Surf.

So these days I spend surfing and working.

I still struggle to ride waves.

I actually have a group of solid friends now.

Yey.

I bought a new car, a Nissan Bluebird. It has a name- Snoop. And it's a manual.

The Kiwi survival guide:

Lemonade here is Sprite- real lemonade does not exist
They love ginger beer.
Candy is called lollies.
They have gummy babies and Eskimos.
They don't have rags but tea towels and cloths.
They giggle if I say silverware-its cutlery.
They say Ta for thank you.
You ask for your check when eating at a restaurant or else you pay at the counter- they never just bring it over.
Alcohol is not cheap.
The highest alcohol in beer in 5%.
The entrees are their appetizers and our entrees are their main courses.
Cars are not cheap.
It's okay to be homeless- or a traveling bum.
There is no animal or creature that will kill you.
Petrol (gas) price is double.
Kiwis are the cheapest fruit to purchase.
They love beets.
All cookies are hard- they are meant to be dipped in coffee or tea.
They have savory muffins everywhere- spinach and feta= amazing.
They don't really have drip coffee.
They have flat whites- which is espresso with steamed milk.
The sun is super powerful.
They call bathing suits, "togs."
They love pies- especially meat pies (mince and cheese).
Instead of a popcorn button on microwaves they have a meat pie button.
They drive on the left side of the road.
They love reggae, electronic, and drum & bass music.

AND...
They say things like : "Sweet as"

Peace of mind

I saw the Dalai Lama speak this past weekend, and to capture it in a nutshell, are you ready?..... Peace of mind will bring you happiness and well being (and anything else you want/need in life). It was a really nice talk- he wasn't profound or saint-like. He seemed incredibly real and just reiterated what we all know- what goes around comes around. He also made me realize that I want to go back to India and other Asian countries.

Anyway...

Later that night Ally (the one from VT) and I went out on the town and stumbled upon a singles party. We did not know this until we were inside and saw all the uneaten food and various nametags. Of course, we found ourselves a couple of new names; Sarah B and Esperanza. We actually got jiggy with it Will Smith style, and realized we had to escape while the DJ played Venga Boys. Needless to say it reminded me of an 8th grade school dance but with sad old men who haden't left the party hours ago with a new love.

So all in all my trip to Auckland and to see the Dalai Lama was good fun.

Back to reality in Raglan.

Surf. Work. Play. Explore.