We are back in at Lincoln from our little adventure to Dunedin. I'm not up to writing a full run-down right now, but let's just say the past few days have been packed with uncomfortable bus rides, penguin watching, and spending a bunch of money at a little craft market and at CADBURY WORLD. and some more bus riding. We really only had one full day in Dunedin, which was definitely not enough. Tomorrow we are frolicking around Christchurch and hopefully I'll get a blog in at night. And maybe even some school work. Crazy.
Anyways, I had a fun couple of days. Oh, and I saw Death at a Funeral last night. I highly recommend it if you're in the mood for a hectic, hilarious British comedy.
More later.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Kaikoura and the beginning of Christchurch
Hello from Lincoln University in Christchurch! It's 7:45 pm on Wednesday the 23rd, so we have almost exactly two more weeks left here. It's funny to think that it's so soon, but I think by then I will be ready. I'm not looking forward to it being cold and probably snowy, but it's going to be nice to just be at home.
I apologize for the lack of photo update. I'm on an outdated machine in the computer lab and it would be a pain to get all my stuff onto Flickr. I will try to commandeer someone's laptop soon and get it done.
So Sunday was our Interislander ferry ride from Wellington to Picton on the South Island. It was about three hours, the last half of which was packed with fabulous views. A bus picked us up in Picton and after struggling to get all of our bags in the bottom compartments, we drove about 2 hours to Kaikoura.
We arrived at our hostel, the Dusky Lodge, and packed in four or six people to a room. Kaikoura is definitely a one-horse town and there wasn't much to do, so Charles, Melody, and I rented bikes from the lodge and went for a ride for what must have been 2.5 hours. We went down probably 6km on one road, hoping to find the "Forest Walk." But we ran into a long portion of road that was gravel, not paved, and extremely hard to ride because of the surface and slight incline. I walked most of the way because pedalling was pretty much impossible. The Forest Walk was apparently an hour-long thing and we were pretty spent by then, so we agreed to just sit a bit and tell everyone we got to the top of the mountain a few hundred yards away. The ride back was mostly downhill so it was a lot easier and a whole lot faster. I don't think I've ever gone that fast for so long on a bike. It was awesome and terrifying at the same time, especially on the gravel.
After returning the bikes, the three of us went into town to find dinner. We settled on a bar type place without realizing that they served tapas-style plates, which are meant to be shared. We just got one each, though, and watched Phil Collins music videos for a while before moving on to another place to top off our stomachs. While we waited for our food we played a game of pool (I am Horrible with a capital H) and Charles spotted a man who kept looking over at us. Later, the same man directed me to the silverware without me asking, then approached us and asked us if we were from Delaware, had we come in on the ferry today, and were we going whale watching tomorrow? Turns out he was going to be our bus driver. Sorta creepy.
Later that night Charles and I walked down to the beach to check out some stars. We found Orion but I couldn't spot the Southern Cross. Which was disappointing because I learned to find it really easily when I was in Australia and was sad when I went home and couldn't see it again. I guess it was just really comforting to know that when I looked up, it would always be there. I'll have to get someone to point it out to me again.
Anyway, the whale watch was Monday morning aaaaand it was the bumpiest, most nauseating boat ride I have ever been on. 3/4 of the people on the boat ended up making use of the large supply of seasickness bags, me included. The captain found us a sperm whale hanging out on the surface, refueling from an hour long deep sea dive. And true to form, I cried. Partly because I was amazed at being so close to such a huge creature, and partly because I was nauseous and hyperventilating. I got the all important whale tail photos as he dove down again, and then I was ready to go back to terra firma. Much to my chagrin, though, the captain found another whale and we had to ride around to find him and watch him spout for a few minutes. At this point we had been in and out of the cabin about five times, which made the seasickness even worse. And THEN we found a huge pod of dusky dolphins and had to get in and out to see them too. They were quite fun to watch but we had been on the boat entirely too long. I was feeling terrible but I thought my breakfast was going to stay put, but I couldn't make it through the ride home. My friend Brittany described the cabin as "like a horror movie" with everyone getting sick and all. A bunch of us just laid on the ground after we got off the boat. Horrible. We heard it was going to be a little rough that day but no one could have anticipated how bad 2m swells would be. Apparently the last group our bus driver had didn't have any problems and loved the whale watch. So it was neat to see the whales and the dolphins and I got some nice pictures, but I am absolutely traumatized and don't want to go on a boat, much less a whale watch, for a very long time.
After that terrible experience, everyone recovered for an hour or so in Kaikoura before getting on the bus again for the drive to Lincoln. In the span of about two hours, with a stop to look at a seal colony, we rode down the coast (rated the world's #12 scenic coast drive, evidently) and through miles and miles of dry farmland. We arrived at Lincoln University outside of Christchurch. The place is very isolated, with a few businesses and one pub down the road. It's an agriculture/science university with only 3000 students, but since it's summer there are only 250 enrolled. There's also a hoarde of cricket players from around the country staying here for some summer program. So people were a little worried about not having anything to do ever. Another UD Study Abroad group met us and showed us to our rooms. They are on an Animal Science program and are staying here for their whole time, save free weekends and farm visits. It felt like being back in Delaware, not in New Zealand. I feel like I know or have seen every other person on that trip from classes or 4-H camp or something. Very odd.
Tuesday the whole group was supposed to meet for class and housekeeping matters at 9:15 am but we had to wait for an hour before our professors showed up with a representative from the university. Needless to say, the feelings of pessimism and unease from the previous day resurfaced in everyone. This trip is tough because 1) our professors have never done this before and 2) we move around so much. So there's a lot of moving and waiting and not knowing what the heck is going on.
By the time we got to class we didn't have much time left so we had a short meeting, only discussing one of the three stories on our syllabus. We read out loud and then we were made to act it out, as our reading apparently was too awkward to get a feel for the action of the story. Great. It was quite awkward but also entertaining to watch our friends up on "stage" making fools of themselves. I got to be an albatross, flying across the room twice and ignoring the other characters. I hear there are pictures, so hopefully I can get my hands (wings?) on those. I bet they're gorgeous.
Theeen we piled on the bus again for a brief tour of Christchurch. It started raining on the way there and when we got to a lookout point it was gusting and raining and terribly foggy. We couldn't see anything and my umbrella was blown inside-out twice. Again, unrest and negativity. We were then dropped off in the town of Christchurch to go to a tourist information centre and wander around the wet streets for an hour. So fun. Then back to Lincoln, where the power was out and we had to move our scheduled barbeque dinner inside. It was delicious, by the way. At night a small group of us ended up sitting in the hallway and talking. It was like the freshman year dorm experience I never had. It was nice, actually.
Today I was on my way to an Independent Study meeting and I locked myself IN my dorm room and had to climb out the window to get to the office and request help. Thank goodness I'm on the first floor. The cleaning ladies (who are the happiest cleaning ladies I've ever seen, by the way) considered vaulting each other into the window to get it from the inside. So I missed the meeting while I waited for a maintenance guy to come. He had to climb in the window and figured out that it was just a little button thing that locks the latch in place. I got to the classroom just as the other class was about to start, so I just stayed for it, as I wanted to hear the discussion about one of the poems they were working on. Afterwards we waited a while for the Lincoln guy to come get us to distribute ID cards (for logging onto the computers and swiping into buildings, etc) before leaving to get lunch when he didn't show. We found him on the way and got our cards and then had lunch. Aaaand then we bussed into Christchurch again for our alternative Folklore class. Our professor hired a storyteller to well, tell us some stories at the Botanical Gardens.
The lady came in a green patterned cape, and with a carved staff and perpetually twinkling eyes. She was the type of person who's absolutely delighted to be alive and talking to people. Thus she was really great at telling stories. Unfortunately though, we were outside with a big group that was hard to manage in slightly overgrown forest trails. Plus she was telling longer versions of stories we'd already heard 10 times so far and we didn't realize it would be so long. But it was alright. Afterwards we were left in the city of Christchurch for about an hour, during which we wandered around through shops and outdoor merchant tables. There's the World Buskers Festival happening in the city right now, but when we were there everyone was wrapped or wrapping up. Disappointing, but I'm sure we will see some cool performers/performances another day.
Whew. Blogging is seriously hard work. I've been at this for quite a while but I'm all caught up now. Tomorrow we are off to Dunedin. We were supposed to go to the theatre, but the only thing playing is a psychic show. Our one professor has booked us for the event, though, so we'll see what happens. My third eye forsees generalizations and lame jokes. Oh well. The ride is apparently 6 hours (oy) and we will be there Thursday night, Friday, and part of Saturday. Then it's back to Christchurch for an action-packed day in town at the Botanical Gardens, Canterbury Museum, Art Centre market, and hopefully some buskers. I'm not sure when I'll be able to update again. Maybe Saturday night. Or Sunday. Or Monday. See you then, internet.
I apologize for the lack of photo update. I'm on an outdated machine in the computer lab and it would be a pain to get all my stuff onto Flickr. I will try to commandeer someone's laptop soon and get it done.
So Sunday was our Interislander ferry ride from Wellington to Picton on the South Island. It was about three hours, the last half of which was packed with fabulous views. A bus picked us up in Picton and after struggling to get all of our bags in the bottom compartments, we drove about 2 hours to Kaikoura.
We arrived at our hostel, the Dusky Lodge, and packed in four or six people to a room. Kaikoura is definitely a one-horse town and there wasn't much to do, so Charles, Melody, and I rented bikes from the lodge and went for a ride for what must have been 2.5 hours. We went down probably 6km on one road, hoping to find the "Forest Walk." But we ran into a long portion of road that was gravel, not paved, and extremely hard to ride because of the surface and slight incline. I walked most of the way because pedalling was pretty much impossible. The Forest Walk was apparently an hour-long thing and we were pretty spent by then, so we agreed to just sit a bit and tell everyone we got to the top of the mountain a few hundred yards away. The ride back was mostly downhill so it was a lot easier and a whole lot faster. I don't think I've ever gone that fast for so long on a bike. It was awesome and terrifying at the same time, especially on the gravel.
After returning the bikes, the three of us went into town to find dinner. We settled on a bar type place without realizing that they served tapas-style plates, which are meant to be shared. We just got one each, though, and watched Phil Collins music videos for a while before moving on to another place to top off our stomachs. While we waited for our food we played a game of pool (I am Horrible with a capital H) and Charles spotted a man who kept looking over at us. Later, the same man directed me to the silverware without me asking, then approached us and asked us if we were from Delaware, had we come in on the ferry today, and were we going whale watching tomorrow? Turns out he was going to be our bus driver. Sorta creepy.
Later that night Charles and I walked down to the beach to check out some stars. We found Orion but I couldn't spot the Southern Cross. Which was disappointing because I learned to find it really easily when I was in Australia and was sad when I went home and couldn't see it again. I guess it was just really comforting to know that when I looked up, it would always be there. I'll have to get someone to point it out to me again.
Anyway, the whale watch was Monday morning aaaaand it was the bumpiest, most nauseating boat ride I have ever been on. 3/4 of the people on the boat ended up making use of the large supply of seasickness bags, me included. The captain found us a sperm whale hanging out on the surface, refueling from an hour long deep sea dive. And true to form, I cried. Partly because I was amazed at being so close to such a huge creature, and partly because I was nauseous and hyperventilating. I got the all important whale tail photos as he dove down again, and then I was ready to go back to terra firma. Much to my chagrin, though, the captain found another whale and we had to ride around to find him and watch him spout for a few minutes. At this point we had been in and out of the cabin about five times, which made the seasickness even worse. And THEN we found a huge pod of dusky dolphins and had to get in and out to see them too. They were quite fun to watch but we had been on the boat entirely too long. I was feeling terrible but I thought my breakfast was going to stay put, but I couldn't make it through the ride home. My friend Brittany described the cabin as "like a horror movie" with everyone getting sick and all. A bunch of us just laid on the ground after we got off the boat. Horrible. We heard it was going to be a little rough that day but no one could have anticipated how bad 2m swells would be. Apparently the last group our bus driver had didn't have any problems and loved the whale watch. So it was neat to see the whales and the dolphins and I got some nice pictures, but I am absolutely traumatized and don't want to go on a boat, much less a whale watch, for a very long time.
After that terrible experience, everyone recovered for an hour or so in Kaikoura before getting on the bus again for the drive to Lincoln. In the span of about two hours, with a stop to look at a seal colony, we rode down the coast (rated the world's #12 scenic coast drive, evidently) and through miles and miles of dry farmland. We arrived at Lincoln University outside of Christchurch. The place is very isolated, with a few businesses and one pub down the road. It's an agriculture/science university with only 3000 students, but since it's summer there are only 250 enrolled. There's also a hoarde of cricket players from around the country staying here for some summer program. So people were a little worried about not having anything to do ever. Another UD Study Abroad group met us and showed us to our rooms. They are on an Animal Science program and are staying here for their whole time, save free weekends and farm visits. It felt like being back in Delaware, not in New Zealand. I feel like I know or have seen every other person on that trip from classes or 4-H camp or something. Very odd.
Tuesday the whole group was supposed to meet for class and housekeeping matters at 9:15 am but we had to wait for an hour before our professors showed up with a representative from the university. Needless to say, the feelings of pessimism and unease from the previous day resurfaced in everyone. This trip is tough because 1) our professors have never done this before and 2) we move around so much. So there's a lot of moving and waiting and not knowing what the heck is going on.
By the time we got to class we didn't have much time left so we had a short meeting, only discussing one of the three stories on our syllabus. We read out loud and then we were made to act it out, as our reading apparently was too awkward to get a feel for the action of the story. Great. It was quite awkward but also entertaining to watch our friends up on "stage" making fools of themselves. I got to be an albatross, flying across the room twice and ignoring the other characters. I hear there are pictures, so hopefully I can get my hands (wings?) on those. I bet they're gorgeous.
Theeen we piled on the bus again for a brief tour of Christchurch. It started raining on the way there and when we got to a lookout point it was gusting and raining and terribly foggy. We couldn't see anything and my umbrella was blown inside-out twice. Again, unrest and negativity. We were then dropped off in the town of Christchurch to go to a tourist information centre and wander around the wet streets for an hour. So fun. Then back to Lincoln, where the power was out and we had to move our scheduled barbeque dinner inside. It was delicious, by the way. At night a small group of us ended up sitting in the hallway and talking. It was like the freshman year dorm experience I never had. It was nice, actually.
Today I was on my way to an Independent Study meeting and I locked myself IN my dorm room and had to climb out the window to get to the office and request help. Thank goodness I'm on the first floor. The cleaning ladies (who are the happiest cleaning ladies I've ever seen, by the way) considered vaulting each other into the window to get it from the inside. So I missed the meeting while I waited for a maintenance guy to come. He had to climb in the window and figured out that it was just a little button thing that locks the latch in place. I got to the classroom just as the other class was about to start, so I just stayed for it, as I wanted to hear the discussion about one of the poems they were working on. Afterwards we waited a while for the Lincoln guy to come get us to distribute ID cards (for logging onto the computers and swiping into buildings, etc) before leaving to get lunch when he didn't show. We found him on the way and got our cards and then had lunch. Aaaand then we bussed into Christchurch again for our alternative Folklore class. Our professor hired a storyteller to well, tell us some stories at the Botanical Gardens.
The lady came in a green patterned cape, and with a carved staff and perpetually twinkling eyes. She was the type of person who's absolutely delighted to be alive and talking to people. Thus she was really great at telling stories. Unfortunately though, we were outside with a big group that was hard to manage in slightly overgrown forest trails. Plus she was telling longer versions of stories we'd already heard 10 times so far and we didn't realize it would be so long. But it was alright. Afterwards we were left in the city of Christchurch for about an hour, during which we wandered around through shops and outdoor merchant tables. There's the World Buskers Festival happening in the city right now, but when we were there everyone was wrapped or wrapping up. Disappointing, but I'm sure we will see some cool performers/performances another day.
Whew. Blogging is seriously hard work. I've been at this for quite a while but I'm all caught up now. Tomorrow we are off to Dunedin. We were supposed to go to the theatre, but the only thing playing is a psychic show. Our one professor has booked us for the event, though, so we'll see what happens. My third eye forsees generalizations and lame jokes. Oh well. The ride is apparently 6 hours (oy) and we will be there Thursday night, Friday, and part of Saturday. Then it's back to Christchurch for an action-packed day in town at the Botanical Gardens, Canterbury Museum, Art Centre market, and hopefully some buskers. I'm not sure when I'll be able to update again. Maybe Saturday night. Or Sunday. Or Monday. See you then, internet.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Welly-world
Hey. This will be my last post for a couple of days. Sorry I haven't been doing current updates. We have been in Wellington at Massey University since the 9th. In general, the weather has been in the 60s or so, with the past couple days getting into the 70 range. And the city is on the water, so it's perpetually windy.
Classes have been fine, if not too easy. I've got Folklore and Folklife, for which we've been discussing The Whale Rider and our projects (some presentations and a paper). My project is on birds and how they fit into New Zealand - particularly Maori - culture. So we'll see about that. And then, for my Independent Study, I'll have to write a 15 page paper on Keri Hulme's The Bone People and selected pieces from her collection Stonefish. Exhilarating, I know.
So, highlights from Wellington? There was the National Tattoo Museum on the 10th, which was a tiny hole-in-the-wall type place with some wooden sculptures and paintings, but mostly photographs and a moldy aroma in the air. Everyone was really excited beforehand, but, needless to say, the experience was underwhelming.
A bunch of us visited the Parliament buildings and took a tour. That was really cool and informative. The art and architecture inside is really amazing, but we weren't allowed to take pictures. Fun facts: There are 8 political parties and only 1 house in the NZ Parliament. And there's Georgiana, the first transexual member of Parliament. Awesome.
Another of Wellington's gems is the Te Papa, a gorgeous, sprawling, free museum packed with great exhibits. I've been there three times so far and will probably go again today. 5 stars. Would visit again.
On Tuesday the whole group was forced to go to Katherine Mansfield's birthplace. The house was small and quite hot inside, especially because we had to pack like sardines into one room at a time. Not having read Mansfield and not being horribly interested in 5 kinds of Victorian chamber pots, I found it rather agonizing. The place might be a alright to breeze through with one or two people, but I wouldn't have paid for a $5 tour. Not recommended.
Tuesday night I saw Andrew Bird at a little place called the San Francisco Bathhouse. I couldn't convince anyone to go with me, regretably. I waited 40 minutes before the doors opened to buy a ticket and was first in line. Luckily the show was seated and I got a nice little spot on the side on a couch. There couldn't have been more than about 250 people there. So it was a nice atmosphere. And the music? Glorious. Breathtaking. Wonderful. Bird played solo, not with a band, but he managed well. He had a bunch of pedals and would record riffs on the violin (bowing or picking) and then set them to repeat while he sang and played guitar. And the man has the most fabulous whistle I've heard in my life. 8 million stars. Would be mesmerized again.
Wednesday night everyone went to see A Renaissance Man, a contemporary play about John Donne, at an experimental theatre called BATS. It was a really good play, reminding me once again that I LOVE theatre. Smart, action-packed, and funny. The stage was on the floor, not elevated and there were six doors for entrances and exits - three on the floor and three on a top level. Really neat. A bunch of people were surprised at how very sexual the whole thing was. But considering what a rake (read as: perv) Donne was, one has to expect it.
Yesterday (Thursday), I was feeling quite blue and sleepy, so I slept most of the day away after class, then went to the Te Papa to do some research for my folklore project.
So we've got today and tomorrow left in Wellington. I don't have many plans at this point, except for catching up on research. Sunday morning we are leaving our apartments and heading down to catch a ferry to Kaikoura on the South Island. Monday we are going on a whale watch and Wednesday we will get to Lincoln University outside of Christchurch.
I'll again direct you to my billions of pictures on Flickr, so you can see what I've been seeing. You can click the picture on the top of this post, or the link on the right side.
Oh! Also, anyone who reads this can comment. You don't have to have an account... just leave a note as Anonymous but make sure you sign it so I know who you are.
I'll see you, internet, in a few days.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Taupo
Jan 8
Drove from Rotorua to Taupo, with stops at Wai-O-Tapu Geothermal Reserve- including Mud Pools, Lady Knox Geyser, and Geothermal Wonderland - and Huka Falls. Taupo was a nice little beach town type place. It was a little touristy, but I liked it a lot.
In the interest of time, I'm going to direct everyone to my Flickr to catch up because these photo posts go up one at a time and then I have to copy the code into one entry and delete the others, etc. So! Click here for photos.
Rotorua
Jan 7
Drove all day from Auckland to Rotorua. This is some countryside.
Photo-op spot just outside the town.
Zorbing is the coolest thing ever. One to three people jump inside the inner ball with a bunch of water and slosh around as the ball rolls down a hill. As our one professor said, "So if you've always wanted to be a hamster..."
The whole group went to Tamaki Maori Village outside of Rotorua. This is the welcoming ceremony type thing. The dudes in a line are the representative "chiefs" of each busload of peopl and the Maori guy is doing an intimidating dance type thing. It was really amazing. Unfortunately my camera died before the haka (dance) performance, but that was one of the coolest things I've ever seen. We also had a traditional-type hangi dinner, for which the food was cooked on heated stones for...ever. Everyone was nervous about the food but it was actually quite fabulous.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Catching up
I will be more brief with these until I catch up. To continue...
Jan 6
In the morning a few of us went to check out the Victoria Park Market, which looked like a pretty neat flea market when we passed on the bus, but turned out to be underwhelming when we got there. The first stall I looked at had some interesting jewelry, but I was reluctant to buy things so early in the trip. I did find this gem, though.
We then walked down to the waterfront area to catch a free ride on the S.S. Puke (with a name like that, how could I resist?) at the the Maritime Museum, but it was unfortunately not steaming that day. Instead we walked down Quay (say: key) Street, which wasn't very pretty with its red gates, parking lots, and cargo lifts. We stopped at Foodtown for water and shampoo; we found that things are expensive here, in general.
Back at the hotel, we met up with more people from the trip and headed for some outdoorsy adventures. First was Albert Park, a pretty little place just up the street with some really awesome trees.
Then we made the long trek to Auckland Domain, a Central Park of sorts, with a musuem, gardens, and trails. Had lunch at the Museum cafe then sat outside for a jazz concert. I guess it was alright... I was quite tired and kept forgetting I was listening to music. After a few hours of sitting around, Melody and I got antsy and went to Parnell, a swank shopping district. We got turned around a couple times trying to get out of the Domain and by the time we got to our destination, it was past 4 on a Sunday and everything was closed for the day. We caught the bright green, energy efficient Link Bus back to the hotel.
In Parnell, a couple stopped us and asked where we were from. The man said he could tell we were American by Mel's baseball cap. They moved from the States a few years ago with their four kids and found living in NZ harder than they expected. I suspect they liked the country on a vacation and just took the plunge. Interesting.
I wrote a few days ago that it's very strange to be here and know that I'm not leaving for a month. I was not ready at all to start classes but thought they would be pretty relaxed. I looked at my one syllabus and counted only 15 days of class listed. I was nervous about my Independent Study, though, as I didn't have a author picked yet for my 15 page paper. I've since had a few classes, which are okay but don't feel like they have enough depth. And I picked an author and started reading for independent study, which is going to be difficult, but pleasantly. I hope.
So much for writing less. I've caught up on what I wrote in my notebook so the rest will have to be from memory. I think I will do Flickr photo posts after this. To be continued.
Jan 6
In the morning a few of us went to check out the Victoria Park Market, which looked like a pretty neat flea market when we passed on the bus, but turned out to be underwhelming when we got there. The first stall I looked at had some interesting jewelry, but I was reluctant to buy things so early in the trip. I did find this gem, though.
We then walked down to the waterfront area to catch a free ride on the S.S. Puke (with a name like that, how could I resist?) at the the Maritime Museum, but it was unfortunately not steaming that day. Instead we walked down Quay (say: key) Street, which wasn't very pretty with its red gates, parking lots, and cargo lifts. We stopped at Foodtown for water and shampoo; we found that things are expensive here, in general.
Back at the hotel, we met up with more people from the trip and headed for some outdoorsy adventures. First was Albert Park, a pretty little place just up the street with some really awesome trees.
Then we made the long trek to Auckland Domain, a Central Park of sorts, with a musuem, gardens, and trails. Had lunch at the Museum cafe then sat outside for a jazz concert. I guess it was alright... I was quite tired and kept forgetting I was listening to music. After a few hours of sitting around, Melody and I got antsy and went to Parnell, a swank shopping district. We got turned around a couple times trying to get out of the Domain and by the time we got to our destination, it was past 4 on a Sunday and everything was closed for the day. We caught the bright green, energy efficient Link Bus back to the hotel.
In Parnell, a couple stopped us and asked where we were from. The man said he could tell we were American by Mel's baseball cap. They moved from the States a few years ago with their four kids and found living in NZ harder than they expected. I suspect they liked the country on a vacation and just took the plunge. Interesting.
I wrote a few days ago that it's very strange to be here and know that I'm not leaving for a month. I was not ready at all to start classes but thought they would be pretty relaxed. I looked at my one syllabus and counted only 15 days of class listed. I was nervous about my Independent Study, though, as I didn't have a author picked yet for my 15 page paper. I've since had a few classes, which are okay but don't feel like they have enough depth. And I picked an author and started reading for independent study, which is going to be difficult, but pleasantly. I hope.
So much for writing less. I've caught up on what I wrote in my notebook so the rest will have to be from memory. I think I will do Flickr photo posts after this. To be continued.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
I'm a REAL Blog!
Okay. I will now attempt to write a real update. Hopefully I will catalogue my adventures up to this point so it will be easier to blog later. Let's begin at the beginning (a very good place to start).
In about a surprisingly quick 9.5 hours, we touched down in Rarotonga in the Cook Islands to refuel. Here's a map to give you an idea of where that is:
One. They drive on the left side of the road here, which is very strange and hard to get used to. For a while I was still looking the wrong way before crossing streets, just instinctively. I couldn't consciously think of which way the cars would be coming, I just turned my head. I think I've gotten pretty used to it at this point.
Jan 3-4
Our flight to LA was scheduled to leave at around 2:30 pm and our one professor recommended getting there 3 hours before, at 11:30. Dad dropped me off at the airport at promptly 11:30 and I went through check-in and security without a hitch. I've been through airports a million times before, but for some reason I felt really scared doing it on my own. The wait was quite long, especially since people on the trip didn't start showing up at the gate until about 1:30. None of us really knew each other, so we made some introductions and chatted before getting on the plane.
Our flight to LA was scheduled to leave at around 2:30 pm and our one professor recommended getting there 3 hours before, at 11:30. Dad dropped me off at the airport at promptly 11:30 and I went through check-in and security without a hitch. I've been through airports a million times before, but for some reason I felt really scared doing it on my own. The wait was quite long, especially since people on the trip didn't start showing up at the gate until about 1:30. None of us really knew each other, so we made some introductions and chatted before getting on the plane.
The trip to LA was extremely bumpy. Of all the plane rides I've been on, it was probably the worst. My stomach was turning and I was not looking forward to the 15 hour flight that was to come later. After a 3 hour layover in LA, we went boarded a 767 with Air New Zealand.
In about a surprisingly quick 9.5 hours, we touched down in Rarotonga in the Cook Islands to refuel. Here's a map to give you an idea of where that is:
Whoa. It was about 4:30 in the morning there and we were only allowed to wander around a fenced-in courtyard, so we didn't see much of the island. As we walked into the tiny airport, there was a man playing ukulele and singing. Very charming, but a little loud for being so early. The 1 hour wait was hot and boring, as we were anxious to go and only had access to a few shops, most of them selling alcohol and souvenirs. They took New Zealand currency. I'm not sure whether they have their own money too.
Anyways the flight to Auckland was only about 4.5 hours, during which I crocheted an iPod cozy and slept a bit.
Jan5
Arrived in Auckland around 9 am on Jan 5. It was good to get off the plane, but after traveling for so long, we all felt dirty and exhausted. There were no lines at customs, so we got through quickly. My friend Melody had her boots and water shoes cleaned in the biohazard area, though. After collecting our baggage, we walked out to our tourbus. Chris, our driver, took us on a short driving tour of the city, including a drive up to Mount Eden, a dead volcano. We stopped at a lookout point to take photos. There are around 30 cows on the hill who wander around and cut the grass (someone rounds them up and takes them to a barn at night so they don't become victims of hooliganism).
Arrived in Auckland around 9 am on Jan 5. It was good to get off the plane, but after traveling for so long, we all felt dirty and exhausted. There were no lines at customs, so we got through quickly. My friend Melody had her boots and water shoes cleaned in the biohazard area, though. After collecting our baggage, we walked out to our tourbus. Chris, our driver, took us on a short driving tour of the city, including a drive up to Mount Eden, a dead volcano. We stopped at a lookout point to take photos. There are around 30 cows on the hill who wander around and cut the grass (someone rounds them up and takes them to a barn at night so they don't become victims of hooliganism).
Here's the crater on Mt. Eden and the city in the background. The tallest building in the center there is the Sky Tower, where we had dinner later that day.
Our hotel rooms weren't ready until 2 pm, so we left our bags and went out to eat. A bunch of us found a kebab place that was playing a Celine Dion DVD on two TV screens. Kebabs are pretty popular here, but they are pita wraps, not grilled stuff on a stick. The girl behind the counter giggled when asked for napkins, so we figured that must mean sanitary napkins here. We later found out that they call them "serviettes" here. A very good thing to know to avoid embarassment.
I just showered (the water pressure was painful!) and relaxed once we got into our hotel room. There was a group dinner later at the Orbit, the restaurant in the Sky Tower. Kinda fancy with a seafood buffet. I tried venison as a little appetizer and found it quite delicious.
Afterwards a few girls and I had a moral crisis about whether or not to go out that night. We didn't want to isolate ourselves, but we were exhausted, so we didn't go. Everything turned out fine and I went to bed at 8:45. Awesome.
It turns out I'm really long winded, so I don't think I'll be able to get up to today right now. A few interesting things to note, before I wrap this up.
One. They drive on the left side of the road here, which is very strange and hard to get used to. For a while I was still looking the wrong way before crossing streets, just instinctively. I couldn't consciously think of which way the cars would be coming, I just turned my head. I think I've gotten pretty used to it at this point.Two. Crosswalks here make a Pacman/Space Invaders sound when it's time to cross. There's a loud beep to start and little beeps as you walk across. It's kind of exciting and I always feel like I should be eating little dots and running from ghosts. There's a standing red man for stop and a walking green man for go. The lights on one sign moved so it looked like the little guy was walking. Neat.
I've been typing for far too long now, so I'll sign off here. I really like it here in New Zealand, but I miss home too. I guess you've got to leave to miss it.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
First post from NZ
Kia Ora* from Wellington! We are at the computer lab in Massey University and just finishing our first classes.
*Kia Ora is a Maori greeting/saying that basically means "good health." It has other meanings, too, sort of like aloha.
It's almost noon on Thursday the 9th here. I think it's around 6 last night at home. Weird. We have only been here for a few days but it feels like forever. I haven't been horribly jetlagged, just tired.
Just a quick update to let eeryone know that I am alive and having a reasonably good time on the other side of the world. More later.
*Kia Ora is a Maori greeting/saying that basically means "good health." It has other meanings, too, sort of like aloha.
It's almost noon on Thursday the 9th here. I think it's around 6 last night at home. Weird. We have only been here for a few days but it feels like forever. I haven't been horribly jetlagged, just tired.
Just a quick update to let eeryone know that I am alive and having a reasonably good time on the other side of the world. More later.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
First post!
Hi everybody! Welcome to my first serious presence in the BLOGOSPHERE.
This is, of course, a very important milestone in my life. I will do
my best to update you all on my adventures on Study Abroad in New
Zealand and thereafter. Hopefully there will be lots of pretty
pictures for you to look at, courtesy of Flickr. I'm not so good at
keeping up with things (see my abandoned Photo365 project and my heaps
of clothing to be altered), but I promise to try. I can update via email, so that's handy.
This is, of course, a very important milestone in my life. I will do
my best to update you all on my adventures on Study Abroad in New
Zealand and thereafter. Hopefully there will be lots of pretty
pictures for you to look at, courtesy of Flickr. I'm not so good at
keeping up with things (see my abandoned Photo365 project and my heaps
of clothing to be altered), but I promise to try. I can update via email, so that's handy.
Anyway! I believe there is a link on the bottom of the page that lets
you subscribe to this here blog. I'm not sure which option to choose
but somehow I'm sure you can get updates emailed to you.
So I am leaving on Thursday at 2:40 pm from Philadelphia, flying to
LA, then flying to Aukland. The cross-Pacific flight is over 15 hours
with a 1 hour refueling stop on the Cook Islands. Whoa.
Tomorrow I will be rushing around as I finish packing and getting
everything ready to go. I'm a little sad to be leaving, but very
excited to see places other than Newark, Delaware.
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