Beer Does Not Make For Good Cough Syrup

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8/29 - 30 /06 (Tuesday -- Wednesday) - Beer Does Not Make For Good Cough Syrup

Reader Warning: This is another long one, sorry.

The last two days are more a blur in my mind, than anything else. The sinus cold made talking difficult and decision making/thinking almost near impossible. But the flat hunt goes on, I’m riding a wave that I don’t want to get off of.

Very good news last night (Wednesday) I found a flat share last night (very nice). The last four weeks have proved Toney Robbins, Dr. Wayne Dyer, etc.. are right, positive thinking is very powerful stuff. More about my flat later right now I want to talk about backpackers, a truly hearty breed of people.

Beginning Friday, I move into the status of semi retired backpacker and feel that I must mention some of the traits that make us a rare breed.

Backpackers fall into a number of groups. There are those that are hardcore adventures, those trying to fill in a void (typically time but sometimes personal meaning), and the wannabes.

The strengths of hardcore adventure backpackers are many: physical strength, imagination, enthusiastic, vigorous adventurers, cheerful, industrious and ingenious, and patients to name a few.

Physical strengths, apart from Olympic weigh lifters who typically do you see walking around town with as much as ½ their body weight strapped to their shoulders? Answer, backpackers. This particular trip I departed from Portland with 106 lbs of belongings (rolling suitcase, large back pack, and smaller school type back pack (3700 cu. In., not too small), last trip to Europe I only had about 70 lbs to carry. I am by no means an exception, it never ceases to amaze me the loads we carry, especially smaller females, we all look like snails, carrying our whole life on our backs. There is definitely something very exciting about the feeling of knowing that nothing else matters all you need to live is with you (on you) and even then you typically have more than enough.

Imagination, as a group we can keep ourselves entertained with the smallest of funds. No mountain is to tall to cross, or river to deep. If we set our minds on reaching a seemingly unreachable goal we can always find a way of reaching that destination. You want to go to Coromandel? Options, hitchhike, catch a plane, jump on a bus, make friends with a person that owns a car, volunteer to work in coromandel and have the person come pick you up, try swimming(?) etc… We enjoy road blocks, which makes our lives so much more interesting.

Enthusiasm, a backpacker needs to be enthusiastic if they are to survive. It’s is very easy to fall into the trap of feeling blue and loosing that enthusiasm. Once you loose your enthusiasm, that comfortable life that you left back home starts to look really good and tempts you to cut your adventure short and return. The really enthusiastic backpackers are those that you see out on the coldest rainiest day having fun. Enthusiasm is required to mix and mingle with fellow travelers and long time residents.

Vigorous adventurers, we look for those treks that the typical tourist avoids. Our question often is where’s the highest point we can jump from? What challenge does this town, country, situation offer that I cannot pass up. There is a strong drive that wells up inside you, you must keep going you must keep on the move or you become depressed and lethargic. Challenge is our equivalents to Speed or other stimulants.

Cheerful/Trusworthy. A true backpacker is part of the larger whole, a true “band of brothers”. We watch out for each other even if we have never met before. Always happy to pass along a word of encouragement and a smile. Life is good to us and we have no reason to complain. I think the people with the biggest smiles in town are always the backpackers. Backpackers are often some of the best diplomats for their home country. How can a person still “hate all American’s, Muslims, etc…” after meeting a happy backpacker?

Patience is a key virtue of backpackers. We often do not know where we will be the following day, going with the flow is essential. Missed the last bus for the day? Sleep in the station and wait for the next. No point in screaming at the ticket agent or denigrating ourselves for missing the bus. I’ve spent more than my fair share of time patiently waiting for the next ride, the next museum opening, ete. We can also deal with a number of trying and difficult situations, sleeping conditions would be first on the list. We sleep in small rooms, smelly rooms, rooms with people that snore all night, rooms that reek of BO, but all this we take in stride (despite some of my rants).

We are notorious for our poor sense of time. Never ask a backpacker what day it is, we quickly forget and loose interest in keeping track of the days of the week. Depending on what we are doing the speed of time can seem like a near standstill or a super fast freeway. Typically as we approach the end of our travels time speeds up and a month seems like a week and a week like a day.

Travelers looking to fill a void have many of the same traits mentioned above. They also have some personal ambition, goal (know or unknown) that they are searching to complete. They are looking for meaning in their life and hope that it will be found in their travels. These are the people that may have left their home as quite and reserved people with the ambition to become extroverts. It’s interesting as I write this I hear a fellow traveler on the phone with her parents back in the states. She’s only just arrived in NZ yesterday, I couldn’t help but overhear her say “I’m trying to do experience and try things that I have never done before.” What a noble cause, to go to the ends of the world, knowingly face unknown challenges and obstacles all with the hope of find ones self.

These noble travelers risk the most and stand to potentially gain the most. However, like all risky investments there is a good chance of failure. I’ve seen many washed up backpackers, all their energy sapped, their finances in shambles, and their spirits crushed. I don’t know what happens to these people do they go back to their old lives? Do they eventually reap the rewards? I guess it is all in how they view their journey.

This brings me to the wannabes. These are the backpackers that should have stayed home. They complain about everything. They compare all their experiences to those at home and cannot find anything better to do than talk up how much better life is at home. They are demanding and do not share with fellow travelers or people that they meet. Many of these are the people that buy the most expensive shoes, backpacks, cloths thinking that this will make their trip. These are the people that when offered the opportunity to challenge themselves, withdraw into their old comfort zone and shun any idea of change and alternate thinking.

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Tuesday was the quiz night, which was my third quiz night here in NZ. I’ve been recognized by the group at the long term table as having a good knowledge of meaningless American trivia along with other topics (the team is made up of people from many different countries). They invited me to join their group with the hope that I was the last piece of the puzzle to make them a winning team (people that love beer will try anything when a $100 bar tab is grand prize).

We played competitively but had to settle for 4th place, we were only separated from the top team by 5 points. Next week we’ll get them, next week (watch out “Suspect Usuals”).

Despite my congested sinuses and fever I participated the full 8 rounds. I did learn that 3 pints of beer are no substitute for cough syrup I would have traded them all for a teaspoon of Nightquil. But it was very good beer. Three of us by rounds together, I bought the first round, TJ the second round and Karen the third round. We each spent about $18 for beer. Snacks are included with the quiz (free fries, wings, fried fish and other finger foods).


Looking for flat shares has been interesting. I have two really good stories related to this search. First, one of the flats I went to turned out to be 100% vegan and is attempting to be 100% sustainable (both facts they failed to mention in the ad). I arrived and found the four people quite nice. We chatted and it would have been a good personality match but then they started discussing their must haves. I must swear of meat (I don’t have any problems with vegans, in fact some of you that have been reading may have picked up that fact that last week I had a couple of vegan meals, but completely cutting meat, dairy, eggs, is asking too much). And then there was this big whammy, in the interest of conserving energy we could not use the clothes dryer. All clothes are to be dried outside on the line. Some of you may remember my comments from Oxford, I joined the British in the age old tradition of drying clothes on a line, rain or shine. It’s never fun waiting two or three days for your clothes to only partially dry. Needless to say I knew this wouldn’t be a good fit.

Next, when reading ads watch out for words like, character, quirks, and personality when describing the house. I went to one place that the ad called a “Classic Victorian, with character”. While touring the house I found that the character included: when you flush the toilet all the water pressure in the house drops, all the wood floors creek, to operate the stove/oven there is a whole series of adjustments (incantations) need to be made before the device will work. I suppose the ad that mention “personality” must have meant that the house is haunted.

I guess I have one other story to share. While searching for flats in Auckland I found a tangled and sorted web of interconnected people offering an assortment of flats. This may get confusing but try to follow along. I called a number that was advertised with a two bedroom flat. The person (Maria) I spoke to was actually the current tenant and they were upgrading to a larger place and her friend who had placed the ad (the person I thought that I was calling) would be moving in and taking over the lease. The woman invited me to look at the place since her friend was not in town to show the apartment. When I got to the apartment she told me about the flat, then told me that her and her other flat mates were looking for another male to round out the new place she was moving to. For those counting from this one call I am now looking at two different places. Later that evening I was calling other ads and found another place that was looking for someone to fill in a void, which I learned on my visit was created when a guy named Joe informed his flat mates that he was moving out and is moving into Maria’s place. Same scenario the next day I found a vacancy created by Maria’s other new roommate. So from one phone call to Maria, I stumbled upon four households changing because of her move. Talk about nine degrees of separation, Maria must know nearly everyone in the city?

To cut this short I will describe my new place in Thursday’s blog.

To celebrate my find a few of my friends (Karen and Alison) from IEP and the hostel went out to desert Wednesday evening. As we were heading out the hostel door I asked the front counter staff if they could suggest a good dessert place (I actually said ice cream), The front desk misunderstood my question and thought I meant a “Dairy” which is the equivalent to an AM PM. I explained that I meant a sit down place. They though for a while and then responded “Try Denny’s that’s always a good place.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, I’d sworn not to go to Denny’s while in NZ, there went that resolution. We did end up going to Denny’s and to my surprise found the restaurant to be a classy destination, far better than any Denny’s you would find in the states. Yum, yum Oreo Milkshake, my favorite.

PS: I think this sinus condition is being passed around the hostel I’m staying at. I’ve had about 15 people mention that in the last week they have either had, have, or just gotten over the same symptoms. I’m glad I’m getting away from they vicious cycle of illness.

Spring starts on Friday.

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Photos

The Canadians and a Gnome
I met these guys at the Pub Meet. The tall guy with dark curly hair was carrying the gnome under his arm. I had to meet them and ask what was up. Was this some elaborate way to pick up females? Turns out before they had left Canada for NZ they had stolen this gnome from a person’s front yard. They are going to take him around and photograph him in various locations around the country, they will then periodically send photos back to the gnomes owner (who I should mention they don’t know). I hope the gnome’s friends back in Canada don’t miss him!

That's My Eye in the Corner
The person taking photos missed most of my face and the rest of the shots were to blurry to post here.

Quiz Question
And the answer is...... _ _ _ _ _ _

Comments

[DPtDavid]

Mahalo Nui Loa!
Or "thank you [more than you can know] for including me. Very excited to 'hear' from you. 1st 'blog' I've ever visited & not sure how you joined or what it's costing you, but thank you for including me. Are you taking donations? Has 'work' started yet? You, remember, right? The 'reason' for heading to NZ was to 'work', yes? While visiting NZ back in '68 [w/a cold], some Aussie "Marines" intro'd me to the 'local' beer vs. directing me to a 'drug' store. Don't remember getting over the cold, but met some great people who are friends to this day. Haven't heard much about "340" but don't know if you really want to know about that kind of stuff anyway. Had eye surgery last Friday to correct a problem I've had since ejecting out of the backseat of a F4J Phantom on Th:11.21.1968 [who remembers dates?] This is addicting. Better stop now. Talk to you when —