Holiday festivities are in the air. All though it is quite strange to have a second summer Christmas with out being surrounded by my family. I have joined an awesome church called freedom church " introducing people to Jesus Christ and helping them fulfill their god given potential." The church plays music that I like to jam to and it is filled with 80 percent 20-35 year olds. With making friends through the Monday night young adults group I all ready have had an amazing Christmas feast with tons of laughter and games. Christmas eve i will go to the christmas carols event at one of the other churches. For Christmas I will be helping out at an orphanage and then in the later evening spending time with my roommates. Unfortenitly I will miss the main meal of our house, but I will be spending time with other friends and helping at an orphanage and i will eat with the kids as well.
New Years I will be working a side gig as security/event staff. Basically there is fireworks and concerts and they shut down the streets but there is a liquor band inside the gates so I will be standing at a gate making sure no outside alcohol gets in. If they try I get to tase them hahha jk I will also be with a cop so I call them or send the most likely British drunk in guy to them. It's a good paying job and it will keep me on my strict training ....(roommates I don't think we're to happy they wanted me to come party with them ) ....
I am training for The TMC (technical mountaineering course) is a complete introduction to climbing, living, and surviving in the mountains. The course will provide a kick-start to your climbing exploits.
All instruction takes place in the serious mountain environment of Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, although the course is flexible enough to move elsewhere for a few days should the weather become inhospitable. The skills you acquire on the TMC will take you readily into any other mountain range in the world.
The primary strength of the course is that it strikes a balance between instruction of techniques, and practical application - in realistic situations. The emphasis is on education, travel on, and awareness of all types of mountain terrain, not just purely technical climbing. We believe this is the most important element of your “mountain education”.
You can expect to climb 2 or 3 peaks, (progressively more technical summits) building on your knowledge, as you apply this to real-world situations.
Aircraft access is used to optimise the climbing time available. This also allows us to gain exceptionally good instructional venues, and reduces heavy load carrying. Each day’s activities will usually run for 8-10 hours, although longer and more strenuous days can be involved.
What You Will Learn
Topics covered on your course include:
Equipment, what to bring and how to use it
Trip planning and preparation
Knots and hitches for mountaineering
Snow and Ice Climbing
Abseiling,belay techniques and systems
Snow, ice, and rock anchors
Step, and stance cutting
Alpine rock
Glacier travel and crevasse rescue
Route finding
Emergency shelters
Rope management
Mountain weather, and forecasting
Avalanche hazard evaluation introduction
First aid for mountaineering
Mountain navigation
Hut management, and food preparation
Jobs / rent / $
Minimum wage in nz is 13.5 which is around 11 USA dollars
A typical waitress job is 13.5 for the first few months then most make a bit more ( but tips are not normal here so don't expect much, the nicer hotels and restaurants usually get some tips bc they get a lot of Americans or other cultures who do tip)
My rent it typical at $200 nz a week so around (700 USA a month) -- I am lucky and found an amazing place with a great view and I don't share a bathroom ( it's like a studio) but then we all hang out in the living room. Other places run 150 but then you pay for your own wifi and such mine is all included.
Food -in nz for 10nz it's 8 US- to go out well I have been here 23 days and I still have not went out to eat ... To much money. A typical lunch is around 12-15 with out drink. Drinks coffee $5 or more wont find less pop ??? Never looked beer is $7 as well as liquor and cider. Dinner is 20 plus. Grocery sore is just slightly more then back home. But that is after the exchange rate so as far as just first look at something it's like wow but then you factor it to USA dollar and its just slightly more .. Kiwi fruit is less ; ) ( don't just call it a kiwi here that is a bird and you will be told it is wrong to say kiwi for the kiwi fruit )
How I make money
So far I have had one week of boot camp it started slow I have had 3 people. This week I hope more come but it is Christmas so I can't get to mad if it doesn't happen. January I am happy to have got the crown plaza staff doing a wellness month with me. I will do exercise class 2x a week with them starting on jan 8th and of course my side gig being staff/security is only for events and my first one is New Years. Also I helped a roommate try and sell his car and I sold his bike for him and he payed me $20.
This week I hosted 2 Danish couch surfers at my place. They are great funny guys. We hit it off right away... First 10 min of knowing them ha-
Q-What's your name
A- Mikkel and Michael haha ok
Q- what do you do?
A- mikkel - I am a sex therapist .... Um I didn't believe him then he kept going and made it more believe able then I asked more and he came back and was like I am not a sex therapist hahha ok
..... You get the picture they are super goofy and great to hang with, very active one was a hockey player other a wrestler. We cooked some yummy food together they at first doubted my cooking skills but then praised me : ) Michael had just come from Fiji and had a bottle of bounty rum it was something I will never forget. I will miss them, but had the pleasure of hosting them.
