Hey everyone,
Well I've suffered through and am happy to report that it only took 25 minutes for my computer to open Mozilla and then open this lovely website so that I could share with you. I'm counting that as a serious win. I do want to apologize for the space between blogs. It's a fight worth fighting and I'll do battle more frequently on your behalf.
Let me attempt to catch you up.
Weeks ago I was in the throws of the Olympic experience. Work in the village was standard and I started making friends with the athletes. It continued to amaze me how they could be so normal and yet so elite. I guess people are really just people when it comes down to it. The Canadian bobsled team was one of the first groups that I met. There I was just minding my own business by nosily saying hello to every person who walked by and demanding to see their accreditation as they entered the cafeteria when I look up from one ID to none other than Graeme Rinholm. Now. I'll have you know this is a big deal. Graeme graduated from my high school just a year or two before me and actually conducted my application interview. Mouth agape I said "Oh my goodness! It's Graeme!". To which he replied, "Yup" and kept walking. I yelled after him, "It's Julia! From RJC!". He looked confused and grabbed a food tray. I'll have you know I was shocked. How dare he just saunter by like that. He should have at least feigned interest in my unexpected appearance in Russia, in Sochi, at the Olympics, in the athlete's village, in the athlete's dining hall, at the exact moment he was. But no. Alas! He didn't remember me. Oh well, it happens. 10 minutes later he came back and apologized. He said I looked familiar but he hadn't been able to place me. We shared a good laugh and I met the bobsled teams. Graeme was attending the Olympics as an alternate athlete. Due to the crash during the Games, he was actually able to race. I am incredibly proud of his accomplishment. And I thank him for making the Games that much more memorable and special for me.
Naturally the Canadians weren't the only ones I met. The Jamaician bobsled team was true to expectations and hilarious. The Brits had the most adorable and kind skeleton racer. The Irish were a feisty lot. Australia brought me a lovely lady who reminded me a lot of Patrice. The Brazilians promised to look for me in Rio. The French enjoyed my attempts at speaking French. The Latvians brought a man with the most piercing blue eyes (I never did get the courage to tell him they were stunning). I could go on and on. Everyone was friendly and happy.
Outside of work, our little international clan was growing closer and beginning to incorporate more and more Russians. When we first arrived, I will admit that we English speakers clung together a little bit. But by the end of the games, we were just as likely to sit with Russian friends as international ones. Our work and village brought us together out of sheer situation but the Olympic spirit of cooperation and friendship made us connect on a personal level. Language barriers couldn't stop us. Indeed they often provided us laughter and made our conversations that much more meaningful in the first few weeks. As the Games progressed our Russian counterparts became more confident in their English and us internationals began to adopt more Russian. We also had opportunities to just hangout with each other. As I previously wrote, the Russians quickly took to Dutch Blitz and our friendship circle expanded that way. Most of the people that we worked with also lived in the village of Vesoloye so we saw each other at meals and often ventured out to buy sweets together. The olympic organization also gifted volunteers free tickets through out the Games to events that didn't sell out. I had the pleasure to go watch Alpine Skiing with Oksana. I really enjoyed that one on one connection time.
Speaking of events -- I attended the Snowboard Slope-style competition the day before the Games officially started and also the Apline Ski near the end of the Games. Most importanty/excitingly/extensively/Canadianly I was able to attend 4 Canadian Olympic hockey games. I watched Canada vs. Finland (which I had purchased tickets for). I watched Canada vs Austria due to my most wonderful friend Chad. I watched Canada vs Latvia due to a generous Russian man who gave me a free ticket. And... drum roll please... I watched the Canada vs Sweden GOLD MEDAL GAME! I jokingly stated in one of my interviews that I was a good luck charm for Canada. Well it's less joke and more reality. I have empirical proof people. I purchased my Canada Gold Medal Game ticket and rushed off to get my camera. Naturally my nature and the nature of Russia colluded and I arrived at the game late. I shimmied into my seat, turned to my friend and asked "How are we doing?". "It doesn't look good," he replied, "We are getting dominated". "Don't fear, momma's here" I responded. Three minutes later we had our first goal and there was no doubt who was going to come out on top. So. You're welcome Canada. :)
What else should I tell you!? These blogs are so much easier if you write as you go. This experience has been an incredible vivid blur. I guess this also leaves some mystery for you folks back home. Haha. You'll still have to ask me about my trip.
I guess I'll just talk about now. Right now I'm sitting in Istanbul. I arrived late last night and got to my hostel with little trouble.The city is stunning. If you ever decide to come to Istanbul, stay at the Istanbul Hostel and follow their directions on how to get to there. Also, arrive around sunset. I got off the metro around 9pm. It was dark except for the Agia Sofia lit up on my left and the Blue Mosque shinning on my right. It was overwhelming. As you might have guessed, the hostel is in an incredibly central location. I am blocks away from Blue Mosque, Agia Sofia and the Basilica Cistern is only one block further.
Polina arrived safely last night and we spent most of today walking around. We toured Topkapi Palace and the Istanbul Archaeology Museums. The palace was huge which I suppose is to be expected. It was opulent and yet comfortable. Don't worry, I'll have pics up (hopefully) soon. Then we had a scrumptious lunch at a stunning cafe near the palace. So many veggies. I missed those over the last month. After lunch we sauntered back to the hostel to grab an extra layer and then headed out to the Spice Market. It wasn't nearly as crazy as I expected but I loved every second. We even got to eat some free samples. Tasty. Even tastier were the mini donuts we found and devoured. Note to Canada; ground pistachios on mini donuts is a thing. It's a very good thing. Fat camp continued -- Oh! I should tell you about Fat Camp. Side bar Your Honour this is important. During the Olympics we walked insane amounts. Up hills, down hills, around hill, thru hills. We climbed sets of stairs like it weren't no thang. But it was. Cause no matter how you step it 900 stairs in a row is a lot. Hence, we lovingly refer to the walking aspect of our experience as Fat Camp. So! Fat Camp continued for Polina and I today as I'm fairly certain we walked over 25kms up hills, down hill, around hills, and thru hills. And we encountered some stairs. Haha. It was great. (Freedom friends, I might actually come back relatively in shape). Our stair count was some what diminished when decided to skip the Galata Tower due to cost. Though it may have had an elevator... In any case we still walked to it.
I'm trying to think of a witty way to sign off but it's simply not coming to me. I think tonight I'll just say good night and sweet dreams.
Sleepily yours,
Julia
Friday, February 28, 2014
Saturday, February 8, 2014
This is surreal.
As I type this, I am sitting in the volunteer village cafeteria with roughly 100 Russian and international volunteers watching the Biathalon. Cheers erupt every time a Russian athlete appears on screen. I literally stopped typing for a few minutes just now because the room was full of cheers urging a Russian athlete to cross the finish line in first place. He missed it by 4 seconds or so. The room groaned with disappointment. Not to worry though. There are multiple other Russian athletes to urge forth. Every time cheering erupts I catch myself thinking it's odd. Why is everyone cheering for this strange man? There is no Canadian on screen. And then I remember. I'm in Russia. Watching Olympic events that are taking place mere kilometers, mere minutes away from me. I am here. This is surreal.
The last couple days my brain has been orbiting on a mind blowing loop. Things have started to feel comfortable here. I know the bus system, trains, etc. I have friends and my room contains my stuff arranged in the order I like. My job is second nature. And then I see the rings, or the row of flags, perhaps an athlete tramps by with all their gear talking about their upcoming competitions. Instantly I am pulled into the shocking revelation that this is not just another day. This is the Sochi 2014 Olympic Games. I am here. This is surreal. But surreal quickly fades to the usual, that is, until it becomes unusual again. Today one of my good friends here witnessed in person an Olympic record get set in speed skating. I have no doubt that she was also the happy victim of this mind warp. Yesterday, two of my friends went to the Opening Ceremonies on tickets gifted to them. Minds. Blown. I watched the Opening Ceremonies rehearsal in person surrounded by thousands of Russian and international volunteers and then 6 days later watched official production on TV surrounded again by thousands of Russian and international volunteers. I have no way to express what I felt when they lit the torch. This is surreal.
I can only imagine how the athletes feel. They too have settled in. They have found their ways around. They are surrounded by friends that they have trained with and competed against for years. Their training programs are completely memorized. And then, they see their names on a competition list, they find themselves standing at the top of a hill looking down on the Olympic Rings and the athlete's village nestled into the hill. Never mind the moment when they stand at the top of their run counting down the seconds til countless years of training culminate into that one, all important run. Everything is the same. Everything is completely different. Mind blown. This is surreal.
How does one capture this experience? I don't know. You try to remain in each moment. Try to keep yourself from growing accustom to this place and all that it means. You try to capture what you can in countless photos (thank God for digital cameras). You talk to everyone about what you have seen, heard, and felt. Somehow all these things make it feel more real. If you can, you scrounge up enough time and energy to write a blog for your friends and family back home. It's not enough -- it's all we have.
This is surreal.
The last couple days my brain has been orbiting on a mind blowing loop. Things have started to feel comfortable here. I know the bus system, trains, etc. I have friends and my room contains my stuff arranged in the order I like. My job is second nature. And then I see the rings, or the row of flags, perhaps an athlete tramps by with all their gear talking about their upcoming competitions. Instantly I am pulled into the shocking revelation that this is not just another day. This is the Sochi 2014 Olympic Games. I am here. This is surreal. But surreal quickly fades to the usual, that is, until it becomes unusual again. Today one of my good friends here witnessed in person an Olympic record get set in speed skating. I have no doubt that she was also the happy victim of this mind warp. Yesterday, two of my friends went to the Opening Ceremonies on tickets gifted to them. Minds. Blown. I watched the Opening Ceremonies rehearsal in person surrounded by thousands of Russian and international volunteers and then 6 days later watched official production on TV surrounded again by thousands of Russian and international volunteers. I have no way to express what I felt when they lit the torch. This is surreal.
I can only imagine how the athletes feel. They too have settled in. They have found their ways around. They are surrounded by friends that they have trained with and competed against for years. Their training programs are completely memorized. And then, they see their names on a competition list, they find themselves standing at the top of a hill looking down on the Olympic Rings and the athlete's village nestled into the hill. Never mind the moment when they stand at the top of their run counting down the seconds til countless years of training culminate into that one, all important run. Everything is the same. Everything is completely different. Mind blown. This is surreal.
How does one capture this experience? I don't know. You try to remain in each moment. Try to keep yourself from growing accustom to this place and all that it means. You try to capture what you can in countless photos (thank God for digital cameras). You talk to everyone about what you have seen, heard, and felt. Somehow all these things make it feel more real. If you can, you scrounge up enough time and energy to write a blog for your friends and family back home. It's not enough -- it's all we have.
This is surreal.
Thursday, February 6, 2014
This just in, Olympic Sports News
Hello ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the second edition of this years Julia's Adventures. I would like to extend the warmest wishes to you all and hope that you enjoy this evenings presentation.
(I really hope you read that in a news casters voice cause that's what I was going for.)
These that few days have been incredible.
The athletes are into the village, the press have been stopping by, and this are nearly in full swing. I'm absolutely loving my job. I get to talk to athletes, help them solve their problems, make them laugh, and share in this amazing experience. Two days ago I worked in the cafeteria. So much fun. I can now put interactions to the face of the athletes as they appear in competition lists. They are fun, down to earth, and so excited to be here. I'm shocked at how much they want to interact not only with each other, but also with the volunteers. They are starting to recognise our faces and remember facts about us. Super cool. The best moment here so far was when I ran into Graham (from RJC). Graham graduated a year (I think) ahead of me and conducted my entrance interview into RJC. He's been a friendly acquaintance since 2006. And he's here. As an alternate athlete in the bobsled event. I am so proud. He stopped to talk to me and promised to introduce me to the rest of the bobsled team! I'm managed to introduce myself a little and it turns out another bobsledder is from Regina. We are going to learn some Russian together. I'm so excited! Have I mentioned that?
Today we went to the Snowboard Slope-style Event. This is the first year that Slope-style has been an Olympic event. They put on a great show. The jumps, speed, and technique were impressive. They were only qualifying but you could see the passion and dedication shining though. It was a surreal experience to look up on the huge tv screens for fans and see the face of a man I bid good morning to and wished a good day. It was dumbfounding to then see that man board down the hill and place in the top 4. He's going to the final. I've talked to someone who will literally be competing for an Olympic Gold medal in a few days. No blogged words, not even my own thoughts, can capture the essence of that feeling. This is only going to get better.
It's getting late now and I must be up early. There are so many more things I want to tell you and I'm hoping I'll make time soon. But not tomorrow. Tomorrow we are going to a Live Site to watch the opening ceremonies - tv version. The once in a life time experiences just keep rolling.
I should mention that I completed my first of two interviews. This one with CKOM. The next will be with CBC morning radio (I think on Friday). The following are the links to what I know has been posted thus far. You'll have to scroll down through this first link til you come to something like "An Olympic Volunteer with Julia Coop". http://ckom.com/ckom-podcasts?page=1 If you can't find it easily, go To The Google! Duu dun duh daaa!
http://ckom.com/story/saskatchewan-sochi-saskatoon-volunteer-olympics/245508 This is the second link you need. It should take you straight to a written story about exactly the same stuff as the sound radio interview.
Alright my darlings.
Good night.
Julia
(I really hope you read that in a news casters voice cause that's what I was going for.)
These that few days have been incredible.
The athletes are into the village, the press have been stopping by, and this are nearly in full swing. I'm absolutely loving my job. I get to talk to athletes, help them solve their problems, make them laugh, and share in this amazing experience. Two days ago I worked in the cafeteria. So much fun. I can now put interactions to the face of the athletes as they appear in competition lists. They are fun, down to earth, and so excited to be here. I'm shocked at how much they want to interact not only with each other, but also with the volunteers. They are starting to recognise our faces and remember facts about us. Super cool. The best moment here so far was when I ran into Graham (from RJC). Graham graduated a year (I think) ahead of me and conducted my entrance interview into RJC. He's been a friendly acquaintance since 2006. And he's here. As an alternate athlete in the bobsled event. I am so proud. He stopped to talk to me and promised to introduce me to the rest of the bobsled team! I'm managed to introduce myself a little and it turns out another bobsledder is from Regina. We are going to learn some Russian together. I'm so excited! Have I mentioned that?
Today we went to the Snowboard Slope-style Event. This is the first year that Slope-style has been an Olympic event. They put on a great show. The jumps, speed, and technique were impressive. They were only qualifying but you could see the passion and dedication shining though. It was a surreal experience to look up on the huge tv screens for fans and see the face of a man I bid good morning to and wished a good day. It was dumbfounding to then see that man board down the hill and place in the top 4. He's going to the final. I've talked to someone who will literally be competing for an Olympic Gold medal in a few days. No blogged words, not even my own thoughts, can capture the essence of that feeling. This is only going to get better.
It's getting late now and I must be up early. There are so many more things I want to tell you and I'm hoping I'll make time soon. But not tomorrow. Tomorrow we are going to a Live Site to watch the opening ceremonies - tv version. The once in a life time experiences just keep rolling.
I should mention that I completed my first of two interviews. This one with CKOM. The next will be with CBC morning radio (I think on Friday). The following are the links to what I know has been posted thus far. You'll have to scroll down through this first link til you come to something like "An Olympic Volunteer with Julia Coop". http://ckom.com/ckom-podcasts?page=1 If you can't find it easily, go To The Google! Duu dun duh daaa!
http://ckom.com/story/saskatchewan-sochi-saskatoon-volunteer-olympics/245508 This is the second link you need. It should take you straight to a written story about exactly the same stuff as the sound radio interview.
Alright my darlings.
Good night.
Julia
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Yellow Blue Bus
Здравствует!
I’m sorry it has taken so long to write to you and
at the same time I’m not. It’s been quite the experience so far and I’ve enjoyed
being immersed in it all.
My flights from Canada went off without a hitch.
Nearly all my flights were early to arrive and on time to leave. I managed to
get a decentish sleep throughout and thus arrived at the Sochi airport tired
but not exhausted. My plane landed at 4:30am and I was quickly informed that
the buses were not running this early in the morning and in fact one of my bus
routes did not yet exist. Not a problem. I’m a well-rested, travel savvy, slightly
Russian speaking Canadian. I can do this. And do it, I did. It took me 8 hours
to get from the airport to my beautiful new home but I made it intact. I was
assisted by some really great Russians along the way who went above and beyond
to ensure that I was safe and arrived at my destination.
So now I am here. I’m all settled into my abode with
3 other lovely girls. I believe we have the most multinational room in the
accommodation complex. One of my roommates is Canadian (from Toronto
naturally), one is Australian (I try not to be disappointed she isn’t a Kiwi –
just kidding dear I love you), and the other is French (finally a true
Frenchie). We are getting along famously.
We haven’t been working much yet (I’ll explain that
in a second) so we’ve had plenty of time to gallivant around Sochi and area. We
discovered and mastered the bus, train, cable car, and walking routes. We can
now get around Sochi, Adler, Olympic Park, Rosa Khutor and Vesoloe without any
issue. Yesterday we discovered the largest dolphinarium in Eastern Europe and
watched a pretty impressive dolphin show. We also found a small amusement park
nestled into the hillside and I got to hold an adorable monkey clothed in the
tiniest Adidas gear I’ve ever seen. Describing our walk-abouts is tiresome and
would be full of a ton of you-had-to-be-there moments so I’ll spare you all of
that. But I guess, for those of you that were there with me, I would just like
to say “Yellow Blue Bus”.
Speaking of speaking Russian – I’m definitely
improving. I have been told that my Russian sounds quite good and that I am a
quick learner. I’m pretty stoked. I was actually able to speak enough Russian
to purchase a Russian phone and SIM card without a translator. Our volunteer
village (aka accommodation complex) houses mostly Russians and a few
international volunteers that all work in the mountain area in some capacity. The
Russian volunteers have been hand-picked because of their English skills and
personalities. Each day I make new Russian friends and each day they try to
teach me a few more words.
The best way I’ve found to make new Russian friends
is to pull out a deck of cards. Cards truly are the international symbol for “I
want to meet new people and have fun”. This trip I tried something different
too. I brought Dutch Blitz. The first night here I taught the other
international volunteers to play. They loved it. The next night I accosted a
Russian boy and his friend and in my ever impressive Russian (haha) I asked
them to play. They hesitantly agreed. It was a hoot trying to use my Russian to
explain the game. I surprised myself with how much I was actually able to
communicate with my extremely limited vocabulary. Needless to say, they loved
the game too. I mean who in their right mind doesn’t like Dutch Blitz. The next
night I taught a few more Russians. Now word has spread throughout the village
and I have people asking to play every evening. New volunteers are arriving
every day as well and they are often drawn to the commotion in the corner and
are soon slapping cards on the table, yelling in frustration or triumph, and
generally having a good time. The only bad this is that I only have one deck. I
really need to figure out how to get a couple more over here ASAP.
My roommate has just reminded me that we have been
here for just over a week now. Time has really flown by. For the most part we
have been adventuring but I’ve also had a couple volunteer shifts. I am working
in the mountain area in the athlete’s village. Right now we are still preparing
for the arrival of the athletes so there isn’t a huge amount to do. Once
everyone arrives things will get crazy! I can’t wait to greet athletes from
around the world and to create an incredibly positive, fun atmosphere where personal
bests, friendships, and the joy of the Olympics can be shared.
This truly is a life changing period of time for so
many people. I am thrilled to be a part of it.
I’m so thrilled that while I love updating you all
back home, I also just want to be out and about. So with that in mind I’m going
to forego the prose and hit you with a list of other things I’d like you to
know but am simply not committed to expounding fully.
1.
There
are the cutest, kindest, most adorable stray dogs everywhere. We have about 10
living on/around our complex. You can’t go more than a block without running
into a new pack of strays.
2. We
live on the 5th floor so I do about 15 sets of 5 stairs per day. We
also do a ton of walking. I suspect between 10-25km per day.
3. Russian
food is very similar to Canadian food just cooked with few spices. I enjoy it.
Also Russian have this super tasty ice cream bar that tastes like cream cheese
and yogurt and is coated in chocolate. They are 3 bite sized and cost about 30
cents. I’m going to miss them.
4. Our
uniforms are sweet.
5. About
50% of the Russians I meet say I look Russian, the other 50% say I don’t look
remotely Russian.
6. I
will definitely come back to this country.
7. The
weather in Vesoloe where I live ranges between 5-15 degrees. On the mountain it
has been ranging between -10 and 10 degrees.
8. I
was given a beautiful deck of cards with the 55 best views of Saint Petersburg
by a Russian volunteer. She’s basically my favourite person. I forgot a regular
set of cards at home. Now I have a much cooler deck to take with me on the rest
of my travels.
9. I
can’t wait to watch Canada play Finland but have discovered that I forgot to
bring any Canadian gear… L I’m going to try to mooch some off
other Canadian volunteers.
10. I
love all of you guys. I want to send specific love to my family. I love you
Mommy dearest. Faja, you’re pretty cool too. Berly Face, Tiger Lily, Kimbly,
love love love. Stevo. You’re killin’ it in Brazil. Rock on.
I suppose that’s good
for now. I haven’t got my pictures sorted out yet. I’ll try to post those in
the next week or so… Don’t rush me… Haha.
From Russia with Love,
Julia
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
A Trip of Olympic Proportions
Welcome everyone to another round of "Julia's Most Epic Travel Blogging".
This trip promises to be eventful. I'm hitting up the Olympics in Sochi, Russia, the Turkish baths in Istanbul, the birth place of the Olympics in Greece, the everything in Italy, the friends and family in Germany, and the photographic genius of that dude in the Netherlands.
Like last time, the blogs will be sporadic and jumbled. It's how I roll so get ready to tumble haphazardly with me through this great adventure.
And so it begins... again...
This trip promises to be eventful. I'm hitting up the Olympics in Sochi, Russia, the Turkish baths in Istanbul, the birth place of the Olympics in Greece, the everything in Italy, the friends and family in Germany, and the photographic genius of that dude in the Netherlands.
Like last time, the blogs will be sporadic and jumbled. It's how I roll so get ready to tumble haphazardly with me through this great adventure.
And so it begins... again...
Friday, May 20, 2011
At One Point I Thought Of A Witty Title
Hey Team We Like To Read About Stuff You Do,
How's it going!? I'm going well as always. Just trundling along, doing my Julia-thing. It's good times.
The last two days I trundled in Abel Tasman National Park. To be more precise I kayaked for a day, camped and walked all the way back (it took a day). I was supposed to be picked up at 8:50am on Thursday morning, and like a good lil' Canadian and an even better Koop I was late. But it was ok, cause they were even later picking me up. I actually had to get reception to call so I didn't get left behind.
I guess I should premise this whole thing with saying that I booked my kayaking/camping/walking trip about 7pm the night before I left. I was a bit (ok a lot) nervous about camping and walking 8 hours back completely alone. Because it's the off season, there is basically no one in the park and I was going pretty far into the park. So there, I was the night before comforting myself with the knowledge that at least I couldn't get eaten by a bear. In my books, that's totally a drawing card.
Anyway. I slept well, was up on time, and ready almost on time. I was finally picked up by a very brisk and stern looking dude and driven 5 minutes down the road to the kayak place. I met up with my guide and kayak group. I was very pleased to discover that there was one other girl that was going to do the full kayak and camp at the same spot as me! Huzzah! I now had a camping/walking buddy. I would not be getting eaten by a bear, and even better I would get to share that experience with someone. Additionally, I would not have to walk 8 hours alone on the second day.
In no time at all we were on the water and kayaking our super happy selves out to Bark Bay. The weather was incredible. Probably about 22 degrees with full on sun! Glorious. Our first half of the day was relatively uneventful. A lot of paddling, sun, water, islands, poor steering (totally me, yup, that was all woman driving), beaches and cute seals. I think we saw roughly 25 seals. Mostly adult females, but there were a couple babies. They were extremely cute. Looking at them and not cooing with delight was an extreme sport. After, we stopped for lunch at Watering Cove. It is named for a rock formation that looks like a kiwi drinking from the ocean. I took a picture. I'm just that good. Lunch was yummy and then I, Samantha, and our guide Colm were off and kayaking again. We made extremely good time so we hit up one more island before calling it a day. I'm so glad we did. We went about 3/4 of the way around a small island that this crazy dude kept blowing up for fun, when we finally saw what we were looking for. A couple baby seals just chilling on a rock. They posed and then dived into the water while I yelled "Stay still! Don't leave that rock! I want a picture!". They paid me no heed, but one of the little guys chased down our boat and spent the next 15 minutes froliking next to our boat, under our boat, and even against our boat. Absolutely incredible and without a doubt the highlight of my entire trip. Unfortunately, a large shark came by during the 15th minute and ate the cute, little, happy, baby seal right in front of us.
KIDDING! We left, I have no idea if a shark came and ate it. I suspect not.
We landed at Bark Bay around 4:30pm, picked up our gear that our water taxi had dropped off for us, and prepared to make camp. I was so glad that I had another cluesless girl with me. We had a lot of fun trying to figure out how to get our tent up and secure. It really wasn't hard, but it did take a bit of brainpower and a lot of giggles. We got a fire going, met a German dude, and were settled in the the pitch black by 6pm. In total, there are about 25 camp sites at Bark Bay and there were only the three of us staying there. It was awesome. Again, I was extremely thankful that I wasn't alone. The moon was full, the stars were bright, and I was quite enjoying myself. We hit the sack about 9pm and got up about 7:30. It was a cold night, and for some reason my arms were freezing, but I managed to get a half decent nights sleep and had enough energy for the morning. When we had finally packed our gear and put most of it out for the water taxi to pick up the sun was just coming above the trees and we could tell it was going to be another absolutely gorgeous day.
It was. We walked for about 8 hours to get back to Marahau were I am currently chilling and typing to you. The walk was mostly inland, with a couple breaks to the beaches. The views were stunning and the company was good. The German dude walked with us most of the way and we all talked about everything under the sun. Tourists, countries, religion, supersticious, body types, stereotypes. You name it. We talked about it. By the time we got back, my brain was sore from thinking, my legs were sore from walking, my feet were sore from being flat footed, my shoulders were sore from my pack, and I was feeling great.
Now I'm sitting in the hostel typing to you folk back home. I'll eventually get up and cook something. Then I'll continue to look for jobs in a couple places I want to stop at in the next couple of days. Then I'll go to bed, and get up early for a day of sailing in Abel Tasman. This are bright in this here Julia Land. The next couple of days should be quite fun. I look forward to it all.
I'm no longer going to Europe for those of you who know I was thinking about it. I'm still waiting for Air Pacific to do something about my return flight. (My emails are getting a bit terse). I'm missing Wellington. And I'm starting to think about life when I return to Canada. Good gracious what should I do team? No more Master's and Ph.D. I need a new direction. All suggestions are welcome.
Love and sea breezes,
Julia
How's it going!? I'm going well as always. Just trundling along, doing my Julia-thing. It's good times.
The last two days I trundled in Abel Tasman National Park. To be more precise I kayaked for a day, camped and walked all the way back (it took a day). I was supposed to be picked up at 8:50am on Thursday morning, and like a good lil' Canadian and an even better Koop I was late. But it was ok, cause they were even later picking me up. I actually had to get reception to call so I didn't get left behind.
I guess I should premise this whole thing with saying that I booked my kayaking/camping/walking trip about 7pm the night before I left. I was a bit (ok a lot) nervous about camping and walking 8 hours back completely alone. Because it's the off season, there is basically no one in the park and I was going pretty far into the park. So there, I was the night before comforting myself with the knowledge that at least I couldn't get eaten by a bear. In my books, that's totally a drawing card.
Anyway. I slept well, was up on time, and ready almost on time. I was finally picked up by a very brisk and stern looking dude and driven 5 minutes down the road to the kayak place. I met up with my guide and kayak group. I was very pleased to discover that there was one other girl that was going to do the full kayak and camp at the same spot as me! Huzzah! I now had a camping/walking buddy. I would not be getting eaten by a bear, and even better I would get to share that experience with someone. Additionally, I would not have to walk 8 hours alone on the second day.
In no time at all we were on the water and kayaking our super happy selves out to Bark Bay. The weather was incredible. Probably about 22 degrees with full on sun! Glorious. Our first half of the day was relatively uneventful. A lot of paddling, sun, water, islands, poor steering (totally me, yup, that was all woman driving), beaches and cute seals. I think we saw roughly 25 seals. Mostly adult females, but there were a couple babies. They were extremely cute. Looking at them and not cooing with delight was an extreme sport. After, we stopped for lunch at Watering Cove. It is named for a rock formation that looks like a kiwi drinking from the ocean. I took a picture. I'm just that good. Lunch was yummy and then I, Samantha, and our guide Colm were off and kayaking again. We made extremely good time so we hit up one more island before calling it a day. I'm so glad we did. We went about 3/4 of the way around a small island that this crazy dude kept blowing up for fun, when we finally saw what we were looking for. A couple baby seals just chilling on a rock. They posed and then dived into the water while I yelled "Stay still! Don't leave that rock! I want a picture!". They paid me no heed, but one of the little guys chased down our boat and spent the next 15 minutes froliking next to our boat, under our boat, and even against our boat. Absolutely incredible and without a doubt the highlight of my entire trip. Unfortunately, a large shark came by during the 15th minute and ate the cute, little, happy, baby seal right in front of us.
KIDDING! We left, I have no idea if a shark came and ate it. I suspect not.
We landed at Bark Bay around 4:30pm, picked up our gear that our water taxi had dropped off for us, and prepared to make camp. I was so glad that I had another cluesless girl with me. We had a lot of fun trying to figure out how to get our tent up and secure. It really wasn't hard, but it did take a bit of brainpower and a lot of giggles. We got a fire going, met a German dude, and were settled in the the pitch black by 6pm. In total, there are about 25 camp sites at Bark Bay and there were only the three of us staying there. It was awesome. Again, I was extremely thankful that I wasn't alone. The moon was full, the stars were bright, and I was quite enjoying myself. We hit the sack about 9pm and got up about 7:30. It was a cold night, and for some reason my arms were freezing, but I managed to get a half decent nights sleep and had enough energy for the morning. When we had finally packed our gear and put most of it out for the water taxi to pick up the sun was just coming above the trees and we could tell it was going to be another absolutely gorgeous day.
It was. We walked for about 8 hours to get back to Marahau were I am currently chilling and typing to you. The walk was mostly inland, with a couple breaks to the beaches. The views were stunning and the company was good. The German dude walked with us most of the way and we all talked about everything under the sun. Tourists, countries, religion, supersticious, body types, stereotypes. You name it. We talked about it. By the time we got back, my brain was sore from thinking, my legs were sore from walking, my feet were sore from being flat footed, my shoulders were sore from my pack, and I was feeling great.
Now I'm sitting in the hostel typing to you folk back home. I'll eventually get up and cook something. Then I'll continue to look for jobs in a couple places I want to stop at in the next couple of days. Then I'll go to bed, and get up early for a day of sailing in Abel Tasman. This are bright in this here Julia Land. The next couple of days should be quite fun. I look forward to it all.
I'm no longer going to Europe for those of you who know I was thinking about it. I'm still waiting for Air Pacific to do something about my return flight. (My emails are getting a bit terse). I'm missing Wellington. And I'm starting to think about life when I return to Canada. Good gracious what should I do team? No more Master's and Ph.D. I need a new direction. All suggestions are welcome.
Love and sea breezes,
Julia
Monday, May 16, 2011
Sometimes I cross an ocean in my spare time
They say a rolling stone gathers no moss. I disagree. I sat around in Wellington for 2 and a half months and I didn't gather any moss. So either that saying is wrong, or I'm not a stone. It's a no brainer.
This here blog is going to be a retrospective of my time in Wellington. "But Julia," you might be thinking, "aren't all blogs a retrospective of the event that are recorded in them?". To you, I say, "Touche. Now stop thinking so critically and enjoy my retrospective."
The last week I spent in Wellington was one of the best. I gave my notice to my boss 2 weeks in advance like a good little girl, and then quit early cause I just needed to be done. My bad. Matt was ever so understanding, and on the off chance that he reads my blog I would like to formally and for all the world to see say "Thank you for the super uber awesome time. You were a great boss, I learned a lot, and we even had some fun along the way." I also played a ton of volleyball in my last Wellingtonian days. I play about 10 games in 3 nights and played one last tourny too. Like always, I didn't play super awesome but I had a ton of fun. I will miss you volleyball peeps. Larry, treasure your socks and bring Sparta to Wellington. Hannah, you are the crowd favourite no matter what Larry says. Also, don't listen to Earl when he's... well... you know... lol. Gus, take care of your shoulder and hand and Hannah for me. She's your new Bestest Best Friend Forever (BBFF) now that I'm gone. Earl, thanks for letting me into your club and for taking such good care of me even though I'm Canadian and my serves weren't the greatest for the longest time. Yes, yes, I know, I'm "oot" of Wellington now. Haha. Karol, dude! since when do you sing like a angel? and since always you have mad volleyball skills. Dan, ya... you know. You're short, I'm tall. You're weak, I'm strong. I won't go on. Mark, we got along even though you are American. Who knew that was possible? Allan, you are one sweet as dude. Thank you for bestowing upon me the title of "only Canadian I like", haha. Marceu, you were never around but you're still cool in my books cause we lived near each other, and your laugh/giggle makes me smile. Rupert, you're my shnookums. Nuff said. Josh, we should have hung out more. Thanks for driving me around and chatting with me. Oh, and singing karaoke like a champ. Right, this is getting long. I really should be at the Oscars listening to the "get off the stage" music and not sitting in a hostel in Nelson listening to City & Colour.
Hmmmmmm, in the last week ish of Wellington I also went to dinner way too many times. (I loved each one of them.) I went to a couple movies that were pretty sweet. Played cards and ate junk food. Walked all over the place. Saw the rest of Te Papa. Threw out a ton of clothes. Bought some new clothes. Sent some presents home. Didn't blog. Took some pictures. Hung out and talked. Learned things about myself. Planned to plan for the south island. Didn't plan for the south island. And left.
Wellington, and people in Wellington. We had a great run. I love you all. I will come back.
South island stuff now. Well I'm in Nelson and I have to say "anticlimactic". It's pretty here, and my hostel is ridiculously sweet. I have, get this people, I have free breakfast, free dinner, hot tub (aka spa pool), swimming pool, sauna, beach volleyball court, and a 3 person dorm for the grand total of $24 a night. Chi-ching. Julia wins. Well Julia partially wins, cause I haven't really found anything sweet to do outside of the hostel. I wandered to the grocery store yesterday and today I wandered to the "center" of New Zealand. It's not the center at all people. It's the center of the logistical center of New Zealand. Logistical? Hmmmm, might not be the right word. It's the center of the Nelson survey region. The Nelson survey region is for some reason considered the central survey region of New Zealand (the plaque didn't make it too clear). Oh ya, and the survey regions have been replaced with GPS technology so they aren't even used anymore. Haha. So it's actually the center of a now trivial and outdated fake center of New Zealand. I still took pictures. I'm a good tourist.
I'm off to Abel Tasman tomorrow. I'm going to try and get on a 3 day kayaking tour of the national park. Unfortunately, they only rent out 2 person kayaks so I've got to find randoms to join me... Wish me the bestest. I'll still likely spend a couple days in Abel Tasman. There is a three (ish) day walk that you can do. I might do that as a last resort.
Okey dokey smokies (yummy, I could go for a real Canadian cheese smokie right now, and a sour cream glazed donut...). I'm out to plan some of my life. Be happy! Be fun! And get things done!
Sending you the grooviest of vibes,
Julia
This here blog is going to be a retrospective of my time in Wellington. "But Julia," you might be thinking, "aren't all blogs a retrospective of the event that are recorded in them?". To you, I say, "Touche. Now stop thinking so critically and enjoy my retrospective."
The last week I spent in Wellington was one of the best. I gave my notice to my boss 2 weeks in advance like a good little girl, and then quit early cause I just needed to be done. My bad. Matt was ever so understanding, and on the off chance that he reads my blog I would like to formally and for all the world to see say "Thank you for the super uber awesome time. You were a great boss, I learned a lot, and we even had some fun along the way." I also played a ton of volleyball in my last Wellingtonian days. I play about 10 games in 3 nights and played one last tourny too. Like always, I didn't play super awesome but I had a ton of fun. I will miss you volleyball peeps. Larry, treasure your socks and bring Sparta to Wellington. Hannah, you are the crowd favourite no matter what Larry says. Also, don't listen to Earl when he's... well... you know... lol. Gus, take care of your shoulder and hand and Hannah for me. She's your new Bestest Best Friend Forever (BBFF) now that I'm gone. Earl, thanks for letting me into your club and for taking such good care of me even though I'm Canadian and my serves weren't the greatest for the longest time. Yes, yes, I know, I'm "oot" of Wellington now. Haha. Karol, dude! since when do you sing like a angel? and since always you have mad volleyball skills. Dan, ya... you know. You're short, I'm tall. You're weak, I'm strong. I won't go on. Mark, we got along even though you are American. Who knew that was possible? Allan, you are one sweet as dude. Thank you for bestowing upon me the title of "only Canadian I like", haha. Marceu, you were never around but you're still cool in my books cause we lived near each other, and your laugh/giggle makes me smile. Rupert, you're my shnookums. Nuff said. Josh, we should have hung out more. Thanks for driving me around and chatting with me. Oh, and singing karaoke like a champ. Right, this is getting long. I really should be at the Oscars listening to the "get off the stage" music and not sitting in a hostel in Nelson listening to City & Colour.
Hmmmmmm, in the last week ish of Wellington I also went to dinner way too many times. (I loved each one of them.) I went to a couple movies that were pretty sweet. Played cards and ate junk food. Walked all over the place. Saw the rest of Te Papa. Threw out a ton of clothes. Bought some new clothes. Sent some presents home. Didn't blog. Took some pictures. Hung out and talked. Learned things about myself. Planned to plan for the south island. Didn't plan for the south island. And left.
Wellington, and people in Wellington. We had a great run. I love you all. I will come back.
South island stuff now. Well I'm in Nelson and I have to say "anticlimactic". It's pretty here, and my hostel is ridiculously sweet. I have, get this people, I have free breakfast, free dinner, hot tub (aka spa pool), swimming pool, sauna, beach volleyball court, and a 3 person dorm for the grand total of $24 a night. Chi-ching. Julia wins. Well Julia partially wins, cause I haven't really found anything sweet to do outside of the hostel. I wandered to the grocery store yesterday and today I wandered to the "center" of New Zealand. It's not the center at all people. It's the center of the logistical center of New Zealand. Logistical? Hmmmm, might not be the right word. It's the center of the Nelson survey region. The Nelson survey region is for some reason considered the central survey region of New Zealand (the plaque didn't make it too clear). Oh ya, and the survey regions have been replaced with GPS technology so they aren't even used anymore. Haha. So it's actually the center of a now trivial and outdated fake center of New Zealand. I still took pictures. I'm a good tourist.
I'm off to Abel Tasman tomorrow. I'm going to try and get on a 3 day kayaking tour of the national park. Unfortunately, they only rent out 2 person kayaks so I've got to find randoms to join me... Wish me the bestest. I'll still likely spend a couple days in Abel Tasman. There is a three (ish) day walk that you can do. I might do that as a last resort.
Okey dokey smokies (yummy, I could go for a real Canadian cheese smokie right now, and a sour cream glazed donut...). I'm out to plan some of my life. Be happy! Be fun! And get things done!
Sending you the grooviest of vibes,
Julia
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)