The Intern Experience

Again, I'm behind with the blogging. Blame the nice weather and good friends for my being busy on my days off an not having time to sit in front of a computer!

A few weeks ago we had an intern from Pwc US come to visit us. It's part of a new program they are doing to help keep good recruits engaged with Pwc. Will was approached about being a host a few months ago and after seeing our friends Drew and Katie have an intern in March, we knew it was a sweet deal! Plus, we found out that he was from UNI and in SAA, so I knew he was good people.

Totally want to see this movie...and it ties in nicely with our topic for today!

Jake arrived on Sunday and as I recovered from a bad cold in bed, they went to our church for the 9am service (thats a way to beat jet lag!) After that we all went to Devonport for brunch, where Jake could embrace the Auckland "cafe culture". We let Jake relax in his room for a bit, but not too long, because we were off to the Auckland Museum to see a Maori cultural performance. We'd been to one in Rotorua, but were excited to see if the Museum's was better. To be honest, not much difference, but a big difference in price!

I'm pretty sure I'd be awesome doing the haka...

Will and Jake doing their whatero (tongue protrusion)

Jake went to work with Will making copies and doing all that normal intern stuff, and during the evenings we got to go out to eat to some of our favorite restaurants and even got to have dinner on top of the sky tower! Jake got to experience Masala, our favorite Indian restaurant as well.

At the top of sky tower

Thursday happened to be the 4th of July so to celebrate, we invited Will's co-workers who were either American, whose counties were adjacent to American (one Canadian) and those Kiwis who we really felt embraced American culture. It was a very exclusive group! We "grilled" sausages, had drinks and got into teams to compete in an American Quiz. I was worried about one of Will's Kiwi co-workers who seems to know everything, and in the end, his team took home Gold. If he ever wants to immigrate to the US, I will gladly be his sponsor as I know he would be a model US citizen :)

Discussing American things like baseball, apple pie and guns

3 cool UNI panthers decked out for 'Merica!

Heisman Candidate 2013!

Friday we took a trip down to Hobbiton so Jake could embrace his inner geek and cry seeing Bilbo Baggins house. Disclaimer: he did not actually cry. 

The group in a hobbit hole! UNI should totally use this in promo materials...I'm just stayin...

Of course, we would find the kitty at Hobbiton. Apparently it's a stray who has been adopted by the caretakers 

Looking up at the "million dollar tree"

Have a cider at the Green Dragon!

Looking across the lake to the Green Dragon

Sam's hobbit hole

After that we sadly had to put him on a plane back to the US. It was a short trip, but hopefully he had a great time and got to see what it is like to be an accountant in a foreign land.

Cheers!
Will and Tally (but let's be honest, mostly Tally...)