Back in the Big Apple

I landed at JFK airport at 10pm (EST) last night. It felt like time had stopped because I left NZ on Feb 9 and arrived in NYC on the same date. Yay, that means I have today to recuperate before going back to work on Monday. Well, not really. It's more about getting back into things by paying bills, doing laundry and groceries, retroactively updating this blog, uploading photos. I'll try to get as much done as possible.

Going through security at the Christchurch airport was quick and easy! No lines. Especially since there was an incident there the night before. There was an attempted hijacking of a plane that was landing in Christchurch (it was a domestic flight). The hijacker, a woman, had somehow brought a knife on board. A few people were cut but the suspect was eventually overpowered and arrested. I flew domestic to Auckland, where I caught my flight to LA. Once in Auckland, I had to pay a $25 NZ airport fee before I could go through customs and security. Customs and security in NZ is so fast because there are less people...it's great!

The flight out of Auckland was delayed due to mechanical problems. Thankfully, they caught it before we flew 12 hrs over the ocean! We were put onto another airplane, to my relief. There were many crying children going onto this lonnng flight. They are such annoying little buggers. One mother said she always brings a few earplugs with her for passengers sitting nearby in case her kid pipes up but she's "never needed them". Meanwhile, the kid (toddler) had been wailing for the last 10 min and "he's usually never like this". Sure, lady. I think airplanes should have a special area for families with small children. Like First Class, but in a sound-proof room.

Chillin' in Auckland

The flight from L.A. to Auckland was long but wonderful. I was lucky to get a window seat although I couldn't see anything because it was dark. Air New Zealand really knows how to treat their passengers. I was impressed with the food and the little extras we got. For dinner, I had seasoned chicken in a nice tomato sauce with some spinach and aubergine (eggplant). Furthermore, I was given a cute little wine glass for my wine! There was a choice of different types of red and white to choose from AND they also came around for refills. We could also have tea or coffee poured into our cute little mug. For breakfast, I had a cheese omelet with a type of hash brown and yummy mushrooms in that awesome tomato sauce again. In between the meals, they came around with water flavoured with real slices of lemon! What a contrast to the bare minimum I received on the previous flight.

Going through customs is a frightening thought when you don't know what to expect! The customs card you get on the plane to fill out was very colourful and detailed (but easy to follow). You are required to declare EVERYTHING or else face a $200NZ fine or possible prosecution and jail time! So if you say you have nothing but they search your bag and find something, you are in big trouble! Going through customs is a 3-step process here and they are quite strict. First, you go through customs and they scan your passport and ask you questions. Then you choose the line of your choice to either declare stuff or not. I declared the snacks I brought with me -- the Biosecurity Officer said what I brought was ok and she checked my hiking boots. Finally, I was directed to the biosecurity x-ray where my bags were scanned. Sounds frightening but it really isn't bad if you are honest. They were also very friendly people, which made the experience better.

It is noon on Friday, Jan 25 in Auckland --- I think it's 7pm on Thursday, Jan 24 in New York. I left NY on Wednesday and arrived in Auckland on a Friday---how weird is that? I am loving it here! The vegetation here is similar to that of California/Florida and the air is so fresh! Do you know what I hear? Silence. Yes, it's nice. I don't even know what that is anymore. Once in a while I'll hear a bird chirping which is nice. The weather is beautiful: sunny and warm (it's summer here). The people I have met along the way have been really friendly too. I've been told that I will not want to leave this paradise...and I think they're right!

Today, I'll be staying with my old roomate and we're going to go see some of the city. It is so nice to see her again. Tomorrow, my cousin from the west coast will be arriving with her friends. I think the last time I saw her was in 2001. I am so excited for our 2 week adventure!

We will be going around the country in a van so I do not know how often I will have access to internet. I'll be in Auckland til at least Monday so that shouldn't be a problem. But after that, I will try to write as often as possible. :)