I'm in Auckland, New Zealand

I've a feeling I'm not in Kansas,
originally uploaded by BrisbaneBryce.

Due to some complications with my visa, I've had to head over the Tasman Sea to Auckland, New Zealand. I found out I needed to be out of the country last Thursday, and was on my way on Sunday morning. I had my choice of NZ, Singapore, or Tokyo. For some reason, I chose Auckland. I'm glad I did.

I really like the city. Geographically, it's very interesting and very, very different from Brisbane. It's geologically a very active set of islands. Auckland is a city on a narrow isthmus in the North Island. So, it has a large bay to the West, and a large harbor to the East. The city spreads out between the two. It has a lot of features similar to San Francisco. It's international, there are several major universities, it's a major port city, and the geography is nice...lots of hills.

Locally, there is a food company called "Sanitarium." One of those things that just does not translate well between cultures. They call themselves "The Health Food Company." In the US, a sanitarium is a place of refuge for those with psychological, emotional, or mental problems. I think the locals would be appalled if I shared that little factoid with them.

I'm here for a bit, until either my visa is dealt with, or until the middle of March. If the visa goes on through mid-March, then I'll be off to Singapore to teach a class. And the, either back to Brisbane or on to Tokyo. This hasn't turned out the way I expected, but I'm settling in to Auckland fairly well.

Living in an inner city is a pain, let me tell you. No supermarkets as such, you're paying airport prices for almost everything, you have no car, you have no idea where anything useful is, and yet, you're stuck in the middle of this metropolis. I can't even find a decent bar with a TV! Not like Brisbane at all, where every bar/pub has a TV,and there are lots of them, too. I'll just have to explore the university neighborhoods...if there are no bars there, I'll be very, very surprised. Some nights, I just want to nurse a beer and watch sports so I can get out of this hotel room.

Because of the time zone, my work day starts around 1PM local time and runs until 9PM. Like most cities, there's not much for a tourist to do in the morning. Why does everyone assume tourists don't get up and out early? I wake up at 2AM every day, go until 8 or 9, sleep for a few hours, then get to work at 1PM. Like almost every place, there is *nothing* to do at 2AM in the morning ... at least, nothing G-rated. Ah, well, I'm sure I'll sort it out. Just in time to move on to the next city.

Ah, the lilfe of the international traveler. It always seems glamorous from the outside, but reality is more complex.