So I received a request for a final update to my failed NZ blog experiment, and I couldn't resist the urge to cast one more message into the maw of cyberspace. Here are some recent happenings:
* I finished and turned in the 2nd draft of my novel, tentatively titled "Jericho", which means that my Master's degree is complete. They have this weird thing called "external assessment" in NZ academia, so a copy of my manuscript has been sent to an author in the Midwest named Michael Martone (an author whose work I really respect and enjoy) and he is currently marking it in conjunction with my graduate advisor. I'm pretty nervous about this whole process, but am excited to see what happens. And it feels weird to be able to say I wrote 2 drafts of a novel in less than 8 months. I never would have thought that could be possible. Makes me feel a bit like Steven Seagall, only with words instead of fists and less altercations with bad guys named "Sticks". Now I've already moved on to new stories and am in the initial stages of researching my next novel project. A hint at what's to come: the main character right now is an optimistic, pregnant, eighteen year-old girl. A challenge? You bet!
* I am leaving Auckland in 3 days. I will be flying back in time to Houston, TX where I will be embarking on the next stage of my life adventure. I am excited to be returning to Texas right as the "God Bless Texas" Christmas decorations are going up. And I'm excited to live into the new community of friends that I have in the city! I will be finding work (currently looking for adjunct faculty work) while obtaining my teaching certification. Watch out all you high schoolers with your love of Mormon teenage vampire love triangles and distrust of anything that can't be summarized in one sentence on Twitter. Mr. Gasper, future English teacher and dance instructor (okay, I made that dance part up, but you have to admit, dancing and high school is like chocolate and peanut butter) is coming onto the scene!
* Right now my time is full of trying to pack a year of my life in two suitcases while making time for all the amazing people I've met over the year. It's been cool to have a year in another country to live into the lives of some incredibly intelligent, funny, and gifted people. And it is a good feeling to know that even though it was such a short time, the friends I've made are genuine and I will surely see some of them again (maybe on my return trip to NZ, when I can travel and don't have to sit in a room and type, type, type). Things I've learned about packing: 1. Don't pop the bubbles in the bubble wrap until you're sure you don't need it again. 2. Always pack any soap/toiletries in a separate pocket than the main stuff, and try to keep it in a leak-proof plastic bag. 3. Make sure to pack incriminating evidence (DVD's like Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and The Notebook) as near to the bottom of the suitcase as possible. 4. Give stuff away. You really don't need to bring that giant singing HSM card with you. Trust me.
*So that's my life. I am sure that when I get to Houston I'll start another blog that I can update once every 3 months. Here are some more recent observations about life in NZ:
* I went to an Italian restaurant called Gina's with some people in my apartment. Apparently Gina's is known for their sexy Italian dude waitstaff. The way I figured this out was from the giant posters all over the restaurant advertising the Gina's calendar featuring a bunch of waitstaff dudes with their shirts off. I was seated pretty much directly in front of a poster of Mr. March. Which is how I realized how much a shirtless dude's chest and stomach really can look like a weird Muppetish face after awhile. It was like MagicEye. Luckily I got out of there before the face started talking to me.
* I have recently discovered the absolute deliciousness of Kiwi fruit and Feijoas in Auckland. They are both ideal fruit in that they taste like I'm eating candy. I'm going to be sad to leave the fruit behind. Can you even get Feijoa fruit in the States? I don't remember ever seeing it.
* I visited one of the volcanic mounds called North Head the other day. This mountain has giant guns on it left over from when NZ thought that the Russians would invade. It's funny to think of anyone invading NZ. It reminded me of a story my buddy Glen told me. Apparently a German U-boat really did land on the south island of NZ during WWII. The reason they landed was because the soldiers wanted to drink milk. So they landed next to a farm and milked a couple cows. One of the German soldiers who was on the U-Boat told this story a number of years ago so someone figured out what farm it must have been at and tried to ask the owners about it. It was still a family farm and they still remembered the day that the cows had already been milked. So maybe the guns on top of North Head are necessary after all. Preventative Measures for the Milking Invasion.
* Okay, I really do have to go now. But I'm sure there will be more updates in the future. I am excited to get to Houston and be back in the land of fast internet and drip coffee. Hopefully I will talk to you soon. Oh, and to la nina de mis ojos: Estoy muy contento y tengo mucha esperanza!
