Blogs from Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand, Oceania - page 148

Otay..this was a crazy night. Ever been to a foam party? Let me just tell you...its...crazy. You get very wet but its very fun...if you have to chance I'd say go to one...especially if its at a place called The Mad Cow (thats right folks i live in a hick down in New Zealand...they do exsist. Love ya Till Next time... read more

Dr Mary Warren, Sponsored by the Christchurch Club Mary is a General Practitioner, currently employed by the Royal NZ college of General Practitioners as a registrar in their continuing education programme. She graduated from Otago University in 2000 and since has worked in hospitals both here and in England. Mary will be keen to study the health system in Missouri, particularly the role of the GP equivalent.... read more

Just a quick update. I am now officially settled in Christchurch. I have two jobs, one during the day and one at night (Retour). I am working at this place called Barcelona during the day. It is from 10-6 Monday - Friday. It is bistro and bar. All of the meals are gourmet and I don't know what half of it is, but I will be much more enlightened on foods from around the world by the time I finish working. I have moved into a flat. It is about a 10 minute walk from the center city. So it is perfect because it is walking distance of my two jobs and town. Housing is a lot different than at home, but it is a nice house with nice people living in it. And it is ... read more

The tourist world of gimmicks and trinkets has ceased to engage my imagination long ago; the wayfaring multitudes that circulate on the globetrotting circuit, however, never cease to amaze. Last night, a boyish throng of lanky Japanese visitors captured my attention. I paused to watch as each of the 15 youngsters went through an orderly procession of being individually photographed in front of a sculpture in the central square. Perhaps forging an artistic identity for himself, the digerati cameraman had positioned himself on the ground for an artistic slant on the photo shoot. A trusty apprentice came to his aid, transforming his forearms and hands into a human tripod to support the frail neck of his exemplar and buoy his head. Pausing to marvel at this masterful display of teamwork, I jumped in beside one unsuspecting ... read more

Just 4 days in New Zealand, and hopelessly inadequate to have a proper look around, but I still managed to have fun and prepare myself for the onslaught of gastric and linguistic difficulties that South America would herald. It's concerning that I have had no call to use my Emmergency Immodium hitherto, two tablets of which I have religiously toted on my person since I left London. They are an amusing talking point with my fellow travellers (some of whom gaze into the middle distance with pained expressions when the topic turns to tummy-rumbles), but no more than that. My base was Christchurch. Lots of people comment on the 'Englishness' of Christchurch, and of course this is true. There's an Anglican Catherdral, punting, English placenames, Miss Marple, and binge drinking around every corner. Despite all this, ... read more