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Movies and pub crawls

Ok people, it's time for another update from Wellington…

The weekend has been really nice. I was working for a few hours on both Saturday and Sunday, but it was slow so that wasn't too bad. The shopping centre that this shop is in closed at 2pm on Saturday which is apparently normal. On Sunday it wasn't open at all, but this shop was (if only for 3 hours). On Saturday afternoon, Michelle and I had a bit of a drive around, and we went to the top of this lookout where you could see over most of Wellington. It was pretty cold and windy, so we didn't stay there for too long, but it had a lovely view. I'll be taking some photos at some stage soon, and sending them to you all (via this list). On Saturday night, Michelle and I went out with Steve on a bit of a pub crawl, just to show me some of the pubs around here. I didn't see any huge Maori men with tattoos on their faces, but I did see a bouncer with a tattoo like a band around his upper arm. Oh, on Thursday night at dinner, Tracey warned me that if I was to see any of those Maoris that are obviously gang members with tattoos all over their faces, that I shouldn't stare… otherwise they'd hurt me. Good thing I wear sunglasses…

Anyway, the pub crawl was fun. My friend Sandy warned me before I left Australia that NZ prices were far more expensive than Australia, and that a bourbon and coke would cost me AU$18 or thereabouts, but it actually costs NZ$4, which is about AU$3 (oh, and McDonalds cheese and junior burgers here are 50c on Tuesdays and Thursdays), so I'm happy to say "Sandy, you owe me another $20, don't you?" I found out (last night) that if you ask for a 'cuppatea' at a bar here, you'll get a double rum and coke… LOL

We headed for home around midnight, but stopped at this supposedly good kebab place… I don't think I'll be having any kebabs here anymore! It leaked so much oil from the bottom, that it pooled in the bottom of my basket and ended up being about half a cm thick!! No wonder the bottom of the basket was lined with greaseproof paper!!! Bloody hell… I'll have to go search for a proper kebab place…

Yesterday after work (at 2pm), Michelle and I went to see a movie at Rialto's, an 'alternative cinema', like Electric Shadows in Canberra. However, this was far more popular than Electric Shadows. There were more people there than you see at Hoyts Belconnen on an average night! The tickets were NZ$10 (equivalent to Electric's AU$8 charges…), the seats were comfortable, and the screen was about twice as large as Electric's and equivalent to the normal screens at Hoyts. Obviously a bit more money goes into Rialto's than it does into Electric Shadows. Anyway, the movie was called The Omega Code and starred the guy from Starship Troopers (the one who played Johnny Rico) and also Michael Ironside (who was also in Starship Troopers…). It was about the Bible Code – taking factual research about the Bible Code and turning it into an 'end of days' scenario with the devil and god, and prophets, and the saviour of humanity overcoming evil at the beginning of the new millennium. You know the story… It wasn't too bad, but the ending was strange. I found out last night from Steve (he and Tracey came over for dinner) that the movie was funded by the Christian Fellowship in America. It made more sense after knowing that… Last night, after dinner, we were all fighting over which movie we should watch. I was suggesting Star Trek: First Contact, Steve was suggesting The Matrix (which I was also agreeable to), Tracey was also agreeable to The Matrix, but Michelle wanted to watch Notting Hill – which is what we ended up watching. A nice, romantic movie that took place in a part of London she was familiar with. I hadn't seen it, so it was good for me too…

Michelle and I are living in a beach-front house, overlooking Lyall Bay and the airport. We are literally about 30 feet from the water. It's wonderful to sit inside and look out over the bay, watching the waves crash on the shore, and the airplanes landing on the other side of the bay. There are also cliffs opposite, and our bedroom window faces all of this. It's so gorgeous to wake up and watch the sun rise over the cliff – when it's not too cloudy, that is. But then there's the spectacular view of orange and pink clouds to open your eyes to… The drive from home into the CBD to work is also beautiful. There are a number of bays and harbours here, and there's a drive from where we live that takes us all along the edges of them. With the sun coming up over the cliffs, and shining off the water, it's such a beautiful drive. I wish that I could film what I see and send it to you. Coming around a bend and seeing the city skyscrapers across the water glowing in the sunlight is something else to marvel at.

Photos coming soon.

Tonight Michelle and I are going for a walk along the beach for the first time. I'm looking forward to it.

Everything is going really well over here – I'm loving this place.


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