Auckland

So yesterday I spent the day in Auckland. I really have no feelings at all about that city. It is all just concrete and buildings. Anyway so the plane ride was uneventful. I had to get up at 4.45am (way way way too early) and then get a taxi to the airport because it was too early for any busses. I was flying jetstar which I find perfectly satisfactory despite the complaints. I think that there will be some people that complain on every airline and there will always be mishaps so it isn't worth blaming them on anyone.

Anyway, I caught the airport express into town and met up with a girl who I have worked with previously and was going to get a visa aswell (she is going to work in Canada for 6months), so that was exciting. We chatted on the bus and then figured out where to go once we go into the city. Once we got to the correct street it was really easy to spot the consulate because there was a massive US flag on the building.

Once there it was pretty painless. We got in line for security and they just look at your passport and then put your bag through the x-ray machine and then you are let through. Then you have to get into another line (which sounds like a lot of lines, but there was only a couple of people ahead of us so it was really quick) then we got to talk to another lady who just took all of my papers and then sifted through them and found all the important ones that she needed. Then we were finger printed and told to wait until our name was called.

They had the photos of Obama and Hilary Clinton and the vice-president (who I can't remember his name) and the Ambassador who Sarah (my friend) thought looked like Chuck Norris. We both had a 'chuck'le (bad joke) at that.

We had to wait about 25 mins because the people in front of us seemed to have more complicated issues. While we waited we chatted about nothing and watched CNN that they had playing on the tv (without the sound). They kept showing pictures of people that were wanted for various things.

Finally my name was called and she asked me what I was going to America for (which I answered the standard cyborg answer "to participate in the Walt Disney World International College program" - lol!) and then she asked about Uni an what I was studying and what year I was in, and that was it. She stamped and signed everything and I was done and dusted.

After that I waited donestairs for Sarah and we went to Esquires for morning tea - coz it was like 10.15 and we hadnt had anything since breakfast at 6am. She was going to head home via Wellywood to see some of her old friends so we just talked about stuff until she had to leave to catch her flight.

In the afternoon, I decided I would go to the museum - so I got on a bus, but it was going the wrong way, so I had about a 45min bus trip. Then I spent a good 3 hours at the museum which had some really interesting exhibits. The War exhibit was excellent! Lol! my anthropology training was thinking, as I walked along, 'yeah this works; this really engages the visitors; this could so be better' etc.

The volcano exhibit was really good too. They have this house which is like a volcanic eruption simulator - all the year nines that were there were screaming when the house shook and I was thinking 'yep this must be about a 3.5!' and 'this was nowhere near as bad as the earthquake we had yesterday'. But the whole simulation was really effective. We were in a living room looking out through a glass sliding door over the underwater volcano in Auckland (can't remember what it is called). After the first shake the tv switched on and we were watching the news about how parts of Auckland had been told to evacuate and the roads were all blocked and then through the window we could see steam on the water and the news was still talking to a volcanologist. Was really good. Then the eruption happened and there was lava and a massive cloud of smoke coming towards us. The house kept jolting and the lights flickered. And then when the cloud hit us the house shook and the lights went out. The Aftermath - was the whole city covered in ash and a new island in the water. Then lol! Mark Sainsbury came out and said about volcano awareness. I think that I will be pretty safe from volcanos down here in the South Island - it's earthquakes we have to watch out for.

After the museum I tooka bus back into town and got some dinner and then headed to the airport. I was about two hours early but I got checked in and rang my mum to tell her all about my day =). Then I got on the free terminal transport bus and went to the international terminal for fun. I now know exactly where I have to go for next time. Anyway I was really tired (could barely keep my eyes open) by the time I got home at 10.30pm.

Today woke up at midday and my passport with visa had arrived.Yay!!!

Wow this has been a relly long blog. Can't believe it is November allready. Only 2 months, 17 days to go!

xoxo
E