my 3week holiday is just racing past me, in a weeks time i am already back in Korea.
Here is the abridged version:

weekend #1: Wellington!2 words: food, and friends.
i flew up on the Friday afternoon and back to Chch on Sunday night. on Friday i caught up with Amanda, who kindly let me sleep on her fold-out couch. On Saturday morning Steven and I went out for brunch at an amazing cafe, where according to Steven, only the 'coolest and hippest' of Welly people go. Clearly, i already knew that, since we were there. Then we went shopping for Steven's green velvet pants..... sadly, he didn't purchase them. i bought a stupidly expensive gorgeous knit dress, and then we met up with the fantastic Ken, and his equally fantastic flatmates Mike and Anna, did more shopping and eating and talking and talking, and laughing non-stop ( 'a nice jean', and "my husband and I'll"). Saturday evening was girls night (and Matt): Cafe Istanbul, more amazing food, and good catch-ups.
Sunday morning: breakfast with Hayley, and then brunch with Ken, Mike and Anna 90 mins later. then i met up with Steven again for dinner. whew!

next stop: Chch for 4 days, and then off to Sydney to stay with Nic for 6 days. shopping shopping shopping eating talking and walking. I did the Coogee to Bondi walk,and was lucky to have great weather for all six days. Silly Aussies, thinking that 16 degrees is cold! I love love love Sydney, and I thinking seriously about living there sometime in the future. I went to the Australian Museum (fascinating, sorrowful, important to see), and to the Opera House and all that touristy stuff. I also met all of Nic's Sydney friends, ate more good food, watched Nic's soccer team play, and wandered through the lush Botanical Gardens. I didn't see any bats or flying squirrels, thankfully.
so far, so good! 6 days until i leave for Singapore and then Seoul, and purely by coincidence, I am on the same flight as my parents to Singapore (they are off to Turkey). i sent my passport off to the Korean Embassy in Wellington today, fingers crossed they process it very quickly.