Skateboarding

I have always liked skateboarding.  Heaps of my friends in middle school and high school skated... and my interest has continued to grow over the years.  If I were to go on the MTV show 'Made', I would definitely want to be made into a skateboarder... that or a hockey player.  I just think it's super cool to watch and I genuinely think pro skateboarders have some mad talent.  And I have always been really intrigued by how exactly people get the skateboard to work... and sort of stick to their feet... it's just nuts. 

However, I have always been too scared to actually try it out.

Well, the other day, I decided to finally take the plunge.

After I got back from a run (I am currently training for a 10k race), I noticed my 9 year old neighbor skateboarding in the driveway with a couple of his friends.  I asked them how it was going... and then proceeded to awkwardly (naturally) ask them if I could join.  They immediately started laughing.  I then spent the next 3-4 minutes trying to convince three nine year olds that they should let me try... "I am a quick learner", "I used to dance so I have good balance!", "I've always wanted to learn", "I know how to surf", etc...  FINALLY, my neighbor, Scott, handed me his board. 

He helped me get on an balance, but when he let go and I started to move, I jumped off.  They all told me to get back on and try again... so I did.  It started moving again and I felt pretty confident... for about one second... and then I freaked out... and FACE PLANTED. 

After this, you'd think I learned my lesson... but no.  I tried skateboarding with them for about ten more minutes.  I finally could stand (with getting help balancing) and roll quite a ways without falling or jumping off.  Next, after accomplishing this, was trying to scoot myself down the driveway and get on the board without anyone helping me.  I started going and going and then FACE PLANT #2.

In between the boys' hysterical laughter, I told them I'd have to come back another day.

Oh geez. 

Theme Party... and What NOT to Say...

Before I went on holiday to Australia, I went to an 80's aerobics theme party for a friend's birthday.  Her and her husband go to ReChurch and are super into themed parties, which is great because it has been a really great way to connect with people that they work with and are friends with outside the Christian circle.  I have gotten to know them pretty well over the past few months I have been in NZ and so when they invited me to the party, I was so pumped.  I love theme parties.

Well, someone at the party was wearing what Americans would call a 'fanny pack'... see below:

Well, don't ever tell any Kiwi, especially a male Kiwi, that you really really like their fanny pack.  'Fanny' to Kiwi's means 'vagina'...

You can tell how confused I was when I was getting crazy looks from the guy at the party and how embarrassed I was when I was corrected by an American that has been living in NZ for quite some time... I need to watch what I say...

Glass Door

By the title of this new post, I can bet you anything you know what bethism act most likely transpired...

Naturally, because of the earthquake, a lot of shops and stores had a lot of damage done to them.  I was at one of the malls one afternoon around the busy lunchtime hour.  I had finished what I needed to get inside and was headed back to the car park with my host family.  As I was passing by Border's, I noticed a lot of work being done on the inside.  I was extremely intrigued.  I continued walking as I watched worker fixing the glass, re-wiring different sections of the store, and pulling up carpet.  Amidst being so transfixed with the remodeling and cleaning up of Border's, I failed to really watch where I was walking.

My lack of attention to my walking path led me straight into a glass partition/door of the neighboring coffee shop where numerous people were out dining for lunch.  I am talking SMACK into the glass partition.  I had to almost catch myself.  I paused, realizing what had just happened, and I looked through the partition at the people staring at me.  Everyone, even those across the road, turned to look at me and started snickering.  I, of course, turned bright red and started walking super fast to catch up with my host family who were way in front of me. 

I need to pay way more attention when I am walking.

If This Ever Happens to Me, I will DIE.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Unicorns are Silly.

Sometimes, you just meet the most interesting people...

It's no mystery by now that I am awkward...

... I mean, why else would I have created this blog?

However, my life also highly demonstrates my potential of getting into awkward situations and meeting other awkward people in very interesting ways.  Here's more proof of this:

I ride the bus everyday to and from the office.  As I was waiting for my bus to arrive yesterday, this guy walked up the the stop and stood directly behind me.  Pretty weird in general, because anything behind you is a blind spot.  I kind of glanced around and then turned back to face the street again.  Another minute passed and he moved up right next to me.  "I wish there was at least one bloody cloud in the sky," he said without really looking at me.  I just did my awkward pity laugh that I do when I don't know anything else to say.  Then I remembered, oh yeah, Kiwis LOVE to talk about the weather (fact... they do... probably because it literally changes DRASTICALLY each day... not kidding)... so I decided to just keep talking about the weather.  About how hot it was on that particular day, how rainy it was the day before, and how I am glad I am not back in the States where Chicago seems to keep getting blasted with all the crazy snowstorms.  He started asking me all sorts of questions about America:  What are the people like, job opportunities, cities, the party scenes... etc... I then asked him where he was from, and at this point, this kid just starts RANTING and spilling his guts to me.  Telling me how much he didn't get along with his family, how he moves every couple of months just because he is bored, how he has no interest in finding a job because he has government benefit money to hold him over for awhile, and about the new flat he found for $110 a week.

At that moment, I was pretty excited when my bus showed up.  But as soon as I stood up, he stood up with me and continued talking, I realized that this must have been his bus as well.  Once I got on the bus, he kind of paused from talking.  No one was really on the bus - PLENTY of open seats around me - and he comes over to me and says, "This seat taken?" And sat right now next to me.  I thought to myself, 'Alright, just 15 more minutes and you're all good.'  Our conversation on the bus?  Him asking me, "OKAY, guess how old I am? I bet you can't get it right... Everyone thinks I am a lot younger than I look."  To me, this guy looked about 30, but going off of what he said, I replied, "Hmmm... 23? 24?"  He just starts laughing, "NO! I am 19!"  WHAT?! No way... maybe like 10 years ago... So I decided to test him as well since 'how old are you?' is one of the most common questions people ask me.  He thought I was 16.  Big surprise there.  Then he started talking about how he smokes and chews tobacco (hence one reason he might look so old) and then we started debating on why someone should or should not smoke.

I was extremely relieved when I saw my stop in the distance.  I asked him where he was headed (since my stop is one of the last few on the route) and he responded, "Oh, no where really... I have nothing really to do until my mate picks me back up at the mall later..." Soooooo he just decided to ride the bus with me because he was bored? Alrighttttttt kind of creepy, but whatever. Needless to say, I got off the bus rather quickly...

I found out his name was Ryan... so I may or may not be seeing him around... he DOES know my bus stop, so I wouldn't be surprised after THIS encounter...

Metro Mega Fall

Since I am too scared to drive on the left side of the street (and too cheap to get a car for 6 months), my choice of transportation is the Metro bus.  I have notice a DRASTIC difference between the public transportation system here in ChristChurch versus that of Omaha or even Chicago... It is SUPER nice.  Really really clean and almost everyone takes it.  It's pretty cool, actually.

So, I was on my way to work this morning, and it was my official first day of taking the bus all by myself so I could get used to the system.  I was really excited, because I got on my right line at the right time and I arrived at my stop.  NO PROBLEMS.  I was so proud.

Then came the matter of getting OFF the bus.  Rule here is:  People get off the bus first and then let everyone else at the stop on.  Well, I was toward the front of the bus so that basically meant I was the first one responsible for getting off.  I stand up, walk off... and TOTALLY underestimated how far the footpath (sidewalk) was from the bus... and ate it.  And of course, the bud stop was totally full of people trying to get on and a lot of people on the bus waiting to get off because it is a really popular stop.

Luckily, people in NZ are way nicer than people in the states and a couple people helped me up.  I brushed off and after thanking people, I walked quickly to the office.

Just because I am on the opposite side of the world doesn't mean that my awkwardness didn't follow me here...