Really, it's just another day in paradise

Where to begin? First off, I’m finished with classes! Done! Just the practicum left! (and my online CPSE class). Can I just say that this is the best feeling ever? I have to admit, I do feel a little bit guilty. You know, kind of like I don’t deserve a break yet. But I’m not going to let that stop me. Having school for eight hours everyday is hard! I don’t know how I used to do it. We finished both social studies and science this week. I can’t say that I liked them better than math but they were still a lot of fun.

We did an experiment in science to see how many of us could be supported on a table with only balloons beneath it. We started out small...

And eventually our entire class of 10 girls fit onto a table with roughly ten balloons beneath it!

We were given Thursday for science to teach a scientific principle to our groups through exploration. My group based our theme on physical and chemical changes. And what demonstrates physical and chemical change better than food? I taught my lesson on physical change and the different states of matter using popsicles. Brooke taught chemical change using pizza. Amanda taught physical change by bringing in cream and having us shake it up into homemade butter. (Which we salted and put on French bread and it was delicious. I’m thinking I should make all my butter that way.) Kirsten taught chemical change by making cookies. The best part was that the oven in the church building didn’t work so we ended up “exploring transfer of heat” (as Prof. Milne says) instead. We used tinfoil and the oven racks to build our own oven on top of a burner. We also discovered that cookie dough tastes pretty good when cooked in the microwave for 45 seconds.

We left to go camping on Friday afternoon. It was a three hour drive to the Coromandel Peninsula where we camped on the beach. It was the same beach where they filmed the second Narnia movie. It was beautiful! It makes me wonder if the people living here ever get used to seeing such breathtaking views. I don’t know if it’s something I could ever get over. Half the trip included us driving up a tall mountain on a very windy road. A lot of us got car sick. It didn’t ruin the scenery though.

For breakfast on Saturday Joseph and his family (the family that took us camping) decided to cook up some sea urchins. Who knew you could even eat those things? Apparently they are very good for you too. Some of the girls woke up at the crack of dawn to go diving for fish and sea urchins. They were kind enough to share their lovely finds with the rest of us. I almost didn't do it...but you just have to do these things when you're in a foreign country. I ate a sea urchin tongue. It was disgusting. It felt like slimy chalk coated in layers of salt. I have way too good of a gag reflex. I almost lost everything else I'd eaten that morning. Haha. It was quite the experience.

When we went to the beach on Saturday I felt like I’d stepped into a postcard. I had trouble remembering that it was January and there I was lying on a beach. It was gorgeous! We spent the majority of the day swimming, kayaking and learning to surf. I didn’t get a chance to try the surfboards but I will eventually. Kayaking was so fun! It really worked my arms. Not just from paddling, but also from carrying those things from the car to the beach. I’m feeling it. I might even be able to do three pull-ups when I get home this time.

Unfortunately for me the sun got the better of me. No matter where I am now I constantly hear Sarah’s voice in my head telling me to put on more sunscreen and to do it at least an hour before I actually get in the water. She’ll be happy to know that even though she’s in Argentina her consistent nagging will always be with me. Haha. I put sunscreen on before the beach and reapplied five different times throughout the day and STILL got burned! Apparently I’d forgotten to spread it over the entire back of my leg…I don’t know how that happened. Hopefully it’ll fade in the next couple of days but for now I’m walking with a little bit of a waddle.

We’re heading off to the South Island in about six and a half hours. A taxi comes to pick us up at 5 am so we can make our flight! The first thing we’re doing after we get to our hotel is to ride in something called “The Shotover Jet”. If you want to know what that looks like you can click this little link here.

I am so excited…I can’t wait! Unfortunately, I won’t be bringing my computer along with me to the South Island so I’ll have to make mental notes of everything that I do. I don’t want to forget anything.