My dear friend, ex-roommate/travelling companion gabrielle is having a blast off in New Zealand. I decided to interview her to see what's going on in her life.

1. So you "griznew up in Crazy Ass Nigga Vancouver", eh? How does Wellington compare?

Wellington doesn't compare to Vancouver. Actually, that's not entirely true. The weather is roughly the same except that Vancouver gets MORE rain and LESS wind and Welly gets MORE wind and LESS rain. But other than that they're both gorgeously set cities with shit weather. Welly compares more to Edmonton in feel, though, because it's smaller and generates much more of a community feel. It's also incredibly cultural and artistic. Whereas Vancouver is huge and impersonal and mostly crap, like Auckland. :) Bias anyone?

2. Have you run into Wedge anywhere? Seen Rowena? Waved at Mr. Bun?

Haven't been back to Mr. Bun since I moved in with vegetarian flatmates who cook like gods (and goddesses). Funny story about Rowenas - apparently the dude who owns it ("Rowena" himself?) got arrested for kiddie porn related crimes. Okay, so not FUNNY so much as EW but still... Wedge, I assume, is living the high life in Auckland. Poor devil.

3. Okay, more serious now. Sounds like you are having a great time, and I'm really glad. How do you think this experience has changed you? (for the better, and for the worse???)

For the better I can't count the ways this experience has and is still changing me. I have learned the all-important lesson of living in the present. Don't cling too hard to the past, don't wait impatiently for the future. Just embrace whatever is here, now, at this moment. Which, practically speaking, means I spend most of my time cultivating friendships and being with people here instead of online or holed up in my own head. This has taught me how self-sufficient I truly am, how brave, and how blessed in my relationships. It's taught me that people make everything matter. For the worse it's given me nightmares about leaving. I can't imagine abandoning this city and these people now, I can't. I am in a niche I was born to be in here. And I learn every day about myself and my journey. I love it!

4. What has been a highlight or two lately?

I must say getting my job at the Embassy Theatre is a definite highlight. The Embassy is so grand, so luxe! Then seeing Peter Jackson in the theatre to watch "Star Wars: Episode 3" was really quite a satisfying event. But most of my highlights relate to friends here. Going to the strippers with Eliza was a high for sure. *giggles* Brunching at the Chocolate Fish Cafe with Janna was a high. Dancing like a moron in my flat with all my flatmates at god-knows- what-hour after a Nutella binge was a high. Things like that.

5. Are you still experiencing that brick-wall culture shock (note to readers: because NZ is so close to Canada in culture it comes as such an unexpected shock when there are cultural misunderstandings) effect? Any examples come to mind?

I love that you asked this question because the "brick-wall culture shock" never ends! It's so funny. It's like ripples in a pool. The longer you stay, the more there are. We're so similar that the differences are nearly catastrophic. The latest is the way I say "mirror". Some people in Canada pronounce it all distinctly like "mirr-or" but most, including myself, sort of blur it all together so it ends up sounding like "mirr". They mock me ENDLESSLY for this. They've taken to calling my mirror "Space Station Mir" and making "beep beep" noises or sounds akin to burning upon re-entry whenever I say the word. They try to teach me to say it "right". Which means like this: "mur-rah". Give me a break. They also don't have sprinkles. You know those little candy bits you put on cupcakes? They have "hundreds of thousands". Yeah, that's what they call sprinkles. I'm like "That's not a name, that's a quantity".
Whatever.

6. Is there anything I missed that you think I should go back to NZ to see?

In sightseeing terms I couldn't tell you. I don't sightsee anymore. I live here now. This is home. So the things I think you're missing are things like meeting all my new friends and hanging out at our favorite haunts and things like that. Sightseeing-wise I'm at a loss because I don't see NZ as a vacation anymore. I see it as my home. Though I would say, delving back into memory, that you missed out on the black sand beaches of Marokopa and the beach town of Mount Manganui. But my experience now is vastly different from a touring one. Sorry.

7. Any good NZ movies that we might not have heard about up here? How about literature?

There are virtual shitloads... sorry, BOATloads... of pop culture that NZ produces that nobody here gives a fig about. Which is so odd. They honestly don't know or care about their own literature and movies. So it's left to me to preach the gospel of just how WONDERFUL
NZ culture really is. If you haven't read "Rain", do. Then watch the movie by the same name. I recently watched a series of NZ-made short films which blew me away. They're all unrelated (unless you count the fact that they all star Marton Csokas) but they're BRILLIANT. "A Game
With No Rules" is very slick noir-like fare. "Accidents" is dark and edgy. And "Twilight of the Gods" has to come with an NC-17 rating but otherwise is just a gorgeous piece of storytelling. Also watch "In My Father's Den" if you haven't already. I could go on forever. But they'd all roll their eyes at me.

8. So it's winter time there now eh? Is that weird?

If by "weird" you mean "cold", then yes. See, it's not as cold as it is at home. I'd say 7 degree nights or so. I have no idea. Jacket and glove weather but not freezing. The difference is that at home we have a lovely invention called "central heating". Which they don't have here. So whatever temperature it is outside (plus wind) is the exact temperature of your home INSIDE. Setting that issue aside, it is weird. I keep getting that "it's nearly Christmas" knot of
excitement in my gut but of course it's only June. *sigh* It's like Narnia. Always winter and never Christmas.

9. If we ever get our butts in gear, what kinds of things can we send you? What do you miss most about home?

I used to have a giant list of things from home that I missed and wanted. But now there's only two things. Children's Centrum Chewable Vitamins plus iron. And you guys. I'm home here. I can make it work, even considering how FUCKING EXPENSIVE the most basic necessitites are, but I miss you guys. I want my friends to come see my life here. I want my cake and to put "hundreds of thousands" on it too. *grin* Oh, I also accept donations of Dove skin care products.

10. What happened to your Resident Evil soundtrack? I been looking for it to listen to it but I can't find it anywhere.

That's odd. I know it got packed. It was with the box that had "Bound" in it, I think. I left BOB, Norah Jones, and "Black Hawk Down" with Craig and Deb but not "Resident Evil". Pretend to shut down the Red Queen's central computer and see how fast it comes
running.

Never mind, I found it! Didn't even have to kill any zombies or anything! Yay!
Thanks for doing this gabby. Take care and have lotsa more fun!