Insane

Cromwell. Pretty place, but the town centre is very confusing, Internet is expensive, and the shared kitchen is just... yuck.

I'm living at Jackson Orchards on state highway 6, and I was wrong in my last post, Freeway Orchards, where I work, are on highway 8b. I just moved out into a tent. I like a bit of adventure. It's a real adventure, because the sprinklers go on every Wednesday, from nine in the evening till six in the morning, and everywhere gets wet.

I've also vowed to swim or at least dip in lake Dunstan every day, unless it freezes over. So far I've done well. Yesterday I worked from 1PM till 9PM and went for a dip after work. I meant to go before work, or perhaps during a longer break, but then I was too busy fixing up the tent in the morning and too busy serving ice creams at work to do so. So I went after work. It was cold, but still enjoyable. And when I feel that the water's too cold, I tell myself that it can't be any colder than the alpine river we splashed in in Tongariro. Yes, I've already been classified as "insane", amongst other compliments, such as "crazy", at work and by various other people. But good things come out of being insane; I met another swimmer, who has a horse at another orchard, and she's promised I can ride him. I call that good luck.

Work is fine, very different from my first job. Here, I'm working with girls or young women (apart from the manager, who's older, and Private, and that's not his real name), whereas on the farm I was working with men. Here, I need to smile at all times, especially when I'm annoyed. Difficult customers need the brightest of smiles. And customers need a smile even when things are stressful and the other workmates won't help out. On the farm, if I was annoyed, I could shout at the cows. Or the dogs. Or the calves, that happened once or twice. I wasn't annoyed very often though.

Now that I've been here for four months or so, I've noticed how I've changed. Some would say grown. I'm a lot more confident now, and less nervous at meeting people, employers, other employees and travellers alike. Starting a conversation with the most random of people seems quite natural in New Zealand. I wouldn't do it in Finland though. They'd send me to a mental hospital.

There are so many things that we take for granted. Like washing powder. Like a clothes line with pegs. Like internet. Like a power outlet for charging your phone. Like a wardrobe full of clothes. Like being able to lock the door behind you. Backpacking is fun, but like Joe Bennett concluded in his book The Land of Two Halves, it doesn't bring a feeling of freedom. It brings endless complications.

I haven't even had time to write in my diary for ages, and I feel bad about it. I'll soon start forgetting things that have happened.

I'm off again, working an evening shift. I'll try to get some photos uploaded at some point. This place is gorgeous, but very different to North. The hills here are all golden tussock or brown earth, with the occasional tint of snow on the mountain tops. I could spend ages just staring at it.