you can plan a pretty picnic but you can't predict the weather

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Rooftop BBQ

Wednesday, 8 November 2006 : Filed under: Auckland E-Mail This Article

rooftop bbq

The top of our building, St. James Apartments, has a rooftop deck. The deck comes equiped with a large grill, chairs, plants, sauna, and a view into downtown. The other night we had some friends over to grill and spend the evening hanging out on our rooftop patio.

Internet Update: No internet yet. Hopefully sometime in the next month. Telecom (the goverment owned phone/internet/everything company) had to reschedule our install date.

Telecom is also one of only two providers of mobile phone service in NZ. Becuase there are only two providers, and one is goverment owned, there is no real competition and prices are rediculous. Beth has a prepayed phone from Vodafone, the other provider. She pays 81c/minute to place any type of call. Most people here text instead, which costs 20c/text. Calling mobile phones from landlines is also expensive, costing something like $1.30/min. In short, Telecom is the enemy. But at the same time, they will be providing me with an internet connection.

7 Comments »

Comment by Peg Moore — November 8, 2006 @ 1:39 am

Wow, those kabobs look awesome!!! Not to mention the steaks on the grill. Is that Julia with Beth? About phones, did we mention to you that John and Anita are using Vonage now that they’ve moved to Honduras? Their number there has our local 248 prefix, so we can call them from here as if we’re only calling to Royal Oak. And only paying that low price. I have no clue how that works or if it has any relevance at all to you. By the way, is there some protocol I’m not familiar with that says to keep my submissions shorter than this one? ;-) And more interesting for everyone else than about Vonage? ;-)

Comment by Clara Hoover — November 8, 2006 @ 6:58 am

Great vegetables! What fun! Great scenery!

Comment by jeff — November 8, 2006 @ 5:40 pm

NEXT MONTH?!?!? Did you write that correctly? Does the library have internet stuff like they do here? Handy that it’s next door.

can you explain the grilling picture a bit? It looks like it’s inside, but your text says you’re up on the deck which i would think would be outside, so even with the picture I’m having a hard time picturing it. Thanks.

Comment by josh — November 8, 2006 @ 9:08 pm

That is pretty cool about the vonage in Honduras. We mainly needed a local number for job hunting etc. I can give it to you (or anyone else) by email. I don’t know how much it costs you to call NZ. Perhaps you can find a phone card with a good rate?

Your submissions can be whatever you like. So far it is only Gunder girls responding consistantly, and I am glad to have the dialogue :) .

Comment by josh — November 8, 2006 @ 9:09 pm

Oh yeah, the girls in the picture are Julia (short) and Bethany (tall).

Comment by josh — November 9, 2006 @ 4:59 am

Dad, the rooftop sun deck has walls but no roof. I will upload some more pics when I get a chance.

And I was being pessimistic about the internet. It got connected today :) .

Comment by josh — November 10, 2006 @ 12:33 am

Jeff,
Here is a link to my video tour of the rooftop.

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