Bon Voyage!

Off to travel the South Island for the next three weeks! It is supposed to be absolutely breathtaking!
I will tell you all about it when I get back!

I'M ALIVEEEEE!!!

This is an email I sent to mom:

Mom,

I had an AMAZING weekend in Taupo.

I WENT BUNGY JUMPING!!!!! IT WAS SOOO MUCH FUN!!

Then I went to craters of the moon, huka falls, and a hot stream heated by geothermal activity. I got a free back massage from the hot waterfalls that led to the Waikato River. (Saturday)

Then I did the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. It took 7 hours (I used my hiking boots!!) and I saw Ruapeha (where you go skiing on the north island) and Mt. Ngauruhoe (MT DOOM) I WENT TO MORDOR!!!!!

It was absolutely breathtaking. The mountains/volcanoes had snow, there was a red crater, and the emerald lakes were amazing, such great color!! (I went to the hot stream again to help my muscles.... its a dad kind of place)

Sunday I went on a catch, Fearless. Designed in 1946 but not made until the 80's. I saw Maori rock carvings on a large stone on the edge of Lake Taupo. I went swimming!! They dared me to and thought I wouldn't so I jumped in TWICE! it was 13 degrees Celsius.

SUCH AN AMAZING WEEKEND!

I cant  wait to show you photos!!!

LOVE YOU MISS YOU!!!

Cathedral Cove looks like a Church.....

November 5 and 6 I went on a tour of Coromandel. It is a peninsula 3 hours southeast of the city. Saturday, we went on a train ride on a tiny train in the middle of the woods. We took pictures from EYEFULL tower, what a clever name. We went to the Coromandel township and saw the entire town in 3 minutes. When we got to the hostel in Whaitangi, it was cold and cloudy. Some of the group webt bone carving, while the rest of the group was provided endless entertainment by four brave souls. It started when Lara and Corinne decided that they would brave the tough weather and go kayaking. They put their pants on, grabbed their bottles of wine, and set forth with their kayaks. What they didn't plan on was the 3 foot surf. We watched from the beach as the pair struggled to make it into the bay without becoming drenched with water. Soon, they were on their way and the laughs were over. Until Rachel and Emily decided they'd have a go. Priceless. That is the only word to describe their experience. They decided they would kayak together in a double kayak. It took them three minutes to figure out how to get in the kayak and only 10 seconds to tip over. I felt like mom as I walked out to them, held the kayak their kayak as they got in, and shoved them off. Instead of going straight through the waves, they decided to kayak parallel to the oncoming waves. They made it past with extreme difficulty. All seemed to be well and we settled back to reading our books when I looked at the perfect moment to see the double kayak flip over in calm waters. Luckily Corinne and Lara were able to help Rachel and Emily back in their kayaks without losing any Ray Bans. Rachel and Emily, and Corinne, and Lara decided that it was time to come in so we sat on the beach making bets to see who would tip over first. Naturally everyone bet on Emily and Rachel and were not disappointed. Lara immediately followed, and Corinne, even though she almost made it joined the other swimmers. We were all in hysterics, and not just the other kids from HWS but the rest of the 40 people on the beach.

That night I celebrated my first Guy Fawkes Day. Similar to the Fourth of July, everyone flocked to the beach for fireworks and were gone 30 seconds after the show was over. Whaitangi is a summer destination, their population in the winter is roughly 4,000 but during the summer it reaches 50,000.

Sunday I went to the Hot Spring Beach. At low tide, you can dig a hole in the sand and hot (sometimes scalding hot) water from below the beach will fill the hole. Heaven must be like laying on that beach.

Then we went sea kayaking to Cathedral Cove. Cathedral Cove is located in Mercury Bay. It's named Mercury Bay because James Cook went there on his first expedition, and with the help of an astrologist, they were able to locate New Zealand on a map using Mercury. Seeing the coves and the sea walls from the water was breathtaking.

"Can't you read the sign? We do not do Halloween."

How could I forget?? WE MISSED HALLOWEEN! Monday was Halloween, so like the true Amurricans we are, we put impromptu costumes together.

Guess what I was, you can't? Want another try??

AN ALIEN!!!

Two things, the All blacks won, and my blogging is consistently becoming more scarce. I am sending a good amount of post cards though!!

After winning the World Cup, we went to downtown Auckland to watch the victory parade. We saw the Captain Richie McCaw, and the coach Graham Henry, and other members of the team holding up the Webb Ellis Cup! The city was PACKED, and everyone was so excited. I tried to show my support by screaming but I shouted too loudly the night before....

After such an exciting weekend, it was good to get back into the swing of things, however, it was a hectic week in my year 3/4 classroom as we prepared for the Samoan Fale Opening. A Fale is a meeting house. The children were in many dances, song groups, and haka performances. The Fale was ladened with Pacific flowers. A hundred people; family, friends, and visirots showd up to support the school. Sonny Bill Williams, an All Black that went to the school, came to show his support and dedication to his school.


Saturday morning we convinced our host dad to take us to the group bus in his Ford MachII to show off. Sadly, we were ten minutes early and no one was at the bus yet. We waited 200 feet from the bus and watched the rest of the group arrive. We drove around the black and made a grand entrance, clearly winning our own competition. We got on the bus and headed off to Waitomo caves. We saw the glow worms and took a black water rafting (more like inner-tubing) tour through the cave.

We made our way to Rotorua, (aka RotoVegas or Potorua). It smells like rotten eggs. This is because of all of the sulfur due to the geothermal activity that takes place. Sunday we saw KIWIS!! BABY KIWIS and geysers. and we went to the Polynesian Spa with enough naked people to last me a lifetime. Luckily, I was able to ge this image out of my mind by going up the gondola and luging. Sadly, the joke of the day was "wow, youre such a luger," it was kind of pathetic. But luging was SO much fun! I went on all three tracks and was probably the fastest.

GO THE ALL BLACKSSS!!!

These past few weeks have been crazy! Papers, trips, homework, and rain, a lot of rain. After traveling to the Bay of Islands and seeing Cape Reigna and 90 mile beach, it was time to book more trips! What I love about Auckland is that you can go from city life to complete wildlife in a matter of minutes. I saw the black sands of Piha beach on the western coast of the city. The coastline and city are separated by the Waitakere Mountain Range. The remoteness reminded me of home.

Rangitoto is the very large symmetrical shield volcano in the harbor. They are very strict on what you bring to the island because they are trying to keep its natural habitat. After a long trek battling oncoming rain, we made it to the top of the volcano and were rewarded with a breathtaking 360 degree view. Rangitoto is such a prominent figure in Auckland, it was so cool to actually be on the volcano and see the city from its prospective.

I was able to go to another island this week. Only this time I was driven around while tasting wine!  The wine tour on Waiheke taught me one very important lesson, I will never be able to keep up with my mother. The island was gorgeous and the vineyard we went to were all so different. After the tour we had to take a 50 minute ferry back to Auckland. Because it is labour day weekend there were a lot of people on the ferry and the five of us ended up sitting in the front row facing the rest of toe passengers. I quickly fell asleep and when I awoke I found that the four other girls had also fallen asleep. As I made eye contact with one of the older members on the wine tour I immediately started laughing at the sight of us. While we were passed out he had been drinking steadily with his wife, we looked like such amateurs. I am glad we were able to give everyone a good laugh.

Tonight is a pivotal point in New Zealand's history. My host dad explained that the country in on the verge of either an economic boom or a severe economic recession. This will be determined by the outcome of tonight's Rugby World Cup finals where the All Blacks will be playing against France. Not only is it a huge deal that they are in the finals, but its even better that they are playing France. These two teams have history. In 2007 France kicked NZ out of the quarter finals with a call as controversial as no goal and wide right. France scored a try off of a forward pass to win the game. Not only do the two teams have history, the two countries do.  In 1985 the French sunk the Rainbow Warrior while it was docked in the Auckland Harbor, killing one man. NZ was protesting France's nuclear testing in the middle of the Pacific. With that said, GO THE ALL BLACKS!

Tonight will be an amazing night and I can't believe that I am here to witness it all! I am so lucky and I will be cheering loudly!!!

GO ALL BLACKSSSSS!!!

When in Rome?

So the past week and a half has been absolutely amazing. I rode a bike along Tamaki Drive, the eastern coast south of Auckland (if that isn't confusing). We rode along to Mission Bay. It is gorgeous, however, I found out that it is an artificial beach. The sand is taken from a beach further north and brought down so that the beach front owners and tourists can enjoy it. The beach where they take the sand from has had an increase in the amount of beached whales. This is believed to be due to the dredging and changes to the ocean floor that impact the whale's migration pattern.

 I returned to Devonport, this time I climbed North Head. It is the smaller of the two points there. I walked in tunnels built in World War II, they were very scary. Upon rounding every corner I found I was prepared to scream. When we reached the top I could see Rangitoto from a new viewpoint, and although it was hazy, it is still magnificent. Saturday races took place, so I was able to see approximately 90 keel boats sail by with their spinnaker up. We also 'found' a beach. It reminded of The Hatch in Oregon because there were so many kite boarders.

While enjoying all of this play, there was a paper looming that brought me back to reality. Although writing the paper wasn't quite as fun as romping around Auckland, the pouring rain made it easier to write. The research that I did for this essay was very valuable on the trip we went on this weekend. We went to Omaha Marae where we learned about war techniques, musical intruments, and traditional songs and games. I felt truly welcomed to this Marae and learned not only about the traditions of their culture but also about their current lives and passions. B's powerpoint on the deep sea oil drilling was truly eye-opening as it made me realize the importance of being aware. Sleeping in the Marae with my whole group and waking up at 6am to watch the sunrise put my life in perspective. I am so lucky to be here. As I watched the colors of the sky slowly change, I thought "this is the prettiest place on earth." Little did I know that the days ahead would supply me with enough gorgeous views, landscapes, and beaches to make it an impossible feat to pick just one.

All Day I Dream About School

This was for an assignment I had to do for class: "take a picture that represents your classroom and write about it"

            Before I came to New Zealand I knew that I loved working with kids, but I was never able to explain why I loved it so much. When asked, I would typically respond with a story about how a child surprised me or how they put a smile on my face. After only being here a short time I can now respond with a reason, it is the little things. It’s what a child does when no one is looking, or when they feel completely comfortable in their surroundings. In my classroom children are recognized, not just seen as another student but as an individual with their own talents and quirks.

            As a student I enjoyed school. I liked being the line leader, reading aloud in class, and feeding the fish. Although these are minute tasks, they made me feel like I was important and that some one believed in me. As a teacher, seeing the satisfaction of others rewards me.  Watching little toes stick out of holes in socks, hearing “good morning miss” 28 times in ten minutes, talking to kids individually and finding out something I did not know about that student before. It amazes me. I found that I assume that all of the kids have the same circumstances outside of the classroom, but they do not. I found out yesterday that Claire is the 6^th of ten children, and that Tofi lost his dad three months ago.  Spending a moment to learn who each kid really is and how they work always amazes me. The one that causes mischief just wants a little more attention, while the one sitting quietly beside him is the one who really needs it. While working on art projects I sat next to Chris, a student that needs more focus and a little extra time to complete his work. I handed him the glue and told him what I thought of his work. I enjoyed sitting and talking to him and I didn’t realize how much that meant to him until he came to me at the end of the day and said “Miss, I really liked that you helped me with my art project today, thank you.”  That is the joy of working with kids.

Fact

The movie theaters in New Zealand have assigned seats.

Toursting

So, what did I do this past week? After a lazy and rainy Sunday consisting of german toast, laundry, and watching movies, it was time to get to work. Classes Monday and Tuesday were long and grueling. On Monday I take a 3 hour class on New Zealand's society. Although this is interesting, I find that much of the information relayed to me is biased. From what I understand, all kiwi's now embrace difference and accept everyone for who they are. This, I found is not real. Although people do not outrightly say it, there is still racism, classism, and sexism in New Zealand. Although it is not as prominent here than in the U.S., I feel that I am given this view of New Zealand that is not real. It is refreshing to talk to people my own age and to my host parents because they tell me what it really means to be a kiwi, and they do not suffer with the identity crisis I am told New Zealand has.

My second course, or paper as they call it here, is on Maori culture. I really enjoy learning about the Maori culture, traditions, and language. Their history surprisingly resembles that of the Native Americans. The difference is that the Maori's were not treated as harshly maintain a solid portion of New Zealand's population. This is all very great, but it's taken about 9 hours of lecture to explain this. I know that Hobart and William Smith has small class sizes, which was a main factor in choosing the school; however, the papers here are all lectures with a minimum of 400 students. Seeing as there are only 17 of us in the classroom, I have found the transition of teaching styles difficult to adapt to. This is all part of the experience, however, and through these observations I learn more about who I am and what it means to be a student.

As for the rest of the week it was rather exciting. Monday I met with a friend that was on the sailing team before me, and it was so nice to be with another American that has gone through similar experiences, not only on the team, but also in Auckland. Tuesday I went to the war museum. There were so many exhibits including fashion, geology, Maori, animals, the World Wars, and many more. The most interesting part about the museum was the war memorial floor. Without realizing it,  everyone was suddenly silent. It was as if we were all encapsulated in the facts laid before us. In the middle of the third floor of the exam are the names of all of the soldiers that gave up their lives for not only New Zealand but the ideals of freedom and democracy. There were so many names, however I know that it is only a small fraction compared to the total number of losses and even those of the U.S.

By the time Friday came around I was ready for the weekend. After class I went to the Art Museum. Again there were many different sections, but they were all very small, it seems as if everything is proportional to New Zealand's size. My favorite part of the entire museum was the building. It had a modern/retro feeling with a touch of classical elegance. It is truly stunning. My host brother works there so I got to take a enough paparazzi shots to help pass the time. That night, I went with Kaitlyn to a "real kiwi party." It was so much fun! Everyone was supporting the US rugby team because they were playing against Australia. I was surprised at how many people from this small group of friends were not New Zealanders. People were from Australia, South Africa, and the States. It was refreshing talking to other students my own age. Plus Kaitlyn and I have similar sailing team phrases that we seemed to say synonymously. After one of the boys failed to crack open the coconut on his forehead, sending a trickle of blood down his forehead, we proceeded to yell at each other "it was a tie, do it again!" It is nice to have that connection to the sailing team, as it might be the one thing I miss the most.


PS Sailing tomorrow
PPS they have the prettiest sunsets here

Different kids same old tricks

It happens every time I enter a new classroom. Whether it is on the slopes, the beach, or at school kids are kids. None of the kids have been bad, as a matter of fact they are so polite in New Zealand and greet me every morning, "good morning Miss Kathryn, have a nice day." I love it. I love the pleases and the thanks yous. I love the "excuse me miss" or the "thank you miss," but I found that kids are all the same. At the age of 8 and 9 the students in my classroom do not realize that they each have similarities and differences. 

In New Zealand everything is so relaxed. There are no rigid schedules. Students are encouraged to be creative and think outside the box. One of my students wrote a 10 page fully developed story with characters, a plot, a climax, and an ending in 2 hours because she felt like it. Not that kids don't do that in the US, but it was the first time I've seen a student fully have the attention of her class. Apparently this was the 5th installment in her series and her friends begged her to write more. There is no better reward than watching the faces on every student as they listen and encourage each other.

"Quitting is not a word we use in this classroom" my teacher told a student. This mentality is not only seen in the classroom but throughout the school and from what I understand it is prevalent in other schools around Auckland. This is demonstrated in Garden-to-Table. This is program in my school allows students to plant vegetable seeds, nurture them, and cook them once they are harvested. Although I was demoted from planting seeds to killing/weeding, the kids are genuinely interested and excited about seeing the entire process.

Today I got to go to Mr. Kilsby's garden. He is a world renown ceramic artist and has the most impressive garden I have ever seen. The colors, the statues, the paintings, the pots; this garden is amazing. The kids were so invested in what he was talking to them about. He was so welcoming and tried to help the kids think of ideas for the garden they will be planting around their soon-to-be-opened fehrle. 

Each time I step into the classroom I feel genuinely welcomed in. Not just by the students but by the teachers. There is an adjustment period where I am not sure how to act of if I am doing the right thing but I feel like I am becoming a staple part of the school's week.

About time

So I have now been in Auckland for two and a half weeks. What have I been doing? Why didn't I do this earlier? What do I want to remember and relay to all of you?

First, I am having an amazing time! I am living with a family; Rob, Jan, Nate, and Katie. I live with two other girls from my trip, Corinne and Laura (an orphan we adopted.) The three of us live above the garage in our own flat. Jan is an amazing cook and an even better mom. She has certain ways of doing things that always seem to be the best way. I clean the dishes almost every night, yes mom I have actually taken a liking to the simple down time of washes the pots and pans. Jan is not just there to cook, she is another mother, gave me medicine when I didn't feel well, scolds me when I don't separate my lights from my dark, and gives me amazing advice.

Rob is trouble. He jokes. He has the best laugh I have ever heard. Rob likes cars, American cars, Ford's. Rob and I like to tease each other, luckily for me I have had good training from my 5 siblings and I am sometimes able to hold my own.

Nathan and Katie try to help me not look like such an American. They give little tips on how to fit in. They never laugh too hard when I walk out the door with my sneakers, blue jeans, backpack, and fluorescent rain jacket. I stick out like a sore thumb.

Classes. Classes are classes. I enjoy them but I'm always itching to get out and into the city. However, they challenge the way I look at the cultures prevalent in New Zealand. English, Samoan, Maori, Tongan, Asian, Indian and especially American. Auckland is a city of immigrants, with Chinese products filling the stores, and American tv shows airing on the tele.

My classroom of year 3 and 4 students is vibrant. Artwork clutters the walls, shoes fill large plastic bins, ukuleles sit in the corners waiting to be played. I have a new fan group consisting of 10 eight year olds. They show me the rules of the playground, feed the chickens, and plant seeds in the gardens. Talking in the same tone, about the same things, at the same volume I did at that age. The boys love to run and to cause mischief. For the first time in my life I am called first when picking groups to play t-ball, both teams cheer me on as I hitting the ball off of the tee and they scream even louder when I finally make it to a base, I think they are going easy on me. They never wear shoes. They walk into the classroom in the morning, put their shoes in a bin, and do not put them on again until they leave to go home. This might not be as strange to me if they were inside all day but they are not. The layout of the school is something I have only ever seen in Summer Heights High, everything except the actual classroom is outside. This includes hallways, lockers, and the place the kids eat lunch. The school day goes from 9-3. I arrive at 8:30 so that I can have ukelele lessons. at 10:50 there is a half an hour tea time. It is the best thing ever. The kids grab a snack and the teachers meet in the staff room for tea, cookies, fresh fruit, and a nice break. It is a nice way to break up the day, let the kids get their energy out, and gives teachers the ability to freshen up with a fresh cup of coffee.

Rugby World Cup posters litter the school. Each school in New Zealand has adopted a second team. My school adopted USA. When my kids asked me what I knew about rugby I had to admit to them that I knew very little. They taught me about the scrum, the goals, the penalties, and all the rules. They prepared me for Eden Park. I am fortunate enough that I got tickets to go to the Australia-Ireland game and I am still in shock. It was amazing. I don't think I can describe to you the feeling of being in the stadium, surrounded by seas of green with islands of yellow. Luckily I was warned by my host dad: "In New Zealand we cheer for two teams, the All Blacks and anyone that plays against Australia." He was right. Kiwis booed while the Australian roster played on the jumbo tron displaying ex-All Blacks and New Zealand players. The fans were reminded me of Sabres fans during the Stanley Cup. Luckily Ireland played an amazing game and got the upset by beating Australia 15 to 6. The stadium went crazy. Running out of Eden Park, the fans in green sang Irish songs throughout the streets and on the busses. The excitement lasted the entire night, and I know that I will never forget that game. What an amazing experience.

Romping around Auckland I try to gather as much information on sites, mountains, and activities as I can. We went to Devonport on our first day, exhausting but helped a lot with the jet lag. I thought it was an amazing view until I went to dinner at the sky tower. Then I climbed Mt. Eden and realized that no matter where I go I will always be taken aback by what lies ahead of me. Sailboats racing in the bay, trees with large tangled branches for climbing, and volcanoes. There is so much to do and I feel as if I will not have enough time to do it. Kayaking along the harbor, climbing all of the volcanoes, hiking up Rangitoto