Harakeke all the way

I’ve had another whirlwind of a week! It started off on Sunday with Phyllis taking us to Muriwai Beach on the west coast. Most of the beach trips we’ve taken so far as a group have been only to beaches on the east coast so she took us to one that she really likes. It was gorgeous! We took a little stroll up the cliffs where they had nature paths and overlooks. There were harakeke plants lining all paths. We finally got to see what our team plant looks like! We even saw a woven part that was still attached to the plant.

Muriwai beach is known for it’s birds with yellow on their heads. They were everywhere! Entire rock faces were covered with birds. I wanted so badly to run through them and cause them to scatter and fly, but they were sitting in a protected area. The views were amazing. We took our trip in the late afternoon so we got to see a lot of the changing colors of the sky and the reflection on the ocean. I wouldn’t even know what to call the shade of green that we saw out in the water.

After our little stroll we took another walk down on the beach. Brooke and I quickly discovered that Muriwai beach is actually a black sand beach! We took off our flipflops (they’re called jandals here) and watched as our feet turned blacker and blacker in the sand. It was so pretty! Because of its dark color you could easily see the ripples from the wind. As we walked down the beach we got to see kite boarders up close! They had strings attached to large parachutes and would use those to jump over the waves and even float over the water. That is going on my bucket list.

Monday came along and we were back in the schools. Being in the school is something else. I’ve started beginning to wonder what exactly it is that I’m getting myself into. It’s going to be a lot of work to be a full time teacher! It’s been a lot of fun getting to know my students more. I can see their different personalities beginning to come out, their particular mannerisms and I’ve finally got all their names down! It’s been difficult trying to find a balance between being their friend and being their teacher. I don’t like to yell at them or chastise them, but sometimes the situation requires it. I’m trying to find an in-between, but it’s trickier than I thought it would be. It’s especially difficult being beneath another teacher because the students never quite look at me as a real teacher. I look younger, I’m quieter, I don’t have all the routines down, and the students know that with me they can get away with more. They have a little bit of trouble taking me seriously…because no matter what I do I’m just not very intimidating. What’s weird is that today I realized I’m only about 8 years older than a lot of my students! How weird is that? I’m closer to their age than I am to my mentor teacher’s age.

Anyway, on Wednesday night we had a Meet-the-Teachers “sausage sizzle”. They’re pretty big on sausages out here…which is perfect for me! Our Harakeke team was in charge of the sausages and the two other teams were in charge of ice cream and drinks. I was given plastic gloves and I couldn’t help but feel just like I was back at Catering! Who would have thought I’d miss it that much?

It was a lot of fun walking around and see the students out of their uniforms. They looked so different that on first glance there were some that I didn’t even recognize! After the big meeting in the hall we went around and took some pictures of the classrooms and with some of my students! Here are a few of us:

   

It’s been so fun so far and I’ve learned a lot from Mrs. Chase about management and especially organization. I’m going to be teaching my first whole-class lesson this next Tuesday! We’re doing a compare and contrast with the olden days and now. Hopefully the kids will like it.

Also. I live in paradise. 

Doing the haka while surfing underwater in a war museum

Last weekend we went to the most beautiful beach I have ever been to! The name of it slips my mind, but it was a difficult one anyway. We spent the entire day there and it was so fun. It was the first beach we’d been to with actual waves! They brought boogie boards so we all got a chance to try that. It was especially fun because the tide went so far out that it was a long ride back in. A couple of the girls had never been boogie boarding before, can you believe it? I think I stayed in the water almost the entire time.

 After a while of being there I also did something pretty hardcore. My director’s husband brought along a surfboard and I got to give it a try! It’s harder than it looks! They’re a little heavy and I had this fear that the board was going to flip out of the water and hit me in the face. Look at me go.

I'm just kidding! That's not me! It's a man. The waves I practiced on weren't exactly so big...

I practiced on a lot of little waves and I stood up quite a few times! Despite how small they were I still felt like I was defying nature by standing on top of water.

Maybe next time I’ll be able to try waves that are a little bigger.

Later that night we went and saw The Vow as a huge group and it was a lot of fun.

This past weekend we went on yet another trip! We were all asked to find our own way to the Auckland War Memorial Museum by 2pm. The bus ride alone was quite the adventure, trying to find where to get off and if it was the closest possible stop the museum. We ran around downtown Auckland for almost 45 minutes making our way to the museum. It was worth it though! I’ve never been a museum sort of person but this was very interesting. We started off by attending a cultural performance about the Maori people. They did a lot of traditional songs, dances and games for us and ended by doing the haka, one of the most famous Maori traditions. The men slap different parts of their body and stomp their feet. The dance was originally done to prepare for war. It was to prepare the men physically, mentally and spiritually for battle because often when war time came many of them knew that they would not be coming back. They shout and stick out their tongues. Women will also participate in the haka but will never stick out their tongues. They participate by frowning and opening their eyes very wide. The haka is still done today, often before rugby games and acts as a show of indimidation. The most famous haka has these words:

Ka mate! Ka mate!

Ka ora! Ka ora!

Ka mate! Ka mate!

Ka ora! Ka ora!

Tenei te tangata puhuru huru!

Nana nei I tiki mai whakawhiti te ra!

A upa…ne! Ka upa…ne!

A upane kaupane whiti te ra!

I h!

The rest of the muesem was very interesting. We were able to see old Maori weapons of war and a marae, the Maori meeting house. It was an exhibit but we were asked to take off our shoes before we entered.

 On another floor they had exhibits that displayed different aspects of New Zealand land such as volcanoes, the ocean, the coastal region and the animals that lived there. In the volcanic exhibit they had an earthquake replicator. We were given the opportunity to sit in a room set up just like a regular living room and watch out our “window” the volcanic eruption happening in the harbor below. As the billowing cloud of ash closed in on us the room began to shake and jerk, showing what would happen if we were to experience a real earthquake caused by a volcanic eruption. I knew it wasn’t real and it still scared me.

After the museum we had the opportunity to attend an actual rugby game! It wasn’t an All Blacks game, but it was exciting nonetheless! It was between the Auckland Blues and the Christchurch Crusaders. It was much different from a football game. I have to say that I liked it a lot better…mostly because the clock didn’t stop every 7 seconds. They do this funny thing in rugby where they lift their teammates on their shoulders so that they can catch the ball before the other team. It made me laugh a little because it looked a lot like a cheerleading lift. The fact that they don’t wear very much padding really scares me! There was one point on the field where some guy was at the bottom of a pile and I swear it looked like he almost snapped his neck. Your head is not supposed to be at the angle his was. But he just popped right up again like nothing had happened! Unfortunately the Crusaders won, but just barely. They were neck in neck down to the very last seconds.

Today Brooke and I had planned to go to the beach but the weather didn’t seem quite right. We still wanted to go out and do something so we decided to see if we could find our way to Kelly Tarlton’s Underwater World. We had originally planned on going there as a group but I guess the plans changed. We took a city map that Phyllis provided for us and hopped on the next bus to downtown. And we did it! We made all the connections we were hoping to make and successfully found our way to Kelly Tarlton’s! We were so impressed with ourselves!

The Underwater World was small, but really cool! They had an entire moving sidewalk underwater. We walked beneath sharks and sting rays and all sorts of fish. They even had an exhibit that had preserved the body of a giant female squid. I don’t think that anyone has ever seen a live giant squid. We only know they’re out there because they’ve occasionally washed up on beaches. The squid they had preserved was only 12 months old and was already longer than my arm span! It was crazy.

One of my favorite parts of the exhibit was the penguins. They had two types. One had yellow on it’s head and the other was smaller and plain. It reminded me of that story of the star-bellied sneetches because the penguins stood around in their own little clicks. It looked like the yellow-headed penguins didn’t typically associate themselves with the plain ones. Haha.

I still have yet to see a real live whale. Kelly Tarlton’s wasn’t quite big enough to have one. And now that I think about it, I don’t know how well a whale would do in an aquarium. I think the ocean is really the only place big enough. Well, hopefully one of these days…

Dating for Dummies

Oh the things I’ve learned here in New Zealand! We were invited to a Stake YSA fireside last Sunday and not knowing the topic we decided to attend. Haha were we in for a surprise! The entire fireside was dedicated to dating etiquette (a nice follow-up for the YSA discussion we had on dating just the week before…) To tell you the truth, it was the longest fireside I’ve ever been to! Not because it was a difficult topic, but because it really did last for two and a half hours! It ended with a card to sign up for group blind dates with explicit instructions as to how to rate your date afterwards. Unfortunately we were not able to do it because it required the frequent use of a cell phone, something that’s only a memory these days. Oh well! 

The whole thing was exceptionally funny because we came on this study abroad being told that we were not allowed to date at all. So here is what they taught us! It was both really funny and very informative. The first part was about general dating and they showed us a slideshow with ten basic tips. The second portion was all about communication: how to tell if someone likes you, how to act on a date, and how to catch someone’s attention. I have to say that the second part was my favorite. It was just really funny. I also think some of it’s kind of useful…so I’m sharing it all with you. Enjoy!

10 Tips for Dummies:

1. Encourage “mission” before “fishin’”

This doesn’t require an explanation, does it?

2. Make your list and check it twice

Almost every girl I know has a list of what they want. They told us that we need to make lists that consist of things like character traits and important things you’d like in the man you’d want to marry. They said to set standards, just not unrealistically high.

3. Build your profile

Essentially this means that you’re making a name for yourself with every date you go on. They encouraged us to try to make every date the best. They told us that people talk and the word gets around, so the better the feed back, the better the reputation. Other suggestions on how to build your profile were:

• always stay positive
• learn to cook
• get an education
• serve in your calling
• be approachable
• enjoy life
• tell your parents about who you’re dating

4. Make it simple, cheap and heavily populated

No one expects expensive dates! They told us that expensive dates are especially tricky because it creates a sense of obligation. It doesn’t have to be elaborate either. Something easy and original. Originality always counts.

5. Date=Mate

In New Zealand mate means your friend. They emphasized that simply because you go on one date it doesn’t mean they want to date you. There shouldn’t be any strings attached.

6.YOU are the key!

They reminded us that it’s us who has control of the situation. We also determine how attached we get.

7. Let’s get physical…NOT

Pretty self explanatory…

8. Avoid the “10 second rush”

I think most people can guess what this is also. They told us that ten seconds can change your life. You have ten seconds to make a choice and they suggested that you use them to get up and move instead of making a mistake.

9. Don’t park in the dark

Very simple. They gave us a good quote to go with it:

“Joy in the morning is virtue in the evening” –Russell M. Nelson

10. Fulfill your dream

The “dream” is essentially what most all of us hope for. To get married to the right person and sealed in the temple for time and all eternity. They told us to not let bad decisions and careless choices get in the way of those things. It’s not worth losing a life long dream in the midst of “a ten second rush”.

The next part of the fireside was one of my favorites. We discussed how to communicate effectively and not just through conversation. We talked about how to read body language and how to send messages out ourselves.

Communication/ Body Language Tips

1. Smile…not the creepy stalker smile

2. Make eye contact while talking to them! (If it makes you uncomfortable you can do forehead, shoulder, shoulder, nose) ((We also discovered that looking at that mouth works as well when we were asked to practice it on one another. Brittany couldn’t tell I was watching her mouth as she spoke, so it must be alright, right?))

3. Mirror body language/vibe- if they are relaxed, you be relaxed as well.

4. Face them- where their feet are pointing, that’s where they want to go. (Who knew feet were so telling?)

5. Pay attention to them!

6. TURN YOUR PHONE OFF (or at least ignore it…)

7. Have a good conversation! The purpose of conversation is to build common ground. They said when having a regular conversation on a first date to follow these guidelines:

• keep it light
• don’t bring up controversial things like politics
• don’t bring up ex’s

They are Not interested if…

-their arms are crossed (guys will be high and tight)

-they look around at others

-they check watch

-they tend to look at floor

-when in a group of 3 or more and they don’t include you in the conversation

            *I think this last two could also have to do with them being shy…so you have to                          use your best judgment

And now, my favorite part of the fireside: hahah

For Girls: How to Make Yourself Available

-Give them “the look” (less than 5 seconds and no more than twice) Basically, “the look” is eye contact, a quick smile and the turning away. You need to do it twice so that the guy doesn’t just assume it was coincidental.

If he looks at you funny then he’s probably not interested. But if he nods it’s a good sign. And if he comes over that’s a really good sign. Hahaha at least that’s what they told me at the fireside!

            *This really works because my roommate, Brooke, unintentionally did it to a guy                         at the grocery store.

-Avoid the packs. Apparently men do not like approaching a group of girls…so somehow you’ve got to find a way to be alone. Haha the woman told us that when you see the guy you want to talk to leaving the room that you suddenly become thirsty and go to the hall to get a drink. Or suddenly you’re hot and need some air. Whatever it takes.

-Ask them random questions. There’s no attention getter quite like asking them about the color of their toothbrush.

-Compliments. From what they told us, those go a long way.

-Make friends and end things well. This will help both you and the guy

-Have confidence. They said confident people are like magnets. And if you look around…it’s really true.

-Don’t lower your standards but be realistic. Don’t wait for someone who doesn’t exist.

Flax plants and morning tea

I didn’t mean to fall behind, but life gets busy when you start teaching in schools! I don’t know why, but I come home exhausted every day and all I want to do is sit down. I love being in class with the kids, it just seems to take a lot out of me…and I’m not even the one teaching! Regardless of how drained I feel at the end of the day, I’m loving this practicum. It’s very different from the practicum I did last March back in Utah. New Zealand schools have quite a few differences.

1. Each class has about a three year range of students. The youngest class ranges from ages 5-7, the middle class is ages 8-10 and I teach ages 11-13. It’s crazy because they’re all on such different levels! From what I can tell this is new to their school. I don’t think that too many of the teachers are very partial to this method either.

2. There is so much focus on neatness and organization within the classroom. Not just with how the classroom is put together, but with how the students take care of their things. Each of their notebooks has to be “named” and set up correctly with red pen margins and title strips. They’re not allowed to write on the outside of their books or doodle in the margins. (That would have killed me throughout elementary school.) Their handwriting is very important. My teacher said that she should be able to draw a line across the bottom and have all the letters be level. I think I would have failed that portion.

3. There are no indoor hallways. Maybe it was just me, because a lot of the other girls said growing up that they had different buildings for their classes, but it’s weird to have to make a copy and have to run through the rain to go and do it.

4. Haha, I never know where the rubbish goes! I’m hesitant to pick up any rubbish I find outside because I know that I’ll just end up carrying it around with me. Our classroom doesn’t have a rubbish bin…there is a recycling one that chippy bags and yogurt pots are not allowed to be placed in. Then beneath the sink there is a bucket for food waste, but still not for chippy bags or yogurt pots. My teacher has a very small basket beneath her desk for rubbish…but it really is very small. They are so good with recycling here! So good that after two weeks I still can’t seem to understand their system! Rubbish on the grounds seems to be a bit of a problem as well. Any student who gets in trouble in class is assigned to pick up rubbish during their break.

5. The teachers are a bit more strict here. They don’t mince words.  My teacher is firm, but she’s still kind. It just seems, in general, that the teachers here are a little more harsh than we were taught to be at BYU. They don’t put up with very much and it’s been a little bit difficult for me to find a balance for myself. I’m not sure if I should try to match the standards Mrs. Chase sets with discipline or if I should try to find my own. I’d never pictured myself having quite so strict rules, but I worry that if I do not match her standards that the students will not listen to me. Although I think some of the difficulty comes from there being two authorities in the classroom and one being more authoritative than the other, I get nervous that the only way they’ll listen to me is if I glare and raise my voice. Hopefully within the next couple of weeks I’ll be able to find my own way to manage a class like this.

6. Swimming is part of their curriculum. They think it’s weird that I only spent 4 days in the 5^th grade learning how to swim.

7. It doesn’t really seem like they plan lessons…or not the way I was taught to plan them. I don’t actually think that this is only with New Zealand teachers. In my last practicum my teacher only did small box planning as well. No one sits there and fills out a two page lesson plan for every single lesson they’re going to teach  with accommodations, the ABCD objective, the overall objective, the input, and the anticipatory set. No one has time!

8. The students in my class have to write two dates in their notebooks. One in English and one in Maori. It’s kind of cool.

9. Morning Tea time. I really, really think that this should be established in schools across the world. Essentially it’s like an early morning recess where the kids eat a light snack and then go out to play. We have it at 10:30 am every day. They take it very seriously here as well because back in January while we were taking our BYU courses we had some New Zealand professors come in to teach us how to teach math, science and social studies and each of them insisted that we take a break for morning tea. It really is brilliant though! It helps divide the day into three different sections. And it’s cute. Tea time.

10.  They’re drinking fountains just squirt right onto the ground. If you walk by while a students is getting a drink you get shot with water.

11. The school is made up of three different “whanaus” (fawn-o) which means families in Maori. They divide up the whanau groups vertically rather than horizontally. So, rather than having the three Year 6-8 classes together they make a family out of a year 1-2 class, a year 3-5 class and a year 6-8 class. Not all schools do this here, but it’s something ours is trying out. I’m in the harakeke family. It’s a green New Zealand flax plant that they use for weaving. Some of the kids have made some really cool things with that plant at recess.  

In spite of all that’s different about the schools over here, it’s interesting to me how they are also the same. Children are children wherever you go. Twelve-year old boys laugh at the same silly things and act out with the same nonchalant attitude during class. Twelve-year old girls still giggle and laugh and walk around in clusters. Two girls the other day asked me if they could go use the bathroom together…so that one girl could “turn the faucet for the other”. The boys and girls don’t really mingle and it’s funny to see how some of the boys are still a head smaller than the girls. It’s been such a learning experience for me, teaching in the school here. The students still have lives with problems that I’m only beginning to see. Some of them come from homes with very little. Some of them come from homes with lots of siblings. Some come from homes with divorced parents. I’m just so happy I have the opportunity to be in the classroom with all of them and to do what little I can to make them happy! It seems so easy…they’re happy just talking to me. But still, hopefully I’ll be able to do a little more over the next couple weeks.

First Days of School!

It’s been a crazy as week and it’s only Wednesday! We started teaching in the school on Monday and it’s been quite the experience. I was so excited on Sunday night to wake up in the morning and go into the schools again. That’s what it’s all about really. It’s where I feel like I learn the most. I could be in schools for a week and feel more prepared than I would spending an entire semester in classes. I hadn’t been in the schools since my practicum last March and I really, really missed it.

In the midst of it all I seemed to have forgotten how much it really takes out of you. I’ve come home exhausted every night this week! Today I had to lay down and take a short nap so that I could be awake and alert for the rest of the night. I must have been really tired too because I woke up and sort of forgot where I was and what I was doing here. (It all came back to me though).

I’ve been assigned to work with Year 6, 7 and 8’s. That’s like the 5^th and 6^th graders in America. They’re the oldest kids in the school. Our school, Colwill Primary School, is what they call a “full primary” school because it’s one of the only primary schools in the area that goes from years 0-8. Most only go from 0-6. To be honest, I was a little scared when the principal, Rob Taylor, gave me the assignment. I’d requested to be placed with the older kids, but mostly because I knew I had no experience with them and I wanted to learn what it was like in their classroom and how different it was managing a class of 12 and 13 year olds compared to a class of 6 and 7 year olds. I walked into the class having no idea what I was doing! I still don’t, really. But it’s been fun! New Zealand schools are a little different than ours. I’ve been told that they think the BYU girls are a little “soft” when it comes to discipline. We’re a little too nice to the kids. I’m not very good at discipline when it comes to the States’ standards…so they’ll probably think I’m a marshmallow. Hopefully I’ll learn some good management strategies while I’m here.

My mentor teacher’s name is Mrs. Chase. It turns out that she’s actually LDS as well! As we were walking to the buses on the first day she’d asked if I was at stake conference on Sunday and without really thinking I told her that yes, I had been there. Then I thought about it and did sort of a double take and asked her “Were you??” (That’s what living in Utah for so long does to you, I guess…haha). Apparently she is the wife of one of the bishops in our stake…although I can’t remember which one. I really like her. She’s very different from me when it comes to management, work expectations and what not, and she’s very organized. I think I’m going to learn a lot from her. Hopefully I’ll also pick up some of her organization habits. Today she was critiquing some of the students on their handwriting and using a ruler to do it! I don’t think I’d pass her handwriting test if she ever saw mine…it’s not bad, it’s just got a lot of character. Haha

On Tuesday we were invited to attend a welcoming ceremony called a “powhiri” (po-fer-ee). It’s a very sacred Maori tradition that we were really lucky to be a part of. They had us take off our shoes in the parking lot in preparation. We were all asked to wait outside of the hall where the entire primary school was waiting for us to enter. We could hear them chanting from outside. Two girls came out and sang to us as we slowly walked towards the school as a group. I wish I could fully describe to you what happened when we walked inside. It was beautiful. The whole school was singing to us, in Maori, and it echoed everywhere in the small assembly hall. We could feel the floor vibrating as we walked to our seats in our bare feet. All at once the chanting stopped and we were permitted to sit down. The students then all stood and sang the New Zealand national anthem, first in Maori, then in English. I wish everyone could have that experience. It’s something different entirely to have a room of small children all singing to you. It was incredible. I almost started crying.

After the anthem the men of the group are expected to give a speech and introduce the women. Since we are a group of all girls, Chris, our director’s husband, gave the speech on our behalf. It’s given in Maori and is sort of like a poem explaining where we come from.

Ko________taka Ingoa (my name is…)

Ko________taku maunga (my mountain is…)

Ko________taku Whenua (my land is…)

Ko________taku Moana (my ocean/water is…)

Ko________taku awa (my river is…)

Ko________taku marae (my home is…)

Ko________taku iwi (my people/family/tribe/ethnicity is…)

Ko________taku waka (my ship/mote of transport is….)

Ko________me________taku Matua (…are my parents)

Ko________taku ingoa (my name is…)

Once the speech was given our group stood up and sang the song we’d been practicing to the children. The lyrics are:

Te aroha

Te whakapono

Me te ranimarie

Tatou tatou e

Our song was meant to echo what was said by Chris in our indroduction. It was our way of finsishing it.

A boy from the school was then asked to make a speech all in Maori. I don’t know if he was supposed to memorize it or if he wrote it himself. He was nervous nonetheless, but did a really great job.

The final part of the ceremony is called the hongi. This is the part of the ceremony that we practiced in class. It’s not at all like our culture because we’re not accustomed to putting our faces so close to other strangers. We were to go through the line of school officials and press our foreheads and noses to theirs and then breathe in. The two girls who led us in and the boy who made the speech were also in the line. This is symbolic of the joining together of two groups.

After the ceremony they led us out of the assembly hall to gather our shoes. The kids sang another song to us as we left. It’s my favorite song I’ve heard so far…but I don’t know what it is because it’s all in Maori. Once we’d gathered our things we all met in the teacher’s lounge for what they called “refreshments”. What it really was, was a feast! They had everything! I filled myself up and wasn’t even hungry again when lunch rolled around.

There’s a ton more I could say about my so-far-short experience in New Zealand’s schools but I’ll save it for another update! It’s been fun! And I’m loving my class. Here’s a couple things the kids have asked me since I’ve come into their classroom:

“Miss? Is Harper your real name? There’s a girl on TV named Harper too!”

“You’re from America, right? Have you met anyone famous?”

“Miss, I like your accent!”

“I like your jumper! Is it American? Americans have all the coolest clothes!” (My “jumper” is actually just a purple sweatshirt I wore because it was raining)

“Miss, how do you write like that? I can write better with my left hand than I can holding my pencil like that!”

“They don’t have pools at schools in America?!”

“Have you been to any concerts? Or to Disneyworld?” (Apparently that’s what they think you do in America. I think I was a little disappointing to them when the answer was “no” They were impressed though, when I told them I’d been on the World’s Biggest Swing! The video is up, by the way!)

“Oh yeah, American schools are hard as! They have so much homework!”

My very first summer birthday

I've come to the conclusion that celebrating your birthday in New Zealand is the very best. Not only because you get to celebrate it twice (once for New Zealand and once for the States) but because it’s opposite here! As I was swimming out in the ocean my friends and I had an epiphany. This is the first time I can ever remember swimming on my birthday! I’ve always had cold, windy and even snowy birthdays! So this was definitely one of a kind.

I honestly couldn’t have asked for anything better. I had so much fun. I woke up and walked out of my bedroom to find that Phyllis had put up a sign in my honor! I loved it! She is so nice to put forth that extra effort.

Brooke and I planned a beach trip to Takapuna Beach where we were planning on meeting Kirsten, Emily, Mikaela and Amanda. On our way there we stopped at an interchange and hopped onto Kirsten and Emily’s bus with their driver Tua (who has invited all 20 of us over for dinner next Sunday…it’s going to be a Samoan barbeque) because he said he was headed there very soon. As it turns out he was headed there…eventually. We took a very long scenic route through downtown Auckland, picking people up and dropping them off until finally we were the only people left on the bus. It was really cool seeing the buildings up so close and what not. We realized after a little bit that Tua was no longer picking people up and he told us that he was actually on his break. He used a good portion of his break time driving the four of us to the beach! Who else can say they got a tour of downtown Auckland on their own private bus for their birthday??

We arrived on the beach just as the sky was clearing up. Some local business happened to be giving out free apple juice drinks by the bathrooms so we even got a free can of juice. We had arrived a little later than we planned so we were hoping that Mikaela and Amanda hadn’t gotten lost and were about text Mikaela’s ipod when they showed up behind us singing happy birthday!

                                     

 

A little while later Mikaela, Amanda and I were wading out in the water when suddenly Margo appears running towards us in the distance! Apparently she, Mandy, Brooke and Brittany had been there at the beach since 11 that morning and she was out walking and just happened to stumble upon us! They knew we were planning on going to the beach but weren’t sure they ever be able to actually find us. It was so fun once we all found one another. It just makes me realize more and more how much we depend on our phones for everyrthing. I don’t know how they used to make plans and find one another without them. It’s something that’s taking me a long time to get used to being without.

After the beach we went out for real fruit ice cream (something that I find very hard to say “no” to) and then rode the bus home. Amanda and Mikaela came over to our house and Phyllis took us all out to dinner at this cute little buffet called Valentine’s. It was incredible! I’ve never been very good at pacing myself when it comes to buffets but I should have taken a stroll past the dessert table before I filled myself up by trying everything else. When it came time for dessert I couldn’t help but try one of everything there as well. I wasn’t going to let a full stomach stop me from trying my best to force more in. I think I might have appalled Phyllis just a little bit with just how much dessert I piled onto my plate. It was delicious! I couldn’t help it. Besides, it was my birthday…

The next day was technically my mom’s birthday. But everyone back home thought it was still mine. And because everyone on facebook thought it was still my birthday my friends thought that maybe we should celebrate again!

Brooke and I started the day off by going for our first ever run! It was great, especially because it was a perfect drizzle outside. We came back completely drained and about to collapse. On our way inside I checked the mail and was so surprised and happy to find a birthday letter! I was so excited that the day could have ended there and I would have gone to bed so happy! But it didn’t. Our friend Reece took a small group of us to Orewa Beach for the day. This was the same beach we went to within the first week of being in New Zealand. Unfortunately for us it had been really rainy and cold and hadn’t felt much like summer. This time was completely different. Not counting the small drizzle when we first arrived the beach was sunny and beautiful! It was transformed to the beach I’d seen on the postcards! Reece taught us how to play cricket…which is similarish to baseball because you use a flat bat. After baseball I watched as the rest of the group played tackle rugby in the shallow water. We did some swimming and went to the park and laid out in the sun. It was perfect. Then, to top it all off, Kirsten and Emily’s host family sister, Elyse, took us all to this little place in Auckland called the Chocolate Boutique. Oh my heck. It was incredible! Brooke ordered something called “Death by Chocolate” which essentially was chocolate ice cream, buried under a layer of chocolate mousse, drizzled with chocolate syrup and topped off with chocolate marshmallow fish and some whipped cream on the side. I got the same thing with a “mud cake” as a side and split it with Kirsten. Surprisingly, it didn’t actually kill us. It was though, indisputably, something to die for.

We finished off the night by heading back to Emily and Kirsten’s homestay home and watching The Dark Knight. I had so much fun and went home completely happy. I really couldn’t have asked for anything more and I was given way more than I expected. Everyone should celebrate their birthdays in a foreign country!