Gutter Black

the song of the moment. this is the theme song to a show called Outrageous Fortune. This show is about "westies" or "bogans" who are pretty much just white trash. [[ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westie_(person) ]] They drink cheap beers, have a lot of cars, get into illegal biddings, etc. Either way, the show is totally addicting and pretty 'outrageous.' It's very, very New Zealand.

I celebrated my first guy fawkes day! Though it really wasn't hyped up nearly as much as July 4th would be in the USA, it still resulted in plenty of fireworks going off everywhere across Palmerston North. Just in case you don't know what Guy Fawkes Day is, I'm really not sure I can explain it. All I can say is that it's usually celebrated with fireworks and bonfires. It was a fun night, but nothing too exceptional to report.

One thing I also wanted to bring up at some point (and was only just reminded by the posting of Outrageous Fortune) is that New Zealand produced tv shows are ridiculously cheesy. Though I'm addicted to Shortland Street now, when I first saw it I almost died laughing at how bad the acting, dialogue, and sets. Imagine American soap opera daytime television status.. but at prime time. Pretty epic, but I love it. I don't know why such a low level of drama is considered prime time television, but that is the way it is and I'm not going to question it.

Jah Rastafari

Now for a post about actual New Zealand things...

#1 introduction to Thanksgiving
I decided that since I'll be in Aotearoa during thanksgiving that I should have one here with my whānau (family) that I've got here. I think the best part is introducing everyone to foods that have no importance or are eaten commonly here. These include: Pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce, cornbread, biscuits, and (basically) Turkey. It was even better when questions like 'what does pumpkin pie look like??' and 'can we dress as pilgrims and indians??' were asked. I can't wait to have a proper thanksgiving dinner with kiwis. I've never made whole meals from scratch, but since biscuits, cornbread, and cranberry sauce don't exist here, it'll be exciting times prepping for that.


#2 savory baked goods
Another thing about Aotearoa is that the baked goods that mostly exist here are savory. Beef and cheese pies, ham scones... The baked goods that are sweet and DO exist, are really not very nice. The cookies are hard, cakes are called things like 'chocolate slab', fruit loafs are often topped with a strange pink frosting, and doughnuts do not taste like doughnuts should. Not to seem ethnocentric, but as an American lover of pastries, these pastries just don't cut it. Though I do appreciate a nice potato-top pie (hamburger meat inside, mashed potatoes on top), I like to keep my pies sweet and fruity.

#3 slang
I thought since I've been here for quite some time now, I've collected quite a bit of slang and haven't really posted about it before now.
New Zealand words = American translation

mean = cool
shot = thanks/cool
fully = totally
dear = expensive ex. "those sausages are quite dear."
tea = any meal really, but usually dinner
pudding = dessert
pissed = drunk
otp - on the piss = getting drunk
keen = willing ex. "I'm keen as to get pissed"
churr = no real translation.. hard to explain really, but sortof a farewell derived from cheers.
(adjective) as = hella (adjective) ex. "that salad was fresh as!"
snapped = caught ex. "he got snapped cheating on his exam"
suss = sort ex. "suss out who's going to be driving tomorrow"
heaps = tons ex. "there'll be heaps of food!"
feed = meal ex. "we're going to have a mean feed"
hard = word of agreement. ex. "that was awesome." "hard."
hardout = intensely ex. "She'll be studying hardout tomorrow"
lad = boy, male ex. "he's a big lad."
lollies = candies
nice = delicious
mince = hamburger meat
gap = leave ex. "let's gap it out of here."
cuppa = any sort of hot drink ex. "want a cuppa?"
fizzy drink = soda
flash = cool, expensive or neat ex. "that's a flash phone, is it an iphone?"
flog = steal
fringe = bangs (this being one of the must frustrating ones as I continually refer to my bangs as .. bangs.. and people give me odd looks because of it)
knackered = tired
crook = sick or hungover
capsicum = bellpepper
chemist = pharmacist
winge = complain

okay i'm sure that's enough, but hopefully that was interesting. It sure was interesting slowly learning what each of those words meant...
+ a bunch of cities have nicknames...
Palmerston North - Palmy
Wellington - Wellyz
Christchurch - Chch
Auckland - Aucks
Gisbourne - Gizzy
...

#4 preference for 'meatier' girls
I've noticed the men here tend to prefer girls who aren't all that skinny. I don't really want to say much more on this, except that I've noticed it and think it's interesting.

#5 candies
the "lollies" here are also quite different to the ones at home. More generally, it's gummy candies that are preferred here to things like skittles, starburst, and even chocolate bars. I find them quite tacky, but some can be nice. There are strange, old-fashioned candies like things called Redskins or Eskimos, which are basically gummy lollies in the shape of native americans and, you guessed it, eskimos. Pretty sure that wouldn't fly at home.

#6 P.C.
New Zealanders are way less "P.C." than Americans. I heard a commercial on the radio for an Asian restaurant with an Asian man speaking in an outrageously stereotyped Chinese accent. I couldn't believe I was hearing it on the radio, but everyone else thought it was normal. As well, there was a commercial on TV about erectile disfunction (And this wasn't playing too late at night.. maybe 8pm) and it showed two men with their pants down, hands up, playing the piano standing up... I'll leave that one up to your imaginations. Either way, Kiwis are not afraid to say or advertise what they want.

#7 Reggae
Reggae music is huge here (especially amongst Māoris). A certain connection was Rastafarian beliefs has been established and many sing about Jah and whatnot. However, I'm not too sure how aware of Jah and Zionism Kiwis actually are, as one of my friends once asked me 'what IS Jah?' Either way, I am a HUGE fan of Kiwi Reggae bands, as well as a Hawaiian reggae group called Kalohe Kai

This is 1814 (Who I saw at the Waitangi Day Festival in Auckland at the beginning of the year..) singing Jah Rastafari

Calling and Not Calling My Ex

FINALS ARE DONE! (err.. exams.)

I took my final Māori language exam today and it feels fantastic. I stayed up literally all night watching the world cup games, and ended up sleeping through basically all of the France vs. Uruguay game. It was a fun night of Joe yelling obscenities about Mexico and my new friend Roger and I going nuts when Mexico (finally) scored.

Speaking of the game, it was absolutely ridiculous. The amount of missed opportunities, for BOTH teams, was depressing. Mexico can play so much better than they did and they should have won that game no problem. I will admit South Africa kicked it up before Mexico did and deserved that beautiful goal they got, but Mexico should have seen that and gone full-on after that... I can't comment too much on the France game, but the fact that it, too, ended in a draw (at 0-0? really?) was an upsetting end to the first two games.

I went into my Māori exam with an hour of sleep, which really did not hinder my abilities to spank exams' butts. My geography exam had an opportunity to let loose my aggression towards subtle racism in western education by taking apart an exam question that asked 'Explain what older people do to avoid social and spatial exclusion,' to which I began my answer with 'the only way to answer this question is through a Western, Capitalist viewpoint because in many non-Western cultures, the elderly are cared for and respected. Hence, the elderly would not need to find ways in order to avoid social and spatial exclusion. It is only because of this capitalist perspective that since the elderly are no longer doing 'labor' they are no longer contributing to society and are thus rendered useless.' Something along those lines. I then went on to answer the question, but I just had to point out that by making it such a general question and expecting everyone to read it thinking it applies to all peoples is wrong.

My Treaty of Waitangi exam was bull, not even going to discuss it. And my Anthropology exam, on the best subject in the world, went well but I'm afraid I may not have written enough. Oh well, it's over now!

Back to the world cup, I'm extremely disappointed at how unpopular soccer actually is here. Despite the fact that the All-Whites are in the World Cup, no one really cares and considers soccer to be a 'poofta' sport, unlike rugby, which is pure, 100% manly manliness with man sauce on top. I was hoping to come to a country that would celebrate the World Cup the way any European-based country would -- but, sadly, I am left to the night-owls of Atawhai Rd who stay up at odd hours of the night to watch the games with unrelenting fervor. Which, actually, is the way I'd want it.

All the Things You Are

Happy!

Exams almost over, and my film was definitely a success. Maybe not deep or symbolic, but just the way I like it -- funny and straight-up. I'm no good at thinking abstractly and once I get my film online, you'll see what I mean. The topic was "mihimihi" which is a Māori introduction, generally including things like a person's heritage and where they come from. Sometimes I wish I could make really "original" artsy art, but I make what I make and there will be those who appreciate it for what it is, and I'm glad.

I'm sad I'm missing out on the new LA craze -- food trucks. I love how LA has food crazes. I love LA, basically.

I love NZ, too, though. I've been experiencing more of it lately as I've been staying at farms and driving up to Tauranga for long weekends. Chasing cows/sheep on a quad-bike has easily been one of the highlights of my life. Dream come true, for sure. Also, visiting Jess in Tokoroa on the way down from Tauranga and trying to touch the dairy cows was extremely fun. Exams are weirdly formal and pretty much the whole grade is based on this one exam. I miss midterms and final projects that helped save your grade from bombing exams!

In terms of analysis of kiwi culture, I've been reading a lot of things about the fact that the world is becoming homogenized and a singular, american-like culture... and this seriously worried me before I came here because it wouldn't really be like leaving America. But, I'm seriously finding that there are still core differences in culture and habits. Even though the media is the same and certain preferences for food (like McDonald's) are the same... The fact is, the way this media and food is taken in is completely different from how Americans take it in. I can't exactly say (having not actually talked to anyone about it) how said media/foods are interpreted, but I can imagine it's something to do with the fact that American television/movies/music are often about a place kiwis can't identify with. So I suppose it can't exactly mean the same things as it does to people from the areas in the movies/songs.

Anyway, the point of that was that I'm glad I'm experiencing a culture different from my own. Though there are a lot of similarities, it's nice to find the differences too. Like meat pies!

And following that note, it was SO weird to hear the song 'California girls' by Katie Perry because... Why would they play that in NZ? I just don't understand how certain songs like that, which are clearly particular towards a specific American location, can succeed in a country like NZ... It made me proud to be a CA girl, but to hear it here was just weird. Especially since practically no one here can relate to it! The media shouldn't be promoting foreign pride, it should be playing songs like 'TARANAKI GIRLS' ... hahahaha you know, or something along those lines. But that's a whole other discussion about American domination in things like media (and even though it's not creating a homogenous culture, it's certainly pissing me off).

Amari Szi Amari

Finals coming up!

Apparently "finals" is an American term. I forget this too often when I say things to friends like 'Oh, I have to study for finals' and they respond with things like, '...oh. Exams.' and I don't even think about it until much later.

Also, I realized that those of us from So Cal almost never forego fashion for functionality. Our weather is never harsh enough for us to think 'Hmm I'll wear the jacket that actually keeps me dry and warm.' We will mostly always go 'Well, this jacket is cute and will keep me dry if I keep out of the rain as much as possible, and it really won't rain for more than an hour, so yeah...' and because of this, we never really purchase functional clothing. Hence, it is extremely difficult to find functional clothing, and that is why I have come to New Zealand unprepared for this wet, cold lifestyle. It was pouring rain today and what did I go to school in? My snow jacket. Because I had nothing else that would successfully keep me dry and warm. Also, I lost my umbrella... I wore my polka-dotted rain boots, which got quite a few remarks about how 'cute' they were. Again, fashion before functionality. I can't say for sure yet, but it seems like the general rain boots worn here are gumboots- normal black boots.

I've been really happy with my friends and experiences. I still find myself in interesting situations and am always happy to be there, no matter what. Tonight was a night all on its own. It started with Nick, Jess's, Emma and my friend John doing chatroulette, which (in case you don't know) is the dirtiest random video chat website ever. You get randomly hooked up with someone else who has a webcam and the intention is to chat and get to know random people. However, the outcome is many, MANY men masturbating and demanding 'tits.' This proved hilarious for my group because we simply made them feel as uncomfortable as possible by calling them names, showing horribly lewd images, and Nick making funny faces at them. It was awesome. After that, I went for a swim at the lido center with John and nothing feels better than getting a good exercise.

Following this was the social Volleyball semi-finals which Manawatahi took part in. I'm not nearly good enough at volleyball to have put myself into the game, but I sat and cheered on the Māori club that has so graciously accepted me into their whanau.

Manawatahi on kiwiana day (I'm in there behind the girl in the Leopard shirt) performing 'Te Ahu A Turanga'

Though they lost, we had a grand old time. We played an informal game between ourselves and then played a good game of basketball. I partook in both of those and genuinely made a fool of myself, but played hard nonetheless. Worked up another sweat, and was running on no dinner. After that, John, Ariki, Iwi, Joey and Kendra were keen on going to a local pub to watch a rugby (league?) game between New South Wales and Queensland. I was taken along and had an entertaining time until I was too bloody exhausted and had the loungies pick me up.

Lately

#1 I've been hanging out with a lot of people younger than me, which has not happened since Junior year in high school. And by younger, I mean a year - 3 years younger. Even just a year younger is weird for me. I'm so used to my 25 - 35 year old friends... But, it's working out. Age is just a number, after all. But being able to say things like 'I'm older than you' is really not a sentence I'm used to.

#2 Had a mean Māori weekend. Watched River Queen and Whale Rider one night (well, and Whale Rider like 4 times in one day). River Queen was a movie about the Taranaki land wars (I think) and how a pakeha woman was caught between supporting her colonial 'family' and the Māori she was beginning to respect and love. It was really poorly directed & edited. Whale Rider was as nice as ever.

Went to a Māori family party on Saturday night which was really interesting. A pitbull chained to a car parked in the front lawn, tons of family members everywhere -- some sleeping, some eating, chatting, drinking -- and hangi! Hangi, if I haven't mentioned it before, is traditional food cooked in the ground. Truly delicious. Walking room to room meeting family members and hearing them talk about the events of the day and night before was particularly great. One particular event was when random "FOB" islander guy came strolling up to the party, naked save for a blanket he wore around himself, and partaking in it like he was a part of the family. The house was small, but cozy with old wallpaper and high cielings. A single hallway led through the center of the home to a small kitchen at the end, with about 3 rooms on either side of the hallway. Mattresses were strewn across the floors of nearly every room as all the family members would occassionally pass out or lay together to watch television. It was especially warming to see all the children huddled around the television with the elderly members behind dozing on the couch. I played some boxing game with my friend Jerrau, his brother and cousin.

Afterwards, I watched Once Were Warriors, which was intensely intense. For those who have not heard of it, this movie was about domestic abuse and problems with urban Māoris. It was bloody, violent and depressing... but a rather good film, I'd say. Next day (today), watched Boy. Boy was another film about Māoris and it was both quirky/humorous as well as poignant and emotional. If anyone saw Eagle vs. Shark, it was the same director. It was REALLY good and I hope at some point it shows up in America because friends back home should definitely see it. Very good!

Tomorrow I'm off to Taupo then to Auckland where I'll be getting my Horse of Rohan tattoo, and then to Tonga for 5 days! Will update then.

Constant Knot

short post --

I noticed something I really don't like about the kiwi accent is the way they say things like 'known' 'grown' etc.

they say it like 'know-en'. That really bothers me!

and the other day in my Food & Eating class, we were discussing risk and fears about food, and part of the lecture was about terrorist infiltration of food... and the lecturer went on to say something along the lines of '...but then terrorists attacked here.'

Which really surprised me because I expected her to say something like 'America' or 'London' or something... I thought this was strange. As far as I know (and I'm fairly certain I'm correct) there have been no terrorist attacks in New Zealand.. so essentially, kiwis should have no fear of terrorist bio-attacks? Strange.

Off by Heart

This past weekend was bizarre but awesome.

Friday I woke up hells of late for art class but went. Had lunch with Wiki first which was more than entertaining as I attempted to teach him Spanish. Then went to class for a bit, came back and chilled aaaaall night with Toia, Tiaki and Grant (for a bit). We got pizzas, chips and watched Mean Girls in Toia's room. Awesome night.

Saturday I went to town with Wiki to look for a dress (I'm going to a FORMAL DINNER for the military with him) and there was absolutely nothing. We walked all through the mall, through the square and found ... nothing. So we had lunch at a cafe off the square and chilled in a park for a bit. Then I bought Toia and Tiaki a box of Tui and left to do some homework with TREVOR! I don't know if he's reading this, but he's the best! The Lounge Crew (Jess #1, Mike, Emma, Nick, Brendan, Jess #2) picked me up from Trevor's to go to a flat warming party where we decided to be somewhat social and met some people. As we were leaving I saw this brown kid and assumed he was Maori so I said to him 'Ka kite!' to which he smiled and I said 'or is it Ina Hora?' and he said 'I'm not Maori!' I know how he feels.

We drove off to FERGUR KING and had a mean feed. I went to town after WITHOUT the Lounge Crew and met Toia, Shayna and Trevor at High Flyers. Danced till 3am when it closed and went home with Shayna, Jerrau (army kid) and a random South African dude. Needless to say, it was COMPLETELY random. We sat on the swingset that overlooks some part of Palmerston North and talked for a while then we all went to sleep (at around 5-ish).

Sunday, I woke up at 6:45am to go to Wellington. Got picked up by Wiki around 7:30am and had a great, early morning drive through the country. Walked around Wellington eating unhealthy food and shopping for a dress. Had a PERFECT DRESS experience as we went into the last shop and found a dress in black and a size too big that I liked.. but I asked if there was the same dress in purple and they said 'only in a size 8' which I thought might be too tight, but I'd give it a shot... and it was PERFECT. Successful trip. Then got Movenpick (YES) and sat in a park where the breeze was blowing, sun was shining, sausages were sizzling and reggae was playing. It was pure and utter comfort. Took a nap, got up and went to (Cafe Ice .. it's spelled some crazy way I don't remember) and I got a neat little gelato milkshake thingy. Walked back to the car and went to Wiki's house for a bit (more for Wiki to steal groceries). Then I DROVE ALL THE WAY HOME! Driving again for long distances felt so amazing. I was one with the road and rockin' it (even though it scared me half to death most of the time being on the wrong side of the road...). Made it home and did some homework and went to kapahaka and class today.

I am completely in love with New Zealand!

tangled up in blue

With sand between my toes, basking in the familiar warmth of a west coast sunset at an unfamiliar beach, home didn't feel so far.

I've gone to more beaches here in New Zealand than I have at home (that might be a lie.). The oceans are calmer and warmer. Less "maintained" and more rugged, black sand, driftwood beaches. They go on forever and are often void of people. My kind of beaches.

So far everything here has been good. better than good, even. FANTASTIC.

My housing is set up in one giant house and four blocks (blocks holding roughly 9 people each) and my block is full of really, really great people.

shoes are overrated here. Barefoot is the best option for most as they wander class to class, across a car park, or into a supermarket. I think this is one of the most fantastic things because it is the perfectly subtle way of showing how lax kiwis are. Following this, a lot of the people I've known here have little regard for things considered 'unhygienic' by Americans. Such as not washing fruits/vegetables, leaving things on dirty counters, not rinsing dishes when they have soap on them and just drying them directly, and I guess.. walking barefoot everywhere.

Classes have been requiring a lot of reading, but actual class time is nice because usually they're only an hour long and are usually with some pretty cool people. Lovin' my maori language class. I learned how to say Hello (Kia Ora) How are you? (Kei te pehea koe?) I'm good (Kei te pai) and I'm from Los Angeles (No Roa Angerea au). There's this thing called transliteration where you just make english names/words SOUND maori, since they have a different alphabet.. so Los Angeles = Roa Angerea.. but I kindof just made that up myself with my professor since there was no word for Los Angeles. I mean, I've learned other little phrases and tidbits but that's really all I remember off the top of my head... Plus, I've been going to kapa haka (...singing time?) on Mondays and Fridays and learning the chants and songs. I even learned one with moves (kinda like a hula). As well, making many maori friends (:

hmm.. Anything else? I've been getting used to things.. Slang, driving on the wrong side, meals... I still don't feel like I'm really in university, but I'm making an effort.. in between trips to the beach and laying in bed all day..

4 AM

Sleepless gliding
Over the city lights
Watch us flying
Over the streets tonight

Started school, which has been way beyond my expectations.

Monday was the Maori Studio class I'm auditing since my schedule is full. A group of people had gathered and they all greeted me as if I belonged there but once they heard me speak, in unison they said 'Oh I thought you were Maori!'

Class "began" by going into the Marae (meeting place) with all levels of the studio class and introducing ourselves (Though practically everyone else already knew each other) and most everyone introduced themselves in Maori. I was frozen in fear! What if the classes progress this way? Will I learn anything? I stood up to introduce myself, 'Hi, I'm Sarah. I'm from Los Angeles and I have no idea what anyone just said,' followed by a kind chuckle from the group. Relief.

The art class itself was different than what I expected, which was a modern art approach to Maori themes, such as Whakapapa (heritage) and Whenua (land). I'm hoping i'll still learn something about the cultural art.

I had my Maori language class which was really fun because we worked on saying the vowels right, which I never realized would be such a difficult task! But, for the most part they're just like spanish. Except for the dipthongs.

Geography is a very DUH class. it really is.

and Food and Eating = best. It is easily the most anthropological class I've ever taken! True, most of the anth classes I took at home were bio classes, so can't really discuss culture and whatnot, but damn.

I have so much to say and this post has spanned a few days of writing and each day I sit down to write more, I forget or am overwhelmed by everything I want to say ... I'll start a new post.

x and y

A dream -- it's all just a dream!

I've been dreaming this whole time and I don't know if I'll ever wake up again.

My dorm had a competition yesterday to do a sort of .. treasure hunt of sorts, where we had to get a 'gnome' from a designated spot and take pictures of it with, for example, a policeman or getting a haircut, and at the movies, etc. Our 'gnome' however, was a penis pump.

This led to extremely interesting pictures to say the least. My group won best single photo! Will post this picture later on...

I've become rather good friends with Grant, Stephen (from England) and Toia. They're fuckin fantastic people. Toia cooks me food sometimes, Grant is just the best to talk to .. and, well, Stephen is just weird. (:

There's a guy named Barney at Ferg and he's the best person I've ever met in the whole world! We were playing taboo and when his team mate said 'oh this lady is famous' he yelled 'ARETHA FRANKLIN!' why? I don't know .. and when he got the word 'bladder' he said 'it's a body part! men have them! and some women, I think!' and he's a damn fantastic dancer. love him.

Been eating hot cross buns non-stop (yum yum) and working out practically every day (probably so I can maintain my hot cross bun eating habits). Still haven't really needed to cook for myself lately but I did have rice and beans with ketchup the other day. salad, too. I definitely used my pot to hard boil some eggs!

Not to mention the friends I've already become rather close with.. Monica, Kelli, and Zach.. I'm truly grateful to have them here with me (even if zach is only here for a semester!!)

I feel like I can't sleep most nights because there's just so much to think about from the day I just had and the people I've met, etc. I've become a possum, as Stephen put it, where I wake up in the night and sleep during the day. Except I don't even really sleep during the day (except for today..). Plus, how do you go to sleep in a dream?

In Bloom

again with the posts...!

I have food and a pot and I've never felt so complete!

I can cook rice, which can be made with beans and then ketchup on top, salad on the side.. a perfect meal for me.

I have hot cross buns, which I thought was a childhood song based on a mythological object.

THEY EXIST. and are delicious.

I have soup and nutella and weet-bix.

I feel set for at least 2 weeks..

I think I am going to the beach tomorrow, as well as the gym.

I feel good.

Watched Valentine's Day, which was TERRIBAD! there was one moment where zach and I started laughing hysterically and no one else was.

[ having watched a movie based in LA, it was a strange sensation. Watching a film about home in a completely foreign country.. it almost felt like I was home again and I completely forgot all the students around me were kiwi (well, most). I really missed LA for the first time. ]

I've somewhat forgotten what the sun feels like as it's been overcast for sooo long.

I miss my puppy xena and my baby sunny.

I walked barefoot across a giant grass field in the rain chasing ducks today wearing only shorts and a t-shirt.

I'm On Your Side

today was really pretty good.

woke up at 12pm to a comfortably empty block. Realized I missed the 'team building' activity for orientation but could not care less. Instead I chatted with my mom for a bit on skype, took a shower and ate a hamburger (made from a stolen meat patty, ketchup and wheat bread). It was too late to attempt to steal more free food from orientation so I tried to meet up Monica on campus for more useless lectures. As I got to the bottom of my hellish steps, I found a path that ran perpendicular to my usual path, and thought it would be a shortcut.. instead, I got lost in the bush and found some rather nice, peaceful spots. I was, however, trying to get to campus so kept moving and eventually had to walk across the river and climb up the bank to get to campus.

Finally finding campus, I made it to my lecture hall and made it in for the last minute of 'Intro to Uni' which I am VERY GRATEFUL I missed. I walk in, everyone stares, I grin widely at the lecturer and sit down. About a minute later, I realize it's about to end, and get up and leave again. It was a major success.

After this, I head to rotary court to meet up with Monica and Kelli. We chit chat a bit and decide to go to the next lecture, which is equally as useless. Afterwards, we have to finalize our schedule with the other study abroad/exchange students. In that session, we all introduced ourselves, and I found out practically everyone in the world just LOVES things to do outdoors. I was basically the only person who said something besides 'I love being outdoors,' 'I love doing things in nature,' etc. and when I say everyone in the world, I mean all Americans, because 95% of the people in study abroad/exchange are Americans.

Afterwards we attempted to have dinner in the dining hall, but Monica and I decided to just eat the food we had at home.. so we both went home.

After a salad at home and some chatting online, I finally met one of my blockmates (haha blockmates.. that doesn't make any sense!) named Grant, who seems an interesting chap, but didn't have much time to chat as I was headed down to campus for Maze Night!

Was too late to catch the same bus as everyone else, so I was all alone on a bus with a bunch of kiwis and tried talking to the girl next to me named Tessa. It wasn't an easy task and she was rather shy. Her friend was even worse... but we won't get into that.

Maze night was going to a corn maze which was horror-themed and was rather successful. I actually screamed! I went in with Monica and Kristine .. and two other kiwi girls I didn't really know. It was a nice use of time ... after, however, was terrible. We had to wait for nearly 2 hours for a bus to take us back.. the bus ride back, however, was fantastic.

zach and i really have a hoot when we're together. We met a girl with ridiculous eyebrows and it became a joke of focus for the night. She lives in the same hall as me, so we knew her and two others would be on the bus with us all the way up to Atawhai courts. The two others' names were L'il Dixon and Bookworm. Party bus.

We discussed the 'beauty' of kiwi people and found a strip club on the outskirts of palmy. Considering our perspective on nz beauty, we definitely decided to visit the strip club. We bad mouth so much. Upon arriving, we spotted a possum! but a kiwi (or ozzie, actually) possum, which is much cuter and lemur-like. We found the same party crowd we found the night before at atawhai courts (who are truly american assholes), so we went to fergie to see if we could find some lively people. What we found will never leave my memory...

We enter to a group of people playing poker, which looked like fun! Upon closer inspection, it was not poker at all. I said hello and met everyone and then asked what game they were playing. They were intensely socially awkward people and said it was a game about how well you know your friends... to which one person turned to me and said 'do you think [she] prefers blowing bubbles? or romance novels?' and i said 'umm blowing bubbles?' to which the girl said 'ARE YOU KIDDING? MY FAVORITE BOOKS EVER ARE LIKE .. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND .. AND.. ROMANCE NOVELS!' they all burst out laughing and I then realized that what was on the tv was figure skating... and that the only person watching was the weird Asian kid in the corner who had snorted like a pig the first time I saw him. It was easily the most bizarre scenario ever. Zach and I were trying to keep in our laughter and exited the room as quickly as possible and went back to his bungalo for a drink. We had a nice, long chat and thus concluded the day...

MAGNIFICENCE!

young folks

Okay, so internet magically started working on my laptop.

And here I am with another post about the long white cloud. So far, orientation has been pure crap. I slept through the whole thing today, except (unfortunately) for the last bit of 'inspirational motivation' which was a terrible performance by a man from Christchurch talking about all the problems of college and how to address them .. basically all the international students thought it was crap (since it was obviously aimed towards the freshmen).

Besides that, I've been making some friends. Surprising, I know!

I've met ... Kristine, from Norway but got her degree in Australia and is here for post-grad. Sabine, from Germany and undergrad with the rest of us. Ariel, from New York who loves sheep, which is why she came here. Jessica, from Maine, undergrad. Natya, from Germany .. don't know much hahaha. and Zach from Tennessee who is only here for a semester. Hilal, from San Diego, doing vet work. A few others here and there but these are the main group I've been kicking it with. Funny how most are American .. but I'm okay with that for now, I'm not keen to mingle with freshmen.

Tomato sauce dominates over ketchup here, which is bizarre. Obviously, being the huge ketchup fan that I am, I cannot deal well with this. I stole a bunch of ketchup packets from burger king last time I went and carry them around with me... I've still not felt like I'm really in New Zealand as I've mainly been talking to Americans and haven't been out in the kiwi lifestyle. I'm really tired right now and should be sleeping ... I hope this is a substantial post. In the past two days I've used a quarter of my allowed $25 internet... I hate NZ internet!!