how to be a better person

I spent the night in a real, live, legit Fiji village.

It was quite possibly one of the most insanely eye-opening experiences of my ever. It was very different from anything I have done before, and the people there do not see the world like we do at all, but their way of life - no matter how foreign - is wonderful in its own right. Seriously, all. You know how reading Harry Potter, watching Avatar (and Nobuta Wo Produce) make you a better person? Well. So does spending time in a Fijian village.

Why? Well, because:

the kids are adorable, sweet, and not at all shy; the ocean is about ten steps away; you can find a coconut on the beach, crack it open, and munch away; there are so many little tiny crabs of every shape, size and color that as you walk, it looks like the beach is alive and darting; there will be amazing, kind, compassionate people who will show you their world; there is community the likes of which I have never seen before; the doors are never locked and almost always open; people call out "Bula!" as you walk by and ask you in for tea; dogs and children go wherever and everyone watches them as though they belonged; you eat tuna that was caught less than 2 hours before; you sing and dance and sing and dance and did you know Fijians love Beiber?; you drink kava and get sleepy-slow and happy; you realize that the world is an awesome place to be.

Not to be melodramatic or anything.

One more thing: Kava.

I used to love (to a possibly unhealthy degree) Numbsit. Cava? Is like super strong, long-lasting, awesome Numbsit.

So when you're thinking about booking your next vacation to Fiji, I would seriously recommend taking a day to leave the resort and spend a night in a village.

Because it will make you a better person.

Obviously.

thirteenth floors and other silly things

Since the last blog, I have spent time in Taupo, Rotorua (and I am not even sure that is spelled right), and Hamilton. Current location: Auckland.

And I really like it.

It is warm(er). It is a city, so there are things to do and places to see. We have a hotel with free, fast WiFi and (not free! but available) phones. Our group is once again whole. Which has pros and cons, admittedly. But is also has a Megan and a Hibah. Which makes it mostly good. I forgive it for having the steepest roads ever.

On the creepy side, I am currently in my 13th floor hotel room. I thought hotels didn’t have 13th floors? Also creepy/weird is the fact that I have to use my hotel key in the elevator, and it will only let me go to my, the 13th floor. Apparently, most Auckland hotels are like this, to reduce crime. Again: Creepy.

Guess what I did today? I went to church! A real, legitimate Catholic church. Let it never be said that I am a heathen. After that, a friend and I wandered the city, searching for subjects for our survey (we found some!), worthwhile sights (success), and souvenirs (check!). But then it was time to work on school stuff back at the hotel. We call it module-ing, because our academic units are known as 'modules.' Or hellish torture devices. Depends on the day. They are not fun. It is vaguely painful. I am not being over dramatic when I say it is some of the most involved, complicated, brain-hurting work I have done in school. But I am done with everything that is due tomorrow, and I need to give my head a break before going back to edit/add/worry over!

But enough of that.

Who wants to see pictures?

!!

At the blue baths in Taupo. They are geothemically heated. It is fairly wonderful. Cody, Hillary, me, Jessica, and Marissa.




So there is this thing called 'The Squeeze." Basically, you hop of a boat and into water. Then you wade through a stream and to this waterfall and then to this supposedly hot hot-springs. During that wading, you also have to wiggle on through rock crevices and climb over trees. This is me wiggling through the rocks - see where 'squeeze' comes in?

The pretty swing and sunrise in front of the farm I stayed at. Most beautiful thing ever.

Let’s talk about farmstays, ok? Because they are amazing.

What is a farmstay? Well, you stay on a farming family and see the way they live their life. It doesn’t sound like much, but let me tell you – it was my favorite part of the trip thus far.
While we were there, we did the following:

ate good food; played with pet sheep (!!) ; rode around on the back of an ATV; rode around in a cart hitched to the back of an ATV; watched sheep dogs work the sheep; witnessed firsthand how stupid sheep are; ate really, really good food; met two of the nicest people in NZ (shout out to Christine and Terry – you guys are fabulous!); slept in a comfy, comfy bed with a bed warmer; fell asleep in front of a fire place; ate even more good food; lazed about and slept a happy amount; fed cows; carried a bale of hay and freaked out when a big steer followed me; put up an electric fence; grabbed an electric fence – 4800 volts (!!!); survived said grabbing (one foot up, that’s the key); got shocked and it felt like someone grabbing my shoulders and giving one big shake; ate really delicious blueberry muffins; met two very fat cats that purred like motors; and had too awesome a time.

I did not want to leave.

Am now in Taupo. It’s geothermically active in these parts. That means that there’s random steam vents, sulfur pits, and an active volcano. We visited a hot spring park (and I crossed a sulfur pit! There were no handrails or anything. I am super brave.) and swam in a pool heated by geothermic vents. Much fun. Today, we went on a river jet boat. We also went on this ‘Squeeze’ thing. How that works? You take a jet boat to this place where a stream meets the river. You get off the boat. You walk in the stream. While it is cold enough to be sleet instead of rain. Luckily, the water is warm. So you keep walking, and you trip in the mud, and before long you are squeezing your way between boulders. And when I say squeezing, I mean squeezing. And you keep going. Duck under trees, trip over logs, clim through crevices. Before the hour is up, you get to this pretty, pretty waterfall. Climb up the waterfall. There, you should find a hot, natural pool of water – nature’s Jacuzzi.

The operating word is should.

The rain hates us. First, it made is so the dolphins didn’t come play in the ocean. Then, it made it so the dolphins didn’t come play in the Sound. Throughout the month, it has made me cold. Now, it makes it so the hot spring is not-cold. Not lukewarm, not tepid. Merely not freezing.
But it was still a cool hike.

I am not bitter.

Also: I have so much homework. So much. Studying abroad requires studying.

Who would have guessed?

PS: My friend Joe went bungee-jumping today. I just watched his video. As he plummets, he screams: “HAIL MARY FULL OF GRACE-“ He is Catholic. He thought he was going to die. It was very funny.

pictures!

Some of the coolest pictures from my trip thus far. Enjoy!

Weaving flax in Kikoura.

On a post above Yealand's vineyard.

Megan and I attempting acrogymnastics. But we're the same size, so it didn't quite work.

Yealand vineyards, with the coast in the back. Megan, Marie, Cody, and Jessica.

My favorite roomates ever. Megan, Ashley, Hibah, and Tabarik.

dramamine has failed me

6/10/10

Yesterday was the least fun day of my trip thus far.

Why? Because we moved from the South Island to the North. On a ferry. Through Cook’s Straight. Where there were 6 meter swells.

I spent a fair amount of time with my head over a sink. (Dramamine, why have you so forsaken me?) I also spent a lot of time sprawled out in a chair, asleep. Between the two, I think my travelling style is pretty well represented.

After that, the day was a little dull. My stomach was mad at me, and though it did not help with the seasickness, the Dramamine did make me pretty sleepy. However, I did enjoy our arrival at Wellington, NZ’s capital! Driving our coach off the ferry, we set off on a brief tour of the city. We drove up Mt. Victoria (where there was a sign indicating the filming location for the scene in Lord of the Rings where the hobbits hide from the Nazgul (??) under a bunch of tree roots) and played around on the amazing lookout. Honestly, I will never be able to look at anywhere the same ever again. Because New Zealand is sooo pretty and nowhere else compares. Speaking of which, my Kiwi accent? Is fairly ok. You silly Americans will probably not be able to tell when I flub, even.

Last night, we climbed to the top of a mountain. We wrote in the sky. Tomorrow, I will upload photos. Because my internet is maybe fast enough to handle it.

6/7/10

Oh wow.

What have I done since this last post?

So much.

I have:
been to Kaikoura, and Bleinheim; seen the most amazing coastline ever; gone on a midnight walk in search of a Kiwi and/or moa; wrote in the sky with flashlights and pretended to be a UFO; learned how to weave flax; gulped down delicious pumpkin soup; attempted to swim with wild dolphins, and failed; seen sperm whales and seals and great big albatrosses; seen two dolphins (!!), but they wouldn’t swim with me; imitated seals while being within fifteen feet of a seal; ate weird icecream (boysenberry swirl, passion fruit, and chocolate orange ahoy!); survived the freezing rain (!!); taken weird pictures by the beach; experienced the most amazing long bus ride ever; eaten way too much food, and lots of good food at that; spent almost no money (!!!); participated in the cooking of a delicious group meal (actually, I sat on the couch and watched Ben & Joe cook); made a few very awesome friends (Megan, Ashley, Hebah, Tabarik, Ben, Joe, Jessica, Crystal, and many others!); gone sea kayaking in a weird lake/ocean/sound thing; seen amazing, amazing, amazing forests (like rainforests!) from my little boat; paddled by seals (!!!) and jumped when they popped up three feet in front of me; hiked gorgeous trails with views over river systems that could be in the Amazon; gotten locked in a bathroom (Joe is my savior!); and not cleaned up my stuff. Which I should do soon.

Tomorrow, we’re off to a winery to work in the fields, get a tour, be fed lunch, and do a wine tasting. All is exciting because, apparently, New Zealand wine is on par with French wine. Or so the Kiwis say.

By the way, who’s interested in putting down cash to buy a summer home down here? I’d recommend Kaikoura, though the Malborough Sounds are pretty much the best thing ever. They just happen to be really expensive.

Guys? I love NZ.

Hope everything is going well back in the States!

See you (not too) soon,
Marie

a rainy day in review

6/2/10

• It rained and was very very very cold.
• My new buddy Megan and I still braved the rain.
• Did the following:
o Visited a pretty cathedral with an oddly odd statue outside
o Got hot, cheap cookies. They were delicious
o Went on a random walk. Visited a Japanese grocery store.
o Went to an art museum with a crazy weird exhibit composed of huge, moving statue things. I have no idea how art is defined, but this was pushing boundaries.
o Went to visit what we thought was a University. It was a boy’s school. There was an area in which visitors were welcome. It was not where we were. However, it was worth it because the buildings were beautiful.
o Went to Haggley(sp?) park. Pretty and freezing. So many trees!
o Ate a dinner of pita PB&J’s, because we are cheap and I am cheaper still.
o Packed up my room in preparation for departure.
o Mourned the fact that today (6/3/10) I will be leaving my free, present in slow, WiFi connection. Sadness becomes me.


However! Today we’re off to explore more of NZ. The lack of internet is worth (??) the adventure.

I may be without interwebz for a few days, so do not count on hearing from me, my faithful followers you, for a while. Will write back with more awesome!

-Marie

6/2/10

Guess what guys? I’m in New Zealand!

So far, my group and I have gone to class, visited the Canterbury Museum, walked through the gorgeous (and as unlike Arizona as it is possible for a park to be!) botanical garden. For dinner, we hopped on our ‘coach’ (bus) and went to the Tamaki Heritage Experience for a very illuminating look in Maori (the indigenous peoples of NZ) history through their own eyes. Very cool!

(Also very cool? My bed. Let me tell you why: It wakes me up gradually. Today, for instance, my alarm was set to go off at 7:30. At 7:10, a light above my headboard turned on, but only dimly. It gradually got brighter. Then it started changing colors, slowly. Then the TV turned onto the NZ MTV channel. And then it was 7:30 I ready to go, no snooze needed! It was awesome. I think everyone needs one.)

Now, for the school aspect of study abroad: Yesterday, I had to be in a classroom, in my seat, awake and ready to go, and 8:30. No small accomplishment, considering the fact that I am five hours ahead and the day before you (did that make sense?). However, I must admit that the morning lectures were fabulous. Three individuals from local universities came and presented one hour speeches on a topic they are experts on. We learned about New Zealand’s healthcare system, its ecology and ecological changes since man arrived, and local land use. To be completely honest, they were among the best speakers I have ever encountered, and each hour went by very quickly. It was amazing how much what we learned about in class tied directly into nearly everything we saw at the museum!

In about 45 minutes, I’m heading off to a group discussion. We’ll be talking about and synthesizing everything we’ve learned so far. But after that, it’s a free day! I don’t know what I’m going to do, but a few other students and I were talking about heading down to the coast. Who knows? I’ll tell you about it later.

That’s all for now!

Marie