I haven't been writing in a while. I guess I was just overwhelmed by the wonders that came over me during the last two weeks. But I shall make up for that now^^

It all started with two british gentlemen and me actually finding Sméagol: a trip to the Weta Cave and the New Zealand premiere of "The World's End". It was Saturday, July 13th, and I met with a handful of international VUW students to go on a guided Lord of the Rings-themed Capital Safari through Wellington. Our guide, a young danish lady, led us to Mount Victoria first, where we saw the screening locations of a few scenes from the triology, mainly those taking place in the forests of the shire (the hobbit hideaway, the hobbits fleeing from the Nazgúl etc.). We then took the bus out to Miramar, to pay a visit to the Weta Cave. At this point, my brain stopped working. We were given some time to take photos and surrender to merchandising. Luckily I didn't have my credit card yet, so I just walked around, mouth opened, with gigantic round and watery eyeballs, like a little child in wonderland. Actually, that's what it was: wonderland! We then went on in watching a 30 minute documentary about Weta Workshop's history. Of course I was sitting right in front of the screen, my eyeballs becoming even more watery, wonderstruck, filled with emotions of all kind, drunk on the feeling that I was among people who are just as insanely in love with evil, schizophrenic, fictional characters as I am, in Miramar, Wellington, the pulsing heart of the center of nerd paradise. But that was not all: The program closed with a guided tour called "Window into Workshop", where a young lady, who is actually working for Weta, showed us some props, miniatures, bigatures and sculptures, that had been crafted in the workshop, explaining us, how they were produced, what they were made of etc. She also answered our many many questions ("How can I apply for a job?" seems to be the most frequently asked one^^), also we got to watch a sculptor doing his work and were able to actually take a glimpse into the workshop through... a window!
On our way back I thought that the day couldn't get any more amazing. But it did! As we had heard earlier that day, the New Zealand premiere of the new Simon Pegg movie "The World's End" would take place at the Embassy Theatre that night. So a few international students from the US and I decided to go there and wait for the cast to show up, to maybe take a few photos and highfive Pegg and Nick Frost. What we eventually did. But we sure weren't expecting what was expecting us: Not only Pegg & Frost showed up, but also Martin Freeman (yes, I am talking The Hobbit!), who also has a role in the movie, half of the dwarf actors (Richard Armitage, James Nesbitt and a few others), Benedict Crumberbatch and Peter Jackson himself! Check the photo album! I hadn't even realised that PJ had actually been there, until I spotted him later on one of my randomly taken pictures. He'd headed into that building so quickly, I thought people talking about him being there were messing with me. Still, amazing!
After the events from that day, I needed a break. Uploading the photos was all I could do until today. So, what have I been up to since that fateful day? I have been to the Weta Cave two more times, finally doing some shopping and doing the Window into Workshop tour once more, I met an adorable lady from Berlin/Munich (Laura, also an international student at Vic), went partying with her and her flatmates, went also to the Red Rocks national park with them (another LotR shooting location), tried my first Steinlager, had my first lectures, walked the bushes and finally went to see "The World's End" tonight with two of the girls who were with me at the Embassy Theatre that day. After having been to the Weta Cave this afternoon, of course. So it all comes back to this: Finding Sméagol for the third time in two weeks and enjoying the company of two british gentlemen. And alien robots. Luckily, the world didn't end today, so I will take all the inspiration I got from the last 14 days and turn them into a new screenplay. And this one is going to be huge! :)