Cultures Collide...

After such an epic adventure, Sunday (17th) became our day of rest.  We engaged in conversation with Alicia and began to compare the New Zealand and American cultures.  The first topic of conversation was a no brainer: drinking games.  Beer pong exists here only in the movies.  How tragic.  We plan to remedy that.  There are many similarities in our drinking cultures, however.  For example: Ring of Fire = Kings, with pretty much all the same rules.  And in New Zealand, you do not "chug" a beer; you "skull" a beer.

There is one NZ tradition that should absolutely be adopted in the U.S.  On one's 21st birthday, they are given a large key to life ("Hey mum, where's my key to life?" - Mai) and they are required to drink a yardy ("Hey mum, where's my yardy?" - Brian).  A yardy is a yard long glass that holds 16 or more beers.  In Australia, if the person cannot finish the yardy, they hand it off to their family and they help finish.  This is not allowed in New Zealand.  One must finish the entire yardy themselves.  As displayed in the video, even if they vomit into the yardy, they must continue.  Another person holds and spins the yardy so it doesn't spill all over, but that's the only help given.  Solid.

Another language lesson!  The word "hori" is a derogatory term used to describe someone of low class or someone who is dirty .  Who knew?  Also, Mai and I played with an orange cat that Mai named Charlie.  He is a stray that Alicia started feeding, so he comes by every so often.  There may be more to that cat than meets the eye...

The first half of Monday (18th) was spent in the Public Library, catching up with loved ones and doing some research using the free wifi.  Upon arriving back at the hostel, we found the puzzle (a gift from m'lady, Amanda) that we started the night before had a large portion put together!  For the rest of the night, almost everyone staying in the hostel helped out here and there with the puzzle and come one in the morning, it was completed!  And I was able to read the wonderful message on the other side.  Afterward, we all watched a show together.  A show of epic proportions.  A show capable of crossing all cultural and language boundaries.  A little show called... Family Guy.

Sweet Az

Welcome to Kerikeri.  About a 4 hour drive north of Auckland, Kerikeri is a small town part of the Bay of Islands.  Keri Central Hostel, our home for this week has a vastly different atmosphere than our previous stays (doesn't feel like a dorm at all!).  The hostel is managed by Alicia & Colin (a 23 year old couple). We're sharing a room with three Argentineans, who also have a few friends in the area (Spanish speaking abilities would be so useful these days).

The first day (Friday, Jan 15th) Mai had a moment of inspiration as we peppered the brand new AVP volleyball in the front yard of our hostel.  Each time we peppered the ball in a new place, we would write the location and date on it.  Brilliant!  That night consisted of much cultural exchange.  Although Mai may not agree, I learned from Juno (a native New Zealander or "Kiwi") that putting butter, ketchup, and sweet chili sauce on a slice of bread equals... DELICIOUS!  (Brian is CRAZY.  No one likes ketchup sandwiches... except maybe Greg).  We also learned New Zealand phrases like "Sweet as" while explaining to one of the Argentineans that the word "brand" in "brand new" didn't mean a company brand or to mark something.  

Quote of the night:

"How do Americans greet each other?"

"They go, 'Hey baaaabes' right?"

Mai and I: "Haha, no, not quite." (or not at all). 

On Saturday, the 16th, Mai and I decided to go exploring.  We walked down to New Zealand's oldest stone building, the Stone Store (top).  and also saw the oldest wooden building, the Mission House (bottom).  We also went in search of the nearby "fortress" called the Koroipo Pa and found that not only was it not much of a fortress, it no longer existed!

To get over our disappointment, we went for a walk in the nearby forest.  It was destined to be a good walk considering right before it, we saw two Eastern Rosella birds fly by!  The first thing we came across on our walk was a set of small waterfalls, followed closely by the Fairy Pools.  We journeyed on and after another 30 minutes, we finally reached the enchanted Rainbow Falls.  After marveling in their beauty, we decided to conquer them by traversing the jagged, slippery, moss-covered rocks until we were under and engulfed by the falls themselves.  Clearly this picture below, isn't documented proof of our conquest per se (we couldn't bring Mai's expensive camera under the falls!).  However, there are two random travelers somewhere out there who took it upon themselves to photograph our joy and jubilation as the falls rained down upon us.

Vassar Has Prepped Us Well

Our last night in Sydney, we stopped at a free concert/party (it's the Sydney Summer Festival aka concerts and activities around the city).   Picture this: night time, slow drizzle, DJ playing the Postal Service, "Such Great Heights", 2 girls grooving out on the dance floor wearing oversized floral dresses, black leggings and bomber jackets.. for the Vassar kids, you must know this image.  It was hipster galore; a flashback of sorts.  

Fast forward:  We left our Sydney hostel at 6:30am.  We've learned:

• With a size 13 shoe and a few good swings, cockroaches the size of my thumb (Mailynh's thumb) are squishable.
• Flying Lan Airlines means excessive announcement that interrupt movies and games but they have better blankets than United Airlines. These announcements are made twice, first in Spanish then in English.

So we landed in Auckland at three in the afternoon. It's warm and sunny here, less humid than Sydney, perfect weather.  We found the backpackers kiosk and discovered that almost every hostel is full due to a huge concert, "The Big Day Out" in Auckland (oops).  Luckily we found accomodations at Nomads Fusion Hostel but we stayed in separate rooms.  Brian's room was full of people who slept the whole time. My room had a couple Germans, 3 Canadians and someone else I only saw sleeping this morning.  Fusion was far nicer than the Sydney one.  There was a jacuzzi on the roof top and a bar/club downstairs. 

Last night, though thoroughly exhausted, Brian and I went to the Fusion Bar.  Fusion Bar is the equivalent of the Vassar "Mug".  For those of you who did not attend Vassar, the Mug is a dimly lit space in the downstairs of Main Building that has a bar, a sweaty dance floor and randomly placed tables filled with underclassmen trying to kiss each other while indulging in alcohol.  Fusion bar was the same except there were more people with accents.  Brian and I did what we would do at the Mug as upperclassmen, bought a couple beers, sat a table and people watched.  My kiwi mate Mel (an Indian dude from North Auckland) called this "mockery" but he doesn't understand the sport of People Watching. 

What we learned about Auckland:

If you're interested in seeing this city, first visit New York City's SoHo and then take a look at the Vassar student body. That about sums it up perfectly.  Off to KeriKeri. 

Bat Fight Among The Palm Trees

We woke up on Wednesday, the 13th and traveled to Sydney's Chinatown down in the Haymarket.  (Mai: "Chinatown here is not as good as New York City Chinatown.  There are no hole-in-the-wall dumpling places.  It's less Asian.") We picked up some new sunglasses for a cheap $10 and made our way to Bondi Beach.

Bondi Beach was beautiful.  We walked along the water and then scaled the rocks that jutted off the coast.  The water was a little crisp, but it was clean and refreshing.  It was pretty cloudy most of the time there, with some spots of sun here and there.  It was quite windy, so we didn't get a chance to pass the volleyball around.  We DID try the two fast food places there: Oporto and Hungry Jack's.  Verdict is the fries at the former and the burger at the latter.

So we've been lagging on the posts due to limited internet time, but it seems we've finally caught up with the present.  It's one in the morning here on the 14th.  We braved the rainy weather not too long ago and walked from our hostel to the Sydney Opera House, only to decide that while it looks really cool at night, we need to come back in the day time.  Seeing as we are leaving early tomorrow morning for New Zealand, I guess that means we are coming back on our way home.  Until next time, Sydney.

Oh, you might be wondering about the meaning of this post's title.  On the walk home from the opera house, we literally saw two bats fighting while flying among the palm trees.  It was pretty cool.

Sydney, The Land With No Style

Why does Sydney have no style?  Because everyone here wears too much camouflage and cargo shorts.  And what's even worse is more often than not, they combine the two!  However, we shouldn't bash it so much, Sydney is a fun city.  We arrived the morning of January 12th around 6:45am.  After breathing the warm Australian air, we booked a hostel and hopped in a shuttle.  The shuttle ride was basically a tour of the city because he dropped off quite a few travelers before bringing us to Sydney Central Backpackers in Kings Cross, which is basically the backpackers district and only a few minutes from central Sydney.


After dropping off our stuff, we continued to rack up the walking miles through the heart of the city.  We walked through parks, down busy city streets, and received a few free Pepsis!  A quick visit to the Museum reviled not only some beautiful art, but an Indian Dance performance.  We enjoyed walking in the beautiful 88 degree weather, but it took its toll a little on me and I've got a red nose to prove it.  So many signs of America here from the Pepsi, to the numerous McDonald's, to finding Mai's favorite game at a nearby bar; Big Buck Hunter!


Lastly, we made big strides towards staying in New Zealand... by buying a plane ticket to get there!  We leave Thursday, January 14th at 9:55am from Sydney to Auckland.  Crazy.

We missed January 11th

So you’re probably wondering how our 14.5 hour flight went.  Well, the upside? United Economy Plus, aka a few extra inches to “stretch” out.  Also, there were some good movies too but you have to be awake to see them… oops. (Brian saw them - Yes I did and my verdict:  Love Happens = meh.  Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs = fun!)

The downside? 

Sitting in the first row just outside of business class. We witnessed the benefits of being wealthy: the completely reclined chair (basically a bed), the superior meals and the personal TV.   Another down side: Sitting next to a rude Australian couple wearing matching cargo camoflogue pants with embroidered accents and construction boots.  They gave us a stare down when Brian attempted a friendly hello.  The woman, seated next to Brian, had her sleeping pill ready before the flight began but when her drugs wore off, she took a liking to consistently elbowing him for the last 6 hours of the ride.  She was an armrest hog and nobody likes those.  20 minutes prior to landing, armrest-hog camo-wearing woman found it completely and utterly necessary to apply lotions, oils and body sprays (it’s unclear why).

What we learned?

• Always have your laptops and IPods charged prior to flight.
• Invest in a mask to block out light for better sleep.
• Airplanes are always cold.
• The lines for the bathroom never get shorter.
• When seated nearest the aisle, your elbows really are at risk from flight attendants wielding oversized carts.
• And if you are approaching your seats, preparing for a long international flight, and you see a couple wearing matching camo cargo pants & construction boots... request an immediate seat change.

San Francisco - Burritos in Ma Belli

January 8-10, 2010


Emma lives in the Mission, the part of SF that's full of bold color, spices (Taqueria)  and decadent coffee (Philz Coffee).  We had a burrito every day that we were there.  Put your Chipotle to the side and take a bite of one of these! Boiled chicken is greater than grilled chicken and Super burrito with sour cream, guacamole, and black beans is really the only way to go.


Definitely shout out to El Farolito for supplying us with those tasty burritos.  Along with the rich culture of the Mission district was an amusing Fortune Teller who tells fortunes by responding to written messages.  We decided the one to the right was a sign for great things to come.

Day two in San Francisco was a day of wandering.  From Phil's apartment, we journeyed to Alamo Park where we could see the famous "painted ladies" or the "Full House" houses.  After visiting Belli, Jake, Stillman, and Tristan's apartment, Mai and I began what turned to out to be a 10 mile 4 hour journey through Golden Gate Park, down Haight Street (while of course stopping to visit its plentiful head shops) and all the way back to Emma's apartment in the Mission.  I think my calves still hurt.  Later that night we also walked over to Castro street to admire it in all its glory.


After one last burrito on Sunday we grabbed our bags and took the trusty BART back to SFO, where Mai's Uncle Joe, the man responsible for getting us the affordable airfare, met us and informed us we'd be flying first to Los Angeles airport and then to Sydney.  After about a six hour wait in LAX it was "Bye-bye!" America and "Hello!".... 14 hours of Pacific Ocean?


***A HUGE thank you to  Emma, Phil, Belli, Stillman, Tristan, and Jake for keeping us entertained and sheltered.