But obviously if you're reading this, you do care. And that's great. Haha. I'm not trying to complain, I've just found that I seem to have way more important things to do then sit around and write about myself.
However, this blog is ultimately, an assignment. And supposedly I won't get my grades for this semester if I don't turn something in. Even if it's because I'm studying my ass off (which I pretty much have been!). Apparently being a tad narcissistic from time to time is a wee bit more important to Northeastern than using that extra time to do something meaningful in your respective foreign country.
So here goes: adventure number....hmmmm I lost track ages ago, didn't I? Well, it doesn't matter because I WENT SKIING ON WEDNESDAY! The end.
Kidding, of course. What's an adventure in New Zealand without a little bit of, um, adventure?
From the beginning:
Last Friday was our last day of classes for the semester, and we have had this whole week off to "study" for finals coming up the next two weeks.
Side note, speaking of finals and stuff, here's my map that I turned in from my field trip. I probably won't ever get it back, so I took a picture to remember it by:
ANYWAYS. Gosh I get distracted easily.This week has been a well deserved break. Our first since, oh yeah, we had three weeks off in the middle of the semester, didn't we? HA! A lot of people decided to go on one last big trip, but I opted out because I have finals next week that I'm not very prepared for. Also, camping and/or hiking in the snow/rain doesn't sound that great to me.
But of course we couldn't stay in Christchurch for three weeks straight, so we decided to go skiing.
We rented the skis on Monday with the intention of going on Tuesday because it was supposed to rain for the rest of the week. I woke up at six in the morning, and I was nearly ready to go when I decided to check the conditions. CLOSED. Luckily, the shop we rented from said we could keep the skis until Thursday morning, but still only be charged for one day.
So I woke up again at six on Wednesday, and checked the conditions right away. Not only was it open, but it was going to be warm too (mid thirties)!
I met up with the rest of the kids I was going with: Tommy, Carsten, Rob and Collins, and we managed to leave Ilam by 7:30 am (by far the earliest I have EVER left to go skiing).
The ride to the bottom of the mountain took about an hour and half. Along the way we had fantastic views of the Southern Alps and other New Zealand specialties:
We got the bottom of the mountain and pulled into the "chain up" car park. We were counting on the little "rent chains here" kiosk to be open, because apparently they were required to get up the mountain. It was not open. We asked around, and finally found out that chains weren't necessary for that day. So back into the van (by the way, this was not the Royal Lounge, this was Rob and Collins' van) and up the mountain we went.
About 100 meters and at least ten minutes later, the van all but stopped going. Looking back, we saw a cloud of black smoke, and looking ahead we saw a few more miles of road left. And it wasn't getting any less steep. Our last choice? Hitchhike up of course!
Collins turned the van around and we went back down to the parking lot. Everyone gathered up their stuff and started looking for rides up. Collins, Carsten and Rob all asked other people who were parked in the lot, while Tommy and I stuck out our thumbs. The first three got rides individually, and Tommy and I were able to snag a ride together with an old man and his 20 year old Subaru.
The ride up was probably (in my mind) the biggest adventure of all. The road up the mountain was a bit more than one lane wide, it was made of mostly dirt with a bit of slush and ice, it had no guard rails whatsoever and at no point were both sides of the road protected (that is, there was always a steep drop off on one or both sides of us). The man that drove us up joked that Americans would never drive up that road. I secretly agreed. I couldn't even look out of the windows. I only took comfort in the fact that this man had been taking his Subaru up that very road for the past twenty years. He knew what he was doing.
After everyone had made it safely up, we went inside to buy our ski tickets. I asked for a student pass and handed them my student ID. They wouldn't accept it! Granted, it was my Northeastern ID, but that was the first time that any place has EVER rejected it as a student ID. I didn't have my Canterbury Card because I NEVER have my Canterbury Card (I only use it to go to the gym, so it sits on my desk, not in my purse) and I have NEVER been told that my NEU ID wouldn't work. So I had to pay twenty-two dollars more for a regular pass. I told the lady that I attended UC, but she said that she had to see my ID, then she told me I could get a refund if I brought my receipt and proof of enrolment with me next time I came. Yeah right.
So I was in a bit of a mood, as you could imagine. Twenty-two dollars is quite a lot of money. It was more than my ski and boot rental! Well, now think of how I felt when I found out that only one lift was open. They should have been giving EVERYONE discounts for that fact alone. Needless to say, I was pissed, but of course it didn't last long. In fact, it didn't last longer than it took to ride up the (admittedly really slow) lift. How could it? I was going skiing!!
And one lift being open ended up being ok because we all got to ski together, even though everyone was at very different levels. It ended up being an excellent day and I'm extremely happy I went despite all of the mishaps (well just one, really). Tommy and I were able to find the same man to drive us back down again, and we made it back to Ilam around 6pm. Pictures:
Bottom of the hill, the lift on the right was the one that was open.
Top of the hill, with the east coast in the back ground (if you look closely, you can see the ocean!).
Tommy and I on the lift.
Tommy going off of a jump. Even though this was only his second time EVER skiing, he was fearless.
The trusty Subaru and the man we drove up with!I apologize for wrapping this up so quickly, but I really have to study. Enough procrastinating for one day.
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