Perfect day: March, 18, 2009

[Current status: Sitting in the park, drinking a NZ beer from the wineshop across the street. They were kind enough to give me a free magazine and open the bottle for me, so I could just walk 50 metres and plop myself down. I asked and they didn't think there were any public consumption laws. If you never hear from me again, assume we were wrong, and contact the American Embassy, please!]

5:something... woke up and had to go pee. Tried to recall what kind of toilet trip would it involve. Would it be to a manual flusher, did I have to walk a dirt path? Oh yeah, I'm in a REAL house with a REAL toilet. Inside. Pee? Yes. Then sleep.
7:15 [Light tapping on door.] Incorporates well into dream, until Wanda says, "It's 7:15." So I get up and get dressed in my one outfit and ride to work with Wanda. Once we get to school, she heads in and I'm off to mark things off my list.
(Now getting quite buzzed as I'm halfway through my beer.)
Morning hours:
Cancel "fully-refundable" plane ticket. And it truly was "fully-refundable!" Now I can squat in Kiwi-land as long as I like! (Heh.) No outward transport scheduled.
Drink "Long black" and read NZ Herald at former haunt, Kokako.
Pick up free sample at the Pandero Bakery.
Peruse second hand clothes on Parnell. Buy nothing. Plan to bring back own clothes for consignment.
Make appointment for haircut tomorrow with Japanese Stylist on Parnell.
Investigate international shipping options. Discover it's cheaper and faster from NZ than it was from Asia. List of banned items includes: acid (duh), bullion (huh?), indecent goods (those Kiwis, so proper!), and "signals, distress" (that's right, don't be mailing your distress abroad, keep it here where it's safe!)
Stop in and try on magenta mascara and glitter eyeshadow at the organic beauty shop. Wonder how they make "organic" glitter.
[Phone ribbits. Text message from old friend.]
Discover how to order "Horsey chair" by Tim Wigmore - the item that I'd decided about six months ago would be my souvenir from my life in NZ. (I was just walking by the store. This was NOT on the list.) It's actually called "Giddyup" chair. To see for yourself, click here.
Recharge Vodafone and add Txt2000 so I can resume my life as texter extraordinaire.
(Terribly buzzed now.)
Purchase wine for Wanda and impulsively beer for self.

Next: Hopefully do not pass out on the lawn. Now that could be embarrassing.

Back in New Zealand

I arrived and entered the country without incident, though the immigration lines were long and they appeared to be inquiring everyone. I watched as the girl in front of me had to prove "onward travel" and the adjacent woman was asked about work status. Everyone seemed to be taking forever. I geared up for the interrogation myself. I stepped to the line with my "fully refundable" plane ticket receipt in hand and copy of immunizations. I wondered if I should have printed out bank statements, just in case. I hadn't even checked on the entrance requirements that extensively.

I stepped to the counter and presented my passport. The customs guy said, "You're just visiting, right?" I said, "I worked here last year but just traveling and then I'm going to watch my students graduate in May." He started flipping through my passport. I said, "If you're looking for my old work visa, it's at the back." "No," he says, "I was just looking for an empty page." Within two minutes, I was through immigration with nary a question nor showing any proof of onward travel. That USA passport is so easy to travel on... Another blessing of birth.

The show playing is "Glorious Auckland" right now... meaning it's about 70 and sunny (no wind) with fluffy white clouds in the sky. Yesterday I took the airport bus to town and walked into the university where they all asked, "Are you coming back? You're coming back!" That was nice. I'm not coming back. But it does feel really nice here- I know why people are blown away by NZ now. It looks amazing. Green. Clean air. Amazing crystal aqua water surrounding the city. And it acutally seems quiet, peaceful and non-trafficy compared to Asia. Funny.

I'm staying with Wanda, my old co-worker optometrist in the most amazing bed with a down duvet. This morning, I rode to work with her and walked through the dewy green grass of the Domain Park to the library. Next, I plan to go to my little coffee shop Kokako. I have a fairly long list of things to tie up, but I'm happy to be working on that.

I know this sounds cheesy, but I feel so lucky to be living this life. I'm really happy.

Among the Multitude

Among the men and women, the multitude,
I perceive one picking me out by secret and divine signs,
Acknowledging none else, not parent, wife, husband, brother, child any nearer than I am.
Some are baffled, but that one is not- that one knows me.

Ah lover and perfect equal,
I meant that you should discover me so by faint indirections,
And I when I meet you mean to discover you by the like in you.

-Walt Whitman, from Leaves of Grass

Grand finale Thailand photos

This is my final posting from Thailand. I'm sitting in my little cafe in Chiang Mai, J J Bakery, which is run by the sweetest Thai man ever. He spent a number of years in New Zealand and speaks English with a mild, endearing lisp. They have the tastiest coffee in Thailand and a peaceful atmosphere as well. In a few hours, I'm off to Bangkok on the overnight train. Tomorrow I'll fly out to Auckland.

I spent the previous two days visiting Pun Pun Farm, just outside of Chiang Mai, where they practice seed preservation and sustainable building. Unfortunately, I spent 24 of the 48 hours sleeping and trying to fend off the grand finale Asian sickness. I'm not sure how one can get a sinus infection AND digestive disaster in the same illness, but I did it again. So I doped myself up with Augmentin, Excedrin, and fizzy vitamin drink. Luckily, the first day I helped with some of the building before my entire body went into lock-down mode, so the trip there wasn't completely for naught.


Elephant bridge in Chiang Mai.

Mangosteen fruit. You just eat the white part- the rest of it is VERY bitter.

Here's the truck we rode to the farm. The two other white guys were on their way to a neighbouring farm to work there- (They'd already worked at that farm for about 12 days and had to do a visa run to renew their visa.) One was from Portland, OR and the other from Prince Edward Island. The guy from Portland had VERY thick glasses. After staring at him for a while, I asked, "Are you a -15.00?" He said, "Yes." I said, "I've met you before, a long time ago at a party." We tried to reconstruct the meeting and eventually figured out where it was - still cannot recall what the party was for... strange small world. BTW, two kiwi guys just walked by who I met a week ago in the hills. One of them was very good friends with my student, Varny. It is a small world.

Nothing better to do than document myself SICK again! Heheh. It's sort of self-punishment. Yes, it is possible to stay THIS white after four months in Asia. I'm not sure whose genetics I am to blame for this.

How I spent my day before I moved to the bed for more rest.

Tools for making bricks.

Bricks laid out to dry and the community centre.

Peggy's new house.

The house that I was helping build the first day.

The road to the farm. (It's up on the hill.)

Thai Farm cooking class in Chiang Mai

Thus begins the day, in the market. I took this one just for you meat eaters out there. It didn't even smell bad actually, so must've been fresh. Still doesn't make me want to eat the stuff.
Rachel with the rice. I can now tell the difference between sticky rice vs jasmine rice.

Yum, veggies! My dream world.

Your usual senorita Thai cooking costume modeled by tall blonde girl.

Mare learning to make Chicken Basil with our instructor.

The first three dishes I made were: (L to R) green curry, papaya salad, tom yum soup. Later we cooked pad thai and mango with sticky rice to take-away for later. I was full for TWO days.

Rachel and Mare in the back of the songtheaw (a pick-up which has been converted to public transportation).

Where we had fruit shakes - in the alley by our guesthouse in Chiang Mai.

My foot and the coffee shop where I whiled away yesterday afternoon.