We Arrive in Auckland

We made it. We are on the other side of the earth!

For weeks Jasson and I have been dreading the 13-hour flight from San Francisco to Auckland. But at least for me, it wasn't too bad. We watched Guardians of the Galaxy on our little tiny chairback screens, and then I was able to engage in a series of painful, restless naps that pass for sleeping on an airplane. Jasson, sadly, was seated near an unhappy baby so he didn't sleep so well. Meanwhile, I dreamt that the stewardesses we going up and down the aisles with leaf blowers. I also dreamt that they handed out ice cream sandwiches to everyone except me. What a nightmare!

When we arrived in New Zealand it was dawn. Our passports were scanned, our pictures taken, a questionnaire asked us what was in our luggage, then two different people asked us what was in our luggage, then our luggage was x-rayed to see what was in our luggage, and then we were finally allowed into the country. Our family friends, Mr. and Mrs. A, were patiently waiting to pick us up.

Mr. and Mrs. A's house is on a beautiful bay filled with sailboats.

Jasson and I deposited our bags and then took a ferry into Auckland.

Even though it's summer here, the weather is unseasonably cold and rainy. I had heard that New Zealand is the land of "four seasons in a day," and man, they weren't lying. One minute it was sunny and pleasant...

...the next it was pouring rain, and Jasson and I took shelter inside a University of Auckland building. Luckily we can still pass as college students. This rain/sun bipolar disorder went on all day, every 15 minutes or so, like clockwork.

As Jasson and I walked around, we kept comparing Auckland to various cities. "It's kind of like Tokyo," we said. "But it's also kind of like San Jose," "And also like San Francisco." I realized that we were trying to find a way of processing the environment. But Auckland is unique: it has the high-rise apartment buildings of Japan, with the hills of San Francisco, with the quiet space of San Jose, with the trees of a tree place. (Sorry, I'm kind of tired.)

After wandering about, Jasson and I started looking for lunch. We quickly realized: food here is expensive. Hamburgers are about $15, a large pizza was $23, a burrito was $11. Even McDonald's meals start at $4. We went to a mall food court in search of cheaper food, and decided to split some Chinese food at a joint called "Orient Express."

It was seriously terrible food. Just totally tasteless. We were famished, so we ate it, but did so while saying, "wow, this is so bad."

Not wanting to inflict more overpriced lunches on ourselves, we went to a convenience store and purchased peanut butter, jelly and bread. The price: $18. Note to self: Google how to eat cheaply in New Zealand.

Because of the weather, we weren't really able to enjoy much of the parks or the waterside. As I read through our New Zealand guidebook, I realized that there isn't actually that much of interest in Auckland itself. So we will use our one week here to get some work done, and hopefully purchase a car. If the weather improves, perhaps we can take a trip to one of the islands just off the coast.

Tonight Mr. A is bringing us some fish and chips for dinner. I've never had fish and chips before, so I'm excited!