I arrived in New Zealand on July 1st. Butler orientation was held at Shakespear Regional Park on the Whangaparoa peninsula, located 1.5 hours north of Auckland. We (50 students from all over the US) spent a relaxed three days there getting lots of moe (sleep), eating kai (food) and doing "stuff". The "stuff" included mountain biking, hiking, sea kayaking, learning how to play rugby and cricket and learning about the Maori culture. On the third day we traveled to the Tauranganui Marae south of the Bombay Hills on the Waikato river. We were presented to and accepted into the community during the powhiri (a ceremony involving speaches, songs and hongi (pressing of noses)). The Maori women cooked a wonderful meal for us, a group of men and women performed the haka and poi and then we
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