New house!

Yippee!

I have a house to live in this winter! While I have had no issue finding a place to live in all sorts of countries, my home one seems to be the most challenging.

View from the top Curvey Basin. The Remarkables, Queenstown.

NZSki (the company I work for) doesn't provide staff accommodation and it is extremely difficult to find semi-decent, not-extortionately-priced housing in Queenstown.

The Remarkables. Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown. 

Last year I lived in an ex-motel unit with 3 other girls. This place was tiny. I was sharing a room with another person as well as another room... Let me explain that. My bedroom was the front room that you walked into so it was a lounge-dining-bedroom. The kitchen was probably about the same size as a ship's galley but worse. We had, between 4 of us; a microwave from 1992 (a guess but probably not far off), two electric elements, a bar fridge, 3 cupboards and a sink. Maybe that sounds generous... It wasn't.

Lake Wakatipu. Weather station, The Remarkables, Queenstown.

Queenstown is the most popular tourist town in New Zealand. With that comes a huge turn-over of international travellers on working holiday visas each season. At the start of each summer and winter there is a demand for housing that is insatiable - many people end up leaving.

From the sky. Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown. 

Luckily! We have found a house to live in with only semi-extortionate rent! With proper bedrooms, an actual kitchen (what! an oven!), a dining room (now we're getting fancy) and a lounge, I'm willing to pay the price.

A short but comprehensive tour of San Francisco

Weeeeee!

Recently I went to San Francisco. I've now been to San Francisco twice, the first time in 2009/10 with my family and the more recent time was the middle of April.

I spent 3 full days and stayed 2 nights at a hostel a couple of blocks from Union Square and managed to walk until my feet hurt every day and then more.

Travelling by myself was no novelty so I happily meandered about with my own tourist checklist.

Holla at my girl working that pole... Union Square, San Francisco.

California did not disappoint! It was so sunny and 27°C on the first day meant I was one sweaty betty.

Lanterns, Chinatown, San Francisco.

5 years ago on our very first night in the States, my parents and I walked through Chinatown, got corralled into restaurant by street hawkers (100% because we needed the bathroom) and found an incredibly well-stocked Chinese herb shop.

North Beach, San Francisco. 

Lombard St, San Francisco.

Something new! We didn't manage to see this last time.

Top of Lombard and a cheeky selfie. Lombard St, San Francisco. 

A collaborative art space. San Francisco.

Free ride... Fisherman's Wharf Cable Car, San Francisco. 

I am very adverse to taking money out of ATM's while travelling. I hate giving my bank extra money just because I'm overseas. It's one of the things that absolutely winds me up. This was my last day and I was short on cash. Fortunately, while I was hanging out next to this cable car a very nice gentleman came up and gave me his ticket.

Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco.

I mean...would it be a trip to SF without this picture? I ate clam chowder and dodged slow-walking Texan tourists (and saw a naked bicycle parade!).

Can you find the odd one out?! MAC pop-up show, San Francisco. 

Guuuurl. Werk it. Found this MAC Cosmetics pop-up show at the bottom of Powell St. It was fantastic. Absolutely everything was pink and each afternoon (they were there Fri, Sat, Sun.) they ran a hair and make-up show on the models pictured above as well as having free make-up tutorials and demos to promote their spring collection (which is actually fantastic).

I passed by a couple times before I got the courage to get this photo. The next day I went back and actually got some make-up done. It was like Make-Up 101 for me... Hello rookie! Also, the guy on the end was unbelievably charismatic, definitely stole the show.

Embarcadero, San Francisco. 

Bay Bridge market! On my last day in SF I made a trip to the Embarcadero building to pay homage to the trip my mum and I made on our last day in the States half a decade ago. Also, the farmers market is insanely good.

Not so famous but still good to look at. Bay Bridge, San Francisco. 

Pier 39, San Francisco.

Carousel. Pier 39, San Francisco. 

Lazy Sea Lions. Pier 39, San Francisco.

Pier 39 was heaps of fun. I didn't plan to go there but saw it out of the street car window and jumped out impulsively (not while it was moving). I'm so glad I did.

That red bridge. Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco. 

Yeahhhhh, squinty face for the win! I made a friend with a fellow solo traveller over mutual non-verbal photo requests of ourselves. (Actually, he looked like a major douchebag and scowled at my inferior iPhone 4). 

Painted ladies, San Francisco.

Getting out to the infamous terrace houses, the Painted Ladies, was a bit of a mission. When I finally got to Alamo Square I did have a moment of, "Is that all?". In hindsight, I'm so glad I made the effort, they're pretty cool.

FOMO - fear of missing out

I always find this time of year intoxicating. My friends and I are each on the precipice of a new adventure, which always provides excitement. This time last year I found myself, in equal parts, terrified and eagerly awaiting a flight to Japan. I ended up spending four and a half months in a place that I came to be very comfortable and at home in. I love Japan dearly and it holds a very special place in my heart.

Which is why, this year, I have a bad case of FOMO. In three weeks I am flying to Canada but in the meantime I am watching my friends, via Facebook, arrive in Japan which makes me pretty envious.

I want to be going back!

I want to be surrounded by signs I can’t read. I want to watch huge soft snowflakes blanket everything in sight. I want to go to our morning meetings where I can’t understand anything. I want to have gossips in the onsen. I want to eat ramen for lunch at our staff canteen. I want that feeling of absolute contentment when I walk into work, a place I am so happy to be. I want that feeling of home.

The unknown is scary.

I am so excited to go to Canada and I know it’s going to be fantastic when I get there but for the next three weeks I’m going to be fiercely jealous of anyone going to Japan. I’m sure that this time next year, whatever I’m doing, I’ll get to be jealous of people going to Canada too but for now, because it’s unknown, I’d rather be heading to my Asian home.

Shoulder Season

I have recently realised that it takes me almost exactly two weeks to get bored.

This has happened twice in recent times; first, when my contract finished at The Remarkables (as a ski instructor) and second, when I got home after said contract finished.

I finished working on the mountain in the middle of September and by the end of September I was going absolutely bananas. I remember one day where I was looking at The Remarkables range and felt this welling of panic inside me. I had to get the fuck out of Queenstown. Most of my friends were still in town and I could still go skiing but because most people were working every day I was kinda hanging out by myself a lot (I've figured out that's not a great thing for me). And so, after two weeks of no routine and no commitments, I went home.

Being at home was pretty great. For two weeks. I got to pat my dog, go to the beach and swim, and fill in my time as I like. Then I got bored. This time I couldn't just pack up and leave either as I have next to no money (no change there) and a flight to Canada in two months.

So, what do you do for two months between seasons? It's not enough time for anyone to want to employ you. All your friends are still away at uni. And because it's October, there's no surf in powder puff bay.

I face this problem every four months and never really know what to do with my limbo lifestyle, I've come up with some ideas below.

1. Spend as little time as you can at the place you should be.
    I spent a northern hemi winter employed in Japan at a resort there. (It was fucking phenomenal). After my contract finished I spent six weeks travelling around Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam and Sydney and so when I arrived back in New Zealand (cut short by money - again - and the delightful policy of overseas travelling with a student loan*) I only had a month before heading down to Queenstown. This method has flaws; you end up spending all of your money (and borrowing off your parents), getting into sticky situations in third world countries and having no money. Did I mention that you come back very poor?

2. Do something productive.
    Also known as, things I never, ever get around to or can be bothered to do. i.e. get fit, clean out my room, teach myself carpentry, renew my first aid certificate, apply for a copy of my birth certificate, do something useful with my life etc etc.

3. Hang out with friends.
    Unless you've alienated yourself from most of your friends from high-school and the other four are all at university getting degrees and shit.

4. Watch Beyonce videos on YouTube
     But only the first five seconds of an ad and 12 seconds of video because we live in the middle of nowhere and our internet sucks.

5. Get a tan.
    Although, y'know, sun cancer.

6. Watch paint dry.
    But, actually, I'm getting paid to paint our house.

7. Spend hours on hold on the phone to government departments
    *See below.


* The New Zealand Government dictates that people with student loans are only allowed to be out of the country for six months before they are charged interest. But then charge you interest anyway when you have left the country for five and a half months and strategically planned to be back to avoid unnecessary charges (because I have no money).


Happy shoulder season!

Maple syrup flavoured bacon can't come soon enough...