A Week of Firsts and Celebrations

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This week was filled with trying new things and celebrations!

Monday was a first my flat mate Katrine from Norway introduced me to a new Sport... Handball. I fell in love with it. I mix of soccer and basketball throw in some of its own rules and add a dash of contact and you have handball. I joined the practice for a two hour game and it was a fast pace game with no time to think so you must be quick on your feet. Since handball in a European sport mainly very few Americans and New Zealanders play so the team is looking for new people to join... so hello to their newest member =) I get to compete in a few games before leaving to come back and I am very excited.

Wednesday was a day of celebration and a first. The celebration was for the fact I am officially no longer a teenager, the first was celebrating my birthday at school with friends instead of family and also in the winter and not the summer. I was woken at 12:01Am by my flat mates and my friends barging into my room with a cake and singing happy birthday. That evening we had a James Bond themed party at our house which was a lot of fun. Everyone in attendance really dressed that part which was funny.

I also want to thank everybody for the Birthday Wishes!!!!!

Friday was a day of celebration... celebration for CHOCOLATE! The Chocolate festival was in town for Wellington on a plate and we spent four hours on Friday 4-8pm indulging ourselves in the most delicious and unique chocolate flavors I have ever had. I had everything from Dark Chocolate Port Truffle to a White Champaign Truffle To Curry Flavor Chocolate. We went to an hour session to learn how to properly taste chocolate and learned how to sculpt it. Needless to say our Friday evening was very tasty.

Michael I wished the whole time I was there that you were there with me. You would have loved this place as much as I did.

Saturday was a first. Wellington has many thing that one is suppose to do before leaving, going to Te Papa, the Cable Car, the Botanical Gardens, and in the summer jumping off the wooden plank down at the water front. Well I am in New Zealand in the Winter so the last one did not seem possible to most. However, I am not leaving Wellington without trying everything once, so on Saturday I convinced my entire house to do the "Polar Bear Plank" with me. We walked down tot the water front stripped down and proceeded to jump into the freezing ocean water. Of course seven kids jumping into the water in the middle of winter in the center of the city did draw a large crowd including a professional photographer who spent the time taking our pictures. He emailed them to me and is allowing us all to get one blown up to bring home with us. SO another successful weekend in my book.

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