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Published: June 29th 2009
Hey!!! I have so much to tell already!!! I just got internet so I can finally write. After landing I went through an orientation with the other Americans in my program. We stayed in the shakespear lodge outside of Aukland and were in a camp like setting. The first day we got orientated, went for a hike which was beautiful. Aukland is such a beautiful place and is similar to seattle, only better. We then went kayaking and played soccer in kayaks with buoys for goals. My team tied 0-0, it was a good match. I of course didn't row because of my hand, so one of the staff members rowed me while I sat in front and caught the ball. After that we went to a hot springs park. There were many hot pools and some scary waterslides that would be illegal to make now. Following that, people from our program (32 students+staff) went to a pub across the street to try New Zealand's most popular beer, Speights. I stayed behind in the hot pools with four other students which was nice because some Maori guys came up and talked to us for a little while. It was very funny because they kept on asking us to pronouce words in English and then busted up laughing because our accents are so funny to them. One thing I have noticed about New Zealanders is that they do not hesitate to tell you what they think is stupid about our language or culture, which is quite funny. They have different names for everything so it is almost like learning a whole new language.
The next day we had a bunch of things to learn about New Zealand and then I did some Archery for the first time. I got a gold (middle of target) on the second try so I was pretty good. A natural hunter I guess. :o) We ate a lot of Kai (the word for food here). They actually fed us 5 times a day. It was crazy, we all call it kai time when it is time to eat.
The following day we went onto a marae, the sacred place of the maori tribe. It was an amazing experience that most kiwis will never have the opportunity to do. You have to get invited on and then go through a formal protocol to get welcomed onto the land and a formal protocol to leave the land. We learned about their culture and dances, although a lot was spoken in Maori which I cannot understand. We stayed overnight in a building called a whaka tupunu. It is the sacred house of the Maori that has the entire tribes history and pictures of all the ancestors inside it. I was amazed by the respect each person has for one another, they are some of the nicest, most supportive, and most smiley people I have ever met. The formal greeting is a shakeing hands while touching noses and forheads together with eyes closed.
The final day we went on a winery tour and tasted some of New Zealand's finest and newest wines. Finest wine or not, I still don't like the taste. I put barely any of each wine in my mouth just to be polite. After that we flew from Aukland to wellington for a stopover, and then onto Dunedin where we stayed in a hostel for the night.
My camera was actually out of batteries during orientation but my friends took a ton of pics. I will have them send some to me and then put them up later!!!
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Mom
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Wow
Wow, what an experience. Did you get to take pictures of the village? I can't wait to see New Zealand.