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Hey All!
Well, I just sent in the last of my PQ paperwork and whatnot. Now the only thing I have left to fill out are my housing and hotel requests.
Any recommendations for where to stay in Christchurch? How long will we be there for? Is there somewhere the fingees usually stay or anywhere particularly cool? I’m used to hosteling it when I travel, and it looked like that was an option…
Also, anything specific I should put on the housing request form? Is there any point in asking for a specific dorm – or any specific dorm I should ask for? The way people talk about Hotel Cal on here makes it sound kinda nuts, but in a way I think I’d enjoy. Maybe I’m just crazy though. (But then, I’m voluntarily going to Antarctica, so that might be a given… *gryns*)
Lastly and totally unrelated, who are the folks on here from Ireland? (It sounded like there were more than one?) I spent a year living in Dublin a little while ago, and miss the whole island like hell.
Thanks again to everyone for all your help and advice. I can’t believe it’s not even three months now ’til I go down! I’m starting to get itchy feet (although fortunately not in any way that medical should have a problem with.)
– Rebecca
Hi Rebecca
Probably your best bet at a low cost place that will have lots of ice people is the YMCA. It’s near the Art Center, Gardens, Museum and is right off the bus route to the Antarctic Center. It’s relatively low cost and is popular with the program.
A little more but still reasonable is the Windsor and the Devon. Thomas’s is nice but a step down in my opinion. It does however have a kitchen which makes it nice to keep your budget down. You get a small travel fund that should cover whatever medium cost place you decide to stay in.Hold on here, you mean to tell me the men and women all live mixed in the same buildings? I’m used to a certain section of one building (tent, whatever) being where the females had to stay and guys where in deep S**T if they even got close to.
Yeah, everyone is all mixed in together. It really reminds me a lot of the college dorms. Hotel Cal is a good social/party dorm. I liked for my first “freshman” year. I know they say you can’t request certain rooms, but I’m not sure about requesting certain buildings. If you have a choice, Hotel Cal is nice than MMI. They’re both on the “other” side of town, but in Hotel Cal, there’s a sauna, the rooms are bigger & the lounge is nice and big – always with people in it to socialize with.
As for staying in Christchurch. You’re usually there for just a couple of days, more if your flight gets delayed. I always like to stay at the YMCA. As far as hostels go, it’s the nicest, and most like a hotel, but still with hostel rates. And there’s lots of Ice people staying there. It’s set up well with a Raytheon message board, and getting to the airport and whatnot. I usually put Thomas’s down as my second choice… not that it’s anything fancy, but it’s right next door to the Y, and I love the neighborhood. Right by the botanical gardens, across from the Art Center, and not far from downtown.
Zondra
OG —
I think you’re going to be in for an eye-opening experience.
First off, forget about all your experiences with the military. Even the NYANG folk that come down here don’t salute one another. No guns, no tanks, no Humvees, no barracks, no one shooting at you…
Around here, everyone is equal, and there is no line of demarkation between us. Why, they even let men and women live together IN THE SAME ROOM, if they want to! A big plus for the many couples that come down here. 🙂
Z is right – it’s more like college dorm life. The worse thing you can do is to come down with a pre-conceived notion of the place. Be open to the lifestyle we have here – it’s a very unique environment.
Semper Gumby (always flexible).
See you this summer.
a[font=Arial:met3uxbi]MightyAtlas wrote:[/font:met3uxbi]
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[/font:met3uxbi] [font=Arial:met3uxbi]Around here, everyone is equal, and there is no line of demarkation between us.[/font:met3uxbi]
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[font=Arial:met3uxbi]I must respectfully disagree on this point, Atlas. After spending a lot of time with the military on the ice, there definitely seems to be quite a hard line drawn between them & the rest of the community. I was criticized, questioned and warned about the amount of time I was seen with the boys in green. I watched people repeatedly look away & walk by without a word when my friends greeted them on highway 1, then experienced it myself when I suddenly became invisible while sitting at a military table in the dining hall. Even people willingly attending parties in their dorms displayed an attitude upon seeing me punch their lounge code & walk in, expressing that I was a little “too familiar” with being there. Some people walked out of a party I had my first year, telling me they were uncomfortable with the number of military & coasties there. I could go on with other examples of things which are done on the ice to make sure the military knows they are not welcome, but don’t want to ramble on excessively. Suffice it to say that those who are not already hardened and bitter have their feelings hurt on a daily basis, and it is a very sad state of affairs when observed from the other side. I wish all could be equal & unjudged, but it seems not even the ice is an escape from intentionally hurtful bias and prejudice.[/font:met3uxbi]
Kells, I’m the mick. Dub meself from the Green area at the end of Grafton Street. Love it still. As a newbie you are probably going to get MMI or Cal, some get 155 though and very few anywhere else. The place is great craic and its a great place to get to know people as you are stuck with them 24/7 in the same little space. Its big enough to hide away or be away from crowds but you know that nobody is ever too far away.
Erica sweetheart, how are ye? I got a few of those looks too last year as I enjoyed everyone there, always with some group or other, firefighters, military, beekers or whoever. I guess the accent helps. I think I heard its more a throwback from when brass made sure the mils stayed away from the civs and it gets more relaxed each year as more return and know each other.
See you guys soon I hope.
Lucky.Erica —
When I wrote that I was referring to men and women being equal, with no line of demarkation. I then went on to speak of how the military presence here isn’t really like a military presence anywhere else. I didn’t mean to imply that there arent cliques, because there are. During the summer, the military tends to stay with their own, as do the scientists, as do the PHI guys, as do the Galley staff, the IT staff, and on and on…
Personally, I get along great with the ANG and SFA, and I stay in contact with a number of them while they’re off-ice.
Like any small town, one group will avoid other groups simply because they don’t really know them (and aren’t necessarily willing to put forth the effort to remedy that). Of course, the military rotates its personnel in and out on a regular basis. Sometimes, it’s difficult to get to know someone well who isn’t here long. That works both ways, too.
I remember back in 1999-2000, when non-military personnel were banned from entering the ANG dorms. Of course, it was a couple of ASA guys who screwed things up by ‘removing’ one of the computers that were located in their lounge, then hiding it in 155. After that, relations were tense for a while. I also remember some flights that came in from CHC one December, where freshies, and mail, were bumped so the ANG could get new TV/VCRs, and humidifiers.
Like Lucky said, things are getting better each year, and I’m proud to call some of the ANG people friends. Tensions have eased on both sides, and it shows.
Frankly, I’m looking forward to see the military down here again – they’re giving me a ride north… 🙂
aMy take is that things have been changing for the better as the years go by. When I first got here in 1999, there was an air of animosity between the military and the civilians. Over time it’s been getting better. For the most part the military people you see will be air national guard. Everyday people like all of us who do their time each year in the military.
There is still a division though. They have a private dorm with signs saying you are not allowed in. They also have their own private bar that the rest of the community isn’t allowed to visit.
All in all though you won’t notice it much.
As to girls and guys in the same dorms. It’s all equal there.
m
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