Illegal Fireworks, Hokey Pokey and the New Year

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Happy New Year everyone!

I spent the last few minutes of 2005 in Cathedral Square in the heart of Christchurch. Caitlin's girlfriend Melissa had flown in that morning to ring in the new year and tour around New Zealand for two weeks. I took the shuttle in from Akaroa to meet them and to celebrate a little time off. I toasted myself on the bus with sneaky sips from my spiked Nalgene. Indeed, desperate times call for desperate measures.

The night started with confusion as Caitlin and my vague emails had left us without a plan. While Cait, Melissa and Chipppy cruised around the streets looking for a tall Asian, I walked to the hostel. While I was primping for our night out, I was startled by a familiar voice. "Buddy!!" I turned around and there were a very sunburned Melissa and Caitlin. They had spent the day on the greens that cover the city center of Christchurch and poor Melissa had her very first NZ sunburn.

We went out for dinner and drinks and caught up. It was wonderful to dine out and drink some beers after being a working stiff 😉 I wondered, "will I ever regain the stamina necessary for a full time job?" I hope not. The sports pub we stopped at had a crew boat hanging from its rafters, much to Melissa's delight. While we were at university, she was a top notch rower of the nationally ranked team. She drew some attention as she started to take snapshots of the pub ceiling.

It was nice to hear Melissa tell me about the friends I miss so much. It was also nice to speak freely without wondering about any cultural misinterpretations. While I have grown to cringe at American accents after listening to the quirky and polite New Zealand and British styles of speech, there is nothing like hearing the familiar loud and boisterous accent of home. It's an ugly accent but it's my ugly accent! My eyes watered a bit and I started to laugh a bit louder and longer as the night progressed.

We moved on from the pub to Cathedral Square, a large public... well, square. With a cathedral in it. There was a stage with a band, host, lip syncing dancers and a thousand people half watching them. Crowds in New Zealand, I have discovered, are much different from crowds in the US. While in the US everyone is packed with bodies pressed against each other, jostling and shoving, everyone in this crowd gave each a personal bubble of space. It makes so much sense!

We got Melissa her first hokey pokey ice cream to welcome her into the Southern Hemisphere and watched as fireworks announced the beginning of 2006. I think she was a bit dissapointed since we'd hyped it up all night. We watched the official show while some drunk blokes in the back of the crowd lit off their own fireworks. Flanked, there were great official fireworks on one side and a giant pink flare a bit too close for comfort on the other. Jet lagged, drunk and tired, we all decided to head back to the hostel. I had work the next morning and Caitlina and Melissa were swimming with the dolphins at 8 am in Akaroa. Rally!

Two days later, they left Akaroa to continue on to Picton, Taupo to skydive, and the rest of their whirlwind tour of New Zealand. I stay on for another two weeks, then Cait and I move on to the rest of the South Island! The new year marks the official half way point of my stay in New Zealand. It's really flown by recently. The effects of having a routine I suppose. It saddened me to think about but I've realized I have nothing that I need to get back for... so, I've been considering extending my stay for at least another month! Any thoughts?

Happy 2006 everyone!
meesh 😊

P.S. Here is an article the NY Times did on Akaroa...

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Comments

[Katie LaRue]

Stay or Go?
I think you should stay if you feel like it...then come visit me...rock hill is a small town. Nothing like the one you're in, but small haha!! I need some new company...something exciting...change of pace. Hope you're doing well!