So, we’re going to start by not even mentioning how late
this update is.
Kat’s Birthday:
My birthday began in Napier, not far from the home of a
certain Kiwi mum who brought along a certain enthusiastic daughter to join in
the celebration, the first part of which was Turkish kebabs for lunch and a
pavlova (classic Kiwi—not Australian—dessert that’s more or less a large
meringue with a cream centre) complete with dried fruit, whipped cream topping,
and candles.
On January 11, the actual day of my birth, I spent most of
the day in a bathing suit (or togs, as it’s referred to over here) on a beach
with a book, the first ever birthday I have spent thus. I thoroughly enjoyed it
and intend to do it again next time I manage to be in the southern hemisphere
over my birthday. The day was capped off with dinner at a lovely café that had
outdoor seating and a brilliant dessert menu.
One week later, a van, marked only with ‘Napier Tours,’
drove up to the end of the prison driveway, and we two daring adventurers were
instructed to get in by the driver, a former policeman who had in fact put a
number of men in Napier Prison over his career. The van then picked up two more
Americans, a pair of golf professionals, both in their early twenties, and all
four of us were whisked away under the Hawkes Bay sun to five fantastic
wineries where we discovered, among other things, a Riesling reminiscent of
liquid candy, a Sherry that smelled and tasted like Christmas cake, and the fact
that there are indeed wines Destiny can enjoy.
To complete the celebration, we took a detour on the way
to the South Island and stopped by the lakeside town of Taupo, home of Skydive
Taupo. A white limo took us out to the airfield where I was introduced to
Wadey, who would be diving with me. So after putting on a particularly
flattering blue jump suit, a pair of plastic goggles, and a leather cap, we
boarded the little plane that took us 12,000 feet above Lake Taupo. Here, I
waved good-bye to Destiny who, along with her tandem, started to make her way
earthward. A few minutes later, after all the other divers had left, Wadey and
I, now strapped to one another by a harness, made our way to the door, now
15,000 feet up.
The blue sky and blue lake below rushed in with the cold air
as I rocked back, then fell forward. For a minute—the longest minute
imaginable, and at the same time, entirely too short—the cold and the blue
rushed up at me, a single continuous sensation of flight, which never really felt
like falling. The earth grew ever clearer, though it seemed more like it was
coming into focus and less like we were really getting closer—until the sudden
instant when the parachute opened and everything stopped. Then came the gentle
glide, around and over and down, a slow, graceful motion from the sky back to
the airfield.
Thus ended the celebration of Kat Harrell’s 23rd
birthday.
Now, as to Destiny’s birthday:
Honestly, if you think about it, hurling yourself off a
platform above Queenstown, New Zealand, is the best birthday present you can
give yourself. What better way to celebrate the passing of another year than to
treat your body like a heart-pounding, adrenaline-laced,
life-flashing-before-your-eyes amusement park? I find that one of the best ways
to really appreciate life is to satisfy l’appel du vide (literally “call of the void,” that feeling you get
when standing on a precipice that maybe you kind of want to jump…)
So in this marvelous Year of our Lord 2012, in honor of the
22nd year of my life (a year I have fondly nicknamed Double Deuce),
I screamed “Geronimo!” and threw myself into a swan dive off the Ledge in
Queenstown. The Ledge Bungee is distinctive for its “runway” and free-harness
system, which allows you a running start and a free-fall in the manner of your
choosing. Some people have been known to go off the platform on bicycles and
skateboards. Here is the conversation between the two bungee instructors after
my screaming descent (as evidenced on the far-too-expensive dvd footage that I
did not buy):
Instructor 1: She’s crazy. Where is she from?
Instructor 2: The States.
Instructor 1: Oh.
For those of you who have not yet experienced the joy of
bungee (or stoutly refuse to do so), here’s a taste:
Your feet find empty air and for the space of a heartbeat
you’re airborne. It’s a crystalline moment, where you become keenly aware of
every color and sound and sensation. The bite of the harness, the itch on your
ankle, the green of the trees below and the blue of the sky above, the scent of
sweat and nylon and pine.
Then comes the ground-rush and your body reacts to the
sensation of what it perceives to be impending death with sensory shutdown.
Your eyes are open but you can’t see anything. Your limbs and mouth and ears
and nose are not your own. The only thing left to you is the queer feeling that
your stomach is trying to claw its way up your brainstem.
Then the bungee cord snaps taut and your body crashes back
into itself. Your heart (which you didn’t realized had stopped) starts pounding
away. Your lungs (which you didn’t realize had shriveled) fill with air. Less
than five seconds have passed, but it might as well have been years.
Leaping into the void is truly a remarkable thing, why else
do you think it calls to us? (Disclaimer: Leaping into the void without a
bungee cord or a parachute would most certainly end in death, and therefore
would be a truly tragic thing.)
After Kat’s jump, we walked back toward the shop. Along the
way, we were stopped by an elderly couple sitting on a bench. They wanted to
know if we were the ones who had just bungeed, and informed us that they had
been terrified for us and couldn’t believe we would do such a thing. Their
concern was heartwarming. Also hilarious.
The second part of my birthday celebration took place a few
hours south, in the marvelous and hilly coastal town of Dunedin, where lives
the incomparable Thomson Family and their regal and fluffy cat, Glitzy
Candle-Bears. With the Thomsons, we had a Mexican fiesta on my actual birthday,
with homemade empanadas, rice, enchiladas, guacamole, and pico de gallo
(thanks, Jonathan). For pudding, a beautiful chocolate cake baked and decorated
by Kat (and half-iced with Nutella, as we ran out of frosting.) While we devoured cake, Anne Thomson (the
mum) presented me with a birthday gift, which I eagerly opened. But the moment
I laid my hands on the prize, Anne cried “Wait! That’s mine!” and snatched it
back. That was probably the most disconcerting birthday gift I’ve ever
received. (Don’t worry. The next day she found my actual present, a lovely tea
towel printed with names of places on the South Island.)
Birthdays ought always be spent with people who care about
you, whether on one side of the world or another. This year, I was lucky enough
to celebrate twice with such people. The day after my fabulous fiesta with the
Thomsons, I skyped home, where my family was celebrating my U.S. birthday with
as much flair as if I had been home. Through my computer screen, I got to enjoy
decorations and a birthday cake with exactly the right number of candles. My
mother told me I had to choose someone to blow out my candles. My little cousin
Emilyn immediately shouted “Me! I’m going to blow them out!” She did an
excellent job, though I’m not sure whether it’s my wish or hers that will come
true. I should submit an enquiry to the Birthday Candles Wish Association.