Many people have been asking about the quake, so I figured I would do a quick post. When I was in the Christchurch arrea in January there was a general sense of paranoia that another earthquake could strike at any second. One morning at about 6AM I woke up to see my camper bus rocking back and forth underneath me. I was to groggy to realize it at the time, but what I experienced was actually one of the thousands of after shocks that have occured since the first earthquake in September. In January there were those in the area that had already decided that they needed an extended absence from Christchurch in order to calm their nerves and assure themselves that the ground beneath their feet was stable.
Yesterday at 1PM prooved that the fears were not unfounded. The quake that hit was closer, quicker, and more intense than even the original. Hundreds of people are feared dead and many of the iconic buildings of the city are ruined. Luckily, I am far from the area, but the newspaper this morning was filled with photos and stories of yesterdays events. On the radio, residents were calling in to relate their situations. Many were without power and running water. All those systems that took so much effort to construct were completely destroyed a few seconds. Despite these conditions people there have been told not to leave their homes for three days, something which would be quite difficult when separated from a loved one.
Once and a while I am amazed by the advancements humanity has made to tame the chaos around us, but at times like this I am also amazed by how fragile our security can be. Thousands of hours of labor, years and years of work, hundreds of lives, destroyed in a few small seconds. And after all of this damage, the broadcasters still are careful to remind that such an "aftershock" will lead to more aftershocks.
So anyway, I am sure the international news is covering it, but that is my take. I am grateful to be safe and sound, even if Invercargill is boring, cloudy town.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Doon Eden
I have been have a good time in Dunedin, but I have been having a hell of a time pronouncing the name of this city. It is very frustrating. People have attempted to teach me the prounounciation, and I still cannot do it. It is sort of phonetically like Doon Eden, but it is said very quickly and if I pause before it in the sentence to think about it, I am doomed to get it wrong. I will stay as long as it takes to get it right.
I started in Dunedin at Kaitrin and Steve's place. They gave me a ride from the Waihi Bush Festival. I stay there a night then went to a bed and breakfast run by Joyce then to the house of Marvin and Terisha and now I am back at Kaitrin and Steves. All of this has been WWOOFing more or less, but as this is a smallish town (100K) it seems many people on the north side know or know of each other, hence the ease of which I have found places to stay. In fact, it has been so easy that I have had to turn down offers for shelter due to the fact that I must get out and be a tourist.
Joyce's place was high up on the hill overlooking the north valley of Dunedin. Usually there was a great view of rain clouds pissing (NZ word for raining) on the valley below. Dunedin is a college town and Joyce's place is near the college, so there were a few associated with the university staying there. I think we had all continent represented at the dinner table one night, except for Africa. Guests are welcomed to dinner with Joyce and the WWOOFERs, so one night we squeezed 16 around her table, shoulder to shoulder.
Terisha and Marvin live on the edge of the north valley. The only thing above their place on the hillside is a farm and bush. It made for great walking. Terisha and I went up there to collect wood to construct a trellis for her garden, she is very passionate about gardening. Marvin and I also went up there for a longer walk filled with beautiful views of the city below and deep conversation about politics and spirituality, Marvin is very passionate about these topics. Terisha volunteers at an eco-sactuary which works to recreate the natural habitat of NZ before settlement. She took me along one day to volunteer which was a ton of fun. Marvin hosts a political radio show on the community radio station here. He has a booth at a festival in the city. I tagged along and found it easy and fun to make $30 in two hours of busking.
Kaitrin and Steve live down in the northeast valley. They have a colorful house full of props and other items associated with Kaitrins story-telling business. They also working with the Red Cross and Kaitrin is in a band called The Kat and the Fiddle. Here I am putting my accounting skills to use, brushing up on skills I haven't used for while, getting into to Excel formulas and what not, thinking logical, right brain thoughts. It is actually quite enjoyable to sit down at the computer for a while to put things in order, feels good to set things right once in a while. So here I am, in NZ, doing accounting for a small business, listening to Sugar in the Gourd, writing a blog post...
I started in Dunedin at Kaitrin and Steve's place. They gave me a ride from the Waihi Bush Festival. I stay there a night then went to a bed and breakfast run by Joyce then to the house of Marvin and Terisha and now I am back at Kaitrin and Steves. All of this has been WWOOFing more or less, but as this is a smallish town (100K) it seems many people on the north side know or know of each other, hence the ease of which I have found places to stay. In fact, it has been so easy that I have had to turn down offers for shelter due to the fact that I must get out and be a tourist.
Joyce's place was high up on the hill overlooking the north valley of Dunedin. Usually there was a great view of rain clouds pissing (NZ word for raining) on the valley below. Dunedin is a college town and Joyce's place is near the college, so there were a few associated with the university staying there. I think we had all continent represented at the dinner table one night, except for Africa. Guests are welcomed to dinner with Joyce and the WWOOFERs, so one night we squeezed 16 around her table, shoulder to shoulder.
Terisha and Marvin live on the edge of the north valley. The only thing above their place on the hillside is a farm and bush. It made for great walking. Terisha and I went up there to collect wood to construct a trellis for her garden, she is very passionate about gardening. Marvin and I also went up there for a longer walk filled with beautiful views of the city below and deep conversation about politics and spirituality, Marvin is very passionate about these topics. Terisha volunteers at an eco-sactuary which works to recreate the natural habitat of NZ before settlement. She took me along one day to volunteer which was a ton of fun. Marvin hosts a political radio show on the community radio station here. He has a booth at a festival in the city. I tagged along and found it easy and fun to make $30 in two hours of busking.
Kaitrin and Steve live down in the northeast valley. They have a colorful house full of props and other items associated with Kaitrins story-telling business. They also working with the Red Cross and Kaitrin is in a band called The Kat and the Fiddle. Here I am putting my accounting skills to use, brushing up on skills I haven't used for while, getting into to Excel formulas and what not, thinking logical, right brain thoughts. It is actually quite enjoyable to sit down at the computer for a while to put things in order, feels good to set things right once in a while. So here I am, in NZ, doing accounting for a small business, listening to Sugar in the Gourd, writing a blog post...
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
The Lost Post of Dunedin
another post that I wrote without internet access, so here it is now...
It’s a late night here in Dunedin. I’m high up on a hillside over looking the city, a nice spot. This bed and breakfast is near the university, so there a lot of students and professors around. There is one professor from Georgia who I have been talking music with, he and his daughter are working on some ukelelee tunes in their room, and from the sound of things, its going pretty well. I took my fiddle to the botanical gardens today for some playing and people were very appreciative of the music, something that is really great. Its been okay when I’ve been playing here and people say nothing, but I wonder sometimes if I am just an annoyance in which case I would stop and go somewhere else.
After the gardens I had a long lunch and then it was time to work. I did some gardening, laundry, and cooking. Although its simple work, I enjoy the hands on nature of it. There is no separation between my hands and the action. The fruits of my labor can be seen in a neatly hoed plot of earth or a delicious meal. The proprietor here, Joyce, is in constant, hurried motion, a contrast to my previous host. She may be more stressed than usual because her 17 year-old son is traveling in the USA on his own, but I think she is one of those people that enjoy the excitement of being stressed. I rarely share this passion, so it has been a bit of a challenge to work with her. Last night she drove us down to the city center to a bar where there was the best Irish music jam session in town. It reminded me of the old-time music jam in St. Paul, except without the banjos. Instead of those, there were a couple sets of Irish bagpipes, which were very cool. They reminded me of simplified Scottish bagpipes. They really picked up the energy of the jam when they arrived.
Tomorrow I am going to a new WWOOF host down the road from here. An older couple who attend the Quaker meeting in town, so I am excited to learn a little about that. Marvin also has a weekly talk radio show, so that will be fun to know more about as well. Oh, and they also are a part of the folk music club, so I’ll be able to attend that again this week! Should be exciting times. After their place I am having a tough time deciding what I would like to do. It may be possible for me to return to Joyce’s bed and breakfast for as long as I prefer, but I’m wondering if I should grab a hostel instead and do my sightseeing before moving on to other places. I have been really liking WWOOFing lately, it gives me something to do with myself, and it saves me from spending any money whatsoever. Plus, I get to meet people from all over the world. There just isn’t the time for sightseeing, but I have been thinking lately that the people and the work are probably more important than the sightseeing. I have trouble moving without purpose, and sightseeing is alright for a day or two, but after that I feel the need to get back with a team or have a task that I feel is worthwhile for more than the purpose of putting some pretty scenery in front of my eyes. Also, I have been finding that the cultural side of my experiences is more important than the geological, if that makes any sense. It has been the people I’ve met that have given rise to the best experiences thus far. The cool sightseeing has followed in their footsteps. So right now I am leaning more toward additional WWOOFing followed by a few days in a hostel at the tail end when I will do whatever sightseeing I am motivated to do before moving on. I would also like to get a few more tramps in between now and midMarch, but tramping is tough without a car and a place to store my extra gear, so I fear I may do less of that than originally planned. No regrets though if not, I am sure the things that replace it will be just as enjoyable.
It’s a late night here in Dunedin. I’m high up on a hillside over looking the city, a nice spot. This bed and breakfast is near the university, so there a lot of students and professors around. There is one professor from Georgia who I have been talking music with, he and his daughter are working on some ukelelee tunes in their room, and from the sound of things, its going pretty well. I took my fiddle to the botanical gardens today for some playing and people were very appreciative of the music, something that is really great. Its been okay when I’ve been playing here and people say nothing, but I wonder sometimes if I am just an annoyance in which case I would stop and go somewhere else.
After the gardens I had a long lunch and then it was time to work. I did some gardening, laundry, and cooking. Although its simple work, I enjoy the hands on nature of it. There is no separation between my hands and the action. The fruits of my labor can be seen in a neatly hoed plot of earth or a delicious meal. The proprietor here, Joyce, is in constant, hurried motion, a contrast to my previous host. She may be more stressed than usual because her 17 year-old son is traveling in the USA on his own, but I think she is one of those people that enjoy the excitement of being stressed. I rarely share this passion, so it has been a bit of a challenge to work with her. Last night she drove us down to the city center to a bar where there was the best Irish music jam session in town. It reminded me of the old-time music jam in St. Paul, except without the banjos. Instead of those, there were a couple sets of Irish bagpipes, which were very cool. They reminded me of simplified Scottish bagpipes. They really picked up the energy of the jam when they arrived.
Tomorrow I am going to a new WWOOF host down the road from here. An older couple who attend the Quaker meeting in town, so I am excited to learn a little about that. Marvin also has a weekly talk radio show, so that will be fun to know more about as well. Oh, and they also are a part of the folk music club, so I’ll be able to attend that again this week! Should be exciting times. After their place I am having a tough time deciding what I would like to do. It may be possible for me to return to Joyce’s bed and breakfast for as long as I prefer, but I’m wondering if I should grab a hostel instead and do my sightseeing before moving on to other places. I have been really liking WWOOFing lately, it gives me something to do with myself, and it saves me from spending any money whatsoever. Plus, I get to meet people from all over the world. There just isn’t the time for sightseeing, but I have been thinking lately that the people and the work are probably more important than the sightseeing. I have trouble moving without purpose, and sightseeing is alright for a day or two, but after that I feel the need to get back with a team or have a task that I feel is worthwhile for more than the purpose of putting some pretty scenery in front of my eyes. Also, I have been finding that the cultural side of my experiences is more important than the geological, if that makes any sense. It has been the people I’ve met that have given rise to the best experiences thus far. The cool sightseeing has followed in their footsteps. So right now I am leaning more toward additional WWOOFing followed by a few days in a hostel at the tail end when I will do whatever sightseeing I am motivated to do before moving on. I would also like to get a few more tramps in between now and midMarch, but tramping is tough without a car and a place to store my extra gear, so I fear I may do less of that than originally planned. No regrets though if not, I am sure the things that replace it will be just as enjoyable.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
The Lost Post of Waihi Bush Farm
I wrote the below without internet, so it never was posted, but here it is anyway...
So I left the Palmers’ behind. I was glad and sad to go at the same time. On one hand their place had begun to be the most comfortable place I have been to outside of Minnesota. On the other hand I am not in New Zealand to get comfortable. Adventure is what I came for, and a new place was the ticket. So here I am at the Waihi Bush Farm in Geraldine listening to a recording of the Toe Jam from St. Paul. A little slice of home to accompany a great big foreign blog post.
I had a conversation today about how the greatest challenge to continuous WWOOFing is acclamation. When I arrived at the Palmers’, I arrived into a way of life, something which is alike in every household to some extent, but also guaranteed to be unique. Its been quite fun to observe at the Waihi Bush Farm a drastically different lifestyle, but the rudimentary practices are constant. The family of the owner, David, has lived on this land for almost 150 years. That is quite a large chunk of New Zealand’s history, and luckily the family chose to maintain a large swath of native forest, the only such swath in the area. David and his four sons built the current homestead relatively recently. The walls of the house give the impression of medium sized rocks stacked up with concrete in between. On top of those sits an abundance of skylights and a large slanting green roof. The back veranda opens up into a large field with a path leading to the river that flows through the bush. Follow the river a little way and it pores into a large pool that is perfect for swimming. Ice cold crystal clear water. Walk out the house in the other direction and you have the option of heading down a dirt road lined with gigantic redwood-type trees or to the goat pasture.
They love their goats around here. Every morning starts with a milking. Some milk goes on cereal, some in the fridge, and the remainder begins the cheese making process. I have tried my hand at milking the past couple of mornings. It obviously takes practice. I can’t milk half the speed of the experienced milkers, but I’m not worried about it. Enough mornings here and I would be a championship milker. They also eat their goats apparently. One of the first things I saw when I arrived was a goat carcus hanging in the garage and later the lower halves of two legs lying in the lawn, left for the dog. They have a pet sort of relationship with them as well. They all have names and personalities all their own. The thing I like about them is that they always look as though they are smiling.
We’ve been working really hard the past couple of days to prepare for the Waihi Bush Music Festival. David has been hosting the festival for years. It usually attracts about 300 people who love to hear and play folk music. It seems as though the feel for folk music here is more contemporary than I am accustomed to. The folk music I play in Minnesota is played with a more traditional approach. Songs are played with an eye to the past. At this festival I am anticipating a lot of music focused more on the present and future, new and original music in other words, but that remains to be seen. As for the work to prepare for the festival, we have had long and tough days, but there is always plenty of good food to go around, and there is a feeling that once the festival begins we will be able to take it easy a little more. Though the work may be hard, it is fun and rewarding. Today I loaded a silo with linseed, dug a water trench, trimmed trees along the road, and put together the stage for the festival. Tomorrow we will raise the tent that will keep the festival audience dry and comfortable. I am excited for that. I am sure everyone will be involved, a very social task. I best be getting some sleep.
So I left the Palmers’ behind. I was glad and sad to go at the same time. On one hand their place had begun to be the most comfortable place I have been to outside of Minnesota. On the other hand I am not in New Zealand to get comfortable. Adventure is what I came for, and a new place was the ticket. So here I am at the Waihi Bush Farm in Geraldine listening to a recording of the Toe Jam from St. Paul. A little slice of home to accompany a great big foreign blog post.
I had a conversation today about how the greatest challenge to continuous WWOOFing is acclamation. When I arrived at the Palmers’, I arrived into a way of life, something which is alike in every household to some extent, but also guaranteed to be unique. Its been quite fun to observe at the Waihi Bush Farm a drastically different lifestyle, but the rudimentary practices are constant. The family of the owner, David, has lived on this land for almost 150 years. That is quite a large chunk of New Zealand’s history, and luckily the family chose to maintain a large swath of native forest, the only such swath in the area. David and his four sons built the current homestead relatively recently. The walls of the house give the impression of medium sized rocks stacked up with concrete in between. On top of those sits an abundance of skylights and a large slanting green roof. The back veranda opens up into a large field with a path leading to the river that flows through the bush. Follow the river a little way and it pores into a large pool that is perfect for swimming. Ice cold crystal clear water. Walk out the house in the other direction and you have the option of heading down a dirt road lined with gigantic redwood-type trees or to the goat pasture.
They love their goats around here. Every morning starts with a milking. Some milk goes on cereal, some in the fridge, and the remainder begins the cheese making process. I have tried my hand at milking the past couple of mornings. It obviously takes practice. I can’t milk half the speed of the experienced milkers, but I’m not worried about it. Enough mornings here and I would be a championship milker. They also eat their goats apparently. One of the first things I saw when I arrived was a goat carcus hanging in the garage and later the lower halves of two legs lying in the lawn, left for the dog. They have a pet sort of relationship with them as well. They all have names and personalities all their own. The thing I like about them is that they always look as though they are smiling.
We’ve been working really hard the past couple of days to prepare for the Waihi Bush Music Festival. David has been hosting the festival for years. It usually attracts about 300 people who love to hear and play folk music. It seems as though the feel for folk music here is more contemporary than I am accustomed to. The folk music I play in Minnesota is played with a more traditional approach. Songs are played with an eye to the past. At this festival I am anticipating a lot of music focused more on the present and future, new and original music in other words, but that remains to be seen. As for the work to prepare for the festival, we have had long and tough days, but there is always plenty of good food to go around, and there is a feeling that once the festival begins we will be able to take it easy a little more. Though the work may be hard, it is fun and rewarding. Today I loaded a silo with linseed, dug a water trench, trimmed trees along the road, and put together the stage for the festival. Tomorrow we will raise the tent that will keep the festival audience dry and comfortable. I am excited for that. I am sure everyone will be involved, a very social task. I best be getting some sleep.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Geraldine Abridged and Some Dunedin
So I haven't posted for quite some time, so I though I would get one in quickly. I could write thousands of words about the past week, but the below will have to do for now. perhaps I will elaborate another time.
being on the internet is seeming to only remind me of the things i miss in MN, but that is okay because i've had a great week. i left that other farm and had a couple days in a christchurch hostel. i met a dutch girl and we hung out a bit. it was cool to have some company. hostels can be a bit isolating i think if you are traveling alone and the atmosphere isn't exactly friendly. this one was great though.
from there i took a bus to a town called Geraldine. it was a beauitful little place in the foothills. david, the owner of an organic flax oil farm picked me up and we headed to his place for wwoofing and a music festival. at the beginning, davids place was a bit of a mess. the floor was torn up and furniture was everywhere. the kitchen wasn't clean. the food available wasn't much. i was a bit uncomfortable i will admit.
but, as i stayed there longer i realized that things weren't actually as disordered as they appeared. david runs his house the organic way, so everything was produced from the garden or on the farm. we started each morning by milking the goats and feeding the chickens. goat milking was fun for me since i haven't milked anything before. then we took it in and made the cheese. david's daughter was an amazing musician, quite an interesting person, and a good host for the wwoofers. the farm was beauitiful. there were huge 1000 year old trees everywhere and a river ran through near the house with a fantastic swimming hole and crystal clear water. the work was tough for 4 days, but the food was stellar. i say the work was tough, but it was also motivating to know it was all for a festival that we coudl take part in and the team was great. we ran into trouble a few times and worked out of it and it made for a great bonding experience.
for the festival david brought in a chef and the food was even more amazing. i was surrounded by musicians, folkies, and great food. it was a full house and people were camping all around. some highlights of the festival: playing fiddle at the blackboard concert, rotating between sweet lodge, river, and fire, singalongs, driving to a 30 foot high waterfall and jumping off the top, etc. it was tough to go, but i had a free ride to dunedin.
i got to dunedin last night and the couple that gave me the ride did more than they were required to in order to set me up in town. they found a place for me to wwoof (a bed and breakfast where i am now) and they have sort of plugged me in to a variety of folks here. great story from last night. they told to go to the folk club, so i got a ride from some of their friends who dropped me at the door. it was an old church renivated into a convert hall and bar. the stage was set under a huge stainglass window in the front. i entered through the back, dropped a name, and said i would be interested in playing a bit of fiddle before the main act (common practice at the club apperently). they said alright and so i made my way in looking for a place to sit and tune my fiddle. then a voice said, "and now, having just walked in the door, a wwoofer from the USA woudl like to play some fiddle tunes for all of you!" surprised, i simply continued on up to the stage in front of probably 100 people and tuned my fiddle there. i think the tunes were well received, hopefully most were not familiar with how good the old time stuff can sound. the main concert was enjoyable as well.
so now i am at a bed and breakfast working for a few days. word is i might do some accounting, maybe some gardening, and of course the stuff that is inherent to running a hotel. then i'm staying with another couple down the road. i think dunedin is going to be a fun place. i'm excited for the irish music session on tuesday, a danish band at "chruch on saturday", and all in between.
being on the internet is seeming to only remind me of the things i miss in MN, but that is okay because i've had a great week. i left that other farm and had a couple days in a christchurch hostel. i met a dutch girl and we hung out a bit. it was cool to have some company. hostels can be a bit isolating i think if you are traveling alone and the atmosphere isn't exactly friendly. this one was great though.
from there i took a bus to a town called Geraldine. it was a beauitful little place in the foothills. david, the owner of an organic flax oil farm picked me up and we headed to his place for wwoofing and a music festival. at the beginning, davids place was a bit of a mess. the floor was torn up and furniture was everywhere. the kitchen wasn't clean. the food available wasn't much. i was a bit uncomfortable i will admit.
but, as i stayed there longer i realized that things weren't actually as disordered as they appeared. david runs his house the organic way, so everything was produced from the garden or on the farm. we started each morning by milking the goats and feeding the chickens. goat milking was fun for me since i haven't milked anything before. then we took it in and made the cheese. david's daughter was an amazing musician, quite an interesting person, and a good host for the wwoofers. the farm was beauitiful. there were huge 1000 year old trees everywhere and a river ran through near the house with a fantastic swimming hole and crystal clear water. the work was tough for 4 days, but the food was stellar. i say the work was tough, but it was also motivating to know it was all for a festival that we coudl take part in and the team was great. we ran into trouble a few times and worked out of it and it made for a great bonding experience.
for the festival david brought in a chef and the food was even more amazing. i was surrounded by musicians, folkies, and great food. it was a full house and people were camping all around. some highlights of the festival: playing fiddle at the blackboard concert, rotating between sweet lodge, river, and fire, singalongs, driving to a 30 foot high waterfall and jumping off the top, etc. it was tough to go, but i had a free ride to dunedin.
i got to dunedin last night and the couple that gave me the ride did more than they were required to in order to set me up in town. they found a place for me to wwoof (a bed and breakfast where i am now) and they have sort of plugged me in to a variety of folks here. great story from last night. they told to go to the folk club, so i got a ride from some of their friends who dropped me at the door. it was an old church renivated into a convert hall and bar. the stage was set under a huge stainglass window in the front. i entered through the back, dropped a name, and said i would be interested in playing a bit of fiddle before the main act (common practice at the club apperently). they said alright and so i made my way in looking for a place to sit and tune my fiddle. then a voice said, "and now, having just walked in the door, a wwoofer from the USA woudl like to play some fiddle tunes for all of you!" surprised, i simply continued on up to the stage in front of probably 100 people and tuned my fiddle there. i think the tunes were well received, hopefully most were not familiar with how good the old time stuff can sound. the main concert was enjoyable as well.
so now i am at a bed and breakfast working for a few days. word is i might do some accounting, maybe some gardening, and of course the stuff that is inherent to running a hotel. then i'm staying with another couple down the road. i think dunedin is going to be a fun place. i'm excited for the irish music session on tuesday, a danish band at "chruch on saturday", and all in between.
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