So, as everyone should know, I'm in New Zealand, country of the hobbits, dwarfs and other various Lord of the Rings characters (yes, I'm sure I will see a hobbit hole, and maybe even Frodo - pictures to come when it happens, don't fret). I've been here a couple weeks, maybe? I have lost basically all sense of time and dates since I've left. I think mainly because of communicating with folks in various states and even countries I just can't keep things straight. Plus, I basically have time travelled, and I think that probably changes the molecular structure of your brain cells.
Speaking of molecular structures . . . (no, really) I answered a WWOOF (willing workers on organic farms) posting for a couple who needed someone to house sit for a few days and arrived at their lovely abode on Tuesday afternoon. Shortly after getting here Peter tells me that he has my water energizing for me! I didn't push for details because at the time I just couldn't tell if he was trying to be funny or if he really meant that he was energizing my water. So, later on as I'm being shown around the property (lots of land, an orchard, sheep, chooks, etc) we come to a lawn area and there is a bucket with some dirt piled in and a bottle in the middle with yet another bottle balanced on top that also appears to have dirt in it. Well, Peter decides to clue me in to this major phenomenon he has stumbled upon. Apparently this mixture of basalt rock crumbling and other various, random dirt he has concocted, when placed around or in contact with ordinary tap water, will not only make the water taste better, but will also (and here's where it relates) change the molecular structure of the water so your body can absorb it better! I can't believe that I have gone the past 20 years without energizing my water! Man, I've really been letting myself down. So, since I've been here when I grab a glass of water it goes into a glass bowl with the dirt, which to make it really work is places on top of a laminated card that Peter and Glenys have made that instructs you that in order to energize just sit you glass on top of the card for 30 seconds! I've been thoroughly enjoying my tap water, I mean, I feel that I can really taste the neutrons and electrons buzzing around.
Alright, so, that detail is definitely weird. They have a lot of other characteristics that make me just want to walk out and gladly never come in contact with them again, but they really do mean well and have been nice. Plus, they left for four days so what do I care? In the meantime I'm in charge of feeding their two lovely and cuddly cats, looking after eight sheep, feeding the hens and rooster, and collecting their eggs. On top of those daily check ups I'm just doing some yard work - mowing, weeding, watering plants - and keeping things tidy. Not a bad set up. It's a pretty area, situated right in the middle of some rolling hills and mountains, and not very far from the coast. Also which has these pretty amazing looking things called Moeraki Boulders. Hopefully I will have a chance this weekend to take a bike ride down and explore the area and find out if these things are really boulders or alien eggs.
Also, being in the middle of nowhere has lead me to no contact with civilization. They don't live in a town, and nowhere close to one. So for the next few days it's just me and the animals. I do have internet though, which helps.
Oh, and to give you a view of the weather. It's been pretty sunny since I've been here, but regardless of sun it has been windy. Imagine the point when you decide it's best to start boarding up your windows for the hurricane watch and that's how the wind feels sometimes. I think it's because we are near the coast plus it being an island and where it's located it just gets winds from practically every direction, almost all at once. So, it makes it a lot colder than it should be. Yesterday it wasn't too windy but today was pretty bad. I was doing laundry and hung my clothes out on the line and came back inside, 10 minutes later I hear rain and it looks like it's coming down hard so I go out to grab my things and come to find out it's actually hailing. Kind of crazy. It didn't last very long though, then it was just back to being sunny & windy.
When they get back on Monday night I plan on leaving the next morning to go to Greymouth, which is over on the West Coast. I'll be doing a work exchange at a place called Noah's Backpackers. I can stay there as long as I'd like, and right now I don't have immediate plans for afterwards so I'm just going to hang around and see what happens. I've also been trying to get my plans underway for actually living and working in Auckland. I'll keep you updated on how that goes.
And wow, this has gotten kind of long. I am a bit depraved of the whole conversation thing so I'm just trying to get it all out I guess. I'm going to try and get together all the pictures I have so far and upload them to one site so everyone can just browse through them whenever.
As for now, I'm off to bed, I have a busy day of farm work to do tomorrow and need some rest!
Oh, also! I did get a cell phone. It's just a prepaid plan, and international texts cost me .30 cents each (send and receive) and calls will vary to the country but would be anywhere from .89 cents to $1.39 (all costs in NZD). So, if you guys really want to talk or text I suggest you help out with the prepaid costs. I mainly wanted it so I'd be able to contact the people I'd be staying with and for emergencies, but I'd love to be able to call and talk on occasion. Get in touch and I can give you the number.
Cheers!
Danielle
