Good Morning!
As I write this, I am sitting comfortably at my desk in room #1 of my flat, listening to my "Be Back Soon" CD made by my best friend, while trying to figure out where to start with the latest news of my New Zealand adventure. But like anything, we must start at the very beginning.
After completing my first post, I spent several hours with my Dobroff Ohana, which involved eating amazing food and exploring a pretty neat mall. We drove along the California coast; it was so nice to see the ocean and know home isn't far away... then, at about 4PM, I was dropped off at the San Francisco International Airport. There, I waited for about two hours before checking in. I was able to meet several of the people I would be traveling, attending orientation, and studying with. It was fascinating to hear about where everyone's from and where they go to school.
The flight went smoothly--I slept for majority of the plane ride, the food was good, and the service was great. From what I had and continue to experience of the people, they are very friendly and sincere. I absolutely LOVE their accents! New Zealand Air also took very good care of us, feeding us dinner, providing tea or coffee, and then breakfast towards the end of the flight. I discovered, over the course of the 12 hour flight, that tea with milk is by far the best creation (particularly English Breakfast tea). It has become my absolute favorite thing!
During the flight, I realized why I want to go to New Zealand... I want to learn more about the NZ culture--particularly the Maori culture. But to me, New Zealand is a fabulous mixture of Polynesian and European culture. It's as if I'm getting the best of both worlds! I also love nature--I love standing in awe at God's creations. I love feeling humbled by life and everything presented to us. So this epiphany has helped me to become more comfortable in a new world with new things, people, and experiences.
Day 1 (June 28)
Motorway = freeway
Scrooge = cheap; stingy
Wai = water
Kai = food
Jumper = sweater/sweatshirt; jacket
Togs = bathing/swimsuit
We arrived at the Shakespear Lodge and were blown away by the green, green, green of it all. All you could see was rolling hills, the ocean, blue sky, and dozens of houses in the distance. It was truly breath-taking. We then proceeded to have morning tea (which is often accompanied by biscuits [cookies], pastries, fruit, etc.), were formally introduced to the staff, found our rooms, and picked our bunks. After all of this was completed, we went for a "walk" up the green rolling hills of the peninsula. The view was absolutely remarkable.
From here we traveled down this hill (just above) and to the beach where we found the most beautiful and exquisite shells!
My friend, Sarah, with her beautiful shell!
We then had a bit of kai (food), followed by an afternoon out on the peninsula kayaking.
The water was much colder than I'm used to, but being on the ocean was a fantastic feeling and it was so nice to be in my element!
After kayaking, we traveled down to a hot pool called Warae Wai (I think) where we relaxed in amazingly refreshing hot springs, went down several slides, and finished off with a beer from Woody's Pub & Grill.
We ended the day with more kai and retired to bed quite early. Thus, first day in New Zealand = success!!!
Day 2 (June 29)
We covered some fun facts about New Zealand--including dress code. We were entertained with a fashion show featuring several of our peers. Many laughs there.
Our large group of approximately 45 students (students from across the United States either attending Wellington or Otago) split into separate activities. I went for a "bush walk" through the forest. It was really fascinating to learn the names of several different plants as well as which plants are edible. We also saw this beauty:
Following the bush walk (as well as more kai) was an exciting afternoon involving a game of touch rugby. I LOVE RUGBY!!! I think I have the basics down, which is really exciting, but I also managed to score a try (equivalent of a touchdown, if you're a football fan). That was probably the highlight of my day.
That's a lie. After dinner we were blessed with the opportunity to meet Richard Nahi of Ngati Whatua. He gave us tons of information about Maori culture and gave us a briefing about the marae (Maori meeting place) in preparation for our visit the next evening. He even taught us a couple of waiata (songs)--also in preparation for our visit to the marae. It was so humbling to learn about the Maori culture and to learn some songs. Richard is a very influential man and I am blessed to have had the chance to meet him!!!
Day 3 (June 30)
We mostly covered academic and campus information. I was becoming anxious at the thought of seeing Dunedin. We packed our things, watched several of our peers play some cricket (which completely blew my mind!), and said our goodbyes to the YMCA staff. One of the IFSA staff, Andrew, explained to us the importance of individuals personally standing up to thank people versus the group. I have found this to be truly fascinating since Americans typically give their thanks as a group. However, he requested several of us to stand and say a few words of thanks to the staff members. I have also noticed that New Zealanders place an emphasis on exchanging words. Not simply as a conversation, but kind of as a formal process in which one person stands, says a few words, sits, followed by the other person standing, saying a few words, and sitting. I've never seen anything like it but I truly admire this process and find it to be very important to individual development. Personally, I stood up and expressed my gratitude, which is something I probably would never do in the states. I would sit and listen to my peers and advisers. But being able to do something like that makes me feel as if they truly understand how grateful I am. I really feel good knowing that.
Anyway... we boarded the bus and went to the Auckland Museum. It blew my mind!!! There was such a diverse collection of artifacts from a Maori war canoe to dinosaur bones to childhood items from the 80's. I bought several postcards as well as a magnet for my collection before departing the museum for the marae.
The marae experience was... amazing. The powhiri (ritual welcoming ceremony) gave me chicken skin. Additionally, I was in awe of the actual marae, its carvings, and the traditional feel of the structure. But to go into more detail, the powhiri process involves multiple stages. There are two groups--the tangata whenua (hosts) and manuhiri (visitors). The women of the manuhiri stand in front of the men as they wait outside of the marae. The warriors of the tangata whenua then come towards the manuhiri, executing a wero (challenge) consisting of swinging their weapons, bulging their eyes, and determining the intentions of the manuhiri. The head warrior then places a leaf down on the ground followed by a male from the manuhiri picking up the leaf. An elder woman from the tangata whenua then performs a karanga (call) out to the manuhiri; a woman from the manuhiri then calls back, as the manuhiri make their way towards the marae. The tengua whenua perform a dance followed by the exchange of mihi (speeches). We then sang our songs between the mihi, and enjoyed amazing performances by a handful of Maori men and women.
After the performances, we went outside of the marae to look at the hangi, which is the Maori version of an imu. Kai is cooked under the ground using volcanic rocks and steam; this particular hangi had vegetables, lamb, pork, and chicken. And it was AMAZING.
Oh, we also did a hongi during our greetings of both the dancers and the members of that particular marae. A hongi is performed by simultaneously pressing your forehead and nose to another person's. I thought it was the coolest thing and did not feel that it was awkward at all! I find it so captivating that this is their way of greeting each other.
I also cannot forget to mention I was pulled from the group to try poi--their dance with the balls! It was so much harder than it looks and I give those women credit for their skill. The guys in our group were also lucky enough to be pulled from the group to learn the haka! It was great to see them really get into the culture:)
Day 4 (July 1)
Goodbye Auckland!!! After saying our goodbyes at the marae, we headed down to a park then to the Villa Maria estate for a tour of the winery and a wine tasting! I personally do not enjoy wine, but the experience was one I will always remember! Who knew so much work had to go into wine production!
The flight was a smooth two hours. We passed by snow caps and saw the fantastic terrain that is New Zealand. As we came down into Dunedin, all you could see was green plains, green hills, and farm land. However, upon arrival into our town (which is much larger than I ever imagined!), you can see there is much more to Dunedin that farmland:
The view from the street I live on--Queen Street.
One of University of Otago's beautiful buildings!
Dunedin's Railway Station
Paid a visit to the World's Steepest Street!
I love you all! Kia Ora!
All that green! It looks breathtaking. :) I'm so happy for you to be able to experience NZ like this.
ReplyDeleteTruth time: Rugby or cricket? I once watched something like a five-hour Bollywood movie about cricket. I WAS ENGROSSED.
So, so proud of you for embracing the culture. You're already growing as an individual there, L, and it's been, what, a little over a week? Keep doing what you're doing. Take it all in and have fun. I miss you, but I'm ecstatic for you. Love you. <3