On Tuesday I took the commuter flight to Wellington in order to plead my case to the French, that I'd be a great addition to their country for a year. I made sure to dress "French." I arrived 45 minutes early in my excitement. The woman at the desk asked me if I didn't want to go for un café and come back later when I'd actually be seen. I said I was fine, and sat in their waiting room reading my book . . . excitement probably palpable. An hour and a quarter later I was out of there, with a beautiful addition to my passport . . . the working holiday visa (vacances travail). From May 20, 2011 to May 20, 2012 I am able to live and work in France. What I'm going to do there, is anybody's guess.
Ideas? Friends of friends to visit? Places I just cannot go without seeing? Job prospects (to be truthful, I mainly see myself working on farms and vineyards and meandering around, but if any of you NG people have contacts at National Geographic France--now's the time to let me know)?
After this, I decided to celebrate Kiwi-style with a steak and cheese pie, and a visit to Te Papa (New Zealand's Smithsonian, I guess).
The long-term Mana Whenua exhibit, and the Maori carvings you find there are always some of my favourites. A neat addition (or one I hadn't seen before) were How-to videos on using traditional Maori tools and carving wood, stone, and bone. Made the pieces in the exhibit much more concrete yet even more amazing. I also thought the Earthquake exhibit was fantastic. Not thoroughly convinced by the 12 minute "Golden Days" film, although may be an insightful view into the New Zealand Psyche--for good or for bad.
Can't leave you without a map . . . this one a beautiful floor map with New Zealand as the center of the world. As it should be.
Ideas? Friends of friends to visit? Places I just cannot go without seeing? Job prospects (to be truthful, I mainly see myself working on farms and vineyards and meandering around, but if any of you NG people have contacts at National Geographic France--now's the time to let me know)?
After this, I decided to celebrate Kiwi-style with a steak and cheese pie, and a visit to Te Papa (New Zealand's Smithsonian, I guess).
The long-term Mana Whenua exhibit, and the Maori carvings you find there are always some of my favourites. A neat addition (or one I hadn't seen before) were How-to videos on using traditional Maori tools and carving wood, stone, and bone. Made the pieces in the exhibit much more concrete yet even more amazing. I also thought the Earthquake exhibit was fantastic. Not thoroughly convinced by the 12 minute "Golden Days" film, although may be an insightful view into the New Zealand Psyche--for good or for bad.
Can't leave you without a map . . . this one a beautiful floor map with New Zealand as the center of the world. As it should be.
