Look at the beauty of the Rocky Mountains.
We left Denver at 5 p.m., arrived in L.A. at 7 p.m., flew out of L.A. at 9 p.m., arrived at Auckland, NZ at 6 a.m. their time, and then finally made it to Christchurch N.Z. around 8 a.m. We left on Oct. 18th and arrived on Oct. 20, flew only 18 hours and skipped a day. What is time? In 3 days my 10 hour work day begins, so I only got a few days to get used the new time cycle. When I feel like sleeping it's time to get up, and when my circadian rhythm says it's time to wake up it's actually time to go to bed. I can do this.
On the plane I witnessed the Kiwi (Native New Zealanders) culture for my first time via watching the aeroplane travelers and movies, and fell in love with their acsent. There was a 4 or 5 year old Kiwi girl behind me who had the cutest voice and I figured that I will stay in NZ after my contract until I acquire their acsent, so far so good. It's somewhat British... and somewhat Ausi. Moreso I just got back a half hour ago from hiking several miles around the town. Military apparel is very popular on the streets, thankfully I packed my black camo jacket, green camo pants, and black military boots. And there is a very mixed culture in this town, lots of Chinese, Thai, Indian, Cambodian, and European restaurants and shops. Perhaps the greatest thing about the Kiwis is the positivity and friendliness. No wonder this country has a great environmental protection program, there is genuine care for the land and the people. Right down the block is the Center for Conservation and I think I'm going to go check that out tomorrow after we get our gear at the Antarctic Center.
At the Auckland airport I watched the 'Rural Delivery' show, which was on every channel, unlike the numerous U.S. airports that broadcast CNN on every screen. Rural Delivery talked about Kiwi farms that are actively becomming more and more organically and biodynamically certified. Farmers now offer classes and educational programs to teach international visitors efficient methods of organic farming. http://www.wwoof.co.nz/ There was also a short part on how much kilograms of beef and dairy that were produced this month. Amazing... instead of stock market quotes, they broadcast rural productivity statistics. As we flew down to Christchurch I could see tons and tons of farms below. Right now I hold a one year holiday working visa, and if I don't winterover I may hang out in NZ and help the community and environment. The Kiwi understanding and practice of environmental justice is not really related to the concept of work and duty, but is more a byproduct of living wholesome and naturally. Taking care of the Earth isn't a 'job' for some cultures, it's a wonderful, simple way of life.
I'm off to go search for a new army duffle bag and grab a bite of some local, organic lamb. Check out my little trendy room, it's like a scene from Blade Runner. Flat screen t.v. on wall, very small and compact, digital buttons eveywhere, ambient environmental sleep and waking system... basically your wake up alarm involves the bed warming, red lights slowly brightening, and nature music that progressively gets louder. Below is the chillout mode of the room.
Then I turn the mood knob to the heart symbol and....
The room turns colors.
