The Botanical Garden of Dunedin

As always, catch the rest on Flickr

The D40 has come

Spring is here!

Originally uploaded by A-Boy.

 

Immediately I took a few photos -I’m quite happy with my new camera.

A synagogue in Dunedin?

When I initially researched Dunedin after choosing to spend the semester, I found no evidence for a Jewish community. I seem to have been mistaken. When I brought up the coming of Rosh Ha’Shana (the Jewish New Year) and my anxiety over missing the services for the first time in my life, she replied that her friend visited a congregation, mosque and church as a ‘field trip.’ Looking again, I did not have to look hard to find an address and a phone number – I look forward to calling tomorrow. And the best part, I apparently live on the same street as the synagogue! I’m sure any contact with the congregation will be a blog-worthy experience, till Wednesday!

UPDATE: Yes, there actually is a congregation, but I might miss services for Rosh  Ha’Shana because I’m probably going on a tramp on wednesday evening/thursday morning. Regardless, I will be going for Yom Kippur services.

I’m getting a dSLR!!!

Nikon D40 and SU-800

Originally uploaded by Bimo Marwoto.
Yep, thats right, after deciding it was now or never, I’ve made the decision to purchase a digital SLR – the Nikon D40. Considering my long-held interest in taking good photos and my mind-numbing list of destinations this winter – its as good a time as any to make the jump from a consumer to “prosumer” camera.

Pictured is the D40 with a flash controller (that I will not be getting, I’m not even sure what the accessory does!)

A fleeting moment of reflection

Apologies for an overly pompous title, but I just can’t resist right now…

I think I’ve basically finished assembling a complete collection of photos for my trips within NZ so far (two days ago). By itself, this is weightless news, but tonight today is first time I’ve really let sink in what my collection of photos will mean in 20 years… damn. Maybe my generation will be more privileged and cosmopolitan than the last – but I worry that opportunities will be few and far between when I can roam to new places, thousands of miles from the ordinary. I wonder if I will be able to enjoy the perks of world travel when I have to enter the real world? Not a business trip when I see more countries and airports than I see nights, but a new country, a new people, a new language (not that the people or the language is that different here, but I’m anticipating my future time in Malaysia & Bangladesh – see my travel page). Anyways, back to the photos, their subject matter is quite diverse, and its hard to believe I’m about half-way through with my time here (with the two aspects that I’ve only been here for 2 months and I’ve seen so much, and yet I still have nearly 3 months left).

In the realm of homesickness, I’ve been pretty resilient so far. I am beginning to realize, however, that after a certain period of time I really will miss home. I sometimes yearn for certain things from home, but its only an itch of sorts. I just can’t imagine that I’m going to be itching for those things for nine more months! Yup, its September, and I ain’t coming home till June. The one benefit of such a long trip, I anticipate at least, is that I won’t be too somber on leaving NZ – I’m heading on a whole new adventure, I’m glad I made plans not to do a single semester, despite the usual practices of juniors. Good thing I didn’t do the normal thing… I’m seeing the most of the world that I can when I’m still a truly free man. And when everyone else is leaving, heading back to the mundane, my real adventure will only be beginning!