After dinner, I watched Ocean Thirteen with June and Ellen. It was a good movie, but I got a little tired towards the end, so I might have to go see it again :)
What's up with movies that are set in casinos lately? Didn't James Bond also have a casino movie recently...? :D
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Going Bowling
I went out bowling today with some friends. One of them, Ellen, had found a Bowling Alley somewhere in Newmarket. We took the bus there (it's very close to The Railway Campus).
I had never really walked around Newmarket before (except for that one time when I got lost *haha*) but there seem to be a lot of stores and restaurants! Maybe I have to go back and explore some more!
We finally found the place - it was on the top floor of a parking garage! Everything looked a little sketchy (including the elevator, where someone had forcefully removed the security camera...). We were a group of seven people - I don't know if I would have gone there on my own ;)
Besides bowling, the place also had pool tables, slot machines, a bar, and a small restaurant.
Bowling was a lot of fun (although I can't really bowl... I believe I lost every game *haha*).
Good thing we didn't get back too late, because I needed to get up early for Monday morning >_<
I had never really walked around Newmarket before (except for that one time when I got lost *haha*) but there seem to be a lot of stores and restaurants! Maybe I have to go back and explore some more!
We finally found the place - it was on the top floor of a parking garage! Everything looked a little sketchy (including the elevator, where someone had forcefully removed the security camera...). We were a group of seven people - I don't know if I would have gone there on my own ;)
Besides bowling, the place also had pool tables, slot machines, a bar, and a small restaurant.
Bowling was a lot of fun (although I can't really bowl... I believe I lost every game *haha*).
Good thing we didn't get back too late, because I needed to get up early for Monday morning >_<
Friday, July 27, 2007
Taking a Walk
It's not raining today, so I decided to go for a random walk around Auckland Centre.
First, I walked up Symonds St, then down K'Road, Queen St, and finally down to the waterfront.
This is the old cemetary on Symonds St. Most of the graves are from the 1850s to 1890s. Some grave stones have orange stuff all over them - they look a little bit rusty :)
K'Road is famous for its many bars and a few odd stores with mostly original eclectic or vintage clothes. At night, it used to transform into Auckland's red light district.
This is a vegetarian restaurant on K'Road. The round sign (hard to tell) says "Hare Krishna Food for Life":
First, I walked up Symonds St, then down K'Road, Queen St, and finally down to the waterfront.
This is the old cemetary on Symonds St. Most of the graves are from the 1850s to 1890s. Some grave stones have orange stuff all over them - they look a little bit rusty :)
K'Road is famous for its many bars and a few odd stores with mostly original eclectic or vintage clothes. At night, it used to transform into Auckland's red light district.
This is a vegetarian restaurant on K'Road. The round sign (hard to tell) says "Hare Krishna Food for Life":
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Chemistry Experiments
We had a Bioinformatics Lab meeting today!
These meetings happen about every other week. The students and professors get together and make plans for seminars, event, or activities, talk about their individual research and the progress they are making, or problems they are encountering. Sometimes, one person prepares a talk about a recent paper (ideally, everyone read the paper beforehand, so that there can be ample discussion... but that doesn't happen everytime ;) )
An important part of the Bioinformatics Meetings is the collection of snacks that people bring. This time, someone brought in "Eskimos," which are little marshmallows shaped like eskimos (although I had a hard time determining any sort of shape other than an oblong blob...).
I didn't try one, but apparently they were very sweet, so someone came up with the glorious idea of burning them (to see how well they burn, and how long they last).
Our marshmallows did not burn too well (no, I don't think we can use them as rocket fuel...) :D
Later that day, I went to see a Chinese movie put on by the University of Auckland Dessert Club. Yes, you read that right - they have an official Dessert Club!
The dessert of the evening was shaved ice, the same kind that I'd had last week.
The movie they showed was called "Infernal Affairs," and it's actually the original version of "The Departed." I didn't know that, but Hollywood did a good job copying the Chinese version - the stories are the same!
I liked the movie a lot - sometimes, reading the subtitles are a little tiring, but it had its funny moments and good music! One of the main characters looked familiar, and I found out that he also starred in House of the Flying Daggers.
These meetings happen about every other week. The students and professors get together and make plans for seminars, event, or activities, talk about their individual research and the progress they are making, or problems they are encountering. Sometimes, one person prepares a talk about a recent paper (ideally, everyone read the paper beforehand, so that there can be ample discussion... but that doesn't happen everytime ;) )
An important part of the Bioinformatics Meetings is the collection of snacks that people bring. This time, someone brought in "Eskimos," which are little marshmallows shaped like eskimos (although I had a hard time determining any sort of shape other than an oblong blob...).
I didn't try one, but apparently they were very sweet, so someone came up with the glorious idea of burning them (to see how well they burn, and how long they last).
Our marshmallows did not burn too well (no, I don't think we can use them as rocket fuel...) :D
Later that day, I went to see a Chinese movie put on by the University of Auckland Dessert Club. Yes, you read that right - they have an official Dessert Club!
The dessert of the evening was shaved ice, the same kind that I'd had last week.
The movie they showed was called "Infernal Affairs," and it's actually the original version of "The Departed." I didn't know that, but Hollywood did a good job copying the Chinese version - the stories are the same!
I liked the movie a lot - sometimes, reading the subtitles are a little tiring, but it had its funny moments and good music! One of the main characters looked familiar, and I found out that he also starred in House of the Flying Daggers.
International Potluck
Today, the Railway Campus had organized an International Potluck event!
Either you make a dish and bring it, or you pay $2 to get in.
Lyndsay, one of my roommates, and I decided to make some good old American pancakes :)
We got one of those pancake mixes and added some milk - that's how easy the batter was! Frying them was a different story, however...
We didn't have a non-stick pan, so we needed to use a lot of cooking spray. One time, Lyndsay set the pan on fire (I think the pan was too hot when she sprayed the cooking spray)...
But everyone seemed to like them - they were gone pretty quickly!
I tried a lot of different dishes. The German guys made some kind of spicy "Nudelauflauf" (noodles baked with cheese and meat, almost similar to lasagna). In general, there were a lot of "pasta and meat" dishes. June made Korean fried rice with kimchi (and the two other Korean kids did, too, so we had a lot of that *haha*).
There were also some peanut butter cookies and chocolate chip cookies, crepes, a giant chocolate cake, and a fruit salad for dessert.
Overall, everyone had a lot of fun, and the RAs made plans to hold another potluck event soon.
Either you make a dish and bring it, or you pay $2 to get in.
Lyndsay, one of my roommates, and I decided to make some good old American pancakes :)
We got one of those pancake mixes and added some milk - that's how easy the batter was! Frying them was a different story, however...
We didn't have a non-stick pan, so we needed to use a lot of cooking spray. One time, Lyndsay set the pan on fire (I think the pan was too hot when she sprayed the cooking spray)...
But everyone seemed to like them - they were gone pretty quickly!
I tried a lot of different dishes. The German guys made some kind of spicy "Nudelauflauf" (noodles baked with cheese and meat, almost similar to lasagna). In general, there were a lot of "pasta and meat" dishes. June made Korean fried rice with kimchi (and the two other Korean kids did, too, so we had a lot of that *haha*).
There were also some peanut butter cookies and chocolate chip cookies, crepes, a giant chocolate cake, and a fruit salad for dessert.
Overall, everyone had a lot of fun, and the RAs made plans to hold another potluck event soon.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Real Korean Food!
I met up with some friends to get Korean food today!
My two roommates, their friends Sam and Ellen, and I went with our friend June to a Korean restaurant. June is Korean and she is studying at the University for a semester. She offered to take us to an authentic place with real Korean food!
The restaurant was called Kang Nam Station (I think). It's in central Auckland, so within easy walking distance from The Railway Campus.
I don't know too much about Korean food, and neither did my other "non-Korean" friends, so we told June to just order anything for us.
She picked out a Kimchi dish (a "must-have" national Korean dish), something called Beef Bulgogi, and a "Military Stew."
The food was amazing! I even tried the jelly fish (didn't taste like much). It was a good thing we decided to share a few dishes - that way, everyone got to try everything.
I think, I liked the Beef Bulgogi best, though - the marinade on the beef was really delicious.
Overall, we only spent 12 NZD per person, which was so much cheaper than I expected!
Also, we were fortunate to have June with us! For one thing, the waiter didn't speak much English :)
Of course, as soon as I got home, I googled some recipes. I think, I have to try making some Korean food!
Here are a few pictures:
June, Sam, and Lindsay (left to right):
Missy, Ellen, and me (left to right):
The Beef Bulgogi is in the front, and the Military Stew is behind it. The Beef Bulgogi was served on this curved steamer plate (there was water in it and the steam came through little slots in the plate - interesting!)
The orange-reddish stuff is the Military Stew - it had tofu, ramen noodles, rice cakes (or something made out of rice flour), cabbage, and a few different kinds of sausage in it. The green stuff is seaweed salad, a banchan (side dish) that came with the bulgogi.
My two roommates, their friends Sam and Ellen, and I went with our friend June to a Korean restaurant. June is Korean and she is studying at the University for a semester. She offered to take us to an authentic place with real Korean food!
The restaurant was called Kang Nam Station (I think). It's in central Auckland, so within easy walking distance from The Railway Campus.
I don't know too much about Korean food, and neither did my other "non-Korean" friends, so we told June to just order anything for us.
She picked out a Kimchi dish (a "must-have" national Korean dish), something called Beef Bulgogi, and a "Military Stew."
The food was amazing! I even tried the jelly fish (didn't taste like much). It was a good thing we decided to share a few dishes - that way, everyone got to try everything.
I think, I liked the Beef Bulgogi best, though - the marinade on the beef was really delicious.
Overall, we only spent 12 NZD per person, which was so much cheaper than I expected!
Also, we were fortunate to have June with us! For one thing, the waiter didn't speak much English :)
Of course, as soon as I got home, I googled some recipes. I think, I have to try making some Korean food!
Here are a few pictures:
June, Sam, and Lindsay (left to right):
Missy, Ellen, and me (left to right):
The Beef Bulgogi is in the front, and the Military Stew is behind it. The Beef Bulgogi was served on this curved steamer plate (there was water in it and the steam came through little slots in the plate - interesting!)
The orange-reddish stuff is the Military Stew - it had tofu, ramen noodles, rice cakes (or something made out of rice flour), cabbage, and a few different kinds of sausage in it. The green stuff is seaweed salad, a banchan (side dish) that came with the bulgogi.
Monday, July 23, 2007
The end of the Harry Potter Saga
I finished Harry Potter, and I really liked the book!
But I won't tell you the ending.
But I won't tell you the ending.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Reading...
I mostly read today... :)
For dinner, I met up with one of my roommates and a friend of hers.
The friend is from Korea, and we made plans to go out to eat authentic Korean food and watch sappy Korean movies ;)
For dinner, I met up with one of my roommates and a friend of hers.
The friend is from Korea, and we made plans to go out to eat authentic Korean food and watch sappy Korean movies ;)
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Harry Potter and the All Blacks
The last Harry Potter book hit the stores today!
I had preordered a book a while ago because everyone expected a huge demand.
In New Zealand, the official time of release was 11:01 am, so a little after 11, I made my way to the store where I had preordered a copy.
However, instead of giant mass of excited Potter fans, I found five bored-looking store employees mingling behind a table full of Harry Potter books!
In fact, I didn't even need to battle little 5-year olds for one of the free, limited-quantity Harry Potter baseball caps...!If I had had a Staples Easy Button, I would have pressed it... :)
The total came to 29.99 NZD, which was 3 NZD cheaper than the bookstore around the corner ;)
On my way home, I saw a lot of people with the books. Some were waiting for the bus, reading the book, some where sitting in the next cafe, eagerly flipping the first pages, and a lot of shoppers simply carried their books in clear plastic bags from a variety of stores.
I actually didn't start reading until later that day, but the first few chapters are pretty good! There is a little more action than in the last few books; the bad guys show up earlier, and they are a little bit meaner. But I won't give the story away... :)
Later that night, I met up with some people from the Lab to watch the All Blacks game at a pub. Today, they were playing the Australia Wallabies in the Tri-Nations Series. In Rugby, the relationship between Australia and New Zealand is similar to the relationship between the Boston Red Sox vs. the Yankees... so everyone was looking forward to an exciting game!
The All Blacks ended up winning the game 26 to 12, so everyone was happy :)
I was glad though that I was watching the game at a pub, because two minutes before the game started, it began to pour sheets of rain! Both my roommates had gotten tickets for the game, and they were soaked through in seconds!
Afterwards, we went to a party at another friend's house. There were a lot of people from all over the world, and I met a few really interesting people :)
Friday, July 20, 2007
Asian Ice Cream
We went for Asian Ice cream today after work. It's called "shaved ice" and comes in all sorts of flavors. I tried the Green Tea ice cream with red bean topping. It was delicious!
This is what it looks like:
This is what it looks like:
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Hanging out with the Roommates
I made dinner with my roommates today and we had a lot of fun!
They are both exchange students from the US and they will stay at the University of Auckland for one semester (until November).
The new semester started on Monday.
On Tuesday, my roommates and another girl went to the movie theater to watch the new Pirates of the Carribbean movie. They really enjoyed it, until a guy in the row in front of them started to throttle and beat up his wife! The guy was so big and drunk, though, that no one in the theater dared to go near him, so one of my roommates called the police.
When the police came, she needed to give a witness statement.
That's a lot of excitement, considering she hasn't been in Auckland for more than a week!
(This doesn't seem to be standard practice in Auckland movie theaters, by the way. The two times I've been, everyone was perfectly behaved!)
They are both exchange students from the US and they will stay at the University of Auckland for one semester (until November).
The new semester started on Monday.
On Tuesday, my roommates and another girl went to the movie theater to watch the new Pirates of the Carribbean movie. They really enjoyed it, until a guy in the row in front of them started to throttle and beat up his wife! The guy was so big and drunk, though, that no one in the theater dared to go near him, so one of my roommates called the police.
When the police came, she needed to give a witness statement.
That's a lot of excitement, considering she hasn't been in Auckland for more than a week!
(This doesn't seem to be standard practice in Auckland movie theaters, by the way. The two times I've been, everyone was perfectly behaved!)
Monday, July 16, 2007
Fire Alarm!
This morning at the lab started out a little bit different.
We had just settled down for a comfortable little chat (seriously - who wants to do work early in the morning on a Monday?) when the fire alarm went off.
How annoying - a fire drill, when it's pouring sheets of rain outside!
However, we soon realized that this was no drill, as fire fighter trucks and hazmat vehicles drove up the street!
There are a lot of hazardous materials, as well as live animals in the building, so any kind of fire alarm needs to be taken very seriously.
After about 30 minutes in the rain, we got to go back inside. I don't know what happened exactly, but it probably wasn't too serious (since we got to back so soon).
I decided to be a typical tourist and took a picture of the fire truck :)
You can barely see it, but it's in the middle of the picture
We had just settled down for a comfortable little chat (seriously - who wants to do work early in the morning on a Monday?) when the fire alarm went off.
How annoying - a fire drill, when it's pouring sheets of rain outside!
However, we soon realized that this was no drill, as fire fighter trucks and hazmat vehicles drove up the street!
There are a lot of hazardous materials, as well as live animals in the building, so any kind of fire alarm needs to be taken very seriously.
After about 30 minutes in the rain, we got to go back inside. I don't know what happened exactly, but it probably wasn't too serious (since we got to back so soon).
I decided to be a typical tourist and took a picture of the fire truck :)
You can barely see it, but it's in the middle of the picture
Saturday, July 14, 2007
A short trip to Devonport
I decided to go for a little walk today around Devonport.
The weather wasn't too nice. It didn't rain, but it was cloudy all day :(
I took the ferry from Auckland - it's so convenient and a lot of fun. However, it was also a little chilly, so as soon as I got off the boat in Devonport, I found myself looking for a place that sold hot beverages!
There are so many cafes to chose from in Devonport, but I finally decided on a little place on Victoria St called "Sierra Cafe." They were a little busy, because it was around lunch time, but I still found a table inside. I got some hot tea and the "Soup of the Day": lentil soup with spiced lamb.
After I got a little warmer, I went back outside and took a walk around.
There are a lot of little shops all along Victoria St. You can find the usual, "touristy" kind of shops, but also a lot of local craft stores and some art galleries.
Then, I walked up Mt. Victoria, one of the two volcanoes in Devonport. The last time I had been there, I had already looked at the other one, the North Head.
The walk up to the summit only took about 15 minutes, and once at the top, there is a great view of the Auckland skyline, Tamaki Drive, Rangitoto Island, and the Auckland Harbour Bridge.
Pictures are on the right hand side of the page :)
The weather wasn't too nice. It didn't rain, but it was cloudy all day :(
I took the ferry from Auckland - it's so convenient and a lot of fun. However, it was also a little chilly, so as soon as I got off the boat in Devonport, I found myself looking for a place that sold hot beverages!
There are so many cafes to chose from in Devonport, but I finally decided on a little place on Victoria St called "Sierra Cafe." They were a little busy, because it was around lunch time, but I still found a table inside. I got some hot tea and the "Soup of the Day": lentil soup with spiced lamb.
After I got a little warmer, I went back outside and took a walk around.
There are a lot of little shops all along Victoria St. You can find the usual, "touristy" kind of shops, but also a lot of local craft stores and some art galleries.
Then, I walked up Mt. Victoria, one of the two volcanoes in Devonport. The last time I had been there, I had already looked at the other one, the North Head.
The walk up to the summit only took about 15 minutes, and once at the top, there is a great view of the Auckland skyline, Tamaki Drive, Rangitoto Island, and the Auckland Harbour Bridge.
Pictures are on the right hand side of the page :)
Going Shopping
I hadn't gone shopping in a while, so I decided to go to the mall today.
Luckily, "St. Lukes," the shopping mall, is on an easy bus route from Auckland centre. The bus ride takes only 20 minutes.
St. Lukes looks a lot like American malls. They have a big foodcourt (the sushi selection is bigger and cheaper than in America *haha*), and they even have Dunkin' Donuts and Subways!
There are a lot of expensive stores (window-shopping, anyone?) but there are ways to hunt down bargains, as well.
For some reason, there were a lot of sales today - good for me :)
I did find some clothes for myself (2 shirts and a pair of pants) but just browsing was a lot of fun - the fashion styles are a little different than in the US.
I also grabbed a Mango Smoothie from New Zealand Natural. They have amazing ice cream with "all natural" ingredients - I don't know what they do to their ice cream, but whatever they do, they do it right!
Luckily, "St. Lukes," the shopping mall, is on an easy bus route from Auckland centre. The bus ride takes only 20 minutes.
St. Lukes looks a lot like American malls. They have a big foodcourt (the sushi selection is bigger and cheaper than in America *haha*), and they even have Dunkin' Donuts and Subways!
There are a lot of expensive stores (window-shopping, anyone?) but there are ways to hunt down bargains, as well.
For some reason, there were a lot of sales today - good for me :)
I did find some clothes for myself (2 shirts and a pair of pants) but just browsing was a lot of fun - the fashion styles are a little different than in the US.
I also grabbed a Mango Smoothie from New Zealand Natural. They have amazing ice cream with "all natural" ingredients - I don't know what they do to their ice cream, but whatever they do, they do it right!
Friday, July 13, 2007
The sun was out!
Yes, today is Friday the 13th!
I can't say though that something bad happened today :)
It was really nice out today (especially compared to what we had going on the last few days) so I left the lab a little earlier.
I took a walk downtown and wandered up Queen St to do some window-shopping.
Every Friday and Saturday, there is a market at Aotea Square. I had been there before, but I still went to look through the booths. They have a lot of clothes, jewellery, souvenirs, art, and greasy food *haha*
This is a picture I took in Albert Park - can you see the huge branch? It broke off during the storm!
This is the entrance to Aotea Square Market - traditional Maori carvings! The building on the right is the movie theater.
I can't say though that something bad happened today :)
It was really nice out today (especially compared to what we had going on the last few days) so I left the lab a little earlier.
I took a walk downtown and wandered up Queen St to do some window-shopping.
Every Friday and Saturday, there is a market at Aotea Square. I had been there before, but I still went to look through the booths. They have a lot of clothes, jewellery, souvenirs, art, and greasy food *haha*
This is a picture I took in Albert Park - can you see the huge branch? It broke off during the storm!
This is the entrance to Aotea Square Market - traditional Maori carvings! The building on the right is the movie theater.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Wine, bread, cheese, and Karaoke!
There was a party today at The Railway Campus again.
Tonight, they had wine, bread, and cheese, and karaoke!
Usually, I don't sing karaoke, but some girls convinced me to give it a try.
Camilla, a girl from Denmark, and I sang a song together (I already forgot which one >_<).
Everyone had a lot of fun, and they played a lot of random classics like Franz Ferdinand, Nena, and Tom Jones. Someone even requested the Spice Girls!
I didn't stay till the very end though, because it got so cold in the common area (no central heat).
Tonight, they had wine, bread, and cheese, and karaoke!
Usually, I don't sing karaoke, but some girls convinced me to give it a try.
Camilla, a girl from Denmark, and I sang a song together (I already forgot which one >_<).
Everyone had a lot of fun, and they played a lot of random classics like Franz Ferdinand, Nena, and Tom Jones. Someone even requested the Spice Girls!
I didn't stay till the very end though, because it got so cold in the common area (no central heat).
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Harry Potter V
While walking to the lab this morning, I saw a lot of broken branches on the street - that storm last night really came down hard!
At 10:30am, Vicky, Thomas, Melanie, and I left to go see the Harry Potter movie downtown. It only takes about 10 minutes to get there, and since we had reserved seats, we didn't need to show up too early.
The theater was packed with mostly little kids and their grandparents! There was also at least one baby, because it kept on crying during the movie.
Seriously - do you have to bring a baby to see the Harry Potter movie (rated "mature")??
The movie was good! There were some cheesy parts in it, and of course they needed to cut stuff out. They also changed a few key stories from the book's version.
The fighting scene at the end of the movie was pretty cool - lots of wizards duelling!
One of the new characters they introduced is Bellatrix Lestrange. She is a dark wizard that escapes from the wizard prison Azkaban. She was played by Helena Bonham Carter who did a really good job portraying crazy Bellatrix! She actually made more of an impression on me than the ever-evil Lord Voldemort.
Later that night, The Railway Campus served free pizza at a board games night. The pizza didn't come till 10pm (it was scheduled to come at 6pm) but I had made dinner on my own, anyways :)
At 10:30am, Vicky, Thomas, Melanie, and I left to go see the Harry Potter movie downtown. It only takes about 10 minutes to get there, and since we had reserved seats, we didn't need to show up too early.
The theater was packed with mostly little kids and their grandparents! There was also at least one baby, because it kept on crying during the movie.
Seriously - do you have to bring a baby to see the Harry Potter movie (rated "mature")??
The movie was good! There were some cheesy parts in it, and of course they needed to cut stuff out. They also changed a few key stories from the book's version.
The fighting scene at the end of the movie was pretty cool - lots of wizards duelling!
One of the new characters they introduced is Bellatrix Lestrange. She is a dark wizard that escapes from the wizard prison Azkaban. She was played by Helena Bonham Carter who did a really good job portraying crazy Bellatrix! She actually made more of an impression on me than the ever-evil Lord Voldemort.
Later that night, The Railway Campus served free pizza at a board games night. The pizza didn't come till 10pm (it was scheduled to come at 6pm) but I had made dinner on my own, anyways :)
Stormy Winds
Today was Happy Hour at the lab. In fact, the whole building was celebrating with free wine, beer, orange juice, cheese and crackers.
I don't know if there is a set schedule for these kind of parties, but that would be a good idea!
It was raining all day today!
Unfortunately, the steady rain in the morning had morphed into some kind of thunder storm by the time I walked home!
There was so much wind blowing that I didn't want to risk my umbrella's life... so I faced the icy rain drops instead!
All evening, I could hear the wind howling around The Railway Campus :)
I don't know if there is a set schedule for these kind of parties, but that would be a good idea!
It was raining all day today!
Unfortunately, the steady rain in the morning had morphed into some kind of thunder storm by the time I walked home!
There was so much wind blowing that I didn't want to risk my umbrella's life... so I faced the icy rain drops instead!
All evening, I could hear the wind howling around The Railway Campus :)
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Exploring Waiheke Island
The weather report promised more sunshine and no rain, so, in a rather spontaneous decision, I decided to catch the ferry to Waiheke Island.
See photos on the right of the page!
Also, this is a map of the area:
Waiheke Island is also called "Auckland's Jewel." It's one of the larger islands in the Hauraki Gulf, and a popular vacation spot for both New Zealanders and foreign travelers.
The ride on the ferry from Auckland to Matiatia Bay at Waiheke only took about 35 minutes. It was a little cold, but I stood outside on the boat, because I really liked the fresh air. Also, the view of Auckland from the boat was quite nice. Even the sun was poking through the clouds - that was great, because it had rained on and off for the last week (a little depressing :P ).
I didn't really have a plan of what to do on Waiheke Island. My travel guide suggested a few guided tours, but they were all a little expensive! So I figured I would either rent a bike (apparently there are good biking trails on the island) or go along some of the walking trails on my own.
When I got to the ferry wharf, however, I talked to a guy standing next to the tourist information booth. He said I shouldn't go on the walking trails, because it had rained so much over the last few days and everything was slippery and muddy.
Instead, he suggested I'd sign on with his tour group...
It turned out that he did offer a good deal. In fact, it almost seemed too good to be true! For 25 NZD, he would take people in his van around the island, for around five hourse (half day). A full day was 45 NZD.
He would stop wherever we wanted, suggest little walkways and trails to do, find us good restaurants or cafes for lunch, and overall give us the best experience we could ever have on Waiheke Island. After living on the island for 32 years, he told us, he knew the best hidden secrets the island had to offer...
Another guy and me decided to give the half day tour a try, and we got on the little van (a Mercedes, as the guide, Max Walker, proudly proclaimed).
From the wharf, Max first took us to Oneroa beach. This beautiful beach is on the North side of the island. Max showed us a little trail leading down to the beach and promised to pick us up in 45 minutes at a little cafe on the road close to the beach. The other tourist, Paul, and I climbed down a cliff on a little foot path and walked along the sand. Since it's winter here, there weren't too many tourists around, and only a few locals, so the beach was almost empty! Two little girls, though, gallopped past us on their horses! I collected some sea shells and we climbed across lava rocks and around a cliff.
Paul, more of an outdoor-kinda-guy than me, suggested we climb up a steep hill back up to the street. At first it looked easy, but it quickly became slippery, and the mud caught in the profile of the soles of my shoes, making them even more slippery. With lots of holding on to plants growing nearby, we made it up the hill (although I really doubted my chances - there were almost no footholds, slippery mud, all at at least 45 degree angles...!). I don't think I will try a stunt like that again anytime soon! Besides a cut in my finger (it stings when I type!), I was unharmed, though - I just had mud all over myself :)
We met up with Max again, after looking through some shops on the street. We got on the shuttle bus, and Max took us to Mudbrick Vineyard, which is on the western part of the island.
We got dropped off on top of a little hill. The view was amazing, and we could even see the skyline of Auckland in the distance, as well as several little islands scattered in the sea.
One of the popular attractions of Waiheke Island are the vineyards. They are scattered all over the island, and many of them offer wine tasting. On our way down the hill, we stopped at one of those, Cable Bay Vineyards, and got to sample a New Zealand Chardonnay for free. Then we walked towards the road and waited for our shuttle to pick us up.
By now, another ferry had arrived at the wharf and Max had picked up new customers. He dropped us (now ten people) off at a cliff near a walkway down to Palm Beach. This beach was on the North side of the island again, but further East of Oneroa.
Our group was very international and diverse by now! There was a Chinese couple, a Vietnamese woman living and working in Australia, a British couple, three American women from Colorado, Paul from Australia, and me.
We took our time looking at the beautiful scenery. Part of Palm Beach is actually an official nude beach, but we only saw one nudist basking in the sun. Personally, I found the wind from the sea quite chilly and was happy about my winter jacket...!
Max picked us up at the other side of the beach and took us a little further East, towards Onetangi Beach. This, according to Max, is the most beautiful of all the beaches on Waiheke Island. He didn't forget to mention that he lives on this beach, himself...
By now, we had all developed a little bit of an appetite (it was 3pm already!), so we stopped at one of the two restaurants on the beach. The tables all had a beautiful view of the ocean - it was really quite charming.
I had really looked forward to a large bowl of fresh salad, but for some reason, their menu lacked vegetables! The closest I could get to a salad were marinated vegetables... strange.
I ended up getting a warm soup instead, because as soon as I sat down, I felt the chilly breeze from the sea :) Paul, and the Vietnamese woman both got pork ribs. They smelled delicious, but the "salad on the side" turned out to be a single piece of lettuce - I am not kidding you!
There seems to be a strange aversion to vegetables on this island...!
After our late lunch, we hopped back on the shuttle to drive to an olive oil tasting. We drove back towards Mudbrick Vineyards, to some kind of "olive tree forest." The area looked quite mediterranean, with low shrubs growing on the ground, scattered groups of olive trees, and the rows of grapevines!
The family growing the olive trees invited us into their home (as in: their living room!) The owners, an old couple (he was Maltese!), explained a little bit of the process of pressing oil out of the olives, and offered us some olive oil to taste. They only had two kinds of plain olive oil, though - I had somehow expected a larger variety.
It was very good, but I didn't buy anything.
By now, it started getting darker outside! We drove back towards the North of the island but we just missed the sunset :(
We still got to look at some fancy houses along the coast, though.
Most of the more expensive houses are actually vaction houses of rich people. Max pointed out the house belonging to the CEO of Deutsche Bank. He and his family visit the island at most two months every year - the expensive house with prime view of the Auckland skyline is empty for ten months at a time!
We made it back in time for the 6pm ferry back to Auckland.
Unfortunately, the ferry stopped in Devonport, and it being dark out, Paul and I just followed all the people getting up and leaving the boat. When we realized that we didn't recognize the ferry wharf at all, it was too late, and the boat had left without us!
We checked the ferry time table, and another ferry was scheduled to come in 15 minutes. However, a nice couple offered to give us a ride to Auckland.
Carolyn and John own a little cottage on Waiheke Island. On the weekends, they park their car for free at Devonport and take the ferry from there to Waiheke. They were so nice to drop me off right in front of Foodtown (I needed to get something for breakfast for tomorrow).
Overall, it was a very exciting day! I don't think I would have been able to see so much of Waiheke Island on my own!
In the end, my half-day tour turned into a full day tour for 45 NZD. I think it was still a better deal than for example renting a bike for 30 NZD. We met another guy, who had rented the bike, and he was unable to walk down to the beaches (he would have had to chain his bike somewhere, climb down the cliff, climb up the cliff again later at the same place to retrieve the bike, etc). Instead, he drove up and down (and up, and down...) the many hills. We, on the other hand, effectively had our own taxi that dropped us off and picked us up wherever we wanted - I'm glad I got to spend my energy walking down the beach and climbing various volcanic rocks!
Max was a little overeager and exhausting at times, because he talked constantly! He is mostly a good salesperson - he really oversold his product at times ;)
Of course, there are also fewer tourists around in the winter, and as the owner of an independent 2-person company offering tours across the island, in competition with the bigger tourism companies that offer more structured, but also more expensive tours, he needs to try hard to get customers.
He also didn't fail to show us his house and the two-bedroom (four beds) apartment he rents out to tourists. I have to give him this, though: the apartment is very modern and clean, spacious, has a fantastic view of Onetangi Beach, and is comparably cheap (90 NZD a night during the week, 125 NZD per night on the weekend).
Call him at 0800-kayak2, if you are interested :P
See photos on the right of the page!
Also, this is a map of the area:
Waiheke Island is also called "Auckland's Jewel." It's one of the larger islands in the Hauraki Gulf, and a popular vacation spot for both New Zealanders and foreign travelers.
The ride on the ferry from Auckland to Matiatia Bay at Waiheke only took about 35 minutes. It was a little cold, but I stood outside on the boat, because I really liked the fresh air. Also, the view of Auckland from the boat was quite nice. Even the sun was poking through the clouds - that was great, because it had rained on and off for the last week (a little depressing :P ).
I didn't really have a plan of what to do on Waiheke Island. My travel guide suggested a few guided tours, but they were all a little expensive! So I figured I would either rent a bike (apparently there are good biking trails on the island) or go along some of the walking trails on my own.
When I got to the ferry wharf, however, I talked to a guy standing next to the tourist information booth. He said I shouldn't go on the walking trails, because it had rained so much over the last few days and everything was slippery and muddy.
Instead, he suggested I'd sign on with his tour group...
It turned out that he did offer a good deal. In fact, it almost seemed too good to be true! For 25 NZD, he would take people in his van around the island, for around five hourse (half day). A full day was 45 NZD.
He would stop wherever we wanted, suggest little walkways and trails to do, find us good restaurants or cafes for lunch, and overall give us the best experience we could ever have on Waiheke Island. After living on the island for 32 years, he told us, he knew the best hidden secrets the island had to offer...
Another guy and me decided to give the half day tour a try, and we got on the little van (a Mercedes, as the guide, Max Walker, proudly proclaimed).
From the wharf, Max first took us to Oneroa beach. This beautiful beach is on the North side of the island. Max showed us a little trail leading down to the beach and promised to pick us up in 45 minutes at a little cafe on the road close to the beach. The other tourist, Paul, and I climbed down a cliff on a little foot path and walked along the sand. Since it's winter here, there weren't too many tourists around, and only a few locals, so the beach was almost empty! Two little girls, though, gallopped past us on their horses! I collected some sea shells and we climbed across lava rocks and around a cliff.
Paul, more of an outdoor-kinda-guy than me, suggested we climb up a steep hill back up to the street. At first it looked easy, but it quickly became slippery, and the mud caught in the profile of the soles of my shoes, making them even more slippery. With lots of holding on to plants growing nearby, we made it up the hill (although I really doubted my chances - there were almost no footholds, slippery mud, all at at least 45 degree angles...!). I don't think I will try a stunt like that again anytime soon! Besides a cut in my finger (it stings when I type!), I was unharmed, though - I just had mud all over myself :)
We met up with Max again, after looking through some shops on the street. We got on the shuttle bus, and Max took us to Mudbrick Vineyard, which is on the western part of the island.
We got dropped off on top of a little hill. The view was amazing, and we could even see the skyline of Auckland in the distance, as well as several little islands scattered in the sea.
One of the popular attractions of Waiheke Island are the vineyards. They are scattered all over the island, and many of them offer wine tasting. On our way down the hill, we stopped at one of those, Cable Bay Vineyards, and got to sample a New Zealand Chardonnay for free. Then we walked towards the road and waited for our shuttle to pick us up.
By now, another ferry had arrived at the wharf and Max had picked up new customers. He dropped us (now ten people) off at a cliff near a walkway down to Palm Beach. This beach was on the North side of the island again, but further East of Oneroa.
Our group was very international and diverse by now! There was a Chinese couple, a Vietnamese woman living and working in Australia, a British couple, three American women from Colorado, Paul from Australia, and me.
We took our time looking at the beautiful scenery. Part of Palm Beach is actually an official nude beach, but we only saw one nudist basking in the sun. Personally, I found the wind from the sea quite chilly and was happy about my winter jacket...!
Max picked us up at the other side of the beach and took us a little further East, towards Onetangi Beach. This, according to Max, is the most beautiful of all the beaches on Waiheke Island. He didn't forget to mention that he lives on this beach, himself...
By now, we had all developed a little bit of an appetite (it was 3pm already!), so we stopped at one of the two restaurants on the beach. The tables all had a beautiful view of the ocean - it was really quite charming.
I had really looked forward to a large bowl of fresh salad, but for some reason, their menu lacked vegetables! The closest I could get to a salad were marinated vegetables... strange.
I ended up getting a warm soup instead, because as soon as I sat down, I felt the chilly breeze from the sea :) Paul, and the Vietnamese woman both got pork ribs. They smelled delicious, but the "salad on the side" turned out to be a single piece of lettuce - I am not kidding you!
There seems to be a strange aversion to vegetables on this island...!
After our late lunch, we hopped back on the shuttle to drive to an olive oil tasting. We drove back towards Mudbrick Vineyards, to some kind of "olive tree forest." The area looked quite mediterranean, with low shrubs growing on the ground, scattered groups of olive trees, and the rows of grapevines!
The family growing the olive trees invited us into their home (as in: their living room!) The owners, an old couple (he was Maltese!), explained a little bit of the process of pressing oil out of the olives, and offered us some olive oil to taste. They only had two kinds of plain olive oil, though - I had somehow expected a larger variety.
It was very good, but I didn't buy anything.
By now, it started getting darker outside! We drove back towards the North of the island but we just missed the sunset :(
We still got to look at some fancy houses along the coast, though.
Most of the more expensive houses are actually vaction houses of rich people. Max pointed out the house belonging to the CEO of Deutsche Bank. He and his family visit the island at most two months every year - the expensive house with prime view of the Auckland skyline is empty for ten months at a time!
We made it back in time for the 6pm ferry back to Auckland.
Unfortunately, the ferry stopped in Devonport, and it being dark out, Paul and I just followed all the people getting up and leaving the boat. When we realized that we didn't recognize the ferry wharf at all, it was too late, and the boat had left without us!
We checked the ferry time table, and another ferry was scheduled to come in 15 minutes. However, a nice couple offered to give us a ride to Auckland.
Carolyn and John own a little cottage on Waiheke Island. On the weekends, they park their car for free at Devonport and take the ferry from there to Waiheke. They were so nice to drop me off right in front of Foodtown (I needed to get something for breakfast for tomorrow).
Overall, it was a very exciting day! I don't think I would have been able to see so much of Waiheke Island on my own!
In the end, my half-day tour turned into a full day tour for 45 NZD. I think it was still a better deal than for example renting a bike for 30 NZD. We met another guy, who had rented the bike, and he was unable to walk down to the beaches (he would have had to chain his bike somewhere, climb down the cliff, climb up the cliff again later at the same place to retrieve the bike, etc). Instead, he drove up and down (and up, and down...) the many hills. We, on the other hand, effectively had our own taxi that dropped us off and picked us up wherever we wanted - I'm glad I got to spend my energy walking down the beach and climbing various volcanic rocks!
Max was a little overeager and exhausting at times, because he talked constantly! He is mostly a good salesperson - he really oversold his product at times ;)
Of course, there are also fewer tourists around in the winter, and as the owner of an independent 2-person company offering tours across the island, in competition with the bigger tourism companies that offer more structured, but also more expensive tours, he needs to try hard to get customers.
He also didn't fail to show us his house and the two-bedroom (four beds) apartment he rents out to tourists. I have to give him this, though: the apartment is very modern and clean, spacious, has a fantastic view of Onetangi Beach, and is comparably cheap (90 NZD a night during the week, 125 NZD per night on the weekend).
Call him at 0800-kayak2, if you are interested :P
Dipping into a Hot Pool
This morning, I went to take the bus to the hot springs at Waiwera (pictures on the right side of the page!).
Waiwera is a thermal spa resort with naturally hot springs. They have hot pools to soak in, waterslides and fun pools for the kids, a pool with a movie screen, a spa, a sauna, and probably a lot of other stuff I'm forgetting about right now :) The water that comes out of the ground is hot because there is a geothermal aquifier located 1500 meters below the resort.
There is a public bus route that goes all the way from central Auckland to Waiwera. This is pretty convenient, but I didn't realize how long it would take - one hour and 30 minutes one way!
We left central Auckland and drove up North (see the google maps link on the right of the page!). Pretty soon, after we left the city behind, the trees grew taller and more prominent, and the landscape overall became very "small-townish."
I also saw a lot of sheep! Living in Auckland centre, I forget sometimes that New Zealand is famous for its sheep. The only sheep in Auckland are the products made from sheepskin, I think :P
Here, however, there were tons of sheep, cows, horses, and even deer in different enclosures! Some of the deer even had large antlers - I didn't even know you could keep them fenced in like that...
We also drove by Massey University in Albany. One of my mentors is moving his lab up there in August. He told me how beautiful the area is, and I have to agree with him. Overall, of course, it is very rural compared to Auckland University. If you look out the window of a classroom in Auckland, you are most likely to see paved roads and cars. At Massey University, you can see the sheep and cows chowing away on beautiful green grass!
I didn't take any pictures because the bus drove so fast, but this is one I found on the web, showing off the pretty architecture of one of the main buildings.
If I can, I would like to go up there again and look around a little bit.
We continued up North, and I got a tiny queasy feeling in my stomach from the winding roads. Good thing we were almost there *haha*!
The bus dropped me off right in front of the spa resort - very convenient!
I bought a ticket and rented a towel (I didn't bring my own because I didn't really want to carry around a wet towel afterwards :P) and went inside.
This is were it got cold.
I knew that the pools were "outside," but I guess I expected some kind of warm enclosures connecting them, or heated changing rooms, or something... No, nothing of the sort!
Here I was: standing in my winter jacket (the temperature was about 50 degrees Fahrenheit), chilly from the wind - and everything was out there, under the open sky and enveloped by a fresh breeze from the sea (only about 100 ft away).
I took a look around. There weren't too many people there, which was nice. All the pools were indeed outside, but a few of them had some kind of sunroof over them.
I changed quickly and jumped into the 40 degrees Celsius pool *haha* ... and stayed there for the next two hours!
Well, I did take a dip in the neighboring pool, but it only had 32 degrees... that's just a little less than normal body temperature (36 degrees) and I felt it :P
Overall, though, the pools were really nice and relaxing. You quickly forget about the sulfurous smell. Also, they mix a little chlorine and other chemicals into the water to keep it sanitized. Twice, a guy came by to take water samples. Too bad, though, that it was so cold outside. I bet it is really nice in the summer!
Sitting in such hot water for too long, though, is a little tiring :) I changed back into regular clothes and took a walk around the resort area.
There is a little beach close by, a camp ground, and lots of little apartments. Some are privately owned, and some can be rented as vacation homes.
The whole resort area was enclosed by some kind of high cliff full of green, tall trees.
I stopped for a cup of hot tea at a little restaurant, and then I took the bus back to Auckland.
It wasn't too late yet so I thought about going shopping, but I couldn't find the right bus stop for the shopping center. Somehow, the bus schedule I had was wrong :(
Also, as I wasn't surrounded by sulfurous vapors anymore, I could really smell my own hair... *haha*!
So I decided to call it a day and take another shower :)
Back at The Railway Campus, I met my second roommate. She is from Washington and is also doing an exchange program.
Waiwera is a thermal spa resort with naturally hot springs. They have hot pools to soak in, waterslides and fun pools for the kids, a pool with a movie screen, a spa, a sauna, and probably a lot of other stuff I'm forgetting about right now :) The water that comes out of the ground is hot because there is a geothermal aquifier located 1500 meters below the resort.
There is a public bus route that goes all the way from central Auckland to Waiwera. This is pretty convenient, but I didn't realize how long it would take - one hour and 30 minutes one way!
We left central Auckland and drove up North (see the google maps link on the right of the page!). Pretty soon, after we left the city behind, the trees grew taller and more prominent, and the landscape overall became very "small-townish."
I also saw a lot of sheep! Living in Auckland centre, I forget sometimes that New Zealand is famous for its sheep. The only sheep in Auckland are the products made from sheepskin, I think :P
Here, however, there were tons of sheep, cows, horses, and even deer in different enclosures! Some of the deer even had large antlers - I didn't even know you could keep them fenced in like that...
We also drove by Massey University in Albany. One of my mentors is moving his lab up there in August. He told me how beautiful the area is, and I have to agree with him. Overall, of course, it is very rural compared to Auckland University. If you look out the window of a classroom in Auckland, you are most likely to see paved roads and cars. At Massey University, you can see the sheep and cows chowing away on beautiful green grass!
I didn't take any pictures because the bus drove so fast, but this is one I found on the web, showing off the pretty architecture of one of the main buildings.
If I can, I would like to go up there again and look around a little bit.
We continued up North, and I got a tiny queasy feeling in my stomach from the winding roads. Good thing we were almost there *haha*!
The bus dropped me off right in front of the spa resort - very convenient!
I bought a ticket and rented a towel (I didn't bring my own because I didn't really want to carry around a wet towel afterwards :P) and went inside.
This is were it got cold.
I knew that the pools were "outside," but I guess I expected some kind of warm enclosures connecting them, or heated changing rooms, or something... No, nothing of the sort!
Here I was: standing in my winter jacket (the temperature was about 50 degrees Fahrenheit), chilly from the wind - and everything was out there, under the open sky and enveloped by a fresh breeze from the sea (only about 100 ft away).
I took a look around. There weren't too many people there, which was nice. All the pools were indeed outside, but a few of them had some kind of sunroof over them.
I changed quickly and jumped into the 40 degrees Celsius pool *haha* ... and stayed there for the next two hours!
Well, I did take a dip in the neighboring pool, but it only had 32 degrees... that's just a little less than normal body temperature (36 degrees) and I felt it :P
Overall, though, the pools were really nice and relaxing. You quickly forget about the sulfurous smell. Also, they mix a little chlorine and other chemicals into the water to keep it sanitized. Twice, a guy came by to take water samples. Too bad, though, that it was so cold outside. I bet it is really nice in the summer!
Sitting in such hot water for too long, though, is a little tiring :) I changed back into regular clothes and took a walk around the resort area.
There is a little beach close by, a camp ground, and lots of little apartments. Some are privately owned, and some can be rented as vacation homes.
The whole resort area was enclosed by some kind of high cliff full of green, tall trees.
I stopped for a cup of hot tea at a little restaurant, and then I took the bus back to Auckland.
It wasn't too late yet so I thought about going shopping, but I couldn't find the right bus stop for the shopping center. Somehow, the bus schedule I had was wrong :(
Also, as I wasn't surrounded by sulfurous vapors anymore, I could really smell my own hair... *haha*!
So I decided to call it a day and take another shower :)
Back at The Railway Campus, I met my second roommate. She is from Washington and is also doing an exchange program.
Friday, July 6, 2007
Friday is Presentation Day
Rod Page, an alumn Phd student of Auckland University, gave a talk on "The Death of Taxonomy" today. He was a good speaker, and the talk was interesting, but it sounded a little familiar to me (I listened to a similar talk at the Evolution Conference a few weeks ago).
Afterwards, a lively discussion ensued - some people got into an argument, and it was really quite funny for everyone but those arguing :)
Marcel got a job offer from the cow-killing company in the (e)mail today. He wouldn't tell us the exact figure, but I understand the salary is more than he makes now (as the IT guy in Thomson Building). He is pretty sure about taking the offer. Congrats!
Afterwards, a lively discussion ensued - some people got into an argument, and it was really quite funny for everyone but those arguing :)
Marcel got a job offer from the cow-killing company in the (e)mail today. He wouldn't tell us the exact figure, but I understand the salary is more than he makes now (as the IT guy in Thomson Building). He is pretty sure about taking the offer. Congrats!
Thursday, July 5, 2007
movie tickets
I emailed with my sister today. She is celebrating July 4th with friends right now - this is what happens when your family is divided by the international date line and you are a day ahead of them :)
Vicky and I preordered tickets for the fifth Harry Potter movie today!
You can even reserve seats online (the movie theater website comes with a seating chart).
We reserved seats for the first showing at the theater close to the university. That's next Wednesday, at 11am. It's early to see a movie, but maybe we can dodge the crowds?
Thomas and Melanie are also coming - it should be fun!
Vicky and I preordered tickets for the fifth Harry Potter movie today!
You can even reserve seats online (the movie theater website comes with a seating chart).
We reserved seats for the first showing at the theater close to the university. That's next Wednesday, at 11am. It's early to see a movie, but maybe we can dodge the crowds?
Thomas and Melanie are also coming - it should be fun!
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Tornados in Auckland!
Yes, it's July 4th, but of course no one is celebrating here :)
Instead, we went to work! (I actually forgot that July 4th celebrations were coming up, until two days ago, when I read an article about barbecue preparations in the US...)
The day was beautiful out today - sunshine and 50 degrees Fahrenheit! I was a little unhappy about it, because I was going to spend it inside.
And then, all of a sudden, around 3 in the afternoon, it started to pour! I think I heard some thunder, too... This is how quick the weather changes in Auckland :)
According to the news, this weather situation classified as a "mini tornado"! In Auckland, some houses were damaged and a few roads were flooded.
New Plymouth, a city on the west coast of the North Island, got hit a little harder. The tornado swept roofs off buildings, broke windows, and damaged vehicles. Luckily, no one was injured.
America's Cup:
Besides following the All Blacks Rugby team games, the Kiwis also like to watch the America's Cup, an international sailing regatta. I think NZ has won twice so far; the US has been pretty good in the past, also. (I don't think Germany has a team... :) )
This year, though, the Cup remains in Europe: Alinghi, the Swiss team, beat Team New Zealand 5-2 in a pretty close race (or so I hear) - well, let's try again next time!
Instead, we went to work! (I actually forgot that July 4th celebrations were coming up, until two days ago, when I read an article about barbecue preparations in the US...)
The day was beautiful out today - sunshine and 50 degrees Fahrenheit! I was a little unhappy about it, because I was going to spend it inside.
And then, all of a sudden, around 3 in the afternoon, it started to pour! I think I heard some thunder, too... This is how quick the weather changes in Auckland :)
According to the news, this weather situation classified as a "mini tornado"! In Auckland, some houses were damaged and a few roads were flooded.
New Plymouth, a city on the west coast of the North Island, got hit a little harder. The tornado swept roofs off buildings, broke windows, and damaged vehicles. Luckily, no one was injured.
America's Cup:
Besides following the All Blacks Rugby team games, the Kiwis also like to watch the America's Cup, an international sailing regatta. I think NZ has won twice so far; the US has been pretty good in the past, also. (I don't think Germany has a team... :) )
This year, though, the Cup remains in Europe: Alinghi, the Swiss team, beat Team New Zealand 5-2 in a pretty close race (or so I hear) - well, let's try again next time!
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
I have too much data.
I looked into wikis today to solve my data management problem. Marcel suggested I'd try one called "MoinMoin." I'll play around with it tonight and we'll see if it helps!
Also, one of my two roommates moved in today. She came with a group of 20 students from Loyola College in Maryland to study at Auckland University for a semester.
I ate dinner with her and some her friends. They were all really excited to be in Auckland, but you could tell that some of them started getting tired already. Let's see how many of them will stay awake to go clubbing tonight ;)
Also, one of my two roommates moved in today. She came with a group of 20 students from Loyola College in Maryland to study at Auckland University for a semester.
I ate dinner with her and some her friends. They were all really excited to be in Auckland, but you could tell that some of them started getting tired already. Let's see how many of them will stay awake to go clubbing tonight ;)
Monday, July 2, 2007
Quite Monday
Everything went as usual in the lab - nothing exciting happened ;)
However, I got really frustrated with the amount of data my computer programs produced. It gets so much that I lose track of it - I am getting so confused!
Maybe I need to start thinking of a better way to organize things.
However, I got really frustrated with the amount of data my computer programs produced. It gets so much that I lose track of it - I am getting so confused!
Maybe I need to start thinking of a better way to organize things.
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