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Other entries in Mount Maunganui

Finally settled down!

Geez, lots has happened since I wrote last.  I think the car I wrote about last was the Subaru. I didn't end up getting it.  There were more problems that there appeared to be.  I offered the guy $200 for the car, but he said f*&* off.   I figured he would say, but the car was only going to last me for 6montths, before it needed a bunch of stuff fixed to get another warrant of  fitness on it. 
The next day, Sarina, the lady upstairs who i'm paying for rent, took me to her nephews to look at his old car.  It's a Mazda Familia ,1985.  It does not have a warrant of fitness (which is legally what the car has to pass every 6 months to ensure everythings safe, rust is also a big thing).  So the next day Jason, the guy, was going to call me and we were going to take it to the mechanic to see if it could get a WOF, which is about $40.  He called me and said the car wouldn't start, but I guess that's only becuase it didn't have enough gas in it.  After that, I never heard from him.  However, just a few minutes ago (I'm on Sarina's laptop upstairs), he called Sarina, and Jason's going to pick me up tomorrow to go get the car checked out.  He only wants $300 for it, so if anything major happens, it's not that big of deal.  however, there is some rust on the door, which I may need to fix to get the WOF.  It  also will need a new front tire, but hopefully that will be it.  Supposidely he just cleaned up the car, so it's looking a little nicer now too.  Only 4 gears, manual.  We'll see how that goes. 
    The day I was leaving the hostel, I asked the owner of the hostel about the bike in the back of the shed.  There are 2 new Huffy bikes, which are the ones they use for rentals, but then was also this old rusty road bike in the back.  I took it for a test ride, then offerered her my key deposit (which was $10) for the bike.  The cables are pretty rusty and freyed, the front derailer is bent and doesn't quite work, but enough gears for the bike to be ridable.  She came back and said $20, I offerered $15, but then I ended up getting the bike for $18. Not a bad deal.  I fixed up what I could, but it's not really worth it to buy anything for it, b/c it  would cost more to fix it than the bike cost.  I also got a helmet off a guy at the hostel.  He bought a new bike from a bike shop, and the guy gave him a helmet, brand new, but he never wears it.  so i got it :)   It worked out perfectly b/c that was the day I moved to my house, which is about a 7 minute bikeride back into town.  So I'd have to walk, not sure how long, maybe 30 min. or so,  back into work. So bike is awesome.  And i already had the bike lights which I bought before, so I'm using those daily as well, cause it's dark when I get off Stars and STripes at 930 or so. 
   Also, I got a surfboard that day!!  I can't remember if I wrote about this in the last entry or not. But this guy, Dan, who lived at the hostel was at the Mount for about 3 weeks and bought a surfboard when he got here. He decided to go home, so he wanted to sell his board back.  It's a 8 foot board, but practically brand new.  I told him I'd give him $10 more than the shop would give him for it.  He said they shop offered him $650, he origianlly paid $800 something.  So i went over to the surfshop, and found out that they only offered him $550 for it. So I went back to him, and ended up getting the board for $550, which is a really good deal, especially considering the condition of it.  So the board should retain it's value fairly welll, so when I got to sell it back or trade it in, I can hopefully get almost that much money for it!!  8' is fairly long, which is good for beginning surfers like me.  You can also catch a lot more waves with a longer board. So I might want to trade it in for a shorter board in a month or so when I get more familiar with standing and catching waves.  It came with a board back too!
  I also got a wetsuit.  I was waiting forever to the get the one back that had a rip in it.  It took longer than they said it would.  However, on Friday at 6:00, they called and said that the suit was irrepairable.  So, they gave me a brand new suit!  The new one was worth $150, and I only paid $99 for mine.  So I got a deal.  It's a Quicksilver, spring suit, 2/2 (which is the thickness of the suit). 
  So I've been dying to go surfing, but there hasn't been any swell since I got the board and my suit.  Today is really rainy and crappy outside, but it looks like there's at least a few choppy, whihte water waves that I might go try and ride before I work at 2.  There's suppose to be a swell starting tomorrow, so I'm pretty pumped!
   Also, they are putting in an artificial reef, about 2 streets down from me.  It's only the 2nd artificial reef in the world!!  And it's right outside my door!!  The reef basically makes the waves break more evenly, a bit further out, and more consiistently, I think.  I just know that it will be the place to go in about 2 weeks or so.  I've been told that the beach will just be packed with surfters!  And I guess they've been talking about putting in this reef for 10 years or so,, I guess I just got lucky that they're doing it right now!!  I can see the barges out there now putting it in!

      So my house is soo sweet.  It's literally across the street and you're at the beach.  IT's kinda a spanish style, red trim, pillars.  Big porch on the 1st and 2nd floor.  You can see the surf from the stop floor.  1 garage.  Manuel and I are sharing a room for a week, until the other guy that lives here's son moves on next weekend, which Manuel will move into.   Sarina gave us beds and sheets, she's really been soo helpful with everything, getting us into this house, taking us around to the store, picking us up, etc.  So I have a double bed, first time in my life!  I only really use half of it though, I have crap on the rest of it.  My room faces the beach, so the first morning here, I was awaikened by a beautiful sunrise.  Just kinda sureal that I'm living at a place like this for the summer.  There's a washer, no drying, but not may people have dryers here, everyone hangs their clothes.    
       I got my bank accounts wet up this morning to pay Sarina every week, $110 for the rent, which is pretty good for the area.  plus expenses. 

       Been working lots at the Stars and Stripes.  I'm starting to move into the kitchen.  I'll be on food prep for a week or so (getting buns, plates ready), then I'll learn the grill, which will be cool, at least I think it will.  I get a pay raise for each new job I learn.  Still have split shifts, lie 9-2, 5-close, which suck now since I'm not  living right across the road at the hostel, but i guess it's only a 7 minutes bikeride.  I've been told that in the summer the whole Mount area is just packed, so bike is actually a better way to get around anyway. 
 
    Alright, I'm going to let Manuel use the computer now,  but hopefully Sarina will continue to let me use her computer! 

OH, by the way, my address is :
5 Hart Street
Mount Maunganui

no postal code or anything.  so you can all send your packages to me now ;)

I still haven't decided if I'm going to pay for a landline or not, which is $40 a month, but if I do, i'll let ya know. 

adios. let me know what anyone else it up to.

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