Fifteen days, whoa

This morning began with window cleaners banging (aka washing) my windows. They also came into my flat to clean the insides of some windows? And since I was up by then they cleaned the inside of mine. Score! Then I said a very strange-feeling goodbye to Nicole. We generally get along really well, and besides being my PSV buddy, she's probably one of my closest friends that I've made in Auckland. Her flight wasn't leaving until evening, but I was out for the day and her super-paranoid boyfriend wanted to leave for the airport at 12:30 for their 5:15 flight. Yeah, I know. I think I talked to her for about a half hour, gave her three hugs, and then finally left. That was such a weird feeling to say goodbye to her. I really hope we stay in good contact or I can see her sometime in the relative future. Gahh so weird. Anyway.

I met up with another IESer Chloe (who, coincidentally, was my best friend from kindergarten Fallon's freshman year roommate at UPS) at the Skytower. Going up the skytower was really cool! Definitely not something one would want to do if they were afraid of heights though. It was interesting to get a bird's-eye view of Auckland. You could see everything - from the North Shore to the marina to every volcanic cone in Auckland to the Waikatere Ranges in the distance. A bit of vertigo when I stood on the glass below my feet, but I survived. We went up to the highest point (it was $3 more, why not?!) and leaned against the glass that extended diagonally from our feet. So crazy.

this is how you cross the street in Auckland.. diagonally

Afterwards we went to Corner Pancake, which I had heard about but never had. Basically, it's this stand that makes pancakes with stuff inside them. It looks kinda sketchy from the outside (Korean pancakes? Really?) but it was sooooo good and I have no idea why I hadn't gotten it before. Cheap too! I got a chicken & cheese and a chocolate one. Yum yum. We sat on a bench in Albert Park for a while until the bipolar Auckland weather downpoured and we took shelter in the Gazebo and talked to some Australians. I was stoked as because I could tell they weren't New Zealanders. But they must be Pacific Island Australians so that threw me off from me thinking they were Australians. (There are more Pacific Islanders in New Zealand than Aussie too.)

I really wanted to go get some coffee so we walked to the Stables where I ate at yesterday. I had to get another $1 sushi (SO GOOD, maybe I just haven't had good sushi before?) and a cappuccino and we sat and talked for a couple hours about everything from being blamed for being Americans to the academic discipline of religion to the creepy old man that we apparently both met in our hostels in Wellington (floor-length hot pink raincoat.. probably the same guy) to enjoying traveling alone.

I decided to walk back to PSV from Queen Street, which is probably a 35-45 minute walk, because it was barely raining and I don't know if I'll walk back from Queen Street again. Instead of looking ahead of me, I looked up. How is it that I hadn't noticed all of the detailed architecture along Customs Street before? Hmm. Taught me a lesson. I think I noticed everything and was amazed by everything at the beginning, but then it became more normal and I looked at the sidewalk instead of at the buildings because whatever, I live here. I'm glad I looked up today.
I got back to my flat and my flatmate and two of his friends were not watching LOTR [as I thought they would be] because they had a miscommunication about where they were getting a DVD player and could they please borrow my laptop? I would have lent it to them, but I wound up using it for a long time so they watched tv (i.e. Rachael Ray and Malcolm in the Middle) and I baked cookies for the second night in a row. They were drinking so they got sloppier as the night went on and so I cleaned up so they wouldn't spill things or smush food into the carpet. And I ate some of my flatmate's chips; I don't think he noticed :) They were not being smart. I mean, the girl wasn't eating (dumb) even though she was drinking alcohol and I had to force her to drink some water before she went to sleep because she didn't want to. Now to talk about the mud that my flatmate brought in with his shoes that's all over the carpet/walls.. he's going to be overjoyed while cleaning that tomorrow. I know, these kinds of things are fascinating for you all to read.

FIFTEEN DAYS TILL HOME

1. JetStar is still running. YEAH
2. Packing intimidates me. I think it's even harder because I have to save some things to bring with to Aussie. And I just remembered that you can't bring liquids over 3 ounces.. which means I have no shampoo since my travel bottles suck and leak. Gah.
3. I am awaiting the next SYTYCD episode.
4. Some of my friends are home already! What?!
5. I could go for doing some hot yoga right now.
6. I wonder who Gustavus is going to bring in for the Big Concert this year.
7. Also, it's the 150th anniversary of Gustavus. Bring on lots of celebrations!
8. There is sheep wool on my desk. Is that weird?
9. I really want to go outside and look at the stars right now. But it's cloudy, not to mention Auckland is not the best place to see the stars.
10. My iPod has been acting funny and I do not like it.
11. Food to eat in Auckland still: Chocolate Boutique, coffee again, sushi again, pavolva, hokey pokey ice cream.
12. I have been watching Dexter late at night. Fortunately it doesn't freak me out as much as it used to.
13. It rained in Auckland today. And for once, it thundered too. It was actually very startling because it NEVER thunders here but it rains all the time. (At least once a day usually, but more likely, in random 10-minute spurts every couple of hours.)
14. I have been practicing balancing and ankle-strengthening exercises. Hopefully dance will come back easier than I'm anticipating...
15. I love that people miss me. I think that's going to make it so much easier to come home, knowing that the people from home love and miss me and want me to come home too.