Good blogging intentions are the first things to go when you’ve got 4500 kilometers of New Zealand to drive with hundreds of hostels and dozens of towns and cities to visit and write about. The good news is, I’m finished with the book and the editor seems very pleased. The bad news–this applies to the guidebook industry in general–is that the pay=not so good, and the hours=not so good, either. I’m somehow much poorer than when I started this project over two months ago, even though I can barely remember the last time I had a day off from working on it.
But not to complain. It beats turning a giant crank in an oilfield somewhere, I would guess. New Zealand is an unreasonably beautiful country and I’m thankful I got to visit it. “Lots to gape at,” as one Kiwi I met–human, not bird–accurately put it. I did actually see a kiwi bird as well (I mention it here, on the guidebook’s blog.) I saw a lot of New Zealand, although almost all of it was at warp speed. Guidebook-writing is a very strange and compressed way to experience a place. I will upload more photos from NZ (and Sydney, where I spent one hectic day) and catch up with more of an overview of the whole experience.
For now, back, alive, well, in Ho Chi Minh City. I’ve starting doing some freelance copyediting/writing work here for a bank, of all places, and I’m beginning to do some travel podcasts for a small company—will announce the link for this soon.
Also, my friend Bady and I are going to start a magazine about underground culture in Ho Chi Minh City, and kittens. Time travel, as well. Does anyone want to write for it?
Last thing–I was discovered last week in a coffee shop, Lana Turner style, and plucked to be a high-fashion model for a stock photo shoot for Getty Images. Low-fashion model is more like it; I looked like a copy machine salesman. The concept was “westerners and vietnamese doing business while eating on the street, riding in cyclos, etc.” Very funny–will post photos whenever I get to see them. The best thing is, I can now put “Model-slash” in front of anything I ever do for the rest of my life.
6 comments
Comments feed for this article
Trackback link
http://wherewherewhere.net/2008/04/24/goodbye-new-zealand-hello-again-world/trackback/
April 24, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Alana
I was unaware that fish can be mated successfully with windbreakers.
I look forward to tales of your exploits as a model.
April 24, 2008 at 5:11 pm
The Threadbare Ed Gein Jacket
I hope you ate that fish because you look too thin.
I guess it’s only a matter of time before you become the rising star of some Vietnamese soap opera.
April 29, 2008 at 4:52 pm
LP
I can write about kittens and time travel?
April 30, 2008 at 7:11 am
Thomas
I think you were born to write about kittens and time travel. Now get on it before I throw my jewel-encrusted phone at you.
May 5, 2008 at 8:37 pm
Brian
Stop any search you may be in for yourself. You’ve been found: Model/Fishmonger.
May 6, 2008 at 5:05 pm
The Threadbare Ed Gein Jacket
Model Slash Fishmonger!
That’s brilliant!