As NZ Summer Begins

I last left you all with Zach and I signing on with Addstaff, a temporary employment agency, and getting settled in our new little apartment. Since then we’ve been working lots of different odd jobs through Addstaff trying to make enough to pay our bills and relax a bit. Thus far it hasn’t been quite as much work as we’d like. Well, truthfully I would love to keep working 1-3 days a week, but our bank account doesn’t like it at all.

Zach has had less trouble finding work. Chefs are in such high demand that they usually have more work for him than he needs. For a few weeks he was working at a hotel in town three nights a week covering for the chef. He was by himself except for a dishwasher doing the dinner service. It wasn’t too busy giving him time to listen to music and help do a lot of the prep work for the rest of the week. Their new sous chef starts this week so that job ended, but he has had other bits of work as well such as catering jobs at wineries and golf courses.



I, on the other hand, have done very random gigs. Mostly I work banquets serving conferences at big hotels and resorts or working at those same wineries and golf courses doing weddings or corporate events with catering companies. Since I have a varied skill-set Addstaff calls me for a lot of odd jobs. Last week I took a few hundred free check presenters from MasterCard – official sponsor of the New Zealand All Blacks and the Rugby World Cup, which will be here next year – to restaurants and hotels all around the area. It gave me the chance to see how many really nice hotels, golf courses, and restaurants there are in such a small area. Plus, it’s giving free stuff to restaurants, which is usually well received.

This past week they asked me to help a caterer set up a filing system for her new catering company. She wasn’t even sure what help she needed, but she knew she needed something to make sense of the chaos. Addstaff sent me and I evaluated her papers and tax time-line and then set up a filing / bill system. She was more organized than I think even she realized. I designed the system with instructions so that any one, including a family member or friend helping out, could understand what to do with each piece of paper coming through the office and keep bills organized and paid. At the end of next week I will go back and help her create templates for her events as well as time sheets for employees, inventory sheets with pars, and packing lists to keep her events organized. It is pretty satisfying to go in to someone’s new business and be able to provide so much help.

What we are discovering is that the more people are exposed to us the more they want us to work for them. On Saturday we worked for a caterer who used to tour with bands such as the Rolling Stones doing catering for the tour. He is in the running to get the catering contract for the second year of the filming of the Hobbit. Saturday was just a wedding, but without any front of house staff of his own he just put me in charge of organizing the event. I did a housekeeping job a couple of weeks ago for a couple who own a beautiful winery / bed and breakfast / event location and now they requested me to be a wedding coordinator for several upcoming weddings. The caterer I am setting up the office system for would like me to manage her events on the front of house side and potentially do office management for her as well. She would love for Zach to help cook for all the events as well so she could have us as a team.
On New Year’s Eve we are preparing a dinner for 14 to 16 couples at a home. Addstaff says we can bill like a catering event so we are working on menu ideas and will discuss a price per person with the woman whose hosting the event. We then get to create a menu and run with it. It is especially nice because they always think of Zach first for more skilled chef jobs. And, in this case, they mentioned me working with him to help get food served and do all the little odd jobs so that we could be together on New Year’s Eve.



Writing it all like this makes me feel very lucky. You’d be surprised how most of the time we’ve been stressed because Zach’s been working 3-4 shifts a week, but I’ve only been working 1-3 and several of mine have been short shifts making our income barely enough to pay bills, pay for gas ($100 per tank), and buy a little food. We can’t even afford beer as a treat. This week is the worst as Christmas is a time most people stay home with family. Zach has a job on the 26th, but otherwise we have nothing. It’ll be a tightly belted holiday for us! However, we have work coming and the season really starts here after the new year. You can see it in the streets and feel it in the air as vacancy signs start turning into no vacancy signs and restaurants begin to fill. I have a few long-term job offers on the table and am just having trouble deciding what would be the best option to take.

Otherwise we’ve been trying our best to do what is local and cheap in our free time. The hikes are amazing. There are so many trails in the area each showcasing ridiculous views and pretty scenery the entire walk. There are stream, rivers, trees, and fields. All of the hikes are challenging so it’s a nice way to exercise as well. Occasionally we walk to town just to be outside and wander the streets. We don’t have enough money to drink or eat out, but the walk is nice and people-watching is always entertaining. There is a lake not too far away that we already love swimming in. The lack of ozone down here I think makes it feel even hotter than the temperature. I won’t deny that we are very jealous of the Christmas snow back in the northwest, but it’s also been a while since we’ve enjoyed a summer.

Though we are having a present-free Christmas we have stockings on the wall and a $2 tree with decorations in our place and a star at the top consisting of two pieces of paper sewn together and stuff with paper towels. Ah, the makings of a true experience. Christmas day there will be a barbecue, as is traditional here, put on by our apartment managers. It is free and will hopefully be fun. We are in need of some interactions with others.



On that note I wish you all very happy holidays. It is a tough time of year to be far away from loved ones, but it makes it all that more apparent how important those loved ones are. To all of you who normally get presents, you know how much I love to give them, I am sorry for not getting any out this year. Hopefully I can be cheesy and say that this year our gift is to be on an adventure that reminds everyone to take risks and live in the moment not forgetting all of the ways in which your own life is good. May 2011 bring us all an improving economy (one can hope) and more good stuff than rough stuff.

Happy 2011!!
Jessie and Zach

Makin' it Through the Rough

Pre post note: I apologize for not adding pictures to this post. When you read about internet in New Zealand in this post you will understand why. Please follow the links to your right to view all of our albums through my facebook page :)

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Queenstown is absolutely beautiful. We arrived last week with butterflies in our stomachs. We knew it was time to find jobs and a place to live, but somehow it didn’t sink in until we drove into town that day.

At first we were overwhelmed. For such a small town (population around 13,000) the downtown was bustling with tourists. It is hard to believe people when they said that things are really slow. There are restaurants, bars, and cafes every way you turn and somehow more outdoor adventure tour shops than anything. We found papers, job and housing boards, and listings and began our search.

Much to our surprise there were more than 30 rooms for rent that fit what we wanted. Evidently we came at a good time. Staying in holiday parks and hostels in a place this popular is expensive so we wanted to get into a place ASAP. Within a day we looked at four or five spots and found our new home. There were fancier rooms with amazing views and more modern designs, but most of them were houses we would be sharing with housemates who we did not meet. In the nicest place the modern, spacious kitchen had an obviously old layer of filth coating every surface exposed. Though the guy we would be living with wasn’t there it was very clear that cleanliness and respect for the home were not at the top of his priority list.

We found our current place a bit randomly. It is neither a house nor a hostel. It is more like a motel of sorts that advertises short or long-term housing. We kind of assumed we wouldn’t like it, but during the tour we saw a big communal kitchen that was clean. There is a six burner new gas stove and the manager explained to us that they are really strict about people keeping the communal area clean. They even have a surveillance camera in the kitchen. It sounds weird, but after the places we’ve seen the cleanliness was the deciding factor. It even turned out that they had a separate unit from the main building that was an add-on one bedroom apartment above the garage. It doesn’t have a real kitchen, but it is spacious and the skylights look out to the mountains and lake below. Plus we are just outside the door to the big kitchen.

One of the most difficult adjustments has been internet access. We liked that this place had broadband wireless internet included, which you share with all 12 units. We both assumed that meant they had unlimited high speed internet, but we all know what assuming does. As it turns out there really is no such thing as unlimited internet access in New Zealand. All broadband usage has a limit. For example, in our place once the broadband limit has been reached you can only get really slow internet and for that you have to go to the entry way, where they box is, and plug into the Ethernet. Things as common to many of us as Skype suck up broadband so we are asked to not use it on the house network. Of course it is difficult to limit people especially when many are only staying for a week or so. I usually do get ok coverage in our place except from around 5 to 8 or 9 pm when everyone else is online as well. And right when we moved in it was the end of the broadband cycle so I mostly had to plug directly into the modem. Getting your own internet is also incredibly expensive and very limiting so I am taking a deep breath and adjusting – transitioning from my always-connected blackberry to my flaky, sometimes functional New Zealand wifi.

On the job front we also jumped right into the search. Our first day in town we got mixed signals. Some gave the impression that jobs would be nearly impossible to find while others were more encouraging. We registered with a couple of the agencies on our list. At the first one the woman said she had call center / telemarketing work or nothing. When we declined she abruptly told us we wouldn’t find anything else and that there was no other work in town. The next woman wouldn’t let us leave when she heard what industry we were in. We also had dinner at a little Italian restaurant that had a “staff wanted” sign in the window so we gave our resumes to the owner.

We arrived last Wednesday afternoon and by Friday I had an interview that day, a trial shift at another place on Saturday, and Zach had a stage on Saturday (in restaurant speak that means you go in for a shift to see if you fit in the restaurant before they hire you) and another interview on Monday. Though you might think we were excited we both had sinking feelings about the whole thing. The jobs seemed very serious – all at some of the nicest, most well-known, spots in town. We came here to take a step back from our endlessly busy lives and get a chance to just be together and enjoy the world around us for a bit. At the same time we are, by nature, hard working people and always end up taking opportunities that are challenging and working a lot.

Naturally by Saturday night I had two job offers and Zach had one – only since he had yet to go to one interview. The restaurants we did trial shifts in on Saturday were owned by the same people so, even though we were at completely different places, it was also like we were trying out for the same people. By the end of my night they simply handed me a time sheet to fill out and told me to be back the next day at 4 pm and that I’d be taking tables by the end of that night. Both jobs I’d been offered were serving positions at “fine dining” restaurants. They expect you full-time, five nights a week, approximately eight hour shifts. The place I worked on Saturday we literally ironed the fresh white table cloths we replaced on each table when re-setting.

We went home that night, despite having had a good time drinking a beer with the crews from both restaurants, sad and discouraged. Is this what we came here for? Are we just going to end up on the opposite side of the world working more than full-time all over again not getting the chance to take a break? Why wouldn’t we just be making the money and working with the caliber of food that is in San Francisco if it was going to be the same lifestyle? We were sinking and sad.

Sunday morning we woke up gloomy, like a couple of Eeyores moping around our apartment. Finally we started talking again and we came to an agreement. We did not come here to get in that same rut all over again. We came here to be together, enjoy camping and hiking, and remember who we were outside of work. We even hope to begin strategizing a plan for our own café some day. In order to do that we need to consider where we want to live and how we could make what we want to do work. There is so much we have to talk and think about. If all we could do here was work then it really would not be worth it to be so far away from home. So, we decided to keep searching for more temporary, part-time employment. After a beautiful hour long walk to town we mustered up the courage to go to our new employers and turn down their offers. To our relief they took it incredibly well understanding that we were here to step back and couldn’t work at their places without sacrificing what we wanted. I’ll admit they fought a bit for Zach. Chefs are in demand like crazy here and I highly doubt they ever come across chefs that can actually cook. Still, they told him to come back and they would probably have shifts for him if he changed his mind.

Monday we went to a third temp agency where we found what we were looking for. At this place you get texts for available jobs with days and times and you simply say yes or no. There is no obligation; you can work as much or as little as you like. Zach’s position is the highest demand so there was work for him right away. I only currently have a shift coming up on Saturday, but I am hoping more will come soon. From what I heard from Zach today, on his break from his first temp shift, the work is simple and perhaps mundane, but we’re hoping it affords us the freedom we want outside of work. We’ll see how it all plays out. Our funds are lower than we want or need them to be and anxiety about how to make it all work is coursing through my veins, but I am standing strong in being here for a reason and sticking to it.

There have been feelings of frustration, home-sickness, and boredom on both our parts. All those things that you face when taking on an adventure like this are in our laps, now. We have little to do and no money to play with. The four channels on TV are boring us and streaming TV is out of the question. Zach, being the imaginative person he is, still is creating incredible meals out of the affordable ingredient options in the store. We are happy to be together, taking time to enjoy the simple beauty of the area and glad to be reminded of all the reasons we appreciate home. If nothing else we are sure having an experience!

If anyone feels like sending a letter snail mail our address is:

Jessie Malchik and Zach Farnes
The Lake House Loft 5
633 Frankton Rd.
Queenstown, New Zealand 9300

Middle Earth

Waiheke Island

Last Saturday I woke up before my alarm, which was set to 7:15 am. I know it is unlike me to wake up so early, but I was anxious so I got showered and Zach and I prepared to go car hunting. We had to check out of our hostel by 11:30 am and then we had no plan. We actually had a flight to Wellington that day already booked and paid for, but we decided to skip it and gamble on finding a car to buy and drive down the two islands to Queenstown. I know that it is good to try and take risks and live a little plan-free, but neither of us are used to that lifestyle. We had read, in the ever true and trusty Lonely Planet, that there was a car fair Saturdays and upon further research it appeared to be especially geared towards travelers and back-packers.

We planned to arrive an hour before the fair started so we would have the biggest selection. Unfortunately it somehow did not occur to either of us that we would probably have to pay for said car in cash until that morning. Frantically we went to ATM’s only to get repeatedly rejected from pulling out any money at all. Knowing this car fair only happens once a week, having already missed the chance to catch our connecting flight, and time ticking away we tried not to panic. Luckily there is an international number on our Wells Fargo cards and the very kind Wells Fargo operator not only fixed our ATM issue, but also did his best to reassure me along the way. Off we went to the car fair still managing to be over a half an hour early.

When we arrived we discovered all sellers and no buyers. Perhaps the other travelers were still hung-over in their hostels or perhaps it was just our returning luck but we were the only ones shopping amongst a good 20 vehicles. We found Simone, a Mitsubishi V3000 station wagon. Her two female Canadian owners named her that because the cozy bed made up in the back reminded them of Simmons mattress commercials back home in Montreal. Zach and I shortened it to Moaners, a nick-name of one of his old sous chefs named Simone at SPQR.

Before we knew it we were on the road south out of the city headed on an adventure. With no real itinerary in mind we picked a couple of Lonely Planet recommendations to hit along our route and otherwise kept the plans light and flexible. The scenery once out of the city was incredible. It was endless drastic rolling hills, which the road hugged and followed. It was also incredibly green, like a modernized Shire in all directions. The roads in New Zealand live up to their reputation in the guidebooks. Don’t expect freeways. Instead you will find lots of winding, hilly roads many of which barely count as two lanes. I find the drivers to be a bit insane as they don’t seem to mind if they come around a blind curve hugging a hill and happen to be in your lane. They just swerve abruptly and continue on. Many bridges are one-lane as well as many of the roads we’ve explored. At first it was tough to get used to, but we drove cautiously and have stayed clear of the crazies.


A sunset from our first campsite

Our first destination was a spot called Waitomo Caves where we discovered there was no cheap camping only cool looking cave tours we could not afford so we continued on the road. We found, via a DOC brochure (Department of Conservation – campsite brochure), a campground not far south, or so we thought. Directions on the maps and in the brochures leave much to be desired and road signs are all but absent. Thus we made our turn on to a gravel road with much apprehension, but its an adventure so we went for it. The road was another incredibly scenic route showcasing distant volcanos and lush forests, however the road itself seemed to be barely holding on to the side of the hills with big gravels slides and ruts popping up after blind turns. After hours, literally, we found our road to the campsite. They did not list how many kilometers in it would be so again we went on a one lane gravel road for an hour before finally finding the campground. There, in the freezing cold already night, we set up camp. Too cold and tired to deal with cooking we ate beans out of a can and admired the incredible, clear night sky. It may sound like we had a stressful journey but with no real plan the adventure and views were well worth the uncertainty. In the end we were camped amongst several hunters so we weren’t even as isolated as we felt.

In the crisp morning we set off south and took another planned detour. Whanganui River Road winds for about 80 kilometers or more along the Whanganui River. Lonely Planet describes it as “impossibly scenic” and I can think of no better description. The road was, once again, one lane and mostly gravel, but it didn’t matter. We were stopping constantly to take pictures and gasp anyway. Once we met back up with the main road our day felt complete, but we still had a ways to drive and had yet to figure out a stopping place for the night. We ended up in Wellington camping at a suburb holiday park, which is similar to our KOA style campground except these often have hostels and campsites as well as game-rooms with computers for checking email.


Whananui River

The next morning we boarded an 8 am ferry to Picton on the South Island. The ferry takes over 3 hours and I will tell all of you I do NOT recommend it if you get motion sick. I survived thanks to my wristbands, ginger beer, and thankfully mostly calm waters.

We drove off the ferry ready to travel a couple hundred kilometers and head to an already pre-planned DOC campground. About 40 kilometers past Picton we hit road construction, which is when Zach noticed the heat fluctuate on Moaners gage. Nervously we pulled over and found a radiator host spewing steam. Of course we had no tape. The radiator fluid was empty. The only tape-like substance I could find was a tin of fashion tape I use on button-up shirts to keep them from opening at my boobs. Zach taped the hose with my fashion tape and we filled the radiator with water. Each 15 kilometers we pulled over filling more water in the radiator and checking the split in the hose. Amazingly the fashion tape did the job; it’s a letter to Cosmo in the making ;) When we found a phone the New Zealand version of AAA, known as AA here, directed us to a service station in a coastal town called Kaikoura, which was about 80 kilometers south.

Of course during all this the road we were on turned onto the eastern coast of the south island, which was so breathtaking we couldn’t even get upset. We were stressed, of course. We’d already spent massive amounts more than we planned on the vehicle, traveling, and on gas alone, which is roughly $10 / gallon here. Campsites were hard to find and holiday parks were expensive. Food was incredibly expensive and forget about the cost of things like beer. Now we were in for some amount of repair on our car in a town we knew nothing about. Yet, somehow, we were laughing. We were stressed and then immediately stunned by the crystal blue seas growing more beautiful around each bend. It is as though the Ocean just wanted to remind how small a radiator hose was relative to what this world has to show us.

We arrived in Kaikoura and the mechanic was immediately friendly and helpful. The fix plus a radiator flush and fill was less expensive than we thought the catch being he couldn’t do it until the morning. With only hostels and holiday parks nearby we found a cute little cabin in a cheap holiday park. It was just a bed, no bedding, and electricity, but it was a nice. The town sits on a little peninsula surrounded by the impressively crystal water and behind it, past the valley, there were hills blanketed in clouds. To calm ourselves we walked to a café where we indulged in potato wedges and a meat and cheese plate, which turned out to be the best meal we’d had in ages. They made everything in house sharing all our beliefs in real food made by real people. We then took advantage of our time by reorganizing Moaners and all of our stuff before watching movies in our cozy little cabin.


Moaners in front of our little cabin

When we awoke at 7:45 am to take Moaners to the mechanic we both were shocked at the scene out our window. The clouds had lifted and revealed jetting, snow-capped mountains just inland from the town’s valley. A place like this exhists?! Snow and surf right here?! The whole scene took both our breaths away. So, this minor car tragedy brought us nothing but good things despite a bit of unwanted spending.
On the mechanic’s recommendation we took the inland road down the coast. Much to my delight we came around one hilly curve to find a huge flock of sheep making their way up the road. The shepherd told us to keep driving so we coaxed them along with the car giggling and taking pictures. I jokingly asked the shepherd if this was a tourist attraction to which he replied with a smile, “somethin’ like that.” We drove for many hours through hills and valleys and watched the Southern Alps appear majestically in the distance, otherwise known as the Misty Mountains to those of us who are LOTR geeks. We headed inland past Christchurch and passed mountain-ringed lakes with a sediment that makes them a bright, fairy-tale blue. We then found a campground along a quiet river where friendly locals and travelers alike stopped to say hi and share a story or a laugh or both. Most of these types we’ve encountered have been quite a bit older than us, and have an easy friendliness that is quickly becoming addictive. Everyone is happy to hear our plan and encourages us on our road.


In front of one of the jaw-droppingly beautiful lakes

We awoke to a hot morning near the river. After a quick breakfast we hit the road to Queenstown via another jaw dropping road through mountain passes. We arrived just after 1 pm to an almost overwhelmingly bustling downtown. I would imagine it is a bit what Aspen is like though I’ve never been there. It is a lot like Sun Valley, Idaho except busier. Immediately nervous squirrels hit both of our stomachs. Oh yeah, we have to job and house hunt now! We found another cabin in a holiday park nearby to spend a couple nights and get our heads screwed on strait. Evidently the “season” hasn’t started yet though you would think it was in full swing downtown. We found a paper that had about 30 or so rooms or apartments for rent that are walking distance from town and within our budget. We also saw a few help wanted signs in restaurant windows. Now it is just calling, applying, and deciding and hoping it all somehow comes together.

Though we are anxious we are also happy. Looking out of our cheap holiday park window mountain peaks my brain still doesn’t believe are real cut the sky behind a strikingly blue lake. The air smells of jasmine and birds sing endless songs. I know, I sound like I’m describing a classic Disney cartoon, but this is real. I have no idea how things will turn out over the next couple weeks but regardless the journey thus far has been well worth it.

Crying in Airports - Family Time

At the Circus

When I left you last we were in Moscow headed to the circus, one of my favorite things there. True to its form the circus was fantastic. We ate cotton candy and ood and ahd at the shows. For the remaining last few days in Russia we tried our best to relish being there, far away from all we know and can stress about. We went to the BB King club to see a guy sing some old rock 'n roll, which is one of the recurring bonding experiences I share with my papa. We also saw the ancient Egyptian exhibit at the Pushkin museum, which blew my mind. There were not only real mummies, but writing tablets, vases, and various artifacts from as far back as 2500 BC.

I have a lot of memories of airports. For much of my life as a kid I was saying hello and goodbye to family members I desperately wished I could hold on to in airports and occasionally in train stations. I think there is some kind of familiar comfort I now associate with that deep sadness I feel to say goodbye as I disappear across security lines. Inevitably tears fall. I hugged my papa more times than I can count with Zach gently touching my back to remind me he was there for my tears. It was hard to let go and hard to know it was going to be yet another long stretch before I saw my dad again. We had such a memorable yet relaxing time in Moscow and I am incredibly happy that I got to show Zach what that part of my world is like.

Our flight to New York had one child on it and of course that girl sat in front of us. We were exhausted and not even kind of in the mood for her jumping around and screeching. By the time we landed in JFK I found myself glaring at her more than anyone should glare at a four-year-old. My sister, Nia, greeted us with my brand new niece in her arms. Alex, short for Alexandra, was so sweet at mellow our attitude towards smalls quickly improved.


Zach at Nia and Ian's favorite farm

Nia, her husband, Ian and their kids, John and Alex, live about 60 miles north of NYC up the Hudson River. I visited a few times before but never at such an idyllic time of year. The trees were turning all the colors a west-coaster would wish for from the east coast making the rolling hills look like paintings in all directions. There are train trestles and bridges over streams, rivers, and the massive Hudson everywhere you turn, much to my nephew's delight.

We didn't attempt to fill our schedule in New York with too much. Mostly we bought food from nearby farms and the famous Fleishers butcher shop and created yummy meals at home. I am afraid we over-stuffed Nia and Ian, but it was so fun to indulge in familiar ingredients again and build big flavor. I should say it was so fun for me to eat it all because Zach did the creating.


John enjoying his Zach-made biscuits, home-made jam, and especially the Fleisher's bacon

One day we made the hour and a half train trip to the city. We walked from Grand Central down to the East Village where we visited a bunch of Zach's old co-workers from the A16 - SPQR group at their restaurant, Pulino's. It was great to see their faces, find out how they really are and hear about their lives outside of facebook posts. We wandered around the area a bit more before heading back, but due to our budgetary restrictions we didn't explore any other restaurants. Besides that we'd been eating so well at home that I had no desire to eat anything Zach didn't cook. I am lucky!

Once again we were at JFK as though the week was gone in a blink. All the airport sadness rushed back into my chest as I hugged Nia goodbye and taunted baby Alex into giving me one last toothless smile. Landing in San Francisco we were greeted by my other sister, Sasha, and my niece Ellie.

Sasha, Mike, Ellie, and Emma live in Santa Cruz. Most of you know about them as I lived with them and / or near them for years. My one regret during our week there is that it was time for us to cope and prepare for our big trip to New Zealand therefore I didn't have all the energy I would've liked to play with them. Still we got in a lot of quality time with the girls. They, naturally, adore Zach (otherwise know as Zachy). He created a burrito feast for Emma's third birthday. We also got to ask my brother-in-law, Mike, to be the officiant of our wedding, which was especially fun to toast to.

Once again we did not try to do too much as we do not have much money to spend. I was a bit emotional at the farmer's market since there is nothing like the abundance in California. It makes me hungry just thinking about it. We finished off the week taking the girls trick-or-treating - so fun! Our little tiger and dragon did very well in filling up their pumpkins in the neighborhood.



As our time in Santa Cruz came to an end an odd set of emotions began to build for both Zach and I. We were leaving. We didn't know for how long, what to expect, or what would be following our adventure. We have very little money, but the dream of a brief escape from all of life's heavy responsibilities. I lived near my family in Santa Cruz for the better part of 12 years and now that all was about to change. Zach had been in San Francisco for five working his but off.

I could go on for a while about the stresses of life that I've been reflecting on - how difficult it is in America today for people without financial support to just live. I have learned a lot in the past six weeks about the toll working so hard has taken on me, but also about how I do not want to live that life any more. Zach and I are designed to be hard-working and motivated, but there is a balance in life that everyone needs and we just hope to learn how to find it. With the little bit of time we've had so far we feel even more driven to start our own business some day knowing that it will be a massive amount of work, but hoping that we can create our life to integrate into our work, together. I am so lucky to have him! Have I said that yet? :)

After another 12 hour flight we landed in Auckland. Unfortunately we had a baby behind us that kicked the seats all night long. Remind me when we fly home to request seating NOT near a baby or child! We are still adjusting to the ease and friendliness of this country. It is incredibly expensive but we have a small kitchenette making our cost of food a lot less. Still, it already is an easy place to love. Tomorrow morning we are headed to a car fair where we hope to purchase a cheap vehicle and then start heading down the north island. We also hope to take a few days to make the trip to Queenstown which is a decent way down the south island. There we are hoping to find work and housing. If it doesn't work out we will go to Wellington and try our luck there, but finger's crossed the little mountain town of Queenstown treats us well.

Love to you all and thanks for reading!
(also keep checking the picture folders on the right for more photos)

Moscow, torture massages, and the art of coffee

Zach and I - Red Square


Whew, it has been a couple of weeks since I last wrote and there is so much to tell. I could describe each of the touristy activities to you, describe the Kremlin, Red Square, Tretykov Gallery, and the Pushkin Museum; however, guide books can do that in more detail and probably do a better job of it.


Van Gough

I am continuing to enjoy exploring the museums with Zach. At the Tretykov we saw emotional, powerful Russian art and at the Pushkin we saw the most breath taking Van Gough pictures. I think in life there are just times when you are ready to experience things. No matter how many times you may or may not have been exposed in the past you find that suddenly you understand why so many people revere a certain artist or artistic movement. It reminds me of music that maybe I heard 10 years ago and then heard again in the past year and, despite having had no interest in it before, find myself suddenly in love with it.

In addition to our tourist activities we've been getting a series of massages by my favorite massage therapist, Tanya. She is not for the faint of heart. Her methods are unique, combining several styles with her knowledge of anatomy and sports medicine. She is an incredible diagnostician - one of those people with story after story of life-saving healing with her hands. You have to understand that amount of pain you experience during a Tanya massage is of the kind that you can not fully describe nor fully remember until the exact moment you are experiencing the pain. I choose to keep a towel in my mouth to bite while I go through the glorious torture. Zach screamed and swore; I am not sure he's convinced it is all worth it. After several sessions my body starts to feel re-set, the pain lessens and all blood flow begins to normalize. Of course throughout the days we got our massages we were often left weak, tired and confused making for a few lazy days of sitting around the apartment flipping through the six different music video channels getting re-acquainted with pop music from all over the world.


On our way to Gorky Park

In Moscow the entire population lives in apartments, some fancy and some horrible, but apartments none-the-less. Most of the city thus has cabin style houses out of town shared often by the extended family. There you have your garden, a place to breathe fresh-air, and perhaps a body of water to swim in during the hot summer months. In the past none of these had running water, electricity or any of the modern comforts, but, as with all the other changes in Russia, people now are modifying their summer homes to be more comfortable and modern. We spent a Saturday getting Olya's (my father's wife) family dacha, as these homes are called, ready for the winter. I was sick so I got to sit and read rather than work, but even for Zach, who worked and cleaned the whole day, it was a nice break from the city.

I think for both of us adjusting to not working has been a little strange. We are in the middle of one of the largest cities with traffic that it so hard to believe I mostly try not to think about it. People are working and moving all around us. Pushing in front of someone in a line is more than common. Yet, here we are taking a vacation from all of our responsibilities. We are putting in family time, seeing some distant relatives, and trying to see some sites, but otherwise have very little responsibilities. Occasionally we find ourselves anxious and bored, but in those moments we try to remember all the work we've put in over the past few years and the work we will likely be putting in for the rest of our lives and, for me at least, I can then sink into the couch and relish in the quiet space of time with nothing filling it. We watched the Lord of the Rings trilogy, which we've done many times before, but now to continue to build our excitement for New Zealand.


Coffee School

We also are finally feeling awake enough to spend time talking and reading about food and things we enjoy. It is funny when working in San Francisco amongst such a food-centric scene my energy drained so low the last thing I wanted was to think about food. I missed loving food, but my body and mind were exhausted from too much work and too much to take care of in one day. I started to resent the whole scene, which left me feeling even more empty. My financial obligations made enjoying what San Francisco had to offer nearly impossible so the drain had little reward. Slowly but surely I am finding myself thinking about food more and what I could want to do with it. Zach and I talk about ideas we have more often now and think strategically through different business plans. We were lucky enough to take a course in coffee through my dad's business's coffee school. Normally this course is around $400 and takes five days. With our food and drink background it was easier to compact much of the course into two days. We focused on specialty coffee, which is a small part of the market but the best and all my dad's company, Montana Coffee Moscow, works with. With my energy levels and ability to focus on the rise I found the coffee course fascinating. Our repertoire of knowledge related to food and drink is ever-expanding which exactly how we want it.

We only have a few days left in this month long visit that feels as though it has flown by. On Thursday we will land in New York and be visiting my sister and her family as well as hopefully some other friends. Today I am getting indulged in one of my favorite things in Moscow, the circus, and this evening we are going to watch some acoustic blues at the BB King Club. We hope to see a few more sites and maybe get back to the coffee school to practice the art of espresso and coffee making. As time continues we find more and more things we could do and learn here, but we have other plans awaiting. I am already feeling sad to leave, especially about leaving my father back across the world from me, but am looking forward to some of the food I have missed (think all Asian varieties). I hope everyone is well and please keep in touch!



P.S. Check the photo albums to the right for all updated pictures. Also, please let me know if the link doesn't work for you. I was never sure it would work for those who are not my facebook friends.

St. Petersburg

The last time I went to the Hermitage I went into the first room with my family, started into the second, got bored, wandered around for a bit and then spent the rest of the time in the museum cafe writing emails to friends. Right now I'm even embarrassed to write that, but it's true. I've just never had the patience for museums. I never felt captured by paintings.

A couple of months ago Zach and I found a spare afternoon to check out the Impressionist Exhibit at the De Young museum in Golden Gate Park. To be honest I was nervous. I think we all are a little nervous when in love with someone and attempting to appreciate something you know they are passionate about when you yourself may not find much in it at all. Zach loves art of many varieties. He loves new, twisted magazines full of dark, bizarre pictures and he loves the beauty of a perfect da Vinci. In this aspect of our lives we are completely different. That day, however, something changed for me. I don't know if it was the perfect lighting at the De Young museum or Zach's ability to describe the history behind the Impressionist Movement within the context of the brush strokes in the paintings we saw but I found myself moved by each work. I stood in contemplation of the pictures getting lost in the corners of the stories they each told.

Probably one of the aspects I was most excited about in our trip to Russia was the opportunity to show Zach some of the most amazing museums in the world. Knowing he'd never experienced anything like them and his passion for art I was giddy in anticipation to simply watch his response. Though I enjoyed the De Young exhibit I assumed I still might find museums a bit tedious, but I was prepared to spend hours in them for Zach’s sake. Last night we returned from our three day trip to St. Petersburg and I can now say that it was immensely satisfying both to show Zach things he could only have dreamed of seeing before and to see my father's home town in a more mature light of my own.



Saturday night after finally recovering from jet-lag Zach and I accompanied by my dad, Greg (my dad's wife's son), Andrei (my dad's wife's other son), and Diana (Andrei's wife) boarded a high-speed train to St. Petersburg. It was Zach's first official train trip anywhere and the perfect opportunity to see some of the Russian countryside in the dimming early-fall light. We left at nearly 5 pm managing to have a few hours to watch the passing trees, fields, and villages roll by. The fall colors were starting to show making every passing window a picturesque scene of it's own. I officially decided birch trees have to be some of the most beautiful trees in the world almost purposefully designed to be painted or photographed. Though there were many towns full of beaten down houses in which you think no one would live, looking closer you see perfectly kept gardens outside each door. They may be poor, but the surrounding beauty and soft look of each town emitted a sense of warmth I so rarely experience. As we watched the passing scene my dad talked to Zach and I some about the history of St. Petersburg.



There is a certain feeling everyone gets when they arrive in St. Petersburg. It's like a passing calm or a sense of awe that humbles us all. The city is full of the kind of architecture you only imagine in fairy tales. In addition to the seemingly endless palaces the buildings themselves, each designed individually, have a magnificence that I can't quite describe. Even the colors - pale yellows, pinks, greens and blues - seem to perfectly match the splashes of sunlight or moonlight from the broad sky. It was a planned city intended to be Russia's gateway to Europe. It is also the largest city that is that far north.

We went directly to my aunt and uncle's apartment where I've visited since I was 10. My other aunt and my only cousin were there as well. As expected there was a little "snack" for us ready when we arrived of various Russian-Jewish-Ukrainian salads, breads, fish and meat. After the meal we went on to tea and sweets including varenia, which is sort of like fresh jam made from wild berries. My Russian relatives know me as a varenia addict so they always pull out all the jars when I am visiting. My favorite this trip was made with a kind of wild cranberry I never knew exhisted.

In the morning we all arose bright and early to another full meal. There was fresh farmers cheese, blinchiki (a kind of cheese pancake), more varenia, and other nibbles. It amazes me that my aunt, who is 76, still happily prepares meals for so many guests. Being a little tired and the food being so good I over ate, but it turned out to be a good thing because once at the Hermitage the last thing we wanted to do was to stop to eat. We got there when the museum opened and stayed for over five hours. The Hermitage is the largest art museum in the world and is made up of a few buildings the entrance being at the winter palace. At first it is hard to know where to focus - everything about the museum is a work of art, from the doors to the ceilings to the art on the walls. Much to my own surprise I became mesmerized by the art. I walked into each room and was caught by the emotions a picture would inspire. For all the times I've had the opportunity to experience the Hermitage in this way all but this one were lost on me. My dad helped us focus on what we most would like to see as it would take days to get the entire place. For the full explanation of our visit you can view through the pictures. Zach was thorough; as I'd hoped he savored every minute of the experience.



Throughout the next couple of days we took a boat tour of the city through a few of its many canals, walked through St. Isaac's Cathedral and the Church of the Savior on Blood, and toured the streets looking at statue after statue. The last day it was just Zach, my dad and I. We took a half an hour boat ride to Peterhof Palace which sits on the Gulf of Finland. This palace was my favorite. For some reason I don't think I've ever been there or if I have it is a long lost memory. Fall felt like the perfect time to walk through the palace's gardens with changing leaves falling around us. We arrived just in time to watch the fountains start. As you walk through the again fairy-tale like gardens and forest you come upon fountain after fountain. Some of the pathways have secret stones that aristocrats would use to start fountains - they would amuse themselves by splashing passers by. A squirrel decided it liked Zach and climbed all over him nibbling on his head. Luckily we got pictures. We finished back in the city with the Peter and Paul Fortress where lies the tomb of Catherine the Great. I especially like this spot as my middle name, Catherine, was in honor of this great Empress.



As we toured my dad told Zach and I story after story about the Tsars and the history of his home town. Amongst the palaces and art we also saw the apartment building where he grew up, the shore he played on as a child, and the schools he attended. In front of his primary school he vividly described his first day of school. He arrived excited for what was to come and to this day remembers leaving at the end of the day feeling, at only six, sorrow that he would be wasting twelve years of his life at such a place. The evenings were spent with my relatives eating Galia's, my aunt, delicious food and attempting conversation as best we could.

We left Tuesday night exhausted from our intensive visit with brains full of images and information. I can say I am happy to be back in Moscow with the comforts of my dad's apartment and light schedule, but the visit to St. Petersburg will never be forgotten. If you have a minute please look through the pictures. Hopefully you will feel just piece of all we got out of our time there. Now I will get back to my day today which consists of relaxing on the couch, rain pouring outside, and an entire day of Indiana Jones - not including the fourth one which I could never count as a true Indiana Jones movie. Thank you all for your comments and responses.

Side note – I still need to label the pictures so please check back for the full story. I wanted to get this posted and haven’t had time to go through the nearly 500 pictures we took to label them all!

It begins

First off I want to welcome everyone to our blog. I realize you all may not have a lot of time but I am writing our stories in case you ever have a spare few minutes and would like to catch up on our adventures.

Right now I admit I am not feeling my most articulate. Though we slept for over 11 hours I am still feeling the affects of jet lag and a day of travel. I just changed my computer's time so as to not remind myself that, though I just ate breakfast and had coffee, my body thinks it is after 11 at night.

The last couple of weeks in San Francisco are a bit of a blur. I continued working six nights a week and Zach worked a long week up until the 6th at which point he continued to "work" an unpaid and unpleasant job called packing and moving. We intended to get everything done on Sunday the 12th, but you all know how moving is. It feels endless. Monday night we arrived in Santa Cruz with the last of our belongings not excited to unload our entire moving truck and somehow fit it all in the 8*10 space my sister and brother-in-law marked off for us in their garage. Ellie, my six-year-old niece happily offered to help.

I admit we were skeptical that Ellie could do much to help us and in our grumpiness we were felt certain the process would take us hours. Much to our surprise the truck was unloaded and packed away within an hour. Mike, my brother-in-law, helped Zach with the big stuff while Ellie and I unloaded all the smaller items. What she couldn't carry she slid over to me. She never ceases to amaze me. She was more focused and helpful than I was.


My nieces Ellie and Emma with my sister, Sasha

The next day we finished all the odds and ends of preparation while spending some quality time with the family and my best friend, Jennie. At 2 a.m. Wednesday morning we woke my sister up to hit the road to the airport. Just before our scheduled departure time she remembered the car was out of gas. It is a diesel so we had a fun little adventure trying to find fuel and then witnessed a 6 cop car police chase on the freeway. After all that we did, however, make to the airport in plenty of time and safely flew off to New York.

Our flights were uneventful. We tried our best to sleep and avoid airline food - they still offer it on international flights. Both flights arrived early. By the time we'd arrived in Moscow we made a few friends around us including, not surprisingly, a couple of their way to complete their adoption of a little boy who they were naming Shawn Alan. As much as I am used to these people on my flights to and from Moscow it always warms my heart to see their excitement to finally get to take home their new children.

My dad greeted us and we took the new high speed train into the city. I remember the drive from Sheremetovo Airport into the city taking around an hour, but with Moscow traffic continuing to worsen my dad says it can take up to four hours now. Ugh! I am so glad he chose the train. It took 35 minutes.


Zach watching from the train into the city

The scenery has both changed a lot and yet some of it not at all. I find it is a completely different experience for me bringing Zach. I have been coming to Moscow since before communism fell. I watched the city change returning every couple of years to fancier cars, newer and fancier malls, and varying types of corruption and development. To try and imagine what the current Moscow is like for eyes who have never ventured much away from the west coast of the U.S. is difficult to say the least.


The train station

Zach is perfect for it though. His eyes are constantly wandering trying to sort out all that is happening around him. Since arriving we did a short driving tour of the city, had a dinner with relatives, looked at the view of downtown from the awe-inspiring Moscow State University and spent some time at my dad's office. Today we relax at home before heading to St. Petersburg to see my family - my aunts, uncle, and only cousin I have. After already watching Zach begin to absorb bits of culture and learn a few key words I can't wait to take him to what I and many others consider one of the most beautiful cities in the world. We will visit the Hermitage, which is the second largest museum in the world and also a palace, Leningrad Museum, hopefully see the gulf of Finland as well as other sites from my father's childhood.


Moscow State University


My dad and I at the University.

Within all of this we are trying to let go of all the stress built up in our lives. Though we've been happy and San Francisco gave us so much we also pushed ourselves beyond a healthy stress limit. I am focusing on trying to let go of the build-up as best I can while Zach is remembering what life is like when you can pick up a book for a little while with a perfect cup of coffee and no other obligations. We both are marveling at the notion that we can wear outfits each day rather than just dressing for work. I am so not used to it I get confused each morning.

Well, love to you all. There is much more to write however also much more to do. I will not bring my computer to St. Petersburg so I am sure there will be a lot to say next post. Hope all is well for everyone one of you.

Please view my facebook pictures for a full albums of our adventure.