ramblings

it's kind of annoying how dominate america is in the world when you're trying to live in a different culture. you really can't escape "what america is up to" at all. everyone knows what's going on all the time, it's the new age of global technology dontcha know?
of course, facebook doesn't help, everyone's status updates all whining about obama and the cowboys and blah blah blah. sucks that im addicted to it.
i have made some advancements in simplifying my life though. i have no cell phone, it got stolen "in da club" like a month ago so i just said screw it.
so, no phone, no car, minimal responsibilities and a lot more walking. so that's good, right?
my diet here has been terrible for the most part. living with boys doesn't help. i swear there's a stack of pizza boxes to the ceiling in our kitchen. the boys are really proud of it. (the boxes aren't mine, but that's what i'm around) and everyone loves the cookies and junk food and stuff here. so thats been a rough environment for trying to stay healthy, but i am definitely doing much better and it has to do with the weather getting sunny (more fruits, veggies), and one of my new good friends from san francisco that i've been hanging out with more. she has a very similar lifestyle to my austin peers and i find her company a refreshingly good influence. also i am excited to have a friend living in the middle of san francisco, as we have agreed to exchange visits with each other (it's my goal to change people's minds about texas one at a time).

this week is super stressful for me because i have 7 pages due tomorrow and 14 pages due friday and stuff for amnesty i need to do and im not getting enough sleep. i am so looking forward to next week when i can relax and have time to go to the gym and read whatever i want to at the beach all day. yes please! in the meantime i'm living off of nibbles of sushi and lattes while hammering away between classes until i pass out at about 2 am, and then wake up and do it all over again.

seriously though, two swim suit seasons in one year is bullshit. speaking of, my favorite words to hear in a kiwi accent are bullshit, children, danger, and twenty-seven. i'll try to tape and example for you, that will be fun. next week though.
also on my to do list is sending post cards to the kiddos i nanny for back in austin. remember when you were little and you got something in the mail? it was like christmas morning. or it used to be, anyway. i used to complain that my parents got way more mail than i did, so they started sticking their junk mail into my little mailbox i had on my tree house.

i think that facebook is going to mean the end of high school reunions. if you want to know what anyone you want to school with is up to, it's not hard to find out. we'll see if my prediction is right.

okay, back to writing about don't ask, don't tell.

All Blacks and Art Shows

Howdy! Well, I am sitting in the library with 11 books stacked to my left which all need to be gone through and stripped of information relative to my research projects...so instead I think I'll blog.

This library is awesome. It has huge windows all around and right now as I'm typing, I have a panoramic view of Wellington and the sun is setting over the harbor with the mountains behind. I like New Zealand, who could get research done here?? I think I will bring my family to this library as part of their Wellington tour.

I've been a somewhat busy girl lately, I went to an All Blacks game since we last spoke, and that was immensely entertaining. We played the Wallabies (Australia) and massacred them, so it was a smashing success. Though I do think that the crowd around us was somewhat annoyed with the band of drunk American hooligans I was with (boys). It was a good time, but good lord, if ever there was proof of the American stereotype, it was that evening. I still love them anyways.

And no, mother, I was not drinking myself. So in the battle of state representation, Texas came out classy as ever. Here are some pictures my friend Kevin Holland took until I can get home and add some of mine (his are better anyway).

Entering in style:

The Hakka. Remember I showed you a video of it a while ago?

The last nail in Australia's coffin.

Remember that you can click on images to enlarge them.

I also have recently gone to a big Wellington spectacle called the World of Wearable Arts, which is an international competition where artists literally create art that people can wear somehow, out of all sorts of materials and concepts. This amazing show is part fashion show, part art show, part theatrical performance, part Cirque de Soleil, and allllll amazing. Couldn't take pictures of it, but here are some of the art highlights:

This gown won the grand prize, and was an entrance from a carpenter in Alaska. The entire outfit is handcrafted out of WOOD. Amazing.

People on all fours, as human chairs:

See? There's some really great stuff, it was a lot of fun.

Hope you're all enjoying the arrival of Fall. I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of Summer and my family!