I feel like there's not much going on with me right now. But, I guess that's because it's Saturday night at 6:15pm and I'm sitting in the office...not really wanting to work, unsure of what else to do with myself. It's raining outside and it's bitterly cold. My head gets super cold when it hits this temperature and that's how I know winter has returned.
It seemed like spring here for a few weeks...these weeks since the last post and this week. We took many bike rides and enjoyed outside as much as we could in the time we had each day. It was nice. Winter returned this week, I have gotten little (very very little) exercise but seemingly a lot of work done. I finally have data. I have no idea what it means...working that out.
My time here is running to an end in a very quick way. I don't want to leave. That's also what happened to me these past few weeks. I realized that NZ is the place of simplicity...the place that helps me to recognize what is necessary versus what is "nice". Luxury is cheese, homemade bread, a car, a television, heat. Necessary is fun, love, a few layers of clothing, the ability to wake up each day, and I suppose the pursuit of this degree that I'm undertaking. But that's only my necessity... Those are really the only things I know.
So, with the ability to wake up each day, put on a few layer of clothing, feel love from this person here with me, I have been able to have fun AND work. Also, I have learned the love of skiing (I think I am addicted...and convinced that I'm spending next winter in NZ even if I have to be the barista at the local coffee shop who is also a doctor).
amazing sunset, mountains, road car, power lines...juxtaposition is great.
Ohau ski field...the best in NZ (of course I've only been to two places, but this one is small, family owned and nice)
Our house...on the mountain...happy from playing in snow.
Going up...serious about skiing.
Up and wintery.
Clear and lovely from a switch back on the road down.
From the lift exit at the top of Ohau...end of first day...amazing sky.
2nd ski weekend in a row... Kea (the mountain parrot...only parrot living above the snow line) waiting for someone to drop some food...or for someone to leave their ski poles long enough to allow him to peel off the plastic.
Two friends from the NSF project heading down a snowy mountain. I discovered that white out conditions give me motion sickness! Can I not escape it?! I thought skiing wouldn't cause a problem...I guess in a white out it does. Apparently it's something about not being able to determine the horizon, therefore = sickness for stupid me and my inner ear issues.
Loud gulls
Us @ Lake Wanaka.
Lake Wanaka and snowy mountains...the ski hill is over there in the distance.
Clouds clearing and showing off mountains...from hike up a big hill in the middle of town.
Dinner with the NSF EAPSI group who traveled down to the South Island for our Wanaka ski vacation (and three others from Dunedin).
Seriously....2 months is just not long enough. I want longer...more...
1 comment:
well you'd join a legion of portlanders if you worked at a coffee shop. EVERY barista here, practically, has a masters or a phd...
simplicity, yes. necessary. yes. luxury is lovely but there's a lot to be said for simplicity (says the girl who's outfitted her truck for wireless and electrical).
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