Celebrating the New Year in a plane, believe me, is not worthwhile. I would have expected at least a glass of champagne to drink on a good year, but most people were just sleeping through it or watching a movie.
The flight Down Under is long and straining, no matter how much your used to or excited about flying. I had some decent stuff to read and my new mp3-player with me, a good chat with a Hongkong flight attendant on holidays who was sitting next to me and the 8 hours stopover in a smoggy Hongkong with winter-temperatures of 16 degrees was wonderful. But arriving in the early afternoon on January 2 in Auckland, I had picked up only a couple hours of sleep, after starting my journey in Zurich at noon on New Year's Eve.
Kiwi-summer: 50 degrees warmer
The excitment to see New Zealand after hours of sea and after looking forward to it for so long was overwhelming. I was welcomed by a humid 25 degrees (it was -25 back home) and by Clare Wade, who was so friendly to take care of me and give me a home for my two and a half weeks in Auckland. Very fast I realised why I've been missing this country ever since leaving it. The broad roads, green parks, random people greeting you cheerfully, cricket, the sea and the uncomplicated relaxedness and lightheartedness of everything make it a unique and wonderful place.
After a slightly rainy start, the two tournaments I worked at as a line-umpire we were spoiled with the most beautiful Kiwi-summer-weather and it was working in paradise for me. The team of umpires, as at pretty much every tournament I guess, was very welcoming and blessed with all kind of nice and weird people, so we had good fun together. They gave me a lot of time to work on the serviceline, a new challenge for me, which I consider as another level of umpiring compared to the other lines. I made many mistakes during the ladies event, some on the first day because of the jetlag, some because I still had to learn how to deal with the serviceline and some I just couldn't explain to myself. So I was really eager to improve towards the mens event and did fairly well, conceding just one overrule and making two bad calls during the whole tournament. I was pleased to do more serviceline and to make the final, where Juan Martin del Potro unfortunately crushed Sam Querrey in straight sets.
Next stop: Oz Open
I was working on 14 of the first 15 days in New Zealand, leaving only little time to enjoy the city. I went for runs around the beautiful Orakei Basin near my house, played tennis at Parnell with my billet and different mates, was invited for several dinners and a very interesting bbq, was spoilde by Clare with good food, watched some amazing cricket and, on my only free day, went to Piha and Whites beach on the westcoast for a swim and walk.
It was definitely a good start into my time in New Zealand and I'm looking forward to come back to Auckland someday and meet all the people I've got to know. But now, the Australian Open, my favourite sports event, is about to start and I seize the chance to go to Melbourne for 10-day-holiday, before coming back to NZ - and stay.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Switzerland - Last week back home
There was one week left to wrap up a fantastic 2008 and I would spend it, as supposed to at christmas time, with my family in Switzerland. One more week before starting the adventure New Zealand, and it was very much like the other brackets I spent at home during the last 8 months.
Since april I was planning lo leave my homecountry permanently, so everytime I went home, which was between 4 and 10 days once a month, I could enjoy it a great deal. Eating typical food, attending events, hiking in the engadin valley, playing tennis with my brother, enjoying Zurich and our fabulous public transport system, just seeing my family and talking to them or this time around skiing, playing icehockey, catching up with old schoolfriends and looking at the breathtaking mountains covered in snow were things I never had enjoyed that much before. The fact that life and every little bit in it is volatile, that we are mortal, that nothing lasts, that's what makes life precious.
Why would I do such a crazy thing and leave Switzerland, a place so well-known for its wealth and beauty all around the world? Maybe because I am crazy. But then, everyone of us has his pecularities, and as long as it doesn't cause any harm to anyone, there is no reason for hiding them. In short, Switzerland didn't feel right anyomre when I came back from Down Under a year ago. The idea of living my life there was unbearable, and it felt like I could do something better with my life. I choose Christchurch and New Zealand because I believe that I'm going to have a great time there. After 15 months of treaveling I need a place to call home, where I can take part at regular activities, be part of a community and build up something. Christchurch is the place that I believe will suit me most.
In the end, saying goodbye to everything in Switzerland was tough, but staying any longer would have been impossible. And, by bording the train to Frankfurt from where I would fly to Auckland at New Year's Eve, the excitment about 2009 and my future in New Zealand was overwhelming.
Since april I was planning lo leave my homecountry permanently, so everytime I went home, which was between 4 and 10 days once a month, I could enjoy it a great deal. Eating typical food, attending events, hiking in the engadin valley, playing tennis with my brother, enjoying Zurich and our fabulous public transport system, just seeing my family and talking to them or this time around skiing, playing icehockey, catching up with old schoolfriends and looking at the breathtaking mountains covered in snow were things I never had enjoyed that much before. The fact that life and every little bit in it is volatile, that we are mortal, that nothing lasts, that's what makes life precious.
Why would I do such a crazy thing and leave Switzerland, a place so well-known for its wealth and beauty all around the world? Maybe because I am crazy. But then, everyone of us has his pecularities, and as long as it doesn't cause any harm to anyone, there is no reason for hiding them. In short, Switzerland didn't feel right anyomre when I came back from Down Under a year ago. The idea of living my life there was unbearable, and it felt like I could do something better with my life. I choose Christchurch and New Zealand because I believe that I'm going to have a great time there. After 15 months of treaveling I need a place to call home, where I can take part at regular activities, be part of a community and build up something. Christchurch is the place that I believe will suit me most.
In the end, saying goodbye to everything in Switzerland was tough, but staying any longer would have been impossible. And, by bording the train to Frankfurt from where I would fly to Auckland at New Year's Eve, the excitment about 2009 and my future in New Zealand was overwhelming.
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