Peach Thinning

So along with the picking, came the thinning. The concept of thinning is to reduce the number of fruit along a branch in order to get bigger and healthier fruit. Quality over quantity. It was fun, but I did notice a discernable irritation to the neck and crease of the arms. I think it was the fuzz from the peaches that irritated my skin. It went away as soon as I showered.

Below, a demonstration of how to thin.

Cherry Picking

About a month after asparagus had begun, I was lucky enough to get to do some cherry picking. It's really fun because you get to eat as you go and what can be better than that, right?

Below you will see how it's done.

The trickiest part is the use of the aluminum ladders. Once you're on top and have to lean over to grab the cherries that are just out of reach, you risk falling off. Though these ladders are quite stable and have spikes on the bottoms to properly grip the ground, if you put too much weight on one side, it starts to topple over. Thankfully I didn't fall, though my boss did. I saw her begin to scream and looked over only to watch her literally fall through the trees. Luckily she was okay. It was really scary and I made sure to get properly balanced each time I got up there.

The cherries were delicious!

Part 1: The Orchard

Part 2: How to pick cherries

Part 3: Using the basket

Yummy!

New Toys

Hi Guys,

I added a new element to this blog. A series of different videos about New Zealand and Maori culture. There are three parts that come up at different times. I wanted something a little different, but didn't really get it. Basically, the first video in each part is what I wanted to show you.

An awesome video by a great Maori singer - Tiki Taane

A few videos on Ta Moko, traditional Maori tatooing

A few videos on doing the Haka (or war dance) during sports games against other countries.

Be patient, they'll all come up eventually.

Enjoy!

The Art of Asparagus Picking

So now, I finally get to the more recently happenings in my life. About a week after arriving in Hastings, I was approached by one of the girls are the Rotten Apple backpackers asking me if I wanted to work...picking asparagus.

I was stoked. I figured it would be a good physical workout, God knows I really needed it. I had quit Taekwondo in April and had done no physical activity since then, except maybe drink too much and smoke too much. I had gained 15 pounds and felt like crap.

So I was all for it. But nothing prepared me for the crazy workout it was to be. (For a little prose on this topic, go to my other blog "Table for One"). The first two weeks were so incredibly painful, but it was good pain, you know. The lactic acid pain that you know is killing you because you've been a lazy bastard for way too long. And we would start to work at 7.a.m. It could take us until 2p.m. or later to finish a field.( it was damn long...)

But after the two weeks, the initial pain went away and then was unfortunately replaced by irritated sciatic nerves in both my legs. It was excruciating, but I worked through it, not wanting to give into the fibromyalgia that has so "kindly" accompanied me for the past 8 years now.

Below is a demonstration of how asparagus goes from the field to the grocery store shelves. Enjoy!

Step 1: In the Field

The bucket you see attached to me is where we place the asparagus as we go along the rows. Asparagus, in addition to the recommended height, must have the head completely closed in order to be the freshest. If they are opening up and especially if they are starting to seed, they are too far gone. So when you're shopping in the store, make sure the heads are closed, they'll keep longer and taste better.

Step 2: In the packhouse: sorting and cutting

Step 3: Elasticating (probably not a word but I like the sound of it) and weighing

Step 4: Packaging

Step 5: You buy it from the supermarket or farmer's market and then you cook and eat!

Hope you enjoyed the tour!

Gypsy Fair a la Kiwi

After leaving Taupo, I headed to Hastings (in Hawkes Bay, on the east coast of the North Island and supposedly the best weather in the country), the "fruitbowl" of New Zealand. This is supposedly the place in New Zealand where you can find the most orchard work. That's what I was after...working outdoors, working my muscles and enjoying some fresh air instead of some stuffy office. Freedom, you know?

So I arrived on an evening and decided to stay at the Rotten Apple, the only backpackers located directly downtown. They had a reputation for also helping people find work so I thought it was a good place to start. During the first week I just hung out with some really cool people and that weekend we went to a gypsy fair located in Havelock North, just a few minutes away from Hastings by car. I was curious to see what Kiwi gypsies were like. They were pretty cool, and best of all, they had really cool campervans!

They live and work out of these campervans

For the fun of it, I decided to do palm reading and tarot from Madame Feather. It was really interesting and she affirmed a lot of things about myself that I knew I did and what I needed to change in my life. You see, fortunetellers can come in so many shapes and sizes. I tend to shy away from people who are very cocky about themselves and tell you something and then that's it, no room for change. She was more like a counselor, and without me saying a thing, she said things that were very true about how I've lived my emotional life and how to approach it differently in order to avoid having the same things happen to me over and over again. And though, in the month since I had arrive in New Zealand, I knew this, it was good to get confirmation about this from a stranger, someone who had no reason to tell me otherwise.

Her office!

There were all sorts of little stands selling a variety of things and at one point this very odd couple got up and played some music. It was so great because it's totally the cliche of what gypsies would be like so I recorded it for your enjoyment. There were pretty good, actually!

Gypsy Music!

While at the fair, I found a man who was willing to pierce the piece of Jade that Kaianga had given me in Rotorua but he didn't have access to electricity in Havelock North and told me that I could come and see him in Napier the next weekend. Warren, a cool cat from South Africa, hadn't been able to come to the first fair and so accompanied me to the one in Napier. There I got my stone pierced and he bought tons of stuff for himself, a gypsy at heart.

The jade had to be pierced with a diamond bit because this stone is really hard.







Warren is from just outside Johannesburg, South Africa

As we walked along, we saw a really cool thing in progress. A man was basically sewing through wood to make different kinds of artsy things like keychains, or phonebook cases and other kitchy but cute things. I was more interested in the process than the result, so here he is!

We managed to get a ride to Napier, but didn't have a ride back to Hastings, so we decided to hitchhike back. I was kind of nervous because I've never done that kind of thing before, but felt a little better because I wasn't doing it alone and because it was still light out. So I asked a cafe for some cardboard and then wrote our destination on it.

We started walking along the main road that would take us back to Hastings. Warren was just carrying the sign down at his side and even before we tried to hitchhike, a nice older British couple stopped for us and took us right back to the hostel! They were really nice. They'd traveled all over Europe and had hitchhiked a lot of that way when they were younger and so wanted to return the favor. We had a nice conversation and then said our goodbyes and we were home!

A nice gypsy ending to a two-part gypsy day.

Taupo SkyDiving

I finally pulled myself away from Rotorua, ready, now, to venture onwards. I decided that I wanted to do something that's been on my mind for a long long time.

I've always been jealous of birds and the view they had of the world. That unique perspective. I wanted to fly like them, if only for a moment. Understand that world.

So I went to Taupo, the skydiving capital of New Zealand. Taupo sits around the largest lake in New Zealand and it's absolutely beautiful there. It's about a 2 hour bus ride south of Rotorua.

I paid top price in order to have all the perks necessary. I wanted the handicam video (which is a video that is attached to the wrist of your skydiving instructor), the DVD (filmed by a separate jumper), and pictures. Unfortunately, I was not able to upload the video because it didn't work and I know nothing about computers so you'll have to settle for pictures! ( but the video is so much cooler!)

I jumped 15,000 feet, which was about 60 seconds of free falling before the parachute opens.

I didn't feel like I was falling. I felt like I was flying really fast! It was awesome.

You know when you go on a rollercoaster and on the way down, your heart goes into your throat? Well, I didn't feel that at all. I was so excited and only had a split second feeling of anxiety before I was grinning like a fool.

My arms were pulled out that way, the pressure from the fall was so great that I could barely move them!As you can see, I couldn't stop smiling
I look like a duck here with the pressure of the wind pulling my skin back. Or maybe The Joker, from Batman...

Here I managed to put my hand out and hold the photographer's hand. It was hard work!
Yee-hah!It's number one man!
Awesome view of the lake as we're coasting/crashing downwards
Here the parachute is being opened after a minute of freefall.
You can see how we're being pulled upwards.
It pulls you pretty hard man!I couldn't control any of my body parts. But I didn't try either. I was just enjoying being a puppet and just letting things happen.

Here we are landing.

I kept grinning for another couple hours after reaching the ground, completely floored by the experience and understanding why people do this for a living. At first I thought they were adrenaline junkies. And yes, I guess to a certain extent you could say that, but there is a sense of freedom, of being part of the universe that is indescribable and so precious.

Some divers dive up to 20 times in one day and it never gets old. It's pure joy when you're up there.

I don't know if I'll ever have the money to do this again, but if I ever do get a chance, I'll definitely do it again. Don't be afraid, there are so many other things we do on a daily basis that are more dangerous. This is pure freedom.

Wai-O-Tapu

Sometime during my trip to Rotorua, I decided to go to Wai-o- Tapu, what the Paikiha (white Kiwis) call the Thermal Wonderland. I don't like that term because it kind of sounds like some kind of Theme Park. When translated from Maori, it means Sacred Waters... and that is so much more accurate. So I went on a trip to this beautiful place of sacred colored waters and what a place! I received a map of the place and let me tell you, it takes a good 2 hours to go through all the places. We only had 1 1/2 hours to visit because I was on a shuttle bus ( I have no car) and so was restricted on time. I do recommend you come here on a day when you have no restrictions because there is a little cafeteria and a gift store where you can chill out before, after or during your time there. The concept is that there are several pools of "water" having different names related to what people thought they might represent. First we went to see some of the bubbling pools of mud. That was pretty cool because it's not every day that you see mud literally boiling in front of your eyes. The best part is that it is completely natural! How insane is that?!

Bubbling Mud

Bubbling Mud in Action

Afterwards we were taken to Lady Knox, a well-known geyser that erupts at 10:15a.m. every morning (they help it along with soap). I hear it's similar to that of the park in the US (I'm currently forgetting the name because I'm a bit tipsy as I write this...it's Friday and I have two consecutive days off from work and it's been 6 weeks since I've had this opportunity. SO....you can imagine the giddiness I felt and the subsequent need to celebrate) .

Lady Knox in Wait

Anyway, I videoed the geyser erupting but as I said in an earlier message, I took it vertically and can't figure out how to turn it around ( I apologize for any cricks in your necks!).

Lady Knox in Motion

Lady Knox and Me

After the mudflats and the geyser we went into Wai-o-Tapu, but once again I forgot to bring in my journal to tell you the exact names of each of the pools. Sorry! Work has got me wonky!

I hope you will enjoy the sights, though, and know that these pictures are truly of sacred waters.

Heart-shaped face An acorn's home

A little history of how volcanoes have shaped New Zealand ( New Zealand is on the Ring of Fire, a global map of where the world's most active volcanoes in the Pacific Ocean are located. Red lights in the Rotorua Museum were lit up all over this country!) The Artist's Palette The Champagne Pool Steaming River

Is it Moss or chemical composites? A Mud Plateau

Another Artist's Palette

Fingers of Fluorescence

A Separate World

Moss-Covered Rocks

People walking through the different pools

Moss-Covered Bark

Devil's Ink Pot

The Devil's Bath. Look at that incredible color!

Close-up of the Champagne Pool - looks like something from outer space

A Strange Beach...

Bubbling water - like blowing in your bathtub! (or farting....)

Multi-colored Pool

Mystery Article #1

Hey everyone. I have a little game for you.

The first person who can correctly guess what the microwave might be used for, if there is a use, and post it as a comment at the end of this entry, will get a Kiwi souvenir from me. I promise you it'll be a good one!

Good luck!

Waitomo Caves: Rap, Raft 'n' Rock

It feels like so long ago now, but on one of the days when I was still in Rotorua, I decided to go to the Waitomo Caves. These are caves located about 1 1/2 hours from Rotorua and they are a large series of underground caves that you can do various things in. I found a company that would give me the opportunity to abseil(rappel) down into the grotto (it was about 27 meters down), then we did a series of walking through the freezing cold water, saw glowworms that only exist in New Zealand and Australia, do some inner tubing down this underground river (they call this blackwater rafting) as well as climb up and down the inner rocks and through them at times too! Lastly, we climbed back up the grotto. It was really fun and a new experience for me.

Our ill-fitting uniforms for the experience!

We were a group of six: here we're practicing the impending rappel
I opted to be the first to rappel down the grotto; it was thrilling!
I was a bit worried here, but when I sat in the harness, it felt pretty secure
Pretty cool, huh?
The mouth of the cave

It had rained really hard over the previous week and this was the first day that the cave was opened since the rains. The current was super strong so we had to gingerly navigate ourselves along the sides of the caves carrying our "rafts".

We also had to cross wires at some points because we had to get from one side of the cave to the other.

Some of the bugs and animals that can be found in the cave...
Possums were brought over from England, I think, and are considered real pests here. People can shoot them...and do...quite regularly.

Glowworms are called such because their asses literally glow. Above are what they use to catch their prey. When I saw it for the first time, I thought they looked like crystal curtains. Basically glowworms have no asshole so when they eat, they cannot get rid of the waste and it accumulates in their tails and with the mixture of elements, they end up glowing. Glowworms live in the worm stage for about 9 months. Afterwards they hatch and then become flies and live for only about 2 days, enough time for them to mate and then they die.
Looks like a starry night? Nope! These are the glowworms. We turned off our headlights and our guide fired off a type of gun and they all started to light up. How cool is that?! They light up when there is noise because they interpret it as food and they want to attract their prey by lighting up.

After the glowworms our guide instructed us to get on our inner tubes and raft down the river. The catch was, that for the first several meters (which lasted about 5 minutes or so) we had to turn off our lights and so we were traveling along a very quick river in utter darkness. We had to keep our butts high, our feet up and our elbows in, in order to avoid getting hurt if we were to hurtle straight into the rock sides. It was scary but very cool. The picture above was after we turned our lights back on. Here, I fell off my inner tube and was holding on for dear life!
Some of the natural formations in the cave...
Eels live in these caves too, though I didn't see or feel any. I don't think I would have anyway, the water was so cold that I couldn't feel a thing! Eel is a Maori favorite. I'd love to try it some day.

Here I am looking like an idiot as I let the current take me. The guide did catch me before I went past the point of no return.

We also squeezed through some holes in the rock. Sometimes it was quite a tight squeeze!
More local residents!

Finally, after about 4 hours of treking in the dark, we climbed back up the grotto and back into the real world! It was super fun. I truly recommend it.

'til next time!