Fiji Stories

Bula!

That's 'hello' in Fijian. There is also a dance called the Bula Dance, but I think is just made up for tourists. Why do I think this? Well, parts of the dance are oddly reminiscent of the Macarena...


So here are some fun stories from my trip:

One afternoon we were told that there was going to be rugby match between two of the villages, and we were free to go watch. Nathan, Fiona, and I thought it would be fun to walk since we heard there was a path from the beach to the other side of the island where the match was being held. We asked for directions to start off, but basically we headed off without a clue as to where we were going... Right. So the first "path" we took led us nowhere but into the woods. On the second try was also wrong, but we did find a pig. The third path seemed promising enough but it led us into a hillside garden. Eventually we did find our way, and we had a fun adventure, but we felt pretty silly about all our wandering around... But it was worth it in the end, because the rugby match was great and the team from the village where we were staying won!





We went to a local church on Sunday which was a real treat. I didn't understand what they were saying at all, but it was so amazing to hear the Fijians voices lifted in song--really beautiful--without instruments or a band, just singing to God. Afterwards, each tourist that attended the service was invited to someone's home for lunch. Nathan and I ended up at the home of one of the church's pastors. They were really friendly and generous, and we asked a lot of (probably stupid) questions which they were kind enough to answer. Personally, I was really proud of myself for eating everything they offered--even the fish with the heads still attached!






We noticed a guitar in the corner of one of the offices of the resort on the second island we visited. I asked to borrow it a couple of nights, and my friends and I sat on the beach with a box of cookies and looked at the stars while I played and sang. You can't beat that.

One afternoon on the mainland we were able to go surfing! It was a beautiful afternoon, and not crowded at all, although the waves were a little flat. But it does not matter, because I can now officially say that I have surfed in Fiji. The surf shop had a friend of theirs named Rakesh who drives a taxi take us to and from our surfing beach. We love Rakesh! He was really open and entertaining and let us ask him all about Fiji and his life. He told us some really great stories, and I could not believe the amazing life he has had. He told us to look him up again if we needed a taxi again, so we got to see him again when we did some site-seeing. If you are ever in Nadi in Fiji, let me know because I know a really cool guy who drives a cab and he'll probably give you a really good rate.





Anyway, it was nice just now to remember my nice, warm holiday because now I am back in cold Auckland, with all new flatmates and classes...


More about that some other time I guess...

Pictures From Fiji

Too many pictures! I've tried to limit myself to a few good ones...

During high tide, this strip of sand is completely covered in water. During low tide, you can walk from one island to another....This is Nathan and Fiona, by the way.



One afternoon we climbed a mountain---I'm standing on the edge, laughing in the face of danger.

And here's the view from the top.


Here are some Fijians doing some spear-fishing...


You take a boat to get to the smaller islands from the mainland.
Some of the islands are incredibly small like this one we passed.

This was taken from the small boat as we approached the first island we visited.


This is where we stayed on the first island.


This is the center of Nadi, the largest city on the mainland. We spent a few days in Nadi walking around and finding new places to eat.

We ate here three times (they always gave us free drinks!) This is me with Fiona and Jen.


We spent a lot of time trying to take good pictures of the sunset. This one is my favorite...



There might be some more Fiji pictures and stories coming soon...

From the Mountains to the Sea

I turned in my last essay, and then skipped town with some buddies. We went to the Coromandel Peninsula where we hiked the Pinnacles:





We also spent some time at Hot Water Beach.. You dig a hole and hot water bubbles up, and it's like a homemade hot tub. Except when we went it was raining and cold, and therefore, not that fun...



We also checked out Cathedral Cove which is this huge tunnel carved into the side of hill basically...It's right on the beach and quite lovely...








Other things that happened on this trip:

--We met the current MVP of the NBA, Dirk Nowitzky.

--We ran over a possum with the car.

--I had some really good food at the local establishments.


Next up, Fiji!

Waking Life...

I've been absent from my blog for a while--sorry! In my defense, I have been writing essays for the past month. I only have one essay left which means have completed 1/4 of my Masters. Sweet as!

This Wednesday will be the start of my winter break. Here are my plans:

---sleep!

---finish reading The Ground Beneath Her Feet by Salman Rushdie

---bake ginger snaps

---watch some movies (just for fun!)

---clean the flat before new flatmates come

---check out a thrift store I found

---write a new song

---see the new Harry Potter as soon as humanly possible

---and go to FIJI! I'm heading off for 10 days with some friends, and I'm really excited. It will be a lot warmer there than it is here, and I'm hoping to work in some surfing...I promise to take some sweet pictures.

I am just now recovering from a case of insomnia. The last two nights in a row have been good, but for the past two weeks I could not fall asleep for anything. And when I did, I had the strangest dreams (time travel, mops, homework, flying like a bird over Pangaea).

This past weekend I went with some friends to see Warren Miller's Off the Grid. It was about skiing, which I know nothing about, but I was told that it was one of the better ski movies out there.

Did you know that in Japan they have snowball fight championships? Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZU1BLotGpU&mode=related&search=

A few more Kiwi words:

choice = cool, sweet, or awesome

batch = a summer home, or second house

flash = fancy, dressed up, expensive looking

"dob in" = tattle on (At church, what happens is if you know that someone had something good happen to them in the past week, you dob them in by standing up and telling everyone during sharing time. Then you both get a kit-kat bar. From what I understand, it's an Australian phrase...)

Random Rules:

http://www.avclub.com/content/randomrules

I love this game! Since I have been writing this blog, here's what came up randomly on my iTunes (no skips!):

Cold Truth by The Guggenheim Grotto

The Times They Are A-Changin' by Bob Dylan

50 Ways to Leave Your Lover by Paul Simon

Punkrocker by Teddybears featuring Iggy Pop

Wise Up by Aimee Mann

Lesson Learned by Ray LaMontagne

Surviving Life in a Movie

Just in case you wake up one morning to the discovery that you are living in a movie, here are some tips to surviving:

--When traveling through time, DO NOT touch anything or talk to anyone, especially your future or past self. Doing so will destroy life as we know it and you will spend the two hours fixing it.

---Don't worry about bombs. Any bomb can be diffused by cutting the correctly colored wire, and you will always be able to guess which one.

---Don't pay a cab driver, unless you fling the cash at him without counting it beforehand--you always have just the right amount.

---If you are driving, don't pay attention to the road. Just concentrate the conversation you are having with the other passengers.

---Remember to save your best secrets for your dying words.

---Never trust anyone who has a big scar on their face.

---Don't worry about children--they never die. But they may be much smarter than you or evil.

---Don't tell anyone if you are dying from an incurable disease. Let them find out after you have already been admitted to the hospital. They will have no clue you were even sick because your disease will not have any symptoms, except maybe extreme paleness.

---Don't try to retire from your life of fighting crime. Something will happen on your last day (probably during your goodbye party) to prevent it.

Good luck! And remember, sequels are nice, but trilogies are best.

http://www.moviecliches.com/index.html

Discoveries

Discovery #1: Snorkeling
We drove about an hour north to Goat Island where we were able to snorkel. It was amazing! If you ever get the chance to snorkel, make sure you do it. I got to swim with schools of fish, and see the bottom of the ocean--I just wish I had a camera with me since words can not describe the beauty of it...

Discovery #2: Children's Church
I went to check it out, and see if I would like to become a regular helper on Sunday mornings during church. I had a great time, and they really need helpers. The age group is about 5-10 years old, so there is a wide range of ages. And kids are just funny. I try not to laugh in their faces though...

Discovery #3: Music is a Hobby
Last week I played an open mic at Forde's Pub which is just down the road. It was really fun, and everyone seemed to enjoy my playing. I played two cover songs ("The Other End of the Telescope" by Aimee Mann and "Till the Sun Turns Black" by Ray Lamontagne), and of my own songs I played "Wander My Way Home," a new song called "Strength to Try," and another newer song that still doesn't have a title. I was very pleased with how the night went.
Then, last night I went to the worship team practice at church to check it out and see if I would like to join up there. Unlike children's church, the worship team is overflowing with talented singers and musicians. It was a fun time, but I realized that while I love to sing and play my guitar in worship, joining a team would really suck the fun out of it for me. Music is my hobby--I pick it up when I feel like it, or when I just need to clear my head. So I decided to keep worshiping from the seats instead of from the stage.

Discovery #4: Kiwi Pies
Kiwi's love pies! But a pie here is not like a pie at home. Pies at home are fruity and sweet and they are eaten for dessert. Here, pies are made with meats, cheese, veggies, or eggs. And they are small, like a Hot Pocket. You can get them everywhere and they are always served really hot. They are the perfect little snack.

Discovery #5: New Tunes
Here are some of my new favorites:
"1234" by Feist
"Not Dark Yet" by Bob Dylan
"Save Yourself" by The Colour
"Worried Shoes" performed by Daniel Smith and Sufjan Stevens
"Here (In Your Arms)" by Hellogoodbye
"Philosophia" by The Guggenheim Grotto
"Violins" by Joey Cape
"These Friends of Mine" by Rosie Thomas

Books Are Friends

In an effort to stuff my brain full of knowledge until it explodes, I've been reading many books of all types...

Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis
This is one of my favorite books ever. It is arguably Lewis' best work of fiction, and contains one of the most well-written female characters ever. In it he retells the myth of Cupid and Psyche, but it ends up being a allegory about how humans need to relate to God. We wear so many masks, and are often completely unaware of who and what we truly are. The books asks, how can we come to God until we have faces, until we own up to our true selves?

Miracles by C.S. Lewis
Definitely harder to read and understand but a great book that provides logical reasons to believe in the possibility of miracles. To me, the best chapter deals with the miracle of the Incarnation. If you don't think you can wade through the other chapters of philosophy, I would suggest just reading the Incarnation chapter--it's brilliant!

Emma by Jane Austen
I never read it before, and I'm about halfway through. So far, I don't like it as much as P&P or Mansfield Park, but it's still a fun read. I have to have something relatively light to read before bed.

Reaching Out by Henri Nouwen
I just started this one as well, but already I am really enjoying it. It's good soul reading. So far it has been talking about loneliness a chance for spiritual solitude and communion with God...

The Dance of Life: Spiritual Direction with Henri Nouwen edited by Michael Ford
This is basically a categorized book of quotes by Nouwen from a whole bunch of his books, so it's a super fast read, except that the ideas makes such an impact, I have to stop just to digest them.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows by J.K. Rowling
Ok, I know it's not out yet, but I'm really looking forward to it! Only 82 days left!