Surf's Up! or, Crab Attack!

I have been doing a lot of homework lately: writing papers, giving presentations, watching movies and tv (yes, that's homework for me), and reading. I haven't really had a break in a while which is why I was happy to get out this past Saturday and do some surfing! Michael, Jesper and I took an hour-long bus ride to the west coast of NZ. On the way, I decided to take a picture each time we stopped, so here is a collage of our bus ride:

This is Jesper... and this is Michael....





















I started learning to surf in July or August, but I haven't gone for months, so I was a bit rusty. I ended up catching a few nice waves. It was Michael and Jesper's first time surfing, and they really got into it. We may be going again soon...

Here's where we were that day:







I would also like to mention that as I was coming out of the water at the end of our day, I felt a PINCH on my heel. When I looked down, I saw a crab hanging off of my foot--just hanging out. It didn't really hurt, luckily, although his little pincher proved quite strong. I had to yank him off, but I was not injured in any way. I threw the crab back in the water, but I wish I would have kept him for a pet... or dinner...

God, Wind, and Time Travel

Is the title of this entry mysterious enough?

It refers to the fact that 1) I am learning how windy it can get here in Auckland. It's reminding me of back in the day in Chicago... 2) Like you, we also had daylights savings here, except that we turned our clocks one hour back since we are heading into fall. So now I am only 16-19 hours ahead of you (depending on where you are in the States)...

Here is a picture from a French movie called Jules and Jim. I just had to watch it for class recently, and I thought it was quite beautiful...

The picture has no significance to what I am writing about, but people like to see pictures...Plus, I don't think I have the nerve to bring a camera to class and take pictures!

3) God has been doing some amazing things in my life lately!
I have been going to a local church called Elim and I have really enjoyed it. I think it's a great fit for me, and it's only a 20 minute walk. Also, I have been listening to sermons online from Rock Harbor, the church I was attending in CA. That has been great, not only because I really liked Rock Harbor and the teaching there, but I am getting a feeling of how BIG this whole thing called The Church really is. Even though Elim and Rock Harbor are on opposite sides of the globe, the Holy Spirit is moving in both churches and doing really great things in peoples lives. Sometimes the messages I am hearing from both churches really compliment and reinforce each other, and I can't help but think that it wasn't a coincidence, but evidence of a worldwide movement by the Holy Spirit.
Also, I was able to share my beliefs with my flatmate, Michael, recently. We were having a conversation about something else, normal type stuff, but he asked me why I am so moral. So I told him. Lately, I get the feeling he is really confused/fascinated by my lifestyle, and I have had a few opportunities to share quite openly about what I think about God and Jesus and life. It's been challenging because I also feel like I am under a microscope, but overall it has been great to know that I am being used in this way. I am excited to see what happens next!
I'll be sure to let you know!

PS Can you believe I've been here a whole month?!

The Kiwi Way

Want to learn some Kiwi words?

biscuit = cookie (A "chocky bicky" is most likely a chocolate chip cookie.)
CV = resume, as in what you would turn in with a job application
flat = apartment
paper = a course in school, as in "I am taking 4 papers this semester."
napkin = tissue

Did you know that in NZ cars drive on the left side of the road? I am in constant fear of stepping in front of a bus.

Did you know that in NZ their money is in dollars, just like the U.S? That has been an easy transition for me.

Did you know that NZ, like many other countries in the world, gets a lot of American TV, music, movies, and culture imported? I watched American Idol on tv today actually, although I know the episode aired a few weeks ago at home.

Did you know that the big sport in NZ is rugby? It's pretty awesome--I want to try and play some time.

Those are a few of the things I have been learning. The biggest adjustment I think is attending such a large secular school. I have been at a small Christian college for quite a while now, and obviously there are some differences. There is a club on campus dedicated to drinking alcohol. The health center gives free STD testing. The number of int'l students here is greater than all the Biola students put together.
I am really excited about this chance to learn and have new experiences. I am also excited for this challenge to live and share my faith. I am already seeing how I stand out for being a Christian, and that is both a little scary, but also humbling. I take it very seriously.

Well, that's all for now. Keep checking back for more stories and fun stuff!

School is Cool!

I have survived my first week of class...here's how it went:

Monday: I had a film theory class, but I didn't really know the specifics until I showed up for class. The professor told us that we were going to be studying the works of Alfred Hitchcock (yay!) in reference to the philosophical ideas posed by Slavo Zizek. Ok, I had no idea who that was, but everyone else seemed to nod in understanding, so I faked it. Once the lecture started I became very nervous because I really had no idea what the professor was talking about. French Structuralism? Jacque Lacan? Slovenia? Huh? As soon as class was over I went to the library and spent a few hours investigating all of these things. This will probably be my most challenging class. At least I have already seen most of the movies we will be viewing...

Tuesday: No class! Slept in :)

Wednesday: This is a history of cinema class focusing on Silent films. It was a much less intimidating experience. First, the prof is Scottish so it is really beautiful to hear him lecture. Second, he told us he would prefer that we don't buy text, but instead go to the library because he thinks libraries are a great place to learn by exploration--fantastic! I love libraries, and ours here is quite large...

Thursday: The title of this class is New Waves, and it focuses on film revolutions in different cultures across the world. I'm really excited about this class because it will be almost all foreign films, many of which I have not seen. Should be pretty interesting. One of the girls in class is trying to get everyone together to watch the movies for homework as a big group which should be fun.

Friday: Yes, I am taking a class entitled Reality TV. Yes, I have to do a presentation on MTV's The Real World. This one should be pretty lively and entertaining. We are sure to come up with interesting discussions, and viewings. My homework this week is watching Oprah! Quite a difference my flatmates who are learning economic theory and business and engineering.

A few more things about my classes:
They are all in the same building, which is just a five minute walk from my apartment and very close to the library too. Should be good when it starts to get cold!

There are few people who are in more than one class with me, so we all exchanged emails so we can get notes if we need or to set up times to watch our assignments. In particular, there is a Kiwi named Michael, and Chinese girl named Ming, and another girl from California named Star.
Last, I am really excited to be learning about what interests me most! I can see how my Biola film education did a pretty good job at preparing me--I have a good foundation set up...

Thanks for reading! I promise not to bore you with the details of each class next time, and try to stick to highlights!

Fast and Short...

I'm taking a quick break right now from reading--you'll get a full report on my first week of classes later, but for now here's a picture of my neice and nephew. They're super cute!

This is Isaac. He's already a little punkrocker--check out the 'hawk!


This is Graciana. She plays with my old toys and dolls...



This is not my niece or nephew. This is my friend Brynne. She recently took a journey to a magical land called Narnia.



And this is me beginning my own magical journey to New Zealand! And Mike is a big part of that magic by helping me with my bags--thanks, Mimu!


Ok, back to work!

The First Week: Part Two

One day while walking around campus I ran into a fellow Biolan--Rebekeh Pearce. She and I were acquaintances through my friend Emily. Rebekah is here for the semester, and she also has a lot of family in NZ, so she's living with a relative for the semester. I haven't felt lonely here, even though I am often alone and don't know anybody, but it was still nice to know someone from home is here too. I ran into Rebekah one other time this week, and we'll probably spend some time together while we're both here. I'm looking forward to it.

My good friend Kim gave me a Sufjan Stevens t-shirt before I left, and I was wearing it around on Tuesday. (If you don't know Sufjan, you should stop reading this and look him up right now--he's amazing!) Anyway, I was stepping to the elevator at my apartment, and the boy stepping out noticed my shirt and shouted, "Sufjan Stevens!" right in my face. He was very excited to find a fellow fan, and we chatted about music for a few minutes right there. He was wearing an Alfred Hitchcock t-shirt, proving he is my geek-equal. Excellent. (This is picture of Sufjan, by the way, not the kid from the elevator.)


Some more about music out here, for those who care. Our tv has a channel that shows music videos, and they're pretty much the sume as in the States. I've seen Radiohead, KT Tunstall, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Coldplay, Muse, Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, and even, The Format (how did they get over here?) I'm on the lookout for cool NZ bands to share with you, but so far no standouts.


On Wednesday, I attended a financial aid workshop! It was hilarious. I had to attend with about 8 other Americans who have US Federal loans, and I didn't tell anyone I had been working in financial aid for over a year. I just sat back and enjoyed a lesson I could have given myself. I felt very smug. You should have been there, FinAid buddies! "What is the difference between subsidized and unsubsidized?" Don't make me laugh!


Ok, so the highlight of the week was this:
For orientation they had this bbq (more sausages!) planned for a place called Long Bay Regional Park. Earlier in the week, I was not planning on going--the events can get tedious with all the undergrads. But my flatmates were going, so I decided it might be a good idea to go, get out of the city, and see some NZ sites. You can look at all the pics below, but it was beautiful! We went to a picnic area just off the sand. The beach dead ended into cliffs and rocks and some friends and I spend the whole day scrambling and hiking on the cliffs and rocks.
Here is my hiking team:
Fiona (from Scotland) and Nathan (wearing sunglasses, is from Canada) are our neighbors. That's Jesper in yellow and Michael in blue.



The bbq picnic area was next to this stream...



and here is the beach...




I'm not sure how far we hiked, but was a very long way. We had to pass over slippery rocks...






under rocky cliffs....





and sometimes we had to walk right in the water...





We went a very long way that day.


After each turn in the shore we had a conference to decide if we should keep going or turn back. We always chose to keep going... We kept going until finally we came upon an amazing discovery:
a nude beach.

That's when we decided to turn back.
We took the landlocked route this time...

(Sadly, no sheep or hobbit holes could be found.)
I took pictures the whole day, but these are the best ones... I had my camera on so much, I filled my memory card just as the battery died.

That night, there was a free concert in a nearby park, so we all went to that together as well. The Prime Minster of NZ was there and one of the winners of New Zealand Idol performe as well. The concert concluded with fireworks and a laser show set to The 1812 Overture with the army on hand to shoot off cannons. It was quite inspiring (although I had very vivid flashes of V for Vendetta in my head...)

And that pretty much concludes my first week in NZ. Up next, classes!

The First Week: Part One

Welcome to my blog, friends and family! I wanted to get this up sooner, but I've been busy setting up my new life in Auckland...Hopefully, I can keep this pretty up to date with stories, pictures, and other ramblings as time goes on.

Here's what's been happening so far (I forgot a lot of it already, but luckily, I was documenting everything in my diary):

My plane took off from Los Angeles on Friday night and landed in Auckland at about 6am on Sunday morning. I was in the air for about 12 hours, I think...very confusing...(By the way, the host from The Amazing Race was on the plane with me..)



After landing, and customs, I was shuttled to a hostel about 15 minutes from campus since my housing wouldn't be ready until the next day. I basically had a day to kill. Mostly, I wanted to go to sleep, but it was only noon, and I wanted to get on NZ time as quickly as possible. I decided to try and find the campus since it was (allegedly) quite close and easy to find. If you know me at all, you know I was born without a sense of direction. So I walked around for a few hours and saw many things, but never found the campus (frustrating!). I probably should have been worried about getting horribly lost, and I did at a few points, but mostly I was just tired. I forced myself to stay up to 9pm before gladly going to bed. The last thing I did was write in my diary, "I can not believe I am in New Zealand."


Here is the view Auckland from my window at the hostel:





















The next day, I was determined to get into my apartment. I had decided that a hostel could be very fun if backpacking with a friend, but it's not very fun all alone with a lot of luggage.

The building I am living in is very international, and mostly undergrads. It is really close to campus which is great because I have to walk everywhere. My apartment has 5 rooms, 2 bathrooms, a kitchen and living room. When I got there, two of my flatmates Michael (Russian, attending Georgetown U) and Tsetska (from Holland) were already moved in. Later, we were joined by Jesper from Sweden, and the fifth room is still unoccupied. A word about Michael: Within the first 5 minutes of talking to him he commented that I did not curse, and that led him to ask me what my "vices" are. (I thought that was kind of funny since I have decided to live vice free--no drinking, smoking, drugs--even as medicine, caffeine. At Biola, it was the caffeine that brought me notice, but here, I am a freak of nature!) But it was good, because it led to a discussion about my being a Christian and Michael being a non-practicing, mostly non-believing Jew. We'll see what discussions and events transpire as the semester goes on. One last thing about roommates, for now: they are all here for one semester, so I'll have the apartment to myself in July til the new batch of roommates come for second semester. Hmm...sounds like the perfect time to visit, eh?

Here's pics of my small room in the midst of unpacking (can you spot Clawdette, or Curious George?):





The next few days were consumed by the business of getting set up in my apartment, getting my schedule settled, finding my way around, attending orientation events, and reading. I had a lot of free time, so I would often take a book, walk to various parts of the campus, and then find a shady spot to the read. Also, a lot of the orientation was aimed at undergrads so I skipped whenever I felt like it, which was often.

The University of Auckland is right in the center of the city which is pretty much like any major city in the world. I have seen Dunkin' Donuts, Wendy's, Burger Kings, Borders Books, and several Starbucks. It's a far cry from the rural scenes promised in Lord of the Rings. Auckland reminds of Seattle or San Francisco with all of its hills and proximity to the ocean (look it up on a map if you don't know where it is--I am learning that Americans are an embarrassment when it comes to geography). The architecture is a mix between classic and modern buildings all jumbled together...The campus is the same way, and there are a few really pretty spots for reading or relaxing.
These are pics of Arthur Park--it's right in the middle of campus and I have been going there to read almost every day. It' still summer here, so the days are long and the weather is very nice. I was reading A Severe Mercy (by Sheldon VanAucken), and then Mansfield Park (by Jane Austen) and I loved them both.









This is the Student Commons Building--it's huge! There are a few restaurants, a doctor's office, a pharmacy, offices, computer lab, bookstore, and who knows what else. It's always a busy place in the middle of the day, and this picture is useless to convey the busy tempo that presides...



Other nice parts of campus:
I went in search of the chapel and found this quiet little corner that I liked...






When I did find the chapel, I noticed they have books on loan, and one was Blue Like Jazz (by Donald Miller) which I have been wanting to read for a while. Sadly, when I went to read it, I discovered that there was a horrible printing error and 20 pages were missing and another 50 were repeated out of order. Oh well..I think I pretty much got the gist of it anyway...

Random Sites in Auckland:






This is a fountain in the middle of a plaza in the heart of the city...




...and this is the anarchy symbol someone drew on it! It wasn't me, I promise!



An antique store had its door open and it was overflowing with amazing stuff!






This is Lisa, from Boston. We met at the airport and hung out for an afternoon..










That's all for now... More updates, and pictures to come!