feeling artsy

I thought I'd share some doodles from my sketchbook...This is what I'm doing when you think I'm not listening :)

- new york skyline -

- road to nowhere -

- one love -

- wanaka -

- follow your dots -
Check out more on here

Cheers!

windy welly

(written on Monday July 18, 2011)

I can see my breath. That's how cold it is in my flat. The cute little thermometer on the wall informs me that it's a cozy 7 degrees Celsius. Oh! New Zealand, as much as I love you, I don't know how I feel about your lack of insulation and central heating.

The news has reported Wellington's coldest day ever: A fantastic 2.7 degrees Celsius. Even snow fell...snow never falls. Not here anyway. I guess it's the world's present to me.

Wind is the downfall of this city. We don't get heaps of snow like the south island, we just get blown away with 70kph winds. Trees are dancing outside my window and rain has been falling for the last 24 hours. With weather like this I find no motivation to go outside. I have three days off from work and I can predict that I'll spend them lazily on my couch, drinking hot tea, reading and drawing.

My lips are raw they are so wind-burnt, and my fingers are so cold they feel like I dip them regularly in an ice bucket. I'm cold on any given second of any given day, but I'm reluctant to buy more clothes because, in general, I hate having things. I dislike owning stuff, especially when I know said stuff will be carried on my back once I resume my nomadic existence. I did give in and bought a fleece the other day. Good call on my part. That just means I'll probably get rid of something I already own...you know, to balance things out.

Peace.

the simple life

Committing to writing more has been a very good thing for me. No computer means back to basics: hand-writing. I like writing, I miss writing. Technology is a wonderful thing, but it has made me lazy. I still have a Kindle, and I love my iPod, but I like that I don't have a laptop or a phone. I like that I don't depend on either of those. It also feeds my slightly anti-social tendencies.

I like living a simple life. I like having that feeling of being able to pick up and go in a matter of hours. My room has absolutely no furniture. It's a 3mx4m space where I lay my head down after a long day at work. I don't have a bed; partly because I can't be bothered to get one, and partly because I don't feel I need one. I have two good blankets and a sleeping bag, and that is enough for a good night's sleep. My traveling zoo hangs out right next to me, and my world map is on the floor at my feet. It should be on the wall next to my climbing gear, but the tape I bought won't stick...so that's that. My scarves are hanging on the window, and my necklaces are on the door. Most of my clothes are in the closet, and the rest are on the floor.

I know I have a unique outlook on life, and I was pleasantly reminded of this while talking to a co-worker last week. He was looking into buying a new televison; partly because he wanted one, and partly because he felt he needed something large and expensive. "I'm almost thirty and have nothing to show for it" were his exact words. I smiled. We really are all very different. Whereas I pride myself in having no posessions, he saw it as a negative thing. Now, I try not to judge...to each his own, right? I really believe that. It isn't about fitting into someone elses idea of happiness, it's about doing what you think is right for you. That little conversation reminded me of how happy I am with the decisions I've made, and how much I like the person I've become.

it's like living with your grandma

Wellington is the capital of New Zealand. It is also the city I've called home for the past month and for the month to come. I was here for a couple of days back in May and I wasn't too impressed, but after living here, I've fallen for it. The wind makes it a bit cold, but it's winter, so it's cold anywhere you go.

I work as front of house for a catering company and I'm having a lot of fun. I don't really know how I manage to get the random jobs that I get, but I'm always glad to do something different and learn new things. My job requires me to be on my feet all day, so it can be pretty tiring. The good thing is it's usually pretty fast-paced, so time goes by quite quickly.

I live in a flat in a sweet part of town. This sweet part of town has an awesome view of the city. To get an awesome view of the city you have to be on a hill somewhere. Getting up this hill after work kind of sucks, but I really like my flat, so I try not to complain. I live with a girl from NZ and a guy from England. They're both students and we rarely cross paths. Sarah studies biology (I think) and spends her spare time baking and knitting...it's like living with your grandma. Andrew studies rhinos and spends his spare time watching absurd amounts of House and playing guitar. Andrew is heading to South Africa to live with rhinos next week, so it'll be just me and grandma until I leave in August.

Ohh yeah, I'm leaving in August. I'm heading back to Dunedin, where I'll be working for the same catering company during various events including the Rugby World Cup. I know nothing of rugby but I'm pretty stoked to watch the games and be involved in the whole thing.

Last post I acknowledged that I suck at updating this. This post I'm committing to writing at least once a week. Let the challenge begin...it really shouldn't be that challenging.

Peace.