One Night to be Confused

I went to bed last night only to be awaken by tim a few minutes later letting me know that there will be no work tomorrow.  Now i’m sitting on the couch watching hancock and yes, writing a new blog post.  This is it, my shiny new blog post.

Last weekend i went on a road trip with Tim and our work-mate, Phil.  Phil was our guide.  He took us to his home town of New Plymouth, then over to Toupo, a short day journey to Rotorua, and back to Toupo before the scenic drive home.  Here are some Pictures!

Phil before being asked how excited he is about road tripping.

Phil expressing how excited he is about roadtripping.

let it begin…

Phil being a Maori in Foxton

i’m an arty fox

windmill in Foxton

stopped here to have some breakfast in New Plymouth

tim resting after hiking to the top of Paritutu Rock

young love at the top of Paritutu Rock in New Plymouth

more young love at the top of Paritutu

still on top of Paritutu

Sugar Loaf islands from the top of Paritutu

Nasty McDonalds breakfast followed immediately by a hike up Paritutu = this face

View of Mt. Teriyaki from the top of Paritutu

View of the coast from the top of Paritutu

Tim is very happy about trampolining at Phil’s mom’s farm.

Tim is EXTREMELY happy about trampolining…

now he’s just showing off.

Tim’s excitement rubs off..

Fountain in New Plymoth

cheese

Super cheese

apparently we liked this fountain a whole lot.

phil…

Nature.

concerts are held there.

pretty.

lots of driving.

lots of riding.

lots of wonderful scenery.

I feel like a hobbit could jump out in front of the car at any moment.

most amazing rainbow i’ve ever seen..

We arrived in Taupo, we we would stay the next 2 nights, and decided to golf.

Tim was, once again, very excited.

form: check.

Here you can see our target.  If you get a hole in one, you get $10,000.00

It probably goes without saying, but we didn’t win $10,000.00

Night driving

Hot springs in Taupo the next day.

Phil relaxing in the hot spring

getting ready to jump into the cold part of the lake…. dumb.

brr

glorious hot waterfall

hot spring at night time

eery bridge over hot spring

last day in Taupo looking at Mt Ruapehu

better view of the mountain

our new friend caitlin and tim taking pictures of Mt Ruapehu

Phil driving with Mt. Ngauruhoe, aka “Mt. Doom” in LOTR, in the background. awesome.

driving by Mt Ruapehu

driving by Mt Ruapehu and Mt Doom

more driving

Hey phil, how do you feel about the road trip ending?

Me too, buddy. Me too.

Well that was our trip, i hope you enjoyed the pictures.  I had an absolute blast, and i can’t wait to go back to those places, and many other new places.  As for now though, it’s time to lay low, save money, and focus on what God wants my next step to be.  There’s been a lot of confusion for me personally in the last week or so.  It’s time to find clarity in what the Lord has in-store for me.

Cheers

A Quarter

I’m sitting on my couch staring at my computer screen trying to decide how to start this post.  Ah, there we go, it’s begun.  it’s probably about 23386 degrees below zero inside our house. so i’m wearing an awesome coat that was probably at one point a bear.  It’s been raining for like 3 weeks straight.  I don’t want to get behind on my blog, but there really isn’t a lot going on.  I’ll do what i can with what i got though, so here we go.

Like i said before, it’s raining a lot, and i’ve found that that generally brings everyone down.  It does it to me as well.  You wake up and nobody wants to work because it’s raining and generally miserable outside.  Rain also makes time go slower.  It’s science. Then you get off work, and go home and you don’t want to do anything but go to bed, because you keep thinking about  how miserable the day was and you want it to end.  Then the weekend comes and you don’t want to go anywhere or do anything because it’s so nasty outside.  Don’t get me wrong, sometimes i love to sit around-do nothing but watch movies-no pants-in my sleeping bag all day days… but only every once in a while, not ever weekend.  Well, the other day i was painting at a really awesome old lady, Rose’s house.  I had music on in my ears and i was just thinking all day whilst painting in a room by myself.  I started to think about how unhappy the rain was making me, and how i shouldn’t let it get me down.  There’s good in everything, i should just stop focusing on the negative.  I continued thinking about rain, and how i love rain, just not this many days in a row.  but really, rain is awesome.  I thought about how to live on this planet we need 3 things: air, food, and water.  Air is pretty much everywhere i’ve ever been except under water. food is not everywhere, that’s probably the hardest of the three things to get because it usually costs money.  But water… water is in abundance.  These things that we must have to live, and God made the earth provide it all for us.  There is enough air, and there is enough food, and there is enough water.  But He doesn’t stop there.  Not only is there enough of this magical life-giving liquid, but there is more than enough.  It fills our oceans, rivers, lakes, ponds, creeks, and bathtubs.  But the amazing part to me, is that God has provided so much, that every once in a while he pours it on us. Life falls from the sky and covers the world and we have the audacity to be angry about it and let it put us in a bad mood?  Well, there’s something to think about anyway, enjoy.

by the way, i’m stoked cause i spelled “audacity” correctly on the first try. sweet.

Our workmate, Phil, just got here, we’re going to make dinner and watch a movie.  He is like a big pool filled with fun. We’re going road tripping tomorrow.  He’s taking us (me and tim) all around the north island and to his hometown of New Plymouth.  I’m sure there will be lots of pictures, if the whether is nice. (I know i just went on about rain still being nice… but it’s not nice to my camera.  My camera does not need water to live. My camera will not read my blog and decide to go splash in puddles.  My camera is like the aliens in “Signs.” Water is bad for my camera.) anyway, i’m excited about our trip to finally get out of wellington and see more of new zealand.

last weekend was the first weekend i’ve experience as a person who has lived on this earth for one quarter of a century.  It really makes me think.  What am i doing with my life? what am i going to do with my life after i do whatever it is that i’m doing with my life now?  I guess i’m doing some pretty cool things, I live in New Zealand, I have the possibility to do work on the set of “The Hobbit” while i’m here, if everything works out and i can get a spot on the crew.  But what then? I’ll have been a small party of something large.  It may impress a girl one day, but until then, in my story it’s still just me.  What do i want to do? What do i like to do? I like to write.  I’m not saying i’m great at it, or i should be a writer because anybody who reads my words will be better for having read them.  You could read my words and like them, or you could read my words and hate them, or you could read my words and not be affected in any way.  But i’ll still like writing my words.  I’ve decided i’m going to try to write something.  Well, i’ve started writing something, rather.  If everything works out, it could be really good, and send me in a direction that i would really like to go.  Or it could do nothing, and i’ll get nothing out of it other than the joy of writing something i wanted to write.  I guess that’s enough.  I’ll keep writing in secrecy then.  Not that hundreds of people see my blog, just some friends and family.  Thanks for reading guys! sorry this blog is so rambley.   my computer wants you to know that “rambley” is not a word.  I’m ok with it. So i’m writing this “blog” to myself.  Self, i wrote all this for you.  It’s a bunch of stuff you already know, cause you wrote it. oh yeah, and it’s winter in new zealand, and i can see my breath inside my house because they didn’t think it’d be a good idea to insulate any of their houses.  good job new zealand.

and now, i’ll leave you with something awesome.

Sorry sorry sorry

hello apollo, where do i begin?

its been WAY too long since i’ve posted on here.  when last i left you, i was still living at my sister’s and i was very unhappy about my future housing situation, I had just started working, and i had a beard.  Now i finally have time, or i guess i’ve finally made time, to dust off the ol’ keyboard and vomit my thoughts all over the internet!

First things first:

We’re not living with my sister, and we didn’t get the horrible house i previously blogged about.  We’re not living in the amazing house i blogged about either.  We found a place that everyone is happy with, and that’s all that matters.  I’ve taken a video tour of said house, but the batteries in my video camera have died.  This presents a larger problem than you might think.  A four-pack of energizer or duracell AA batteries will run me 15 bucks.  turns out, i need to budget for batteries.  Once i get some batteries though, i will upload my video tour “straight away.”

Second things second:

Tim and myself still paint houses, but it’s going much better.  They’re talking about giving us a raise, and we work with a great guy named phil.  Phil is quite a character, and being able to work with him has lightened the load a bit.  We get picked up for work at either 7:00am or 8:00am and get home around 5:00pm or 5:30pm.  when i get home, i check my e-mail, shower, make some dinner, and watch a movie until about 10:00pm aka bedtime.  The days go by very fast, and therefore the weeks also fly by.  it’s been about a month since i’ve posted on here, but because i’m in some sort of time warp, it feels like it’s only been about 2 weeks.  I’m in New Zealand now.  I work, I eat, I sleep.  Jackie is a nanny for 3 boys.  Saying that she has her hands full is quite an understatement, judging from the stories she brings home, but she enjoys it as far as i can tell.  Shawn is, well, i’m not entirely sure, but i think he fixes eftpas machines.  Eftpas machines are like credit card swipers, but for eftpas cards (cash cards).  We use them everyday, and shawn fixes and cleans them…. i think.

Third things third:

that joke is getting old, so i’m just going to lump everything else in the “third” section.  I went through a period where i was really REALLY ready to leave New Zealand.  Things have gotten better, I’m glad i didn’t leave.  I do not want to live here forever, but i’m pretty sure i can make it a year.  I need to find out where the Scott Day shaped puzzle piece fits in this world.  Anyway, I’ll find out eventually. I have lots of pictures to share, but it being close to the end of the month, our internet usage must be sparse.

Well I think that’s all i have for tonight, once the new internet month starts I will post lots of pictures and the house tour video.

oh yeah, i shaved and i don’t know why.

existence disappointed persistence appropriate severely

I must warn you, this will be dark.

We have a house, and I don’t like it.  There were 2 houses.  One was a bright shiny ray of happiness and the other was… not.  These are my feelings on the situation, and my first unhappy blog post.

2 toilets, 2 showers, 4 bedrooms AND a living room, bigger kitchen, fridge, washing machine, courtyard, backyard, and a view that shines a light into all the dark places of your soul and scares out the bad, leaving only a warm feeling like laughter. Yes, laughter. Something that you can’t fully explain in words, but is just good without explenation. Something that is instinctively good and beautiful and not learned. A view that you don’t only see, but you feel, smell, hear, and taste. this view consumes your being and brings clarity and peace to the troubled places of your mind. it’s not just a view, it’s a special portrait that God has painted just for you and it changes everyday. but we chose a dark flat 3 bedroom 1 living room, 1 bathroom, no fridge, no washing machine, crappy small kitchened hell hole to live in. why? cause it’s $100.00 a person less a month. That’s less than one day’s work a person a month. we could pay the difference in the price 20 times over in a month. why are we doing this? cause nothing ever makes sense. I have found that there is a Hell in New Zealand, and it is where i lay my head to rest every night. It’s where i eat. It’s where i’ll be forced to find inspiration to write, edit my pictures, and play music. It’s my home.

I’m still in New Zealand and i’m still very grateful for my circumstances.  One thing i have always lived by is “find the good in everything, leave the bad.”  This will test the limits of my ability to do so.  Maybe i’m over-reacting because this all just happened and i’m in the moment.  Maybe i’ll feel differently down the road.  Maybe i’m wrong about everything.  This is how i feel now, and so i’m writing about it.

Internet

About two weeks ago something happened that I never thought possible.  We found the end of the internet.  Apparently in New Zealand you can’t have unlimited internet.  Crazy, I know.  Also, 7 people in one house, 4 without steady jobs, tend to use a lot of internet.  Seems wasteful, but we were doing really important stuff….

so, who can blame us, really?

Anyway, during that week and a half (that seemed like an eternity) we found ourselves reverting to cave-man-like grunts and growls.  We burned down the house and destroyed most of Wellington.  Then one fateful day that i’ll never forget, March 19th, 2010, the internet returned.

We all woke up from what seemed like a horrible nightmare and sat in front of each of our computers with a familiar glow of LED screens in our faces and yes, tears in our eyes.  We were home again.  Now, when someone asks, “What are Blue Whales’ teeth called?”  we can find the answer at our fingertips (baleen).  Also, we can update our blogs.

Not a whole lot happened while the internet was gone, like i said, we were pretty much cave-men.  but we had an american-style cookout with our friends steve and wendy! Here are pictures of our food, i didn’t take pictures during the event, cause i was hitting rocks together.

nikki make pie.  pie good.

meat good. steve hungry.

Manuel and Scott go climb.  Scott tired.

The next day, we decided to go to a different boulder with Tim. “It’s about the same distance as the other rock, but the other direction,” said the sly German.  Boulder the first was about 2-3 kilometers away.  Boulder the second…. 9 kilometers.  By the time we got to the rock, it was time for a nap.  But we did what we could.  After about an hour, we finally found a line. Once we pieced it all together, we started to climb it and almost all the holds started to come lose, until….

Then we were angry and went home.  We didn’t walk, we took a bus. But before we left, i took a few pictures.

We’ll find out tomorrow if we got the house we want.  Then we will move out asap and have a place of our own, and yes, there will be pictures.  until we find out more, i’ll leave you with another sunset from nikki and manuel’s porch.  hopefully soon we’ll have sunsets at our own porch!

also, don’t forget to check out my partners in crime and their blogs for the story of our trip through their eyes:

Tim: http://www.timcheek.blogspot.com

Jackie: http://www.jessiejackiekinder.blogspot.com

Shawn: http://www.alittlelaterlimited.blogspot.com

New Zealand: Fact or Fiction?

I’ve been preparing for this trip for a long time.  Now that i’m here, i’d like to clear up a few things that i “learned” about New Zealand before i got here, that may or may not be true.  Most of what i learned was from an inside source that has been living here for about 2 years. *cough nicole cough*  excuse me.

#1.  Wellington has pretty lousy weather.  it’s always rainy and windy.  and the southerly winds could kill a man.  FALSE!!!!

We arrived on a beautiful clear sky sunny day.  Nikki said, “don’t get used to it, i’ve never seen it stay this clear for more than 3 days…”  we have now been here for 11 days and i’ve seen 2 cloudy days, that didn’t even last all day, and 2 small showers.  It rains more in NC than here so far.  everyday has had beautiful blue skies, if not for the whole day, for most of the day.  Myth busted.

#2. Beware of Hedgehogs.  FALSE!!!!

Upon arrival to Nicole’s house, there are a ridiculous amount of stairs to climb.  on our first ascent with all our bags, she warned, “Watch out for hedgehogs! we step on them all the time coming up these stairs!”  Days in New Zealand: 11.  Trips up and down the stairs of doom: probably around 983465.  Hedgehog sightings: 0. Myth busted.

#3. All the cars in New Zealand are Manual.  FALSE!!!!

Learning to drive on the left side of the road would be hard by itself.  Learning to drive on the left side of the road and shift with your left hand? That will take months of training.  Nik said it was so hard, cause all the cars in New Zealand are manual.  Days in New Zealand 11.  Cars seen: probably around 892386.  Manual transmissions: i’ve counted 13, including busses, taxis, and friends cars. Myth busted.

Right about now i’m sure you’re starting to think either i’m a horrible brother for picking on my sweet sister, who is letting me sleep on her couch, or that nicole is crazy.  You’re probably right, but let me clarify:

I’m sure there are truths to these myths.  Who’s to say there’s no Loch Ness Monster, Bigfoot, Leprechauns, or Spider-man? Have i seen them? No, but have i looked in every forest, lake, rainbow, or sky-scraper in the world? Not even close.  My point is this: all these things that i was worried about in coming here haven’t happened.  Well, maybe not everything i was worried about, but God has undoubtedly blessed our trip thus far.  Things that i find consuming the worry parts of my brain now are things like money, jobs, money, getting out of Nikki’s house while we’re still friends and money.  But should I worry that the same God who controls the weather won’t also take care of me and any of my worries?  Perhaps Wellington is normally very windy and rainy, but so far it’s been wonderful.  Maybe God is trying to tell me something?  Either way, I’m grateful.

Now I’ll leave you with a few more pictures, then I’m going to go enjoy this weather.

We’ll start with Tim’s birthday!

Saturday, Nikki took tim, michelle, vanessa, and myself to a fair an hour and a half away.  It was probably more enjoyed by the girls, but we got out of the house, and saw some awesome people.

“Step right up, get your statue of a gnome that’s been stabbed in the back with a butter knife!” very common in these parts.

This guy was my favorite.

ok, so in order to enjoy the next picture to it’s full extent, you must watch the youtube video tim showed us, and has been singing and dancing the whole trip.

Berries and Cream!!!

Sunday morning we woke up to an amazing surprise.  Nikki’s friends who had just got married, Steve and Wendy, had extra tickets to the Wellington Phoenix game.  That is Wellington’s A League Football team (Soccer).  They played Newcastle Jets from Australia.  It was a playoff game, and we won 3-1!! horray!

The next three shots are a sequence for Wellington’s first goal

The trek to the bus stop is nothing to take lightly. If you need to go into town, you make sure you have everything with you.  If you forget it, it stays forgotten.  Here are some pictures of the stairs, that we’ve come to call “the stairs of doom,” coming back up from the bus stop.  I didn’t start all the way down at the bus stop, cause that’s dumb.  From the bus stop you would walk up a street, then an extremely steep zig-zaggy path to the first staircase of 144 steps. Please enlarge this first picture and take note that you cannot see the top…

After you conquer those and take a small break, you walk up a zig-zag path for a bit, then up a street to the next stair case which takes you up to the house.

the next picture picks up from the top of the last picture, and so on.

and then you are at the top, where you look back down and see where the journey began..

I’m tired just looking at the pictures.  So here is a picture of the sunset! I didn’t photoshop it at all so you could see as best as i could show you what it looks like in real life.

and here’s one of manuel looking at the sunset and being German.

That’s all i have for you today.  Now i’m off to apply to more jobs and maybe make a photography website? we shall see.  I will leave you with a fun video my friend Matt Smith sent me that made me smile.

Goodbye all!

PICTURES!

The time has come.  Without further ado, pictures from New Zealand!

My first view from Nikki’s house.

Shawn is happy to be here.

Tim shreds violin like a boss

Looks like an apple…

But it’s a plastic prop that Nikki painted…?!

the view at night

The first full day we were here, Tim and I thought it would be a great idea to go climbing with Manuel.  Little did we know how much our bodies would hate us after that day.  The place was Titahi Bay, and it was incredible.  There was a tremendous hike down a mountain to get to the spot.  On the way down, I ruined my shoes.  I did not go prepared for a hike.  We were very tired, and to be honest, there was not a lot of bouldering to be done at this spot, which is what Tim and I do.  But the view was beautiful everywhere you looked, so we took advantage of our opportunity for lots of pictures.

The view from the top of the hike

from the very tippy top of the hill

So, the hike down, as i said before, was quite steep and i did not have shoes for the occasion.  I probably complained a lot about it, i can’t remember… but i do remember saying at one point, “Man, i need different shoes!” then we turned a corner and i found some shoes my size that had been left there.  They weren’t in the best condition, but they were better than what i had on.  Then later, while walking down from the hill at the top of the hike, i fell.  I took a picture of my failure:

Manuel and his friend Phil coming up

The next day Tim, Jackie, and myself went for a walk by the coast

Timmy likes to climb.

That night you could see the south island very well

The next day we attended a bun-fight on the roof of nikki’s friends appt. complex in the city.  It was very bright and windy.

Nice spread

Michelle

LAUGHING!

I don’t know who she is, but when she waved goodbye it looked like she was dancing.

nikki is in a jc penny ad.

Looks like Michelle hit her head against the wall really hard and cracked things.

wow that took a long time.  ok, i’ll write stuff later, enjoy the pictures!

Yes.

I was in a “super shuttle” van from Hollywood to LAX when I got probably the best text message I’ve ever received:

“Love you dude.  Its a dangerous business going out of your door, if you don’t keep your feet there’s no telling where you might get swept off to.        -Bilbo Baggins”

Justen Clay rocked my world with this obvious, and yet, so very appropriate quote.  Now I sit, having been swept off, on the other side of the planet looking at the most amazing view these eyes have ever seen.  For whatever reason, my camera doesn’t want to load it’s pictures to my computer, so I’ll have a lot of pictures to post once i fix that problem, this view being one of them.

After 2 and a half days in Wellington, 3 things have stood out to me.  1: I’ve seen a lot of pretty things, but wow. 2: I had no idea that in this beautiful place would lie a little city like this. 3: Like Mr. Baggins, i feel a little in over my head at times, but i must keep my wits about me.  Allow me to dive into these with a little more detail:

North Carolina is beautiful. I’ve been to Germany, Florida, Boston, New York, Ohio, California, and a few other places in my life, and all them are beautiful in their own different way.  It’s hard to compare where i am to those places.  It’s so different here.  Everyday, everywhere i go i find myself seeing a beauty i’ve only ever seen in pictures.  I’ve never found myself in the presence of a beauty like this.  It’s surreal.  Having a passion for photography myself, i want to capture it all and show you.  Every time i try i fall short.  I can get some pretty great pictures for you, and i have, but i can’t tell you how much better it is to see it in person.  The nicest lenses in the world, with the best cameras held by the most renown photographers would not do this place justice.  Only with the two tiny lenses i’ve had all my life given to me by my God can capture these images in an appropriate way.  That being said, i will do my best to come as close as i can with my camera whilst i am here.

Yesterday we walked downtown a bit to open bank accounts.  All the pictures i have seen before i got here were of the view from Nik and Manuel’s Porch.  I had no idea there was such a city here.  Tim made a comment that it reminded him of a mini New York.  Later he said it reminded him a lot of Toronto.  I have never been to Toronto, so i will continue to compare it to a miniature New York.  Mountains, Ocean, and to my surprise, City.

Lastly, despite all the beauty and new adventures to be had, i find myself scared.  I’m in a completely new place on the other side of the world.  I saw a pool and just dove right in.  Now i have  found that that pool is very deep and overwhelming.  Of course there will be fear in new places, and i realize that. I need to keep ahold of the familiar (jackie, shawn, and tim) that keep me connected to what i know, and at the same time boldly step out and experience the new.  Don’t get me wrong, I love it here.  I’m glad i’m here.  I don’t want to leave.  I am, however, respecting the weight of my decisions.  As i said before, i must keep my wits about me like Mr. Baggins.  In these times that i find myself most vulnerable is where i will be most triumphant.  So onward i go into the unknown to seek out and conquer all that comes my way.  We met an Australian in California, whom we told of our journey.  Upon hearing we were about to embark on a similar experience as he himself had been on the past 9 months, he gave us one piece of advice:

“Say yes to everything.”

So as i leave you, i again look out my window and i will add to his advice:

“Yes please, and thank you!”

Catching Up

Time for a little game I like to call “playing catchup” not “playing ketchup” that gets too messy.

Ok, I’m back in Hollywood after such an amazing time in SLO (San Louis Obispo, from now on, abbreviated as “SLO.”  I have a lot of videos for you, we’ll start with Saturday morning, Bart shares the plan for the day:

um, never mind. apparently i can’t put videos on my blog.  to see my videos,  please redirect yourself to my facebook page after this blog.  Thank you.

well anyway, SLO is amazing, we saw some elephant seals, bart kicked a squirrel then jumped over jackie, I found where I would like to live in SLO if I ever moved there, watched my friends surf, and yes, even I attempted to shred a little gnar.

My first surfing experience was, for a lack of better words, horrible.  I am not a surfer.  That being said, I’m glad that I did it.  I Caught one wave, and destroyed myself attempting to do it again for like 3 hours.  I will try it again someday, but not soon.  Thank you Bart and Nate for being patient with me, even though I got really angry at the unrelenting ocean.

I don’t have pictures yet, because I can’t find my USB cable for my camera in the giant mess that is my luggage. There will be lots coming soon though, so get ready!

Right now I’m watching all my friends leave to tour Hollywood while I sit here and wait for Manuel’s computer. Lame.  Oh well, I could use some “me” time.  I’ve got some reading and sitting to do.

This will probably be my last post until I’m in New Zealand, then I’ll get all my pictures and what not sorted for you.  Also, I am not looking forward to our 22 hour flight, so pray that we can all fall asleep and wake up safe and sound in New Zealand.  Thank you.

Seal Slapping

I must be brief.

I made it to California, slept in hollywood, drove to San Louis Obispo, and now it’s beautiful.  here is a picture of my friends house…

it’s amazing.

Our schedule for the rest of the day: Climbing, surfing, going to a show, and finally seal slapping.

What is seal slapping? think of cow tipping, but instead of cows they are seals, and instead of tipping, you slap.  I’m sure we’ll have video if we can, if not i will have a very detailed story for you all, i’m stoked.

ok, time to go have fun in sunny California! thank you all for your prayers, they are much appreciated and always necessary.