Oh the voices in my head

(Says, New Zealand IS Middle Earth) And don't you forget it.

A little Labor Day fireworks, view from

my deck. Thank you Wellington

So while you all are rallying to restore

sanity over there, we're rallying to restore

hobbits here in NZed. I can't make this stuff

up. It even made it onto Best Week Ever,

http://www.bestweekever.tv/2010-10-25/the-10-nerdiest-signs-at-the-new-zealand-hobbit-rally/ Headline of local newspaper "Thousands gather

over NZ's Hobbit Crisis". Yes, its a crisis

And this little sign went even one step further

you know so the elves wouldn't feel left out

after all this hobbit attention.

WARNING - Before you proceed, I've had very little human interaction this week, so this post could get weird.

Tonight is the last night of my ten days without my flatmates. I've spent this week+ mainly focusing on my research, trying out a lot of new recipes, and watching a few movies - I know boring, but it's been good and actually gone by really fast, as my life seems to do these days. Below is a recounting of the voices in my head and the few human interactions that I've have had:

-I was worried I was going to have no photos to share with you since I've literally been holed up with my research this week and I was doubtful that you'd want to see a photo of my transcribing and wanting to stick a pen in my eye. I've finally finished transcribing six 1.5 hour long interviews, which took me approximately 4-6 hours each - totally painful. On Saturday I was so fed up with it that I contemplated sending them to a transcription service in China for 5 cents an hour, and just as I was about to speed dial China, I remembered that my interviews are in Maori and English and I doubt there's many people outside NZed and even fewer in China who can/will transcribe Maori. When I checked how much it would cost in NZ - $45 an hour. So I finally finished (those six, I still have more interviews and thus transcribing to do). As terrible as transcribing is, when I read some of the quotes that make me laugh out loud, it was worth it. I've included a few here to share with you because I've decided as my Fulbright winds down that I owe it to all of you to tell you more about my research (hold that yawn), okay actually I just want to tell someone about it, and figure you're a captive audience -

-“I think for many of our people in X town, that they would pay more attention to a Martian landing in the middle of town [than climate change]. Climate change is abstract and well out of their head space. You talk to them about climate change and the emissions trading scheme, and NZUs, and they’ll say, “What’s that got to do with the environment?”

-“You’ve got people that want to say NZ is a leader overseas, and honestly we overrate ourselves. People don’t give a s@#$. So instead of getting caught up in that we need to figure this stuff out on the ground. It’s critical to our economy”

-“I was saying to the Prime Minister the other week, “You know mate, this country is bugger without the Maoris.” And an interesting proposition because most New Zealanders wouldn’t see it that way. But mate, look at your OECD ranking dropping, and look at your debt ratio in this country, and who are the ones doing anything about it. Whether you like it or not, Maori have a significant advantage. And I’m not going to waste time trying to get all these guys in the rest of NZ society on board, we don’t need them, we’re just going to get on with it at the enterprise level, cause our view is quite different than the mainstream of NZ”

In one of my few forays outside of the house or my office, I stopped by the corner store (Four Square), and the owner, Neil Patel, asked me what I was doing in NZ. I informed him I was studying, he asked if I work also, and I said, no I can't. And he said, how bout for free, can you do an internship? Umm....before I knew it he had scribbled down his information and was offering me a "learning opportunity" in management at Four Square. Dreams do come true

So this past weekend was also a long weekend in celebration of Labor Day. Now considering I don't really have a 9-5 job, it's nothing to get too riled up over. When I told my Mom this, she said, how nice. No Mom, I meant my working doesn't stop on the weekends, cultural exchange is a seven day a week job. And to reward myself for all my laboring of transcribing, I decided to check out what was going on in Wellington for Labor Day and low and behold, an Italian Film Festival in Wellington this week. So I decided to scurry to wrap up my research stuff so I could catch one of the shows that night, but before I logged off, I caught sight of another notice - A Rally to Restore the Filming of the Hobbit in NZed. I decided I had to go just for the sole purpose of the photo opportunity of thousands of hobbit lovers in one place. And it did not disappoint, see above

-You've heard me rant before about how expensive things are here and how little money I make and I'm sure you're all sick of that sob story. So I've tried to learn and think strategically about my meal planning, but after 9 months here, I apparently still haven't caught on. Recently, I suggested to Alice and Aaron that we should have lamb kebabs with some mint yogurt sauce (part of one of my goals to dedicate myself to eating more lamb while I'm here), and some hummus, thinking lamb - yep know they have a lot of those here, yogurt - check, tons of dairy. To which I got - "Hmm that will be really expensive". Oh right, NZed sells everything at export prices. I've also previously had to learn that limes cost up to $44 dollars a kilo, and yet lemons grow abundantly. This week, thought I'd pick up some snow peas for a recipe, I mean thinking in my mind - snow peas are pretty standard. But just in case, I went to the highest end grocery store here. When I asked if the sales guy could direct me to them, he said, "They're not here yet". Me - "Oh, when will you be getting some in?", thinking oh maybe Tuesday. He said,"Should be December". I swallowed my shock by remembering my Americanness as I got frustrated by the lack of snow peas in a whole country. We're so used to having whatever we want whenever we want, seasons? Who cares about seasons? One of the Kiwi Fulbrighters who recently arrived in the US posted on her wall "Free internet at Starbucks!!! Wow!" and another day, "Pizza, and crab cakes, and shwarma available all night, everywhere". I restrained the urge to write - Welcome to America

In general life news-

-I've lived in a wedding era for the last 5 years, as I'm sure many of you (you know the sea of readers out there) can also relate to. It's now beginning (and rapidly so) to shift to a baby era. Five friends/family have had babies this year, and three friends have called in the last month to tell me they're pregnant. These calls fill me with excitement and joy for my friends, and a bit of sadness that I don't live closer to share in this latest adventure. Then followed by a "What am I doing with my life? Am I totally selfish in my around the world galivanting?" While all my friends (ok not all, some want to shred their fallopian tubes with a lawn mower) are settling down and bringing new life into the world, I'm soon running off to Italy where I will instead have an immaculate conception of a giant food baby.

Then I usually think about how pregnant people can't eat prosciutto or ride roller coasters.

-There have been a few things that have needed to shift since I'm not coming home now. One is what to do about my American cell phone, it was one thing to suspend it for a year...so I decided to give Verizon a little call to see what my options were. Not only did Verizon go through the various options with me, but interjected it with, "But you have to think about what's right for your expenses and what makes sense for you". Then the grand finale, "We just want what's best for you". Aww, Verizon, I didn't realize you offered counseling services too!! I might call once a week now. However I think what's best for me is to let this number/contract go, even though I've had the same number since I turned 16 :( RIP 585

In care package news this week, my first job out of college sent me a book. I'm not sure how they found me all the way in New Zealand, but they even included a card. So no pressure friends and family, but just saying....

In the news -

Dan Carter, the generally agreed hottest All Black proposed to his long time, women's hockey player girlfriend. Yeah, women's hockey player, you heard that right. Only in NZed

And, I realized today that I have exactly (well I haven't quite booked my plane ticket, but just about exactly) 100 days left in NZed! Remember why this blog was started in the first place? I've decided to try again and from here on out hopefully tell you 100 things I love about NZ. And this time hopefully I'll be more successful since I do have so much thinking time -

So #1 (in no particular order of importance) - The Fact that Restoring the Filming of the Hobbit is the Biggest Problem (at least newswise, and you know other than that whole racism thing) that NZ has right now. And honestly, problems are few in NZ because life is simpler, people are happier, and the scenery gives everyone a bit more perspective on what really matters and to always keep a sense of humour. So with that, let the 100 days of Beall begin anew