Mouth Full

Happy Thanksgiving everybody! 
Now, they do not celebrate Thanksgiving here in NZ, but I figured while everyone was busy 'stuffing' their face, I would pass along a mouth full of my own.

Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapiki-maungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu

New Zealand has the second longest place name in the world. At 85 or 92 letter depending on the version, the name tells the story of Taumata, a famous chief and warrior.  When traveling back through the north island, Taumata encountered a tribe at this hill who he had to fight in order to pass.  In this battle, Taumata lost his brother, an event that grieved him so that he remained at the spot and played his Koauau, a Maori flute, every morning. 

Hence, this hilltop's name roughly translates to

"The hilltop where Tamatea with big knees, conqueror of mountains, eater of land, traveller over land and sea, played his koauau to his beloved."
Or something like that!

It is still considered by many to be the worlds longest place name, though it may be that a place in Bangkok has edged Taumata out.




Hungry for more?

Check out these othe great New Zealand facts:

• Less than five per cent of New Zealand's population is human - the rest are animals. This is one of the highest ratios of animals to humans in the world

• The tuatara, a lizard-like creature found only in New Zealand, is the oldest living genus of reptile in the world. Its ancestry can be traced back 190 million years to the dinosaur age

• Frying Pan Lake, near Rotorua, is the world's largest hot water spring, with temperatures reaching 200 degrees Celsius (392 degrees Fahrenheit) at its deepest point

• New Zealand has 15,811km (9824 miles) of coastline, and no matter where you are in the country, you are never more than 128km from the ocean

• There are more golf courses per capita in New Zealand than any other country in the world - with 400 courses, that's one for every 10,000 people

• There are more Scottish pipe bands per head of population in New Zealand than in Scotland

Thanks to travelplanner.co.nz for the info!

I'm so thankful to be living here in New Zealand with Wells and for all of my family and friends back home. Have a Happy Turkey Day, everyone!

From Behind The Suit: My Popsicle Gig

It's every parent's dream: Their daughter will grow up, run off with a man to another country, and become... a giant dancing Popsicle!

Well parents, you're welcome.

Yes, it's me! Photo by Wells

In my last post I mentioned that I have been very busy, especially with the opening of the new bar, but what also kept me running around was my first gig with the promotional company.  Knowing that I had dance experience, the manager pulled me in immediately to be a part of a three day event, where she needed people to learn a dance routine and wear a popsicle suit.  The company I did this for was providing entertainment for children at the A&P Show which runs for three days as the 'Show' portion of 'Cup and Show Week' that I mentioned earlier.  The Show began as a place to show and trade livestock but has now expanded to kid-friendly activities, carnival rides, axe men and motocross shows, as well as hosting a variety of vendors.  The four of us selected to dance were representing four popsicle characters that the company had who, of course, formed the 'Popsicle Band!'

The Whole Gang!

For two days the four of us got together to learn the dance- but without the suits.  As you can see, these were full on giant box suits so you can imagine how limited the dance moves were.  It was definitely not the dancing we were used to, but we ALL took to the costume donning like little kids to ice cream and had a great time greeting and hugging the kids- and of course performing! Even though our first time dancing in the costumes was on the stage itself during the first performance, we knew we rocked it and the 6 other shows we had over the course of three days.  (And actually we really do know because we just heard form our manager that Tip Top said we were the best Popsicle Band they had ever had and they couldn't have found a better group themselves!)  It was a lot of fun that my first event was a group one instead of a solo grocery gig since I got to meet some great people and learn a lot about the job.

Those silly suits definitely did fullfill a long-time goal to be a performing character; I was always a little sad that I had turned Disney down, but this was a great time to get a little taste.  Although I wish that like at Disney, we had helpers to walk around with us and be our eyes and mouths.  With no peripheral vision it was hard to see people walking up from the side or even tiny kids right in front of you.   For example, I could not see this little kid -->

I just patted my hands in a hugging motion when someone ran up, or when I was afraid I was going to knock over a small child.
More importantly though, we needed protectors when the slightly older kids thought it would be funny to hit and punch the 'Popsicle' or try and pull the gloves off.  Not being able to talk means not being able to tell them to stop- or call for help!  On the second day one of the girls was pummeled to the ground! They took us more seriously after that.

Now that's true support :)

On the second day, Wells came to see us and take pictures.  During the breaks we had a chance to walk around, see the animals and we had our first mince pies, an iconic food here.  We saw and axe and log climbing show, and Wells fell in love with camper vans and is currently trying to convince me that it would be a great place to live in DC while he is in med school! A little help over here?!

Working the show 9:30-5 for three days then working nights at the bar meant one crazy full week.  By Friday's show I was really starting to feel it but the great part was that I could yawn while shaking hands, or close my eyes while standing on stage during the kids' air guitar competition and no one knew! No matter what, you always looked super happy in that costume!

Showing off my drumming skills. Photo by Wells

All in all, I think that I have made a great start on both of my jobs- and I've been meeting some fun people and making friends.  This week Wells has started school, so he's keeping busy as well- his big trip is coming up!

For all of you asking, I am working on locating a video right now so stay tuned!  If you want more photos, visit Tip Top's Facebook page, they've got a whole bunch of us dancing and 'talking' to kids!

From Behind The Bar: New Job and Fun Events

Hello! And sorry it has been so long since my last post but, I have been very bust putting the "Work" in "Working Holiday Visa".  Last I left off, I had secured an interview with a cool, new bar.  Well, somehow even with no bar, barista or really any hospitality (hospo) experience of any kind, I managed to be enthusiastic enough and talk myself up enough to land a job (!).  I got the call later in the week after the interview while Wells and I were at a local Wildlife park, just after we had visited the tigers and while we were on our way to the petting zoo:

Then the next day, I got an interview with a promotional company who contracts out people for various gigs representing one of their many clients.  Much of the work involves sampling in grocery stores and, say, asking people to try a new chocolate, pizza flavored crackers (Wells is a sucker), and new curry sauces.  There is no set schedule; you fill out your availability online and then the manager will book you on available gigs.  What makes it really nice is not only its flexibility, but also its great pay- especially if you are willing to travel to other cities to promote.  I got the job at the interview and filled out my paperwork.

The Bar and Cashel Mall

For the next couple of weeks, everything happened at once.  I went with the other hired bartenders for off-site training (a quick barista lesson and wine tasting!) and I also helped set up the bar and get it ready for the soft opening that was planned for Saturday the 5th of November.  That meant there was a lot of set-up involved and furniture was still arriving just before opening.  It was really nice, though, to see the business start from the beginning.  You feel a part of the project, you

know where everything is, and everyone is on page one in terms of how the bar will operate.  This was especially nice for me as I am new to both working in a bar AND to working in New Zealand.  The bar really is new, funky and innovative.  The building structure is made from old shipping containers, the furniture is made from old suitcases, oak wine barrels and the outside is decorated with a collage of old doors. 

A look at the stores in Cashel Mall.  Photo by Wells.

It is a very innovative concept and is right in line with the re-opening of the Cashel Mall in the center of the city.  The mall Re:Start project opened just a couple of weeks ago and is made out of shipping containers as well.  It might not sound too appealing from the description, but check out these great pictures that Wells took the other day.  It is very innovative and the way they have re-purposed these old shipping units is admirable.  Yes, it may make the city center look a bit a giant Lego Land, but it is really very fun.

Another great photo by Wells

For more pictures, visit Well's blog.

Bar Opening and Cup and Show Week

Wells and I at the races on Saturday!

Even though the bar was not and is still not quite finished, the owner was hoping to open a soft launch for his family and friends on the Saturday so that he could be ready to be open for Cup and Show Week.  This Canterbury tradition can be compared to the Kentucky Derby and Ascot in England.  Big race days are Tuesday, Friday and Saturday where everyone gets dressed to the nines, dusts of their hats and puts flowers in their hair.  Then they get smashed.  In all reality, it is a very fancy tailgate. Suddenly no one is concerned with open container laws and the pedestrians feel like they should own the streets. 

For that reason, it was expected to be a good week for the bar to open and even though no advertising had been done except for at the races themselves. Saturday night, I did feel a bit like I had been thrown into the deep end  since I was learning how to use the register, which glasses to use when and funny new Kiwi terms all at once.  Although it was a little nerve wracking at first, there was definitely still thrill and excitement to it.  Sunday I worked during the day by myself with the boss and got a helpful crash course in bartending and in certain particularities and preferences he has.  I am now a pro at pouring draft beer, working the till and I make a great Lemon-lime bitters.  Through the week I have been learning new shots and cocktail techniques as we have been trying various recipes in order to create the bar's cocktail and shooters list.  Soon, we're supposed to have a man coming in to give us all a cocktail making lesson!

Things are still not quite ready for opening as we haven't completed our menu and, more importantly, the toilet container was delayed so everyone has been using port-a-loos.  There is also a container coming in that will be a hair salon, which will help drive business during the day.  It should all look great when it all comes together, but for now, here are some shots that Wells and the owner took to add to their facebook page and to kick off the Web site.  Enjoy!

Outside the bar. Photo by Wells

Note the converted trunks! Photo by Sam

Great photo of the bar by Wells.

Outside the bar, notice door collage. Photo by Sam.

Next to come: by first gig with the promotional company- popsicle costumes are involved!