i wasn't able to work on my blog last night since i couldn't plug in my laptop, so i decided i could at least use the chalet surf lodge's computer and clean out spam from my email so it wouldn't be so horrendous when i finally do get to connect using my laptop. there was an email from my mom regarding using forms on a web site. even when i'm on the other side of the world, i'm technical support. i really didn't have time for such troubleshooting but i answered her because i'm not sure how long it will be until i can access the net again.

the ocean this morning

we left the lodge and are headed for more rural pastures. we stopped at a view bays (tologa and tokomaru) to look at their piers. highly exciting stuff, i assure you. i wasn't in a very good mood this trip. i just wanted to get to where we were going, which isn't the idea on the kiwi experience 'east as' trip. my back was killing me. it was raining now and then. i was also sick of all the damn british. everyone on the bus were poms except me, twiddle thumbs, and 2 danish girls. when you talk to 1 or 2 british in america, their accent and attitude is mostly charming. but when you're overwhelmed with them, it's really hard to put up with all the arrogance. the stereotype of americans being loud and insensitive know-it-alls, the bad american tourist image, is exactly how these british seem to be behaving. actually, it's a bit different. they act like britain still rules the world. like everyone else is inferior and there just to serve them. i'm not sure how to describe it properly. i just keep telling myself it's because they're young. all young people act like they rule the world.

whangara, AKA setting for "the whale rider"

tonight we are staying at eastender farmstay and all i can say is: i hate farms. i hate flies. flies are everywhere. there's mosquitoes as well. there's nothing to do. there is a room with ping pong tables and a worn out pool table but it's also the sheep shearing room. there's piles of wool in there. it was aggravating my allergies so i couldn't stay in there very long. i was shocked to learn that twiddle thumbs has never played ping pong so i enjoyed kicking her butt! but then i had to run out of there before i felt really sick.

we were killing time in the game/shearing room because we were waiting to use the kitchen to make dinner. there's only 1. the owners were using it to make dinner for themselves and the farm hands. we had to wait a long time. there was an option to have a hangi (traditional maori meal cooked in the earth) made in a more modern way for $10. we were the only ones who didn't sign up for it. when everyone ate and we got to see it, we were so glad we didn't have it. even if we were still omnivores, it didn't look very appetizing. it liked like some bland, crap cabbage stew without the stew juice.