fem-i-nism: n. 1: the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes 2: organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests | dro-mo-man-i-a: compulsive longing for travel

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

girls weekend pictures

the following are pictures of girls weekend, which included a fancy dress cocktail party at orchard park, and a night at kristina's that featured nathalie's first taste of cheesecake. a life without cheesecake?!?! what IS that?

src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1263/1048/320/Cocktail%20party%20007.jpg" border="0" alt="" />


Monday, March 27, 2006

weekend and marks

had quite a relaxed and calm weekend. the boys went away on a guys-only trip, leaving us girls (and Sascha) alone with the flat. it's amazing how quiet it is without martin and romain...i love them, but damn, they're loud.

today i got my first marks, one on the first workbook assignments for my chinese class, and the other for my first official NZ test (a 5% quiz, really, in Philosophy). verdicts:

A for Chinese
B+ for Philosophy

i rule.

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

a few more pictures, just for kicks


My gaggle at the Vineyard on Waiheke Island


Erin, towering over (a mural) of Auckland


My Kiwi friend JJ and me, reliving Slovakia days on St. Paddy's


The whole gaggle of international punks I call my mates at the Minus 5 Degree ice bar

Monday, March 20, 2006

weekend in auckland

i spent this past weekend in auckland, about a two hour bus ride from hamilton. my friends and i stayed in a decent though not stellar hostel right in the center of town. we arrived on st. patricks day, so no one needs it spelled out for them that there was definate drinking involved. however, due to the festive nature of the holiday, i had quite a few people buying me drinks, so money transfer was minimal. i wasn't even wearing that cleavagey of a shirt...perhaps it's my magnetic personality.

anyway, i got to see my friend JJ, who was an exchange student in Slovakia as well while i was there, and whom i got to be pretty good friends with. it was fantastic seeing her, and the overall night was pretty much a success. okay, there was a little taking in of a really bad falafel kebab that made my friend annie really sick, but the night was still good.

saturday we went on a little cruise to Waiheke Island, about 45 minutes away from Auckland. the island is GORGEOUS, as just about everything is here, i'm learning, and famous for it's wineries. we got turned away due to a closed tasting room and long wait at the first two we went to, but got an outdoor table and 4 wine tastes and a bread and dip plate for about 8 bucks, so it was a pretty good, relaxed afternoon.

the highlight of the night was the Minus 5 Degree bar (that's Celsius, so it's not as cold as one may originally think), an actual ice bar that was such a cool experience. i'll never do it again because of a bit of a hefty price tag, but as i went with a whole group of really groovy people, it was a monumental amount of fun and totally worth it. but it's a definate one time only experience...yes, i've been to an ice bar, haven't you? automatic cool points for me.

sunday we went shopping. everyone got sucked in to the cute shops along Queen Street...EXCEPT ME! granted, i saw a LOT of really cute stuff, but resisted and had the only uninjured pocket book by the time i got on the bus to hamilton. ha-freaking-ha, i win! self restraint! i possess it! who knew?

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

just gorgeous NZ pictures


Mt. Maunganui


The RHPS Riff Raff Statue in Hamilton


The Mount


The Lake near my on-campus flat here at Uni


View from the top of Mt. Maunganui

more pictures


Me NOT driving the van from Auckland airport to Hamilton my first day


My friend Annie (from IL) playing pool


Mateja (SD) and Nathalie (Holland) in Raglan


Mima (Slovakia!) and Romain (France) sharing a drink at a pub called The Bank


Mateja, Martin (Norway), and Romain at our very first flat-dinner

pictures


My friend Ceren from Turkey at Hamilton Gardens


At Raglan beach


Out on the town


Me and my flatmate Mateja at our first rugby game


My friend Kristina atop Mt. Maunganui

Monday, March 13, 2006

the rumour was true...

...mt. maunganui IS nicer than Raglan. after figuring out that i'm just not a "go to the beach and get sand in between my toes and EVERYWHERE else", i enjoyed my day there much more than Raglan. went window shopping in town, and swimming in the hot salt water pools...*loves*.the last couple of days in hamilton itself could be taken or left, definately, some crappiness i think occompaning the lousy weather. today the sun has shown all day, and though it's my officially crap-class-LONG day, i've gotten good news, namely that my Chinese prof will let me take my test that is currently scheduled for the DAY BEFORE fall break starts early so i can catch an earlier flight to the South Island, and save a ton of moolah. i'm managing. just wish i didn't have classes all day so i could enjoy this weather. ah well.

i regretably forgot my flash drive at home, so i'll post some pictures next time. peace out, i must away to class!

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

MEGA DEATH!

there is.
no end.
to how PISSED off.
i am.
at Pierre Fucking Lacquiox.
right now.

HOOK HOOK DEATH DEATH DEATH Pierre. MEGA DEATH!

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

perhaps long awaited, an update

I have no idea why New Zealand likes to make getting Internet so damn tricky, but it does. My flat will be getting broadband internet access by the end of the month, but until then, I'm restricted to using the library (which doesn't provide free access off the Uni of Waikato website: WTF inserted here) or Internet Cafe's. the Library is closer in between my two classes today, so here I go.
I'm still officially not homesick, but I do miss some of the comforts of home. I'm getting so used to everything here, though, and I'm so busy all the time it's hard to miss things too much. Last week, "O Week", school started, and my basic report on my classes is that they're fine. Philosophy will be tricky, but I like my Professor, so I'm good there, New Zealand History will be a bit dry, but duh, it's History, and Chinese is currently so boring I could scratch my eyes out...since it's 101, everyone is learning the basic characters for the first time, except me, so until we get a little more into it, it's bound to be dullsville. It should be fine in a few weeks, though. Every class here does three lectures and one tutorial a week, a tutorial basically being a lab. My history and Chinese ones will be cake, but my Philosophy is slated at 8am on Tuesdays. How the hell we're supposed to be Philisophical at 8am is beyond me. My tutor, Dan, though, is quite cool, and is going to try to push it back, so three cheers for him.
O Week is essentially a lot of pub-hopping and concert going, then going to first classes hung over, if at all for most. I successfully went to none of my classes hung over, though I did go to a pub Monday and Thursday nights, Thursday to see a really great Kiwi band, Elemeno P. The Lime-wire enabled would do well to get some of their stuff. Saturday night was a clubbing night, and since the drinks at pubs here are so god-awful expensive, I had a bottle of Riesling before we went out. In retrospect, the entire bottle was not such an ace-plan, but I didn't figure that out until a great night at the Bahama Hut was well over. Though someone please tell me now that boys named Matt are just TROUBLE and should be avoided.
Sunday was a cheap beach trip to Raglan, about 50km away...not bad for $2, but the weather was awful. We ate some good pizza in town, and now I've been to an NZ beach. This Saturday we're off to Mt. Manganui with the International Centre, which is apparently a much, much nicer beach, though I still only paid $5 to go. Yay. Then next weekend, my flatmates and friends and I are all off to Auckland for the weekend. I really, really love the fact I have no Friday classes, and no classes Monday until 3. I'm bound to get so spoiled here.
All this is definately been a lot of work, and a lot to get used to, but I'm doing so well. Sorry I can't update more frequently, but that should change the 27th. Unless Telecom screws us, which could happen to. I'm really off, now though, so I can look over the half of my Philosophy text I didn't read before class. Bye, everyone.