Brico
Shortened from the word bricoleur, a french term, which refers to a person who draws from a diverse range of means to create something new, Brico is a bricolage of my own experiences, drawing from my travels around the world.
Shortened from the word bricoleur, a french term, which refers to a person who draws from a diverse range of means to create something new, Brico is a bricolage of my own experiences, drawing from my travels around the world.
Its still the January 17th even though I left on the 17th and flew for half a day…
Pukekohe. Try pronouncing it. It is if I am correct; puh keh ko ay. For some reason, after repeating our bus stop several time I still forgot how to pronounce it. Another one I had trouble with; Waitekere (why tek ehrie). I do know how to say Papatoetoe though, easy!
Chloe and I after about a twelve-hour plane ride landed in Auckland at 4:45am on Monday, NZ time. The U.S. is three hours ahead, but the day before. So it was 7:45 on Sunday. We picked up our backpacking packs from baggage claim, went to currency exchange were I got NZ$215 for U.S.$178. There is about a %30 difference. Then I asked the man at the vodaphone station if I can put a sim card in my iPhone and he told me that they can do that in town. The phone just has to be unlocked (which they can also do). Finally we went to airport help to ask were the Britomart train station is. She told us to hop on a shuttle ($16) and it would take us to the train station. The whole driving on the left (wrong…jk) side of the road felt like something was playing tricks on my mind. I kept forgetting. The shuttle driver asked us if we knew what train we were taking. “umm no.” But we arrived just in time for the 7:12 train towards Pukekohe ($10), arriving at our destination around 9:15.
Dean, our first host had emailed me the day before, telling me that he was picking up his daughter and friend at the train station as well and to call me when I got in. The man working at the train station was, as expected, so nice! He let me borrow the phone to call Dean, then let us store our luggage in the train station when we went to grab a sandwich, telling us directions how to get to the café and then upon our return asking us questions about where we are from and how he has friends/family in the U.S.
We bought 2nd breakfast (our first was served at 2am on the plane), walked back and Dean picked us up around 10, barefoot, tan and in swim trunks and a t-shirt. He said we stood out because of how tan we are (sarcasm)… His daughter didn’t arrive until later so we went grocery shopping (vegetables and meat only, no processed foods) and to a hardware store to pick up stuff to make shelves as well as some gardening soil. From what I have gathered, he is a prison guard for the time being so that he has enough credentials to work for the U.N. He has travelled all over the world, to Columbia, Japan, Lao, Vietnam and I’m sure much more. He worked in Japan as a bartender where a Japanese man gave him a $1000 for guessing his age. They would make about $4000/5000 every month. Maybe I’ll go there next summerJ He told me about a friend who works in Monaco on a boat making about that amount in week and didn’t have to pay for lodging because she lived on the boat. I think it was some sort of Yacht? Ok, fine, I’ll got to Monaco. Apparently, New Zealanders are allowed 3 work visas for 6 months to work in another country. I tried applying for a work visa, but was denied. Apple picking under the table? I have to pay for food and travel somehow. Then we went back to the train station to pick up his daughter and friend, and drove to their home in a little beach town. Population: 200. After winding along the Waiketo River, Dean teaching his daughter how to drive stick shift, we arrived. We drove past the two stores and few houses that made up the town in less than five minutes. Their house is on a ledge overlooking the beach so as soon as we unpacked our luggage we walked down to the beach and went body surfing. I could hear the waves from my window at night. I love their beach house. It has wood paneled floors, a big comfy couch and, metal fish, beach paintings and art everywhere (that he got in Lao for extremely cheap). He said you could bring the street artists any picture and they would paint it for you within 24 hours.
Later, Chloe and I walked all the way down the beach, which was a lot farther than we imagined, probably 3 miles out and then back. There were sand dunes that we climbed up and the view was amazing.
