Day Thirty Five - Home Sweet Home

My flight went very smoothly! From London to Hong Kong I sat by a Chinese man who grew up and lives in Ireland but goes to Hong Kong to visit family now and then. His name was Stevie. He was friendly.

We arrived in Hong Kong ahead of schedule, so I spent a bit more than two hours wandering around the airport.


Awesome 70s futuristic buildings with giant hills in the background.


At first sight it seems these are roast ducks...but look at the length of the necks!


This girl is super happy with her noodles!

Bought a Coke at a bar for $44 (Hong Kong) which turns out to be $11NZ. Ouch. I wandered around for a bit too long because when I arrived at the gate there was nobody there and the sign said 'final boarding call' which made my heart flutter substantially. BUT I got on my flight, sitting by an old grumpy couple that sounded like they were from Northern England. I didn't really talk to them.

On the flights I watched:

Slumdog Millionaire, which I thought was a fantastic film. It's wonderful how it balances horror with beauty.


James Bond - Quantum of Solace, which I thought was rubbish! No story. No gadgets. No girls. I don't know why I bothered watching the entire film.


Madagascar : Escape 2 Africa, which was a lot of fun. A bit of a token sequel reliving the best moments of the last film (i.e. "I like to move it, move it") but still cool.


Twilight, which was as Alex Lodge described: "Angsty Vampires. But in my supe-tired lack of sleep state I actually quite enjoyed it. It will definitely sell to the ex-Harry Potter readers who have grown up.


The Wrestler, which wasn't really my thing. I found it very slow and boring so kind of skipped through it only because I was interested in Mickey Rourke's performance. He was best when he showed his sensitivity. I can't see myself being cast in a role like that anytime soon...


Flight of The Conchords - One Night Stand, which I've seen a few times before but I still had a good chuckle.


Arrived at Auckland International Airport at 10.30am - half an hour earlier than schedule. It's warm here! It's so strange! I'm used to wearing so many layers because it's freezing but suddenly don't need to anymore!

I got a good amount of sleep on the plane so am feeling okay right now, but I'm sure I'll crash hard tonight. Switching twelve hours is always going to be a challenge for the body.

So here I am back home. Time has really flown! I'd like say a big thank you to everybody that has helped me to go on this life-changing trip. My family and friends, Freemasons NZ, Heritage Trust, Toi Whakaari, Cherie, my classmates, and the people of Paris and London. I have learnt a huge amount (about myself, my craft, the theatre industry, my country in relationship to the world) and I already feel changes happening within me. I have a new outlook on life in which I want to look for the fun and beauty around me and shut out the boring stuff. I am incredibly excited about the chance to put my new learning into practice! 2009 is going to be a good year! And thanks to those who have read this blog. It's been fun!