overview

Where shall I start?

I've missed my own comfy bed so much for the past 3 weeks, but had some pretty incredible memories doing random activities and just catching up with May and Janice, and of course touring around with Becky hehe.

Spots on the art gallery is supposedly to promote an ongoing exhibition at the time. I still like Welly despite the crazy wind meh. Not too fond of the head colds from the wind, though.

and of course, no trip is complete without good food.

Introducing Wholly Bagels- yummy bagels with different fillings of choice. They should open a franchise here!

Went on a Kapiti Coast tour and had fun posing with odd/interesting cars at the transport museum

May couldn't join us to Auckland as she's too busy with her research :(

Anyway, we took a 2-day trip down to Rotorua then to Taupo. Weather was sooooo warm then. Rotorua DOES smell of rotten eggs due to sulphur everywhere. Gosh. But it does get better with time

Went to one of the geothermal 'wonderland's- funky colours and smells

 And Janice zorb-ed! So much fun from just watching her do it. The people working there are just so crazy and fun-loving haha! That's next on my to-do-list the next time I visit Rotorua.

We also pampered ourselves at the Polynesian Spa & hot spring pools at Rotorua. BLISS

Took a 1 hour bus ride down to Lake Taupo, and went to the Huka prawn farm to catch some prawns! Random, I know. Becky was the only one who managed to catch any (3), which were then cooked at the restaurant. Wished we had more time there though, never thought prawn-fishing could be this challenging and fun!

Auckland- the city of sails and where I bought my Karen Walker top *teehee*

Met up with Tao and William at Auckland, had dinner at the famous KK Malaysian restaurant at Epsom. The kangkong belacan is to die for. I'm definitely going back for more next time.

Then they drove us to the lookout at Devonport for beautiful views and lots of phototaking ;) A group pic (bless that person who invented self-timers) for remembrance

Also, we attended Michelle and Davina's graduation ceremony yesterday afternoon. Oh, Sarah and Yan who did pharmacy had their ceremony as well. Beautiful day for graduation; even better when we stumbled upon this great secret place to take photos- they look like they've been taken in the studio!

My personal favourite: Xander (about 6 weeks old) drooled while this photo was taken hehe. He has gotten so much bigger since I last saw him: heard that he's already outgrown many of his Ralph Lauren and Gap baby clothes :P He's sooooooooo cute it's impossible not to coo and make baby noises at him. Also, yesterday was the first time I had held a baby ever- feels really good actually :)

So apart from still recovering from the 3-week holiday, I'm getting ready to be back at the lab tomorrow :( Been busy the last few days planning the itinerary for a South Island tour that's happening in a few days. Can't wait for mum and dad to arrive in 10 days! :D

What's more, my own graduation in 12 days! eeks. It feels surreal. And not having a dress yet is a dreadful feeling. The desperate hunt shall begin very soon. Also, time is running out in finding a place to live for next year. I'm not even thinking about packing all my things yet.

But all in all, I'm grateful :) For a safe and awesome trip, for first class honours WOOHOO (who would have thought?! well, I didn't), for parents coming over to see me graduate soon yay, for having the whole flat to myself (just kidding, Sharon hurry come back home!), and for the tv series GLEE :D

Will Schuester is the cutest when he sings/dances *sigh*

of bananas and wedges

Queenstown trip this year was action-filled from beginning to end.

It was a bummer that Becky and Mel was sick throughout the 4 days, but thumbs up to them for still not giving up on learning to ski :)

3rd time to Queenstown (third time's a charm?)- I wanted to accomplish 2 things: first is learn how to ski, and then sky dive. Those two costed a LOT, especially when I decided on impulse to get the dvd/photos/postcards combo pack for skydive (almost as much as the jump itself eeks)

So we left on Thursday morning by bus. Arrived at the Alfresco holiday house at noon-ish, had lunch at a Chinese restaurant, then just walked around town window-shopping and getting ski trip planning sorted. Rented goggles and gloves too, which was surprisingly cheap as opposed to getting brand new ones. Thanks Amy for lending me your glove!

the luxurious Alfresco House- where we stayed

view from the house- facing the Remarkables

mannequins have to stay warm too!

Best friends Becky & Mel with their matching ugg boots :P

Friday- woke up early to catch the 8.30am bus to The Remarkables ski field. It's about 10 minutes' drive from town, then another 30 minutes or so up the mountain.

snow- everywhere!

the chair lifts leading up to the more advanced slopes- which sadly, we didn't manage to go up to as it would be an extra lesson outside the 2-day starter pack we booked

the travellator- aka the "magic carpet" (3 altogether) leading from the entrance to the main building

oh yeah.

Taken just before heading back to town at around 4.30pm. Cute little girl in blue hehe. Btw many kids were skiing too, some taught by intructors, mostly taught by their parents. How cute! and well, they are faster learners than us

the long queue for the bus heading back

2nd day- more photos.

Didn't manage to take photos of us with our ski gear as I didn't want to risk dropping my camera in the snow :P The first day was sooooooo WARM that I was only wearing a singlet with a ski jacket and no scarf. Even my palms were sweating as the gloves were so thick and the sun was glaring. The 2nd day, however, was like a typical snowy day- snow and wind and incredibly freezing temperatures.

Overall, I would say that learning how to ski is like a bacterial growth curve :P The first hours can be frustrating, slow, and painful (falls!); but once you get the hang of it (maintain that "wedge"!!! haha), it's just a matter of practise and listening to advice from ski instructors. Walking with the skis and ski boots on snow is CRAZY I tell you: imagine your feet had suddenly grown 5 times its size, and the only way to walk up a slope is to walk like a crab- horizontally and on an angle that's crisscrossing the slope's angle. Takes a bit of getting used to. The boots were probably the most uncomfortable part of all- it was so tight (don't want it to fall off) my muscles are still a little sore from the tight grip.

P.S. a "wedge" is basically the formation our legs should shape into- sort of like a pizza with the tip having a small gap, and bigger gap towards the back. To stop, widen the wedge and avoid falling/bumping into someone else HAHA

I'm still bummed we didn't get to go up to steeper slopes using the chair lift. That would cost us extra for lessons and lift passes- and we were all tired and it was freezing cold the 2nd day. Next time- steeper slopes here I come!

Sunday morning- I finally ticked off another point on my to-do-before-I-die list and went skydiving. Most people are afraid of the idea of jumping off a plane, let alone from a height of 12000 feet (twice the height of the peak of the Remarkables mountain, I was told) and withstanding temperature as cold as minus 20 degrees celsius.

I'm not afraid of heights- so it wasn't really about conquering my fear. Though I love the marketing concept of "embrace the fear" by the skydive company, Nzone. The highlight bonus was getting strapped to a cute skydive instructor, Ricky :) :) :)

the plane! to fit 10 (1 pilot, 3 instructors, 3 cameramen, 3 crazy people jumping off a plane)

after reaching an altitude of 12,000 feet, we jumped!

Oh, and that's us doing the superman pose :P

P.S. the "banana" formation to adopt during skydive: head and shoulder up, hip backwards, knees bent.

after the initial 2-3 seconds of "landing on the sky", it was followed by ~45 seconds of freefalling, then 3 to 5 minutes of gliding in the sky after the parachute opens.

felt a little dizzy after the spins, but all good!

Now I can proudly say that I have skydived!!! :D

The dvd of my actual jump featured the song "Gone" by Switchfoot, which I find so appropriate. Some may call me impulsive and a big-spender, but hey, every day is another opportunity to reach greater heights (literally, too!). My biceps/triceps hurt from the pressure of my arm being flung upwards, and my bank balance is looking so miserable now, but it was all worth it.

She told him she'd rather fix her makeup
than try and fix what's going on
But the problem keeps on calling
even with the cell phone gone.

She told him that she believes in living
bigger than she's living now
But her world keeps spinning backwards
And upside down.

Don't say so long, and throw your self on.
Don't spend today away, 'cause today will soon be

Gone, like yesterday is gone
Like history is gone
Just try and prove me wrong and
pretend like you're immortal.

She said, he said, live like no tomorrow
Everyday we borrow brings us
one step closer to the edge. Infinity.
Where's your treasure, where's your hope
if you get the world and lose your soul?
She pretends like she pretends like she's immortal.

Don't say so long, you're not that far gone.
This could be your big chance to make-up
Today will soon be

Gone, like yesterday is gone
Like history is gone
The world keeps spinning on
You're going, going
Gone, like summer break is gone,
Like Saturday is gone
Just try and prove me wrong
You pretend like you're immortal (you're immortal)
You're immortal (you're immortal)

We are not infinite
We are not permanent
Nothing is immediate
We're so confident in our accomplishments.
Look at our decadence.

Gone, like Frank Sinatra, like Elvis and his mom,
Like Al Pacino's cash, nothing lasts in this life.
My High School dreams are gone,
my childhood streets are gone
Life is a day that doesn't last for long.

Life is more than money, time was never runny.
Time was never cash, life is still more than girls.
Life is more than hundred dollar bills and roto-tom fills.
Life is more than fame and rock and roll and thrills,
All the riches of the kings end up in wills
We've got information in the information age
but do we know what life is outside of our convenient Lexus cages?

She said, he said live like no tomorrow
Every moment that we borrow brings us closer
to the God who's not short of cash
Hey Bono, I'm glad you asked.
Life is still worth living, Life is still worth living.
Life is more that you are

Alright, back to the lab running experiments and studying (in a week when semester 2 begins). More photos to be uploaded to facebook soon :)

to the light

My new favourite singer/guitarist in a while: Newton Faulkner.

I personally think he has the voice of Chris Rice and guitar skills of Kaki King. Brilliant combination :) I love this song of his "to the light". It was featured in one of the dances in the dance competition show "So you think you can dance (Australia)"- which I am totally addicted to now =P Go have a listen, it's such a feel good song, perfect after a hectic, manic Monday.

I'm taking a break because I'm losing it again
And I wanna relate without you thinking I'm insane
Oh, it's the same another train
Just sitting around with-a-record in my brain
You could have everything you wanted
But you would be still be wanting more
Cause the sun is always in your eyes
You search for stillness on a rock
That's spinning round and round and you're surprised

Take a break from all I know,
Just sit back and let it flow,
Then I find I've broken through,
To the light again.

Every time I find I'm thinking about the things I want to
That is the time I have nothing to sing
And every time I find I'm thinking about things that don't matter
That is the time I see everything
I want to know lord
Why it's got to be so hard
Wanna know lord
Why it's got to be so hard
I feel like a muppet with a drunkard puppeteer but I'll survive
I will survive.

Take a break from all I know,
Just sit back and let it flow,
Then I find I've broken through,
To the light again.
Then I find I've broken through,
To the light again

Speaking of which- sorry for the lack of updates. I barely had time to breathe, let alone blog. But I'm keeping on my eyes on the goal- graduation and getting that awesome job next year haha! 6 months to go- yeap that does seem very soon YET it's still so far away.

I've been talking to the postgrads in my lab, which have been very helpful. I've found my potential employer- Institute of Environmental Science of Research. Eyeing the forensics department ;P It's quite a sought after place to work at, especially for fresh grads, and a previous PhD student at my lab had went on to do her postdoc there, and she's coming back for a visit soon, so I'll get prepared for questions to ask her then.

To be honest, I don't have the slightest idea of where I'd be in 5 years' time. I can definitely see my friends getting married *wink wink you know who you are* and having babies, comparing diaper prices. I'll be the aunt taking photos of them. Fingers crossed, I'd have permanent residency by then, so my parents can retire here/travel around, maybe broaden my horizons and go overseas (again)- but really- who knows? But for the next 2 years, staying put (somewhere in the north island) would be my immediate plan. As for doing a PhD.... HMMmmmm not going to happen anytime soon though it does sound tempting to have the "doctor" title and scrap the "miss".

New things since I last blogged: I bought a new mouse and mousepad! Great gaming mouse and super smooth m/pad which I had always wanted to get. Bought a few tee shirts from threadless.com, sharing postage with Chyi my fellow KW buddy. Looking forward to the Pancakes coming down to Dunedin in 3 weeks time for their graduation ceremony :)

Ok more pics and stories to tell during the last day at Napier/Hastings during Easter. Gosh how I miss that place!

Day 4: touring around Napier yay

the "duck" bus/boat which nearly ran me over as I was taking a photo of it

on the way to the chocolate company, we found this beautiful park
I love this photo of Sam!

wallpaper, anyone?

Mich *wistful thinking* ;P
I like the windy footpath

group photo- joss, may, & sam
a fun park for kids at the background

nothing but blue skies!

hehe how cute!
*cough* Mich, Sam, and Janice in the future *cough*

finally, we reached the Silky Oak chocolate company and ordered the amazing "Hot choc extreme"- extremely rich melted chocolate with thick cream and optional chilli flakes sprinkled on top

ordered bacon & mushroom soup as well. YUMS

then we joined a tour around the former Napier Prison
the hanging yard- people did get executed here decades ago

fooling around...

...and again

there was even an actual graveyard where a few executed prisoners were buried at
*creepy* we saw the rooms and solitary confinement units etc: a real eye-opener indeed
It's now been made into a backpackers :P

we walked around the beach: rocky, not sandy!

then went up to Bluff Hill lookout just in time to catch the last of sunset
Had a great dinner (again, paid by mr pancake) at a restaurant called "the Thirsty Whale"- interesting name indeed. Had one of the best carbonaras I'd tasted ever + awesome customer service + great company

I'm thinking of doing skydiving. The prices are insane though. $249 for 9000 feet, $299 for 12000 feet, and $399 for 15000 feet. I'm wondering if a few thousand feet will make that much of a different once you're so high up on the plane waiting to jump. A few more seconds maybe? Do I have the guts to actually do it, though? =P I want to though; hoping that there's another person who'll want to skydive as well.

Till then, another song by Newton Faulkner- People should smile more.

The great getaway- days 2 & 3

I'm surprised my Wellington trip post ended up here. haha!

The bee sting site is less swollen now, but gosh is it itchy! Google tells me it'll stay itchy for about a week. Hmph.

July ski trip to Queenstown- to go or not to go? Yes of course I want to- considering I've been in NZ for 4 years now but have never skied before yeah it's just not normal. Well the first time when I went there as part of a hall trip; and considering we only spent 2 days 1 night there, there was no time to ski. 2nd time I went there with my parents and of course they opted not to ski. And now, final and busiest year of uni, I FEEL that I must go =P Thanks guys for planning, especially renting that awesome house with jacuzzi and all that flashy stuff. So yeap I've decided to go, just need to plan experiments well and probably start with writing up dissertation soon.

Sky-diving, here I come! =P

***

More photos on my Easter trip:

Days 2 and 3: Napier/Hastings

Arrived at Napier, the amazing art deco city, at around 3pm after a long bus ride from Wellington. My 1st impression of Napier/Hastings was of the beautiful public art, beach just a minute away from the Pancakes' flashy apartment, and incredibly sunny/cloudless skies =) And of course, having a reunion with Alex&Sam (after GOSH HOW LONG??? more than 5 months!!!) made me so happy =D

Sigh I'm so jealous of them: working professionals, earning big bucks (even more next year!), staying at such a great place with great views, no need to study and rush for assignments: that's what I call life.

Enough words, enjoy the photos.

gosh so pretty the view from their apartment!
imagine waking up to THAT view every day...

catching up/bonding time :)

May looking at a random korean drama series, while Sam was busy cooking noodles for hungry us

Dinner at Hog's Breath, all paid by Canai the big taukeh ;P

Day 3 @ Hastings: having cold drinks on a hot day

Sileni Estate: doesn't look like a winery at all
Hawkes Bay is internationally well-known for the quality of wine being produced here; there's literally hundreds of wineries here

display area inside

We paid $14.50/person in total for wine tasting (6 types of wine) and a tour around the winery
we also bought a bottle of dessert wine for a little indulgence :P

oops blurry. Not sure why May was covering her nose haha
probably the sour smell of fermenting wine

HUGE tanks used to make wine- one big tank holds 50,000 litres!

then we made our way to Te Mata Peak, a lookout point
The faithful Lancer (to the right)

zooming in on a beautiful estate/house

the brave Michelle, our driver hehe

brought Canai's tripod- very handy

hehe MayMay so cute

blue, blue skies!

the emo pic

I like this one

...and then we saw this -__-

what more can I say? beauty, beauty, and beauty all around us
probably the highlight of the trip for me: heh I'm content just looking over the valleys and mountains, enjoying the light breeze, and spending time with great friends :)

After that day, I was reminded again how blessed/lucky I am to be able to study here; to be able to travel, explore; and most importantly enjoying all those with best friends.