10 Days

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Hello Everyone!!
I am following in my friend Aaron Fox's footsteps and making an online journal which I think will be easier for me to keep everyone updated.
It is very hard to imagine but I have now been in Wellington for 10 days. So much has happened it feels like I have been here longer. I have seen alot of my old friends that I made while I stayed here last year and everyone has been wonderful and helpful as I get started in my new life. I have offically been moved into my new flat for 2 days now, I have a large room in a house which I share with 4 other people who are around my age. All of them are in school and most of them go to Victoria University which is where I studied when I was here. My house is located in Aro Valley in Wellington which is a very artsy part of the city. It is about a 10 minute walk to downtown Wellington and practically in the backyard of my friend Rhyan and Vicki's flat. I had been staying with Rhyan until I found my own place and I had a great time meeting Rhyan's flatmates who I have become friends with.
It is great to be back in Wellington. I have met some new friends and had a lot of fun so far. My flat came with a lovely large bed, hardwood floors, big windows with stained glass at the top, which look out onto the street and into the valley, and internet connection in my room. I think this house is older because my room reminds me of something out of Harry Potter which of course is fabulous. The best part is that I am spending 130$ NZ a week for rent, which is about 90$ US. My door is wooden and old-timey with a really high door handle which is metal and has an old large keyhole lock. There is not really any central heat so the cold has been a problem and I usually just sleep in a sweatshirt. I have just bought an electric blanket so hopefully I will be able to ditch the sweatshirt.
Yesterday I met with Jay Berryman who is a friend of a friend of my Grandmothers. Mr Berryman lives in Wellington and works at Upper Deck Studios which is located at Peter Jackson's new post production building in the suburb of Miramar. Mr Berryman picked me up in the morning and drove me to his studio where I met his daughter, who also works with him. Their studio did the negative cutting for all of the Lord of the Ring movies and they are also working on King Kong. Mr Berryman showed me all around their lab and then gave me a tour of the whole facility. They have amazing labs where they process the film, sound mixing suites, vaults for storage, color labs, you name it they have it. I even got to see a bit of King Kong as they were mixing the sound for it. Mr Berryman introduced me around to everyone and then made some calls on my behalf. He was so kind and I am extremely grateful for his help. I helped out a bit in their lab as they were splicing film, and then his daughter dropped me off in town.
This morning I got a call from him because one of the people he had called thought she knew of a job for me. He put me in touch with Rebecca who knew a director named Simon Ward. Simon is directing a music video for a popular NZ band called Shihad, the video is entirely claymation. They are in the process now of building the set for the claymation and need some help doing this. I called Simon and he said he could use my help and work is volunteer so I am not getting paid, however everyone else that is building the set with me works at Weta Workshop, Peter Jackson's special effects studio. They have all also worked on King Kong, so I am hoping that I will be able to make some good contacts as I work along side them. Simon is picking me up from my flat on monday morning to begin work, I will be working at Stone Street Studios in Miramar. I also have a meeting with the head of all post production for King Kong later in this coming week. According to Mr. Berryman she knows everyone and he feels that it would be very good for me to have a chat with her. So I feel that things are going very well. I will continue to keep this journal updated as more things happen. I hope that everyone is doing well! Love Emily

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