What Class should I take?

I can take a number of additional short, student lead classes, I am just not sure which one to take. 

Here are the ones I have it narrowed down too so far. 

• Rock-climbing
• Discover Wine - wine-tasting class, finishes at the worlds southernmost winery!
• Surfing
• Massage
• Indian Cooking 

Let me know which one(s) you think I should do. 

My big rafting adventure!

This Sunday I went on a big rafting adventure with my educational programs group.

It was black-water rafting, which is NOT, in a cave, but on water so flat that it is not white. But I got to wear a wet-suit for the first time. Which, let me assure you, is HOT! (no, really). So our group of almost 40 student did TEAM BUILDING exercises! One of which involved slipping on the mud and cutting my knee up a little bit, but it was all good. The highlight was definitely the cliff jump from about 20 feet. It was kind of awesome, I need to do much more in the future. I think I want to be a adrenaline addict while I am here.

Quick Update, I live next to a botanical garden!

I live next to a botanical garden! It is pretty much the best thing ever, I can go running there in the morning, among the GIANT SEQUOIA'S. Later on I can go play on the swings, or playground with some friends. I can visit the aviary and talk to some of the birds, and some of them will respond! I can also take leisurely walks and look down at the city, or watch the stars from the part, it is pretty much one of the best things ever. I hope you enjoy the pictures. 

Me, on a swing. 

My flatmate and I. 

In the woods, we go wild!

Piggy-back with neighbor 

piggy-back with other neighbor, (and my don;t I look attractive in this photo)

Peter pan stature, and imitations. 

Tinkerbell has some competition. 

Stumpy (not my name) the one legged duck. 

Playground!

Its almost as if I live in a tropical rain-forest! 

View from my house. 

The Aviary

Cokatoo

Macaw

Clocktower

city, almost night

Some of the local fauna eating some of the flora. 

to see more photos Click HERE!

New Zealand: The safest country in the world!

I have discovered that there is not very much to be afraid of in New Zealand.

Fauna

There are no large predators (except if you count the few wild pigs); nothing is poisonous (well, as far as I know anyway), and best of all there are no snakes whatsoever. The case in the water is only slightly different, there have been some great white spotting in the Otago harbor, but no one has been attacked recently, so I think I am probably safe in that department. There are also no… wait for it….. TICKS! (on humans anyway!).

Flora

The flora is a whole other issue. Good news- no poison ivy! Bad news, there is a wicked plant called matagari that will mess you up. It is evil and will scratch you, as part of my field class I had to drudge though that and wild roses (with thorns) for a few hours every day, needless to say my legs were cut up, needless to say I am now considering getting gaiters (they go on top of your boots and protects your calves, kind of like a tough leg warmer).

Gaiters

Maragari!

People

New Zealand is one of the few countries where it is still safe to go hitch-hiking (not that I have done this). It is not an unusual thing to do. In addition the crime rate is extremely low. Apparently NZ rated number one for the most peaceful countries in the world last year. The policemen don’t even carry guns here, they have a baton, tasers, and pepper spray. Suing is not done here, if someone gets into an accident of hurt, the government provides free medical care, so I don’t have to worry about if I get injured sky-diving, the government will take care of me.

What to fear

The weather- New Zealand has all four seasons, every day sometimes, the weather here can be very alterable, it can be nice and sunny and then half an hour later, be freezing and cloudy. Its not really something that you can predict. Lesson- bring a lot of layers, and remember, being dry isn’t going to happen, so get used to it!

The Sun- the UV rays are 40% higher, which is why NZ has the highest rate of skin cancer of any country in the world. Lesson- wear sunscreen!

So considering these conditions I would not feel to bad leaving a group of kids out in the wilderness, I would just give them some warm clothes and sunscreen, and tell them not to fall off of a cliff.

Hopefully I come home in one piece, well at least I shouldn't die from getting mauled by a wild animaor being poisoned.

Dunedin fun Facts!

Fun Facts about Dunedin (my city!)

·         It’s the Southernmost City in the world!

·         Dunedin is based off the same street plan as Edinburgh!

·         This makes sense, since it is the “Scottish City”

·         Dunedin is the world’s fifth largest city, in geographical size, offering lots of leisure and recreational opportunities. Until a few years ago it was the largest “geographically speaking” city in the Southern Hemisphere. The town border just does not end!

·          Apparently you can go surfing and skiing in the same day!

·         Dunedin is the Celtic name for Edinburgh.

·         The only mainland breeding colony of the Northern Royal Albatross, large majestic seabirds with a wingspan of thee metres, is at the Otago Peninsula. (I went and saw them.)

·         Dunedin, and its surrounds, is home to some interesting locals, including the world’s rarest penguin - the yellow-eyed penguin, New Zealand sea lions, New Zealand fur seals and little blue penguins. (I think I have seen the world's rarest penguin! What do you think?)

·         Dunedin’s Baldwin Street is the steepest street in the world.

·         Larnach Castle located on the Otago Peninsula is New Zealand’s only castle. (except it really is a large mansion, not a castle!”

·         Dunedin Railway Station is the most photographed building in New Zealand.

·         University of Otago, New Zealand’s oldest university was the first in the country to admit women to all its classes. It is also the South Island’s largest employer.

·         Otago Girls’ High School was one of the first state run secondary schools for girls in the world.

·         New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame is, in effect, New Zealand’s national sports museum, the only one of its kind in the country.

·         New Zealand’s first authentic Chinese Garden - only the third outside of China and the first in the Southern Hemisphere – is found in Dunedin.

·         The Otago Daily Times is New Zealand’s first daily and oldest surviving independent newspaper.

·         The Dunedin Public Art Gallery is New Zealand’s first public art gallery.

·         The Dunedin (1876–82) was the first ship to successfully transport refrigerated meat. In its capacity, it helped set the stage for New Zealand’s success as a major provider of agricultural exports, notwithstanding its extreme remoteness from most markets

·         Dunedin’s Ice Stadium has the biggest curling rink in the Southern Hemisphere. Curling is a game unique to only a few regions.

·         Dunedin recently hosted the Rugby world cup, which happened in the recently build dome, which can I see from my room

·         Dunedin is the main centre of, and the gateway to, the Otago region. Population – 123,000 (student population 25,000).(the majority of which live in unheated flats.)

How to speak like a Kiwi!

How to speak Kiwi!

All Good: good by me

Ex. “That teachers class was all good.”

Good as- first rate excellent

Ex. “That lecture was good as”

Sweet as:  good

Ex. “That trip was sweet as.”

Freshers: Kiwi speak for freshmen

Ex. “That club is for freshers, don’t go there.”

Cheers: Thank you

Ex. Someone opens the door for you, you respond “Cheers mate”

Demonstraters: Teaching assistant

Ex. “The demonstrators will now show you how to properly tumble a boulder down a hill without killing anybody.”

Wheely-Bins: (I thought for a while this was a wheel-barrow, its NOT a wheel-barrow!), a trashcan with wheels on the bottom.

Ex. “Do not roll down a hill in a wheely-bin, you could/will die!”

Haka- A traditional Maori dance that the All-Blacks (Dunedin’s Rugby team) does.

Hot Dog – corn dog

Ex. “I told you, they are hot dogs, I don’t know what a corn dog is!”

Jandals: flip flops, sandals

Ex. “They were giving away free jandals if you signed up for their club.”

Kiwi: a native New Zealander

Ex: “I will newer learn the cute little Kiwi accent!”

Uni: the University/School/College

Ex: “My brother just entered the Uni and he does not know how to act at all!”

Tea: dinner

Ex. “After tea, lets have some tea.”

Pudding: dessert

Ex: “I can’t wait for ice cream for pudding tonight!”

Biscuit: any round circular hard object

Ex: “Do you want to have biscuits for pudding.”

Chips: fries

Ex. “Lets get some chips and fish.”

Rattle  your dags: get a move on!

Ex: “Oye, you rattle your dags.”

Dag: funny a person

Ex:  “She’s a bit of a dag”

“Get Stuffed”: get lost

Ex. Little brother irritating you, you say “get stuffed!”

Up the guts: to go the hard way, just rough and tough

Ex. “I am going to take this hill up the guts”

Wop wops: the boonies

Ex. “They live out in the wop wops”

Tramping: to go hiking

Ex. “I can’t wait to go tramping this weekend” or “Oh, you’re a tramper?”

Shoestring Fries: French fries

Ex. “I went the store and bought some shoestring fries”

Tomato Sauce: Ketchup

Ex. “Kiwi tomato sauce tastes funny, its too sweet.”

In which I get a library card (Feb 22).

So me being who I am, I went out and got a public library card for the four or so months that I am here. I the library system is slightly different here, but one thing is the same: they use OPAC as their online catalogue program! Yay! But, on with the differences.

It is really expensive to check out anything good here.

a.       CD’s cost $2 to check out

b.      DVD’s $4 or 3 for $6

c.       Popular books and DVD’s $5

d.      Books holds are $1 a book!

e.       And they charge to do interlibrary loans! $5 minimum

But isn’t their logo with the baby cute!

I have to admit I think I will miss my kind wonderful, and totally free libraries of America. Again, we have it good there. Well… cheap anyway.

Field Camp Part Two- SWINBURN! (central Otago)

When Ponowea finished I thought I would have a day off and then go onto the next portion. It turns out that a day was actually an hour and a half, in which time we had to pack for over a week at Swinburn, so that's why I was in media blackout for so many days, which was kind of wonderful though, it was nice to know that the only thing I had to do was just live in the moment. This camp was much more relaxing because a different professor taught it, Dave Prior. He is English, and thus has a wonderful accent. We stayed in tents on a sheep farm in Central Otago, during that time I think I saw enough sheep to bide me over for a very, very long time. The geology here was quite interesting, well, mainly because we had mountain and geology that I was unfamiliar with, BAA-salt and sandstone, as well as a lot of schist, which I am familiar with. And I actually learned how to read topography a little to infer what geologic formations underlay it, which I a have to admit was pretty nice, I also realized that I love filling in the blank gaps in maps, which actually hurt me, because I had to infer a lot, I will try and post those maps so that you too can enjoy their complexity (one of them earned a comment of "They look like they could be used to illustrate a graphic novel").

The stars there were amazing, we had no pollution, (or ozone), to get in the way. The constellations at flipped, and I have now seen the Southern cross, it was simply gorgeous to be out the and sit and look at the sky.

 Ok, enough of me talking, here are some more pictures.  

Home, sweet Sheep Farm, I stayed in the yellow tent. 

A view of the Western Mountains from the sheep farm, usually their tops where wreathed in cloud that always looked like it was ready to descend the slopes and drown us. 

"The Swamp" Where some of the other people in tents stayed. 

Some of the ducks, who I think hated me, you know its bad when they start hissing. 

My map, in the beginning stages of creation. 

Some of the group as we start the treck towards the schist. 

Sheep, there you have seen them! Happy now? Also, do not "baa" at sheep, some of them will try and charge you until it sees the you are a human and begins to run away. I did not do this but I have a friend who did try it. 

That's Dave to the left. 

After so many days I built up some facial hair, (most I have had since freshmen year "Novembeard" I also managed to get a nice tan and burn my face pretty badly. Where sunscreen! The tan is not worth the pain!