It's 9:30 PM on a Sunday night. I just got back from my hike and am sitting at my table in the corner of the campground dining hall sheepishly (look at the word I used while in New Zealand!) eating my instant noodles along with some pistachios, a granola bar, a boiled egg for protein, pumpkin seeds, some kind of trail mix thing from a bin at the Countdown grocery store, and gummy bears (leave it alone). This is what is around me now:
At one table is an attractive young couple from Italy that I've been seeing around. I just learned yesterday that they work here at the campground. It's common for people under 30 to come from other countries to work and travel around NZ for a year. This is what this engaged couple is doing. They usually clean during the day, but she’s dressed up as if to head into town for a casual evening. They have two boxes on the table between them. One is a pretty decent looking restaurant pizza, the other, maybe some kind of large calzone? She labored at cutting it into pieces before he came into the kitchen/dining room and joined her at her table. He entered, grabbed two beers from a corner of the fridge he’s claimed, and sat down. As she realizes it's time to eat, she claps her hands in happy manner and they both dive in.
Near me at another table is an older couple from who knows where. Europe maybe? They’ve finished their meal and are both on their iPads. I think the guy was playing a game of some sort. They aren’t talking much, but I’ve seen them before and they seem to enjoy each other’s company. She has just returned from telling a German lady who had cooked with her pots that they were hers but that she could use them if she wanted. The German lady, a little more abrasive by nature, not intent, said she was done with them and had washed them off.
The German lady is at her own table now. Preparation complete, she sits down with her bowl of instant noodles and a beer. In front of her is an empty storage container with a pile of bread slices on top. On the other side of this is a mirror image of her own meal. Her husband came in earlier, but is about 5 minutes late to the meal. He joins her with some seemingly dry German conversation and they eat in serious fashion.
There are three guys who may be in their mid to late 20's on the opposite corner of the room. Based on their "non-accents" I'm guessing they are American or Canadian. They've just finished cleaning up after their meal and are talking about taking shots as they leave the dining room and head back to their campsite.
Oh! It looks like I have some Nerds candy left. I’ll wait to eat them in my sleepervan where no one is watching.
At one table is an attractive young couple from Italy that I've been seeing around. I just learned yesterday that they work here at the campground. It's common for people under 30 to come from other countries to work and travel around NZ for a year. This is what this engaged couple is doing. They usually clean during the day, but she’s dressed up as if to head into town for a casual evening. They have two boxes on the table between them. One is a pretty decent looking restaurant pizza, the other, maybe some kind of large calzone? She labored at cutting it into pieces before he came into the kitchen/dining room and joined her at her table. He entered, grabbed two beers from a corner of the fridge he’s claimed, and sat down. As she realizes it's time to eat, she claps her hands in happy manner and they both dive in.
Near me at another table is an older couple from who knows where. Europe maybe? They’ve finished their meal and are both on their iPads. I think the guy was playing a game of some sort. They aren’t talking much, but I’ve seen them before and they seem to enjoy each other’s company. She has just returned from telling a German lady who had cooked with her pots that they were hers but that she could use them if she wanted. The German lady, a little more abrasive by nature, not intent, said she was done with them and had washed them off.
The German lady is at her own table now. Preparation complete, she sits down with her bowl of instant noodles and a beer. In front of her is an empty storage container with a pile of bread slices on top. On the other side of this is a mirror image of her own meal. Her husband came in earlier, but is about 5 minutes late to the meal. He joins her with some seemingly dry German conversation and they eat in serious fashion.
There are three guys who may be in their mid to late 20's on the opposite corner of the room. Based on their "non-accents" I'm guessing they are American or Canadian. They've just finished cleaning up after their meal and are talking about taking shots as they leave the dining room and head back to their campsite.
Oh! It looks like I have some Nerds candy left. I’ll wait to eat them in my sleepervan where no one is watching.