Playing Tourist Guide

I didn't get much work done today, because the lab was so noisy again >_<

Mohsen, the new student from Sweden (he is originally from Iran, and he doesn't speak Swedish at all!) came in today. Now, he needs to go through the same amount of annoying paperwork I needed to go through, to get an ID card, an account in the University's computer system, and eventually a swipe card (by the way, my swipe card is supposed to work tomorrow!). He seemed exhausted :)

Mohsen also lost all of his luggage (no one knows where the airline sent it) so I took pity on him and showed him to three key destinations in Auckland: the Sky Tower (where the tourist information center is located - very important to know!), The Warehouse (perfect for impoverished students that need the odd little toothbrush, dish washing detergent, chocolate, silverware, etc at cheap prices!) and Foodtown (knowing where the food is - survival tactics).

When showing Mohsen around, I realized how much I learned about Auckland in the two weeks that I've been here! I could point out landmarks in the downtown area, explain the bus system, tell him about the volcanic history of the area, point him towards cheap and not so cheap shopping areas, explain the "flatting" system (if you want to rent a bedroom in an apartment or house with several people), etc.

Pretty cool - if I stay here much longer, I might earn the privilege to call myself a "kiwi at heart." (I could never be a "true kiwi" because I'm still too afraid to cross the streets in the middle of raging traffic of downtown Auckland, as the New Zealanders are prone to do!)

Then, I went home to cook dinner. Actually, I really enjoy these cooking adventures - I hope I have as much time next semester to continue them (yeah, keep dreaming, Lina!).

Last night, I noticed a puddle of water around the toilet in my bathroom. I wonder if it's leaking (please, no!!) or if the floor is a little uneven and it dribbles over from the shower? So I left the housekeeping staff (comes in every Wednesday) a note, asking if they could figure it out.

I got a lovely response (in Chinese-inspired "Chinglish") advising me to leave a message at the reception downstairs. I hope the maintenance guy can come and take a look at it tomorrow!

Random Note to Self of the Day:
New Zealanders prefer to call peppers "capsicums" and raisins "sultanas."

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