50 Things I Have Learned in New Zealand

I was compiling a list of things I had learned in New Zealand (I started this list while I was still there), and I was at Thing #41 when I decided to go for it and make a list of 50. You've gotta keep with tradition, you know. So here is another list of 50 things. This time instead of being "about the author," these are things that kiwi land and the people therein have taught me over the past 4 months:

1. The longest place name in the world (40 syllables, 85 letters) can be memorized in approximately 2 hours of study in the car while on a road trip (Try this at home: Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu).
2. Fish and chips are a way of life.
3. The All Blacks are fabulous, even if they didn’t win the Rugby World Cup.
4. Sheep can be cuter than most people give them credit for.
5. Rainforests and glaciers can exist in the same place (I mean literally within the same view. Look left and see a glacier, look right and see a waterfall).
6. Ski hills can and do erupt, so plan your vacations wisely.
7. Music connects people of all ages and cultures.
8. Humanity is universal. People from all over are kind and good and loving and welcoming and encouraging.
9. Living near the ocean provides a kind of beauty that one can never fully experience living in the Canadian prairies.
10. Living in the Canadian prairies provides a kind of beauty that one can never fully experience living in New Zealand.
11. Canada is HUGE.
12. Sometimes we take life too seriously. The kiwis are refreshing in that they don’t always worry about being politically correct. They are human, and usually pretty darn funny about it too.
13. Electric blankets and space heaters are amazing, but central heating is underrated.
14. I should travel my own country more.
15. I love my family more than ever (if this is even possible).
16. My relationships with my friends at home are even deeper than I thought before I left.
17. Paua shell is amazing to look at. It’s so natural, yet so complex and unique in its colours and patterns.
18. A tattoo on the rib cage hurts more than I could have ever anticipated.
19. Teaching can be tiring, but also so rewarding. It is especially amazing when your students go out of their way to tell you that you’ve made a difference.
20. Time flies when you’re having fun.
21. Getting mail is still one of the most exciting small things in life.
22. Technology is incredible in that an e-mail or a text message sent around the world can be met with a response within seconds.
23. The kiwi accent is difficult to imitate without sounding Australian.
24. Falling in love with an impossible situation can be painful, but it is better to love and get hurt than to shy away from it altogether for fear of experiencing pain, as experiencing a range of emotions, good and bad, is part of what makes us human.
25. Treat every experience as an opportunity to learn about yourself and the world around you.
26. Fruit Bursts, jet planes, and a healthy supply of V energy drinks are a staple for any kiwi road trip. Driving in a red convertible with the top down is a bonus.
27. Driving on the “wrong” side of the road and the car isn’t as hard to adjust to as one might imagine. Be prepared, though, to reach for air when you try to buckle your seatbelt (it’s to your right, not your left), and to slam your hand into the window at least once when trying to change gears (if driving standard). Also, don’t be discouraged if you turn on the windshield wipers the first time you try to signal. You might look silly, but I promise it’s perfectly natural.
28. New World is the best grocery store (and sometimes if you’re lucky, they’ll have posters of All Black super hottie Dan Carter hanging on the walls).
29. Spending your money on experiences is never wasted. Sometimes you just have to forget about the budget and go live life.
30. The southern sky on a clear night is beautiful and awe-inspiring. The Southern Cross, Scorpius, and Jupiter are usually the most visible.
31. Glowworms in large groups look like icicle lights.
32. Glowworms have no mouth in their adult phase, so once they mature they just sit there looking pretty until they die of starvation. That’s pretty darn interesting.
33. A white Christmas is a part of my life that I didn’t realize how much I appreciated until I moved halfway around the world, to a country whose people celebrate Christmas with outdoor swimming and barbeques.
34. The flat prairie landscape of Saskatchewan is comforting and familiar (and requires no Gravol or Dramamine like some of the winding roads in New Zealand).
35. Toilet paper is always more fun with pictures and patterns on it, particularly if those pictures are of cartoon sheep or other endearing designs.
36. Setting your watch to the local time at your destination as soon as you get on the plane is a good way to avoid jet lag.
37. You don’t realize how little you know about your own country until you leave it and are faced with tons of people asking you questions to which you have no answers.
38. We have the tendency to be wasteful at home, often because we have no choice. In New Zealand they have the option of full flush or half flush on their toilets, and they have switches on their electrical outlets so that they don’t have to use energy when not necessary.
39. A hearty kiwi meal isn’t complete without the famous trio of potato, pumpkin, and kumara.
40. Travelling is worth every single penny. I hope to spend millions more pennies on overseas experiences.
41. I have an accent.
42. Choirs from different countries can sound surprisingly similar, even though the differences in the inflections and vowel sounds are so obvious when speaking. Somehow singing erases any noticeable accents.
43. If you believe in something, believe in it with your whole heart. The rewards are often great for those who dive in 100%.
44. Making calls to mobile phones in New Zealand, regardless of whether you’re calling from a land line or not, is ridiculously expensive as you are charged mobile rates. This means that a 45-minute conversation to Canada costs approximately $5, while that same conversation to a mobile in Hawke’s Bay or Wellington or anywhere costs about $25. Oops! (But it was worth it!)
45. You can never take too many pictures.
46. Digital cameras are awesome, as they allow you to be an insane photo-snapping tourist without worrying about making every picture turn out just so. You can always go back and delete the ones that didn’t work.
47. Netball is more fun to play than to watch. It is enough like basketball that catching onto the rules can be difficult initially (I apologize to everyone for constantly getting within 3 feet of the opposition with the ball… I caught on eventually!).
48. Canada and New Zealand are more alike than you might think. Australia is more like the States.
49. Hot pink tote bags from Supre are pretty much the utmost in fashion.
50. Growing up happens so fast, but being able to watch oneself in the process and to be able to appreciate the beauty in the transformation through all of the beautiful, challenging, awe-inspiring, life-changing, memorable experiences is really an amazing thing. Life is so full and rich. Live it. Love it. Learn from it.

O CANADA!!!!

Ladies and gentlemen, I am finally back on Canadian soil, 23 hours after checking in at the Brisbane International Airport. I slept for only 4-ish hours on the flight from Auckland to Vancouver, but I think I may be able to avoid jet lag (knock wood!) because I changed my watch to Vancouver time as soon as I left the Auckland airport. I've had 15 hours to adjust to the time of day, so hopefully that does the trick - I'm expecting to be tired, but if I can avoid the kind of jet lag I had coming back from Austria and Czech Republic I'll be a happy camper!

So I'm sure you're all wondering about the transition from summer to winter, from southern hemisphere to northern, from Australasia to North America (or if you're not wondering, then please skip this list. Thank you). Here is a list of random thoughts and observations, in no particular order:

- I crossed the street on the way to this Internet cafe and looked right, then left. Oops.
- The air is much cooler here (obviously)
- I was extremely excited to see the Tim Horton's in the Vancouver airport, although I haven't indulged yet...
- I got a visible grin on my face as I saw the Canadian Rockies out of the airplane window at 11:30 this morning (5:30am in Australia)
- My cell phone works here - YAY!
- I noticed the absence of rolling green hills, and it looked weird to me
- I took the Airporter bus to the hotel where Brent is working, and I noticed how funny it looked to get on from the right side of the bus, to greet the driver who was sitting on the left side. Backwards.
- I feel as overwhelmed with familiar business names as I did with unfamiliar ones when I got to New Zealand. Seeing things like Rogers Video, Tim Horton's, Safeway, etc. was actually weird, but comforting.
- There is a noticeable absence of BP and Caltex gas stations (and I have gone back to saying "gas" instead of "petrol")
- I unconsciously said "New Zealand" with an accent when I was talking to Brent (... sounded more like "New Zullund"... you kiwis know what I'm talking about!), and then I noticed it and laughed at myself
- Something looks different about the downtown areas and I can't quite put my finger on it. Smaller sidewalks? More stairs leading up to the business entrances? Something like that. Not sure yet.

So there are some random observations from a weary, yet excited traveller. I'm spending the next few days visiting Brent (and maybe some friends from home), and then I'm off to Saskatoon! CRAZY.

Mom and dad, can you guys bring my green U of S Music Dept. zip-up bunnyhug to the airport? I'm way too excited to wear it again. I really should have packed it in July, but alas, I've gone 4 months with only my Lululemon hoodie. If you can't find it, the brown Greystone Singers one will do. :o)

O CANADA!!!!!

An apparently long-overdue update!

Hey hey you crazies! Here is an update! You're all so ridiculous. Haha. I'm back in Brisbane, and the Internet is eating my money like crazy. I see here that there is an option to pay by credit card, and since I have only $1 left in Aussie change, I might just do that so that I can update the blog for all of you adoring fans. Haha.

The Sunshine Coast was awesome! Emma and I had fun catching up, and the whole weekend was a blast, from giggling as we fumbled to set up the tent in the wind (which turned it into a huge and surprisingly powerful wind sail that insisted on throwing itself into the nicely pitched tents of our unsuspecting neighbours at the campground) to dancing at the Jambezi/Spankenhide concert at the J. We spent most of Sunday at Noosa beach where we took pictures, enjoyed the sun, and swam in the Pacific Ocean. It was super relaxing to float around and ride the waves with the sun on my face.... and, conversely, I gained a new level of respect for the power of the ocean when out of curiosity I let the waves hit me full on just to see if I could stay up (I couldn't). At the end of the day I had a sunburn on my left arm only (from hanging it out of the window on our road trip, I think), salty ocean hair, and sand in absolutely everything from my handbag to my rain jacket to my ears. Brilliant. It was an awesome weekend. :o) We did some shopping as well, and paused at 11:11am for a minute of silence to honour Remembrance Day - this was an amazing feat for 2 talkative twenty-somethings, but it was important to do it to honour those who fought for our freedom.

I spent yesterday at the Australia Zoo, which was a blast as well. I met up with my friend Julia from U of S Education (she was doing her internship in Geelong, AUS while I did mine in NZ), and we took the train into Beerwah with her German friend Vicki, then caught the shuttle to the zoo. While we were there I got to pet a wombat, feed kangaroos, and hold a little koala named Kramer. I paid $15 to have a professional picture taken of me and Kramer, so that will be a welcome addition to the scrapbook when I get home. :o) All of the money that they make from those pictures goes directly back into the conservation of the animals and their environment, so it was well worth it. I also paid $5 to have a few members of the zoo staff take my camera into the area with the tiger cubs to get a few good close-up shots. Again, well worth it for the photo memories, and also to make a contribution to the zoo. We also saw a "Wildlife Warriors 101" show at the Animal Planet Crocoseum, which was where the memorial service for Steve Irwin (the Crocodile Hunter) was held after he was killed tragically in a freak accident in which a sting ray pierced him through the heart. The zoo is full of pictures of Steve Irwin, and big billboards of him holding various animals with his catch phrase "CRIKEY!" in huge letters. The people hosting the Wildlife Warriors show had the whole audience jump up and shout "CRIKEY!" in a tribute to Steve Irwin, which was pretty funny. That guy was such a character. Thursday is Steve Irwin Day, and so to celebrate, the zoo is having a bunch of special events including performances by Bindi Irwin (Steve's 9-year old daughter) and Olivia Newton-John.... too bad I will just miss it! It would be so cool to see the original crooner of my karaoke classic, "Hopelessly Devoted to You," in person. Alas, I will be in Vancouver.... but no complaints there!

I have had SUCH an amazing experience in NZ and Australia, but I think I am really getting ready to go home. I can't wait to see everyone again, and to get back into the normal routine of life in Canada. I will miss this Brisbane heat, but a white Christmas is just around the corner so I can't be too upset. :o) It will be great to make my stop in Vancouver on the way home as well - I'll be staying with Brent, and hopefully visiting a few friends whom I haven't seen in a while (Jon Horn, Tim Dotchin, Liam McLachlan, Chris Mirosovsky, Cheryl Tradewell, Rayne Beveridge, etc.). I'm only there for 4 days though so I'm hoping that we can arrange something so that everyone meets up for drinks one night or something, because I certainly won't have time or means to visit everyone myself. It will be great to catch up with at least a couple of them though.. and I'm really looking forward to being able to make music with Brent! So fun!

I really shouldn't spend too much more time on here today. I'm sure I'll be on the Internet in the Auckland airport, as I'm pretty sure I have a decent layover there (maybe 2 - 2.5 hours or so). I'm also going to try to get in contact with a couple of my mates from Auckland that I met on Kiwi Experience, just so I'll have some coffee company at the airport if they can make it there after work. :o)

Speaking of coffee, I don't drink the stuff, but MAN am I excited to get back on Canadian soil so that I can once again become a frequenter of Tim Horton's! It has been FAR too long. I miss iced capps and Tim Horton's soups and bagels like you have no idea. I'm also missing Saskatoon Asian Restaurant, so yes, mom and dad, I'd be delighted to go for curry chicken with vermicelli on Sunday night! And I'm looking forward to seeing you in Calgary, dad - let's get a Tim Horton's at the airport. :o)

Time to header. This might be the last update from the Australasian continent... it's crazy to think that I'll be back in a Canadian winter tomorrow!

Hello from the beautiful Sunshine Coast!

Emma and I are camping in Noosa, on the Sunshine Coast. BEAUTIFUL. The weather is fantastic, and the company is so so entertaining. Emma and I have been having lots of fun catching up - can you believe it's been over 7 years since RYLA? Crazy. I was 15 when we met. Anyway, it certainly doesn't feel like any time has passed, and we're having tons of fun and getting lots of sun (a nice change from the rain that has been hanging around in Brisbane over the past few days)!!!!

On the Reid front, he has opened his left eye a bit now!!! That's SO exciting. Also his friend told him to "flip Brody the bird" and apparently he "tried with all of his might to lift that middle finger up." Haha. So, all good news there.

I'd better run. Emma is out at a little shop, killing time while I check up on Reid's Facebook group and my blog, etc. We're going to an African music concert tonight, so that should be a good time... I'm really enjoying these "summer holidays" before I come home to winter.... in only 8 days and counting! Only 4 days until I leave for Vancouver! Time flies.

An Aussie update... same old, same old!

I'm here at the Internet cafe in Toowong again, catching up on e-mails, Facebook messages, and of course, Reid's Facebook group. Mom, you were right - Reid deserves a smiling picture on my blog. This guy always has a smile on his face, so here he is, the Reid that we all know and love:

Here are the most recent updates:

****************************

21: November 6th (9:30PM) We visited Reid earlier and his condition is still stable. They will be doingthe bronchial scope tomorrow morning and I will update you all on that. We were visited today at the hospital by a young Taiwanese man named Samuel and his mother who are both part of a church that have been praying for Reid. He was injured the same way last year and had two nearly identical surgical procedures to Reid. He is in fine health and came today to pray for Reids recovery. It is amazing to see how far the news of this has travelled and it is even more amazing that strangers that have never met Reid care so much. I know that you will probably not read this Samuel but I want thank you for coming today and filling us all with the positive energy of recovery. It meant alot to everyone there and we all apreciate your prayers and concern for Reid.

22: November 7th (1:00PM) We visited Reid this morning and he is still strong. His pressure was up slightly but this is not a concern because the same thing happened after the first surgery. He is ultra reactive to touch and the doctors were encouraging us to do so. He obviously is aware of his family being round and the support he has behind him even if he cant tell us so right now. KEEP THOSE PRAYERS COMING.

23: November 7th (7:00PM) I just got word that his brain pressure has dropped down to 10 on both sides. This is fantastic news and it just shows how strong he is.

****************************

Keep fighting buddy!!!! We know you're strong. It's amazing to see how many people are there supporting him, praying for him, sending him good vibes, positive thoughts, etc. The group now has 750 members (when I joined only 4 days ago, I was member number 394). People from all over the world and from every corner of Reid's life (and even some who don't know him, apparently) are there rooting for him and for a speedy recovery. They've now added a discussion topic on the message board that has people leaving their favourite funny memories of Reid for him to read when he's awake.

I should get going - I've been on the Internet for almost an hour and a half, and I need to pay and start heading back home. I've been out walking for about 1.5 hours today, and I have another 45 minutes ahead of me. I discovered a really nice walking path along the Brisbane River though, just across Coronation Drive (where I walked yesterday). I'm going to see if Emma has a bike that I can borrow, as riding around Milton and Toowong (possibly through the rain again) would be a fabulous way to spend the day tomorrow.

I'll be home in 10 days! Crazy hey?! (Or is it 11 days once you factor in the time change?)

Anyway, I will see you all soon!!!! HOORAY! :oD

I'm here in Australia with Emma, and I'm doing just peachy keen! My cell phone doesn't work here and Emma's phone can't make international calls... I also have very limited Internet access (I'm writing this from Emma's office desk, as there are no Internet cafes within walking distance of her place, and she doesn't have the net at home). No worries - I've got lots of relaxing and exploring to do. But just be aware that if you don't hear from me much, there's a reason. I'm ok, mom! :o)

And as a follow-up to the last post, Reid has been showing signs of improvement after his accident in Taiwan. Here are some of the updates on his progress, cut and paste from the Facebook group "Thoughts and prayers for REID JEMIEFF" - which, amazingly, now has 653 members who are leaving messages of support and positive thoughts for this amazing guy:

***************************

12: November 4th(1:15AM) Reid mother has just visited Reid and spoken with the doctors and nurses at the hospital. Mattea has just informed me that his pressure is down and that when the doctor shone a light into Reids eyes there was a reaction in the left pupil. This is some of the best news we have received to date. I will let you know anymore information when we visit in the morning. Keep those prayers coming they are working.


13: November 4th(10:00AM) Just a quick message to let you all know that Reids sister Diana is here and is at the hospital with her Mother, Mattea and Cindy. Heading there soon. I will keep you up to date.


14: November 4th(1:00PM) We went to the hospital this and were greeted with more good news. His Brain pressure is floating around 13 which is just above the normal pressure of the skull. Keep the love coming.



15: November 4th(5:30PM) The absolute best news to date. His brain pressure is down to 9 with a max of 12. He is moving on his own accord though still not in a conscious state. Originally movement was restricted by drugs to let the brain work at its best ability to control the pressure. His movements are not causing a rise in brain pressure which is what they want to to see. When his mother touched his arm he jumped, so he can obviously sense that they are by his side. Keep those prayers coming because they are working and I know that it is the support of everyone and that fact that he is such a strong person is why we are seeing these results. Will keep you informed as soon as i hear anything else.



16: November 5th (12:00PM) Reid had his CT scan this morning. From the results they can see that the right side of his brain(the side with the trauma) is doing great. The swelling from the right side has caused swelling on the left side which they were unable to establish before now. He is going back into surgery in the next hour to do the same procedure they did to the right side. He will be in surgery for the next few hours and I will update you all as soon as I am able to. Again from everyone here and all the family and friends I want to thank you all for the fantastic support and generosity that you have shown. The power of all of your positive thoughts is helping not only Reid but the people that are around him. Thank You x


17: November 5th(3:40PM) Reid has just got out of surgery and it went well. His pressure is at the optimal level and he is doing well. He is stable. This is all I can tell you for now. But keep praying and thinking about him and I will send another update soon.

18. Just thought we would switch up to a beautiful photo that was created by a good friend of Reids. Jade visited us in August and took many photos of Reid doing what he loves. Thank you for the beautiful picture that Reid will love.




19. November 5th (11:50PM) Reids father Gerry has arrived safely and is at the hospital visiting Reid.


20. November 6th (1:30PM) We have just got back from the hospital and Reid is doing really well. His brain pressure is right on the normal level and the doctors are happy with the progress. He has a slight infection in his right lung which they think maybe pneumonia. This is not an irregular occurance when someone is laying still for a few days and may have been caused by him inhaling something in the crash. They are going to do a bronchial scope later today and then they will start on some drugs to combat that. He is very responsive to touch and the reactions of his pupils is back to normal. This is fantastic news. Will keep you posted.

***************************

So I'm here in Brisbane for the next 8 days. I am prepared to fully enjoy my ability to sleep in, take afternoon naps, explore Emma's neighbourhood with no set agenda, and possibly figure out how to take the train into the city center to do a bit of shopping, Internet cafe-ing, etc. We're thinking of going camping on the weekend, maybe taking a trip up the Sunshine Coast, etc. Julia (a fellow U of S Education friend) will be in Brisbane in a few days as well, so we have plans to get together and check out the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary and likely the Australia Zoo as well. It should be a good time for sure - and so fun to catch up with her international internship experiences!

That's all for now - the alarm just went off in Emma's office building, so I need to wrap this up and take off! Hahaha. No worries... she's got it figured out now. Until next time, cheers from Oz!

Kia kaha, Reid.

I just found out that a good friend and fellow Greystone Singer Reid Jemieff was in a serious accident in Taiwan. He was hit on his scooter on November 1st and sustained serious head injuries. He is currently in a coma and in the ICU. We are all hoping and praying for his recovery, and we are thinking of his family members who are now with him in Taiwan. So to you, Reid, kia kaha. Stand strong. Give us some good news, buddy. I know you can pull through.

Finished.

Well that's it, folks. I'm done my internship at Hutt Valley High School. I'm still not quite sure where the time went, but alas it is gone, and now I have the weekend to pack up before moving on to Australia, and finally Vancouver before heading home to Saskatoon in just over 2 weeks. In the meantime, here's a photo recap of some of the week - farewell parties, organizing the office, packing up, and just generally having fun and enjoying my last bit of time at HVHS.

Roger stopped in to our Year 11 farewell party on Wednesday

Stephen looking jaunty in his modest party hat, supplied thoughtfully by the 11MU students

Megan made us a cake on behalf of the Year 11 Music class

Year 11 Music party

My last HVHS orchestra rehearsal this morning



A short video clip of this morning's orchestra rehearsal

After my last Year 13 lesson today we went outside to take pictures - here we are spelling "MUSIC" (hopefully you can see what we were going for!)

A true "action shot" of some of my Year 13s! :o)

My Year 13 girls skipped Spell 3 and part of Spell 4 to shop for farewell presents for me. They then presented me with a huge array of gifts during my Spell 4 Year 9 class. Here they're sitting on the stairs up to the recording studio, watching me open my presents.

The assortment of gifts I received from my students (the jar of Marmite and the card on the right are courtesy of the Year 11 class, while the barette directly in front of the Marmite and the flower card came from a student that I worked with in the Barbershop group. Everything else is from my Year 13 girls - kiwi lollies including Jaffas, Pineapple Lumps, and kiwifruit chocolate, a paua shell bracelet, a magnet, 4 buttons, a NZ identity bag, a hilarious card, and a bottle of Lemon and Paeroa.... I am spoiled!)

A before shot of my desk (complete with my own beautiful gold party hat from the Year 11 Music farewell)

After shot - now that's organization!

My beloved whiteboard in M2, full of scrawled guitar exercises, lesson outlines, chord charts, and assessment criteria from my Year 9 Guitar classes

This is my classroom. Goodbye M2. I'll miss you.

The view of M2 from the students' perspective

Empty hallways outside the Music office. These green doors are practice rooms, and are almost always bursting with sound from classical clarinet to rock bands.

So there you have it. What an experience all of this has been. I will miss this place probably more than I know at this point... it likely won't sink in until I leave New Zealand, or even until I'm comfortably back in Canada. It has been incredible. My colleagues have been fantastic. My students have been amazing. I have been so fortunate in my internship experience, and all I can think about as I look back is how much I have grown. It has been life changing, to say the least.

I can't even think of a way to adequately wrap up this blog post, other than to say once again that I have been so lucky to have such an incredible experience in New Zealand. So thank you to everyone who played a part in it. To Stephen: Thank you for being so supportive, encouraging, and inspiring. Thank you for pushing me to challenge myself. You have helped to make my internship experience more meaningful than I could have ever thought possible. To my students: keep learning, keep challenging yourselves, and keep seeing the beauty in music and the joy that creating and performing can bring to you and to your audience. Remember to avoid comma splices in your formal writing, and for goodness sakes, don't capitalize the word "Trumpet." It's not a proper noun. Keep asking questions, challenging your assumptions, and expanding your horizons. And most of all, keep living and loving music. You have discovered one of the most beautiful aspects of life so hang onto it no matter what, because even if you have nothing else in life, you can still have music.

Cheers to everyone at HVHS for an incredible 4 months. I'll miss you.

Let the farewells begin....

The fact that I have only 2 days of internship left has finally started to sink in. Last night we had our Year 13 performance evening, which was very entertaining and a wee bit sentimental. Almost everyone in the class performed, including myself (singing jazz with Andrew on piano) and Stephen (who played a piano/clarinet duet with Hannah that he composed in his 7th form year, when he was the same age as our students are now). Then, for the grand finale, the whole class got together to sing one of Andrew's original compositions, aptly entitled "Leaving Song." Andrew sang a few verses solo, I wrote my own verse to sing solo, and then the whole class sang the chorus in harmony:

This year has been a journey across the ocean wide.
There was so much for me to learn but you stood there by my side.
And now that I am leaving too, it's time that we must part.
You've been an inspiration and you're always in my heart.

It's sad to see you're leaving as we see you on your way.
For the years you have been teaching, we wish that you could stay.
And for all we've learned together we thank you in every way.
As we move into the future, we hope you'll come back someday.

Then this morning at staff briefing, Steve Chapman (HVHS Principal) thanked me publicly for my contributions to the Music Dept., gave a nice speech about me and my time here, and wished me well for the future. The speech was met with applause from the entire staff - it was such a nice tribute.

In the middle of the day there was a knock on our office door. It was Helen, a student in Katriona's music class, with a card and a gift for me. The card said something like, "I heard that you are leaving this Friday. I want you to know that even though you didn't teach our music class, it was really good to have you help with the Barbershop Chorus. You have an amazing voice! It has been so great to get to know you. Now that you are leaving, we are all crying... like this!" (followed by an adorable anime sketch of somebody on their knees, wailing away, crying streaming fountains of tears). She gave me a silver hair barette speckled with lime green gemstones... my favourite colour! It was such a surprising and thoughtful gift... it really made my day.

Then in Spell 5 (last period of the day) Stephen and I were deliberately kept out of the classroom for the first couple minutes of our Year 11 class, and when we were called in we were met with all of our students cheering, and a room full of streamers, balloons, noise-makers, and 2 ridiculously giant gold party hats. The students gave us gifts, baked a cake, brought food and drinks, and scrawled out "Goodbye Mr. Lange and Miss Campbell!" across the whiteboard. We had tons of fun, ate lots of food, took some pictures, and then spent the last half of the spell composing and recording an original piece for balloons, party favours, Pringles cans, and a guitar and a Coke bottle (because we had to do something musically enriching with the lesson, right?). We notated our composition with a graphic score on the whiteboard, and then recorded it on Stephen's laptop using the program Audacity. I also recorded it on my video camera, so I'm sure you'll all be keen to listen to it when I get back to Canada, right? ;o)

After school I said farewell at Volante rehearsal. Leaving Roger was particularly difficult, as he has been so good to me during my time in NZ, both at HVHS with Volante and in Wellington Youth Choir. WYC has been such a huge part of my growth here in New Zealand, and that opportunity would not have been possible without Roger's thoughtful offer for me to sing with the choir for the remainder of the season. I got choked up as I hugged him, and the choir applauded as I left the room. What a great group of people.

Stephen, Gary, Katriona and I went for afternoon tea at the New Dowse, and I was presented with a gift on behalf of the 3 of them - a card with endearing personal messages from each of them, a set of beautiful NZ greeting cards and envelopes, and a blown glass koru necklace. We visited over tea, smoothies, hot chocolate, etc. and then disbanded for the evening.

So, my day was full of farewells, parties, gifts, feel-good moments, and a few tears mixed in there too. And don't forget those ridiculous gold party hats. Now I'm gearing up for my last 2 days at HVHS and a farewell party at our place on Saturday night before flying away from the Wellington airport on Monday. I will be crying my eyes out when I leave here.... but what a beautiful 4 months it has been.

I am the luckiest.

Bookworm

This comic (from nataliedee.com) serves no purpose other than it makes me giggle every time I see it. SO ridiculous. So here you go. Hope it tickles your fancy like it does mine.

*shakes head* I love stupid comics. Le sigh.

Four strong winds....

What a wonderful weekend. Tommy and I travelled to meet each other in the middle, and spent a day and a half hanging out in Palmerston North from Friday evening to early Sunday morning. We explored the market on Saturday and giggled at silly t-shirts ("Dyslexics untie!," "If you can read this, MAKE ME A SANDWICH!," etc.), ate fudge until our stomachs hurt, sang and played his guitar in the park, harmonized to every song we knew in common, took pictures, saw a movie, attempted to write a song together and only got through the first line... and then said farewell at 6am today. The goodbye was certainly bittersweet, as I knew it would be, but we crammed as much into the weekend as we possibly could, and it was worth every second. As I said before in "Growing Up," knowing Tommy has been such a privilege, and he has taught me more about myself in the past month than I could have imagined. Funny how that works.

Here are a couple photographic glimpses of the past 2 days, plus a bonus video clip of our singalong from last night. At about midnight we got his guitar out in the kitchen of our cabin (it ended up being too cold and windy to set up the tent) and sang "Four Strong Winds," one of the most quintessential Canadian folk songs. I taught him a geography lesson (i.e. "Do you know where Alberta is?") and we harmonized until we could barely keep our eyes open. It was musical and meaningful and just plain fun. What a guy.

He's already asked me to show him around Saskatoon when he comes for a visit - maybe we can find a gig somewhere and invite you all to the show. :o) Watch out - we'll be dynamite! Haha.

In front of the fountain in the Square - Palmerston North, NZ

We pulled out the guitar again at a park that was about a 2 minute walk from the theatre, played a few songs, then literally ran to catch our show... because making music is better than watching previews, right? :o)

And finally, our midnight rendition of "Four Strong Winds." It's perfect because it's imperfect. I love it. And I hope you do too.

Four strong winds that blow lonely,
Seven seas that run high,
All these things that don't change, come what may.
If the good times are all gone,
And I'm bound for moving on,
I'll look for you if I'm ever back this way.

Sending me a letter?

If so, please do it today! Including today, I have only 12.5 days left in New Zealand! To avoid causing Fiona and Sam to forward my mail back to Canada, please make sure you get to the post office asap. If you are not planning to send me a letter, then fine. Be that way. I will remember it, and hold a grudge against you for years to come.

Just kidding. Thanks to everyone who has sent letters and packages - it has been fun getting mail here over the past 3.5 months! I can't believe it's almost time to go home... as they say, time flies when you're having fun!

Speaking of having fun, this Labour Day long weekend was a good one, as we rounded up the group (Fi, Sam, Richard, Kirsten, and me) for 2 days in Wanganui and Waitomo. We saw the Waitomo glowworm caves, and Fish and I sang "Pie Jesu" in the cathedral room, which was pretty neat.... we also went jet boating on the Whanganui River, and visited the Bridge to Nowhere - see Fi's and Sam's blogs for pictures and other highlights of the trip. :o)

Now I'm at Upper Hutt College, where I will be observing music classes for the day (and in the music teacher's non-contact spell I will be sitting in on one of Fiona's maths classes!). I have only 6.5 days of teaching at HVHS left... CRAZY. We're having a few farewell-type things at the school over the next week or so. My Year 13s are having a performance night, and Andrew and I will be performing 2 jazz pieces (vocal/piano), which should be a blast, if we can ever figure out which tunes to do! :o) Then next Saturday (Nov. 3rd) we're having a farewell theme party at our house - you must come dressed as very obviously kiwi, Canadian, or some other nationality. I've got enough Canadian garb to outfit half of the Hutt Valley, so come one, come all!

Must run. Looking forward to camping with Tommy this weekend in Palmi, then enjoying my last week at HVHS before heading off to Brisbane to visit Emma! Yay!

Until next time, cheers!

Trust me

Trust me mama
The wolf in sheep’s clothing looks less fluffy with age
And I promise I’ll look both ways because you taught me to.
But birds can’t fly with tied wings, so
Trust me mama, trust me
Enough to let me go
It’s a great big world out there but you have prepared me for it well
So rest your mind and let me fly
Trust me mama

Trust me mama
Enough to let me get hurt and to learn
That loving with a whole heart that may be broken
Is better than never loving enough to feel pain
Trust that I will be ok
And that I will never be too far from you
Trust me mama

Trust me mama
Enough to let me fall and scrape my knees on the pavement
And please, have faith in my strength to rise again, stronger
Trust me to love and be loved
Because nobody ever learned from not trying

But birds can’t fly with tied wings, so
Trust me mama, trust me
Enough to let me go
It’s a great big world out there but you have prepared me for it well
So rest your mind and let me fly
Trust me mama

50 random things - #51-100

For a list of "random things #1-50," refer to the link on the right hand column of my blog (under "About the Author"). Here comes the list, #51-100! Somehow I can't figure out the numbering, so just add 50 to each number and it'll be all good. Again, in no particular order:

1. My favourite time signature is 6/8.
2. Fewer things freak me out more than walking down a stopped escalator. Walking up is ok, but walking down is just trippy.
3. I have an affinity for necklaces and sunglasses. You will very rarely see me without a necklace.
4. I have chubby baby hands with dimply knuckles. This may have been cute at age 2, but now that I’m 22 I feel as though this might be a little odd.
5. I cry at the end of the movie “Dead Poet’s Society” every time.
6. If I focus on the sound of a clock ticking, I inevitably start subdividing it in 8th notes, 16th notes, and various triplet patterns. It becomes very annoying, very quickly.
7. I am good at mini-golf, but can’t play regular golf because I always want to swing the club like a baseball bat.
8. All of my piercings and tattoos have memories of friends associated with them. I believe that body modification is a bonding experience, so I always bring friends along (belly button = David; helix = Allyson; conch = Kari; nose = D-Bo; 8th note tattoo = Misha; tragus = Nick; koru tattoo = Kirsten)
9. I have never experienced a pain more intense than getting a tattoo on my rib cage. I’m sure that even childbirth will pale in comparison.
10. Every year I try to make a note of announcing when the day, month, and year are the same (i.e. “It’s July 7th! 07/07/07!”). Next year I will do the same on August 8th.
11. A sunset on the beach takes my breath away.
12. I find the notion of musicians playing in time with their heartbeats prior to the invention of metronomes completely romantic and human. I should try it sometime, just to see what it’s like.
13. Don’t ask me if I’ve seen a certain movie, because I probably haven’t.
14. I have a horrible tendency to fall asleep during movies. Most of my friends have accepted this fact. My friend Dave somewhat jokingly insists that I find his company so boring that I could fall asleep while watching a movie at his house, even if I had just awoken from a 12-hour slumber. Sorry, Dave.
15. I far prefer driving standard/manual to automatic.
16. I have never bungy jumped, but I did the Shotover Canyon Swing in Queenstown, New Zealand, which is similar to bungy in that you jump (or do a backflip, or a handstand, etc.) off of a tall platform – 109m in this case – into a long free-fall. Doing a backflip off of a cliff was the scariest thing I have ever done in my life. I screamed all the way down, and then went back for more. I think doing the Canyon Swing proved to me that I’m braver than I give myself credit for, and as such I am now keen to do both the bungy jump and sky dive.
17. I love inspirational quotes.
18. I am convinced that Ella Fitzgerald and I are soul mates because we share the same middle name (albeit different spellings). I could listen to her singing for hours on end, and I have been known to do just that on long road trips.
19. I believe that you don’t fully appreciate the beauty of your own country until you leave it. Travel has an amazing way of opening your eyes to what has always been around you.
20. When I was in my teen years, I had a shelf that ran the length of 3 out of 4 of my bedroom walls at home. Amazingly, I was able to fill all three shelves full of picture frames. I had something like 56 picture frames in my bedroom at the time. Cleaning around them was a bugger, but at least I was constantly reminded of my rich life and my wonderful friends.
21. I love karaoke to a ridiculous extent. The guys at one of the karaoke bars in Saskatoon know my friends and me by name (and sometimes by song choice). It’s somewhat embarrassing, but more entertaining than anything.
22. I used to be a prolific letter-writer. I had pen pals from around Canada and the States, and the occasional overseas one. I don’t write as many letters by hand as I used to – I suppose technology has made it easier to keep in touch through the Internet. Still, somehow there is something so heart-warming about receiving real “snail mail” from somebody.
23. I am addicted to Facebook. Whoever created that website is a genius.
24. I keep journals in which I write anything and everything that comes to mind before I go to bed at night. Sometimes I think that I’d hate for other people to read them, and sometimes I think that it would be interesting for people to stumble across them after I’m long gone. I doubt that anything I write in there would be a surprise to anyone, as I am very open about my emotions.
25. I love having girls’ nights in with my friend (and now roommate) MacKenzie, in which we have “Sex and the City” marathons where we stay up for hours watching episode after episode, eating Crispers in our pyjamas, giggling, and engaging in plenty of girl talk.
26. The more I think about it, the more I believe that everything happens for a reason. This may or may not be true, but it sure makes those tough moments in life a lot easier to bear.
27. I am not religious, but I do consider myself to be spiritual. I used to feel like I needed to identify with an organized group, but the older I get the more I realize that I am perfectly comfortable believing what I believe and living my life the way in which I choose to live it. I believe that the higher power comes from all around and deep within (which I understand are contradictory statements); my “faith” is in myself, in the people that I love, and in the beauty of the small things in life.
28. I know almost nothing about politics. It’s sometimes embarrassing to admit how little I actually know. I cringe at the thought of political discussions around the dinner table. Can we talk about music or travel instead?
29. The smell of fuel is strangely comforting to me. I’m sure I associate it with good childhood memories of family road trips.
30. I can do this weird thing with my tongue where I can curl it into a clover formation. This is clearly one step ahead of the rest of you, who likely can only curl yours into a U shape. I’m actually not sure how I can do that, as neither of my parents or my sister can do it. I only discovered this “talent” when I was in my late teen years.
31. I am always in awe when I look out the window of an airplane to discover that I’m flying above the clouds, across mountain ranges, or across the patchwork quilt fields of the Canadian prairies. I love taking pictures out the window, especially if the wing of the plane is in the shot.
32. I have always decorated my lockers at school with colourful magnets and pictures of friends and family. Now that I am in my 5th year of university, I still decorate my locker. I’m not sure what I’ll do when I’m finished school – I guess I’ll just have to find a corner of my desk in my music office for a bulletin board collage or something.
33. I have magnetic poetry on my fridge, and I can sit there for hours coming up with different combinations of words. Sometimes I am actually quite pleased with my creations, and I have even been known to submit my magnetic poetry for writing assignments at university.
34. I can’t clean my room unless I’m listening to music with my windows (or at least my curtains) open.
35. I sometimes have a “tongue on the flagpole” mentality. When I visited the Waitomo glowworm and Aranui caves in Waitomo, NZ, we were clearly and strongly warned against touching any of the limestone formations because of their fragility. The entire time walking through the caves, I felt the urge to stick my hand out and poke a stalactite. I’m sure if the guide hadn’t warned us not to touch anything, I probably wouldn’t feel the need to do so. I guess I’m still a child in that sense.
36. I miss having my hair in braids. If I had enough money, I would have my hair braided every year, with a different funky colour each time. I’ve had these braids done three times; the first was brown with golden highlights, the second was black with burgundy, and most recently I had black with bright purple. I think I might opt for black or brown with deep blue and green next time, just to mix it up a little (and perhaps to match my tattoo – see #59).
37. I get overly excited when I’m saving up for something specific. When I was in Grade 11 I put away tip money from my waitressing job for a month so that I could buy my video camera (which, although outdated, I still use today). Before I went to Austria and Czech Republic, I again put away all of my tip money from my summer job to be put towards the cost of that choir tour. My next plan is to save up money to travel to Germany in 2010 with two of my best mates from New Zealand, and I’m already excited about it.
38. I am a list-maker. I don’t think I could be nearly as organized as I am without them. However, I don’t think I could ever top my Auntie Diane, who once made a list of lists that she had to make. Now that’s impressive.
39. Not a day goes by where I don’t think of how lucky I am to have such an amazing family and great friends. Sometimes I wonder if I tell them often enough, although in my heart I know I do.
40. Every once in a while I’m reminded of how much I miss the original old-school Nintendo. I was the master of “Adventure Island,” a game that I inherited from my cousins Brent, Sean, and Scott (and Auntie Donna and Uncle Jack) after their realization that I was so in love with this game that I would wake up at 6am on a Saturday (while on summer holidays!) to play it in their living room. I’m pretty sure Auntie Donna even has a picture of me in my nightgown playing this game, circa 1992.
41. I love doing little things for people when they’re least expecting it. It tickles me when people do the same for me.
42. I get a great deal of satisfaction out of stapling the cover page of an essay or an assignment and handing it in.
43. I got Sponge Bob Square Pants “sippy cups” in my Christmas stocking as a joke a couple years ago, and I actually use them. I think the packaging said something like “For ages 3+,” and my argument is that I am older than 3 and should therefore be able to drink my chocolate milk from my Sponge Bob sippy cup in peace, without the risk of being ridiculed by my friends (I do have an extra sippy cup though, if you’d like to join me for some chocolate milk).
44. If it were socially acceptable to wear pyjama pants in public, I would probably do it a lot more than I do. As it stands, I only wear pyjama pants to the grocery store late at night (probably to buy chocolate milk for my Sponge Bob sippy cup – see #93).
45. Living through a winter season in the southern hemisphere has made me realize how much I appreciate snow and the idea of a “white Christmas.” There is something so cozy about freezing your butt off in the car on the way to visit friends and family, and then warming yourself up by the fire in the company of good people, good food, and laughter. This Christmas will be especially meaningful to me for that reason.
46. I had my tonsils removed when I was 17, and I had just finished my run as “Gertie” in the musical “Oklahoma!” The surgeon and the anaesthetist had both seen the show, so before they put me under for surgery, they requested that I do the horribly irritating and piercingly loud laugh that defines the character one more time while I still could. I vaguely remember starting to do the scream-like laugh, then fading out as they put the mask over my face. I’m sure anyone within earshot would have been wondering what the hell had just happened.
47. When I was a young child my parents allowed me to be creative with the way that I dressed, only stopping me when my fashion decisions were potentially dangerous. I suppose I now understand that wearing slouch socks and a mini skirt in the middle of a Canadian winter is not the best idea. Thanks mom and dad.
48. I sometimes wonder what I will be like in 5 years, and where my life will have taken me. Then I think back to what I was like 5 years ago, and I try to imagine whether I am now who I thought I would be in 5 years time, 5 years ago (does that make sense?).
49. I used to fight my curly hair. Now I enjoy it, as it is a part of what makes me who I am.
50. I used to spend my summer days as a child setting up lemonade stands with the neighbourhood kids to make enough money to go to the waterslides at Kinsmen Park or to buy candy from the Mac’s store on 15th Avenue. In the summer after Grade 4, a few friends and I decided to make our own business called “Kal’s Café” (which stood for Kendra, Ashlee, Lauren; we were later joined by our friend Melissa, so we said that the S in “Kal’s” could stand for her last name, Sommerville). Ashlee’s dad built us a café out of a few 2x4s, some lattice board, and a bit of cardboard. Amazingly, that café weathered several storms and still managed to be open for business in my backyard for the entire summer. We sold 5-cent candies, lemonade, and tickets for fun activities like jumping on my mini-trampoline and walking on stilts. We made $30 profit that summer, and we spent it on a pizza party in a tent in my backyard in the fall. I still smile and laugh when I think about that summer, and how much fun we had riding our bikes around the neighbourhood shouting “Kal’s Café! Open today! At Lauren’s house!” It’s only now that I’m older that I realize how much my parents delighted in the small things as my sister and I grew up (like the time we made perfume out of flower petals and water), and I am so thankful that they allowed us to be creative and excited about our many little projects. (And while we’re at it, who could forget the time that I dressed up as a gypsy, complete with hoop earrings and a mini-basketball covered in tinfoil, and sat on the curb outside our house telling fortunes?).

Road trip time!

In about 15 minutes I will be hitting the road with Fish, Sam, Kirsten, and Richard - we're heading up to Wanganui and Waitomo this weekend to check out the glow worm caves and the "bridge to nowhere." It should be a lot of fun - good times with great people!

It's hard to believe that I only have a couple more weekend left in New Zealand. We're doing Wanganui and Waitomo this weekend, then next weekend I'm planning to go camping with Tommy near Palmerston North, and then after that I have my last weekend in the Hutt to pack my stuff up and say some good-byes! Amazing.

The tattoo is doing well. It's a bit tender at times, but that's to be expected while it's healing. It should be just fine in a couple weeks.

I went to Palmerston North today with Katriona and 2 other teachers, and 17 Year 12 and 13 Art History students to check out the Da Vinci Machines exhibition at Te Manawa. It was super interesting - I was amazed at some of the things Da Vinci invented (the parachute, the life buoy, the double-hulled boat, a spring-powered car, the jack, etc.).... it was a really neat exhibition, and mind-boggling to think how far ahead of his time Da Vinci really was.

Must run - time to start road trippin'!!!! Cheers everyone!

Tattoo picture post!

Time for a post of pain and artistry. Kirsten and I got our tattoos yesterday, and if I learned one thing from the experience, it's this: Getting a tattoo on your rib cage is about as pleasant as being dipped in tequila and vinegar after having your limbs sawed off with a rusty spoon. WOW. Hahaha. I managed to moan out through the tears and wincing, "My cousin Brent would be so proud of me right now!" Haha. I don't know how the man does it. Anyway, here are the pictures (if any of you have tattoos, you'll know that these are only the mildest photos of the experience. I figured I'd save you all the anguish of looking at the painful, swollen, bloody photos)!

Kirsten went first, because she figured she'd chicken out if she saw me in pain.

At one point she thought, "Oh, he must be nearly done the outline" (by far the most painful part of the tattoo). She glanced down and saw that he had only done the feet, and she was pretty much gutted. I took this picture after a bit more progress.

Kirsten's tattoo is done!.... now it's my turn!

Getting tattooed.

My koru tattoo in progress. It's a good thing I wasn't wearing an expensive bra. Chaz, while a great tattoo artist, isn't the tidiest with his ink. Haha.

We're making some progress now! I've had about 10 heart attacks by this point, and I've probably broken about 12 bones in Kirsten's hands.

But in the end, it was worth it! And here is el finished product.

All in all it was a painful, painful experience that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. It was far above any pain I have ever felt in my life, and I suppose I won't know until I decide to have children, but I don't see how childbirth could possibly be any worse than this. Truly. I cracked a couple jokes about that while being tattooed.... after a particularly painful line I shouted, "IT'S A BOY!" Then after the worst of the pain, I muttered through my tears, "For this pain, it had better be TWINS!" Haha. What an experience.

Kirsten was really glad that she went first. :op

Growing up

I am finding more and more these days that life is a constantly-evolving thing. We come across people in our lives that have a tremendous impact on us, whether they know it or not. There are the obvious people like my parents, my sister, my family and close friends, etc. whom we all know play a huge role in shaping who I am and how I see the world.... then there are some not-so-obvious people, like this beautiful soul who I have had the pleasure of getting to know here in New Zealand.

He has taught me more even in the last week than I could have possibly fathomed. His passion for music is nothing short of inspiring. Yesterday we took his guitar and plenty of warm clothes down to Oriental Bay in Wellington, where we sat on rocks by the harbour and played music together, harmonizing, laughing, taking pictures of each other, freezing our butts off, and just taking in the beauty of the situation. This has been a brief and bitter-sweet companionship for me, as the circumstances dictate that we must make the most of our time together here and now, as we live half a world apart and are at different places in our lives. I realize that for many of you back home, this is the first you may have heard of all of this; I didn't want to speak too soon about anything because there was never any guarantee that it would go anywhere. As it turns out, while we admire each other immensely on a variety of levels, we realize that logically we can't continue anything past November. Yet, I am choosing to take all of this for the blessing that it has been and continues to be in my life. It's amazing how much of an impact someone who has only known you a short time can have on how you view your world.

I guess this is all just part of growing up..... and for that, it is beautiful. Life never ceases to amaze me. Thank you Tommy.

Too many Twos (Tues?)!!!

This is a post dedicated to body art and the abundance of ways in which you can spell the word "two." Let me illustrate with an example:

I am going to get tattoo number 2 in only two days.... on Tuesday!

(Kirsten's coming too!)

Words of advice

If you have any important files on a USB flash drive, please go back them up on a hard drive somewhere now. Take it from the experience of someone who may have just lost 3 months worth of lesson plans, unit plans, reflections, and a bunch of photos because of a seemingly corrupted USB flash drive.

Crap.

Random photo post!

Things are insane at HVHS. It's awesome, but exhausting! Stephen and I had another silly moment after school today where we got the giggles whilst writing Year 9 reports (it's at this point that we start thinking that "Ummm... Todd? Todd Todd. Todd is... Todd" counts as a constructive report comment).... everyone's brain is in utter chaos, but we're sticking together and getting through the insane week little by little.

I thought I would take this opportunity to throw a random picture post your way. Some of these pics go back almost 2 months, while others are obviously more recent. These are just a few of the snaps I felt the need to post today, another rainy spring day in the Hutt Valley.

HVHS from across Woburn Road (August)

Katriona, Tessa, Stephen, and Gary practicing "I've Got Rhythm" for the HVHS Music Festival

Poppy likes to crawl up sleeves. This one caught me off-guard, as the sleeves in my Lululemon hoodie are quite fitted.... she really had to work her way up there!

This was the first real-life koru I saw in NZ (Rotorua).

Jude and Julia visiting just outside the hot pools in Taupo

Stephen's birthday celebration at the New Dowse cafe

Jude, Julia and I got dressed up and went out for a nice dinner before I took off on the south island trip.

Fish took a picture of the dolphins in Kaikoura - so cool!

A sign at the Irish pub in Picton

Tommy playing a gig on the ferry to Wellington

It was a bit windy on the ride home!

That's all for now... supper's ready!

Kaikoura photo

Just thought I'd take this opportunity to post a neat photo I took in Kaikoura. There's something appealing about this picture to me, either in the colours or the texture of the clouds or something.

I have been procrastinating WAY too much today though, so I need to go do some lesson planning. Back to the real world tomorrow! But, as dad said in his letter, I'm in the "final 4" (weeks) at HVHS. Amazing. Time flies, doesn't it?!

Home, sweet home!

Sorry for the lapse in blogging. Since my last update I saw Christchurch (although a very limited visit in terms of getting a feel for the city), and Kaikoura, a beautiful seaside town on the east coast. After Kaikoura we headed back up to Picton, where we stayed overnight with Trish and Kurt (Trish is Fiona's mom's sister). We went out to the Irish pub for a drink last night and saw a guy playing his guitar and singing, in a sort of a mellow folkish style.... definitely enjoyable. Then today as we were just getting settled into our seats on the ferry, I saw the same guy setting up for a performance in the Fo'c'sle Bar/Lounge! I was surprised, but went to round up Fish so we could get some good seats for performance #2. After the show he came to visit with us, and now he's going to text us tonight so that we can all go out in Wellington. Fun stuff!

What a great holiday this has been. It was also really nice to get home too, and into the open arms of Mr. Sam Hall, who has been without any female company in the house - except the rats, of course - for an incredible 2 weeks! While his time alone was quiet and probably quite enjoyable (leaving the toilet seat up, etc.), he was glad to see us again. Of course, the sentiment was reciprocated. We missed our Sammy! I also came home to a HUGE stack of mail, including a care package and postcards from mom and dad, a letter from Scott (including a bunch of pictures of his new band and choir rooms at his new job!), a letter from Andrew (one of my co-workers from IMC), 2 packages from the U of S Dept. of Music (3 CDs each of Wind Orchestra and Jazz Band), and my new airline tickets to Australia and Vancouver. YEEHAW!!! It was just like Christmas, opening so many packages!!!

Tomorrow morning we're going to head over to Richard and Kirsten's place at 8am for breakfast and rugby..... GO ALL BLACKS!!!!! It will be great to catch up with those 2 as well... it feels like we've been gone so long!

I took SO many amazing pictures this trip, and I will get around to posting a few of them soon enough (and yes, photo challenge pics too!).... but for now I'm exhausted, and I'm going to borrow Fi's car to go visit some friends that I haven't seen since I left. Jude, Julia, Aidyn, etc. are awaiting my presence!!!!!

Cheers, from a tired but content little kiwi traveler!!!

Have you ever wondered what the face of someone who has just done a backwards freefall into a canyon at 150km/hr looks like? This might give you a bit of an idea (somehow I remind myself of my cousin Brent in this photo.... although that doesn't really surprise me. Haha).

The day at Milford Sound was nice, but the weather was horrendous. Fish stayed back in bed at the hostel, recovering from the previous night's festivities, while a group of us forged on in the rain, wind, and snow. I stupidly wore jandals (flip flops) and goucho pants, and froze my feet and legs off for the entire journey through the fiord. But, despite the absolute crap weather, Tiffany and I had a very silly and entertaining photo shoot on the front of the ferry in which we counted up to 3 and then jumped, attempting to catch a frame in mid-air. The results were hilarious.... I even hit the deck twice, making myself even colder and wetter, and giving my abs a good workout from all the laughing in the meantime. Pics to come soon. Here's a sneak preview if you're curious. :o)

(I LOVE NZ!!!)

Canyon Swing video post!!!!! Rating: EXTREME!!!!!

I figured I'd make you wait for a day or 2 to post the videos, but you'll be pleased to know that I'm missing some of the party happening at the bar next door so that I can bring you this entertaining bit of media. I knew mom wouldn't sleep until she saw it! Hahaha. Hopefully the rest of you who voted on the Canyon Swing vs. Bungy Jump post can take a look at this to see what your votes helped convince me to do!

JUMP #1 = BACKWARDS (4:26pm)

I really wasn't kidding about the scream on the way down. Make sure your speakers are on and turned up (you can hear us talking about my music shoes and 8th note tattoo before the jump, and you can also hear me say "Am I actually supposed to go right now? Are you serious? Right now???.... K what do I do, just fall backwards and let go?!"). Haha. Brilliant.

JUMP #2 = HANDSTAND (5:25pm)

I have to explain part of this video before you see it. Right at the beginning of the video you see one of the guys behind me, giving the other guy a high-5. I will clarify that they did ask me in advance if they could take a "rude picture," and I thought it was rather funny so I agreed (maybe not classy, but funny). That's Fish in the background yelling "Hold that pose!" Sorry mom. Haha. At least Sarah was concerned that my mother would see that. Thanks Sarah!

So what's the verdict? Which one was more entertaining to watch? Which jump looked scarier? All thoughts, comments, etc. are welcome!!!! This has been a blast, and it has been SO fun to see all of the comments that you guys have left on my blog too! Cheers! Will update after the Milford Sound trip tomorrow. Speaking of which, I should get to bed! And you all back home should get ready for work... it's nearly 8am!

I'm ALIIIIIIVE!!!!

I am alive and well, and far more broke than I was at the beginning of the day! I spent $169 NZ on the Canyon Swing, then decided that I needed to do another swing, so I paid the extra $49 NZ to do just that. Then, what trip to the Shotover Canyon Swing would be complete without copies of both DVDs (one of each jump), 5 pictures, and a free t-shirt? OY VEY! It was a blast. So in the end I spent an extra $134 NZ on top of the original $169.... but it was totally worth it for the memories and the crazy DVDs that I will one day show my children and grandchildren.

So, now for the play-by-play update!

Jump #1 = back flip off the platform

So I pretty much freaked out on this one. The guys had me back up to the edge of the platform, then they messed with me by pretending to push me and then catching me again. Ridiculous. When the guy was like, "K now lean back and then flip when you feel yourself falling backwards," I just looked at him and blankly said, "Are you serious? You want me to jump right now?" I did, and I SCREAMED BLOODY MURDER ALL THE WAY DOWN. It was glorious!

Jump #2 = handstand off the platform

This one was less scary, and much better in terms of the view of the canyon (as I was spinning for the whole first jump). I started on my hands and knees for this one, with my hands partially hanging over the edge of the platform. The guys then picked up my legs and put me up into a handstand, then counted "1.... 2..... 3...." then pushed me over the ledge. I proceeded to scream all the way down (just like Jump #1!). It was brilliant!!!!

AND, the coolest bonus was that on the DVDs, they've given us instructions about how to retrieve our compressed videos, fit for posting on the Internet.... so, while I don't have time right at this moment, I will be posting the videos of each jump here on my blog. So, stay tuned! I'll be in Milford Sound all day tomorrow so there will more than likely be no blog post, but as soon as I can get the videos on here I will (likely in a couple days)!!!!

Cheers, and thanks for the input.... the Canyon Swing was a success!

Now I just need to find the time and money to bungy and sky dive..........

I'm dying of antici...........pation!

Well folks, the next time you hear from me I will be a Shotover Canyon Swing veteran!!!! This morning Fi and I said farewell to our brave compadres who are taking on the outrageously ridiculous "Nevis Highwire" bungy jump this afternoon (134m above the Nevis River, rougly an 8 second freefall). We sent my video camera with Tiffany, who will hopefully get some adrenalin-infused video footage to share with us when the group gets back to the hostel in about 3 1/2 hours. Fi, Tiffany and I (along with others, I'm sure) will be checking in for our Canyon Swing at 4:15pm today. Hopefully we can catch each others' jumps on video as well, but if not I think Fi and I are both paying for the DVD options. I feel a movie night coming on!

Last night a big group of us hung out at the Altitude bar (attached to our hostel), just visiting, dancing, and generally having a good time. The bar people decided to bust out the karaoke near the end of the night, so naturally I had to take the stage to sing my very over-done rendition of "Hopelessly Devoted to You" by Olivia Newton-John. When I was finished the karaoke guy came on the mic and said "Bloody hell! Can we give Lauren a free drink?" So I excitedly scurried over to the bar where I collected my free raspberry Vodka Cruiser. It was brilliant! And such a good deal - getting free stuff to sing? Man, I should do that more often! Haha.

I should get off the Internet pretty soon here - I need to save some coin for the post-jump update!!!!! I will definitely try to post pictures if I can, but I'm not sure how many pics I'll be able to get of me in action.... I'll do my best. They take photos of you, and you can buy them for some extravagant cost - but, being the tourist that I am, I may just have to pay for them if they get a couple good snaps.

Until next time! Kapai, mates! (It's all good!)

Canyon Swing Eve = better than Christmas?

First, I have to give a shoutout to all of you who responded to the last post. It was awesome to read all of the comments and to get all of your input!!!! So the Canyon Swing was by far the most popular choice, which is fantastic because that was the one that I was leaning toward anyway. It has now been booked and paid for, and at 4:30-5ish tomorrow afternoon (10:30-11pm at home) I will be freefalling through the Shotover Canyon at 150km/hr! I think I will be taking the "do a back flip off the platform" option, so I will be sure to take Karyn's advice and go pee before the swing so that I don't have any unfortunate accidents caught on DVD! Don't worry about me either - I promise to post an update as soon as I'm back on the ground with access to the Internet.

Fish is also doing a Canyon Swing tomorrow, and she's convinced that she's going to get up there and just cry her eyes out. Now she's trying to reframe it... positive thinking! "I won't cry, I won't cry, I won't cry.... I will f#^*ing love it!!!!"

And I should mention as well that I am completely GUTTED about the fact that the Tim Horton's in Queenstown has apparently gone out of business. NOOOOOOOO!!!!!! You had all better plan to have a Tim Horton's date with me when I get home, because I've been too long without it... and now with all of this build-up and subsequent disappointment re: the lack of a kiwi Tim Horton's, I am really feeling deprived. Imagine me shedding a single tear here in Queenstown. Do I have your pity? Go, go now and drink plenty of iced capps for me. And eat a Boston Creme. Perhaps some broccoli soup... or cream of potato bacon. With a beautiful fresh roll. WHY, OH WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME?!?!?!

And on a much less dramatic note, I am going to sign off and go seek out some food with Tiffany (another crushed Canadian in this whole Tim Horton's disappointment). Then it's off to do some gift shopping!

Cheers!

Adventure voting time!!!!

Leave me a comment and tell me whether you think I should do a bungy jump or a canyon swing in Queenstown. The bungy in question is the original NZ bungy, 43 metres above the Kawarau River. The canyon swing is a bit different - it's 109m high, and you jump off in one of a variety of styles (i.e. do a backflip, go off backwards, sideways, upside down, etc.), then freefall for 60m until you go into a 200m arc at 150km/hr. RIDICULOUS. I figure I'd better do one of the two, as I likely won't get this opportunity again. Plus, I've been feeling extra adventurous on this trip.

So, what would YOU do?