Early day impressions of the OC

On Thursday for Australia Day I kept on wishing people a happy day and they just kept on ignoring me, I think they thought I was mocking them... either that or they couldn't understand me.... that happens a lot, surprisingly... people just don't understand what i am saying.... They keep asking me where I am from and when I ask things like, "Do you know anyone who is looking for a housemate?", they tell me to go to ocfindajob.com and I walk away thinking "That's weird". Then later I realise they thought I said, "Do you know anyone who is looking for a house maid?". Gah.

I said "G'day" to someone the other day and they said, "What?". I repeated myself and they still looked confused, so I wrote it down and then said it was short for "good day". They asked me why I didn't just say "good day". I told them it was Australian slang. I couldn't believe they hadn't heard someone say "g'day". The guy that asked then proceeded to ask me out..... LAliens seem odd.

Actually, the locals seem exceedingly friendly. Yesterday I left home at midday to go to uni but due to the ridiculous state of public transport here, I arrived in just after 5pm (for a drive that takes 20minutes). The whole way people were really friendly and that made the ordeal a lot easier to deal with.

I have resolved to the fact though that due to the disgraceful state of public transport in this city, I have to move closer to Fullerton.... Either that or get a car. But seriously, the roads here are FULL of agressive drivers who have been known on occassion to outlet their road rage by shooting their fellow motorist, also, the lanes are like 5 each way and they stretch on forever - the only monotony broken up by the entry and exit of this or that freeway. It is terrifying to try and drive anywhere without one of those satilite navigation systems, even for the locals!

Having said all of the above, Orange County (my only real taste of LA so far) is totally livable and not the polluted, aggressive city I thought it was going to be. It also helps that my godmother is here (who I am currently crashing with) and she has made sure I know that her house is my house and that she is my second "mom".

Final thought: everything is huge. The cars, the tortilla chip packets, the almonds, the apples, people's lips, people vocal levels...

Oh, final, final thought: I went to the Irvine Spectrum Centre last night which is like an outdoor shopping mall cross entertainment complex cross eating precint where I ate dinner, had the most delicious (and most gigantic) piece of chocolate cake ever and saw a movie. In the movies people talk and comment on the characters the whole way through... they get really involved.... it's kind of fun...

CaliforniaaAAaaa...

Hi all, just letting you know that I have arrived safely in the OC and learnt that American do not know who Kylie is?!?! I'll forgive them though, LA is nice despite the fact that it is seemingly full of huge cars that crowd 8 lane freeways that extend forever..

Tomorrow is orientation at "school", Cal State Fullerton.

I got a mobile today, yay!

Will write you a decent email soon.

Kristiana
p.s. Embarrassingly, today I actually had to ask a guy selling me the mobile to repeat himself because I didn't get his accent....he didn't get mine either.... whatever!

Health Retreat Goodness

Hmmm...... health retreat goodness.....

If you can spare the time and money (and you should make a point of doing so), I recommend going to a health retreat.

A typical day might look like:
6:00 Wake up.
6:30 Tai Chi
7:00 Walk
8:00 Breakky (salt and sugar free muslie's and cereals plus a buffet of the freshest tastiest fruit ever!)
9:00 Cooking class to show you how to cook delicious meat, salt and sugar free meals.
10:30 Morning tea (usually some sort of all natural smoothy)
10:30 Deep water running class.
11:30 Yoga
12:00 Lunch (A range of fresh and delicious meat, salt and sugar free salads plus a very healthy main meal - maybe a preservative free curry or something...)
1:00 Boxing class
2:00 Gym Circuit
3:00 Afternoon tea (a nuitricious muffin)
3:00 Meditation
4:00 Stretch Class
5:00 Walk
6:15 Dinner (an entre and main that was meat, sugar and salt free and so tasty!!)
7:00 Laughter workshop

On some days you might even add a massage or facial to the above... It was great!

And I met some interesting and delightful people who I will meet up with in the future. One couple has insisted I come and visit them when I am in London and another lady works in the International Court at the Hague and has offered to show me and my friend around when we get there!

Anyway, from my week away I feel refreshed, grounded and cleansed. Despite my minor breakdown yesterday when I realised that I am actually going away for a long time and I can't get and give hugs from you all on demand and I am feeling slightly vulnerable... everything is sweet.

I leave for LA tomorrow morning. So next email is likely to be from the City of Angels.

Until next time!

Kristiana

New Zealand Travels...

Kia ora my favourite people!!!

Happy belated new year!!!

I hope you greeted the new year appropriately with lots of love, fun and surprises!!!

I did! He he he…

Anyway, the beginning of this email was “Kia ora” that is New Zealand’s “aloha” – their “hello”, “good bye”, “good health”, “good luck”, etc…. Speaking of NZ, it was awesome!

Don’t get me wrong, I love Aus but as friendly and cultured as the Aussies are and as stunning as the scenery is, New Zealand is TOPS!

The children of New Zealand wave all the time, they are just so lovely! The adults always smile back! And I don’t know what they don’t have to smile about! Such a small, self-sufficient and diverse country with the most amazing views. Shame about the cold says I (the warm blooded Aussie) because I would surely move there immediately to never leave….

The south island (the Mainland) is what you might imagine Middle-Earth to look like. In fact, Peter Jackson was apparently reading the Lord of the Rings books when traveling on a long train trip through NZ and imagined the stories were the history of the land, apparently there was never a question that it was going to be filmed there. The south island is home to the cleanest air I think I will ever and have ever breathed. It also had lakes and alps like piccies I have seen of Canada and has many adventure activities… I went on a mini go-kart (shut-up!), a virtual bungy jump (because the real one is too dangerous – or I am too scared….whatever….) and I climbed a glacier (a HUGE one!!!)….

The north island is what you might imagine Hobbiton to look like. (You may be asking why I keep on making Lord of the Rings references, that is because it, along with Whale Rider, King-Kong and various other great movies, was been filmed). Hobbiton, I mean, the north island did not have as dramatic scenery as the south but it did have heaps of volcanoes and mud pools and culture.

I am sorry not to write more but I don’t want to bore you. Sorry for not writing for two weeks, email just wasn’t too accessible where we went. And I am also sorry if I did not text you if I told you I would…. I cleverly left my mobile and wallet at home…. Seriously…

Love you all though and will write to you again in a week after my relaxation spa…. Tough life right now, I know….

Love you all long time.

Kristiana