New Zealand Journal Part 2

Tuesday, 18th January 2005

So, eventually got into Auckland Airport at 12 noon, 35 hours after I got up the prior Sunday at 10am. New Zealand is 13 hours ahead of Ireland. New Zealand airport seemed [ ] – lots of décor with wildlife theme. Needed to declare any food/gear. Was absolutely knackered at this stage! Got through the long, hot, humid queue for passport control. Mostly Asians in this queue. Couldn’t hear much Mandarin. Got through there, got bag eventually and got through Customs. All they were worried about were my 3 bars of soap – they showed up in x-ray. Got out and changed money. Arrivals was very crowded. Looked outside and saw Airbus and decided to get it. First impressions – Green, bright sunshine, nice smell of cut grass. This was on way to Auckland. Auckland seemed not short of a few bob. Clean Streets, nice looking shops, lots of hills though! Reminiscent of San Francisco.

So found hostel (XBase Hostel). No Ciara. Was about to text when she jumps on me! Was a bit taken aback!! It had been 6 months since she left but it seemed like she had never been away when I met her there! So, we just went up to 1st Floor internet/TV area and chatted. I went up to the room after that – man they had a lot of luggage! Room was nice. Bunk with double on bottom, en-suite and TV. Tried to rest but difficult. Ciara and Connor came bank and she got me some Malaysian food – a thoughtful thing to do. So, got ready and went upstairs to kitchen area to eat. Nice fried rice and chicken thing.

So, we went downstairs to chat area to greet Connor’s second cousin Anne. She is an English Girl studying Chemistry Masters in Auckland University. Nice girl. She brought us to Sky Tower. Big souvenir shop underneath. Ciara was in heaven! Took lift up to top – glass bottomed for extra scariness. Views from top were cool! Saw sunset there and saw all the Auckland city lights after dark. The patches of glass floor were so cool! Loads of people afraid to walk on them!

After we went to an Irish Bar – O’Carroll’s. Had a pint of something – not so tasty. I was falling asleep at this stage. Got back to hostel and hit the sack. The people watching/singing Grease in the next room were a bit annoying. Slept okay but woke up very early. Very hot/humid in room.

Wednesday, 19th January 2005

Got up late-ish. Surfed web. Got 12 o’clock ferry to Waiheke Island. Big commuter-type ferry. Still knackered. Weather was dull, not very hot. Needed top on. Got to island – sun came out! Got the “Fuller’s” bus to village. Wandered to beach and sat on sand and watched kids digging holes in sand – a pastime over there!! Got bus again to same place beginning with W and then had drink in café. Then caught bus to Surfdock and had some (average) food in Malone’s Irish Pub. Dubliners music was good though! Came back on ferry – bloody windy!

Back to hostel and then got food in Food Alley. Lots of Asian food. Got my Mee Goreng with Chicken – tasty enough but a lot of food and only $7! Met Connor’s Irish buddy later in, guess what, another Irish bar. Dunno the name. Wrecked as well. A lot of talk about GAA!! Snore! No problems sleeping that night but still awake early.

Thursday, 20th January 2005

Got up for 9 and had shower and had my bran flakes and OJ and a bit of pineapple from an American guy. Checked out but waited with bags so the other 2 could go and get the car. Came back and loaded up the car and headed to Foodtown for food and booze (2 boxes of VB cans to be exact). Weather was dull at this stage with a hint of rain. Started the drive north, first across the Auckland Harbour Bridge. Main thing I noticed, a lot like Ireland but very hilly and roads very windy. Stopped off in Dargoville for steak sandwich in Blah Blah Blah Café. Town had that backwater vibe to it. Weather had picked up at this stage. Continued on to the W. Kaori Forest. A lot of tropical looking plants here. And could see the wide, straight trunks of the odd kaori tree. Got to our campsite and got 2 cabins. Bare and a little bit smelly but ok. We went off up the very windy hilly road to the walk area. Went to the 4 Sisters – 4 kauri trees right beside each other. After that, went to the big Kauri tree. Maybe 5m wide trunk. Very impressive. Went to the lookout point where you got a really impressive view of the whole forest. Lovely view of sun setting here. Went back and had our instant noodles and ham sandwiches and a few cans of VB.

Chinese Meetup in Dublin!

This post is a bit overdue, but anyone who reads this blog will have come to expect that from me!

Way back when (some time in 2004 or 2005 I think), I tried to find stuff in Dublin for Chinese speakers. I came across something called meetup.com. This website lets people organise "meetups". Basically, groups for people who have a common interest. These groups meet up regularly to do what they do. There was a Chinese Meetup back then. I tried going to a meetup one evening. It was on in Bewley's on Grafton Street. I remember wandering around and not finding anyone sepaking Chinese. I didn't have any organisers' phone numbers, so there wasn't much I could do. I don't think they organised any more meetups after that and I think the Dublin Chinese Meetup sort of fizzled out.

I also remember that when I came back from China for the first time in the summer of 2006, Dublin Chinese Meetup still had no owner. People could register their interest in the hope that someone would organise a Meetup, but nothing seemed to happen Anyway, fast forward to the present, and a chap in Trinity (a bright Chinese PhD student) took it upon himself to rescue the Dublin Chinese Meetup, now called the Dublin Chinese Language & Culture Meetup Group. I heard about it from my friend, who runs the Irish Born Chinese Blog.

I went along, to what I think was the third such session. At that time it was held in Ron Black's on Dawson Street. It had been ages since I'd spoken any amount of Chinese, so it was fantastic to go in there and blather away in Chinese. I have been to a few since, and now they have changed venue to the less expensive Karma Bar) formerly Handel's) on Fishamble Street. The meetup is quite big now, and I reckon there were 20 or 30 people at it last time. It seems to be getting bigger and bigger by the week.

So, fair play to Liu Yu for organising it and ong may it last!