Today's little story was going to be about the buses, but I must first mention the weather. Today was COLD! Brrr! I feel that I have never been so cold, but of course that can't be true. After all, I can remember spending the May holidays with Grandma in Alexandra when the water pipes froze. And I grew up in Dunedin for goodness sake. But I guess I have been outside in it today, and to really make things awful, the building we were in at uni this morning had a problem with the heating and it wasn't working!! With the temperature sitting at about 2.... It was miserable, I can tell you. I sensed snow in the air. We will see!
Anyway, buses. I am a daily bus traveller through the week, and I have a bus pass! How cool is that? In general the service is pretty good on weekdays, fairly good on Saturdays and almost non-existent on Sundays. Not too unlike NZ. Unfortunately, there is very little service at night for the area in which I live, which makes going out to things rather difficult.
When I get on to Bus #10 in the mornings, it is quite interesting. No-one queues at the bus stop or respects age or disability or any other prority. It's everyone for himself. I mean, at home no-one actually queues, but usually there is a bit of an unspoken agreement that the people who got to the bus stop first get on first, and there's a bit of allowance for this. Nah, that's for wimps. You push and make sure you are first on if at all possible. When I get on, the bus is usually fairly full. And you would be amazed at how many people put their bags on the seat beside them and ignore your obvious need to sit down. This morning I said, "Pardon," and waited for a young student to move her bag so that I could sit down. She moved it with a very audible French equivalent of "Hrrrmph!" She then spent the rest of the journey rolling a cigarette. People also sit on the aisle seat and make it extremely difficult for you to push past to get to the free seat by the window. The drivers are usually pretty good, and wait for people they see running to catch the bus. Although the other day we had a driver who must have had an argument with this wife or something, because he drove like a bat out of hell and actually missed one stop even though the button had been pushed. People yelled out at him and he just yelled back! But really that was unusual. There are always young mothers with pushchairs on the bus - I wonder where they are all going. So things can get quite squashed. Most people seem to have passes which certainly saves time. If you have a ticket you have to 'compost' it - put it into a little machine when you get on. On the way to uni I usually just watch and listen to people. On the way home I usually spend the time having conversations in my head about whether or not I will buy some bread when I get off. Lol! Important stuff!
Well, I just had a read of that and I agree that it won't go down as the most riveting stuff you have ever read, but never mind. Have a good day and appreciate the fact that it is almost summer in New Zealand!
4 comments:
Salut! Just read your blog and take heart that it isn't just the bus system in your area - it is exactly the same here and ditto to the rest!
I enjoy reading your blog, keep it up. Lucky you going away for Xmas, not sure what we will do. You are so lucky to have made many contacts through your host family - we have none and I am so jealous when I read about this. The teachers are nice but no invitations as such - maybe it is because I am here with my family, but I didn't get any when I was on my own either! Maybe too because I am spread over 3 different schools it is harder.
Anyway.... how is your evaluation going... I will start soon!
I have certainly been lucky with the contacts I have made. And they all seem to be really nice, free thinking people, easy to like! :-) However, almost all the people I have met socially have been though my original host family, either directly or indirectly, and you didn't have that opportunity. The people at uni are great too, but I haven't really socialised with them to any extent. They do include me during the day though, despite the rather large age gap! At least you guys will have each other at Christmas. I was pretty scared of being here on my own!
Hey Alison,
We finally have broadband at home so have finally got to visit your blog. Makes great reading! Sounds like an experience of a lifetime. Good to hear you are getting plenty of sight seeing and travelling.
Ben and I are off to Tauranga for a wedding tomorrow for an old school friend who also lived with us for some time during our uni years. Boys are spending the night with Grandma - lucky Grandma!
Thank you so much for the fantastic postcards you have sent the boys. The really enjoy getting them and if only their parent were not so slack, they'd have some coming back in return. We'll get to it, I promise!
Have to boast as you'll appreciate it. I finished my reports at midnight last wed,2weeks early!!! I know-crazy but what a load off having them done. Have camp in a week and a half and am organising it so still have a heap to do. Counting down the days!!!
Anyway better luv and leave ya! Will keep looking at this and will show boys the pictures too.
Take care and keep smiling!
Love from us
Dom, I am impressed by your efforts with the reports! I must admit to being a hopeful over-achiever myself in that sort of thing. Always nice to get them out of the way. What I am getting very used to here is having none of those responsibilities, and I'm not sure how I'm going to adjust on my return. Here, no reports to write, no endless meetings, no staff to oversee, no planning as such.... Oh! I'm in Fairyland! :-)
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