1. What size is the last bed you kissed on? Queen sized bed.

2. When was the last time you were sick? Two and a half months ago.

3. Are you one of those people who are always cold? Umm not always.

4. What are you listening to? To the rugby, NZ versus Argentina.

5. How many more days until your birthday? Like 58.

6. Do you have any summer plans yet? I'm going to Nelson and Blenheim for a couple of days and then somewhere up north. I may head over to Aussie sometime too for Soundwave.

7. When was the last time you shaved your legs? Yesterday I think.

8. Is there someone you wish you were closer with? A few.

9. Do you tend to waste a lot of money? I try not to. Define a lot.

10. Have any addictions? Caffiene, nom.

Things to try

While I'm waiting for my bus to the aiport, I thought I would do a quick post on the foods and drinks that I tried overseas.

In Japan I had a Fanta Grape Zero which was a nice change the usually fizzy drinks. In Britain I had my fair share of Diet Cherry Coke. Yum, yum.

Italy, where do I start? We tried fresh mozzarella cheese in Italy with fresh pasta and pesto. Devine. We also drank red vino, which is amazing. Even the cheapest of brands were drinkable unlike the stuff we get in NZ. NZ red wine tastes kinda woody. Italian red wine was smooth.

In Austria and Germany try the gigantic pretzels. They come in several flavours, cheese, Nutella, and pizza just to name a few.

In Belgium we tried raspberry beer and cheery beer. The former tasted like lolly water and the latter was more like beer with a hint of cherry. Worth trying.

I'm running out of time so I will leave the post here.

More lessons

Something else we can learn from Europeans is to learn new languages. In western Europe, many people speak English, which was very handy. Many of them also pick up a third language, which is, well kinda embarrassing since I'm only fluent in English. I know a few words of Japanese such as "raaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrgggggggggg saqys the panda flavoured dino-monster", which is rough translation for Godzilla... and a few words of German, Italian, and French. Still I feel this isn't really enough. I guess the reason it is common for Kiwis to only know one language is because NZ is so isolated and until recent times we only just started travelling abroad and therefore had no reason to learn new languages. Additionally our schools don't really encourage their students to learn other languages. It's not until you reach year 10, that you are able to pick other languages aside from Maori, which isn't spoken in many places.... By the way, that translation was made up, if you couldn't tell :P

Things to be learnt

Things we can learn from Europeans

• How to be more confident
• How to make good red vine/vino from the Italians and French
  
• How to be punctual from the Germans and Austrians
• How to make delcious breads, cheeses and pastries
• How to enjoy our meals and not over eat
  

Things Europeans can learn from New Zealanders

• How to be more polite and friendly
  
• How not to litter
• How to look after heritage sites
  

Desperately Seeking Helen

Hi everyone, this is totally unrelated to travel, but I was wondering if you could help me. I'm looking for my older half sister and I have made a Facebook group to help find her. See Desperately Seeking Helen for more information and spread the word.

Edinburgh Backpackers

Edinburgh Backpackers, Edinburgh, Scotland, 25-28 August 2010

We stayed at Edinburgh Backpackers which is a five minute walk from Waverly Station (the main train station in Edinburgh) and it cost 35GBP per night per person for a large double room (double bed and a couple of single beds). This was quite expensive but I think it was because the Fringe Festival was on, which by the way was very cool and fun. The backpackers was wasn’t small or particularly large. They didn’t provide anything for free and the bathrooms lacked privacy. However it was very central to everything. It was located in Old Town near the Royal Mile (where most of the Fringe Festival action was taking place). The reception was open 24/7, which is handy if you’re arriving late and the atmosphere of the hostel was very fun. It also had a decent sized living area and a kitchen, but no laundry. It had five floors but no lift and we stayed on the fifth floor which meant that we had to lug all our stuff upstairs.

From chilly Glasgow

Euro Hostel, Glasgow, Scotland, 23-25 August 2010

The Euro Hostel is located just down the street from the central railway station and is very close to the shops. It cost us 20GBP each for a twin room with an ensuite and free breakfast. The hostel is large, tidy and has free wifi in their bar. There was also a laundry, a large kitchen and dining area with a separate living room. I recommend this hostel. It’s cheap and decent. My only problem with the hostel was that we were locked out of room before we checked out, however it was quickly resolved.