Kickstarts

In New Zealand, pronunciations of Spanish words never ceases to crack me up. I can't exactly blame Kiwis, it's not like they're super exposed to Spanish things, but when they say Nicaragua as "nee-kah-rah-gyoo-ah" on national television, then I just don't know. Someone in the TV department could've told them how to properly say it? or even come close?

Exams nearly over, my education in New Zealand has just about finished. Sad to say, and I'm trying not to wallow in it, but I missed one of my exams. I thought it was Tuesday and it was actually Monday morning. I've emailed my professor and hopefully he will feel compassion, but who knows. I'll update when something is resolved.

I'm hoping to get 2 more tattoos before I leave, but that's still in debate.

Halloween, celebrated here to the most minimal degree, is at least respectable. If women decide to partake in a halloween party or situation, their outfits are comparatively modest and usually even really clever or scary. Not slutty and semi-formulated concoctions of lingerie. Looking through people's photos every year just gets me angry. Halloween should be fun and creative, not a competition to see how naked someone can get before getting ticketed by the police for indecent exposure. Unless it's a funny naked, which it hardly is, then I disapprove of unnecessary sluttiness. I'm not usually a feminist either. I don't know, it's usually too much and usually just so desperate looking. Women shouldn't have to feel the need to look like semi-low-budget porn stand-ins to feel sexy on a day of dressing up.

Over and Over Again

short post.

the grading system here baffles me. Though, I suppose it reflects a thought I had at some point in my educational upbringing-- if you know at least half the material, you should at least pass. And that's how it is here. A 50% is a C. Which makes a 65% a B. This shocked me when I received my geography project and saw 24 out of 40. I could not believe I'd practically failed a major project until someone informed me I had actually received a B. I don't understand this because it must mean that the standards or expectations for students are much lower.. but they also make it way harder to get A's. Because, not going to lie, I thought my project was pretty damn good. And to get a B on it was a BIT upsetting. And when this grade goes home, it won't say 'this grade was attained in a country where A's are ridiculously hard to get, so consider that when reading this student's grad school application'. It'll just be a B on my transcript. WHICH IS UNACCEPTABLE.

my short film!

And, anything else to say?

My friends Ariki and Iwi keep saying they'll watch the world cup with me, and everytime they fall asleep about 10 mins in. fail!

I've been relaxing completely to the max past few days. sleeping, eating, talking, world cup-ing. Going to Tokoroa in a few days to visit Jess at her dairy farm. Cows!

I know I have things to mention about other things I've been thinking about with New Zealand.. but..

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).

Turn it Round

It's getting particularly frustrating when the languages I know are constantly being jumbled in my head.

Spanish and Māori are often trouble areas as words sound so similar, I'll start writing my Māori homework in Spanish. As well, I go to a Māori tutorial Monday nights where our tutor encourages us to learn Māori words through association with hand movements, or as she calls it, sign language. This proves problematic as well because I start to throw in my ASL hand movements with Māori words, which becomes even more bizarre.

It's entirely frustrating when I actually try to recall the Māori word for something and all that is ramming me inside of my head is the word in Spanish.

The other thing I noticed is American humor is entirely and utterly different from Kiwi humor. I find shows like Community and movies like Step Brothers as hilarious, but many others find it mundane and slapstick. I would never consider Community slapstick! Witty, clever, random- Yes. I recently remembered the beauty that is the Bud Light Real Men of Genius commercials and thought I'd share some with my Kiwi friends, but I thought against it because I figured it wasn't their type of humor. Tragic, I know, because the Real Men of Genius commercials are actually genius. There should be a commercial about Mr. Real Men of Genius Commercial Writer.

So, every week that I actually do my anthropology readings, I am constantly surprised. This week's reading discussed how Marriage Sex Manuals from the 1920s-1960s used cooking to maintain women's roles as household objects. One particular excerpt from a book called Technique of Marriage written by Mary Borden (1933) compares women leaving the kitchen to impending communistic doom. Should women leave their homes, it says, and work in "Quick-lunch counters," then home cooking will soon be lost forever and families will go to the local "communal dining hall" and be fed the same food all the time. Amazing. I love blatant, outrageous propaganda.

I'm currently in the process of making a short film about the meeting between a Mexican student and a Māori one. Each character regards the other as being of the same culture and awkwardness ensues when a hongi(touching of noses) is attempted. I'm not sure how successful it'll be (as I'm trying to avoid dialogue) and whether it'll even be interesting... But it's all I got for now so there it is.

Speaking of Māori culture, I recently went to Māori graduation, which was easily the best graduation I've ever been to. For each graduate that had family sitting in the audience, or even just a friend who cared enough, there was a song and/or haka done for their success. It was particularly exciting to hear the different hakas, waiatas (songs), and people coming together to express congratulations. Usually after the name was spoken, the family would begin singing or someone would start the haka and to some it may seem like this would take forever to get through a graduation, it made it 1002984029x more bearable. Instead of the typical name, name, name, name process, it was name, explosion, name, song, name, explosion, etc. Excitement the whole way through. I want to actually be Māori now to have a haka at my graduation, and to even have a graduation as light-hearted and involving as theirs was. I even did a haka with my fellow art students, which was exciting for me because I was actually doing what I'd been watching videos of for months before my arrival into this wonderful country. One thing I found exceptionally interesting was the fact that 10 years ago, Sir Mason Durie (a very influential and important Māori educator) claimed that by 2010 they were hoping to have 25 Māori doctorate graduates... and this year, they made it to 55. That made me really happy.

I can't think of anything else, but I'm sure that's a sufficient post for now.

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.

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!!