- Kiwi Christmas
- Adventures in Oz
- The Brigandi Sisters: Adventures in Auckland
- Me, My Dad and the South Island
Sunday, January 25, 2009
As American as Apple Pie
As a white American in the US, I’ve always been a part of the majority. However, in NZ I seem to be this curious creature from a land far away that everyone knows about, but many haven’t actually seen. The office is mostly made up of Kiwis, Brits and South Africans, while the street are full of people from just about everywhere.
In the Auckland office I’m the only American and I get some questions here and there, but mostly fly under the radar. It wasn’t until I was working in Wellington that I met (gasp) another American! Perin is a manager from the San Francisco practice who relocated with her husband about a month before I did. Well, this sparked several questions from a member on the project team about what does it mean to be American…or more specifically, what kind of food do we eat? Seeing as how US culture is such a ‘melting pot’ of traditions, it was a bit difficult to come up with one main thing (that wasn’t McDonald’s). After having a think about, Perin determined that there’s nothing more American than apple pie. Who can argue with that?
So, Perin and I got together one rainy night in an effort to bring some ‘culture’ and ‘diversity’ to the Wellington practice. We gathered our supplies and allowed the great Betty Crocker to guide our homemade journey…
It’s important to note that New Zealand does not support the semi-domestic working gal. Meaning, no premade pie crust, apple pie filling, etc. In fact, the grocery stores go out of their way to make it complicated. High Grade Flour. Self Rise Flour. We’re not shopping for Petrol for goodness sake, where’s the friggin’ All-purpose flour that Miss Crocker mentions in her Classic Apple Pie recipe! Needless-to-say, our creation was made completely from scratch and by the time midnight rolled around we had 2 beautiful, deliciously edible apple pies ☺
In the Auckland office I’m the only American and I get some questions here and there, but mostly fly under the radar. It wasn’t until I was working in Wellington that I met (gasp) another American! Perin is a manager from the San Francisco practice who relocated with her husband about a month before I did. Well, this sparked several questions from a member on the project team about what does it mean to be American…or more specifically, what kind of food do we eat? Seeing as how US culture is such a ‘melting pot’ of traditions, it was a bit difficult to come up with one main thing (that wasn’t McDonald’s). After having a think about, Perin determined that there’s nothing more American than apple pie. Who can argue with that?
So, Perin and I got together one rainy night in an effort to bring some ‘culture’ and ‘diversity’ to the Wellington practice. We gathered our supplies and allowed the great Betty Crocker to guide our homemade journey…
It’s important to note that New Zealand does not support the semi-domestic working gal. Meaning, no premade pie crust, apple pie filling, etc. In fact, the grocery stores go out of their way to make it complicated. High Grade Flour. Self Rise Flour. We’re not shopping for Petrol for goodness sake, where’s the friggin’ All-purpose flour that Miss Crocker mentions in her Classic Apple Pie recipe! Needless-to-say, our creation was made completely from scratch and by the time midnight rolled around we had 2 beautiful, deliciously edible apple pies ☺
Can't Beat A Good Day in Wellington
Wellington. Located at the southern tip of the North Island, Wellington is the capital of New Zealand. It is a nice little city kept condensed by water on one side and mountains on the other. A typical day in Welly consists of rain, wind and bone-chilling cold. I had the great pleasure of spending roughly 6 weeks in Welly for work between September and November.
As my days on the project began to wear thin, I decided to stay the weekend to get a true look at Welly outside the business district and windy rainfall. As it turns out, I picked the most perfect weekend to stay – the sun was shining and it was a comfortable 70 degrees the whole time!
To kick the weekend off I started my Saturday morning off with a leisurely jog around the harbor. As much as I love New York, the view of crystal clear water and luscious green mountains around the footpath put the Hudson to shame (actually landfill was the word that originally came to mind). However, I suppose the true surprise was that I actually packed my running shoes…
I spent the rest of the day exploring…becoming acquainted with Oriental Parade and the bohemian charm of Cuba Street, taking advantage of its hip cafes and boutique shops. I later gave into a weakness at the popular Schoc Chocolaterie and made my way to The Embassy, a historic movie theatre that also hosted the premiere for Lord of the Rings not long ago. Feeling ambitious, I thought I’d take a stroll up Mount Victoria. After all, who goes to Welly and doesn’t check out Mt. Vic?! Well, let me tell you, Mt. Vic is one heck of a ‘stroll’…I’m pretty sure I found the one path with most vertical inclines on the mountain. Definitely worth the haul. The views were spectacular…not to mention how good the chocolate was by the time I got to the top.
Anyway, I rolled back down the hill just fast enough to meet a friendly work mate for my very first NZ rugby game. We were only a few rows from the field, so close to the action! Although I’m still a bit unclear of the rules, I think it’s safe to say I’m a fan of the players…I mean the game, of course ☺
After a great night out around Courtenay Place on Sat night, Sunday was dedicated to brunch and some low key sightseeing. A new Kiwi friend was happy to take me around starting at the notable Te Papa museum. Living in DC for 7 years, I’ve seen my fair share of museums, but I have to hand it to NZ - Te Papa was fantastic! A definite must-see if you’re in the area. Later on we took the cable car up to Kelburn and walked back down through the botanical gardens. Hard to believe such a peaceful place can exist so close to the city.
Although I’m glad I live in Auckland, I can certainly understand why they say, “you can’t beat a good day in Wellington.”
As my days on the project began to wear thin, I decided to stay the weekend to get a true look at Welly outside the business district and windy rainfall. As it turns out, I picked the most perfect weekend to stay – the sun was shining and it was a comfortable 70 degrees the whole time!
To kick the weekend off I started my Saturday morning off with a leisurely jog around the harbor. As much as I love New York, the view of crystal clear water and luscious green mountains around the footpath put the Hudson to shame (actually landfill was the word that originally came to mind). However, I suppose the true surprise was that I actually packed my running shoes…
I spent the rest of the day exploring…becoming acquainted with Oriental Parade and the bohemian charm of Cuba Street, taking advantage of its hip cafes and boutique shops. I later gave into a weakness at the popular Schoc Chocolaterie and made my way to The Embassy, a historic movie theatre that also hosted the premiere for Lord of the Rings not long ago. Feeling ambitious, I thought I’d take a stroll up Mount Victoria. After all, who goes to Welly and doesn’t check out Mt. Vic?! Well, let me tell you, Mt. Vic is one heck of a ‘stroll’…I’m pretty sure I found the one path with most vertical inclines on the mountain. Definitely worth the haul. The views were spectacular…not to mention how good the chocolate was by the time I got to the top.
Anyway, I rolled back down the hill just fast enough to meet a friendly work mate for my very first NZ rugby game. We were only a few rows from the field, so close to the action! Although I’m still a bit unclear of the rules, I think it’s safe to say I’m a fan of the players…I mean the game, of course ☺
After a great night out around Courtenay Place on Sat night, Sunday was dedicated to brunch and some low key sightseeing. A new Kiwi friend was happy to take me around starting at the notable Te Papa museum. Living in DC for 7 years, I’ve seen my fair share of museums, but I have to hand it to NZ - Te Papa was fantastic! A definite must-see if you’re in the area. Later on we took the cable car up to Kelburn and walked back down through the botanical gardens. Hard to believe such a peaceful place can exist so close to the city.
Although I’m glad I live in Auckland, I can certainly understand why they say, “you can’t beat a good day in Wellington.”
New Year's Resolutions
Before you start with the well-deserved abuse regarding my blatant negligence with the maintenance of this blog, let me first assure you that I swear I had the best intentions when I started blogging. Instead of preaching more empty promises to you of how I will be sure to post updates ‘just as soon as I find a minute’, I have made it a 2009 strategic priority to reform my ways. The difference? I actually blocked out a time on my calendar each month for blogging. This may not seem like a big step to you, but for me it’s epic. Ordinarily, the only personal events making it to Outlook calendar are LOST and kickboxing class.
Anyway, I know it’s been ages since my last update and so much has happened since then! The plan it to provide some mini updates of my past adventure, while still keeping the rest of the stories up to date. It’s slightly ambitious for my liking but lets give it a try and we can see how we go.
Before I get started, I’d also like to mention that although I’ll include some pictures here, the bulk of my photographic adventures will be posted on Facebook. And I don’t want to hear any of this “can you make an exception since I’m morally opposed to Facebook” nonsense either.
Without further adieu…
Anyway, I know it’s been ages since my last update and so much has happened since then! The plan it to provide some mini updates of my past adventure, while still keeping the rest of the stories up to date. It’s slightly ambitious for my liking but lets give it a try and we can see how we go.
Before I get started, I’d also like to mention that although I’ll include some pictures here, the bulk of my photographic adventures will be posted on Facebook. And I don’t want to hear any of this “can you make an exception since I’m morally opposed to Facebook” nonsense either.
Without further adieu…
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