no, i don’t have access to piano or keyboard again (i wish!), but this is a short record of politik, one of my favorite songs, by coldplay. i know this doesn’t make any justice of the original song, but i just found this from a couple of records i did before.
‘can’t wait for tomorrow evening!
Oceania → Australasia → New Zealand → Auckland → Auckland City
dear everyone,
my apologies for being so quiet for weeks, i know i’ve been disconnected (apart from occasional YM logins), but right now, i’m glad to report that i’m in auckland, new zealand’s largest city with more than 1/3 of the whole country’s population (which is a pity 4.+ million for the census buff). i got here yesterday afternoon, after a long and tiring 7.5-hour journey by naked bus from tauranga. naked bus is one of the cheapest way to move around here, and no, you don’t have to be naked to get in, in case you’re wondering. 
at 658 kilometers north of my original entry point, wellington, this is the most north of new zealand i’ve been. i’m here, of course, for the very special coldplay seat tomorrow at vector arena. i haven’t been around the center really as i went straight to the hostel (bamber house) yesterday, and just having a rest for the whole day today. the place i’m staying is away from the city noise, which is nice; but to get to center, i have to get on a bus, which is a bit annoying and extra expense too. got here by taxi yesterday, unloaded my backpack, and decided to pay a full weeks rent to save a bit money as it comes cheaper. well, not really cheap at $150/week. leaving hastings was pretty sad as i’ve left a lot of friends and nice people i met there, however, it is even more sad that i won’t be expecting any more deposits to my thinning bank account. helen deposited my last pay from the vineyard, $300 (thanks!), but the way up north to this big city has been extremely expensive yet undoubtedly fun and thrilling, starting with a 500-dollar jump at 15,000 feet! i can’t wait to post video and pictures of my skydive for all of you to see (don’t mean to get you jealous!), but the pictures were in a different format, it is not showing as jpegs from my notebook. the video is in dvd format as well, so it might take time for me to change its format, and probably edit as the video contains jump of other people.
auckland, being north, could be unbearably hot, just like today and yesterday. quite unusual for the major part of the country as the summer ended already, but nice and sunny and i don’t have to wear my jacket as well.
yesterday, after getting a shower and a bit of rest, was a major grocery as i’ll be staying here for quite awhile. bought some pork, chicken, and minced beef to cook, cookies, eggs, laundry powder (haven’t had a wash since leaving hastings!), etc. the counter in the grocery looks like a filipino, so i asked “pilipino po ba kayo?”, to which she replied, “Oo, bakit mukha ba?, ikaw nga hindi eh, mukha kang chinese”. it was really nice finding some filipinos around as i haven’t seen much in other places. she asked me what i’m doing here, and a bit surprised when i told here i’m here by myself.
leaving the grocery with both of my hands clasping plastic bags, i walked as fast as i could as i was extremely starving. i’ve only had 3 small buns of bread, hot choco, and water for the earlier part of the day, and it was past 6pm already!
‘cooked pork curry and rice for dinner. i don’t really cook curries but i guess it tasted decent enough for a meal. the hostel kitchen is nice and spacious with all the spices one could ever need, and for free! it’s a shame that i bought table salt and turmeric from the grocery as i didn’t check out the kitchen first. however, in my room, i got a double bed all for myself so a bit lucky.
yesterday evening, i got a call from home, and it was really nice to hear everyone back home, my mom, sister, and tita (sony). i know calling to this side of the world is expensive, so it was really funny to be talking again as fast as i could, and them too. in reality, i talk really fast, atleast in tagalog. my sister just came back from a short holiday in macau-hk, and mom, tita sony, tito boy, and cousin bj, fetched her from the airport. the call lasted 21 minutes, and at the end of it, i was a bit guilty as despite having emails and text messages, i haven’t called once since leaving philippines december last year. my sister, of course, was ever so eloquently speaking about her trip, and in the end agreed with me that traveling alone could be more enjoyable.
and so, what will be the next for me? i don’t know. to be honest, i don’t really know where this whole thing is going to bring me. maybe i will find a job here in the city, and that will conclude my nomadic lifestyle for the past months. again, we will see to that.
PS
i realize i’ve left out a lot of things to say beginning with the last days at work in hastings, and on my way passing taupo, turangi (for the tongariro crossing), and tauranga, so will be having some backdated posts. i tried to write everything worth writing in my paper notebook, so will start working on the drafts and put them here.
until next time!
~ jeremy
more auckland pics
