Three Crazy Nights!

---

10/1/06 - 10/4/06 (Sunday thru Wednesday) Three Crazy Nights!

Sunday
Elysa and Alison (both arrived in NZ around the same time that I did) were back in Auckland for a few days before they went their own ways again. Elysa, back towards the nether regions of the North Island near Wellington and Alison on to Fiji. We did our best to wreak a little havoc around Auckland while they were in town.

Started out with breakfast at my place. Burnt the hash browns to a crisp, but I must say the seasoning masked the burnt flavor. Next it was on to the waterfront to check out the Auckland seafood festival. We could check the venue out from behind the fence, considering what we saw both on the ground and in the sky (black rain clouds) we decided that the $20 entry fee was not an investment we wanted to make this day. It’s a good thing within an hour the clouds let loose the most torrential rains that I’ve seen since I arrived and they carried on until Wednesday early morning. We headed back up to the old YHA where Elysa and Alison were staying (I couldn’t believe I was back here again). Elysa had made arrangements to meet up with a recently arrived Brit, Roland that is here for at least a year. They had planned to go to a beach in Auckland for the afternoon. The aforementioned rain had already been coming down for thirty minutes when Roland arrived at the hostel. We needed to make other plans, the beach was out of the question.

Elysa volunteered to drive us to the Auckland Museum, I just needed to navigate and let her leave a few of her boxes at my place that were taking up room in her car’s backseat. We ran out to the car unprepared for the drenching we were to receive between the hostel door and the car. It got even better, the car was even more loaded down than what I could have anticipated. Elysa had managed to completely fill her trunk up and then fill most of the backseat and some of the front passenger seat with her belongings (most of which she had accumulated since arriving in NZ). We somehow managed to fit four people in a care that really only had room for 2 ½ people. I guess what I’m trying to get across to you is that there was not a need for seatbelts we were wedged in between clothes boxes, bags, and a whole lot of bulk food. We got to my place to empty out some of the car. We pulled into the driveway and I just new Stephanie would be craning her neck trying to determine who had encroached on here space. I ran upstairs quickly to alleviate her worries and was I right or was I right? There she was peaking around the corner of the window trying to determine who dared to park in front of her home.

We offloaded and were then back in the car headed to the grocery store to grab some snack foods, Elysa had this craving for caramel apples, which fortunately she found in the store. Oh, by the way, because of the rain the undercover car park was full, Elysa didn’t want to keep circling so she parked in a handicapped spot and left Roland in the car to move it if needed. My apologies to anyone that may have really needed that spot that day. We were off to a good start causing mischief.

The museum was a good choice, everyone could go their own way, but it was also very exhausting (something about the stuffy air). A and E grew tired rapidly while R was fascinated by the interactive displays on the second floor (suggested ages 3 to 10) he and I rode the volcanic shake room ride (not that exciting) pestered the lone living animals in the museum (two eels in a dark tank) cranked the gears on an original Spitfire engine (watched the propeller turn in slow motion and the pistons move back and forth) etc….., its good to mentally stay young sometimes, try it!

Between the car and museum was a good ¼ mile run through the hardest rain yet. I did a wind sprint to the car but then realized that it was in vain I was only going to get into the car when the driver arrived, which took a little bit longer, needless to say we were soaked. We took Stephanie up on her invite to come back for tea or coffee and to dry off. When she learned Roland was a Brit she took an immediate interest in him. She was a very generous host, however it must be said that she was most attentive to his needs. He was the only person that she asked what he would like to drink, which to her satisfaction and approval he asked for tea with milk. Turns out he is from the same area of England as some of Stephanie’s extended family, she even has a relative named Roland. Needless to say she was very happy to have a proper Brit under her roof; the three Americans were perhaps too much for her at one time.

We headed out for dinner in Mission Bay, we were looking for a good fish ‘n chips place know by the name of Fish Pot. This restaurant has nearly as much character as the old Mo’s in Newport. A few events that occurred at the restaurant that I won’t forget and need to record are the following:

1. My in depth conversation with Roland (whose name I remember by thinking of Rolos) about UK grocery stores. I have an affinity for all things British from my days in the UK. I’d move back in a heart beat if the opportunity presented itself. Grocery stores were one of the locations that I go to for a few minutes each day to escape the cold weather. I found that I loved the quirkiness not often seen at grocery stores in the States. We checked my knowledge about British grocery stores and I passed with flying colors. Tesco is known by its red and blue colors, Sainsbury’s for its orange colored signs, and Marks and Spencer’s for its green advertising. Roland commented that that was the most he’d ever thought about grocery stores.
2. A and E wanted to take their leftovers home. We asked for a box or “doggie bag” and received the strangest look from the young waiter. Apparently not many people make such a request. They returned the leftover fish and chips wrapped up in newsprint. I decided not to even bother with my leftovers I didn’t want to make anymore trouble (but that didn’t last for long see item 4 below).
3. Just as the wrapped leftovers were returned to the table R asked A, E, and I about roasted beef, potatoes and gravy meals in the states. The three of us were certain that he was asking if we wrapped a roast and potatoes in paper (perhaps it was just a coincidence that we were just joking about the trouble we’d caused with the wrapped fish and did not pick up on the fact the R had changed subjects). Simultaneously the three of us crooked our heads inquisitively, I’d never been asked such a ridiculous question. Who has ever heard of potatoes, gravy and a roast beef wrapped in paper? After we goaded R a bit, we figured out the he wasn’t enquiring about wrapping methods for roast beef.
4. A family with small kids had been sitting at a table just behind me. They had been playing thae fishing game, a game of small fishing poles and a merry-go-round set up of mechanized snapping fish, the whole purpose of the game is to snag fish off the rotating dish. The family left, and soon there after someone in our group mentioned the game. I got the bright idea that the game might be there for patrons use. I turned around and asked the very young waiter (15 or 16) clearing the table if the game was available for our use. He froze and looked like a deer in the headlights, then mumbled something and ran off. The moment he was gone the three others had the table burst out laughing none of us knew what the waiter had said and based on his reaction we thought that he might be going to ask the manager for approval (he’d had to go back earlier and get a run down of ingredients in a plate), I was mortified, I could tell by his reaction that he was just as confused as I was by our responses. Two minutes later he returned with the game to our delight and cheers. E asked him if anyone our age had asked for the game, he responded in the negative, we were setting precedence tonight.

After dinner we were looking for a warm dessert. I suggested the Chocolate Boutique in Parnell. Designer hot chocolate on a cold wet evening is a good way to spend an hour.


Monday
After work I met up with the group for dinner at the hostel. I was assigned to bring drinks. Since A was leaving NZ I thought that the best going away drinks would be a nice selection of NZ drinks. I brought a bottle of L&P- a NZ lemon “fizzy drink” (what Kiwis call soda pop), and a Pinot Gris from NZ. L & P was one of the first drinks I had after arriving in NZ, the IEP staff served us L&P and an assortment of chocolates at our introduction meeting.

I arrived at 7:30 as scheduled. Well it took the meal longer than what the group had planned to complete. The potatoes had been in the oven since 700pm and we didn’t start eating until 8:30pm, but that was alright. An Israeli, named Guy that was leaving NZ the following day, joined our group for dinner. Once we were done it was near 1030pm, just like old times when I was staying at the YHA. We headed down to the karaoke bar to bust out a few tunes to wrap up the night. R was apprehensive, and I figured that he would back out, however once we got to the room he was the one that got the most into singing. He grabbed up a microphone and very rarely let it go for the full hour.

Tuesday
I didn’t go but R, E, G (?) and A left the hostel at 6:30’s to head up to Mt. Eden to watch the sunrise. They managed to get lost but eventually found the mountain, no sunrise but some nice views none the less.

Met up for a movie and afterwards went down to the Viaduct to meet one of the few people (Karen) from our IEP induction group still in Auckland. Karen was working at the Mecca bar and restaurant and was unable to meet us for the movie. We very nearly weren’t allowed into the restaurant. I had asked if we could just order a drink up at the bar or have a seat at one of the many empty tables in the back, no intentions on buy more food. The host told me that we could go next door if we just wanted a drink. I was insistent and told him that we wanted our drinks there. He sat us, and much to our good luck Karen served us, so we got to chat with her. She acted like she was taking a large order or describing the menu items as she visited. At first she looked distressed that we had shown up as planned but she was soon very talkative and friendly.

After dinner we headed back in the direction of the hostel. On the way there we realized that we had not walked bare foot up Queen Street (a common site seen during the high summer months), and A would miss the opportunity if she didn’t do it now. So there we were at 10 o’clock barefoot walking up the main downtown sidewalk in Auckland. As we walked up the street an earlier experience that we had seen on the street a month ago came back to our minds. We had been walking up Queen street at about the same time and saw two homeless men fighting over who would pay for a fifth of Jack Daniels that one of them had broken on the sidewalk. I am happy to say that our feet made it out without a scratch. We did get quite a few funny looks and scowls, this time of year the only bare foot people to be seen are hippies, and there I was in my slacks and dress shirt from work, carrying my perfectly good cordovan shoes.

Wednesday
E, A, G, R have now left. Rather than walking I road the bus to work today. The rain let up and a great rainbow spanned Auckland CBD. We now have a cold wind (from the south) blowing thru town.

Bon voyage R, A, G, E; and SHK ‘n BK thanks for the pilfered poster from IEP. Steph can’t quite wrap her head around that one. I do realize that while I have the thing up I can’t have anyone from IEP over without taking it down first.

---

Photos

Japanese Zero
Well Preserved Plane. Captured by the NZ Airforce.

Dinner on Monday Night
CW from starting from my left.
Elysa, Alison, Guy and Roland.

karaoke 2
Guy and Roland get into the music.

Bare Feet on Queen Street
My feet and someone elses feet to my left.Didn’t want to pause to long to take a photo out of fear that we would be heckled.

Ride to work.
Look at those seats.

Comments

[Jenette]

What more could you ask for than good friends and good food
Hi Son, I am so glad you have good friends there. Hopefully you will be able to connect up with them later in your/their travels. Nice to see you in a picture. I think this is the first!