It really is hard to fault New Zealand - it is one of the most beautiful countries in the world and the fact I can go 5 minutes down the road and see these sort of views still constantly astounds me.
I was lucky to snap a picture of what really portrays New Zealand to me. I woke up early for a dentist appointment that turned out to be non-existent, so I headed slightly further down the road to the waterfront to find a man that had ridden his bike down to the waterfront for a quiet spot of fishing on a foggy Monday morning. It took him ten minutes before he realised I was there, where he showed me a friendly smile and wave.
I really will miss New Zealand and I'm once again spending my final week here relishing what it has on show. It's okay though, I'm on a mission to explore what else the world has to offer and will no doubt find similar instances in my travels.
I suppose you could say most people would deem what I have as regrets, but I wouldn't change them, and those are what regrets are aren't they? Things you would change.
There would be numerous advantages to doing so, but the end outcome would be different and I like where I am at the moment, that outcome. I can quite easily place the time-frame that I could consider to have been wasted. Specifically from mid 2005 until the end of 2009. Don't get me wrong, I've made many memories and many new friendships in that time and I wouldn't change those for the world. It's more so what I did with my time on the whole. I've tried my hand at Computing, Psychology, Geography, Law and Media.
Outside of Psychology, none of them really interested me nor stirred any sort of passion and even then, I was in no mindset to put away a good three to four years of solid study.
I will be the first to admit that I can be lazy and unless I'm really passionate about it, you'll be hard pressed to find me putting in time for it. Now although this has changed over the last year or so and have finally begun to realise that more often than not, you'll have a few hurdles to clamber, it wasn't the only reason I'd spent those years wasting away.
As many people will understand, it's rather hard watching others around you succeed and have the clarity in where they want to go whilst you scramble about trying to forge your own little path. I sure did. Each and every thing I tried was because I was trying to figure out whether I'd still be doing it 10 years from now, whether I could picture myself utilising a degree in x,y and z. I was also very focused on earning a decent salary as I figured if I wasn't I'd be living in squalor, I needed that degree to enable me to be successful.
That was foolish. It would be an understatement to say it's taken me a while to come to the conclusion that I shouldn't judge my own success on that of others and that the path I so happen to desire is quite different to most. But what is most important is that this path is perfectly okay.
A lot of this self judgment could have come from being in a somewhat permanent state of limbo, watching the world go by and see friends hit their goals whilst you sit there still scratching your head wondering whether you'll ever find your destined career and life plan.
If it isn't obvious already, I want to travel. That is my sole desire, to travel everywhere I can and see as much as possible. Travel and Photography would have to be my two favourite interests so why not follow them? Through travel you get so much. Culture, language, history, music, food, people, landscapes. Why not indulge in it? I'm only here for one lifetime so why should I spend the time worrying about what I'll be doing in the future and whether I need my degree now or can get it later, or not at all.
This is what makes me happy and that is the most important thing of all, Sydney was a stepping stone, a very small one. It also made me extremely excited for what it signified and what the future holds. I can't wait to get back there to start it properly.
Now you might ask why I'm writing this out as if this is all breaking news. No regrets, live and learn from your mistakes etc. Well, it's not new at all. I go by these ideas as do many. However, I think we forget them all too often.
That is why I'm writing this post. I forgot. I forgot I don't have any regrets and that I am where I am now because of them. I forgot that I am the happiest I've been in a very, very long time.
I've put off writing a post for quite a while, I've been working away at a couple of 'Top 10's' I've been making - based on both man-made and natural destinations. It's been taking me a while - a lot longer than desired to be honest, so I thought I'd break it up with a quick post explaining just how excited I am at the moment for the year to come.
I'm writing this on a Friday night - the first proper night in I've had in a while (like, oh my god, such a socialite), so it's given me a bit of time to reflect on what has happened in the last few weeks and what is coming up for the second half of this year.
As I mentioned in a previous post, I had realised that coming back to New Zealand really wasn't such an awful thing, quite the contrary infact. I've actually had an amazing past couple of months here and I'm loving being back here. Don't get me wrong, I have every desire to depart for Australia at the end of July as that is my ultimate means to travelling - my sole goal for the foreseeable future. However, after gladly receiving my citizenship and with my passport currently in the mail, I am very, very happy to call New Zealand home. Sure, not my first home, but a home nevertheless. It's astoundingly beautiful, the people are friendly and it's incredibly laid-back. Something I didn't experience in Sydney. I loved the new experience of it all, the people I met, the buzz of being in a highly-social environment... but then I got over the downer of moving somewhat forcefully back to New Zealand and into your old family room, complete with no vehicular access. I've come to the conclusion I much, much prefer New Zealand. It also seems that literally everybody I met who had travelled to New Zealand as well as Australia agreed with this point.
Sure, I'm comparing this to Sydney, the hustle and bustle city of Australia with the flashy attitude, but I think it still holds true to the rest. I shall be supporting New Zealand all the way to the final of the RWC. That is, until England topple them in the final. Yes, yes.
Anywho, I've addressed most of those points before so I shall hurry along. What is in store now? Well now that I am officially a New Zealand citizen (this honestly brings such a huge smile to my face whilst writing that, who'd have thought?), it seems like it's opened up a world of options, possibly through the fact I have now acquired what I came back for and can look forward to the future rather than play the waiting game.
In the next month or so remaining in New Zealand, there is the IFF to look forward to, packed with the usual treats of documentaries and Asian cinema (by looking at the stubs of years past, you could say it's a bit of a trend of mine), along with this I get to see Loadstar. Yes, yes, yes. Indeed the 16th of July shall be a good one. I fear I shall be without quality Drum & Bass for a fair while so it cannot be missed. Outside of that? Just cherishing the remaining time here with the friends I hold dearest - the ones I realised I missed considerably!
Once I bid farewell to New Zealand, it's back to Sydney. I'm definitely looking forward to getting back to earning AU $. Hearing how much the hard work of the friend I left with has paid off is getting me incredibly anxious to get back! What's best about it all though? I get to experience the Australian winter. At ease with the cool temperatures rather than the stifling hot and uncomfortable summer days I've experienced so far. Keep the humidity and heat for Asia please! I have been considering a move to Perth in search of cheaper accommodation and potentially higher pay but we shall see. Needless to say, it would be highly advantageous to reap the benefits of retail work in the Sydney CBD over the Christmas and New Year period. Why hello there benjamins, good to meet you.
As for the rest of the year? It's all about saving, I've done my time with wizard staffs, goon pong and Mardi Gras. It's time to hit the goals and make my way to Ha Long Bay... and beyond.
This blog is a true example of how much travel plans can change for people. This unexpected New Zealand stint sure has put a dent in them, either way. The goal of Asia still remains and I am honestly itching to get there. Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, China, Korea, Taiwan, Japan, India... ahhhh I cannot wait and the excitement is hitting overload.
2011 has shaped into an incredible year already, and I still have 6 more months of memories to come. Much love to all those who have made it so.
I'm particularly fond of them, as many will probably know. On the whole, such small, pointless things to worry yourself over don't do you any good. Not to mention you tend to be the only one caring so deeply about it at the time. Sure, you'll soon no doubt find others who feel just as passionately about such acts packed with wankery and you can all get along in your communal hatred and chink your glasses to it... BUT (and yeah, it's a big but), you'll still find yourself at the end of it all wondering why exactly you even bothered getting so worked up about it in the first place.
I do wonder. Then I realise.
I like it. I like having a rant, I like being a moany bastard every now and then, I like making a fuss. After all, it is in my English heritage at the end of the day isn't it? It's only appropriate that I partake in such joyous activities.
I feel the easiest way to describe my current hatreds would be to make a list. I was originally considering a list of ten, but then I'd get to the 6th or 7th point and realise I was acting a fool. So a quick three it shall be, and I'll start it off with the one that is the most relevant to the time.
1. Checking-in.
No, not checking in at the airport before your flight, nor checking in your items at the supermarket self-serve lane. No, no, no. Checking in at a cafe on Facebook. Or perhaps even when you go to the gym? Or your favourite park? Or at your work? Or the supermarket even! Fuck yeah. Now that is some rad shit yo. What on earth happened to just doing your daily errands and tasks? Do you really need to let people know that you're now at the gym? Will people care if you're having coffee at some random little cafe, the same one as the week before? No, they won't.
However, I don't think any of those situations take the cake. I think what really takes the cake is when somebody checks in at an event, destination or even country. Anywhere that you'd supposedly be enjoying yourself. Now call me stupid, but surely if you're somewhere that's actually worth 'checking-in' to, you'd be... oooh, I don't know... enjoying it perhaps? Silly idea I know! Seriously now, how self-obsessed can some people be? I can understand that going to the gym, work or getting the groceries can all be very mundane, but is it really worth broadcasting to the world? No.
So, when you're going to a concert, on a road trip, or to a new country even! If you're doing any of that, anything that badass, then it should be so enjoyable that you should be promptly getting the hell off your bloody iphone/blackberry/whatever else has some darned 'checking-in' application on it, and getting straight on to enjoying the damn show - whatever it may be.
For goodness sake people.
2. Tailgaters
Yep, that's right, you wankers that actually think following at a distance of two whole metres is an appropriate way to drive. Yeah, no. I often find myself fantasizing about what I'd like to do to stop these... people (I really am trying to keep the bad language to a minimum, because if I wasn't... this whole post would be dropped with a few too many 'f' bombs).
I'll highlight two of them. Numero uno. A big 4x4 or van, complete with full bull bars and a rear step-ladder (for those not so up to speed with the vehicular lingo; a metal bar with steps, residing where the rear bumper lies, often complete with a tow bar for good measure). Oooooooooooooh the joy it would bring me. What a weapon to use against such folk. I currently follow the simple tactics of brake-checking (tapping the breaks suddenly to make them jump or have to slam theirs on) and slowing right down to a speed sure to annoy the hell out of them. The thing is, if I had the above equipment on my vehicle, I could perhaps tap the brakes just a wee bit harder, say... enough to damage their car. What do I leave with? Maybe a slight chip of paint on the metal bars - a small price I'm glad to pay.
Option number two: LED banner across the rear window. Now this is something I have realised will prove to be nowhere near as effective at stopping people from tail-gating you, more so aggravate them even further when they read a scrolling sign of 'Keep following at that distance and you might just crash.' (95% of the time I'd feel more inclined to say something much more rude. F.O.A.D for example). That's fine though, I find it entertaining to watch blood boil over such situations. I ESPECIALLY (caps lock for emphasis) love boxing them in on a motorway. I'm no dordler, I drive around the ticketing limit (108ish), but if you're driving up my ass when there are cars right infront of me, you're not getting anywhere. As a matter of fact, I'll actually make sure you get there slower as a result. I'll slow down to match the speed of the cars in the neighboring lanes and box you in like the ... you are. Then I will continue to look at you in my rear-view mirror and admire the result of it all.
In all honesty though, if you think driving up someones backside is going to get you anywhere any faster, it really isn't. You're just a mighty big cock.
3. Playing music off your cellphone
I put this in third as I have noticed it is a dying fad. However, I still seem to notice it all too often.
Now lets get this straight. Your phone might say it can play mp3's, but that doesn't mean through the speaker of your $40 phone (nor your iPhone either for that matter). Just because you can do something, that doesn't mean you should, and oh how that rings true here.
Walking down Queen Street or sitting on the bus blaring out some awfully distorted noise that vaguely resembles a T-Pain-autotuned-to-death 'song' does NOT sound good. Bose did not walk into the Nokia production line and sneak in a full surround sound system into the speaker slot of your phone. So please, be mindful of your surroundings. There are other people around you and I can guarantee you, if you can't see them doing the same thing, they sure as shit don't want to be hearing yours.
The joke of it all? That you're so intent on seeing who else is listening/being subjected to the crap coming out of your phone/boombox that you aren't even hearing it yourself. Maybe it's forgivable then? .............................................................................................................................. hmmm, no.
So. There it is. Quite possibly my longest post and it's about three little hatreds that shouldn't really be so. Oh sure, I see the humour in it all, here is me getting all wound up over three common occurrences in today's society, all of which' subjects don't care about.
I do though, I care. I secretly (or not so much any more) love to rant. Mmmm. I even savour it somewhat. I do however ask for any of those that might be culprits of the above to review it and realise whether it is the best use of time, whether it gets you there any faster or whether you are really a rude bastard.
P.S That thing about realising I would be acting a fool when I got to the 6th or 7th hatred? Yeah, that happened when I started writing out the fourth. Oops. : >
A while huh? A considerable amount has changed in this time. Both for myself and the world. Unfortunately the world has taken much more of a beating than I ever will. Earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, riots and tornado's - which even managed to hit the big smoke of New Zealand. A crazy few months? Definitely.
Such is life I suppose, we're just more aware of it since it's hit home. The amount of disasters that go uncovered by New Zealand news still upsets me however. Do I believe in 2012? No, not at all. In my opinion 2011 feels so much worse as a result of the Christchurch earthquakes. The earthquake in Japan and the resulting tidal wave will have no doubt shown major coverage regardless of this, but I also think our disasters we have had here have in turn hyped any other disaster to come as a result. Don't get me wrong here, I'm not trying to take away the disaster and sorrow of these events and the ones to come as they were truly terrible, especially given that the ones at home hit us the hardest, but it hardly screams positivity with media hype. I just wish the hidden disasters of 2010, 2009, 2008 and so forth were noticed more as in a somewhat abstract way, it just might provide a bit more positivity to those thinking we're heading to the end of the world.
Anyway, time to move on before I get my full-time preach on, these last few months have been rather interesting, especially when I read through my last blog post about Japan. Obviously that won't be happening for a while yet, although I am keen to find this hidden bar that Migeul told me about. Being wined and dined by Japanese women? Ahhh.
However, it wasn't just the disaster of the March 11th earthquake that stopped me from going. It was the disaster of going home, at least that is how it felt at the time. Selfish and wallowing in self-pity? Yeah, that would be me. I'd applied for my New Zealand citizenship prior to leaving for Australia in January. I figured that it was about time to apply for it considering I'd resided in the country for 13 years. Why hadn't I got it? Because I never really needed it, I had my British passport and I had permanent residency. Why fork out the extra $1300 odd? Anyway, since I'd been offered the cost for free, I took it. I'd been told that all I'd have to do is fly back for the ceremony and I could then continue my travels (or at least my time in Sydney to theoretically save for them, which at the time, was not happening). Easy as pie.
However, like many things in life, that didn't go to plan. I'd apparently received a letter in the post stating I required more evidence that I planned to continue living in New Zealand. What did this involve? Going back to New Zealand to sign another declaration, which would then be sent off to the Minister to sign and approve my application, a process that could take up to 7 months, if it were to even be approved. I received this notification a few hours after I'd undertaken the renovations of Green 47 with my fellow roommate and renovator, Mr King. To say I was pissed off would be somewhat of an understatement. I was furious. Furious at the fact I had to give up my time in Australia, give up the money (and if it were to be saved, it would be a considerable amount lost), give up the lifestyle and give up that damn room that is Green 47, the room I worked so hard to get into, the anti-social and rather odd knife-dwelling dorm-mates that stood in the way and lastly, the odd layout that we decided needed to be improved for our long-term residence.
Why do I say the last portion with a mildly humorous manner? Because it is exactly that, it was somewhat of a joke. There I was, getting all up in arms over something I couldn't control, something that would prove to be beneficial to me in the long run and that was something so ridiculously unimportant in comparison to what other people were being subjected to at the time. All I had to bloody do was go back to the privacy of my own room, the enjoyment of my own bed, the loving home-cooked food I'd be provided with and the natural beauty that New Zealand holds. All in order to get a second passport that would provide me with more opportunities both in the Southern hemisphere and the North (I hear the Brits aren't too liked in some areas, as ridiculous as that may seem). Was I crying? Damn right I was. Boo-fucking-hoo!
Was it irritating at the time? Yes. Is it still somewhat irritating? Yes. Is it important and something to drown myself in self-pity over? Hell no. New Zealand is so amazingly awesome in so many ways. I have no idea where in the world I'll be this time next year, or the year after that, but New Zealand is a base I'm glad to call home.
I had more to write about my times between the 17th of February and today, the 15th of May... However, I'll leave that for another blog post in a few days as right now I need to tidy my room, make my parents happy and get prepared to show my soon to be arriving German friend exactly why I'm glad to call New Zealand home.
I've been meaning to write another blog for quite a while now though I've never really found the time. Unfortunately it seems like it will be both a positive and negative affair.
Firstly, it seems all too normal to be living here now, it feels like home and I don't feel like it should change - at least for the short term. It's become routine, the always crampt rooms at Maze, uncomfortable temperatures and constant lack of clean clothes - but I like it. The varied amount of characters you meet is what makes it all worth it.
We recently met a Spanish guy called Miguel - without a doubt the most interesting and friendliest person I've ever met. In what I'd like to guess as being his mid 40's, he's travelled all over the world and has a bounty of knowledge and wisdom to share. His idea of life is to constantly experience new things, travel to new places and to ensure you do it frequently enough so life never becomes stale. It's opened my mind to the actual possibilities we have. You don't need to be tied down, you CAN go anywhere you want - dive into the deep end and challenge yourself to new experiences. One of the places he has been to many times is Japan, a place I intend to visit mid July. To put it simply, I have a wealth of knowledge at my disposal thanks to him and I plan to use all of it.
I don't want to skimp out, I want to ensure I see everything I can and do it properly. Hell, I've even decided to work there for a couple of months if I can. What better way to experience another country than to join in on everyday life? This also means I'll get to go to Taiji - a place I've been fascinated to see since watching The Cove. No, I'm not going to go there to tie myself to a pole in protest - I want to see what the town is like, what happens around it all. It's quite far out so I'd never considered it but there really is no reason not to and I'll regret it if I don't.
As mentioned in a previous blog, I've given up on properly planning trips out as you simply never know what can happen when you are on your travels as a backpacker, it can change so quickly and you'll never know where you end up. If I can work in a country I visit, I'll try my hardest to do it. It makes travelling cheaper, more interesting and keeps you on the road for longer. I'm very grateful to have met such an awesome person over the likes of stocktaking a hardware store. Thank you Hardware & General.
Another character I've met was a guy called Stu, a Scotsman that stayed and ran the breakfasts at our hostel. He was a very prominent character over the time he was at Maze - you become so used to having the same people in your daily life that you never really realise it until they have left.
Not so long ago he departed to Vietnam. Unfortunately, I found out he passed away along with 11 others on a junker that sunk out in Ha Long Bay. It's with this news that I really realised the point above, it REALLY hits home when someone who becomes part of your daily routine leaves, no matter how big or small of a part of it they were. All I can say is that at least it happened undertaking one of the biggest experiences of your life, not at home in some freak accident. I think it's affected everybody that stayed at Maze whilst he was there and it's extremely sad to hear of this tragedy, I'm sure I'll be thinking of it when I'm in Ha Long Bay. We will most definitely drink to you tonight. Rest in peace mate, you'll be missed.
As an end note, a more positive one - I'm really looking forward to this year. Opportunities seem to keep popping up on every corner, opportunities I either never considered or didn't realise were there in the first place. I'm sure this is the same for others.
Screw Blink 182, 23 is going to be a fucking good year.
I officially have one full day left in New Zealand. Slightly scary when I take the time to think about it. When I left for Sydney six weeks before Christmas, I knew I'd be back for Christmas and New Years, I had that safety net. It was slightly nerve-wracking moving out of home and into another country at the same time, uncertain of work and general life there.
It's safe to say that now I've been there, I really didn't have anything to worry about. I've met so many awesome people and already have many, many memories. What I'm conscious about this time around is how much I'll miss New Zealand - my friends, family, and the fact I will likely be away for a couple of years, much of which will consist of travelling around the world (damn awesome I know, but a long way from home).
I spent the first week and a half back in New Zealand feeling somewhat irritated at being back. The nagging from the parents, the familiar stale feeling of home and the lack of money. I couldn't wait to go back to somewhere which was full of new experiences, new people and more money. Then I slowly realised how awesome New Zealand is. It is far, far, far more beautiful than Australia, the people are friendlier (not to say Australians aren't, we're just better, as per usual). On the drive home from New Years in Gisborne, complimented by the sounds of Shapeshifter, it really came clear how much I'll miss my friends. By far the best New Years I've ever had. Add together an awesome group of people, awesome music, weather, some Ranfurly Staffs and Scrumpyhands and you have yourself a very solid recipe of 'f**king epic bro'. I'll remember it for a long, long time.
I thought about making resolutions... briefly. I came to the conclusion that I don't need to, the joy of what I'm doing is that I can do what I want, do it freely and do it at my own pace. The only hard part is deciding where to go and when. Even this I've decided to put on hold. I'll save the money and when the time comes, I'll have plenty of options open to me. One country has been confirmed for my plans. Japan in July. I will save enough and I will be there, none of this 'if' bollocks.
I've sold nearly all of my belongings now, most of what is left has been packed away into my bag and ready to board a plane. I will officially be living out of my bag and I welcome that with open arms. Living simply and freely, yes please.
I'll be looking at buying a netbook shortly so I can manage my photos and draft blogs so I can keep in touch with friends and family... and maybe throw on a game or too.
Will miss my family and friends very much but I'll be back!
Now the real adventure begins! First stop: Sydney.
