On the Twelfth Day of Christmas...

Good morning and Merry Christmas! (or for those of you behind the times, Merry Christmas Eve)I hope you all feel the very warm wishes I am sending overseas. It is raining, pouring really this Christmas morn'... no snow covered roads or icicles or sleigh bells ringing, but I think Santa did drop by.

Christmas in Milford, and New Zealand in general has been an interesting experience. Kiwi's may do adrenaline big and nature big, but Christmas is more of an afterthought. Their wimpy attempts to create commercial havoc fail miserably in comparison to my US experiences. The Fiordland times published carols in their paper, begging people to join a Te Anau celebration. Unfortunatly they were celebrating the birth of some other person, the first carol commemorating "the first Noelle."



Surprisingly though, I have been filled with the good cheer of the year, plowing through the grinchfulness of some coworkers to enthusiastically welcome this day. I've spent hours making cards, warapping presents and decorating my twiggy tree. Yesterday I spent the morning creating a masterful "Gingerbread Caravan" from scratch for my secret santa. Last night I boogied to the cover tunes of local band "Band It" (get it?) and recieved hugs from drunk strangers for the merry day ahead. Tara and I opened presents when we got home... a magnificent stocking full of useful things, a "watch him grow!" boyfriend who I will soon be putting in water, some bubbles and safety scissors (so i don't steal from the lodge) and a Bonds (made in australia) tshirt. And I still have more to open! Yikes!



And on the 10th day of christmas, New Zealand gave to me
A 60 foot freefall into a raviiiiine....

Indeed, I took the plunge, twice on the worlds highest rope swing... the rush of my life, even surpassing jumping from a plane! And I think I scored high on the fright factor for each jump (I am not a wimp!)Because we got the first jump free we also had to relinquish ourselves to the fancy of the Canyon Swing men. They chose for my first jump the "Pin Drop", a basic pencil dive into a 110 m canyon. For my second they surprised me with the "bin laden", where I was covered with a trash bin on my walk to the edge and pushed hurtling backwards through the air without sight of the fast approaching ground or cords that kept me strapped to life. It was INCREDIBLE.

Check it out: http://www.canyonswing.co.nz/



It was a fun few days in Queenstown, to say the least. Good food and shopping and I dare say I even have this driving on the left thing down. It still doesn't feel entirely correct, but neither does driving on the right hand side anymore!

In other very tragic news, in attempting to upload Lodge music to my ipod last night I somehow managed to erase everything on my ipod. To some this is not a big thing, but to me this is my life. I hate silence and am not quite sure how to deal. NZ has not heard of Phish or Grateful Dead, they don't love blues and don't have the same folk artists who are my favorites. I am gutted... trying not to think about it but welling up with tears everytime I do. It has playlists, "KarensMixLoveMeg" and "VermontMix" which help me through lonely periods. It has memories. It was the only thing I really cared about losing.

Technology does not agree with me in New Zealand. I have no camera and no ipod. I am a brat, aware that there are people in the world who would be stunned and disgusted that I would shed tears over such a thing. But these are toys that I have grown to love and depend on! And yes, I see the lesson here.

I am in New Zealand though, in one of the most beautiful places I will ever see. I am healthy and very happy here... and will continue on now with my very Merry Christmas Day.

Much love to all of you at home.I wish I could be with my family today... so enjoy your mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters and friends and lovers and traditions and peace.

Christmas cookies are good in warm weather and in the southern hemisphere... for all of you who were wondering.

Oh Christmas Tree...

I am basking, at last, in Christmas cheer. Today I decorated the cafe in an overabundance of tinsel and lights. I recieved a package yesterday from my wonderful parents with too many cookies and a stocking and gifts. I threw fake plastic snow around my caravan carelessly, continued to decorate the twig that is my christmas tree, and recieved a surfing santa, a skiing santa, and a cheesy snowman candle from Tara- imported directly from Australia for my homesick heart.:-)

Thanks for the Christmas wishes from everyone. They are needed for me right now. I've passed the three month mark here... and am looking forward to the next several months ahead.

Hello all,

Ok, so they are not MY photo's... but a good majority of these are taken in my home places.

Enjoy!

http://fotoalbum.web.de/gast/tylerwinyard/14_Neuseeland

:-)

http://postsecret.blogspot.com/


(borrowed from my sister. shh. don't tell her.)

On Being American.

There are few who would call me patriotic. I am one of the first to criticize and grumble about our current government and President. I have never considered myself a proud American and laugh at the flags recently plastered on cars. But being an American abroad has brought out a different side of me.

As a child, it is ok to grumble about your sister or mother. As a husband it is ok to complain about your wife from time to time. It is ok to notice the faults in your friends.Parent's often are much harder on their own children. The commonality is an obvious love. A love based on comfort and connection. On history and understanding.

This has become my relationship with America. This area of the world is not uber-friendly towards Americans. Kiwi's love Canadians and they see little difference with the country whose queen they still print on their bills. Australia is like a big brother across the Tasman sea. But you mention you are American, and faces drop. Smiles turn to frowns and you can actually see the brains twitching and a joke forming across the brow and lips.

Fair enough. The majority of the world has good reason to see America as the ignorant bully that she often is. But I am becoming sensitive. It is ok for me to make fun of my people, but that is because they are my people. I love their quirks, their sometimes obnoxious loud laughter and good humored enthusiasm. Sure we have our share of rude tourists, but no more than kiwi's or germans or italians. I work in the most multicultural place I ever have. Each day I talk to people from every continent and race. The common denominator is that we are the same. We like to eat and laugh. We don't like to be ripped off. We get grumpy if it is raining but we drink more hot chocolate when it is. We love our families. We think Milford Sound is beautiful.

When people tell me I am not like most Americans, I am still not sure how to take it. But I know this; that I am proud of my family and friends at home. I am amazed by their capacity to love and think and learn about the world. That is the version of America that I know and love. Does this make me patriotic?