Pic extravaganza! / Kiwinglish / Homesick

Whanganui river

Guyton Ingestre Street

My second home, the Computer Graphic Design Department. Some funky piece of architecture eh?

In New Zealand, even the toothpaste is antinuclear. Suits me sir.

A brilliant piece of local ephemeral typography

In Wanganui there are like a kazillion churches and zero mosks.

NZ cuisine is... interesting, to say the least

Kiwinglish

As I told Ryan, not necessarily 100% [one hundred pircint] seriously, my principal objective here is to pick up an exotic accent. My plan was to post a pronounciation sample every now and then to follow my progress but I still haven't gotten too far. My tongue keeps fumbling and the accent varies from Scottish-ish to Yank depending on who I talk to. The Kiwi accent is just lunatic — I would've preferred a Scottish one, (I was reminded by the incomprehensible girl sitting next to me in the airplane to Bankok) or an Irish one maybe (an industrial designer at the school likewise).

Anyway here's a brief intro to pronouncing things the Kiwi way.

• Seven = Syven
• Fish & chips = Fush & chups
• Me = May
• Deaf = Diff
• Question = Christian ("Are there any Christians?")
• Yeah = Yie
• No = Nay / Nor
• Pet = Pit
• Card = Cat
• Cat = Kit
• Pet = Pit
• Pen = Pin
• Pig = Peg
• Track = Trek
• Back = Beck
• Four = Fuar
• Go = Guy
• Airing = Earring
• Setting = Sittings
• Breakfast = Bikfryst

Subterranean Homesick Alien Blues

I've a major academic culture shock. Here goes: These people when presenting their work and ideas well first off they all have like 2 ideas each on average; secondly their visualisations & scamps — if any — come in thumbnail size; furthermore they don't stand up to present their thumbnails but sit still; fourth, the sketches aren't placed anywhere, just quickly browsed through and everyone goes like "I liked the one, uh, can't remember what it was, but you know what I mean right."

I'm not saying it's all bad, it's just different from UIAH. I guess this is what comes from having no time for or emphasis on concept hatching. Struggling with this plus my 9-day flu that's now thankfully dealt with I was overwhelmed with this desperate homesickness and depression. I miss a lap to curl into. I miss the trams of Helsinki. I miss home. I miss green politics. And B-class movie nights with friends.

I was having a taste of a 25-year-old fucking expensive port with some Australians. One of them told a donkey joke and said, "You get as much as you put in." I retreated back to my chamber & listened to Chris Clark – Bricks. Music helps. Music and people.

Then again one day I was howling with laughter watching Sponge Bob with Meghan and Jasmine (except that Jasmine didn't find it funny and changed the channel because we did). I clearly need to watch more cartoons.

Footnotes maybe:

• The Malesians just love my blonde hair.
• I'm having dreams about the whole NZ business having been a dream. In them I'm back in Finland and happy about it.
• It gets so cold at nights I had to wear a cap once. Now I do have a heater in my room though.
• I'm planning on renting an apartment sooner or later. The flats are unfurnished but getting a set of furniture from the Salvation Army and other second hand shops wouldn't turn out too expensive perhaps.