The Wayfarer

RECIPE REQUEST: Salmon + Spinach frittata.

2011-12-06T19:06:00.005-06:00

I posted this pic on twitter a while ago and have had some requests for the recipe so here goes nothing.

To be honest, I don't follow an actual recipe for frittata - because I usually make it according to what ingredients I have in the fridge - but that's what makes it so great. You can put nearly anything in it and adjust to your tastes.

SO. Here are the ingredients for this particular job....

1 Salmon steak - de-skinned and boned.

1 Carrot, grated

1 cup of shredded fresh spinach

2-4 eggs (depending on size and how many people you're cooking for)

4-5 sprigs of asparagus

1/2 cup of cheese

1/2 cup cottage cheese

Salt, Pepper, All Purpose seasoning

Instructions:

Get rid of the bones and skin from your salmon steak and chop it up into large chunks (or, even better buy the salmon without the bones and skin, because getting the tiny little bones out is a pain in the butt). Set aside.

In a large bowl add grated carrot, asparagus (chopped up into pieces about 3/4 of an inch long), spinach and eggs.

NOW. The eggs, basically - add as many as you want. Seeing as the eggs are kind of the filler, you don't want too much but you also don't want too little. I'm usually making this for two and I use around 3 medium size eggs. Depending on the size of your dish and how many people you're making this for you should adjust accordingly.

Now it's time to add the cheese (yum, yum). I would usually say add about a cup of grated cheese (some in the mixture and some to sprinkle on top) but I try to be healthy so I substitute half a cup of normal cheese for cottage cheese instead. The cottage cheese adds creaminess to the mixture and it's high in protein, low cal etc (in other words very good for you!) - I add the cottage cheese and about 1/4 cup of grated tasty cheese to the bowl and save the rest of the grated cheese to sprinkle on top later.

At this point, add a few chunks of salmon to the mixture and mix gently. Poor the mixture into a greased pie pan and layer the rest of the salmon over top. Season as you want.

Chuck it in the oven and cook at 180º/375ºF for around 30 mins or until the egg is cooked.

yum yum!!

This recipe really is easy and delicious (despite my long-winded ramblings). Other good things to add would be onion (to give it a bit of stooge), finally sliced leek, crumbled feta instead of grated cheese on top, tomato, capsicum, mushroom... the list goes on!

enjoy!

baking noms

2011-11-18T01:01:00.003-06:00

the fact that I don't have university anymore or a full time job means the baking has increased (and the waistline will begin to if I don't stop soon)

Lemon Meringue Pie

Chocolate Cake

The boyfriend with his birthday cake - Chocolate cake with chocolate chip buttercream frosting topped off with vanilla and dark chocolate cake balls :)

Vanilla Lemon cake

Pumple cake - 4 mini berry pies baked into a chocolate cake

Hungry yet? I am.

things i love

2011-10-25T19:43:00.005-05:00

It's that time of the year again.

That time of the year I have waaaaay too much to do so I trawl the internet and find pretty things for this blog.

OPI nail lacquer - mod about you / OPI

mythical glitter loafers / topshop

Handpainted enamel Garnet earrings / karen walker

Beaded wall mirror / urban outfitters

Kiwi Biscuits

2011-09-13T22:38:00.009-05:00

Today I thought i'd share you my favorite recipe. The worlds best Chocolate Chip cookies. I know, big call, but I love them. It was the first recipe I learnt and to this day I still get compliments on them. The best part? They're dead simple.

First, we start with softened butter, sugar and sweetened condensed milk.

Cream the three together with an electric beater until it's light and fluffy. People who cream butter and sugar properly mix it in enough so the sugar is completely dissolved, but i'm lazy and impatient so I just beat it until the mixture is noticeably lighter.

Then the flour and baking powder go into the mix. You'll see the recipe asks for a lot of flour, so don't mix it all in at once - you don't want the dough to be too dry, I usually find around an ounce less flour than the recipe asks for works well.

My favorite part!! Chocolate!! Any dark cooking chocolate will work but i'm very partial to Cadbury Energy chocolate, I couldn't find it when I was living in the states and used almond bark instead, in my opinion it just wasn't as good.

NOMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOM

Mix it all together (try not to eat to much of it!!) Roll it up in to balls and flatten them with a fork on a baking tray before popping it in the oven at 375ºF/180ºC for 15 mins. Again, this depends on the oven you're working with, my one at home usually needs 12-13 mins.

The final product! Don't they look good?!

Get. In. My. Belly.

Kiwi Biscuits

6oz butter

3oz sugar

3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk

9oz flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

250g dark cooking chocolate, chopped up into big chunks

christchurch + the earthquake

2011-05-05T19:45:00.004-05:00

Finally. I've taken time out of my schedule to post a few select pics from my recent trip to Christchurch. Officially, I was there as part of a family reunion of sorts but I also used my time there to survey the damage from the Feb earthquake and to also work on a story for my internship at TV3.

The city itself is in a state of limbo at the moment, we couldn't get right into the city centre because the cordons are all still up and will be for some time. For the most part though and despite the fact that there is so much structural damage people are positive and have said the outpouring of support from the general public has been phenomenal. I guess it's times like these which really show a persons true character.

Apart from surveying the damage I also travelled a little out of Christchurch to a couple of other towns: Akaroa and Little River. Akaroa is a gorgeous little French settlement right on the bay. The weather was lovely and it was great to see a little bit more of the South Island. I definitely haven't explored enough of it yet, maybe i'll do that after graduation.

Anyway, onto the photos...

Akaroa

The Giants garden - a garden in Akaroa full of mosaics

Little River

Some of the destruction

Notes of support

Flowers

More destruction

Third year

2011-04-06T03:43:00.003-05:00

It's official: I have no life.

It's the reason I don't write anything on here, all my creative juices are going towards my many and varied projects at school.

Journalism is tough, but pretty interesting. Not gonna lie though, I can't think of anything worse than being a reporter haha. Anyone have any jobs going in the photography industry? lol.

Life is hectic, reporting classes are sucking any spare time that I do have and to be honest i'm just trying to do the absolute minimum to scrape by, because with my job and all on top of everything else I don't have a lot of time to be a normal person.

Basically, the goal isn't As this year. The goal is to do enough to graduate.

My trip to Christchurch is coming up over Easter weekend, i've got a couple of free days so hopefully i'll be able to travel around a little bit. It'll be interesting to see what the city is looking like a couple of months on from the earthquake, i'll definitely post some pictures on here.

(Anyone that does have any recommendations of interesting places near chch I could go to, holler at me!)

For now though, I have 2 essays, 2 tests and a news story to finish.

Hopefully i'll write again soon, but don't hold your breath.

Love Field

2011-02-24T18:50:00.003-06:00

Saying goodbye was much harder than I thought.

I know I haven't blogged for a while, but readjusting was a little harder than I had planned it to be. 17 months ago I decided I wanted to go to the States for a semester and 17 months later, the journey now over, all I do is wish I was back there.

The last couple of months have been a bit of a blur, my final weeks in the States went by far too quickly in a haze of travel, goodbyes and holidays I suddenly found myself in Dallas Love Field at the security gate, bawling my eyes out at the realization that 1) That this glorious little bubble that had been my life was about to pop and 2) That I had another 4-8 months of long distance ahead of me with my boyfriend. I had gone from being calm and collected to a complete wreck in the time it took me to check my bags in and walk to the security gate.

Ok yeah, I cried, lots of people cry at airports that's not completely out of the ordinary. What is a little out of the ordinary is when the guy working security leaves his station to give you some tissues and share his wisdom on love and relationships. He was a nice guy.

I had been so consumed by the act of leaving I didn't even think what it would be like to return home, I guess I thought it would be fine which is why I didn't think about it. People always talk about reverse culture shock, which i've never really been able to grasp - despite the fact I have done a fair amount of travel in my life. I can now say with absolute certainty, that I know what it is and that it sucks. The last 7 or 8 months feel like a dream, everything is the same at home, but different. My friends are still my friends, but they've moved on somewhat, shared experiences that I cannot possibly understand and moved on. Maybe they see this in me as well, i'm not sure, I try not to talk too much about Mizzou because I feel like that could get irritating, though I do get asked - things like "what was it like?", a fair question but how do you succinctly put that into words? It was many things - good and bad, there aren't enough adjectives to sufficiently describe my experience or how i'm feeling about it right now.

A little over a month later, i'm feeling a bit better about things. I began work in Auckland almost immediately after I came home and am so thankful for it, it gets me out of the house and acting like a normal person (I think if I didn't go to work I would probably be locking myself away in my room 24/7). I still have my days, but i'm sure they will lessen, especially with my next semester around the corner (3 more days boo) and the arrival of Drew in the country (3 more months yay).

As for my little corner in cyberspace, i'm definitely gonna try keep this chugging along quietly, but who knows - maybe uni will take over my life. I hope not.

America: The people

2011-01-13T21:23:00.004-06:00

christmas lights + winter brights

2010-12-12T16:15:00.005-06:00

december in columbia

4802 - Moving into the final project

2010-11-29T14:17:00.002-06:00

Moving into the final project, I am confident I am going to be able deliver better quality stories if I take on and use the feedback given to me this semester.

The major issue with my images were cropping, Karen and Reuben said during the lecture that they wanted me to get much tighter in my detail and profile shots so I need to concentrate on that.

Another issue I had during my video pieces were remembering Lynda's "visual cha-cha-cha" - much like still photography, I didn't have enough tight shots relating to the narrative for b-roll so during our shooting for the final project I'm going to try and get as many details shots as possible to allow for the visual cha-cha-cha.

With regards to audio the most glaring critique was my use of quotes and narration - my soundbytes were far to long. While I was making it I was under the impression that I had to let the subject tell the story, when in reality with concise narration the reporter can sum up a subjects feelings and let them have their say through strong soundbytes. By doing it this way I can create a far more powerful piece.

I think for me, while I am confident with the technical aspects of video, audio and photo what I need to work on are the actual construction of the stories into succinct and powerful pieces which is done through the linking of narration, powerful soundbytes and relevant images.

Boston bound!

2010-11-16T15:01:00.008-06:00

Boston couldn’t have come at a better time, just a week after my second lot of exams and assignments and right before we started final projects I had got to that stage where I was sick of Columbia, sick of Mizzou and ready to get away for a while.

Boston is great, it really is. I remember first hearing about the city from Dan, a restaurant manager who worked in the same hotel as me a couple of years ago – he’d spent a few years working in restaurants over there and was in love with the city, when he found out I was going to New York for Christmas he pleaded that I spend a couple of days in Boston, but the bright lights of New York City captivated me and Boston became a lonely memory. A year later when I first started looking into study abroad I actually thought about applying for Boston University, who had an exchange partnership with AUT at the time, sadly though by the time I was applying for the Fall 2010 semester AUT and Boston University had parted ways.

This brings me to about 2 months ago when I decided I needed to do something with my life other than study (believe me, Mizzou is great, and I’m loving being in the convergence sequence, but I’m an exchange student for crying out loud. I need to travel.). I had originally thought of going south, to Nashville or Memphis or maybe across to Washington D.C so I could reenact my Forrest Gump fantasies – but then that little light bulb flickered and a thought came to me – Boston. I had nearly been there twice already, I might as well just do it.

To make this great idea even better, my good friend Keaney who studied in New Zealand for the 09-10 school year was FROM Boston. So not only was I going to a great city, I was also getting to spend my time with an awesome friend who actually knows her way around. Epic bonus. To top it all off, I found out another one of my friends Nam was flying over from Seattle that same weekend. That was it. My life was complete.

Initially, Boston kind of seemed like some crazy love child of Jersey Shore and The Sopranos – interesting combination I know, but I encountered people from both ends of that spectrum. Sometimes I felt like I was right in the middle of a real-life stereotype. It’s a cool little city though, it’s one of those places that feels really small, but is actually pretty big. The first thing I did with Keaney and Nam when I got off the plane was to go get food at this place called Grumpys, it’s famous for their steak and cheese melts among other things. Grumpys was the epitome of American food, and it reminded me why I’ve gained weight over here, but it was completely worth it. After we got back to Keaneys place we set Nam to work in the kitchen (just like the old days) and she made us her awesome m&m cookies!

Saturday was what I like to call my “tourist-sesh”. I’ve traveled a lot in the past, but I don’t really like being a tourist (I know, this is somewhat of an irony) so I usually devote a day or two of my trip (depending on the stay) to being outwardly geeky and touristy. Saturday was my day. A bunch of us took the train into Boston where we perused Quincy market (good looking food that is super pricey), the shops (money was spent, I don’t like to talk about it) and finally… THE FREEDOM TRAIL.

The Freedom Trail was around three hours long and mainly revolved around Paul Revere and the revolution. Naturally, I didn’t grow up learning about American history so I wasn’t always aware of who they were actually talking about, but they had a section on the Salem witch trials which I loved and the tour guide was a character so I really enjoyed myself.

Geek-fest over, it was time to get down – going out in Boston was heaps of fun, socializing in NZ is a lot different to the US (especially Columbia) and I think Boston was my happy medium between the two extremes – you can dance a bit and do the whole sitting down and socializing thing (extreme plus: bars in Boston close at 2am instead of 1. Hurrah!). I haven’t really gone out a lot while I’ve been studying purely because of my schedule, so it was nice to go out, let loose, have some fun, and come home to awesome after-town food and The Kardashians on demand.

Sunday, my final day in Boston was lazy, which was just what I wanted. Keaney took me to get the best Black and White frappes in the world (they were in fact very good) and we all just kind of mooched about. I think so far, Boston is probably one of my favorite cities – it’s generally pretty friendly, the food is good and architecturally I love it… hopefully the stars will align and I’ll find myself back there again.

But for now I’m looking forward to thanksgiving in Dallas with Drew’s family and Florida in less than a month with my friend Rania… can’t wait!

4802 - Flash journalism

2010-11-02T12:30:00.003-05:00

Since McAdam's book on Flash Journalism, technology, particularly web-based technology has continued to develop at a rapid rate. While everything McAdams talks about, for example infographics and web packages are still relevant and useful for an audience. There are other aspects of technology that have emerged and would be useful for the presentation of journalism. I would like to focus on web packages because while they are a great resource for audiences, I think a lot could be done to make improve them and make them more diverse.

Twitter is a website which is allows short, timely news to be delivered straight to your phone or computer - this was first globally seen during the Hudson river plane crash, when that story actually broke over twitter and I think it is a vital component that will be really heavily used in news journalism in the future - so far organizations like CNN have breaking news twitter pages which allow users to stay up-to-date with breaking news wherever they are. I think this could be an interesting new component to web packages and would be especially affective for ongoing stories, organizations could create twitter pages especially for particular stories so users can access particular stories wherever they are.

I also think the use of blogs should be used more. Blogging is a great way to gauge opinions and social feeling over current events, while blogging can provide extremist points of view that may not necessarily represent a majority of people - I think it is important for as many points of view to be communicated, so another aspect of the web package could be external links so readers can either read a little deeper into the story or can gather multiple perspectives of what is happening.

And, lastly the emergence of mobile journalism. With devices like the iPhone becoming more common, it's becoming easier to capture video, photos and audio all in a much higher quality than what we have seen. Mobile journalism is not necessarily new, a lot of the footage from 9/11 was taken by "citizen journalists" of sorts, but I don't think it is being used to the extent it could be. While citizen journalism can in no way replace professional journalists, they can contribute to stories, by doing this we get a "real world" perspective of sorts and it also allows the audience to perhaps become more emotionally involved with a story or event.

homecoming

2010-10-29T11:52:00.009-05:00

Homecoming weekend. I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting much from it, but maybe that's a good thing. Because it blew every expectation I had out of the stratosphere. For those who aren't familiar with the notion of Homecoming - it is basically a weekend where the University welcomes back Alumni to the school (it was actually started by Mizzou 99 years ago) - they have a bunch of events - all of the Greek houses have a big competition (house decorations, skits and floats for the parade) which they get judged on, there's a homecoming parade, the football game, all of downtown is decorated. It's basically a lot of fun - and since this will be my first (and last) homecoming, I wanted to take advantage of that.

First, I visited the house decs in Greek town. Once thing I have been meaning to do all semester is take photos of the Sorority houses in Greek town and the Frats out on Frat row because in general, they're just obscene. The theme this year was board games and groups of sorority's and frats had to come up with a scene and a skit around their board game. Here are a few of my favourites:

Look! My life is complete - standing next to a giant Life wheel haha.

Saturday was a huge day, not only were Mizzou playing #1 ranked Oklahoma, but ESPN had

chosen to Mizzou to host College Gameday, I don't really want to go into the details of what College Gameday is, so for those internationals who are actually interesting - google it :P

We got to campus about 7.30 in the morning and walked to Francis Quad where the Gameday crew were set up - we got a prime spot on the hill under the columns. It was a loooot of fun, people were just crazy excited - the band were playing, people had millions of signs, everyone is in gold and the quad was PACKED - we later found out we had broke Kansas' gameday record (which stood at around 14,500 people), around 18,000 turned up.

The night before - all is calm.

This was a funny sight - straight after I took this photo these guys from Fox got in trouble with ESPN because they didn't have media passes. heh.

After that was tailgating and football! Geoff cooked up some meat, I made cookies and

cupcakes and we headed off to the game.

I really enjoy football, so I was looking forward to what I expected to be a tight match - but this was just ridiculous. The tension in the air was incredible, and when we finally won - it was literally bedlam - strangers were hugging each other and people were going absolutely mental as soon as the final whistle blew all of us just charged at the field - event staff didn't stop us - I think they were expecting it (though I did later hear that around 30 people were arrested). As we just kind of swayed together on the field I looked to my right and saw people carrying the goalposts up the bleachers and out of the stadium!

Later on we headed to Harpo's where we found the goalposts - in tiny pieces. People had been cutting it up so they could take little pieces of history home with them.

It really was a sight to see.

I really honestly don't think I will ever experience anything like that ever again - it was an amazing experience and something I will treasure for a long time :)

rushing the field!

final score: 36-27

4802 - Journalistic video on the web

2010-10-20T15:43:00.002-05:00

"Mysterious tree poisoner strikes again"

http://www.3news.co.nz/The-mysterious-tree-poisoner-strikes-again/tabid/1216/articleID/182312/Default.aspx

For the most part, I think this news story is pretty solid, I like how they introduce interviewees (in a visual sense) before the sound bite and I like the use of archival footage to highlight what has been happening in the story so far. The one thing that did bother be a bit was the reporter sound bite during the story - we didn't really have any need to see her as previous images had already established a context and setting.

I think if this story had been made for print, it would have been a lot shorter. When you think about it, this story is basically a follow-up from an incident that happened 2 years ago, I felt the video story dragged a little bit (probably because the b-roll clips were pretty long) so if they were going to turn this into a print story a lot of it would have to be tightened up - quotes shortened a bit and everything made a little bit more succinct.

Also, because it is a video story - and it relies largely on images to tell some of the story, the print version would have to be much less ambiguous so readers know exactly what is going on.

language barrier

2010-10-12T21:44:00.003-05:00

Incident at Subway today:

So, I go up to the counter to pay for my order.

Girl: What did you order?

Me: 6 inch Meatball sub

Girl: Sorry, pardon?

Me: 6 inch Meatball

Girl: 6 inch... what?

Me: Meatball

Girl: BIG BALLS?!

Me: MEATBALL!! MEAT!

Girl: Oooooooh meatball... *giggle*

Me: .........................

Oh the joys of having an accent.

Debate

2010-10-12T16:01:00.003-05:00

This is my final column for Debate for this semester, I will try very very hard to keep up with this from here on in - but we'll see. Like I have said many times, American work ethic is crazy, no wonder they go shit crazy when they study in New Zealand.

Being my final column for the year, I feel like I should say something meaningful about my time studying abroad, but to be honest – I have nothing. While you all may be wrapping up your school year and hurtling toward that little light at the end of the tunnel we all know as summer, I am only 7 weeks in to my semester and there are so many things I am yet to experience and discover about this country whose culture is as vast as it’s geography. Though, the longer I am here – the more certain aspects of American life become more apparent.

For one, this ain’t no fashion show. People here just don’t care, in fact, if need be 95% of the student population would have the potential to spontaneously work out if they ever felt the need. Honestly though, I’ve seen it all here, from your run of the mill running shorts through to polar fleece penguin pyjama pants – fashion is not considered to be an important part of school here, and you know what? I really enjoy it, it’s a liberating feeling knowing that people aren’t actively judging you based on whether your hair is in a top knot.

At first, this lack of fashion sense perplexed me, but now I understand. It’s not that they don’t care, it’s just that they are literally running around 24/7 and sneakers and running shorts are just more practical than Docs. College here is not just a facet of a person’s life, it’s a lifestyle in itself – these people have weekdays full of class, group meetings, club meetings, intramural sports then they have weekends of football and tailgating (which as you know from my last column is an experience in itself). Students here live and breathe college life, especially where I am in the School of Journalism.

Needless to say, I came in to this adventure with some very solid ideas of what I thought I was getting myself into, of course all of those expectations have been blown to oblivion. America has surprised me, I definitely didn’t expect American’s to be so welcoming and to be frank, I didn’t expect them to be so normal. Yes, you get your crazies – like the homeless guy downtown who plays the Didgeridoo, the old musician in Beverly Hills who tried to follow me back to my apartment, or the children in Dallas on the street corner who told me I was going to hell for my sins – but every place has its crazies, and in all honesty it makes our world a more interesting place to be.

I’m sad I can’t share the rest of my journey with you – my first real Halloween, or learning how to shoot a gun over Thanksgiving, or the first day of snow (ETA approximately 4 weeks – furry hat and boots have been purchased). But I hope you’ve enjoyed hearing about just a few of my experiences. Studying abroad has certainly been hard at times, but I don’t regret one moment of it.

So for now, I’ll leave you trying to do what I said I would in my first column. I’m going with the flow, rolling with the punches and taking every day as it comes.

4802 - Video: My thoughts so far

2010-10-11T21:03:00.002-05:00

So, I have just submitted my first video piece for 4802, which was an interesting experience. While I have a scattering of experience filming and editing video (I have never been so thankful for the year long Media Production class I did last year at AUT as much as I was last weekend!) I have never filmed a journalistic piece, i've never interviewed someone for video or filmed b-roll for a news piece so it was a new experience for me in many ways.

On the whole, I was suprised at how much I enjoyed filming the women while they practiced as I didn't think I would enjoy it. Two of our readings directed my thoughts as I was shooting, the CNN article and the video techniques from Berkley. A lot of the tips were just common-sense things you don't normally think about and inadvertently do - for example, the Berkley article suggested we make sure our interview subjects don't have poles or anything awkward sticking out of their head, Lucy, the girl I interviewed had exactly that when she stood in front of the camera and I had to move her - if I hadn't read that article I wouldn't have recognised that at all. Related to that was the fact that you're not supposed to talk during shooting b-roll, coming in to this assignment I naively assumed that it wouldn't matter if I talked while I shot b-roll - though I was proved wrong.

I really appreciated the practical tips the CNN article had, one thing I was really worried about was what to film for my b-roll. But the CNN article (along with Lynda's "visual cha cha cha"!) gave me some perspective and I just tried to get as many different wide, mid and close up angles as possible so when I edited I had lots of options and could hopefully create a visually stimulating video. I don't quite know if I got the "cha cha" bit down, but I really tried and it certainly helped once I had to decide on final shots!

football season!

2010-10-09T21:03:00.012-05:00

Americans are obscene, and I don't mean that in a bad way. I just mean that everywhere I have gone thus far I have been surrounded by folk who aim for the absolute greatest and expect nothing lessfrom those around them. So, when I went to my first college football game of the season I knew I was going to have a whole lot of fun.

Football is a big deal in these parts, it’s not just a game, It’s a way of life. To give you some perspective, Game Day is even more important than God’s day of rest (and that’s saying a lot coming from the Bible Belt of the Midwest). People go all out. Parking lots turn into huge tailgates where from 7am families grill, drink, play football and drink some more.

I didn’t really know what to expect at first from my first football game. We were playing McNeese State, some no-name team from Louisiana who had been paid $500,000 to play our division one team. The general consensus was that Mizzou would slaughter McNeese,

so I was a little worried I was going to be bored. It was around the time I saw the Stealth Bomber (that oddly resembled a UFO) soaring over the stadium during the national anthem that I knew my purchase of season tickets had been a good investment. I definitely wasn’t bored. Hell, you didn’t even need to understand football to be having a good time.

To be honest – a Football game is something you can’t really describe, it’s something you have to experience. But I am going to try. Basically, take every football game you seen in a movie, every stereotype – the blonde Cheerleaders being tossed into the air, the marching band that struts in formation whilst wearing ridiculous hats, the 6ft football players who have the looks but lack a little wit, the baton twirlers and amplify all of that by about a million, I never thought I’d be saying this but ALL OF THE STEREOTYPES ARE TRUE! And it’s wonderful.

Like every school though, we do have a few quirks. For instance, when Mizzou scores a touch down or a field goal, members of the Army’s Reserve Officers Training Corps fire off a cannon (yes, a real cannon, I’m sure you can imagine my reaction the first time that happened, needless to say, It was embarrassing). After firing said cannon they then run to the touch line to perform push-ups in formation in accordance with the number of points Mizzou has on the scoreboard.

Then there are the cheers. They’re all pretty simple, and to be honest when I first learnt them I felt a little bit lame. But when you’re standing in a stadium with 60,000 other (slightly intoxicated) fans singing and dancing to Mizzou-Rah! or swaying in unison as The Missouri Waltz plays, there’s honestly no better feeling.

Before I came here I never thought I’d be the football type. The closest I’d ever got to football was studying Remember the Titans in 5^th Form English and even then I vowed I’d never like “that pansy version of Rugby”. But I guess even the strongest can be persuaded - with the help of a stealth bomber and a couple of pre-game drinks, that is.

wait... you mean american's are actually friendly?

2010-10-09T20:41:00.000-05:00

I can’t believe this is about to come out of my mouth – believe you me I was surprised when the thought first popped into my head too… but I can’t believe how gosh darn friendly Americans are! I’m sure it’s one of those things that change throughout the regions – maybe if I went further south I’d meet up with those toothpick-chewin’, gun-slingin’ white-extremist folk we associate with the USA. But in my part of Missouri at least, it’s all about good old-fashioned hospitality and charm.

I’ve done my fair share of travelling, most of it by myself. When I lived in the UK I learnt quickly not to try and converse with strangers on public transport unless I wanted to be raped and/or mugged – here however it seems to be the norm. A couple of weeks ago I flew to Milwaukee to meet up with some friends, not only did the air hostess serenade us as we took off (a Tina Turner classic “Proud Mary”. True story) but I got chatting to the couple next to me, who in their heyday had visited New Zealand. The husband coincidentally was Mizzou alumni – so I left my flight with a list of places to visit and things to do in Columbia while I’m at school.

I think there are a couple of reasons for this attitude towards strangers. For the most part, I think it’s just the way people are raised here. Men open doors, pay for dinner, people say sir and ma’am (I’ve even found that slipping into my own vocabulary) sometimes while I’m out I really do feel like I’ve gone back in time to a place where people are considerate – and judging by some of the fashion I’ve seen, maybe I have.

A lot of it I’m sure may be to do with confidence. American’s have this aura that practically screams “I AM AMERICAN! I AM NOT ASHAMED!”… They know what they like and want, they strive to be the best and they’re not reluctant to be proud of each other and themselves. Most people call is arrogance; I chose to call it self-belief.

Though a lot of these niceties – especially within the service industry have nothing to do with grace, good breeding or pride. They’re just people out to suck every penny they can out of you. American’s are huge on tipping – it’s one of those cultural things I’ve had to become aware of really quickly – it’s incredibly rude not to tip a server, even if they’re obnoxious or bad at their job – there is always that expectation of at least a 15% tip with your meal. However, what results from this unwritten law is overly attentive, smiley, bright-eyed, sometimes annoying, money sucking individuals.

For now though I’m going to ignore the small majority of annoyingly nice people and enjoy the conversations that come about when strangers have the confidence to talk to each other. Not only does it make the lonely parts of my journey so much more enjoyable, I’m learning way more about this country than I ever could from Lonely Planet.

4802 - Final Audio: Looking back

2010-10-06T15:45:00.002-05:00

Well, last week I submitted my NPR-style story as the last section of our audio assignment. In hindsight, all I can really conclude is that I had no idea what the heck I was doing!

I think I have a good grasp on the technical knowledge when it comes to editing, I learn fast on computers and i'm comfortable with putting all of this on to web so that aspect of it ran as smoothly as it could have.

There were two things that I really had trouble with - the first was trying to write for the ear, I had a lot of difficulty with telling the audience the basic facts they needed as well as being as succinct as possible in a way that engages an audience that only have audio to rely on. I tried really hard, but after listening to some of the other student examples in class, I realised I hadn't quite got it.

The other thing I had an issue with was weaving my soundbites into the story. During editing I was under the impression that letting the subject's story shine through required me to speak as little as possible so that's what I did, but now I realise there were some things I could have said more fluidly which would have 1) quickened the pace of the story and 2) highlighted the subjects really good soundbites that illustrate their point of view in the best way possible.

I'm by no means happy with my final audio, but I learned a lot during this process and hopefully i'll be able to redeem myself during the final project!

long time no see

2010-09-22T21:38:00.003-05:00

I guess it's been a while since i've written something "proper" so to speak, what can I say - moving to the other side of the world and settling in to a new culture is a bit time-consuming

I think something will come soon, i'm itching to write something I actually think is decent, something i've constructed and thought out... if you didn't know while i'm in Missouri i'm a columnist for AUT's student magazine Debate... I can't decide how it's going, i've only really liked my first story - the rest have been a kind of rushed and not up to my standard of what I like to send out. Ah well, it's a good learning experience. And I think my next column will be FANTASTIC. So hurrah.

I suppose the main reason for the lack substance is school - I can't even describe how insane Americans are when it comes to Uni, like, they are legitimately crazy people. Thank god i'm organized, i'm running around like a headless chook as it is, I can't imagine what i'd be like without my day planner hahaha.

Speaking of school - you may have seen several posts labelled with 4802 here popping up more frequently than anything else, that is because there is a blog component to my Convergence class, so don't feel inclined to read it, it's just school work ;)

That's it, just thought i'd say hi. I guess I didn't really realize that there are actually people who read this from time to time... who'd-a thunk it huh?!

4802 - Collecting Audio

2010-09-20T17:03:00.002-05:00

Collecting audio has been a pretty interesting experience so far - my first Thursday on the field was both exciting and challenging for several reasons.

On a technical note, the weather was insane - really strong winds and random bursts of heavy rain meant I had to be really careful with what I recorded, and even though I used my body as a wind shield there were still several tracks I couldn't use because of the wind. Luckily for me, I found an unlocked equipment shed so I ended up using that to conduct my interviews - kind of strange but it was a good way to break the ice with my interviewee Maggie!

Technical issues aside, the most difficult thing for me was actually conducting the interview. I'm not the most outgoing person and situations like this can make me quite nervous and intimidated. However, for a first go at interviewing I think I did OK. Obviously a lot to work on, but it's a start.

I started recording for my NPR track last Thursday and luckily I didn't run into the same weather issues. I interviewed assistant-coach Mike McKeen, who was clearly very passionate about what he was doing which made it a lot easier to interview him - plus I feel like my experience with Maggie the week before served as a good lead up, I definitely felt more confident in not only interviewing, but in using the equipment. I also got a bunch of great natural sound, and I'm feeling like I can improve on my last effort so i'm looking forward to seeing the rest of my audio piece take shape!

in love with: anthropologie

2010-09-16T22:49:00.005-05:00

they have some seriously cute stuff right now. seriously.

anthropologie.com

4802 - Three Photos

2010-09-06T19:59:00.003-05:00

I've just got back from rugby practice at Epples field where i've been shooting my first 4802 assignment. I'm following Mizzou's women's Rugby team this season - the girls are feisty, and a little intimidating but the for the most part they were all really friendly and are in essence a great big extended family. Today was pretty much a recruitment day, introducing all the rookies to the rules and nuances of Rugby.

I'm not gonna lie - I was a little cocky coming into this one. I feel like I have an eye for composition, and i'm not new to using a DSLR so I thought it'd be pretty easy to breeze through it.

Boy was I wrong.

What I had also forgotten to take into account was the fact I was no longer shooting static images - sports photography is a completely new ball game and I found it extremely challenging in many ways.

While I was taking photos I tried to keep the reading on sports photography in mind by following the tips on vantage point and horizon... a couple of my favorite shots were taken while I was lying on the ground shooting the players above me - it gave me a clear view of all the action and on a more practical note helped reduce camera shake and blur.

Shooting in the fading light also produced some challenges. Because some of my pictures were taken with a telephoto lens I had to keep the shutter speed high which meant when I couldn't get the aperture down low enough I had to deal with under-exposure. When this happened I upped the ISO which often made a massive difference.

The whole time I was there I just tried to take as many photos as possible - you can only learn so much from a manual and i'm not going to get any better at sports photography by sitting on my behind. Yes, it was challenging, and certainly intimidating coming into a new environment like this, but it was a great experience and I look forward to moving forward with this team.

light and shade

2010-08-24T18:24:00.005-05:00

JOURN 4802 - my thoughts on the backpack journalist

2010-08-24T14:55:00.006-05:00

With the massive development of Internet as a source for news, backpack journalism is hard to ignore. Whether we like it or not, this is our future.

While it is easy to focus on the pros of a “jack of all trades” journalist (economically speaking), there are obvious flaws. Martha Stone argues that backpack journalism fosters mediocrity and results in poor quality images, audio and video pieces. It’s almost impossible for someone to excel at everything so what may be seen as a way to promote efficiency could end up resulting in below-par journalism.

For backpack journalism to be a positive and exciting development, news organizations need to realize that journalism doesn’t follow some one-size-fits-all rule of reporting. Different situations require different approaches, and sometimes backpack journalism will work, as highlighted by Preston Mendonhall.

In other cases, producer-driven reporting may be a more efficient use of time. Yes, you may have more reporters on a single story, you may need to invest more into it, but you will end up with a story that plays to the strengths of each contributor – one that’s more in-depth and arguably of a higher quality.

what you think you want

2010-08-10T14:47:00.002-05:00

People who have curly hair want straight hair. Those who are short wish they could be a little bit taller. Fair people wish they could tan with out looking like a beetroot. It always works like that – you always want something you don’t have.

In the weeks leading up to my departure from New Zealand I was yearning for some sunshine. I remember one day in particular. I was walking from campus down Wellesley St and the rain was absolutely hammering down – the water had soaked through my boots, my feet and socks were drenched and I smelt like a wet dog. During my walk down Wellesley there was only one thought running through my mind that whole time.

Two more weeks. You only have two more weeks.

Now I’m in Columbia, Missouri and it seems I’ve gone from one extreme to another. Sure – there’s no fog, no cold and no dark nights. But that has all been replaced by blistering heat and humidity so high it would ruin any GHD perfected hair do.

Midwestern weather is crazy, unpredictable and extreme. In the 5 days I’ve been here I’ve had winds so strong I’ve nearly been blown over, hail stones the size of 50c pieces, rain so heavy and thick I haven’t been able to see 2ft in front of me, and of course the heat.

Oh, the heat.

I don’t think I can explain how hot it is here – with temperatures at between 35-40 degrees on any given day it certainly has been a shock to the system and I’ve still got at least two months of this.

Then there are the thunderstorms – another thing the Midwest is known for, along with their tornados. While I am yet to feature in any upcoming reality TV shows on extreme weather, I did experience my first Midwestern summer squall.

I was completely oblivious to the approaching bad weather. I had gone out for ice cream with a friend, when we left, there was nothing to suggest we were about to be attacked by Columbia’s bipolar climate – the skies were blue, the sun was out and the air was still. By the time we walked out of the ice cream parlour, the sky was full of ominous black clouds and the winds were so strong I had to fight my way to the car. About two minutes after that the rain came, pummelling us. Two minutes after that came the storm.

By the time I arrived home, I was drenched head to toe and I smelt like wet dog – just like I had been walking down Wellesley. I had quite literally come full circle from where I’d been a few weeks ago. It seems wherever I go, no matter how hard I try; I’m not going to escape what I think I’m leaving behind.

Control

2010-07-25T21:01:00.001-05:00

“A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it” – John Steinbeck

That John Steinbeck is a smart guy, in less than 20 words he has managed to perfectly explain the last month of my life.

Let me digress for a moment; I need to tell you what I should be doing whilst I write this column: I should be sipping on a Margarita looking out on to Venice Beach. I should be buying tacky souvenirs and celeb stalking. I should be turning a lovely golden shade of brown. I should be able to wear a swimsuit without catching pneumonia. I should be (window) shopping on Rodeo Drive. However, I am not.

Why?

Because I thought I could control my journey.

This semester, I am farewelling our clean, green shores and heading off to the United States for a semester abroad at the University of Missouri’s school of Journalism. I like to think that generally, I’m a pretty laidback person. This process has proved otherwise. As it turns out, when I travel I have the most ridiculous tendency to want to control everything down to the finest detail.

Want an example? Frances was so convinced of her own skills of persuasion that she thought she’d be able to change rules enforced by the United States Government. Because I like planning so much, I decided to get my tickets early against the advice of travel agents who suggested I get my visa first. However the temptation of sparkly sales proved to be too much. My normally expensive return tickets to LA were cheap and cheerful so I thought what the heck, not much can stop me, right?

Wrong.

Turns out the American Government have every right to stop me. The Visa I needed had restrictions on when you could enter and leave the country. To be precise, my visa stipulated that I mustn’t enter the USA any more than 30 days before my programme started and the tickets I had booked (during said sales) had me arriving 36 days before my programme started.

However, in my little fantasy world I didn’t think that would be a problem. I mean, I knew I was arriving a little early but it was less than a week… I was sure if I just talked to them, they’d be reasonable, right?

Wrong.

Believe you me, I tried to talk to them. I tried to reason. I battered my eyelashes, flashed a cheeky grin, flipped my hair and did everything I could to epitomise grace, charm and wit.

They weren’t having any of it.

Seven days and $975 in additional fees later, I am sitting in gate 16 at Auckland Airport, ready as I can be for my flight to LA… or as ready as I want to be anyway.

I always knew this experience would be life changing, I was aware that by making this move I would be testing everything I think I know about the world from the 21 short years I have existed on this planet. I guess I just didn’t realise I’d be learning things before I even boarded my plane.

So, for now – I’m letting go. I’m rolling with it, taking things as they come and hoping and praying I can keep my feet on the ground.

LA

2010-07-23T12:42:00.005-05:00

Wow, well where do I begin. After around 22 hours of security, flying time and transit I arrived in LA on Friday night where my friend Sarah picked me up. LA is huge – really, words do not describe the scope of this city.

I spent the majority of my time in south LA near the USC campus with my friend Kacey. This area has been known in the past to be kinda dodgy, and it was a complete change from the streets of San Pedro where I had been staying the day before – though it was nothing too crazy.

My first stop was the fashion district in downtown LA. The fashion district is a market of sorts (think Victoria Park Market) with millions of shops and stalls selling just about everything. Like the majority of places like this, the stalls got more repetitive as you walked through and many places sold similar kinds of stuff. Kacey joked that by doing this I could visit Mexico without paying the $140 visa fee, when I got there I realised what she meant. This is honestly, one of the few times I’ve ever been a part of the minority. It wasn’t anything I had necessarily paid much attention to, but I think I did feel slightly intimidated by it all – that along with the heat made for a pretty interesting morning.

In the afternoon we headed to Venice Beach, which is known for its crazies. The main street facing the beach is lined with bars, crafty stalls and people trying to sell their wares (CD demos and the like) – the atmosphere was awesome though and it was absolutely packed. After laying on the beach for a while we went and watched these awesome roller blade dancers dancing to cheesy 70’s music and saved Kacey’s friend Cassie who had a flat tyre.

That evening I experienced 2 of the best things in the world. Mexican and Yogurt Land. The girls wanted me to experience authentic Mexican rather than what they called ‘cali mexican’ so we went to the smallest, dirtiest, dingiest place we could find.

It. Was. So. Good.

Of course, because I am in America, the portion sizes were way to massive for me, I could only manage half my burrito before I felt like I was about to explode, but it was sooo good. I’ll be definitely be eating more Mexican while I’m here.

Then there was Yogurtland later that evening.

OH. MY. GOD.

Yogurtland in a nutshell is basically self-serve frozen yogurt. You choose as many flavours as you want and as much as you want and then they have all these dry toppings like Granola and chocolate chips and fresh fruit – pretty much anything you could imagine. They have all these crazy flavours as well and it’s all sooooo good, plus they sell it by the ounce so it can be pretty cheap.

On Sunday our lives pretty much revolved around traffic – we spent the day driving around and taking in the sights. First we drove through Hollywood past all the stars and the Kodak theatre etc before heading to Mulholland Drive which is pretty much were all the famous people live – unfortunately no stars were spotted this time but the houses were massive and the views of the city were amazing. After that we headed down sunset and went to this cute little farmers market which was full of amazing looking food including all these weird mountain mushrooms and this fruit that’s a hybrid of a plum and an apricot which was green on the outside and purple on the inside… I don’t know whether you can get them in New Zealand but they’re AMAZING.

After that we tried to head to Malibu and sort of did, but because it was a Sunday and because it was their first weekend of decent weather the traffic was INSANE. We were pretty much at a standstill for the couple of hours we were driving down the Pacific Coast Highway. I really loved LA but to be honest I don’t think it would be a place I could ever live. Mainly because of the traffic and lack of public transport, it really is atrocious.

That evening Sarah had a family dinner at home so I stayed with Kacey at her place where we got through a couple of bottles of wine and had a bit of a catch up which was really cool. Kacey doesn’t have power in her apartment at the moment, though luckily she does have a plug just outside her door – so it was pretty funny having to switch all the plugs over so we could get some light from a lamp/watch a movie on the computer/charge something. Of course, I was pretty jetlagged and I fell asleep at like 7pm (the wine may have also had something to do with that though…) but after I woke up Kacey took me for a tour of her old university, USC which is just down the road.

USC is a private university and from the outside doesn’t look much, but when you actually walk through campus it is quite beautiful – apparently USC and UCLA are generally universities that are used in movies when they need a high school/college location so next time I watch a movie I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled!

Monday was my last day in LA – both Kace and Sarah were working but Kacey works in the Beverly Hills area so she dropped me off there to explore Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive. This place is obscene in so many ways and I think it really personifies everything you imagine LA to be – flashy cars, designer clothes and mansions. The neighbourhood itself is very beautiful – if a bit pretentious. The houses are incredible though I did have a bit of an issue trying to understand how these people can actually justify living the way they do, so that made me a bit uncomfortable but it is a beautiful area. Rodeo Drive was much of the same, all I could think of the whole time I was walking down there was Pretty Woman haha but it was a really nice area – very scenic and great for people watching.

My last night was spent drinking and eating – the three of us hit a couple of bars downtown including this awesome rooftop bar called the standard which had amazing views of the city and water beds. After that we headed to In N Out burger which is this famous takeout you can only get on the west coast… iiiit was pretty damn good. The burgers were amazing, not too keen on the fries coz they were covered in fake melted cheese but the burgers were really good. It was pretty much a heart attack in a box if I’m being honest but it needed to be done!

That’s all to report from LA, I’ve been in Columbia for 4 days now so I’ll send out another one of these soon – maybe after I get back from Chicago.

Hope everyone is well and remember to check out next weeks issue of debate (I’ll be in every 2^nd issue until the end of semester)

in the kitchen

2010-07-12T03:10:00.006-05:00

When I have a lazy afternoon (or if i'm lucky, a whole day) there's nothing I love more than mucking around in the kitchen. I am no by no means a food connoisseur, and to be honest i'm not a future master chef either. But I love creating things from scratch, adapting old recipes, and playing with flavours to make something amazing.

One of my favourite things to do is to bake bread. No breadmakers, no powders or pre-made mixers. Just some flour, water, a bit of yeast and some good old sunshine :) Sometimes I make it flashy, by braiding the dough or adding secret spices to make is sizzle, but this time I kept it simple and made a gorgeous onion and herb loaf.

I also had a block of chocolate to use up that I didn't know what to do with - I could have made my almost world-famous chocolate chunk cookies but I felt like something new. So, my boyfriend gave me his chocolate pie recipe which was a bit exciting to try (though he forgot to tell me at what temp to bake for and for how long... I figured it out though :P )

I think I did a good job for first try, tasted pretty damn good too...

Yum :)

I'm gonna miss not having endless resources and a bottomless pantry when I move out of home again.

Food for Thought

2010-07-02T22:53:00.001-05:00

Why is it that food such a focal point in life? Stop and think about it for a moment, you may be surprised to realize how instrumental a part food plays in life. It’s your shoulder to cry on, it fosters relationships, enables connections between unlikely comrades, it is crucial in times of celebration and as I recently found out, it is absolutely vital in times of distress. Because when we are distressed, we bake.

Why is it that food such a source of comfort? We all know that food has been present through the ages. Since the beginning of time it has been there to nourish and sustain life. And, like the creatures on this earth it has evolved along with us. From birth, human beings are taught to rely on food - a crying baby will have their troubles soothed through the breast of its Mother. It seems to me the idea of food as a comfort mechanism is instilled within us from a young age. Food takes us away from our worries, and for a few glorious seconds it makes us forget.

I recently found out the power of food to alleviate gloom when a family friend passed. When we found out, mum and I headed to the kitchen to bake for the family – there was something oddly therapeutic about it. Maybe it was the act of making something from scratch – of using our hands to release emotion. Or maybe it was the fact that by creating something we could possibly bring joy to another person, to contribute to the betterment of a situation.

This was particularly seen during WWI and II when worried mothers, daughters and lovers sent care packages containing homemade cookies and cakes to their loved ones abroad. This was their way of helping the war effort – not only did it make them feel like they were contributing to the betterment of a bleak situation, by giving soldiers a little taste of home it boosted morale and reminded them who they were fighting for.

Like the care packages sent to war-torn countries, our baking had the same affect and unsurprisingly we weren’t the only people that had baked. We all sat around the kitchen table where we ate, talked, laughed, and reconnected. The circumstances were the same, but for a brief moment in time we were able to put the sadness to the side and just be happy.

No, our baking didn’t change the world. It didn’t stop imminent disasters, and it didn’t make the reality of the situation any less unpleasant but it served its purpose. It comforted, it bridged lost relationships and most importantly it brought small smiles to the faces of those who needed it most.

home

2010-06-09T02:21:00.002-05:00

be mine

2010-06-05T00:34:00.003-05:00

romantique

I need more time!

2010-06-03T06:02:00.001-05:00

"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want."

~Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes

Stress is like that pervy uncle you have; he’s the person you feel kind of obliged to talk to at family reunions. You avoid him at all costs but if you are confronted by him you screw a smile on, nod politely and get the job done before getting the hell out of there.

And in the end, screwing the smile and getting on with it has its benefits. Come Christmas you’re reaping the rewards when Uncle Joe sends you a big fat cheque in his Christmas card.

At this point of the year, this is the attitude I’m trying to embrace.

In 3 weeks, I’m moving back home. Ten days after that I am hopping on a big silver bird and heading off to the University of Missouri to study Journalism.

While I am thrilled to be starting an adventure that even I’m surprised I pulled off, with the excitement comes a huge amount of stress.

At the moment I’m juggling my normal life: a life with my friends, time with the boyfriend, school and exams (crap!) and work commitments along with all the things that is brought about by student exchange. Meetings with heads of my department, student loan forms, international advisors to liaise with, consulate interviews to attend. Holiday visas, DS-109 forms, class choices, accommodation, SEVIS fees, RPL, flights, insurance, packing… you get the idea.

In a nutshell, right now I feel like not enough butter spread on too much bread. I’m giving a little to a lot of people when all I really want is to give a lot to the people who really care for me.

I’m hoping, after these next few weeks I’ll start reaping the rewards from what to-date has been 9 months of working and planning. And who knows, maybe at the end of it I’ll get that big fat cheque.

i can't wait till i'm rich again

2010-05-31T04:35:00.004-05:00

feeling the chills

2010-05-21T04:59:00.003-05:00

for my boyfriend, who is yet to experience this god-awful side of me...

There comes a time of the year I always wait for with nervous anticipation and baited breath. It’s that time of the year where the fallen leaves become clumps of mush beneath sodden footsteps. That time when cozying up in bed is more appealing than braving the elements. That time where ever so slowly, the skies get darker and the clouds descend upon us in one fell swoop. This time of the year is make or break, it’s when the men are separated from the boys, the weak from the strong.

Unfortunately, this year I have been lumped with those weak losers.
I’m sick.

I HATE being sick, in my opinion there are no benefits to it. As a youngin’ I longed for this time it of the year because it meant at the first sign of a runny nose I could legitimately skive off school for a good three days before my mum realized I was faking it.

These days, being sick has no merits. I can’t go to work, which makes me poor. I can’t eat a lot, because I don’t have the appetite. I’m confined to my bed, which annoys me. In a nutshell, when I’m stuck in bed for more than a day with nothing to do I get antsy and grumpy.

And I complain. Oh boy, do I complain.
In this regard I’m like a man. When I am sick, I expect the whole world to stop and take pity on me. I expect someone by my bedside to make me pots of peppermint tea, dab my forehead with a cloth and feed me chicken soup. When people don’t pay attention to me when I’m sick, I turn into some slightly awkward and less energetic relation of Godzilla.

I don’t like putting people through this, so in an attempt to shield the general population from the wrath of franzilla, I will lock myself in my room until I am well enough to act normal. However this can sometimes be more of a hindrance than help, as I start grow bitter over the fact that no one has come to find me.

Either way, if you know me, and I get sick –run for the hills, you’re screwed.

autumn's coming

2010-04-05T02:28:00.003-05:00

My favourite month of the year is just around the corner.

I love Autumn. I love the change that happens before my eyes - the fresh green vista turns to brilliant reds and golds almost overnight. I love watching the leaves flutter to the ground,

slowly,

delicately,

like they have all the time in the world.

I love immersing myself in an imaginary world, creating kingdoms far from the prying eyes of grown ups and strangers. Making something magical, with only a pile of old leaves and sticks

I love waking up and finding myself surrounded in a blanket of haze.

I love early morning walks through grass touched by Jack Frost.

I love bonfires and toasting marshmallows on sticks.

I love lazy Sunday afternoons, sunning myself like a cat in the warmest spot of the house.

I love big mugs of Chai tea, and bowls of vegetable soup.

I love dresses with tights.

Boots and scarves.

But most of all, I love that I have 3 months of this :)

new home

2010-03-06T14:51:00.003-06:00

I've been in my new apartment for two weeks now. I forgot what it was like to learn to adapt to the lifestyles and habits of new people. On the whole my flatties are great but on my side anyway there's still a lot to adjust to.

It's weird coming back, on the one hand everything is old and familiar and comfy. Yet on the other hand everything is completely different - it's an odd sensation.

A lot has changed for me over the past year, the person who walked through those gates a little over a year ago is almost a stranger to me now.

This year is certainly going to be a challenge, I have more responsibilities, more commitments and it isn't just about me anymore... but I kinda like it like that :)

Hopefully I can take everything on and win.

albert park

2010-02-18T02:26:00.005-06:00

I just rediscovered these pictures. It was the day me and drew went to albert park and he let me play with his fancy camera. I thought he was just being nice because he knew I was interested in photography, but he later told me he was just using it as an excuse for us to hangout alone :)

It's one of my favourite places in Auckland, and in less than two days i'll be able to lay in the grass and dip my feet in the fountain again. I can't wait :)

home

2010-02-16T18:06:00.009-06:00

summer.

cheating on the hairdresser

2010-02-16T17:04:00.000-06:00

One of the most personal relationships a woman can have in her lifetime is with her hairdresser. For females, hair can be a sign of many things, femininity, sexuality, power, and temperament. For something that is so seemingly trivial, it has a huge impact on how others perceive us, and how we shape our own self-image. Because of this, a relationship with your hairdresser can become much more than a mere acquaintance. Not only do you trust them with your outer persona. You are putting your self-worth in their hands, because, as many of us know, a bad haircut can destroy your confidence.

I have had my hairdresser for nearly 15 years, since we moved to the sticks when I was 6. Jo has watched me grow up; she cuts my mother’s hair, my grandmother’s hair and occasionally my brother’s hair. She’s watched the ups and downs our family have experienced, she sees the intricacies of our daily living and most importantly, she knows what works and what doesn’t with my tangled nest of hair. I have been committed to her for nearly 15 years… but now, I’m starting to stray.

The cracks started to appear last year. University opened my eyes and emptied my bank account; I had neither the time nor the funds to go to see her. But all was forgiven. When I came back for the summer, I needed a change, I was getting restless, I was itching to explore. That’s when I very sneakily made my first appointment with Bonnie. I purposely picked a day Jo wouldn’t be in so I didn’t have to be confronted by those hurt, questioning eyes. And it worked; Bonnie was just the change I needed. I felt revitalised and energetic –but I was consumed with guilt. An internal conflict raged within me, stronger than any storm mighty Poseidon could conjure. I felt like I had betrayed a best friend.

Today I had another appointment with Bonnie. I thought I had covered my tracks, I thought Jo wouldn’t be there until later –but my appointment ran late and she arrived early.
I was caught red-handed with another hairdresser.
I desperately tried to make myself invisible; I averted my eyes, kept my head low, but she saw me and I felt terrible.

For many women making the transition between hairdressers, especially after an extended period of time, really does feel like cheating on a friend. But, like staling friendships, sticking with a hairdresser who can no longer represent the true you is a lost cause. The best thing you can do for every party involved is to be upfront from the start, your hairdresser and your tresses will be thankful in the long run.

curing the boredom

2010-02-03T23:19:00.005-06:00

Being stuck in the sticks is no good for my spirits. Work is thin on the ground and there's only so much you can do in the country with no transport -and 2 and a half months into my summer break i'm itching to get back to the city where I have friends, school and a life. So, here are a few ways i've been keeping myself distracted.

5. Be Productive
I know, yawn, it's not really rocket science. Clean something, spend some time enjoying the scenery, exercise.... it's pretty unoriginal but shock horror, it does work. And i'm the fittest i've been in a long time. So.. bonus.

4. Chew a pack of gum and see how far it can stretch
Me and my roomie did this one with a bag of easter bubble gum that came in a package her mom sent. It amused us for a good 45 minutes, and we ended up with a piece of gum about 6 foot in length.

3. Memorise new words and incorporate them into your everyday conversation
Urbandictionary.com is especially good for this. It's always good to extend your vocabulary (especially with the university year fast approaching) and there's nothing better than the feeling of elitism and superiority that comes from pretending to be clever.

2. Organise your m&ms
My boyfriend sent me a huge bag of Almond M&Ms from America. So what did I do? Organised them according to the colour spectrum of course!

1. Facebook stalk
Yes, this is completely unoriginal... but lets be honest, everyone enjoys creeping the profiles of those friends/enemies/exes you never actually talk to, and it can be strangely satisfying.

And then there are those other people who write stupid little lists about unimportant things... *cough*
Yeah, i'm bored. Bring on feburary 20, that's all I can say.

The worlds most generic news report

2010-01-31T17:09:00.003-06:00

happy feburary :)

dating across the seas.

2010-01-23T03:36:00.005-06:00

Just a little thought I had....

Relationships are hard work. As much as we like to think of them as our own personal fairytales, there is often a lot sacrificed behind the scenes to make things work. Right now, my boyfriend is sacrificing a whole lot of sleep.
Yes, all relationships require varying levels of sacrifice, but when you add 7,880 miles, an 18 hour time difference and the earths largest oceanic divide... things become a whole different ball game.
Rather than trying to find spare time inbetween classes, i'm finding myself having to navigate international time zones. We used to be able to hang out, watch a movie, go and lie in the park -now we have skype dates. And I don't care what anyone says, as much as I thank the heavens for the creation of video chat, it can in no way ever replicate the real thing.
It doesn't sound like there's much going for long distance, but I can easily say we kick butt at communicating -whether we're goofing around or having a serious conversation about "us", we pretty much rock. I also now believe that old adage of absence making the heart grow fonder. There are so many times where I would swap anything to be with him for just 10 minutes. And I know when we are together again, i'm going to value every moment of it.
Long distance doesn't suit anyone, and it definately isn't something I could do forever. But it isn't entirely evil, for one i'm discovering a lot of things about myself as a person, but mainly -it's just making me realise how lucky I actually am :)

lust list

2009-12-28T00:35:00.006-06:00

forever21.com

topshop.com

americanapparel.net

apple.com

lonelyplanet.com

amazon.com

rayban.com

pandora.com

jbhifi.com.au

wildpair.co.nz

anthropologie.com

christianlouboutin.com

that time of the year.

2009-12-23T23:09:00.002-06:00

So, it's christmas time.
A time for us to eat, drink and be merry. A time to spend with loved ones. A time to reflect on the year gone by.

Every christmas the media mourn the loss of traditional christian values.
The church states that the commercialisation of religious holidays by conglomerates such as coca cola has made what was traditionally a time for reverence and reflection into a time of excess and greed.

In western cultures, this may be technically true. The orignal meaning of christmas has been lost by many young people. But is this really a bad thing?
Everyday we talk about society moving forward. We talk about demolishing the racial and religous divides that have created so many problems for so many years. We talk about a harmonious world - one that is open, one in which people have freedom of speech and freedom of belief.
But how can we do this when we stubbornly cling to old traditions, that have ultimately played a large part in so many conflicts? Christmas is a part of christian history, and that's where it should stay, in the past. Yes, we should recognise it, yes we should learn from it. But in a society that is changing so rapidly, we should also have the ability to evolve.

merry christmas :)

2009-12-13T23:37:00.002-06:00

When God kicked Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden, everyone was pretty pissed off at Eve. Fair enough I suppose, I mean she did eat the forbidden fruit, even though she was told not to and millennia’s later, women are still being forced to pay for that supposed lapse in judgment (childbirth, anyone?!). Yes, when it comes to temptation, Eve screwed up big time. But is temptation really that bad? It seems to me that temptation (whether you ‘give in’ or not) builds character, so why avoid it like we do?

I found myself faced with a similar temptation just yesterday. I got something in the mail. It wasn’t an angry letter from the library demanding money, nor was it a bank statement.
I got a Christmas package.
And it’s taking every ounce of self control I have not to open it.
Ok, so I’m not dooming an entire species to an eternity of pain and misfortune (hello, childbirth…), but that’s beside the point. Temptation, in whatever form it may take, is temptation.

When faced with temptation such as this, most people (normal people), would take the “out of sight, out of mind” option. By hiding said temptation, they can basically deny its existence. But that sounds like a bit of a cop out to me. Temptation is about discovering inner strength and creating some self control. To hide from temptation is to remove any challenge from life.

I could have taken this route. I could have put my Christmas package in a high cupboard, or I could have pushed it into a deep dark corner, away from my prying eyes and curious mind. But where’s the fun in that? For the next 11 days, my Christmas package will take pride of place underneath our tree in the living room, staring me down and willing me to open it every time I enter the room.

Like I said, this is no Adam and Eve scenario, but it’s definitely going to be tough.
Good luck? Yes please.

hello, temptation...

change.

2009-12-05T22:39:00.005-06:00

"Change is not merely neccesity to life - it is life."

That Alvin Toffler is a smart bloke. But.. I wish it wasn't true.

Change is a funny thing. You can't live with it, can't live without it. As soon as I begin to feel comfortable, and happy, and at peace, the cosmos just have to shake everything up.

To be able to trust someone is a big deal, especially for someone like me who finds it so hard to trust. This past year especially has been a rollercoaster. Constantly being thrown in to different situations and strange places. Having to befriend new people all the time. Learning to trust only to have them wrenched away from your grip is hard. And draining. And sad.

I'm in limbo. Auckland and its wonderful craziness is a distant memory and i'm back in the country. Hicktown. No Mans Land.

Square. Freaking. One.

Two years away from this place has certainly changed me, and for the good. But now i'm stuck. I've changed too much to really feel at home, at ease. And i've changed too much to be myself around my old friends. But I haven't changed enough to move on.

The few people who know the real me, love the real me and above all ACCEPT me for who I am are thousands of miles away, some I will see again, some I will not. And no matter how many stars I wish upon, I can't change that fact.

Change is supposed to be evidence of growth. But what if I don't want to grow? All I wanted was to stay in that little bubble of contentedness that the last two weeks of school brought me. Friends, laughter, and an understanding that it was all going to be sweet. That's what I wanted. Just for a little bit longer.

I can't wait to get back to Auckland. But I know, like everything else, it will all have changed. I keep on imagining this perfect little place and situation, but I know when I get there, everything will be different. New friends. New classes. New home. New flatmates. It will all be so very different, but so eerily familiar. I think that's the hardest thing to grasp.

You know, change may be inevitable, it may be essential to growth, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

the map

2009-11-17T17:44:00.002-06:00

is underway. maybe i can get all states coloured by the end of next year?

procrastination = new best friend

2009-10-24T17:44:00.003-05:00

Don't make me study.

Please don't make me study.

What should I be doing right now?

Studying.

What have I been doing?

Facebooking, skyping and writing this.

Obviously.

Exams in less than a week?

Pfffft.

You know for someone who desperately needs to maintain a decent grade average, i'm not doing much to achieve that right now! But you know what? I'm soooo over it. The sun is shining, the birds are tweeting and I can practically smell summer and freedom approaching.

I'm saying freedom in the loosest way possible, because when I say freedom I actually mean working my butt off towards my next goal. I've spent all weekend flashing my smile (and on occasion my cleavage) to potential employers. Why? Well as I said before, new year, new goal.

As much as I love NZ, I really can't stand the thought of being here for two straight years. And lets just say, stuff has happened this year that's really made me question my personal values. I'm not entirely happy with myself, and I need to shake things up a bit.

At this point we arrive at the new goal.

Study Abroad.

Yep, at the moment i'm in the process of applying to study Journalism and University of Missouri for a semester next year. And you know what? I CAN'T WAIT. It's just what I need, a new environment, somewhere where I can completely reinvent myself. No one will know me, I can be whoever I want with no expectations.

I'm lucky enough to have many good friends all over the US, and have had countless offers of transportation and accomodation throughout the country which will make everything a lot cheaper and a much more enjoyable experience!

So, this summer, the goal.

9 months to save $10,000... at least.

Good luck?

I'm gonna need it.

let me feel wind in my hair and sand between my toes

2009-10-22T02:31:00.011-05:00

travel photogs.

since i haven't done this in a while.

that one time with the egg beater...

2009-10-22T02:10:00.002-05:00

I’m sure my mother was perplexed when she walked in on the scene. My 18 year old brother, transfixed, with a look of terror on his face as he desperately tried to remove the egg beater from his mouth as I watched on with great satisfaction. Knowing all to well his foolish endeavour was down to my genius.

It all began with a bet, a dare, a challenge.
I was in the kitchen cooking. My brother walked in with a swagger. He knew he was older, wiser, stronger and could easily get his way. He nudged my 9 year old self aside, and fiddled with my baking utensils. As he stared intently at the electric egg beater a sudden moment of brilliance came over me, “I bet you couldn’t fit that in your mouth”.
The challenge.
His face flickered and for a brief moment I saw some uncertainty beneath that haughty façade. He knew that by rejecting the challenge he was consequently giving up his position of power.
He had to accept.

This was too good to miss, I watched with anticipation as he opened his mouth to accommodate the awkwardly shaped egg beater. This was going to be difficult. Much to my surprise, he managed it. A look of triumph crossed his face as he emitted a muffled cheer. He proceeded to remove the beater.
It wouldn’t budge.
Glee quickly turned to shock, confusion and finally fear as the realisation of what had just occurred hit him. I leant against the bench, arms crossed, chuckling with satisfaction as Mum hurried in to the room to see what all the noise was about.

I had done it. I managed to topple the one person I constantly have to live up to. It may have only been for a small moment in time and space, but the fact I can always say that at one point in my life I had the upper hand is all I need. I conquered the mountain, even if only for a day.

don't believe the hype

2009-08-27T23:01:00.002-05:00

Thou shall not steal, Thou shall not commit adultery, Thou shall have no other gods before Me. The bible is the cornerstone of Western society, the basis upon which millions of people live their lives by. An instrumental part of many people’s upbringing it has certainly influenced the development of world history and social order, but is religion held in the same regard as it was in today’s fast-paced, commercial society? Or is it just used as a tool to induce fear into the masses and capitalise on those people who know no better?

The history of the church is long and bloodied. Originally a source of support for the wearied and a home away from home, the church and its doctrines were the heart of the community. Though today’s world is very different, the ideals of the church are much the same. Brian Tamaki describes Destiny Church as a forward-thinking church for ‘the breakthrough generation’. A generation who are pressured to pay at least 10% of their income to the church (though this is called a ‘donation’), a generation that rather than subscribing to scriptures has to subscribe to a V.I.P club to receive the holy word (for a very small price of course, this is God’s word after all). It seems nothing these days, not even heaven itself is exempt from a cover charge.

American Pastor Creflo Dollar wants to change the world. He wants to do away with the immorality in today’s society and return to the spiritual roots we all share. A nice sentiment, but how to do this? Well, you could read his book Restoring Godly Families… fancy a change? Try Spiritual Makeover. Have a visual impairment? No problem, there’s an audio book. Who needs the Bible when you can read Creflo’s 8 Steps To Enlightenment. While you’re at it, make a donation. In 2006, Creflo’s ministries received nearly 70 million U.S dollars in donations. Enough to feed countless starving children in Africa… or enough for a swanky Malibu apartment, private Jet and college education for Pastor Creflo’s five charming children (all the epitome of grace and good breeding, I’m sure).

Belief in religion or a higher power often comes from fear of the unknown. ‘What if heaven exists?’, ‘What if there is a God?’, ‘What if I spend an eternity in hell because I stole a lollipop when I was 5 and didn’t repent?’. While living a moral and upstanding life is all well and good, living in constant fear of offending some higher power is not the way to live your life. Especially if you have more money than sense, and are willing to buy into the Jesus-hype.

Religion is not what it once was. It has changed from being an integral part of the community to being an excuse for people’s motives and judgements. It is not the charitable organisation it once was, it’s a commercialised, money-making scam that prays on the vulnerable, those who have nowhere else to go and those who have no-one to turn to. Religious leaders no longer care about guiding their congregation, all they care about is selling their merchandise and profiting on the misfortunes of the public. As a mass we need to question these self-proclaimed leaders and return to the original written word “for everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world”

why play it safe?

2009-08-16T23:36:00.001-05:00

According to a famous Moroccan proverb, “He who has nothing to die for, has nothing to live for”. Society is constantly being told to live a life without regret, to live for the moment, to never look back. Easier said than done, we all seem to embrace these sentiments, yet they are never followed through. We continue to accept situations as they are, to work with what we have rather than fight for what we want. We all know, that in life it is better to err on the side of adventure than play it safe, so why don’t we follow through?

Life is about growth, to be able to emotionally grow and mature is a rite every human-being is entitled to. When you live a life without adventure, you are unlikely to realise your full potential. By constantly playing it safe, you may live a decent life, you may be content to a certain extent, but you will never truly know what you are capable of. When you push the boundaries, ask things people long to hear but are to afraid to ask and always try to live a life that you can look back on without regret of opportunities missed, not only do you continually learn about human nature and the people around you, you also learn a great deal about yourself and your capabilities. It is only through recognising your own strengths and faults, and having the ability to accept and improve on them, that you will be able to blossom into adulthood.

A part of living life on the adventurous side is taking risks. Risk comes from the fear of the undecided and is something that will be avoided at all costs by anyone who wants to play it safe. However, taking risks often bears the greatest rewards. When you plunge head first into something with no idea on what the outcome will be, whether it’s a risky business enterprise or throwing yourself out of an aeroplane, every emotion is magnified. The exhilaration of taking the first step. The happiness in the realisation that you can achieve more than you thought you could. The feeling of fulfilment and pride in the knowledge that instead of following the path set out for you, you took a chance, and it paid off. To take a risk, is to take a chance in life, and in yourself.

High achievers are often the ones that take risks, this is what separates them from ‘ordinary folk’. Virgil wrote over 2,000 years ago that “Fortune sides with him who dares”. Good fortune doesn’t come to us, we are the ones that need to go to it through taking risks and making the most out of the only life we have. By leaving the security net behind, and deciding to face the fears we are constantly trapped behind, you are only strengthening your own inner resolve.

Yes, by living on the adventurous side of life you will be scared. Terrified, even. There will be times where you have no idea what is going to appear around the corner. There will be risk involved, and it will not always pay off. But aren’t all these things what make being a human so unique? We have the choice, and the opportunity to be whoever we want to be and do whatever we want to do. We only live once, so why just feel content? Or mediocre? When you play it safe, follow a plan, don’t occasionally take the gravel road, you will never truly know what it’s like to experience life.

they say a picture says a thousand words

2009-07-25T20:08:00.003-05:00

which is lucky because i've done a lot and can't really be bothered writing about it, so my life in pictures, thus far...

So that's the past month and a bit in a nutshell, saying goodbye to my beautiful american friends was hard... but I know it isn't the last time i'm seeing them which makes things so much easier. I have so many opportunities to travel or do whatever I want. It's not like it's used be, i'm not expected to just marry and have children. I can have a career, if I want. I can travel, if I want... the world is my oyster and it's such a liberating, wonderful feeling.

This won't be updated for a few more weeks. I've just started back at classes and have 4 assignments (that's one for each paper) all due in the same week in 3 weeks time. You would think the paper coordinators would at least consult each other to see when assignments were due... but no.

Oh well, I guess I just gotta get it done.

xo :)

Mad TV- Can I have ur number? (mad funny)

2009-05-08T00:29:00.001-05:00

own dat ponytail! WORK DAT UP DO!

Mark Watson - Cracker Highlights (2008)

2009-04-21T06:21:00.001-05:00

Mark Watson is coming to NZ.

12-17 of May I believe.

I tried to get tickets to see him at the Edinburgh Fringe fest but he sold out in like a day. Anyone keen???

living the dream

2009-04-11T01:36:00.009-05:00

In a haze of illness, stress, assignments, parties, beer pong, alcohol, crazy dancing and fun I seemed to have arrived at the end of the first half of semester one!

I am completely in love with my life in auckland, I love the city, I love my flat, I love all of the amazing people i've met.... pretty much i've just got a lot of love to give! For now though I am back in good old Morrinsville, surrounded by trees, cows and not much else! It's very different to bustling Auckland but I like its serenity. I'm here for around 10 days before I go back to the big smoke.

The past few weeks have been crazy busy, I was sick on and off for a couple of weeks which was not fun. I ended up surrendering and going to the (free) doctor who gave me steroids which cleared everything up the day I started taking them. Go figure.

I've also handed my first assignments in for each class, 3 essays. So now i've got a bit of breathing space but in the 3 weeks after I get back I have 2 essays, 1 oral presentation and a short film to hand in (along with my birthday). Then later I have exams and 2 more assignments and i'm all done for the semester!

Socially, i've also been having a great time. A few weeks ago we took over a bus and headed out to one tree hill where we ate, drank and were merry. Of course in typical Fran style I managed to fall over and make a dick out of myself. Can't even blame it on the alcohol because I hadn't been drinking.... it was 100% me!! Ah well, my clumsiness was bound to come out sometime, better earlier than later!

I've also been out several times, most recently was Bethy's birthday extravaganza over wednesday and thursday night. Wednesday night included beer pong, a fantastic cake, 2-for-1 drinks and globe and the obligatory white lady:

Thursday night was party time at Cassette Number Nine, cocktails in teapots, park shenannigans, drinking wine the classy way (ie straight out of the bottle), naked man, sign stealing (almost) and a game of drunk soccer.

Speaking of Wednesday night beer pong, I lost my pong virginity about 3 weeks ago. So so SO much fun! I'm rubbish but i'll pick it up quickly. I need to. Gotta catch my skills up, it's an art form I tell you!

That's all from me for now, i've been far too lazy this last week. Am kind of lagging behind so this weekend will be lots of work I think! Will hopefully write before I head back to Auckland. If I have anything interesting to write, that is.

Bye for now :)

right in the deep end!

2009-03-14T03:31:00.008-05:00

Two weeks into my uni course and like the title says i've been thrown right in the deep end! I said I would write once i've found something interesting to talk about but to be honest i've been so preoccupied with my essays (all three of them) that all my writing energy has been going into those!
My first week of uni was pretty laid back, not a lot of work more just introduction to the various papers which was good. This semester i'm taking:
Interpersonal Communication
Applied Media Ethics
Image and Sound
and a Media Production Workshop which goes all year and consists of three 8 week blocks of Video Production, Radio Production and Creative Industries.

Image and Sound I already know will not be my "thing"... i'm not great at writing about stuff that's just about analysing things. I'm more into having ideas and being able to back them up with facts and applying theories to ideas/situations.
I completely LOVED my last IPCom lecture, we learnt all about Intercultural Communication which was really interesting, as is my Media Ethics paper -I love Ethics! Wish I had the brains to do Philosophy!

This week started with a bang when I kind of broke a $10,000 production camera... whoops haha. Luckily it wasn't entirely my fault and luckily it was only a little bit broken and luckily they have insurance!! However to make up for it all they said our final short looked the most professional and actually evoked emotion so yay for that!

O-week(s) have been pretty crazy, went to see midnight youth who were pretty good and Katchafire who were FANTASTIC. Have consumed a lot of alcohol the past couple of weeks and I seem to be paying for it now! So i'm on a bit of a detox at the moment, lots of water and lots of vege haha. Oh! I also went to a foam party:

It got very very messy towards the end of the night haha. It was fun but I think i've fufilled my foam party quota for this lifetime anyway!

So that's all i've been up to at present, will finish with some photos I took on my trip to the beach last sunday (it was heavenly) yay for the north shore! Bye for now!

the first day of the rest of my life: part deux

2009-02-26T00:05:00.001-06:00

Four days into my new life in Auckland and I have been inundated with questions about how I’m enjoying it. So, for the moment I will endeavour to answer the most common ones.

What’s Auckland like?

It’s hilly, Queen st is seedy after 9.30pm, the wind makes it nearly impossible for me to wear skirts, the humidity makes my hair frizz and my make up run. The buses are always late and their drivers are grumpy.

On the other hand, I’ll never get bored here. The city is brimming full of bars, clubs and music to suit anyone’s tastes. From indie rock to showtunes and go-go dancers, you’ll find it in Auckland. The beaches are gorgeous and full of beautiful people and the shopping is great (Dress Mart, booyah!)

What’s it like being a student again / How’s uni life?

To be honest, I have no idea! The last few days have been such a blur. New people, new faces, new names. Moving in, unpacking, orientation, course info, getting lost, finding a job and of course lots and lots of vodka!

I’m looking forward to my course, but I’ve heard it’s extremely competitive and I know it will be initially hard. I’ve been out of school for nearly a year and a half so I’ll have to get back into the swing of things and remember where that competitive spirit lies!

Have you made any friends?

I always find making new friends difficult, I always seem very confident but I do find it hard approaching people, especially if they already have a group! But we’re all in the same position and I’ve met some really really cool people from all over the world! Though I do really look forward to getting into study and joining some groups so I can meet more like-minded people!

So, that’s my current situation in a nutshell! ~~I’m still waiting for internet to be installed in my room so this will be the last post for a while. Once I have something interesting to write about I’ll be back (cue Terminator music).~~ the internet arrived today, hurrah!

For now, So long, Farewell, etc etc.

x

I've landed!

2009-02-23T20:31:00.002-06:00

Up in the big smoke now.

Won't be writing again until I get internet in my flat though.

Am loving auckland so far. Yay for backpacker bars and two V&Ts for 10 bucks!

Will write something proper soon... maybe... xx

the first day of the rest of my life

2009-02-19T21:54:00.007-06:00

My bags are packed, i'm ready to go.

To Auckland, that is.

Tomorrow is the big day, i'm moving into my new digs and i'm starting University! Which will mean no internet for awhile :(

I'm so excited for this, I feel like i'm entering the next stage of my life. I can't wait to get my mind working and thinking critically again but it's going to be tough to get into the swing of study again!

In typical fran fashion I am completely unprepared. I thought today I better start packing (since i'm leaving 10am tomorrow!) and about half way through I realised how much I actually had to do!! Also got a call this arvo -i've got a job interview next Tuesday so I spent a lot of time fretting about how i'm going to organise getting there and what i'm going to wear!

So next week is O Week, orientation monday, job interview tuesday, wednesday free (woohoo), thursday and friday I have an Academic Writing paper (can't WAIT) plus i'm sure lots of socialising and various shennanigans, maybe a toga party. It is O Week after all!!

So I probably won't be on here for a while. Not until we get internet in the flat anyway.

But before I go, I need to introduce you to my baby....

My new red BlackBerry. As you can see i'm pretty happy about it :)

And with that I better be off.

So long, for now.

The challenge = 30 countries. 30 years.

2009-02-16T00:11:00.002-06:00

I stole this idea from my friend Mel, who I met on a Contiki in New York.

As previously mentioned, I like planning. I also like goals, but have never really had a long term goal. I remember my brother always saying that by the time he was 30 he wanted to own a new BMW –which I guess would act as a visual sign of the level of success he wanted to attain by that age.

Personally, I’m not really into cars. And since I don’t know exactly what path I’m going to follow career wise, I don’t really want to make any career related goals. That’s when I came across Mel’s goal… it’s so perfect I’m going to have to steal it for myself.

30 COUNTRIES BEFORE I TURN 30

A pretty big ask, In a nutshell I have 10 years and 2 months to visit 18 countries more countries! The countdown begins….

THINGS I’VE ALREADY DONE:
Fed Kangaroos in Australia
Hugged the worlds biggest Kauri tree in New Zealand
Learnt about sugar cane plantations in Fiji
Chewed gum in Singapore
Had a proper Greek salad in Greece
Got lost in Pompeii, Italy
Said hello to the Mona Lisa in France
Sat in King Henry’s chair in England
Had a Baileys in Ireland
Lived practically next door to Edinburgh castle in Scotland
Been an underage drinker in the USA
Driven on the wrong side of the road in Canada

AND ON THE TO-DO LIST……
Drink Vodka in Russia
Eat a proper curry in India
Learn to play soccer in Brazil
Cruise in a vintage Ford in Cuba
See the pyramids of Giza in Egypt
Spend an ANZAC day at Gallipoli, Turkey
Eat a Toblerone in Switzerland
Visit the site of the crucifixion, Israel
Trawl the markets of Hungary
Go sailing in Sweden
Visit Anne Franks House in Amsterdam
Sleep in Count Draculas house, Albania
Ride the bullet train in Japan
Visit the worlds largest brewery in Belgium
Watch Marlene Dietrich films in Germany
Walk the Great Wall of China
Learn to Argentine Tango in Argentina
Go on a safari in South Africa

So there it is. The challenge. Good luck me.

OH MY GOD ROB LOWE JUST LOOKED AT ME!

2009-02-13T17:00:00.001-06:00

There isn't a lot I miss about England... apart from this...

Fran's guide to... LONDON on the cheap!

2009-02-11T03:06:00.003-06:00

Lets get something clear first. London is NOT a cheap city. Even if you're earning pounds like I was on my last visit it's still 5 times more expensive than the rest of the country. One pint in London will probably buy you 3 up north.

HOWEVER, if you know where to go and what to do you can stretch your pounds (a little bit)

VITAL STATS FOR LONDON, ENGLAND
Population: 7,556,900 (as of July 07)

Area: 659 sq miles

Mayor: Boris Johnson

Time Zone: GMT

Accomodation:
Staying in London is pretty expensive, i'm lucky enough to have a couple of contacts there so I can pretty much always get free accomodation. Obviously, that isn't the case for everyone -but I would say, if you know of ANYONE that lives there -a distant cousin, friend of a friend... see if you can stay with them, even if only for part of your stay, you could save a decent amount of money. If you are dossing and the person you're staying with is in a shared flat/house it is etiquette to offer to put in at least a fiver per day -which is nothing in the scheme of things.

COUCHSURFING: Now, i've never done this whole couch surfing thing before... it just sounds a bit dodge to me but I did meet a guy up in Edinburgh who'd spent 2 months couchsurfing his way around the UK... so it's definately possible, and of course a great way to meet the locals and some new friends, especially if you're travelling solo! Find out more here: http://www.couchsurfing.com/
GUMTREE: While searching for a flat on gumtree, I came across heaps of people offering rooms in their flat/house for rent on a temporary basis. If you're travelling solo -this will probably be wayyy to expensive, however if you're travelling with a couple of people it would probably work out quite cheap. As well as holiday rentals, they also have couch surfing and home swap sections. http://www.gumtree.com/london (tip: as well as looking at holiday rentals, also try short term houses to let under the offered category)HOSTELS: And last but not least, the trusty old hostel. There are MILLIONS of hostels in London, all varying in price and dodgyness. If you're a solo traveller hostels are a fantastic place to meet people -i've met so many cool, fun people at the various hostels i've stayed at. Now, I would say the average for a single-sex six bed dorm would be about 19 pounds, but if you feel comfertable in a mixed dorm or don't mind sleeping in the huge 24 bed dorms then you could probably find one for under a tenner per night. Just remember, on friday and saturday and during special events (ie st patricks day) prices will soar!

Transport:

There are several main transport options for your stay in London.

The Tube (london underground)

The mainline train

Buses

Black cabs
and... walking!

The tube is by far the quickest way of getting around, but it is no way to get to know London which has so many important historical landmarks and some really stunning architecture! The tube also gets VERY busy, especially the Piccadilly, Central and Circle lines, so try to avoid them during rush hour!

The best way to see london is to either walk, or take a bus. If you've got quite a distance to travel, but no major time restrictions i'd take the bus -it's about 90p on an Oyster card and if you go to the top level at the front you get some great views of the city without having to pay 15 quid for one of the tourist busses! If you're right in the city, just walk! Touristy areas have MILLIONS of signs pointing to all the main attractions and it's practically impossible to get lost. Plus it burns calories, bonus!

And... I know this is all about staying in London on the cheap, but I really would travel in a black cab at least once, it's just SO iconic! I'm sorry but you can't go to London and NOT travel in a black cab... it's like going to Italy and not having Pizza!

If you're staying in London for more than 3 or 4 days i'd seriously consider getting an Oyster card to use on the tube and bus, they cost 5 pound, and you just top up at any tube station or oyster card stockist. You'll save a lot of money in the long run and it saves you buying tickets all the time!

Food:

I'm going to keep this short and sweet. Food is expensive. Always will be. An unfortunately, while most of us can live without the gorgeous 150 quid topshop dress, we can't live without food. Like every other city, in every other country the most economical thing to do is to buy food from the supermarket and cook it yourself. For healthy food on the run, Food chain EAT does some really good healthy salads/sandwhiches/soups and cakes at reasonable prices. Other than that pub meals are usually pretty decent or you could go get some take away... McDonalds anyone?! (On a slightly whingy note PLEASE don't go to McDonalds/KFC/BK etc etc during a trip to London! There are so many other places to eat!!)

Attractions:

There are so many places to go in London, however, many cost an arm and a leg. So this section is dedicated to some pretty awesome FREE attractions.

MUSEUMS: News flash! Museums are free!! You heard me, FREE.

There are millions of museums in London covering nearly every subject possible, some privately owned museums may have a charge of some sort but all national ones are free to the public. My two favourites are the Natural History Museum and Tate Modern. I'm not going to talk about the Natural History Museum because i'm going to bask in the glory that is the Tate Modern. I LOVE THIS PLACE. It is incredible. You must go there, even if you're not a fan of modern art this building is worth a visit.

HYDE PARK: This park is gorgeous, especially nice during the summer. And right across the road from my beloved NZ War Memorial.

BUCKINGHAM PALACE: I think it speaks for itself really.... I mean the Queen lives there for crying out loud.

COVENT GARDEN: This is such a cool area, nice little stores and cafes, cool outdoor stores selling all sorts of interesting things. Some pretty spectacular buskers and a great vibe. Can get busy as HELL during the summer though. And it's right near Chinatown which is always worth a look.

BIG BEN/WESTMINSTER: Now, Westminster costs 12 pounds to look inside BUT if you go to a church service it's free! Even if you're not religious it's a great experience and hey... how many people can say they've been to church at Westminster Abbey??!

Shopping:

OXFORD ST: aka Tourist haven! If you're claustriphobic then avoid it like the plague! It's big, bolshy and completely and utterly mental. However, it is also home to a few flagship stores like Selfridges, Topshop and of course, stingy-person heaven, Primark!

WESTFIELD, SHEPARDS BUSH: Europes biggest shopping mall, worth a look just to check out the size. If you get there early (like 9/9:30) you'll avoid the crowds and it may even be quite pleasant :)

PORTOBELLO ROAD MARKET: This place is fantastic, The food part of the market is open all week. But the antiques/clothing section is only open during the weekends. Now, when I went I heard that the clothing section started closing at midday and that everything was buzzing by 8:30am. SO That's what I did, I was there by 8:30 and it was dead! Food stalls all set up and some antiques but everything else didn't really properly start rolling until about 9:30. So take your time! The antique section is fantastic, great costume jewellery. Some is quite pricey but you can find some good bargains, like any market though you have to be prepared to trawl!

CAMDEN MARKET: Another very popular market, I wasn't as taken by it. Most of the stalls had very similar stuff. But it's still worth a look.

The Plan

2009-02-11T02:43:00.000-06:00

There is something you should know about me.

I like to plan.

Wall charts, colour coding, lists written in alphabetical order AND in order of preference. Ven diagrams, timetables by the hour, those little clouds with the title in the middle and things going off the side -you name it, i'll do it.

Usually, blogs i've had in the past have just been random musings... a funny joke i'd been told on the bus, a little anecdote involving my cat, the latest trip to A&E, that kind of stuff.
This time though, I really feel like I need a plan... this blog needs a purpose.

Step in, The Wayfarer. Yes, I will probably still share some little anecdotes concerning my cats, I will definately comment on current events that interest me, but I would primarily like to use this as a sort of travel related blog. I've done a fair bit of travelling, and those that know me will know how passionate I am about discovering other cultures. Those who know me will also know I LOVE shopping, but HATE spending money with a passion (I think it's the scottish in me) and will do nearly anything to get out of parting with my money.

So, I thought, why don't I combine the two things i'm best at (travelling and being stingy) into one 'how to' sort of guide!

So. There you have it. THE PLAN.

Coming up, the city I love to loathe (but will always love)... LONDON.

My gap year: A Retrospective

2009-02-07T16:38:00.000-06:00

There comes a point in every young persons life where you have to make some decisions about what you're actually going to do with your life.

Uni? Tech? Work? Travel? Nothing???

The red pill, or the blue pill. The first major crossroads in my life. Who knew such a seemingly straightforward decision could have so many consequences??

I am a planner. I like to know exactly what I'm doing. So when the time came to plan my future I already knew exactly what I was going to do, I was going to go to England. Work in a boarding school and live it up in the school holidays, from Berlin to Budapest I was going to see it all, do it all, and love every minute of it.

I guess the first slight flaw in my plan was when I didn't get a gap placement. That completely threw me into chaos, and should have alerted me of things to come. However, I wasn't deterred. I mean, how hard is it to get a well-paid job (flexible for traveling of course) in london, right? I mean, I have no experience, but i'm enthusiastic, and that's all that counts.... right??!

Apparently not.

I worked crappy minimum wage jobs, was yelled at by drunk men, made sandwiches for pervy builders, and worked 75 hours a week cleaning other peoples shit and fishing used condoms out of toilets. And I still could barely afford to pay my rent let alone fund travels to far off exotic places. So while my friends were sunning themselves in Morocco and discovering the pyramids of Giza I was stuck in grey old England, dreaming of sunny weather and excitement.

I guess my GAP year was a bit different. But would I change anything??? No way in hell. It changed me in so many positive ways and all my experiences outweighed the minimal crap I had to go through. Of course there had been times where I've wished that i'd been able to do the 'conventional' gap year i'd planned but doing it this way really made me a better person. I've learnt not to stress the small stuff, I can't control everything and don't want to. Plus, sometimes the most rewarding experiences can come from cock-ups. It also made me you can't rely on others to create your own success -having an aptitude for something doesn't equal automatic success which has given me loads more drive to make something of myself. I want to have a life full of passion and I want to live to work, not work to live.

So now i'm off to Uni, three years of hard slog. I would much rather be traveling but I know I need grab this opportunity while it's still around. I'll be nearly 23 when Uni is done with, plenty of time to travel and immerse myself in other people's cultures.

All i'm focusing on now is getting over the post travel slump!!

New Year, New Blog??

2009-02-07T16:29:00.000-06:00

I'm hoping this one will last!!

4th time lucky, that's what they say right???