we're really leaving...i promise.

with just one day left in nelson, we're bobbing somewhere between excitement and mourning, though i suppose the knowledge of an eventual departure has been hanging over us all month. as much as i love exploring a new locale, i also become quickly rooted, so nelson has become my new zealand home over these last few weeks and is difficult to leave. we've been so fortunate to have this opportunity to work at the bug, as the busy summer season is now upon us and we're getting calls daily for people looking for jobs here. we've grown close to some people here, especially our finnish friend salla, with whom i attended a catholic mass last week near her new apartment. those catholics are tricky - close your eyes for a second in reverent prayer and they've silently shifted to kneeling while you're still sitting. another new friend is our roommate julian, whom we affectionately refer to as "zhulian". we recently introduced him to the splendid combination of peanut butter and banana, and while he justly proclaims nutella's superiority, he's warming up to the flavor sensation.

bryan and i have been filling in as managers here for the last four days while the owners took a much-needed vacation. despite the endless work hours and constant phone calls, we've had a blast and would definitely do this again if another opportunity opens up. one of my favorite parts of the job is matching the people with their names. apparently, according to anthony, a courtney is always an american. i've discovered that a jemma is also equally identifiable as a brit. markus, fabian, and konrad are, not surprisingly, german. i was thrown off when another hostel called to book a room for a guy named "patty", but it was made clear when he arrived with an irish accent and the correct spelling, "paddy". there are a few that i'm still wondering about, though...the japanese "andrew" and israeli "eric", for starters. anyone want to try their hand at a few?

-edwin and marieke
-carl and mike
-livon and elad
-yusuhiro and misako
-claudia and anna-lisa
-pauline and jean-baptiste
-cariza and sergio

better get going, as it's midnight and we plan to wake up early enough to make tomorrow feel productive. not sure when we'll have (affordable) internet again, so it might be a little while before you hear from us. then again, our bus might skip our stop and send us along to an unplanned destination...you never really know.

-rachel