JW in NZ

As anyone reading this will know by now I decided to come home. A financial disaster scene, but I've really enjoyed seeing people and do feel that I've been at least half useful while I've been here.

I did a few weeks labouring around Queenstown, which was surprisingly enjoyable but generally not as skilled as I'd have liked. Guess that's in the job title to be fair. Didn't do one particular job for long though; worked for electricians, builders and most interestingly engineers. The engineering place was really good; used at least half a dozen different machines which made me laugh. I'm quite sure that if I were in the UK I'd have to have had a safety lecture for each one. That's not to say safety is overlooked in Kiwi land, just that they seem to manage a common sense approach to it. A shame that this is beyond us really.

Had more fun and games with my baggage allowance on the way back despite this journey being allowed a decent 46kg checked in baggage. A consequence of buying a second set of skis was that my boots would no longer go in my ski bag, so I had to buy a massive suit case (more weight itself) to put my other bag + boots in. Despite having a 12kg hand luggage rucksack, 5kg laptop case, heavy ski jacket with pockets stuffed full of clothes and wearing my entire wardrobe, I was still over weight. Yes, I was carrying more than my own body weight in stuff. I still don't understand where it all came from. One thing I wasn't expecting when I checked in at Christchurch was to be asked for the address of the place in the US which I was staying. Obviously I didn't know, so we put an address from the airlines file, one in Daly City. I've never heard of it either.

That was the last I heard about it. Until I arrived at SFO airport. The passport guy interrogated me, and I recalling answering "why are you going to Daly City?" with "I don't know". We didn't laugh, but I was bursting inside. My answers only seemed to get worse to more probing questions making me question whether he'd let me in (particularly after I'd said I didn't even want to go in!) and then, quite randomly I said "I've just finished uni and am doing some travelling". Within the space of 5 seconds he'd stamped my passport and wishedme a pleasant trip. So a future guide to passport control questions: tell them you've recently graduated.

Spent a few days in San Francisco, which was great. I hired a bike and cycled over the Golden gate bridge which is massive - 2km end to end - and I went round Alcatraz which is incredible. The solitary confinement cells (if you're exceptionally bad) are small concrete boxes with a short corridor to the door. They are painted black and even with the door wide open are very dark and scary. The most memorable part without a doubt however was seeing the cell doors operated (similar to old fashioned railway points), and hearing 14 cast iron doors slam open & shut all at once. It really is scary.





Since I've been back I've been a demolition expert, decorator, IT technician, concrete layer, electrician, locksmith, gardener and cleaner.