Category Archives: Posts

The Final Countdown

Posted on by under Posts, Thoughts

And so it begins. With the last class of Uni behind me, and only a couple of exams and once last final assignment to go, the countdown to my departure date begins. Unlike a Christmas countdown down, this isn’t one filled with excitement and anticipation, but rather with dread and heartbreak.

It’s plain and simple, I don’t want to leave. That statement doesn’t refer so much to New Zealand as a whole, as I have my many qualms with this country, but more so a statement about this life. I don’t want to leave this life. I’m happy here and while I’ve been happy else where it’s never been for this length of time. Sure there are bad days, I’m terribly sick right now, but at the root of it all I’m happy because when I look out the window there’s Auckland.

Each day I feel differently, some days I miss my squad back home more than others. Just recently I broke down crying over the thought of not being in Canada for Remembrance Day and other days I dread knowing I have to return somewhere that doesn’t have aoili and I’m not quite sure that’s a world I’m willing to face.

Jokes aside, the two hardest parts of exchange have definitely been getting here and leaving here. I’m sure everyone can agree. Moving your life across borders, oceans, mountains… It’s tough, even if it’s going back to where you came from. Maybe so more tough to leave because it just reminds you why you left in the first place.

And when I tell people I don’t want to leave, a lot of the time they ask “Well do you not like Canada?” No, I love Canada. I love Canada more than anything else in this world, I’m proud to be a Canadian and what that means. I love to tell people I’m Canadian. I want to share Canada with the world and I’ve never been shy to say that. I’ve never been shy to stick up for my country and what it stands for… and even though I miss it so greatly, I don’t want to leave this life.

So I ask you when I return home, be gentle. Let me adjust. Give me time to mourn and find my place. Do not push me too fast or too hard into a life I had a year ago because a lot changes in 12 months.

A photo taken by a man on a bicycle in New Plymouth nZ

A photo taken by a man on a bicycle in New Plymouth nZ

5 Reasons You Should Be Planning a Holiday to Melbourne!

Posted on by under Posts, Travels

Are you planning a trip to Melbourne? No? Why not? Well if you’re not already sold on a trip to the world’s most livable city five times running, then let me try and convince you in 5 points!

1) Public Transit is on Point.

If you weren’t aware, Melbourne has free (yes, I said FREE) public transit in their CBD. That means you can get to just about every major tourist attraction for the price of nada. Even those pesky places that are just 1 stop outside the freezone, are actually so close to the freezone they’re walkable. Meaning, you literally never have to pay to go anywhere if you just stay in town. But, should you feel like venturing out the MyKi transit card is easy to obtain, just pick one up from a 7-11. And there’s one of those on every corner so you really won’t have a problem trying to take the tram/bus/train in Melbourne.

Within the CBD these trams are free to ride any day, any time!

Within the CBD these trams are free to ride any day, any time!

2) Seeing and Eating Galore!

There’s nothing worse for me than going on holiday to city and running out of things to do, except maybe when I’ve run out of good things to eat. Melbourne has no shortage of interesting tourist attractions: ACMI, National Gallery, Melbourne Museum, Old Melbourne Goal, etc and has even more incredible food. Like Tipo 00 (check out my review). The greatest struggle I faced in Melbourne was being overwhelmed with restaurants, there was never a night I couldn’t find somewhere to eat. And everything I ate was amazing. Dumplings? Awesome. Fried chicken? I’ll take 10 please. Authentic cuisine from basically any country you want? Melbourne has that.

One of the many amazing restaurants I visited in Melbourne!

One of the many amazing restaurants I visited in Melbourne!

3) You’ll love to go shopping!

Look, I’m not great at shopping. In fact I don’t usual enjoy it but Melbourne was a whole new ball game when it came to malls. In what seems like a never ending sprawl of stores, shopping in Melbourne goes on for ages. There’s countless mall, one of the biggest H&Ms I’ve ever been to, a MASSIVE Sephora and pretty much every store you could want to spend money in. Plus, I was finally able to locate pink crocs have a two year search, so you too might find that much needed item in a Melbourne location. Plus, the Queen Victoria Market is gigantic, in fact so big you’d need a full day to survey all the market stalls.

Inside one of the many malls in Melbourne is this gorgeous display. Right next to Central Station.

Inside one of the many malls in Melbourne is this gorgeous display. Right next to Central Station.

4) No shortage of natural beauty!

Sure I’ve been raving about Melbourne’s CBD, the shopping, the dining but what about nature and the great out doors? Well Melbourne is right on top of that as well. The Great Ocean road is perhaps one of the most beautiful trips around, and can easily be done as a day trip from the city. Rugged coast lines, great native forest and unique rock formations? Yes please! Plus, you might even get to spot some wild koalas. Another great day trip is Philip Island where you can see penguins in their natural habitat! But remember don’t use flash when taking your photos because it really hurts the penguins.

One of the many stops alone Great Open Road is this beautiful site of a historic shipwreck and love story.

One of the many stops alone Great Open Road is this beautiful site of a historic shipwreck and love story.

5) It’s the ultimate city!

Melbourne is the ultimate city, busy but not crowded. Lively but not unsafe. Easy but not boring. Affordable but not tasteless. If I took all my favorite parts of New York, but subtracted everything I didn’t like the end result would be Melbourne. It’s impossible to convey the feeling of Melbourne without putting you in the middle of it, but trust me it’s worth every minute. And sure, Melbourne might not appeal to everyone, but if you want to eat, see, shop and enjoy then start planning your holiday because you won’t be disappointed — at least not until you’re leaving for the airport thinking why didn’t I book an extra 5 days????

The view of the Melbourne skyline from St. Kilda is beautiful.

The view of the Melbourne skyline from St. Kilda is beautiful.

Dining At One of Melbourne’s Finest: Tipo 00

Posted on by under Eats

Recently I was able to snag a seat at one the hip and hot restaurants in Melbourne’s fantastic food scene. Tipo 00 was voted by TimeOut as the 2015 “Best Casual Dining” restaurant in Melbourne. And it is more than deserving of this title. Tipo 00 was probably the best meal I’ve had to date. So let’s break down the experience.

Firstly I didn’t make a reservation because I’m just not that on the ball when it comes to these things. So, I arrived and was told I’d have to wait about 30 minutes for a seat at the bar (an area they have saved for fools like me who don’t have a reservation). No problem, I told the hostess and 30 minutes later I reappeared to find a seat waiting for me.

To start, I had a glass of wine. Honestly, I don’t love wine but I feel the social pressure to order a glass while eating Italian food because for some reason that’s more acceptable than beer. I ordered the house white, it really wasn’t anything special.

A glass of the house while at Melbourne's Tipo 00.

A glass of the house while at Melbourne’s Tipo 00.

Next came the entree, everything on the menu had buzzwords and I ordered the one called “mozzarella” unsure exactly of what I was to receive. It mentioned something about pesto and gnocchi frito which I wasn’t familiar with. What came was delightful; it was a large chuck of fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese nestled in between two halves of a puffed crispy bread (what I assume was the gnocchi frito). Visually it reminded me of an oversized pearl in an edible fried shell. Next to it a smear of pistachio pesto with… capers. Now I’ve never actually had a caper before I just know Jamie Oliver uses them. Thus, I was a bit cautious. Turns out, I don’t like capers. The best way I could describe it was like weird pickle, but the rest was so delicious!

Entree at Tipo 00 containing fresh mozzarella and pistachio pesto.

Entree at Tipo 00 containing fresh mozzarella and pistachio pesto.

Of course following the entree, would be the main and I ordered the gnocchi with braised duck. I’m a sucker for a) gnocchi and b) duck so it was a given this would be on the dinner plan. I was a bit worried about the portion size as I was starving, and when the dish came out I really didn’t think there was enough food but as I dug deeper into the bowl there seemed to be an endless amount of the fluffy gnocchi and tender duck meat. The sauce it came it was incredibly rich, with earthy and complex flavors. If I had been at home, I might have licked the plate clean I loved the taste so much.

Gnocchi and braised duck breast with shaved Parmesan in porchini mushroom sauce.

Gnocchi and braised duck breast with shaved Parmesan in porchini mushroom sauce.

And to finish off such a perfect night: dessert. Now, I ordered the Tipomisu which lead me to believe I would not be receiving the traditional mascarpone and lady finger layered treat I love so dearly. My stipulation was correct, as I instead received an abstract version of the beloved dessert. It arrived and my served proceeded to pour a warm chocolate, caramel and espresso sauce over a chocolate disk. Surrounding was puffs of mascarpone pipped out perfectly. It was elegant, and still had all the flavors of a tiramisu leaving more than satisfied. Unfortunately, dark chocolate desserts on black plates don’t photograph too well in a dimly lit Italian restaurant.

Re-envisioning of the traditional tiramisu dessert from Tipo 00

Re-envisioning of the traditional tiramisu dessert from Tipo 00

And that was my meal, I stumbled home stuffed to the brim of perfect Italian goodness and a decent glass of wine. I’m so thankful I had the opportunity to eat at this restaurant, and I can’t recommend Tipo 00 enough if you’re in Melbourne, it’ll be an unforgettable meal and one that will have you satisfied!

Disconnection and Isolation: Being At The Bottom of the World

Posted on by under Thoughts

I’ve been in New Zealand for 6 months now, that’s half a year. A lot can happen in 6 months. You can take 11 flights, visit 6 islands in 3 different countries, make friends with 3 Germans in Tonga, but you can also start to lose the connection you had with not only your home but the world.

Me and the 3 German girls I met in Tonga over looking the Pacific.

Me and the 3 German girls I met in Tonga over looking the Pacific.

Living at the bottom of the globe takes it’s toll on you when you’re used to being in the center of the universe. While Canada might not be the USA, we’re certainly attached to them (like it or not) and because of this we reap the benefits of being the center of everything. Television programs are optimized for our viewing and the breaking news is actually relevant.

The first time I realized I was isolated from the world, and specifically North America, was when Prince passed away. I’m not going to pretend I was a fan of Prince, but I have heard “When Doves Cry” once or twice. I found out the news that morning when I woke up, and by then what felt like the rest of the world had already grieved. Monuments were being lit up in purple across the world as I started my day and when I went to sleep that night, everyone back home was starting a new day. When was I to grieve?

I’m thankful that my first encounter with this isolation was with the death of a celebrity I had no personal connection to. If I really needed to grieve, in the manner I did for Robin Williams, how could I do so without feeling alone? This loneliness is not in a sense of lacking friends to commiserate with here in Auckland, it’s the worldly sense of melancholy. The sense that the entire planet has been overtaken by a deep and profound sadness; it’s a feeling that really only occurs when you live in North America.

A view of the ocean from Cape Reinga, clearly depicting New Zealand's isolation.

A view of the ocean from Cape Reinga, clearly depicting New Zealand’s isolation.

This isolation has breed disconnection. At times I feel so disconnected from world events in Canada, I do not believe they are happening. As Fort McMurray burned in flames I lay in bed at night afraid and heartbroken for the damage being done to my beautiful country, but simultaneously I wondered if it was only a dream. How could that be happening when I turned on the free-to-air TV1 news to see nothing but warnings of “a wet and wild weekend on the West Coast.” Suddenly West Coast didn’t mean Vancouver it meant Piha Beach and suddenly I was disconnected.

One of the hardest things an exchange student will endure is this sense of distance. It’s not the same as homesickness, for you’re not missing anything, you just feel so far away from something that you should not be far away from. When the attacks on Paris happened in 2015 I could not understand my French friend’s grief, but when I checked the news to see Alberta in flames I realized then… that it hurts so much more when you’re in a different hemisphere.

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