Day 6: Maybe I didn't blog maybe it didn't happen

I am just kidding. Yesterday was whirlwind day. The weather was sunny and mid-70s.
Chris's parents had all their friends over for breakfast to see us before Hope left to go back to London. We had pancakes, sausage, fruit, coffee. I was all pretty normal breakfast wise.
After everyone left and we cleaned up I dashed out with Hope and Daphne to pick up some last minute things. We all saw Hope off at the airport. Chris's parents like to go in the airport and wait until you need to go to the gate. So we all went in and had a coffee. I actually had a water because I am all coffee and pastried out.
Then Chris and I went over to his best friends house. Justin and Julia and their two children Joshua (4) and Emma (2). Joshua had never met Uncle Chris but didn't have a nap yesterday because he was "too excited to sleep". He ran and hugged Chris and showed us all the toys we had ever sent. Emma was precious and I think Chris may want a girl first. Also, their cat Herbie was in Chris's lap all night. Everyone laughed because (stop reading Snoopy) Chris used to shoot the water hose at cats and would always pick Herbie up when he tried to sit on Chris's lap and pass him like he was toxic. Now Chris is a cat person. Yay!
We ordered Pizza from a delivery place called Hell. All the regular pizzas were named after the 7 deadly sins. The kids had a large greed. We had two gourmet pizzas called trouble and purgatory. The delivery guys drive hurshes. Check out their website.

Today we are going to a beach up North with Chris's parents. A relaxing day.
Here are some pics from breakfast. I will post some of the kids later.

Day 5: Shopping and How I am going to become a billionaire

Update: Here is a picture of the "pav". I personally have never liked meringue on a pie so I thought I wouldn't like it. It tasted like marshmallow sugar heaven!
Weather: Chilly and 66 degrees F.

Today we went off to the shopping mall. It was very similar except there is a coffee and pastry shop or counter around every corner. You could have a latte and a fruit tart every 20 yards. If you want just plain coffee you order a flat black; if you want cream you order a flat white. I felt like some older people must feel when they go in Starbucks. I ordered a coffee and she asked what kind and I said, "Um, just plain coffee." and the waitress was all, "You mean a flat white." I said, "No just coffee with cream." "Yes, that's a flat white." "Okay, whatever, just hot and with caffeine."
Chris's mom has made a pavlova for dinner which is like a big meringue baked and then with whipped cream and fruit on it. It's a very Kiwiana food.
I think I will only detail and food we eat that is different from now on. I did buy a candy bar today that has nuts, marshmallow, fruit bits, caramel and almost anything else you might put in a candy bar. It is in my bring home bag. I am getting caught up on my present buying. I still haven't decided who is getting the sheep.

I did notice today at the mall a man with no shoes on. Chris said it is common for the beach goer crowd to go without shoes. I thought you all were just kidding when you asked if they wore shoes here! And they don't!

I know everyone is waiting to find out how I am going to become a billionaire. At the mall we went into the bookstore and I could not find the wedding books. I asked the cashier and she had to look it up in the computer. They had one guest book in the stationary section and one wedding gift book like with love quotes and ONLY 1 WEDDING MAGAZINE. So that's it. I am moving to New Zealand to make weddings the billion dollar industry like it is in the US. I am going to be the Martha Stewart of New Zealand weddings. I think I could start by opening a small wedding book store and consulting on budgets and checklist and then ramp up into full on planning. I would only have to import all the books from the US. The magazine I bought says "New Zealand's #1 Wedding Magazine" all I have to do is print a leaflet in Microsoft Publisher and I have already launched New Zealand's #2 Wedding Magazine.

Pics from the SkyTower are in

This is from the observation deck. Chris is showing me where we were earlier in the day.
That's the Auckland Harbour Bridge behind us.

Here we are at dinner. The restaurant rotates around so you see the whole city about 2 times while you eat. We were there at the perfect time to see sunset.

I had requests for a picture of Chris's family.
Richard, Daphne, Hope and Chris

Day 4: Not Much

Not much going on today. Did a little shopping for gifts. I finished my book. Sally made a request that I include the weather and what I ate each day.

Today it was gray and rained all morning. If I had to guess I would say it is about 60 without the sun shining. We watch the weather but it is celcius so it is meaningless to me.
I do know it is supposed to rain until Friday here. We made plans for visiting the South Island next Tuesday so we want it nice there. That will be a real adventure so I hope we find places to blog along the way.

Today for breakfast I had a banana, and then toast with somed slice avocado. For lunch we had leftover chicken and rice and a cookie sort of like a thin mint (trademark Girl Scouts). For dinner I think we are having pasta.
The food here is really similar. The only think weird I have had so far is a mince meat pie which tasted like meatloaf in a crust like a pot pie.
The candy bars are all combinations we don't have but not weird. I had a "Pinky" which is pink marshmallow with a thin layer of caramel and covered in chocolate. It tasted sort of like a moon pie.
Really the food is just off enough like traveling to the west coast versus the east or northern food versus southern food. It the combinations that make it different.

Day 3: I finally went shopping!

Hope dropped us at the Auckland Museum after lunch.
It is a big impressive building but Hope and Chris both agreed the only part that is special and worth seeing is the Maori bit. I am having fun sharing all these wikipedia links. Do you feel educated?








Chris says this pictures proves I was in New Zealand. This a totem in the Maori meeting house. The place is so cool. The whole thing is carved, the whole building.

I also think I found the inspiration for tribal bellydance.
1. The Maori war thing is to stick their tongue out and they hiss when they do it.
2. In the museum they had traditional costumes and one was a string skirt with different colored tassles.
3. They have a lot of tattoos.
4. They make these costume disks that make me think of the tribal medallions.
Also - I saw the real Poi. They are short. Only about a foot and there is a ball on both ends. Also, it is never on fire.




This pictures was supposed to show in the background that it was a $5NZ donation to get in to the museum. Chris only had a twenty and we felt bad asking for change from a donation. Then I remembered that Laura gave me two NZ 5 dollar bills. I had to take a picture before I spent them. Unfortunately the sign didn't come out.


After the museum we walked over to the New Market area to do a little shopping. We foolishly came without a backpack so we bought one. Chris bought me a t-shirt. Hope bought Chris a new outfit of short and a t-shirt for his birthday. I bought Chris and I both sweaters made out of New Zealand merino wool and some childrens books for my nieces. And I spent $22 on face soap at The Body Shop!!! I think the exchange is 1 NZD = .75 cents USD, so we get a little break but everything over here is much more expensive. I hope you all aren't counting on too many presents when I get back. Actually, I am having a hard time finding presents. I keep thinking that I will know it when I see it for each person on my list.
Who wants a life size sheep made out of real wool?

Day 2: Why he key?

That is how you pronounce Waiheke. It was the perfect day to go out onto the island. I am only upset that I took Chris's dressing advice and wore jeans. It had been windy and chilly the night before but the day was gorgeous and sunny.
We rented a car and drove in a circle around the island going to every beach.







We stopped in the first little town of Oneroa. Oh-knee-row-ah. Here is Chris at the "Citizen's Advice Bureau". The sign says "For all sorts of answers". That made me laugh. I was tempted to go in and ask a weird question.
Everything is slightly different. Yield is Give Way. Exit is Way Out. When the walk/don't walk sign changes to the walking man it makes a loud "bloop" noise. We were at the crosswalk and it changed and scared me and I squealed. Sort of gave myself away as tourist on that one.









We had fish and chips for lunch and sat at a picnic table on the beach. Here I am eating a chip. I feel like a proper Kiwi now!















This a photo from the last beach we went to, Surfdale I think. It was gorgeous. We sat up on those rocks for a while and watched the waves come in.

I don't have the pictures of our night at SkyCity yet because Chris's dad took them with his great new camera. I will try to get them up soon.

Day 2: I finally slept!

That might have been the best I ever slept with a glass of wine first.
Today we are going to Waiheke Island with Hope. It is my first NZ outing.


Yesterday after dinner Chris and I walked over to a nearby park. He was looking at something and I walked over the playground. There was a part of the jungle gym that looked like you were supposed to climb it but not very far. I touched it and it spun. I thought maybe it wobbled and was then hard to climb so I tired. IT SPINS LIKE MAD. We found out the trick is to stand up straight and your center of gravity spins it. You can set back and it slows down. Well, I didn't know that and I couldn't get it to stop. I yelled at Chris," Baby, come over here, I can't stop this." He started walking and I kept spinning. Then I yelled, "Run it hurts! I think my nose is going to bleed." It was so wild. The sad part is we went back after dinner to do it again. Here is picture of Chris on the spinning thing.




Tonight we are going to eat at Sky Tower. Here is a picture of us from near his parent's house. You can see between us into Downtown Auckland. Sky Tower is centered.