the huge lounge area. I'll keep looking for a room, because it's cheaper to rent a room than to stay at a hostel or B&B, but for the time being, I'm fine in room number 9.
I am, however, also looking for options outside Auckland. Auckland isn't exactly 'my cup of tea'... Difficult to say why. I think because it lacks glitter & glamour. It doesn't have cosmopolitan grandeur like Tokyo or Shanghai. Because now is not a good time for job hunting, I'd like to go to one of the Pacific Islands (Fiji, Vanuatu or Rarotonga - images of paradise spring to mind upon hearing these names!) and continue my job search in January - if a trip to paradise fits into my budget. Minor detail: it'll be rainy season until March... Rain in paradise? If it's warmer than in chilly Auckland, it's fine with me!
Last week, apart from viewing ten apartments, I also went to City Dance three times, for salsa class, Latin Funk and pilates. I walked along Parnell Road (steep!), famous for its Victorian houses, to the Domain (big park in Auckland). On Saturday, I had coffee with Ben's father (thank you, Ben!) and Saturday evening, I went to Christmas in the Park, an annual Christmas event sponsored by Coca-Cola.
All in all, you could say that I haven't done anything really exciting nor have I seen any of the beautiful nature New Zealand is so famous for, but time seems to go by fast nonetheless...
From rainy Auckland, I'd like to wish you all a warm Christmas and a sweet as New Year!
Sweet as
'Sweet as' is kiwi slang for 'cool' or 'wicked'. It has nothing to do with your behind and it's not followed by anything. Most people here are having a sweet as time - but 'most people' doesn't include me, in this case. A man I met on the airport express bus in Hong Kong said to me after hearing my travel stories:'Sounds like you're hooked on the Orient!' My first reaction was:'Me???', but perhaps he was right...
When I arrived in Auckland last Wednesday, it was raining. It rained for 3 whole days. When I asked an IEP staff member what I could do on a rainy day in Auckland, he said:'Hang out and get drunk - but that's what you do when the weather is good as well!' He thought he was being funny, but I didn't like it at all! Hanging out and getting drunk is not my idea of having fun, but it gave me a good idea of what life in Auckland is all about. I spent three night at the Base Hostel in downtown Auckland. This was pre-booked. I didn't sleep at all. After four nights with hardly any sleep, I was exhausted and I felt like a drug addict on a constant high. This was not fun at all! I went online to look for a hostel with single rooms (there aren't many in Auckland) and luckily, Aspen House had a single room available for me. As soon as I could check in, I went there, left my suitcase in the middle of the room and fell asleep. I felt a whole lot better when I woke up after an hour!
Most foreigners go to Auckland to get drunk. Not me. On Thursday night, I went to yoga. To my surprise, the yoga teacher was a Japanese lady. The class price included a vegan dinner afterwards. Wow, that food was good! I was even able to eat the chocolate pudding for desert, because it was made of soy milk. I don't think I'll go there again, though, because the place is run by Hare Krishna and that made me feel a little bit uncomfortable...
On Friday, I went to Henderson by train. Henderson is one of Auckland's suburbs. The train went very slowly and it felt like stepping back into time! At the train station in Henderson, I was picked up by John, a man from England who's lived in New Zealand for 23 years. He'd invited me to have lunch with him and his girlfriend Marita. John and Marita were very kind, helpful and friendly and I ended up staying for dinner as well. They let me use their computer for a couple of hours (!) and after dinner, John drove me back to the Base Hostel.
On Saturday evening, I went to the Peter Pan Ballet performance. I love watching ballet and this show was wonderful (although, I must admit that I had trouble keeping my eyes open...I was so tired!). I spent most of Sunday sleeping and last night, I went to salsa class. There's a dance school above McDonald's. I discovered that on the first day, haha! The dance school, named City Dance, reminds me of the Amsterdam Dance Center. The salsa instructor was Taiwanese (there are so many Asian people, Asian shops and Asian restaurants here!) and it felt good to dance again. I miss our nights at ShiHai, Kathy! I had, however, underestimated myself: yesterday's class was for beginners and it was way too easy for me... I had fun, though, and that is why I went there in the first place. I may try a different class later this week (they have hip hop, funk, contemporary and heaps of other dance styles there as well).
I'm still in Auckland, even though I don't really like it here. I seem to have put myself in a similar situation as when I went to Yangshuo: it's bad timing. When I arrived in Yangshuo, the October festival was about to start and here in Auckland, the summer holidays are about to start (Christmas holidays and summer holidays are both in December here! ). It's a bad time for finding a job, because a lot of offices will be closed in December and summer jobs have already been given to New Zealand students. It's also a bad time to travel, because in peak season, the prices go up. Hostels and hotels are either full or have increased their prices. Sigh! I really need to keep this in mind next time I decide to travel! I'm not sure what I'll do. I spend a lot of time in internetcafes, exploring various options. I've applied for several jobs, but so far, I've only received rejections. But hey, the sun's shining and that's 'sweet as'! ('Sweet as' is kiwi slang for 'cool' or 'wicked'. Sounds a bit weird, but that's what they say here!)
Have a great day!
Contact details
C/o Work New Zealand
PO Box 1786, Shortland Street
Downtown Auckland, 1001
New Zealand
For sending packages, the address is slightly different:
C/o Work New Zealand
Level 10, 220 Queen Street
Downtown Auckland, 1001
New Zealand
Please don't forget to mention my name!
Correction on the phone number I included in my blog yesterday: if you're calling or texting from outside New Zealand, you should drop the zero (0) between the country code and the actual number. (So it should be: +64 22 64 08 134.)
Emails are, of course, welcome as well.
Hope to hear from you and enjoy your weekend!
Greetings from rainy Auckland (the rain just won't stop!).
Step 2: Auckland, New Zealand
My flight from Hong Kong to Auckland went well, although I was a bit scared when I arrived at Hong Kong International Airport and couldn't find my flight number anywhere. It turned out that Air New Zealand had changed my flight number, but luckily, I could still go on board. The gate number was changed as well, so it was a little bit stressful when I left, but once I was on board, the pilot had good news for all travellers: instead of 11 hours, the flight would only take 10 hours and 10 minutes. Hooray! On the plane were a lot of Chinese people and also, of course, a lot of New Zealanders. I found it really weird to be surrounded by tall, big, white people. I know now how an Asian must feel when he sees a white person for the first time! New Zealanders are really tall and most of them are big as well. A lot of (young) kiwi's smoke and there's a fast food restaurant at every corner of the street. I thought New Zealanders enjoyed a healthy way of living...
A lot of people (including an kiwi who's moved to Europe) had already told me that Auckland isn't all that special. Unfortunately, I'll have to agree with them. I feel like being in an American rural town. It doesn't have a cosmopolitan feel to it at all. There are shops and there's a port, but it all feels a bit ... bland. Like food without spices. Most travellers don't stay in Auckland very long. They move on to other places where they can find beautiful nature and high bridges to jump off from. I haven't decided yet what I'll do, but I'd definitely like to move out of the hostel I'm currently staying at. Argh! I'm sleeping in a bunk bed on a mattress that has been slept on by many people before me... I might as well sleep on the floor, haha! Three girls from Argentina sleep in my room as well. The room doesn't have any windows (stuffy!) and it's quite noisy. For me, breakfast is included in the price, but I have to go to a restaurant outside the hostel to eat it. Since I'm backed up by the Dutch organization Travel Active (hence this blog), I'll be getting a 3-hour orientation workshop tomorrow morning during which the ins and outs of living and working in New Zealand will be explained to me. Of course, I couldn't wait until tomorrow (patience!), so I've already opened a bank account, applied for an IRD number (for taxes) and I've bought a New Zealand mobile phone. If you like, you can send me a text message at: +64 02 26 40 81 34. Please keep in mind that there's a 12-hour time difference between Amsterdam and Auckland.
Have a good day and enjoy celebrating Sinterklaas!
Magical
Leaving Ryo, Chiaki and Japan behind was difficult for me. I really had a great time in Japan. I don't know how to ever thank Ryo properly for everything he did for me. I spent Sunday and Monday in Yokohama, Tuesday until Friday in Tokyo and on Saturday, Ryo and I went to Nikko, a place 2 hours north of Tokyo. Nikko is famous for its shrines, temples and beautiful nature. It was sunny last Saturday, but because Nikko is high in the mountains, it was pretty cold... Brrr! Luckily, the trains and the rental car were warm.
On Saturday night, Ryo, Chiaki and I had dinner at a typically Japanese restaurant. It was as if we were having dinner at someone's house. We sat on the floor (no hole in the ground for your legs) and we had spicy hot pot. Mmm! I really liked the spicy vegetables that I fished out of the big bowl that stood in the middle of the table. It was nearly midnight when we were finished. I said goodbye to Chiaki and 'see you tomorrow' to Ryo. It was almost time to leave...
On Sunday, Ryo came to pick me up at 11.45 am. We went to Tokyo Station where Ryo dropped me off. After exchanging best wishes and giving each other a big hug, I was on my own again. I took the train to Narita Airport and arrived in Hong Kong on Sunday night. Now I'm back at the Dragon Hostel. One more night in China and then I'll fly to New Zealand. Aaaah!
When I was in Hong Kong in September, I was too jetlagged to go to Disneyland Resort Hong Kong, so I decided to go today. When I got off the Disneyland train, the voice on the intercom wished me 'a magical day'. Well, it sure was! The sun was shining all day, the shows were great (real dancers!), I didn't have to wait more than 5 minutes for the attractions and the fireworks show at Cinderella's Castle at 8 pm was indeed magical.
Hope you have a magical day as well!
Nihon e yokoso!
Last Sunday, I flew from Hong Kong to Tokyo. The flight went smoothly and I arrived even earlier than planned. It was cold when I got off the plane, but because the Japanese do have heaters (contrary to the Chinese), it was bearable. I took a train from Tokyo Narita airport to Yokohama. The train ride took about 2 hours. Ryo, my Japanese host, had booked a hotel room for me at a hotel in Yokohama. After a few sleepless nights in China due to the cold and the uncomfortable bus ride from Yangshuo to Shenzhen, I was really looking forward to a warm bed. Well, I got a lot more than that! My hotel room wasn`t an ordinary room, but a real suite on the 27th floor. Wow! The view was stunning and so was the bathroom! I had two showers all to myself AND a bath tub. I think I spent the first 10 minutes just walking from the windows to the bathroom, trying to get a grasp of where I was. This was heaven! No need to tell you that I slept like a baby that night... Doomo arigatoo gozaimasu, Ryo-san!
On Monday, I explored Yokohama. It was a beautiful sunny autumn day, so I decided to walk instead of taking the subway. Yokohama is a port city, so I went to the pier and I also went up the Yokohama tower to enjoy the view from an even higher altitude than my hotel room. Around 7.30 pm I took the subway to Tokyo station to meet Ryo and his girlfriend Chiaki. I`d never seen them before and they had never seen me, but it didn`t feel weird at all. We took a taxi to Ryo`s apartment near Akebonobashi station and after having given me a few instructions about the washing machine (yes!), the heater (yes!), the shower (my own shower for a week!) and the ultra modern toilet (the contrast with the toilets in China couldn`t be bigger!), he gave me the key. `It`s your house now`, he said. My own apartment in Tokyo for a week - is this for real??? Wow wow WOW!
I was extremely tired after my harsh time in China, so I slept in on Tuesday. By the time I left `my` apartment, it was nearly 2 pm... I spent the afternoon looking for the Tokyo Tourist Information Center (TIC), meanwhile people watching (what a difference with the rude Chinese! The Japanese are so polite and well-mannered) and brushing up my Japanese - or what`s left of it... Tuesday night, I went out for dinner with Ryo. We went to a teriyaki restaurant, where we had chicken on skewers. Well, I had chicken meat and Ryo also had the rest of the chicken. The Japanese don`t eat everything like the Chinese do, but they do eat more than the average Dutch Jan, Piet or Klaas....
Yesterday, I explored two areas of Tokyo, namely Shibuya and Shinjuku. I had a great time just walking around, practicing my Japanese every time I got lost or had taken a wrong turn or exit. It was very sunny yesterday, so I felt like a happy tourist on holiday. My mood got even better when Ryo took Chiaki and me to a sushi restaurant. Whoah, oshikatta desu yo! That was really delicious! I must admit that I didn`t try everything the cook put in front of me. I was okay with fish and fishy thing on top of my sticky rice, but when Chiaki said:`Look, it`s moving!` I sort of lost my appetite... Ryo immediately volunteered to eat my piece, haha! The downside of this mouth-watering experience is, however, that I don`t want any supermarket sushi anymore. This was sooooo good!
This morning, I had to get up early, so I could sit in on Chiaki`s tea ceremony class. It was really interesting. Ryo and I were Chiaki`s customers and we watched while Chiaki performed all the rituals. The tea ceremony master monitored Chiaki and corrected her movements, if necessary. Ryo and I were allowed to ask questions and I was allowed to take pictures as well. It was really zen - although it was a little bit painful to sit on my knees for more than an hour...
This afternoon, I treated myself to a massage and a haircut. Both were expensive - especially compared to China -, but I really enjoyed both treats! The massage was necessary, though. The masseuse was shocked when she touched my stiff muscles. She didn`t speak much English, but she did understand my `ouch!`. And my hair - well, it`s a bit shorter now, but I think it looks much better than before. It wouldn`t have been a good thing if it hadn`t after spending 90 minutes at the hair salon. My hair was washed twice, I received a head massage and there were two Japanese guys drying and styling my hair, so it was definitely worth the money!
I`d better go now, because it`s dinner time on this side of the planet. Have a great day!
Yangshuo - Shenzhen - Hong Kong
I'm staying at the Dragon Hostel, the same hostel where I spent 2 nights in September. This time, it's only for 1 night. I'll have to get up early tomorrow morning to catch my flight to Tokyo. I won't be spending the night in Tokyo, though, but in Yokohama, because my Japanese host is away this weekend. I'll meet him on Monday. I've never been to Yokohama, so I'm looking forward to exploring a new city. Hopefully, I'll be able to make myself understood in Japanese. It's been a while since I've spoken it...
Mata ne! (= Japanese for 'Later!')
My life as an ice cube
It's too cold to do anything. It's too cold to be awake and too cold to sleep. I wear many layers of clothes - day and night - and still I'm freezing. I don't like this! Right now, I'm wearing two pairs of pants and five (!) layers of upper clothing (including my coat) and I'm still cold. At night, I wear my fleece sweater on top of my pj's and I'm covered under a duvet and a massive blanket. Of course, I wear socks in bed as well, but the cold still manages to keep me awake... When I go outside, I put my hat, gloves and scarf on. According to my Chinese students, whom I still see when I have lunch and dinner at school, I look 'very funny' and 'very cute'. They mean colorful, referring to my red nose and purple lips. Funny?!? Cute?!? Bloody annoying and painful! I feel like I'm in a ski resort without the snow and the fun! But, you've got to give it to them: they have a sunny approach...
I'll be leaving Yangshuo Friday night by bus. It'll be a 9-hour drive, if all goes well. It's a night bus, so it means every passenger will be transported horizontally. They call it a bed, but it feels like being strapped on a gurney... Of course, the beds are small and the roads aren't that great either, so it won't be a fun ride, but I'm sort of starting to look forward to it. You know why? Because the bus will be warm. Heaven! Well, heaven for an unhappy ice cube...
Stay warm!
