Out in Auckland with Collegues and Friends

So in the last 2 weeks, We have been up to a few things...

Volleyball @ Mission Bay with IBM Co-workers
Clinton's team decided to do a little team-building exercise two Fridays ago at Mission Bay and generously invited me. I was at home most the morning applying for jobs (this is before I got the Waikato job) and bidding on beds on www.trademe.com (NZ version of craigslist where you can do everything from finding a job or date to buying a car). Clinton and I haven't been camping yet in NZ but we sure was roughing it the first two weeks I got here. We were sleeping on a sturdy camping double air mattress :-). Anyway, I lost track of time and ran to meet Clinton at IBM. We live about 12 minutes away but the sun is unforgiving at 3pm, so by the time I got there I was a sweaty mess...thank god I wasn't going to a formal event.

We got to Mission Bay (about 10 minute drive west from the city center) and played a few matches of volleyball. Sure wish I wasn't wearing jeans but I sucked it up and had a ball! After the match, Clinton attempted to play Rugby but after about 15 minutes he and the team stopped and joined us for beer. I still can't figure out Rugby, but with the NZ team "All Blacks" being one of the best teams in the world...I figure I better learn soon. I read somewhere that the reason why the NZ Rugby team choice "black" as their team color is because there are in mourning for all the teams they've beat. LOL!

After an early afternoon of volley, we got home changed and met our friends Nessa and Rana at Westin Hotel for some champagne and crab-cakes. The Westin here is gorgeous and has incredible views of the viaduct. Its a great place for first dates, romantic dates or a nice afterwork drink. It really has one of the most beautiful lobbies I have seen. http://www.starwoodhotels.com/westin/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=3015

After the Westin, we went to another wine bar and then to Pasha for hookah and more champagne. It was a long but fun night :-)