Taupo, among other things

Yes, this is a week overdue, but what can I say? It's nearing the end of the semester, and I am becoming very busy. I ran into one of my friends last week, and we were both like, "We HAVE to sit down and catch up - but not before next Friday!" Next week is the last week of class, and then the finals period begins. I have three tests next week (one on Monday, two on Thursday), so I will be working hard. Thankfully, I only have one final (on October 19 at 9:30AM), so that won't be terribly stressful.

Unrelated note: electronics woes are (hopefully) behind me! I have my mobile back, all repaired, and I have a new camera! Insurance finally released the purchase orders for both the camera and memory card, so I picked both up today from Camera House. I am so happy to finally have a camera again. It was very annoying to 1) not have one and 2) have to deal with the insurance company about replacing it. Crazy thiefs, I wonder if they ever think about that side of it when they steal something. Do you reckon they think, 'I am going to cause this unknown person so much irritation at having to deal with the insurance company for 6 weeks.' Irritating.

Anyways, to the topic at hand. Last Friday I journeyed up to Taupo with three other girls (Amy, Meredith, and Lauren, an AustraLearn student from Wisconsin), where we met Alicia, another Ambassadorial Scholar from Texas in Auckland. The drive up was crazy. First, our rental car was a bit dodgy. Meredith drove, and she said that she had never put her foot all the way to the floor before. This car had no acceleration whatsoever. It smelled like a smoker's car, as well, so that was a bit irritating. Also, because of logistics (dropping off cars, classes, etc), we couldn't leave Wellington until right before 5PM. We hit a huge traffic jam, and it took us an hour and a half to get to just Paraparaumu! We made a lot of jokes about there being only one road to go anywhere in New Zealand , that's why there was so much traffic. We stopped in Bulls for a kebab and made it to Taupo around 11:15PM. We found the YHA, piled out of the vintage (as we began affectionately calling the white car), and found our room. Alicia was already there, so we did what all girls do and sat down to have a big gossip/catch-up session. Apparently, we were a little loud and got a knock on the wall from our neighbours, but it was fun all the same.

What nobody would talk about was the fact that less than 12 hours from seeing each other, we would be jumping out of a plane. Yup, that's right. I went to Taupo to jump out of a plane, and it was amazing. We couldn't have asked for a better day on Saturday. It was fairly warm, perfectly clear, great sun, everything right. We used a highly-recommended company called Skydive Taupo, and I say everyone should use them. They were so friendly. They picked us up at the YHA in a pimp 80s-style limo and took us to the metal shed that they use as a base. OK, so it is more than a metal shed, but that's about all. They were really cool, really relaxed, and made it very enjoyable. We decided to jump from 12,000 feet. We went in two groups: Amy, Meredith, and Alicia went up first, and Lauren and I went second. We had a lot of fun putting on our gear, striking poses, and generally hanging around. We all also got the personalized DVD. One of the cool things is that you can pick your own music, and they have you talking on the ground and in the plane and in the air and everything. I have the Top Gun theme, the "Whoohoo" song by Blur, and Alive by Pearl Jam on my DVD.

I never got nervous about jumping out of the plane. I was never thinking about not doing it. It is just something that I have always wanted to do, that I have always known I would do, and I went and did it. Now, let's be honest here, are any of you actually surprised that I did it? I love flying, and this was an extension of that love. I never thought about not going out of the plane. That's the thing about doing a tandem skydive; you don't push yourself out of the plane. One second we were in the plane and the next we weren't. The first time you go skydiving, it is a sensory overload. I am so happy I have the DVD so that I can look back on it and really remember. You are going so fast, up to 200kph,the wind is rushing by, your face is freezing cold, and everywhere you look, you see such a beautiful landscape. Skydiving over Taupo was an excellent idea because you get the lake, the mountains, and the city, all at once. It was exhilerating and peaceful all at the same time. It never crossed my mind how I was (basically) plummeting to earth. I was drinking in the scenery, the feeling of flying through the air. After the 45 second freefall (12000 to 5000 feet), the parachute opened, and we floated down for about 5 minutes. Everyone should do this at least once, if not multiple times. Find some amazing scenery, hop in a plane, and then jump out of it. The girls who were more nervous about doing it said they would do it again; it is that awesome of an experience.

After skydiving, my weekend took a turn for the worse. We went out for lunch, and crazy people put some sort of milk in my eggs, even though I requested no milk. I think what happened is that they put cream in the eggs. You would be amazed how many people think that cream, or cheese, or other dairy products, are not made with milk. I can't tell you how many times I have had to explain that, and it seems fairly obvious to me. Well, whatever, there it is. I spent the rest of the afternoon in bed or in a chair reading back at the YHA while the girls went up to Huka Falls and explored Taupo. Aside from being sick, it was an enjoyable afternoon. I had a new book that I was excited to read, so that was nice. Also, the view from the deck was magnificent. I felt somewhat better the next day, so, although I didn't eat anything substantial, I was able to walk partway along the Two/Three/Four Mile Walk around Lake Taupo.

We finished the walk, and then tried to leave Taupo. First, the battery was dead, and we were saved by some very nice Kiwis with jumper cables. Then, Lauren had left her jacket on the ground, so we doubled back to retrieve it. On the way home, we stopped for dinner in Palmerston North. This was a little out of our way, but we wanted to see the city. It really is quite charming, even on the Sunday evening when most things are closed. A funny thing happened in the cafe. Amy has a sparkling, radient personality, and she attracts people to her, even people who don't even know her. This manifested itself in the cafe when an unknown person joined us for dinner. It's the sort of thing that always happens to Amy, and it makes for a good story now. It wasn't an unpleasant meal, chatting with someone from a different walk of life, and it is entertaining now. We made it back into Wellington in the rain on Sunday night at some undetermined hour (meaning I can't remember).

The following week (i.e. this past week) was mainly about schoolwork. I had a speech in Heretaunga on Wednesday, and that went well. This was the most male-exclusive club at which I have spoken, and it made for a different feel to the club. When you visit so many different Rotary clubs, you become sensitive to the different variations and nuances that seperate one club from the next. It was a fun evening, and I enjoyed the ride with Ian (the Rotarian who picked me up in Wellington). We ended up being early, so he gave me a brief tour around Hutt City before arriving to the meeting.

That's about it for here. I probably won't be posting much over the next week because I will be so busy studying for my exams. Then it is all over, though! Of course, I have the exam, and I am taking summer papers, but in my mind, summer starts next Friday.