32 degrees and climbing

hey everyone in that winter wonderland i call home!

this message is coming straight at ya from the corner of liverpool street and castlereagh street in sydney, australia. i've been here in sydney for a week now and been busy i guess. i've been to the zoo, the aquarium, to hunter valley for a wine tour, to the blue mountains for a walk, to the eastern beaches, to manly, and all over this town. it's amazingly large, coming from small town new zealand, and although i like all it has to offer i like nothing more than getting out of the city. it has been good to catch up with mj. one highlight to leave you all with happened at the zoo - i was watching the chimps, standing next to a woman and her daughter. one of the chimps pooped into his hand and ate it. the little girl gave her mom and i a play by play of the whole scene. it was histerical. "he's touching his bum! he's pooing! into his hand! he's...he's eating it!" the mom and i just laughed.

tonight i'm on my way to melbourne to visit another friend or two. it looks like i will be spending christmas at a beach house on st. kilda beach with a few other people of canadian descent. should be fun. i hope to do some more surfing and find a good book to pass the time with.

i head back to nz on the 1st of january to meet jees (that's how they pronounce it) in auckland. i moved up to taupo the week before i came over here so now it is a matter of getting settled. i also found a place to live, went into my school and met a bunch of my coworkers. i think it will be a great place to live for the next couple years. i have already been hit up to help with the snowboarding team and the hoiwaka (sp?) team. (tis like dragon boat racing but in a massive maori canoe - should be fun.) i start school on february 7th but i will probably be there from early january till when school starts.

that's about all i guess. merry christmas everyone. have a great new years as well.