New Zealand!

NZ Week 1

On top of a bus!

Things that happened this week:

• Rode on the roof of a bus
• Left the Philippines
• Got an aisle seat on every flight, with no person in the middle seat.. Score!
• Arrived in NZ!
• Ate my first hamburger in 3 months
• Got the flu
• Ate my first meat pie
• Drove backwards
• Bought a keyboard
• Began my job search
• Got a cell phone again - ugh
• Met new people
• Got my ass kicked in a 7s training session
• Porched it hardcore after 7s training
• Went to a restaurant
• I sill have my jedi braid

So long, folks

My time in the Philippines is over, and now it's time for me to get to the big cheese and start my adventure in New Zealand.
Before each volunteer leaves base, the CCC gang makes a goodbye card consisting of some memorable pictures, and then everyone signs the back.

It's a little like signing a yearbook back in high school, except better cuz we are "adults" now.
Some recurring themes from the signatures on my card:
America
USA #1
Freedom
Jokes
Hairy Moonfish (my ass underwater)


My favorite entry starts off with, "Travis, when I first saw you I thought you were a real American patriotic rugby asshole." Thanks, Lea.

The pictures on my card are a great way to sum up my trip - puppies, dressed like Hitler youth, pizza, Team America, diving naked, and so forth. The bottom middle picture is actually a shot of me on my naked dive, but since I'm so white, I blend in with the white sand beneath me and you can't even tell.

CCC guys/gals, it was an amazing experience being with all of you, and I doubt I'll ever have anything like it again. It already seems so long ago, like some distant memory.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again - that place wasn't real.
It was a fleeting dream, it didn't follow the rules of time and space, it went beyond imagination - but we sure as hell made the most of our time away from reality.

Weekly Video Recap/Tour

From Philippines to New Zealand:

After 5 hours of bus/van travel - got to ride on the roof! -  I arrived at the Tacloban airport and promptly ate a hotdog and three donuts - my American habits were returning quickly.

On top of a bus!
Check out Dude in the background workin that Batman tee.

I briefly caught sight of Lea as she was heading for her plane in Manila - that scarf/shawl thing is hard to miss.
During my layover in Cairns, I was subjected to yet another security screening, even
though I was re-entering the same exact plane - thanks Australia. There isn't free internet in this airport either - come on, Aus.

When I landed in Nelson, I was picked up by someone who only knew I had blonde hair and I'd be wearing a black jacket.
No phone numbers, no names. Super hardcore like that.
Ended up being picked up by last year's team captain, good dude named Trey (Trail, Tray? It was late and I'd been traveling for 30 hours)
He asked me if I was hungry, and I said I was starving. The only thing open at that hour was McDonald's.
Regardless of how much McDonald's sucks....the West tastes so good..

Afterwards, Trael (I have since confirmed the spelling) dropped me off at the apartment I have been/will be staying in.

Brightwater

For any who don't know, I've been hooked up with a rugby club out here in Brightwater, New Zealand, just outside of Nelson. My goal here is to provide myself with the best possible environment
to give rugby my best shot possible. Where better to do that, than in the best country for rugby in the world?
The name of the club is the Brightwater Wanderers, and from the look and sound of it, they're pretty damn good.
To be clear, I'm not here on any sort of contract or getting paid - I'm just here to play rugby and learn from some of the best in the world. These guys were nice enough to take in an unknown, unproven American dude with a jedi braid.

Outside View

Everyone here is super welcoming, and ridiculously large - their hospitality is proportional to their size. (I thought I had to gain weight BEFORE seeing these guys. Now it's a whole new ballgame...)

Within 12 hours of arriving I had already slept 9 hours and done a workout with a few of the boys, and given the keys to a car so I could go check out the town.
(Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go cruise around in the wrong lane in a car I've never driven before)

Don't worry, I survived.

I've currently got two roommates, Gus and Chile, and I've set up shop in their living room. Yes, that's a down comforter on that cot.

My "room"

Gus has been my main link to figuring things out and finding my way around. Real chill dude, super helpful, good gym partner, didn't get mad when I gave him the flu... It's a good fit so far.

My other roommate, Chile - I don't know his real name, but everyone calls him Chile - is from Chile. Bet you never woulda guessed that one. He isn't around as much, due to his work schedule and such. He's kinda gigantic, but luckily he seems like the gentle sort of giant, which is preferable to the non-gentle giants.

All the fellas here have been great at making me feel accepted as one of the boys - inviting me to workouts, helping me look for work, making weekend plans, taking me out to see the town, etc.
As much as I'd like to think it's because I'm just that awesome, I have a strong feeling they would have done the exact same for anyone else.

So far, these guys seem like a good bunch of dudes. On one hand, they're a bunch of characters who know how to have a good time. On the other hand, they take their rugby very seriously and train hard. So basically, they're rugby players.

Sunday Morning Stairs with Gus

The team gym is right next to our playing field, which is a mere minute walk from my apartment living room - including the time it takes going down the stairs.
This is a blessing and a curse. With a nice field and gym within a 60 second walk, I have absolutely no excuse to not be fit.

Club Gym

Our Field and Clubhouse

A Warm Welcome

I wasn't kidding when I said everyone is super welcoming. It's like Southern hospitality, except without disgusting sweet tea and Nascar.

Example: Our coach (Gus' older brother) has not only arranged for me to eat dinner with his family every weekday, but he's also invited me to spend Christmas with them as well.

Another example: Gus let me have his car for an entire day so I could go run errands. Not only have I never driven in this country, the dude's only known me for a couple days!

Yet another example: Within 20 minutes of meeting our club manager, Diane, she threw me in her van and took me into town to do some grocery shopping and set up a bank account.

For reals, the generosity here is ridiculous.
(The cynical side of me is waiting for the moment when I'll be expected to repay all this kindness by giving up my firstborn child or something.... Eh, worth it)

10 minute drive from my apartment

Job Search

As of now, I haven't figured out my employment situation, but it sounds like it will be getting sorted out soon - no idea what I'll be doing yet.
In the meantime, I've taken the last few days to watch a boatload of Game of Thrones and run a few errands.
Saw Robb Stark pay for his sins at the Red Wedding and bought a new phone, keyboard, beard trimmer, etc. Successful days.

I haven't completely squandered my time so far - I've sent some job applications here and there between my other activities.

Jobs I've Applied For:

• Shepherd (just cuz)
• Tree trimmer
• Librarian
• Orchard worker
• Front desk clerk
• Peanut Butter Factory
• Assorted factory jobs 
• Wait staff
• Sawmill worker
• Assorted labor jobs

As for transportation, Gus is graciously loaning me his ride while he's at work during the days. I am looking into getting a cheap motorcycle and seeing what it takes to get a motorcycle license here. Got my eyes on a sweet 1974 Honda. Fingers crossed.


Cell Phone..

After going 3 months without a cell phone, I was really enjoying not being tethered to a device and other peoples' whims. Unfortunately, now I'm back in the real world - debatable, because New Zealand is Middle Earth, which isn't technically real either - and I have to be responsible again.

Within 20 minutes of walking into a store, I picked out a phone and a cheap month's worth of coverage, and I was set. Prepaid is the way to go!
No more sitting around in a store for 3 hours, signing 10 different documents to pledge your loyalty and servitude to your phone carrier. I paid the equivalent of $13 USD for my cell phone plan this month. Sweet.
No more carrying around a big bottle of lube on the off chance your mobile carrier decides it isn't quite satisfied.

A few initial impressions:

The people of New Zealand are quite laid back. For instance, a neighboring town's motto is, "It's all good." That pretty much sums it up.

People here are large

Construction workers often walk around in work boots and rugby shorts, it's pretty inspiring.

Between their inherent friendliness and my accent, I think I've already gotten away with some pretty stupid interactions with my new friends and neighbors.

There are sheep everywhere

Lord of the Rings was totally filmed here

Coins here actually matter.
$2 coins, $1 coins, 50 cent coins, and on down.
I keep paying for things with a $5 bill and can't help feeling ripped off when I get a few coins back as change, even though I know full well I am owed a few dollars.
I want that cash money!

The coins below are worth $17

Some cool stuff they say here:

Have a feed - eat (my favorite)
Have a sleep - sleep (like Flight of the ConChords!)
Bro - but with the accent, it's pronounced more like "brew"
Sweet as - This is used like "sweet as, mate" to mean "right on, dude." Or "hard as" to mean "hard as hell". I've heard some people in the States say similar stuff, but it's not cool cuz they're not New Zealanders.


The Little Things

Here's a few things I have sorely missed about Western culture.

• Good internet. I almost closed down my internet browser so I could save on data usage...nope! 
• Hot showers
• Naked showers
• Alone in the shower
• No mosquitoes
• Stores
• Food that isn't 100% sodium.
• No chickens outside my window to wake me up.
• No more mosquito nets.
• Sinks with running water.
• Driving a car.
• White women
• Unlimited cereal

You may have noticed I haven't said anything about the toilets. I am not that stoked about flushing toilets. I rather enjoyed the intimacy of personally flushing the toilet with a bucket of sea water, and then triumphantly striding past my peers on the porch with two empty buckets in hand as I marched to refill them in the ocean.
I will miss that.



Alright, that's enough for now. Suffice it to say, I'm really gonna like it here. The people rock, the food is good, the rugby is kickass.. Can't really ask for more.

As for this blog, it may not be a weekly thing now that I'm here in New Zealand. Soon I'll be working full time and playing rugby, which may not leave too much time to sit down and pump out a write up every week. It may turn into a biweekly, or even monthly thing. We'll see.

I'll work on getting more/better pictures of the surrounding area and such in due time. Until then, watch Lord of the Rings and you'll get the idea.


Thanks from New Zealand!

Hogs Wild