2014: Another fresh new year!

Happy Happy 2014!

These are the lovely people I welcomed in the New Year with

It's been a very long time since I last posted in this blog.  It's something I forgot about but want to continue so I'm gonna kick off the new year with this one!

There's so much to re-cap since my last post that I don't know where to start.  How about I'll randomly slap some pictures on here, hopefully covering some memorable moments.

Attending wedding #2, exactly 2 months that I've lived in this country

Going on adventures with these lovely friends

 Discovering Auckland weather.  One minute it's sunny...the next it's cloudy...then it's hailing!

Learning mahjong from the pros!

Spending quality family time ^_^

Experiencing kiwi life with this guy

Alright, that was it in a nutshell.  I suppose it shall suffice.  Now moving on to 2014!  Since it's summer here (southern hemisphere), the weather has been great for the most part.  The sun is up early in the morning and doesn't set till about 9pm.  It's quite exciting as the day seems longer!  Which is a great start to a near year.

This year I've been thinking a lot about my goals for the future.  Especially since I'm in a foreign country on a working holiday visa.  I know that my visa has an expiry date.  My friend Ka'ili  had posted a fun New Year's Resolution list that I wanted to try out.  Here goes...

A bad habit I'm going to break: Not eating breakfast

A destination I'd like to visit: South Island, New Zealand

I'm going to work harder at: Training for the half marathon

A project I'd like to finish: Up-keeping this blog

A class I'd like to take: Te Reo Maori

I'd like to spend more time doing: Instead of just talking/thinking

A food I want to eat more of: Quinoa and oatmeal

I want to wear more: Confidence!

Another fresh new year is here . . .
Another year to live!
To banish worry, doubt, and fear,
To love and laugh and give!
~William Arthur Ward

Sneak peek of 2014: Kayaking under a waterfall

Snacking time

I've been eating lots of snacks lately.  Actually, ever since I arrived in Auckland, I've just been eating lots of junk food.  I think I might actually gain a kilo or two.  Here are some pictures of snacks I've had and some I want to try...

 Snacks I've tried:

Finally tried Tim Tams.  Tastes best milk saturated.

Lemon & Paeroa.  Lemony soda with lots of bite!

Snacks I want to try:

What is Feijoa?  I had to ask Google sensei.  It's guavasteen!

Rice Bubbles?  You mean Rice Krispies, right?

First weekend in NZ

My first weekend in NZ has been quite busy.  Unfortunately I didn't take many pictures.  I'll try to be better with taking photos.  Here's what happened...

Saturday:

-Chinese food lunch with Asian friends from uni

-Wedding

-Coffee/gelato with Indian/South African friends from college

-Badminton/dinner/dessert with Dutch friends

Sunday:

-Drove around Auckland to look at cars

-Visited grandma

-Driving practice (I can drive manual!)

Some pictures for your enjoyment:

Father and the bride - Saturday wedding

Giant chess board and Connect Four - Highland Park Shopping Centre

Dolsot Bi Bim Bap - Sura Korean Restaurant 

Rolled my ankle while playing my first set of badminton on Thursday

Why is this so expensive?!

Yesterday afternoon I was released from house arrest.  We went to the shopping center to get some supplies.  We went to Warehouse, a store that is similar to a K-mart.  I was excited to grab some stuff for cheap but was surprised to find that everything (yes everything!) was more expensive than I thought.  Okay, I know that after currency conversion (about $1 NZD = $0.80 USD) the prices will be more expensive.  But, aside from that, everything was still expensive.

Coke, Sprite, Fanta and L&P

After visiting the supermarket I was also left thinking: 'I should have bought everything back at home and stuffed it in my bags'.

I guess pies are big in NZ so we headed to McDonalds to have some Georgie pies.

In this chilly weather, a hot Georgie pie is nice!

Tadaima!

I made it to New Zealand.  It's chilly out but still sunny.  Arrived last night after a quite interesting plane ride.  This is my view of Auckland for this morning as I'm under something similar to house arrest :p

Aoteroa e ikimashou!

I've always been an antsy kid.  There are stories of me not being able to sit at the dining room table during dinner.  It got so bad that my parents tied me to the chair.  It didn't take long before I figured out how to free myself.  Off I went again walking around the house, watching TV, reading a book, doing homework  or something new altogether.  All while eating my food :p

Now that I'm an adult, it's almost like déjà vu.  Instead of sitting at the dining room table it's staying in the country.  Although my parents didn't literally keep me at home, I know that they were hoping that I started my career here in-state after my schooling.  But alas, I've traveled to different places and lived in two countries.  Next, I'll start my next adventure in a new country doing something that I have not yet decided.  No matter where I've been and no matter where I'll go, I'll always be doing it while enjoying some yummy food :)

So...in a week, I'll be leaving the beautiful islands of Hawaii to the beautiful islands of New Zealand.  Unlike my prior moves, a job will not be awaiting me there.  Unlike my prior moves, I won't be living alone.  Unlike my prior moves, the people living there will be speaking English!  Thank goodness!

I made a blog for my last move to Japan, http://charushii.blogspot.com/  My plan was to post a picture everyday that I was there so that I would have 365 memories by the years end.  Unfortunately (but not surprisingly), I didn't even accumulate 100.  This blog will be simpler in that I'll house any number of Memories of New Zealand (Nā mea hoʻmanaʻo o Aotearoa).

Like my last blog, this blog will be my means of remembering my adventures of my new home.  If you'd like, follow along!  Aoteroa e ikimashou!