avian life is defined by FREEDOM

maiden voyage

2012-01-21T09:18:00.000-08:00

some snowy snaps of the road, a house on wheels and some music to accompany the slide show. lots of fun. go check out Umpqua hotsprings... they are lovely.

boo!

2011-10-26T12:32:00.001-07:00

what's this??? a toyota chinook. a new adventure. a humongous project. A GEM!
Maybe someday the interior will reflect these:

canada

2011-06-17T00:32:00.000-07:00

so life has been FULL of wonderful canadian surprises as of late, its kinda creepy how often I find myself surrounded by things "made in canada"... its been a variety pack and I'd like to share some with YOU!
Did you know... canucks make great music:
Timber Timbre visited portland's mississippi studios:

Basia Bulat graced The Woods:

Buck 65 being beautiful with a beauty. *sigh* only 7 minutes, I was hoping this would last forever...

A wee story:
Americans: "Please divert your course 15 degrees North to avoid a collision."

Canadians: "Recommend you divert YOUR course 15 degrees South to avoid collision."

Americans: "This is the captain of a US navy ship; I say again divert your course."

Canadians: "No. I say again, you divert YOUR course."

Americans: "THIS IS THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS LINCOLN, THE SECOND LARGEST SHIP IN THE UNITED STATES' ATLANTIC FLEET. WE ARE ACCOMPANIED BY THREE DESTROYERS, THREE CRUISERS AND NUMEROUS SUPPORT VESSELS. I DEMAND THAT YOU CHANGE YOUR COURSE 15 DEGREES NORTH, THAT'S ONE FIVE DEGREES NORTH, OR COUNTER-MEASURES WILL BE UNDERTAKEN TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THIS SHIP."

Canadians: "We are a lighthouse; your call."

~author unknown

And a special thank you to the canadian couch surfers who rolled into town and made the last few weeks much more exciting. So very grateful for all the conversations, meals, dance parties and spontaneous adventures.

(it gerry!!! can you believe it, ten years later the boy rolls back into town... woop woop)

big green trees

2011-05-30T21:33:00.000-07:00

I am a little bit lazy, and a little bit broke so when I discovered the only Canon battery charger I had was meant for New Zealand plug-ins a few weeks ago, I have yet to replace it with on that would work in the US. Which means I am unable to take quick and easy digital photos to share on my blog.
Its been a nice break though. I am still sitting on 2,000 photos from New Zealand and have yet to print or scrapbook any of those. Until I do something with that collection I am not allowed to take new photos and amass more of something that I don't do anything with. I have a love/hate relationship with digital and am working out some of the kinks these days.

Anyways, this means that I've been toting around my colored pencils and sketch book more.
Carin and I went and got lost two weekend in a row in the woods. The first weekend, the lovely Kristin Flemington (yah new friend!) joined us for an in and out trip at Eagle Creek. We scored a lovely camp site about 10 miles in. Once we set up camp we didn't see another soul the entire evening. It was a gorgeous trail- exciting falls, steep cliffs, Oregon outback. This weekend Carin and I went a little further North into the Hoh Rainforest of Washington State. HEY HOH! Sorry, can't help myself sometimes. This hike was equally beautiful. Luscious, old growth trees. Cedars with moss melting over every branch. We heard about lots of elk and black bears, but only saw some friendly fawns. We hiked at least 9 miles each day, which was pushing our little feet. Spoiled ourselves by carrying in way too much food, I refused to carry any of it out, so we had lots of eating to do, and shared some lovely campfires with friendly kids from Washington. We traded warm cups of Stumptown coffee for hours of sitting by their blazing fire.
Looking forward to what is bound to be a fun summer.

BOUNTY

2011-05-04T22:21:00.001-07:00

The doug fir was very fruitful last night. Deanna and I knew we were in for a treat, two tickets to see the sold out Menomena show... but the surprise was how freagin' awesome the open acts were as well.
It started with: Archeology (also playing FREE at RonToms this sunday... bring your Mum's!)

Beautifully followed by the violin, drum duo that created a symphony of sound, Talkdemonic:

and finally a band I've been yearning to see live since I first heard of them back in high school, Menomena... for some unclear reason they were focusing on there OLD music, which luckily for me were the tunes that made me fall for their sound. Here is a taste of their newest single:

(fun side note, Caitlin McCall and I recently got to work on a CHILDREN's music video together with the same women who helped make this menomena video... when I say "work" i mean we dressed up in giant paper mache costumes and participated in chase scenes and semi-choreographed dance sequences!!! exciting things to come!)

craigslist = crazy treasure chest

2011-04-18T14:20:00.000-07:00

I've recently began a search for my next amazing automobile on craigslist, which has turned into a 10 hour search everyday for the best, cheapest and most efficient car out there that can take me to A. Work B. the Mountain C. Maine... this has meant I've been texting strangers kind messages like:
"Hi I was wondering if your VW is still for sale? Thanks" and getting replies like this, "No takers yet, ohh u r not another low baller right?" or
"Hi, sorry I can't come look at the car today, have to go to doctors appt." and in reply "sold. So hit the dr and who cares"
WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE and what is wrong with the world. Why can't strangers have decent conversations and treat people appropriately via text messaging? I am imagining a 45 year old man or woman on the other end who think they are super cool and sassy and can say whatever they want to whomever they want because that person will never meet them face to face, and if they did, they would be quiet and disorganized and never mouth off the way they do with their fingers when texting!

I also spotted this Craigslist gem today under the cars/trucks category:

Horse Drawn Lumber Wagon - $1400 (Kalama)
Date: 2011-04-18, 8:34AM PDT
Reply to: sale-kfspb-2332197166@craigslist.org

1900th century Horse drawn lumber wagon Not Complete but it's a heck of a good start for what it is,
Front & Rear axle’s w/wheels and Some parts.
Both axles have a rack on them the front rack swivels

$1400.00

affinity for flying

2011-04-14T09:56:00.000-07:00

SF to Paris in Two Minutes from Beep Show on Vimeo.

buzzed

2011-04-14T01:06:00.000-07:00

lately i enjoy drinking coffee to the extent of extremes. I know its not good for me, I know it makes me stay awake and makes my body feel like a miniature marathon is taking place inside my veins after the third cup, but i am romantically in love with the concept of morning, afternoon and night time JOE.
My brother in-law drinks ridiculous amounts of coffee, to the point where if he doesn't drink it before he goes to bed, he can't sleep because of physical withdrawals. I don't want my new habit to get that bad, i just really like warm, roasted drinks that you get to wrap your hands around and go "MMMM". I also like the idea of staying awake late and being productive, but that doesn't really happen too much as I am a "morning person" who tends to slip out of my jeans and get under the covers before midnight. When i talk to Caitlin and she tells me how she has stayed up till 3am busting out dresses in her basement I get jealous. I wanna stay up LATE, buzzing and producing. How exciting!?
There are so many hours in the day and so many great things to do. I am trying to stay awake to do them. But really no one wants to play at this hour.
.... sigh.

obvious

2011-04-13T00:10:00.000-07:00

i am not sure this lifestyle will last forever, a part of me hopes that it doesn't, but at the same time I've resolved to enjoy it while it lasts... with that said, BUBBLES AND BALLOONS FOREVER!!!

tryon state park > forest park

2011-04-03T00:05:00.001-07:00

huy's freetime

2011-03-29T09:24:00.000-07:00

huys freetime means that he is not unloading boxes at adidas, has a beer in his hand and a skateboard in his other hand, is standing over his octopus like screenprint machine, making things either for hasbeen design or scumdays. his latest obsession is stopmotion photo movies. here is an example of a photo movie and a scumday skate gem!!!
value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5N7kO96aXZs&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3">

www.hasbeendesign.com
www.scumdays.blogspot.com

An EXCERPT from howie

2011-03-28T10:12:00.000-07:00

a dear friend who uprooted himself from Portland, Oregon to Doha, Qatar a few weeks ago. You are missed. XO

"Most days aren't too exciting. I'm mentally exhausted when I come home from work. I'll tell you about my most interesting day in Doha, it began last Friday. My neighbor Mohammed picked me up around 11:00 AM, and we drove to a Mosque. On the way to prayer, he told me hated George Bush. He said, "America's is in the middle east for oil." I didn't disagree with him. Further along in the car ride, he explained the differences between Shi'ite muslims and Sunni muslims. The Shi'ites are to Sunni's as catholics are to protestants. After a short while we arrived at the Mosque. Mohammed drove right to the front of the mosque, and blocked in a car or two. I laughed. We walked into a courtyard outside the mosque, took off our socks and shoes, and entered a wash room with white marble floors and polished silver colored faucets lining the walls. I imitated Mohammed's movements; I washed my feet, hands and face. Once I dried off, I entered the mosque and sat on a carpet and listened to a Sheikh give an ardent sermon. During the speech, the Sheikh's intonation was passionate and his mannerisms were forceful - he threw his hands around like a man with some shit on his mind. After 30 minutes into the sermon, Mohammed leaned over and told me, "The sermon is about sex before you're married." I laughed to myself. Later in the day, I told him, "Now, I know why you laughed during the sermon." Mohammed has no problems (making love to)* ladies outside of marriage, and I doubt he has any trouble picking them up either. He's a suave guy who resembles Mario Lopez. After the sermon, we went to a Syrian restaurant, and Mohammed tried to boss his girlfriend around over the phone while I laughed. His girlfriend is from Oregon and has no problems telling him what she is and isn't gonna do. After he got off the phone, he told me, "American women are to, to, to." "Independent", I responded. The ladies in Syria are more acquiescent than American ladies, if I can make that generalization."
*edited word choice

feverish

2011-03-28T09:57:00.000-07:00

A good picture is equivalent to a good deed.

- Vincent van Gogh

photo by j. crowe

a T-chart

2011-03-24T20:25:00.000-07:00

Um, so Japan rattled and rolled recently and then a massive wave washed over the shores of a city. Its in pretty bad shape, and sadly things haven't gotten too much better for those who have suffered the worst. I was still 4 days short of flying to Tokyo when the earthquake hit but that meant that I had to make a decision: Stay or Go...
Its difficult making these kind of decisions... a school of children are depending on me to teach, its only a week before I am supposed to start work, they've already got enough shit on their plates a the moment vs. the unknown fear of possible nuclear radiation, your scientific inclined friends telling you about the importance of your thyroid gland and the friend in Japan whose mentioned the lack of bottled water available and the likelihood of electrical blackouts for the next few months. UGH.
WHAT NEXT? I am looking forward to the next 6 months as flowers blossom and the sun begins to shine. I haven't had summer in a while and I am feeling pretty lucky to be in Oregon for this next one.
So my travel blog won't be so much about the freedom one experiences whilst on the road... at least not for a while. I am not sure what's next but i am keeping thoughts positive and fingers crossed for some MAGIC.

love,
ckd

i ate a rainbow

2011-03-10T08:43:00.000-08:00

sometimes when i am sick and snot is blocking my breathing passages i like to remember the better, healthier moments when i felt like a stallion and grooved for 8 hours at Fog & Bubbles Dance Party Extravaganza 2011!!!!

i am glad its not sunny today

2011-03-09T12:00:00.000-08:00

i wanna flox

2011-03-08T09:03:00.000-08:00

(art by Flox)

i rode up to the mountain with a friend of a friend recently who was surprisingly out of control... i wont go into details but i was scared and i thought "dammit how'd i get myself into this situation". but the reality is i get myself into those situations all the time and normally things work out just fine, including this time, i was home safe and sound a few hours later. A little extra sore from a collision on the mountain (getting hit full speed by this dude). Aside from the minor uncomfortableness and lack of trust i had for this person, he was wonderful, full of great ideas and fun to be around, additionally he put into words something which i've felt for a long time "I have a special connection with birds," I asked him why and he said because he wants to be able to fly. I smiled and nodded, but inside there were small fireworks going off in my mind "me too! actually i think i am kind of a bird" but i didn't tell him this.

recently life introduced me to another person who has a special connection to birds and kind of reminds me of one due to the fact that he is incredibly independent, nests in rafters and seems to frequently migrate North to South. He blows my mind with his ability to create relentlessly. Makes me giddy inside that I made such a cool new friend during my brief stint back in Oregon.

I have twelve days left in USA until I fly to Japan, they are going to go by fast. I am so happy I came home, even if it was brief and fleeting its been full of romantic dates with my best friends, making memories with the family, exploring the free events around portland (please watch Y La Bamba video courtesy of Barbarapartment.com) all around a damn good time.

Y La Bamba — Dialect Of Faith from bar bar apartment sessions on Vimeo.

please enjoy!

2011-02-22T23:57:00.000-08:00

i wasted over an hour of life watching a film i was really looking forward to "I'm Still Here" (destruction, waste & ignorance) and then luckily jeremy redeemed life by confusing the film title with a different film he thought i was talking about "i'm here" (beauty, love & paper mache rats- all set to a great soundtrack) in only 2o wonderful minutes.

oh robot love, you are so beautiful.

http://www.imheremovie.com/

2011-02-14T14:46:00.001-08:00

too many boys

2011-02-14T14:27:00.001-08:00

my rambling brought me to Bend, Oregon this weekend to visit manly men from my past... i haven't been surrounded by this many dudes in YEARS, it was hilarious and exhausting and made me feel like a wimp when it came to drinking, but i kind of appreciated being a wimp the next day anyways... cause I woke up to the most beautiful sunrise in the high-desert and got to sit outside in the peace and quiet reading "atlas shrugged".

there is a very drunk human being underneath these pillows, he didn't wake ever, not even when i dove onto the pillow castle.

please note the gorgeous buck in left corner!
CNS

Crosby,Stills, Nash & Douglas

today was fun

2011-02-10T20:28:00.000-08:00

Portland looked like this:

So we went to Mt. Hood to snowboard:

and it ROCKED:

on the way home we drove through Hood River (oh how i love that place, brings tears to my eyes these days) anyways Huy skated at the sweetest li'l skate park I have seen since leaving NZ. He got butterflies in his stomach over the "hobbit hole" feature than did it, just like that.

well done mate.

2011-01-31T10:16:00.000-08:00

Untitled from colleen douglas on Vimeo.

this video is a bit long, its something we used for the "farewell party" where the girls performed songs and hip hop dances, we gave away awards for best campers and they showered me with gifts (phone charms, chocolates and sweaters) overall camp was awesome.

for liz

2011-01-18T11:16:00.000-08:00

steampunk: is a sub-genre of science fiction, alternate history, and speculative fiction. Specifically, steampunk involves an era or world where steam power is still widely used as the main source of power.
IMAGINE if steam engines powered the world???? This is what the world and we might look like:

liz and I stumbled across a steampunk mecca in our travels around NZ in the town of Omaru... we nicknamed the place "odd-aru" due to its very strange people and behaviors.

little dragon

2011-01-16T10:46:00.001-08:00

field trip!!!

2011-01-15T23:04:00.000-08:00

my life is consumed by korean camp these days. its magical and stressful and i love it. there are 33 campers and guess how many counselors... one (me!!!) the ratio is a little off in my opinion but thats alright. i've been able to pull in a few friends to help me out with cool activities- thanks huy and caitlin!

we just went on a great field trip to Seattle- we packed in all of the tourist hotspots (speaking of which the Boeing factory is surprisingly radical and highly recommended). Here are some shots of the kids and the sights from these past two days:

this city was surpisingly delightful.

Yoori- that's her name. she is a middle school student who is a pain in the ass and i like her, she kind of reminds me of myself when i was in middle school... not the "happiest camper" you might say. she thought it was funny to take photos of other people while sleeping and then make fun of them... this is payback!!! I have officially started a sleeping photo war and can no longer rest peacefully on long bus rides.

horribly over exposed but still sweet.

dinner for the last two nights... i can now removed a fish head, bone and guts with only chopsticks (BOOOOM!!!!)

me like spicy soup.

korea camp continued....

2011-01-10T09:33:00.000-08:00

the girls brought some snacks to share while we watched "Twilight" together... this is a dried squid which smells like dried squid and made me want to vomit. it was adorable watching them gnaw on his tentacles with smiles stretching across their faces. they thought i was weird cause i thought it was gross. i thought they were weird because they thought this was delicious.

teacher Joe... he is coming with me to Doug Fir tonight for a real taste of Portland town.

we made beautiful sugar cookies. this was the first time several of the girls had EVER baked. my co-counselor had to teach the girls how to sweep the other day, he wasn't sure if that was cute or sad. very different lives we lead.

stunning

cookie girl

field trip to COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE. this is my korean smile. the girls don't smile, so i've kinda toned it down a bit.

these two are the class goofballs, needless to say, we get along great!

REASONS WHY I LOVE HOLIDAYS & MY FAMILY:

2011-01-01T22:37:00.000-08:00

(winter break: Rosalie comes home from university in vermont and lets me shave her head!)

(dinner with family friends- Thank you KEVIN!)

(gravy boats full of fat and heaven!)

FUCKING GOOD WINE

VEGETARIAN CHRISTMAS EVE DINNER MADE BY me!!!!!

(hanging out with Sister Wanda... nuns who party!)

(MOMMY-and a her pomeranians!!!)

2011-01-01T22:07:00.000-08:00

a year end review:

10 months in New Zealand (like a slice of delicious pie only way better), filled with new friends, amazing memories, mountains, laughter, and real english accents... already feels like years ago although it was more like yesterday.
Back in Portland: sake job- fired for snowboarding (oops), Korean English Camp job- hired for enthusiasm.

At this moment, on January 1, 2011 at 10:12 pm... sitting in my random and temporary 2 bedroom apartment on 90th & SE Powell Blvd (aka the ghetto)... I FEEL BLESSED.
what an amazing year this has been for me any many of my beloved friends and family. I've done things and been places I never imagined would have been a part of my life. I am currently weaseling my way into the role of a teacher, finally not working in the hospitality industry (although there is NOTHING wrong with that, I have just felt for a while like I've wanted to diversify my "professional" self).

My current employment gig as event coordinator for a winter break English camp for South Koreans is absolutely mental and amazing. Tonight I am overcome with relief and joy. Its only 10:16pm and i am DONE for the night. I am finished with my 5th day in a row of 16 hour work days, no one is yelling "teacher, teacher" at me in the cutest voice ever, and i have a glass of delicious and cheap red wine on my desk (BOOOOOOM!)

CHEERS TO A NEW YEAR a life full of great people, amazing opportunities and beautiful places.

RESOLUTIONS: money is purchasing power, purchasing power is our only voice in this crazy economic world, so I want to spend wisely. be healthy... I am 26- according to someone I am entering my physical prime as a woman, i want to run at least 10 miles each week, i'd like to stretch, sketch and read more, and EAT LESS SUGAR!

love you
ckd

a peek at the Columbia School of English's winter campers:

i am feeling cheerful, how about you?

2010-12-06T21:08:00.001-08:00

this is my first christmas home in several years.

its kind of exciting. all i want for christmas is you.

make it happen santa!

love,

colleen

my passport expired

2010-11-30T19:57:00.000-08:00

Ohayo gozaimasu! Watashi wa Colleen desu.

America no, Oregon shuuno, Portland kara kimashita.

Anata no namae wa nan des ka? Doko kara kimashita?

Haijimemashite!!!!

(i was going for nerdy english teacher... successful? HAI!)

hot 'n spicy

2010-11-26T18:12:00.001-08:00

If I had a home I would make one of these, than I would make a feast and sit at the dining room table staring at the coolest spice rack in the world.

I keep on telling people, "No thanks" when they try to pawn off arts, crafts and other object on me these days. I have too many projects and not enough space at the moment. But this is one 'to-do' I could make room for:

neighbors

2010-10-31T09:14:00.001-07:00

nightmare on couch street

2010-10-31T09:01:00.000-07:00

AOTEAROA

2010-10-26T08:30:00.000-07:00

Maori for New Zealand: ao = cloud, tea = white and roa = long or "land of the long white cloud"

I miss New Zealand, its the first thing i think about every morning... and at night I dream of ways to someday return.

"New Zealand, so far behind its ahead" i completely agree. I enjoyed hanging my clothes out to dry, living with people who don't rinse bubbles off after handwashing dishes, and having to build a fire to stay warm.

post script... home is a good place too

video gems

2010-10-18T08:24:00.000-07:00

These are completely different...one is cute-filled with love, puppies, loyalty and a happy ending. The other is rude, hilarious and a great critique of modern youth!

(courtesy of new zealand mate!)

AND

(courtesy of London)

culture realization

2010-10-11T12:40:00.000-07:00

So i think i am suffering from a slight case of culture shock. I ordered a small latte the other day and received a mug of coffee that i could stick both fists into comfortably. I didn't want it after that. I wanted a dainty mug, filled with good milky coffee made by a short, punky girl named Chev.

I don't feel like I am home yet. In fact I haven't stayed in one place longer than a week since I left Wanaka. I am currently at my Mother's house (which is great) and she has started rescuing small Pomeranian dogs (which is even greater), but I still feel like I am on the road.

This is my to-do list to get back in the swing of things:

- ride my bike

- season pass Meadows

- get a job

- handstands on the beach

- dance at Holocene with carin and shola

- film huy skate boarding

- stay still

- run

amster-damsel

2010-09-26T05:24:00.000-07:00

thanks caitlin for reminding me about how amazing you are and of how much fun we had in your tattered bunny outfits. i am looking forward to returning home and putting mine on, then making breakfast in banks, oregon and wierding out my folks.

THEORIES...

2010-09-06T18:21:00.000-07:00

Perhaps you may or more likely may not have noticed, but I haven’t written in the blog in ages. In fact the only change that has been made to it in more than a month has been the title. I think it suits the purpose of the blog better and maybe that’s why I haven’t written in so long, because I’ve was settled in the town of ye ol’ Wanaka. I had a regular life- made friends, worked 40 hours a week, developed habits (pool night on Wednesday, family dinner, snowboarding every free afternoon, nannying on Saturdays) that there weren’t too many traveling adventures or things out of the ordinary to write about.

Regardless, things have changed and I am back on the road. My life’s belongings have been whittled down to one large suitcase on wheels, two backpacks, a ukulele and an annoying pair of snowboard boots that I am painfully lugging across the world.

When traveling goes smoothly, it generally doesn’t matter how much stuff you are totting around with you. The plan was to get dropped off at the airport, picked up by a friend and get a ride to my campervan… what actually ended up happening was I got dropped off, flight canceled in Queenstown, 8 hours bus ride to Christchurch, taken to a hotel at 1am, early morning manic 7.4 earthquake at 4:30am, ran out of hotel, abandoning all belongings, returned to collect said belongings in pitch black while heart was pounding and my head was wondering “if the building collapses while I am collecting all this shit, would it be worth it??!!”. Thankfully I spied an airport luggage cart in reception and quickly snatched it up. For the next 12 hours while myself and hundreds of others set up a make-shift refugee camp in the Chirstchurch airport’s green spaces I wouldn’t let that cart of convenience out of my sight

Once power came back to the city I managed to snag a flight out that evening to Australia. *!?#*!?!! amazing

So here I sit now, three days later. Upon a futon, in a guy named Michael’s living room (couchsurfing.org host) on the Gold Coast, staring at a beachfront that reminds me of Miami or Rio De Janeiro. Australia is grand. Far different than I imagined… and not at all like New Zealand. It’s wild and populated, fast and flash.

I am still in slow mode and am hoping to find a beach to perch myself at for the day and read my book, swim in the waves and drink copious amounts of tea and juice.

A nesting female with amazing eyes. I got too close to her and she didn't appreciate it. Her companion came running at me making growling noises.

Doped up Koalas (not wild) saw them at the Australia Zoo!

My first night out in my extremely discreet campervan, I woke up to this family of KANGROOS outside. I fed them toast :) and the big one on the left (male) got kinda of pushy and I got scared. hehehe not very experienced with roos!

SEE THE JOEY???

Saw this beauty at the Noosa National Park- along with sea turtles and koalas! Wild OZ
Me and this guy became friends- I let him touch my camera.

lloovvee tthhiiss ssoonngg......

2010-07-29T03:41:00.000-07:00

get it?

fond farewells...

2010-07-18T05:20:00.000-07:00

david, oh david.

a lovely man, dare I say a good friend is leaving the township of wanaka today. not really of his own accord, but because he is being deported.

*weep*

tonight we celebrated his gentle giantness, sense of humor, appreciation for women's clothing and his amazing ninja skills (aka The Ginga Ninja).

i enjoyed meeting david, and here's to hoping that someday hopefully we will reunite in an amazing place, lick each other's bowls clean, eat fancy meals, be penpals, and go camping again.

miss you already,

love colleen

I AM GLAD I SAW YOUR FACE TOday...

2010-07-14T08:18:00.001-07:00

It's nice to see you too

I LOVE YOU!!!

2010-06-25T16:41:00.000-07:00

BEST DOG IN THE WORLD... (dont tell alibi i said that)

Fourth meal...

2010-06-25T07:23:00.000-07:00

there is no better way for me to spend this gloriuos saturday morning than with my internet blog.

2:24am - Pasta bake, eaten. Onto Whitaker's Hazelnut chocolate bar. LIFE IS GOOD. colleen is kinda drunk again.

XOXO

p.s. so what if i am not a burlesque dancer...

sweet dreams world

OPEN SEASON

2010-06-24T22:43:00.000-07:00

Treble Cone (local mountain)

Mount Fuji (foreign mountain)

The season has started, snow has fallen and I am happy.

I wasn't sure why I was sticking around NZ... but now I've figured it all out. Wanaka is a winter gem. A snowboard bum's fantasy... and I am going to live it up!

I am poor as a bum, but I've got all my gear sorted out (thanks to debbie) ((shout out)) and a season pass in my hand (thanks to work).

GOALS:

- land 360*

- learn how to manual

- not hurt myself

- bonus points for lovely riding style

WOOP WOOP WOOP WOOP WOOP WOOP WOOP WOOP

Handsome furs...

2010-06-20T21:20:00.000-07:00

Today I picked up a hitchhiker on my way home from Queenstown named Matt. Matt was lovely, 30 years old, escaping england and his job as a lawyer to travel the world, go on safaris, climb mountains and thumb rides.

The trip was short, only fifty minutes long, but within that amount of time, we discovered we were both reading the exact same self-help book at Arty Bee's Bookstore in Wellington 2 weeks ago. I couldn't go through with buying it, I thought "I am too young for this shit," and was mildly embarrassed by the whole thing, luckily Matt bought it, and now when he has finished it he is sending me the book!

It's a small weird world.

i collect animals

2010-05-30T16:58:00.001-07:00

COBRA SNAKE

2010-05-27T22:08:00.001-07:00

I WENT TO THIS SILLY PARTY: what the fuck? (theme)... I got out of work early and decided to join my giant irish friend (see photo below, drag queen on left) to an ol' fashion party. I didn't drink, instead i brought my camera and threw together a semi-psychadelic costume and watched people act out of character through a thick set of lenses.

COUNTRY ROAD

2010-05-25T07:15:00.000-07:00

I don't have anything extremely valuable to share with this internet forum tonight- I am drunk. I just went to a house party; the theme was "sunglasses" i enjoyed it very much. Mostly because there was an ipod and i could sneak on tunes that i loved, people danced... they shimmied their hands back and forth across their knees, stole glances at other boogiers across the kitchen floor and we all drank decent wine from central otago and strange french liquor . it was the first night out i spent with my new flatmates and it was alright, actually lots of fun, except they laughed at me a lot. lots of people laugh at me.

avalanches are real

2010-05-12T15:53:00.001-07:00

Bonjour blog!

Sorry its been ages since I have written. Oh what a happy wet day. Sitting on the second floor of my new home, atop my bed, rain splashing outside. I AM CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET!!!

It feels so good. I've been able to chat and skype with friends and family for the first time in months in the privacy of my own bedroom.

I just moved into town- into a home with three other ladies. We just had a good bye dinner for a French girl and an English boy at my house last night... they are heading up north to pick Kiwi fruit. (what glorious opportunities new zealand holds for us travelers... minimum wage and mind-numbing work)

Random... anyways life is good. The internet is cool and I am hope to start writing and sharing things on this electronic forum more often.

Its autumn and gorgeous outside right now.

beautiful erosion

2010-04-05T01:06:00.001-07:00

this song has been haunting me each day while i ride my bike i start humming it, when i try to fall asleep it keeps me up until the sun rises, and every morning it somehow finds its way into my speakers and makes my feet dance across the fake wooden floor of my home until the walls shake.

sometimes i think it means something, being haunted by a song about home, while being as far away from the people and the places that i most identify as HOME.

i miss you all.

OTHER GREAT MUSIC TO SHARE:

Florence and the Machine

*delicious music for your listening pleasure*... anyone have some great music for my ears? ? ? Please and thank you!

bleary eyed

2010-03-25T00:38:00.000-07:00

I feel like i haven't woken up in weeks. I don't sleep regularly these days... it feels like its always a full moon.

My life is a bit different. I haven't been up to too much. Trying to keep busy and active. Work as much as possible and exhaust myself so that when I lay my head on a pillow at night I can actually fall asleep. Either that or consume obnoxious amounts of red wine, neither remedy has been working.

I went on a wonderful walk with friends (Toby, Oliver and Debs), we walked 60 km in two days (37 miles). That was probably the last time I slept properly. I wish I was unemployed again so I could do more things like this:

2010-03-09T16:37:00.000-08:00

Dear Blog (and family and friends who read the “BLOG”),

My apologies for not writing in so long- all I could think about posting for the last few weeks was me whining about things and including a photo of the Morton Salt girl, you know the one…”when it rains it pours”. I decided to omit these rants and save us all those precious minutes of all our lives.

But I am back now, with a new motto in mind, “There would be no rainbows without rain”. There have been some minor hiccups and confusions in the last few weeks of my life… not that they are gone now, but at least a big question has been sorted out for me. Where will I be for the next 6 months? New Zealand

My second visa expired February 13, 2010… I was tentatively planning on heading home or to Australia around this time, but I just really like it here, really like living in the same country as John and really like Wanaka… so I applied for another visa and finally (yesterday) it got approved. Between February 13 and March 8 I was illegal and couldn’t work in NZ. Subsequently I had A LOT of spare time on my hands and not a lot of cash.

I tried to use this free time wisely- “educate” myself by reading a very complex and scientific book about Earth’s climate history, indulging in my creative side by making birthday cards for all the beloved Pisces in my life, trying to get in shape while at the same time indulging in bars of chocolate and consuming bottles of red wine I conveniently received while unemployed and broke as “payment” for working at a music festival a few weeks ago. I made a new friend, Tobias, (he was my boss, but then when I was unemployed and he could no longer boss me around that we became friends) and together we started a GREAT club, BG.C. (Backgammon Club). There is no membership fee, you just have to enjoy playing LOTS of backgammon and be comfortable with the concept of drinking nice red wine starting at lunchtime.

Its still summer here and I am already looking forward to living in a proper ski resort for a winter season. When I was in high school I am pretty sure that if I was asked what is it I want to be doing with my life when I am 25 the answer would’ve been “Ski bum!” … so I must be on the right on track!

Here are a some photos showing off my favorite things about New Zealand…

… love colleen.

"You All Know What It Means When I Pass Around This Hat"

2010-02-07T18:52:00.000-08:00

We didn't know what to expect as we journeyed to Christchurch for the weekend. We had two tickets to go see Joanna Newsom and that was all it took to keep our spirits high... we were getting out of town and going somewhere new and around every single turn there were delightful surprises!

Our first night we drove for about 5 hours until we got to a cute and cheap motor camp right outside of the city. We paid only $11 and slept soundly next to this lake park. I crept out of the tent earlier than John and the morning mist was still low and beautiful. I sat next to the pond for a while reading, drawing and trying to coerce ducks to sit on my lap.

We hadn't sorted out where to stay yet or what we were going to do until the show started at 9pm we stumbled across a NYC Bagel shop with a very helpful lady who informed us about the BUSKERS FESTIVAL that was happening all over the city (aka body contortionists, living dolls, trapeze pirates, and comedians, all for the price of a few coins!)

This Russian-impersonating Australian duo was my favorite:

This flying group made me think of Rosalie... I thought "I hope Rosalie finds a traveling trapeze group to be in!" (Good luck with that darling!)

We left the festival to get some food. We had dinner at an amazing Himalayan restaurant and were well fed and happy, then we decided to sneak into the local Casino and won enough money playing roulette that the dinner and our dog sitter were paid for!!! WOOP WOOP I know its non-sensical but I swear I am a skilled Roulette player.

After this incredible day out we made it to the sold out Joanna Newsom which was breathtaking. The giggly Northern California native is adorable, beautiful and incredible talented. She took my breath away and brought tears to my eyes. The two men who accompanied her on stage were equally as impressive musicians and the drummers facial impressions were odd enough that he should have been an act at the Buskers festival. (SERIOUS face MAN!)

Wish you could have all been there with me! Maybe next time...

.... love colleen

The Berger...

2010-01-31T18:09:00.000-08:00

I've realized that my time spent in New Zealand has not only flown by (I am nearing the end of my second visa extension) but has also been blessed with many wonderful visits from friends and family back at home... adding magical moments to this already incredible country.

Most recently my scientifically inclined friend, the Carin Berg, journeyed out here to escape her lab job and find some peace of mind. She hitchhiked, camped, cruised and sang her way across most of the country... in just 30 days and found time to come stay with me for 5 special days.

We went on a camping adventure to one of my new favorite places, Manapouri (film site to many fantastical scenes of the Lord of the Rings trilogy), where we picniced on cliffs, were eaten by sand flies, rowed dinghies across rivers, drank some whiskey and learned how to play new instruments.

Carin bought this fleece special for her kiwi adventure because it made her "feel like a sheep", so it seemed only natural to lock her inside the sheep yards for some fun and photos.

This photo is for Shola... i think she and her brother are the only people in the world who will understand it... carin was certainly confused about the idea of laying face down like a dead person for a photo!

The Ferg Berger and the Carin Berg-er... LOVE

*sunrise, sunset... and downward dogs*

Carin- YOU ARE MAGICAL!!!

Amazing Dolls

2010-01-26T19:20:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to show off my friends (who happen to be the people who also follow my blog, and therefore already know of the amazing things they are creating...) LOOK AT THIS IMAGE!!!

*GASP*

the creation of beautiful dresses, made-up beauties and beautiful photos. I asked for a doll for christmas and i got not one, but four... via the internet.

CREDITS:

photo by Kelty, Steep Street

makeup by Nadia, Nadia Artistry

skirts by Caitlin, Riot Siren & the Quiet Collector

*Caitlin & Kelty please don't be mad that I blogged about your blog... its a compliment, kind of like when shola uses things she finds online to rave about... you make me rave*

Christmas in a Nutshell...

2010-01-02T20:49:00.000-08:00

‘Tis the season for spreading joy, laying feather comforters on the floor for dogs and boys to crash on and sleeping in tight quarters with Irish friends!!! I hope everyone had as special of a Christmas as I did this year. I never once imagined I’d be celebrating Christmas with a twig for a beautiful tree, mixing margaritas at noon and partying in a motel until the sun rose!

Brian, my former flatmate from Wellington and his friend from home James recently moved to Wanaka and into my room for a good bit of time. It was oh so much fun having them around especially for the holidays. We celebrated the birth of baby Jesus with acoustic guitar sing-a-longs (my favorite is “Rebel Yell” by Billy Idol although I only know the chorus) led by James who has the voice of a man-angel, parties in motels, bubbles and playing with cap guns and the English.

What did you do???!!!!

p.s. happy new year!

p.p.s. I love Wanaka and am considering never leaving… any of my friends feel like moving out here to entertain me with you brilliant senses of humor?? PLEASE

I still dream of art school, but this is okay too

2009-12-20T14:51:00.000-08:00

I'd like to dedicate this next post to Planet Earth and as a form of encouragement for all individuals working to protect, save and nourish this home.

Whilst traveling I have had the pleasure of meeting a handful of amazing people who have completely revolutionized their former lifestyles to be more green and less "mean" or who have been living eco-sensitively forever... as it made more sense to them from an early age.

My thoughts and attitudes have changed drastically over the last decade. Probably the biggest blessing in disguise about attending the University of Oregon and taking a WIDE variety of liberal arts classes was that it has opened my mind to a range of lifestyle options, food production and consumption habits, and has left me a bit more critical of social norms. Perhaps even to my own detriment at times it has left me too open-minded and unsure about how to participate in the world as an active-beneficial member of human society (my common excuse for not knowing what i want to do with my 'life').

Ron and Leanne were my eco-terrorist neighbors in Wellington... by terrorist I mean they were "guerrilla gardeners" and waste-busters! Converting unused public grassland and desolate hillsides into robust and fruitful community gardens- to be used and loved by all. One day while reflecting on life something happened to them... like a click or a trigger that went off and completely changed who they were and how they were living. I won't go into great detail about what motivated them to radically change there lives (as I am unsure myself), but they went from being typical 8-5 members of society, who collected motor vehicles, clothes, household goods, and other common luxuries to making their own toothpaste, shampoo, using nature's soft leaves as toilet paper, incorporating a Zero Waste policy in their household (which they haven't yet been able to achieve but they are certainly making the effort to reduce their household waste to very close to zero), questioning themselves about "Why am I throwing out this much crap each week??? Where does this black bag of trash really go when it leaves the sidewalk??? How can I reduce this???" not buying into things they don't need to be happy, clutter that distracts them from what really makes them happy- health, adventure, nurturing each other and creating a friendly community around them- and by revolutionizing their shopping habits (buying bulk, searching for things with less packaging, growing a lot of their own fruit and veg and supporting local farms).
They have created a niche in Wellington- the 350 Organization (a world-wide campaign to lower CO2 in earths atmosphere to 350 parts per million- the "safe" number), urban greening on their lunch breaks (yes they still work in the city as well-respected professionals but on their lunch breaks eat with friends and plant native trees in unused urban spaces), and so much more.

I loved meeting these two people. I told them so; how much I appreciated their resilient commitment to living "sustainably", their leadership and the positive example they set for me and for many, many, many other people whom they've come in contact with. They reminded me to try to not be so self-conscious about my ego and what others think about me and odd living habits...
It's quite often that the people who we think are "strange and crazy" who are living differently and thinking outside the box who eventually inspire change, who succeed in creating alternatives! (see William Kamkwamba)
This brings me to my next subject: Michael Reynolds (architect from New Mexico)... I watched the documentary film "Garbage Warrior". This film was a mental roller coaster for me. At times I couldn't help but thinking how stupid and ridiculous this man was, how smelly and "hippy" his crew must be, that they are all just ridiculous pot-smokers who have eaten too many Magic Mushrooms and been to too many Burning Man Festivals, BUT I continued to watch and my layers of judgement slowly peeled away and my criticisms softened when I realized what he was working for and towards- a SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVE! He hasn't and will never save the United States (or world) from our infectous consumer/waste/destroy behavior but he is thinking and living critically.
I highly recommend going to the library/movie rental store and watching this film, its interesting, perhaps inspiring, and if none of that then hopefully comforting to realize that people like him and Ron and Leanne are out there- forward thinkers, who have the ability, time and motivation to "think outside the box".

GREEN ROOF PLAN: (in case you were wondering, "how could I put a green roof on this shed?":

morse code inside my left ear!!!

2009-12-10T17:22:00.000-08:00

For the last three days when nothing is going on and I am relaxing on my couch or laying down trying to get some sleep there has been this irritating taping coming from the hollow of my left ear... so today I went to the computer cafe to do a little research and this is what I read:
"A friend of mine had the same thing, but it stopped after a few days, however her hearing became muffled.
She had her ear flushed and 3 small dead spiders were washed out, so that is always a possibility!"

AHHH!!! how terrifying, please say there are no dead insects, especially spiders, lying dead inside of me!!!

Thats all. Nothing too much is happening in my world. Trying to debate whether or not I should keep my road bike or try to switch/sell for a mountain bike which is a bit more useful out in Otago. Also trying to learn how to meditate.

Alibi and I have been getting along like oil and water most of the time these days. I keep coming home from a long day of work to his mischevious messes (the worst included him eating all of my organic bullion that I just bought and then drinking every drop of water in the house AND then pissing all over my house out of necessity)... this is probably why I am trying to take up meditation so that I don't get so angry with him when he is naughty. Regardless I drew this little sketch of him and he looks like an angel which is how I'd like you all to remember him.
xoxo

Clementine... longet post yet

2009-12-07T16:14:00.001-08:00

“Nice day” the girl says as she wades knee deep through the riverbed
“Yes, its beautiful. I’ve been thinking about jumping off that … how do you say… bridge? Platform? Over there, the thing for boats. Have you ever jumped off of it?” The guy on the bike points in the direction of the dock.
“No I haven’t, but you should!!! I think about it every day, but I am not sure if its deep enough.”
“Will you jump if I do?”
“hmm… maybe. But you go first and then I’ll decide” she sarcastically replies
“Okay”
“What’s your name? I am Colleen”
“Oh I am Clemens. Nice to meet you. Be right back”
“Okay good luck. I’ll watch from here”
So Clemens climbs off of his bike and places it down, off the path and against the tussock grass clumps. I wade deeper out into the river so I have a better view of the platform. We exchanged thumbs up before he jumps. He dives, head first and without hesitation into the deepest part of the river, and reemerges much further down the river with the current a with a smile across his face and lets out a howl about how cold the water is. I didn’t jump, but this was how I met Clemens… the unofficial couch surfer from Frankfurt, Germany who I proceeded to hang out with for the next 36 hours.
We both had bikes nearby and decided to go for a ride from my small town of Albert to the larger town of Wanaka for a quick drink- after all it was Friday and neither of us had ever gone out in Wanaka. I made a comment about how I thought it was cool he was hitchhiking and couch surfing through New Zealand, how that had to be more authentic and exciting than the ways I have previously traveled. Upon hearing this he quickly invited me to join him and thumb our way to Fiordland. I might have had some inclining to go with him if I was backpacking through New Zealand, but I am not, I am living here and saving money so I can travel to Australia, besides John and I had just been there two short weeks ago, so I politely declined. However I enjoyed his company and had a nice evening chatting and eating cheap Indian food with him on the shores of Lake Wanaka.
His bike lock fell off of the bicycle earlier that day and so he decided he would bike back to Albert Town in the morning to look for it. I told him to stop by my house for coffee, maybe breakfast if I had anything to eat. Clemens showed up with bread, avocados and hummus. I had eggs, which we poached. He was really excited about poaching eggs- he had never poached an egg before. Breakfast turned into hiking and somewhere along the lines he asked me if he could couchsurf on my couch, and since I have a spare loft I hesitantly replied… “Um, okay… but I have a lot to do this weekend, and I don’t want to feel responsible for entertaining you.” Which was really my way of saying, “I am not too comfortable with the thought of a stranger staying at my house, in a town where I don’t know a single person and have no flatmates”… but I couldn’t bring myself to say what I sort of felt deep down inside. And so deep down inside my uncomfortable feelings turned into a nervous twitch in my eye, which didn’t stop until after our hike to Rob Roy Glacier. Finally, on the drive back when he put on some German funk music I came to the conclusion that this person really was a kind, traveler who really was backpacking through New Zealand and whose stories about hitchhiking and couchsurfing with other people along the way really were true. I relaxed and my eye stopped twitching. I decided to tell him what a relief I felt, when I realized he wasn’t a terrible person who was lying or dangerous. He laughed and said he felt a little guilty (which was unnecessary) but he didn’t know I was uncomfortable with the situation. And I told him I wasn’t anymore, which was a relief.
Clemens is a lovely person, who in many ways is a lot like myself- taking some time to learn about himself, not sure of what he wants to do, has many ideas for jobs but not sure he is good enough at any of them to really make it. I enjoyed our conversations about life, sociology and traveling. That night we went out to the local pub, listened to 3 punk bands, moshed a bit then went back to my house where he passed out on my miniature pink couch and I made a late-night snack for Alibi and myself.
Sometimes being a woman is a disadvantage when it comes to safety and privacy- some terrible things can happen when someone is kind, friendly and opens their doors to strangers- but its bit of a relief to know there are people in the world who are polite, respectful and just looking for just a couch to crash on.
I had previously thought that I might host couchsurfers at my home in Wanaka, but I don’t think I’ll make a habit out of it. I’ve hosted in the past in Portland and Eugene, but have never gone through so many mental conundrums as I did upon meeting Clemens. Regardless, I am glad I met Clemens and was happy to have hosted him and hopefully look forward to a trip to Frankfurt, Germany someday so he can make me some lasagna and marshmallow pie (a German thing?... I was kind of confused about the dessert but it sounds good)!

This is a photo of Clemens poaching his first egg.

A little about Clemens and his philosophy about his life…
“Ich mache mir die welt wied-di wie sie mir gefaeit!”
-its important for people to create their own life and seek what they are looking for.
- be proactive
- Clemens is a self-described sociologist and journalist who enjoys talking about cultural differences, politics, and making small talk with the people he meets while traveling. Example of a “small talk” question from Clemens, “Is there Nutella in the US?”

I am thankful for you!!!

2009-11-26T21:59:00.000-08:00

Yeasayer says it better.... please listen all the way to the end (thats where the essence lies)

p.s. I'd like to say "thank you" to all my 10 blog followers by sending you a lovely christmas CD music mix. Please email me your address and I'll be sure to pop one in the mail for you this lovely holiday season.

email Mygirlleen@yahoo.com- also if you follow but not officially and you'd like a fabulous mix CD please send me your address, even if you live in Italy *wink, wink Eliz*

the walls glow pink!

2009-11-26T21:52:00.000-08:00

I love my new home in Albert Town, New Zealand. I love living in a wee town where dogs and children can freely roam the streets and locks are left unhitched without worry.

I feel really fortunate that I found such a perfect studio cottage for Alibi and I to sleep in. This is the first time I have ever lived by myself- thank goodness Alibi is here to keep me company. I am kind of exaggerating (as I tend to do) because I am only staying alone for a short period of time, but its still a big change… a big step in the direction of real independent living. Although I already miss having a companion/flatmate to play games with, so I am not sure how long this will last.

I now work for Gibbston Valley Vineyards and am officially a cheap migrant worker, who spends long, hot hours getting burnt in the sun and comes home with hands that are becoming more cut and calloused everyday. Thank god I love wine so much, otherwise I am not sure I’d stick this tough job out to the end of summer. The highlights are definitely learning about growing healthy winemaking grapes and then day dreaming about coming home to my half full bottle of Pinot for an evening drink. Its truly shocking how much work (bud rubbing, thinning, leaf trimming, picking, pruning) and love (blood, sweat, tears, encouraging words and pet names) goes into making a decent glass of vino.

*pause…sip…sigh*

Tomorrow is the end of my first week at Gibbston and then beginning of a long, hot summer in the Central Otago region of New Zealand-home of blue skies, big mountains, long hikes and now me.

Flying South

2009-11-23T22:58:00.000-08:00

Goodbye Wellington, HELLO Wanaka!!!

John, Alibi and I recently took a boat ride, then a road trip to get from the north island to the bottom of the south island.

It was a good road trip- filled with campfires, ukulele lessons, hiking up mountains and finding a new home.

Although I don't have too many personal belongings I have managed to acquire a surprising amount of stuff... it was pretty amazing and fortunate that we were able to pack all my stuff, John's summer bags, and all of Alibi's balls into the "bubble car".

Happiest dog in the whole wide world... loves everything about New Zealand (mountains, sheep, rivers and dog parks)
We went down to Fiordland National Park, this photo can't capture the immensity of the rock mountains. The entire area is gorgeous and everywhere you look there are lakes and snow capped mountains. Popped into the grocery store on the journey home to buy some eggs! What a steal Farm fresh for only $5... thats cheap in NZ!

This is a picture of Alibi pooing. :)

Migration...

2009-11-14T11:43:00.001-08:00

*In celebration of my southward journey, and due to meeting the hippest nerd ever, I have been able to give my blog a customized facelift.

Reading my be more difficult, fonts might not leap from the white background quite like they did before, but this is a work in progress and I really like the change and hope you do too!*

This morning I went on my last walk through Lyall Bay, watched from above as the waves crashed on both sides of the Kilbirnie shops, listened to my lovely Tui neighbors whistle their morning songs and happily accepted my time in Wellington has come to an end. What a great place- a cool city, filled with magic and mystery. I especially enjoyed living in Lyall Bay, the laid back surf neighborhood... filled with lovely people and my favorite cafe, Elements.

I hope to return sometime "soonish" either on my way out or on another journey. Regardless I am so happy I got to spend 6 months in this windy city.

"Adieu Wellington" she said as she waved farewell.

Royal de Luxe

2009-11-11T19:58:00.001-08:00

a fantasy story of family being reunited after the fall of the Berlin Wall... what a magical world this can be.

HAPPY BIRDthDAY!!!

2009-11-11T15:06:00.000-08:00

John is a jolly birthday boy!

In celebration of darling Mr. French's birthday I MADE A CAKE!!! It was so much fun, and turned out much better than I had anticipated. While baking I made sure not to make any loud noises in the kitchen for fear of the thing caving in on itself. I am not sure if this actually happens, especially to banana cakes... but my subconscious was filled with fear of this happening.

I made pink piping frosting and decorated it in the most simple and lovliest way I could.

John turned 29... he is now officially an adult, which means I am not far behind. He has wrapped up his second year of veterinarian school and is most certainly looking forward to his summer vacation which started officially on his birthday! The summer of fun officially kicks of this Monday (the 16th) when he helps me and Alibi move down to the south island for the next 3 months. Very excited for our road trip and the move... a little bit nervous- we don't have a home lined up and I'll be traveling with dog... which makes it much more difficult to find a home- but regardless its adventure time and we are all excited!!

Birthday present from Alice... the perfect food dish for our long lost pal, Monkey!

Birthday card!!!

Hannah and Alice- his lovely friends from schoooool!!

words...

2009-11-03T04:34:00.000-08:00

dearest blog,
I miss you. Sorry its been ages since I've polished your outside and fulfilled you with new entries. I have come to a bit of a plateau in life... where I am waiting for something to change, something to happen and in the meantime have decided there isn't too much to share. But my head must be far up my arse if i can't see the glorious everyday happenings occurring all around me. So I'll rant tonight and try to retrieve it tomorrow.

These days are filled with memories of yesterday and creating happenings today. I miss my friends, I miss their front doors and showing up at them at all hours of any day for a black cup of coffee, smoke break, conversation, cupcake, dog walk, hug, you name it...

I've been trying to be spontaneous as to manifest a "brilliant experience" for myself. Talking to strangers, inviting myself into acquaintances houses, staying out until the sun rises with people I barely know, strolling at midnight, planting trees with my neighbors...its been charming, but I am still open for a deeper connection- ready to laugh with someone who I feel like knows me until tears roll out of my eyes or snot comes flying out of their noses.

I am thrilled about the prospect of summer. Lying in the sun, getting outdoors and taking naps in wild grasses.

It would be mature of me to deeply appreciate the serenity and small sense of community that I have found in Wellington, but in reality I would be white-lying to myself... for I am restless and growing inpatient with myself and others. The people I've met seem to have there life's ball rolling and they are able to share moments (for which I am utterly grateful) , but I haven't found that partner in crime to climb trees with and go dancing with me. Those people for me seem to be at home, having fun on the west coast, mostly in Portland together. Which makes me oh so happy in the most bittersweet way.

*sigh* so for tonight I will send out an ESP message to my dearest friends and family wishing that I could be with you and that we could play for hours.

love always,
colleen k. d.

p.s. its probably just a small case of depression from the fact that Halloween has just passed, and I didn't celebrate in the slightest... except in my heart and spirit, for I did have a Halloween costume in tow with me that day in my backpack (nerd outfit... ie calculater, plaid shirt, striped tie, high wasted pants, hand sanitizer and ultra-dorky glasses) but it never saw the glow of the halloween moon, as I did not put on my costume and did not go out and in search of the coolest carved pumpkins on the block (as there are none here)

living on the run

2009-10-11T13:16:00.000-07:00

I'd like to share some photos from the breathtaking-gorgeous landscape of Nueva Zealandia. Photos snapped while holidaying with my family- from the North to the South Island. These are unedited and pure... a real essence of this country.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

2009-10-08T19:10:00.000-07:00

Thank you each and everyone of you for bringing your smiles, love, hugs and walking shoes all the way to New Zealand. Having you out here was a mighty good gift in itself... but being able to travel for 12 beautiful nights together was the delicious icing on a cake.

I had so much fun with each one of you, and continue to appreciate the memories from our travels. I wish we could get together more often to play late night games, and share generally tear-jerkingly hilarious conversations.

Highlights:

Our sporty red car... super flash!
WOW Art show and dresses that look like they are made of origami paper, glow in the dark stars, or the innards of a piano
Bottles upon bottles of delicious red wine... down the hatch!
Kicking your butts the first night of 31
Sunshine on Waiheke
Chief Bruce Douglas, "I come in peace, proudly representing 17 humble nations"... :)
The joy of seeing my HEALTHY family (big blessing)
Bottles upon bottles of delicious wine with Robin and Jim in Napier (could be a re-occurring theme)
Romantic date night with Shannon, Indian food and our superstar Bollywood-guru server
An epic plane flight over the Southern Alps only to land amongst the clouds
scary 4x4 adventures (not too sure about letting Dad drive... that man was very trusting... too trusting) and scary bike rides with shannon
KIWI AND TAKAHE (see photo below)!!! (also penguins and parakeets!)

Honey.... Oh Sugar Sugar!

2009-10-08T13:40:00.000-07:00

This little tie-died plant it my favorite New Zealand gem. Its called Manuka, and when bees pollinate on these gorgeous (normally white) flowers they are enriched with a multitude of nutrients and pollens which eventually create a delicious and nutritious honey for us humans!

I try to eat some everyday... once i met a woman (kind of a strange one) who swore that Manuka honey had cured her throat cancer.
Its some good sh*t!!!

DANCE, DANCE, DANCE

2009-09-09T20:43:00.000-07:00

The Mythical Land of Rarotonga

2009-09-09T14:35:00.000-07:00

Kia Orana! Good day to you and yours.

I have just returned from a twelve-day adventure on the largest of the Cook Islands, Rarotonga. A place I'll admit I never even knew existed until coming to another Pacific island- New Zealand. And how extremely fortunate for me to be able to discover this haven. Rarotonga is, like most of the Pacific Islands, of volcanic origin- leaving the landscape scattered with jagged mountains and the fauna of the island either avian or domesticated animals. The people are still true subsistence farmers whose diet and livelihood depends on 5 major crops: bananas, taro, nu (coconut), manioc and fish. Beautiful family gardens are squeezed alongside every road and between all houses. Between the rows of taro plants, banana leaves are left on the ground to keep the soil moist and to provide a beautifully designed walking path that keeps your feet above the soggy ground (sorry no photo).

Their are plenty of large and small fish surrounding the island, I believe the main export industry is fishing. Other than that the island is pristine and pure- slowly developing a tourism industry, but not sold out to corporate resorts or foreign investments. Nothing about the country is tainted (unlike many places I've seen before- there was no evident signs of social problems such as alcoholism, drug abuse, obesity, filth, etc...)

There is a law that a building can be no taller than a palm tree, leaving the beach resorts no more than two stories tall and always under the shade and protection of trees.

The general attitude of Cook Islanders is happiness, satisfaction and generosity.

About 20 years ago Hilton Hotels began building a 400 room resort, but rumors have it the private money that was invested in the project was laundered money from some European mafia... so the development was abandoned at the final stages in the project. The water still runs, all rooms have electricity, some which haven't been fully looted have sinks, beds and drawers that are now covered in a layer of plant growth and dust. We walked around this property, through the would-be reception area, absorbing the eeriness of the situation. Some of my favorite photos from the trip were through the cracked windows of the abandoned paradise.

John and I spent our days hiking through the jagged mountains. I found it quite funny that people frequently paid guides to take them up the mountains... that is until we attempted the "Ikarangi Trek", which left my legs cut and scraped from the overgrown fern foliage and the bottom of my pants covered in dirt from falling down the hills so frequently. We had a good time attempting to reach the Ikarangi summit, but turned around early.

We rented a beautiful, simple one bedroom home on the island which came equipped with BBQ, Kayaks and snorkel gear. Once arriving to the island we didn't really need to worry about what to do because we were completely set up. We spent as much time as we could on the beach, absorbing UV Rays and snorkeling. I saw loads of big and little neon fish, a really strange fish that looked like a samurai sword and hung out just below the surface of the water rendering it almost invisible and ultra-creepy. The islands are completely surrounded by a tropical aquamarine lagoon, that is incredibly safe and fun to play in.

Below are two photos of the same house, our neighbor really. It was a stunning building, splattered with 10 shades of pastel paint. We spent one night sipping whiskey under the moon and attempting to capture glorious night-time images. There was a lot of wind, but this one turned out pretty good.

My two favorite flowers: Hibiscus and Frangipani

reincarnate me as a dog please...

2009-08-20T19:16:00.000-07:00

some photos of the dog's playing at the local "not too shabby" dog playground or in Kiwiana "WOOF RUF RUF" which means dog park...
alibi enjoying the day with his new mates. He has now officially caught bigger waves than me.

THE BIRTH OF A SHOLA BEAR...

2009-08-20T03:35:00.000-07:00

happy birthday to you and thanks darling for creating the world's most hideous invite ever. what i wouldn't give to be teleported to beaulahland to sip on just one ice cold beer and squeeze you.

wonderful world of socks

2009-08-19T22:06:00.003-07:00

inside these drawers are 5 years of memories. I wear my socks on the outside, kind of like a heart. I love my socks. The knee-high striped ones i bought from the Eugene street fair my freshman year of University. I've re-sewn the heels multiple times. Cheap green and blue socks I bought as a comfort gift in New Zealand after I was robbed. Sexy black socks with a rivet of white shooting up my calf... you make me feel good, and I thank you. Warm wool socks, made in Maine and with love. I really appreciate each and every pair of socks, I know I shouldn't be so attached to my material items, but sometimes I thinks its equally important to love and value the things you have. Not need as much, but love the ones your with. i.e. socks and t-shirts.

IS THIS REAL???

2009-08-15T06:17:00.001-07:00

someone please tell me whether you think this is graphic or the real, breathing, life thing... its so gorgeous.

god's funny...

2009-08-11T18:16:00.001-07:00

... of course the church elected to be named after the glorious street.

25 years of life

2009-08-10T14:28:00.001-07:00

Baaa-aa-aa-a

2009-08-10T06:08:00.000-07:00

There are sheep in New Zealand who live better lifestyles than some of the world's wealthiest... they roam around hills that jet directly out of the blue new zealand sea. If they get bored or want a change of scenery, they are free to wander down to the white sand beaches and listen to the waves calmly crash. Occasionally a team of well trained dogs come along and direct them to a greener pasture for them to feed upon for the next few weeks. The luckiest of them will produce wool or offspring, the most unfortunate won't live past the age of two and will probably be some lucky persons delicious dinner. But in regards to animal welfare these timid creatures have it good.

John had the privilege to participate in a work study at a ranch right outside of Wellington. He wandered the hills on foot and tore across the country side on 3-wheelers, hand-fed cows, sheered and immunized thousands of sheep and played with dogs. One sunny afternoon I had the fortunate opportunity to tag along. I couldn't stop asking myself "why am I not learning how to be a rancher???!!!"

"Thanks for the grass, I love you." "I love you too cow."

Thursday-Sunday

2009-07-25T17:29:00.000-07:00

My cheap week has been great, and successful... and its already halfway over. Here's some of the ways I have occupied my "free" time.

A. making delcious home-made granola!
B. Work
C. Running, got to get in shape for Cook Islands WOOP WOOP!
D. Work and eating delicious staff meals of mashed potato and beer... :) Sounds gross, but everyone can probably agree its a wicked good combination
E. Laying in bed and sending emails and posting photos to facebook... kind of lame, i know.
F. went to my first party in wellington ever. Had a lovely time dangling my feet over the window ledge of a four story building and admiring the city lights... while talking about good music with my new Irish amigos
G. Tried to ride a snake skate board. Cannot do it.
H. Not sewing
I. sleeping

Its been awesome and cheap. I am going to try and not spend money more often.

cheap adventures...

2009-07-22T21:19:00.001-07:00

I decided I'd document this week as I have a very special goal... to not use my credit card or American bank account, and get by with the $16 remaining in my kiwi bank until next wednesday's payday.

It's bound to be an adventure. Coincidentally, I have depleted all my funds while pre-paying for my Cook Island vacation with John and loading up with a full tank of gas, rent for two weeks, filled my cupboards with my favorite foods, a 6-pack of IPA and other non-essential supplies. I have never been a good saver, but I am a damn good holiday maker!!!

To survive I plan on selling some clothes which i don't wear at the local recycle boutique. I'll spend my free-time playing on my computer and hopefully putting my sewing machine to use, which i bought in a moment of impulse because I THOUGHT at the time I'd actually use a sewing machine rather than just talk about sewing... hasn't really happened yet. But a broke weeks the best time to start a new hobby. :)

I just left the movie theater, I saw a mantenee (cheaper)... my first movie alone, ever.. Japanese film called "Departures". A melancholic but charming film about a man who discovers he has a true talent for preparing the dead for coffins. Douglas gives it two big thumbs up. The International Film Festival has graced Wellington with its presence. This was the first film I've watched this year. I've got 2 weeks left to catch another show or two.

Tonight I am heading to Elements to work. I'll be extra charming and see if I can woo my way into the kiwi peoples not-so-discovered tipping side. :) Wish me luck.

saying goodbye...

2009-07-20T14:52:00.000-07:00

Goodbye to old cars that let me down,
goodbye to friends who never came around, ever.
goodbye to worn out shoes and underwear,
goodbye to collecting fabrics and dying my hair.

goodbye, goodbye

Assignment #70...

LOOK!!!

2009-07-12T18:15:00.000-07:00

This isn't a big deal, but it sure feels good! Some photos from my first photo shoot ended up getting published on the DesignerDirection website (i took the last two photos featured in the article).
DD is a New Zealand website that showcases up and coming designers, photographers, models, trends and new collections. I am trying to write, interview designers and take photos for them in my "free time". Check out the website to learn more about DD... www.designerdirection.co.nz

18 days...

2009-07-11T17:44:00.000-07:00

I miss you!!!! That was the best "vacation from my problems", I've been so distracted from my ever-growing list of things to do that I hadn't even blogged in weeks. Thanks for coming to wellington, snuggling with me, and brightening up my days...

winter hibernation

2009-07-10T21:19:00.000-07:00

Good day all...

Now its been almost 10 days since I went on this fun walk, the trail along the water front that was spotted with sleeping male seals, but I remember it fondly. This hike marked the closest I have personally ever gotten to such a large wild creature. I think they are harmless, they certainly looked harmless... almost like they wouldn't budge, even if you tried to move them with a forklift... however, supposedly they were dangerous.

Below are some exciting photos of the "dangerous wild animals"... pretty exciting!

Wildest animal on the beach!!!

S-Naughty

2009-06-23T18:51:00.001-07:00

Ode to a headcold...

you've kept me in bed for days,
I lost lots of money- having earned no wages.

Strangely enough I didn't mind being locked in my room,
under the covers, snuggled by a big dog.

All thats left of you is a hoarse voice,
and the cherry color stain you left under my nose.

my moon, my man...

2009-06-17T16:17:00.000-07:00

well he isn't really my man, but i just love this gent.

Vote 2009

2009-06-17T05:17:00.000-07:00

I am taking votes... to those of you who might see this... what should I do with the next year of my life?

A) Stay in New Zealand... continue to try and find opportunity of a lifetime.
B) Move to South Korea for a year and make butt-loads of dollars and fund my future travels around the Euro-Asian continent.
C) Throw in the towel and move back to Oregon so that I can find jobs, houses and cars on Craigslist, possibly live with my parents again until I "get back on my feet", but get to hangout with the most amazing group of friends and my Mother, Father, Mom and sisters and start a craft club.
D) Apply for graduate school, mostly because getting a job outside of the restaurant industry has been frighteningly difficult for me no matter what side of the world I am on.

You don't actually have to vote, but you can if you want... i have a tendency to seek answers (for better or worse) to life changing decisions, from other people. In hopes that someone will say something that clicks, "like a light at the end of a tunnel". Only time will tell, but the best thing about all my choices or paths is that they ARE ALL GOOD. Its like comparing Rose Apples to Granny Smith... you can't really go wrong.

warm toes

2009-06-15T16:16:00.000-07:00

its raining outside my window, but my room is illuminated like amber thanks to my new wool curtain. it protects me from the harsh wind stream that previously blew under the window seal and through my room. these days i am warmer than ever. my roommate Sol has flown to india and upon her departure she left me with a hot water bag (something strange, that kiwis sleep with. i was opposed at first, now i can't sleep through the night without one) and a space heater. How pefecct that a woman named "sun" gave me the gift of warmth.

Its currently 11:19 am, and i have yet to rise from my warm bed.

FUN uh hum, cough I mean portfolio building

2009-06-11T02:07:00.000-07:00

I am not sure how this all happened, and so quickly... but I've made a unique group of friends who are just as interested in fashion/photography/clothes/and DIY FUN as I am! Last monday we quickly organized a great photo session at my new favorite vintage store "Aeon" owned and operated by rat-loving Amy.
Here are some of my favorite shots from the day.

Presenting model Hine... (sounds like penny, with an H)

And the lovely Trystan...

The dynamic and random duo of babes!!!!!

And finally the "crew"...

Roc is our foxy stylist guy.

Amy is the kind and trusting shop owner, who gave us the keys to the store after hours!!!

The is the amazing makeup artist, Heather and her man friend.

the sun also rises...

2009-06-10T03:14:00.000-07:00

my fantastic flat mate Sol is leaving our bungalow in wellington tomorrow. her journey is taking her to India. i have told her at least 15 times how amazing i think she is, especially in regards to buying a ticket for one, as a female, to India. i admire her independence. i have never traveled anywhere by myself. its actually a personal goal i have, to go to a completely foreign country (different language and culture) and spend some quality time alone. which she will undoubtedly be getting her fair share of in the next 5 weeks. aboard trains, in planes, hiking in jungles and sleeping in strange places. i've heard that even though india is the most populated country in the world, one sometimes feels very alone and aloof there. although sol is a magnetic warm jewel of a person and i am sure she have an amazing time no matter how her adventure unfolds.
sol i'll miss you. if melissa successfully sneaks herself into your suitcase i'll be incredibly jealous.

a day without you...

2009-06-05T21:54:00.000-07:00

my new car!!! (thank you marc for the quintessential oregon bumper sticker)

dear shola bear,
you asked me what my life was like here. its nice, exciting, beautiful and quaint. i live on a beach, can watch cute boys (and girls) surf from my kitchen window. today there was a group of 45 surfers or so, they formed a heart-shape in the water, it was a tribute to a man who died while surfing last week. i could see the heart in the water.
i regularly wander around a town built about 80 years ago, thats filled with antique relics-old cars, poorly insulated homes whose original paint job is chipping away. today i found a house that would be perfect for you. its been well cared for and looks like lace. maybe one day you will live here too. if you do, can i be your roommate? i'd make you tea with milk and sugar every morning.
yours truly,
ckd

This is my co-worker Luma... he steams the best soy milk.
this is the kitchen team... always this stunning and fun.
this is melissa and joash... she is my house mate and he is her man.

you ROC my world

2009-05-27T04:15:00.000-07:00

Today I met Roc Travers- young, aspiring, talented and experienced stylist. He walks the walk and talks the talk. Been around the block in the Wellington's fashion world and the boy's only 19 years old. I really like him, especially the fact that he is eager to collaborate. Put us in a room together and we explode ideas like a shaken can of cola!

Here's Roc:

I miss my girls at home who are busy busting out dresses and busting out of dresses, but I am excited about my new little connection with this guy and the larger group he is involved with "Designer Direction"... eager to see where this takes me.

Today I strolled around Wellington looking for neat places, while doing so I stumbled across some fun steel faces:

I strolled along the boardwalk of Wellington, the sun shone upon us for the first time in a week. The winds were also on a vacation and it was quite a nice day...

I bought a warm little car, 2 door bubbley thing... I don't have any photos of this little kitten, but I am excited for the heat function and ready to get rid of the ol' subaru. Right now I am sitting in my bed, sending birthday wishes to my beautiful friend Caitlin... enjoying the technology of my computer and the degree to which it allows me to communicate with myself, my loved ones and the world. "HELLO OUT THERE".

fly away

2009-05-21T14:07:00.001-07:00

Heart-shaped balloons are hard to find, and when you do find them they kind of look like round triangles. Pink and Silver balloons are just as special anyways,

Wellington, New Zealand

2009-05-10T14:49:00.000-07:00

population is just under 200,000 but it feels like 2 million at times.

from what i've discovered central downtown is compossed of the intersection of two main streets... Courtenay Place & Cuba Street.

When I am looking for a bite to eat or something to do, I just go down there. People watching is incredibly fun in this city. Generally speaking the population is a bit more diverse and in-tune with European fashions, than the beautiful grungy kids of portland (myself included). The streets can be a bit of a catwalk, filled with a combination of really skinny girls in bohemian rags or overweight women standing on 4 inch heels and wobbling unattractively. Its not a bad thing, its actually really fun to watch. The best of the boys are incredibly cute... flock of seagulls haircuts are always flying by on guys with huge shoulder pads in jackets, skin tight pants and big boots. I've seen this one guy walk around in a suit that is something like David Byrnes famous over-sized jacket... its wonderfully bizarre. Sometimes I think I am an extra in an A-Ha music video. The good looking women are equally stunning and they all have amazing haircuts that make me jealous. I have been considering chopping off my locks and getting a bit of a euro-trash make over, but am currently sitting on the idea. Trying not to be overly impulsive. Excersizing restraint :)

Right now I am sitting in bed, watching the wind shake the trees out my window. Wellington is known as the Windy City... its much colder here than it was in Auckland/Waiheke area. Today I am going to go to thrift stores in search of a winter coat, big blanket for my bed and a much needed space heater.

I love my new jobs. Both are great. On the weekdays I work at the #1 restaurant/bar in the country- Matterhorn. I get to wear a military green shirt and jeans to work. And serve the best food and drinks I've ever been around. Imagine Portland City Grill meets The Farm meets Holocene meets Le Cordon Bleu... :) The best of the best. And on the weekends I work at a busy cafe/restaurant that I can walk to in 5 minutes. Its perfect for the time being.

Here are some new photos of my place and my space...
I miss portland, can someone figure out how to put some of it in a glass bottle and send it to me? Wellington is wonderfully great, but so is Portland and no city can ever replace the love I have for her, ever.

this is my favorite corner, complete with polaroids (tiger, shola and deanna) music, fashion magazines and lovely cross-stitch of woman and dog
my memorabilia: postcards, photos, and found objects

This is the amazing kitchen table. I usually have morning tea and sit out this window thinking about my friends and family, wondering "why aren't they here?"

The full moon over the bay from this weekend.

2009-04-24T15:05:00.000-07:00

What: road trip with boyfriend and beast (Alibi)
Destination: Napier & East Coast
When: Last Weekend
Why: because when you've got the time and the wings... you've gotta fly. Additionally, this is my last hurrah for the unforeseeable future. I have now happily relocated to Wellington, am unemployed and have depleted my funds buying a new bed, bike and sewing machine. I've spent the last few days, bundled up in blankets and working on my resume. So far I've had an interview at the best restuarant/bar in Wellington, Matterhorn, but no job offers. I am actually trying to get out of the restaurant industry so this weekend I have devoted myself and efforts to working on a CV for the __________ industry. Hopefully I'll land a job that will challenge and teach me great new things while make me wildly succesfully! So in summary, "Its business time"!

Back to the point: The east coast of the North Island is the bomb!!! I am excited to take my family there in September. Napier is known as the art-deco city, which really means the awesome city with beautiful design. The people were friendly, the second-hand stores were abundant and affordable (not the case in wellington), the beaches were vast, there was great cheese and wine all over the region, and camping was FREE!!!
John and I camped 3 different nights. It wasn't easy to find the free campsites, most cities have mapped out motor camps that A. don't allow dogs and B. cost about $30/night, so we devised a plan to get to know the local hot spots. Once arriving to our new destination, we hit the local pub and chatted with the patrons until we had figured out where we could rest for the night and wake up and surf in the morning. We stayed on two beaches and in one parking lot.
The weather was ideal, we played barefooted under the stars and around the campfire while drinking whiskey and shooting photos. The following are some moments from the trip...

Limonada

2009-04-12T16:33:00.000-07:00

WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS...

my silly car has broke down three times, been towed once and had this glorious flat tire all since leaving Waiheke Island... I guess it wasn't ready to leave the island.

MAKE LEMONADE...

I love MY NEW BIKE!!! I got it for only $30 (much less than half a tank of gas) from the Green Bike Trust at Massey University!!!

Hello Blogspot,

I hope all is well in the lives of those who read this. I've been having an interesting time since my vacation with Marc ended. My time off has been enjoyable, but left me penniless. As Poison says "every rose has its thorn". There are always surprises when traveling, some great, others kind of annoying. My car has been constantly breaking down on me. I keep fixing it, thinking that its good to go, and it keeps dying. Last week I drove to Martinborough to give grape harvesting a try, and more importantly make a little extra cash, unfoutunately the trip left me more in the hole than I was before I even left. My car stopped starting, I couldn't find a backpackers to sleep at, and I had a hard time finding a decent job. After 3 days of harvesting it started to pour, I figured that was a good sign to go back home. John found me some work catering, and my tax refund just got deposited in my bank account so I am back on my feet.

I am ready to start working again. Tomorrow I am headed to Wellington to look at a couple of flats and drop off the ol' resume around town in search of a job. I am going to try to get out of the service industry... maybe even use my degree for a change. Wish me luck, as I will need it!

Coming "home" was a good idea. I just had a terrific easter weekend... whipped up some great lemon bars, watched my fav movie "charlie and the chocolate factory", and been crafting it up at John's place. The catering gig was also great, the bride gave us all a few bottles of wine to take home so I am stocked for the next few weeks and they paid me cash under the table!!!

I am thinking about changing the name of the blog, it was supposed to highlight brilliant things that happen in everyday life. I wanted to interview, document, and share beautiful things with people, but its turned into more of a travel blog... I still love the original idea better, but I find I haven't really been staying in line with the concept... well in the meantime, here are some photos for pure and sweet fun!

Happy loooong Easter weekend, from me to you!!!!

My new glasses stand a.k.a. John's anatomy study tool

Marc Blochs-a-lot & C Dougie

2009-04-04T17:55:00.000-07:00

Dear Blogspot,

I just had a wonderful week with my friend Marc. He came ALL the way from Eugene, Oregon to go on an adventure with me!! I might be tooting my own horn a bit, he probably came out for the vacation and me being here was a bonus, but regardless I was still delighted.

Marc and I only had 7 days together, but they were action packed! We started off our vacation with a surfing adventure in Raglan (on the west coast of north island). It was amazing!!! Marc and I are great beginner surfers, we both got up and rode the baby waves all the way to the sand! I haven't had that much fun in the ocean since I was a child playing in California with my uncle. Our car broke down, but we were in luck and happened to stop at the nicest mechanics and they jimmy-rigged the car so that it should be running for the "next 6 months", I am keeping my fingers crossed.

War wounds photo: Colleen has minor injury due to long board whacking me in the face, Dude in background suffering from much more severe surfing injury

we saw these fantastic mushrooms all around the fishing hole...

Then we headed to Lake Taupo for our fly-fishing excursion. Marc is an expert fisherman, he probably would have caught far more trout had I not been fishing right next to him and scaring all the fish away with my sloppy cast and loud mouth. We had a really good time, our feet provided a delicious meal for about 200 sandflies. We got bit so badly we both couldn't sleep at night and had to go the the doctor to get antihistamines.

Don't worry, we didn't kill this beauty!!

Our final fantastic destanation was hiking Mt. Tongariro. John joined us for this beautiful 12 mile hike. It was stunning. The first half of the hike is up the volcano, the next part is walking along the mountain ridge... through emerald-thermal lakes and dried up lava flows, and the last part is all downhill, through fields of wild flowers and along a forest stream. We were all proud of ourselves, we happily made it over the "Tongariro Crossing" and none of us felt too beat up afterwards.

woop woop... almost back to the car!!!

Wine Season is underway...

2009-03-20T04:56:00.000-07:00

I am so excited I got a chance to stomp on grapes with my naked feet. Its more invigorating that I had ever fathomed. Imagine being surrounded by thousands of juicy, squishy, slimy beads that envelope your feet much like the sand might do at an ocean, but far more quickly. With each step the grapes suck you in and surround your legs. Its actually quite difficult to move around, although its obvious the we were achieving our goal of "human press", as underneath us a flood of grape juice was streaming out... all cloudy and delicious!

This opportunity was made extra special as it was performed soley by females! The winemaker, Summer Bell, had decided she only wanted the Chardonnay to be handled by women to give it a naturally sweeter taste. I am now even more curious about wine making. I find myself very much attracted to the idea of working close to plants to produce something so delicious, difficult and extremely fragile.

All in all today was really special and a wonderful way for me to wrap up my experiences on the island. "oh
waiheke"... one of my favorite phrases to whisper as I drive along the streets of this island that has no stop lights... "wonderful waiheke"

HE MADE IT!!!

2009-03-18T04:03:00.001-07:00

Recipe included!!!

2009-03-06T02:39:00.000-08:00

it's funny I've been "living" on Waiheke for almost 3 months and I feel like I haven't made any real friends, in fact I've only had one or two beyond surface-level conversations with people I've met since coming here. It's not a bad or a good thing, just kind of strange. The plus side to this is I've had loads of personal time, read lots of book and am becoming a better baker (so far i've taught myself how to make pizza dough from scratch, bran muffins, bread and a variety of different cakes). One of the few souvenirs I've picked up thus far is the Edmond's cookbook... its incredible, full of good ol' fashioned kiwi food, like fish pies! :)

Tonight I volunteered my wine-pouring and beer opening abilities to the local theater. A former co-worker had created a contemporary dance show that was really impressive and disturbing, I LOVED IT! I wish I was marginally as aware of my body movements and abilities as the women who performed in the main piece. A simple flick of their wrists would commanded a complimentary movement from the rest of the body. It was beautiful. Reminded me of Caitlin, I think when I return to Portland I'd like to participate in her dance lessons for beginners.

One of my favorite parts about the evening though was feeling like a member of the community... volunteering for the arts, helping a "friend". It was a nice change of pace.

I've spent much of today preparing for my departure from Waiheke. My friend Marc... its funny, i know no one reads my blog, so i am not sure whom to pretend to write for, family, friends, myself, god, "dear diary"... anyways Marc is a dear friend from University. He is coming out and we have been planning an awesome week of adventure. I wish we had more time, but we will do as much as we can while trying to relax and enjoy ourselves. He arrives on the 24th of March, and then we'll leave Waiheke together and I probably won't be back for a while.

PIZZA DOUGH:

Ingredients-
1 (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 3/4 to 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour plus additional for kneading and dredging
3/4 cup warm water (105-115F)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 tablespoon olive oil

How to make dough-
Stir together yeast, 1 tablespoon flour, and 1/4 cup warm water in a measuring cup and let stand until mixture appears creamy on surface, about 5 minutes.

Stir together 1 1/4 cups flour and salt in a large bowl, then add yeast mixture, oil, and remaining 1/2 cup warm water and stir until smooth. Stir in enough of remaining flour (1/4 to 1/2 cup) for dough to come away from side of bowl.

Knead dough on a work surface with floured hands, reflouring work surface and hands when dough becomes too sticky, until dough is smooth, soft, and elastic, about 8 minutes. Divide dough in half and form into 2 balls, then generously dust balls all over with flour and put each in a medium bowl. Cover bowls with plastic wrap and let dough rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/4 hours.

Make Pizza:
This dough is made for traditional fire ovens... since i didn't have this I prebaked my dough for about 5 minutes at about 400*, then took it out of oven, sauced and topped it. Then returned to the oven to bake just until crust was golden.

Best pizzas i've ever had... ever!