27 April 2008

AUCKLAND AND LA: 1

Sitting in Auckland airport, have 2 hours before we leave, 1 hour to check in. Flight from Melbourne arrived slightly earlier, so we have longer to wait. We’ve found a business desk in the terminal where you can use wireless . . . FOR MONEY. But I’m too stingy for that.


Az and me.


Instead I can tell you about the clouds that looked like flocks of sheep, the wing bouncing in the mild turbulence on the way into Auckland, the flight attendant who busied himself getting me a vegetarian meal because (surprise, sur-frikking-prise) they didn’t have one for me. Apparently Air New Zealand only do meaty and vegan meals from Melbs to Auckland, and if you’re not vegan you supposedly must eat meat. Bizarre. Have checked to make sure I’ll get vegetarian meals on the way to LAX. I plan to sleep a lot on this next flight.

I was dropped off at the airport by Saj and Es, and got lots of hugs from them and Dan before going through the chompy gates of doom. Met Az at the airport and also got to meet his brother and mum, yay! Have not yet been harassed for gender variance, but have been misread all over the place. The man at check-in had to “go and check something with the passports”, the boarding staff checked my pass and called me “Jonathan” when most other people were “Sir” and “Ma’am”, and the meal-hunting flight attendant (who produced a very nice meal in the end) called me “Miss Williams”. I’ve decided to use the men’s toilets for this whole trip – just suck it up and get used to it.

I watched “The Golden Compass” during the flight. Wow, it’s packed with awesome actors, isn’t it? It was quite fun, but obviously not as rich as the book, and I still feel like there’s something missing, something that makes it all a little . . . flat. I found with the books, too, that they felt a bit “and then, and then, and then” – that is to say, saga-iffic. I suppose, though, that it’s not a whole story, so you have to take it in the context of the trilogy. Of which I’ve only read 2, because the death of my favourite character just made me stop caring. *Sigh*

OK, enough rambling. I’ll write more from LA and post it when I arrive. Ciao.


lights below the clouds
swimming ghostly in the night
I see atlantis

slow, a rim of light
dawn slips across the planewing
we sink through our dreams




Rohan and me


Arrived safe and sound. Was picked up by Rohan, Trav and Tasha, and waved goodbye to Az at LA. The 12 hours from Auckland to LA could have been worse – they could have been slightly better with more sleep, too. Strangely, I’m not feeling too jetlagged, just very tired as I might be on any night if I only got 5 hours sleep.

As soon as I arrived at Rohan’s I felt I was really in America – Venice beach was in full weekend mode, with the footpath market pulsing. Mats gridded with handpainted, bejewelled skulls, a different band every twenty metres, photos, paintings, beggars, people on bikes (all with enormous curved handlebars – seems to be the thing over here). Rohan pointed out the landmarks – the place Romy and Michelle live in High School Reunion, the basketball courts, the outdoor gym where one might linger to admire/gape unbelievingly at the enormously muscled, sweaty and oiled men. The fake boobs. I had strawberry lemonade (lemons, sugar, real strawberries), then we went to the drug store (actually called a pharmacy) and got A GALLON of milk and some bagels and BUTTER IN STICKS. AHAHAHA!

Then I had a powernap and we caught the bus to Rohan’s beau’s house in and played boardgames and drank wine and OMG RAW BROCCOLI WITH RANCH DRESSING! And now I’m nicking their wireless and eating VEGETARIAN HOT DOG WITH TOMATO SAUCE AND MUSTARD. YUM! And Rohan made bean curry!

I can’t wait to go to sleep.

I hope you're all well.

10 comments:

  1. Frickin' awesome!!!

    We're only a few hours away from each other! Also, I want broccoli now.

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  2. oh hai!

    Glad to know that you got there safe. That picture of you and Az is awesome - you both look v. cheeky.

    Dan and I played Wii Sports yesterday and he just smsed me to tell me that I had tricked him into exercising. He's a keeper.

    Keep having fun.

    <3

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  3. i iz miss you already. but glad you're having fun!

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  4. that is so cool!

    wish I could be there with you.

    have fun, stay safe, and watch out for the automatic flushing toilets. they are *weird*.

    :-)

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  5. oh weird to see a photo of you and spong! i knew he went facial hair but woah!

    when i read the last bit i immediately thought of the thing from sesame st [you probably wouldnt know] "a loaf of breaaaaad...a container of miiiilk...and STICK O' BUDDER!"

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  6. Oh yay! You're (kinda) on this side of the world!

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  7. oh, hello there, mister. i love you! i smsed your folks to let them know you arrived in one piece. as s-j said, i got tricked into exercising yesterday, and i'm all achey today. that wii thing is hard work!

    love you n miss you. there's a jonathan-shaped hole in my bed right now. and in my life... (i'm such a drama-queen!)

    the last episode of robin hood was on tonight - it is taped for you, and the last dose of melvyn will be downloaded tomorrow. you will have much cathcing up to do on your return.

    did you get the txt i sent? is the number you sent the message from rohan's number?

    ok, bed time. love yoooooooooouuuuuuuu heeeeaaaaaaaaps!

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  8. thanks for all your messages, lovelies! i will try to blog again today - it's on th eusb, i just have to find a place that has computers with usb connecty things. i am in a place with an australian coffee man who made me a flat white!!! yum!

    xxx j

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  9. Pumpkin!!! How are you?????

    You are travelling. Yay!!

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  10. :) That pic of you/Az is LOVELY and I want it framed and in my house.

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