so for the past 3 months i have been teaching at botany downs secondary college. i have taken over full controll of 4 classes - 2 history classes (teaching american civil rights movement...perfect timing, eh?), 1 world history (nazi germany and fair trade), and a social science class (leadership and pacific islands). i have taught with some really amazing ladies - alsion derbyshire is hilarious and off the wall, sallie brodie is quite punny, quick witted, and always at the top of her game, and karen douglas is kind hearted and rolls with the punches like no other! these women are wonderful teachers and care for their students so much, which is why it has been an honor to be invited into their classrooms to lead and learn.
today is my last day at botany. i really love this school. it is quite special. the whanau (family, in maori) system makes the school feel much smaller and more like an actual community and family. the staff is supportive, outgoing, social (and reflective! oh reflection time on fridays...i will miss you...), really funny, and dedicated to their job more so than any other school i have ever seen or been a part of.
as i leave the school today, i have mixed feelings. i am excited to have completed a long road of planning, working, grading, studying, writing, and the list could go on... But i am also a bit sad to leave this wonderful place and these lovely people.
today at staff meeting, i said goodbye. i thought coming here that i would miss the scenery and the adventures i have experienced, but what i have learned is that i will truly miss the people. there are incredible. as i finished saying goodbye and thank you to the staff, the head social studies teaching (alison) stood up and said thank you to me and then led the staff in the Spell Georgia Cheer and Calling the Dawgs. a true testament of cross cultural transmission : ) i only wish i had a camera to capture it. i guess some things are meant to be kept safe in your memory alone.
so i leave here knowing that i have learned more than i ever could have imagined, experiencing things i never thought possible, and loving new people that i never knew before this trip. the bulldawg nation is a little bigger today, and for that, i am proud and thankful.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
hello again!
so...i havent forgotten i have a blog, i just havent been writing. its been crazy around this part of the world. i am finishing up my student teaching (i have ONE week left!), writing my portfolio (im almost done), and doing last bits of traveling and shopping (gifts!!). these last few weeks have been really incredible. im almost sad that i dont have more time here (almost). i really do love it. i love the people and all of their rediculous words, i love the scenery and all of its glory, i love the kids i teach even when they make me crazy, i love being less than an hour away from the beach whereever you are. this really is one of the most special places in the world.
speaking of teaching...i have actually done some! its amazing i know - ive found time in between all of my adventures to fit a little work in there : )
i will (hopefully - i just found out i need a visa...) be travelling to australia for a few days to round out my trip and finish up my time here. i will be in melbourne doing all that there is to do! i was actually hoping to go to the great barrier reef or the outback, but it is really expensive to get there!! no worries though. so expect me to come home with some pretty cool boomerangs : )
i am so thankful for this trip but i am ready to come home. i have learned so much and done so many things here, it really is incredible. i have loved every minute of it, and now it is coming to a close. cant wait to show you pictures of melbourne and finish telling you all the rest of my crazy stories. love you all and see you in just a few more days : )
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
adventures in wonderland!
hey guys!
sorry it has been a little while since i last posted here; life has been a bit fast paced. as you know this is my 2 week break from school and i am traveling around the south island. i am loving every minute of this trip! it is truly amazing.
to recap the past week or so i will fill you in on the highlights and then you can check out facebook for some more photos.
- christchurch = beautiful city. small and centrally located. hard first day b/c i arrived on my own and didnt know anyone yet. spent most of the day wandering around trying to find food (much to your surprise, i know!). rode the trolley cars, went to a few museums (saw some davinci stuff), walked through some gardens, ate some food, and caught a movie. good day. bus came early so i hit the sack fairly early.
- kaikora = lovely city. the seas (all 7, robin) were really rough so the dolphin swim was cancelled. real bummer. but i went horseback riding through some beautful countryside and loved it. ate some fish and chips. had a room to my self in the hostel (a rare find, indeed!). small downtown and some fun shops.
- nelson = found the center or NZ! straight up the steepest hill ever! fernanda (my friend i met on the trip, from brazil) and i and our friend richard (from england) took a day trip to abel tazman national park. beauitful!!! nice day hike and then spent the rest of the day laying on the beach. what a day : ) on the water taxi to the beach we saw a seal eat an octopus!!! for real - it was amazing. the ink bled out and everything!!! so cool
- greymouth = lived up to its name. awful weather kept us inside most of the day. pouring down rain. dinner and a movie night in the hostel!
- franz josef = amazing. rained all day on the first day we were there. i went indoor ice climbing. so cool. the next day, much to our surprise, the rains cleared and it was a lovely morning. i took a helihike (rode in a helicopter aroudn the glacier, then landed on the glacier, then hiked the glacier!!!) on farnz josef. mangaged to find an ice cave to climb (only momentarily) into. loved it. coolest thing i have ever done in my life. spent the afternoon in a hammock reading.
- queenstown = adventure capital of the world!!!!! I LOVE THIS TOWN. so much to do and see. i went bungy jumping (the only one on the magic bus brave enough to try) on the bridge where bungy jumping began! screamed bloody murder the entire way down and managed to keep my eyes open too! i have a tshirt and sweat shirt to prove this as well as a DVD you all must see at some point. complete worth it and amazing. fernanda jumped today and i was so proud (she was too scared to do it yesterday but toughed it out today adn was really glad she did). it was awesome. we took the gondola to the top of queenstown to see the rest of the city. our magic bus friends from scotland out did our jumps though - they all 3 jumped in KILTS. no lie. it was not pretty!
im on to dunedin and then tekapo then back home to auckland within the next few days. i have 40 days til i return home. i am ready. hope you are well. i love you all! see you soon : )
sorry it has been a little while since i last posted here; life has been a bit fast paced. as you know this is my 2 week break from school and i am traveling around the south island. i am loving every minute of this trip! it is truly amazing.
to recap the past week or so i will fill you in on the highlights and then you can check out facebook for some more photos.
- christchurch = beautiful city. small and centrally located. hard first day b/c i arrived on my own and didnt know anyone yet. spent most of the day wandering around trying to find food (much to your surprise, i know!). rode the trolley cars, went to a few museums (saw some davinci stuff), walked through some gardens, ate some food, and caught a movie. good day. bus came early so i hit the sack fairly early.
- kaikora = lovely city. the seas (all 7, robin) were really rough so the dolphin swim was cancelled. real bummer. but i went horseback riding through some beautful countryside and loved it. ate some fish and chips. had a room to my self in the hostel (a rare find, indeed!). small downtown and some fun shops.
- nelson = found the center or NZ! straight up the steepest hill ever! fernanda (my friend i met on the trip, from brazil) and i and our friend richard (from england) took a day trip to abel tazman national park. beauitful!!! nice day hike and then spent the rest of the day laying on the beach. what a day : ) on the water taxi to the beach we saw a seal eat an octopus!!! for real - it was amazing. the ink bled out and everything!!! so cool
- greymouth = lived up to its name. awful weather kept us inside most of the day. pouring down rain. dinner and a movie night in the hostel!
- franz josef = amazing. rained all day on the first day we were there. i went indoor ice climbing. so cool. the next day, much to our surprise, the rains cleared and it was a lovely morning. i took a helihike (rode in a helicopter aroudn the glacier, then landed on the glacier, then hiked the glacier!!!) on farnz josef. mangaged to find an ice cave to climb (only momentarily) into. loved it. coolest thing i have ever done in my life. spent the afternoon in a hammock reading.
- queenstown = adventure capital of the world!!!!! I LOVE THIS TOWN. so much to do and see. i went bungy jumping (the only one on the magic bus brave enough to try) on the bridge where bungy jumping began! screamed bloody murder the entire way down and managed to keep my eyes open too! i have a tshirt and sweat shirt to prove this as well as a DVD you all must see at some point. complete worth it and amazing. fernanda jumped today and i was so proud (she was too scared to do it yesterday but toughed it out today adn was really glad she did). it was awesome. we took the gondola to the top of queenstown to see the rest of the city. our magic bus friends from scotland out did our jumps though - they all 3 jumped in KILTS. no lie. it was not pretty!
im on to dunedin and then tekapo then back home to auckland within the next few days. i have 40 days til i return home. i am ready. hope you are well. i love you all! see you soon : )
Monday, September 29, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
big adventures!
hey friends!
the time has finally come - school break is upon us here in NZ and i am getting ready to go on my south island adventure. i am taking the Magic Bus and doing everything i possibly can to get the full NZ experience! you only come here once, right?! so i wanted to keep you all filled in on my whereabouts so here's the low down.
check out this website for details....http://www.magicbus.co.nz/main/productDetail/index.cfm?productID=7
I am taking the Southern Discovery Tour. I will spend 12 days touring the most beauitful place in the world. i will start in christchurch on monday and go from there. i will be traveling to kaikoura, nelson, greymouth, franz josef, queenstown, dunedin, and tekapo. on this trip i will be doing a bungy from the orignial invention spot, swimming with dolphins, whale watching, seeing yellow eyed peguins, climbing a glacier, going to mt cook, hot air ballooning, and much much more. watch facebook for picture updates. i will be able to write frequently bc i will have some internet access at the hostels, but i am not 100% sure how often i will keep up, but just check in when you can.
love you all and cant wait to tell you all about these crazy adventures!!!
the time has finally come - school break is upon us here in NZ and i am getting ready to go on my south island adventure. i am taking the Magic Bus and doing everything i possibly can to get the full NZ experience! you only come here once, right?! so i wanted to keep you all filled in on my whereabouts so here's the low down.
check out this website for details....http://www.magicbus.co.nz/main/productDetail/index.cfm?productID=7
I am taking the Southern Discovery Tour. I will spend 12 days touring the most beauitful place in the world. i will start in christchurch on monday and go from there. i will be traveling to kaikoura, nelson, greymouth, franz josef, queenstown, dunedin, and tekapo. on this trip i will be doing a bungy from the orignial invention spot, swimming with dolphins, whale watching, seeing yellow eyed peguins, climbing a glacier, going to mt cook, hot air ballooning, and much much more. watch facebook for picture updates. i will be able to write frequently bc i will have some internet access at the hostels, but i am not 100% sure how often i will keep up, but just check in when you can.
love you all and cant wait to tell you all about these crazy adventures!!!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
lingo
ok. im still learning the lingo here...
togs = bathing suit (even if it's a one peice, it's togs not tog)
singlet = tank top (not a wrestling outfit)
sweet as = cool (this one is tricky. i got really upset at one of my classes bc i thought a kids said "sweet ass")
motorway = road
round about = intersection where you dont have to stop, only yeild.
give way = yeild
lollie = any form of candy, not just those with sticks attached
eh = to be used at the end of EVERY sentence. means yeah?, you know?, right?, you agree?, etc.
aussie = austrailia
footie = soccer
to flat = to room with or share an apartment with (this is often a co-ed thing here. strange)
flash = anything fancy or classy. a very nice compliment to give
nappie = diaper
more to come im sure....
togs = bathing suit (even if it's a one peice, it's togs not tog)
singlet = tank top (not a wrestling outfit)
sweet as = cool (this one is tricky. i got really upset at one of my classes bc i thought a kids said "sweet ass")
motorway = road
round about = intersection where you dont have to stop, only yeild.
give way = yeild
lollie = any form of candy, not just those with sticks attached
eh = to be used at the end of EVERY sentence. means yeah?, you know?, right?, you agree?, etc.
aussie = austrailia
footie = soccer
to flat = to room with or share an apartment with (this is often a co-ed thing here. strange)
flash = anything fancy or classy. a very nice compliment to give
nappie = diaper
more to come im sure....
Sunday, September 21, 2008
cultural transmission...
today in my year 9 social studies class i had a bit of fun.
i told the kids that part of the reason i came here was to be apart of cultural transmission...me learning about their culture and in turn me teaching them about mine. i have done a great deal of learning abotu kiwi and maori culture, so i thought id return the favor....
so i taught them how to...
- call the dawgs - after some practice i will video tape them and put it up here. that should be some quality entertainment.
- use "bless her heart" correctly
- correctly pronouce Y'all
- figure out what an Uga is
lessons for later...
- correct pronouciation of the word Georgia...Jawja.
- what are grits.
- why everythign Orange is awful...gators, tigers, vols, etc.
oh the educators daily stress...what important knowledge i have to impart to these minds....
i told the kids that part of the reason i came here was to be apart of cultural transmission...me learning about their culture and in turn me teaching them about mine. i have done a great deal of learning abotu kiwi and maori culture, so i thought id return the favor....
so i taught them how to...
- call the dawgs - after some practice i will video tape them and put it up here. that should be some quality entertainment.
- use "bless her heart" correctly
- correctly pronouce Y'all
- figure out what an Uga is
lessons for later...
- correct pronouciation of the word Georgia...Jawja.
- what are grits.
- why everythign Orange is awful...gators, tigers, vols, etc.
oh the educators daily stress...what important knowledge i have to impart to these minds....
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
i love you more than the miles that seperate us...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TC49Fd-a7D8
See the pyramids around the Nile
Watch the sun rise
From the tropic isle
Just remember darling
All the while
You belong to me
See the market place
In old Algiers
Send me photographs and souvenirs
Just remember
When a dream appears
You belong to me
And I'll be so alone without you
Maybe you'll be lonesome too
Fly the ocean
In a silver plane
See the jungle
When it's wet with rain
Just remember till
You're home again
You belong to me
Oh I'll be so alone without you
Maybe you'll be lonesome too
Fly the oceanIn a silver plane
See the jungle
When it's wet with rain
Just remember till
You're home again
You belong to me
See the pyramids around the Nile
Watch the sun rise
From the tropic isle
Just remember darling
All the while
You belong to me
See the market place
In old Algiers
Send me photographs and souvenirs
Just remember
When a dream appears
You belong to me
And I'll be so alone without you
Maybe you'll be lonesome too
Fly the ocean
In a silver plane
See the jungle
When it's wet with rain
Just remember till
You're home again
You belong to me
Oh I'll be so alone without you
Maybe you'll be lonesome too
Fly the oceanIn a silver plane
See the jungle
When it's wet with rain
Just remember till
You're home again
You belong to me
Thursday, September 11, 2008
hola amigos!
i hope you are well. the past few weeks have been a bit of a blur; i have become really thankful for this blog - an archive of my advenures here.
i realized how quickly time is passing by today as i began to realize i am quickly approaching the end of week 4. that puts me at about 1/3 of the way done with my trip! yikes.
this week has been very strange on account of a few new changes:
1. 2 of my classes are taking exams for a week and a half. this means i lose 2 of my 4 classes that i teach. this leaves me with a great deal of free time... I thought this might be a welcome thing, but have since learned that my mind tends to wander homeward when left with idle hands. i am learning that i need to have an undivided heart (thanks erin!) here so that i can fully enjoy this blessing. it doesnt mean that i dont or shouldnt miss home...just that i want to be all here. it's strange to want to be in two different places at the same time.
2. i am preparing to be observed by someone from the university of auckland. her name is jenni jongejan (pronouced yawn-ee-yawn...). i dont really like being observed - i feel like i have to perform more than teach. this observation will come and go quickly.
3. i am learning more about the class i am enrolled in for uga stuff - man the amount of work that takes is incredible. the e-portfolio thing is going to take years to create!!!!!
4. i am finding community!!!!! Ruth is a girl who goes to the church i was telling you i found (at least i think i told you abotu it...if not...i found a church!). she lives about 10 minutes from my house in Mareatai. we got to grab some food together and go to a home group/house church/small group thing on tuesday. it was so good to be able to fellowship with some believers. they were so nice to welcome me into their homes and their study. i was amazed at how the Body of Christ really worked : ) I know that i had jsut met these people, but b/c we are part of the Body together we are brothers and sisters and we acted like it. it was a really beautiful thing. i was humbled to be a part of it and really thankful for the blessing of community. i am learning how important it truly is. we are not meant to go through this life alone and i now think it would be near impossible and absolutely miserable if that were the case. Praise the Lord that he blesses us with friends that we can share life with, share dreams with. He has proven Himself faithful over and over on this trip. I cannot wait to see what's in store as my trip continues.
5. reading. amazingly, i am finding some time to read here. this pace of NZ life is about half that of the US (erin and blake, i feel your pain about having to adjust to this...it's tough, isn't it!). but one thing that is able to happen b/c of the slower paced life is a good reading almost every day. i am reading Humility by cj mahaney; passion and purity by elizabeth elliot; redeeming love; reason for God by Keller. very very good stuff in here. i have also had really amazing chances to dig into the Word. this is precious time and i am so thankful for it.
6. I AM GOING SKIING THIS WEEKEND!!!!! check out mtruapehu.com to see some of the slopes i will be going down (hopefully not falling down...). pics will be up soon : )
time to go.... love you all : )
oh - make sure to cheer on the Dawgs!
i hope you are well. the past few weeks have been a bit of a blur; i have become really thankful for this blog - an archive of my advenures here.
i realized how quickly time is passing by today as i began to realize i am quickly approaching the end of week 4. that puts me at about 1/3 of the way done with my trip! yikes.
this week has been very strange on account of a few new changes:
1. 2 of my classes are taking exams for a week and a half. this means i lose 2 of my 4 classes that i teach. this leaves me with a great deal of free time... I thought this might be a welcome thing, but have since learned that my mind tends to wander homeward when left with idle hands. i am learning that i need to have an undivided heart (thanks erin!) here so that i can fully enjoy this blessing. it doesnt mean that i dont or shouldnt miss home...just that i want to be all here. it's strange to want to be in two different places at the same time.
2. i am preparing to be observed by someone from the university of auckland. her name is jenni jongejan (pronouced yawn-ee-yawn...). i dont really like being observed - i feel like i have to perform more than teach. this observation will come and go quickly.
3. i am learning more about the class i am enrolled in for uga stuff - man the amount of work that takes is incredible. the e-portfolio thing is going to take years to create!!!!!
4. i am finding community!!!!! Ruth is a girl who goes to the church i was telling you i found (at least i think i told you abotu it...if not...i found a church!). she lives about 10 minutes from my house in Mareatai. we got to grab some food together and go to a home group/house church/small group thing on tuesday. it was so good to be able to fellowship with some believers. they were so nice to welcome me into their homes and their study. i was amazed at how the Body of Christ really worked : ) I know that i had jsut met these people, but b/c we are part of the Body together we are brothers and sisters and we acted like it. it was a really beautiful thing. i was humbled to be a part of it and really thankful for the blessing of community. i am learning how important it truly is. we are not meant to go through this life alone and i now think it would be near impossible and absolutely miserable if that were the case. Praise the Lord that he blesses us with friends that we can share life with, share dreams with. He has proven Himself faithful over and over on this trip. I cannot wait to see what's in store as my trip continues.
5. reading. amazingly, i am finding some time to read here. this pace of NZ life is about half that of the US (erin and blake, i feel your pain about having to adjust to this...it's tough, isn't it!). but one thing that is able to happen b/c of the slower paced life is a good reading almost every day. i am reading Humility by cj mahaney; passion and purity by elizabeth elliot; redeeming love; reason for God by Keller. very very good stuff in here. i have also had really amazing chances to dig into the Word. this is precious time and i am so thankful for it.
6. I AM GOING SKIING THIS WEEKEND!!!!! check out mtruapehu.com to see some of the slopes i will be going down (hopefully not falling down...). pics will be up soon : )
time to go.... love you all : )
oh - make sure to cheer on the Dawgs!
Monday, September 8, 2008
hey guys! hope you are all doing well.
this weekend i got to go to a masquerade party! it was really neat. i will try and post pics soon for you all to see. i also got a chance to drive here for the first time. not quite as scary as i thought it would be. b/c you are still in the middle of the road (the driver's seat, that is) it doesnt feel as strange. one weird thing about the roads here are "roundabouts". these are 4 (or more) way intersections where you dont stop you just "give way" or yield, to the person on your right, then enter the roundabout and merge int othe road you want to go on. it is very strange, but it keeps the traffic much lighter. nice.
i have found a church!!! eastview baptisr. it is actually next door to my school. there is a girl named Ruth who goes to the church who lives out my way. we will be meeting and grabbing some food together tomorrow (tuesday). this is such good news and answered prayer! i really miss being able to go to church on a normal basis and this will also give me a chance to meet more people my age! hooray for some community!!!
sorry this is short (although for some of you it might be a relief not to read a novel here). but now i am on my way out of school and home for the day.
love you all : ) GO DAWGS
this weekend i got to go to a masquerade party! it was really neat. i will try and post pics soon for you all to see. i also got a chance to drive here for the first time. not quite as scary as i thought it would be. b/c you are still in the middle of the road (the driver's seat, that is) it doesnt feel as strange. one weird thing about the roads here are "roundabouts". these are 4 (or more) way intersections where you dont stop you just "give way" or yield, to the person on your right, then enter the roundabout and merge int othe road you want to go on. it is very strange, but it keeps the traffic much lighter. nice.
i have found a church!!! eastview baptisr. it is actually next door to my school. there is a girl named Ruth who goes to the church who lives out my way. we will be meeting and grabbing some food together tomorrow (tuesday). this is such good news and answered prayer! i really miss being able to go to church on a normal basis and this will also give me a chance to meet more people my age! hooray for some community!!!
sorry this is short (although for some of you it might be a relief not to read a novel here). but now i am on my way out of school and home for the day.
love you all : ) GO DAWGS
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
KIA ORA!!
Kia Ora!
Have I told you what that (kia ora) means? It means hello, or more directly – are you in good health? It is the traditional Maori greeting. I have been able to use it a lot here. I think everyone gets a kick out of hearing it said in a southern accent.
Since I last wrote…
I was invited to go to a poferi (that is phonetically spelt…no clue how you are supposed to spell these Maori words…). It is a traditional greeting ceremony. Our school – Botany Downs, is hosting a group of French exchange students from a place called New Caledonia. The school performed this poferi for them and invited me to come along for it. Part of the ceremony involves a honge – (pronounced hong- ee). This is when two people lean in close to each other and touch noses. It shows that you are comfortable enough with this person to share the same breath with them; you have accepted them into your inner circle of friends. So all the people already in the inner circle line up and you have to honge (touch noses) each person and say Kia Ora to everyone. I LOVED this! It was such a neat ceremony to see and take part in. Some of the girls from the school performed traditional Maori songs and did a great job too. It was a very cultural morning : )
What else…I have been teaching for almost 2 full weeks now. I only teach the light and bright subjects like Nazi Germany, Civil Rights Movement, and South African Apartheid – so no worries…lots of fluff here! Just kidding. It is a lot of hard work, but I am enjoying teaching! This is good news because I was nervous about actually putting into practice everything I have been learning was a little scary, but it is working. I am still finding it strange to be a part of a school class in Athens that I am not present for – I feel a bit out of the loop. But thankfully, I have really good instructors at home who are working hard to keep me up to date and in the know about school stuff. They are truly lifesavers.
Weekend Adventures…Well, this weekend has been like no other! It started off with a Saturday night mid-winter Christmas dinner with the school staff. Apparently in NZ it is tradition to have a cold weather Christmas dinner. According to them, no one really enjoys having Christmas in the summer, so they choose to celebrate Christmas twice a year. Everyone gets together at some point during the winter to get into the Christmas spirit. It felt very strange at first to walk into the fully decorated staff lounge in the end of august seeing twinkle lights, decorated trees, and hear Christmas carols. But soon it felt very homey. Everyone was in the Christmas mood! I had my first glass of mulled wine. I don’t exactly know what makes wine mulled, but whatever it was made it taste quite lovely! It was potluck (except the ham which was bought) so Christine and I made some brownies to bring in – they were a hit too! Everything seemed very “normal” at our Christmas dinner until it was time to break out the party gifts. It was only then that I learned about an authentic New Zealand (and apparently English) tradition called Christmas crackers.
Now these aren’t meant to be real crackers; they are supposed to be toilet paper rolls stuffed with small toys (a whistle or toy ring perhaps), a joke that is not funny{ (really…you’re supposed to put bad jokes in there) – no worries crew…our official 3 jokes were gladly told to the partiers and they loved them}, and a piece of candy or gum, and a noise maker/popper. Now Botany’s social committee was on a tight budget this year so they had to get creative with their Christmas crackers. Instead of toilet paper rolls, we actually used real saltine crackers and put in a joke, an andes mint, and a popper in between the crackers. Then we tied the crackers with ribbon and then put glitter on the crackers (clearly the herpes of all arts and crafts! …see Demetri Martin on youtube if you are confused about that joke).
While making these crazy things in assembly line fashion (on Friday night) I had NO idea about the Christmas cracker tradition and simply thought that the entire social committee staff had lost their minds. It was Friday so this wasn’t too far from true, especially after reflection time. Once I asked for some clues as to why were decorating saltines everyone realized I was out of the cultural loop and filled me in. These kiwis are nutty, friends. Just plain nutty!
Speaking of interesting things going on at school….in NZ it is not illegal for adults to bring alcohol onto school property. This means that occasionally a teacher will have a glass of wine with lunch. This is VERY strange for me to see; very out of the ordinary. It also means that on Friday’s the entire staff shows up in the staff room for “Reflection Time”. This is time for the teachers to unwind after their week and enjoy a glass of wine together…on school property. I am still not over the shock of this one. But nonetheless, not a bad thing for a Friday either.
I played soccer for the first time ever! A group of (mostly guys but some girls too) teachers gets together every Friday afternoon and plays indoor soccer. I was invited to play, so I came along (mostly to give everyone else some good laughs). I had NO idea what to do (this seems to be a trend lately ,eh?) other than chase the ball then quickly pass it along to someone who knows what to do. We wont mention the fact that I forgot to bring my tennis shoes so I played barefoot. But I don’t think I did too poorly. In fact, one of the teachers came up to me today and asked me how long I have been playing soccer…I must have fooled him! It was a good game and I will be playing with the group each Friday! Hopefully I will be even better with shoes on this week.
Weekend Adventures went really well this time around! I found a friend at school – another teacher named Charlie – who is in kind of the same position as me. He is from London and is only in NZ until the very beginning of December, so we have about the same amount of time here and want to make the best of our weekends. We decided to take our first day trip Sunday to a place called Piha on the west coast of the north island. It is truly one of the most majestic places I have ever seen in my life. It is also one of the most dangerous beaches in NZ because of the extremely rough surf and tide. There is even a show called Piha Rescue about the lifeguards at the beach. My facebook has pics if you would like to see.
Charlie and I only got lost a few times and I even navigated and didn’t let us end up in Beijing or something – so mission accomplished! We spent a few good hours in Piha and then it was off to another adventure – an Auckland Warriors Rugby League game. Rugby League is quite different than Rugby Union (so I am told…dad, maybe it’s like grecko and freestyle wrestling…). Either way it was rugby and I thought that was cool. We stood fence-side for the first half. That was neat seeing the players close up – they are HUGE!!!! We saw the 2nd half from the stand (we might have snuck up there, but I’ll never tell…). Great game, and the Warriors won. They are off to the championship game this weekend. Charlie and I were clearly the good luck charms! Hey – pray for Charlie; he is not a believer and it looks like we will be spending time together in the car. We had some good conversation this past week, let’s hope that I get a chance to share the gospel with him. What an awesome thing that would be, if Charlie came to know the Lord through this trip!!!!!!!!
This week I am booking my 2 week adventure on the south island that I will be taking the last week of this month. I am hoping to watch the All Blacks game tonight somewhere, and then who knows what this weekend hold as of yet… We will have to wait and see.
The week has been off to a great start. Got my package from my parents in the mail – what a great surprise!!!!!! I loved it. Thanks so much for all your prayers and thoughts. I love you all very much. Drop me a message, comment, or facebook post and let me know how you are doing. That’s all for now. Cheers : )
Have I told you what that (kia ora) means? It means hello, or more directly – are you in good health? It is the traditional Maori greeting. I have been able to use it a lot here. I think everyone gets a kick out of hearing it said in a southern accent.
Since I last wrote…
I was invited to go to a poferi (that is phonetically spelt…no clue how you are supposed to spell these Maori words…). It is a traditional greeting ceremony. Our school – Botany Downs, is hosting a group of French exchange students from a place called New Caledonia. The school performed this poferi for them and invited me to come along for it. Part of the ceremony involves a honge – (pronounced hong- ee). This is when two people lean in close to each other and touch noses. It shows that you are comfortable enough with this person to share the same breath with them; you have accepted them into your inner circle of friends. So all the people already in the inner circle line up and you have to honge (touch noses) each person and say Kia Ora to everyone. I LOVED this! It was such a neat ceremony to see and take part in. Some of the girls from the school performed traditional Maori songs and did a great job too. It was a very cultural morning : )
What else…I have been teaching for almost 2 full weeks now. I only teach the light and bright subjects like Nazi Germany, Civil Rights Movement, and South African Apartheid – so no worries…lots of fluff here! Just kidding. It is a lot of hard work, but I am enjoying teaching! This is good news because I was nervous about actually putting into practice everything I have been learning was a little scary, but it is working. I am still finding it strange to be a part of a school class in Athens that I am not present for – I feel a bit out of the loop. But thankfully, I have really good instructors at home who are working hard to keep me up to date and in the know about school stuff. They are truly lifesavers.
Weekend Adventures…Well, this weekend has been like no other! It started off with a Saturday night mid-winter Christmas dinner with the school staff. Apparently in NZ it is tradition to have a cold weather Christmas dinner. According to them, no one really enjoys having Christmas in the summer, so they choose to celebrate Christmas twice a year. Everyone gets together at some point during the winter to get into the Christmas spirit. It felt very strange at first to walk into the fully decorated staff lounge in the end of august seeing twinkle lights, decorated trees, and hear Christmas carols. But soon it felt very homey. Everyone was in the Christmas mood! I had my first glass of mulled wine. I don’t exactly know what makes wine mulled, but whatever it was made it taste quite lovely! It was potluck (except the ham which was bought) so Christine and I made some brownies to bring in – they were a hit too! Everything seemed very “normal” at our Christmas dinner until it was time to break out the party gifts. It was only then that I learned about an authentic New Zealand (and apparently English) tradition called Christmas crackers.
Now these aren’t meant to be real crackers; they are supposed to be toilet paper rolls stuffed with small toys (a whistle or toy ring perhaps), a joke that is not funny{ (really…you’re supposed to put bad jokes in there) – no worries crew…our official 3 jokes were gladly told to the partiers and they loved them}, and a piece of candy or gum, and a noise maker/popper. Now Botany’s social committee was on a tight budget this year so they had to get creative with their Christmas crackers. Instead of toilet paper rolls, we actually used real saltine crackers and put in a joke, an andes mint, and a popper in between the crackers. Then we tied the crackers with ribbon and then put glitter on the crackers (clearly the herpes of all arts and crafts! …see Demetri Martin on youtube if you are confused about that joke).
While making these crazy things in assembly line fashion (on Friday night) I had NO idea about the Christmas cracker tradition and simply thought that the entire social committee staff had lost their minds. It was Friday so this wasn’t too far from true, especially after reflection time. Once I asked for some clues as to why were decorating saltines everyone realized I was out of the cultural loop and filled me in. These kiwis are nutty, friends. Just plain nutty!
Speaking of interesting things going on at school….in NZ it is not illegal for adults to bring alcohol onto school property. This means that occasionally a teacher will have a glass of wine with lunch. This is VERY strange for me to see; very out of the ordinary. It also means that on Friday’s the entire staff shows up in the staff room for “Reflection Time”. This is time for the teachers to unwind after their week and enjoy a glass of wine together…on school property. I am still not over the shock of this one. But nonetheless, not a bad thing for a Friday either.
I played soccer for the first time ever! A group of (mostly guys but some girls too) teachers gets together every Friday afternoon and plays indoor soccer. I was invited to play, so I came along (mostly to give everyone else some good laughs). I had NO idea what to do (this seems to be a trend lately ,eh?) other than chase the ball then quickly pass it along to someone who knows what to do. We wont mention the fact that I forgot to bring my tennis shoes so I played barefoot. But I don’t think I did too poorly. In fact, one of the teachers came up to me today and asked me how long I have been playing soccer…I must have fooled him! It was a good game and I will be playing with the group each Friday! Hopefully I will be even better with shoes on this week.
Weekend Adventures went really well this time around! I found a friend at school – another teacher named Charlie – who is in kind of the same position as me. He is from London and is only in NZ until the very beginning of December, so we have about the same amount of time here and want to make the best of our weekends. We decided to take our first day trip Sunday to a place called Piha on the west coast of the north island. It is truly one of the most majestic places I have ever seen in my life. It is also one of the most dangerous beaches in NZ because of the extremely rough surf and tide. There is even a show called Piha Rescue about the lifeguards at the beach. My facebook has pics if you would like to see.
Charlie and I only got lost a few times and I even navigated and didn’t let us end up in Beijing or something – so mission accomplished! We spent a few good hours in Piha and then it was off to another adventure – an Auckland Warriors Rugby League game. Rugby League is quite different than Rugby Union (so I am told…dad, maybe it’s like grecko and freestyle wrestling…). Either way it was rugby and I thought that was cool. We stood fence-side for the first half. That was neat seeing the players close up – they are HUGE!!!! We saw the 2nd half from the stand (we might have snuck up there, but I’ll never tell…). Great game, and the Warriors won. They are off to the championship game this weekend. Charlie and I were clearly the good luck charms! Hey – pray for Charlie; he is not a believer and it looks like we will be spending time together in the car. We had some good conversation this past week, let’s hope that I get a chance to share the gospel with him. What an awesome thing that would be, if Charlie came to know the Lord through this trip!!!!!!!!
This week I am booking my 2 week adventure on the south island that I will be taking the last week of this month. I am hoping to watch the All Blacks game tonight somewhere, and then who knows what this weekend hold as of yet… We will have to wait and see.
The week has been off to a great start. Got my package from my parents in the mail – what a great surprise!!!!!! I loved it. Thanks so much for all your prayers and thoughts. I love you all very much. Drop me a message, comment, or facebook post and let me know how you are doing. That’s all for now. Cheers : )
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
more pictures : )
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2418768&l=81bf2&id=4901062
i just uploaded these. they were taken last night while i was walking on the beach after work. tough life, i know, but someone has to do it, right!
it is wednesday here and this will be my third full day teaching. i am teaching 2 classes right now - a world and US history (i teach this class twice a day though) and within a week or so i will be picking up one more class - it will be a geography class. so far everything has been going really smoothly. i am really enjoying it. work is starting to pick up with my student teaching seminar at UGA too. I sometimes have trouble reminding myself that i still have work from the athens campus to do - i cant get stuck in the auckland bubble for too long.
this weekend, if the weather permits, i will be kayaking or canoeing out to an island across the water from my house. you can see it in the pictures. people paddle out, then climb to the top, eat their dinner/lunch and then do it all in reverse. i am excited. this should be really good (and some good pictures should come out of it too!).
the Bulldogs play there first game this weekend and i expect you all to be cheering them on in my honor and in my place. this is the first game i will be missing in 4 years!!!! that seems very odd. in a way, i am thankful i am this far away while missing the game; if i were any closer i would be very frustrated at the lack of espn... no worries though.
sorry my posts tend to turn into novels...i just get excited. i feel like i am sitting talking to you all and that makes me happy. it makes the world feel a little smaller and a little closer together.
all my love to you all : )
i just uploaded these. they were taken last night while i was walking on the beach after work. tough life, i know, but someone has to do it, right!
it is wednesday here and this will be my third full day teaching. i am teaching 2 classes right now - a world and US history (i teach this class twice a day though) and within a week or so i will be picking up one more class - it will be a geography class. so far everything has been going really smoothly. i am really enjoying it. work is starting to pick up with my student teaching seminar at UGA too. I sometimes have trouble reminding myself that i still have work from the athens campus to do - i cant get stuck in the auckland bubble for too long.
this weekend, if the weather permits, i will be kayaking or canoeing out to an island across the water from my house. you can see it in the pictures. people paddle out, then climb to the top, eat their dinner/lunch and then do it all in reverse. i am excited. this should be really good (and some good pictures should come out of it too!).
the Bulldogs play there first game this weekend and i expect you all to be cheering them on in my honor and in my place. this is the first game i will be missing in 4 years!!!! that seems very odd. in a way, i am thankful i am this far away while missing the game; if i were any closer i would be very frustrated at the lack of espn... no worries though.
sorry my posts tend to turn into novels...i just get excited. i feel like i am sitting talking to you all and that makes me happy. it makes the world feel a little smaller and a little closer together.
all my love to you all : )
Sunday, August 24, 2008
PICTURES
check out the link if you want to see some of my adventures from Rotorua : )
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2418016&l=ba9c5&id=4901062
love you guys
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2418016&l=ba9c5&id=4901062
love you guys
adventures in wonderland...wnd of week 1
Hello!!
Hope you are all doing really well. It is Sunday night here – the night before I teach for the very FIRST time – YIKES…
So, what am I doing…writing the blog. Good times, right? Don’t worry mom, my work is already done. Well. Let’s catch up. First, I have been here for a solid week; that seems crazy. 1 down and 11 to go, eh?
I think one of the last times I wrote I promised to tell you about stuff. I forgot some of it (I’m writing from home…no internet…so this is from memory). OH – pictures. I will try to load some here; if not go to facebook and see them there. I will upload them asap. If you don’t have facebook, talk to my mom – she’ll show the pics to you!
First, I have become friends with one of the other teachers at school. His name is Justin McCormack and he and his family have become saving graces here in Maratei (aka: home). Justin and his wife, Julie, plus 2 small boys (Caelen, 2 – who thinks we are boyfriend and girlfriend - and Collin, 10 months - the butterball who looks like he could play linebacker tomorrow) live about a 5 minute walk from my house. One night Christine (my host) had to work late and Justin offered to give me a ride home. His wife invited me to stay for dinner. It was probably the first time that I felt like I was home and a part of a family since I had come to town. The house was full (and messy in the best sort of way), Julie cooked a fabulous dinner of pumpkin soup and veggies, Julie’s dad was in town and he was making jokes about everyone and everything. It was wonderful. Then they dropped the bomb on me…they have internet! Even better…skype – what I am desperately lacking at my house. They offered to let me use skype whenever I wanted. I went over to their house Saturday morning and used skype for the first time since I arrived and was able to talk mom and dad and the Athens gang! It was the most wonderful thing in the whole world. Really it was. I think I would have gladly cut off my right arm to talk to you guys even for that short amount of time. Justin and Julie then offered me keys to their house and the password to their computer and said that I was welcome to come over any time I wanted. What a blessing to be able to do that. Praise God for Justin and Julie – they are amazing. It just makes the world seem smaller to know that I can talk to my parents and friends semi-in-person all the way over here.
Other fun facts…I start teaching tomorrow. Brown vs. Board in US History and Nazi Germany in my world history class. Soon I will also be picking up a social science class too.
I went on a field trip to Rotorua. I hope you looked it up – it is a really fun city. It was a great chance to get to know some of the students and the teachers. I loved it : ) We drove forever in the most beautiful country in the whole world. We stopped in Matamata – and that is the most normal of the town names we ran into. But guess what was in Matamata…HOBBITTOWN!!! I didn’t get to take the tour (maybe later) but I did get to take a picture with Golim (“precious…”) and Hobbittown. Oh and Flat Stanley’s – you made the pics too. After some (hot)tea and breakfast we were out of Matamata and on our way.
We stopped again at this small mountain – no clue the name. But it’s home to the luge! We took a gondola up to the top of the mnt and from there you hopped on a skateboard type thing with handle bars and brakes. You sit down and then head down the mountain on the paved track. It was a lot of fun. I think the kids liked that I tried it – it was a little scary; you get going really fast on the track!
The next day we headed out to the main street in Rotorua. The kids had to do some street interviews with real tourists (although some interviewed me…haha) and the teachers and I went out for breakfast. This is one of the best breakfasts I had ever had!!!! Stuffed French toast with fresh fruit! I took pics with it : ) Later we toured some of the natural sites in Rotorua. It is home to Mt. Terawera – a volcano that exploded in the late 19th century. The explosion partially buried a town (that we toured) and destroyed the “Pink and White Terraces” that were made from the geothermal heat around the area. It was supposed to be one of the natural wonders of the world. Also saw the Green and Blue Lakes and some other good stuff.
One of my favorite parts of the trip was when we went to a Maori (native people to NZ) tribal/village reenactment. It was AWESOME. It starts by the coach busses picking a Chief. The chief has to represent the bus (aka: war canoe) to the Maori warriors who come out. The warriors did their intimidating dance/challenge thing and then invited us into their village. We got to see what a typical Maori village would look like and what the people would be doing. It reminded me of the Jamestown and Civil War reenactments. After that they fed us a traditional meal called a Hangi (or feast). It is cooked underground and seems like the underground version of a low country boil. YUM!!!! Best food I’ve had since I’ve been here.
The last day we visited the Agrodome and saw a sheep show. This was too funny! I was volunteered by my kids to get on stage and milk a cow! They loved it. Then they sheared a sheep and all the other farmy stuff you do.
It was a great trip and a good way to start my adventures here. I really had a good time. Today I went to downtown Auckland for the first time. Went to the outside markets – got some good stuff and found lots of goodies for you all (get excited!). I cooked dinner for the first time tonight (and Christine is still alive, so that’s a good sign). The Olympics are over tonight – bummer.
I think that’s about it from here. This is my first week teaching – this could be interesting…. I am excited and a little nervous, but I know it will be good. I love you all and miss you all. Grace and Peace : )
Hope you are all doing really well. It is Sunday night here – the night before I teach for the very FIRST time – YIKES…
So, what am I doing…writing the blog. Good times, right? Don’t worry mom, my work is already done. Well. Let’s catch up. First, I have been here for a solid week; that seems crazy. 1 down and 11 to go, eh?
I think one of the last times I wrote I promised to tell you about stuff. I forgot some of it (I’m writing from home…no internet…so this is from memory). OH – pictures. I will try to load some here; if not go to facebook and see them there. I will upload them asap. If you don’t have facebook, talk to my mom – she’ll show the pics to you!
First, I have become friends with one of the other teachers at school. His name is Justin McCormack and he and his family have become saving graces here in Maratei (aka: home). Justin and his wife, Julie, plus 2 small boys (Caelen, 2 – who thinks we are boyfriend and girlfriend - and Collin, 10 months - the butterball who looks like he could play linebacker tomorrow) live about a 5 minute walk from my house. One night Christine (my host) had to work late and Justin offered to give me a ride home. His wife invited me to stay for dinner. It was probably the first time that I felt like I was home and a part of a family since I had come to town. The house was full (and messy in the best sort of way), Julie cooked a fabulous dinner of pumpkin soup and veggies, Julie’s dad was in town and he was making jokes about everyone and everything. It was wonderful. Then they dropped the bomb on me…they have internet! Even better…skype – what I am desperately lacking at my house. They offered to let me use skype whenever I wanted. I went over to their house Saturday morning and used skype for the first time since I arrived and was able to talk mom and dad and the Athens gang! It was the most wonderful thing in the whole world. Really it was. I think I would have gladly cut off my right arm to talk to you guys even for that short amount of time. Justin and Julie then offered me keys to their house and the password to their computer and said that I was welcome to come over any time I wanted. What a blessing to be able to do that. Praise God for Justin and Julie – they are amazing. It just makes the world seem smaller to know that I can talk to my parents and friends semi-in-person all the way over here.
Other fun facts…I start teaching tomorrow. Brown vs. Board in US History and Nazi Germany in my world history class. Soon I will also be picking up a social science class too.
I went on a field trip to Rotorua. I hope you looked it up – it is a really fun city. It was a great chance to get to know some of the students and the teachers. I loved it : ) We drove forever in the most beautiful country in the whole world. We stopped in Matamata – and that is the most normal of the town names we ran into. But guess what was in Matamata…HOBBITTOWN!!! I didn’t get to take the tour (maybe later) but I did get to take a picture with Golim (“precious…”) and Hobbittown. Oh and Flat Stanley’s – you made the pics too. After some (hot)tea and breakfast we were out of Matamata and on our way.
We stopped again at this small mountain – no clue the name. But it’s home to the luge! We took a gondola up to the top of the mnt and from there you hopped on a skateboard type thing with handle bars and brakes. You sit down and then head down the mountain on the paved track. It was a lot of fun. I think the kids liked that I tried it – it was a little scary; you get going really fast on the track!
The next day we headed out to the main street in Rotorua. The kids had to do some street interviews with real tourists (although some interviewed me…haha) and the teachers and I went out for breakfast. This is one of the best breakfasts I had ever had!!!! Stuffed French toast with fresh fruit! I took pics with it : ) Later we toured some of the natural sites in Rotorua. It is home to Mt. Terawera – a volcano that exploded in the late 19th century. The explosion partially buried a town (that we toured) and destroyed the “Pink and White Terraces” that were made from the geothermal heat around the area. It was supposed to be one of the natural wonders of the world. Also saw the Green and Blue Lakes and some other good stuff.
One of my favorite parts of the trip was when we went to a Maori (native people to NZ) tribal/village reenactment. It was AWESOME. It starts by the coach busses picking a Chief. The chief has to represent the bus (aka: war canoe) to the Maori warriors who come out. The warriors did their intimidating dance/challenge thing and then invited us into their village. We got to see what a typical Maori village would look like and what the people would be doing. It reminded me of the Jamestown and Civil War reenactments. After that they fed us a traditional meal called a Hangi (or feast). It is cooked underground and seems like the underground version of a low country boil. YUM!!!! Best food I’ve had since I’ve been here.
The last day we visited the Agrodome and saw a sheep show. This was too funny! I was volunteered by my kids to get on stage and milk a cow! They loved it. Then they sheared a sheep and all the other farmy stuff you do.
It was a great trip and a good way to start my adventures here. I really had a good time. Today I went to downtown Auckland for the first time. Went to the outside markets – got some good stuff and found lots of goodies for you all (get excited!). I cooked dinner for the first time tonight (and Christine is still alive, so that’s a good sign). The Olympics are over tonight – bummer.
I think that’s about it from here. This is my first week teaching – this could be interesting…. I am excited and a little nervous, but I know it will be good. I love you all and miss you all. Grace and Peace : )
Thursday, August 21, 2008
hostel takover
well...maybe not that exciting. botany downs secondary college (my school) has taken some of its seniors on a trip to rotorua. thats where im at right now. i have 8 min and 28sec of bought internet time left...so this may be quick.
today i have seen a geizer, viewed master carvers at work, im about to eat a hangi (trafitionally cooked maori feast, baked underground by the geothermal heat), tomorrow i ZORB! get ready. this is goign to be good.
although it is rather cold here i am doing fine. slept through the night again, so maybe that will continue to be the trend! i bought a good jacket at the local outdoors store before i left and that has been the best purchase ever. i am feeling good - frustrated that i dont have the internet at my fingertips. i am thinking abotu asking Christine if i can pay for her to get internet access at her house for 3 the time i am here. it seems reasonable to me - just include it in my rent...
anyway - this trip has been lovely and i cant wait for tomorrow. what fun!
hopefully i will be able to write more soon.
love you all : )
today i have seen a geizer, viewed master carvers at work, im about to eat a hangi (trafitionally cooked maori feast, baked underground by the geothermal heat), tomorrow i ZORB! get ready. this is goign to be good.
although it is rather cold here i am doing fine. slept through the night again, so maybe that will continue to be the trend! i bought a good jacket at the local outdoors store before i left and that has been the best purchase ever. i am feeling good - frustrated that i dont have the internet at my fingertips. i am thinking abotu asking Christine if i can pay for her to get internet access at her house for 3 the time i am here. it seems reasonable to me - just include it in my rent...
anyway - this trip has been lovely and i cant wait for tomorrow. what fun!
hopefully i will be able to write more soon.
love you all : )
Monday, August 18, 2008
teasers
okay - so i dont have a whole lot of time to blog right now, but i wanted to write to remind myself of things to tell you all about when i do have time to blog for real. so consider this the movie trailer version of the next blog.
1. teary eyed first day
2. sleeping!!!!
3. the McCormick family
4. Rotorua
5. fire!!!! : )
6. teaching stuff.
thats about all for now.
im goign on a school field trip from wed-fri to Rotorua. it sounds a bit like Yellowstone to me. if you have time, google it. i will post some pics and maybe a movie of my time there. it should be a great way to round out week one!
things to pray for:
- sleep!!! i slept for the first time (through the night) last night, but jetlag is still a killer.
- COMMUNITY. i need some. i also need a hug and those seem to be hard to come by around here. the british stiff upperlip i suppose.
- travel buddies. i need some willing suspects...i mean friends to take me places like skiing, etc. but i have to find those ppl first.
- the internet situation is rough too. that was how i was planning on doing church here, so the lack of net is bumming out those plans. pray that this will fix itself.
GOD IS GOOD EVEN OVER HERE. He is still faithful and still providing everything i need here. He is truly faithful.
Love you all!
1. teary eyed first day
2. sleeping!!!!
3. the McCormick family
4. Rotorua
5. fire!!!! : )
6. teaching stuff.
thats about all for now.
im goign on a school field trip from wed-fri to Rotorua. it sounds a bit like Yellowstone to me. if you have time, google it. i will post some pics and maybe a movie of my time there. it should be a great way to round out week one!
things to pray for:
- sleep!!! i slept for the first time (through the night) last night, but jetlag is still a killer.
- COMMUNITY. i need some. i also need a hug and those seem to be hard to come by around here. the british stiff upperlip i suppose.
- travel buddies. i need some willing suspects...i mean friends to take me places like skiing, etc. but i have to find those ppl first.
- the internet situation is rough too. that was how i was planning on doing church here, so the lack of net is bumming out those plans. pray that this will fix itself.
GOD IS GOOD EVEN OVER HERE. He is still faithful and still providing everything i need here. He is truly faithful.
Love you all!
Sunday, August 17, 2008
First Few Days
Right now it is 6:22am local Auckland time (I think that makes it 2:30pm in the states). I have slept all my body will let me, so I am writing. No internet access in the house, so this will probably be posted on Monday or so…
Well, Im here! The first day (which was actually about 3 days long) went really well. Our plane landed about 15 minutes early giving all of us time to get through customs and other such lines really quickly. Everyone I spoke to was extremely nice – which means they either are really nice or I must have looked a little nervous and scared. I am beginning to learn that both are true.
I saw Christine right off. She was standing with a sign that had my name on It (she spelled my name like most people pronounce it the first few times – “Cushion”). It made me feel strangely at home. We exchanged a quick hello hug and made our way out of the airport.
We left the airport (and entered some very chilly weather) and then hopped in her car to head home. Driving on the left hand side of the road is not scary at all (don’t worry; I’m not driving at all!) This place is truly beautiful. As we drove home the scenery was out of control. The greenest greens you could ever imagine. I have already had my first sheep sightings and crossings. For those who don’t know, there are more sheep than people in NZ.
We arrived at Christine’s house after about a 30 minute drive. Her house is right on the beach, although it is not like our beaches at home. Small sand area, lots of trees along the coast, etc. There are lots of windows here; good for natural lighting, just beautiful. We can even see downtown Auckland from her porch. I will try and get some pictures together soon. I am living in the basement of the apt. My only complaint is that it is quite cold; I slept in sweats all night. The latest and greatest discovery – my adapter plug actually works!!!!!!!!!! I actually cried when that happened. Even though I don’t have internet, my laptop feels like a bit of home, especially since I have some music on it. It just feels like I am somewhat connected to the outside world. The next mission is to find a place to Skype call from. There are some cafes within walking distance that I will be trying soon.
Christine and I spent the morning running around. We went to the grocery store, to Botany Downs (the school I will be teaching at) to get internet access to email mom and dad, to her brother’s house, to the school rugby and soccer games, and then back home. We were going to see the school play but decided we were both too tired to manage to stay awake.
The school is so nice. It was built fairly recently so everything has that “new smell”. I found out that the community system that the school is based around is pronounced “fawn-new”. Apparently around here –wh sounds make the F noise. Good to know. Met some of the students. They all seem very nice and all love their school. The Whanau program builds in school pride and a sense of belonging to the kids. Neat to see.
I am still not unpacked. I spent most of the day yesterday trying hard to stay awake, no unpacking. I did realize though that I brought no gloves, scarf, of toboggan. These appear to be necessities I will soon be getting.
That’s all for now from this side of the globe. I am doing well. Three months seems like a long time but I know it will fly by. I miss you all and love you more than you know. Send hugs my prayers my way. Talk to you soon : )
Well, Im here! The first day (which was actually about 3 days long) went really well. Our plane landed about 15 minutes early giving all of us time to get through customs and other such lines really quickly. Everyone I spoke to was extremely nice – which means they either are really nice or I must have looked a little nervous and scared. I am beginning to learn that both are true.
I saw Christine right off. She was standing with a sign that had my name on It (she spelled my name like most people pronounce it the first few times – “Cushion”). It made me feel strangely at home. We exchanged a quick hello hug and made our way out of the airport.
We left the airport (and entered some very chilly weather) and then hopped in her car to head home. Driving on the left hand side of the road is not scary at all (don’t worry; I’m not driving at all!) This place is truly beautiful. As we drove home the scenery was out of control. The greenest greens you could ever imagine. I have already had my first sheep sightings and crossings. For those who don’t know, there are more sheep than people in NZ.
We arrived at Christine’s house after about a 30 minute drive. Her house is right on the beach, although it is not like our beaches at home. Small sand area, lots of trees along the coast, etc. There are lots of windows here; good for natural lighting, just beautiful. We can even see downtown Auckland from her porch. I will try and get some pictures together soon. I am living in the basement of the apt. My only complaint is that it is quite cold; I slept in sweats all night. The latest and greatest discovery – my adapter plug actually works!!!!!!!!!! I actually cried when that happened. Even though I don’t have internet, my laptop feels like a bit of home, especially since I have some music on it. It just feels like I am somewhat connected to the outside world. The next mission is to find a place to Skype call from. There are some cafes within walking distance that I will be trying soon.
Christine and I spent the morning running around. We went to the grocery store, to Botany Downs (the school I will be teaching at) to get internet access to email mom and dad, to her brother’s house, to the school rugby and soccer games, and then back home. We were going to see the school play but decided we were both too tired to manage to stay awake.
The school is so nice. It was built fairly recently so everything has that “new smell”. I found out that the community system that the school is based around is pronounced “fawn-new”. Apparently around here –wh sounds make the F noise. Good to know. Met some of the students. They all seem very nice and all love their school. The Whanau program builds in school pride and a sense of belonging to the kids. Neat to see.
I am still not unpacked. I spent most of the day yesterday trying hard to stay awake, no unpacking. I did realize though that I brought no gloves, scarf, of toboggan. These appear to be necessities I will soon be getting.
That’s all for now from this side of the globe. I am doing well. Three months seems like a long time but I know it will fly by. I miss you all and love you more than you know. Send hugs my prayers my way. Talk to you soon : )
Friday, August 15, 2008
the kiwi has landed
i have arrived!
not too much time to write here andnow,but i will again soon. probably monday before i get a chance to sit and write.
love you and miss you all with all my heart.
- cat : )
not too much time to write here andnow,but i will again soon. probably monday before i get a chance to sit and write.
love you and miss you all with all my heart.
- cat : )
Thursday, August 14, 2008
oh airports....
okay - so i hate airports. i really really hate them. they tend to overwhelm me generally. this is an especially stressful trip to the airport as i just left my parents to head off into the great blue yander...there were tears from everyone, yes even Dad. He's a softy at heart : )
the goodbye itself was quick i must say, but that was problably the best it could have been b/c we all would have been blubbering really quickly. they stayed and watched me go through the security check point which was reassuring. i found m way to my terminal without getting lost (believe it! it's true). and so now i am sitting in the concourse waiting for the next 2 and a half hours or so until my plane comes. i think i paid $8 to get online - ive never done that before and think it's rather rude, but i am quickly learning that i am not getting to make up my own rules on this trip.
so here's the run down:
i am in hartsfield jackson airport in Atl.
- my plane leaves Atl at 6:50pm to Los Angelas (Melissa/California - hooray for your hometown). I arrive in LAX at 8:30pm (hahaha - flying for 4 hours and arriving only 2 hours later)
- I wait for 2.5 hours there.
- I leave LAX at 10:30pm and fly straight to Auckland, NZ. When I come in it will be 6:00am on Saturday. Tada! I made it : ) I will be awake for about 36 or so maybe more. pray for strength!
In summary, that means i travel for 24hours and lose a complete day. No Friday for me. That's alright, Friday's usually just get in the way of the weekends ;)
Once I land, my roommate, Christine will meet me. I only have one picture of her, so I hope she has a poster with my name on it and knows where to meet me! This could be fun. Please pray that I will meet Christine without problems.
I am not nervous right now. Just ready to get on the plane. When i first got to the terminal i was terrified. no particular reason. Just unsteady. Since then, and after some prayer, i am feeling much better. This is goign to be the trip of a life time!!!!
Alright, that's about all i have right now. If i think of things before i take off, I will probably write again; i have time to kill!
Leaving on a Jet Plane!
Today I am leaving!!!! I thought this day may not actually come. I have finished packing, repacking, unpacking, checking weight of bags, and packing again. Space bags have become my new favorite obsession : ) You stuff all of your clothes in the bag and then...poof! The vacuum sucks out all of the air in the bag, the bag shrinks, weighs less, and is easier to be packed away. I just hope that the airline inspectors dont want to unpack my space bags; I dont think it will fit again.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
quick thoughts before work
i have 9 days left! yikes. this is becoming real. i dont think it hit me until about 2 days ago that i am really leaving the country for 3 months.
the past few days have been spent hanging out with friends, finishing up work, making packing lists, confirming flights, gathering necessities, etc. i am sure there is much more to do, im just not sure what.
i have also had to clean out my apt and turn it back over to my land lord. a nightmare if i had ever thought of one. if you know the story, you know what im talkign about, if not i can tell you later. it's not pretty. however, i have become very thankful that Jesus is an all sufficient provider of everything. He knows exactly what i need for today. He is able to provide me the stregnth, energy, food, peace, love, encouragement, shelter, etc for today. tomorrow will come and it will have its own worries, but today has been taken care of. there is no need for me to worry. my daily bread has come and it is more than sufficient for my needs. Praise God. this is good news as i have become anxious about leaving and beginning to teach. Praise be to God, my Savior and Father who is able and willing to fight for, feed, and love his children. He is good forevermore.
grace and peace : )
the past few days have been spent hanging out with friends, finishing up work, making packing lists, confirming flights, gathering necessities, etc. i am sure there is much more to do, im just not sure what.
i have also had to clean out my apt and turn it back over to my land lord. a nightmare if i had ever thought of one. if you know the story, you know what im talkign about, if not i can tell you later. it's not pretty. however, i have become very thankful that Jesus is an all sufficient provider of everything. He knows exactly what i need for today. He is able to provide me the stregnth, energy, food, peace, love, encouragement, shelter, etc for today. tomorrow will come and it will have its own worries, but today has been taken care of. there is no need for me to worry. my daily bread has come and it is more than sufficient for my needs. Praise God. this is good news as i have become anxious about leaving and beginning to teach. Praise be to God, my Savior and Father who is able and willing to fight for, feed, and love his children. He is good forevermore.
grace and peace : )
Sunday, July 27, 2008
19 days to go
holy crap!!! i leave in 19 days. this week has been the first time in this entire experience that i have been somewhat nervous and anxious about my trip. the teacher that i will be working with sent me my unit outlines for all 6 of the classes that i will be teaching. i think it was the first time i realized that this was for real. these people really expect me to come over and the really expect me to teach young people. aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh. breathe, cathleen. in through the nose, out through the mouth.
anyway the unit outlines were a great help; they were very detailed and had every activity and lesson planned - just a skeleton of my days. i am excited to see what it will be like to put meat to those bones and actually teach for myself.
with 19 days to go, i have been busy working, hanging out with friends, discovering and learning abotu skype (i now have a skype account, you should get one too and then we could chat together while im away), and figuring out web cams. welcome to the 21st century, cathleen!!! this is incredible - i never imagined any of this possible.
God continually amazes, romances, and surprises me. He has provided everything and abundantly more than i could ever ask or dream of with this trip. He has provided monitarily, spiritually, and in every other way. HE IS FAITHFUL and I am thankful that He shines His face on me.
for the 2 of you who read this - hope you are well. let me know if i am leaving things out you want to know; i am at your serive! love you : )
anyway the unit outlines were a great help; they were very detailed and had every activity and lesson planned - just a skeleton of my days. i am excited to see what it will be like to put meat to those bones and actually teach for myself.
with 19 days to go, i have been busy working, hanging out with friends, discovering and learning abotu skype (i now have a skype account, you should get one too and then we could chat together while im away), and figuring out web cams. welcome to the 21st century, cathleen!!! this is incredible - i never imagined any of this possible.
God continually amazes, romances, and surprises me. He has provided everything and abundantly more than i could ever ask or dream of with this trip. He has provided monitarily, spiritually, and in every other way. HE IS FAITHFUL and I am thankful that He shines His face on me.
for the 2 of you who read this - hope you are well. let me know if i am leaving things out you want to know; i am at your serive! love you : )
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
t-o-d-a-y!
today is my birthday : ) WOOOOOHOOOOO i love birthdays. i think they are pretty sweet. today was one of the best birthdays ever. i worked all day at the Y; we went tubing in Helen. And by tubing, I actually mean walking in ankle deep water while carrying a tube. fun!
family dinner came next. it's my favorite part. baby charlie kept telling me "hapday" which really means "happy day!" you get the point. made me smile.
so the whole fam was here (even the 4th child...robin). food, cake, and then presents. my mom and dad gave me THE coolest present ever...
in may mom sent Coach Mark Richt a letter explaining to him that I was about to graduate, never missed a home game, and a huge fan of his. She also told him of the now imfamous Baseball Encounter in Athens. Well, Coach signed the picture (of him and I) for me and my mom had it framed and matted. What an AMAZING present.
I'll have to thank him next time I see him in public...if I can speak real words...or his body guards dont get me first.... : )
family dinner came next. it's my favorite part. baby charlie kept telling me "hapday" which really means "happy day!" you get the point. made me smile.
so the whole fam was here (even the 4th child...robin). food, cake, and then presents. my mom and dad gave me THE coolest present ever...
in may mom sent Coach Mark Richt a letter explaining to him that I was about to graduate, never missed a home game, and a huge fan of his. She also told him of the now imfamous Baseball Encounter in Athens. Well, Coach signed the picture (of him and I) for me and my mom had it framed and matted. What an AMAZING present.
I'll have to thank him next time I see him in public...if I can speak real words...or his body guards dont get me first.... : )
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Almost There...
So - I have done an awful job of keeping up with this blog, but there is grace and I will try harder.
Let's see, since I last blogged a lot has happened.
1. I found out I will be teaching in Auckland, New Zealand. I will teach the underclassmen at Botany Downs Secondary School. It's in a suburb of Auckland. The school is really high tech, fairly new, and very close to the beach. I am really excited about being a part of this team. Here is the website if you would like to check it out yourself: http://www.bdsc.school.nz/
2. I am living in a smaller town outside of Botany Downs. The town is called Maraetai. Here is a link to googlemaps where you can see where my apt is. This is pretty sweet! http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=70+craig+road,+Maraetai+new+zealand+&sll=49.891235,-97.15369&sspn=26.282455,76.640625&ie=UTF8&ll=-36.832371,174.894104&spn=0.254459,0.598755&z=11&iwloc=addr
3. I will be living in an apt with one of the faculty members of the school I am working in. Her name is Christine. She is single (but has nieces who visit often she says) but seems to be very fun loving and excited to have a "flatmate". The pic at the top of this post is from the patio of our apt. Life is GOOD!
4. I have my green card (heck yes!), VISA, passport, and tickets. No stopping now!
5. I have passed my teacher certification test. This means that when I come home and graduate I will be able to apply for jobs. Thanksfully, I passed both parts so I dont have to take another test for a little while although there are more tests that I should take in order to be a good aplicant for a job around Gwinnett.
That is about it as far as major events lately. Life is good. The Lord has been really faithful this summer (as always). He has really shown me how this summer is a real time of preparation for the next season of my life. He has also been preparring me for life with much less community than I am used to and how to conduct behavior management. He is so faithful, worthy, and good.
I am uber excited about this journey. I am so close! I have 25 days until take off. If you made it through this entire post - congrats. You deserve a hug! Love you. Grace and peace of Christ.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
new beginnings,etc.
just finished moving all my stuff back into the house in snellville. i am not sure if it's hit me that i wont be returning the athens. maybe i sunk in just then when i wrote it. it is always amazing to me to see the accumulation of stuff i manage to gather. moving points that out to me quickly. anyway - still no word on where i will be. just waiting.
this week seems like the week to be getting engaged and/or married. i think i know at least 4 couples who became engaged over the past week and i know at least 4 who are getting married this weekend. all of them are my age or younger. it seems weird to me that other people my age are married. i feel really far away from that point in my life. that's good though. there is a lot to be done.
grace and peace.
this week seems like the week to be getting engaged and/or married. i think i know at least 4 couples who became engaged over the past week and i know at least 4 who are getting married this weekend. all of them are my age or younger. it seems weird to me that other people my age are married. i feel really far away from that point in my life. that's good though. there is a lot to be done.
grace and peace.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Well - so far I know nothing. And that's okay. But as the summer begins, I will be keeping up with this blog and keeping you up to date and in the know about my travels and life.
Right now, graduation stuff is in full swing. I am in the middle of moving out of my apartment and home of the past 3 years. Athens will no longer be my home (at least for now). My roommates and best friends are all experiencing the same thing. It is the most odd, exciting, frustrating, joyful, and strange roller coaster any of us has ever experienced before. And what is even more interesting to us is that it hit us unexpectedly. We didn't see the end of our time here until it was right on top of us. Strange how that happens.
I am getting ready to move back into my parents place for the summer. For the next couple of months I will be working at the YMCA in Snellville as a high ropes course counselor for a day camp. That should be pretty interesting. I am so excited to see what that will be like.
I'm glad you decided to stop by this little blog. Drop by again soon. grace and peace.
Right now, graduation stuff is in full swing. I am in the middle of moving out of my apartment and home of the past 3 years. Athens will no longer be my home (at least for now). My roommates and best friends are all experiencing the same thing. It is the most odd, exciting, frustrating, joyful, and strange roller coaster any of us has ever experienced before. And what is even more interesting to us is that it hit us unexpectedly. We didn't see the end of our time here until it was right on top of us. Strange how that happens.
I am getting ready to move back into my parents place for the summer. For the next couple of months I will be working at the YMCA in Snellville as a high ropes course counselor for a day camp. That should be pretty interesting. I am so excited to see what that will be like.
I'm glad you decided to stop by this little blog. Drop by again soon. grace and peace.
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