steep paths and muddy knees

This week has been packed. I had planned to do a group hike today, but I woke up at noon still exhausted and realized I really need to REST, take a break. Also the weather was nasty... probably without that factor I wouldn't be able to sit still and get my homework done.

      First thing's first, and this is something I forgot to mention in my previous posts but is such an important apart of my life abroad. Lorna, my host mom, is an amazing cook. Whenever I come home late/tired/ famished there is always an amazing (and HUGE) meal waiting for me. Lorna is originally from England it's a lot of meat and potato style dishes, my favorite so far being perfectly seasoned lambchops and scalloped cheesy potatoes with veggies. BIG portions of everything (but hey, no complaints) and she worriedly always asks me, "Oh Lara, are you sure you've had enough?" at the end of every meal. If it wasn't for all the hiking i've been doing, I probably wouldn't fit into any of my clothes by the end of this semester. Another good eat is kumara, a NZ staple crop that tastes like combination of sweet potato, chestnut, and squash. I'm also doing a very serious scientific study on what is the best chocolate bar down here, and it requires me to consume as many different varieties as I can over of the course of my semester and sometimes RETEST brands to make sure it wasn't just a fluke- all of this is for science, obviously. All of this food talk was making me a bit hungry so I just went to the kitchen to scout out some snacks, and there were warm homemade shortbread cookies waiting for me on the counter with a note from Lorna encouraging me to consume them. I love her, it's a good life.
     My teaching internship was great this week. The students are very friendly (and funny). I get a lot questions like "Do you know Nicki Minaj? Drake? Ne-yo? Taylor Swift?" "Do you like San Francisco? New York? Boston?" haha it can be challenging to keep them focused, but it also means the kids are more willing to ask me for help so that they can sneak in some of these questions to the conversation. My favorite moment of the week, by far, was when I was sitting on my bus, headed out of town, a few of my students walking on the street recognized me through the window and shouted LOOK IT'S HER!! HI!!! HEY!!! and were waving and running after my bus as it pulled away. It just made me laugh and so happy to be working with these kids.
     There was something this week that bothered me. One of my classes was learning about tectonic plate boundaries and the teacher, in her powerpoint lecture, only used examples from the United States (San Andreas Fault, subduction near Aleutian Islands, etc). Not to nerd out too much here, but there is subduction going on right beneath Auckland!! There are transform boundaries to the south that rival the San Andreas! NZ has much more interesting tectonics than the US, why would you not take this opportunity to incorporate material more relevant to the students' lives? One student said to me this week, "America must be so exciting, I bet you miss it" and to that I said something like NZ is such an amazing and unique place, many Americans come here and never want to go home... I'm positive you guys have a lot more exciting stuff than we do. And that last statement is true, I've met about five Americans so far (all teachers, but not all from Lynfield College) who moved here because they felt the kiwi quality of life was so much better than in the States. My point is, these kids already have a strong fixation on American culture and I think it's the schools job (also my job when I design lesson plans) to help them appreciate where they live, not just about the places that the media tells them are important. That same teacher also told her class that the Grand Canyon in the USA was a continental divergent boundary (that two tectonic plates were pulling apart here). No, just no... the canyon was carved by water. This teacher did mention to me that Earth Science was not her strong suit and I was welcome to teach a few lessons when I was ready.
     Continuing the topic, everyone I meet has an opinion to share about the USA. While waiting for my bus, a nice conversation with a hungarian guy got a little awkward when he asked, "So why are you waiting for a bus? Shouldn't you just get in your SUV or Hummer? Isn't that what Americans do?" Another time, whilst I was buying some late-night candy in a busy convenience store, the chinese man who worked there asked if I was voting "No-bama" and informed me that the only way America was going to solve it's economic problems was by waging war with China. Okay... interesting. After my friends are dropped off at their houses, I have an extra 10 minutes alone with the driver in the taxicab until I get to my town, and this period always evolves into a serious political discussion about America. My first driver was from Afghanistan, and was more interested than critical of the States. A driver from another night was Greek, and asked me a lot about the upcoming election candidates and how the economy was over there. A lot of my American friends on the trip have been asked about 9/11 (especially with us being over here for the ten year anniversary), but i've yet to encounter this. As the Global Education office promised, I'm learning so so much about my own culture through this experience.
    Wow, okay I wrote all that and still haven't gotten around to talking about anything I did this week. Here's a few things I can summarize quickly

Polynesian jewelry at Otara

• Kiera (the other American student placed at Lynfield College) and I went to the student Jazz Concert one night. There was an incredible amount of excitement and talent, my favorite part being when some young audience members got up on stage and starting dancing with the performers. One girl put dollar bills down the singer's top, which I found out later was a something Samoan family members do to each other at events.
• Went to the Otara Markets that are known as a hub for Pacific/Polynesian culture. Bright colors, beautiful bone/shell/greenstone carvings, island-y dresses and music...

  

  tube tanks at the aquarium

  it was a lot of fun and quite a few people i went with said they would be interested in going back again. 
• After class on Friday, we went to Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World which is like a crazy Antarctic themed aquarium where you can ride "Snowcat" cars through the penguin exhibit and walk through the shark/fish exhibits in tubes so that they swim all around you.
• Scored tickets to a Rugby World Cup game at Eden Park, Aussie vs Ireland!! I updated the end of my last rugby post with photos and info on this night if you want to see more. 
• This video was shown in one of my classes, it perfectly captures the New Zealand/Australia rivalry and the accents are totally adorable. 

Also Here's another

Most importantly is all the hiking I fit in this week: three volcanos total. My teaching internship gets out around 3:15, which is perfect for fitting in a hike before I head home for dinner and homework. 

Te Kopuke, once a Maori fortress

Friendly St. Johns cows,
grazing in the crater. 

Scoria/Basalt that has
 eroded from the slopes

On Thursday I set off to climb Mt. Saint John (Te Kopuke) and Mt. Hobson (Remuwera) located in western part of the city. I was determined to climb both of these volcanoes in the same afternoon because they are "sisters", and by that I mean they were formed from the same hotspot in relatively close time periods. If you can imagine, Mt. Eden (from my previous post) would be the "big sister", the oldest eruption from this chain and she is trailed first by Mt. St John then by Mt. Hobson to the east. I got off the bus at Mt. St John but I couldn't find an obvious hiking entrance to the summit. I did find a sketch, very steep, very muddy grass trail near somebody's private yard that I decided was my best bet. The only 
problem was that, because I just came from teaching, I was still wearing a dress and nice shoes, but hey, I gotta do what I gotta do. Barefoot, slipping and sliding everywhere, I climbed up that trail on hands and knees using the shrubs and rocks to pull myself up. It was a terrible route to take, especially since I found out later that there was a paved access road about 100 ft from this trail, but at the same time it was incredibly fun. I emerged sweaty at the summit with muddy, cut up knees and was rewarded with a killer view of the volcanic crater filled with cattle. I walked around the volcanoes rim, sandwiched between Eden to the west and Hobson to the east. I found some exposed scoria cliffs and collected cool samples of basalt (volcanic rock, most of it cooled in the air before it hit the ground and therefore has big air pockets and twists like rope). I even climbed down into crater and pet one of the friendlier looking cows who was obviously used to having visitors. All this time, I could see a massive storm brewing in the distance and knew I would be a good idea to catch a bus and save Hobson for another day. But good ideas aren't my specialty, so I embarked on my next mission, with Bob Dylan and CSNY keeping me company on my iPod.

The towns and roads between the two volcanoes had long walls
made of basalt- quarried from the ancient flows. 

From the top of Hobson, view of Rangitoto.

     I arrived at Mt. Hobson just before sunset. Unlike St John, there was a lot of vegetation left on the slopes here and the path felt like walking through a tropical rainforest- with beautiful views of Rangitoto and downtown Auckland. I walked and talked with an older man who was out exercising his border collie, and the dog ran circles around us- herding us through the park. I watched the sunset over Mt St John, I watched the planes soar towards Auckland Airport, I felt the strong winds and gentle rain of the storm come in and engulf me, I felt very free and alive. There were cattle all over Mt. Hobson as well, and I had to be really careful when I was looking at rocks on the slopes that they were actually rocks. Just a little FYI, the big rectangular pits you will sometimes see on the volcanos are not naturally formed; they are Maori food storage pits (especially for kumara). Additionally the terracing on the slopes of the volcanoes is also Maori earthwork so that they could reside on the flat surfaces. Anyway, at some point I realized I really needed to get going with the storm and night setting in and followed a new path down the mountain. There were some big, dark cattle blocking the path at one point head butting eachother/ fighting and, because I had seen other people walk right though them earlier, I wasn't bothered by their presence. But I think these kiwi-cows didn't like my American accent or something, because one starting snorting at me and stomping its hooves... which is terrifying just so you know. If you've never been snorted at by a cow then you do not get to judge me... so yeah when I was about 15 feet away it started walking in my general direction and I just booked it up a steep slope where I felt safer. So while I was talking to the cow and asking it why it hated me, some runners went by... right past the evil cattle and they survived. This gave me new found confidence to try again, but NO. I got snorted at and chased again so I had to scale this steep muddy slope to get around the cows... the whole time talking aloud to them and telling them they can't just go around treating people like this. Anyway, I made it home, muddy and exhausted and happy.

Chillin' on the slope,
being held hostage by some Mt. Hobson cows

I climbed Mt. Roskill on Wednesday, and again I hiked barefoot feeling very hobbit like with the long blades of cool grass between my toes. I found a cliff of compressed scoria that held my attention for a half hour or so. There was also a location where a large tree on the slope had fallen, and its displaced roots had exposed an inch thick layer of compressed, very distinct tuff, or volcanic ash from the last eruption. I didn't have my camera with me for this hike, but I know I'll do it again in the near future and have more to say. 

Whatungarongaro te tangata toi tu whenua: 

People, love, treasures come and go, but the land remains

my rundown on rugby

Rugby. It's Auckland's dominant focus.
It's a huge deal.

Australian Team arrival

And... I'm still not really sure what the game rules are. I want to blame this one on being American, which I know is a cheap card to play, but... yeah. The closest i've gotten to a real lesson was, last week, watching a game after dinner with my friend's host-father. He dropped a lot of kiwi-isms (for example "have a gander at that bloke's cockup!") and his voice would explode with profanities if the game wasn't going the way he wanted.... yeah so i learned nothing. It was funny though. That man likes his rugby. 

Maori warriors confront the Aussies

  It's been mayhem rugby fever since the day I arrived, with the World Cup taking place here and all. Even my customs papers on the airplane inquired, "Are you here for the Rugby World Cup?" Auckland is flooded with massive billboards, the majority of cars display team flags, there's countdown displays in almost every shop, merch at exorbitant prices (Jerseys $140, ballcaps $40, tshirts $60), and team arrival ceremonies throughout the city. I managed to catch the Aussie's arrival after class one day. Australians are not too popular in New Zealand, so it was a weird crowd. The team was greeted with a haka, a challenge from Maori tribesmen, before they    

even my coffee was celebrating  
with the All Blacks fern

could proceed to the stage and be formally greeted by the city mayor (at least I think that's who he was... I never really know 100% what's going on). 

        Even outside the world cup though, rugby is a regular part of the culture. On my bus route home, every park we drive past, day OR night, is filled with schoolboys or grown men having a rugby game. At my school placement, most boys have a rugby ball in their backpacks and organize quick scrimmages between classes. The All Blacks (men's national team) and the Black Ferns (women's) are absolute heros, and are displayed everywhere. Not to brag or anything, but I am now the proud owner of an All Blacks lunchbox. 

      So it's a good time and a good place to be a sport enthusiast... as for me, I just love all the wild and spontaneous celebrations. Notably, the opening ceremonies on Friday Sep. 9th. From about 2 pm onwards, downtown Auckland was FLOODED with crowds and colors and noise as rugby fans went all out to represent their favorite teams with chants and costume. I'd say 8 out of ten people, including myself naturally, were wearing their team's flag as a cape. Basically, it was superhero day, it was also a time so show off Auckland's diverse culture and become friends with everybody.    

 overall, tongans take the prize as the wildest group


The celebrations kicked off with the arrival of the traditional waka, or canoe fleet. There were... maybe about fifteen ornate boats that arrived stuffed with Maori warriors... It was very very cool but, with the enormous crowds, I ended up pressed against a small tree that was dangerously overweighted with children and adults trying to get a better view. So I had half my mind on the ceremony, and the other half watching the limbs crackle and creak under the enormous weight of these bodies. Some british kid even mistook me for a limb branch and frickin stepped on my head, yeah that didn't make me happy. The 600 Maori warriors proceeded to march from the docks to Queens Wharf to deliever a massive haka.... here's a video of the actual event... my group was like three rows behind whatever person took this.

5 kids, one adult in this little tree.
See the one with black shorts? Yeah that's the
little demon who used me as a stepping block

Waka fleet arriving

Skytower!

That evening was crazy. The city was mobbed with drunken celebrations, every one was happy and shouting and being carted away in ambulances, haha. I struck up conversations with everyone who was adorning USA team gear, YEAHHH AMUUURICAA!! Actually I didn't even wear USA colors, i KNOW, BAD LARA. I was totally rooting for the kiwis in my black garb. A chinese guy actually came up to me at one point and was like, "I DON'T UNDERSTAND YOU, you're wearing NZ gear, you've got an american accent, you cheer when Tonga scores a point, and your hair is blue for Wales". So he's right, it's a confusing world. And that's massively embarrassing that I unknowingly cheered with the wrong group of people... good god. To be fair, i was running around doin my own thang and wasn't doing a great job of focusing on the game. Here's some more pictures. 

Bad decisions happening

Tonga vs NZ on the big screen

Fireworks on the Viaduct Harbor

September 19th

OLAY OLAY OLAY!

With some serious luck, I actually scored tickets to a World Cup game this weekend at Eden Park; AUSSIE VS IRELAND!!!! Absolutely wild, such a fun once-in-a-life experience and we decided to side with the leprechauns for this match. Ireland was definitely the underdog while Australia is a huge rival of New Zealand; so you can imagine how insane the stadium was when Ireland destroyed Australia 15 to 6!! The celebrations were like St. Patrick's Day in the USA multiplied by 100, with irish dancing and music blaring, the streets exploded with people dressed as shamrocks or leprechauns - sporting green wigs and flag capes - cheering at the top of their lungs hours and hours after the game was over. The energy was incredible, and after studying some All Blacks games over the past week I actually understood what was going on down on the rugby field, haha! Below i've posted the news report on that game which includes match highlights.

panoramic view from our sears in Eden Park

 

We come from a land down unda!

Sunday, September 11th 11:25 pm

Well apparently a tornado just hit the next town over, so I felt it was a good idea to stay indoors tonight.  Tornadoes? In NZ? Really? Well whatever it will give me a chance to add some to this entry.

The purpose of my Lynfield internship is not only to continue building experience in the classroom (planning and delivering lessons), but also to understand the differences in the NZ education system (I have completed internship programs in two american schools to serve as a comparison). So far here's what I got: 

• Funding distribution: In the USA the school is funded by the property taxes collect from that district. So obviously the wealthiest families (who generally have more expensive homes, and thus pay high taxes on their property) will be the ones who have access to the best schools (more money means better teachers, more resources). In the NYC, you'll find all ends of the spectrum. A top-notch public school equipped with a planetarium, a zen garden, and fresh mac computer labs can be just a short drive away from an overcrowded, dirty school that cannot even supply its students with textbooks. It's a mess, for sure. In NZ, the money for taxes is collected and an the government census determines the average socio-economic status for different districts. Schools that lie in poorer districts receive more funding. This is based on the observation that richer communities will naturally contribute more wealth to their children's school and can thus recieve less gov't funding. A great example I heard was that of a community raffle fundraiser. In a poorer district of Auckland, the community donated a big roast pig feast and sold raffle tickets for $50 (this is a fair price that people in that area could afford to purchase tickets at); the collection total was about $4000. In a richer district of Auckland, a new car was donated to the raffle, and tickets told at $300 a piece; the collection total was about $300,000. The goal of this funding method is to keep every district on a relatively equal playing field... and, although no system is perfect, NZ is doing a hell of a lot better than us.
• Diversity. Incredibly different. In my placement, I would say the breakdown is 40% pacific islanders, 25% Caucasian, 15% asian, 10% Indian, and the rest Maori, and refugees from the Middle Eastern Countries. Yeah so compared to white-bread upstate NY, is a huge and beautiful difference. 
• Campus: Most NZ highs schools are set up in "blocks" with many different, non connecting buildings. Between these buildings are outdoor open spaces, courtyards, gardens, murals, and sweet sunshine... it doesn't even seem like our version of a public high school (which I think of as a big brick prison with white walls, you enter at 9 am and cannot leave again until 3). The kids are given freedom to go into town for lunch, or dawdle outdoors between classes. The school design is different partially because NZ has nicer weather year round, but also because american schools still have a factory style design left over from our industrialization period. Anyway, NZ wins in this category as well. 

• Teaching independence: The district, or even the principal does not enforce/monitor how and what the teacher teaches. The teacher is allowed to make their own professional decisions and build their own curriculum to communicate academic ideas most effectively to their classroom. The best way to demonstrate this huge difference is to look at the difference in "learning standards," or academic objectives the teacher must meet with their class. For New York State, where I am getting certified, these are the 'guidelines for earth science'. That pdf makes me tired just to look at, i've had to quote and read through it extensively when submitting a formal lesson plan in the states... it's extensive. So that is for one full class year in the states, and the NZ version is just the picture to the right... so short, quite refreshing. You also don't submit formal lesson plans very frequently as a teacher down here. 

• The kids call the teachers just "Miss" and "Mister" but with their kiwi accents sounds like "Miz?" "Mista?", yeah it's adorable. All students wear uniforms, there are very few districts in NZ that do not have uniforms. 

Auckland Volcanic Field <3 <3

Like i said, earth science is a new part of the curriculum, so one of my projects is to build and deliver a program on local geology. Right now I'm observing/assisting in chemistry and physics classes, and using a few free periods to research/construct my own lesson plans. Also I am totally using this project as an excuse to climb and explore the local volcanoes and study material that I love, ie all those sexy sexy rocks. 

So there's the volcanic field from my region. Alot of the lava fields and volcano cones were destroyed by european settlement, especially since the volcanic rock was quarried away and used to build structures (which I see in buildings and walls throughout the city). So not all of them are preserved perfectly, but I've made a list of the one's worth checking out that are actually accessible to me. 

Right, I picked up a big thorough map on the first day, and I've slowly been filling it out with recommendations from local people and geologists i've encountered. I mean, this is like a 1/16 size of the map, but here's my immediate area where I live in the City. The lower left is Blockhouse Bay, my new home. Everywhere else is my playground, my new land to explore. Most of the other people in my program are placed at houses in Mt. Albert to the north, or in Lynfield. 

had lunch in the park at the summit, downtown Auckland and Rangitoto in the background

looking into the crater, 50 meters deep

I hiked Mt. Eden by myself after school on Thursday, and then hiked it again this weekend with some friends because it was so awesome. Amazing, I don't even know how to describe it. Big steep grassy slopes, panoramic views, and a magnificent crater at the summit. It was just a taste of what this country has to offer. I could sit up there for hours, enchanted by the blue bay and bright warm grasses...I obviously need to check out the other volcanoes first, but I am actually in love with Mt. Eden and might marry that place. 

So that's where I'm at right now. It's sunday night and I'm ready to start another week. NZ is still very new to me but already it is beginning to feeling like home... I really mean that. I have a lot more I need to write about, namely the huge celebrations for the Rugby World Cup, but I have no energy or time left right now (still haven't started my school work for tmw, gah!). There's a lot of Maori language and customs built into the NZ culture, so i'll share some Maori wisdom to top this entry off.  I think this one is appropriate because myself, and the students on my program, had to learn a lot this week, had to be brave and throw themselves willingly into new and sometimes uncomfortable situations. 

Kaua e mate wheke mate ururoa, this is said to encourage somebody never to give up, even when life's not a piece of cake. The literal translation is "Don't die like an octopus, die like a hammerhead shark." Apparently, when an octopus is caught, it doesn't really resist, while a hammerhead will really put up a fight (so much so that even after you kill it the meat will continue to move). So it's all a little weird, but you get the idea... sharks are cooler than octopuses and we all live happily ever after.  

Hammerhead sharks

Just a side note for anybody in the market, there are no student planners for 2011 available in the whole of the southern hemisphere because theirs school semester started so long ago. After a long and laborious hunt, I had to settle with this so-lame-its-cool "monthly gardener's diary" from the bargain bin. Okay, now my semester has officially begun!

     

First impression of Auckland

Saturday, September 3^rd. 3:07 pm 

Right now it all feels like a long, slow, relaxing dream. The kind of dream you have on a night in which you know you can sleep in infinitely the next morning. The kind of dream in which you don’t know exactly what you dreamt about, just that it was peaceful and heavy.

Everything so far is confusing, but not in a stressful way. The most obvious would be the jetlag. After a 30hr ordeal of traveling, which included just under 5 hrs of awkward sleep, we landed at 8 am local time and had a full day schedule that did not involve a moment of rest. Somewhere in there we rode a ferry from Auckland to Devonport where we hiked Mt. Victoria for a killer view of both the city and its neighboring volcano. Although I had already been in the country for six disoriented hours, standing on top of that mountain was the first time I realized that, “I’m really here.”

Ceremonial cartwheel, so thrilled to be off the plane. 

That first night, after practically falling asleep in our sushi dinners, we returned to the hotel at 8 pm exhausted, absolutely beat. But a few committed souls including myself, determined to fight the jetlag a bit longer, strode off to a pub downtown for a first drink in our new nation. I mean… the bar we settled with had a disco ball and “you’re beautiful” by lameo James Blunt stuck on repeat… but it was funny and fun and we absolutely earn an A for effort. 

So yeah, even on day three, everytime I sit down my body tries to sleep. And, to continue my list of confusing things,

• I am always hungry. Like, severely ravenous, not just the usual ‘Lara loves downing cookies and sweets’ routine. I think it’s a part of adjusting to the time change.
• Also the weather is so wild; it can go from clear sunny skies at 65F to windy gray rainstorms at 40F in a matter of ten minutes, then in ten more minutes it will have transitioned back to a sunny paradise. I heard a kiwiman say something like, “In Auckland, you can experience all four seasons in one hour” and I definitely understand that now, although the weather is supposed to stabilize as the Southern Hemisphere summer sets in.
• The vegetation is bizarre… there are vivid tropical plants right next to prehistoric looking evergreen shrubs. It’s a stirpot of trees from Dr. Suess, Jurassic Park, Avatar, and Hogwarts (I swear there are paralysis ridden Walloping Willows here). I wouldn’t believe that these kinds of plants could exist together in the same climate, but they do and they are, for lack of a more sophisticated description, super cool.
• I’m still bewildered by the whole north is warm, south is cold thing. Cars pounce out from unexpected directions and I guess the vehicles all drive themselves because there’s never anybody in the drivers seat.
• Prices of commodities here are much higher than at home because, well, this is an island in the middle of nowhere and everything has to be transported a very long distance.
• Auckland as a city is so weird; it’s like Asia meets Britain meets pacific island culture with a huge Indian influence thrown in. NZ has re-envisioned standards regarding an appropriate length for shorts on men and that still makes me double take. A lot of girls have bright blue hairdye… and it honestly works for them. I dig it, it looks like they dumped a slushie on their head, and I can’t promise not to make a terrible hairstyle decision for myself. The bars play American music, the TV is all American shows, and everyone wears American brands. But the style is European; supertight pants on guys and frilly dresses on girls, “edgy” hairstyles, and goofy dancing. The accent is heavy and the best way I can describe it is if you blend Australian and Scottish accents, and the speaker has cotton stuffed in their mouth. It’s fun to listen to, and sometimes when New Zealanders are speaking to me I forget to listen to WHAT they are saying because I’m so mesmerized by the beaut accent. One New Zealander thought I was German after hearing me speak, and another guessed Polish. When asked “where you from love?” on Queen Street today, my response evoked a street performer to serenade me with the USA national anthem in front of a large crowd of tourists… oh dear.
• Rugby is a religion, not a sport; more to follow. Kiwi people are friendly/laid-back/cheery, views of the harbor are fantastic, you never have to pay tax on purchases or tip on service.

So yeah, everything’s new and I’m loving it. This is what I wanted.

Failed attempt to get my first picture with the city. Thanks for that, wind. 

Day two involved getting settled/oriented at the University of Auckland, a massive school with about 44,000 students and an awesome campus. That night we had dinner in the downtown Skytower which overlooks the city… I didn’t have my camera with me so I can only promise that the view of the sun setting over the harbor and beyond the skyscrapers was incredible… that the food was phenomenal including scallops the size of my fist, monkfish, baby salmon, sweet lamb, and purple sushi. 

LOVE

I’m proud to say that the majority of my first real night out was spent at a great bar called “Lenin” adorned with Soviet style décor, blazing tiki torches, and a full dance floor. Also our bartender had blue hair and that’s always a good sign.

              

View of the water from
Blockhouse bay in the evening.
Great area for shell hunting/star gazing.

And day three involved me getting adopted into my new home. The house is in Blockhouse Bay district. It’s a 5 minute walk from the little town and my bus stop, a 10 minute walk from the beach and the park, a 20 minute walk from my internship, and a 25 minute walk from a huge field with sheep and tiny lambs!!! (We passed it on the drive today and I’m determined to go find it again when I have some free time), and a 30 minute commute by bus to Auckland center. I have an unlimited bus pass for the semester, which is awesome because it will help me explore/get entirely lost out here. But seriously, sheep are awesome and I want to pet one ASAP.

My host mother is wonderful and has housed international students for the past eight years. We did some grocery shopping earlier and she bought three different boxes of cookies for us to try, so I can tell we are going to get along. She took me for a drive along the coast and showed me all the breathtaking beaches in the region… the water was turquoise dotted with sailboats and island chains… like nothing I’ve ever seen. She introduced me to her partner, Peter, and we all went to look at some house properties he was considering buying in the next town over… I was more focused on the view of the harbor from the cliffs these homes were built on, rather than the homes themselves.

Again, a killer view of the bay from some house. 

Everywhere you go in Auckland, these beautiful views peak out from between buildings and behind trees. I don't think i'll ever get used to them, they actually take my breath away. I have a theory that having unlimited access to such awesome scenery is what makes kiwis so laid back and is what makes time almost seems to stand still here. 

Wednesday September 7^th 7:21 pm

I have been in the country for one week. As bizarre as it feels, I am actually living here. By that I mean; I have my bus routes mastered, I can navigate alleyway shortcuts downtown, I understand the currency (NZD) and what prices are fair to pay, I’ve been thoroughly oriented/toured/introduced to feel comfortable as student at Auckland University and as teacher at my high school teaching placement in Lynfield. Furthermore, I know what time I need to catch a bus home if I want to see the sunset over the bay, I know that a lamb kebab is a great treat to warm up on a cold evening, that New Zealanders love to hate on the Australians so just roll with it, and that the chocolate is SOO much better here than at home. I’ve learned so, so much in such a short time… it makes my head spin.

Today was my first day at Lynfield College (my teaching placement). I was introduced to essentially all of the science staff… physics, chem., bio., and the student teachers from Auckland Uni. But before all that, I met with Rob, a younger guy who manages the science department. I told him I liked rocks… then he asked if I wanted to go on a field trip. So we drove for 20 minutes along the coast until we were sandwiched between Mangere Mountain to the south and the Mangere Harbor to the north. Here the rock was deep black basalt, and long, curving “pillow lava” flows poured into the harbor, perfectly preserved from when the hot lava hit the water and cooled. Corny as it sounds, as I stood on that formation facing the extinct volcano, I could actually feel the energy of that ancient eruption and imagine the lava and ash devastating the land. Sooo cool, and of course I chipped off a sample block of the porous basalt to take with me. Next he took me up into the crater of the extinct volcano… which was massive and fantastic. The slopes of these craters are far too steep to climb into, but Mangere blew off her southern slope entirely making her crater and inner dome completely accessible to hike on. I wanted to hike up to the northern ridge, but obviously we were pressed for time and couldn’t do a full hike so I’ll have to come back some weekend (and i'll get photos, which I did not take today). Yeah, just amazing. Never thought I would be seeing all that today. And then on the drive back Rob took me to his family’s favorite café in town and, although I tried to pay for it myself, bought me a coffee. Throughout the day, Rob was easy to talk to, really helped me get settled and, along with a number of the other staff, made me feel very welcome at the school. My impression is that Earth Science in NZ schools is, ironically, a new curriculum and needs help developing. New standards require that teachers incorporate earth science into the different scientific disciplines, but schools don’t really have a set way for how to effectively communicate these lessons (no formal labs, curriculum primarily focused only on plate tectonics). Anyway, I’m going back there all day tomorrow… every Wednesday and Thursday, 8:30 to 3:00, for the duration of my time here.

I am so overwhelmed, but in a good way. My purpose for this blog space is kind of an adventure journal. I don't have the time or patience to write about everything, but, when I have time, I think it's a good space to preserve/share some of the memories.