So Much to Tell!

Before I forget, I uploaded a bunch of pictures on my facebook profile. There will probably be more to come. I will not upload any here for now. It takes way too long.

Anyways, lots of things happened since I last wrote an entry. On thursday night, there was a DJ at the pub. Everyone got all excited about this monumental event, and it was not to be missed. Since we didn't want to buy beers for $7 a bottle, Amy, Leo, Joel, Jon and I had a little pre-party with our own beers. We played Kings Cup. Jon had to work as night porter that night, so he only stayed for a little bit. We had a really good time. Then we went to the pub, where it seemed like everyone was hammered. It was a bit overwhelming. I was a little surprised at how people dance here. I guess I could have guessed that people here don't listen to dirty rap songs in bars like they do back home. Instead it was techno, but with a strangely slow beat that I was having trouble doing anything but jumping up and down to. Also, people did a lot more of what we back home would call the white person's dancing. They jumped back and forth and made motions with their hands and all that. I saw little or no grinding, of which I was expecting a whole lot more. Overall, there seemed to be a lot less of the sexual nature to dancing that there is in bars back home. I was really intrigued. Also, I went home pretty early because I had to get up in the morning.

Friday was a really bad weather day. I was sent home at 10 AM because the rental shop was so empty. I took a nap the whole rest of the day. Jon and I used our car for the first time though! We drove the new housekeeping manager, Kalai, who is from India and is really cool, to Taumaranui because she needed to do some grocery shopping. I learned that our car is pretty weak and must be shifted into lower gears when going uphill. That was a bit scary to experience.

On saturday, Jon had no work during the day, but was unable to come to the mountain to ski due to really bad weather. This was a day that both of us were getting really antsy about being stuck at home all the time. We decided that being social was a necessity to our survival here.

Sunday, I went on a ski break despite the bad weather. That was a bad idea. Literally it was like strapping on skis and a blindfold and trying to ski down the slopes. You couldn't see a thing. We were a bit scared for our safety, so we had to take the lift back down the mountain to avoid falling off a cliff. (They don't really block off unsafe terrain as diligently here as I have experienced on other ski resorts.)

Yesterday, Sunday, was also Yuri's surprise birthday party. Yuri works with us at Rentals, and so does her boyfriend John. They met at Rentals last year, or so I was told. Anyways, John planned this big dinner at the Station Cafe for about thirty of us (most of the people work at rentals). She had no idea that we were all going to be there to surprise her, so she was a bit overwhelmed when she saw us. I think she was really flattered. Dinner was very expensive, but also one of the only places here that has served us palateable food. I'm glad to know that someboady here knows how to cook. (Ok, that's unfair, one of the cooks at the Park makes good food as well. It's just that he likes his meat and potatoes a little too much.)

So after Yuri's party, a lot of us went to the house where the Woofers live. Woofers are people like Jon who work for accomodation. We came to NZ too late to get to live in the cool house with them though. They were having Beer Olympics there last night. You had to come with a teammate of the opposite sex. We then proceeded to have tournaments of drinking games. It was all planned and organized. We had a good time!

Today was our offday. Despite a long night last night, we got up early so as not to miss the bus to the ski resort. We were under the impression that the bad weather in the morning would subside as the day went on. Sadly, they closed the upper mountain just as we were on our way to the resort. So we rented snowboards and rode down happy valley a bunch of times. I am getting sick of that place. We made the best of it though.

The Park is beginning the tradition of playing movies on a projector on monday nights, so we joined th rest of the residents and watched a movie tonight.

We are tired now, so it is definitely bed time. Good night!

Jalissa