Real Food on the Go: Episode 4, Christchurch, Part 2

Real Food on the Go: Episode 4, Christchurch, Part 1

Here we go, the beginning of the end. It was a crazy day in the kitchen with these two characters, Laurie and Craig! Edited in an insane hurry only to be posted over a year later, this episode definitely leaves much to be desired, but for nostalgia's sake I'm posting it now.

A Traveler's Song

Title: 9 to 5

Artist: Dolly Parton

Album: Ultimate Dolly Parton

This song takes me back to my time in Te Anau. It was the highlight of my karoke night at The Moose when the bartender would belt out this gem. I soon developed a habit of having Dolly blast on replay when doing my morning cleaning duties at the restaurant.

A Lunch for Champions

I think that hours spent wax-polishing cars deserves a feast like this--and perhaps a relaxing arm massage as well! Lucky me to have a chef handy to just whip up yummy yummy yummy creations.

What I'd Say to Me Nine Months Ago.....

1. Don’t travel with someone you just met: Even if s/he is the kindest, most well-meaning person on Earth. And especially not if you know in your heart that you are an independent enough person to go it alone. There are so many unforeseen stresses and last-minute decisions involved in traveling that unless you’re completely comfortable with your travel companion, it’s just a potential recipe for disaster.

2. Get over the fact that there’s no place like Trader Joe’s: It’s so sad, but so true, it’s the best grocery store Ever and it’s only in America. However, other countries have their own grocery perks, like Tim Tams and Sweet Chili Sauce.

3. Moving to New Zealand does not mean you’re on a year-long Holiday: Lighten up on those Tim Tams and Gingernuts and Lollies….you’ll be running many a mile to burn those off your bum!

4. Don’t lose Ginger Jr. in Wellington: A total mental breakdown will ensue.

5. Don’t spend Christmas with a friend’s family: Granted it was nice being welcomed into another family’s holiday traditions, but it’s really difficult not to feel like an outsider, especially when you have a cold! Looking back I think I would have preferred staying in a hostel where everyone’s in the same boat….hostels are great for makeshift families.

6. Don’t chicken out: I swear, the amount of money I’ve wasted on canceled and changed flights is enough to take a whole other trip! Just stay strong through those short-lived homesick episodes, your wallet will be all the bulgier for it.

7. Don’t try to flee to Russia: This goes along with chickening out, it’s a very silly thing to do, especially since Russia doesn’t want you anyway.

8. Don’t fall for the local Bad Boy: The family won’t approve and long-distance love makes for more flight changes, thereby further deflating your wallet. Oh who am I kidding, turn this don’t into a do—life’s an adventure you only live once! Plus, didn’t someone famous once say that “love knows no bounds”?

LOVE

My oh my, how I do love surprises!!

Searching For those Rings

After nearly eight months of living in New Zealand, it's about time I began visiting filming locations from the movie that put this small country on the map. Plus, Natalie would be most upset if I didn't at least make an effort to see hobbitland on her Tolkien-fan behalf. Last weekend, while the weather was still calm and mild, we took a wee day drive out of town toward Arthur's Pass to hopefully see snow (my most recent obsession). On the way we stopped at the place Peter Jackson used for numerous fight scenes in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

What a fun playground! All along a rolling hillside limestone rocks of various magnitudes protruded from the Earth, providing endless nooks and crannies to explore. It was a rather stunning sight, a field of massive rocks in the middle of nowhere. But that's New Zealand for you. We got ambitious and climbed to the top of the hillside, thoroughly winding ourselves in the process; the hill was deceptively steep! Needless to say it was cool to see one of the locations and try to guess how the production team organized themselves. This then sparked a need for us to watch The Lord of the Rings in hopes of catching a glimpse or two of the rocky terrain. But alas, we forgot how arduous a task it is to watch those films--my how they go on forever before getting anywhere--and quit watching after an hour into The Fellowship of the Ring.