As the snow falls and the air turns to ice...

Winter here is beautiful. What can I say. Seeing the snow fall for the first time in my memory is, and continues to be, an epic experience. I've seen a lot of rain in my time, rain can be beautiful when its across a nice view, or against a window when you're safely inside. But rain makes you immediately wet, it falls fast, and it's often too frequent. Snow on the other hand falls gently, it floats by as if every single flake wants to say hello, and you don't exactly see it every day. And before it turns all hard, it's like powder. It's amazing.

Snow has a rather unique quality of making everything seem more tidy. Any uneven surface it falls on becomes smooth, and any colour distortion is turned to white. This place was interesting and beautiful without it, but the snow just makes it seem... snowed on. It both add's detail and removes it. It encompasses everything, but leaves openings to see what was there.

Anyway I'm done with poetic's for now. Here are some pictures. Temperatures are no longer getting above zero during the day, and as low as -14. Sure there are nasty things about the cold, like the air bites into your faces skin, and the wind can whip up tiny flecks of what feels like glass into your face after a fresh snow, and yes, on the roads it turns a grey colour, and you use words like "watch out for the slosh/ice in front of you", and you have to learn how to walk in it so you dont spend your whole time slipping on your ass, but get over it! Snow is awesome. 

As for news, well, I sat my TEFL exam last week and got the results back! I passed! What an effort though. I wouldn't recommend spreading out your study across six months. It's best to just sit down and learn it over a few weeks. The best thing to do is work on your understanding of various rules such as what the tenses are and the more advanced rules about conditionals and modal auxiliary verbs etc. What a pain to re-learn that stuff. BUT in saying that 12-18 hours of hard slog will get you there. Best to go into as much detail as you can etc with your answers as I got back "Excellent exam, very thorough answers to indicate understanding" which I am quite proud of really haha!

Also, I have to tell you about the process to get into the public or "formal" schools here. They have more prestige yeah sure, but the amount of paperwork is high, not to mention difficult to navigate. The funny thing is you tell them on the phone that their website it difficult to navigate and they talk to you like it's all there. Which it is, sometimes not in the same place, sometimes all in the same place, with not a lot to differentiate what you actually need from what you don't, and then some extra stuff that I'm pretty sure I didn't see on there at all. But hey, I want this and I've gotta do what I've gotta do. Though I have to say a private hagwon is looking better and better, only down side is they might also need at least some of that stuff from the sounds of it. Sigh, what a mission. Yes I went to Uni, yes I have TEFL, No I'm not a predator, and no I'm not here to scam anyone. 

Anyway, this is what they'll need from you. An 800 word essay about why you think you'll be a good teacher in Korea, a fake lesson plan at least 2 pages long, two signed and sealed references, about 20 pages of forms (not kidding, and with many repeats of information), two declarations - one for my tattoo, one for my TEFL certificate which is in the post, and an original and expensive transcript from Uni - sealed of course (which they will probably lose), copies of your degree, police report (apostiled) and visa, and a passport photo of you. 

BUT I'm not gonna complain. As I said, if you want this suck it up and do it. I have to say I wasted a lot of time avoiding the paperwork but once you get into it you'll sort it out relatively quickly. And the girl I'm dealing with at the moment is super helpful so that's good as well. 

SPEAKING of girls I have met and befriended some now (two in particular that are keepers). And speaking of friends I've made a couple of male ones as well finally which also seem very cool. I have even been to a party and to a bar with them and their friends! So enjoying these small successes - though I did get uncharacteristically drunk with the Australian and American guy, so I'm not exactly sure how stupid I looked this time... I didn't look cool - of that I am certain. Looking forward to seeing all of them again at least. Anyway partying here is awesome! And if you go to a western style bar you will find westerners everywhere and people that speak English which is great a well! PS. Soju in Beer does make Soju and beer taste better, but remember this one simple rule: it will mess you up if you're not careful.

So that's what I've been up to lately. One of my good mates Elliot is here to visit his family but catching up with him has been epic since we haven't seen each other in years. So cool. Also my little brother Luke is coming up for a white Christmas so that it pretty awesome as well and I'm really looking forward to it!!! So here I am all positive and stuff! Been going to the gym as well which is great! Though I've been a bit slack this week I have lost 5kg so far and I'm pretty sure I've lost even more than that in body fat. ANYWAY, I'll catch up with you guys next time! Have a good week! Can't believe how committed you are to have made it to the end of this rant!!!

Nami Island - where dreams come true.

Hello all, I realise it's been a while since I last updated this. So here's a quick one.

I can say it's all officially slowed down. I've bought a laptop and am job hunting. And am trying to join a gym. Since getting here I've lost about 2kg's so I thought I better keep it going. Heading off to Itaewon today. Sharons warned me there are thieves there because it's a tourist hot spot, so I have to be careful.

Below are some pictures of a trip to Nami Island. Nami Island doesn't seem to know exactly what it wants to be. It's cross between many things, including an adventure park with bicycles and boats and other people power vehicles for hire (including swan paddle boats and some kind of four seater Flintstone bike - and see the picture of the mono-rail bikes for families in the trees) with a flying fox to get there as well as the usual ferry. There is a bungy-jump on the main land which is interesting. But then it has stuff like a music museum, a pottery shed, a glass blowing shed, a field of cultural activities and food, and restaurants. There seems to be some kind of art thing going on as well with many sculptures dotted around the island - including a giant one of some fertility god (which I swore I took a photo of but seem to have lost). Not to mention a few shrines and some a couple of hotels (a bigish one and some of those little house things you see around (I forget what they're called here). This Island is also famous for having some kind of drama movie filmed on it, almost 20 years ago. Which is still popular among the tourists that visit from what I can tell of the picture taking with the brass or bronze metal statue immortalising the stars. It was a bit of a shock lining up for the ferry home though - the line for it literarally went half-way inside the island, and even with 3 or 4 different ferries running it took almost an hour to reach the mainland.

It's beautiful here in Autumn, and although I'm freezing my balls off, I cant want to see it snow.

Above is the mainland and bungy jump. Below is the ferry terminal and flying fox.

 You can see how busy it is. So many people. Look a little train...

My first encounter with a squirrel.

I think they are beating rice out of that stuff. Rice is actually round and a light orange colour in its natural form.

People and tandem bicycles everywhere!!!

 The only time I felt at peace was when I looked up at the trees. So many people around.

I should have bought a hat.

Week 2 - some more bits

Well, week 2 eh? I'm starting to adapt to this place. And I've even made a couple of friends (though I haven't been out drinking yet).

This week has been pretty cool. I went to the kindergarten my dad works for a rehearsal on Friday, and on Saturday there was a special event day for the students and their parents. I was a guest English teacher.

It was really funny on Friday, one of the little girls stroked the fur on my arms - which is slightly disconcerting, being treated like an pet (it has happened before), but then she did something really unexpected and sniffed the hair! she obviously didn't like it because she screwed up her face and went back to her seat! What a strange child. I think she is about six years old. Another funny thing about the kids here is that randomly one will just fall of his/her chair. For no reason. You'll just be doing whatever and you'll here a PLONK as someone hits the dirt. Or you'll actually see it happening and still have no idea why it's happening. So hard not to laugh. Also you have to wear slippers in the school. Shoes left at the door.

The actual event went really well, I think our class probably had the most boring activity, I mean, what kid really wants to make soap? I think that's why they had Lucy Teacher and me on it. Anyway, it was great experience, I think everyone had a good time. And I met someone that might have a job for me so here's hoping!

So what else is there... you'll see a few strange sights here. I have to say the scooter riders are daredevils, and there are old people that can fit anything on a mobility scooter. You'll see cart type wagons being wheeled around with all kinds of goods on them, but mainly recycling. Dad tells me that the life expectancy is really high here, even though you see a lot of old people struggling around on walkers or with walking sticks. We think it's due to a combination of family and having to do normal things by themselves. Family seems to be a very important support structure for the elderly here. I think he also said something about the food here, which I am not so sure about. But it is quite hard sometimes watching these old people struggle through the streets. Nobody generally helps but the other day I saw a young man get out of his car and help a little old lady with Parkinson's to the other side of the street.

One other thing you'll notice about here is the footpaths. Almost all footpaths have some kind of guard rail on them to stop you crossing the road in the wrong spot. But more interestingly they are all incredibly uneven and you really have to watch where you're going. Sometimes the curbs just stick out between the road and path for no logical reason. Mind you no-one seems to fall over. Not even me... ok once on the stairs to the train but that's got nothing to do with footpaths! You might also notice that all the city workers are older people, no really young people work on the roads and paths like back home. They also only seem to have half the people, and there are minimal road cones. I actually jumped over a hole while a digger was still digging the other day because that's what all the other pedestrians were doing. Safety standards seem to be quite lax, but more importantly, I have not seen anyone get hurt yet. I think when it comes down to it, NZ overdoes it and treats it's citizens like children. I mean there isn't even an ACC type set up here. If you want medical treatment you either have to have insurance or pay for it yourself. Everyone seems very aware of what everyone else is doing, on the road, on the footpaths, in shops, and there are just too many people to sweat the small stuff.

Also on another note, the police here are quite funny. I'm not sure what he was doing, but this one cop had his lights on on Friday night, was going at a normal speed, and wasn't seeming to be pulling anyone over, I was following him on the bus. I think he was just letting people know that he was around. Not sure. People are really interesting with the road rules here too, it's very much like there are rules, but little ones seem to get broken a lot - like scooters on the footpaths, or slipping through a red light just because it's clear, or stopping on double lines, not wearing helmets on your bike or scooter, or jay walking, or old ladies walking up the road the wrong way with an empty shopping trolley??? What is really interesting is the lack of apparent crime. I haven't seen one incident of violence, nor have I seen any drug addicts. It's really weird. I have been walking through all kinds of neighbourhoods at all times of the day and night and I haven't seen anything or smelled anything dodgy (apart from the food) at all. I think if there are drugs it might be confined to certain clubs - or is really underground. It's not anywhere near as prolific as NZ. Though I am pretty sure drinking, especially among older people, is a problem.






I made it out to Suwon (a small city outside of Seoul -population 1million) the other night for dinner which was a massive train ride via the subway (almost 2 hours), but my friend at the other end recommended I take the KTX back. The KTX is a bullet train with a max speed of over 300km/hr. So it was fair to say I should have taken that there at only 30 mins each way (for only $3!). Oh! I almost forgot!!!! There are these ad's on the trains screens. They advertise funny things like which side of the footpath to walk on (the right side - it's already a habit) and walking around buried in your cell phone is also advertised quite hilariously as well. Also, if you are on the bus you must give up your seat for children or the elderly or pregnant women (normal right?), the children thing was a bit weird when dad first hopped up, but if you think about it the way the bus drivers drive, you want that kid safely in a seat.

Look at the look that guy is giving the camera! Thats part of Suwon but I really should have taken a picture of the train station. Enourmous.

 

 Yes, that is a chunk of bread with a butter and coconut sauce through it and a dollop of ice cream on the top. Plumb sauce on the side. Only $8. Just foud this picture and thought I better put it on.

Also I'm watching the TV right now and there is some kind of re-enactment happening with probably the worst white actors I've ever seen. I think becoming an actor here if you're western is easy. I haven't seen much TV here, but from what I can see it's ok. Like home. There are even a few English channels which is cool.

Oh, and one last thing, sometimes without warning everyone will hop off the train. There's usually a warning over the intercom, but if you miss it and you just notice everyone has gone, and people at the doors beckoning you to get off, and can hear the driver getting quite angry in Korean over the comms, it's probably best not to dispute it and just get off. Everything runs on a tight schedule here and you cant spend a minute trying to figure out why everyone is telling you to get off. Just do it. There's not always going to be a friendly German there to explain why you're being a noob.

Ok, back to it!

The End of Week 1

So, it's been a week since I got here. And what a week. Obviously its been really busy here. I've been learning a lot about teaching english to various age groups, and have been around a few different places. So far my touristing has led me to a few fairly interesting shopping places. Places I'm sure any girls reading this would be hugely jealous of me visiting.

I'll start with the Lotte's. There is a Lotte Mart and Lotte Department. These are two different places owned by the same people and one is bigger than the other. These are "malls" which are actually more like Duty Free in Auckland: Multi-story, all kinds of products, but instead of having just the best, they simply have... everything. Not in a tacky or overly cheap kind of way, but in a nicely presented shopping experience. I could go on, but you really have to see it for yourself. It is consumerism at its finest. That's a good way to describe what it's like being in there with hundreds, if not thousands of other people spread across 10 or so floors.

So I've been grocery shopping (very similar to NZ) and mart shopping (entirely different and rather like a cross between grocery shopping, rugby, and being assaulted by old ladies - just kidding, she only jabbed me in the ribs once). It was a good experience all up though.

The above are views from inside one of the Lotte's

 

I have one real story for you. I decided to catch the train to TechnoMart. I wasn't 100% sure this place actually existed because Dad and Sharon hadn't heard of it, but it did. And what's more is that I decided I was going to do this trip... solo. That's right! This guy here doesn't understand a word of Korean, and has been in the country at that point for about 5 days, and is going to attempt a cross city journey on his own. Like a lone wolf, so to speak... ok ok, I may be exaggerating a little. I had an app on my phone with the train routes and luckily most main Korean signs have an English translation as well... Anyway the point is I could have gotten seriously lost trying to catch 3 trains there and 3 trains back! Ok? ok. Oh, and on the way I met my first foreigner! He was this young guy of Korean descent that couldn't speak Korean since he'd been born and raised outside of Korea I think! but he was trying to get to Gangnam and aksed me for help since I was looking so confident on one of my transfers. Luckily I was actually quite confident at that point and helped him along. How's thaaaaaatt? Oh, and the country where he was from? New Zealand! That's right, he was a Kiwi and used to work in Auckland as a ******* (blur for privacy). Anyway this was his first day and it was ridiculous that the first foreigner I met was a kiwi. It was also ridiculous that I was able to help him get to Gangnam considering how crazy the train system here is.

So TechnoMart. What a crazy place. For some reason when I was there it was nearly empty of customers, which was a bit surprising. I found out a few prices of things I might like to buy, or that friends had asked me to find out for. So here we go: Sony NEX-5ND is about NZ$750, Galaxy Tab 16GB is about $650, and an Asus Zenbook is $1300. So about the same as home but in most cases a little bit cheaper. Try looking up stuff on Korean website Naver - it's like google and I've seen things for even cheaper there. This place was also 10 floors tall, and had 3 floors of cameras, 2 of cell phones, and 3 of PC's and 1 of gaming. Followed by I think a cinema on the top floor. It was epic. Each floor spanned about the a medium sized warehouse in floor space, and each camera "store" was much like a vodafone stall you see in a mall back home. Except there are possibly hundreds of them. So that was fun.

This is a picture of Manuka Honey, from NZ. It is 78,000Won here. That's about $80 a pot. I Should have brought some.

What else have I seen... pretty girls... yeah yeah... food... yeah yeah... - oh, the potatoes here, for some reason Koreans like sweetening that sh*t up. Potatoes, potato chips, just imagine what it would normally taste like then add sweetner...not exactly what I'm used to... what else... oh, the toilets here: beware. I have heard that there are hole-in-the-ground loo's, which I have yet to see, but also in the department stores bewaaaaaaare: electronic bideeeeee's (water jets that clean your *whistle here*) you may not have to use it, but then finding the flusher is a freaking mission, all those buttons to push to clean your what-what? yet none to flush?? Anyway, I couldn't see it the first few times and just left in a hurry, but there is usually a silver button on the wall, in a fairly obvious and normal place, which will do the job. Now that the exciting toilets are out of the way, there are the normal toilets, which are surprisingly different, and yes, I am devoting an entire paragraph to toilets, please read on. So normal toilets are slightly different to what you'd expect. For starters they've got a lot more water in the bowl, which makes splash-back a rather terrifying reality, and then there is the flushing itself.. now I'm not so sure about the direction, but I can tell you it's quieter than what we're used to at home. There seems to be an extra hole in the bottom of the bowl which has a jet of water coming out of it at a certain moment when everything goes down. So you flush and for a few moments nothing actually happens, or it seems to all happen in slow-mo. It fills up then just gets sucked down. It's quite unique. Ok, sorry if you're reading during lunch, I'm sure you feel misled because this paragraph started with pretty girls and potato chips.

Oh, the above. The above was just me scratching the tip of the iceberg I think. I've seen big things, but I feel the biggest things are yet to come. Today, today I saw something that blew me away just as much as all those tall buildings did. And it was Myeongdong... I think that's how it's spelt.

Imagine, if you will... a street the length of lower Queen Street in Auckland, though about half as wide, a one way street but filled, and I mean filled at all times, with people. Now imagine that filled with stores on both sides, on all levels (at most 5 floors), big ones, small ones - many many small ones; most selling clothes, others selling trinkets, stationary, phone covers, many selling food, coffee etc. So basically a big fashion oriented district. Now imagine down the middle a constant row of wagons, wagons selling mostly knock-offs, original stuff, belts, food, t-shirts, phone covers - so so many phone cover places, and not that many models of phone to stick them on - and other such things, all the way down to the end. To be honest with you I'm not even sure how long this place was because I literally could not see the end of it. Now you think that's amazing right? Ok, now this is where your mind will get blown: Imagine that kind of thing going in every direction for five blocks, all side streets, all turns, all parallels, just shops. Just shops and wagons everywhere. The picture I took doesn't do it justice.

So in summary, I think that shopping district might have been a big chunk of iceberg. That was something I didn't expect at all and it was something that blew my mind. I also found a really nice coat which I will go back and buy one day. Also, oddly just outside of that shopping district, more shops, in market form and full of knock-offs. Also spread over quite a large area though really only a quarter of the size.

Well, I think that's about it for me today. I hope you enjoyed the catch up. Missing my mates and family a bit tonight.

Also I'm realising there are some things which I still have yet to experience, such as the night life and the history, and other touristy things. Should be more interesting reading I'm sure.

Peace

 

I'm here! Part 2.

 

Well, it was getting late last night so I didn't get to finish. That and I'm thinking TLDR syndrome might kick in. So here's Part 2 and some pictures. Below is a view out of one side of my Dads place.

 

So I was feeling a bit out of sorts for the first 12 hours or so. In the morining I was woken at 6am/I was already awake, and since I felt up to it I tagged along with my old man to his work at a kindergarten about 1hr and 50mins away via 2x trains and a bus (and they all run on the same swipe card, it's awesoooome, some shops even accept them as payment like a credit card). Either way the trip was incredibly cheap, maybe $4. As I said before, the trains are amazing, but this time we got something different. We got the normal work rush. Since we get on at the beginning of the tracks here at Nowon, we get a seat. Which was good, because they all filled up, and then the train filled up completely. It was packed, just like you want to imagine, no personal space or boundaries. But the funny thing is the smart phones. Everyone has one, and everyone is totally absorbed in them, no matter what public transport you are taking. Oh, also the bus drivers are speed demons, they are like race car drivers, pedal to the metal, quick gear change, quick stop. Hold onto something and don't let go till its time to get off or you'll go flying. Sometimes you'll go flying while you're still holding onto the handles.

 

I got to see Seoul this day. The trains are mostly underground, but crossing the river and further out of the city the train is mostly above ground. So I got to see a lot. This city is amazingly huge. And everything in it is huge. The thing is, it's not the amount of people that confound me, I think the human brain can handle seeing a lot of people, it's the buildings that are hard to fathom. Imagine a city the size of Auckland, surrounded by mountains and cliffs with a huge river cutting it down the middle, and just imagine the whole area covered with tall buildings, and not just tall buildings, but gigantic monoliths of apartments and offices. Imagine them stretching all over every flat space, all the way into the mountains. The smallest buildings I've seen are villas, and then there are squats - run down ground level buildings which are about as close to what Korea has to slums. But there are so many apartment buildings. The one I'm in holds 1500 people. That's basically an NZ town in a building.

So what's happening on this commute to work is any fear I have of this place is slowly evaporating and giving way to pure awe. And what's also happening is I'm starting to realise I'm going to need to pick up a bit of Korean to make my way around this place. Which is fine. Something I've noticed is the advertising. Koreans don't seem to be all that creative with signage. The signs are all just names and coloured lettering. There is no branding. But those signs are everywhere, in paint, neon, blow up plastic "tree trunks" on the side of the road, on windows, flags, posters, everywhere. Another thing I'm noticing is the market vendors. They are everywhere, and I dont even think where they set up is legal. They just plonk there goods down or open up their car boot and start selling. It's really interesting. I almost got Takoyaki from the back of this cool little van last night but I was too full from dinner.

Anyway, back to the Kindergarten. I've never seen my dad act like this. It was completely new and quite entertaining. I even joined in on "What's the time Mr. Wolf?". He was so into it, and he had to be as well. I have to say after seeing that, I think he may actually be a good teacher! The only down side is their attention span and the short size of the lessons. But I think being ages 4-7 probably requires a more general approach. The kids there were amazed at me. They mustn't see many foreigners apart from my Dad. Some came and hugged my legs, some stroked the fur on my arms, but most of them tried their english out on me. It was hilarious and they were all cute as. I can see why he likes doing it. I will enjoy it too if I manage to find a job.

I also made my first purchase on my own that day. I bought a fanta and a snickers bar for 1750w which is about $2. Easy as. I need to learn Korean numbers though. That will be really helpful.

So after Kindy we came back to Nowon, and Dad and Sharon have some kind of after school learning school of their own. They teach English to about 5 kids at a time and it's quite cool really. Tiny little office though. But I'm sure it's an effective niche here to take advantage of, especially if you're a native speaker. It was at this point in the second class that Soph decided to take me on a bike ride down to the river. It was amazing. The backstreets were so cool, and the river itself has this wicked cycle-way along it, with lanes and speed limits. It must've been an 8km ride. We had lots of fun. And I didn't wear a helmet because nobody here does. Watch out, we've got a badass over here.

After coming back we had dinner at this fried chicken place with one of Sharons primary school friends. She was crack up as well, and Gangnam Style came on the radio and I did the dance much to dads shame but everyone elses enjoyment!!! I even got that side step move down finally.

Anyway. That was my first official day in Seoul. And it was awesome. I'm really starting to have a good time and I think it's only a matter of time till I make some friends of my own. Today I'm going to go and try grab a sim card for my phone so I can use maps and GPS to find my way around if I get lost. Although there is english on a lot of signs, there isn't much on the normal more out of the way places, and since everything looks kinda the same and I cant read anything to note the difference it's probably a good idea to get that sorted asap.

I dont think today is going to be that busy, but it will still be fun and the way it's been, I'm sure something else interesting will happen soon. So I miss everyone at home of course, but I'm no longer freaking out about why I'm here, because now that I am I can just enjoy it for a while till I can get a job.

On a side note I'm just going to say my room is tiny, but that's fine because I dont spend much time in it. Nor do we spend much time at home from what I can tell. Which is a good thing.

Ok off I go. Heading out now. I'm not going to update this daily, but I just thought I'd let you all know that I'm fine and having a good time.

I'm here! Part 1.

So I'm here. I've been in Seoul for about 24 hours now. About the first 12 were filled with what can only be described as... fear. I was terrified. I was (and probably still am) totally out of my depth here. BUT after I hit 15 hours, man oh man, the daylight brings something truly spectacular and awe sets in.

I had arrived at night, 12 hours on a plane I think does some kind of temporary mental damage. I couldn't sleep on the plane, and my knees got sore from not moving enough. The movies, although entertaining, were just not doing it for me. So I arrived tired, with a headache, and in the dark. And everything felt like some kind of weird dream. I am still struggling to believe that I'm actually here.

The very first thing I noticed about Seoul was the size of Incheon Airport. We had just landed and we probably would have docked somewhere maybe 3 or 4 times at Auckland, and we still hadn't stopped moving. Then we got off and I had to walk a mile to immigration and baggage claim. But that, that wasn't even a scratch of the surface of the size of this airport. But more importantly, it was a precursor to the size of this city. Another important bit of info, security at that airport was a breeze, so efficient. I had nothing to worry about at all. In fact, at that time of the evening, the airport felt suprisingly empty.

Dad, Soph and Sharon all picked me up at the airport, and it was about a 2 hour journey to Nowon, where I will be staying. I got the hugest hug from little Soph, and that was well needed after that plane trip. That train - 10 carriages long at least, the seats only along the wall, and there was no seperation between carriages. And clean. So so clean. I actually had a hard time believing the length even though I could see each far in the distance). Really different from our trains in Auckland to say the least. Yet even on a Sunday night, all those seats got filled at various points.

 

We had some Korean BBQ in the middle of Nowon, and we caught a taxi (right hand side of the road here, so I almost jumped in the drivers lap when trying to get in) and made our way back to the appartment. I made a joke about one of the lettuce leaves looking like those underwear leaves you see in censored classic paintings and statues (which I believe is why it tasted so bad - because it's for underwear, not for eating - which had Soph in stitches for a while). 

I want you all to know that it is exactly like you see in Korean movies here. EXACTLY. There are neon signs and little alleys everywhere, numerous wires all over the power-poles. The colour scheme, the light, the roads, the subway, the rivers, the people, it is all real, and it feels like I'm walking through a movie all the time. The streets have a lot of cars and mini trucks, scooters and cyclists on them. But not like Indian/italian movie bad, the streets can be empty, and pedestrains seem to be pretty casual about walking on the road when it's quiet, and sometimes when it isn't. There are rules, and although people seem to like bending them, they dont seem too bad. You have to have your wits about you, that's for sure. And while we're at it, if you want to get somewhere forget manners. Just go. The biggest or the most ballsy get everywhere quick. So you'll have little old ladies trying to stick a shoulder in while you're trying to get on a bus, or see a little boy steal some womans seat on the train. To get past some people you may have to physically move them yourself, a light push to the side usually does it. Just do it. Don't be polite or you will never get anywhere. Dont be afraid to cut that little old lady off, because she will push you till you almost fall over anyway, might as well get the first shot in.

I have to tell you about the smell, because everyone will want to know: it isn't that bad. There are about 3 smells which will rub most of you the wrong way, but they are usually pretty temporary, and the city smells simply like a city. The first smell is methane, or fart smell (occurs randomly as far as I can tell and is the longest lasting bad smell - and no, its not me). The second is cigarrette smell - there are a shitload of smokers here, but you'll really notice it around appartment buildings the most, not so much on the street. The third and forth equal are what I'll call sulphur smell and fish smell, which occur in the city at random points, or near the river. And that recycling/rubbish shed you see over there? Just hold your breath. But dont worry too much, it's not that bad and smog is light as far as I can tell. Smog was my main concern and doesn't seem to be as bad as I thought it would be.

So anyway I think I'll make this part 1. I got to bed after staring out at the lights outside - the numerous and fantastic lights - wondering why on earth I left all my friends and the safety of NZ in the first place. At that point I felt for a moment like I'd made a huge mistake, and that this wasn't for me. But dont worry, things get better in part 2. When I hit 15 hours, after a sleep I see the city in the light for the first time.