3 weeks down, 11 to go!

My 3rd week of teaching at HVHS has been a growth experience for me. I had a mini-meltdown on Thursday when I was feeling particularly overwhelmed with lesson planning, adjusting to a new culture, climate, new geographical surroundings, being away from my friends and family, etc. and I let it all out through my eyeballs. My co-op teacher was fantastically supportive and understanding, and my little cry lasted only about 5 minutes. I took a breath of fresh air outside, then went in to teach my next lesson on Louis Armstrong and "West End Blues" (what a great tune!). It went really well, and I think I just needed to have that little moment of overwhelmth (which isn't a word but I will choose to use it anyway). So, all is still well with the Kiwinadian in Lower Hutt!

I finally met Grace on Friday night! We had SO much fun in Wellington - we met at the train station, and walked to a restaurant called Calzone for lattes and garlic bread (mmm!), and her friend Brett met us there. We then walked to a karaoke bar called Club K, and Grace and I busted out an amazing duet of "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" by Culture Club, complete with fabulous dance moves during every instrumental break. The audience was getting a kick out of us too, which made it even more fun. Then we went to a dance club called The Establishment, which we quickly learned was more geared towards 30-somethings, so we didn't stay long. We ended the night at Subway restaurant, where Sam met us for a visit and then drove me back to the Hutt. All in all it was a fabulous night! Grace and I are planning on meeting up in Wellington every Tuesday now, as I will be there anyway for WYC rehearsal. Yay! :o)

Thanks to mom and dad for the card - I got it in the mail a few days ago. Karyn, I still haven't received your package, but I'm super excited! I didn't realize how much I would miss my headbands until I forgot to pack even one of them. Haha. I also have received a card from Bronwyn, so I am feeling loved here in NZ. :o) It's so nice to get mail! I promise if anyone writes to me, I will write back! Promise, promise!

So now I will post some more pics of our weekend in Ohakune and Mt. Ruapehu - you can click on any of them to view full-size. Sam and Cassie have also posted some pics, and they are linked on the right-hand side of my blog if you'd like to check it out.

(This one was too funny NOT to post. I bought these purple pants when I first got here because I was always cold, but they're quite long on me. So we were outside looking at Mt. Ruapehu from our hotel in Ohakune, and the grass was wet. I needed to lift my pant legs up, but instead of using 2 hands, I just pulled them both up with 1 hand. Sam snapped a picture. I realize that it looks like I'm grabbing my crotch. I am also making a stupid face and eating a piece of toast, just to top it all off. Oh well, you can't win 'em all.)

(This was in Waiouru, on the way to Ohakune - I am quite proud of the fact that Sam and I managed to pack his tiny 2-seater Miata convertable so efficiently! I am also looking quite tired, as I had just woken up from an hour-long nap about 5 minutes before this pic was taken.)

(Sam and me on the chairlift up Mt. Ruapehu)

(Waitonga Falls walk)

(Mt. Ruapehu)

(Mt. Ruapehu from Ohakune)

(Believe it or not, I'm actually HAPPY about winter in July!)

(On the way back down the chairlift)

(Beautiful sunrise in Ohakune)

(Ohakune sunset - this one reminds me of one of Bobby's paintings or something! Beautiful.)

(The stream at the base of Waitonga Falls)

(Tahurangi from Turoa)

(This one's for Karyn - here's the completed engagement proposal in the snow!..... SHE SAID YES!)

Mt. Ruapehu / Ohakune picture post!

Another picture post for my friends and family back home! My weekend at Mt. Ruapehu and Ohakune was awesome -beautiful scenery, and lots of fun with great people. Here are some photo highlights:

(Our first glimpse of Mt. Ruapehu on our way up the mountain)

(Just outside the cafe at the top of the first chairlift)

(Sam and me on the way up Mt. Ruapehu)

(Sam sliding on a big plastic bag)

(Me getting ready to do a headfirst dive onto the plastic sheet)

(Sam and me on the Waitonga Falls walk - Tongariro National Park)

(This waterfall was filmed in one of the "Lord of the Rings" movies)

(Group shot at Powderkeg restaurant in Ohakune - I'm holding my $13 paralyzer!)

(Mangawhero Forest walk)

(Monument honouring the 151 lives lost in the Christmas Eve 1953 lahar train bridge disaster)

(Kiwi sign! I really AM in New Zealand!)

(Thermal area just outside the hot pools near Lake Taupo)

(Hot pool near Lake Taupo)

(Just outside the hot pool area)

(Winding road sign)

I had a fantastic weekend - beautiful, exciting, relaxing, scenic, reflective, memorable, and exhausting!!!! I didn't end up skiing (by our Canadian standards, the snow conditions were not great), but as you can see by a few of these pictures, I did a lot of hiking. Tongariro National Park has some beautiful walking trails, so we did a couple of those - 2 were an hour or longer, and then a few were just tiny little short walks, like the one to the Lord of the Rings waterfall. I would have loved to have skiied, but I had a fantastic weekend nonetheless!

Things at school are still just peachy. I have my first Wellington Youth Choir rehearsal tomorrow evening, so I'm pretty excited about that. I'll be taking the train into Wellington, which could potentially be quite the adventure, but I'm arranging to take it with one of my students who sings in the choir as well. He knows his way around, so that's good - I would hate to get lost and arrive late (or not at all!) to my first rehearsal with WYC!

And as a follow-up to my post about the first blues lesson, the second lesson was a blast too! We had 2 groups composing their own original 12-bar blues, and they performed them at the end of the class. Both of them chose humorous lyrics (one group sang about how Penny, who wasn't in their group, was sad because she didn't get to be in the group with Andrew and Hannah: "I got Andrew and Hannah, and Penny, she be sad. Ohhhh I got Andrew and Hannah, and Penny she be sad. And because of this.... your blues might sound real bad!" The other group sang about Barbie losing her cell phone, and thus her ability to text Ken. It was inspired by Penny's pencil case, which featured Barbie talking on her cell phone. These are the things you come up with when you're lacking inspiration. Hahaha). I'll be following up with this class later in the week, teaching a lesson that will likely include B.B. King and Louis Armstrong, and the progression of blues, jazz styles, etc. Should be a good time!

It's now after 11pm and I really need to get to bed. I hope you're enjoying the pictures and updates - I'm trying to keep up! I know you're curious at home. Until next time!

I'm home!

Back from a beautiful weekend in Ohakune and Mt. Ruapehu with staff (and friends) from Upper Hutt College. It was an absolute blast! The scenery was gorgeous, the weather was nice, the 2-hour spa pool stint made me nice and wrinkly, and the $13 paralyzer (which I had to describe to the bartender... can you believe they've never heard of a paralyzer here?!) at the Powderkeg restaurant last night was well worth it! Haha. Highlights to come in picture form soon. :o)

Off I go!

I'm heading out the door in about 5 minutes to go on a weekend ski trip to Mt. Ruapehu with Sam. Bring on the beautiful New Zealand slopes!!! Back on Sunday. :o)