domesticated, briefly

time has passed, yet situations remain unchanged. stagnant. motionless. still wandering in thought though......

christ's city doesn't seem to embrace religion with any enthusiasm, but rugby may well take its place. saturday evening gospels with ritual dances and bloodshed. a few gory episodes and a victor emerges, usually wounded. enought drama to captivate a nation, and a fairly bored american.

a few excursions to nearby destinations have dotted the calendar, but have been few and far between. miserable weather, high petrol prices and apathy are the main reasons. sounds like domestic life's nuisances are bothering me again.

dutch, french and british explorers all landed in nz with adequate seafaring vessels. place names are varied accordingly, with haast, a personal favorite, port louis-philipe, now known as akaroa, and britain's christchurch representing some european flavor. add maori into the mix and you have a pretty standard colony. ahem, former colony.

akaroa's french street names and views of the banks peninsula make for a pleasant day trip from the city of god. pleasant is an apt adjective. nothing tingles the senses. a lighthouse made for a nice photo though.

akaroa

the queen's birthday and easter, both indicitive holidays for a secular and sovereign nation, gave me two excuses to spend some time in the party-mountain town, queenstown. inventive name, eh?

i cannot slight the scenery in this country though. simply superb. a three-day circular walk around the greenstone and caples tracks was a welcome break from the monotony of gridded streets and grey days.

sleeping under the stars, beneath a thin layer of feathers, was also a satisfying experience. roaming through the paddocks and valleys was quintessential new zealand. what i will be doing in about two months time, when temperatures rise and petrol prices fall.

greenstone

spider webs

setting sun

i've met more than a few friendly souls down here, and it can be said the people you meet shape your experience. i've been fortunate enough to have an awesome job with wonderful people coming and going every few weeks. the students at the language school are sometimes wide-eyed and gullible, but definitely keen to have fun. and although languages seem to separate human beings into groups, there has been a great mix of culture, skin color and laughter in my brief existence in christchurch. without mates, all i have is a guitar a full backpack.

sign of the kiwi

queenstown/tekapo/mt. cook