Donating Grey Hairs

DSC_8297
Originally uploaded by treyguinn.

Glad I could influence my little sister to donate grey hairs to Pops the way Colin and I have for 2 1/2 decades...

New Zealand Pics

glacierB&W
Originally uploaded by treyguinn.

Got some pics up finally of New Zealand. Family trip, so beware the gratuitous posed shots. Hope you like 'em.

Whirlwind tours

Quick update to promise a proper one:

Family is here, rotating between hugs and strangling each other (ahh, if we didn't love each other so much we couldn't push each others buttons so well!)

In Queenstown, a little but beautiful hiking, 4x4 tours, great food, and going on a helicopter to Milford Sound tomorrow! Traveling in luxury is awesome, but I know I definitely prefer 2 months in hostels to 2 weeks in 5 stars.

Heading up to Wellington on Thursday for a long weekend and then Auckland to say goodbye as Dad and Audrey leave for the US (By the way we started the trip with about 5 days there already). Something tells me I won't have the opportunity to take a deep breath, think, and write about their visit until then. (Commentary about how American travel? You better believe it.)

The visit is wonderful to say the least, it's so fantastic to share this place and what I've learned in the past 5 months.

I'm getting more comfortable with the idea of work here in NZ. Know I'll be here for at least a year, longer if I love it. What more could I want then to have a job in a beautiful foreign country that I only have to keep if love it...

Oh wait, life lesson #257: You only have to keep the jobs you love in the places you love - the world provides plenty of other options.

Don't know what I'll do if I land the Antarctica gig come October, but I cross that bridge when I get there.

Lastly, I leave on the 27th to meet my sister Whitney in Bangkok. Only a week there, a few days in Singapore, and then she'll spend about a month with me in NZ. I'll have to work during the week, but something tells me July will prove a pretty damn fine month nonetheless.

Okay, there's my not so short catch up, promise something worth reading soon -- and photos from a Helicopter, whoo hoo!

A whole new wave of panic/excitment

I'm not sure if I am more excited or frightened, but I landed a pretty damn good job here in New Zealand - IT consultant for a company called Intergen in Wellington. This at the same time as my Dad and sister Audrey arriving to travel, and Whitney's visit around the corner.

A job measured in years not months. Stop my trip, immigrate to a foreign country, renewed missing of friends, 4 weeks holiday, 40 hour work weeks, local access to worldclass sailing, snowboarding, and mountain biking - the thoughts are still swirling around like a blender in my head. When I get a moment to think I put something reasonable down.

Excited, scared, thrilled, frightened.... this might take a couple days to settle into. (start date July 12 so I've got time)

Holy hell the world is small!

Yesterday I got new roommates (a couple) with whom questioning went like this:

Me: Are you guys from North America?
The Girl: US
Me: Where?
The Girl: Texas
Me: I'm from Austin!
The Girl: So are we!

So these guys, Ali and Mike (the 2nd and 3rd Texans I've met in 5 months - all three from Austin) and I went to dinner and drinks and through conversation get this:

In 7th grade I went to Camp Longhorn and was in the same cabin with Mike, a cabin of 12 boys! So then of course we end up as roommates by chance again, 14 years later in Auckland, New Zealand.

I love how small the world is.

A week o' work?

Well I just spent a week doing the least demanding work of my life. Few hours of excel chart building a day, mixed with many hours rating music on my iPod, and plenty surfing o' that little thing we call the "internet".

My boss is bad ass though, Welsh born Kiwi who has traveled the world including being a military observer for the UN in Southern Lebanon. Need I say it, damn. She's down to business, but plenty of fun to work with - and the freedom to discuss my ongoing job interviews is a bonus. (By the way, plenty on that front but I must admit I'm paranoid to post much here in case my possible employer's have also heard of google)

So far, working in New Zealand is awesome. Folks are happy, educated, and not even remotely stressed out. Of course barely 8 hour days punctuated with multiple 30 minute tea breaks and minimum hour long lunches helps you keep your sanity. I loved that on Friday, someone literally rang a bell at 4PM at which point we all walked to a pub and started drinking (and I was paid for the first hour of that). Have I mentioned working here is A-OK?

Friday my American recruiter was nice enough to call me up and invite me to join him and is flatmates to Star Wars, which I must say despite my propensity towards the cynical, I rather liked. Planned on a good nights rest and early up to climb the volcano that stayed unconquered last weekend as it decided to rain all day Sunday. But about 3 am someone had a gran mal seizure outside my door - needless to say 2 hours and a ambulance later my early rise was punished. (thankfully the patient appears to be okay)

Nonetheless, joined this weeks group of an English and two Germans to climb two smaller volcanoes and had a good ol' time. Followed up a non-strenuous day with much coffee and cake on the sidewalks of Devonport in North Auckland. The night was filled with card games and plenty of red wine.

Today I bought a scooter! Whoo-hoo! It rains a lot here lately, but I won't let logic get in the way of my decisions. I'm sure I won't be able to contain myself from posting a picture in the near future, at which point I'll have to ask for nickname suggestions (for the scooter, not me on it). Later on climbed another volcano with a French and another German and overall, despite the lack of relative eventfulness it was a pretty swell way to spend the past couple days.

Hope your weekends back home are going well, just think at about 3 PM on Sunday - I'm enjoying my 30 minute walk to work on Monday. Well... if I can force myself from the scooter this next week.

Cheers to all you back home, nothing will be closed for Memorial Day here - hope you enjoy it back home.

(I promise I'll do something more exciting soon, so I'll have something worth reporting)

Hanging out in the Southern Hemisphere

Well my schedule feels dramatically slower as I make myself available for interviews - which means stay in the same damn place for a couple weeks.

I picked up temp work, very exciting, mail-merging fun, but yesterday I officially worked my first day in another country - whoo hoo! After passing my 4 month, out-o-the-country anniversary on the 17th.

It's the weekend and I'm going to go climb a volcano tomorrow morning, sounds more dramatic than it is as there are 10 or 20 volcanoes in Auckland. I'm just going to go climb the big one on the other side of the ferry route.

Monday back to envelope stuffing, and awaiting interviews and more resume requests. It's crazy, but I keep having permanent jobs pushed in my direction (and assurances that immigration is a non-issue), so I may have to decide whether or not to move here...humm. Maybe just for a year or two...

Listening live KUT stream on Friday night in Austin while it's Saturday afternoon here, damn I miss Austin music. (I heard Los Lonely Boys on the radio here!)

Nuff' rambling, as there isn't much to report. Cheers.

In case you can't tell...

Cook Island photos are up here.

Cook Islands

Took off at 11 pm Thursday and landed at 4 am Thursday thanks to the dateline. No sleep so speak of, as the plane was full of middle aged women going to the Cook’s for an international netball tournament, which as I was told primarily consisted of a week long drinking binge with 1000 like minded women. They were noisy, but their excitement and giddiness was contagious.

Marion’s generosity knew no bounds as she picked me up at 4 am. Before she left Auckland we though we should go watch the sunrise as we were going to be up at such an hour, yet when the pain of 4 am was in effect a unanimous decision to go to bed was made rapidly. 9 am rise for breakfast, attempted conversation with some folks at the resort, yet fell asleep in my chair a few times and hit the sack for a nap that lasted the majority of the afternoon. Up in time for a stunning sunset over the water, which we watched from a kayak at the edge of the reef.



Spent Friday driving around Rarotonga (a complete round takes about 20 mins at 30 MPH), taking photos and adjusting down even further my sense of schedule. Saturday we were up and off to the airport for our flight to Aitutaki. Flying in, I was amazed by the beauty of the Atoll from the air, a giant round sandbar spotted with islands. The sand glowed an electric turquoise as the white sand reflected the sun through shallow waters, the islands tropical green, and all surrounded by the deep, dark, blue of the Pacific. Landed at the smallest airport I’ve seen yet, the structure consisted of a carved piece of wood labeling it an international airport and an oversized gazebo with a desk. Two minute drive to Samade on the Beach, a collection of 9 cabanas overlooking the most beautiful water I have ever laid eyes on. The first day consisted of me sitting down in a lawn chair on the beach with a Dan Brown book, moving once for lunch, and getting up as the sunset extinguishing my light with only 20 pages left.

The following days were a blast. Kayaking a few miles one day, finding a deserted beach on a deserted island where I shucked some coconuts on a piece of coral for lunch. Renting a moped one day and drove it around in true “Guinn-boy” style including 4x4 trails climbing the steepest dirt tracks on the islands multiple times (1st gear and floored, the bike barely kept moving). “Island night” at the resort with a fantastic Polynesian dance performance and discovering that I should sit in the middle of the group of tables next time, lest I get called up to dance twice again. Teaching Marion to swing dance on the porch of our cabana (iPod speakers rival the invention of the wheel in my eyes) one sunset. Another sunset I got in touch with my retired side (as I’ve definitely been in touch with my inner child over the past 4 months). I felt the greatest pleasure in recent memory: sitting on the porch of the cabana with the sun setting over the lagoon, Ella, Louis, Etta, and Billie wafting through the breeze, and a glass of bourbon in my hands – I’m pretty sure all I needed was a medical problem to make me 65.

The last full day was filled with a “lagoon cruise”, which despite my skepticism was fantastic. An Australian couple, Marion and myself were driven about in a 20-foot motorboat for the day. We went snorkeling in a few places where we saw giant clams, an old tugboat wreck, and a moray eel the size of a Labrador retriever. Followed that up walking around some deserted islands that could make it into any coffee table book of the world’s most beautiful beaches.



Then dinner on another deserted island. Table and chairs setup in the sand, food served in freshly woven palm baskets, and Marlin marinated in seawater among other things that proved to be the best meal of the trip. Of coarse ridiculously tall palms leaning over a white beach surrounded by turquoise water and a beautiful sunset didn’t detract from making it one hell of a dinner.

The last day was great and long. Swimming, kayaking, playing around the resort for the day, then we went to take a picture of the airport’s runway. Early in the week we noticed that there is no fence on the beach side, walking up on the runway I though it would make a cool picture with my wide angle.



I checked with my telephoto and reassured Marion that there was not a plane waiting to take off. A couple minutes later I hear, “Trey… there’s a plane coming…” I looked up in the sky, found it empty, swung around a saw one coming down the runway rapidly in my direction. Scampered to the end of the runway and started swapping lenses.
Marion: “Trey, what are you doing?”
Me: “Changing lenses”
I was off the runway (by about a foot) so I decided to take some pictures of the plane taking off and enjoy having a plane take off over my head for possibly the first and last time of my life. Got some photos and then told Marion through an ear-to-ear grin we should probably leave before we end up in an island prison. (Back in touch with my inner child)



After our last Cook Island sunset we left from the same runway noticing the restricted area sign promising 3 months imprisonment for trespassing. From the plane spotted Orion during the quick hour flight back to Rarotonga. Dinner and saw Marion off at 11, then snuggled up on a metal bench, outside, under a bright light for a less than a restful nap before my 3 am check-in for my flight back to NZ. 4 hour flight time, 22 hours worth of time zones later, landed at 7 am in Auckland after having my Friday evaporate into the oddities of the dateline.

Now I’m back in Auckland and looking at emails confirming my Dad and Audrey’s 2 ½ week visit in May and Whitney’s 6 week visit over July and August. Coupled with my (fingers crossed) possible employment in Antarctica from October through December and my calendar is just darn full.

All smiles here, I hope the same is for you wherever you are reading this.

Watch out for the Soap Box!

I’m leaving for my last minute trip to the Cook Islands from my extended holiday in New Zealand… I am still marveling that it is possible to have a lifestyle that supports such a statement, and more importantly it is possible without winning the lottery – just a readjustment of one’s life.

The afternoon before my flight I met up with Amelia, a Kiwi friend, and her friend from San Francisco for coffee and conversation that was so enjoyable it merits mention 2 weeks later. Then back to the hostel for dinner with a Dutch girl, Jacquelyn and the sole other American here at the hostel. Jackie speaks 4 languages, grew up between Holland and South Africa, and after continual badgering on my part demonstrated a little Zulu which is a click language (damn, I was impressed). The American girl is a Pharmacy student on her international rotation. She decided to spend her free 3 weeks in New Zealand in one place, grew up in suburban Colorado, is moving to suburbs between Ft. Worth and Dallas to work for the prison system, 25 and once divorced. It would be an understatement to say the contrast was severe, particularly when geopolitics came up in conversation. It would also be unfair to consider this a reasonable contrast of a European to an American. Yet, I realized that this American would probably standout as worldly back home because she had been to New Zealand and the Dutch girl probably would not. This is most likely the best example I have so far for the differences between the rest of the western world, consisting of countries where traveling and knowledge of rest of the world is culturally engrained, and the US where our culture is nearly devoid of curiosity about the outside world.

I’ll have to think of a good way to help change that… let me know if you have any good ideas.

Lots 'o walking round

Job applications, interviews, recruiters, phone calls, emails... etc, have filled my days for the last week. Yet in no way is this stressful. I sit in a coffee shop, okay I'll admit it, a Starbucks...damn I hate that, but they have free wireless internet. I do my correspondence for a couple hours and then walk at least an hour in some direction in an attempt to get myself lost - were I always end up finding some fantastic alfresco lunch.

Interviews normally in the afternoon and strolls by the harbor at sunset. As far as job hunting goes - it's alright.

This evening strolling by some yachts, Auckland’s title as "The City of Sails" was earned in my eyes as I saw 4, count 'em, 4 America’s Cup yachts in one harbor - err... harbour.

While emailing I've been catching up with news from home, thanks to internet radio from KUT.org, KGSR.com, and NPR.org. I love technology, but live broadcasts from my favorite radio station always seems to garner me the thrilling programs that are on at 3AM Texas time.

Tonight I recently turned to some good 'ol web browsing. Having been an American abroad, living among possibly the most liberal (and well informed) individuals I am likely ever to be surrounded by. I looked up Saipe in the Wikipedia (a free online encyclopedia I would recommend to anyone) in order to get the whole story on a criticism I heard from a British couple in Indonesia.

This may not come as a surprise to y'all reading this, but did you know the following about Saipan?:

Despite its status as a U.S. Commonwealth, Saipan is exempt from some federal laws, including key labor and immigration laws. As a result, a number of garment factories with wages around half of the U.S. minimum wage have been set up on the island to supply the U.S. market. Goods manufacured in U.S. Commonwealths, including Saipan, may be labeled "Made in the USA".

In January 1999, a coalition of U.S.-based pressure groups and labor unions began a class action on behalf of around 30,000 garment workers whom they claimed had been mistreated in such factories, being submitted to what was in effect indentured servitude. In April 2003, a settlement worth $20 million was reached with 27 garment manufacturers and 27 leading retailers, such as Gap, Tommy Hilfiger, and Polo Ralph Lauren. The firm of Levi Strauss & Co. refused to settle, however; in January 2004, the case against this company was dismissed.



Crazy huh? Some how I feel more responsible to know these things as I travel, because after all I would be the obvious person to ask about things related to the US in a room full of Europeans.

On a lighter note I cracked up to find out the almighty and powerful US of A has territories that are still officially "disputed". That strikes me as just silly.

Writing this I have to wonder if these things seem relevant to you all back home or not. I have no idea what I would have thought a year ago if some pal of mine wrote the same thing on their blog.

Would I care half as much as I do now? Humm....

Settling in, in New Zealand

The “where the hell are you?” emails finally motivated me to catch up the ‘ol blog.

My one-nighter in Fiji turned into two when I missed a flight for the first time in my life. Two hours early for my flight at 7:15 when the ticketing agent kindly informed me that the 17:15 flight was taxing away from the gate.

All was cool though as my best good ‘ol Texas smile discounted my ticket change from $190 to $30. On the flight I was able to sit down next to none other than a GM from an Auckland ad agency. (Awfully handy as that is the industry I trying to get work in). A wonderfully nice guy that gave me invaluable info into who, what, & where of the Auckland creative scene – then he even gave me a ride home from the airport.

Checked into a filing cabinate for 20 year olds on their first trip from home. Was ecstatic to find fresh vegetables again after the tomatolessness of Tonga, as I spent a day walking the city to find a better place to stay.

I’ve checked into a beautiful hostel in the neighborhood of Parnell which is a 10 minute walk from downtown. The hostel is an old Victorian home, once belonged to the queen of Tonga, and the innkeeper brings in fresh European breads from the local bakery every morning and afternoon. In the ½ mile of the main strip there are 4 shops with umlauts in the title, over 20 art galleries, an Apple shop, and a disproportionate amount of Italian food restaurants. Parnell happens to also be the home to all the ad agencies, needless to say, I’m loving it. (Parnell is also rather high rent as I’ve seen a Ferrari or Lamborghini daily for nearly two weeks now)

I then jumped headlong into job acquisition mode. Cleaned up my resume and wrote cover letters and actually did cold calling straight into offices. I have a contract computer job on Monday along with two interviews, I’ve applied for jobs in Antartica, and tomorrow I’ll start my winter job options. I have to laugh at the prospect of molding my CV to make me look like a good candidate to be a “Ski Rental Assistant”. My cover letter probably shouldn’t say, “I’ve never been a skier, but come on – I’m not a freakin’ idiot.”

I was lucky enough in my job hunting to run into two local lasses in a coffee shop who have taken me under their wings to show me around. Dinner, drinks, trips to the museum, and introductions to their friends in the ad agencies. I attended the dawn parade on Anzac day (Australia and NZ’s memorial day). It was really a wonderful experience to be at such a patriotic event as a foreigner. I am also impressed that the Anzacs celebrate an historic loss, not a victory – they emphasis the futility of war instead of glorifying it. Definitely a lesson we could learn back home, as our patriotism makes frightening shifts towards nationalism.

And in true traveler style, a German girl (we’re going to a Hip Hop show tonight) invited me to join her in the Cook Islands next week… so I took her up on it. Twist my arm and drag back into the South Pacific.

Miss you guys at home and hope you all are doing great.

Happy Belated Birthday to Audrey! (Email me because I don’t have yours)

Happy Birthday to Whitney on the 8th, love ya and can’t wait to see you in Bangkok!

Current Count

As I've arrived to a country for a year stint, I though a count of the past few months was in order:

6 Countries
9 Airlines
5 Local Languages
14 Countries represented in dinner companions
18 Hostels

Countless memories, amazing people, and an ever growing excitement for tomorrows in foreign lands.

Tonga Photos Also

Wood
Originally uploaded by treyguinn.

I've got my Tonga pictures uploaded as well. (Thanks to hacking free internet from my hostel in Fiji) Click here to see some paradise.

Fiji Photos

palms
Originally uploaded by treyguinn.

Fiji pics are up here. Fiji makes taking pictures way too easy.