"Do I buy the canned tuna in water or the one in olive oil, or how about spicy Thai chili tuna, lemon pepper tuna, sun dried tomato tuna, tomato and onion tuna, dill and lemon tuna, or just forget the whole idea of a simple tuna fish sandwich and buy more cheese?"
I bought the cheese.
Shopping here is an adventure in itself. There are about 7,000 brands that I don't recognize, multiple varieties of food that scare me (Vegemite anyone?), and the vast majority of the supermarket is beyond my price range ($6.50 for a small bundle of celery!). But don't worry mom, I'm still getting my veggies and protein despite the heartbreak it causes me to spend my adventure money on broccoli.
I've been in Christchurch for well over a week now and I must say, the city is growing on me. There is a middle aged man, with what I can only assume is tourette's syndrom, who stands on a bench and plays a recorder while singing Irish folk songs...often in Spanish. If you stand anywhere long enough, and I mean anywhere, you are bound to overhear a heated discussion about the All Blacks. There are beautiful buildings made of centuries-old brick and stone, mostly churches, every block or so. I made the mistake of ordering a "hot dog" and ended up, to my dismay, with a deep-fried Kiwi attempt at a corn-dog. But best of all, the people here are awesome...and they sound cool too.
I was swimming laps at a local gym getting my rear kicked by a 50+ aged woman. We got out of the pool at the same time and, feeling outspoken and slightly jealous, I commented (in a non-creepy way) that her perfectly toned muscles were impressive. Turns out she's a Canadian-Kiwi who grew up around here and is in town on her way to a competition for the National Canadian Triathlon Team. Not only is she one of the top triathletes in the world, she is also a great guide.
Margie, after knowing me for about three minutes, offered to show me around Christchurch during her free time. Did I mention Margie is also a doctor? So the doctor-triathlete and I headed into the hills and wound up on a blustery hike to see some of the most amazing views of Christchurch and its surrounding suburbs. Sheep toddled around us as we tried not to get blown over by the wind gusts. Our trek ended at the ocean where Margie and I had coffee and watched waves fight the wind in their race for shore. What an amazing day!
Upon returning to town, I decided to make an extra effort to be as frugal as possible in an attempt to travel as much as my bank account will allow. So 8 days into my dream vacation, I got a job. From 9-12ish I make beds and attempt to learn Spanish from Carla, my cleaning partner. For being the worlds best bed maker I get free accommodation, as well as all the goodies people leave behind - and you wouldn't believe the stuff people leave! Cell phones, perfectly good food, jackets, shoes, the list is endless! So I'm not quite living the trip of my dreams yet, but give it a few weeks and some warmer weather and I'll be jumping out of planes and going head-first down white water rapids before you know it!
-Ashley
Fun Fact: No part of New Zealand is more than 70 miles from the ocean.
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