look right, then left

found out today leonard cohen is as big here as 9 am canned bourbon and coke...which says a lot. we've got 3 out of 6 flatmates settled in, all US native. the two guys are a couple of fratdawgz and insist on referring to our place (#20 Ilam Village) as "the big 2-0", and have spent the last 4 nights around the kitchen table taking shots of jager to Credence crooning in the background. Sam, another girl, is truly a kindred spirit i believe. Hails from San Francisco, and goes to school in Boseman, MO...two spots i've long coveted from hear-say. christchurch is absolutely gorgeous. the campus and immediate town remind me a lot of any coast town, tropical vegetation, big ol fruity trees. the city itself is a dream; cleaner then any i've seen back home i haven't even been able to spot a cigarette butt. today went to an art museum comprised completely of local art this month, as well as the botanical gardens. the gardens i couldn't believe and plan on spending many sunny hours wandering about acres upon acres of towering eucalyptys trees and rose gardens. oh yes. still, i'm already getting itchy feet thinking about the mountains, gandalf, mountains just out of my reach here. My "international" living situation is overwhelmingly saturated with terrified/super perky Americans, all with this sort of blank, stretched smiles and bewildered deer in the headlights look about them (myself included.) as far as i can tell from my bedroom window,i'm in some retro funky setup on the east coast of florida. hobbits and kiwibirds alike are elusive as hell, but mark my words i will find the tykes by summer's end. (ha! summer!) i can tell i'm rambling shamelessly on this thing, apologies for all 2 of you who have gotten this far (hey mom, doin bood, beth...) i'm gonna sign off for now, the kiwis upstairs just came by to invite us all for a "jug of piss and a kebab at the bah"... an invitation i'd be a fool to refuse. and pictures up soon i swear it ma.

kia ora!